GENERATING ENTHUSIASM THROUGH EXPLAINING DOCTRINE AND GIVING ADVICE ON ANALYZING DREAMS
The passage used for developing appreciation of the doctrine is taken from the Condensed Kālachakra Tantra.
Then:13
In the womb there is the suffering of dwelling in the womb; at birth and while a child there is also suffering.
Youth and adulthood are filled with the great sufferings of losing one’s mate,14 wealth, and fortune, as well as the great suffering of the afflictive emotions.
The old have the suffering of death and again the fright of the six transmigrations such as the Crying and so forth.15
This speaks of the sufferings of humans as well as the indefiniteness of the type of suffering to be experienced after death in any of the six transmigrations, as a hell-being, hungry ghost, animal, human, demi-god, or god. From the time of dwelling in the womb, there are many sufferings just as there are after birth and then as a child. Even as an adult one loses one’s mate, wealth, and so forth. Even in countries of great material progress there is much pain; in countries of little material development there are many varieties of pain. Then, in old age there is the suffering of more illnesses and, as death approaches, the suffering of death. After death, there again is the suffering of definitely having to wander in any of the six transmigrations.
That we undergo such suffering is not without causes and conditions. What causes it?
All these transmigrating beings, deluded by illusion, grasp suffering from suffering.
What actually is suffering is not understood to be suffering but, out of obscuration, is mis-identified as happiness and clung to. Similarly, what is not an inherently existent self appears to be an inherently existent self and is, out of obscuration, conceived to be so. Through this ignorance misconceiving the nature of persons and of other phenomena, actions are done through which good and bad karma that propels lifetimes in cyclic existence is accumulated, and the round of suffering continues. Similarly, although one wants happiness, out of ignorance one does not know how to achieve it, and even though one does not want suffering, due to being obscured with respect to the causes of suffering one engages, as if intentionally, in achieving the very causes of suffering. In this way, what are to be adopted and to be discarded are reversed, one suffering leading to another.
The eyes of those attending a magical show are affected by the magician’s mantra, and, due to this obscuration, generate attachment when they see illusory horses, elephants, and so forth that appear. In a similar way, due to the obscuration of the conception of inherent existence, beings exaggerate the status of good and bad phenomena and are thereby led into desire and hatred and thereby into accumulating actions (las, karma).
Is it possible for such a situation of suffering to be removed? If it is, what is the method? As explained earlier, all of us have the Buddha nature, and when one becomes capable of transforming subtle body, speech, and mind into pure body, speech, and mind, suffering as well as its predispositions is purified forever.
Still, the mere existence of such a method does not bring about release from suffering; the method must be generated in your continuum – it must be implemented through effort. At this juncture, we have a good opportunity which therefore must not be wasted.
Though some become humans in cyclic existence, few have a spiritual attitude.
Fewer, through the force of the virtue of being attracted to Buddha, enter into the prime vehicle.
Still fewer engage their entire intelligence in cultivating the glorious Vajra Vehicle.
Even more, those wishing Buddhahood who enter into the states of the supreme bliss are, alas, extremely rare. [300]
Within cyclic existence, those who have a human life-support are few since a life of high status as a human is achieved only from having created good causes. From among those few, those who have encountered a spiritual system and whose minds have turned toward it are even fewer. Again, among them, those who have entered into the Great Vehicle teaching and are seeking the enlightenment of a Buddha are even fewer. Among them, those who have faithful interest in the Secret Mantra Vehicle are even more rare; such beings hardly occur. Then, those who not only have faithful interest in the Secret Mantra Vehicle but who practice its path properly to achieve Buddhahood are even more rare.
Hence, at this point we have gained a human body, encountered Buddha’s teaching and, within it, the Great Vehicle teaching, and furthermore have faithful interest in the Secret Mantra Vehicle. That we have a wish to practice this profound doctrine is indeed very fortunate.
Next, enthusiasm for taking up the doctrine is generated through reflecting on words from the General Secret Tantra.
The Omniscient Ones arise
In the world rarely,
Only sometimes, like an udumvāra flower,16
And then do not appear.
The arising of the mode of Secret Mantra practice
Is even rarer than that.
In general, the appearance of a Buddha is rare; even rarer is the appearance of Mantra. Why is the appearance of Mantra so rare? It is because beings who have the capacity to achieve its powerful practices are so rare. The remainder of the passage sets forth the great power of Mantra in that through it one can achieve Buddhahood in this very lifetime, and so forth.
Through it, the unequalled welfare of sentient beings
Can be accomplished without passing away.
Even ill-deeds done earlier
Over many ten millions of eons
Are all entirely removed
Immediately upon seeing such a mandala.
Thus what need is there to mention about dwelling
In the mode of Mantra practice endlessly renowned!
It is possible, immediately upon seeing a mandala that has been properly achieved and is blessed into magnificence, to cleanse ill-deeds accumulated over many eons. If that is so, there is no need to mention that it is beneficial to practice its path in the proper way.
If one repeats protective secret mantra,
One will achieve the unsurpassed state.
The term “mantra” is etymologized as “mind-protection”, specifically protecting the mind from ordinary appearance and conceptions of being ordinary. If such protective secret mantra is repeated properly, highest enlightenment can be attained even in one lifetime.
Whosoever’s mind is very non-fluctuating
About this supreme of practices
Will eliminate the bad transmigrations
Which give rise to all suffering.
The compassionate Supramundane Victor, skilled in means, set forth basically three modes of practice: for those interested in the low, he set forth practices free from desire; for those interested in the vast he set forth the practices of the Bodhisattva grounds and perfections, and for those very interested in the profound he set forth practices in which desire for the attributes of the Desire Realm is used in the path. If, from among the three styles of practice, you have a very non-fluctuating, reasoned, firm faith in the supreme mode of Secret Mantra involving usage of the attributes of the Desire Realm in the path, you can easily eliminate rebirth in the bad transmigrations that are sources of great suffering.
You great beings have today17
Found the unparalleled finding,
For all of you will be upheld
In this teaching by the Conqueror and his Children,
And you great beings
Are dwelling in being born into it.
Through that, tomorrow you will be born
Thoroughly into the Great Vehicle.
You great beings, that is to say, you students, have attained the lot of entering into the path of Secret Mantra, an unparalleled finding. For, today you are beginning the process of becoming yogis practicing the Secret Mantra Vehicle in that you have asked for initiation. Tomorrow you will enter the mandala and, the next day, will attain the initiations, through which you will become Knowledge-Bearers of the Vajra Vehicle, Māntrikas.
Through proceeding on that glorious supreme path
Greatly giving rise to the Great Vehicle
You will become Ones Gone Thus [Buddhas]
Self-arisen beings of great fortune.
You are coming to have the potential of attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime in dependence upon the path of Highest Yoga Mantra which easily gives rise to the Truth and Form Bodies of a Buddha. This supreme path is glorious in that while on the path a practitioner actualizes a body similar in aspect to a Buddha’s Form Body in dependence upon which the body of the effect state as a Buddha is actualized.
Since you vajra students are proceeding on this path, you will, in not long, become “self-arisen beings of great fortune” in that when the Wisdom Truth Body is actualized, the Form Body is simultaneously actualized without depending on any other conditions or agents, independently. In this sense, the Form Body is called “self-arisen”. Similarly, the Truth Body is also called “self-arisen” in the sense that the emptiness that is the object of the Wisdom Truth Body has abided beginninglessly whether the Ones Gone Thus arise or not and thus the suchness of phenomena remains of its own accord. Furthermore, the mind of clear light that remains of one undifferentiable entity with that suchness – the exalted wisdom of the fundamental innate mind of clear light – is beginningless in terms of its entity. The undifferentiable entity of the object – suchness – and the subject – the fundamental innate mind of clear light – is the basis of emanation or creator of all Buddhas. Hence, in this sense the Truth Body is self-arisen. Due to possessing such self-arisen Form and Truth Bodies, Buddhas are beings of “great fortune”.
Through explaining the meaning of that, generate enthusiasm.
[ANALYZING DREAMS]
Next is advice on how to analyze the dreams that occur tonight. If it is convenient, arrange your bed so that the head of the bed is towards the mandala; if not convenient, imagine it. Put the larger kusha grass under your mattress, and the smaller piece under your pillow. Sleep on your right side in the lion posture. When you first lie down, assume this posture; if during the night your posture changes, it is all right; otherwise, you would have to be bolted down to the mattress!
In your thought, do not allow your mind to be polluted by other conceptions; just be mindful of Kālachakra, and within that, think, as much as you can, of the altruistic intention to become enlightened and the view of emptiness. If you cannot do that, first cultivate faith and compassion, and look straightforwardly at mind itself.
If you usually sleep too heavily, it will lighten your sleep to use a point of imagination higher up in the body. Again, if you sleep too lightly, using a point of imagination lower in the body will make your sleep more heavy.
Engage in techniques so that you fall asleep within a virtuous attitude. Then, it is explained that from among the four periods of the night, there is a possibility of analyzing the dreams around dawn in the fourth period. In general, around us there are many mysteries, many facts, that are not seen with the eye. Because we have a coarse physical body, when it is very active, it is difficult to have direct contact with these mysteries, but when we become semi-conscious – when our consciousness becomes more subtle – there is a diminishment of the coarse consciousnesses that depend on the coarse physical body, and it is easier to make connection with such mysteries.
This is why various portents of future events and so forth appear during dreams. If you have deeper meditation, you can know these things through certain meditative experiences, but for ordinary people the only alternative is through dreams.
I will give you an oral transmission for a mantra to be repeated tonight.
Give the six syllables [oṃ āḥ hūṃ hoḥ haṃ kṣhaḥ] for the sake of repetition. Having told the students to lie down with their heads in the direction of the lama or the mandala and to tell you in the morning about what dreams were seen in the fourth part of the night, near dawn, send the students to their own18 places.
That concludes the enhancement of the student for the initiation of the Supramundane Victor, Kālachakra. I still have various things to do; thus, after offering mandala, you should leave.