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Today is an international teachers’ day and we have to remember all of our teachers. In the Buddhist tradition for instance, the principal main teacher is the Buddha Shakyamuni. Throughout the world every religion and spiritual tradition have their own spiritual teacher. We bring to mind the teachers of the dharma tradition, one’s guru who gave you the refuge vow. And in the worldly mundane tradition, we remember and commemorate all the teachers you have had (since the first grade up till your graduation) on this day.

If we do not have any teachers even though we have found the precious human body, we might appear as a human being but our behaviour and actions would be more like that of an animal. Also, for example in the old days where we did not have any education and learning, people underwent a lot of hardships when it came to their livelihood. Nowadays with the development of science and technology in the world, we have all sorts of things and devices that makes life easier. All the happiness and well-being that we enjoy in this life and in this world is due to various scientific developments. So, we remember all of these human teachers and also all the teachers of the holy dharma who shows us the path from now on until we attain enlightenment (throughout all lifetimes). The path that is extremely vast and profound so these teachers are extremely precious. When you bring that to mind then your faith and trust in them increases. That is to your own greatest benefit and your mind will open up.

Basically if you think that all the teachers are inconceivable, then faith arises and the qualities of the teachers will arise in your mind. So, this afternoon in the English text we are on page 5 and the first verse speaks about the faults of self-grasping. And it begins with ‘My faults are as large as a mountain’. It is due to this grasping at a self and on the one hand, it is that self that protects you in this life. But we usually don’t consider anyone else except for the self as most important. Then such a person who only cares for themselves doesn’t really understand the situations of other people around them. They are only concerned about what is happening to them. And because they are not aware of the situation of others this ‘self’ increases and it turns into pride as we have mentioned before. That is an ignorant view where we lack any kind of wisdom awareness.

If you are not able to hold that view of equalizing self and others, then you will harm others. And if you harm them, they will harm you in return. So according to the mundane worldly tradition, we have to equalize self with others. Ideally according to the buddhist path, you would actually put others before yourself; cherishing them even more. But according to at least the mundane tradition, when we live in all countries in this world, in order to live well we equalize self with others. This leads to stability of well-being but if you only care about ourselves then we will always encounter a lot of difficulties. We create a lot of suffering towards people around us and we will never be able to be of any use to them.

By all means it is important and necessary to equalize self and others at least. Because for as long as you always consider yourself as more important then, anybody else, you will always run into difficulties in this life and all future lives.

Even if we practice the holy dharma but consider ourselves as most important, we will always encounter difficulties. Even in a religious sense within the dharma, this happens all the time. For example, you think that your tradition is most precious and the others are not good. Of course, on one hand in the dharma, there is something called a discussion where we discuss the dharma and debate in order to refine each other’s understanding of the dharma. But this kind of debate and argument is more like two friends helping to wash each other’s face. But there is no real criticism within the mind.

But if we think that our own tradition is more important than the others then if we express that something will come back in return. Even when we practice the dharma now, we always run into difficulties. And there are a lot of conflicts in this world which are really caused by practicing the dharma in this way with such bias views. As Buddhist practitioners, the responsibility is to create peace and happiness in the mind ‘s of beings. The two traditions have that responsibility; the mundane tradition’s responsibility is to improve the outer well-being in this world and in this life. And the religious responsibility is to increase the peace and happiness of beings. The essence of peace and happiness in the mind is really love and compassion. And there is no religion that doesn’t teach that.

But for as long as you consider yourself as more important, then it is your own ruin. So, it says, ‘I hide the demon of ego-fixation which will ruin me permanently’. That will ruin yourself and it will also ruin others and bring them down. It will ruin the happiness in this life and ruin bodhicitta and altruism in future lives. We might say may all beings have happiness and so on, but in our activities we still harm them in whichever way we can. That is the very root cause of all suffering in this world. It really comes from regarding the self as most important which leads to a heap of faults. According to the holy dharma, it is taught that there is actually no self. We only believe in the existence of a self that doesn’t really exist. That is the very root cause of wandering in samsara.

Buddha said that if a self were to exist then it would be ok to hold on to it but it doesn’t really exist. So, we always say this is ‘me’ but what we are really pointing at is just our body. But if we think about it, when we die, we will leave this body behind. Then we point at our consciousness as the self but if there is a self then there is also others. And then there is an attachment to the self and an aversion against the other. Naturally from that fear arises and you think that something is going to happen to you. Fear is ultimately rooted in that concept of a self. And until that self has become eliminated there is no way one can attain the state of enlightenment.

The state of enlightenment is the state where all concepts of a self has completely disappeared and there is no more concept of others. For example, when you have two friends then it seems that ‘there are two of us and we are separate due to the physical form that we have’. But the physical form or the body is impermanent and will disintegrate into ashes. And when you look at the mind, the mind is just like light. You cannot say that it exists nor that it doesn’t exist. Because we are unable to eliminate this belief and a grasping at a self that we continue to think that this is ‘me’ and we are attached to this idea. Even if we practice the dharma or the Mani mantra, you still accumulate negativity by just thinking about ‘me’ all the time. In this way, this ‘I’ becomes more powerful.

The habitual tendencies become thicker and the ice-block grows. So, it is said all suffering without exception comes from wishing for one’s own happiness. This grasping at a self is the very root of wandering in samsara. Realizing that it doesn’t really exist and that it lacks inherent existence is the knowledge and realization of emptiness. It mentions here ‘the demons of evil fixation’ which is someone who snatches something from you. For example, you have a very precious object and it comes and takes it away from you. So, what is ruined here through this demon of self-grasping evil fixation is your merit. What is merit actually? It is loving kindness or the precious bodhicitta. The only cause of all happiness of the temporary birth in the higher realms and ultimate enlightenment.

We do have love but mostly our love is not completely pure. We love but mainly for our own sake. For example, you are generous and make a gift to someone. You have some hopes that in the future this person is going to do something for you. Maybe there is something in for you if you do this. Or you practice ethical discipline; whichever of the six paramitas that you do. If you practice virtue in this way, then only half of it is virtuous and the other half is non-virtuous. This is how merit becomes ruined. If you practice generosity with a selfish intention to get rich in the future, you will get rich for a few lifetimes. But once that merit comes to an end, everything is lost again. For example, some businessmen in this world who are very rich but one day everything collapses and they lose everything. That is when their merit comes to an end.

Sakya Pandita had said that for those who possess merit, activities are accomplished effortlessly just like the sun shining in the sky. Just like that if you possess merit then just naturally in all lifetimes, you will enjoy perfect wealth and happiness and ultimately attain enlightenment. So, there will be a two-fold result but if you do not have such merit, then this two-fold result will not be attained. You will not have such merit if your love is impure; impure love spoils your merit. So, you need to have pure sincere love which is the root of all happiness. That is the way to accumulate huge amount of merit by practicing even the slightest virtue. It is a pure altruistic mind and if it is not pure whatever six paramitas you practice, you will never obtain true lasting merit. It will all be ruined by this demon of self-grasping.

The Buddha said, ‘completely tame your own mind, this is the Buddha’s teachings’. Your own mind is actually the Buddha but we have not realized that because we grasp at a self and other duality. Once you realize that self and other do not exist or is inseparable, then there is no duality in the mind and there is nowhere to wander any longer. So, this realization of non-duality is what we call enlightenment. For as long the self does not become exhausted, there is no enlightenment. Only when you realize that self and other are inseparable, then you attain the state of enlightenment.

But then currently it is only a mirror understanding; we understand that there is no self but we have not eliminated the self. We might have an understanding of emptiness but only an understanding will not lead to enlightenment. We have to actually eliminate and exhaust self-grasping; and we exhaust it only by cultivating immeasurable love. If you cultivate immeasurable love and look at your mind, you will naturally understand the view of Vipassana. This demon that ruins everything is like a mountain of ruin which is self-grasping. So, at this point it is important to remember the actual fault of ego fixation or self-grasping over and over again.

So then it says ‘all of my thoughts cause my emotions to increase, all of my actions have unvirtuous results. I have not even gone in the direction of the path of freedom.’ Actually, whatever we think about in our mind, together with that thought there is always this selfishness which is always there. In the hundred thousand songs of Milerapa, Milarepa also had said that there are those who practice merit or virtue with the hopes of gaining fame and reputation. Then there are those who practice generosity with hopes of receiving something in return in the future. Then there are those who practice virtue with the hope to be protected from fears such as illness and so forth in this life. Of course, if you practice virtue, there is still are merits but it won’t last for very long. Therefore, Milarepa said that before too long, it all becomes ruined and collapses. This is also a song which you can also find in the hundred thousand songs of Milarepa and I also encourage you to read these instructions and songs of realization again and again.

Next it says ‘I haven’t even gone in the direction of the path of freedom’. What we need to become free of is this grasping at the self. Normally when we practice virtue, (even though we practice virtue) along with that virtue it is somewhat tainted by non-virtue. So, we supplicate to the guru ‘to think of me; look upon me quickly with compassion. Grant your blessings so that I destroy this clinging to me and mine’. The guru here that we supplicate is actually your own mindful awareness. This grasping at a self or a sense of ‘me’ arises all the time continuously. There is often nothing we can do about it; there is no way for it not to arise. It just arises but it is important to know and recognize when it arises. For example, you think ‘this is my drink I am drinking this and this is mine and that is mine’. So, this ‘me’ arises all the time and we have to recognize that every time it arises that now this ‘I” has arisen.

Every time it arises you cease it with clear mindfulness and in this way it will slowly dissolve like snow falling on a lake. Slowly it will become weaker and weaker and in the end it will have no more control or power over you. Regarding the blessing of the guru, the actual ultimate blessing of the guru is bodhicitta. The guru is embodied in a form but it is said that the guru’s speech is more precious than his body. And the guru’s mind is more precious than his speech which is the mind of bodhicitta. Therefore, the ultimate guru really is this mind of bodhicitta or compassion.

Next it says ‘Just a little praise or blame makes me happy or sad. A mere harsh word causes me to lose my armour of patience’. So that is the very sign of self-grasping being there. It is there but we can’t really find it because ultimately there is no self. So, if you look for it again, we can’t find it anywhere. There was a story in the past that there was a Drukpa Kagyu master whose disciple requested instructions on the nature of the mind from him. And the master replied ‘first bring me your ‘self’ and he sent the student home. The student looked day and night for the ‘self’ but he just couldn’t find it. So, he returned and the teacher asked him ‘So, did you find the ‘self’ but he said ‘I couldn’t find it’. Then the teacher said so what are you doing here. And the disciple said ‘I am here to receive your teachings’ so this is where the ‘I’ comes up. And he said here it is; here is the ‘I’, ‘I’ am here to receive teachings. So, it arises in this way momentarily due to a certain condition which causes this concept of ‘me’ to arise.

For example, if someone praises you or tells you how good you are, you immediately feel so happy about it. Or if somebody said something bad to you, immediately you get angry. And you think that ‘he’ said that to ‘me’. Anger arises momentarily and so it is just like a magnet that pulls towards it. Constantly these thoughts of attachment and aversion arise day and night all the time. So, we need to learn to use various circumstances like being humiliated and blamed and so forth as the path as it is explained in the 37 Bodhisattvas practices. In this way, when it arises, you have to recognize this concept of ‘me’. This sense of ‘me’ is the one that holds on to and protects all these thoughts of attachment and aversion and justifies them. So that is the demon of self that snatches or ruins all your causes of happiness. It causes them to freeze into an ice-block and disappear.

So ‘mere harsh words cause me to lose my armour of patience’. Regarding that Milarepa had said ‘if you are not able to practice patience in the face of being insulted by harsh words’ then what’s the benefit of isolating yourself in a cave and practicing. You have to be able to face the difficulties and practice with it when it arises. Also, when somebody praises you for something good that you have done, then you should not just feel happy about it. But think that this is due to the quality of love and bodhicitta. And now I have accomplished great virtue that is excellent. You cultivate a devotion or faith in loving kindness but also on the other hand, if someone blames you or accuses you of something that you have done, then you recognize that you have actually done that with an afflicted mind.

For as long as you allow these afflictions to remain within your mind, not just now but in future lifetimes, you will always encounter difficulties when these become ripen. Dzogchen Patrul Rinpoche had said that ‘I do not wish for praise because when being praised, praise increases pride. I rather prefer to be criticized or blamed because this will exhaust all my hidden faults. So, this is how the bodhisattva’s practice just had Patrul Rinpoche had said. And the perspective of being accused and blamed can be very beneficial for practice because it is something that triggers and brings anger to the surface. Then you recognize that there is anger and you are angry.

You basically practice according to the 37 Bodhisattva practices so there is no need to explain so much in detail here. But it is very meaningful for you to read the 37 practices very deeply. Whenever a thought or even the slightest feeling arises, the 37 practices have an antidote to that problem. Here it speaks about the armour of patience and it is not just practicing patience when someone speaks to you harshly. But it means to practice patience in the face of any kind of difficulty. Patience is the core essence of all practice which is like an armour. So, what is patience? The essence of patience is actually wisdom and if you have wisdom and awareness, you will practice patience naturally. And if you practice patience, you will overcome the 4 maras or demons of affliction or aggregates and so on.

If you do not have patience, you might do many good things and work really hard but ultimately when there is no appreciation for what you have done, then you might grow weary of it. And this is where the pride comes back in where you feel that you have done so much but nobody appreciates it. Now I am tired and I did it for them but they don’t see it and I won’t do it anymore. In this way, you turn away from positive activity. But on the other hand, no matter what other people say, if you have patience, you will continue your activities and you will not stop. You will feel that no matter what, I have done my best in whatever I do, I have done it with a pure mind and a pure intention. Let them say whatever they want. ‘If they are happy about what I am doing, that is fine I will continue what I am doing’. And if they don’t like what I am doing, that is fine too. So, you will not be deterred and not allow anyone to stop you from your positive activities. If you know that your intentions are pure, you will just keep going in whatever you are doing. This kind of patience is what overcomes and defeats the maras and the afflictions. This is how we need to defeat them.

In brief, you can say, if you lose your patience, then you really have lost everything. Patience needs to be practiced in any circumstance. You need to be patient in the face of both negative and positive circumstances. So, patience is really most important and then it says ‘Even when I see helpless ones, compassion does not arise. When needy people come to me, I am tied up by a knot of greed.’ That is a very important line; what do these helpless ones really refer to? For example, sometimes in India or Nepal when there is a large prayer gathering. Where there are many spiritual masters with hundreds of thousands of people come together for a prayer event or ceremony. Often the roads are lined with beggars and poor people at the side of the road in the hope of receiving some donations. Then we would want to give something to them but other people say don’t give anything to them because they are just going to use it for buying alcohol or cigarettes and things like that. And that would not help them anyways as they don’t want to work or do anything.

But this is really not how we should think about it because even if you don’t give them anything, it still won’t help them to find work or stop drinking and smoking and so on. But for the time when you give them something, you give them some happiness for that moment. In this way, you are clearing away their unhappiness for some time. And if you do not give them anything, it is not that they will get an education or gain qualities. They can’t help it; it is just how their life circumstances are. In any case, they are going to drink and smoke and they are going to go hungry. So, you not giving anything won’t change their circumstance but if you give something to them, they will feel happy for at least some time. It is more beneficial to give them a dollar instead of a thousand dollars to a sangha member. Because if you give a member of the sangha a lot of money, often they won’t even look at it because they get so much anyways from many people around them. But to a beggar if you just give them one dollar, they will be so happy about it. By all means you should give to them in particular more than anyone else.

You should also not get involved in what they are going to do with what you give them. Whatever they do is none of your business anyway. You just give and not worry about what they are going to do with the money. It is enough if you make them happy just for this moment and that is the purpose. Compassion arises in this way and you have to practice generosity and attachment to the self is released from your mind. When we speak about generosities, it is particularly those helpless beings that we need to give.

Even for just one hour if you give them something like a dollar, they will feel happy for an hour or so. It is important to give to those who are helpless and have no one else to help them. These are our primary areas to practice generosity. Those who suffer and who have a lot of difficulties, or a traveller who comes from far away. Or a person who has been sick for very long and has no one to care for them. That is real generosity and it is very important to practice generosity in this way.

Then it says ‘Guru think of me, look upon me quickly with compassion. Grant your blessings so that my mind blends with the dharma’. So, who is the lama again? It is immeasurable love and if you possess that you will see everyone you encounter as a parent. If you habituate to love over and over again then you would want to protect even the smallest animal. So that is compassion arising there. Once immeasurable love has arisen, then finally true compassion arises. It is said that the root of the 84,000 teachings is bodhicitta. In this world there is no religion that does not practice that loving kindness and compassion.

So, what we call the dharma is a compassion that is infused with loving kindness. Such a compassion remembers the kindness of others and wishes to repay that kindness. What is important is to cultivate compassion that is infused with loving kindness. Next it says ‘I hold dearly to futile samsara. For the sake of food and clothing, I completely abandon lasting goals.’ So, what is samsara? It is due to the force of karma that we wander in samsara. If the cause is a momentary arising of love and compassion then the result of that will be to obtain a body as a God or a human. But birth in the higher realms is said to be as rare as there are stars in a day-light sky. And for the most part we become caught up in afflicted states of mind such as greed, anger, ignorance and so forth.

So for the vast majority of our time, we are continuously accumulating afflicted karma. And for this reason, for the most part we spend our time wandering in the three lower realms. In this way, we keep going around in circles just like the wheel of a car constantly turning without ever being liberated. Or just like a fly being caught in a closed up jar. It goes up and down in the jar but still stays caught in the jar and is never released. So, if one doesn’t understand karma then one will never become free. For example, if you have a family, parents and you send your children to school to learn something. Then later when they grow up they find a job and get married. Then the parents think that they have fulfilled their goal and its good enough. That’s the essence of life and have fulfilled everything now.

But then they don’t understand what is happening when they encounter difficulties and hardships. And when hardships arise, they get overwhelmingly sad about it. Not knowing that it all arises from a certain cause. So, samsara has no essence and it has no essence when you do not understand karma. When you do not understand that the root of all happiness is bodhicitta. Not knowing that you continue to wander in circles in samsara and you will do that for as long as you have not eliminated self-grasping and the afflictive emotions. For as long as the ice-block are not melted you will continue to wander around in the ocean.

So only being concerned and thinking about this life is what we call samsaric existence. You are clinging on to an essence of something that doesn’t have an essence. You think that you just want to be happy in this life and that is enough and you don’t need any dharma practice. But then are you really happy and do you really find the happiness? You don’t really find the happiness and due to the force of karma, there are alot of collective things that happens in a country for example. Also, we have our own individual karmas and so we always run into various kinds of pleasures and pain. Even within one family, a great variety of happiness and suffering arises. It may seem from the outside that they are rich and probably don’t suffer so much. But that is really not true.

For as long as there is self grasping, they will always suffer. For example, in the family with older parents, if you think about it everything is suffering. Those who possess things suffer from their possessions and those who are poor suffer from their lack of possessions. There is no one who does not suffer, everyone suffers in cyclic existence. Buddha therefore had said that samsara is just like a fire pit and an ever turning wheel of a car or a train. Like an engine that keeps going around in circles day and night striving after happiness. We think that we are happy and we are alive but we don’t really have that. We cannot always accomplish what we are striving after. And so, in this way, we want to be happy but continue to wander in the circles of samsara. Mainly because the mind is only concerned about the interest of this life. This is what causes you to wander around in samsara.

And then for the most part, due to this state of mind, we are left to wander in the three lower realms. As we mentioned this morning, it is very rare to find a precious human body and having found it we spend our life only being concerned about this life and ourselves. Then we have no opportunity to ever attain birth in the higher realms again. When you look at other beings like animals, their mind really is the same as ours. Their afflictions and the wish to be happy is the same but they all appear in so many different ways. Some are as large as a mountain while others are as small as a mustard seed. When you observe that you recognize that our minds are actually one and the same. But it is due to a certain condition but we appear in a great variety of ways. For as long as the sense of a self exists we are going to have to wander in samsara continuously.

When we think in this way then we recognize that if we follow these tendencies then we will have to continue to wander in samsara. So, this is the demon of ego clinging that will force you to wander continuously in samsara. Then it says ‘Though I have everything I need, I constantly want more and more. My mind is duped by insubstantial and illusory things’. All these substantial things that we need to have a variety of like a dwelling place, food and clothing we often want more and more. And we can’t have enough of those things and we can’t keep them in moderation. Of course, in order to sustain our health, we need a certain amount of these things. But we don’t need a whole great variety of them. For example, when we buy clothes, we look at magazines and advertisements and think that we are going to get them and so on. And so, your cupboard becomes filled with a great variety of different clothes. Actually, all you really need is one fancy clothing and a couple of clothes to wear on a daily basis. But you don’t need so many different kinds of clothes because the more you try to possess the more difficulties you have to go through. Then you make money and you never have enough money to buy all these things. Then you have to work more even though you can’t afford it, you can’t stop yourself from buying clothing, shoes and things like that.

You should ask yourself do you really need so many things. Even though you have everything you need and your house is full, you constantly keep getting more; not thinking about the future. So, it says, ‘Grant your blessings so that I dismiss concern for this life’. So, we don’t think about future lives and what we really need to possess in future lives is loving kindness and compassion. But we completely neglect this and we only care about the pleasures of this life only. We run after them day and night like a turning wheel. But when you think about it, after you have died, not a single thing is yours and you leave it all behind. All your possessions, wealth and companions as it is taught in the 37 practices. You stay in this life for as long as the karma for this life lasts but you don’t know how long you are going to live. Nobody knows that. If you understand that if you obtain so many possessions and collect so many things, isn’t that a great hardship. We are actually constantly increasing our problems and sufferings deliberately. We need more things so we work more and have less time to rest. If you don’t need so many things, you will also have more opportunities to rest.

Then it says ‘my mind is duped by insubstantial and illusory things’. Illusory in the sense that you think that you need all of these things and increase your wealth. But actually, this in itself is the very cause of all suffering. Rather than doing that, we should practice fewer desires and a sense of contentment. One should not fall into both extremes of either self-mortification or self-gratification in whatever you do; in the world or in the dharma. That is important to understand. So, if you have a lot of things it is important that before you leave this life, you use it to help others. For example, your friends or those who are poor or those with difficulties. Someone you love very much or who loves you very much. That really becomes an incredible way to practice generosity and it also makes them happy.

If you give something to someone who you love very much, there is a very special feeling that arises. The love of the other person increases and you receive the benefit of having practiced generosity. So, it is better not to hold on to too many possessions. The more you hold on to the more you own, the more self-grasping you actually own. The number of possessions is proportionate to the level of self-grasping. For example, if you have a million dollars, then you have the same number of self-clinging tendencies. And then when you die, this heavy weight of self-grasping will suppress you at the time of death. All of these possessions and things that you cling to will suppress you under a heavy weight. That is what we call birth as a hungry spirit.

You are being suppressed by the attachments and to certain possessions that will weigh you down. It is this state of mind that wants to hold on that suppresses you under a heavy load. Because this sense of ‘me’ and ‘mine’ and you develop thoughts of worry that you might lose it. We get angry and stingy and can’t let go or share and so on. Therefore, due to having many possessions, we accumulate a lot of negative karma and increase our afflictive emotions. This should be recognized right now which transforms into a true practice of generosity. And if you can’t give things directly you can bring to mind and think that in the future, we are able to give to others.

Illusory and insubstantial things is that whatever you possess are impermanent by nature. If you remember the impermanence of this life, that is really necessary and nothing else. Because whatever your mind is attached to, your mind will dwell in that object. Therefore, the most precious object is actually the worst object to possess. Because there are many stories of people who have taken birth in the object of their attachment. So, if strong attachments to certain objects arise, then release it by making offerings to higher beings and being generous to sentient beings. Milarepa also said that give up whatever that harms your mind (afflictions and attachments, greed, stinginess and so forth).

Then it says ‘Guru grant your blessings so that I dismiss concern for this life’. This is a line that occurs again and again in this text. Also, in the beginning it was mentioned before that ‘giving up this life’ is actually a very precious line. That is why it is repeated and is very meaningful. Sakya Pandita had also said in one of his 4 verse line, ‘one who is attached to this life is not a true dharma practitioner’. So, if you only care about this life, then you are ruined by the demon of ego clinging. What does giving up this life mean? Does it mean that we have to give up everything? It doesn’t mean that but it means to cultivate a sense of contentment. To not have this need of constantly getting more and more things. But it means to think about future lives. To think that ‘this life is impermanent and I am going to die. I have to prepare for future lifetimes and release clinging and attachment’.

If you only care about this life and make all of our plans for this life, that leads to increased attachment and afflictions such as greed and jealousy. Think that you need to give things away and practice generosity. Turning away from these worldly pleasures becomes generosity in itself. The first step is to not have a need for so many things; and to be content to have fewer desires. Secondly whatever you do have, you do not meaninglessly waste it but you give it to others. Because you don’t know when you are going to die. I could die tomorrow so I better make my preparations today. Sakya Pandita had said one who is attached to this life is not a true dharma practitioner. Therefore, even if you practice the dharma thinking only about this life, you are not a real dharma practitioner. So, this is the way in which we give up this life.

If you have old parents at home, you respect them and think that your parents have been extremely kind. They are your support to develop love and love is the one thing that we want to bring with you. Speaking about preparing for future lives, it really is the one and only thing that we need to prepare; and nothing else at all. And that one thing is loving kindness which means immeasurable love. So not just for your own parents but understanding that all beings without exception have been your parents.

So in preparation for future lives, the one and only thing you need is love. And you need to sustain your love by practicing patience. Then you naturally have given up concern for this life. This is how you turn away from the concern of this life. Thinking about future lives means that you ensure that after you leave this life, you have an altruistic mind to bring with you. This is the thing to practice again and again when it comes to dismissing the concerns for this life.

Whenever you practice the secret mantra Vajrayana or any kind of recitations, like sadhana practices it is very good to recite those in a melodious chant. It is said that this increases the blessings and that is because when you recite slowly and chant in a melody, then a special feeling arises in your mind. This particular prayer of Jamgon Kongtrul’s ‘Crying for the Guru from Afar’ is very precious and practiced throughout all the different Kagyu traditions. So now I am going to chant the melody. Also, later the sangha will chant the melody and you can learn it from them. It is very beneficial for one’s practice to chant things in a melody because it really generates a feeling. This particular melody is very old and I have learnt it since I was a very young boy. This particular prayer is practiced both in the Nyingma and Kagyu lineages. Jamgon Kongtrul is also a very precious guru in the various lineages.

We can slowly learn this melody but for now we come back to the teachings. Coming back to the text here we actually speak about an extremely important point. Here it says ‘I cannot endure even the slightest physical or mental pain, Yet I am so stubborn that I have no fear of falling into the lower realms.” For example, if you have a toothache, you spend a lot of money and endure a lot of pain. But while we do that, we have no fear of falling into the lower realms. So, what about future lives? First all the sufferings and illnesses you suffer in this life are rooted in the activities that we have engaged in with an afflicted mind in previous lives. These kinds of things are related to verbal misdeeds such as telling lies, idle talk or divisive speech which is actually the worst. In terms of telling lies, there are beneficial lies and harmful lies. A beneficial lie would be a lie that reconciles beings and brings them together. It is said that to a bodhisattva, when there is bodhicitta, the ten negative actions are actually permitted.

On the other hand, if one practices virtue but mainly does it with a selfish motivation, then the virtuous act becomes tainted by self-grasping. That leads to both benefit and also harm. As a result, we experience suffering in our bodies and minds. Even the slightest suffering in this life is something that is difficult for us to bear. These are all like karmic creditors coming to collect their karmic debt. There are three kinds of karmic creditors, of taking the lives of others which is a short life span. And there is the karmic creditor of frequent illness which comes from having abused the bodies of others. And there is the karmic creditor of one’s wealth that comes from having stolen the wealth of others.

Any suffering basically arises from actions engaged with the motivation of either attachment, aversion or ignorance. But from a practical perspective, even the slightest suffering is very beneficial. If you accept the suffering that arises and also understand that suffering, misery, illness and pain are a purification of negative karma. And also, an encouragement for us to engage in virtuous practice, it is good to understand them to be a good quality for our practice. If you really understand the Buddhist view, then you will clearly know how to create causes of happiness. So, you understand that love and compassion are the causes of happiness. Also, you will be able to transform suffering into happiness. Everything becomes the cause of happiness.

So whatever problems or sickness arises, you recognize the afflictive emotions (like attachment, jealousy) which has caused them. Whatever arises, you remember the ten negative actions that has led to this kind of suffering. The cause lies in something that you have done in the previous life and what arises now is a karmic debt that has to be paid off. In this way, you are able to avoid more suffering in the future by avoiding the causes of suffering.

This knowledge is of a temporary benefit and ultimate happiness. A temporary benefit is that for the time being you learn how to accept any kind of disagreeable circumstance. And you recognise that all sentient beings experience such suffering. Ideally as a bodhisattva, you are able to remember that. Then it becomes a practice of Tonglen, taking on the suffering of others and giving them your happiness. And you are able to give love to sentient beings. If you love them, you really can do that because if a person who you love very much gets sick, you will feel very upset about it and you cry. You remember them and your mind goes there.

On the other hand if there is someone who you have no special loving connection to, even if they are tortured or cut open you wouldn’t think much. For example, when you see a fish being cut open, you often don’t feel anything. But imagine someone who you love very much get stabbed with a knife, the feeling you will have is unbearable. Actually, they are all the same when the mind pervades with love. According to the Buddhist view, if you have developed love for all beings, then this state of compassion for them naturally remains. With that understanding of this Buddhist view, you learn how to accept and tolerate any kind of difficulty. And you recognize that all beings in this world suffer and there is no one who doesn’t suffer. And you think that may my own suffering purify all of their suffering. Your mind is already one with the minds of all sentient beings so this is how you accept any kind of suffering or sickness. But if you don’t understand that, as it is said here there is no fear falling into the lower realms. So, you think that if you have enough money, you will find a way out to solve this problem. But if you have the cause then the result will be experienced even in future lifetimes. But now as a human being, a slight suffering purifies karma in a very short time that would have to be experienced later on in the lower realms for a very long time.

For example if you have the karma to suffer in hell for a hundred years, then that would be purified by a single headache. It is also said that misdeeds that leads to birth in the three lower realms becomes defeated by a single headache. So, if you think in these kinds of ways, you learn how to tolerate and accept whatever suffering your experience.

Then it says ‘I am so stubborn that I have no fear of falling into the lower realms. Though I actually see the inevitability of cause and effect, I still do not act virtuously but increase my wealth of evil.’ So why is it that we have no fear of falling into the lower realms? It is mainly because of not understanding or really trusting in karma. You think that ‘I am doing fine and I don’t have a lot of suffering, I am not sick and I just want to have a happy life. And I don’t have any need for dharma practice’.

But you don’t know that the slight happiness you now enjoy is the ripening of some virtuous karma you have committed in previous lives. And when that karma comes to completion, then there are still those afflictive emotions present in your mind but you don’t see that. Therefore, they increase; such as stinginess and greed which then becomes the manifestation of the hungry spirit realm. All those beings whose predominant affliction is greed then creates this hungry spirit realm. And all those whose predominant affliction is hatred goes together to the hell realms. All those ignorant ones go together as animals. It is just like earth gathering together with earth and water gathering with water and so on. Likeness gathers with likeness.

We don’t recognize the afflictive emotions as a fault and therefore there is no fear of falling into the lower realms. And ‘though I see the inevitability of cause and effect, I still do not act virtuously but increase my wealth of evil’. For example, in this world, there are various countries and they are all not the same. There are some countries that experience more well-being while others experience more suffering. And even within one country, people have different levels of happiness and suffering. It is not the same. Even within one family, family members do not experience the same levels of happiness and suffering. Some people think that they are in this kind of position because someone has an education or due to their cultural background. But actually, it is all due to the forces of karma and this Is something we don’t understand.

We really don’t understand the actual cause of happiness and this lack of understanding of karma is what we call ignorance. For example, there are countries in this world that are constantly at war. Each and every day they are always fighting. That has a cause and we truly have to consider the cause. Do they want to fight all day long? Of course not. Nobody likes to fight but because they have created the cause of hatred, they have developed other afflictions such as pride. Basically, first it begins with pride and you think that it is most important that you want to be happy. In order to achieve that, you become jealous and competitive. And you don’t care what happens to anybody else as long as you have what you want. In the end, it results in resentment and hatred. The wars in this world are a result of karma accumulated with hatred.

When the karma of hatred is accumulated, first there is the result of full maturation which is birth in the hell realms. After that there is the dominating result which is taking birth. But even if you take birth as a human being, you might be reborn in a war zone. And once you are born there then there is the result corresponding to the cause which is two-fold. There is the activity corresponding to the cause which is causing harm to others again. And there is the experience corresponding to the cause which is again having to go through similar suffering. That is why there are so many wars and fighting in this world. It all arises from ignorance which does not understand the fault from the afflictive emotions. And not knowing that, you develop afflictive emotions like jealousy, hatred and so on. Where are those afflictions? They are all in our own minds. Either we don’t trust in karma or have some doubts in it which is ignorance.

So when you look at your mind, you find that we do possess these unrestrained afflictions like hatred and jealousy that takes on a life of their own. Even though you might not be suffering right now, you will be suffering with a hundred percent certainty in the future if you allow these afflictions to remain in your minds. This is how you think when you understand karma. If you do not understand karma then you couldn’t care less about what happens in the world. Whatever sufferings or wars there are, you think that they could do whatever they want and you don’t care as long as you don’t suffer. In this way, you still don’t act virtuously but increase your wealth of evil.

Our wealth of virtue which is any activity of body and speech arising from love and compassion are very small. For the most part, whatever we do we do it with a selfish motivation. For no reason, people often go around stealing or killing others not knowing the causes. Attachment, jealousy and hatred; these are the causes of our miseries. So, all of the suffering in the world arises from this. There is no suffering that does not arise from this. It says ‘I do not increase my wealth of virtue’; all the suffering in this world has a cause and I don’t see that and this is what we are saying here. For example, if you see that there is a war, then as a Buddhist, you recognize that there is a cause and reflect upon it. Then you would be mindful and careful about that cause. When that cause arises, you will be careful not to act on that cause.

Next it says ‘I still do not act virtuously but increase my wealth of evil.’ What this wealth of evil really is that it comes from not understanding karma and whatever you do; whether it is dharma or mundane activity. This is the root cause of all the difficulties and sufferings in this world. Nowadays in this world, there is so much more conflict. Countries also produce fake goods to sell or artificial foodstuffs just in order to increase their own wealth. Often government officials put a lot of misery on their people not being concerned with their well-being and lives at all. They create nuclear bombs and weapons and so on. This is what happens when many people who do not understand or trust in karma come together.

Then you have countries with hundreds and thousands of people with just a handful of government officials. Who for the sake of their own enrichment, develop evil intentions. They lack trust in karma and would do anything to destroy the lives of their own people just to increase their own wealth. They have no regard for the well-being or the livelihood of their own people. This is why they start wars with other countries just thinking about their own welfare. This is the kind of wealth of evil that we are speaking about. Nowadays in this world, there are so many people who don’t even have enough food to eat. Others create nuclear bombs and so forth; creating suffering for their own people.

The fault of all of that is the misuse of power and the lack of trust in karma, cause and effect. Not knowing that, the results of these actions will fall back upon them. Somebody who understands karma but do not practice the dharma will still be concerned about the people around them. They understand that they need food to eat to survive and need well-being and freedom and so on. They would also understand that the slightest happiness comes from love and compassion. Next it says ‘Guru think of me look upon me with compassion grant your blessings so that conviction and karma arises in me’. If you understand karma, no matter what you do, whether it is a dharma practice or a mundane activity, you would equalize self and others. You would do things that are beneficial for others.

So we supplicate for blessings when karma arises and it is just one line here. But it is extremely important in whatever you do, whether it is a mundane activity or a dharma activity. In whatever you do, you must clearly understand the infallibility of cause and effect. Sometimes it ripens in this lifetime where there are people who misuse their power and so on and end up in prison. They experience real difficulty as a result. For others it doesn’t ripen right away but it ripens in future lifetimes. But if you think about karma again and again, including people’s actions and what it leads to, and what is at the root of it. If you really think about it carefully, you will come to the conclusion that it always comes back to karma. There is no other way to explain this but there are many examples. You just have to think about it really carefully and your trust in the infallibility of karma will increase. From that trust in karma arises what we call trusting faith and there are three kinds of faith. Of these three kinds of faith, trusting faith is most important.

Who taught the workings of karma? The buddha taught karma and it is something that we can’t see with our eyes or touch with our hands. In a way it is empty but it is the empty interconnectedness of things. Knowing that, we are now able to understand which is to understand the dharma. When you understand that your faith in the three jewels increases and you understand their significance and preciousness. They have taught us the infallibility of karma, cause and effect. First faith in karma arises and then next clear faith arises where you see the qualities of the three jewels. When you see the qualities, an inspiration arises and you feel that you don’t really want to suffer and you want to become free from suffering. This then becomes the longing faith which longs for liberation. So, you will do things to liberate yourself from self-grasping and the afflictions.

Speaking from a dharma perspective, there are many people in this world who found some sort of freedom and happiness even in this life. It does exist. All freedom, happiness and well being are achieved through having created the causes. Even if one doesn’t attain enlightenment, at least one can create the right causes for one’s own happiness by trusting in the workings of karma. First there is the faith or trust in karma. Then the longing faith is where you want to liberate yourself and then there is the clear faith where you understand the qualities of the buddhas.

Next we supplicate, ‘Guru think of me look upon me with compassion. Grant your blessings so that conviction in karma arises in me’. Here we need to bring to mind that it is very important to clearly understand the workings of karma. Because if you don’t trust in karma, even though you might practice the dharma, it will probably just be for the sake of this life. Therefore, it will not become stable and the fault of that is that you don’t really understand or trust in karma, cause and effect. So, it is really crucial to reflect upon the workings of karma over and over again. For a person who really trusts in karma they will be a good person wherever they go and whatever they do; whether they engage in worldly activities or dharma practice. Which means that in a country you have laws and such a person would naturally keep all these laws and abide by them. They would naturally avoid any kind of activity that causes harm towards others.

Milarepa had also said that for someone who has understood karma and given rise to bodhicitta, the ten virtuous actions arise naturally. And all ten negative actions decline naturally because such a person naturally will not want to hurt or kill anyone, not even an animal. They would also not want to steal from others or engage in impure conduct. You would actually want to do things to benefit others and help them just naturally. Therefore, you will naturally avoid the ten non-virtuous actions and be a good person and also follow the laws of the country. If you have such a person in the government office, then he will be the best servant in that office. If he is householder then you will naturally spend a happy life and if you are someone who understands karma, then in this life you will just be a person with a good heart.

Next it says ‘I am hateful towards enemies and attached to friends. I am stupefied in darkness as to what should be accepted and rejected’. For as long as this sense of a self is present, we will be attached to that self and we have aversion against anything that doesn’t agree with the self. So naturally, we develop thoughts of aversion and ignorance. The mind is like clear water and as we develop these afflictions, it is like pouring red or blue colour ink into the water which changes its colour and temporarily defiles the water. Ignorance is the union of attachment and aversion. So, we are in the darkness as to what should be accepted and what should be rejected. What should be accepted and practiced is love and compassion but we do not consider that to be very significant and therefore neglect that. What is to be rejected or abandoned are the afflictions but we naturally develop them without even recognizing them as they arise.

What really are enemies and friends? If you really understand past and future lives, then you will know that the so-called enemy was someone who had loved you very much in previous lives. Like your relatives, parents or your friends; someone who treated you with the greatest love. But all of that love has become spoiled by you hurting them in return. So, all of that love has become resentment and anger. That kind of love that turns into hatred becomes very powerful like an atomic bomb.

The buddha also spoke about certain kind of critical individuals whom our actions should be very careful towards. That is one’s own parents or one’s teachers or someone who has treated you with the greatest love. If you mistreat them, then this medicinal love transforms into poison. A nuclear weapon could be something beneficial like a medicine but could also be very poisonous weapon. We need to understand the source of our enemies but enemies have been our friends and friends have been our enemies but it is very uncertain.

In terms of what should be accepted or rejected and not knowing that, we naturally do it with a mind of attachment and aversion. And as a result of doing that, first you might have a friend but something happens, and in the end, he becomes your enemy. But in reality, there are no real friends or enemies. There is no difference between them and they are all the same. But not knowing that we develop attachment and aversion which defiles our minds like polluted water.

Regarding what should be accepted and what should be rejected, it is very important that you take this to heart, reflect on this and apply it to your own mind. When we are controlled by afflictions of attachment and aversion, then one would not fulfill one’s duty properly in a honest and straightforward way. Because such a person who is controlled by attachment and aversion, even though they have a friend (that they really like) who might have a lot of faults they might not see that faults. He might even see them as qualities because of their attachment to them. But if there is another person whom they don’t like or have a resentment toward possess good qualities, he wouldn’t see those qualities at all. He would try to pick on their faults. You wouldn’t be able to see the qualities of someone you don’t like and the faults of someone you do like.

Being swayed by the subtle and course afflictions in this way, whatever you do will not become honest and straightforward or beneficial. Even if you practice the dharma, it will not be authentic dharma practice. As a result of this tainted dharma practice, one will encounter many difficult circumstances and obstacles. In order for one’s activities to become clear and honest, one must not become controlled by attachment and aversion but abide in a state of equanimity. Equanimity is achieved by understanding that enemies and friends are uncertain. If you see it all as an illusory play, then the mind will become very clear. Then there will be no attachment to your close ones and there will be no enemies. And everyone becomes like your friend.

Jigten sumgon had also said that this is when you realize that all beings are your parents and there will be no more enemies. When you realize that everyone you meet are like close ones, then everyone will appear to be dakas and dakinis. Basically, you equalize all beings and they all become like family and friends. And you only see the good qualities in whatever you do. Then the mind will remain clear and if you develop love and compassion in this way, then naturally the nature of this mind is great wisdom. So, I ask you to reflect on this and keep this in mind. It is important to be clear on what should be done and what should not be done. Please remember this and for now we will stop the instructions for today. We will recite the dedication prayers which is the Samantabhadra Prayer of Kuntuzangpo.

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So, my dharma friends we stopped (in the English text) on verse number 39 yesterday. We have said that ‘I am stupefied in darkness on what should be accepted and what should be rejected.’ We are blinded by ignorance because there is a sense of a ‘self’ which is present uninterruptedly. The various thoughts of attachment and aversion arise in our mind. Also, on the coarse level, there are thoughts of attachment and aversion. Their subtle counterparts are hope and fear. Hope is the subtle form of attachment and fear is the subtle form of hatred or anger. So that needs to be understood because this is really what determines or drives all of our activities. We always think that we have to do this or accomplish this or that.

Even on a very subtle level, for example if we want to drink a very nice cup of tea, but you feel that the tea is not quite the way you like it. Whatever the self needs is the attachment or the wish to have a nice cup of tea. Or the aversion arises if the tea is not quite right. If you recognize all of that with clear awareness and you see the fault in that, then these thoughts will become liberated. Then there is no difference if the cup of tea is nice or not. If you don’t recognize that then there will always be something that doesn’t quite go your way and you will have various needs and preferences. That is because the sense of self is most important therefore by all means everything has to go the way we want it to be. The stronger this sense of a self is, the more it will support the other afflictive emotions.

All our outer enemies and hindrances arise from only our own grasping at a self. Everyone considers their body as very important whether one is a religious person or not. If you consider your body as important then you will consider your physical health as very important. Yet so many people in this world smoke, drink alcohol and take all kinds of intoxicants. But not really thinking about the harm that is caused by doing that. We might be aware of that but still we can’t control ourselves and still do it. Just naturally we can’t help ourselves. That is a person who is ignorant as to what should be done and what should not be done. Such a person doesn’t understand the fault in the afflictions. Even in a worldly sense in the mundane system, it is really necessary for our well-being to understand what is harmful and what is beneficial. Ultimately, we are going to die and this kind of behaviour (smoking, drinking and so on) will kill us. In the end, we will be burnt to ashes.

Even in human society such humans are considered more like animals and in this way many people really waste away their lives completely controlled by desires. If that is the case, then later after they have died, their consciousness will wander in the bardo. Again, they will have no control over their desires and become controlled by it which will lead to birth as a hungry spirit. This is how things naturally ripen. Also, in the when we first meet the dharma, we do have great devotion and faith and want to practice. We feel really inspired but on the other hand we also have a strong tendency of feeling attached to this worldly life. We do have some intentions of practicing the dharma and thinking that it is very useful. But once the practice and recitations start, all of a sudden everyone falls asleep. However, if anything important happens that has to do with this life, then immediately the mind becomes very clear. That is a sign of being very much attached to this worldly life and this is important to recognize first of all. Otherwise, we just naturally follow these tendencies.

Next it says ‘when practicing the dharma, I fall under the influence of dullness, torpor and sleep. When not doing the dharma, I am clever and my senses are alert.’ The root of all these are the subtle tendencies of attachment and aversion that remains unrecognized which are allowed to remain in the mind. Then we have no control over them when they arise. So, we supplicate ‘Guru think of me; look upon me quickly with compassion. Grant your blessings so that I conquer my enemy, the emotions.’ Becoming controlled by the afflictive emotions; that is our true enemy. Even in this life, one will be sort of an outcast of society. Basically, whatever you do whether it is dharma practice or mundane activities, it will be lost in those activities. Such a person who can’t stop smoking and drinking or taking drugs and so on will not find a good job. For example, even if they work in a government office people will speak badly about them nor pay them any respect. That is just in the worldly sense and even more so in the dharma. Because according to the dharma, that kind of behaviour really leads to the ruin of this life and all future lifetimes to come.

We must recognize the afflictions to be our true enemy here. When you look around in this world, all the difficulties or wars in this world are ultimately created by those afflictions. A war is created by hatred and then where is that hatred? You find it in your own mindstream. You get angry with your parents or friends and so on. So that is your true enemy. If you recognize its faults, you will understand that if you allow that to remain in your mind, then in the future you will take birth in such a miserable place and experience suffering just as they do. In this way, as you continue to recognize these subtle and coarse forms of attachment and aversion, they will gradually become released. One thought eliminates the other and they dissolve in the mind. Two states of mind cannot co-exist simultaneously.

Therefore, if you recognize the afflictions, then they will go away naturally. You recognize that all outer suffering and enemies are created by the afflictive emotions. So, think about this again and again and even if the slightest affliction arises, recognize it. If you are able to recognize it, and not become controlled by it then that is the supreme way to practice. Such a person is endowed with great intelligence and wisdom. This recognition of afflictive emotions is actually the guru that we supplicate. It is the awareness that instantly recognizes the affliction that it arises. First of all, your guru is compassion because this is the first thing your guru has introduced you to. Secondly you were introduced to the nature of awareness or your wisdom mind. Then recognizing within yourself, that becomes the guru within. The inner guru is your own inner mindfulness and awareness.

It is with this inner guru that we are supplicating here. With clear awareness and mindfulness, we have to recognize all the afflictions that arise. The actual enemies are our own afflictive emotions and on the subtle level, they are those thoughts of hope and fear. Normally we don’t really regard those afflictions as an enemy but how we should treat them to begin with is that we have to equalize them. Make hope and fear to become the same. No matter what you do whether you practice the dharma or engage in worldly activity, we cannot really be without hope or fear. No matter what you do these thoughts always arise naturally. We naturally have hopes to accomplish good things and fears of not accomplishing them. So how do we handle these when they arise? For example, if there is an activity and you think that this is something that you definitely want to accomplish then if you accomplish it, you would develop pride. But if you do not accomplish it you will be miserable and you would lose your inner strength and determination. You would lose heart and that needs to be equalised.

It becomes equalised and suppressed if you understand the workings of karma. That is to know that if we do want to accomplish this activity, and whether we can successfully do so depends on our own karma. If it is accomplished, then it is due to the merit we have accumulated in the past.

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Next it says ‘From outside, I look like an authentic dharma practitioner but inside my mind is not mixed with the dharma’. On the outer level, we have taken the refuge vow and entered the gates of Buddhist practice. There are many people like that and when we come to the actual practice, it mainly consists of practice in calm abiding meditation (shamatha and vipassana) or special insight. The point of special insight or vipassana is to recognize the afflictive emotions. This is what we practice when we meditate. When we do that, we will understand why we are in meditation but then we are not able to bring this meditation experience into our daily activities. This is what happens when the mind is not mixed with the dharma and we only appear as a dharma practitioner.

The fault of that mainly is due to not having developed immeasurable love and if this does not arise then immeasurable compassion cannot arise. On one hand when we meditate, we feel that we know how to meditate, but we are unmindful in our daily activities. Our afflictions and emotions remain hidden just like a poisonous snake within us. These six afflictions are naturally present in the mind of self-grasping. Likewise, in the mind of love, the six paramitas are naturally complete. So, self grasping is like this poisonous snake as I have mentioned before and the afflictions naturally arise from it. These afflictions are hidden but we all have them and we will all have them until we attain enlightenment.

Next it says ‘When I encounter difficulties, the signs of a bad practitioner are revealed.’ Because we consider ourselves as most important, then this condition triggers the affliction. For example, you run into hardship or you get sick you suffer and very fierce affliction arises. It is said that when such a condition arises, the level of one’s realization and practice will then be known. This is the point when practice comes in; in the face of difficult circumstances. In the 37 bodhisattva practices, it says that even if someone has cared as lovingly as one’s own child regards one as an enemy, to love them even more like a mother does a sick child is the bodhisattva’s practice’.

Whenever very powerful affliction arises, it might have been caused by another person who harms you. And this person becomes just like a doctor for your mind. Also, in the 37 bodhisattva practices it says, ‘to those who desire a wealth of virtue and all those who do harm are like a precious treasure. Such a person who causes harm is very helpful to you because it triggers emotions like attachment or aversion in you. It come up to the surface and at that time you can see it with mindfulness. So that is why we say the level of one’s realization and practice will be known in the face of difficult circumstances.

For example when anger arises, you instantly recognize it and without this person we would have never known but it will still be hidden in the mind. We can only see it if a condition triggers it. This is the point where we take the negative condition as the path and practice with it according to the 37 bodhisattva practices.

Next it says ‘when I encounter difficulties, the signs of a bad practitioner are revealed’. We are all practitioners and as a sangha we must possess love for all sentient beings. The biggest fault a sangha can possess is a lack of love and compassion for sentient beings. The greatest of all these faults is to develop hatred and anger towards others. Therefore, we supplicate ‘Guru think of me look upon me quickly with compassion. Grant your blessings so that I can tame my own mind’, Being a sangha, we remind ourselves here that having taken the bodhisattva vow, it is our root commitment to love all sentient beings. When you look at yourself and find that you truly have love for all beings then you have this one quality a sangha must possess. And that is ethical discipline.

Milarepa said that giving up deceiving others is the actual perfection of ethical discipline. In brief, the one we are talking about here is one who possess love and compassion for all sentient beings. So therefore, we supplicate to grant these blessings so that we can tame our own mind in this way. Next, we come to verse number 41 where it says ‘I don’t realize my own bad faults. I maintain the form of a practitioner while engaging in non-dharmic pursuits’. Here we are really speaking about any worldly or dharma activity. So, we are not only speaking about dharma practice; it could be anything. And no matter what you do, you are a noble sangha. But that does not necessarily mean that you are not allowed to engage in mundane activities. For example, there are some people who make business but there is nothing wrong with that. That can also be a very beneficial activity; many people bring a lot of benefit to their people and their country through their businesses. It could also become an activity where you equalize self with others. But this is not what we are speaking about here in this case.

Here these activities that are not dharmic refer to those various bias activities that disturb the minds of others which cause difficulties and stirs up problems. What accords with the dharma are those activities that establishes the minds of sentient beings in the state of peace and happiness. If that is not accomplished, then what we do becomes harmful to them. Therefore, if it is harmful then it is not dharmic. Then it says ‘I am thoroughly habituated to the emotions and non-virtuous activities’.  Habituated means the afflictions arise naturally on their own and that is because we are unmindful. This is the source of all negativities to arise. Lord Jigten Sumgon had said that there are only two states of mind. Because some people say that we have virtuous, non-virtuous and neutral states of mind. But there is only two because there is no real neutral state of mind. What we call neutral is really non-virtuous because it is a subtle state of unmindfulness and ignorance.

And even on that subtle level, it causes harm to that extent. So, it doesn’t necessarily become something coarse and obvious like killing or abusing someone. But then as a sangha we must be very careful even when it comes to subtle conduct. When it comes to not disturbing the minds of others and so on. It is because we habituate to these subtle small activities that they eventually accumulate and disturb the minds of sentient beings. Considering ourselves as most important we disturb their minds and might even cause them to turn away from their devotion. These afflictions are habituated and they give birth to a mind of virtue again and again. But again and again, it stops. That is because we are unmindful when we never really recognize what arises in the mind. This verse here is like an encouragement for us to be more mindful and look closer to what arises in our mind. We want to engage in practice but the practice is lost again. We want to practice but we become sluggish and sleepy and so on.

Here this virtue that we speak about is love and compassion for sentient beings especially when they experience suffering. That is the supreme virtue and in brief, it is the dharma in essence. It is a compassion that is endowed with this kind of love. Of course, if you want to accomplish something, it is virtuous but then it is also tainted by self-grasping. This is not the ultimate supreme virtue; the virtue we speak about here is the pure concern for all beings. For example, if you just recite a few Om Mani Padme Hung mantras, or just feel that may everyone in this world be happy. Whatever slight activity you engage in it is sealed with bodhicitta. But our altruistic mind is usually very weak; for example, we think we want to take birth in Dewachen and so on. This is not the virtue that we speak about here.

The supreme virtue that we speak about here is a sense of love and compassion for all sentient beings. This kind of pure love and compassion is what benefits yourself and others. But this love and compassion is interrupted again and again which needs to be restored repeatedly. Then it says ‘Guru think of me, look upon me with compassion. Grant your blessings so that I see my own faults.’ So, to see one’s own faults, especially as a sangha we must recognize all the coarse and subtle afflictions that arise in the mind.

For example, we see that this is jealousy or anger and recognize it as something poisonous arising. So, when the afflictive emotions arise, often they are very subtle. In particular jealousy which is very difficult to recognize as it is a very subtle affliction. This is explained in the commentary on the Prayer of Excellent Conduct, ‘The King of Aspiration Prayers’. It says that it is a very subtle affliction but it leads to very major downfalls and destruction because it destroys all of our merits. Sakya Pandita had said it is an evil intention that exhausts or destroys all your roots of merit. And this evil intention is jealousy which is always naturally present in our minds in a subtle way so we never really recognize it. It arises when there is a person that you don’t like and you will naturally say things to make them look bad or humiliate them. You will speak about their faults or criticize them and so on. But it will be different if it is someone whom you like very much.

For example if there is a person whom you don’t particularly like who speaks about relying upon a guru or a lama. If you don’t like the lama even if he says that the lama is so wonderful, you will point out all of his faults. This is extremely difficult to recognize but if you really recognize it, it will go away instantly. This verse tells us to recognize this affliction.

Next verse number 42 says ‘As each day passes, I come nearer to death. As each day passes, my personality is more and more rigid.’ So, from the moment we are born, each and every day we come closer to death. Next it says ‘though I attend my guru, my devotion is steadily obscured.’ So, the personality also becomes more and more rigid. For example, you have those that are near you and whom you love (your family, friends, also your gurus and your vajra brothers and sisters)

Rigid also implies that you don’t respect them and you disregard them and so on. Mainly because you consider yourself as more important. This is also what makes your personality more and more rigid. Even though you love your parents, you speak harshly to them and treat them in an unkind way. This needs to be recognized and regarding the devotion that is steadily obscured, we need a guru and develop some devotion to the Guru. But we don’t really think about the actual qualities of the dharma. But we often see the guru more like a human being and then we see a lot of faults.

For example, His Holiness the Dalai Lama is also a nirmanakaya buddha manifestation but appearing in a human form. Also having a human body, his activities must accord with human beings. But from a dharma perspective, it is only when we give rise to devotion to that guru on the understanding of the qualities of the dharma that our devotion can become authentic and stable. If we regard the guru more as a friend, then our devotion will not become stable. If we really understand the quality of the dharma and that is why we follow a particular spiritual teacher. Then, this dharma connection will be much more beneficial. Faith and devotion will also become more stable. But if you see them as an ordinary person or a friend then many faults will come from that because then the dualistic perception of self and other, hope and fear, attachment and aversion will still remain the same. So, we supplicate ‘Guru think of me, look upon me quickly with compassion. Grant your blessings so that I tame my wild nature’.

It is said that we should consider our vajra brothers and sisters as even more precious than the siblings of our own parents. Because they have a much more deeper connection. For example, in the secret mantra, of the 14 root downfalls, the third one is to get angry at one’s vajra brothers and sisters. What the term devotion really means is first of all to trust in karma and also an understanding that self-grasping leads to suffering which must be transformed through bodhicitta. Also, one understands that it is only through relying on the guru that we find this method and by practicing the practice-blessing lineage. That is why we consider all the sangha as very precious. And of the three jewels, one is more precious than the other. So, the Buddha is precious, the dharma is more precious and the sangha is really the most precious. Through the sangha we learn about the workings of karma, cause and effect and so on.

The reason why the guru is so precious is because without the guru, we will not find liberation. And with this understanding arises a strong wish to become liberated from suffering when self-grasping arises. This then leads to a real appreciation or gratitude towards the guru and the qualities of the dharma. It is just like you are planting a flower and nurturing it. Basically, it is rooted in the trust in karma and if you have that then faith and devotion in the dharma will naturally arise. Without trust in karma, real devotion is difficult.

In the supplication we said that ‘May my mind merge with the mind of the guru’. The guru’s mind is a mind of love and compassion which is the mind of all the gurus. When that arises within your own mindstream, then your mind is no different than the mind of the guru. Also, in the Drikung Kagyu Lama Chopa, it says ‘I supplicate to the guru that is bodhicitta’. So, if you think that the guru is the guru and bodhicitta is bodhicitta, then you will just regard the guru as an ordinary human being. Also, in the previous verse we said that ‘though I attend my guru, my devotion is steadily obscured’. So, when you see the guru as a human being, you will just see the physical form and see a lot of faults. ‘Affection for my dharma companions and sacred outlook grow weaker and weaker’. Those dharma companions are considered to be very precious. On a larger scale all sentient beings without exception have been one’s parents. When you reflect upon that then you would feel that this is really how it is.

When this feeling of love arises then your mind becomes vast. This is also a skillful means to open up the mind. For example, you bring to mind anyone that you love very much; like your parents and so on. Then think that since beginingless time, we have taken on limitless bodies so there is no one who has not been our parents. When you think in this way then actual love arises and pervades instantly. Then the mind becomes vast.

This concept of me and self diminishes and you will see everyone you encounter as a family member. If you think about this over and over again, everyone in this room will appear as someone very close. And this kind of feeling is then able to subdue the afflictive emotions within the mind. Here when we speak about those dharma companions it is a reminder for us that there is not a single being who has not been our parents. There are also those closer kind of companions that we have and it refers to all of the religious practitioners of any religion in the world. No matter what religion one follows, the inner meaning is really the same which is love and compassion. It just arises in different degrees and there is really no religion that does not speak about love and compassion. It is only due to self-grasping that all the faults occur. When we speak about any religion, the point is to bring about peace and happiness of the mind. Love and compassion is the only medicine that can bring about that. Therefore, for this reason any practitioner of any religion in the world should be regarded as a sangha.

Then there are those very close companions which are the vajra brothers and sisters. That refers to those individuals with whom we share a connection on the level of the view of secret mantra Vajrayana. And the two-fold bodhicitta you have taken (the bodhisattva vow) requires to cultivate the love of an enlightened being. Which is a boundless mind of love that pervades all sentient beings. When such immeasurable love arises, one ultimately realizes the view or the natural state of the mind and the ultimate truth. The vajra siblings are also those with whom we shared instructions from a guru who has introduced us to the view of Mahamudra or Dzogchen and so forth. Ultimately there is only one view or truth and that is all of these views are really to realize the non-dual nature of the mind.

So, whether you call it Mahamudra or Dzogchen it ultimately just speaks about the natural state of the mind which is non-dual. This kind of relation that we share with our vajra siblings will be sustained throughout all lifetimes until we attain enlightenment as we continue our path of practice of cultivating bodhicitta. We say that we take refuge in the buddha until we attain enlightenment; and when we attain enlightenment, we realize non-duality. And until then throughout all lifetimes, self and other vajra siblings will meet again and again future lifetimes. And establish a connection to each other and engage in practice together. So special companions refer to those with whom one has been introduced to the ultimate truth and has taken a bodhisattva vow together and so on. What we need to sustain when we speak about sustaining the bond to them is the love that we have for them.

It happens often that disciples get into an argument or get angry at each other. And when that happens you should recognize that you have lost your love and have gotten angry. And we have transgressed our bodhisattva vow. So immediately, we should apologize, confess and restore this bodhisattva vow. It is said that we should sustain this samaya of love for your vajra companions throughout the three times of the day and three times of the night. Until you realize the state of non-meditation, which is to realize the nature of the mind where there is no more duality of the one who meditates and the meditator. Until then again and again, we cultivate the relative bodhicitta of love and compassion. And when anger arises, we should confess and restore the love that you had. When love arises again, then the samaya and the bodhisattva vow is restored. Because the bond really is this continuum of love that is to be sustained. That is the samaya or vow that is so precious and must be sustained. It is something that can be broken and transgressed very easily when you get angry with someone.

It is said that it is like a golden garland which can be broken very easily but is also fixed very easily. That is why bodhicitta is said to be like gold because it is unchanging. Therefore, when transgressions occur, (getting competitive or jealous with dharma brothers and sisters) you should develop some fear and think that now I really have been cut off from the life force channel of liberation. And think that you should restore this over and over again.

In brief, what this really comes down to is the practice of patience. If you practice patience, no real transgression will occur. If you sustain patience you will therefore be able to sustain an ongoing state of love and compassion for others. That is the actual samaya. This is a reminder because this is a point disciples often are not aware of. So not knowing that, they don’t recognize the preciousness of a dharma companion.

Then we supplicate ‘Guru think of me; look upon me quickly with compassion. Grant your blessings so that I tame my wild nature.’ These four lines here are very important. This taming of the wild nature refers to those who are close to you like your parents or teachers and you are unable to show them any respect. The reason why you cannot respect them is because of pride; and pride is by nature ignorance. If pride is present then anger will also arise because when they do something that doesn’t go your way then instantly you get angry. Often, we ask ourselves what has happened to us and why is it like that? It is important to recognize the feelings and the faults in those emotions.

When pride and anger are present in the mind then true devotion to the guru will not arise within our minds. Then you become completely lost and wherever you go, you will not get along with anyone. If you find yourself in such a state, it is very important that you take a look at your own mind and really examine it over and over again. Recognize that this situation indicates the presence of anger and pride. It says ‘grant your blessings so that I tame my wild nature’.  So, you become like a dried out tree and if you don’t pour any water onto its roots then the branches and foliage will wither. And the branches also will break very easily. It is like someone who has lost all their patience.

For example someone who have lost all their patience might go to a school and shoot many people. And then kill themselves. So, this is what happens when you lose your patience. But before that happens you should recognize the afflictions as they arise. Love and compassion is like water and you are like the tree. So ‘taming my wild nature’ here refers to cultivating patience, loving kindness and compassion again and again.

Next verse 43 says ‘I’ve taken refuge, aroused bodhicitta and made supplications. But devotion and compassion are not born in the depths of my heart. Since I give lip service to dharma action and spiritual practice. They become routine and don’t touch me.’ For example, we practice the Ngondro or the preliminaries and we accumulate 100,000 prostrations, Vajrasattva and so forth. Then we complete those numbers and say ‘now I am done and I have finished the Ngondro’. But then what kind of feeling actually arises in your mind. Not much. So, why do we have to accumulate 100,000 prostrations.

Before we do a physical prostration, we must cultivate faith and devotion in the mind. Faith arises when you understand the qualities of the three jewels. To understand that first you have to understand the sufferings of the three lower realms. Then you have to understand that all of that suffering arises from afflictive emotions. These afflictions arise from self-grasping and then you recognize that the teachings are a method to eliminate self-grasping. For this reason, the Buddha had taught the dharma and from this the sangha had emerged.

In this way you recollect the qualities of the three jewels and you understand that the buddha possesses an omniscient mind. The buddha also possesses love and compassion for all beings and he also has the power to protect them and so on. As you prostrate you remember the suffering of the three lower realms and the qualities or benefits of liberation. In this way you complete your prostration. Or when we took the Nyungne vows, it says ‘those who are like a great elephant, those who did things and cause them to be done and so on’.

So when you really understand the qualities behind those words, then just reading those words alone will generate an incredible feeling in your mind. And you will remember all the hardships that buddha underwent only for the benefit of sentient beings. Then you remember the kindness of the buddha and when you see an image of the buddha it will bring tears to your eyes. If that happens then you have really achieved the true purpose of having taken refuge.

Then when it comes to cultivating bodhicitta, here the point is to recognize that all beings have been your parents. For example, when you are in a room with a lot of people you would feel that they are really like your family. Or when you come to Vajrasattva the purpose to be gained when you purify obscurations is to purify your body, speech and mind. So, in this way, you remember the buddha again and again. You develop such a love for the three jewels that whenever you bring them to mind, a strong feeling arises. For example, you have some difficulty, you cry to the three jewels for help. That is one habit that Tibetans also have and that is when the slightest thing happens, immediately they are able to call out to the three jewels.

And if you can remember them then their protection surely is unfailing in this life, in future lives and in the bardo. If that feeling doesn’t arise then it will just become lip service and an accumulation of numbers. So, no matter what practice you do, it is very important that you get to the essence of that practice. What is the whole point of practice? If real devotion has arisen, then immediately you will be able to join your palms in prayer. That is then like a physical prostration which purifies the obscuration of the body. And when you recite the supplication you purify the obscurations of speech. And in your mind when you cultivate love and compassion it purifies self-grasping.

In this way you are bringing together body, speech and mind into one when you prostrate and take refuge in the three jewels. Then a real feeling and a real benefit arises. If you have this feeling arising then even if you offer ten prostrations it becomes very meaningful. Otherwise even though you might accumulate 100,000 prostrations, there is no benefit if that feeling doesn’t arise. It says in the end ‘Guru think of me, look upon me quickly with compassion. Grant your blessing so that whatever I do becomes dharma’. So how can we make everything that we do become dharma. It is when altruism has arisen in your mind then everything you do naturally becomes the six paramitas.

So, it is a wish to want to benefit others and that is the essence of dharma practice. Thinking that may we be of benefit to all sentient beings. Even if you engage in a worldly mundane activity, it can also become dharma practice if you never separate from the wish to benefit others throughout the six times of day and night. If you have this altruistic intention then just naturally whatever you do with body, speech and mind will become virtuous dharma practice. Milarepa said that this is the instruction for walking about to become circumbulations. Then there is the instruction for dreaming and sleeping to become luminosity. Then there is the instruction for eating and drinking to become a Ganachakra feast offering.

So how does that happen when we eat? Your body consists of many millions of micro-organisms. What does this term dharma practice really mean? It means that we have to transform our mind. And how do we do that? It is by cultivating love and compassion and getting rid of self-grasping by all means. So, the buddha had said that the ultimate actual dharma is to tame our own mind. We give it many different names and classify the dharma in many different ways. But anything could possibly be dharma depending on your motivation. All phenomena depend on how you see them in your state of mind.

Therefore it is also the intention that determines virtue or non-virtue. If the motivation is virtuous, then whatever you do with body, speech and mind will naturally become dharma or virtue. On the other hand, if the motivation is selfish, then whatever you do (even if it is virtuous) will only become half virtuous. In order for everything that you do to become dharma, you must never separate from the mind of love and compassion. Even a seemingly unvirtuous action can become virtuous. So, this should be quite simple to understand.

The next verse number 44 says ‘All suffering comes from desiring happiness for oneself. Although it is said that buddhahood is attained by considering the welfare of others, I arouse supreme bodhicitta while I concentrate on my own desires. Not only do I not benefit others, I casually cause them harm.’ Now we have understood that the root of all suffering is self-grasping. The buddha then taught the importance of cultivating an altruistic mind in order to eliminate it. Even though we have understood that Buddhahood is attained in this way, we only concentrate on our own desires. So, we really have to look at our own mind because what determines virtue and non-virtue is the state of mind and not so much the outer activities.

Because it is said that even though the outer activity might reflect a seemingly virtuous activity, whether or not it is really virtuous depends on one’s motivation. Something might look like a virtuous practice, but whether or not it is the case is something you can only know by seeing your own mind. For example, I am now giving teachings to you on the weekend which is already taking away your time off. Then you come here and endure many hardships for the teachings. If you really think about it, what is the whole purpose of doing so? You must gain something from this and if you only hear about the workings of karma, cause and effect and the preciousness of love and compassion. Then that will already open up your mindstream.

If my motivation is to get some money from you by teaching then the negativity of the karma and the fault in that will be immeasurable. So that should not be the motivation. But the motivation should be one of undefiled and uncorrupted love. Then you have the real quality of the buddha and if you have that, you have the quality of the dharma. If I am able to open up their minds in this way during the teachings then I feel that they will not be at a loss. So basically, whatever you do it is important to really examine what is the ultimate result of this action. Because if we don’t examine that then it is as though like it says here in this text that you will just concentrate in the pursuit of your own desires.

If uncorrupted love is not present within the bottom of your heart then your activities on the outer level might appear as virtuous. But in your heart, you don’t have real wish to benefit sentient beings. If you have the real wish to benefit sentient beings, then you actually will because the basis of our minds is actually one. Then they will feel your wish to benefit them which will also arise within them. This is something which the masters have to consider but not just them but between disciples. We must possess a real pure uncorrupted love for one another.

Even though it might happen due to karma that you give someone some medicine which turns into poison. But it is not your fault even if the person is hurt because you had a good motivation. If that is not within your mind and if there is a hidden selfish agenda and your intention is not pure, then just naturally without even intending you will cause harm towards others. There is clearly no benefit. Regarding the buddha’s teachings, we speak about many different lineages and traditions. There exists a lot of debate between them but these discussions are really in order to refine each other’s understanding of the dharma.

It is said that great masters must uphold the lineage and simple minded people like ourselves should not fall into bias views. For them it is necessary to discuss and uphold the lineage but if we bring these words of discussion into our practice, we might go wrong and think that only our tradition is good and the others are wrong. For example, you might say that Christianity is so bad. On one hand you have devotion to your tradition but you also criticize others. It is this negative state of mind that is what you don’t want to have because that is the root of attachment and aversion which is the cause of disharmony in your family and so on. You can continue to engage in your own practice but you should not criticize others for following their own path. Because we enter certain path or religions due to karma that we already have from previous lives.

Next it says ‘Grant your blessings so that I change myself for others. Coming back to the bias views that we mentioned, just naturally if you have these bias views in your mind, harmful thoughts and aversion will naturally arise. It is this negative state of mind that is the actual mistake and not what other people do. There are three states of mind that we don’t want to have in our minds. That is covetousness, harmful thoughts and wrong views. Covetousness is thinking that our own is the best. But at the same time, we should not criticize others and humiliate them and so on. That alone will lead to a lot of arguments and people will get into conflicts. This often happens even between different traditions and spiritual lineages.

A lot of difficulties are caused in the name of religion due to these kinds of bias views. Then the dharma which is intended to bring about benefit but in fact causes a lot of harm. What is most important here is to cultivate love and compassion for all sentient being and a pure perception towards higher beings. That is really the essence of whatever you practice. So, you can continue to do your own practice but at the same time do not criticize what others do because many faults come from that. Basically, there are only two fields of reference. There are all the religious followers in the world who are sangha and then there are all sentient beings who are our parents.

If you are able to hold on to these two fields then your mind will really abide like space and you will be able to respect others. If you respect others then they will also feel that and they will also feel affectionate and respect you in return. So, a pure perception is really most important. It mentions about exchanging ourselves and others that is to put others before oneself. But that doesn’t mean that you have to sleep outside and give them your house. It means that you give up your intentions to mainly care about yourself. And also, to understand that the root of all happiness is the altruistic mind in this and all future lives. If you understand that, then true wisdom really arises and when wisdom arises you are aware of what happens around you. And if your behaviour is affecting them negatively or not. In this way in your mind, you are putting others before self and in your activities you are equalizing self with others.

Of course, if you are able to do that and put others before yourself but it is very difficult to do that in your activities. You can begin to do that when you engage in smaller activities like eating food. Like when someone is hungry and you put others before yourself, you give them your food. But often it is very difficult to uphold and apply that to more significant activities. In general, you put others before yourself in your mind but in your activities you equalize self with others.

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So, we come to the next verse number 45 where it says ‘the guru is the buddha in person but I regard him as an ordinary man. I forget completely his kindness in giving profound instructions.’ This is actually a very important verse here and in particular in the Vajrayana, it is said that although the guru’s quality is equal to the qualities of the buddha his kindness exceeds the kindness of the buddha. Whatever you practice, the teachings of the buddha really are limitless and very vast. Even though there are many teachings available, if we had no spiritual teacher who expresses them to us then all of these teachings would not be of much use. Therefore, the guru’s activities really are the actual activities of the buddha.

It is hard for some people to comprehend when they hear that you regard the guru’s qualities as the buddha’s qualities. Because they feel that when you say that he is just like the buddha when he is just like an ordinary person or human being. But if you really know how to listen to the words or the instructions of the guru and practice accordingly, then these can lead to enlightenment in a single lifetime. It all depends on the diligence and effort that you make. For example, when the buddha himself was alive, there were some people who accepted him while others did not. Many times, it was only later after his life that people began to realize his qualities. While he was alive, people saw him as a human being while others abused or criticized him at that time. Actually, the guru’s qualities are not any different than the buddha’s qualities. The body is the sangha, the speech is the dharma and the mind is the buddha.

What we call the Buddha is the mind that is free of all dualistic thoughts and mainly it is the mind that needs to attain enlightenment. It is because the enlightened mind that has no dualistic grasping which can benefit sentient beings. It is through their realization of non-duality and the ultimate truth that they can eliminate the dualistic grasping in the minds of others as well. That is why we say that the mind of the guru is the mind of the Buddha.

Now for all of us who are engaged in practice, the greater you develop relative bodhicitta in your mind then the more you will be able to recognize a bodhisattva. And you begin to see more and more of bodhisattvas thinking that what they are doing are really the activities of a bodhisattva. As bodhicitta begins to arise within your mind, also your perception begins to transform. Then in this way for someone who have seen the ultimate truth then they can say that they can really see the guru as the Buddha. Not only that, they see all sentient beings as Buddhas. Of course, it is very difficult to see it when you interact or talk to others.

So, when is it when you actually see that? There is one story of Gampopa and Milerapa where Gampopa had a really tremendous amount of devotion to Milarepa. One time he asked Milarepa when will be the time that he can act for the benefit of others. Milarepa replied that it is when Gampopa does not see him as an old man but see the guru as the actual Buddha. That is the time when you begin to engage in the welfare of others. That happens when you realize non duality and that the mind is indivisible. And that is when you see the guru as the actual dharmakaya and also see the Buddha nature in all sentient beings. Milarepa had said that he do not see consciousness but only see primordial wisdom. Milarepa also said he do not see sentient beings but only see Buddhas.

It is when the consciousness has been transformed into primordial wisdom that you see that all sentient beings possess Buddha nature. At this point you perceive things just in that way. In this way we can really begin to understand how the guru is the actual Buddha. If we habituate to that thought and this way of seeing, then eventually we will be really be able to see the guru as the actual Buddha. In the text it says, ‘I forget completely his kindness in giving profound instructions. When my own desires aren’t fulfilled, I ignore him. Doubts and skepticism about his actions and behaviour cover my mind’. First, the guru’s instructions consist of the two-fold truth and we are introduced to the workings of karma. And what is the benefit of being introduced to that quality? If you have these instructions then we are able to transform all suffering into happiness.

If we do not understand karma, then we will transform all happiness into suffering in the end. If we practice this understanding (that all happiness and suffering is karma) again and again then we really have received an extraordinary instruction that allows us to transform all suffering into happiness. Finally, we realize that what can be achieved is a state of bliss that is devoid of all suffering entirely. And we realize that these experiences of happiness and suffering really depends on the state of our minds. Our way of perceiving and thinking about things. Ultimately one realizes that these experiences of happiness and suffering are just like a dream. And we realize that the mind actually transcends birth and death. These are extraordinary instructions that are very hard to find and when you find them and practice them, this is the result that can be attained. There are many stories in this world of people who have actually achieved these results.

So, it says here that we don’t remember the kindness of the guru. We forget about his kindness even though he gives us very profound instructions. This is also when we engage in mundane activities. If we do not really believe or put all our faith in the guru then if anything disagreeable happens in the worldly sense, then the disciple might reject the guru and vice versa.

There are stories about that and often it becomes like a deal or an exchange where the guru gives something and the disciple receives something in return. But actually, it shouldn’t be anything like that. We shouldn’t see it in an ordinary way, perceiving things that appear to be truly existing. This is what leads to the doubts and scepticism that obscure the mind. So, the scepticism of our actions and behaviour cover the mind. When that arises then we see things in an ordinary way then all we can see are faults instead of qualities. And if we examine too much, we begin to see more faults. Then from that many doubts and wrong views arise. What is the cause of that arising? It begins with a self-grasping mind and pride, which leads to jealousy and so forth. And we begin to see all good qualities as faults. Due to that, a lot of contradictions and conflicts between masters and disciples occur.

In the old days it was said that a lama should examine the disciple and the disciple should also examine the lama. Those were fortunate days but nowadays in my own opinion I find that it is better not to examine too much. So that is what I tell everyone who trusts me. That is because what we receive from the lama are instructions, empowerments and the dharma. And the inner content of that is really always the same. Nowadays we really should not examine too much which is to one’s greatest advantage. Because if you do begin to examine too much, then we will begin to see more and more faults. And in the end, we will only see faults.

This is how I personally practice and I really have a pure perception towards everyone. I only try to see good qualities which is only to my greatest benefit too. Also, I feel that I am not superior and who am I to judge? What I am here for is the dharma. So, then I receive the teachings without too much investigation.

Coming to the next verse 46, this is actually the most important essential point where it says that ‘my own mind is the Buddha but I never recognize it’. We give the nature of our mind different names like Mahamudra, Dzogchen or the Madhyamaka middle way. So, either we follow the practice blessings lineage, the scriptural authority or the lineage of the profound view, the vast conduct and so on. We may give it many different names but what we really speak about is the natural state of the mind. Which primordially is the Buddha or in Dzogchen it is referred to as the original purity. Buddha himself also said that all beings are actually Buddhas. They are only obscured by adventitious or temporary stains.

But the mind in its natural state without these stains is like pure water and this is how we should understand it. In this world, water appear in different forms like the ocean, but in the end, they are all the same. So, if you understand it in this way, then you recognize that it is just this natural pure state of water which is just like the nature of the mind. Then the question arises then why does samsara and nirvana come about. It is because although our natural state is primordially pure, conditions arise temporarily. Due to that it changes and the first condition that arises is self-grasping. In the 37 practices it is explained that it is this belief in the existence of a self and due to that we have habituated it for too long in samsara. So, the minds of sentient beings have become like an ice-block.

Lord Jigten Sumgon had said that karma, cause and effect is the momentary fruition or the manifestations of one’s inner state of mind. So, for instance, sentient beings living in the three lower realms also possess Buddha nature. This nature is just like light or electricity. Light energy engages in all kinds of activities and performs all sorts of things. And if you understand the mind just like this then you have really understood the view or the natural state of the mind in its innate state that is completely pure. That is what we call the Buddha but we do not recognize it even though it is actually there. It is ever present but we never see it or recognize it. Therefore, these teachings are a method to recognize one’s true nature of mind to be the Buddha in its natural state.

So, to recognize that mind, we are introduced to the teachings of Mahamudra, Dzogchen and so on. Here we are instructed to look at the mind and meditate. And when you look at the mind, first what you might see is an endless chain of thoughts. With each thought, a certain feeling is produced. When you observe this endless chain of subtle and coarse thoughts, what you recognize is that what arises appears to the mind. It is just that if you cling to it and pursue it you will accumulate karma. But if you let whatever arises be without following it, then you will observe that it comes and goes just like waves on water naturally on its own. Without affecting you in any way and nothing has happened to the mind at all. And that is when you see the actual nature of the mind at this point. It is when you recognize these thoughts in such a way with clear awareness.

Not recognizing it is what we call the dualistic consciousness. But it is that very consciousness that is the root of the mind when you recognize it. When you recognize it, discursive thoughts are dharmakaya but I don’t realize it. Dharmakaya is when you see the nature of the mind. It is the ground and the basis of all phenomena in samsara and nirvana. The empty ground from which all arises and often it is depicted in the form of Samantabhadra. The nature of clarity is emptiness and the nature of emptiness is clarity. Or in the Madhyamaka middle way school, it says that the nature of the mind transcends both extremes of eternalism and nihilism. It transcends the faults of nihilism because it is naturally clear and it is without the fault of eternalism because it is also empty in essence. It is clear and empty just like a fire flame and this nature is also often displayed in the form of the yabyum deity showing us the nature of mind. If we abide within it the experience is one of great bliss and this is recognized when you see that thoughts come and go like waves in the ocean.

And this is how you begin to recognize the thoughts as the dharmakaya. So, what happens if you just let them be? When you just let them be without pursuing them sometimes there will be a time where thoughts stop and no future thoughts has yet arisen. And in between thoughts you glimpse the natural state of the mind as it is. That is when you recognize the true nature of the mind. So, whether we call it mahamudra or dzogchen and so on, it is always only speaking about the true nature of the mind. Then it says there is an unfabricated natural state but I cannot keep to it. So, what is this unfabricated state? It is when awareness remains unaltered in its natural state without pursuing anything. No good or bad thoughts, no judgements and no thinking. It just remains as it is naturally without being altered by thoughts. That natural mind and awareness is the true nature of the mind.

There are three times when we come to the natural state of the mind but we usually don’t recognize it and we don’t have awareness of it. Of course, because we don’t notice what is actually happening that is why this state becomes spoiled and remains unrecognized. The three times when we come to the actual state of the mind is when we fall asleep, when the consciousness transfers at the time of death and when we engage in sexual intercourse. At that time if you sustain a state of clarity and recognize you may really catch a glimpse of the space like nature of the mind.

So unfabricated means to not grasp at anything whatsoever and to gain a certainty to conclude the resolution. And to remain the decision that this is the nature of the mind. This is what we call the state of Mahamudra. It is a clarity that knows that its own nature is empty and vast; abiding like space. Pervading wherever space pervades and that is what we call the dharmakaya. The space-like all pervasive nature of the mind. This is a state where all concepts of self and other fall apart. This is where you gain certainty in the space-like non dual nature of the mind. Then it says ‘letting be is the way things are but I don’t believe it.’ Letting be is to not grasp at any thought at whatever arises at all. Just letting it be as it is. That naturalness is the actual nature of the mind.

In Dzogchen in the first word that strikes the vital point it says ‘you have to first recognize the natural face of intrinsic awareness or Rigpa’. If you recognize it then it becomes quite easily seen. It is just the mind without thinking and utterly clear. Then you just always need to abide within that state which is the state of Mahamudra. In Mahamudra, it says to look without a single thought, look decisively at the ultimate nature of the mind. And when you look at this mind, there is nothing to be seen. When mind looks at itself, there is no thought; just a clear luminosity. The crucial point is to gain certainty and to abide within that decisive state of recognizing the nature of the mind. And that is sufficient in itself. The reason why we develop many doubts about this nature is because there still is this sense of a self. In order to cut through the doubts, it is necessary to cultivate loving kindness and compassion.

Regarding letting things be in its natural state, the omniscient Longchen Rabjam has said in the ‘Treasury of Pith Instructions’ that when you realize the natural state of the mind, there is no higher learning than that. So, once you have realized the nature of the mind, you have basically completed all fields of study. That is also what we call the perfection of wisdom. So, this is the unfabricated natural state of the mind which is often referred to as the nature that is at it is without change. It is unborn, it doesn’t die, it doesn’t arise and it never ceases to be.

There is no need to mention too many words but we can remember these words of the mahamudra teachings that says ‘without a single thought look decisively at the natural state of the mind; the ultimate nature of the mind’. So, in brief you must recognize the mind that is without any thought whatsoever and then abide within this state to clear away our doubts. And when doubts arise, we cultivate devotion to the guru and love and compassion for sentient beings. The more we get rid of self-grasping, to the same degree our doubts will dissolve. As Tilopa had decided in the Mahamudra teachings, ‘look and abide decisively without a thought in your mind.’ Next it says ‘Grant your blessings so that natural awareness will be free in itself.’ This natural awareness is referred to as rigpa or pristine awareness in Dzogchen. What this awareness actually aware of? In the state of not having realized itself we call it the consciousness which discerns outer objects.

Basically, at that state it is the self that is your awareness which has become this ‘I’. Where is this ‘I’ actually? It arises momentarily due to a condition and you think ‘this is my job’ where you identify certain roles or things in your life that you do. Currently it is the consciousness that thinks that there is an ‘I’ and due to the concept of ‘I’ there is an endless chain of thoughts arising. But you will observe that all of these thoughts will subside and do not remain. So, it is a temporary arising for example there is this temporary thought ‘I am drinking this tea and so on’. And then it dissolves again. So, this is the temporary condition which causes this illusory perception of an ‘I’ to arise where actually the mind abides like space at all times. So, when you recognize the true nature of this consciousness, then it becomes self-knowing primordial awareness which abides like space. And it transcends the extremes of existence and non-existence.

It is inexpressible beyond words and thoughts which is also explained in the heart sutra. In the heart sutra it says self-knowing awareness is the domain of primordial wisdom. Basically, whenever you recognize the natural state of the mind you have realized the nature of all phenomena of samsara and nirvana. Even though thoughts arise, if awareness is held with stability all of these thoughts subside.

When we speak about liberation, what is it that we need to be liberated from? We become liberated from the dualistic grasping at self and other. And when you become liberated from that the mind naturally abides vast like space. You realize that there is no duality or division in space. There is only a seeming duality due to a variety of bodies. But ultimate liberation means to become liberation from dualistic thoughts. When you are free from that, you become free of all delusion and confusion and perceive all just as an illusion. For example, you have these two light bulbs here but it is one and the same light. There is no difference.

Next it says ‘Death is certain to come but I can’t take it to heart. The holy dharma truly benefits, but I can’t practice it properly.’ We can’t really take to heart death or have that in mind but we should really see it for ourselves. Even though we are aware about death and impermanence but we still don’t really think much about it. Whatever we do is still only done for this lifetime; nothing meaningful is accomplished even though we know that life is impermanent. So ‘the holy dharma that truly benefits’ is that there are many different kinds of dharma teachings. But we have to see what is the ultimate result that has to appear in our mind. What has to appear is faith and devotion to higher beings and love and compassion for sentient beings. What has to arise is the precious bodhicitta.

If that doesn’t arise then the dharma has not really arisen in the mind. That is the one thing that will surely be of benefit at the time of death. Because if you cultivate love and compassion in your mind then as a result you will achieve the happiness of birth in the higher realms temporarily. As a result of having practiced generosity, ethical discipline and patience, you will achieve all the qualities of the higher realms such as a good body, possessions, good companions and so on. And having practiced meditation and wisdom you attain the state of ultimate enlightenment. All of these need to be accompanied by diligence.

So in brief, the holy dharma that is of benefit is love and compassion arising within your mind. And when that is present within your mind then all your activities of body, speech and mind will naturally become the 6 paramitas. It is not necessary to say that you will shave your head and going to a retreat. Of course, if you can do that then it is ideal but that is difficult to do. What really is the essence of the dharma is to ultimately seal all your activities with love and compassion.

The ultimate fruition that has to arise in our mind no matter what we practice is love and compassion. Even if you are not able to do a long-term retreat, but if that arises in your mind you really have obtained the fruit of dharma practice. We should really take a honest look at our own mind and see if we are able to practice that. But very likely the answer is no and why are we not able to do that? It is because we do not entirely believe in karma and do not understand that when we die we will follow our karma. And we don’t really have this clear in our minds because we are obscured by the attachment to this life.

The next line says ‘Karma and its results are certainly true, but I do not act on them properly.’ So, of everything that has been said, this is really most important. Regarding this Lord Jigten Sumgon also said that it is the certainty of karma, cause and effect that determines what kind of practitioner you are. If you really understand the dharma, then you should see whether or not you fully believe and trust in karma. This is what determines your understanding of the dharma. If we don’t think about this again and again it will not arise in our mind. Right now, it is merely an understanding but we do not have an actual experience of it at all. This is what my root guru always pointed out and said that ‘you really have not understood how difficult it is to find a precious human body. If you only think about that things become clear.’ So, we learn how difficult it is to find a precious human body based on reflecting on its causes, illustrations and numbers.

Master Chimee Dorjee had said that you should mainly think about its causes and the numbers. When you only think about the precious human body and how hard it is to find then you have the basis of all the dharma and karma. So how do we obtain a precious human body? Some people might think that there are so many people in this world. But if you lift up a rock to see how many ants there are in an ant’s colony, there might be even more than the entire human population in the world. Or look at the subtle lifeforms in the ocean; there are just limitless animals in the world. Even though there are so many they all want to be happy and do not want to suffer. They all have the same afflictions of attachment, aversion and ignorance. The five afflictions of an ant and that of a person is one and the same.

So why is it then that our bodies look different? It is because of the different causes that we have created. This is how we reflect upon the difficulty of finding a precious human body and how have we found it? In terms of its causes, it comes from having observed flawless ethical discipline. For example, every time we take a Nyungne vow and keep those vows we will obtain the cause to obtain a precious human body. It all arises from a cause and when that cause comes to an end that merit is exhausted. Then we should consider even though we have it now and when it is exhausted what will happen next?

It is very important for all of you to think about this very carefully. To really think about the infallibility of karma, cause and effect. And to think about how difficult it is to obtain a precious human body again and again until a real feeling arises. Then it is mentioned here about the qualities of bodhicitta and the dharma which is of true benefit. This is the only thing that will then be of any benefit. It is nothing else but loving kindness and compassion.

Sometimes people also say that they look down or belittle love and compassion. They think that if ‘I just have a little compassion then that’s not so beneficial so what is the point?’ But even in a samsaric sense it can become the cause of bodhicitta. For example, if a couple gets married, some people might say that this is just samsaric ordinary love. But that is also not true. It can also become the cause of bodhicitta. The greater the love, the greater also their experience of happiness. For somebody who doesn’t understand karma at all, marriage just becomes a union of ordinary love.

But even to that extent, one experiences happiness. For example, even if one doesn’t understand karma, one takes birth as an animal due to ignorance. But as a pleasant animal with a beautiful body and a beautiful voice. Or like two birds who meet again and flies together their entire life. They are peaceful and everyone likes them and feeds them and so on. All of these goodnesses are also the quality of the slightest love. They are the manifestation of love.

So, karma is really unfailing because there are other animals that are really frightening and harm others. Like scorpions or poisonous snakes. These are beings with a greater predominance of hatred, jealousy and anger and so on. So, they appear in this way with corresponding body, colour and shape. And certain qualities that cause harm towards others like possessing poison and so on. Due to the force of karma they just naturally harm others. So, this is the poison of afflictive emotions.

Jigten Sumgon had said that the karmic ripening is the manifestation of one’s inner thoughts and the momentary state of mind. Therefore, whenever an afflictive emotion arises within your own mind you should reflect that now you have a precious human body. But when you look at these animals, they are the manifestations of hatred and jealousy. And we also possess these afflictions. There are also stories of the Buddha in the Buddha’s stories where there are certain animals and beings whose bellies are very large and their throats are very narrow. There are really beings and animals like that which we can see. Then there are of course also hungry spirits and beings that we cannot see with a mental body.

When we speak about the karma and the two-fold truth, we all know it but it is very hard for anyone to really take it to heart and to practice accordingly. No one really does that. So, whenever you have a little bit of time, think about karma over and over again. And in all kinds of different ways for example from a scientific perspective or thinking about the difference between humans and animals and so on. Until you come to a conclusion where you are convinced and feel that this is true. Until you gain complete certainty in karma, you reflect on that and I myself do such reflection and have cultivated a firm trust in karma.

So, trust in karma also means that you do develop a sense of fear towards anger and afflictions. That is why I am able to say do not get angry at others and be careful when these afflictions arise. When you really feel a sense of fear towards the afflictions then you are beginning to trust in karma. Next it says ‘Mindfulness and awareness are certainly necessary but I don’t rely on them and I am swept away by distractions. When we speak about mindfulness, what is it that we need to be mindful of? It is also explained in the 37 practices which is extremely important. What mindfulness is mindful of is love and compassion. It always remembers the preciousness of love and compassion for this and future lives.

In order to remember that, there are various methods according to the different lineages of buddhism. Probably also other religions teach these qualities of love and compassion as well. In our prayer we say ‘May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness.’ So, what kind of happiness do you have in your life? You might feel that you have a lot of possessions and have no financial difficulties. That is the result of having practiced generosity in your previous lives. So, you think about each happiness that you experience in this way.

There are 7 qualities of the higher realms and these all arise from generosity, ethical discipline and patience which are founded on love. For example, you might feel that you have harmonious relationships, companions and so on. If you don’t get along with your family there would be no love. Even though you might have a lot of wealth, you would experience that as hell and even commit suicide. But on the other hand, even if you are not so wealthy, if there is love in your family then that is what we call happiness. Why is it that we are harmonious with each other? It is not because we are very smart and skilled in something but it is the result of having practiced love, compassion and patience in our previous lives.

For example, there are some couples who get married and they are able to stay together until they die. That is because they have sustained love and patience for one another. As a result of that in future lives they will achieve the happiness of the god realms and so forth. Even if you are not able to practice any dharma at least to that extent you will experience happiness. Look at what your happiness is and then find the corresponding cause that is founded on love and compassion. Or you have found a precious human body as a result of having practiced ethical discipline. So, all the qualities of the higher realms are really the kindness of the 6 paramitas; in particular patience. It is due to the merit you have accumulated and if you remember that you will again want to accumulate such merit. Now you have obtained it and you will want to create more causes for it to arise in the future.

So, look at the corresponding causes of your happiness that you experience. When we say ‘May beings have happiness and the causes of happiness’ we should actually say ‘may beings have happiness and love which is the cause of happiness.’ Then there are others who always experience suffering. Why do they suffer? It all arises from self-grasping and the afflictive emotions. All these wars arise from hatred and jealousy, telling lies, stirring up problems, slander and so on. It all comes from the ten non-virtuous actions. Some people say that they can never find a job and even if they found a job they will always lose their job. So why is that?

It is because you have stolen in your previous lives. Or you might say that you can never find a companion and even if you found one you can never get along and separate again. So that is the result of having slandered or gossiped about others. If you think about the cause and their related afflictive emotions, and recognize that each experience of suffering purifies such negative karma. For the future, you will create the causes to experience happiness. It is just like being sick and going to a doctor and asking for medicine. But then it is up to you to actually take the medicine.

Also, in the 37 practices it speaks about ‘welding the weapon of mindfulness at all times.’ So, your constant mindfulness is necessary in order to always accumulate merit. And in order to sustain that mindfulness, the Buddha provided various methods. For example, to recite Om Mani Padme Hung or to spin a prayer wheel. These are actually very simple and very powerful ways to accumulate vast amounts of merit if you are able to remember it. So, in this way, always remember the causes of happiness and practice them. Also, to remember the causes of suffering like anger and jealousy and so on.

If you are mindful of this all the time you will accumulate merit continuously. So, this is the quality that arises from mindfulness. Also, as we have mentioned before, if a strong trust in the workings of karma cause and effect arises, mindfulness will be sustained. We will then be mindful of what needs to be done and what needs to be abandoned like the afflictive emotions. So that is an extremely important point. Ultimately you can find everything in the 37 bodhisattva practices and this particular point made here is actually related to verse number 36. Where it says ‘in brief whatever you do, you should see what is the state of your mind. With mindfulness accomplish the benefit of sentient beings at all times.’

So now we come to verse number 48 where it says ‘because of my former evil actions I was born at the end of the dark age.’ We call it the degenerate age and often we speak about the degeneration of times, negative views and so on. But what is actually degenerating are the afflictive emotions which means that they become increasingly stronger, toxic and destructive. For example, nowadays when one person is full of hatred they can wipe out the entire planet. We speak about the power of afflictions that increases and due to that, there is much more destruction. Also, the activity that comes from these powerful afflictions becomes more destructive.

Then it says ‘All that I have previously done has caused me suffering.’ We might even think that we are practicing virtue but what we actually do is still 70% non-virtuous; which is unmindful and controlled by afflictions. Therefore, we do experience a lot of suffering. Then of course there are some who also gain happiness and do not suffer much at all. When we look at the world and the people in it, we can really see the workings of karma, cause and effect. There are some people who do not experience any suffering at all their entire lives and then there are others who only experience suffering their entire lives. This is a good opportunity for us to reflect on karma, cause and effect.

In brief, this world is like a Nirmanakaya pureland because this is a place where we can understand the workings of karma. And the causes of suffering which is the afflictive emotions supported by self-grasping. Then we act them out and create many causes of suffering. Then, whatever we do really becomes the causes of suffering. Then it says ‘Because of evil friends, I am covered by the shadows of evil deeds.’ Regarding evil friends, we often speak about enemies, obstructors and those who harm us or hate us. Or those who cause us to develop thoughts of anger and jealousy.

Of course, in general when these thoughts arise, and we are not able to take them as the path and practice with them, then great harm is caused. But harm is also caused in relation to the positive companions. If we do not know how to seal this relation with bodhicitta, then they become just ordinary objects of desire and attachment. In this way both the positive and negative companions become an obscuration. Even if you are completely overtaken by the love that you have for a person you become extremely attached. As a result, you accumulate more karma.

Also, once you are attached to one, you will have aversion against another. In this way it also becomes a bondage that ties you to samsara repeatedly. In brief, if love and compassion is not held with awareness, then both kinds of companions become a cause for bondage. Wealth and possessions also become ‘a shadow of evil deeds’ that cuts you off from the life force of liberation. How that happens is that we are attached to our possessions, our children and our family. But one day we get angry and we lose our love and we sever the life force of liberation. Liberation really means that we need to arrive at a state of bodhicitta. If we arrive at a state of affliction then naturally the lower realms will manifest.

When we arrive at the state of affliction, as a natural manifestation of hatred hell will manifest. And as a natural manifestation of greed, hungry spirits will manifest. The companions here we speak about is not just negative or evil companions but it refers to both the positive and negative kind of companions. Then it says ‘my dharma practice has been sidetracked by my meaningless chatter.’ When it comes to the use of our speech, we have to be extremely careful. That is why when we take the Nyungne vows, the greatest benefit of that vow is to keep the vow of silence. That is the greatest benefit in whatever practice you do. That is due to the sound we perceive and engage in mentally that the mind begins to cling to it. Then these forms habitual imprints in the mind.

On the other hand, if we engage in the recitation and practice of the holy dharma, we are actually purifying these samsaric imprints. A lot of our negativities arise due to speech and it is because we remember the past and we anticipate the future. Due to that we engage in all sorts of meaningless chatter. So, it is very important to be mindful about that and abandon that because many faults come from it.

Next it says ‘At first I thought of nothing but the dharma, but in the end the results are evil existences and samsara.’ In the beginning we all have the motivation to enter the gates to practice the dharma. But in the end, it still becomes the cause of suffering. The reason for this is that we practice the dharma corrupted by the 8 worldly concerns. And even if we do practice virtue but we do it with the wrong motivation. Milarepa said that we practice generosity with the motivation of receiving something in return. Or to receive some karmic reciprocation for this life or to gain protection from fear or suffering. If you practice virtue with this intention then the virtue becomes the cause of samsara. That is if it is not sealed with the proper dedication of bodhicitta but sealed with a selfish attitude. In this way the dharma itself becomes the cause for perpetuating samsara.

Then it says ’The flower of freedom has been cut down by the frost of non-virtue’. Even though we practice virtue, there are also 4 causes that destroy our roots of virtue. The first is where we become prideful about the virtuous things that we have done. Or for example you do something in order to get famous and so on. The second one is if you regret the virtue that you have practiced or caused others to regret. If someone practices the dharma but you say something to make someone regret buying a statue or a thangka and so on. So, if they regret it then the root of virtue becomes destroyed.

Also, if others show great respect for the dharma but you cause them to regret. That also destroys their root of virtue. Thirdly is the corrupted dedication and that is if we do dedicate the virtue but not for the benefit of sentient beings. But rather you do something in order to cause harm towards them. The fourth one is a wrong view where you dedicate your virtues solely for your loved ones. The dedication will bear some benefits but it will be much smaller. Only if we dedicate our roots of virtue with bodhicitta will it become a vast merit. Otherwise, it becomes a cause for exhausting our roots of virtue.

The way in which we should dedicate is according to how the buddhas have dedicated. According to the prayer that we have recited in the dedication prayer. ‘Just as Manjushri had dedicated virtue and so on’. In a similar way, we dedicate. And if we dedicate in this way, then the roots of virtue will not become exhausted until we attain enlightenment. It will also further increase just like putting all your money in a bank where it stays safely. So, you can’t lose it to the conditions of afflictive emotions.

So even if you only practice a slight virtue such as reciting a Mani mantra with a wish to benefit all sentient beings, then the mind generation and dedication are actually practiced simultaneously. Then the virtue has really become authentic and lasting. The most important point of the practice is ultimately to eliminate self-grasping. Next it says ‘The flower of freedom has been cut down by the frost of non-virtue!’ Why is that? It is because what we gain from dharma practice is a negative result when we strived towards a positive result. But then it became spoiled. So, it is just like you are planting seeds in the field to make them grow but they are all spoiled by the frost and all the hard work is wasted.

So, you supplicate Guru, think of me; look upon me quickly with compassion. Grant your blessings so that I will follow the holy dharma to completion.’ So again, the guru is your sustained mindfulness and your awareness. When that is sustained then your roots of virtue will be sealed with the proper dedication of bodhicitta. You can even restore any mistakes made in the past even if you had some corrupted intentions previously. Even if it has already happened before, you can bring all these spoiled roots of virtue back to mind and re-dedicate them again.

These kinds of dedications can restore the spoiled virtues and they can become truly sealed virtues. Which then becomes the cause for attaining enlightenment. In this way we can also bring to mind all of the mistakes made even many lifetimes in the past and restore them through proper mind generation. Such a proper dedication is truly important and in the five-fold path of Mahamudra, it says ‘the essence of skilfull means is the aspiration prayer.’ It begins by having taken the refuge vow and from there on whatever greater and lesser vow you take, you will accomplish things by virtue of the power of your aspiration.

There are three powers when it comes to the power of aspirations. The first one is the power of your own intention and first of all your intention must be pure. Then, if it is pure you access the second power which is the power of all the buddhas’ compassion. Then you merge with the enlightened intent of all the Buddhas just naturally and there is no separation. The third power is the power of the dharmadhatu and there you recognize that all sentient beings are pure by nature. They are only obscured by temporary stains and their true nature is enlightened. And one makes prayers to clear away these temporary stains. On the ultimate level, those sentient beings don’t exist and Jigten Sumgon had said that on the ultimate level the two-fold truth are indivisible.

So, from this perspective, sentient beings don’t exist and they are illusory. In order to realize that one makes aspiration prayers. Regarding the power of the dharmadhatu, on the ultimate level, sentient beings are empty of self-nature and do not inherently exist. Due to the single basis of mind where we are actually one, all of our aspirations will pervade and it will be accomplished. So, if we dedicate and aspire in this way then for all future lifetimes, our aspirations will be accomplished accordingly.

The remaining prayers here starting from verse 50 do not require much explanation because we have already explained the meaning of them in previous verses. Next it says ‘Grant your blessings so that I will follow the holy dharma to completion. Grant your blessings so that I will give birth to deep sadness and so forth.’ These verses are encouragements for us to practice the dharma and to remember impermanence, karma and so on. And also, to practice with diligence. In verse 51 it says ‘Grant your blessings so that I am able to exert myself in practice’. So whatever practice you engage in if you find that you are lazy, you must lift up your mind and make yourself practice with diligence.

Next it says ‘Grant your blessings so that evil situations are brought to the path.’ That is an important point which is also explained in the 37 bodhisattva practices where we learnt how to practice with difficult circumstances. Next is ‘Grant your blessings so that I continually apply the remedies so that genuine devotion arises in me.’

So, this arises when you remember the qualities of the three jewels again and again. When you habituate to that, whenever you see a sangha your mind will be filled with warmth. You will be able to join your palms in prayer and it will just happen effortlessly. Naturally you will also have the qualities of the three jewels without even having to think about it. This is indeed a very happy and uncontrived state of devotion that requires no thought. But of course, in order to get there, first we need to think about and cultivate devotion.

Next it says ‘Grant your blessings so that I meet the natural state.’ Which is to realize that mind abides like space and there is no duality or separation in the mind. Then it says ‘Grant your blessings so that insight is awakened in my heart.’ That is when clear awareness is sustained and you realize non duality; the clear empty nature of the mind. The empty nature that is inherently clear and luminous.

The next verse ‘Grant your blessings so that I destroy confusion and projections.’ That is when all dualistic thoughts have collapsed and you realize that you have no duality within the mind. Then that is what cuts through the root of all confusion. Then it says ‘Grant your blessings that I attain Buddhahood in one lifetime’. This realization of non-duality is what we call enlightenment within one lifetime. Dualistic grasping has cleared away and the mind becomes vast like space. ‘Precious guru, I pray to you. Kind lord of the dharma I cry to you with longing’. It is the guru’s kindness and the root guru is therefore the embodiment of all the Buddhas of the three times.

So, this is a supplication to the guru and the end of the supplication is ‘I am an unworthy person who has no other hope but you. Grant your blessings so that my mind mixes inseparably with yours’. In the beginning through the kindness of the guru you develop immeasurable love and compassion until you finally realize the non-dual nature of the mind. And as a result, you realize that the guru’s mind and your own mind is inseparable. So now we complete the teachings and we recite the Samantabhadra dedication.