Meditation Points on the Stages to Enlightenment

 

Four Thoughts that Change-Train the Mind:

  1. Precious Human Rebirth

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

 

  1. Death & Impermanence

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

 

  1. Renunciation

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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