Mahamudra Instructions by HEJKR3rd

7/28/2019 Mahamudra Instructions by HEJKR3rd

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His Eminence the Third Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche,

Karma Lodr Chkyi Senge

Instructions based on Pointing Out the Dharmakaya,

composed by the Ninth Gyalwa Karmapa, Wangchug Dorje


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Introduction

I will present teachings based on the text entitled "Pointing Out theDharmakaya that was composed by the Ninth Gyalwa Karmapa,Wangchug Dorje. It is one of the most important texts on meditation in theKarma Kagy Tradition. Its called "Pointing Out the Dharmakaya" because

it points to the mind. Before I begin, though, I want to remind everyone togive rise to the sincere attitude and pure motivation before receiving theinstructions that originated with Buddha Shakyamuni and that have beenhanded down to us through the masters who have upheld the OralTransmission Lineage unbroken since that time.

Maybe one isnt attentive of the teachings that are being presentedbecause one isnt concentrated. This is compared to pouring water into abowl that is turned upside down; its logical that this bowl cannot containthe water poured into it. In the same way, one may be physically presentwhile the teachings are being imparted, but if one doesnt listenattentively, its as though one hadn't participated at all. One needs to

have a clear and attentive mind and listen carefully to the Lama's words.

The second error one needs to be free of while receiving instructions onthe Buddhadharma is being inconsiderate of the meaning of the words bynot contemplating the instructions after having received them. Forexample, one may hear the words but apply no effort in trying tounderstand the meaning, an attitude likened to a bowl with cracks in thebottom. Any liquid poured into such a bowl automatically leaks out again.In comparison, when one receives the teachings but ignores them,because one fails to contemplate the meaning, they leak out. This is thesecond error one needs to be free of while receiving the teachings.


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The third error that can occur is having disturbing emotions while listeningto the teachings. Lacking faith and confidence in the instructions that arebeing presented pollutes the teachings with ones prevailing mind poison,which are the mental afflictions one stubbornly holds on to. This error islikened to pouring pure water into a bowl that contains poison, in which

case the water becomes contaminated. One needs to be free of the thirdfault while receiving the precious Dharma teachings. I request that youclear your mind of all three faults before commencing and ask you to havepure faith, devotion, and confidence in the teachings and in the teacherwho is presenting them. One aspires to understand the instructionscorrectly so that one will truly be able to help sentient beings become freeof the suffering that samsara entails.

Buddha Shakyamuni presented three cycles of teachings that comply withhis pupils' propensities and needs. For disciples steeped in daily concerns,the Buddha offered explanations on situations related to relative realitythat are experienced in everyday life. He then imparted explanations on

ultimate reality for disciples who have a keener capacity to understandthe teachings. The teachings I will elaborate here belong to the highestcycle of the Buddhas instructions - Mahamudra. They deal with the subtleand profound truth of reality that pupils with superior qualities canunderstand.

During the third and last cycle of teachings, Lord Buddha showed theBuddha nature that abides within every sentient being without exception.All instructions on the Buddha nature belong to the third cycle ofteachings that the Buddha presented. The Buddha nature is everyonestrue nature. It isnt necessary to fabricate or create the true nature assomething different than what always and already abides within every

sentient being since beginningless time. Ones Buddha nature ismomentarily obscured, though, which doesnt mean that it is polluted,rather its concealed by ones mental and emotional defilements.Buddhahood doesnt mean one becomes someone else and different thanone already is, rather one realizes ones true mind, in its entireabundance, when one accomplishes Buddhahood. A Buddha has realizedhis minds true nature; an ordinary living being hasnt.

As mentioned, the Mahamudra instructions belong to the third cycle ofteachings. The Karma Kagy Tradition is deeply linked with Mahamudra. Inthe Samadhirajasutra and in the Lankavatarasutra, the Buddhaprophesied the coming of a doctor who would perfectly uphold and

transmit the Mahamudra instructions. This doctor was Lhaje Gampopa. Hefounded the Karma Kagy Lineage, and so the Kagy Tradition isextraordinary.


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The transmission of Mahamudra does not take place through anintellectual understanding of Buddhist literature. Mahamudra is an oraltransmission of the meditation instructions that have been handed downthrough the Lineage from a Lama to his disciples successively and isbased on realization of the instructions. A transmission presupposes

realization on the part of a Lama, who is able to transmit the blessings ofthe Lineage, without any mistakes. This is why the Mahamudra Lineage isextremely pure and beneficial transmission is based on realization. Allmeditation instructions are profound and are not a mere collection ofinformation.

The Mahamudra Transmission Lineage of meditation instructions is upheldin all Karma Kagy Schools, which consists of the four major and eightsmaller schools. His Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa is Head of the KarmaKamtsang Tradition, the school we all follow. The three main texts studiedin this tradition were written by the Ninth Gyalwa Karmapa, WangchugDorje; they are precise descriptions of Mahamudra. He wrote an elaborate,

a condensed, and a short version. The long text is called The Ocean ofthe Definitive Meaning, the middle-length one is Dispelling theDarkness of Ignorance, and the shortest is Pointing Out theDharmakaya. I will speak about the third text, which consists of eighteenblock prints in Tibetan and is a condensed elucidation of the first two.

The Mahamudra path is called the path to liberation. If you are able topractice and when you realize the Mahamudra instructions that you arereceiving, you will have achieved liberation. One must be a proper vessel,though, i.e., one needs to be a qualified disciple who is capable ofreceiving these profound instructions without distorting them. Such aqualified disciple needs the favorable acquirements and must uphold a

pure relationship with his or her Lama. When a qualified disciple meets hisor her Root Lama, he or she can achieve instantaneous enlightenment andrealize the pure state of Vajradhara, Dorje Chang in Tibetan. This is onlypossible because Mahamudra has the sublime power to instantaneouslydispel all mental obscurations that impede realization.

A disciple experiences liberation by means of many different methods andin reliance upon the personal bond he or she has with the Root Lama, whoin turn needs to be an authentic and qualified Guru. A Root Lama canpoint to the nature of the mind by using a symbolical word or gesture.

Pointing Out the Dharmakaya is divided into three chapters. The firstchapter explains the preliminary practices and is divided into the section

on the four general and four special preliminaries; the second chapterteaches the practices of calm abiding and special insight meditation; andthe last chapter elucidates enhancing the practice and dispellinghindrances.

I again wish to remind everyone to generate and maintain the puremotivation of Bodhichitta while I continue so that you can fully appreciatethe meaning of these profound instructions.


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I. THE PRELIMINARIES

The General Preliminaries

The general preliminary practices are the four contemplations that inspirestudents to turn their mind towards the Dharma. One needs to know that

all sentient beings who have ever lived and who live now have the Buddhanature but have failed to recognize it because it is concealed by theirobscuring defilements. For ones Buddha nature to manifest, itsnecessary to eliminate the main obscuration, which is ignorance of theway things are and they way things appear.

As it is, one discriminates between an apprehending subject andapprehended objects when one perceives things and as a result reacts toones apprehensions dualistically, which means to say that one allows adisturbing and disruptive emotion to determine ones reactions andbehavior. Activities carried out by means of ones body, speech, and mindbecome habitual patterns that drive one to experience conditioned

existence the way one does, and therefore one is deluded. While deluded,ones habits are impulses that drive one to apprehend appearances andexperiences the way one does, and ones habits move one to react toones apprehensions and to repeat ones faults that have led one toexperience injury and pain in samsara up and until now. In truth, everyliving beings mind is by nature pure. The habitual imprints conceal onespure nature and thus, deluded by them, one wanders from one state offrustration and pain to the other, driven by ones habits and thereforewithout control, i.e., one remains trapped in samsara due to ones owndelusiveness. Its necessary to reverse and eliminate ones habits thatdetermine ones life so strongly. Why does one need to do this?

When one realizes the true and pure nature of ones mind, one is free; aslong as one doesnt, one continues ones journey from one unsatisfactoryexperience to the next. One fails to realize ones true and pure naturebecause ones habits are extremely strong. They are very subtle andcannot be recognized that easily, otherwise they could be overcomeeasily. One needs to develop positive and benevolent habits that reverseand replace the negative ones that one has. At an advanced stage ofpractice, one experiences freedom from good and bad habits, so practicedoesnt mean one throws bad habits out and only then one is free to workon acquiring good ones. Thats not the meaning.


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One begins the journey on the path to refinement by being aware of thequalities each and every action one carries out engenders. One doesntfollow a strict code of discipline, rather one earnestly gives up clinging tocyclic existence by renouncing it. One contemplates the meaninglesspropositions that conditioned existence, samsara, offers and, having

realized the futility of samsara, renounces any further involvement with it.One is extremely attached to ones body, to ones relatives and friends, tothe environment one lives in, and so forth. Since one has an extremelystrong feeling of self-importance, its necessary to learn to overcome theidea one has of oneself and the world by contemplating the disadvantagesof samsara. Should one succeed in giving up futile pursuits, one would seethat the suffering one experiences is small in comparison to the pain thatsamsara as a whole entails. But, first one needs to know about theworthlessness of samsara and realize that it only consists of suffering andpain. Acknowledging that its possible to become free of the obscured wayin which one perceives reality, one realizes that ones own delusiveness

has kept one bound in samsara since time that is without a beginning.Now, samsara doesnt disappear through wishful thinking. Its necessaryto contemplate the inadequacies of conditioned existence in order torenounce it fully. Having renounced samsara, one can engage in Dharmapractices correctly so that one becomes free of suffering.

At this time, one clings to all concrete and abstract appearances. In orderto overcome clinging to ones deceptive mode of apprehension, onecontemplates the four preliminaries. These contemplations move one toturn ones attention away from deceptive attachment to samsara andtowards leading a meaningful life. The first two contemplations concern aprecious human birth and impermanence.

In order to engage in the practices of the Buddhadharma correctly, whicheventually leads to freedom from bondage, one needs favorableconditions. The favorable cause to attain freedom from delusiveness andmanifestation of abundant qualities of worth is (1) the Buddha nature thatevery sentient being has; (2) the basis is the precious human birth; (3) theinfluential cause are spiritual friends and our Root Lama; and (4) themethods to attain Buddhahood are his instructions.


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1) Contemplation of the Difficulty of Finding a Precious Human Birth

In order to contemplate the favorable situation of having attained aprecious human birth, one needs to know about the six realms of samsaricexistence. Within the six realms, a human birth enables one to experiencehappiness, fortune, and success. One knows that the human realm and

also the gods realm are pleasant states of existence, but they eventuallychange into the suffering of loss and are therefore not ultimate. The onlytrue and lasting happiness one can experience is that of Buddhahood,which never changes and never ends. The best working basis to attainBuddhahood among the six states of cyclic existence is that of a humanbeing. Why?

Our world is calledZambuling in Tibetan,Jambudvipa in Sanskrit. Its veryspecial because it has been blessed by all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas inthe past as well as in the present. It is a world in which karma ripens veryfast; this is not the case in other world systems, in which the results ofones actions ripen slowly. The law of cause and effect, karma, operates

very fast in Jambudvipa, therefore karma is more evident here thananywhere else. In Jambudvipa, one can easily experience and realize theresults of ones positive and negative karma, actions. Without anydifficulties, inhabitants of Jambudvipa experience and can know theinfallible law of cause and effect, which is a major topic of study inBuddhism and is paramount to achieving Buddhahood. So thats why itsvery special to attain a human birth in this world.

But, being born as a human being is not enough to achieve Buddhahood,since there are ordinary and precious human existences. A precioushuman birth is attained in dependence upon the accumulation of merit.An ordinary and simple human life doesnt lead to Buddhahood, since the

circumstances and conditions to receive the teachings must be presentand must be practiced. One needs a precious human life in order to attainBuddhahood. What does this mean? A precious human birth means beingendowed with the ten favorable acquirements and being free of the eightunfavorable conditions. Only then is it possible to receive and practice theinstructions that Lord Buddha presented and to attain fruition. Forexample, having faulty sense organs hinders one from understanding andpracticing the teachings correctly.

Furthermore, a precious human birth means having the influential cause,our Lama, who possesses all qualities of an authentic master and whotransmits the instructions and methods of practice to us so that we are

able to practice and attain the result. A human body alone does notenable attainment of Buddhahood, rather one needs to have accumulatedvery good karma, which makes it possible for one to meet ones Lama andto


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receive the instructions from him. In fact, its extremely difficult toaccumulate all required conditions to attain Buddhahood, which, asmentioned, are attaining a precious human birth with all faculties intact,meeting an authentic Lama, and receiving instructions from him. Oneneeds all factors in order to achieve enlightenment, and therefore one

needs very good karma. Should one have all favorable conditions, one willhave attained what is called a precious human life, which is the workingbasis to achieve the ultimate result.

We see so many human beings who are born and pass away. Furthermore,it seems so easy to be born as a human being because we see that thereare so many people in the world. The texts teach us differently, though.We read that a precious human birth is very rare, the reason we shouldnot waste it with meaningless activities and pursuits.

Every sentient being wishes to experience happiness and does not wantto experience pain. Animals, for example, are said to be dull-witted,because they cant speak or reason, but they too want to be happy and

shun pain. There is no doubt that every living being wants to be happy,but they dont really know how to go about to achieve it. Sentient beingsrun after any chance they think they have to experience happiness and doeverything possible to avoid pain, however, in the process they onlycreate more suffering for themselves and others. Some people attain acertain degree of happiness but fail to keep it for a longer period of time.Others find the right means to attain happiness but do not have enoughpositive karma to experience immediate results. Others achieve happinessbut lose it very fast due to unfavorable circumstances. Somebody who hasa precious human birth has all favorable conditions. Contemplating thatone has a precious life is indispensable if one hopes to fully appreciate

ones situation and to persevere in practice. If one has reflected andappreciates having a precious human life, one wont postpone practicingthe Buddhas teachings.

We all know what suffering is and experience it again and again. Whetherone manages to become free of suffering depends upon ones karma.Simply knowing that negative actions lead to negative results and positiveactions bring positive results is not sufficient.

One must win certainty of the law of karma - one must have unwaveringunderstanding of the infallible workings of cause and effect. Then one willstrive to make best use of ones life. Even if one has all favorableconditions that define a precious human birth but doesnt practice the

Dharma, one will only waste ones most good conditions. Therefore, itsvery important to contemplate the teachings about ones precious humanlife earnestly and sincerely.


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This was the first of the three traditional ways to present the teachings onacknowledging ones precious human life. A definition is given and thedifficulties of attaining it are discussed, called the explanation by meansof the cause. The second traditional way of presenting the teachings onthe unique occasion of having attained a precious human birth is referred

to as by number. By looking at the number of sentient beings in the world,one sees that there are less humans in comparison to the vast number ofanimals and insects in the world. One sees that rebirth in Jambudvipa as ahuman being with all favorable conditions is truly very rare in comparisonto the many animals and tiny insects that are born and live here. This, too,is evidence that a precious human existence is very special and rare.

The third traditional way of presenting the teachings on this subject isthrough similes offered in the texts. One metaphor speaks of a smoothand dry wall without any dents, cracks, or holes. If one threw a hard peaat the wall, it would bounce off like a ball. It is said that its far more likelythat the hard pea will stick to the wall than that its likely to attain a

precious human birth. A second simile speaks of a turtle living at thebottom of the ocean. A yoke with a hole in the middle tosses about on theoceans surface. Its said to be more likely that the turtle will push its headthrough the hole in the yoke when it rises to the surface of the oceanevery one hundred years than to attain a precious human birth.

Let us now contemplate how hard it is to attain a precious human birth byreflecting the positive merit we have accumulated throughout thousandsof lifetimes. We havent achieved a precious human life by chance or bydecision, rather only through tremendous effort we aren't aware of andcannot recall. Some people do not appreciate the value of their life,complain about slightest suffering they experience, even commit suicide,

and the like. They just do not understand how hard it is to attain a humanlife. If they realized the great efforts and hardships that they themselveswent through in their many past lives to attain a human life that offersmany possibilities to mature spiritually, they wouldnt destroy it.


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2) Contemplation of Impermanence & Death

The second contemplation that moves one to turn ones mind away fromsamsara and towards Dharma is the topic of impermanence and death.

One clings to an apprehending self as an "I," to apprehended objects as

others, and thinks both truly exist of their own accord. Its only due tobelief in a self that one creates the idea that things other than the selftruly exist as distinct and different. One apprehends objects and eitherbelieves in their existence or denies their existence, i.e., one eitherbelieves things exist permanently or one denies they exist at all -eternalistic and nihilistic views. This only happens as long as one hasntrealized the true nature of reality. Ultimately, all things are devoid orempty of inherent existence. Since one doesnt realize the ultimate truth,one thinks that the empty nature of all things annihilates reality and, as aresult, one falls into the extreme view of nihilism. On the other hand, onemight find oneself only acknowledging relative reality and thus one fallsinto the extreme view of eternalism. Both erroneous modes of

apprehension cause one to either believe that things are permanent or ofno value at all. One lives ones life in dependence upon ones belief andignores the continuous change that takes place in conditioned existence.

Impermanence occurs due to the fact that various causes and conditionscome together and create phenomena, i.e., all phenomena within andwithout are compounded when conditions prevail. No phenomenon is aunique entity. Furthermore, whatever is compounded eventually ceases oris destroyed. The truth of impermanence refers to the relative world. TheMadhyamika philosophy offers material which enables one to investigatethis topic extensively and proves in great detail that all relative existentsarise in dependence upon other things, which also rise in dependence

upon other things, and so on. One only apprehends relative things inrelation to other things. For example, an object is only considered longin relation to something else that seems short. One can only definehigh" in comparison to low. One cannot perceive black without white,and so forth. These are simple examples of interdependence. While failingto realize the truth of interdependence, one assumes that things trulyexist through, of, and by themselves, i.e., one assumes that all things aresubstantial entities and are permanent, consequently leading ones life inreliance upon such ideas. One bases ones life upon ones notion ofpermanence and believes that what is here today will be here tomorrow.Theres no doubt that someone deluded about the truth of reality will

suffer when impermanence dawns. However, should one realize theimpermanent nature of all things, one would not suffer, would not bedisappointment when things inevitably change and cease, rather onewould see the situation wakefully aware.


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Death is contemplated to realize impermanence. One thinks about themany people one knew who have died. The death of somebody one feelsclose to or who one doesnt feel close to is heartrending. Often someonesdeath moves one to reflect that one will die too, but usually one brushesthe thought aside real fast or forgets and acts as though one will live

forever. And so, one makes plans for a far-reaching future as if one willnever die. But, all things are impermanent, change, and cease. One willcontinue privileging those persons one considers ones friends andfighting against those persons one considers ones enemies as long asone hasnt renounced samsara. Prejudice becomes meaningless in thelight of the realization of the transitory nature of all things. Should onerealize the truth of impermanence, one would renounce and stop clingingto meaningless things, as though they are permanent and dont end.

This has been a short instruction on impermanence. One needs tointegrate these teachings with ones understanding of having attained aprecious human birth by contemplating that all wealth and fame one

tediously worked hard for will be of no use when one dies - one will haveto part from everything then. The only help one can experience at death isones practice of the Dharma, the reason one needs a precious humanbirth and should make best use of ones life.

3) Contemplation of Karma

In order to practice Lord Buddhas teachings correctly, one needs toacknowledge the truth of karma. All ordinary beings die due to karma andtake karma along. Only a Buddha passes into Parinirvana without anykarma.

The body is left behind at death and the mind, accompanied by the

habitual patterns accumulated during life and stored in the mind,continues its journey through Bardo, the intermediate state after death. Infact, karma and ones habitual tendencies determine ones future birth.One has no control over ones karma after one has died. Wishes cannotcome true then because karma is infallible. Therefore, one needs torenounce futile pursuits and accumulate as much positive karma as onecan during life. How does one do this? One should watch ones mind at alltimes and differentiate between wholesome and unwholesome intentionsand actions.


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I wish to stress that one needs to carefully watch ones mind and beaware of ones intentions. One should know that non-virtuous behaviorarises on account of ones disturbing emotions, the main mind poisonsbeing ignorance, attachment, and aversion, the later bringing on anger,which is the most powerful and dominant mind poison. In the

Bodhicharyavatara,Shantideva wrote that a moment of anger destroysthe merit of positive karma accumulated over thousands of aeons. Angernot only destroys ones merit but also harms others. Therefore, one shouldbe very attentive, watch ones mind, and be aware of ones intentions.

If one lives ones life in anger, for instance, one will be reborn in one ofthe hell realms. Should one let miserliness and greed rule ones life, onewill be reborn in the hungry ghost realm. Should one leave ones mind inignorance, one will be reborn in the animal realm. All experiences arebased upon the workings of karma, the unerring law of cause and effect.

Other mind poisons (pride, jealously, etc.) evolve out of the three mainones, which are ignorance, attachment, and aversion. One must watch

ones mind and not be influenced by the emotions that one has. As longas one doesnt watch ones mind and isnt attentive of ones thoughts,one will rarely engage in one or any of the ten virtuous actions and willhardly refrain from committing one or all of the ten non-virtuous actions.The ten virtuous actions are (1) not to take life, (2) not to take what is notgiven, (3) not to engage in sexual misconduct, (4) not to deceive, (5) notto slander others, (6) to avoid harsh talk, (7) to avoid idle chatter, (8) notto have greedy thoughts, (9) not to be malicious, and (10) to avoid havingwrong views. The ten non-virtuous actions are their opposite, e.g., killing,lying, etc.

Without having gained conviction in the law of cause and effect, all ones

Dharma activities will be in vain. Living a meaningful life is based upon acorrect appreciation of karma. I want to ask everyone to reflect each dayafter it has passed and to check if it was possible to do good or not.


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4) Contemplation of Samsara

The last topic that moves one to turn ones mind towards the Dharma iscontemplating the inadequacies of conditioned existence, samsara,which is also associated with karma, since all ones experiences arecaused by ones own actions. If one remains ignorant, one will continue

experiencing cyclic existence with all its inadequacies from one life to thenext. If one realizes the nature of ones mind, then samsara ends.

Each realm of samsara entails different kinds of suffering, particularly thefirst suffering of change. Any happiness experienced in samsara istransient, too, since it eventually changes into the suffering of loss. Everyliving being wants to be happy and many people pray to be born as a god,but gods also die in that they fall from the heavenly realm when theirpositive karma is spent. Being a god, it can see the realm of its doom andconsequently experiences pangs of frustration, so its not advisable towish to become a god. The demi-gods, on the other hand, are filled to therim with jealousy, continually fight, and thus accumulate much negative

karma. The human realm is mainly that of attachment and desire, buthuman beings experience the suffering of birth, sickness, old age, anddeath. Animals experience mental dullness and are only interested inkilling and eating. Hungry ghosts experience much hunger and thirst dueto having been overly miserly in their past life, which drives them to begreedy. The hell realms are experienced as a result of anger. There areeighteen hells in all, one more horrific than the other and of very longduration. We see that suffering in the six realms of samsara is limitless.The pain we experience as human beings is small in comparison to thatexperienced by beings living in the other lower realms.

The source of all suffering in the six realms of cyclic existence is the

inability to realize non-duality, i.e., the inability to have an unimpairedmind that does not divide into subject and object. We therefore need toestablish a mind of equanimity. We need to abandon clinging to a subjectand objects in order to achieve the ultimate and changeless state oflasting happiness, which is Buddhahood.


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Summary

The purpose of contemplating the four general preliminaries is to have aone-pointed mind that is not distracted by and doesnt succumb to worldlyaims. If one hopes to engage in Mahamudra meditation, one needs tohave renounced samsara completely and to have won faith and

confidence in the Buddhadharma. True faith and confidence in the Dharmapresuppose that one has understood quite well that cyclic existence ismeaningless. This is why one prays to ones Lama and the Lineage Lamasfor their blessings, to help one realize, without a doubt, that renunciationis the basis for correct meditation practice. One needs to switch onesattention from samsara and futile concerns to a pure aim, which is toattain Buddhahood. One does this with stable and concentrated attention.

Should one still be fascinated with worldly things, one would be verydistracted and ones meditation would then be faulty. This is why its veryimportant to contemplate the transient nature of all things. Perfecting thispractice inspires one to practice the Dharma with strong determination

and perseverance. One trusts that one can tread the path and progressthrough all stages of practice, until one has attained Buddhahood, andone knows that this is only possible after having renounced samsaracompletely. This is why I wish to underline the importance of thepreliminary contemplations. Perfect understanding of the preliminariesdetermines whether ones practice will be effective and beneficial.

If one knows that samsara is meaningless, one will be ready to receive theinstructions on how to transcend it. The texts state that the milk of a snowlioness is precious ambrosia. If its poured into a wooden bowl, the bowlwill whither away. If its poured into a golden vessel, it can be containedand will not change. This illustrates the importance of becoming a fit

vessel to receive the sacred instructions, by having become free ofattachment and clinging to duality, which is the source of samsara.

Of course, one cannot immediately become free of attachment andclinging, but one can gradually and progressively achieve freedom. If onetrusts that its possible to become cleansed of ones subtle defilements,one will strive and practice diligently. The first step is recognizingsamsaras worthlessness. Having realized how futile samsara is, oneautomatically renounces it and becomes free of attachment.


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The Special Preliminaries

1) Instructions on Taking Refuge & Arousing Bodhichitta

Having realized that samsara only entails suffering and is meaningless,one needs protection while on the path to liberation. Without a refuge and

without protection, one can easily succumb to samsaras seductions andwill again be at a loss. There are many types of refuge. The only true andgenuine refuge is the Buddha, who is the embodiment of the Buddhas ofthe three times and of the ten directions. He is the only ultimate refuge. Ifone seeks refuge in inferior and unreliable objects, one wont be protectedand wont achieve liberation.

Why is the Buddha the only reliable and lasting refuge? He hastranscended all suffering and is therefore exemplary, the reason oneseeks refuge in him. But, one also needs to achieve Buddhahood, thereason one needs to travel a path, which is represented by the Dharmateachings. In order to traverse the only path to lasting freedom from

suffering, one needs helpers and guides on the way, which is the nobleSangha. The Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha comprise the Three Jewels ofrefuge. The Anutarayogatantra Shastra states that Buddha is theultimate refuge and that the Dharma and Sangha are temporary. It tells usthat one needs the Dharma and Sangha as long as one is on the path andthat one doesnt need to take refuge in them anymore after one hasattained enlightenment, while the Buddha remains the lasting refuge.OurLama is the embodiment of the Three Jewels; in Vajrayana our Lama is theembodiment of the Three Roots, which are the Lama, Yidams, andProtectors.

When taking refuge, one visualizes a tree standing in the middle of a lake

above oneself. It has one trunk pointing to a zenith and four branchespointing in the four directions from the zenith. Ones Guru in the form ofVajradhara is at the top of the central trunk. On the front branch are allthe meditation deities. On the branch to his right are all the Buddhas ofthe three times and ten directions. On the back branch are stacked thesacred scriptures. On the branch left of Vajradhara are the assembly ofthe Sangha; in Vajrayana, all who have reached the tenth level ofrealization; in Hinayana, all who have attained the levels of a Shravaka.Around the lower portion of the tree are all Dharma Protectors. All objectsof refuge are before us in space. We are surrounded by all living beingsand take refuge together with them in the Buddha, the sacred Dharma,and the noble Sangha.


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One then recites the Bodhichitta prayers of aspiration and application. Atfirst, one generates the wish and intention to attain enlightenment for thebenefit of all living beings and promises to attain the goal, which is toattain Buddhahood and to establish all living beings in that state too. Thenone generates determination to put ones wish into practice by reciting

the Bodhisattva prayer of application.One recites the refuge prayer while doing prostrations. Why areprostrations carried out? Followers need an effective practice to trulyrenounce samsara. In The Four Dharmas of Lhaje Gampopa,one prays: Grant your blessings so that my mind may become one with the Dharma." Of course, one can turn ones mind towards the Buddhadharma, but oneneeds to engage in a physical practice, the reason one does theprostrations it is a practice that will help one overcome pride andachieve the aim.

Some people think that they will become famous and powerful or thatthey will have many disciples if they practice the Dharma, and they

practice with such aims in mind. This is not correct. One prays the refugeand Bodhichitta prayers as a means to generate and uphold a pureattitude so that ones practice is not polluted by selfishness. By takingrefuge while doing prostrations, ones practice is blessed by all Lamas ofthe Transmission Lineage. One sincerely asks them to grant their blessingsand to offer their protection from the suffering that samsara entails byreciting the Bodhichitta prayer, which is: Just as all previous Buddhas andBodhisattva developed Bodhichitta and attained enlightenment, we toopromise to generate and practice Bodhichitta.

2) Meditating Vajrasatta

Meditating Vajrasattva, Dorje Sempa in Tibetan, is practiced in order topurify all negative karma one has amassed since beginningless time. Thispractice is essential to cleanse and eliminate all negativities in onesmind. It wouldnt be enough just to stop engaging in negative actionswhile striving to reach enlightenment, because many strong habitualtendencies would still be stored in ones mind and would give rise tofurther disturbing emotions that repeatedly cause one to behave badly.Therefore, merely thinking one is free will not do. One needs to engage ina purification practice.

The special purification practice taught in Vajrayana is that of DorjeSempa. He embodies the power of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to purifyone of negative karma. It is due to the kindness of our Lama, of theBuddhas and Bodhisattvas that we can purify all our past negativitiesthrough the meditation practice of Dorje Sempa. However, purificationalone is not enough to attain enlightenment, since one also needs toaccumulate merit


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3) Making Mandala Offerings

The third preliminary practice is offering a Mandala, which is performed inorder to accumulate merit. There are two kinds of meritoriousaccumulations: the accumulation of merit with concepts and theaccumulation of merit with wisdom, i.e., without concepts. Offering a

Mandala is accumulating both kinds of merit.

The rice used in making a Mandala and the visualizations one does are theaccumulation of merit with concepts. Imagining the continents, theprecious offerings, and so forth is still associated with the three referencesthat are subject, object, and action, called the three spheres. Whileperforming the Mandala offering, one imagines offering to all Buddhas andBodhisattvas. But one needs to transcend ordinary concepts and realizenon-duality, i.e., the unfabricated state, which is realization that there isno subject, object, and action and is the accumulation of wisdom. In thepractice, one places rice on the offering plate and imagines making a vastvariety of wonderful offerings to all Lamas, Buddhas, and Bodhisattvas.

Making offerings is an act of accumulating merit.

The completion phase of practice is imagining that the field of merit, i.e.,the objects of veneration before us, melts into us. This stage of practice isthe accumulation of wisdom, since one doesnt cling to a subject, to anobject, and to actions anymore, and therefore it is perfect purification.Usually one makes outer offerings consisting of candles, incense, water,and so forth, inner offerings consisting of the five meats and the fivenectars, and secret offerings. The ultimate offering is Mahamudra.

The visualization is the same as that carried out while taking refuge andarousing Bodhichitta, except in this practice one doesnt imagine the

Refuge Tree. One can place the Mandala with five heaps of rice on theshrine, which is called the Shrine Mandala, or one can imagine that theMandala is present, which is called the Offering Mandala. Havingperformed the entire ceremony as often as possible while reciting theliturgy, the visualized field of merit dissolves and melts into oneself andthen one rests in non-referential evenness, free of the concepts of asubject, objects, and an action.

The path of Dharma consists of purification and accumulation practices.Dorje Sempa meditation is the purification practice and the Mandalaoffering is the accumulation practice.


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4) Practicing Guru-Yoga

The practice of Guru-yoga is the last of the four special preliminaries bywhich one develops untainted, heart-felt devotion and faith in ones Lama.Purification of ones obscurations and accumulation of merit alone do notengender Buddhahood. One needs the inspiration and blessings of ones

Lama and all Lamas of the Oral Transmission Lineage, the reason onepractices Guru-yoga. Its one of the most important practices. In thebeginning, ones devotion and trust are artificial since one applies effort.An advanced practitioner cultivates pure faith and devotion through thepractice of Guru-yoga.

Having visualized according to the instructions, one recites The Seven-branched Prayer.One (1) pays homage and prostrates to all Lamas of theLineage, which counteracts pride; (2) makes offerings, which counteractsmiserliness and greed; (3) confesses negative actions, which counteractsaggression; (4) rejoices in the good of others, which helps one overcomejealousy; (5) requests the Lamas, Buddhas, and Bodhisattvas to remain in

cyclic existence and to teach the Dharma in the world, which counteractsignorance; (6) beseeches them not to pass into Parinirvana, whichcounteracts having wrong views; and (7) dedicates the merit that hasarisen through ones practice for the welfare of all sentient beings, whichleads to Buddhahood. Having recited the prayer and meditated accordingto the instructions one received from ones Lama, one rests united withones Lama.

Guru-yoga is practiced in order to stabilize and increase ones confidenceand devotion. One recites the prayer to ones Lama as often as possibleand before uniting with him during each session. While practicing, onerequests ones Lamas blessings so that one becomes free of attachment

to samsara, realizes renunciation fully, and achieves the ultimate state ofMahamudra.

Summary

The four special preliminary practices make one a fit vessel for theDharma. Its only possible to attain enlightenment if one has thequalifications, which one gains by practicing the preliminaries correctly. Ifone has completed the preliminaries in reliance on ones Lamasinstructions, one advances to further practices. If one hasnt completedthe general and special preliminaries, one isnt ready for the advancedpractices of calm abiding and special insight meditation. Mahamudrapractice begins with the preliminaries, the reason they are calledNgndro, which means "(that which) goes before."


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II. THE MAIN MEDITATION PRATICES

Before continuing with the teachings, I want to ask you to give rise toultimate Bodhichitta, which is the wish to benefit others, and to keep thiswish in mind while engaging in Dharma activities and at all times.

The practice of Mahamudra is divided into three sections: the four generalcontemplations that move one to renounce samsara and the four specialpractices that are taking refuge and arousing Bodhichitta, meditatingDorje Sempa, making Mandala offerings, and meditating Guru-yoga. Thecentral part of the text Pointing Out the Dharmakayadeals with calmabiding and insight meditation and both lead to profound meditativeconcentration, called samadhi in Sanskrit. The last part deals withenhancing ones practice and dispelling hindrances.

When Lord Buddha turned the Wheel of Dharma, he taught that there arethree phases: (1) One first needs to hear the teachings; (2) then oneneeds to contemplate the meaning until one understands the teachings

well; (3) finally, one needs to meditate the meaning of the teachings. Onemust put all teachings into practice in order to fully integrate the Dharmain ones life. Whatever practice one does, it must be carried out accordingto the three stages of hearing, contemplating, and meditating theinstructions.

There are two ways to unite the view won by hearing and contemplatingthe teachings with meditation. The first is learning about the truth ofphenomena and about the nature of the mind and then meditating so thatone experiences the teachings one has intellectually understood. Thesecond approach is meditating so that one realizes the truth ofphenomena and the nature of the mind and thus attains the perfect view

of the teachings.If one chooses to first study the Dharma before meditating, one listens tothe instructions and reflects them for a long time. Having acquired a keenmind, when such a practitioner later meditates, he or she will have directrealization of the nature of reality. This approach isnt fitting for everyone,though, since an intellectual understanding brings with it the


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danger of clinging to concepts and would then stand in contradiction tothe meditation instructions. The second approach is recommended in theKarma Kagy Tradition in that one meditates and in the process graduallyattains the correct view.

Actually, the first as well as the second approach lead to the same result,

which is realization of ones minds true nature, but its a practical matter.One can become very confused by only winning an intellectualunderstanding. Certainly, one can understand the words withoutunderstanding the meaning. By practicing the second approach, oneexperiences the meaning while meditating. Minds nature is ineffable andcan only be realized experientially. Therefore, meditation practice iscentral in the Karma Kagy Tradition. A theoretical understanding ofenlightenment does not bring enlightenment. One needs to meditate.Why?

Samsara is caused by confusion. Sentient beings steeped in samsaraexperience a conflict between an apprehending subject and apprehended

objects, are therefore confused and suffer. Ones mind creates samsara,and it cannot be overcome by the use of words. One needs to meditate inorder to uproot ones obscuring mental and emotional tendencies andhabits that bring on suffering. Buddha Shakyamuni taught that one shouldnot believe the words he spoke, but one needs to understand the meaningif one wants to become free of ones deceptive way of apprehending. Ifone merely focuses ones attention on the words that are spoken duringteachings, one will never become free. Words do not have the power toliberate anyone from suffering that one creates due to ones confusion,rather one must realize the meaning of the teachings by meditating themcorrectly. This leads us to the next chapter of the text, in which the Ninth

Gyalwa Karmapa explained calm abiding and special insight meditation.Numerous kinds of meditative concentration are experienced through thepractice of calm abiding and special insight meditation. If one studies andmeditates, one will be able to attain reflexive pure awareness.


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Calm Abiding Meditation

Calm abiding meditation, shi-gns in Tibetan (shi meaning "calm,peaceful, tranquil") refers to minds state during meditative concentration.Usually, one is very distracted and agitated by many experiences andimpressions one encounters in daily life, and so ones mind is continuously

moving and jumping about. Ones mind can become peaceful throughmeditation, which is the meaning of the second syllable, gns, "to abide.When ones mind abides in calm, one experiences shi-gns, which is thefirst stage of the main body of meditation. One may have learned a lotabout selflessness and so on, but one will never be able to realize the truenature of ones mind as long as one isnt calm. However, one will be ableto see ones true nature when ones mind is calm and at ease.

All living beings have Buddha nature, but they do not realize it due to themany impeding distractions they chase after, and this is the reason oneneeds to meditate. One can learn not to give in to distractions and insteadto rest in a state of peace and ease through calm abiding meditation. As a

result, one can realize the selfless nature of all things. For example, ifwind blows across the surface of a lake on a clear night, the moon will notreflect on the water. The moon reflects clearly and brightly on the surfaceof still water, though. Likewise, if one wants to see minds true nature,ones mind must be calm and still. Having a calm mind is a prerequisitefor Yidam and Mahamudra practices. If ones mind is churned in upheaval,one cannot see things clearly - a calm mind can. This is why one practicesshi-gns before engaging in special insight meditation. If one hasntcalmed ones mind and tries to practice special insight meditation, onewill run into great difficulties. Its impossible to see ones true nature aslong as ones mind is not stable and calm.

The traditional texts describe the points of the body and the points of themind that one needs to have in order to practice correctly. They are saidto be keys one holds in ones hand when aspiring to attain calm and ease.


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1) Points of Body

The physical posture is most important for ones mediation to go well.There are seven points to take into consideration, called the sevenfoldposture of Vairocana. He is the central Buddha in the Mandala of allBuddhas. The seven points of Vairocana are: (1) The legs rest in the full

lotus posture; (2) the hands rest in equipoise below the navel or on thelap; (3) the back needs to be held as straight as the shaft of an arrow; (4)the shoulders are raised and held back and are even like the wings of avulture; (5) the neck is slightly bent like a hook; (6) the lips are relaxedand slightly opened to the size of a rice corn; the tongue is relaxed andtouches the upper palate; and (7) the eyes gaze at a point beyond the tipof the nose without moving. Some texts say that the eyes should gaze ata point four finger-lengths beyond the tip of ones nose, othersrecommend eight finger-lengths, others speak of sixteen. In general, ameditator looks downwards and keeps his eyes slightly opened. Beginnersmay meditate with closed yes, yet it is necessary to keep them open

when one proceeds to more advanced practices.Many subtle energies (rlung in Tibetan) flow within the body. Now, thesubtle energies in the body are formed at birth in dependence upon oneskarma. The perfect meditation posture brings the karmic energies withinthe channels (nadis in Sanskrit), that are arranged throughout the body,to flow into the central or main channel, which is located in front of thespine. If the energy-winds are brought to properly flow into the centralnadi, the mind becomes focused, even, and calm. Furthermore, the karmicenergies then transform into wisdom energy.

2) Points of Mind

Seated in the sevenfold posture of Vairocana, a practitioner needs tocheck his mind in order to be able to practice meditation correctly. Thereare many levels of shi-gns - holding the mind without a support andholding the mind with a support. The superior practice is resting in minditself and meditating its essence. Beginners need referential objects inorder to not follow after distracting thoughts and to stabilize their mind. Ata certain point, a practitioner doesnt need a referential object and canthen meditate without a support, which is practiced during theintermediate stage ofshi-gns.


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- Holding the Mind without a Support

Its important not to think about past events, not to anticipate the future,and not to cling to the present when one meditates. All thoughts that arisealways concern the past, present, or future, called the three times. Onemay recollect past experiences that made one happy or sad; in any case,

they are thoughts that cause ones mind to become agitated anddistracted from ones meditation practice. One may anticipate the futureand make plans, which are also thoughts that cause ones mind tobecome agitated and distracted. Or one might cling to a thoughtconcerning the present. Due to following after thoughts, one isnt able toabide in a state of presence but clings to a thought and then chases afterit, bringing on a chain of thoughts and finding oneself agitated again.When ones mind is agitated, one cannot be mindful and aware. Thereforeone learns to cultivate mindfulness and awareness through the practice ofcalm abiding meditation. How does one practice?

When thoughts arise, one should not suppress or succumb to them by

following after them and creating a chain of thoughts, rather one letsones mind settle and rest in its natural state, in its essence, withoutpushing thoughts away or struggling with them. This doesnt mean thatones mind should be locked up. Meditation means becoming accustomedto not allowing oneself to be distracted. In order to stabilize awareness, abeginner focuses his attention on an object. An advanced practitioner isable to hold his attention inwards without focusing on an object.

Meditation is practiced in order to generate and cultivate mindfulness andawareness. Ideas such as, I'm really good at meditation" or "Mymeditation is bad" do not apply. One doesnt fabricate and manipulateones practice and has no expectations. Rather, one rests in calm without

clinging to any feelings or thoughts. Clinging is a sign of attachment andimpedes ones meditation. Ones mind needs to be free of agitation,excitement, and any interruptions.

While practicing shi-gns, one leaves ones mind as it is and rests in itspresence, i.e., in nowness. While letting thoughts come and go again, onelooks at a thought and abides in its empty essence. This means to saythat one doesnt manipulate a thought and doesnt fight against it, ratherone simply looks at the nature of a thought when it arises and discoversthat it is empty of an own essence. If one succeeds, one will experiencethat a thought is the coemergence of appearance and emptiness, andthen a thought would be liberated into itself. Should one struggle with or

against a thought when it arises, one


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wouldnt be able to see its true nature. Should one see the true nature ofa thought when it arises and rest in its empty essence, deliberatenesswouldnt impede ones practice. Then one would naturally experiencehappiness when thoughts arise and cease again.

Just like the play of waves are a display of the oceans nature, one lets

ones thoughts arise and freely cease again. One doesnt try tomanipulate them during meditation, which would disrupt ones practice.Not becoming involved with thoughts by being attached to them andgiving in to hopes and fears, one experiences the unimpededmanifestation of pristine wisdom. As long as one chases after thoughtsthat one has, one will remain caught in the endless net that has kept onefettered in samsara up and until now. When one abides in peace and calm,one doesnt divide and thus isnt prejudiced, rather one has attainedfreedom from dividing between what seems to be good and what seemsto be bad.

Three points need to be practiced in order to accomplish calm abiding: (1)

non-wandering, which means that a practitioner is aware of arisingthoughts and lets his mind rest in the awareness of the essence of eachthought without discriminating or judging; (2) non-meditation, which is thesuperior practice at which stage a practitioner meditates, without using areferential object, but looks at the essence of his or her mind withoutgiving in to distractions. Of course, beginners need to practice with asupport. (3) The third essential point to heed while practicing calm abidingmeditation is non-fabrication, i.e., nothing is manipulated or tried out inorder to fulfill expectations; one lets anything that happens duringmeditation just happen. All meditation practices are based upon thesethree essential points: non-wandering, non-meditation, and non-

fabrication. Mahamudra meditation can be carried out when one is able tohold ones mind on the essence of ones mind.

I will now speak about the various supports recommended for calmabiding practice.

The best kind of shi-gns practice is just letting ones mind rest in itsnatural and pure state, which is the purpose of this practice. Although itmight sound easy, it isnt possible for beginners. Why? Many thoughtsarise and there is a constant mental activity taking place in ones mind,which a beginner cant really cope with. I explained how to deal withthoughts by just letting them arise and subside, like the waves on thesurface of an ocean. I mentioned that waves arent separate or different

than the ocean; likewise, mind's thoughts arent different than the mind.When one realizes the indivisibility of an ocean and its waves theinseparability of active thoughts and ones mind one neednt worryabout thoughts anymore but simply looks at the mind when thoughtsoccur. Aware that a


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thought has arisen, one abides relaxed and at ease. Whether one has athought or doesnt have a thought, one simply continues meditating.

Beginners dont realize this and think thoughts are a problem and arehindrances. They think they cannot meditate correctly because theynotice their many thoughts and start worrying. This is why this text as well

as all other practice instructions recommend methods that facilitate thepractice of stabilizing ones mind. I have described the practice without asupport, yet beginners need to practice calm abiding meditation by usinga support.

- Holding the Mind with a Support

The many texts in the tradition recommend various supports. In this text,Wangchug Dorje offers a list of six objects that can be used for meditationpractice.

The first object a beginner might want to focus his or her attention on is(1) an ordinary object placed in front during practice. Ordinary objects are

things the mind is familiar with, small things from everyday life, like asmall pebble or a piece of wood. The mind feels no excitement oragitation when focused upon such a simple and familiar object, the reasona pebble or piece of wood is suggested.

The second type of object is (2) a special object and refers to the body ofthe Buddha. One focuses ones attention on a representation of BuddhaShakyamuni, in the form of a statue or a painting, and lets ones mind reston it. One will have different experiences, like mental dullness. If onethinks one is about to fall asleep, one looks at the upper portion of thestatue, at the point between the eyebrows or at the crown of the Buddhashead. This helps uplift and waken ones mind from sleepiness.

Concentrating on a special object has many advantages in contrast to anordinary object. A Buddhas body is perfect and possesses thirty-twomajor marks of enlightenment. One might just know two of them, which isfine for the start. A Buddha has a crown-protrusion and a circle of hairbetween his eyebrows. He also has the symbol of wheels on the soles of


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his feet, as depicted on statues. Again, it isnt necessary to know all themarks. If one is aware of a few, one can look at the statue that one hasplaced before one and feel happy about the image. And so, using a statueor painting of the Buddha to practice calm abiding is very good.

I mentioned mental dullness that can arise and the antidote during

practice. Wangchug Dorje wrote about another error that can occur duringpractice, namely agitation and excitement. In that case, many thoughtsarise and ones mind wanders and is instable. When such a fault occurs,one focuses ones attention on the lower half of the statue of painting, onthe navel, legs, or on the lotus that the Buddha sits on. This frees themind from excitement. Should one feel no dullness or agitation, onefocuses ones attention on the entire image, rests ones mind on it, andabides in meditative equipoise.

The third kind of object one can use for shi-gns meditation is (3) a butterlamp, about the breadth of four fingers. One leaves ones mind focused onthis small butter lamp. The fourth object recommended is (4) an empty

hole in the wall of a room, referring to holes that served as windows inTibet. In this case, one concentrates on a smaller or larger window, whichrepresents transparency and brings clarity. This object accustoms one tolater be able to meditate on emptiness or space.

It is also taught that one can use (5) a drawing of the three precious andrare syllables, which are OM, AH, and HUNG. The syllable OM is white andrepresents the pure body of the Buddha. The syllable AH is red and isbelow the white OM; it represents the Buddhas pure speech. Situatedunder the red AH, the blue syllable HUNG represents the Buddhasimmaculate mind. One simply lets ones mind rest on each of the threesyllables successively, using them as a mental support to achieve calm

and ease. One can also focus ones attention on white, red, and bluespheres drawn on a piece of paper, which is easier than using thesyllables. The sixth object Wangchuk Dorje suggested is (6) ones breath.One just lets ones mind rest on ones inhalation and exhalation.

Except for the sixth, all recommended objects are external and can beplaced before one, the reason they are called external. One uses externalobjects to focus ones attention on during shi-gns practice in order tostabilize ones mind. One is free to decide which object one wants to useso that one feels comfortable.


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During practice, how does one relate with the object one chose? The mainpoint is just letting the mind rest on the specific object without wanderingfrom it. Distracting thoughts that arise are such thoughts, like, My mindfeels stable, My meditation is very good, Now Im having difficulties,I do hope all goes well, or I do fear experiencing the same as I did

yesterday, and the like. While meditating, its necessary to just letthoughts be. They arent important, so one returns to the referentialobject.

Special Insight Meditation

When one sits in the sevenfold posture of Vairocana, ones body is relaxedbecause all tension that arises on account of having hopes and fears hasbeen pacified. If the body is relaxed, the mind is also naturally calm andclear. If ones body is relaxed, meditation comes easily and oneexperiences less agitation that anxiety brings on.

Having trained to abide in non-distraction for a while, one progresses to

more subtle objects of attention, such as objects of the five sensoryfaculties. One first rests ones mind on a visual object and remains awareof it without being distracted. Then one rests ones mind on a sound in thesame manner, on a smell, on a taste, and finally on a tactile sensation onefeels with ones skin, such as heat, cold, smoothness, or roughness.During this practice, three thoughts occur in reliance on (1) the mentalconsciousness, (2) the referential object of practice, and (3) the respectivesensory perception that arises due to a sensory faculty. All apprehensionsinvolve these three aspects: a sensory organ, a perceived object, and therespective consciousness. One uses them in practice.

At this point we might ask: Why do we have an animate mind and an

inanimate body? In which way are they related? How do they support eachother? What happens at death? As Buddhists, we know mind takes on anew body after death. We know death is very frightening and know thatour body disintegrates when we die. How is the mind without a body? Cana mind exist without a body? These questions concern the fourth aspect ofpractice, which is (4) meditating the relationship between body and mind.

The fifth aspect of practice is (5) watching the wandering and stable mind.One watches ones mind while practicing calm abiding meditation. Onewatches ones mind when it is agitated and asks, Is it the same mindwhen it is active and when it is at peace? Are both aspects two differentminds? One investigates carefully and discovers that ones movingthoughts are like the waves on the oceans surface. Aware that thefluctuating waves do not change or impede the ocean, one knows that anocean is always an ocean, whether there are waves or not. Likewise, onesmind is always ones mind, whether one is in a state of agitation or atease. And so, one realizes that the perturbed mind and the stable mindare one and the same.


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III. REALIZING FRUITION

I dont want you to only win an intellectual understanding of the Dharma.Of course, one needs to learn the practices, but its more important tolook at the mind, integrate the practice in ones life, and discover whatthe mind really.

Minds essence is emptiness possessing self-awareness of manifestations,referred to as all-pervading and unobstructed, i.e., emptiness and lucidity.Minds nature is the inseparability of emptiness and clarity. Throughmeditation practice, one comes to realize that there is no mind differentthan thoughts and that there are no thoughts different than the mind. Onerealizes that one either recognizes the mind or doesnt, whereby both arethe same mind. Differences pertain to realization. One needs to look atones mind in order to realize that it is in truth free of an apprehendingsubject and apprehended objects. Realization of the union of emptinessand clarity which is freedom from subject and objects is Mahamudra,the goal of all meditation practices. Words will not disclose Mahamudra.

One needs to purify ones negativities and obscurations that conceal onesminds true nature and accumulate merit in order to realize Mahamudra.How does one do this? By perfecting the preliminaries and by practicingthe main body of instructions that are taught in Pointing Out theDharmakaya.

Many unskilled practitioners think they can jump into higher practices andengage in Yidam and Mahamudra practices without having perfected thepreliminaries, but this will be very detrimental to achieving fruition.Should one meditate on the nature of ones mind without havingperfected the preliminaries, all efforts are in vain. One needs sincere faith,confidence, and certainty of karma, and one needs perfect renunciation in

order to meditate Mahamudra correctly. Of course, one can receive manyteachings on Mahamudra, but it would only be like changing old clothes aslong as one has failed to prepare the ground properly. Its necessary toactually integrate all teachings in ones life and to know that they are onlypresented in order to help one transform ones delusive apprehensionsinto peace and supreme insight. This can only happen if one relies on andis dedicated to ones Root Lama, if one has unwavering love andcompassion, if one has ethics and engages in virtuous activities, and ifone practices the methods correctly. Methods are only effective if long-standing habitual patterns have been overcome and if merit has beenaccumulated. And so, the preliminaries are indispensable for advanced

practices.


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Conclusion

I did not teach all the details of the text Pointing Out the Dharmakayadue to the limited time at our disposal and due to the various inclinationsthat the participants of this seminar have. Therefore, I presented theessential themes as a key, which everyone is free to use and put into

practice.

I want to stress the importance of cultivating faith and renunciationinstead of merely reiterating, Everything is only mind. All practices arein vain as long as one doesnt have sincere faith, renunciation, andBodhichitta. One can hear many teachings, but one needs to cultivate theground on which one aspires to integrate the Dharma in ones life, bypurifying ones obscurations, by accumulating merit, and by completingthe preliminary practices. Otherwise one will not be able to understandthe teachings and will remain a victim of ones emotional instability, thusprolonging ones attainment of liberation from suffering.

We can say that supreme renunciation is the essence of a Buddha. It isstated in the Uttaratantra Shastra: "In Buddhahood there is nodifferentiation. It is brought about by true elements of reality. Luminousand clear like the sun and sky, it is marked by renunciation and pristineawareness." Thank you very much.

Dedication

Through this goodness may omniscience be attained

And thereby may every enemy (mental defilement) be overcome.

May beings be liberated from the ocean of samsara

That is troubled by waves of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

By this virtue may I quickly attain the state of Guru Buddha and then

Lead every being without exception to that very state!

May precious and supreme Bodhicitta that has not been generated now beso,

And may precious Bodhicitta that has already been never decline, butcontinuously increase!


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Long-life Prayer for Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche the Fourth

May the life of the Glorious Lama remain steadfast and firm.

May peace and happiness fully arise for beings as limitless in number asspace is vast in its extent.

Having accumulated merit and purified negativities,May I and all living beings without exception swiftly establish the levelsand grounds of Buddhahood.

Presented in France in 1990; translated from Tibetan by Ani Lama

Rinchen, transcribed in 1990 & edited again on New Years 2008 by Gaby

Hollmann, responsible for any mistakes. Photo of Rinpoche courtesy of

Lee. Copyright Jamgon Kongtrul Labrang at the Great Monastery of

Pullahari in Nepal, 2008. All rights reserved.

Mahamudra Instructions by HEJKR3rd

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