Homage to the immortal guru Tsokyey Dorjey,
Embodiment of the three Buddhakayas,
He who is born magically from a lotus;
And homage to the nine Heruka deities Of the most secret Hayagriva mandala.
With reverence I bow to them And request their inspiring blessings.
Here, from among the many lineages of the Pure Visionary Tradition of the Fifth Dalai Lama that are related to Yangsang Gyachen, or “The Sealed Transmission of the Most Secret Mandala of Hayagriva,” is a ritual text on healing and the consecration of medicines in accordance with the mystical tradition coming from Lama Tsokyey Dorjey Kusum Rikdu, the Lotus-Born Guru who is an emanation of the three Buddhakayas.
The master who is leading the rite should begin the practice early in the morning. He commences with the usual procedures of taking refuge, generating the bodhimind and so forth, as outlined in the standard texts. He then performs the self-initiation rite, together with tsok, the tantric feast.
The disciples are invited to enter the room. They symbolically wash, flowers are given out and then offered, the torma (sacrificial cake) for the removal of hindrances is offered, and the protection circle is established.
When these preliminaries have been completed, the master explains the Dharma in general and then in particular (that is, he first explains the general nature of the Buddhist path, and then says something on this particular lineage).
Hark! In order to be of benefit to the countless living beings, whose number is as vast as the extent of the skies, one must first gain the state of peerless, complete, perfect buddhahood. It is with this thought in mind that one receives initiation, the root of the Vajrayana path, and then engages in the various tantric yogas. Contemplate this theme, and by means of it generate the sublime bodhimind as the motivating factor. Also, cultivate the correct attitudes that are to be maintained when listening to the Dharma, as is explained in the many sutras and tantras, and thus listen correctly.
The Buddha, who himself achieved complete enlightenment, and who possessed profound skill and great compassion, taught the nectar-like Dharma in accordance with the mental tendencies, capacities and karmic predispositions of those to be trained. The doctrines that he taught may be categorized in various ways. An elaborate manner of doing so is to speak of the Nine Vehicles, or Yanas. Alternatively, these nine may be abbreviated into two: the Hinayana and Mahayana, or Small and Great Vehicles. In turn the second of these, the Mahayana, is often subdivided into two: the exoteric Causal Prajnaparamitayana (Transcendent Wisdom Vehicle); and the esoteric Resultant Guhyamantrayana (Secret Mantra Vehicle).
These two have the same basic focus, yet the latter is said to be superior to the former for four specific reasons: it is uncontrived; it has more methods at its disposal; its techniques are more easily accomplished; and it is especially designed for those of highest capacity. These four points are clearly outlined in A Lamp on the Three Ways.
As for the Resultant Secret Mantra Vehicle, it can be subdivided into two levels of practice: the External Vajrayana of three outer classes of tantras—kriya, charya and yoga; and the Internal Vajrayana, which refers to the anuttara yoga tantras, or “Highest Yoga” tantras.
The transmission to be dealt with in this treatise belongs to this second category.
Furthermore, the lineages of the Secret Mantra Vehicle as found in Tibet are of two distinct types: those transmitted through the Old Schools, or Nyingma, and those transmitted through the New Schools, or Sarma. The Old School lineages of the Hayagriva Tantra are superior to those found in the New Schools.
Within the Old Schools, there are three different lines of transmission of this tradition. These three are the “distant lineage” of the original instructions, and two “close lineages”: the “discovered treasure texts and the “profound pure vision texts.” The system that is the subject here is from the pure visionary experiences of the White Lotus Holder Gongpa Zilnon Zhepa Tsai, that is, the Fifth Dalai Lama.
The outer, inner and secret biographies of the great lamas of the past speak of three types of pure visionary experiences: those received in dreams; those received in meditation; and those received as direct mystical communications. This particular tradition belongs to the last of these. In fact, Gongpa Zilnon Zhepa Tsai (i.e., the Fifth Dalai Lama) was continually absorbed in the wisdom dance that experiences all appearances as pure vision, and was in constant communion with the oceanic deeds of the great aryas who are purified in spirit. Thus all his visionary experiences were pure direct cognitions.
The tantric lineages that he received in this way he later transmitted to those of his more advanced disciples who possessed the karmic readiness. However, to ensure that immature beings would not be able to misuse these mystical teachings, the Great Fifth marked them with the seal of secrecy in the same way that the great guru Dharmodgata had sealed the prajnaparamita teachings seven times.
Therefore the tradition has come to be known far and wide as Zabcho Gyachen, or “The Profound Dharmas of the Sealed Transmission.”
There are numerous scriptures in this “sealed” genre that were written by Gongpa Zilnon Zhepa Tsai. The scripture to be dealt with here belongs to those marked by the seal of the mystic knot. It should not be given to those practitioners who are dominated by indecisiveness or by negative preconceptions.
It was the eleventh day of the twelfth month of the Water Ox Year (i.e., late 1673 or early 1674). The Fifth Dalai Lama was performing various mystical rituals with the Nyingma yogi Jangter Dakpo Rikzin Chenpo Tulku. The fundamental structure of the procedures was based on the mystical lineages of Guru Tsokyey Dorjey Kusum Rikdu, with torma rites to remove hindrances in accordance with the Lama Gongdu tradition, and also healing rites accomplished by means of sheep-shaped effigies, etc.
During the ritual, the Fifth Dalai Lama experienced the following vision.
In the space before him appeared Guru Tsokyey Dorjey, seated at the center of a vast sun disc. He was locked in sexual union with his consort. To his left appeared the yogi Chogyal Tashi Tobgyal, seated on a thick cushion, dressed in white clothing, pressing down on the earth with his right hand, and holding his left at his heart in the mudra of supreme generosity.
To his (Guru Tsokyey Dorjey’s) right, sitting slightly lower, appeared the yogi Chogyal Rikzin Ngagi Wangpo Dey. He was seated on a moon disc, was dressed in a mystical hat and occult shawl, and was wearing the robes of a monk. His right hand was at his heart. His left, poised above his lap in the mudra of meditation, held a longevity vase.
During the phase of the ritual when the life energies of the five buddha families are visualized as being summoned, light-rays suddenly burst forth from the heart of Guru Tsokyey Dorjey. The tips of the rays bore the five dhyani buddhas and five families of dakinis, each in the color of the respective direction of the light-ray. The dakinis were carrying longevity arrows with auspicious threads hanging from the tips, and as they waved them the Fifth Dalai Lama actually felt the threads caress the crown of his head.
When the ritual arrived at the phase when the tormas and sheepshaped effigies are carried outside and discarded, Chogyal Wangpo Dey rose from his seat and, brandishing a mystic dagger, performed a wrathful tantric dance. His appearance was extremely fierce, and all hindrances and obstructing elements were immediately expelled.
At that point the life energies of the collection of the three Buddhakayas were drawn forth. The lama who was dressed in white then reached out. In his hand was a longevity arrow draped in threads, with which he made a summoning gesture.
The names of two lamas, Yolmo Tulku and Zurchen Choying Rangdol, resounded from the sky, and the Fifth Dalai Lama’s attention moved over to Lama Wangpo Dey. Instantly Yolmo Tulku appeared to his (Lama Wangpo Dey’s) right. He was standing in the royal posture and was dressed in white. His long hair was tied back in a braid, and with his right hand he was turning a rosary made of raksha beads. To Wangpo Dey’s left, sitting on a slightly lower cushion, was Lama Zurchen Choying Rangdol (the Fifth Dalai Lama’s main guru in the Hayagriva yogas). He was dressed in the red robes of a monk, wore the pointed hat of a pandit, and was seated in the meditation posture.
Suddenly Lama Zurchen stood up, folded his hands together at his heart, and transmitted the oral instructions of this unique lineage.
When he had finished speaking, a stream of nectars flowed forth from the healing vase in Guru Tsokyey Dorjey’s hand. This came to the crown of the Fifth Dalai Lama’s head and entered his body, completely filling it. He had the sensation that his central energy channel became as firm as an iron arrow, and had red half-vajras at the top and bottom. He later commented that this sensation continued for almost the entire day.
At the conclusion of the vision, the entire assembly of gurus, including Guru Tsokyey Dorjey, dissolved into Lama Wangpo Dey. Wangpo Dey then placed his hand on the Fifth Dalai Lama’s heart and said, “Do not forget the instructions that have been transmitted to you.” He then transformed into a ball of light and dissolved into the Fifth Dalai Lama. The Fifth experienced a strong sense of bliss and void united.
That then is the story of the origins of this unusual tantric legacy, a tradition born from auspicious conditions and the unfolding of a great mass of virtue, a wondrous and sacred transmission having the powerful blessings of the revealed “close lineage” of the omniscient Dorjey Tokmey Tsai (i.e., the Fifth Dalai Lama).
As for the procedures of performing the longevity initiation that is the central pillar of this tradition, these involve two topics: the activities to be performed by the guru alone; and the activities that involve the disciples.
The preliminary activities to be performed by the guru have been explained above: taking refuge, generating the bodhimind, performing the self-initiation ritual, making the tsok offering, and so forth. Beyond that, his functions involve the participation of the disciples and therefore will be explained below.
The initiating master begins by instructing the disciples: “In order to receive the blessings of the mandala divinities, who are to be seen as inseparable from the guru, you should first make the symbolic offering of the universe (i.e., the mandala offering).”
The disciples do so. The master then continues: “You have performed the symbolic offering well. Now you should request the initiation. But in order to do so you should first generate the following mental image.
“This house in which we are seated is not to be regarded as an ordinary dwelling. Rather, see it as a mystical tantric mansion standing in the legendary pure land of Ngayab Ling.
“The guru is sitting at the center of this tantric mansion. Although in nature he is your personal guru, visualize him as having the form of Guru Tsokyey Dorjey, the Lotus-Born Guru, embodiment of all the buddhas of the past, present and future.” Generate undivided conviction and make the following request:
Kye!!! O guru, embodiment of the three kayas,
Grant us the holy initiation.
Grant us protection from the dangers
Of sudden, premature death.
When this has been repeated three times, the guru admonishes the disciples to create the following visualization, while taking heartfelt refuge in the Three Jewels and generating the bodhimind aspiration to highest enlightenment.
In the space before you appears the guru inseparable from the principal deity of the mandala. He is surrounded by myriads of buddhas, gurus, meditational deities, dakas, dakinis and Dharma protectors. Generate the firm determination to practice in accordance with their guidance and not to transgress their words.
Fixing your mind single-pointedly on this image, repeat the following verses after me three times,
Amitabha as the dharmakaya, lord of life energies,
Avalokiteshvara as the sambhogakaya, the
Bodhisattva of Compassion,
And Padma Sambhava as the nirmanakaya, tamer of living beings:
I take refuge in these three supreme beings.
In order to be of maximum benefit to the living beings
Whose number is as vast as the extent of space,
I will practice according to the ways Established by these three sublime beings,
Embodiments of the three Aryas.
I will free all living beings
From the dangers of premature death,
And will lead them to the stage Of supreme, peerless enlightenment.
When this has been said three times, generate the confidence that refuge and the bodhimind have been made firm.
Then create the visualization of the field of merit:
Guru, meditation divinities, dakas and dakinis,
I summon you to come forth now And sit before me on these thrones Each of which is made from A sun, a moon and a lotus flower.
I bow to you with body, speech and mind,
Make outer, inner and secret offerings,
Confess every weakness, negativity and obscuration,
And rejoice in the practice of the Secret Mantra Vehicle.
Pray, turn the Dharma wheel of the Secret Mantra Vehicle,
That so matures and frees the mind.
Do not pass away into parinirvana,
But remain for the benefit of living beings.
All good qualities of my body, speech and mind I myself will dedicate with impunity For the benefit of the world.
May insight into the pure vajra knowledge arise.
Each of the disciples now must develop the vision of himself or herself as a mandala divinity. This is done by means of the following liturgy:
From the sphere of the dharmadhatu,
In the nature of great compassion,
My mind appears as the syllable hrih.
This transforms into a pure realm
For both vessel and contents,
The legendary Lake Sindhu, at the center of which Is a throne made from lotus, sun and moon.
There I sit as Guru Tsokyey Dorjey,
Having one face and two hands.
My appearance is that of a sixteen year old,
And my face is white tinged with red.
Above the top of my crown protrusion Is a tiny green horse’s head,
And above that, in nature Amitabha Buddha,
Is a small ball of radiant light.
My right hand holds a vajra,
My left a longevity vase,
And I sit in sexual union with the consort Chandali, who is white tinged with red.
She holds a longevity arrow and vase,
And her arms are wrapped around me.
Both of us are draped in ornaments Of jewels and human bone,
We wear silks and flower garlands, and Are sitting amidst a halo of five hues.
The three syllables—om, ah and hum —
Stand at our crowns, throats and hearts.
At the heart of the consort
Is a sun and moon disc surrounded
By the syllables of the life mantra.
Above the male’s crown is a moon disc, and on it Sits the sambhogakaya form of Avalokiteshvara.
At his heart, on a sun and moon disc,
Is the nirmanakaya emanation Padma Sambhava.
Surrounding the male and the consort Are countless dakas and dakinis.
The master then picks up the longevity arrow and calls forth the blessings of the field of merit:
HUM! HRIH! Guru Tsokyey Dorjey,
He who is complete in the three Buddhakayas,
Please empower this secret mandala.
Cause these substances which produce longevity To glow with a special power.
Bestow the powerful initiations And release the exalted powers.
Om ah hum huh vajra guru ayur jnana siddhi phal abhishaya ah ah.
The master then touches the statue to the head of each of the disciples while saying:
HRIH! Guru Tsokyey Dorjey,
Embodiment of the three Buddhakayas,
Bestow the powerful blessings
Of the physical marks and signs of perfection
Upon these trainees of good fortune.
May they gain the life power Of the immortal vajra body.
Om ah hum hrih vajra guru ayur jnana siddhi phal rema bhum hum jaka ah ah.
The master should recite this mantra three times, with the disciples repeating it after him. He then touches the rosary to the throat of each disciple while saying:
HRIH! Guru Tsokyey Dorjey,
Embodiment of the three Buddhakayas,
Bestow the powerful blessings of divine speech Upon these trainees of good fortune.
May they gain the life power Of pure, faultless speech.
Om ah hum hrih vajra guru ayur jnana siddhi phal hum vamkha abhishiccha ah.
The mirror, symbol of the vajra mind, is touched to the heart of each of the disciples:
HRIH! Guru Tsokyey Dorjey,
Embodiment of the three Buddhakayas,
Bestow the powerful blessings Of the mind of bliss and void united Upon these trainees of good fortune.
May they gain the life power Of an undistorted mind.
Om ah hum hrih vajra guru ayur jnana siddhi phal hum chitta abhishiccha hum.
The initiation vase is touched to the crown of the head of each disciple:
OM! This vase is the tantric mansion.
From it flows forth ambrosial nectars Of the deities of the three Buddhakayas,
Which wash away the stains of delusion And of grasping at the appearance of duality From within trainees of good fortune.
May they gain the life power Of the immortal vajra wisdom.
Om ah hum hrih vajra guru ayur jnana siddhi phal hum kalasha abhishiccha om ah hum hrih.
Thus by the power of the longevity initiation, the ambrosial nectars of immortality flow forth. They fill the body of each of the disciples and overflow from the crown aperture. The overflow crystallizes above the crown of each disciple and forms into the shape of a horse’s head, green in color and releasing neighing sounds. Above this is red Hayagriva, holding a club in his right hand and showing the threatening mudra with his left. Tiny vajras and sparks of flame emanate from Hayagriva’s body, forming a ring of protection around the body of each of the disciples.
The master now places the longevity arrow in the hand of each of the disciples and says:
HRIH! Now you have a special body Ablaze with vajra wisdom Emitting sparks of flame as hot As the fire at the end of time.
Thus you have gained protection
From the negative forces and hindrances That wait in watch for the chance to harm.
Thus one concludes the steps of the method for attaining the blessings and initiations that produce healing and longevity by relying upon the Hayagriva lineages of Guru Tsokyey Dorjey as clarified and enhanced by the pure visionary experiences of Gongpa Zilnon Zhepa Tsai, the Fifth Dalai Lama.
The Great Fifth is most renowned for his tantric writings based on secret visions and mystical channeling, as typified by the above text.
However, he is equally loved for his spiritual poetry. Therefore, for a second selection of his writings I have chosen something from this genre. In particular, it is a poem drawn from the meditation text for which he is most famed, the Lam Rim Jampel Zhelung, or Wisdom Teachings on the Steps to Enlightenment. The Great Fifth concludes each section of this work with several verses of poetry. These verses, when extracted and strung together, serve as a poetic condensation of the Great Fifth’s spiritual teachings.
In particular, the Great Fifth’s Lam Rim Jampel Zhelung is a text inspired by the Third Dalai Lama’s Essence of Refined Gold. Readers will perhaps remember this latter text, because I included a section of it in the chapter on the Third.
The words “Lam Rim” in the title of the Lam Rim Jampel Zhelung identify it as being in the spiritual lineage of the eleventh-century Indian sage Atisha, the founder of the Kadampa School of Tibetan Buddhism. In other words, it uses as its platform the linguistic environment and spiritual structure introduced by Atisha. As we saw earlier, Atisha was the guru of Lama Drom Tonpa, an early incarnation of the Dalai Lamas.
Meypa! To hear the melodious sounds of Dharma From the mouth of a qualified spiritual master,
And to listen thus with an ear unobstructed By the faults of being an immature vessel,
Arouses the store of creative energy Developed over many aeons.
This Dharma lineage possessing four great qualities,
The heart essence of all the Buddhist masters
Who appeared in India and also in Tibet,
Is a medicine beneficial to all living beings,
A magic elixir, a path most rare to find.
O fortunate ones who take up this supreme way By means of listening, contemplation and meditation, Extend your vision beyond the insignificant things That benefit this one short life alone;
Instill the mind with a sense of firm detachment And look to the enduring treasures of the spirit.
Find yourself a hermitage large enough for just one person On a high mountain far from human habitation,
A dwelling fenced by meadows, forests and flowers,
With your shadow as your only companion.
The laughing sounds of running water And the gentle chatter of wild deer:
These are the only sounds you need hear.
Then there is no chatter born from the three delusions To act as a thorn to meditation.
Living like this in solitary retreat,
Wearing simple clothing and eating whatever comes,
One avoids the faults of a deceptive life.
All activities of body, speech and mind Gradually produce only positive energy And one arrives at the peak of aspirations To accomplish the very highest of goals.
Meypa! We see as most kind the person
Who helps those harmed by the great enemy poverty
By giving them food, drink, clothing or other things;
Yet how immeasurably kind is the spiritual teacher Who places the jewel of eternal inner peace And knowledge in the palm of our hand,
Thus delivering us to freedom from all the countless fears And pains found throughout the three worlds?
Even the state of mere nirvana is rare,
So how much more so that of final buddhahood?
What then of the embodiments of the buddhas Who guide us to that most rare of attainments?
Should we not show them supreme consideration?
And when faults do appear in their deeds,
Should we not merely regard these As projections of our own imperfect mind?
The root of spiritual fulfillment is simple enough: Cultivate pure perception of your spiritual teachers; Cultivate the pure attitude that practices as instructed; And cultivate the key of making every moment essential.
Meypa! In many past lives we have owned and enjoyed All the various worldly possessions and glories,
But still we are bereft of inner peace.
O foolish mind, you see this, and yet you continue to hold Food, wealth and possessions as essential.
In past lives and even right now
The eight worldly concerns have held great sway,
Like a ghost in the heart, causing us to see
Some things as white, some as black, and some as gray.
Misery is mistaken for pleasure and excitement,
And higher goals are tossed away on the wind.
This precious human life, a boat that can carry us To eternal happiness and higher knowledge,
Has this one time been gained.
If we do not use it now to travel To the jewel island of enlightenment,
And instead allow ourselves to die empty-handed,
Are not the very veins of our heart corrupt?
Meypa! This life is driven by karma and delusion,
And is pointed at death from the very moment of birth.
It veers not from this course for even one moment.
What is more foolish than ignoring this fact?
Death does not wait for a particular day, month or year, Nor care if its prey is young, mature or old.
Intellectually we accept this, but somehow we nonetheless Place the time of our own death far away in our mind.
O you with eyes to see, why are you so blind?
We miss what would be truly beneficial to us And instead chase after what is of limited benefit.
But beware: When death comes you must leave all behind And alone enter into the treacherous hereafter.
Meypa! Then those who during their lives mainly created Negative karma and harmful deeds Are drawn into iron houses filled with fire and flame, With heat so intense that every sense seems on fire;
Or they fall into rivers of blood,
And are cut, chopped and crushed.
To know this and yet not be apprehensive:
Has not a demon captured your heart?
Others driven by negative karma find themselves In dark fields of ice whipped by freezing winds,
The instruments of torture freezing to the touch.
Their bodies become so cold that they break and shatter Into hundreds and thousands of tiny freezing pieces.
Right now we find even a small pain unbearable;
Should we not then look now to the cause Of the terrible miseries of lower rebirth,
Which is the inner enemy, our own negative karma?
And should we not cultivate the ways of transcendence? Those who see this and do not swoon with passion,
Are they not made of mindless stone?
Right now we make many efforts merely to acquire The things that benefit this short life alone,
Such as food and drink; and we endure many hardships for them.
Why then not now take up the effort to attain
The state of final spiritual liberation, that benefits forever?
Why not face the hardships whereby the sufferings Of a hundred million lifetimes are left behind?
But no! You do not make the effort to arouse
Even one goosebump of concern
For this great abyss that falls to terror,
And instead, O foolish mind, you dedicate your genius To the vain pursuit of the eight worldly concerns.
Meypa! This unstable human life is brief as lightning;
Why squander it in vain pursuits
Such as social status and petty indulgences?
Better instead to use it to discover
The place of safety from unbearable samsaric pain.
That haven is refuge in the Three Unfailing Jewels,
The buddhas, Dharma and sangha, for these point the way To highest happiness and liberation.
Be delighted that you have met with them,
For that meeting is a product of much good karma Generated over millions of past lives.
Previously in this and in previous lifetimes We experienced untold dissatisfaction and pain Because of our inner forces of negativity.
Is that not enough? Arouse the inner force of the heart Determined to use wisely whatever remains of this life,
And to establish the basis of higher being forever.
Meypa! Blinded by the thick cataracts of ignorance We know not what to cultivate nor what to avoid.
We clean our face and clothing with great care,
But forget to clean up our inner life.
Most people pass their life gathering Ephemeral possessions that soon will be lost.
They exert great effort and endure hardships for them,
Yet these things are like traces left by a bird in flight,
Or like images drawn on flowing water.
The worldly norms of harming enemies and protecting loved ones Are like the pains and pleasures experienced in a dream.
When we pass our life in the eight worldly concerns,
All our works just become more fuel for the hells.
Perhaps it is reasonable that an ignorant fool Would give his or her life to such meaningless pursuits;
But how tragic when those who know of enlightenment do so And throw ultimate aims to the wind!
Kah yeyl The seeds that are planted in spring Bring an according harvest in fall.
In the same way, white and black karmic deeds Produce according results of happiness and pain.
Contemplate this basic spiritual principle And draw it into every aspect of your life.
Take up the practice of karmic purification By means of the four opponent forces:
The power of invoking the Three Supreme Jewels;
The power of regretting karmic wrongs that were done;
The determination to transcend negative ways; and The practice of specific spiritual remedies.
These four uproot the forces of negative karma That have ruled us for long as instincts from within.
Meypa! After lying for months in darkness in the womb,
With slush and slime embracing us on every side,
We must face the terrible pain of our birth.
Then for a moment we have a body blossoming with youth;
But soon hair and eyebrows turn white as snow,
Our physical radiance becomes dark as night,
And our posture, once so straight, bends like a bow.
Death presses upon us, and the objects of the senses Lose all of their appeal.
Medicines, divinations, prayers and rituals:
Nothing helps, and life’s power Fades faster with every passing day.
Eventually the mere sight of us upsets the minds Of even our nearest and dearest of friends.
This is a call from the messengers of death.
At the present moment this mind seems inseparable From the perishable aggregate known as the body;
But soon a corpse will lie on a deathbed,
And the mind will travel on alone Into the treacherous path of the hereafter.
We never want to meet with unpleasantries,
But unpleasant experiences fall like rain;
And we carefully collect friends and possessions,
Yet they scatter like clouds into all directions.
The body may enjoy the glories of a god,
But the mind experiences the sufferings of the hells;
And when the signs of death befall a god,
Even a heart made of iron can shatter.
Just like a bird flying in the sky
Must eventually come back down to earth,
We may climb to the top of the world,
But again we must return.
Even the gods of sun and moon can fall And descend to realms of darkness,
If they are bereft of transcendental wisdom.
When this is the case, has the time not come then for you To reverse the momentum of the cycle?
Meypa! In countless lives since time without beginning We traveled with delusion and called it a friend.
It has never left us even for a moment,
Following us through every realm of rebirth.
But when it is stirred by the wind of negative karma, Delusion gives rise to waves of pain.
Ah, cyclic patterns that just go on forever!
Observe them, and see delusion as the foe.
A soldier who overcomes an ordinary enemy in battle Has a sense of accomplishment and feels like a hero.
Would it not be good, then, to become a true hero By conquering delusion, the enemy within?
We have now attained an auspicious human life
And learned the key points of the three higher trainings.
Thus we hold now in our very hands the power To destroy the sources of suffering from within.
If we do not act now before death strikes us down,
Then alas, again and again will the cycles of suffering prevail.
Meypa! A seed of karma and delusion is planted On the mindstream in a previous life.
When activated by desire and craving,
It becomes the force creating a future life.
When an aggregate conditioned by name and form Adorned by the elements and sensory spheres Experiences contact and sensation with the sensory objects,
The circles of samsaric birth, aging and death ensue.
In this way the mode of cause and effect operates Through the twelve links of dependent arising,
And the world of samsara comes into play.
Would it not be good to reverse the process?
Meypa! Pure self-discipline is the earth in which to plant the seed; A mind made strong with meditative power is The moisture and nutrient to be used;
And the wisdom of insight is the sun that ripens the crop.
In this way one’s spiritual path matures,
Producing an inner harvest that utterly eradicates Every semblance of spiritual poverty.
When one makes careful awareness the guard at the gate,
Focuses clearly with the thousand eyes of meditative absorption
And throws the hundred point diamond scepter Of wisdom that understands the non-self nature,
One guts the monster of misconstruing the world.
Therefore plant the wish-fulfilling tree of the three higher trainings In the very center of your cluttered, busy life.
The hot flames of misery will be unable to touch it,
And it will grow into a rich and beautiful garden Producing everlasting happiness and the highest of joys.
Meypa! However, to climb up the jeweled ladder
Of the precious three higher trainings
In order to escape the ocean of worldly sufferings
And then enter the mansion of personal nirvana oneself
While ignoring the plight of all other sentient beings,
What could be more shameless?
All have been your kind mother in a past life,
Yet they are locked in the terrible prison of samsara,
Are weakened, and they cry out in pain.
Meditate on all others as having been A kind mother to you in many past lives,
And arouse the strong wind of love and compassion.
Use this to sail the boat of universal responsibility That carries the weight of benefiting all living beings,
And travel directly to the jewel isle of omniscience.
For untrained people, those who behave with enmity Are like a sharp thorn pricking at the heart.
Train yourself in the great patience born
From exchanging self-cherishing for universal love.
One uproots the mind of partiality that sees some people As friends, others as strangers and still others as foes,
And learns to see all as friends, relatives and loved ones.
Transcend the mind that holds self above others And with the key of meeting harms with goodness Open the door that releases spontaneous accomplishment Of beneficial happiness to both self and others.
Fulfilling both at once in this way,
Ah, what a marvelous miracle.
Meypa! The bitter tastes of hardships and difficulties Are but sources of warmth to ripen the seeds Of your own inner strength and understanding.
The approach taken by the aryas of the three ways
Is to face the sharp weapons of difficult people and situations
With an attitude that sees those who harm
As having been your kind parent in a previous life.
Drink the nectar of compassion for them;
Rely on the indestructible universal mind.
Accomplished bodhisattvas are rare as sky flowers,
The Mahayana path is vast as the sky,
And the teachings of the sages of India and Tibet Are as deep as the deepest of oceans.
However, these days most teachers’ wisdom Is as thin as dry grass,
And most students’ minds are as dark as the night.
Therefore we have to proceed with care
In using the fingers of the enlightenment teachings
To untie the hard-to-untie knots at the heart.
Listen closely to the treasury of instructions And gain an inexhaustible source of knowledge.
Meypa! Arouse the mind of fierce generosity And dedicate all to the benefit of the world,
To the living beings of unrepayable kindness.
One instantly gains an inexhaustible treasure And plants the seeds of the highest of joys.
The perennial stress of being in need Is not something that falls on oneself alone,
For every living being is prone to it.
The generous mind automatically arises When one contemplates this simple truth,
And contemplates how all have been a mother to you.
Because of karma collected in the past,
The present situation is as it is
(With myself having surplus and another a lack).
Therefore, with the aspiration to benefit all others,
I should practice the paramita of sublime generosity.
Meypa! In the garden of this precious human life,
The wish-fullfilling tree is the three types of discipline.
It is laden with the weight of nirvana’s rich harvest And drips with the juice of a hundred joyful tastes.
Although generosity practiced for countless ages Brings happiness and prosperity here and hereafter,
We must combine it with the practice of self-discipline In order to ensure rebirth as a human or a god,
And thus continue along the enlightenment path.
The chariot of this human life we have gained When driven carelessly gets stuck in the mud.
If we do not maintain it well through self-discipline And use it to ride to the plateau of eternal joy,
Surely its driver is a demon.
Meypa! The valley forests of positive karma That were built up over many past lives Are easily destroyed by the terrible fires Of a single burst of anger,
Piling burned stumps of negative energy Right up to the top of the world.
Indeed, a source of great suffering is the mind Unable to calmly face difficult people.
The steady stream of rocky results that strike us
Have fallen down from the mountain of our own bad karma.
Why put the blame on somebody else?
Should those locked in the prison of samsara Not use the experiences to eliminate the cause?
Who could criticize such a response?
We are at war with the very source of our sufferings;
We should wear the strong armor of the patient mind That cannot be penetrated by any sharp weapon,
Neither physical blows nor harsh, cruel words.
It is a most marvelous method; and in the end,
It carries us to nirvana itself.
Meypa! The tastes of the pleasures that are gained From sloth, excessive sleep and mental lassitude Are useless distractions bringing no fulfillment,
No matter how much one indulges in them,
Like drinking salt water to quench a thirst.
Joyous effort, on the other hand, brings Great success in every field.
For example, a soldier who makes great effort May prevail over another who is stronger than he;
His enthusiasm gives him the edge.
Thus to bring a weak mind to the task Of accomplishing buddhahood is a mistake.
Appreciate the brief nature of human life And strike with the iron of the paramita Of joyous effort, that does not waste a single day,
But dedicates every moment to the task Of Dharma practice, that produces eternal joy.
Doing that, one most certainly will travel To the precious land of highest liberation.
Meypa! Look at the faults of the five obstructions To the attainment of meditative absorption And behold the benefits of applying the eight remedies; Cultivate the nine stages of shamatha, or meditative focus, And give rise to a state of samadhi that is Blissful, luminous and beyond conceptuality.
Familiarity with the practice of meditation Can quieten the activity of the coarse delusions And give rise to a sense of great bliss.
However, persistence in the application soon reveals The mundane nature of this level of attainment.
Some get stuck in the bliss, and do not achieve Even a common level of samadhi,
But nonetheless claim to have attained Buddhahood itself, beyond samsara and nirvana.
They should take a look inside themselves.
The scriptures state that the attainment of samadhi Is the key to clairvoyance and miracle powers.
But hoping to gain these without making the effort,
Just feeding one’s belly and basking in the sun,
Is like trying to get oil by pressing on a stone.
Kyema! In the past one’s mind has been indulgent and lazy, And one’s precious human life lost to empty pursuits.
Go now to a place far from the crowds And delight in the practice of meditation.
When meditative bliss pervades both body and mind,
It is a simple matter to make every moment spiritual.
When this crucial point is achieved,
Famed buddhahood is not far away.
Meypa! The cataracts of the dense darkness of confusion Obscure knowledge of the nature of the self;
We mistakenly place “I” somewhere on body and mind, Like a snake seen in the dark is mistaken for a rope.
All misery and suffering that exists Arises on the basis of this colossal error.
Misapprehending the nature of the self,
The magician’s creations are mistaken as real,
Like the pleasures and pains experienced in a dream.
Thus one chases after the illusions of the mind And distorts experience of everything in the world.
Ah, the problems that arise when ignorance prevails!
No matter how much we search we never will find Even a hint of this much-cherished “I”,
Just as a bird in flight leaves no trace.
In the end the search leads to the void,
Giving rise to the wisdom that directly perceives The emptiness nature primordially there.
It also gives rise to knowledge of how Even though all things lack true self-nature,
On the conventional level all things nonetheless Operate as illusions and magical creations In accordance with the infallible laws of cause and effect;
Both the pain of the fires of the deepest hells
And the pleasures experienced by humans and gods
Manifest in reliance on their individual karmic causes.
From the beginning everything is mere emptiness;
The conventional status of things is created Simply by the process of labels and names.
This is the crux of the Middle View,
And, realizing it, one gives rise to a wisdom
That is like a sharp sword that cuts the chains of misapprehension Of the nature of self, as well as its offspring,
The delusions and afflicted emotions, and the karma they support.
Even though this wisdom is the one path Traversed by all who achieve aryaship in any tradition,
These days there are many so-called “lineage holders”
Who lack any true experience of it.
Their words on the subject are utterly useless,
Like measurements made in the dark.
However, there are also numerous qualified masters Who speak from the sphere of authentic realization When they teach this profound aspect of truth.
When I think of them I am filled with joy And send out clouds of devotion from my heart.
Meypa! With joyous energy empowering one’s heart And spontaneous wisdom driving the mind,
One engages in these profound six paramitas And travels to the peak of personal perfection.
Then, in order to be of benefit to others,
One avoids attachment to personal bliss and nirvana And engages in the four ways to ripen others’ minds, Releasing a steady stream of all-white deeds That flows with the waters of eight excellent qualities.
Like the garuda eagle with its two strong wings That flies in the sky high over the world,
Spread the wings of method and wisdom And fly high over both samsara and nirvana;
Travel now to the land of the three Buddhakayas.
Tsangyang Gyatso, the Sixth Dalai Lama. Courtesy of the Swedish Humanistic Research Council, “Saviours of Mankind,” The Sven Hedin Foundation, Statens Etnografiska Museum, Stockholm, Sweden.