Thongdrol

In the afternoon session on The Ganges Mahāmudrā (Mahāmudrā Upadeśa),  HE Kyabje Drubwang Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche continued his teaching by  discussing conduct. In the morning session, he discussed the view and  meditation on non-arising and non-fixation. Conduct is what manifests  naturally from that view and meditation. Rinpoche said that “to manifest  non-arising we need to follow the stages of the path to realize that.”

One of the first points Rinpoche discussed was the importance of not  being attached to your own views, and disparaging the views of others.  This kind of thinking leads to judging and fixation, which is directly  at odds with cultivating a liberated mind and manifesting liberated  activity. Eliminating attachment to your own views and eliminating  rejection of other views makes you a yogi, he said.

Related to this point, Rinpoche spoke about how to relate to  thoughts. Specifically, Rinpoche taught that if we think of thoughts as a  problem and emptiness as a quality, there is no way we can be  liberated. This is again a type of judgement and not the correct  understanding of emptiness. “In suchness, there is no judgement,”  Rinpoche said. In order to understand this point, Rinpoche said you have  to have certainty in emptiness. This certainty arises from inside, from  meditation, and cannot come from outside. He emphasized that you cannot  be liberated from just words. To manifest certainty about emptiness,  you have to meditate without judgment or fixation. Furthermore, he said,  “let ideas of meditator and not-meditator liberate on their own.”

HE Kyabje Drubwang Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche began the second day of teachings on the The Ganges Mahāmudrā (Mahāmudrā Upadeśa) summarizing key aspects of the first afternoon session. Given their  importance, he re-emphasized the four characteristics of the student who  can be taught the profound instructions. These characteristics –  enduring hardship, guru devotion, bearing suffering, and intelligent  wisdom (prajña) – are key for any student who sincerely takes to heart  that Mahāmudrā cannot be shown. Using the analogy of moonlight hidden by  clouds, Rinpoche stressed that obscurations of thought also dissipate  from the mind illuminating the basic luminosity that is present in all  of us. In order to actually look at thought requires developing  certainty to rest in this inexpressible nature of mind. The student  should consider the nature of thought as an aid for practice in itself.  Rinpoche alluded to and quoted the ninth chapter on Wisdom from Shantideva’s Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra) in which it is stated that the antidote is meditation and analysis.  Through the practice of meditation, we can see that thoughts have no  basis. This is the self-liberation of thoughts and is akin to a knotted  snake uncoiling itself. However, fortitude is a necessity and we must  develop diligence to make our thoughts an aspect of our practice.

Rinpoche then shifted to the next verse which he had previously  touched on in the first part of the afternoon session. Here, he  highlighted that mind and appearance are not two. As the verse states,

Milarepa, he noted, used the nature of space as the best analogy  since it transcends characteristics. Similarly, the essence of mind  transcends color and shape and is luminous in its nature. Drawing again  from Shantideva’s Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra, Rinpoche noted that  this text stresses several steps in order to realize the nature of mind,  in particular cultivating bodhicitta. For example, when we develop the  qualities of the mind of enlightenment (bodhicitta), this encourages  excitement to engage in practice which necessitates confessing our  misdeeds leading to taking bodhisattva vows. When we enact these vows,  it requires maintaining awareness and using mindfulness which enables us  to rejoice in the luminous nature of our mind. We must apply the  antidote which is meditation and analysis. Most importantly, in this  precious human life we must not waste this opportunity of mind.

The first line of Tilopa’s teaching: "I prostrate to the glorious Vajra dakini".  Vajra refers to method. Dakini is prajña. Dakini means sky goers, that  is, emptiness, the base of all phenomena. It doesn’t refer to the  female. Dakini is emptiness, Vajra is the means, unchanging and  indestructible.

In these 2 words are included all of ground path and fruition. The Ganges Mahāmudrā teaches the way it is.

The first verse: The pledge to give the pith instruction

The vessel or disciple has to have 4 qualities.

Prajña is the main attribute. We have to recognise the afflictions.  By the power of prajña we can understand the nature of things as they  are. Understanding develops faith. If we don’t know this, it’s like  torturing ourselves. We need it to pacify our afflictions, our thoughts.  We need prajña to develop enthusiasm for enduring hardship, which leads  to respect for the guru.

I, Tilo, have nothing to show you. Mahāmudrā cannot be shown.

Over a thousand years ago on the banks of the river Ganges, the Mahasiddha Tilopa offered the pith instructions on Mahāmudrā to his heart son Naropa. Not only had Naropa been the greatest scholar at Nalanda university but he had endured 12 years of inconceivable hardship following every ‘crazy’ command of his guru. The pith instructions of 29 quintessential verses spoken on the essence of non- meditation, flowed spontaneously, like the Ganges, from the ultimate realization of the supremely enlightened master. It is said that after Naropa heard these verses he fainted and when he revived, the enlightenment of Tilopa had merged with his mind. He had attained liberation entirely through devotion, seeing the guru as a Buddha, without a moment of meditation practice. In the 11th century the great Tibetan translator Marpa, to whom the lineage was passed, translated and edited the verses at Phullahari in the presence of Naropa.

The Ganges Mahāmudrā, as it came to be known, has accumulated an almost mythic reputation over the centuries as a classic ‘ear whispered’ pointing out. The guru has to reveal the essence at the right time in the right place to the right student. Pith instruction depends on experiential realization and is thus rarely given.

The first line of Tilopa’s teaching: "I prostrate to the glorious Vajra dakini".  Vajra refers to method. Dakini is prajña. Dakini means sky goers, that  is, emptiness, the base of all phenomena. It doesn’t refer to the  female. Dakini is emptiness, Vajra is the means, unchanging and  indestructible.

In these 2 words are included all of ground path and fruition. The Ganges Mahāmudrā teaches the way it is.

The first verse: The pledge to give the pith instruction

The vessel or disciple has to have 4 qualities.

Prajña is the main attribute. We have to recognise the afflictions.  By the power of prajña we can understand the nature of things as they  are. Understanding develops faith. If we don’t know this, it’s like  torturing ourselves. We need it to pacify our afflictions, our thoughts.  We need prajña to develop enthusiasm for enduring hardship, which leads  to respect for the guru.

    I, Tilo, have nothing to show you. Mahāmudrā cannot be shown.

Over a thousand years ago on the banks of the river Ganges, the Mahasiddha Tilopa offered the pith instructions on Mahāmudrā to his heart son Naropa. Not only had Naropa been the greatest scholar at Nalanda university but he had endured 12 years of inconceivable hardship following every ‘crazy’ command of his guru. The pith instructions of 29 quintessential verses spoken on the essence of non- meditation, flowed spontaneously, like the Ganges, from the ultimate realization of the supremely enlightened master. It is said that after Naropa heard these verses he fainted and when he revived, the enlightenment of Tilopa had merged with his mind. He had attained liberation entirely through devotion, seeing the guru as a Buddha, without a moment of meditation practice. In the 11th century the great Tibetan translator Marpa, to whom the lineage was passed, translated and edited the verses at Phullahari in the presence of Naropa.

The Ganges Mahāmudrā, as it came to be known, has accumulated an almost mythic reputation over the centuries as a classic ‘ear whispered’ pointing out. The guru has to reveal the essence at the right time in the right place to the right student. Pith instruction depends on experiential realization and is thus rarely given.

The teaching is on Shantideva’s ‘A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life’ (Tibetan: Choejug) by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

The Bodhicharyavatara (The Guide) of the eighth-century Indian master Shantideva is one of the great works of Buddhist literature. It has been translated into Western languages at least a dozen times in this century and is already well-known to many students of Buddhism in its venerable translation by Stephen Batchelor, published by the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives as A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life. Though Batchelor’s work will not soon be eclipsed as one of the best translations of Tibetan material available, these two new translations are significant contributions, both stylistically and methodologically.

Shantideva’s masterpiece shows the way to transcend the limitations of selfishness and realize the boundless compassion of the Bodhisattva, whose only concern is the benefit of others. As the Padmakara translation notes, one of the greatest exemplars of the Bodhisattva’s way is His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who credits The Guide as his chief inspiration.

The teaching is on Shantideva’s ‘A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life’ (Tibetan: Choejug) by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

The Bodhicharyavatara (The Guide) of the eighth-century Indian master Shantideva is one of the great works of Buddhist literature. It has been translated into Western languages at least a dozen times in this century and is already well-known to many students of Buddhism in its venerable translation by Stephen Batchelor, published by the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives as A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life. Though Batchelor’s work will not soon be eclipsed as one of the best translations of Tibetan material available, these two new translations are significant contributions, both stylistically and methodologically.

Shantideva’s masterpiece shows the way to transcend the limitations of selfishness and realize the boundless compassion of the Bodhisattva, whose only concern is the benefit of others. As the Padmakara translation notes, one of the greatest exemplars of the Bodhisattva’s way is His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who credits The Guide as his chief inspiration.

The teaching is on Shantideva’s ‘A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life’ (Tibetan: Choejug) by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

The Bodhicharyavatara (The Guide) of the eighth-century Indian master Shantideva is one of the great works of Buddhist literature. It has been translated into Western languages at least a dozen times in this century and is already well-known to many students of Buddhism in its venerable translation by Stephen Batchelor, published by the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives as A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life. Though Batchelor’s work will not soon be eclipsed as one of the best translations of Tibetan material available, these two new translations are significant contributions, both stylistically and methodologically.

Shantideva’s masterpiece shows the way to transcend the limitations of selfishness and realize the boundless compassion of the Bodhisattva, whose only concern is the benefit of others. As the Padmakara translation notes, one of the greatest exemplars of the Bodhisattva’s way is His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who credits The Guide as his chief inspiration.

The teaching is on Shantideva’s ‘A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life’ (Tibetan: Choejug) by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

The Bodhicharyavatara (The Guide) of the eighth-century Indian master Shantideva is one of the great works of Buddhist literature. It has been translated into Western languages at least a dozen times in this century and is already well-known to many students of Buddhism in its venerable translation by Stephen Batchelor, published by the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives as A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life. Though Batchelor’s work will not soon be eclipsed as one of the best translations of Tibetan material available, these two new translations are significant contributions, both stylistically and methodologically.

Shantideva’s masterpiece shows the way to transcend the limitations of selfishness and realize the boundless compassion of the Bodhisattva, whose only concern is the benefit of others. As the Padmakara translation notes, one of the greatest exemplars of the Bodhisattva’s way is His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who credits The Guide as his chief inspiration.