Commentary to the Dewachen Prayer

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THE LOTUS GARLAND Commentary to the Dewachen wishing prayer by Karma Chagme Rinpoche

Boosting of Confidence about Amitabha Pureland

Bodhisattvas who voluntarily serve the needs of sentient beings do not cringe at  the miseries of thecycle of existence. We, on the other hand, fear the suffering of samsara, so if we wish to attain spiritual awakening in a state of joy and happiness, without experiencing suffering, we should pray to be born in the realm of Sukhavati. If we pray to be born there (except in cases of sins of immediate retribution and the abandonment of Dharma) our birth there will be due to the power of Amitabha's prayers. If we are reborn there, we will not have even the slightest suffering, and our joy and happiness will be abundant. We will be able to go miraculously to Abhirati, the Glorous Copper Mountain, and Tusita, meet the buddhas there and receive the Dharma. With unimpeded extrasensory perception and paranormal abilities, we will be able to lead those with whom we have a connection out of the intermediate state. For countless hundreds of millions of eons, there will be no illness, no aging, and no death. We will behold the face of Buddha Amitabha and listen to Dharma. Incalculable clouds of offerings will be emanated from the palms of our handsand be offered to the buddhas. Thus, the qualities of the grounds and paths will be perfected, and we will become enlightened.

How easy is it to be born there? It is said that if one earnestly prays ten times, one will take birth there. There is no point is doubting whether or not you will be born there. If you nurture doubts, you will be born in that pure realm, but the lotus flower in which you are born will not open for five hundred years. It is said that during that time, you will experience joy and happines, and you will hear the voice of the Buddha; but unfortunately there will be a delay in seeing his face. Therefore, without harboring doubts, tonight when you are about to sleep, you should dedicate whatever spiritual practice you havedone today to be reborn there. If you know them, recite The Prayer of Fine Conduct and The Sukhavati Prayer, but if you do not know them, it is enough to say, "May I be born in Sukhavati!" By so doing, when you die (whether or not you are able to sustain your spiritual practice, or succeed in the practice of transference, or recognize the assemblies of peaceful and wrathful deities in the transitional process of reality-itself) two weeks after your death, you will determine that you have died; and before the messengers of Yama arrive, and before the verdict is made concerning your actions and their karmic consequences, with defiled extrasensory perception you will be aware of your past and future lives and the intermediate states. You will be able to demonstrate various paranormal abilities, and you will have great freedom to go where you will. At that time, hold Buddha Amitabha in mind, and go to Sukhavati. There is no doubt that you will go there simply by thinking of it.

The author of this text, Karma Chagme Rinpoche, was born in 1613. He took refuge, novice ordination, and eventually full ordination from the Karmapa at Tsurphu Monastery. He then entered Thupten Nyingling Monastery of the Zurmang tradition. In his 21st year he was given a public examination during the Monlam of the Karma Kagyu order before a gathering of 12,000 monks, which increased his already considerable renown as an outstanding scholar. Karma Chagme spent 13 years in retreat during which he meditated on the form of Avalokitesvara known as Jinasagara (Tib. Gyalwa Gyatso) as his chosen deity. Karma Chagme passed away in the year 1678 after announcing to thousands of his disciples that the time had come for him to depart to another realm. He revealed amazing signs at his death. It is said that he dissolved his mind into the heart of Buddha Amitabha, and after the cremation of his body many images of Avalokitesvara Jinasagara were found to be embossed on his bones.

Origin of mantra Karmapa Chenno

The most important practice in Tibetan Buddhism is Guru Yoga, meditation and mantra on the spiritual head and teacher of the tradition, which is seen as living Buddha, embodiment of three kayas and 10 bhumi (extraordinary powers). In Kagyu tradition the head Lama is Gyalwa Karmapa and his mantra is Karmapa Chenno. It is believed sounds of this mantra are directly connected with the enlightened mind of HH Karmapa and carry its enlightened qualities and brings help when it is most necessary for the benefit of student.

Here I would like to share with you a story about the origins of Karmapa Chenno mantra. The Karmapa mantra has originated at the times of 8thKarmapa Mikyo Dorje (1507-1554) in context of teaching about "Calling the Lama from afar."

“Karmapa Chenno” can be roughly translated as "Embodiment of the compassion of all Buddhas, turn attention to me." In Central Tibet, Sikkim and Bhutan, it is pronounced Karmapa Kyen-no or Karmapa khen-no. In East Tibet, it is pronounced "Karmapa chenno."In western countries the most widespread pronunciation is Karmapa Chenno and it is considered correct.

One day, in 16th century, the head of a nomadic household in desolate, windswept northern Tibet passed away. In such a sparsely inhabited region it was rare to find monasteries and lamas to perform Buddhist funeral rites, so the family wondered what to do. Then they noticed a ragged individual travelling on foot who appeared as if he could be either an itinerant yogi or a beggar, so they went to inquire. The mendicant turned out to be, in fact, a lama. The grieving family requested his ministrations for the deceased, and he complied.

When he reached the man's deathbed and began his incantations, the family respectfully requested the lama to perform phowa (consciousness transference to higher realms). The lama, however, said: "I am just a poor, uneducated practitioner of the Buddha's teachings; I have not mastered that esoteric practice. But I do have one positive quality, infinite faith in the living Buddha, named Lama Karmapa; he is like the great gate to Dewachen (a transcendent Pure Land from which evolution on the path of enlightenment is said to be more easily assured). His name is the magic password to that fabulous spiritual domain."

Then he began reciting again and again the powerful name-mantra, "Karmapa Khyenno!" "Karmapa Khyenno, Karmapa Khyenno," he intoned loudly, again and again. After each and every rosary of one hundred and eight fervent recitations, he would then hit the corpse with his mala, or prayer beads, commanding that, in the name of the Buddha Karmapa, the spirit of the deceased be reborn in Dewachen.

After some time, everyone noticed that the signs of successful consciousness transference began to appear. Hair fell from the top of the corpse's head; there was a pleasant fragrance in the air, and a large bump appeared at the crown aperture where the subtle consciousness of the deceased departed for the other world.

Everyone present rejoiced, and gratefully thanked the mendicant lama. All began to faithfully practice the mantra of the Karmapa, praying to realize the great freedom and bliss of Dewachen in this very lifetime.

The travelling lama soon continued on his journey. One day he heard that the omniscient Karmapa was visiting south Tibet, so he determined to go and meet him and pay his respects. Upon finally reaching his destination, the first thing the clairvoyant Karmapa said to him was: "That was a difficult phowa we performed up there in the north, wasn't it?" The Karmapa laughed, hitting the other lama with his mala. Then the mendicant knew with unshakable certainty that the Karmapa is an omniscient living Buddha, who always keeps his disciples, wherever they are, in his heart and mind.

Since those days Karmapa Chenno is the most important mantra to invoke the enlightened qualities and powers of Karmapa in Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. With the name of Karmapa is understood not just some particular individual, but the enlightened qualities of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Karmapa is the one who embodies all three jewels of refuge, Buddha, Dharma and Sangha for his students.

How to Practice on Buddha Amitabha

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

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

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