The Qualities of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

I am humbled and honored to be asked to help in such a project.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the supreme leader in spreading the Dharma in the world today, in particular the stainless teachings of Lama Tsongkhapa. These activities are most important in the world. It is of the highest importance to have His Holiness continue these most precious activities for a very long time to come. We are very humbled to be asked to help in such a noble and worthy project.

It is so important to have His Holiness in this world today. No president or leader of a country, or Buddhist leader, in the world today can compare with His Holiness’s incomparable wisdom, compassion and special effect on the world.

An ordinary poor Tibetan beggar reciting OM MANI PADME HUM may not be wealthy in a material way like an American or European but that Tibetan is unbelievably rich mentally due to having His Holiness as their guru, guiding them to enlightenment and giving advice on how to live their life. Without His Holiness we Tibetans are like a body without a head.

Therefore, I feel it is so worthwhile to help with this project.

My most dear, most kind and precious wish-fulfilling ones,
A billion, zillion thanks to everyone who participated and to all those who suggested this. It is explained in the sutra teachings that whatever prayer is done, the result will happen.

His Holiness is the sole refuge of all sentient beings. He is the originator of all our past and present happiness and the liberator from all our past suffering that has no beginning. By leading us to recite manis he liberates us from samsara, even though we don’t know that is the effect, and he brings us to total liberation, buddhahood, total cessation.

Without His Holiness the Dalai Lama it is like complete darkness for the sentient beings, so what you all did is most needed and most worthwhile.

I don’t have to tell you more about the need of FPMT, the Dharma organization. It is a great vehicle, a Mahayana organization benefiting sentient beings, freeing them from samsara and bringing them to enlightenment. So your prayers are very much needed.

I am Mickey Mouse, sorry, I’m not much benefit to sentient beings. If I can make some jokes with some people and make them laugh, maybe that’s all I can do.

You can see how much your prayers are needed in the world. I am very happy you all made prayers for His Holiness and the world. Praying for the world is praying for everybody.  

With love and prayer ...

When we see His Holiness the Dalai Lama, what we are actually seeing is the holy body of the Compassion Buddha in human form. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the actual living Compassion Buddha, so besides hearing his holy speech, even just seeing his holy body is great purification—it makes preparation in our mind for us to be liberated from the oceans of samsaric suffering and plants the seed of enlightenment.

Even a yogi who is not enlightened but has realizations of the graduated generation stage, which ripens the mind, and the completion stage, which liberates the mind, of the Highest Yoga Tantra or Maha-anuttara Yoga Tantra path, is unbelievably meaningful for us sentient beings. Due to the realizations of such yogas, just to be able to see the holy body or be in the same place as such a yogi is meaningful. It is said in the Heruka root tantra, "Just by seeing, touching, hearing, and remembering (the yogi), one gets liberated from all negative karmas (sins). There is no doubt that it happens exactly like that. And one gets born in the race of the Tathagata and will become a king endowed with Dharma." This is the benefit of someone who is practicing the deity Heruka.

The same Heruka root tantra text also says, "The hero or heroine, the supreme yogi, wherever he or she is abiding, blesses the whole place and the living beings in that area." Such a yogi extensively benefits not only the human beings but even the insects in that area, purifying their negative karmas and liberating them. Even when a practitioner of Heruka is passing over a bridge, the insects under the bridge are purified and liberated.

Besides the actual yogi, an unenlightened being who has those realizations, or even a practitioner of the Heruka deity becomes meaningful to behold for sentient beings. So there is no question about the benefit of seeing an actual enlightened being, what is historically known as Avalokiteshvara. We can understand from these valid quotations from the Heruka root tantra how much benefit we get just by being near His Holiness.

This is just the benefit of being able to see or be near the holy body. Then, with each hour that we hear his holy speech, it plants the seeds of liberation and enlightenment—so much preparation is made in our mental continuum to achieve liberation from samsara and full enlightenment. His Holiness’s holy speech is simplified and easy to understand, but it contains the depth and extensiveness of everything that is explained in Buddha’s holy texts. Each word is like an atomic bomb to destroy our inner enemy, the delusions, especially to defeat the very strong selfish mind and let us win, and to destroy as well the creator of not only human problems but all the rest of the samsaric sufferings—the mind unknowing the ultimate nature of the “I” and the ultimate nature of the mind, which creates death and rebirth, as well as old age and sickness; the fundamental problem of our life, dissatisfaction; all emotional pain; and the rest of the sufferings of samsara.

As amrita nectar is the most enjoyable thing we can drink, His Holiness’s speech is the supreme nectar for the minds of sentient beings. And even though at the moment we cannot see His Holiness’s infinite qualities, we can see that His Holiness is filled with wisdom, offering the solutions to every difficulty in every aspect of life, and showing all those people who think their life has no meaning and no hope, not only in the East but in the West also, how to make their lives most meaningful. We can also see that His Holiness is filled with loving kindness, compassion, and respect for everyone, whether they praise him or criticize him, whether they are rich or poor.

By seeing His Holiness, especially by hearing his holy speech, and by seeing all his qualities, the hearts of many millions in the world have been filled with hope and joy and peace. Of course, we should see His Holiness in the pure aspect of Buddha Avalokiteshvara, in the aspect of the Compassionate Buddha Avalokiteshvara’s holy body, but as it is mentioned in the teachings, "Even if all the Buddhas actually descend in front of oneself, one does not have the fortune to see the holy body with the holy signs and exemplifications except the present appearance (the ordinary impure appearance projected by the ordinary impure mind) until one is free from karmic obscuration." Like that, since ordinary beings like myself only have the karma to see the Buddha in an ordinary human form, His Holiness has manifested in this inspiring human form exactly in accordance with our karma, giving us the opportunity to hear and see directly this aspect. This kindness of His Holiness is without limit or measure, like the limitless sky. By being able to see His Holiness and hear his holy speech we can awaken or enlighten our mind—this is the best gift we can receive in this life.

By showing the four noble truths, His Holiness introduces true suffering and where it comes from—the true cause of suffering. Because they are dependent arisings, existing in dependence upon cause and conditions, they can be ceased by other causes and conditions, so we can achieve the cessation of suffering. How is this possible? Because there is the true path. So, by showing us the four noble truths, His Holiness liberates us sentient beings from the oceans of samsaric suffering and brings us to liberation, everlasting happiness. This is the most important education, and such a teacher is much more important than one who teaches us how many mosquitoes there are in the world today.

Many of us here have no idea what the "I" is, what the mind is; we have no idea of ultimate truth and conventional truth. Our minds are totally dark. Even though everything—including the I, the self—exists by being merely labeled by the mind and because of that is totally empty, we are constantly overwhelmed with a totally wrong belief in the very heavy inherently existent appearance projected by ignorance, which is not true. All this that we see as real, His Holiness sees as empty; His Holiness sees all phenomena existing as being merely labeled by the mind. Not only that, but all the sense objects appear most pure to His Holiness. We constantly suffer, overwhelmed by negative emotional thoughts, if not by anger then by ignorance or desire, like a city covered by the ocean’s waves. But His Holiness’s holy mind is totally free from obscurations, from disturbing emotional thoughts such as desire and so forth. His Holiness’s holy mind does not have even the slightest stain or taint of this.

We are like oil spilt on paper. Whatever we do, even breathing in and out, we are totally overwhelmed by the self-cherishing thought. But numberless eons ago His Holiness became free from the stain of self-cherishing thought, with no thought of seeking happiness for the self arising even for one second.

His Holiness has made even being the political leader of Tibet totally Dharma, which means only benefiting others. In this world, the best politician, the one who gives no harm to any being but only benefits them, is Guru Shakyamuni Buddha and Avalokiteshvara—His Holiness. His Holiness is also purest in morality, or ethics, without any scandal, and is the Omniscient One, whose compassion embraces numberless sentient beings, never giving them up even for one second.

In conclusion, until we remove the cause of suffering, which is within us, the wrong concepts, the delusions, and their imprints left on our mental continuum, those negative imprints will give rise to delusions, which motivate karma, then create the suffering of samsara. We need to develop wisdom, analyzing the spiritual path, and then practice, not because of family, religion, or because of what we call “guru” explains to us.

There is no way to repay the kindness of each word of advice, or teaching, even if we offered the whole universe filled with billions of dollars or jewels for many eons. Putting into practice whatever advice we are given is the best way to repay the kindness. And along with that, everyone should pray for the freedom of the Tibetan people to come as quickly as possible, which is one of His Holiness’s main holy wishes, and do what they can to help this cause. And, finally, we should constantly request His Holiness to live until samsara ends and guide us all the time.

Dear Friends,
I am extremely happy to have this celebration again. This event was begun by our great, kind master Lama Yeshe. Not only was he practicing the Dharma, but he was a highly realized practitioner. Not only was he a scholar of the Buddha's teachings, but he had a great and deep understanding of the meaning of the words. Not only was he a practitioner, but he was a highly attained yogi of the sutra and tantra path of this twentieth century. Lama Yeshe widely illuminated the western world with Buddhism.

On this very important occasion, not only will we have the opportunity to see all the Buddhas' compassion, but we can see Avalokiteshvara in the dynamic human form of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, a form that allows us to communicate with him directly, and we will receive blessings by hearing his holy speech. There is no question that this opportunity is an incredible miracle, like a dream, because it will definitely lead us to the end of samsara. It not only will bring about the elimination of all the dukkhas, the sufferings of samsara, but it also includes the elimination of the cause, which resides in our own minds: the delusions and karma.

Even just seeing his holy body has the effect of liberating one from dukkha, planting the seed of liberation from samsara and the seed of full enlightenment. It is an unforgettable memory in this life. It is extremely beneficial to remember His Holiness the Dalai Lama (his holy body and holy speech) at the time of death, when the last breath ends. Remembering His Holiness definitely results in a positive reincarnation, where one is able to again practice Mahayana Buddhism and to meet His Holiness once again. This is a very good meditation to rely on at the time of death, rather than dying with sorrow. The moment of death is the most critical moment in our life; it determines our next reincarnation, whether it will be suffering or happy. Also, every moment in our life is important—how we live our life, with what attitude, whether goodhearted or egotistical. So, we should attempt as much as possible to put into practice the advice of His Holiness. This will make our life most productive.

Please explore the Buddhadharma as much as possible, not only the words but the practice. Thank you very much for coming to this function. Thank you all for all your various kinds of support that have allowed this event to happen. Please enjoy seeing the living Buddha. Please join me in sincere prayers that this very very important annual event of hosting His Holiness the Dalai Lama will always continue, without any obstacle.

Sincerely with heartfelt prayers...

It is said in the Heruka root text that when someone is a Heruka practitioner, if anyone even just touches the hand of such a great yogi, it is like receiving a blessing, it purifies that person’s negative karma, and saves him or her from being reborn in the lower realms and hell realms. Not only touching, even just seeing a great yogi who practices Heruka means one’s negative karma is purified. This is the same for people who even are nearby; they are purified. This applies to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, as well as my gurus, who are great yogis; they cause all these benefits.

When His Holiness gives a public talk, so many thousands of people attend, even tens of thousands of people, and they all receive this benefit. After a one-hour talk, they receive so much peace and happiness in their hearts, and learn so much from the talks, such as the meaning of life, the purpose of living, what they should do, and what they should abandon. They receive such clear and down to earth advice. This gives them such incredible joy and peace, and this experience is unforgettable for their whole life. So many people come to hear His Holiness’s public talks, and from even just one hour of teachings, if they put into practice not harming others but benefiting others, it is so incredible. It is like a parent giving advice to their child.

What they learn in that short time can give them so much peace and happiness in their life. As a consequence, they receive happiness in the next life, a good rebirth, a healthy long life, a beautiful body, perfect surroundings, or rebirth in a pure land, where they can become enlightened, like Amitabha or Chenrezig pure land. Here, they are able to actualize the path, cease their delusions and negative karma, and be able to be free from all the sufferings of rebirth, old age, sickness, death, and all the rest of the sufferings in samsara. Then, they are able to achieve liberation, actualize the Mahayana path, cease even the subtle defilements, and achieve full enlightenment – peerless happiness. In a very, very short time, His Holiness can benefit so many tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of people like this.

His Holiness can benefit sentient beings limitlessly, like the sky. This is also the quickest way to awaken them from the deep sleep of ignorance, for them to meet the Dharma, actualize the path, and achieve enlightenment.

In this way, you are able to help His Holiness to benefit most of the world. That means, through His Holiness, you are able to make your life and family’s life most beneficial, because you are relying and working together with His Holiness, and because he has all the qualities, perfect wisdom and perfect compassion, for every living being, especially those who criticize him; he has even more compassion for those people. This is one of the qualities of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas: they have more compassion towards those suffering beings, the more evil ones; they regard them as more precious. Also, the Buddhas have perfect power to manifest and reveal whatever sentient beings need.

By fulfilling His Holiness’s holy wishes, your life becomes the most important, most beneficial life in this world for billions of Chinese and six million Tibetans. Not only that, by fulfilling His Holiness’s wishes, your whole family will be guided by the Compassion Buddha until enlightenment. At the time of death, the Compassion Buddha will stretch out his hand and bring you to the Pure Land.

By pleasing His Holiness you are pleasing all the Buddhas and numberless bodhisattvas, there is not one single doubt. You will create exalted merit, good luck, limitless skies of merit; every day, every second, your good luck will increase. This opportunity is very very special.

In all your future lives, like the sun shining, you will always be with Buddhas and achieve the highest realizations. Whatever you can do in this life to fulfill His Holiness’s wishes becomes the cause to be of even greater and more extensive benefit to sentient beings in future lives. Then, you create the cause in all your lifetimes to be reborn as a king, in the deva realm, or to have a higher rebirth and be a ruler not just of countries, but of continents, like a Wheel Turning King.