Section Seven: Lecture 13

LECTURE 13, 9 DECEMBER

CHENREZIG INITIATION: MOTIVATION
The story of Chenrezig, with a thousand arms and a thousand eyes—unimaginable eons ago, it happened that the Buddha, The Thousand Lights Flaming, the Victorious One Abiding in Seclusion, descended to the world and explained the great compassionate mantra of Chenrezig. Out of loving kindness, compassion, and benefit for sentient beings, this buddha taught this mantra, Chenrezig, the long mantra, the eleven faced, then the one thousand eyes, one thousand arms.

That buddha put a golden hand on Chenrezig’s head. Chenrezig himself explained this story.

So this buddha told Chenrezig, “You the son of the race, you should keep in the heart the essence of the secret mantra, keep this as a mantra, and then in the future time, you will be able to benefit all the sentient beings and cause much happiness, so do like this.”

As soon as Chenrezig heard Buddha of the Thousand Light Flames, the Victorious One Abiding in Seclusion, he completed the eighth bhumi. Then Chenrezig prayed, “If I am able to have the power to benefit to all sentient beings, to benefit and to cause happiness to all sentient beings, then may I have one thousand arms and one thousand eyes.” He prayed this in the presence of that buddha. As soon as Chenrezig prayed, it happened, Chenrezig received one thousand arms. What he prayed became actualized—one thousand arms, thousand eyes.

Then after that Chenrezig prayed like this, “Bhagawan, devas, human beings, anybody who holds this great compassionate one’s mantra, who keeps this mantra in mind, who memorizes this, who keeps this mantra in the body, who reads this mantra, who recites this mantra—may all these beings, at the time of death, have all the ten directions’ buddhas descend to that place, where the sentient being is dying, and may this sentient being, wherever he wishes to be born in the realm of the buddha, in the pure field of the buddha, whichever pure buddha field that he wishes to be born in, may this being be born there.” So Chenrezig prayed.

“Bhagawan, anyone who recites this mantra, who keeps this mantra, by reciting this, if just one falls down into the lower realms, may I not become enlightened. Anybody who recites this great compassionate buddha’s mantra, if he doesn’t get born in a pure field of the buddha, may I not become enlightened. Anybody who does the practice of this the great compassionate one’s mantra, if he doesn’t receive wisdom, uncountable numbers of wisdom, concentration, may I not become enlightened. Anybody who recites this great compassionate one’s mantra, who does the practice, if all the being’s wishes, whatever he has in that life, do not get fulfilled, then I will not call this great compassionate one’s mantra the heart mantra.” Like this, Chenrezig himself prayed. Then Chenrezig himself became enlightened. So this shows the power of the mantra—if you practice the mantra with devotion to Chenrezig, you can definitely succeed.

The long mantra, and the short mantra, the six syllable mantra, is also extremely powerful for purification.

One full monk, a pandit who broke all his vows prayed to Chenrezig with regret, then as soon as he was reaching the narak realms, Chenrezig immediately saved him and liberated him from the narak realms, and Chenrezig emanated as Hayagriva and many other deities. Then, a person who created very heavy karma of avoiding Dharma asked a lama who was going to the pure realm of Potala, Chenrezig’s pure realm. The lama told the person, ask Chenrezig if you want to go to the pure realm of Chenrezig. Chenrezig said you cannot go to the pure realm, because you have created much negative karma of avoiding the Buddhadharma, having sold Dharma, the 80,000 stanzas, the Prajnaparamita texts, to get food, to live with that money, so therefore you cannot go to the pure realm. Then he asked, “What should I do?” Chenrezig said, “Recite my mantra, the six syllable mantra, OM MANI PADME HUM.” Like this, it is very powerful purification, to purify heavy negative karma.

Then, a couple who had created uninterrupted negative karma did much practice to Chenrezig, reciting the mantra, confessing, and then without needing to leave the body they went to Chenrezig’s pure realm, the Potala.

To be able to quickly do the extensive works for all sentient beings, you need to achieve enlightenment. That depends on quickly generating bodhicitta—the root of the Mahayana path to enlightenment. So what should you do to be able to quickly generate bodhicitta? Besides the practice of purification and accumulating merit, the six preparatories, the actual body mind training in the bodhicitta, then doing Chenrezig meditation, Chenrezig absorbing into your own heart and then Chenrezig’s holy mind and your own mind in oneness, reciting Chenrezig’s mantra as many as possible. This way you are able to quickly generate bodhicitta within your mind. Generally people who practice Chenrezig have very good hearts by the power of the deity, because the deity, Chenrezig, the deity is the embodiment of all the Buddha’s compassion. They have great compassion, much loving kindness.

My mother told me she used to recite 50,000 Chenrezig mantras a day. This is while she was working with the cows, giving food to the cows, taking care the cows, working.

People who do much practice of Chenrezig, who do much nyung nä practice, when their breath stops, then white beam comes from the body, which is a sign that the person has gone to the pure realm, such as the Potala, the pure realm of Chenrezig.

Geshe Lama Konchog, who taught here the the seven point thought transformation practice, has done so much practice of Chenrezig—he completed two thousand nyung näs. He was in the mountains in a place called Tsum, very high, I think very far, in the Himalayan region, and he and another lama organized all the villagers around, and each year altogether they did two hundred million Chenrezig mantras. Everybody ate together and they recited together. They did this for about six years. Not only did he himself practice, also he benefited so many by teaching the Chenrezig practice to many other people, to many other sentient beings. While he was on the mountain, one hundred people completed all the four preliminary practices—now Geshe Lama Konchog’s miracle signs will have to come at the time of death.

We have been receiving guidance from Chenrezig. During this one month course, that we were able to accumulate so much merit, each day generating the motivation of bodhicitta, doing prostrations, meditating on the lamrim, taking Mahayana ordination, during that time we made so much preparation for the happiness future lives, from this day up to enlightenment—actually all this is due to Chenrezig’s kindness, due to the compassionate Buddha Chenrezig’s kindness. All this is due to the guidance of Chenrezig.

Just briefly to mention, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha one day sent five beams from the center of the eyebrow. At the center of the eyebrow, there is called tzo-po, a white hair, part of the holy signs of the Buddha’s holy body. So he sent five beams to the snow land of Tibet, then he smiled and the disciples asked why Buddha smiled.

So then Guru Shakyamuni Buddha explained to Bodhisattva Devanamse that when the teaching degenerated in India, he would spread Dharma in the snow land Tibet, and offer extensive benefit to sentient beings in the snow land and so many sentient beings will have refuge in the teaching of Buddha will have refuge in their mind, and receive happiness. Then Buddha said, “I will pass away, the sentient beings don’t have any more karma to see me directly. So, now I’m going to pass away in order to destroy the wrong conceptions of permanence and to preserve their minds in the Dharma, to bring their minds into Dharma.”

Then the bodhisattva Eliminating the Obscurations requested Guru Shakyamuni to not pass away, saying that he didn’t have to put his holy feet in the snow land of Tibet to lead and to reveal the Dharma. But the Buddha replied that at the moment in Tibet, the beings don’t have the karma. They will all go to the lower realms, like when the snow dropping on the ocean sinks to the bottom. Later, Chenrezig will start the generation and guide the sentient beings in Tibet by giving them necessities, food and clothing, and then afterwards when their mind is ready, Chenrezig will guide them by revealing Dharma.

During Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s time, Chenrezig was the bodhisattva Devanamse. All the kings in Tibet who spread Dharma were all embodiments of Chenrezig. Like this up to His Holiness Dalai Lama—all these are the embodiment of Chenrezig. So that’s how His Holiness is an embodiment of Chenrezig.

Therefore, if His Holiness did not come from Tibet to foreign countries, there would not be teachings spread in the outside countries and developed. All these opportunities are under the guidance of His Holiness. Now we have that much Dharma wisdom eye, Dharma wisdom, to know the meaning of life. All this is from the kindness of Chenrezig, all this guidance came from Chenrezig’s compassion.

In order to achieve enlightenment, in order to do extensive works for all sentient beings, to generate the path with our mind, we have the opportunity to practice many different aspect of buddhas for different purposes, and to receive teachings on those deities’ paths, to retreat, to accumulate so much merit, to enjoy the life—all this is due Lama Chenrezig’s compassion to guide sentient beings, all having different problems, different levels of mind.

Even though there are numberless Buddhas, the mantra that most people know is the Chenrezig mantra, so many people have the chance to purify, to accumulate merit, then develop the mind. That is because the buddha himself is the Buddha of Compassion, so because of compassion this is happening, this guidance is received.

The Compassionate Buddha, whose initiation we’re going to take, is not something with which you have never had connection. He has been guiding you, even if by taking ordinary forms, like I just mentioned, as His Holiness Dalai Lama.

CHENREZIG INITIATION: FIVE PREPARATIONS
In order to do the Chenrezig initiation, there are five preparations: the preparation from the side of the lama and the preparation for the disciples has been done by Lama. Then that is finished, then now generating, preparation for the disciples, that is five.

The first one. Because of the impressions left on the consciousness—the disturbing thought obscurations and the subtle obscurations—without an omniscient mind, you cannot perfectly guide all sentient beings.

Besides that, there is no sentient being who has not been your mother and kind. She has been kind in four ways numberless times. Each time she has been your mother, she has been kind. She is extremely kind having given you this body. If she did not give you this body, if she did not create the karma to give you this body, if she did not give you this body, then by now you wouldn’t have the opportunity to practice Dharma.

Then, in one day, even within one hour, minute, you have incredible opportunity, how much you wish to make preparation for happiness of future lives, opportunity, freedom, how much you wish to make preparation for liberation, you have the freedom to create so much. All this by the kindness of your present mother.

This is not the first time she was extremely kind to give you a body. She has been kind like this numberless times. There is no depth, no number. Even if you give up your body, your life to her, including number of atoms of this earth, still there is no way to repay her, still it is nothing compared her kindness, giving body, having the opportunity to practice Dharma.

On top of that she protected your life from dangers. While you were in her womb, she protected you from all harm and danger. Even if she could not look after you she asked someone else to do it. She did this so you would have the chance to live long and practice Dharma, to take the bodhisattva vow, to take this initiation, and to practice the teachings that make you able to benefit all beings.

She has been kind like this numberless times—then feel the debt. Even considering the number of the atoms in the earth for so many millions of eons, her kindness is much greater. On the top of that, she has been kind bearing the hardships of taking care of you. When you felt hot and cold, she gave you clothing, when you felt hunger and thirst, she gave food and drink, when you were sick, she gave medicine—like this she protected you from all these life’s dangers and harms. If everything she gave you in numberless lives, all the clothing food or drink, was collected, there wouldn’t be any space left—it would be much greater than this earth, much greater than the ocean.

By now you would be maybe in the ocean, running with the fish, under the rocks, stone, born as a worm, wandering around, or in some corners of the trees or house, a spider, eating flies. Or born as a bird, an animal in the forest, or living on only meat, killing, living on other sentient beings as food. If you were like this now, what could you do?

While you’re in the mother’s womb, all the pains, all the discomforts, all the essence of her body is absorbed into you —her body is completely changed. She must feel all the pain of giving birth to you, much hardship, much screaming, no comfortable sleep at night or daytime. If the mother is meditating, doing study, even in the day time, like this.

Things like that. However much you make a mess, in the bed, all the clean clothing day and night, pipi and kaka. All these difficulties. And how you make the body and the clothing dirty.

Now, every single merit that you accumulate, today, in twenty-four hours, you can say is given by her. If she didn’t care for you like this, all this merit you have accumulated today, since you were born, all this merit you accumulated until now, to achieve happiness of future lives and liberation, enlightenment— you wouldn’t have all these things. All these things completely came from her. So think how extremely kind the mother is.

Then on the top of that, she is extremely kind in keeping you in the path of the world. When you came out of the mother’s womb, like a piece of flesh coming out, you were like the worms crawling on the ground, or like a flat fish, moving around, no different from the worm. She taught you how to walk, how to clean, how to go to school, and all the money she collected with much work, with much exhaustion in the body and mind. To find all this money she spent a lifetime, trying to educate you. She collected all this money by finding a job, and then she spent all this money on you, to take care of you, to educate you.

So you see, due to that she didn’t have the opportunity to read Dharma books, to develop the mind, to open the Dharma wisdom eye, to write notes, to read and write. This is not the first time, maybe, that she worked so hard, and led you on the path of the world, experienced the hardships. She has done this for you numberless times from beginningless rebirths, and it is unbelievably kind.

Now you can see the depthless kindness. Even the Buddha’s omniscient mind, the most developed omniscient mind cannot see the beginning. So therefore, if you don’t practice, if you don’t make the most of each hour, each day of life, making it meaningful by practicing Dharma, the good heart, bodhicitta, the ultimate good heart, then so far what your mother receives from you is only worries, difficulties, and fear.

From the mother’s side, kindness. If you don’t make my life meaningful like this, by practicing Dharma, it looks like you were born only to torture, only to cause problems to your parents, to other sentient beings.

Each sentient being has been kind, has been a mother to you numberless times. So feel the kindness equal to your present life’s mother—numberless.

[Meditation]

Now think, “I must repay the kindness. The best way to repay is not just to give food and clothes and material possessions. They have received these numberless times, they have been kind numberless times, but that wealth itself didn’t make them free from samsara. So therefore, the best way to repay all kindness is to free them from the sufferings of samsara, to lead them to peerless happiness and enlightenment, to guide the numberless sentient beings, mother sentient beings. I must do this by training my mind in the gradual path to enlightenment.”

[Meditation]

Meditate on kindness. Loving kindness arises as you feel the kindness. All these mother sentient beings, even if they have temporal happiness, are devoid of ultimate happiness. However much they wish for happiness, in practice what they do is run to destroy the cause of happiness by bringing up anger and heresy. Kind mother sentient beings are ignorant of the cause of happiness. Even if they know the cause of happiness, they are lazy to practice the cause of happiness.

So think, “I will cause all these kind mother sentient beings to have all the happiness and the cause of happiness.” Generate great loving kindness, make this determination. Remember the enemy, friend, stranger, and all sentient beings.

Now sentient beings, no matter that they do not want suffering, are ignorant of the cause of suffering, and constantly keep busy. The nature of the life is to rush to create the cause of suffering. You think that even in one day, one hour, what they accumulate is as much as possible the cause of suffering.

Even if they know the cause of suffering, they are lazy to abandon it, and they continuously experience suffering. Even those who do not suffer the suffering of suffering or the suffering of change experience pervasive compounding suffering, the suffering of samsara. Think, “I will cause all mother sentient beings to be free from all the suffering and causes of suffering, all the obscurations.” Have this determination, this is the way of generating great compassion.

[Meditation]

Wishing all sentient beings to have happiness and be free from sufferings, think, “I will do this work by myself, alone.” Take all the responsibility to free each sentient being, including the enemy, from all the suffering and have all happiness. Take the whole responsibility on your shoulders, upon yourself. Like this make the strong determination, generating the thought of taking responsibility.

Think of that starting from here, starting from Kopan. Starting from the Dharma friends around here, starting here, you take complete responsibility. Particularly remember the enemies you dislike, take the responsibility to free them from all suffering, to cause all the happiness, by yourself alone.

[Meditation]

Now, the mother sentient beings’ Dharma wisdom eye is blind, not knowing the cause of suffering, of happiness. They are crazy, possessed by the mara of disturbing thoughts. Acting out of anger, attachment, ignorance, jealousy, pride, doubt, wrong views—crazy like the person is possessed by spirits, becoming completely wild, doing a lot of harm to herself, beating herself, jumping over cliffs. Similarly, being possessed by the mara of disturbing thoughts, creating a lot of harm to herself—creating negative karma.

Then, being sick, having serious diseases, the suffering of suffering, suffering of changes, pervasive suffering—not having freedom, like this. Each second, as they move, that action of the body, speech, and mind is like walking off the cliffs. Each action they do is negative karma, out of the poisonous mind, it’s like walking over the cliffs of the lower realms, each time. Kind mother sentient beings are so pitiful, suffering like this.

So therefore think, “They are devoid of the leader of the blind, the virtuous teacher. I have met a virtuous teacher, especially the Mahayana teachings, and if I want to help sentient beings, I have the opportunity. They have been so kind, so I should repay them, I should take all the responsibility, and on top of that I have the opportunity to help all mother sentient beings.

“When the mother is sick, having all the problems, if the daughter or the son doesn’t help, then who is to help, who is responsible, when the mother has been very kind? Similarly, if I don’t help, having all the opportunity, whose responsibility is it? It is completely my own responsibility.

“What the sentient beings want is the highest happiness, enlightenment, and in order to lead them to enlightenment I must reveal the path. In order to do that I need to understand every single mind, every single ways and means—and that is only possible by the omniscient mind, so I must reach omniscient mind. There is no other solution to perfectly guide sentient beings. To perfectly do the work for sentient beings, I must obtain the state of omniscient mind.

“Even from my side, to practice the path, to receive enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings, even if I have to suffer in the naraks for eons as much as there are drops in the ocean, then I can do it, I can bear the suffering. From the side of the sentient beings, their being in samsara for even one second, a minute, is so unbearable for me, like so many eons of suffering. Therefore, I need to achieve enlightenment, quicker and quicker.”

The motivation should be the need to achieve enlightenment without delaying it for even a second. Therefore that method to quickly achieve enlightenment is Vajrayana, tantra, the secret mantra. To be able to practice Chenrezig, the yoga method of Vajrayana, in order to lead you to the state of Chenrezig, to attain Chenrezig enlightenment, think, “I must take the Chenrezig initiation and make the preparation for that.”

As I mentioned before, again remember, in order to achieve enlightenment, generate bodhicitta, it depends on a special deity. That is the special deity of compassion, Chenrezig. Therefore think, “I am taking this initiation in order to practice the Vajrayana, the yoga method of attaining Chenrezig.”

[Rinpoche begins the initiation—not recorded.]