Meditation
Points on the Stages to Enlightenment
Four
Thoughts that Change-Train the Mind:
1a) Cause: It takes great
accumulation of good to attain a Human Rebirth
1b) Number: Humans are
numerically few relative to beings in other realms
1c) Function: Humans are
uniquely poised to practice the Dharma and to derive benefit including
Buddhahood from
Dharma practic
2a) Eventual: Death
inevitably claims all who lives
2b) Random: Death strikes
anytime
2c) Only Dharma: When Death
comes, only our Dharma practice, Guru and the Triple Gem will help
( Insert A - Contemplating
the above, we, therefore, take refuge in the Guru and Triple Gem.
Insert B – After having taken
refuge, we need to note the Law of Karma )
3. Karma
3a) Perfect: Good begets
good; Bad begets bad – only Time / the Object / Motivation will affect this.
3b) Avoiding the 10
Non-Virtuous Paths; contemplate how they lead to suffering
3c) Cultivating the 10
Virtuous Paths; contemplate how they lead to happiness
4a) Suffering of Change:
Ř
Cultivating the 10 Virtuous
Paths lead to rebirth into the 3 Higher Realms.
Ř
The 3 Higher Realms are
marked mainly by the Suffering of Change.
Ř
We, therefore, renounce even
rebirth into the 3 Higher Realms.
4b) Suffering of Suffering:
Ř
Committing the 10
Non-Virtuous Paths lead to rebirth into the 3 Lower Realms.
Ř
The 3 Lower Realms are marked
mainly by the Suffering of Suffering.
Ř
We, therefore, renounce even
rebirth into the 3 Lower Realms.
4c) Suffering of
Aggregates:
Ř
Non-recognition of Intrinsic
Awareness ( or “Rigpa” ) / Not
·
realizing Dependent Arising (
or “Emptiness” )necessarily
·
involves the
functioning-effects of the Aggregates.
Ř
From the functioning-effects
of the Aggregates, rebirth into any of the 6 Realms or Samsara is inevitable.
Suffering ensues.
Ř
We, therefore, renounce
Samsara totally.
( Insert
contemplation on the Twelve Links )
Bodhicitta:
Aspiring
Bodhicitta
A) Seven-Point Cause and Effect
Equanimity: All beings are Equal in
that they all want and have the right to be happy
i)
Recognising all beings have
for countless times been our mothers in past births
ii)
Remembering their unrepayable
kindness as mothers
iii)
I want and need to repay
their great kindness
iv)
I want to establish them in
every happiness ( “Love” )
v)
I want to remove every
suffering from them ( “Compassion” )
vi)
I, myself, will take on this
responsibility even if this means using unspeakable effort and countless time
into the future
vii)
The only way I can do this
perfectly is to become a Buddha: So, may I attain perfect Buddhahood for the
sake of all mother sentient beings.
B) Mind
Training
i)
All suffering happens because
of selfishly-cherishing oneself
ii)
Therefore, I pray
wholeheartedly to take on all the sufferings of all beings always so that I can
destroy the self-cherishing attitude
iii)
Meditate sufferings of all in
the form of black smoke breathed into and destroying the black-dot of
self-cherishing in one’s heart
iv)
All happiness happens because
of fully-cherishing others
v)
Therefore, I pray
wholeheartedly to give every happiness to all beings so that I can fully master
the attitude of fully-cherishing others
vi)
Meditate happiness in the
form of white light breathed out and giving all blessings and happiness to all
beings
vii)
The only way I can do this
perfectly is to be a Buddha. Therefore, may I attain perfect Buddhahood for the
sake of all mother sentient beings.
Application Bodhicitta
i)
To attain Buddhahood for all,
I will accumulate boundless merit through GENEROSITY
ii)
To attain Buddhahood for all,
I will accumulate boundless merit through DISCIPLINE-PRECEPTS
iii)
To attain Buddhahood for all,
I will accumulate boundless merit through PATIENCE
iv)
To attain Buddhahood for all,
I will accumulate boundless merit through PERSEVRANCE
v)
To attain Buddhahood for all,
I will accumulate boundless merit through MEDITATIVE ( CONCENTRATION-AWARENESS )
vi)
To attain Buddhahood for all,
I will attain Perfect View of Emptiness through cultivating
WISDOM
Uncommon
Bodhicitta
i)
Accumulating the above takes
countless aeons.
ii)
I cannot bear the suffering
of all mother beings meantime while I am accumulating the above for them.
iii)
Therefore, I need to find a
way of attaining Buddhahood fastest for them.
iv)
This way is to enter into and
practice the Vajrayana.
Mahamudra
“Song of the Five Profound
Paths of Mahamudra”
These teachings were given to
Jigten Sumgon by Phagmo Drupa. On obtaining certainty in them, Jigten Sumgon
sang this song:
I bow at the feet of glorious
Phagmo Drupa.
If the steed of love and
compassion
Does not run for the benefit
of others,
It will not be rewarded in
the assembly of gods and men.
Attend, therefore, to the
preliminaries.
If one’s body, the King of
Deities,
Is not stabilized on this
unchanging ground,
The retinue of dakinis will
not assemble.
Be sure, therefore, of your
body as the yidam.
If on the guru, snow mountain
of the four kayas,
The sun of devotion fails to
shine,
The stream of blessings will
not arise.
Attend, therefore, to this
mind of devotion.
If from the sky-like expanse
of Mind-as-such
The clouds of preconception
are not blown away,
The planets and stars of the
two wisdoms will not shine.
Attend, therefore, to this
mind without preconception.
If the wish-fulfilling gem of
the two accumulations
Is not polished by
aspiration,
The results we have hoped for
will not arise.
Attend, therefore, to this
final dedication.
( The “Song
of the Five Profound Paths of Mahamudra” was translated by Khenchen Konchog
Gyaltshen )
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