The program set out for you here at the Bodhi Path centre, is a very systematic one.
While you are practicing Chenrezig Guru Yoga and Shi'nay, your practice program also includes the completion of 100,000 times Recitations and Prostrations to the 35 Buddhas, and 100,000 times Mandala offering to the 35 Buddhas, in that order.
Depending on how much time you have in a day, you can divide up your time to slot in these practices. If you don't have a lot of time, you can schedule the practices over whatever time is available to you. It may take you longer but you still follow the program systematically, step by step.
By the time the Prostrations and Mandala offerings are completed 100,000 times each, your Shi'nay by then will most likely be very fruitful, and excellent. This means you will be ready to receive Lhakthong teachings.
Actually, there are six levels of Shi'nay. Three levels are relatively rougher compared to the other three subtler ones. We may, or may not teach the subtler levels. It will depend on the needs of the people, so we could decide on it later.
All Theravada practitioners do the six levels of Shi'nay focusing on the breathing. Here, since we will be doing the Mahamudra Lhakthong, I think the second three levels of Shi'nay with breathing will not be required. For now, your goal is to complete the first three levels of Shi'nay: counting the breath, following the breath, and then resting on the breath. As I said before, you will also be practicing the Prostrations and Mandala alongside your practice of Shi'nay.
From the Mandala practice, you will progress to the Dorje Sempa practice. The latter is paired with the meditation practice of Lodjong, or mind training. It is better if you could achieve the Shi'nay results before your completion of the Mandala practice – as this would mean your Mandala practice would overlap the Lodjong practice. Here, the Lodjong practice is Tonglen, where you generate the merits to benefit the sentient beings.
The best is to practice Lodjong paired with Mandala. Why? Your Mandala practice allows you to accumulate merits. And in Lodjong, you are generating the merits to benefit sentient beings. The Mandala offering accumulates so much merit, so in Lodjong, you'd really have something to generate to the sentient beings. Of course, the Prostrations have merits, too, but the Mandala practice has more richness to it. Therefore, to combine the Lodjong with Mandala is optimal.
It is therefore best to be able to successfully finish Shi'nay while you are on the Prostrations, so that Lodjong can be practiced alongside the Mandala. Success in Shi'nay depends on the result you achieve. There is no limit, no numerical quantity that you have to complete as you do for the Prostrations or the Mandala offerings. The result of Shi'nay depends on how you achieve it. Therefore, we cannot arbitrarily put a limit there.
A general guideline for Shi'nay is: if your mind is still busy then you have to continue with it. If your mind has achieved the result of Shi'nay, however, you will experience it. You will experience it freshly, and you won't need someone to confirm it for you. That result of Shi'nay is very big, so you will know it. When that happens, you will shift your Shi'nay practice to Lodjong practice.
In the Thangtong Gyalpo lineage of Chenrezig, you visualize Chenrezig on top of your head, and you supplicate him. Afterwards, in order to receive his fresh blessing, he dissolves into you. That's all. For that practice, you need a Gong Lung. Someone who holds the transmission of that lineage can transmit it to you by reading the wording to you. In that case, you do not need an empowerment.
Once you have achieved some results of Shi'nay, we will give you the detailed instructions of Lhakthong practice. There are two stages. The first stage will be taught and you will practice it for some time. The stability of mind from Shi'nay will make you successful in Lhakthong.
Later, to activate even further your success in Lhakthong, you will practice a more powerful, a more elaborate Vajrayana form of Chenrezig practice. This practice is not the Chenrezig Guru Yoga described earlier, but a Chenrezig Khyerim (creation) practice where you also dissolve and then visualize yourself appearing again as Chenrezig.
During the Chenrezig initiation the other day, I have taught the Khyerim practice briefly. But when you are actually ready to do this Chenrezig practice, then we will teach you the precise details. This more elaborate Chenrezig practice requires you to receive an empowerment, or wang. And it will be paired with the meditation of Mahamudra, combined with Maha Ati – which is actually a form of Lhakthong. This pairing of Chenrezig with Mahamudra also happens to be the final set of practices, which will lead you to realize the first Bhumi of Mahamudra mind, called Dödra Chenpo.
The Thangtong Gyalpo Chenrezig practice does not require you to visualize yourself in the form of Chenrezig. You just concentrate that Chenrezig appears on top of your head, and then you recite the mantra. You earnestly supplicate Chenrezig and in the end he dissolves into you. That is called the Guru Yoga on Chenrezig and the Gong Lung amply qualifies you to practice it.
What purpose does the Thangtong Gyalpo Chenrezig Guru Yoga serve? In general, if you don't have a yidam like Chenrezig, or someone to pray to, then you might feel a bit of a void. I have noticed this among the Buddhist communities in Germany, and elsewhere in Europe. You need someone to supplicate to and so the Gong Lung Chenrezig fulfills this role quite perfectly.
There is no pre-set goal for the supplication practice to Chenrezig. You do not have to do it a fixed number of times. Practice it three times a week is fine. If you have more time then you can do it every day, that's also fine. The practice is for you to receive the blessings, and so there is no limit. It is therefore, very flexible. Your regular program of practice is: the Prostrations and Mandala offerings to the 35 Buddhas, and Shi'nay. Since all of you are working, you may not have so much time to do the many practices every day. You can therefore do the Chenrezig once, or three times a week.
On the other hand, with respect to the Prostrations to the 35 Buddhas, or the Mandalas, you have to achieve a hundred thousand times each. Therefore, you have to do them every day.
When you start the Dorje Sempa practice, you could then shift from the Chenrezig practice to Dorje Sempa like changing to a new boss.
To summarize, the coupling starts from Shi'nay with Gong Lung Chenrezig, and then progressing to Lodjong with Dorje Sempa. After that, it will be Mahamudra coupled with the more elaborate form of Chenrezig. And then after that, enlightenment!
If you do a retreat, you should follow the combinations as I have laid out for you. The same order and couplings are applicable even if you are not in retreat. You should try to carry on with your daily practice in the same systematic way.
Questions (Q) and Answers (A)
(Q): Is it possible to make a break of one day, or one week while one is practicing the Prostrations to the 35 Buddhas?
(A): One day is perhaps all right depending on whether or not you have a physical problem. To be able to keep the continuity is very good. If you stop for a week, then you might stretch it to two weeks. Doing the prostrations continuously will activate the inner energy channels and the winds (lung). Therefore, it is very important to continue without interruptions.
Both the practice of Dorje Sempa and the Prostrations to the 35 Buddhas are mainly for purifying the latent karmas. The Mandala practice is mainly to accumulate merit. You need them both. The practice must be continued in this way. Don't follow the Dharma distractions, which lead you away from your practice. When you follow the path of the Dharma, then even a Dharma distraction is an obstacle.
(Q): Regarding the 35 Buddha practice, could you explain about the dissolving phase (Dzogrim)? At which point do we do it, and how do we finish the practice?
(A): There is one part that has to be added in the end, and it is to retake the Bodhisattva Vow in front of the 35 Buddhas exactly as you have it in the Ngöndro text. You absorb all 35 Buddhas after the retaking of the Vow. Alternatively, you could request all the Buddhas to return to their Nirvanas. You could say to them, "Please return to your Pure Lands and come back again when I call you."
I will arrange the practice text in that way for you. In the beginning section, there is an invitation. You invite them, and you do the Seven Branch prayers and the prostrations to them. Then you take the Bodhisattva Vow in front of the 35 Buddhas, and after that, you request that they return to their respective Pure Lands.
It is proper to ask them to return just as you have invited the Buddhas to come in the first place. Suppose Buddha Shakyamuni is in Bodhgaya, and you invite him to this Bodhi Path Centre here in Germany. Having received teachings from him, you will send him off. It is the same idea here. You are inviting all the 35 Buddhas to arrive and then in the end, you will respectfully see them off. This is entirely different from sending someone off by waving the hand and shouting, "Chello, chello". You should simply say: "Please come back again for all sentient beings." You should do like that.
When you invite the 35 Buddhas, they will come for you. You don't see them now because of your ignorance. The wisdom Nirmanakayas of the Buddhas are spontaneously there. The moment you make the supplication and devotion, they are there. After you have been doing the recitations, the prostrations and the mandala offerings to them for some time, and when your karma is really purified, you will suddenly see the 35 Buddhas. When you could see them, you will also see that they do not jog back from where they have come! It is true that when you invite them, they will come. And so it is also true that when you are finished supplicating them, they will return. They will appear and disappear from your mind by your request.
Like a reflection of the sun, or the moon in clear water, when your mind is pure, then you will see them. There will also be the chance that the Buddhas will guide you in your meditation. This is indeed possible and can happen to you. Like Asanga, he was guided in his practice by Maitreya. And Nagarjuna was guided by Manjusri. Have you heard about the story of Asanga? It'd be good to know it.
After doing the recitation of the names of the 35 Buddhas, and the prostrations, by the time you come to the Mandala practice, maybe you will be able to see the 35 Buddhas. You will then be able to communicate with the 35 Buddhas, perhaps not all of them, but only with Buddha Shakyamuni because we humans of this world are karmically connected with him. Would you like that? That would be indeed auspicious!
(Q): Would it be wrong if I decide to let the Buddhas dissolve into me because I like that imagination very much?
(A): That's okay. Do that.
(Q): When is the dissolving phase, after finishing the prostrations and taking the Bodhisattva Vow, or after the dedication?
(A): After you have taken the Bodhisattva Vow and you have done some Bodhisattva prayers, or dedication of the Vow, then you do the dissolving phase. Finally, you dedicate your merits.
(Q): Regarding the Guru Yoga of Chenrezig, does Chenrezig dissolve into oneself before the mantra phase?
(A): Since you are not visualizing yourself as Chenrezig, the mantra recitation is mainly concentrated on the mantra in his heart. A more elaborate way is where the mantra is in six colors. The lights radiate from the mantra in his heart, to all six realms, and liberate the sentient beings there. The mantra recitations come before the dissolving phase. After dissolving, you finish with the dedication prayers. That's all.
(Q): It is said that in this eon 1,002 Buddhas will appear. Who are the 35 Buddhas? Are they from different realms?
(A): The 35 Buddhas are the Buddhas from different universes. They are not the same as the thousand Buddhas. As far as I can remember, some of the 35 Buddhas will come to this universe, too, but not all of them. These 35 Buddhas are already Buddhas. Only four of the 1,002 Buddhas have already appeared. The rest are presently all Bodhisattvas like Maitreya, who is a Bodhisattva presently in the Tushita heaven. He has yet to become a Buddha.
Whereas the 35 Buddhas are already Buddhas, existing now. Each Buddha resides in a pure realm, which does exist now. All these realms are located mainly near our realm. This is because karmically, they are closely linked to us. If you have a very, very fast and far-reaching rocket, then maybe you could go there. Their realms are mainly in the Milky Way Galaxy.
(Q): As far as I understand, Buddhas are beyond time – past, present, and future. At the same time there is a difference, so they could be more actual, they are more accessible, they have more blessing. How is this to be understood?
(A): All these Buddhas are Nirmanakayas. Nirmanakayas manifest according to the illusions of sentient beings, according to their times. It is true that a Buddha has no past, present and future. As far as sentient beings are concerned, the concept of time is real to them! Therefore, so long as there are sentient beings, there will be Nirmanakayas residing in their respective realms.
For example, Buddha Shakyamuni did appear in our time. He is the Buddha of our time. As for Buddha Shakyamuni himself, there is no past, present or future. But relative to us, he was here some 2,500 years ago. Among the 1,002 Buddhas, four have already appeared, therefore there will still be 998 Buddhas to appear because to us, there is the concept of a future.
When your mind is pure, then a Nirmanakaya Buddha is there to guide you to the Bodhisattva levels. When you reach the Bodhisattva levels, the Nirmanakaya may change into another form like the Sambhogakaya form of the pure realms. Finally, when you attain the Dharmakaya, then the Nirmanakaya and Sambhogakaya forms are no longer there because your mind doesn't need them any more. Why? Because your mind is fully enlightened, so your mind is in Dharmakaya and you no longer have to rely on the Nirmanakaya and Sambhogakaya Buddhas.
The Nirmanakaya appears from your mind and guides you. From your mind, the Sambhogakaya appears and guides you. It is like that. That is the nature of the progressively improving mind. Buddhas are actually like that, and so the mind situation is actually hopeful! Because Buddhahood comes from you, from your mind so that you do not have to depend on somebody else. Otherwise, the other party may feel, "I don't want to come, I'm tired." It is not like that. The help and guidance appears from within you. You should be happy that your mind could be actually enlightened in this way. The 35 Buddhas will appear in your mind as they are actually emanated from your mind.
The Nirmanakaya Buddha is appearing to you because of two causes: by the wish of the Buddha, and by your own pure mind. These two causes when combined together result in your being guided by the Nirmanakaya as well as the Sambhogakaya.
(Q): Do we at the same time also need an authentic Lama in order to progress on the Path?
(A): Yes, until such time that the Nirmanakaya and the Sambhogakaya appear, you need a spiritual teacher.
As to which kind of teacher you will meet depends on your karma. The right teacher is part of your spiritual progression based on your karma. Before meeting a Nirmanakaya Buddha as a teacher, there will be a Bodhisattva teacher. Depending on the wish of the Bodhisattva, and your own pure mind, you will meet the right Bodhisattva as a spiritual teacher.
There will be a time in the future when the Buddha Dharma becomes extinct in our world, which we call the Dark Age. We are not yet in the Dark Age. At that time, many Pratyekabuddhas will be there. The Pratyekabuddhas will appear as teachers in the future. When there is no longer any Buddha, or Dharma in the world, then the Pratyekabuddhas will appear. They will teach the people with good karma. These people will meet them as their teachers and will receive lessons from them but only through signs, gestures, or sign language.
Here is an example of how a Pratyekabuddha might come about. He will be someone from among the people who by merely seeing a piece of bone from a carcass, or from some human remains will spontaneously realize the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination. Due to his past deeds or karma, he will spontaneously realize that there is death. He will spontaneously understand that death comes from old age, old age is from birth, birth is from karma, karma is from ignorance, and so on. His mind is so sharp that a very small cause could lead him to realize the truth and thus he could quickly liberate his own mind.
A Pratyekabuddha is someone who can self-liberate such that he does not need a teacher. He did, at some point in his past, have a teacher. He did meet up with a Buddha and had received teachings from him. And then for one hundred kalpas, he cultivated in the different realms. Then he will come to be a human during the Dark Age. He may be an European, or perhaps an African, a Chinese, a Tibetan, or an Indian. Once he has self-liberated by himself having been triggered by some small cause, he will teach the people, but not verbally. Through gestures, and signs only, people will receive the lessons from him. This is how Pratyekabuddha teachers will come to teach the people. Again, it will happen according to the karmas of the people.
Sentient beings with good fortune are those beings who have as their spiritual teacher a Pratyekabuddha, or an Arhat, or a Bodhisattva. Good fortune means good for the achievement of enlightenment. A spiritual teacher, in this context, means a teacher who can teach you how to achieve enlightenment.
Among the heavenly realms, there are also precious forms as opposed to the not precious forms. Precious forms are those who can connect to a spiritual teacher for enlightenment. A heavenly form is not considered precious if it cannot obtain any spiritual guidance (e.g., sug me kham – formless realm). A fortunate being can therefore only be a precious human, or a precious heavenly being (in the realm of gods), who is able to have a Pratyekabuddha, an Arhat, or a Bodhisattva for a spiritual teacher.
When one has achieved the Bodhisattva bhumis, then one can see the Nirmanakaya Buddha and learn from him. When one is in the land of Sambhogakaya, one will see and learn from the Sambhogakaya Buddhas. When one is near complete enlightenment, then one will have a glimpse of Dharmakaya. And when one is fully enlightened, one has achieved the Dharmakaya, at which point one no longer needs a teacher any more.
As to the formless realms, the beings there are not fortunate because their existence is only temporary. They will eventually fall back down to the form realms because they have no spiritual teachers to teach them how to be liberated. As to the gods of the desire realm (döh kham), many of them are fortunate in that they are able to encounter Buddha Shakyamuni and his Teachings.
In the form realms of the gods, there are five Brahma-Vihara realms where they too have the good fortune to meet with the Buddhas and other spiritual teachers. Many gods of the desire realm are also fortunate in that they meet with one of the Pratyekabuddhas, Arhats, or Bodhisattva teachers. In the formless realm, however, there is a level called "peak". There, they are not fortunate for they mainly sleep without being able to meet the spiritual teachers.
The Asuras (demi-gods) are a grey area. They can meet the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. However, being fight-minded, most of the time, they are engaged in fighting. As a result, they don't really have the mind to look for a teacher.
The fortunate forms are some heavenly forms and the human form. The human form is therefore deemed especially fortunate.
