Practice Advice for the Quickest Enlightenment
A student wrote to Rinpoche asking for advice on which practices to do.
Dear one,
Thank you very much for your kind letter. I am sending you some information on which practices are best for your quickest enlightenment.
Regarding the five recitations of the Diamond Cutter Sutra each week, this reveals the heart of the 84,000 teachings of the Buddha, which are the teachings on the perfection of wisdom. The more you read this; the more it plants the seed of enlightenment and the seed of liberation. This means it plants the seed to achieve liberation from samsara. The more you read it, the more vast amounts of benefit you receive. Most importantly, each time you read it, it plants the seed to realize emptiness, then, to realize emptiness which is dependent arising. Only then can you cut the very root of samsaric suffering. The causes of samsara are karma and delusion, and the root of these are ignorance. Only then can you be free from suffering forever. Develop this wisdom with the support of bodhicitta and then develop the path of method with the support of wisdom. You will be able to eliminate the subtle negative imprints and achieve full enlightenment. Then, you will be able to do perfect work for sentient beings, to free them from all suffering and bring them to full enlightenment. This is the ultimate goal of our life, while we are living and practicing Dharma.
Generally, in daily life, make prostrations by reciting the Thirty-five Buddhas’ names and prostrate to all the buddhas, Dharma, Sangha, statues, stupas, and scriptures in the ten directions, who are manifesting as the guru. This is how you should think from your side. You can do one set, two, or three, you can do as much as you can. Finish the last part of the prayer, then do the guru yoga meditation, the most elaborate one is the Guru Puja, the short one is Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga. If you have taken a highest yoga tantra initiation, then you have to recite the Six Session Guru Yoga practice. Before the guru absorbs into you, then meditate on the lamrim. All day and night, in everything you try to do, do it with bodhicitta, as much as possible. This way, whatever activity you do becomes the cause of enlightenment, the cause of liberation and happiness in this life, and the cause in this life of happiness without expectation. This means, also, the cause of enlightenment will be the cause of happiness for all sentient beings, including their enlightenment.
In the meantime, if you have time to meditate on the lamrim, please do, and also do Vajrasattva meditation practice. You can also do Vajrasattva meditation with prostrations, and it’s very good if you begin the Thirty-five Buddhas with one round of Vajrasattva. Then, after that, recite King of Prayers. If you can do that, that’s great, because that is an extensive dedication. You are dedicating whatever good things you did today and in the past. There is a daily Shakyamuni Buddha practice, and at the end of this there are several dedications. Some you must do and some you can alternate. I hope you understand what I have said. So, please study well the advice in the pamphlet I am sending you.
With much love and prayers...