WORDS OF WISDOM AUTHOR: KHENPO TSULTRIM LODRO

Many people cannot comprehend how external objects can be our mind. Take these flowers for example: clearly they were first grown, then sold by the vendors to us; how can they be our mind? If the flowers were our mind, why would we need to pay for them? What about the money and the vendors?

There is really no difference between the events that happen in the daytime and in our dreams; they are all phenomena of our mind. In the dream, we still have to climb the stairs one step at a time; we still have to buy a ticket to get on the plane; we still have to pay for the flowers, unless in the dream they are stolen. All that happens to us in the daytime can also happen in our dream; as long as the dream continues, there is no difference between the two.

It is clearly stated in the tantric texts that beginners should not do what the yogis do, that yogis not act like realized masters, and realized masters not behave like the Buddha. Beginners aiming to make progress should start by undertaking seriously the practices of contemplating the rare and precious human birth, impermanence of all phenomena, suffering of samsara, etc., and adhering to the precepts rigorously.

I have even heard some so-called tantric practitioners lie to have sex, claiming “if you do the union of male-female practice with me, you will achieve enlightenment.” Please note that if you run into this situation in the future, you must know the person who makes such a claim and the claim itself are both questionable. This is certainly not tantric practice; it is conducting an evil action in the name of Vajrayana. Vajrayana also points out if unwholesome deeds are committed in its name, they are considered more serious than the five hellish deeds. It is very important that we understand this clearly and correctly, and never blindly trust such people and such words.

To realize emptiness, we must first have the right understanding: all things are phenomena of the mind; moreover, the mind is inherently empty. Regarding this understanding, there are also many levels, the highest of which is Dzogchen. It is the view in tantra and the third turning of the wheel of Dharma that all worldly phenomena are an illusion and that mind is clear light in essence. This understanding is extremely important.

The sutra system also acknowledges tathāgatagarbha is luminous and empty at once, but neglects to mention that it may have multiple manifestations. However, we learn from the tantric texts that tathāgatagarbha is the true nature of all phenomena; to ordinary people, it appears as the defiled world we are in; whereas to realized beings, the manifestation of tathāgatagarbha is the mandala of the buddhas—the world of peaceful and wrathful deities.

Then, how do we classify beginners? Simply speaking, if someone, after swallowing poison that can otherwise kill an ordinary person instantly, is able to easily transform that poison into something harmless with nothing but one’s own power of meditation practice, one is said to have graduated from the class of beginners. We can all measure our own state of practice against this criterion. If we fail to reach this level with our practice, we must be very vigilant with our actions.

Why is it we cling to our existence in samsara, but not to the experience in a dream?

Because a dream is very short. Upon waking up, we quickly come to the realization that the circumstances in the dream are unreal and do not exist. In contrast, samsara lasts a long time, the end is not yet in sight. When the bodhisattvas, who were once ordinary people, attain the first bhumi, it is like wakening up from a dream; they instantly realize all is an illusion, like a dream.

Dzogchen practice is really quite simple. Because it is the practice for the sharp-minded, some parts are a bit similar to the Ch’an practice. But the difference between the two is that one still needs to be trained in some specific practices before attaining realization of Dzogchen; once realization is attained, many practices then become unnecessary.

Practicing Dzogchen can help practitioners not only attain results in generation stage and completion stage but can also go further beyond. But if it is taught prematurely, practitioners can be sidetracked from the main path. Just like Ch’an Buddhism often advises to “let go of attachment,” so subsequently followers stop all the virtuous activities such as life release or recitation of scriptures, thinking all such undertakings are attachment of sorts. Many problems arise because of this.

How should beginners treat the five meats and five nectars? In Vajrayana, some nectar pills are made with more than a thousand kinds of herbal medicine. By adding a bit of the five meats and five nectars to the ingredients, these nectar pills are suitable for beginners. Naturally, if a beginner still finds such pills repulsive, he or she can refuse them as long as there is no outright rejection of or biased view against such practice, keeping in mind that the adverse reaction is only due to one’s own immature capacity and rather inferior state of practice.