Protection Chakras and Prayers – Guru Rinpoche day message by HE. Phakchok Rinpoche
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Aspiration – Phakchok Rinpoche message in September 2013 สารจากท่าน พักชก ริมโปเช กันยายน 2556
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Dear Friends Near and Far,
I am writing to you on this Guru Rinpoche day from Nepal where I am overlooking the blessed Buddha’s stupa at Boudhanath. Due to some personal things, I have cancelled a few of my planned trips and am unexpectedly back here in Nepal. Thinking today of myself, having been wandering around from country to country for the last two months, and inspired by a teaching by Patrul Rinpoche that I am reading I would like to share with you one of the most important points for the path―the importance of aspiration.
We may be very lazy, busy, and lost in our lives, but nevertheless we should keep our motivation, aspiration, and interest in enlightenment and keep on reminding ourselves to aspire that everything we do may not go astray from enlightenment, but lead towards enlightenment. Many people act with a different motivation and with different reasons, not with enlightenment in mind, but in terms of the path the most important point is mind. This being so, if your aspiration, intention, and motivation go astray from enlightenment then you have really gone astray from the dharma. On the other hand, if you can maintain the aspiration for enlightenment day to day and do everything in your daily life with this as your motivation, then although you may be astray from the application of the dharma you are not completely astray from the path. One of the sutras tells how Buddha Shakyamuni counseled a king saying, “Oh King, whether you are walking, sitting, talking, whatever you may do, never forget the aspiration for enlightenment. When you have this mind, you will never go astray from the path.”
With constant aspirations for your all,
Sarva Mangalam,
Phakchok Rinpoche
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www.cglf.org
Our Conduct – Phakchok Rinpoche message in August 2013 สารจากท่าน พักชก ริมโปเช สิงหาคม 2556
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Dear Friends Near and Far,
Hoping you have been well in all ways this past month, I would like to share a short piece of advice to highlight a crucial point for our practice.
As practicing Buddhists, so-called dharma practitioners, our conduct is extremely important. From among the trio of view, meditation, and conduct it is explained that our conduct should enhance our view and meditation, but not only that ― how we behave is also a sign of our own progress. And as the great master Padmasambhava himself said:
Though your view is as high as the sky,
Your conduct should be as fine as flour.
So our view, meditation, and conduct should go hand in hand. In particular, as members of society (and as practitioners, representatives of the sublime buddhadharma) our conduct in daily life ― how we speak, act, interact, and respond to other people and situations ― is really extremely important. As I explained in my message last month, there is the conduct of abandoning harmful actions and the conduct of performing positive actions and so forth.
Please take a moment to reflect on your own conduct and behaviour and throughout the coming month try to bring this to mind each day and keep your behaviour in check. And finally, as one of my own kind teachers once advised me, even if you are unable to benefit and serve sentient beings and the buddhadharma at the very least make sure you do them no harm.
With many prayers and aspirations,
Phakchok Rinpoche
Sarva Mangalam
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Conduct – Phakchok Rinpoche message in July 2013 สารจากท่าน พักชก ริมโปเช กรกฎาคม 2556
Dear Friends Near and Far,
As always, I hope you have been well and happy this past month. Today on the Guru Rinpoche day of the sixth Tibetan month, which marks the anniversary of Chökhor Duchen (the first teaching of Buddha Shakyamuni), I would like to talk about conduct. The way we conduct ourselves in body, speech, and mind is extremely important, especially if we consider ourselves to be so-called ‘dharma practitioners’. Good conduct is not always as simple as we may think. Sometimes you might think that simply acting in a way that pleases others, for example in accord with the conventions of society, is correct conduct, or that staying alone and not interacting with anyone is correct conduct. But it is really not as simple as that. Conduct refers to all of our actions of body, speech, and mind – how we act, talk, and think.
It is now 9.30 am here in Kathmandu and having just finished breakfast I am sitting in my room in quite a bad mood sunk in deep thoughts, asking myself, “Am I really making good use of my time or not?” “Am I really conducting myself well or not?” In this kind of mood, it is not going to help at all if someone comes and tells me to stop being so angry, to lighten up or something. The only thing that can really help with these kinds of things is one’s own practice, and in particular one’s daily practice sessions, which means placing your butt down on the cushion for as long as you can and focusing one-pointedly on your practice, whatever it may be. During your practice sessions focus solely on your practice and nothing else, but outside of your sessions (before and after) it is very important to spend some time reflecting and thinking about your conduct, any mistakes you’ve made and so on.
In short, there are two types of conduct: conduct that harms others together with the basis for that harm, and conduct that benefits others together with the basis for that. Conduct that harms others refers to the ten non-virtues, which I am sure you all know. They are:
1. Killing
2. Stealing
3. Sexual misconduct
4. Lying
5. Divisive speech
6. Harsh speech
7. Gossip
8. Envy
9. Malice
10. Wrong view
The conduct that benefits others is the four means of magnetizing (generosity, speaking pleasantly, meaningful conduct, and consistent conduct) and the like.
We need to avoid harmful conduct and engage in beneficial conduct. When we talk about avoiding the ten non-virtues, it is important to think not just of the root ten non-virtues but also their associated actions. For example, just avoiding killing is not enough; beating, hitting, or physically hurting someone also pertains to the non-virtue of killing and we need to avoid all of these kinds of actions. Likewise, even if you don’t literally steal something, out of jealousy or resentment or another emotion you might do something to prevent someone from enjoying the things they have. This is an associated aspect of stealing, and something we need to avoid doing. It is the same with sexual misconduct. Making inappropriate remarks to someone, looking at them in an inappropriate way, or writing all sorts of things in emails or on Facebook―that is all part of sexual misconduct.
So it is not enough to just read through the list of the ten non-virtues and leave it at that; we need to consider them in a much broader and subtle sense and reflect on all of the different actions of body, speech, and mind associated with each one of them.
As for the non-virtues of speech, you may not directly lie to someone, but speaking in a circuitous way and not being completely upfront is also a kind of lying since you are not being completely honest. Similarly, though you might not say anything verbally to create problems between people, you might give someone a strange look or act in a slightly suspicious way that makes them then doubtful and think, for example, that maybe you were saying something behind their back or were just told something bad about them. This is an associated aspect of divisive speech. As for harsh speech, basically anything you say without a kind and positive motivation can become a kind of harsh speech and hurt other people’s feelings. As for gossip, any meaningless and empty talk can be considered a part of gossip.
Then we have the three non-virtues of mind, the first of which is envy. This applies to envy in terms of the dharma as well as in the mundane world. Basically it is attachment. This doesn’t mean though that you shouldn’t have hopes and wishes, like wishing for enlightenment and thinking, “How amazing it is that so many people have attained accomplishment, like the mahasiddhas of India! If only I could be like them!” It means you should not fall into the trap of envying and becoming attached to others’ things, whether they be material possessions or spiritual qualities.
Malice is actually any thought, and also the actions you then perform motivated by that thought, that lacks mindfulness, awareness, and carefulness. Because any thought you have that lacks these three qualities is naturally going to end up harming you, the reason being that it will naturally lead to the negative emotions and a lack of benevolence, and that will then also harm others. When we are unaware of our own thoughts and emotions (due to a lack of mindfulness, awareness, and carefulness) then any thought is potentially a kind of malice and will have negative consequences.
Then finally we come to wrong view. Often practitioners think that just having some knowledge of the dharma is an antidote to wrong view, but actually no. If you fail to check your own mind, whether you are really acting and thinking in accord with the dharma or not, you have already fallen into a part of wrong view. For that reason, knowledge alone is not enough; you need to apply that knowledge and check for yourself whether you are making progress, whether you are changing or not.
This was about conduct. As I said, there are different types of conduct, but in brief they can be condensed into harmful conduct which is what we need to avoid and beneficial conduct which is what we need to take up. Harmful conduct can be condensed into the ten non-virtues, but it is extremely important that we contemplate not just the root ten non-virtues but also their associated aspects, which are much more subtle, as I have just mentioned. Being in a bad mood myself this morning I saw several of these associated non-virtues in myself, and motivated by that I thought to share this highlight and reminder on conduct with you.
For all of you receiving this email―friends, acquaintances, students, or strangers―I aspire that you may be able to conduct yourself well, that you have an abundance of happiness and well-being, and that through your conduct you may be able to bring about benefit for yourselves and countless others.
May our minds turn to the dharma,
May our dharma become the path,
May the path clarify confusion,
And may confusion arise as wisdom!
May the strength of virtue increase!
May the power of aspiration grow!
May negativity be swiftly purified!
Sarva Mangalam (May all be auspicious!),
Phakchok Rinpoche
www.phakchokrinpoche.org
www.cglf.org
Nature of Mind – Phakchok Rinpoche message in June 2013 สารจากท่าน พักชก ริมโปเช มิถุนายน 2556
Dear Friends,
I hope you have all been healthy and truly happy this past month. As many of you probably know, the previous month in the Tibetan calendar was Saga Dawa, which is regarded as an especially blessed time. Marking the anniversary of both the enlightenment and parinirvana of Buddha Shakyamuni, it is said that the effect of the deeds you perform during this month are multiplied and for that reason the importance of practice is emphasized. During this month, at the blessed Boudhanath stupa and other sacred Buddhist places it was inspiring to witness the stream of devoted pilgrims and practitioners performing prostrations around the stupa, making circumambulations, offering butter lamps, and making aspirations that continued day and night without break.
Inspired by this special month and anniversary, I would like to share with you a short excerpt of a text entitled The Sage Who Dispels the Mind’s Anguish by the late Dilgo Khyentsé Rinpoche. In this short, pithy text Rinpoche explains the practices of shamata and vipashyana based on Buddha Shakyamuni. Towards the end of the text, Rinpoche quotes from the Wisdom of Passing Sutra and explains:
Likewise, all of these phenomena, such as death, have no established identity whatsoever, yet like illusory appearances their expression is completely unobstructed. When analyzed they cannot be expressed whatsoever in terms of the extremes of existence and non-existence. They are naturally non-conceptual and luminous. Therefore, one’s own mind that does not abide as any entity or non-conceptual thing whatsoever is primordially luminous; in the state of the present direct awareness all phenomena of samsara and nirvana are totally equal. Therefore, resolve the enlightened mind of the Teacher, Lord of Sages (Buddha Shakyamuni), and one’s own mind as well to be indivisible in the nature of mind, the state of self-existing wakefulness. If without getting distracted from that state you come to possess confidence and develop certainty in it, that is the realization of the true nature of one’s mind. Other than that there is no so-called ‘buddha’ whatsoever.
In that state there is no death and birth. Death and so forth are mere concepts; in the truth of the innate nature of mind free from concepts, birth and death are not in any way established. If one passes away resting evenly in that state, you will be reborn in a buddhafield without the deluded appearances of the intermediate state and so forth occurring.
If you do not have that level of confidence, but at the time of death and all throughout the intermediate state remember only the Guru, Lord of Sages, and do not forget, simply through that you will be led to a pure realm. Moreover, no matter what terror and suffering you encounter in this life, if you remember the Buddha you will definitely be liberated from those difficulties. No matter what happiness and excellence you may encounter know it to be the great kindness of the Buddha, and visualizing those pleasurable objects as a Samantabhadra offering cloud offer them to the Buddha.
Constantly reflect on the three liberations taught by the Teacher, and the meaning of the six paramitas and so forth. With great compassion for all sentient beings arouse the mind of supreme enlightenment and train as much as you are able in the conduct of the bodhisattvas. Recalling the Teacher like this is extremely important, for recalling the Buddha is that which sets one out on the beginning of all the bodhisattva paths and has immeasurable benefits. It generates all the excellent qualities of the path.
These days when most people hold the practices of their own school to be the most important, there are only a few people who consider the Teacher, Lord of Sages, as especially important. However, those who have entered into these teachings yet lack the faith and trust that regards the Teacher as supreme lack intelligence. Why is that? Because it is solely due to the compassion of the Teacher demonstrating the acts of the Buddha in this realm and time to us wandering beings of the degenerate age that the teachings—the three pitakas, and not only that, but all the way up to the teachings of the secret mantra Vajrayana, the path that can actualize in one short lifetime of this degenerate age the unified state of no-more learning—appeared. It is also solely due to his compassion that the beings who are the holders of the teachings, those who have entered the teachings of sutra and mantra, the sangha of noble beings as many as they are, appeared.
If the Teacher had not radiated out the light of the teachings here in this realm and time, we would not hear even the name of the three jewels. What need to speak then of being able to practice the paths of sutra and mantra? That beings so, whichever tradition one practices, whether it is be the New Schools or the Old School, to have intense faith that acknowledges the Teacher as especially important is indispensable at all times. Therefore, one must be especially devoted to the Teacher and persevere in that practice!
Keeping these profound and important instructions in mind, I hope you can find the time this month to joyfully engage in the three wheels Buddha taught his followers: the wheel of study and reflection, the wheel of relinquishing the afflictions through meditation, and the wheel of benefiting others through actions.
With constant prayers and aspirations and the best of wishes,
Phakchok Rinpoche
Sarva Mangalam!
Dependent Arising – Phakchok Rinpoche message in April 2013 สารจากท่าน พักชก ริมโปเช เมษายน 2556
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The Three Gateways to Liberation – Phakchok Rinpoche message in March 2013 สารจากท่าน พักชก ริมโปเช มีนาคม 2556
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The Three Gateways to Liberation
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The Ground, Emptiness
The Path, Absence of Characteristics
The Fruition, Wishlessness
Dear Friends Near and Far:
I hope you’ve all been happy and healthy. I’m doing very well and at the moment in Kathmandu sitting in our annual Ngakso Drupchen. For today’s Guru Rinpoche Day, I would like to take you back to the roots. With all your varied backgrounds and the different stages you are in your practice, it is sometimes good to refresh yourself of the basics, the essence. And to those of you who are new to the dharma, this should be a good start for you all.
Buddha’s teachings are extremely vast and for that reason we are often left thinking, where to begin? When first entering or inquiring about the Buddha’s teachings, the starting point should be the view since this forms the ground of the practice to follow. When training on the path, the view should be in accord with the capacity of the individual and for this reason Buddha gave a variety of different teachings. The ultimate, essential view that the Buddha taught howeaver is none other than the profound emptiness and this is the first of the three gateways to liberation.
Having ascertained the view, the second step is to put this view into practice on the path. Yet if you do not know how to practice correctly, then your path will go astray. Thus to prevent us from going astray on the path, Buddha taught freedom from grasping and clinging and told his disciples repeatedly to not fabricate. This is the mode in which we should practice on the path; abscence of characteristics.
But what is the result of doing this kind of practice and holding such a view? One needs to know what the result is and not be mistaken about this. To use a simple example, if you are traveling somewhere you need to know the route and you need legs to get you there and eyes so you can see the path. But you also need to know something about the destination and also how will you know when you have arrived? Likewise, the fruition of the Buddha’s path is the collapse of all hope and fear, all notions and concepts; wishlessness.
In this way, the three gateways to liberation contain the essence of the ground, the path, and the fruition of the Buddha’s ultimate teachings. Thus if you can study, contemplate, and practice these correctly, your path will be unmistaken and will lead to perfect enlightenment without a doubt.
For those of you receiving this note and not knowing how or why and wondering what this note is all about. I can atleast answer the what part, and that is, for the last six years, I have been sending notes to my students all over on each GRD to gently remind them to not go completely astray fom the path and remind them of the three jewels and to bring thier mind home for few minutes and to basically take a pause!
Sending you all much love and affection from the Blessed Valley.
Sarva Mangalam,
Phakchok Rinpoche
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On the true path – Phakchok Rinpoche message in February 2013 สารจากท่าน พักชก ริมโปเช กุมภาพันธ์ 2556
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Dear Friends Near and Far: I hope you’ve all been happy and healthy. I’m well and at the moment in Kathmandu performing the annual Tsekar or White Amitayus (Buddha of Longevity) Drupchen, a nine day puja based on a collection of liturgies belonging to the “Great Accomplishment Group Sadhana of White Amitayus”. This drupchen beginning on the 8th day of the first lunar month of the Tibetan New Year brings forth auspicious circumstances for the practioner’s two fold attainment of longevity and primordial wisdom. In the past few evenings of the drupchen, I have been re-reading some of the great texts of Shechen Gyaltsab, Pema Namgyal and in particular, the “Advice from Old Vijaya” which never fails to inspire me. I have taken few lines from the text to remind you of the basic elements of the path which in a way is also an interesting analysis to check whether if you are actually on the true path. 1. Make sure the topics of:
– Precious Human Birth – Death and Impermanence – Karma: Consequences of Action – The Defects of Samsara
Do not become mere words and ideas, but reflect upon them from the core of your heart. Once you are well acquainted with them, your mind will have turned away from samsara and towards the sublime Dharma.
Once you feel this way, you have already covered half of Dharma practice!
2. Constantly keep reminding yourself of the excellent qualities of your Guru and the Three Jewels. Having trained in this, you will seek no other refuge than your Guru and the Three Jewels, no matter what joys or sorrows befall you.
Once that happens, you will have become one of the Buddha’s followers.
3. Once when you are on the path, train in accepting all sentient being as your parents, and maintaining this attitude uninterruptedly, cultivate loving-kindness, compassion, and awakened mind.
Once when you have become accustomed to benefiting others and freed from the chain of selfishness, you deserve the name “child of conquerors.”
The merit and benefits of this are beyond measure.
These are the ways in which you avoid going astray from the True Path. And once on it, I hope that you are constantly showered with blessings and have unwavering trust and devotion.
Signing off from the Valley with much love and affection on this Guru Rinpoche Day just before midnight!
Sarva Mangalam, Phakchok Rinpoche |
Padmasambhava words – Phakchok Rinpoche message in January 2013 สารจากท่าน พักชก ริมโปเช มกราคม 2556
| Dear Friends Near and Far,
I hope you have all been happy and healthy. I have been well and at the moment at the Nagi Gonpa Hermitage performing the Ngakso Drupchen (Ocean of Amrita), a vajrayana mending and purification puja.
From the hagiography, The Wishfulfilling Tree, Padmasambhava himself says, “People of the future who have not met me, read and see my story”. It is said that merely hearing the name Padmasambhava brings immense blessing.
On this last Guru Rinpoche day of the Water Dragon Year of 2139 and with an understanding of these words of Padmasambhava to be a prophecy, I bring to you all with much joy the news of the unfolding and unfurling of the story of The Lotus Born into a pictorial depiction of moving images.
Neten Chokling Rinpoche, one of the incarnations of the Great Treasure revealer; Terchen Chokgyur Lingpa is once again coming out with a true gem and this time none other than the story of the Lotus Born Guru. Rinpoche has previously made a film on the life of Milarepa and Brilliant Moon: Glimpses of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.
Glimpses into scenes from the life story of Padmasambhava– the Enlightened Hero of our time.
Ext. Samye courtyard, Tibet
Under the shade of the peacock feather parasols, the priest Padmasambhava, the abbot Shantarakshita and the king Trisong Duetsen, circumambulate the temple. Suddenly a shower of arura fruit falls from the skies. The king’s attendant holding the peacock-feathered parasol exclaims, holding an arura fruit in his hand.
UMBRELLA ATTENDANT Your Majesty, it is an arura! This medicinal fruit is obtained only in India.
The king looks extremely joyous.
Int. King’s chamber, Samye
PADMASAMBHAVA Since the temple is now established the Abbot and I ask your permission to leave for India.
Trisong Duetsen is taken aback. The king clasps his hands at his chest and sorrowfully speaks to the two masters.
TRISONG DUETSEN Compassionate Masters, please listen. Tibet is a land of fiends where the sound of the holy Dharma is not even heard. Although your kindness has already been great I humbly supplicate that you postpone such an exit!
The King sheds tears. The two foreign masters feel compassion for the Tibetan King.
PADMASAMBHAVA Your Majesty, the three of us have come together in Tibet through the ripening of karma from the aspirations of our three lives. Since we, the three brothers, again have this connection as we had in past lives, I shall not turn back your request.
ABBOT Very good, I will do likewise.
Upper cave at Chimpu Hermitage
A young girl of 16 sits on the floor of the hermitage facing Padmasambhava who is sitting on a cushioned platform.
PADMASAMBHAVA Tsogyal, when practicing the Dharma, you must first tame your own mind.
YESHE TSOGYAL What does that mean?
PADMASAMBHAVA You must extinguish the scorching flames of anger, cross the river of desire, crumble the mountain of pride, overcome the storm of envy and light the torch of discriminating knowledge in the darkness of ignorance.
Yeshe Tsogyal looks to Padmasambhava with full attention.
PADMASAMBHAVA (CONT’D) These five poisons of anger, desire, pride, envy and delusion will ruin your being in samsara if you uninhibitedly indulge in them. Do not let them run wild. There is a danger in that.
Yeshe Tsogyal nods her head.
Int. Upper cave at Chimpu Hermitage
Yeshe Tsogyal is writing down something on a yellow parchment.
YESHE TSOGYAL I, Tsogyal, have been serving the master for a while now. On different occasions, he gave advice on Dharma practice that I persistently retained in my perfect recall, collected, and wrote down for the sake of future generations. This is committed to writing in the Upper Cave at Chimpu on the twenty fifth day of the second month of fall in the Year of the Sow.
She rolls the small parchment and puts it in a small leather box. She exits her cave hermitage with it.
Standing in front of a big odd shaped boulder, Yeshe Tsogyal presses the small leather box onto the rock surface. After a gentle push the small box gently sinks into the hard surface of the boulder and disappears from sight.
PADMASAMBHAVA (O.S.) Since they are not meant to be spread at the present time conceal them as a precious treasure.
Outside Samye Gate An old woman waits by the road near the gate of Samye. Padmasambhava passes through the gate. On seeing him, she bows down and joins her palms before him.
OLD WOMAN Great Master, you are about to leave for your hermitage and I am about to die. Please give an instruction that requires little hardship, that is simple to grasp, easy to apply and very effective.
PADMASAMBHAVA Old lady, who are you?
OLD WOMAN I am the one who has been sending the bowl of curd.
Padmasambhava acknowledges her kindness with a smile.
PADMASAMBHAVA Old lady, take the cross-legged position and keep your body upright.
The old woman sits down as instructed.
PADMASAMBHAVA (CONT’D) For a short while, simply remain with totally relaxed attention.
Gungthang Pass, Tibet
YESHE TSOGYAL (Despondently) The sun is setting in our hearts. Since you are leaving for Chamara we are left without a guide. From the king to the pauper we all rely on you. What will we do after you leave. What will happen to us? Who do we turn to for advice?
Padmasambhava looks to Yeshe Tsogyal.
PADMASAMBHAVA For the moment you should not worry because the Dharma is like the sun at noon in Tibet. Therefore it makes no difference whether I am here or not.
He looks down to the Tibetans. Some of the older ones cry.
PADMASAMBHAVA To those who have faith in me, I have never departed – I sleep on the threshold of their homes. From those with erring views I am concealed, though yet I stand before them.
Through this film, may the wisdom and compassion of Padmasambhava’s life act as a soothing balm to quell the miseries afflicted out of ignorance.
Sarva Mangalam,
Phakchok Rinpoche
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Important points – Phakchok Rinpoche message in December 2012 สารจากท่าน พักชก ริมโปเช ธันวาคม 2555
Guru Rinpoche Day
Dear Friends Near and Far:
I hope you have all been happy and healthy. I am now back in my hometown in Boudhanath, Nepal. I am going to say few things candidly on today’s Guru Rinpoche Day.
Your beliefs don’t make you a better person, your behavior does.
Your mind training doesn’t matter when you don’t have compassion.
Your meditation doesn’t matter when you don’t see your own faults.
Dharma practice doesn’t matter when you don’t have devotion.
Obstacles doesn’t matter when you have the blessings.
Please reflect on the points above. Some of you have met me, came to my retreats, some of you have not but nonetheless, I want to ask you all to practice well and don’t waste your time. I spend more than half of this year traveling continuously and I finally just got back home completely exhausted to a point where I am not seeing anyone at the moment. My motivation to such extensive traveling is purely based on reaching out to you all in all your select cities instead of all of you coming this way. Now as the year is coming to an end and when I reflect back on it, it is my sincerest hope that the teachings have reached you all and that you are applying it accordingly. If not then I simply wasted my time traveling around the world without any sight seeing!
So anyhow, to all of you specially the mahamudra students, I want to let you all know that I constantly make aspirations for you and your practice and as usual on Guru Rinpoche’s Day reaching out to you all to give you motivation. We should all know that we are very fortunate practitioners.
Wishing you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year filled with genuine happiness and good health!!!
Sarva Mangalam,
Phakchok Rinpoche
