The Path to Enlightenment

With regards to your meditation, you can train your mind in generation stage until you see all gurus as a buddha and all buddhas as guru, until you have very strong, stable devotion. Not just for a few hours or a few days, but spontaneously arising from the heart. You must work on guru devotion every day. This should be one fundamental practice.

On top of that, [meditate on the lamrim] until you feel all the works for this life are not important and you have no wish to gain a good reputation, comforts, materials, happiness of this life, etc. You need to understand that death can happen any moment, any day, therefore the works for this life have no meaning and are nonsense and childish. Until you get these realizations you should work on the graduated path of the lower capable being.

Meditate on the general lower path of the lamrim, until you get this understanding spontaneously arising in the heart. Then you will see that samsara is how prisoners feel when they are imprisoned. Day and night they naturally want to be free from prison and have the intense wish to get out. Or it’s like your naked body is sitting on a thorn bush or in a nest of poisonous snakes or a fire. Like that, you should feel that samsara is unbearable and you don’t have the slightest attraction to samaric pleasures, even in a dream. When only the wish to be free from this is spontaneously arising in the heart day and night, this realization is renunciation.

You should also meditate on the true cause of suffering, the true cause of the shortcomings of samsara, delusion and karma, also the three, four, and six types of general sufferings of samsara, the twelve links, and the sufferings of the individual samsaric realms.

[Meditate on bodhicitta] until you feel like the mother feels towards her beloved child, as the most precious one in her heart, and whatever problem the child has, even if the child is drowning or is in a fire, the mother herself would jump in and rescue her child by herself alone. So like that, a stable strong feeling simultaneously arises from the bottom of heart for all sentient beings without exception. Not only wishing sentient beings to be free from suffering but wishing to cause it by yourself alone, wishing to free all sentient beings from suffering and achieve full enlightenment for all sentient beings by yourself alone. For that purpose, you need to achieve enlightenment. This thought needs to arise spontaneously, without effort, day and night, all the time. This is refuge. You must meditate on bodhicitta until you get this realization.

The unmistaken realization of emptiness is when you can see subtle dependent arising and emptiness as one object; that things exist depending on base and thought as labels. The generation stage is when you have the realization that any time you want to see yourself as the deity and mandala it automatically happens without the slightest effort, as explained by Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche. Everything, every detail is very clear. Also being able to concentrate for hours without a single thought entering—without attachment-scattering thought.

This is how to go about meditating in order to attain these realizations. Without realization of renunciation, you can't have realization of bodhicitta. So you need to work on renunciation by doing analytical meditation on renunciation, bodhicitta and emptiness, also guru devotion and generation stage. This is what you can do from now.

Do as many of these meditations as you can each day.

My most dear, most precious, most kind, wish-fulfilling one,
Thank you very much for your kind letter. Please find attached my advice for your life practice, what to focus on.

For you, the main text to use, like a bible, the main one to focus on for your life is the Lamrim Chenmo, the great commentary of the lamrim. Please study this text from beginning to end, reading it through a few times. There is also the commentary on the Lamrim Chenmo. 

If possible, read the text through nine times, otherwise just do as much as you can. Read it from beginning to end, and anything that you don’t understand or that you have questions about, write this down in a notebook and then you can ask a geshe or a student who has studied the lamrim a lot. So this is the way to learn the lamrim. When you are meditating on the lamrim you can use either the Lamrim Chenmo outlines or The Essential Nectar as a guide. Of course, you can read other lamrim texts, but the main one for you is Lamrim Chenmo. 

Please read my advice about how long to spend on each section of the lamrim. Go through this cycle twice, then do effortless meditation.

If you can, do Lama Chöpa Jorchö practice in the morning, but if you are very busy and you don’t have time, you can do Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga instead. Finish the whole thing, Jorchö or Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga. When you get to the lamrim prayer, stop and meditate on the lamrim, according to the amount of time you need to spend on each section of the lamrim. 

Your main deity to practice is Vajrayogini. In order to bring sentient beings as quickly as possible to enlightenment, for that you need to achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible, and for that you need to practice Highest Yoga Tantra, Vajrayogini.  Before you can take Vajrayogini initiation you need to receive another great initiation. The best for you is Heruka, and if not, then Yamantaka or Guhyasamaja or Kalachakra, but you must be taking it as an initiation, not just as a blessing. 

This is how to make your life most meaningful. Even if you learn the two hundred volumes of the Kangyur, the Buddha’s teachings, or the one hundred volumes of the Tengyur, the commentaries from Nagarjuna, Asanga and other ancient holy great pandits; even you study them all and know them by heart, the essence of all of the teachings—of the entire Kangyur and Tengyur—is the lamrim. We need to practice or integrate the lamrim in our life. 

Even if we study all the sutra and tantra, the whole essence is the lamrim—correctly following the virtuous friend, renunciation, bodhicitta and right view. This is the essence of all the sutras and the two stages of tantra. After actualizing bodhicitta, then you can put more effort in tantra. 

Practices

• Prostrations by reciting the names of the Thirty-Five Buddhas: 300,000. [See Confession of a Bodhisattva's Downfalls to the Thirty-Five Buddhas.]
• Lama Chöpa Jorchö: Do this daily. If you don’t have enough time for that, do Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga. 
• Nyung näs:  Do at least eight nyung näs each year, and if you can, do more.
• Tonglen: 9,000.
• Tsa tsas: 100,000. Deities: Tara and Medicine Buddha.

I feel you are a very sincere person, so that’s why I am explaining this. It seems you do exactly what you are told by the guru, so that is very, very good. That is the most important thing. Please try to do this according to my advice. Then sometimes if you have questions, please ask.

With much love and prayers ...

My dear brothers and sisters and students,
I am very sorry, when I was giving teachings in the gompa I did not explain completely the four mudras of sealed instructions [the four seals]. It is so important that I mention this. It is an excellent meditation, other than bodhicitta.

I did explain more on emptiness during my talk, but I forgot the last one of the four mudras of sealed instructions, the view. These are the four:

1. All contaminated phenomena—mainly the aggregates—are suffering in nature.
   So, all the meditation on the suffering of samsara comes there. What is basically mentioned in the lamrim, everything comes there.
2. All causative phenomena are in the nature of impermanence.
3. All phenomena are empty.
   I explained this according to Madhyamika Prasangika. All phenomena are empty, no self.
4. Nirvana, the sorrowless state, is peace, isolation from samsara.
   This is what I forgot, the fourth one. This is the result that we achieve by meditating and realizing the previous three mudras of sealed instructions, the view.

Of course, this is all based on the foundation of Buddhadharma, the Lesser Vehicle teachings. Then on that basis, we practice bodhicitta, the root of the Mahayana path to enlightenment, and then we achieve the total cessation of even the subtle obscurations and completion of realizations.

It would be very good for the people who came to the teachings that day to gather, to come and have discussions and meditation. It would be so nice and very helpful—inspiring each other, helping each other.

Even if you cannot practice, it is extremely important to explore Buddhism. In the world, so many people explore meaningless things for their whole life. So here, you explore the Omniscient One’s teachings, the path and develop yourself. You can fully develop the potential of the mind, in order to be able to perfectly benefit sentient beings.

With much love and prayers. You are most welcome not only to liberation from samsara, all the oceans of samsara suffering, but to buddhahood, the total cessation of obscurations and completion of realizations.

With much love and prayer ...

My most dear, most precious, most kind, wish-fulfilling one,
Thank you very much for your kind letter. I am very happy that you are involved in the practice of Dharma. As Lama Tsongkhapa mentioned, this is only one time you have received a perfect human body.

First of all, a human body is extremely rare and even more rare is the qualified human body with eight freedoms and ten richnesses. This is extremely rare. So it’s a most incredible opportunity to practice Dharma, to realize emptiness and especially to actualize bodhicitta, which makes the life most beneficial for every sentient being, not only for you, but for every single hell being, every single hungry ghost, every single animal, every single being that can be seen, that you see in the ocean, the smallest—I’ve heard, but I don’t know the name—that you see with machines, and the large whales like mountains, and the many kinds of beings that look like flowers, like rocks, like plants. Then in the ground, in the bushes, there are tiny insects, the flies in the sky, the insects in people’s bodies and animals’ bodies, and in the trees outside. There are all kinds, all kinds. Even [parasites] are sentient beings, by going into the body through the mouth and causing disease. Also, every single human being, sura, and asura being, intermediate state being. There are also numberless universes, I’m not only talking about this world.

As you might know, by following the Lesser Vehicle path, that doesn’t teach bodhicitta, so there’s no enlightenment, only liberation from samsara, lower nirvana, only the four noble truths. On the basis of renunciation of samsara, we see how it’s filled with the nature of suffering and we see how other sentient beings are suffering in samsara, then we generate great compassion. Then from great compassion, bodhicitta arises, the thought to achieve enlightenment for sentient beings, for them to be free from the oceans of samsaric suffering and to bring them to enlightenment.

On the Mahayana Sutra path we have to collect the merit of wisdom and the merit of virtue for three countless great eons. We have to do both together, but not by one mind. [By following this path] it takes three countless great eons to complete the two merits and achieve enlightenment.

In tantra, in the two lower tantras, Kriya and Charya tantra, there’s a special path or technique for one mind to practice wisdom and virtue, so in one life we can achieve enlightenment. We can complete the merits of wisdom and virtue in one life, because Vajrayana means one mind practicing method and wisdom together, so that’s what makes us achieve full enlightenment in one life.

For example, after we purify in emptiness, then we generate into the deity. That wisdom generates into the deity, so that mind is focusing on the deity, on that aspect, the deity’s holy body, that is method, and at the same time being aware of the nature of the deity’s holy body. Even though it appears to exist from its own side—it appears that way for sentient beings—we don’t believe in that, we don’t apprehend that.

For example, while we’re dreaming, recognizing it’s a dream. Or we cross the sand and when we look back, it looks like there’s water running, but there’s no water, it’s due to the sunlight on the sand. When we look back it looks like there’s water, but it just comes from that [mirage]. So there’s no clinging, thinking, “There’s water running.” So like that. That’s the wisdom. That is according to the sentient being, not an enlightened being.

We realize the nature of the deity’s holy body is empty, that it does not exist from its own side, but at the same time, it is like that. It exists, but it’s like it doesn’t exist. It’s unbelievably subtle, it’s like it doesn’t exist. That’s not the way it’s explained. One mind is practicing method and wisdom together, so that ceases the obscurations and brings our mental continuum to enlightenment, to buddhahood.

Vajra is the one mind practicing method and wisdom together. Vajra, inseparability, and yana is the vehicle that is bringing us to enlightenment. So we can achieve enlightenment in one life even with lower tantra.

So now highest tantra is the same, but the mind realizing emptiness, the subtle mind experiences great bliss nondual in emptiness. Focusing on the deity’s holy body, method, then the nature of that is empty. It doesn’t exist from its own side, it’s totally empty, and we see that. The nature exists but it’s like it doesn’t exist, it’s unbelievably subtle.

There’s no nature from there. “From there” means truly existent, the real one, but it’s merely imputed by our mind. While we’re seeing this, it’s empty. It appears to exist from its own side, but the apprehension that it’s true is completely false and we see that nature. So that’s one mind practicing method and wisdom together, unified. So then through that path we achieve the result, the unified holy body and mind. By practicing the Maha-anuttara Yoga path, then we achieve buddhahood, the unified state of Vajradhara in one brief life of degenerate times.

According to my observation, your main deity is Yamantaka. Also, according to my observation, for you to come to realize emptiness, it seems you have a good opportunity for that. So, work hard on that and meditate on emptiness every day.

Regarding shamatha, it doesn’t seem you will have much success. With shamatha, there’s the actual realization, fully characterized, then there’s another similar one, but that may be difficult. It’s good to try that, leave it like that, then you know how to meditate.

I suggest that you study the lamrim text, Liberation In The Palm Of Your Hand, from beginning to end. Just do it one time. If your goal in this life is bodhicitta, then you need to have renunciation before that. Renunciation means future life’s renunciation and this life’s renunciation. So this life’s renunciation is the first Dharma, Buddhadharma, unstained by worldly concern.

Your practice, your realization, has to start with correctly devoting to the virtuous friend, seeing the guru as the deity, seeing the guru as a buddha using logic and quotations, then looking at the guru as a buddha. That realization becomes the root of the path to enlightenment, then you need to have the realization of renunciation, the graduated path of the lower capable being in general, then the graduated path of the middle capable being in general and then the graduated path of the higher capable being.

In terms of effortful lamrim practice, go through the lamrim outline five times.

Also do 80,000 prostrations by reciting the names of the Thirty-five Buddhas. You can do this sometimes in the form of a retreat, with three or four sessions, then at other times if you are working you can do one or two sessions. So you can finish the prostrations like that, sometimes in retreat and sometimes more loosely.

For effortless practice, even if shamatha realization doesn’t happen, it’s good to know how to do the meditation. You need some idea of that, knowing how to meditate, how to overcome at least the gross sinking thought and the subtle sinking thought, like that.

The other important thing is to do everything—eating, walking, sitting, sleeping, doing your job, studying, everything—with bodhicitta, the thought of benefiting sentient beings. That’s so important. If you have bodhicitta realization, of course everything is for sentient beings, even breathing, each breath.

Even if you don’t have bodhicitta realization, you can attempt to practice it as much as possible. That’s so important. Then everything—eating, walking, sitting, sleeping, doing your job, everything—becomes a cause of enlightenment. That means everything becomes a cause of happiness for sentient beings, then enlightenment and their enlightenment, that’s the most important. Collect much merit and pray to generate bodhicitta in all the lifetimes, like that.

Again, according to my observation, retirement is best for you. Then you can spend more time on Dharma, on lamrim practice. You are most welcome to enlightenment, and goodbye to samsara. [Welcome to] lamrim practice and goodbye samsara.

If you have important questions, you can ask me and I’ll try to answer as best I can.

With much love and prayers ...

My most dear, most kind, most precious, wish-fulfilling one,
Thank you very much for your kind letter. I made prayers for your mother also. I checked and yes, for you, retreat is best, and best is lamrim retreat. Even just studying and understanding intellectually, just that is extremely worthwhile. That takes many years, just that.

Having firm concentration so that even if big drums beat in front of our ears we don’t get distracted or achieving the five clairvoyances so we can fly—we have had those attainments numberless times in the past. We have had these powers numberless times in the past, but still we are not free from samsara.

It is renunciation that makes us achieve bodhicitta and we need bodhicitta to achieve enlightenment so as to enlighten all sentient beings, therefore now we also need to realize emptiness in order to be free from samsara forever and to be free from the root of samsara, ignorance. Of course, we achieve this with the support of bodhicitta, then we are able to cease the subtle defilements with the wisdom realizing the direct perception of emptiness. Then on top of that there is the tantric path, so this is what is important.

All those other powers are nothing; we have had them numberless times. People in the world are most surprised if someone is able to fly, but even the birds can fly, even the insects can fly, even bees can fly, so if someone has the five types of clairvoyance, such as firm contemplation etc., people are more surprised, but that person doesn’t know lamrim. Lamrim is the main thing and it is most important because if we had these lamrim realizations, by now we would not be in samsara, we would be enlightened already.

Whatever hardships we have to bear, it is extremely worthwhile, so worthwhile. We have died from beginningless rebirths in samsara and we have just created the cause of the lower realms—negative karma and the lower realms—but we have never died for Dharma, that is very rare.

Regarding retreat and part-time work, that is up to you.

One practice for you to do every day is the daily motivation, The Method to Transform a Suffering Life into Happiness (Including Enlightenment). That also has the blessing of the speech and daily mantras.

It is so important to meditate on the lamrim every day. This is very important. You could also recite one lamrim prayer every day. Read it slowly, going over the meaning. Lamrim is what you need to actualize, no matter how long it takes, so please put your effort there.

You should do your lamrim meditations during your guru yoga practice. Stop before the guru absorbs into you and meditate on whatever section of the lamrim you are up to.

One meditation that you must try to do every day is on guru devotion. Sometimes if you miss it, that’s OK, but then just continue. There is no question of how much time you take; it is up to you, what fits.

Then continue with whatever lamrim topic you are on, doing the meditation every day, going through the subjects slowly. Whatever meditation you did in the morning, then continue with that mind during the day, so that your mind is in lamrim all day.

Please try to meditate on the lamrim based on guru yoga and on this basis you will get all the realizations and the most success in your life. It is important to try to achieve all the realizations in order to actualize enlightenment—this is in order to liberate numberless sentient beings and enlighten them. That’s the real project, the real goal of our life.

What makes our life most meaningful is meditation on the lamrim, then to live our life with bodhicitta motivation. This is the best.

So here you are most welcome to enlightenment, to liberate the numberless sentient beings from the oceans of samsaric sufferings and bring them to buddhahood, by actualizing the path yourself.

With much love and prayers ...

My most dear, most kind, most precious, wish-fulfilling one,
Yes, of course you should continue with nyung nä practice as much as possible.

Regarding lamrim, the structure doesn’t matter. Do it whenever you can, but you have to do it.

There’s no enlightenment without lamrim. There’s nothing more important in the life than practicing lamrim; there’s no way to go to enlightenment without lamrim. There’s nothing more important in the life then practicing lamrim. There’s no way to go to enlightenment without lamrim.

There’s no way to jump into enlightenment without lamrim, so it’s the best life. Of course, with bodhicitta, but bodhicitta is based on renunciation, and then there’s emptiness, the two truths, like the two legs, there is absolute bodhicitta and conventional bodhicitta. It’s really amazing meditation to cut all the basic [ignorance] from where all the suffering arises—the self-cherishing thought, the ignorance holding the I and phenomena as truly existent.

That much tonglen that you have done, how much you have done, that is great, incredible, great, great.

Lamrim is the best, so try to have realization of lamrim. It is the best, best practice, the best. When you become closer to lamrim realizations, then you become closer, closer to enlightenment. Thank you very much.

Then you can do retreats, sometimes Tara Cittamani, or sometimes Yamantaka or Chakrasamvara, or a deity that you have received initiation for. If you like, you can do that. By practicing tantra, it becomes easier to achieve enlightenment. It leaves positive imprints, so it’s a quick way to enlightenment. So thank you very much.

With much love and prayers ...