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Homage to the teacher Buddha Shakyamuni!
Homage to the wisdom warrior Manjushri!
Homage to the entire lineage benevolent masters!
The unsurpassed, profound, and wonderful Dharma,
is difficult to find in millions or even tens of millions of eons.
Now that I get the chance to see, hear, receive and practice it,
May I understand the ultimate meaning of the Tathāgata.
In order to liberate all sentient beings, please generate the supreme Bodhichitta!
Today, we begin to learn 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva.
This commentary is a very good pith instruction
of mind training in Tibetan Buddhism.
I have taught it a few times before,
some Dharma friends here all know it.
This commentary is also very important.
H.H. Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche stressed on this commentary
very much and preached it when he was alive.
Rinpoche himself received this teaching more than 150 times
in front of some other masters.
Many Dharma friends may not value this
commentary enough.
Some may think they have studied
and memorized it in the past
therefore it is not so difficult. You might think so.
In fact, although the literal meaning is not very difficult
its content is very transcendent and also very deep.
Thus I hope that you will treasure it.
This teaching is one essence of the practices
of Tibetan Great Vehicle(Mahayana) Buddhism.
Our mind will change a lot after we learn it,
and Bodhichitta in our mind will gradually grow also.
Even if you don't understand its meaning very clearly
your compassion will gradually increase
by hearing such teaching.
So I think
while studying the Way of the Bodhisattva(Bodhicaryavatara )
you still need to study and practise this Dharma.
Especially in the second half of this year
you are required to recite it.
If you can't even memorize thirty seven verses
there is no need to study in a Buddhist Institute.
It is unlikely to result well to study in a Buddhist Institute if we can't even memorize thirty seven verses.
How many meals do we eat over a month? It must be more than thirty seven meals.
So except for some elderly, it is certainly not ok
if you cannot even remember thirty seven verses.
I hope all Dharma friends here to recite it.
Not only the ones seated here
but also those of the Bodhi Association, and
other Dharma friends and believers from all directions should recite this commentary.
When H.H. Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche just founded this institute
he required that
everyone at least recite short pith instructions such as 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva,
the Three Principle Paths, and the Eight Verses of Mind Training.
We must recite these as His Holiness required.
So we should make this offering of reciting Dharma
towards all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
In fact, the merit of reciting is rather vast
because we spend certain time and energy on it.
Many Dharma friends knew that in the first half of the year, we have recited a few sastras.
At that time we ploughed an entirely different level of energy than reading.
By doing that, the impact
is deep in your entire life
and the seeds of liberation are implanted in your Alaya-Consciousness
which grows even stronger in every following life.
Recitation is very important
so everyone should take it seriously.
I hope for every Dharma friend seated here
to study and reflect on this 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva diligently.
Perhaps you also know that his Holiness often said that
the 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva was composed by Bodhisattva Thogme Zangpo
and there was a very excellent origination when he composed this commentary.
a was also mentioned in his biography.
When he finished composeing the commentary and proofread it in his meditation room
suddenly a fierce wind
blew his manuscripts in all directions,
and no paper remained.
Nowadays, this commentary has spread teverywhere because of this arising.
Now in Tibetan Buddhism
whether for Nyingma, Kagyu, Gelugpa or Sakya
all schools propagate and study it.
Not only in Tibet,
but also in major cities and major monasteries of Chinese Buddhism,
and in many other countries such as the USA, Canada, and
France where we have visited before.
Buddhist believers have translated it into many different languages
and put it into practice.
So the arising at that time was very supreme.
Iit is obvious that fierce winds might not be a bad thing after all.
When we studied and reflected on Pramanavarttika
taught by His Holiness at that time,
we had no classroom
so everyone sat in the yard for the tutoring sessions everyday.
That was in winter and the wind blew the books to sky
so we had to chase them back.
After a while, another wind blew them again.
In fact, I did not realize that this was the symbol
that our teachings will spread everywhere. Just a joke.
It is really a supreme Dharma.
One day, Bodhisattva Thogme was seriously ill.
His disciple asked for his testament.
He answered: “The 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva is my testament.
I have no other testament but "37 Practices of a Bodhisattva".
His Holiness also received the teaching on it for many times.
Why did a wise man like His Holiness
receive the teaching again and again in front of many teachers?
We shall say that it has a deep meaning.
On one hand you should reflect on it repeatedly on your own,
on the other, you should also often take part in the tutoring sessions.
I hope that Dharma friends here will attend the tutoring sessions on it,
and try to tame your mind
when you study and practise it.
If you can do so, it will be so beneficial. I personally
have great faith in it, although I can't say I have practised it very well.
I have received the instruction
for over 100 times including reading transmissions
only in front of His Holiness.
Why? Because wherever His Holiness visited
at home or abroad, he would teach this commentary in detail
in many temples if he had enough time.
If there was not enough time, he would give them a reading transmission.
If you add them up
I must have learned it for over 100 times.
Many senior Dharma friends here in the Academy
also know that His Holiness
often gave transmissions of this 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva during his teachings.
In fact, I have a special origination with this 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva.
About 20 years ago
H.H. Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche led over ten thousand
Tibetan Buddhists to visit Mount Wutai together.
We had no idea of Chinese Buddhism at that time,
and Chinese Buddhists had no idea of Tibetan Buddhism either.
The first Dharma he taught there was the 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva.
At that time, I was very unfamiliar
with the vocabulary of Chinese Buddhism.
His Holiness requested me to translate the Practices of a Bodhisattva into Chinese language.
There were many Chinese monastic people and lay practitioners
when we were at the Bodhisattva Peak of Mount Wutai.
His Holiness asked me to translate, but I didn't have a good understanding
of the Dharma Terminology.
But I was afraid of bad origination
so I underwent the hardship and searched for many materials.
There weren't any Buddhist dictionaries at that time.
Maybe due to this origination
I have had an excellent karmic relationship with Chinese Buddhists
for the following 20 years
including releasing living creatures, teaching and practicing Buddhadharma.
To me, the first Dharma I taught to Chinese people
was the Practice of a Bodhisattva.
Because of this origination
now we have learned a great deal of Dharma knowledge together.
On one hand, we should thank His Holiness
on the other hand we should be delighted to receive this Dharma.
Next is the brief introduction of the Dharma.
I will give a brief explanation literally.
37 Practices of a Bodhisattva is the topic of this Dharma.
What is Bodhisattva? As we know
Strictly speaking, a Bodhisattva is a successor of Buddha.
That is, from the first bhumi to tenth bhumi.
As Entering the Middle Way says
those who have attained fruition of enlightenment from the first to tenth bhumis are called Bodhisattvas.
However, broadly all of us seated here can be named a Bodhisattva.
Why is that? The Way of the Bodhisattva says:
Should bodhichittaBodhichitta come to birth in those who suffer, chained in prisons of samsara,
in that instant they are called the children of the Blissful One, Revered by all the world, by gods and humankind.
This verse says that
Sentient beings suffering in samsara
become Bodhisattvas
at the moment when the bodhichittaBodhichitta arises in your mind stream.
From then onwards, you are the merit field
revered by all the world, by gods and humankind.
So I think everyone present here can be called the Children of Buddha.
Thus what Bodhisattvas
should do are
the 37 practices that we will learn later.
Bodhisattva Thogme ended every verse with “the practice of a Bodhisattva”
which means it is the practice
of a Bodhisattva, what a Mahayana practitioner should do.
On one hand, we should know what we should do after we generate Bodhichitta
on the other hand, we should know how to conduct
according to Mahayana Buddhism concepts.
They are the Practices of a Bodhisattva.
The writer was Bodhisattva Thogme.
He was also the writer of “The Ocean of Good Explanation”
and “Brief Explanation of 7 Points of Mind Training”.
He was not the Indian Bodhisattva Asanga who is mentioned together with Bodhisattva Nagarjuna.
Someone made that mistake.
I saw a book of an explanation of the 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva
with the image of Indian Bodhisattva Asanga on its front cover.
The author did not know the writer should be Bodhisattva Thogme
in Tibetan Buddhism.
I have translated the biography of Bodhisattva Thogme before.
And I had attached it to the end of the second textbook
of my lectures on “the Way of the Bodhisattva”.
I hope you can read it again.
The writer's great compassion and supreme teachings
are different from others'.
H.H. Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche said: our Bodhichitta will naturally arise
by hearing and reciting
the 37 practices of a Bodhisattva
because of the extraordinary blessing and aspiration of Bodhisattva Thogme.
Thus everyone here should understand
why the 37 practices of a Bodhisattva is so popular in Buddhism
although there are many similar commentaries.
The reason is the outstanding aspiration of the writer.
Maybe you also have heard often that
this master also taught the 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva in India
or that master taught it in USA
when many great masters at home or abroad
impart Buddhadharma.
Maybe many Dharma friends have heard that.
Therefore, we must have a delighted mind
when we learn this commentary.
We cannot succeed
without a mind of joy and interest.
First I will introduce the topic.
Now we start to explain this Dharma.
The whole commentary has three parts: beginning, main body and conclusion.
The beginning part has two parts: homage and vow.
Homage also has two parts: homage in general; homage in particular.
First homage in general: Namo Lokesvaraya
This is in Sanskrit.
“Namo” is to pay homage.
“Lokesvaraya” means King of Freedom in World.
Namo Lokesvaraya means to pay homage
to King of Freedom in World- Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.
Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara is the Yidam of Bodhisattva Thogme.
Some history books say Bodhisattva Thogme was an embodiment of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.
That's why we can see he paid homage
to Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara in the beginning of all his books.
He wished the followers could cultivate great compassion
and gradually raise Bodhichitta on the blessing of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.
This is the verse of paying homage in general.
The next verse is to pay homage in particular
to all the masters who are not different from Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara himself.
[Though he sees that in all phenomena there is no coming and going,] [He strives solely for the sake of beings]
[To the sublime teacher inseparable from Avalokiteshvara, the Protector of Beings,] [I pay constant homage with respectful body, speech and mind.]
The writer praised his masters here.
How were his masters?
In terms of Truth, his masters had all understood
the reality of all phenomena.
From the perspective of reality
his masters had realized the reality of all phenomena.
What is the reality? The state of realization of no birth and no vanish.
As Bodhisattva Nagarjuna taught in the beginning of Sastra of Madhyamika:
“No birth and No vanish, No constant and No inconstant, No same and No difference, No coming and No going.”
Although he attained the realization
and was free from eight fabrication and concepts
he appeared devoted in benefiting others without any conditions.
He didn't integrate into the Dharmata
or enter nirvana like an Arhat.
Although he had gained enlightenment from the reality
he didn't abide in the peace attainment of paranirvana in appearance.
He appeared only devoted to benefiting others
without any condition. He had vast great compassion.
Like Nirvana Sutra says: “Not attaching to three worlds upon wisdom, neither entering nirvana upon compassion.”
The Ornament of Clear Realization also expresses the same meaning:
Free from three worlds of samsara upon excellent wisdom, not staying in nirvana like Arhat of Hinayana Buddhism upon strong compassion.
Just as said in this verse
because of his supreme wisdom
he won't attach to three worlds of samsara.
He is free in the world.
For his strong compassion
he won't abide in paranirvana, not like those Arhats abiding in nirvana.
So his teachers were supreme protectors as such.
He had ten teachers with great kindness towards him
two of who were extraordinary great.
He had many masters but only has these two main masters.
You can know from his biography.
Especially relying on them, Bodhichitta arose in his mind.
They were Sonam Drakpa and Rinchen Sherap.
They were not different from Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.
Therefore, the writer paid homage to them respectfully
with his body, speech and mind.
Of course "Avalokiteshvara" is from the perspective of the appearance of Bodhisattva.
Avalokiteshvara appears as a Bodhisattva.
In fact the sutras say that he attained Buddhahood long ago.
As the Sutra says:
Today's Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara is Buddha Light Dharma of past.
A word in Sutra says that
Buddha Light Dharma of past
has appeared as a Bodhisattva to benefit all sentiment beings.
The Lotus Sutra - Chapter of Universal Door says
“32 appearances he manifests in the world and he rescues sentient beings with the most suitable accordingly.”
That is, in Chinese Buddhism,
Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara has 32 emanations.
Appearances are different in front of general sentiment beings.
However in Tibetan Buddhism, usually Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara only appears
with two hands, with fours hands or with thousands of hands and eyes.
Basically there are only these several types.
But there are various appearances in Chinese Buddhism
which is rather clear as recorded in history.
So Bodhisattva Thogme paid homage respectfully to his masters
who were not different from Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara himself.
Through that paying homage like that
and generating Bodhichitta in our mind we can accumulate great merit and receive blessings.
Tibetans have great faith
in Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.
We have a proverb
which says: When a child starts saying mom, he is able to chant the heart mantra of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.
That is quite true.
Many children can recite Om Ma Ni Ba Mei Hong
without being taught.
Every Tibetan can recite it.
However Tibetans who grow up in big cities nowadays
might not be able to do so.
If I say it is 100% certain for all here
it might be difficult to prove by logic.
It is generally true.
In Chinese areas, especially in the South
every family worships Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara and Buddha Amitabha.
Although some aren't very clear if Avalokiteshvarahe
is a goddess or Bodhisattva,
everyone believes in Avalokiteshvara.
We can see Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara in many bosses' cars.
And some declare that they don't believe in Buddhism
but in Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.
It is very amusing sometimes.
I met a guy before and he said as such:
I don't believe in Buddhism. I only believe in Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.
There are many stories about it.
In ancient India, an eighty-year-old man recited the heart mantra of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara 100 million times.
He attained long life vidyadhara and lived 300 years long.
Finally he directly flew to the Ultimate Bliss Buddhafield.
There was a *** in Nepal who gave up her conflicting lifestyle
and recited the heart mantra of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara over 100 million times.
After that her body transformed to Tara
which everyone could see.
And what's more a hunter in Tibet
was once a horrible killer.
But later on he sincerely recited the heart mantra of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara
over 100 million times to purify his sins. He met Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara face to face seven times
and also had many good signs of accomplishment after death. There are many stories like these.
Especially in Tibet, many old people commit
to recite the heart mantra of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara 100 million times.
They basically recite the heart mantra of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara or the name of Buddha Amitabha
when they get old.
However in many other cities
people don't count the numbers of times they recite.
In fact, counting the amount is necessary.
Perhaps reciting 100 million times
might scare off many people.
Once someone proudly told me that
he had recited the name of Buddha Amitabha 10 thousand times.
It is nothing amazing.
But if one continues reciting
the heart mantra or the name of Avalokiteshvara single-mindedly
great compassion will definitely arise in his mind.
Here wisdom and compassion is his masters' supreme quality,
also the excellent attainment of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.
So what should we pursue?
What we should pursue is wisdom and compassion.
Once we have wisdom and compassion, we won't be foolish or have no interest in helping others.
Otherwise, if we only have wisdom but no compassion
like many college students or other highly educated people
who are very smart
but not willing to help others.
Some have compassion but no wisdom
they are not able to help others.
So we must have both wisdom and compassion.
Especially for children, we must educate them from early childhood.
Next is "Taking a vow".
[The perfect Buddhas--source of happiness and ultimate peace,] [Exist through having accomplished the sacred Dharma,]
[And that, in turn, depends on knowing how to practice it,] [This practice of the bodhisattvas I shall therefore now explain.]
Many teachers made mistakes
in explaining this verse.
I have seen that.
So we must pay attention when teaching Dharma.
It is indeed very difficult to understand if we haven't received the transmission.
What is the meaning of this verse then?
That is: all happiness and benefit of the world
come from the perfect Buddhas.
The Buddhas are the sublime and ultimate source for happiness in the world.
The Buddhahood does not come without reasons.
It relies on practicing the true Dharma.
Or, Benefits is interpreted as temporary happiness in realms of human and heaven
and happiness is interpreted as ultimate enlightenment. Bodhisattva Nagarjuna said:
The happiness in realms of human and heaven is pleasure; the happiness of enlightenment is liberation.
The major causes of both happiness are faith and wisdom. The good karmic benefits in realms of human and heaven is called pleasure.
All that we enjoy in the world is called pleasure.
Enlightenment of Buddhahood is liberation from samsara.
What is the source of liberation and happiness? There are many sources.
But Bodhisattva Nagarjuna concluded them into faith and wisdom.
We can't accomplish anything if we have no faith in the guru and the Three Jewels.
Also we won't pursue liberation
without wisdom of what to do and what to avoid.
The fruit of Buddhahood is the source of all benefits and happiness.
What causes the enlightenment?
It is only attained through practicing the true Dharma.
Not by invading other countries
not by cheating
not by robbing others
not by trading or using some other relationships.
Really not.
Therefore, if everyone here
really want to attain Buddhahood, you must practice Dharma.
Practicing Dharma is the best way to benefit others
and oneself.
I often think: the blessing and benefits brought by Dharma is really inconceivable.
Ordinary human beings like me are able to help others with Dharma.
I often think so.
I always feel happy when I can help others
even though I might be sick or tired.
It is happiness from inside my heart
rather than on the surface.
I always feel happy in all circumstances.
I searched for the origin of this happiness and found it was Dharma.
Without Dharma
even if I had the wealth of entire world, I may not be happy;
even if I became a president of a country, I still may not be happy.
Of course, this happiness
is tainted.
It is only a happiness of attachment.
A while ago there was a monk in retreat near us who
kept saying “I am so happy, I am so happy” everyday.
He went to Chinese area a while ago and he still kept saying "happy".
I joked with him: Don't keep saying that you are very happy to me.
Are you caught by Demon of Happiness?
That was not his case though.
Of course, if we are successful in practicing Dharma
we will always feel happy.
So are many Dharma friends here.
Before you have encountered Buddhism
you always had a sense of unhappiness
which was hard to describe.
However, after taming our mind with Buddhadharma
you feel happy at anytime.
Of course if we attain Buddhahood
all the tainted sufferings will disappear in a vast expanse.
The cause of all this is Dharma.
It is also
what Practices of a Bodhisattva expresses.
We should know such behaviours and principles in Dharma.
The writer Thogme Zangpo of this commentary
taught us such supreme pith instructions here.
In general, writers of commentaries should have many qualities:
attainment of at least first Bhumi, having met the Yidam face to face and having mastered five sciences.
Some masters are convinced that Bodhisattva Thogme was completely qualified on these points.
He had a mind of strong compassion.
I hope everyone to read the Bodhisattva Thogme's biography
through which we can tell how extraordinary this commentary is.
This commentary is different from others.
Many ordinary people write commentaries as they please.
Regardless of 37 practices, they can even write 57 all at once.
A Dharma friend composed another 37 practices
of a Bodhisattva too.
But his work was terrible.
It was not practices of Bodhisattva; it can't even be the practice of an ordinary person£¡
People nowadays can do whatever they want.
In one word
the source of all happiness is the perfect Buddha.
The source of Buddhahood is knowing and practicing Dharma.
So we should learn and practice Dharma.
In order to let everyone understand Dharma
Driven by his great compassion, Bodhisattva Thogme composed these 37 verses
which all end with “the practice of a Bodhisattva”
Next it is the "main body".
It consists two parts as following: the first is the seven preliminary practices, the second is the main practice and three paths of people with different capacities
The first of seven preliminary practices is "Making good use of our precious human body"
[Now that I have this great ship, a precious human life, so hard to obtain,] [I must carry myself and others across the ocean of samsara.]
[To that end, to listen, reflect, and meditate] [Day and night, without distraction, is the practice of a bodhisattva.]
Now we have this human life with eight freedoms
In terms of ourselves, we have got five advantages.
In terms of other conditions, we have also got five advantages.
This human body is endowed with these eighteen freedoms and advantages.
It is like a perfectly equipped ship to cross the ocean
which is very rare.
With this boat, we can liberate countless sentient beings and ourselves.
We can liberate them from the ocean of samsara with endless sufferings.
and all kinds of afflictive emotions.
Therefore, when we have got such an extraordinary ship of human body
we should never be lazy.
We should be diligent all days and all nights
What are we diligent in?
It is not going to office
and then wasting time everyday
by smoking and reading newspapers.
It is to study, reflect and meditate on Dharma
as diligently as we can.
As Venerable Dromt?npa said:
One practitioner should combine studying, reflecting and meditating.
This is a pith of practicing Dharma.
So I think for everyone here
studying, reflecting and mediating on Dharma are the most meaningful things in your life.
It's a pity if you can't do that.
Bodhisattva Shantideva said: As Buddha said, human body is very precious.
It is very stupid
if we've got freedoms and advantages
but we don't make full use of it. Thus, having found the freedoms of a human life,
If I now fail to train myself in virtue, what greater folly could there ever be? How more could I betray myself?
That is to tell us that human body is hard to get and easy to lose.
If we have got it luckily but we don't use it in doing positive actions
there is no greater folly.
In the entire world
countless people are very busy everyday.
But how many people commit good karma or study, reflect and meditate Dharma?
There is not many.
Thus we should take pains to study, reflect and mediating Dharma.
What a pity if we don't.
Venerable Dromt?npa also said:
Human body is very rare. It is even rarer for one to encounter Buddhism.
So never waste this chance.
But in today's world
there are many people wasting their time with meaningless things
like gambling, drinking alcohol, smoking
and many other evil actions.
It's very common.
Since everyone here have already got the human body
and also generated the precious Boddhicitta
we must make good use of this opportunity
and study, reflect and practice Dharma.
Of course, our practices are not studying today, reflecting tomorrow and meditating on the day after tomorrow.
We should act like what Jewel Garland from a Mountain Hermitage by Tulku Zagar says:
Like a horse eats grass, it does chewing and swallowing at the same time.
This is a very good pith.
Listen to Dharma and reflect it, meanwhile
put it into practice with all one's heart.
There is no gap between studying, reflecting and practicing.
The Mountain Hermitage by Tulku Zagar
has a chapter explaining it.
Many people now don't know what to do
with this human body.
Many people don't know it even after becoming monastic:
"I have removed my hair, what should I do now?"
Jump into the river! What else should you do? Of course it is to study, reflect and practice Dharma.
There is nothing else besides that.
We should study, reflect and practice Dharma
after ordination.
What should you do
after you have taken refuge to Three Jewels
or observed precepts of lay practitioners?
It is also study, reflect and practice Dharma.
There is nothing else besides that.
Many people are very arrogant and consider themselves a know-it-all
after they have studied some textbook knowledge.
In the real world
knowledge from textbooks can't meet our needs in today's world at all.
Some people really think that they know-it-all
after they've got Ph.D degree.
We should study Dharma in order to understand the world.
If you don't study Dharma
your knowledge is very narrow and cannot solve any problems.
Dharma knowledge is different from knowledge obtained in a classroom.
So there is no need to be arrogant.
Many educated people don't want to study, reflect and practice Dharma at all.
They think they know everything
after being educated for some years:
"I am Ph.D. This is my name card......"
A name card is nothing. It just shows that you have studied some knowledge of some areas.
We should be broadly learned.
Many masters of the past were really broadly learned and good at five sciences.
Compared to them
so called wise people of nowadays are really pitiful.
That was about studying, reflecting and practicing the Dharma day and night.
The second preliminary practice is to abandon the native land.
[In my native land waves of attachment to friends and kin surge,] [Hatred for enemies rages like fire,]
[The darkness of stupidity, not caring what to adopt or avoid, thickens--] [To abandon my native land is the practice of a bodhisattva.]
The next is to say, if you really want to study, reflect and practice the Dharma well
the best is to leave one's native land and go to a silent place.
Why? Because native land is the origin of
all attachment, hatred and ignorance.
First the attachment:
We always have strong mind of attachment to our parents, relatives and friends.
This kind of mind is constantly moving like waves
It is terrible.
This phenomenon is very common in modern cities.
People attach to this person today and another one tomorrow.
They are always bound up by afflictive emotions
and hardly have a chance
for practicing Dharma.
A lay practitioner that I know constantly calls me but has nothing to say but as such:
"Today I celebrate my sister's birthday", "Tomorrow I will celebrate my brother's birthday",
"The day after tomorrow I'll celebrate the birthday of my brother-in-law......."
They spend lots of time on celebrating birthdays.
Ordinary people attach to each other so much
That they have no opportunities for practicing Dharma at all.
The second is hatred: Hatred to those who hate us, who steal our property,
who slander us
and those who don't have a good relationship with us.
Fighting for fame and wealth everyday is very terrible
This hatred is not mild.
It is like raging fire
that will immediately destroy our virtuous roots.
The third is ignorance. This is more serious.
Not knowing what to adopt or avoid
the wisdom of adopting
and discarding cause and effect vanishes.
Ignorance occupies our mind.
Regardless of others, to myself
I have lived in silent places and studied Dharma for over 20 years.
I should have a mind of concentration.
But shamefully, I don't dare to stay in big cities too long.
Otherwise, I have no time to practice Dharma
but do many meaningless things.
Compassion can't be generated in my mind at all.
Every day is passsed meaninglessly.
For me, it ended up in that
I always try to avoid cities except for releasing alive animals and going to a hospital.
I am very afraid to stay long.
In fact, my compassion and wisdom is weak
although I have lived in silent places for a long time.
If I stay in such circumstances, my wisdom and compassion will reduce a bit by a bit day after day.
In the end, nothing is left... So I really fear it.
I really have this feeling:
A true practitioner should abandon his native land.
Why? Because the native land
is the source of attachment, hatred and ignorance.
these three negative emotions are the most horrible armies of demon in afflictive emotions.
We must leave our home land before we subdue them.
Of course, it is not realistic
that people living in big cities
leave their home lands, give up work and families
and go to silent places alone.
However, those who really want to leave their home lands
will remember this verse very clearly.
In last year or a year before, I taught the 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva in Hangzhou.
At that time, a lay practitioner wanted to become ordained very much.
I taught the entire commentary
in one two-hour long class.
When we were having dinner after class
I jokingly asked him: "What did I teach today?"
"Ah...you taught that one should leave his home land."
His wife next to him wasn't happy and said:
"Khenpo taught 37 practices.
Why do you only remember the one of leaving one's home land?"
Perhaps he didn't become ordained later
seemingly because his family opposed it.
However, he really had a strong feeling at that time.
He really thought family was meaningless and the origin of attachment, hatred and ignorance.
Some Dharma friends have the same feeling after they have returned homes.
Some time ago a Dharma friend wanted to make their relatives take refuge in the Three Jewels
He returned home and stayed for several days.
But in the end, he felt strong feelings of attachment, hatred and ignorance
so he returned back soon.
It is very good that practitioners live in mountains.
But to those who live in cities, to live in mountains is not realistic.
So kind of alternative to this instruction is that
you don't have to leave your home land
but should arrange your time well and try to get rid of distractions.
Set up a meditation room in your house if possible.
Practice Dharma for a while or read books in it in silence everyday.
It is one kind of keeping away from noises
if you have such limited conditions.
I have seen many lay practitioners who were very distracted before
although they are still not able to leave work and family behind now
they manage to control their time, steer their life on one's own
and adjust their time at work.
They created opportunities and conditions to study Dharma everyday.
This is a very good skilful method.
Many masters
especially His Holiness also said:
"For many of you, circumstances don't allow
you to go live in mountains.
However
you can create conditions for practices.
This is a pith of "leaving" one's home land. It is also an instruction of relying on silence."
Therefore, leaving one's home land is very important.
Jewel Garland from a Mountain Hermitage says:
no matter what happens
practitioners live in silent places should not return to their worldly homes.
Even if you hear someone says "Your parents are dying. You should return home"
you should think: I should not return home.
My return can't help at all. I can't take them away from death.
I'd better recite sutras here and dedicate the merit to them.
Therefore, when some Dharma friends hear others say
"Your mother died or your father died. Return home quickly"--
We used to receive some telegraphs before in this valley
but now they use other methods instead of telegraph to ask you to return home.--
You should think:
"I don't even have hair on my head now.
It is not confortable for me to return home.
I can't help anything however sick my parents are.
After all, I am not a doctor.
I'd rather chant the Aspiration of Samantabhadra to them. I won't return home."
According to Jewel Garland from a Mountain Hermitage by Tulku Zagar, we should do so.
However, if we really encounter this situation for real
many of us might not be able to handle it.
It happens often.
In fact, leaving one's home land is the best choice for practicing Dharma.
All masters of the past often taught so.
That's all for today.