Lamrim Study and Effortful Meditation Practice
A new student asked Rinpoche about long-term practices for this life.
My most dear, most precious, most kind one,
Thank you very much for asking for life practices. Probably at Kopan last time you gave me a letter requesting practices for outside. It could be yours. I’m so sorry it didn’t get done earlier.
- Refuge: 10,000
- Generating four immeasurable thoughts: 90,000
- Water bowl offerings: 100,000
- Mandala offerings: 30,000
You can choose one lamrim text, for example, Lama Tsongkhapa’s Great Lamrim, Pabongka Rinpoche’s Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, Manjushri’s Own Words or The Essence of Refined Gold. You can choose any lamrim text in English and study it from beginning to end three or four times, but not just reading fast like a puja, no. By thinking, using it for meditation.
Practice effortful meditation, following the lamrim outline twice through. The first time, spend fifteen months on emptiness, but the second time you can do five or ten months on emptiness. Then do effortless meditation.
Your deity is Heruka Five Deities or Kalachakra. Whichever you have stronger faith for and feel closer to, decide on that and meditate.
Thank you very much for spending your life practicing lamrim.
Put effort into doing nyung näs. It is for two days and is a very intensive, very powerful, quick way to generate compassion. It is a quick way to get enlightened and a quick way to be born in the pure land. If you can, do at least four nyung näs each year, but more is better. Try to do that.
With much love and prayers...