wtorek, 26 listopada 2013

Dełacien - Czysta Kraina Buddy Amitabhy

Działo się to wiele, wiele kalp temu, w czasach historycznego Buddy, Dzigten Łangciuk Gjalpo. Ówczesny jego służący, Ciekji Lodro (Dharma Mati) - człowiek bardzo mądry i bystry, a także niezwykle pilny w praktyce - postanowił złożyć przed obliczem Buddy ślubowanie Bodhisattwy. Pragnął bowiem rozwinąć oświeconą postawę i przynosić innym jak najwięcej pożytku. Kiedy składał to ślubowanie, wyraził bardzo silne życzenie, aby każda istota mogła w przyszłości odrodzić się w jego Czystej Krainie o nazwie Dełacien. Następnie praktykował przez wiele, wiele lat i gdy ostatecznie osiągnął Oświecenie, stał się znany jako Budda Amitabha. Amitabha (tyb. Ypame) oznacza bowiem "niezmierzone światło", a z jego ciała promieniowało właśnie takie niezmierzone światło do wszystkich Czystych Krain w dziesięciu kierunkach.

W późniejszych czasach poproszono Buddę Siakjamuniego o nauki dotyczące Amitabhy i opis Dełacienu. Tak powstały sutry Amitabhy, a ich głębokie znaczenie ujęte zostało w przystępny sposób w "Długiej modlitwie o odrodzenie w Krainie Dełacien". Budda Siakjamuni podał także długą i krótką mantrę Amitabhy. By móc odrodzić się w Dełacienie, trzeba spełniać cztery warunki:

1. w czysty, klarowny sposób wyobrażać sobie tę krainę
2. nagromadzić zasługę
3. wzbudzić w sobie oświeconą postawę - bodhicittę
4. gorąco pragnąć odrodzenia w Dełacienie.

Pierwszy warunek to utrzymywanie wyraźnej wizualizacji Czystej Krainy Dełacien. W jej centrum znajduje się Budda Amitabha. Amitabha ma jedną twarz i dwie ręce. Jego ciało jest intensywnie czerwone i ma trzydzieści dwie oznaki Stanu Buddy, tak jak u Buddy Siakjamuniego. Na czubku głowy znajduje się wypukłość zwana usznisza, a na stopach widnieją koła Dharmy.

Amitabha odziany jest w trzy szaty Dharmy. Z nogami skrzyżowanymi w postawie wadżry siedzi na dysku księżyca leżącym pośrodku tysiącpłatkowego lotosu. Lotos spoczywa na tronie podpieranym przez osiem pawi. Z tyłu znajduje się drzewo bodhi, o które Budda Amitabha opiera się plecami. Ma to przypominać, że główną przyczyną osiągnięcia Oświecenia jest bodhicitta.

Po prawej stronie Buddy Amitabhy stoi Czenrezik, Bodhisattwa Współczucia, będący na dziesiątym stopniu Bodhisattwy. Czenrezik jest tutaj biały, dwuramienny, o jednej twarzy. W lewej ręce trzyma kwiat lotosu, a prawą wykonuje gest ochrony. Forma ta nosi nazwę Kasarpani, lecz w istocie jest to ten sam Bodhisattwa Współczucia, którego znamy z pudży Czenrezika.

Po lewej stronie stoi Wadżrapani, Bodhisattwa Mocy. Jest ciemnoniebieski, w lewej ręce trzyma kwiat utpala, na którym znajduje się wadżra, prawą ręką wykonuje mudrę ochrony.

Wokół zgromadzone są setki Bodhisattwów - mnichów w żółtych, promieniujących szatach Dharmy.

Jest powiedziane, że Budda Ypame patrzy na nas wzrokiem pełnym współczucia i dostrzega każdą czującą istotę. Wie wszystko i wszystko słyszy: gdy recytujemy modlitwę, wie, że wyrażamy życzenie odrodzenia się w Dełacienie. Jeśli ktokolwiek ma zaufanie do tych nauk i gorące pragnienie, by odrodzić się w Dełacienie, to rzeczywiście się tam narodzi na mocy modlitw Buddy Ypame.

Dełacien gromadzi właściwości wszystkich Czystych Krain Buddów. Grunt jest tam zbudowany z drogocennych kamieni i ugina się miękko podczas stąpania. Drzewa są również utworzone z kamieni szlachetnych, owoce i liście opadają tworząc deszcz klejnotów.

Na gałęziach wśród liści siedzą ptaki i śpiewają piękne pieśni, będące naukami o pustce i postępowaniu Bodhisattwy.

Woda w Dełacienie posiada osiem doskonałych właściwości, tak jak nektar. Wszystkie kwiaty promieniują światłem, a na końcu każdego promienia znajduje się Budda.

Odrodziwszy się w tej Czystej Krainie nie doświadczamy ośmiu rodzajów egzystencji. Nie ma tu cierpienia fizycznego, nie miotają nami emocje - słowem jesteśmy wolni od ośmiu trucizn umysłu: gniewu, zazdrości itd.

W Dełacienie nie ma kobiet. Nie ma również mężczyzn w zwykłym tego słowa znaczeniu. Wszystkie istoty są tam Bodhisattwami. W Czystych Krainach emanują wprawdzie boginie ofiar, ale nie są to istoty urodzone z łona. W naszym świecie przyzwyczajeni jesteśmy do rozróżniania i dlatego rodzimy się z łona matki i przyjmujemy ludzką formę. W Dełacienie pojawiamy się w pączku lotosu i kiedy kwiat rozkwita, jesteśmy w stanie w pełni doświadczać Czystej Krainy.

Po tym, jak narodziliśmy się w kwiecie lotosu, z naszych dłoni płyną promienie światła, a na ich końcach znajdują się niezliczone ofiary dla Buddy Amitabhy oraz dla Bodhisattwów: Czenrezika i Wadżrapaniego.

Z Dełacienu można podróżować w jednej chwili do innych Czystych Krain, można składać ofiary Buddom i otrzymywać od nich nauki oraz wyjaśnienia do praktyki. Potem powraca się do Dełacienu.

Przebywający w tej Czystej Krainie obdarzeni są zdolnością jasnowidzenia, są w stanie pomagać istotom wiedząc, co dzieje się w ich umysłach, mogą usuwać przeszkody. Mają cudowną moc czystego dostrzegania tego, co dzieje się w naszym świecie, i jeśli ktoś umiera, mogą wejść w stan bardo i pomóc takiej istocie odrodzić się w Dełacienie.

Samo życzenie wystarcza, aby odrodzić się w Czystej Krainie Dełacien. A wówczas, nawet jeśli nie oczyściliśmy negatywnej karmy, to jesteśmy wyzwoleni z samsary i rozwijamy się stopniowo na duchowej ścieżce. Mamy moc usuwania cierpienia czujących istot i prowadzenia ich do odrodzenia w tej Czystej Krainie.

Drugi warunek odrodzenia się w Dełacienie to nagromadzenie zasługi i oczyszczenie naszej karmy. Jest to możliwe dzięki praktyce Dharmy.

Trzeci warunek odrodzenia się w Dełacienie to rozwijanie bodhicitty. Kiedykolwiek i cokolwiek praktykujemy, zawsze staramy się wzbudzić w sobie miłującą dobroć i współczucie wobec wszystkich czujących istot.

Ostatni warunek odrodzenia się w Dełacienie to gorące pragnienie, by tak się stało. Szczerze recytujmy modlitwy o odrodzenie się w krainie Dełacien.

~ Powyższy wykład Tenga Rinpocze wygłosił w Krakowie w październiku 1989 roku

środa, 20 listopada 2013

Amitabha & Dewachen by Karma Chagme

To take birth in the most sublime pure realms, one must have reached the eighth Bodhisattva Ground. For the middling pure realms, one must have already eliminated the coarse and subtle afflictive obscurations. To be born in the pristine abodes, one must have stopped grasping onto a personal identity and the identity of phenomena. If one has not committed any infractions of one's vows and one makes pure prayers, it is just possible that one may take birth in Tusita. As Atiyoga practitioners, you must keep your samayas and continue practicing until you attain the point of the extinction into reality-itself, which is the ultimate realization of the Great Perfection. Until then, you must continue practicing hearing and thinking about the Dharma, maintain your meditation practice, and attend to the nature of actions and their consequences. You must also continue to cultivate mindfulness, introspection, and conscientiousness.

However, the Protector Amitabha himself has promised that one may take birth in his pure realm due to the power of his prayers. Thus, you should strive with your body, speech, and mind in prayer to be born in the realm of Sukhavati. Ridding yourself of doubt, uncertainty, and spiritual sloth, with great and swift certainty and enthusiasm bring to mind the splendor and benefits of the realm of Sukhavati, and pray. Sukhavati is superior to the realms of other Buddhas in these ways: it is greater because it is possible for ordinary individuals with mental afflictions to be born there. And if you take birth there, all that you wish for is accomplished as soon as you think of it; you are not tainted by even subtle mental afflictions; and you may go from there to the realms of other Buddhas. Thus, it is superior. Sukhavati is endowed with inconceivable benefits, including the swifter attainment of Buddhahood there than in other pure realms. There is no other pure realm within closer reach than Sukhavati, so it is extremely important to strive in prayer to be reborn there.

For individuals with mental afflictions, there is a loophole that can enable them to take birth in a Buddha realm. The Protector Amitabha promised that one may take birth in his pure realm due to the power of his prayers. Thus with your body, speech, and mind focus on this goal; it is good to offer prayers from the sutras and hidden treasure teachings to be reborn in Sukhavati. Many such prayers are found in each of the four orders of Tibetan Buddhism, as well as in the Chinese Buddhist tradition. Like prepared food and drink, they are ready to be eaten and drunk.

With complete certainty and enthusiasm, bring to mind the benefits of the realm of Sukhavati and pray to be reborn there. While you may find that you have a lot of energy for mundane things, you may still be totally overcome by spiritual sloth, which comes from grasping onto a personal identity. We think that we are important. We consider everything we do to be important. We may even say that our activities are for the sake of sentient beings, while they are truly for our own gratification. Then we cover up this self-centeredness by glossing it with the phrase, "This is altruistic; it's for the sake of the teachings and for sentient beings." This is like dumplings stuffed with rotten meat.

If we look to the Buddhas, pandits, siddhas, and yogis of India, China, and Tibet, we find that they all have engaged in a gradual practice of Dharma, by finding and maintaining their own appropriate level of practice. The Buddha taught 84,000 collections of teachings, but he did not say that we should each try to practice them all. Rather, in this vast ocean of teaching, we need to determine what is appropriate for ourselves. We need to seek out which aspect, when put into practice, really alleviates our mental afflictions. There is a Tibetan aphorism that it is very hard to sew with a doublepointed needle. Similarly, it is hard to get anything done if your mind is two-pointed. Therefore, as long as you have not committed any of the five deeds of immediate retribution or abandoned the Dharma, if you pray with the total focus of your prayer to be reborn in Sukhavati, you will be. Although it says that this will happen after praying earnestly ten times, do not let this be an excuse for succumbing to fickleness in your prayers or your Dharma practice in general. Continue to pray not just once, or ten times, but rather pray at all times.

The moment you take birth in the pure realm of Sukhavati, you can instantaneously visit any other Buddha realm. Once there, you can listen to Dharma as well as engage in the practice of Dharma in other pure realms. Then you can travel back home to Sukhavati and resume your practice there. Thus, The Splendor of Sukhavati Sutra, The Great Mound of Jewels Sutra, The Splendor of Amitabha Sutra, The [Holy Dharma of the] White Lotus Sutra, The Spell of the Sound of the Drum, and the teachings of Orgyen Rinpoche are all in agreement that unless you have committed any of the five acts of immediate retribution or abandoned the Dharma, if you single-pointedly pray to be reborn in that pure realm, you can take birth in the realm of Sukhavati. Moreover, it is said that you will be born there after earnestly praying ten times. That is due to the power of prayer of Buddha Amitabha, so it is crucial to make prayers for that pure realm.

Our faith must be unwavering. Together with this firm conviction and the power of the prayer of Amitabha, Sukhavati is exactly where we will be born. In fact, there have been many people in Tibet who have had this type of faith, and they indeed took rebirth there. However, bear in mind that this type of certainty is not enough. It must be coupled with the cultivation of virtue. If you devote yourself to the cultivation of virtue, pray to Amitabha, and do not commit any of the five deeds of immediate retribution, you may have total confidence in taking rebirth in Sukhavati. If you do have doubt, even if you are born in that pure realm, the lotus flower in which you are born will not open for a long time. In that case, your meeting with the Buddha will be postponed. For that reason alone, cast aside all doubt.

What good is it to be born there? There is no suffering in taking birth in that realm, for your body is instantly brought forth in miraculous birth in the midst of a flower. Everyone without exception who is born there has a golden-colored body adorned with the signs and symbols of enlightenment and possesses incalculable extrasensory perception and paranormal abilities. In that realm you never even hear of the sufferings of illness, harmful spirits, enemies, famine, and so on. Whoever is born there is free of the five poisons of attachment, hatred, delusion, pride, and jealousy. The duration of one eon in our world is the equivalent of one day in the realm of Sukhavati, and even in a quadrillion of its years there is no death, no illness, and no aging. 

Whatever you desire in terms of food, clothing, enjoyments, and things to offer to the Buddha comes spontaneously with the mere thought of such things. There is no need to acquire them with effort, to preserve them, or make a living. Without needing to experience the suffering of the ripening of all your present sins and obscurations, they are purified by encountering Amitabha, making prostrations, circumambulations, and offerings, and by listening to the Dharma. Due to your unimpeded paranormal abilities and extrasensory perception, you may go to all the Buddha realms, meet the Buddhas, listen to Dharma, and with these connections serve as a guide to sentient beings. In the evening there is nothing to obstruct your paranormal ability to return to Sukhavati.

Through the great kindness of Karma Chagme and Amitabha, we are given a very viable possibility of taking birth in Sukhavati. If you apply yourself to virtue, avoid nonvirtue, and pray to Amitabha and Karma Chagme, this is accessible to you. Conversely, if you ignore the cultivation of virtue, you will have no spiritual practice and certainly no growth or realization.

Due to the roots of virtue from writing this, may I and all those who have gained a connection with me and all those who have gained a connection with this manual of instruction experience in this life longevity, freedom from illness, and the growth of experiential realization. As soon as we pass away from this life, may we miraculously be reborn in the realm of Sukhavati, and never be separated from Amitabha.

~ Karma Chagme - A Spacious Path to Freedom: Practical Instructions on the Union of Mahamudra and Atiyoga

sobota, 16 listopada 2013

17 Karmapa - Enlightened Activity of Guru Rinpoche

The tertön Chokgyur Lingpa (1829-1870) was a great master and visionary who discovered many Dharma treasures. He was a prominent member of the vibrant nonsectarian movement that blossomed in nineteenth-century Tibet. In his prophecies about the Karmapa, he began by invoking Gyalwa Chokyang, the Karmapa’s incarnation as one of the main disciples of Guru Rinpoche:

Lotsawa Gyalwa Chokyang, listen to me.
In the supreme place of speech, Palace of the Half Moon,
You will have twenty-one future rebirths.
An emanation of Chenrezik, you know all three times.

Chokgyur Lingpa then continued to give the names of the Karmapas who would be born after his time: The names needed after Thekchok (Supreme Vehicle, the fourteenth Karmapa) passes into nirvana Are the Dewe Dagnyi (Very Nature of Bliss, the fifteenth Karmapa), Rigpe Dorje (Vajra of Awareness, the sixteenth Karmapa), Ogyen Trinley (Enlightened Activity of Guru Rinpoche, the seventeenth Karmapa), and Samten (Stable Contemplation, the future eighteenth Karmapa), and so forth. He also spoke individually of each incarnation and made the following prediction of the seventeenth Karmapa:

Nearby, at the foot of a verdant tree that grows on rocky mountains is the
seventeenth incarnation of the Karmapa together with Kenting Tai Situ.
This is a symbol that through their minds being fused as one, the leaves
and petals of the Buddha’s teaching will unfold and the fruit, the essence
of the Dakpo Kagyu, will be plentiful.

The text of Guru Rinpoche, Hidden Predictions (mDo byang gud sbas), gives the vast perspective:

The teachings of my emanation, the Karmapa,
Will not come to an end until the teachings of the fortunate kalpa
have come to a close.

Music in the Sky - The Life, Art, and Teachings of the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje
by Michele Martin

A True Account of An Accomplished Practitioner of the Vajra Guru Mantra in Recent Times

May 2006 – In the holy land of Padmasambhava, Bhutan, a blind accomplished master knew his time of his death in advance and sat in crossed vajra posture while passing into parinirvana.

As the author was afraid of gradually forgetting the details of this master’s liberation story over the passage of time, the sublime details of it were committed to paper with one’s own inadequate literary skills. It is hoped that all those who see, hear or are acquainted with the facts of this history will be filled with deep faith and devotion to Padmasambhava, thereby receiving blessings and accomplishments.

This accomplished adept is a Bhutanese. When he was alive, people mostly addressed him as “Drubtop” which means someone who has attained realisation. Moreover, due to the fact that he attained realisation and liberation through the recitation of the Vajra Guru mantra, he was also called, “Benza Guru Drubtop”, meaning “The Vajra Guru Siddha”

This accomplished master “Benza Guru Drubtop”, whose external appearance was dirty and unkempt but who, internally, was extraordinarily free and liberated, was previously a visually handicapped beggar who lived in the peripheral slums of Bhutan.

Later, due to the help of Urgyen Lama (of Sangngak Thegchog Osel Ling Monastery) and Jamyang Dorje Rinpoche, this accomplished master who had went through a difficult life (but with equanimity) was invited to the monastery where they looked after him as a offering to a most unsurpassed field of merit. This was the reason that the last 10 years of his life was relatively peaceful and safe.

“Benza Guru Druptop” was not born blind. It is said that his visual impairment was the result of curses wrought by mantras which his enemies had inflicted upon him. Before he went blind, he was just a common farmer who belonged to the Bon religion. At that time, the farmer did not understand the vast qualities of Padmasambhava and had even entertained sacrilegious views towards Guru Rinpoche and slandered him with negative speech.

To recover his sight, the farmer had approached many doctors who were unable to help. With no other resort, he asked several spiritual friends and masters for advice on what spiritual practice to do in order to recover his sight.

Finally, he listened to some masters’ advice and decided to start reciting the Vajra Guru mantra (OM AH HUNG BENZA GURU PADMA SIDDHI HUNG), relying on it as his sole practice, and eventually he went on to achieve an astounding level of realisation.

When “Drubtop” started to recite the Vajra Guru mantra, his faith in Padmasambhava began to ripen and increase. Due to his blindness, day or night was not much difference to him and he began to recite the mantra diligently day and night without distinction.

When he completed a hundred million recitations, “Drubtop”’s prayer-wheel, which he rotated as he recited the mantra, began to drip inconceivable nectar. It is well known that prayer-wheels contain dry paper rolls and it is impossible for water to drip from it out of thin air, yet his prayer-wheel began to manifest such a strange phenomenon. This demonstrated the authencity of the results of “Benza Guru Drubtop”’s practice and also showed how wonderful Padmasambhava’s blessings were. After that, he did not slow down, but instead continued to recite the mantra diligently, praying to Guru Rinpoche with great faith.

When “Benza Guru Drubtop” had completed the mantra 300 million times, in a dream-like state, he personally met the Lotus-Born Guru and received a prophecy, thereby attaining an inconceivable level of realisation.

Padmasambhava told “Benza Guru Drubtop”, “If you live on for 7 more years, your eyesight will be recovered. The reason for you having lost sight in both eyes is that you previously believed in the Bon religion and especially, you had disparaged and despised (noble beings), causing confused inter-dependent phenomenon to arise. Now although you have seen me, due to that karmic obscuration, you will not be able to immediately regain your eyesight.”

Thus “Benza Guru Drubtop” was not able to recover his eyesight even though he had seen the Guru Rinpoche.

In the mysterious state, Guru Rinpoche also asked “Benza Guru Drubtop” to make a special dharma hat as a auspicious interdependent-arising, which the blind “Benza Guru Drubtop” made himself from bronze pieces without anyone’s help.

In spite of “Benza Guru Drubtop”’s inner realisation and his extraordinary clairvoyance due to Guru Rinpoche’s blessings, due to his external visual handicap, no-one was willing to look after him properly. Thus he wandered around in the region of “Chim” in Bhutan. The locals called him “Benza Guru Drubtop”.

“Benza Guru Drubtop” knew of a secret method to reverse obstacles which the Lotus-Born Guru had personally transmitted to him. It could swiftly remove all heavy illnesses or urgent calamities befalling a person. This method is special but inelegant. It required that “Benza Guru Drubtop” make a special kind of torma and recite a short ritual, the specifics of it is only known to himself, and then he must strip naked and while totally nude take the torma to a nearby triple-intersect junction. This method is quite powerful, all the people for whom the “Drubtop” had performed this ritual, recovered from their problems without exception.

Besides this, everytime someone requested the “Benza Guru Drubtop” for any help, his way of divination was also different from others. He did not need the use of any divination apparatus, nor did he require the person to say much, but would be able to know the intentions of the person and be able to speak out the intimate details of the supplicants’ residence, environment and all other kinds of details, including those personal secrets that the person requesting did not want revealed. Evidently, the “Benza Guru Drubtop” had attained great clairvoyance of knowing others’ minds due to the blessings of Guru Rinpoche. He was also widely acknowledged as “Drubtop” due to this.

“Benza Guru Drubtop”’s inner secret realisation did not cause him to try to improve his own living conditions but instead he regarded poverty and suffering as not being any obstacle or problem impeding him.

What did not change was that he continued supplicating Guru Rinpoche day and night, reciting the Guru Rinpoche mantra respectfully and so when he passed into parinirvana, a conservative estimate of the number of Guru Rinpoche mantras he had recited in his life amounts to more than 600 million.

Unlike others, he was not interested in promoting his own diligent efforts at practice or his miraculous responses , instead “Benza Guru Drubtop” benefitted beings in a spontaneous and extemporaneous way. Thus, most of the people who knew him did not know how profound his inner realisation was.

Most people only regarded his external style and occasional obstacle-averting rituals as a sign that he was merely a practitioner with some achievements. Most of his secret conduct and responses, he would only tell to Urgyen Lama and a few close friends who had faith.

Although he was a siddha, he did not alter his clothes or appearance, but remained like a beggar, allowing others to make offerings and making-shift of whatever they offered to wear. Although he was invited to stay at Sangngak Thegchog Osel Ling Monastery, and could have chosen to have better living premises and conditions, he only preferred to live in a dilapidated corner of the monastery and sleep in his own old covers, using yellowed and hole-ridden blankets and pillow.

“Benza Guru Drubtop” would only accept others’ clothing and food. If someone offered his cash notes or coins, he will recite mantras and blow on them as a blessing, before returning them to the offerer, telling him not to use the money but to keep it on the body as a blessed artifact for protection. When one offered him a khata, it was the same case. This showed that “Benza Guru Drubtop” has already viewed all wealth as nothing, with no desire or wish for anything.

The author once requested one of the abbots of the monastery, Jamyang Dorje Rinpoche, to make some money offerings, but was instead met with laughter from Rinpoche who said, ‘“Benza Guru Drubtop” does not want money, how to make offerings to him? If you want to give him clothings or other things, he may not accept, or he may just bless them and return them to you. if you want to offer food, he is now provided food by the monastery, so he may not enjoy what you offer him. Apart from his meals, he doesn’t really accept any other food.’ Hearing this, the author felt deeply that this siddha master was truly without needs or wants and was worthy of respect and veneration.

Seven days before he demonstrated impermanence, the “Benza Guru Drubtop” informed the abbot Urgyen Lama,”I am going to leave this world to go and see Padmasambhava.” At that time, the abbot felt that Drubtop was still healthy and thought that he was merely joking. He did not pay much attention to this remark. “Benza Guru Drubtop” then confidently told several monk friends that, “Urgyen Lama does not have freedom over birth and death, but I do. He will not understand my meaning… the dharmakaya is beyond death, because I have realised the dharmakaya, there is really no death to speak of for me!” Totally unschooled and who had not studied any dharma teachings, sutras or commentaries, yet, “Benza Guru Drubtop” was able to make many such statements that utilised the expressions of the Dzogpa Chenpo realisations.

With nothing special happening, apart from those monk-friends who knew about it being worried that “Benza Guru Drubtop” would manifest death, others did not feel that the Drubtop would really be able to predict his own time of death, and be able to leave this world with such ease and freedom. Seven days later, in the clear gentle light of dawn, “Benza Guru Drubtop” sat in crossed-vajra posture and impertubably released his intent into the dharmadhatu. At that moment, a gentle tremor in the earth could be felt.

After his parinirvana, the usually-deserted monastery was thronged by more than 3000 people trying to pay their respects. After he passed away, everyday at dawn, there were three birds flying in to circumambulate his body three rounds before flying off. These were said to be dakinis paying their respect.

“Benza Guru Drubtop” passed away exactly 7 years from when he received the vision from Padmasambhava, thus fulfilling the prophecy that he would “recover his sight”. Because now, he would have no body to obstruct him from going to the Sangdok Palri Pureland to see Guru Rinpoche.

The author wishes that this extraordinary account of a recent Guru Rinpoche siddha would encourage all sentient beings to give rise to faith and supplicate Guru Rinpoche, ultimately attaining the same state as him.

(Colophon: As the English translator was himself inspired by this account of the Vajra Guru Siddha, he decided to render it into English so that it would be accessible to more people. It is his sincere request that if there are those who have read this account and felt that it benefitted them, to please circulate it to others and do a recitation of a 100,000 of the Vajra Guru mantra for the benefit of all beings. By this translation, may more people come to know the benefits of reciting the Vajra Guru mantra, do its practice and quickly attain realisation.)

środa, 13 listopada 2013

Benefits and Advantages of the Vajra Guru Mantra

The Vajra Guru Mantra is the mantra associated with Guru Rinpoche, also known as Padmasambhava. This is a draft translation of a treasure text which explains the Vajra Guru Mantra. It was originally concealed during the time of Padmasambhava in Tibet and later rediscovered by Karma Lingpa (14th century) who brought it forth from its place of concealment and copied it down on reams of gold. It is simply known as "The Syllable by Syllable Commentary Explaining the Benefits of the Vajra Guru Mantra." It begins withan invocation and then goes into a dialogue between Yeshe Tsogyal, the spiritual consort of Padmasambhava, and Padmasambhava himself.

And so, Yeshe Tsogyal begins:

I, the woman Yeshe Tsogyal, having offered to you the inner and outer mandala on a vast scale, have the following request. Oh great teacher, Pema Jungne, you have been extremely kind to us, the Tibetan people, leaving for us a legacy that will benefit us now and in future lives. Your kindness is so great that we have never experienced anything like this before, nor will we ever experience anything like this in the future. In particular, so that now even though I am a humble person, I have no doubt that I will attain enlightenment.

In the future, sentient beings will have very short attention spans and a great many things will clutter and occupy their minds. Their characters will be rough and difficult to tame. They will develop many wrong views towards the sacred Dharma. In particular, a time will come when people will cast dispersions on the Secret Mantra teaching of the unsurpassable levels of tantra. At that time, all sentient beings will suffer heavily from disease, famine, and war. Because of the spread of these three calamities, in particular, China, Tibet and Mongolia will experience the same kind of turmoil as an ant's nest when it is destroyed, and the time will come for the people of Tibet to suffer greatly. Though you have spoken at length of many skillful means to salvage what is possible from that situation, sentient beings in the future will not have the time to practice. Even though they mayhave some slight inclination to practice, they will encounter many great obstacles. Sentient beings will experience a great deal of disharmony. They won't be able to get along or reach any kind of accord, and in the wake of this, their behavior will become very impure. Bad times such as this will be very difficult to avert. That being the case, what kinds of benefits and advantages would there be for those beings in the future were they to rely solely upon the Vajra Guru Mantra as their practice? I ask you to relate this for the benefit of individuals in the future who are not able to perceive this and therefore have to have it explained to them.

Then the great master, Pema Jungne replied:

Oh faithful lady, what you have said is so very true. In the future, such times will befall sentient beings and both in a temporary and in a long term sense, the benefits of the Vajra Guru mantra can be definitely be felt. Since my spiritual instructions and the methods of practice that I offer are immeasurable, I have hidden a great number of treasure teachings in the water, rocks, the sky and so forth. In these evil times, even individuals with fortunate karma will find it difficult to encounter these teachings. It will be difficult to bring together the necessary circumstances for these teachings to be revealed. This is a sign that the collective merit of beings is on the wane.

However, at such times, if this essence mantra, the Vajra Guru mantra, is repeated as much as possible, a hundred times, a thousand times, ten thousand times, a hundred thousand times, a million, ten million, a hundred million times and so forth, if it is repeated in holy places, in temples, next to great rivers, in areas where gods and demons abound, if it is recited in these places by tantric practitioners with pure samaya, by people with monastic ordination who maintain their vows purely, by men and women who possess faith in the teachings, if they give rise to bodhicitta on a grand scale and recite this mantra, then the benefits and advantages and energy of such practice are truly inconceivable. This will avert all of the negativeforces of disease, famine, unrest, bad harvests and all bad omens and indications in all the countries of the world, such that the rain will fall in a timely manner for the crops so there will always be a plentiful supply of water for agriculture and for human and animal life, and all regions and areas will experience prosperity and auspicious conditions.

In this life, in future lives, and in the intermediate state between death and rebirth, these individuals who practice in this way will meet with me again and again. The very best of these individuals will actually meet me in their waking consciousness. Those of middling degree of attainment will meet with me again and again in their dreams. Gradually perfecting the different paths and levels of their practice, they will attain to the ranks of the masculine and feminine holders of intrinsic awareness in my pure land in the continent of Ngayab. Have no doubt of this.

If this mantra is recited a hundred times a day, merely a hundred times a day without interruption, one will become attractive to others and will effortlessly come by food and wealth and the necessities of life.

If one recites it a thousand or ten thousand times on a daily basis, one is able to literally overwhelm others with one's brilliance, in the sense of becoming very charismatic and influential in exerting a positive influence over others, and one will gain unhindered force of blessings and spiritual power.

If one repeats it a hundred thousand or a million times on a regular basis one will become capable of effecting an immeasurably great benefit for beings, exactly as one would wish to.

If one recites the mantra three or seven million times, one is never separate from the buddhas of the three times and one becomes inseparable from me. All the gods and demons of existence will attend to one and offer their praises.

In the most excellent cases, individuals will attain the rainbow body, and the final level of attainment in this lifetime. On a more middling level, at the moment of death, the mother and child aspects of radiant luminosity willmeet. At the very least, individuals will behold my face in the bardo state and all the appearances of the bardo state will be free in their own ground such that these individuals will be reborn on the continent of Ngayab andfrom that vantage point, be able to accomplish an immeasurable amount of benefit to beings. Thus the Guru replied to Yeshe Tsogyal.

She responded by saying:

Oh great master, it is extremely kind of you to have spoken of these vast and immeasurable advantages of the spiritual energy of this mantra. For the benefit of sentient beings in the future however, a detailed explanationwould be of enormous benefit, and so I would ask you to speak in a brief way about the different syllables of this mantra.

To which the great master replied:

O daughter of good family, the Vajra Guru mantra is not just my single essence mantra, it is the very essence or life force of all the deities of the four classes of tantra, of all the nine yanas, and all of the 84,000 collections of dharma teachings. The essence of all of the buddhas of the three times, all of the gurus, yidams, dakas, and dakinis, dharma protectors, etc., the essence of all of these is contained and is complete within this mantra. How, you may ask, does this work? What is the reason for all these being complete with this mantra? Listen well and hold this in mind. Read it again and again. Write it out for the benefit of sentient beings, and teach it or demonstrate it to beings in the future.

OM AH HUNG VAJRA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG

OM AH HUNG are the sublime, essence of the principles of enlightened body, speech, and mind
VAJRA is the sublime essence of the indestructible family
GURU is the sublime essence of the jewel family
PEMA is the sublime essence of the lotus family
SIDDHI is the sublime essence of the activity family
HUNG is the sublime essence of the transcendent family

OM AH HUNG VAJRA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG

OM is the perfect splendor and richness of sambhoghakaya
AH is the total unchanging perfection of dharmakaya, the manifest body of absolute reality
HUNG perfects the presence of Guru Padmasambhava as the nirmanakaya, the manifest body of emanation
VAJRA perfects all the heruka deities of the mandalas
GURU refers to the root and transmission gurus and the holders of intrinsic awareness
PEMA perfects the assembly of dakas and dakinis
SIDDHI is the life force of all the wealth deities and the guardians of the treasure teachings
HUNG is the life force of the dharmapalas, the protective deities

OM AH HUNG VAJRA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG

OM AH HUNG are the life force of the three classes of tantra
VAJRA is the life force of the monastic discipline and the sutra class of teachings
GURU is the life force of abhidharma and kriya (action) yoga, the first level of tantra
PEMA is the life force of the charya (conduct) yoga, the second class of tantra, and yoga (joining) tantra, the third class of tantra
SIDDHI is the life force of the mahayoga and anuyoga classes of teachings
HUNG is the life force of the ati yoga, the Natural Great Perfection (Dzogchen)

OM AH HUNG VAJRA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG

OM AH HUNG purify obscurations arising from the three mental poisons: desire/attachment, aversion, and ignorance
VAJRA purifies obscurations which stem from anger
GURU purifies obscurations which stem from pride
PEMA purifies obscurations which stem from desire/attachment
SIDDHI purifies obscurations which stem from envy/jealousy
HUNG in a general way purifies obscurations which stem from all emotional afflictions

OM AH HUNG VAJRA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG

Through OM AH HUNG one attains the three kayas
Through VAJRA one realizes mirror-like pristine awareness
Through GURU one realizes the pristine awareness of equalness
Through PEMA one realizes the pristine awareness of discernment
Through SIDDHI one realizes the all-accomplishing pristine awareness
Through HUNG one realizes the pristine awareness of basic space

OM AH HUNG VAJRA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG

Through OM AH HUNG gods, demons, and humans are subdued
Through VAJRA one gains power over malevolent forces of certain gods and demons
Through GURU one gains control over the malevolent forces of the Lord of Death and the cannibal demons
Through PEMA one gains control over the malevolent influences of the water and wind elements
Through SIDDHI one gains control over the malevolent influences of non-human forces and spirits bringing harm and exerting negative control over one's life
Through HUNG one gains control of the malevolent influences of planetary configurations and earth spirits

OM AH HUNG VAJRA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG

OM AH HUNG accomplishes the six spiritual virtues
VAJRA accomplishes pacifying activity
GURU accomplishes enriching activity
PEMA accomplishes magnetizing activity
SIDDHI accomplishes enlightened activity in general
HUNG accomplishes wrathful enlightened activity

OM AH HUNG VAJRA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG

OM AH HUNG avert all imprecations and curses
VAJRA averts the negative consequences of breaking one's samaya with the deities of pristine awareness
GURU averts the negative influences of the eight classes of gods and demons in samsara
PEMA averts the negative influences of nagas and earth spirits
HUNG averts the negative influences of gods, demons, humans, samsaric gods

OM AH HUNG VAJRA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG

OM AH HUNG defeats the army of the five mental poisons
VAJRA defeats anger
GURU defeats pride
PEMA defeats desire/attachment
SIDDHI defeats envy and jealousy
HUNG defeats the armies of gods, demons and humans

OM AH HUNG VAJRA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG

OM AH HUNG brings about the spiritual accomplishments or siddhis
VAJRA brings about the siddhi of peaceful and wrathful deities
GURU brings about the siddhi of the awareness-holders and the lineage gurus
PEMA brings about the siddhi of the dakas and dakinis and dharma protectors
SIDDHI brings about the mundane and supreme siddhis
HUNG brings about the siddhi of accomplishing whatever one wishes

OM AH HUNG VAJRA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG

OM AH HUNG transfers consciousness to the pure realms of experience
VAJRA transfers consciousness to the eastern pure realm of Manifest Joy
GURU transfers consciousness to the southern pure realm of Glory & Splendor
PEMA transfers consciousness to the western pure realm of Great Bliss
SIDDHI transfers consciousness to the northern pure realm of Excellent Activity
HUNG transfers consciousness to the central pure realm of Unwavering

If a physical form could demonstrate the benefit of even one recitation of OM AH HUNG VAJRA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG, the entire earth would not be sufficient to contain the merit. All sentient beings who see, hear, or remember this mantra will definitely be established in the ranks of the masculine and feminine awareness-holders. If it is the case that these words of truth ofthe Vajra Guru mantra do not accomplish for sentient beings what they wish to accomplish just as I havepromised, then I Pema Jungne, am truly deceiving sentient beings. But I have not deceived you, so you should practice according to my instructions.

Even if you are not able to recite the mantra for whatever reasons, you should mount it on the top of a victory banner, even when the wind touches it, and that wind touches sentient beings, it will free them without a doubt. Alternately, you may inscribe it in clay or carve it in stone. This will also guard the path upon which these syllables are placed and guard that region from malevolent effects. You may also write this mantra out in gold ink on dark blue paper and wear it as an amulet. When you die, if this amulet is burned with your corpse, rainbows will be seen and your consciousness will be transferred to the realms of Supreme Bliss. The benefits of writing out, reading or reciting this mantra defy any accurate measure and defy any standard measurement that could be applied. Having established this for the benefit of beings in the future, I am hiding this treasure. May it meet with a fortunate child of mine in the future who has good karma.

Samaya. Sealed. Sealed. Sealed.
~ GURU PADMASAMBHAVA