Teaching on Milarepa’s Three Nails

My dharma friends today I’m going to give a brief introduction to the view, meditation and conduct based on Milarepa’s songs. Yesterday we received an empowerment and all empowerments are included within one empowerment. And the purpose of any empowerment is to ripen and mature the impure body, speech and mind of sentient beings into the pure body, speech and mind of the deity. Sentient beings are like the seed of a flower and when that seed encounters good soil, water and warmth then all the qualities of a flower will emerge as the seed ripens.

This is an example that shows how sentient beings can ripen into the pure body, speech and mind of the deity. In order to ripen or mature, we receive the ripening empowerment and according to the secret mantra tradition, first we receive the empowerment and then the instructions. The instructions of the view, meditation and conduct are the method for ripening. The view ripens the mind and meditation ripens the speech; so, meditation and view are connected. It is explained in the scriptures and through the words of the Buddha, the view or nature of the mind is ascertained.

Meditation is related to the speech and sentient beings’ speech is also related to the Buddha’s speech; and one’s conduct or activities are related to the body. If we practice the view, meditation and conduct then our body, speech and mind can ripen into the pure body, speech and mind of the deity. We have to know the connection between the view, meditation and conduct and the pure body, speech and mind.

When we speak about being ripe or unripe what we need to ripen first is the mind; and we ripen the mind through the view. What is it that causes the mind to be unripe? It is the thought that ‘I exist’ and due to this, beings take birth in the three realms of samsara. All of these beings have a mind and this mind grasps at a self. Because we perceive a self, there are also limitless others.

For example, there are limitless animals and even though they have separate bodies, due to their individual karmas their mind is one and the same. It is said that karma, cause and effect is the natural expression of moment to moment thoughts. The cause is within the mind and the result will naturally ripen. For example, just like the seed of a flower which ripens into a very specific flower depending on the seed.

Similarly, various experiences and bodies in the six realms of samsara manifest. We have the three higher realms and the three lower realms; and the cause of these six realms are the six afflictive emotions. What causes birth in the three higher realms? It is pride, desire and jealousy. And what causes birth in the lower realms? It is ignorance, hatred and greed or stinginess.

The view is a view of non-duality and for this reason we say that it is the view that matures the immature mind. Immaturity then is a grasping at self and others. During the empowerment, the body is first ripened through the generation stage by visualizing the form of the deity again and again. In this way we are purifying the karmic imprints of the ordinary body. The appearance of the pure deity remains within our mind and eventually we forget about the ordinary body.

There is this habitual tendency of identifying with this ordinary body and it is forgotten when one always visualizes the deity. With the speech, by reciting the mantra of the deity, we purify the thoughts that grasps at objects by associating terms with the actual things. Due to this grasping at sound, we develop many thoughts of attachment and aversion. One word that is heard can create a lot of feelings within us for example if a friend that you like very much says something then immediately you will feel attached to what the person says. But if a person you dislike tells a story, then instantly you get angry and you feel resentment.

So, there are many thoughts and attachment and aversion that are triggered by words. Also, many imprints of ignorance are placed into our mind that come from neutral words that we hear. In this way we continuously place imprints into our mind which defiles the mind. When we recite the Mani mantra, then we are not placing an ordinary karmic imprint in the mind. Even though the mantra is also a sound, it is a natural sound which purifies the karmic habitual imprints in our mind. Therefore, it is the mantra that ripens the speech and when body and speech are ripened then there is no grasping at forms or sounds.

Then all there are is this imprint of the mind which only is this thought that ‘I’ exists. For that we should investigate and look at the mind if this “I” really exists. The Buddha had said that we are grasping at a self that doesn’t actually exist. You are not your body and you are not your speech. So, you might think that you are your mind but when you analyze this, your body is just like an empty guesthouse. It will be left behind so actually there is just the mind that follows various tendencies that wishes to experience feelings of happiness and suffering.

It is because the mind grasps at the existence of a concrete reality and the various conceptual structures in the mind. For example, when you go to sleep at night, your body lies in bed comfortably sleeping. Especially if you had some good food you will sleep well but the mind doesn’t actually stay there. The mind continues to engage in activities and this is what we refer to as the dream state. The perceptions of the waking state subsides and one falls asleep; then one goes into the dream state.

While the body is sleeping, the mind continues on just like in the day time engaging in all sorts of activities. It is through the power of this mind’s liveliness that we always come to the natural state of the mind. And if clarity is sustained, we recognize the deep sleep state. However, when we come to a deep sleep state, we are just abiding in a state of dullness or unmindfulness. When we really reflect on that, then we recognize that the mind actually continues to engage in all kinds of activities.

The activities that the mind engages in at night are exactly the same as during the day time. Our experiences of happiness and suffering are exactly the same. Day time perceptions are just like a movie or a tv show being projected and you are watching it. Therefore, whatever appears is illusory by nature and later when we die it will be just like that. All these karmic imprints in our mind will manifest just like the day time experiences.

When you reflect in this way you understand that every experience really is the projection of your own karmic imprints within your own mind. The mind itself is like a camera where the whole film (which are the imprints) is stored. Then your experiences are projected as the movie. You can’t see the mind but it places the imprints of ignorance, attachment and aversion into the film roll. These manifest as the various coarse and subtle tendencies in the forms of dreams that you have at night.

If you purify these and do not place imprints of body and speech into the mind, then the mind remains clear. Then when you look at the mind, you can see the nature of the mind. When you look at the mind right now in this very present moment where all past thoughts have stopped, and no future thoughts have yet arisen. The thoughts are not your mind as your mind is the fundamental basis and when you recognize that, then thoughts will instantly dissipate just like waves on water.

We all have different experiences of happiness and suffering due to our diverse karmas. When you think about that, you see that the mind is really one and the same. My mind and the mind of beings in the lower realms. Everything arises from this mind; therefore, everything is encompassed by this mind. All appearance and existence is included within the mind. So, if you look at what that mind is from which everything arises, just look at the present moment again and again. There is a moment when all past thoughts have stopped and no future thoughts have arisen. You look at the space between thoughts repeatedly and through this looking, first you develop a state of Shamatha or calm-abiding.

Then continuously abide within that state for a longer time and you begin to analyze what is this thought-free mind. So then when you gain insight which is Vipassana, you recognize the mind that is completely empty and pristinely clear. In this way you see the nature of the mind by first having cultivated a state of calm-abiding. This is how you see that everything that appears and exists is included within the mind.

Then it says ‘mind itself is the continuous nature of clarity.’ And you recognize that when you look at the mind in the present moment when there are no thoughts. Then you clearly see it like space and when you recognize that, then you see that there is nothing that is not encompassed by it. In this way you analyze resting in a state of Vipassana and it is through this abiding in the present moment where there are no thoughts. You recognize that mind is no different to space and that recognition is to recognize the view which is the natural state of the mind.