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Cessation of Suffering

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An excerpt from a teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo called “How Buddhists Think”

The Buddha’s next teaching is that there exists a cessation of suffering, which is the same as the cessation of desire.  This cessation is called Enlightenment, and it is the only true cessation of suffering.

In a very poor society, people focus on basic survival.  But what happens in a society like ours, in which survival is not a main concern?  (If nothing else works, we can go on welfare.)  Since we don’t need to focus on survival, we have time to be neurotic.  The more we seem to satisfy our needs, the more needs we develop.

In cyclic existence, there is no way to solve all our needs.  Everything constantly changes.  And temporary happiness is almost a mixed blessing:  it always ends, and in the meantime, we are preoccupied with it.  The problem is that we haven’t done anything about viewing our true Nature.  It’s almost as if we keep ourselves satisfied by eating the icing off the cake; never really obtaining genuine nourishment.

When the Buddha taught that there is an end to suffering, it was a major revelation.  Why?  Although the great yogis and gurus at that time taught that one could achieve God-consciousness, cosmic consciousness, the Buddha superseded that.  Due to the ripening of his great generosity in past lives, he was able to come to a level of meditation in which he realized the cessation of fixation––fixation on godliness and even fixation on the consciousness of self.  He attained a level of realization that was simply “Awake.”  No consciousness, no sameness, no union.  Simply pure luminosity: “I am Awake.”

At that moment, all the cause-and-effect building blocks accumulated throughout time out of mind, all the building blocks from endless involvement with subject-object fixation, all the fixation on ego as real––all of this was pacified.  The Buddha realized the sameness and indivisibility of subject and object, the inseparability of action and stillness, the sameness, the “Suchness” of all that is.  All was dispelled in clear, uncontrived, luminous awareness. This non-specific awareness is the pure view of one’s own true Nature.  It is simply being awake.  The Buddha teaches that this is the end of all suffering, because it is the end of what you make suffering with.  It is the end of cause-and-effect relationships––and therefore, according to Buddhism, the end of karma.

Copyright ©  Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo.  All rights reserved

Aspirational Bodhicitta

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[Adapted from an oral commentary given by His Holiness Penor Rinpoche in conjunction with a ceremony wherein he bestowed the bodhisattva vow upon a gathering of disciples at Namdroling in Bozeman, Montana, November 1999. —Ed.]

Cultivation of aspirational bodhicitta involves three aspirations, four dark dharmas to reject, and four white dharmas to accept. The three aspirations are to establish all sentient beings in the resultant state of buddhahood, to train in the methods of the higher grounds and paths, and to fulfill the needs and hopes of all parent sentient beings. The four dark dharmas to reject are to trick or deceive the spiritual guide, to deceive the patron, to disparage any Mahayana practitioner, and to deceive other sentient beings. The four white dharmas to accept are to never be deceitful, even at the cost of your life; to acknowledge the noble qualities of the bodhisattvas and praise them; to sincerely train in the bodhisattva way of life by abandoning all deceitful acts; and to have the intention to guide all beings—regardless of status, caste, creed, race, or any distinction—to the path of Mahayana practice. If you are training in these four white dharmas, the four dark dharmas will automatically be eliminated.

From “THE PATH of the Bodhisattva: A Collection of the Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva and Related Prayers” with a commentary by Kyabje Pema Norbu Rinpoche on the Prayer for Excellent Conduct

Buddhahood for All Beings

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[Adapted from an oral commentary given by His Holiness Penor Rinpoche in conjunction with a ceremony wherein he bestowed the bodhisattva vow upon a gathering of disciples at Namdroling in Bozeman, Montana, November 1999. —Ed.]

The ultimate nature of all phenomena is empty and free from elaboration and limitation. From the relative point of view there is duality—self and other, happiness and sorrow, and so forth. A skilled magician can create magical displays while knowing that his creations are just magic. The spectators, even when knowing they are seeing a magic show, will see the display as real. Similarly, endless appearances arise on the relative plane, but their nature is empty, devoid of true, inherent existence.

Not knowing that the nature of all phenomena is empty, sentient beings hold to phenomena as real. Having created the habit of fixating upon all appearances as being true and real, they have compounded this habit over countless lifetimes. Practitioners of the bodhisattva path realize the empty nature of phenomena and know that sentient beings revolving in cyclic existence are suffering because of their not knowing the empty nature of phenomena.

Considering that all these sentient beings suffering in cyclic existence were your parents in past lifetimes, [it is evident that] they showed you great kindness by giving you your life. They birthed you, nurtured you, and cared for you when you were sick. They cherished you in inconceivable ways, more than they cherished their own life. In countless ways, they showed you great kindness. Without exception, all these [sentient beings, who all were your] mothers of your past lifetimes, including your mother of this lifetime, have only wanted happiness. Because of their not knowing the [empty] nature of phenomena and [therefore] holding to appearances as true, they have accumulated only the wrong causes, which have resulted in more suffering. Although they have hoped to establish happiness, having been unaware of the way to do so, they have established more causes for suffering—while having shown incredible kindness to you and others, repeatedly.

You have a responsibility here. In order to be able to establish sentient beings in true happiness, you must have the power and strength to do so. Just now you lack that strength. It is only when you become fully enlightened that you will have the strength and power to establish sentient beings in the state of true happiness. That is why you must become fully enlightened. The sole purpose in seeking liberation is to bring all parent sentient beings out of suffering and to establish them in the state of everlasting bliss and happiness, which is, of course, the state of fully perfected buddhahood. Therefore, with that as your root intention, you engage in aspirational and practical bodhicitta.

From “THE PATH of the Bodhisattva: A Collection of the Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva and Related Prayers” with a commentary by Kyabje Pema Norbu Rinpoche on the Prayer for Excellent Conduct

Compiled under the direction of Venerable Gyatrul Rinpoche Vimala Publishing 2008

Bodhicitta – Inexhaustible Virtue

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[Adapted from an oral commentary given by His Holiness Penor Rinpoche in conjunction with a ceremony wherein he bestowed the bodhisattva vow upon a gathering of disciples at Namdroling in Bozeman, Montana, November 1999. —Ed.]

With bodhicitta, nonvirtues are naturally purified. An analogy commonly used to describe that is one about traveling to a dangerous place. If you have some able companions (strong, heroic individuals) on your journey, they can help you if you encounter danger. Similarly, if you have bodhicitta, that will save you from the dangers of the passions that would otherwise harm you and cause you to lose your way.

If you cultivate bodhicitta, that alone will have the power to eliminate heaps of nonvirtue in your mind. The force and power of your cultivation will eliminate the nonvirtue you have amassed in this and all past lifetimes.

With bodhicitta, whatever virtue you accumulate becomes inexhaustible. Such virtue is different from virtue that is devoid of bodhicitta: virtue devoid of bodhicitta will ripen once, and then it will be over; virtue coupled with bodhicitta will ripen and increase as part of the great oceanlike enlightened mind, which is not exhausted until all beings reach the state of buddhahood.

From “THE PATH of the Bodhisattva: A Collection of the Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva and Related Prayers” with a commentary by Kyabje Pema Norbu Rinpoche on the Prayer for Excellent Conduct

Requesting the Buddhas & Bodhisattvas to Remain in the World

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[Adapted from an oral commentary given by His Holiness Penor Rinpoche in conjunction with a ceremony wherein he bestowed the bodhisattva vow upon a gathering of disciples at Namdroling in Bozeman, Montana, November 1999. —Ed.]

This is important because in cyclic existence there are many ignorant beings that fail to recognize the precious noble qualities of the Buddhas. They don’t recognize the buddhas who are present here in the world, and so they fail to appreciate them; therefore, to benefit beings, the buddhas may go on to other realms where they will be recognized and appreciated. To ensure that the buddhas will remain in the world no matter what, we have to request them not to pass into nirvana. Requesting the buddhas and bodhisattvas to stay in the world is the antidote for having wrong view, such as thinking, “What’s so special about buddhas? Are they better than we are? We are equal to them and can certainly get by without them.”

From “THE PATH of the Bodhisattva: A Collection of the Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva and Related Prayers” with a commentary by Kyabje Pema Norbu Rinpoche on the Prayer for Excellent Conduct

Compiled under the direction of Venerable Gyatrul Rinpoche Vimala Publishing 2008

Rejoicing

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[Adapted from an oral commentary given by His Holiness Penor Rinpoche in conjunction with a ceremony wherein he bestowed the bodhisattva vow upon a gathering of disciples at Namdroling in Bozeman, Montana, November 1999. —Ed.]

Consider all ordinary virtue, which is virtue accumulated by ordinary individuals, and all stainless virtue, which is virtue accumulated by buddhas and bodhisattvas. Ordinary virtue, also called tainted virtue, is virtue accumulated with [the stain of] passions. Consider all virtue and constantly rejoice. For instance, if you see that someone has made an offering of a hundred butter lamps, you may think, “How beautiful those butter lamps are! What a wonderful offering!” Perhaps you too may hope to make such an offering. Rather than be jealous that someone else has made the offering, rejoice in the virtue and merit of the person who presented it, and you too will receive the same results of that merit and virtue. Rejoicing is the antidote for having jealousy, especially having jealousy toward others and the virtue they are able to accumulate.

From “THE PATH of the Bodhisattva: A Collection of the Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva and Related Prayers” with a commentary by Kyabje Pema Norbu Rinpoche on the Prayer for Excellent Conduct

Compiled under the direction of Venerable Gyatrul Rinpoche Vimala Publishing 2008

Wisdom Merit

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[Adapted from an oral commentary given by His Holiness Penor Rinpoche in conjunction with a ceremony wherein he bestowed the bodhisattva vow upon a gathering of disciples at Namdroling in Bozeman, Montana, November 1999. —Ed.]

General offerings please the senses. Imagine those offerings to be vast and inconceivable. However, if you were to [attempt to] compare the outer offerings with a single particle of the realms of buddhas and the quality of offerings made in the minds of enlightened ones, [you would find that comparison] to be beyond the scope of your imagination. That is why it is so important while presenting offerings to try to connect with the ultimate nature of offering, which is mental and not just material. Material offerings you make are supports for your mental or imagined offerings, which should be as inconceivably vast and wondrous as you are capable of manifesting. The actual offerings you use as a support should also be the best substances you are able to offer. At least they must not be old, dirty, or leftover substances; they must be suitable supports for the basis of virtue. The pure material offerings you make will be the support for the continual manifestation of inexhaustible offerings that will remain until samsara is emptied.

There is a well-known story of an accomplished practitioner named Jowo Ben. One day Jowo Ben made a very beautiful, clean, and pure offering on his altar. As he sat and looked at his offering, he thought, “What is it that makes this offering I’ve made here today excellent?” Then he remembered his sponsor was coming to visit that day, and he realized he had made the beautiful offering in order to impress his sponsor. He jumped up, picked up a handful of dirt, and threw it on the altar, saying he should give up all attachment and fixation on worldly concerns. Other lamas, on hearing what Jowo Ben had done, proclaimed his offering of throwing dirt on his altar to have been the purest of offerings, because Jowo Ben had finally cleared his mind of attachment and aversion.

When offerings are made, they are rendered pure and excellent by a mind free from attachment and aversion to the ordinary, material aspect of the offerings—and they must be made with a mind that is also free from avarice. Don’t think you can throw dirt on your altar and think that will benefit you. You must adjust your mind. If your mind is free from attachment or fixation and aversion, then whatever you do will be right. If your mind is not adjusted and your intentions are impure, then no matter how beautiful and magnificent the offering is, it will be insignificant. If you present all offerings, whether abundant or meager, with fervent devotion from the core of your heart, that will produce profoundly amazing results.

In order to be free from the suffering of existence, the mind must be free from dualistic fixation. In freedom from duality, everything is inherently pure. Just imagine all the wonderful offerings that are made that are free from duality: pure water possessing the eight qualities, garlands of flowers, incense, light, superior perfume, celestial food, musical instruments, fine garments, beautiful umbrellas, canopies, victory banners, the sun, the moon—the finest and best of everything is offered. Consider those as offerings arranged in a magnificent array equal in size to Mt. Meru. Furthermore, know that those offerings are pure and free from duality. For example, if you were to pick a flower and think, “Oh, this is such a beautiful flower; I want to offer it,” but then you also think, “My flower is more beautiful than the others,” and you offer it with that dualistic thought, then that offering would be defiled by your dualistic fixation. On the other hand, if you focus on the pure nature of the offerings and present them with pure devotion, you will make offerings that are pure or free from dualistic fixation. Recite the verses of the branch for offering, and make the most excellent, immeasurable offering you are capable of with the enlightened attitude [bodhicitta], faith, and pure devotion.

It is important to understand that presenting offerings is the antidote for [having] desire. Offerings are not made to the Three Jewels because they are considered to be poverty-stricken and in need of receiving from their disciples; offerings are made to accumulate merit. By making offerings with actual material substances, we accumulate ordinary conceptual merit; by using the mind to manifest immeasurable offerings, we accumulate nonconceptual wisdom merit.

From “THE PATH of the Bodhisattva: A Collection of the Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva and Related Prayers” with a commentary by Kyabje Pema Norbu Rinpoche on the Prayer for Excellent Conduct

Compiled under the direction of Venerable Gyatrul Rinpoche Vimala Publishing 2008

How to Meditate

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From teachings given by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

What is meditation?

Meditation is the natural state of mind when it is relaxed, stable, and open.  When our mind is calm and settled, there is a spaciousness that allows time between action and reaction.  The trouble is that the mind more frequently runs wild like a monkey. That is what happens when the mind is too agitated, wound up, or out of control. The mind controls you rather than the other way around.

The point of meditation is to create space in your mind.  The mind is like a muscle.  In the same way that you do physical fitness training to keep your body strong, the mind needs to be trained to be calm and relaxed, yet also alert and wakeful. For Buddhists, meditation is the means by which to experience wisdom directly.

Meditation Techniques

Meditation can be practiced by anyone, regardless of religious tradition.

The following are some simple meditation techniques as explained by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

Posture

While there are more elaborate explanations for how to hold the body, in general it is beneficial to sit comfortably with one’s back straight. A firm cushion is useful to lift the body some. In our tradition, we meditate with our eyes slightly open.

Watching the Breath

A very simple, yet powerful, technique is to watch the breath.  You can take very uniform relaxing breaths.  Four beats in, hold one, four beats out.  Let your mind rest on the rhythm and feel of your own breath. For a person whose mind is too active and angry, it is very restful, very peaceful to do this.

Single-pointed concentration

Single-pointed concentration is a beautiful practice.  Take an image of the Buddha, or flower, or candle, and concentrate on that.  Let everything else go completely.  Sit and watch the image.  You are filled with the image and you take note of the image, looking at the finest parts of it.  If you use a candle, focus on the nature of that flame.  Simply see what it is.  See only that.  Let the mind rest on the image or candle or flower.  When the “I left the iron on” thoughts come into your mind, you dismiss them and go back to the concentration.  If you have trouble dismissing thoughts, you can use a visualization of cutting them with scissors, and throwing them away.  You always return to your single-pointed concentration.  Come back to rest.  If you have thoughts, no matter what they are, just laugh at yourself, drop them and come back to the concentration.  It is extremely relaxing and healing to let the mind rest.  The resting will get longer and longer as you practice.  Once you learn to apply meditation or concentration, the mind has more control, more “muscle.”

Jetsunma gives the background on her experience with meditation in Stablizing the Mind, a collection of teachings and practical instruction.

Long Life Prayer for Yangthang Rinpoche

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Long Life Prayer for Yangthang Rinpoche

Kunzang Jigmed Dechen Ödsal Dorje

OM SWASTI

NGA GYUR KÜN ZANG THUG KYI TEN PA’I SÖL

Upholder of the early translation Heart-doctrine of Kuntuzangpo

JIG MED THUG KYED TOB KYI DZIN PA LA

By the strength of your fearless intention

DE WA CHEN PO PEME CHIN LAB PA

And the great bliss of Padmasambhava’s blessing,

ÖD SAL DORJE KAL GYAR TSO ZHE SÖL

May the Vajra of Clear Light Live for a hundred aeons.

By request, this was written by Gyurmed Thegchog Tenp’i Gyaltshen, His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

H.E. Venerable Yangthang Tulku Rinpoche is a highly revered Guru in the Nyingma School. He is known to be the embodiment of Vimalamitra, a Dzogchen Master regarded as the chief propagator of Buddhism in Sikkim. Rinpoche has successfully retrieved many Terma Buddhist scriptures which were secretly concealed by Guru Padmasambhava.  H.E. Ven. Yangthang Rinpoche was born in the Yangthang family in Sikkim in 1923. Rinpoche was recognized as the reincarnation of Terton Dorje Dechen Lingpa.

In November 1990, Ven. Yangthang Tulku came to KPC and bestowed the complete Ratna LIngpa cycle of revelations, along with the Nyingtik Yabshi. He was accompanied by Ven. Gyatrul Rinpoche.

It is not too late to register for his upcoming visit to KPC on April 23rd – don’t miss this rare and precious opportunity!

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