Words of my all-good teacher

"The words of my all-good teacher" is one of the most famous texts of the old (ningma) tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, dedicated to the external and internal preliminary practices of Buddhist yoga. The book details the general and secret methods of preparing the mind, speech and body, which form the basis of traditional training in Tibetan Buddhism.

Translation from English: F. Malikova Editing: T. Naumenko, A. Kulik

The words of my all-good teacher. Oral Instructions on the Preliminary Practices of the Dzogchen Longchen Nyingthig Teachings. - Per. from English. - St. Petersburg: Uddiyana, 2004. - 536 p.

Preface to the Russian edition

Dzogchen Ranyak Patrul Rinpoche

The precious teachings of the incomparable son of Shuddhodana are undoubtedly the source of all happiness, bliss and the highest blessings in our world. These teachings are alive today, not only because of the enlightened mind and great kindness of the translators-lots of former times, but also because of the work of many knowledgeable people who, having the eye of Dharma, translate Indian and Tibetan sacred texts into modern great languages. It is quite obvious that this is of great benefit to all the countless beings of our world.

I am well acquainted with the group that prepared this excellent Russian translation of Patrul Rinpoche's text by Jigme Chokyi Wangpo, “The words of my all-good teacher. Oral Instructions on the Preliminary Practices of the Dzogchen Longchen Nyingthig Teachings. Based on the Tibetan original and the English translation, the members of the group, driven by noble and selfless intentions, successfully completed the task.

The opportunity to put into practice this profound teaching is a great happiness for their compatriots. This comprehensive teaching contains not only general and specific preliminary practices, but also some of the main practices, including receiving blessings through guru yoga and practicing pova. Therefore, although the title indicates that the text is devoted to preliminary practices, in fact, it covers the entire set of practices, divided into an introductory part, main part and conclusion.

If I and other people, with sincere thoughts, flawlessly translate this profound path into practice, we will experience its fruits, because this text indicates the perfect path for achieving Buddhahood. Due to the five kinds of decline, our life has become short. If those of us who aspire to liberation truly practice this path during the short time allotted to us, then the signs of gaining its fruit will quickly appear. And it's not just words. I sincerely wish that we, with all our hearts, accepting this thought, devote ourselves to practice as much as possible.

With the hope that the practice of Dharma will achieve its goal, I, Ranyak Patrul, wrote these words on June 28, 2004, the eleventh day of the fifth month of the year of the tree-monkey in the Tibetan calendar.

THE WORDS OF MY ALL-BLESSED TEACHER
KUNSANG LAME SHALLUNG

[Here] contains instructions on the preliminary practices of Dzogpa chenpo longchen ningtig, called "The words of my all-virtuous teacher."
I bow to all venerable gurus who have great impartial mercy.
I bow to all the gurus of the three lineages:
The transmission of the buddhas, going from mind to mind; symbolic transmission of the vidyadharas;
[Oral transmission] of people who, due to their happy fate, followed the exalted ones and achieved a double accomplishment!
I bow to the Omniscient Dharmaraja [Longchenpa]!
He attained the dharmakaya mind in a space in which visible phenomena have dissolved.
He saw the manifestations of the pure abode of the sambhogakaya in the clear light of emptiness.
He appeared in the form of a nirmanakaya in order to do the good of sentient beings.
I bow to Rigdzin Jigme Lingpa!
Through his [double] transcendental wisdom, he saw the absolute truth in the entire knowable world.
Rays of his compassion shone, inspiring his disciples.
He explained the teaching of the supreme vehicle, the secret method.
I bow to my merciful root guru [Jigme Gyalwe Nyugu].
Avalokiteshvara in the guise of a teacher,
Doing endless deeds [to satisfy the needs] of their disciples,
He guided the path of liberation to all who heard his voice.
All the teachings of the Buddha, transmitted through the tradition of Kunken,
The essence of the secret methods is Dharma, which leads to Buddhahood in one lifetime.
The outer and inner preliminary practices of the path, as well as the transfer [of consciousness], the direct path, supplementing the main instructions, are exclusive, secret methods that are clear and easy to understand.
These instructions of my incomparable guru I have unmistakably stated here as I keep them in my mind.
Teachers and deities, I ask for your blessings!
According to the instructions, the outer and inner preliminary practices of Dzogpa chenpo longchen nyingthig, as explained by my incomparable guru, are divided into three parts:
Part one is the general, external preliminary practices.
Part two - special, internal preliminary practices.
Part Three - Instructions on Transference of Consciousness: A Direct Method to Complement the Main Practice of Meditation.
PART ONE
General, External Preliminaries

Chapter I
THE DIFFICULTY OF ACQUISITION OF FREEDOM AND GROWTH
The instructions concerning the difficulty of gaining [a human life full of] freedoms and gifts consist of two parts:
1. How to listen to instructions.
2. Themes of the teaching itself.
1. How to listen to instructions
[The section on how to listen to instructions] has two parts:
1. Motive reason.
2. Behavior.
1.1. motivating reason
[The motive] is of two kinds:
1) a broad approach from the position of bodhichitta;
2) the approach of the vehicle of the Secret Mantra using a variety of skillful methods.
1.1.1. Broad Bodhichitta Approach
[The broad bodhichitta approach is based on the understanding that] of all the beings living in samsara, there is not one who, throughout beginningless time, has not been your parent. When they were your parents, they had great love for you and tried to give you the best food and clothes [they could]. With great kindness they raised you, surrounding you with heartfelt care. These merciful beings yearn for happiness, but do not know how to practice the ten wholesome dharmas, the causes of happiness. They do not like to suffer, but they hardly know how to avoid the ten vices, the causes of suffering. The ends they desire with all their hearts and the means they employ contradict each other. Ignorant, on the wrong path, they are helpless, like a blind man left in the middle of the field. Generate pity for them and think, “If I hear and practice the profound Dharma now, I can help sentient beings reach their goal. These sentient beings are my parents, who are oppressed by the sufferings and hardships of the six realms, and they should be freed from all the karmic sufferings and tendencies of these six realms. I have to help them achieve the state of omniscient Buddhahood.” This is the thought [called the "broad bodhichitta approach"].
It is very important that this motivation be present when listening to sermons, when putting them into practice, in fact, when doing any action [to achieve Buddhahood]. When accumulating merit, great or small, one should:
1) reinforce them with skillful means, developing bodhichitta;
2) to protect the accumulated merits from an early exhaustion caused by destructive causes by practicing meditation beyond ideas - the main stage;
3) endlessly multiplying merit, completing the practice by consecrating blessings [to all living beings]. Thus, these three sacred principles are necessary.
Therefore, when you listen to a Dharma sermon, it is not only how you listen that matters, but the motivation that makes you listen is even more important.
As they say:
The main thing is whether the thought was good or bad,
And not a material manifestation of a good or bad intention.
Therefore, no matter how much you listen to the Dharma, as long as you are driven by pride, a sense of superiority, or other impulses directly related to worldly life, you cannot be considered to be following the Dharma correctly.
Therefore, to begin with, it is extremely important to go inward and form a motivating cause. If you form the right motive, your good deeds will have a solid foundation and will lead to the path of immeasurable merits of the Mahasattva. And if you do not form the right motivation, hearing and practicing the Dharma will be a mere formality. Therefore, when listening to the Dharma, putting it into practice, imagining deities, reciting mantras, performing prostrations or walking around, or even reciting at least one syllable [of the mantra] OM MANI PADME HUM, it is important to be guided in everything by the impulse - bodhichitta.
1.1.2. Approach of the vehicle of the Secret Mantra with a variety of skillful methods
From The Light of the Three Methods:
Although the Mantrayana has the same goal [as the Sutrayana],
She is free from obscurity,
Rich in methods, not fraught with difficulties
And it is intended for people with a sharp mind.
Therefore Mantrayana surpasses [all other vehicles].
The inner vehicle of the Vajrayana has many entrances, many methods of accumulating merit and wisdom, many effective methods for attaining fruition [Buddhahood] without much difficulty. In addition, these methods rely on the formation of the right attitude. They say:
Everything [is created] by causes,
And they completely depend on the main thing - your attitude.
Therefore, do not consider the place where the Dharma is preached, the teacher who preaches it, and the like as ordinary, ordinary things that are [usually] seen with deluded vision. Instead, recognize the five perfect aspects in them and listen to the Dharma with such a changed attitude.
See the place of preaching as the perfect dharmadhatu palace in the pure land of Akanistha, the teachers as the perfect dharma-kaya-Samantabhadra, and the disciples as the perfect [holders] of the lineage of the buddhas from mind to mind, the vidyadharas of the symbolic lineage, male and female bodhisattvas, gods and goddesses. Or see that the real place where the Dharma is preached is the Lotus Light Palace on the Glorious Copper Colored Mountain; the guru who preaches the Dharma is Guru Padmasambhava; and those who hear the Dharma are the eight vidyadharas, the twenty-five disciples, and the dakas and dakinis.
Or see that by its very nature the place of preaching is the perfectly pure country of Abhirati, which is in the east; the teacher is the perfect sambhogakaya Vajrasattva; and followers are a host of deities of the vajra family, as well as male and female bodhisattvas. Or see that by its very nature the place of preaching is the perfectly pure land of Sukha-vati, which is in the west; the teacher is the perfect Buddha Amitabha; and the followers are a host of perfect deities of the lotus family, male and female bodhisattvas, as well as gods and goddesses.
Whichever option you choose, you must have firm faith in the Mahayana Dharma wheel that has been turning since time immemorial. As for all these [pictures you present], know that you are representing something that actually exists, and not something that does not really exist.
Guru personifies all the buddhas of the three times. Since, in essence, his body is the Sangha, his speech is the Dharma, and his mind is the Buddha, he represents the Three Jewels. Since his body is Guru, his speech is Deva and his mind is Dakini, he personifies all the Three Roots. Because his body is nirmanakaya, his speech is sambhogakaya, and his mind is dharmakaya, he embodies all three kayas. He is the embodiment of all the buddhas of the past, the source of the buddhas of the future, and the vicar of all the buddhas of the present. Since he liberates the beings of this age of degeneration who could not be saved even by thousands of buddhas of the Blissful Kalpa, in terms of his mercy and kindness, he is even more important than all these buddhas.
They say:
Guru is Buddha, Guru is Dharma, Guru is Sangha.
Guru is the doer of everything. The Guru is the glorious Vajradhara.
The way it is. We, his followers, who hear the Dharma from him, also have a foundation - the essence of a Buddha, a support - a precious human body, and the cause [of our enlightenment] - spiritual teachers. Based on the secret method of Tantra, we become the Buddhas of the future.
From the Hevajra Tantra:
Although sentient beings are essentially buddhas,
They are marred by accidental pollution.
Remove the defilements and the true buddha will appear.
1.2. Behavior
The [Instructions on Conduct] are divided into two sections:
1) behavior to be avoided;
2) the behavior to be learned.
1.2.1. Behaviors to Avoid
The [Instructions on Behavior to Avoid] are divided into three sections:
1) three flaws in the vessel;
2) six pollutions [vessels];
3) five wrong ways of perceiving.
1.2.1.1. The Three Flaws of the Vessel [The Three Flaws of the Vessel] are:
1) the defect of the inverted vessel - the inability to listen;
2) defect of a leaky vessel - inability to remember what was heard;
3) the defect of a vessel spoiled by poison - the habit of mixing [heard] with their delusions.
1.2.1.1.1. [Flaw of the Inverted Vessel]
When listening to the Dharma, it is necessary, without allowing the mind of hearing to be distracted, focus on the sound that transmits the Dharma, and listen. Not listening in this way is like pouring a precious liquid into a vessel upside down. Let your body be present at the teaching, you will not hear a single word of the Dharma.
1.2.1.1.2. [Flaw of the Leaky Vessel]
Treating the Dharma superficially and not keeping it in mind is like pouring precious liquid into a vessel with a hole in the bottom: no matter how much you pour, nothing will remain in it. You cannot put the teachings into practice no matter how much you listen to the Dharma.
1.2.1.1.3. [Flawed Vessel Corrupted by Poison]
If you listen to the Dharma with evil intentions, such as the desire to strengthen your position and fame, or if you are under the influence of the five poisons - lust, hatred, ignorance, [pride and jealousy], - the Dharma will not have a beneficial effect on your mind. In fact, Dharma will become the opposite of Dharma. It's like pouring precious moisture into a poisoned vessel. On this occasion, the Indian sage Dampa said:
Listen to the Dharma as a deer listens to music.
Meditate on the Dharma like a northern nomad shearing a sheep.
Meditate as the mute eats food.
Practice the Dharma diligently like a hungry yak eats grass.
Bear fruit as the sun comes out from behind the clouds.
The sage says that when listening to the Dharma, one should be like a deer enchanted by the sounds of guilt, which does not notice how a hidden hunter fires a poisoned arrow at it. Clasping hands in prayer and not distracting the mind to any other thoughts, one should listen to the Dharma with delight, from which goosebumps run through the body, and eyes fill with tears.
If you are present at the teaching only with your body, and your mind is carried away by extraneous thoughts, your mouth is busy with chatter, your eyes look around, then this is no good. Listening to the Dharma, you need to stop all, even pious, actions: do not say prayers, do not touch the rosary - just listen. Even if you listened in this way, after that you need to remember the meaning of everything said and do not forget to constantly apply it in practice.
Buddha said:
I show the way to liberation
But know that gaining liberation depends on yourself.
Therefore, the guru instructs the disciple only to teach him how to listen to the Dharma, how to practice, how to avoid negative actions, how to perform good actions, and how to accept [Dharma] wholeheartedly. The disciple should remember [the guru's instructions] and follow them steadily. If you do not take them wholeheartedly, then although there may be minimal benefit from hearing the Dharma, you still will not understand the meaning of the words, which is tantamount to not hearing them at all. And even if you take the instructions with all your heart, but mix them with delusion, they will never be pure Dharma. The incomparable Dagpo Rinpoche said:
If the Dharma is not followed properly, the Dharma itself can cause rebirth in the lower realms.
Therefore, if you contradict the guru and Dharma who are above you, condemn your spiritual associates who are on the same level with you, and presumptuously neglect karmic consequences and harbor other immoral thoughts, this will lead to rebirth in the lower realms. Avoid all this.
1.2.1.2. Six impurities [vessel] From Namshe puma:
Pride,
lack of faith
lack of interest
distraction to the outside
dive into yourself
despondency.
These are the six defilements.
As it is said here, pride, that is, the thought: "I am superior even to a teacher who explains the Dharma"; lack of faith in the Dharma and guru; lack of interest in the Dharma; preoccupation of the mind only with external events; immersion in oneself and focusing the five senses on the inner world; discouragement [for example, about the fact that the teaching goes on too long] - these are the six defilements that should be eliminated.
1.2.1.2.1. [Pride]
Of all these obstacles—sources of delusion—pride and jealousy are the hardest to recognize. Therefore, you should constantly watch your mind. If you are proud of your insignificant spiritual or worldly knowledge and have attachment to it, then you will not be able to see your own internal shortcomings and the merits of others. Therefore, avoid pride and always adhere to modesty.
1.2.1.2.2. [Lack of faith]
Lack of faith closes the gates of Dharma. From the four kinds of faith, acquire unshakable faith.
1.2.1.2.3. [lack of interest]
Interest in the Dharma is the basis of all knowledge. Dharma followers reach a high, medium, or low level as a consequence of their high, medium, or low interest in the Dharma. You will never advance in the Dharma if you have no interest in it. Even the proverb says, "Although Dharma belongs to no one, it belongs to the one who works hard." Indeed, in order to find just one quatrain of the Dharma, the Buddha had to light a thousand lamps by making depressions in his own body and pouring oil into them, and also jump through a fiery ditch, drive a thousand nails into the body and endure hundreds of other trials. [One of the sutras says]
May you have to go through fire and sharp blades, Seek the Dharma to the very threshold of death.
Therefore, based on what has been said, one should listen to the Dharma with such great interest that all difficulties, such as heat, cold, and other obstacles, recede.
1.2.1.2.4. [Outward distraction]
The attraction of the mind to the six external sense objects is the root cause of all illusory conceptions and the source of all suffering. For example, moths die in flames because their eye consciousness craves visual images. Wild animals fall prey to the hunter because their ear consciousness craves sound. Bees perish when they are trapped in a flower because their sense of smell craves the smell. Fish are hooked because their tongue craves the taste. Elephants drown in the quagmire because their bodies yearn to be touched. In addition, when listening to, studying or practicing the Dharma, one should try not to return to past impressions, not to look forward to future events, and in the present not to be distracted by the surroundings.
Gyalse Rinpoche said:
Past sorrows and joys are like drawings on water.
The past leaves no trace, don't try to find it.
If you really want to think about the past, think about what
wealth is replaced by poverty, and the meeting is replaced by separation.
Hey, lovers of mumbling "mani"! Can one rely on anything other than the Dharma?
Preparing for the future is like setting up nets in a dry riverbed.
Give up ambitious aspirations that do not reach the desired goal.
If you really want to look into the future, think about the fact that the [time] of death is unknown.
Hey, lovers of mumbling "mani"! Do you have time to devote it to anything other than the Dharma?
Today's classes are like household chores that you see in a dream.
Give them up, because worldly efforts will bring nothing.
It is possible to earn a living honestly without attachment.
Hey, lovers of mumbling "mani"!
It is completely pointless to plunge headlong [in worldly affairs].
Until all thoughts manifest as dharmakaya,
You can not do without exercises aimed at recognizing the three poisons in the state after meditation.
So remember this as needed.
Hey, lovers of mumbling "mani"! Do not let the thoughts that flow from delusion multiply without restraint.
Another time the same Gypy said:
Don't look forward to the future.
If you look forward to the future
You will become like the father of the Famous Moon.
There lived a poor man. One day he found a pile of barley. He collected it in a bag and hung it from the ceiling. Lying under it, he began to dream: “Now I will get rich on this barley, and then I will marry. My wife will definitely bear me a son. What should I call him? The moon was just rising and the poor man decided that he would name his son Dawa Dragpa (Famous Moon). But then the rope on which the bag hung broke, because a mouse gnawed it, the bag fell on the poor fellow and killed him. Endless dreams of the past and future rarely come true. Since they only take time, they should be completely discarded. Listen [to the Dharma] mindfully, attentively and thoughtfully.
1.2.1.2.5. [Immerse yourself]
If you are too deeply absorbed in yourself and just snatch out individual sayings of the Dharma, then you are like a dremo bear that digs out the holes of marmots. Having barely caught one, he begins to look for another, forgetting about the first. [Therefore] he never manages to catch them all. In addition, excessive self-absorption causes drowsiness, obscures consciousness and develops many other shortcomings. Therefore, moderate concentration should be maintained - neither too tense nor too relaxed. In ancient times, Shrona studied meditation with Ananda. Shro never succeeded in meditation because he was either too tense or too relaxed. When this was told to the Buddha, he asked Shrona:
- When you were a layman, you played the vina well, didn't you?
- Yes very good.
- When did the wine sound better - with the strings too tight or too loose?
- It is best if the strings are stretched in moderation: neither too strong nor too weak.
- The same should be done with the mind.
By following this advice, Shrona achieved his goal.
Machig Labdron said the same thing:
Be firmly focused and relaxed without tension. This is the key to understanding the view.
In accordance with her words, do not plunge your mind into yourself too hard - achieve a moderate balance and keep the senses relaxed.
1.2.1.2.6. [Despondency]
When listening to a teaching, you should not feel discouraged and lose your zeal for the Dharma due to hunger or thirst, feeling that the teaching has been going on for too long, or because of the inconvenience caused by wind, sun or rain. On the contrary, think like this: “Now I have a complete human body, I have met a genuine guru, and I am happy because I can learn deep spiritual practices. This opportunity is the result of merit accumulated over countless kalpas. The opportunity to listen to the Dharma is like a feast that happens once in a hundred years. For the sake of the Dharma, I am ready to endure any hardship: heat, cold, anything.”
With this in mind, one should listen to the Dharma with pleasure and joy.
1.2.1.3. The Five Wrong Perceptions [Five Wrong Perceptions] are:
1) perceive words, but not meaning;
2) perceive the meaning, but not the words;
3) perceive both words and meaning, but misinterpret them;
4) misperceive word order;
5) misunderstand the meaning of words.
1.2.1.3.1. [Perceive the words, but not the meaning]
To attach importance only to beautiful words that are pleasing to the ear, and not bother to comprehend their deep meaning, is to be like a child picking flowers. The sound of words will not benefit your mind.
1.2.1.3.2. [Perceive the meaning, but not the words]
Some consider the method of presentation of the teaching to be an unnecessary husk and tend to ignore it, looking for support in the sense. But there is no meaning that would not be based on words, so words and meaning will lose their connection.
1.2.1.3.3. [Perceive both words and meaning, but misinterpret them]
The teachings are different: some reveal the truth in a direct way, others in an indirect way. If [the latter] is interpreted incorrectly [i.e. e. literally], there will be confusion in the meaning of the words and they will be contrary to the pure Dharma.
1.2.1.3.4. [Incorrect word order]
If you confuse the order of words, they will contradict the correct sequence of the Dharma. This discrepancy will continue forever whether you are listening, teaching or meditating.
1.2.1.3.5. [Misunderstood the meaning of the words]
If you misunderstand the meaning of the words, then through a long habit of misconceptions, your mind will be damaged and you will dishonor the teaching.
Thus, all erroneous [modes of perception] should be avoided. The correct meaning contained in the words, the correct order of words - all this must be studied properly. Do not lazily give up trying to understand the teaching because it seems difficult or too extensive, but make an effort. Do not take lightly what seems easy and brief: keep it firmly in your mind so that you do not forget. Do not make mistakes in the sequence of words and firmly remember all the words and their meaning.
1.2.2. Behavior to be learned
[Behavior to be Learned] has three parts:
1) stick to the four similitudes;
2) practice the six paramitas;
3) follow other ways of behaving.
1.2.2.1. Four Comparisons From the Gandavyuha Sutra:
Son of a noble family!
Make yourself like a sick person;
Liken the Dharma to medicine;
Liken a teacher to a skillful doctor;
Compare constant practice to a cure that will surely overcome the disease.
As it is said here, you, who have been drowning in this ocean of samsara's suffering since time immemorial, are like a sick person afflicted with an illness, the causes of which are three poisons, and the outcome is three sufferings.
He who is seriously ill resorts to the help of a skilled doctor and follows all his advice, takes all the prescribed medicines, because he longs for happiness, that is, recovery. In the same way, in order to get rid of such ailments as karma, misfortune and suffering, one must follow the instructions of a genuine guru - a skilled physician and apply the medicine - the holy Dharma. If, having found a guru, you do not follow his instructions, then he will be like a doctor who is unable to help a patient who does not follow his advice. If you don't take the medicine of the holy Dharma - if you don't put it into practice, then you are like a sick person who hides a bunch of medicines and prescriptions under his pillow, but does not take them or get any benefit from them.
Nowadays, people usually have high hopes for the gracious help of a teacher, while they themselves continue to engage in worldly affairs. They think they won't have to reap the rewards of wrongdoing because the guru of mercy will send them straight to heaven as easily as throwing a pebble. However, the words that the guru supports us with his mercy should be understood as follows: he guides you with his compassionate mercy; teaches deep methods; opens your eyes to discern what to take and what to avoid; shows you the path to liberation consistent with the teachings of the Buddha. There is no mercy other than this. And whether you follow the path to liberation, relying on this mercy, depends on you.
This time you have gained a human condition, endowed with freedoms and gifts, you know what to accumulate and what to reject. Now the decision is in your hands. It is now that you decide what choice you will make - good or bad. Therefore, it is important, following the exact instructions of the guru, to solve the issue of samsara and nirvana forever.
Village priests, sitting at the head of the deceased, give him instructions: "This is a crossroads of two roads - leading up and leading down - as if you are directing the horse with reins." However, if you do not have sufficient experience [of meditation], at this time the red wind of karma urges you on from behind, drags you forward by the darkness of fear, presses from the sides of the gorge of the bardo, and countless servants of Yama drive from all sides, shouting: “Kill, kill! Break it, break it!” You have nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, no protector, no one to rely on or rely on. How can a time when you do not know what to do be a crossroads of two roads - leading up and leading down?

It is too late to initiate a piece of paper with your name on it when your mind is running around in the bardo like a mad dog. Directing [consciousness] to the higher worlds is indeed a difficult task.
So the crossroads of two roads - leading up and down, when you can guide the horse with the reins - this is exactly the time when you are still alive.
As long as you are a human being, the good deeds done for the ascent [to the higher worlds] are more effective than the merit accumulated in any other state. Care must be taken not to waste this precious life in vain. After all, you also have more opportunities to commit negative deeds that lead down than other living beings. Therefore, you can certainly create the cause for the inevitable [fall] into the abyss of the lower realms. Now you have met a teacher who is like a skilled physician, and you have met the holy Dharma, who is like a healing medicine. Therefore, right now you must adhere to these sublime similitudes and embark on the path to liberation, putting into practice the Dharma you have heard.
And you also need to avoid what is likened to the opposite. From the treatise Yonten zo:
hypocritical student
deceives with humble words,
looks at the teacher like a musk deer,
takes possession of the holy Dharma like mined musk, and then
breaks the bonds of the vow, because he loves only hunting.
Here it is said that one should not receive the Dharma and practice it, likening the guru to a musk deer, Dharma to a musk, oneself to a hunter, and constant attempts to practice as trying to kill a musk deer with an arrow or lure it into a trap. One who does not appreciate the kindness of the guru uses the Dharma to accumulate sins that drag him like a stone to hell.
1.2.2.2. Practicing the Six Paramitas
The behavior to be learned must have the following qualities of the six paramitas. The Tantra Containing All the Secret Instructions of the Dharma on the Aspect of Behavior says:
make offerings such as flowers or seat cushions;
keep in order the place where Dharma instructions are given, and watch your conduct;
do not harm any living beings;
be completely devoted to the teacher;
listen carefully to his instructions;
ask questions to clarify your doubts.
These are the six [paramitas] that the hearers should possess.
So, you should arrange the throne of Dharma by covering it with pillows, offering mandalas, flowers, and the like. This is the practice of generosity].
Clean [the place where instruction is given], sprinkle water to keep it dust-free, and correct all faults, including disrespectful behaviour. This is the practice of morality.
Avoid harming even the smallest insects and patiently endure difficulties: heat, cold, etc. This is the practice of patience.
Avoid any feeling of dislike for the guru and the teachings, listen to the Dharma with joy and true faith. This is the practice of diligence.
Listen to the instructions of the guru without distraction. This is the practice of dhyana.
Ask questions to clear all your doubts. This is the practice of wisdom.
Thus, the listener has to master the six paramitas.
1.2.2.3. Other behaviors
From Vinaya's instructions:
Do not teach those who have no respect.
Those who cover their heads, although they are not sick,
Those who walk with umbrellas, canes or weapons,
And those who decorate their heads with a turban should not be taught.
From Jataka:
Take the lowest seat
Show signs of a restrained mind
Look with joyful eyes
Hear the Dharma with full attention,
Like tasting the nectar of words.
So, any disrespectful behavior should be avoided.
2. Themes of the teaching itself
The Instructions on the Difficulty of Gaining Freedoms and Gifts are divided into four sections:
1. Reflection on the main topic - the nature of freedoms.
2. Reflection on the special gifts associated with the Dharma.
3. Reflection on examples showing the difficulty of gaining
[human body].
4. Reflection on the negligible probability [of gaining a man
eternal body].
2.1. Reflection on the main theme - on the nature of freedoms
Generally speaking, "freedoms" refers to the good fortune to be born not in one of the eight unfavorable states that leave no freedoms, but in a state that provides the opportunity to practice the sublime Dharma. Eight conditions are said to be unfavorable in which there is no time [to practice the Dharma].
It's said like this:
inhabitants of hell
pretas,
animals,
savages,
long-lived gods
people with wrong views
people born at a time when there are no buddhas,
dumb.
These eight are deprived of freedom.
Thus, it is stated that if you are born in hell, there is no way to follow the Dharma, because you are constantly tormented by heat and cold.
Those born as pretas have no opportunity to follow the Dharma because they are constantly tormented by hunger and thirst.
In the animal world, there is no way to practice the Dharma because animals suffer from being enslaved and attacked by other animals.
Long-lived gods spend their time in an indifferent state and have no opportunity to practice the Dharma.
If you are born in a country of savages, there is no way to practice the Dharma because it is not there.
If you take birth as an evil tirtha-kam because your mind is polluted with false views, you have no opportunity to practice the Dharma.
If you are born in a dark kalpa, you will never hear the sound [of the words] "Three Jewels". Since you are unable to distinguish between good and evil, there is no way to practice the Dharma.
If you were born mute, your mind is inoperable, so there is no way to practice the Dharma.
2.1.1. [States of the inhabitants of hell, pretas and animals]
Beings born in the three lower realms of these eight inauspicious states suffer continuously from heat, cold, and hunger, the karmic consequences arising from their own past misdeeds. Therefore, they do not have the freedoms to follow the Dharma.
2.1.2. [State of the Savages]
The word "savage" refers to the savages of the thirty-two border regions [with Tibet] such as Lokatra, etc., as well as those who consider it Dharma to cause suffering [to others]. Although these frontier savages are human, they do not turn their minds to the sublime Dharma. They adhere to the traditions of their ancestors, which include such impious customs as marrying their own mother, and therefore their behavior is contrary to the teachings of the Dharma. Since these savages are particularly good at such negative activities as killing living beings and hunting wild animals, many of them immediately go to hell after death. Therefore, [this state] is unfavorable.
2.1.3. [State of the long-lived gods]
Long-lived gods live in an indifferent state. Those who practice dhyana, in which there is no distinction between good and evil, and consider this the final liberation, are born indifferent gods. They enjoy this dhyana for many great eons. When the karma that elevated them to the [world of the gods] is exhausted, they renounce their belief [in liberation]. Since they are reborn in hell due to false views, this state is also unfavorable for Dharma practice.
2.1.4. [The state of people with false views]
Those who do not belong to the Buddhist faith hold the false views of nihilists or eternalists, which are contrary to the teachings of the Buddha. There is no way for them to develop pure faith in order to practice the Dharma, because their minds are filled with wrong ideas. Tibet, on the other hand, was [until recently] inaccessible to these tirthikas because Orgen Rinpoche, the Second Buddha, assigned twelve guardian sisters to protect Tibet.
People like tirthikas who hold views that are contrary to the perfect Dharma are also unable to follow it properly. They look like the monk Sunakshat-ru. After serving the Buddha for twenty-five years, he nevertheless did not have an iota of faith in him and treated him with disdain, and therefore was reborn in the garden as a hungry ghost.
2.1.5. [The condition of those born in the dark kalpa]
A dark kalpa is a period when there are no buddhas. If you were born in a world where there are no buddhas, you won't even hear the words "Three Jewels". Since there is no idea of ​​the holy Dharma there, it is an inauspicious state.
2.1.6. [State of the mute]
If you were born mute, then your mind is not fit to listen to the Dharma, study it, or meditate. Usually, one who cannot speak is called dumb, but the condition of a person implies knowing the words and understanding their meaning, and therefore people who, due to dumbness, have a very weak mind and cannot understand the meaning of Dharma, are in an unfavorable state.
2.2. Reflection on Special Gifts Related to the Dharma
Special gifts associated with the Dharma:
1) five own talents;
2) five gifts depending on circumstances;
.
2.2.1. Five personal gifts
As Nagarjuna said, these gifts are:
to be born as a human;
be born in a middle country;
possess perfect sense organs;
lead a decent life;
have faith in the Dharma.
If one is not born as a human being, there will be no opportunity to meet the Dharma. Therefore, the human body is a [good] gift.
If you are born in a suburban country where the Dharma is not practiced, you will not meet the Dharma either. Therefore, to be born as you were born now, in the middle country where Dharma reigns, is a [good] talent.
If you are born with defective sense organs, it will be a hindrance. Since you are now free from such shortcomings, you have a gift - full-fledged sense organs.
An unworthy way of life is always fraught with harmful actions that make one turn away from the Dharma. Since now you are engaged in a worthy business, accumulating merit, you have a special talent - pious thoughts.
If you do not have faith in the teachings of the Buddha, there will be no inclination towards the Dharma. Now you are able to turn your mind to the Dharma, and therefore you have a [good] gift - faith.
Thus, one must possess these five [gifts], which are called "the five own good gifts."
2.2.1.1. [Be born human]
To truly practice the true, pure Dharma, one must be human.
If you have not acquired a human body, then the best of the three lower worlds is the world of animals. Animals may be beautiful, valuable, etc., but no matter how high their virtues, it is useless to tell them that you can become a Buddha if you utter [the mantra] OM MANI PADME HUM even once - they will not hear these words, they will not understand their meaning, they will not be able to pronounce them. Even dying from the cold, they will lie still, not knowing any way to keep warm. A person, however weak he may be, will be able to hide in a cave or under a tree, collect firewood, build a fire and warm his face and hands. If animals are incapable even of this, how can they even think of practicing the Dharma?
It is believed that the gods have the best body, but their way of life is not conducive to taking perfect vows leading to liberation. Therefore, the gods do not have the happy opportunity to receive the Dharma in its entirety.
2.2.1.2. [Born in the Middle Country]
The concept of "middle country" can be seen in terms of location and in terms of Dharma. As for the location, Bodhgaya in India is considered the center of the world - a holy place where thousands of Buddhas of the Good Kalpa gain enlightenment. [It is believed that] it will survive the collapse of the world at the end of the kalpa, resist the destructive elements and remain in the form of a sickle hanging in space with a Bodhi tree in the middle. Bodhgaya and all other cities of India surrounding it is a middle country in terms of location.
From the point of view of Dharma, the middle country is the one in which the teachings of the Buddha flourish. Other countries are considered marginal.
However, although India has been regarded as a middle country, both spiritually and in location, from the time of the Buddha until his Dharma disappeared from India, in modern times even Bodh Gaya has been taken over by the Tirthikas, and it is said that the teachings of the Buddha are there. no more. So, from a Dharma point of view, India can also be considered a marginal country.
As for Tibet, the Land of Snows, when the Buddha appeared in our world, this country was almost not inhabited by people. Therefore, it was called "Tibet, the outlying country." Then people and kings gradually appeared - supernatural emanations.
Dharma first appeared in Tibet during the reign of Lha Totori Nentsen, when the Sutra of a Hundred Invocations and Prostrations, forms for sa-tsa and other [sacred objects] were found on the roof of his palace [Yumbu Lakar]. It was foretold that their meaning would become clear at the time of the fifth of the succeeding kings.
In accordance with this prophecy, King Songtsen Gampo, an emanation of Avalokiteshvara, sent the translator Thonmi Sambhota to India, where he studied Sanskrit, literature, etc. When he returned, this translator introduced a system of writing in Tibet, which was not there before. Twenty-one sutras and tantra dedicated to Avalokiteshvara, Nenpo sangwa and other books were translated into Tibetan. The king, appearing in various guises by supernatural means, and his minister Gartongtsen, using diplomacy, ensured the protection of the country; for the same purpose, the king married two princesses: a Chinese and a Nepalese. As a dowry, the princesses brought with them two Buddha statues, as well as many other symbols of the Dharma. In order to subdue the Demons, the main temple, Rasa Trulnang, was erected in Lhasa, and many tadul and yangdul temples were built in other important places.
It was during the reign of Trisong Deutsen, the fifth [after Songtsen Gampo] king, that the great teacher of Tantra Padmasambhava, the Guru of Oddiyana, unparalleled in the three worlds, was invited to Tibet, and with him one hundred and eight other panditas. Temples were built, including the Samye Mingyur Lhungi Drubpe Tsuglagkang, receptacles for images of the Body of the Buddha. The great translator Vairochana and one hundred and eight other panditas began translating the books. They translated the sublime Dharma - basically all the sutras, tantras and sastras common in the holy country of India - the pillars of the Buddha's Speech. Seven spiritually awakened people were ordained as monks and formed a sangha - the backbone of the Mind of the Buddha. Thus the Buddha's teaching rose in Tibet like the sun.
From then until now, although the Dharma has undergone various tests, the traditions of oral transmission and the practice of comprehending the teachings of the Buddha have been preserved in their original purity. Therefore, from the point of view of Dharma, Tibet is a middle country.
2.2.1.3. [Have perfect sense organs]
If any of your senses are defective, you will not be able to take monastic vows. You do not have the opportunity to see the images of the Buddha and other objects of worship, read or listen to sacred books - objects that promote study and reflection. Therefore, you will not be able to fully perceive the Dharma.
2.2.1.4. [Lead a worthy lifestyle]
"To lead an unworthy life" - usually they say so about hereditary hunters, prostitutes, etc., who were led on the wrong path from childhood. But, in essence, all those who in deed, word and thought contradict the Dharma are engaged in an unworthy craft. You can be born in a respectable family, but then do an unworthy business. Care must be taken that the mind is not occupied with that which is contrary to the sublime Dharma.
2.2.1.5. [Have faith in the Dharma]
If you do not have faith in the teachings of the Buddha, which is worthy of all reverence, then even a deep faith in strong worldly gods, nagas and the like, or in the teachings of the tirthikas cannot save you from samsara and the sufferings of the lower realms. If, through oral transmission and the practice of insight, you have developed faith in the teachings of the Buddha, then you can be considered a worthy receptacle of the sublime Dharma.
2.2.2. Five Gifts Depending on Circumstances These gifts are:
Buddha reveals himself;
Buddha preaches the Dharma;
Dharma exists;
[Dharma] is followed;
there is a [teacher] who has compassion for others.
If you are not born in a bright kalpa, when the Buddha appears in this world, then you will not even hear the word "Dharma". Now, when you were born in the kalpa during which the Buddha revealed himself, you have a special gift - the Teacher.
If a Buddha visits this world but does not preach the Dharma, you will not benefit from it. Since [Gautama Buddha] preached the Dharma on three levels, you have the gift of preaching the sublime Dharma.
If the Dharma is preached but the teaching disappears, you will not benefit from it. Now, when the term of Dharma has not expired, you have the gift - [present] time.
If the Dharma is preserved but [people] do not accept it, there will be no benefit. But you, who accepted it, have a talent - a good opportunity.
If you accept the Dharma, but you do not have a teacher, which is absolutely necessary, then you will not be able to understand the essence of the Dharma. If you are guided by such a good friend, you have a gift - his extraordinary compassion.
Since the acquisition of these five gifts does not depend on yourself, but on others, they are called the five gifts depending on circumstances.
2.2.2.1. [Be born in a bright kalpa]
Kalpa is a period of time measured by the epochs of the formation, stay, destruction and disappearance of the universe. The kalpa during which the Buddha appears in the world is called the bright kalpa. If not a single Buddha appears in the world, this time is called a dark kalpa. In past times, during the great kalpa called Manifest Joy, thirty-three thousand buddhas came into the world. This period was followed by a hundred kalpas [fit only] for savages. After that, eight hundred million buddhas appeared during the perfect kalpa, and then a hundred dark kalpas passed. After that, eight hundred and forty million buddhas appeared in the Excellent Kalpa, and then five hundred dark Kalpas came. After that, eight hundred million buddhas appeared in the Pleasant Kalpa, and then seven hundred dark Kalpas came. During the Joyful Kalpa, sixty thousand buddhas appeared, and then the current Auspicious Kalpa came.
Before the current kalpa arose, a billion world systems were filled with waters, among which thousand-petalled lotuses bloomed. The gods of the Brahma world, disposed towards enlightenment, saw this through their clairvoyance and considered it a sign of the arrival of a thousand buddhas in this kalpa. Therefore they called this kalpa Blessed. From the advent of the Buddha named Krakuchchanda, when human life lasted eighty thousand years, to the advent of the Buddha named Mopa Tae, when people will live for countless years, a thousand Buddhas will visit Bodhgaya in this world, who will attain full enlightenment and turn the Wheel of Dharma . Therefore, it is a bright kalpa. It will be followed by sixty kalpas of savages [when beings live] of the lower race, and they will be followed by a kalpa of Great Numbers, in which ten thousand buddhas will manifest themselves. Then ten thousand eons of domination by the inferior race will come. Thus, light and dark kalpas will alternate.
If you are born in a dark kalpa, you will not even hear the sound of the words "Three Jewels". In addition, the teaching of the Secret Mantra - Vajrayana will be very rare.
The great Orgen Rinpoche said:
During the Kunko kalpa of the first great [cycle] kalpas, Buddha Nonzhungi Gyalpo made the teachings of the Secret Mantra widely known. This teaching also prevails at the present time - the time of Buddha Shakyamuni. A million kalpas after ours, the kalpa of Metog Kopa will come. Then a buddha named Manjushri will appear, just like the current Buddha, and he will also preach the Secret Mantra widely. Only in these three kalpas will living beings capable of perceiving the Secret Mantra live. Apart from these three kalpas, the Secret Mantra will not be known at any other times because there will be no worthy living beings.
As he said, Buddha Shakyamuni appeared in this world during our Blessed kalpa, when people live for a hundred years, and therefore this kalpa is bright.
2.2.2.2. [To be born at a time when a Buddha preaches the Dharma]
Even if the buddhas come into the world but are immersed in meditation and do not preach, the light of Dharma will not appear. [Therefore, such a kalpa] will not be different from the time when there is no buddha.
Buddha Shakyamuni, having attained enlightenment in Bodhgaya under the Bodhi tree, said:
I discovered the nectar-like Dharma:
Deep, soothing, simple, whole, clear.
Whomever you teach, no one will understand it,
Therefore, I will live in the forest and remain silent.
Having said this, he did not preach for seven weeks until Indra and Brahma begged him to turn the Wheel of Dharma.
In addition, if mentors who are proficient in the Dharma do not teach it, sentient beings do not truly benefit. For example, the Indian teacher Dharmaswami Smritijnana traveled to Tibet to help his mother, who he knew had been reborn in one of the indefinable hells. On the way, his translator died. Smritijnana wandered around Kham, and because he did not know the language, he even had to herd cattle. Not having time to bring spiritual benefits to living beings, he died. When Atisha Dipan[kara] Srijnana later visited Tibet and heard this story, he said, “Alas! Bad luck for you, Tibetans. In all India, from west to east, there is no greater pandita than Smritijnana." And he folded his hands and wept.
During the present period of time, Buddha Shakyamuni taught the Dharma on three levels, according to the mental capacity of beings capable of attaining enlightenment. He manifested in countless bodily forms to liberate sentient beings [with the help of] the nine vehicles of teaching.
2.2.2.3. [Be born at a time when Dharma exists]
Even if the buddhas come into the world and teach the Dharma, but then the Dharma disappears as it expires, such times are no different from a dark kalpa. When the teaching of the previous Buddha ends, and the teaching of the succeeding Buddha has not yet appeared, such a period is considered the time without a Buddha. Although Pratyekabuddhas visit some happy regions that have merit, they do not practice the teachings or listen to the Dharma.
The current age of Shakyamuni Buddha will last five thousand years. Of these, the Teaching of the Mind of Samantabhadra, or the Teaching of the Fruit, was preserved for one and a half thousand years; his [intense] practice continued for another fifteen hundred years; its oral transmission will also last one and a half thousand years; and the mere preservation of its symbols will last another five hundred years. At the present time, of these five thousand years, three and a half or four thousand years have already passed. Although we have entered the era of the five degenerations of [shortening] life span, [increasing perversion] of views, [strengthening] obscurations, [degradation of the qualities of beings, and degeneration of time] - in fact, the teachings of oral transmission and the practice of insight have not yet disappeared. Thus, we still have the gift of sublime Dharma.
2.2.2.4. [It is correct to enter the Dharma]
Even if the Dharma exists and you don't follow it, you won't be able to achieve Buddhahood based on oral traditions and insight practices. Dharma is compared to the sun: although it illuminates the whole earth, one who is blind will not benefit from it. Or Dharma is compared to a huge lake: even once on the shore, you will not quench your thirst if you do not get drunk from it.
Even if you follow [Dharma], but you do it to overcome illness, evil spirits, or other [dangers] of worldly life, or simply fearing that in the next life you will have to suffer in the lower realms, this is called "Dharma as a protection from fear." [Such a motivation] is unsuitable for true entry into the path. And if you follow the teachings in order to receive worldly benefits in this life or the enjoyment of gods and people in the next, this is called "Dharma in anticipation of benefits." To enter the gate of Dharma in order to find the path to liberation, convinced that all samsara is meaningless, is to follow the path correctly, and this is called "entering the gate of Dharma."
2.2.2.5. [Follow virtuous friend]
If you are not guided by a virtuous friend, then following the Dharma is useless. From the Prajnaparamita Sanchayagatha:
Buddha Dharma rests on a virtuous friend -
Thus said the Buddha, who possessed the best of all the highest virtues.
Since the Buddha's teachings are limitless and the lineages of oral transmission are innumerable, in fact the knowledge that can be acquired is infinite. Without the secret instructions of a teacher, you cannot learn how to put the essence of all the teachings into practice.
When Atisha arrived in Tibet, his three disciples - Ku, Nog and Drom - asked:
- To achieve Buddhahood, what is more important: to follow the main instructions of Kangyur and Tengyur or the instructions of a guru?
“Guru's instructions are much more important,” Atisha replied.
- Why?
“Even if you are able to recite the Tripitaka by heart and expound the entire Abhidharma, you will deviate from the path of Dharma if you have not received instructions for practice from a teacher.
If we take all the instructions of the teacher in aggregate, what is the main thing: to observe the three moral commandments or to do good in deed, word and thought? they continued to ask.
“All this will not be of much use,” said Atisha.
- Why?!
- If you keep the three vows and perform purification practices, but do not turn your mind away from the three worlds of samsara, then even such actions will serve as a reason for returning to samsara. If you do good deeds day and night with all three gates, but do not know how to dedicate these merit to attaining Buddhahood, then any unkind thought can easily destroy the entire store of merit. Even if you are a monk who is versed in the teachings and skilled in meditation, but you have not turned your mind away from the eight
worldly dharmas, then whatever you do will be directed towards worldly goals, and not towards future liberation.
Thus it is very important to have a guru, a virtuous friend.
2.2.3. [Sixteen Inauspicious Conditions]
So, if you find in your life the presence of eight freedoms and ten gifts - eighteen freedoms and gifts in total - you can consider that you have a full-fledged human life.
In addition, the great Omniscient Dharmaraja [Longchenpa] in his book The Wish-Fulfilling Treasury mentions other unfavorable conditions that prevent one from practicing the Dharma. They are subdivided into eight external, transient adverse circumstances and eight adverse states of the biased mind. It is very important to be free from these factors as well.
From "The Treasury That Grants Wish":
[be under the influence of] the five poisons;
to be ignorant and stupid;
be exposed to harmful influences;
be lazy;
[subject to] the onslaught of the ocean of bad karma;
to be at the mercy of other people;
[use the Dharma as] protection from dangers;
pretending to be interested in the Dharma.
These are the eight outer transient adverse circumstances.
As well as:
to be entangled in the lasso [affection];
be misbehaving;
not regret samsara;
not have the slightest faith;
rejoice in evil deeds;
not interested in Dharma;
not keeping vows;
violate samaya.
These are the eight unfavorable states of the partial mind.
2.2.3.1. [Eight Outer, Transient Adverse Circumstances]
Those who are strongly influenced by the defilements, the five poisons, such as hatred of enemies and love of relatives, may from time to time feel the desire to properly practice the true Dharma. But since the five poisons that affect the mind are very strong, these people are mostly under their control. Therefore, they are unable to truly practice the Dharma.
Those who are extremely ignorant and devoid of even the slightest glimpse of intelligence will not be able to understand even the slightest degree of the meaning of the Dharma. Even if they accept the Dharma, they will not get the opportunity to listen to it, think about it and meditate.
If you fall into error, taking as a teacher someone who follows perverted views and practices, you may be led to the wrong path, making you an opponent of the holy Dharma.
If you want to study the Dharma, but are too lazy and completely lacking in diligence, you will fall victim to your habits and, constantly postponing the practice, you will not be able to do it.
If one diligently follows the Dharma, but internal obstacles and negative karma hinder the growth of [spiritual] knowledge, this may entail the loss of faith in the Dharma. [Being] under the onslaught of the ocean of negative karma, you will not understand that this is a consequence of your own actions.
People who are completely dependent on others will not be able to follow the Dharma even if they want to if they are not allowed to.
If one accepts the Dharma in order to earn food and clothing, or for fear of harm that other people may cause, then a true understanding of the Dharma will not arise. Old habits will force you to do things that are far from the Dharma.
If you use the external attributes of the Dharma to increase wealth, honor and fame, then you are just a cheater. You may appear pious, but deep down you are only interested in this life, and therefore you will not enter the path to liberation.
These eight external transient conditions are unfavorable for Dharma practice.
2.2.3.2. [Eight Unfavorable Conditions of the Partial Mind]
If you have a deep attachment to life: to wealth, children, relatives, etc., you are so absorbed in the efforts associated with all this that you do not have time to practice the Dharma.
If, because of bad inclinations, there is not a drop of goodness in you, you will not be able to move forward. It was not for nothing that the great teachers of the past said: "You can improve the mental abilities of a student, but not his nature." Even a worthy, virtuous teacher will find it difficult to direct you to an exalted path.
If you are not afraid of explaining why the lower worlds [in particular] and samsara [in general] are bad, or what suffering is in this life, the determination to be free from samsara will never arise in you - the reason for coming to the Dharma.
If you do not have the slightest faith in the true Dharma and in the guru, the gates of the teaching will remain closed and you will not be able to enter the path of liberation.
If you indulge in bad habits and therefore cannot control the actions of your body, speech and mind, you will lose your exalted qualities and turn away from the Dharma.
If you do not see the value in virtues and the Dharma, [then you are no more interested in them than] a dog in grass. Since you do not take any pleasure in following the Dharma, knowledge will not germinate in you.
If you become a follower of the common chariots, and then begin to act contrary to the thoughts of enlightenment and vows, you have only one way - to the lower worlds, where unfavorable circumstances inevitably await you.
If you become a follower of the vehicle of the Secret Mantra, and then break samaya in relation to your teacher and godbrothers, it is destructive for him and for others, and also deprives you of the opportunity to gain siddhis.
These are the eight inauspicious states of the prejudiced mind that lead away from the Dharma, or, in other words, "blow out the lamp of liberation."
If you do not carefully check whether you have these sixteen inauspicious conditions inherent in the age of degeneration, you can only appear to be the owner of freedoms and gifts and a seeker of the Dharma. Rulers on thrones, important lamas under canopies surrounded by followers, recluses in meditation cells, wandering yogis - all those who consider themselves great are influenced by the causes of these unfavorable conditions. That is why, although they pretend to practice the Dharma, they fail to follow the true path.
Therefore, do not rush to chase after the outward manifestations of the Dharma, but first carefully check yourself to see if you have all these twenty-four types of freedoms and gifts. If they are, be happy and think: “Now you need not to waste these freedoms and talents, which are so difficult to acquire; one should make every effort to practice the true sublime Dharma.” Think so from the bottom of your heart, over and over again. If you lack them, do everything to get them. It is necessary to make it a rule to always carefully consider whether you have these qualities - freedoms and talents. If you don't do this test and you lack even one of them, you will miss the opportunity to practice the Dharma to the fullest.
Even for worldly people, it takes a confluence of many circumstances to satisfy the insignificant current needs. And you, in order to follow the Dharma that leads to the achievement of the highest goal, do not you need a confluence of equally numerous interdependent circumstances? Imagine a traveler who is about to make salted tea for himself. To brew such tea, many circumstances are needed: a pot, water, fuel, fire. Take at least the fire. It cannot be bred without many additional contributing circumstances: a piece of iron, flint, tinder, a pair of hands, etc. If there is not, say, tinder among them, the presence of the rest will not bring the slightest result and the dream of drinking tea will have to part. In the same way, the absence of a single kind of freedoms and gifts fundamentally excludes the possibility of practicing the Dharma. Therefore, if you properly understand yourself, you are unlikely to discover all eighteen aspects of freedoms and gifts.
All ten gifts are even rarer than the eight kinds of freedoms. Suppose you were born as a human being, in the center of spiritual life, with perfect sense organs, but if you lead an unworthy lifestyle and do not believe in the Dharma, then you have only three gifts [out of five]. Even if you acquire one of the missing factors, there will only be four. Of these [five gifts], the most difficult to acquire is the gift of a worthy way of life. If you commit bad deeds with all three gates and do everything only for worldly life, then even being reputed to be a respected person, scientist, etc., you, in fact, lead an unworthy lifestyle.
Of the five gifts, depending on the circumstances, you may have the presence of the Buddha, his preaching, and the availability of the teachings, but if you do not follow the Dharma, then you have only three gifts. Even if you undertake to follow the Dharma, but only study it or listen to it, this does not mean that you have entered the Dharma. To embark on the path of liberation, it is necessary to have a genuine desire to leave samsara, realizing that it is completely meaningless.
To follow the Mahayana path, one must have genuine, not feigned, bodhichitta. If you do not have at least a grain of sincere, strong faith in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha and are not ready to maintain this faith even in death throes, you cannot consider yourself a follower of the Dharma only on the basis that you read prayers and wear a yellow robe. Thus, for [self]testing, it is very important to correctly understand the exact meaning of each of the types of freedoms and gifts.
2.3. Reflection on examples showing how difficult it is to acquire [a human body]
Buddha said:
To acquire a human body is even more difficult than for a turtle living at the bottom of a raging [ocean] to stick its neck into a yoke [floating] on its surface.
Imagine that all the great oceans of the three worlds have merged into one, and a yoke floats on its surface - a piece of wood with a hole in the middle, which is put on the necks of bulls when the field is plowed. This yoke is constantly carried along the waves in all directions. At the bottom of the ocean lives a blind turtle that rises to the surface once every hundred years. It is very difficult to imagine that [the tortoise and the yoke] would meet. An inanimate yoke has no intelligence to look for a turtle. The blind tortoise has no eyes to look for the yoke. They would have a chance to meet if the yoke remained in place, but it does not stop even for a moment. In the same way, the turtle would have a chance to meet [with the yoke], if he rises to the surface every now and then, but he rises to the surface only once every hundred years.
Although it is very difficult to imagine that the tortoise and the yoke would meet, the possibility cannot be ruled out that the tortoise accidentally sticks its head into the yoke. However, the sutras say that it is even more difficult to attain human rebirth, endowed with freedoms and gifts.
Nagarjuna explains it this way:
It is easier for a turtle to get [head] into a wooden yoke worn along
waves of the great ocean,
Than [a being] be born as an animal,
And being a human is even more difficult.
Therefore, O Lord of People,
Practice the sublime Dharma so that its fruit ripens for you.
Such instructions he gave to King Surabhibhadra. And Shantideva said:
It's just as hard to be born as a human
How does a turtle get his head into the hole in the yoke,
Carried on the waves of the great ocean.
The Mahaparinirvana Sutra mentions other examples of low probability: throwing a handful of dry peas against a smooth wall so that at least one pea sticks to it; pour a bunch of beans on the point of a vertically standing needle so that at least one bean [remains] at the end of it, etc. It is necessary to familiarize yourself with these comparisons and understand them.
2.4. Thinking about the Negligible Probability of [Acquiring a Human Body]
Considering the diversity and multiplicity of living beings, it is almost unbelievable to have a human body. The number of beings in hell is as great as [the number of] stars in the night sky. Compared to it, the number of pretas is so small that it is comparable to the number of stars that are visible in the sky during the day. If we say that there are as many rushing stars as there are stars at night, then there are as few animals as there are stars during the day. If we say that there are as many animals as there are stars at night, then there are few beings in the higher blissful worlds, as there are stars during the day.
It is also said that there are as many hell beings as there are dust particles in a large continent; pret--how many grains of sand are in the river Ganges; animals - how many grains are in a vat of beer malt; asur - how many snowflakes are in a blizzard; gods and people - just how many particles of dirt under the nail.
Although it is rare luck to acquire a body in the higher worlds, it is even rarer to acquire a human body endowed with freedoms and gifts. If in the summer we lift a clod of earth, we will see many living beings in it. In humans, no genus is as numerous as the population of one anthill. So people are clearly [few] compared to animals. In addition, among the people - including those who live in the outlying areas where they have no idea about the teachings - very few people are born in areas where the Dharma flourishes. Even fewer of those who have freedoms and talents - their few. Taking this into account, you should be happy that you have the whole set of freedoms and gifts.
Therefore, if you have all the qualities of freedoms and gifts, you can now consider that you have a precious human body. If even one of these qualities is lacking, then although from a worldly point of view, you may be quite intelligent and educated, [from the point of view of Dharma] you do not have a precious human rebirth. You can be called an ordinary person, a person only in name, an unhappy person, a person without a main thing, or someone who returns empty-handed. It's like not using a wish-granting jewel that fell into your hands, or returning empty-handed from Treasure Island.
It says:
Finding a jewel is nothing compared to finding a precious human body.
But don't you see how it is wasted by those who have no regret?
Getting a kingdom is nothing compared to gaining the true
guru. But can't you see he's being treated like an equal
those who have no faith and reverence?
Becoming a worldly ruler is nothing compared to taking bodhisattva vows.
But don't you see those who, without any compassion, throw them like a stone from a sling?
Attaining kingship is nothing compared to receiving Tantra empowerments. But don't you see how they are neglected by those who do not honor samayas?
Seeing the Buddha is nothing compared to seeing the original mind itself.
But do you not see those who carelessly allow their minds to suffer from delusion?
These freedoms and gifts are not acquired by chance or by mere luck. They are the fruit of two kinds of accumulations acquired over many kalpas.
Panchen Dragpa Gyaltsen said:
This human body, endowed with freedoms and gifts,
It is not acquired through the ingenuity of the mind:
It is the fruit of accumulated merit.
If, having received a human body, but at the same time, having no idea of ​​the Dharma, you are completely engaged in non-virtuous deeds, this is even worse than being in the three lower realms.
Jetsun Milarepa said to [the hunter] Gonpo Dorje:
It is usually said that the human body, which has freedoms and
gifts, - a great jewel,
But when I see a person like you, it doesn't seem like such a value to me.
As Milarepa said, no one has a greater ability to plunge himself into the lower realms than man. Now you have the opportunity to do whatever you want. It says:
If you use the body for good, it is a ship of liberation.
If you use it for harm, it is a stone that carries you into samsara.
Our body is the servant of both good and evil.
(to be continued)

The instructions on taking refuge 1, the cornerstone of all paths, are divided into three sections:

1. 
   Different types of taking refuge.
2. 
   [Four] Ways of Taking Refuge.
3. 
   Instructions on taking refuge and the benefits [from taking refuge].

1. Different Types of Taking Refuge

Generally speaking, taking refuge opens the gates of all teachings, and faith opens the gates of taking refuge. Therefore, before taking refuge, it is important to generate firm faith in your mind.

1.1. [Three Kinds of Faith]

Faith is also divided into three types:

1. 
   faith [based on] rapture;
2. 
   faith [based on] desire;
3. 
   faith [based on] conviction. 2

1.1.1. Faith based on admiration 3

When we visit [places such as] temples, where many objects are collected that symbolize the body, speech and mind of the Buddha, meet teachers, mentors and other exalted people, or hear about their life stories and virtues, all this can instantly engender in us reverent thought: “How great is their compassion!” The resulting faith is called rapture faith.

1.1.2. Faith Based on Desire 1

The desire to be free from the suffering of the lower worlds of samsara that appears in us when we hear about such suffering; the desire to gain the pleasures of the higher worlds of samsara and nirvana, which appears in us when we hear about such pleasures; the desire to accumulate merit that arises in us when we hear about the benefits of it; the desire to give up bad deeds, which appears in us when we see the harm they cause - all this generates [faith], which is called faith, [based on] desire.

1.1.3. Faith based on conviction 2

When we learn about the extraordinary virtues and power of blessings of the excellent Three Jewels, faith is born in the very depths of the heart, thanks to which we see in the Three Jewels an eternal and unchanging protection that protects us always and everywhere. In happiness and in sorrow, in sickness and sorrow, in life and death, no matter what happens, we seek salvation only in the unchanging protection of the Three Jewels, with faith and hope we rely only on them. Such faith, filled with selfless devotion, is called faith [based on] conviction.

Orgen Rinpoche said:

Faith filled with selfless devotion attracts blessings.

If the mind is free from doubt, all your desires will be fulfilled.

pos to him, faith is like a seed from which all the benefits of the white Dharma 3 grow, and the absence of faith is like a burnt seed.

The sutras say:

For those who don't have faith

White Dharma will not be born,

Like burnt grain

Does not give green shoots.

In addition, faith is the main of the seven riches of the Aryans. It is said:

Precious Wheel of Faith

Day and night moves you along the path of virtue.

It is said that faith is the best of riches.

And she, like a treasury, contains inexhaustible virtues; like legs, carries you along the path of liberation; like a pair of hands, gathers all the blessings of the Dharma into your mind.

Vepa is the best of riches, treasures and legs.

Like a pair of hands, she is the main means of collecting merit.

Although the Three Jewels have an inconceivable [many] blessings and graces, whether these blessings and graces reach your mind depends entirely on your faith and devotion.

Therefore, if you have the highest faith and devotion, you will receive the highest blessings and favors from the Guru and the Three Jewels. If your faith and devotion are average, then blessings and favors will be average. If faith and devotion are small, blessings and favors will be small. If there is no faith and devotion at all, you will not get any benefit, even if you meet the Buddha himself. This is told in the above story of the monk Sunakshatra and in the story of Devadatta, the cousin of the Buddha. one

If the heart is full of faith and devotion, then the Buddha still appears and gives blessings to those who call on him in prayer. Indeed, for the compassion of the Buddha, there is neither far nor near.

To the one whose mind is imbued with devotion,

The Buddha appears and gives initiations and blessings.

The great Orgen Rinpoche said:

For the men and women devoted to him

Padmasambhava has not gone anywhere, but is sleeping at the door.

I don't know death.

Padmasambhava is always in front of those who believe in him.

If you have faith [based on] conviction, Buddha's grace can be present in everything. As they say, "thanks to faith, a dog's tooth helped the old woman become a Buddha."

Once upon a time there lived an old woman, and she had a son who was a merchant, who often visited India on business. His mother asked him: "They say in There is a place in India, Bodhgaya, where the Buddha himself lived. Bring me some shrine from there that I could pray for.” She repeated this to him many times, but the son always forgot about her request. Once, when the son was going to India again, the mother said: “If you don’t bring me a shrine this time, I will kill myself in front of your eyes!”

The son went to India and went there with his head in affairs. [About the mother's request] he remembered only on the way back, not far from home. "What same make? - he thought, - again I did not bring my mother a shrine for which she could pray. If I go home empty-handed, my mother might kill herself." Thinking so, he looked around and saw a dog's skull lying by the side of the road. He pulled a tooth out of it and wrapped it in silk. [Having returned home] he handed it to his mother, saying: "This is the tusk of the Buddha, pray for it."

The old woman believed that this dog's tooth was indeed the tooth of the Buddha, and her faith increased even more. She constantly worshiped him and made offerings. Thanks to this, sacred pearls began to pour out of the dog's tooth 1 . When the old woman died, [above her] they saw a rainbow halo. It's not that the dog's tooth was a source of blessings. The old woman's great faith that the tooth was genuine made it a source of blessings, so that it became indistinguishable from the tooth of the Buddha.

And there was also a simpleton who lived in Kongpo, who was nicknamed Jowo Ben 2. He went to Ahasa to bow to Jowo Rinpoche 3 . When Ben approached [the statue of] Jowo Rinpoche, there was no altar keeper or visitors around. Seeing the offerings and burning oil lamps on the altar, Ben thought that Jowo must be eating the offerings by dipping them in oil, and the lamps are lit to keep the oil from freezing. Then he also decided to refresh himself and began to eat, pinching off pieces of tsampa from the sacred tormas and dipping them in an oil lamp. Looking into Jovo's face, he said:

You always smile, even if the dog carries offerings from you. You smile when the wind blows out the lamps. One who does this is indeed a good lama. I will trust you to guard my boots while I make my sacred circuit around you.

So saying, he took off his boots and placed them next to Jowo Rinpoche. While he was making his rounds, the servant of the temple returned. He was about to throw away his boots, but then the statue of Buddha spoke:

Don't throw away your boots: Ben of Kongpo has assigned me to look after them.

Returning, Ben took the boots and said:

They don't call you the good lama for nothing. Come to our village next year. I will slaughter a pig and give you meat. I'll also brew beer from ripe barley and wait for you.

I will come,” said Jowo Rinpoche. Returning home, Ben said to his wife:

I invited Jowo Rinpoche to visit. It is not known when he will come, so wait for him.

The next year, the wife once went to fetch water and saw the reflection of the statue of Jowo Rinpoche on the surface of the water. She rushed home and said to Ben:

There is something in the water. Maybe this is your guest?

Ben immediately ran [to the river]. Seeing the statue of Jowo Rinpoche, he thought, “What if Jowo Rinpoche fell into the water?”

He dived into the water and indeed found Jowo Rinpoche there. Ben pulled it out and went home with it. On the way, they came close to a huge stone, and then Jowo Rinpoche said:

I will not enter a layman's house.

The place where the imprint of Jowo Rinpoche's body appeared on the stone is called Dole Jowo, and the river where his reflection appeared is called Chu Jowo 1 . Even today, people worship and make offerings to them, because they believe that in terms of the strength of blessings there is no difference between these two places and the statue of Jowo in Lhasa.

And in this case, it was Ben's firm faith that brought him the grace of the Buddha. Otherwise, for the [blasphemy] that Ben committed - he ate offerings with oil from a lamp and placed his boots in front of a sacred image - only severe punishment should have been expected. Only the power of faith turns such deeds into good ones.

In addition, the true comprehension of the absolute truth of the natural state 1 also depends solely on faith. In the sutras [Buddha] says:

O Shariputra, absolute truth can only be realized through faith.

Through the power generated by wholehearted faith, the mind receives the blessings of the Guru and the Three Jewels. This gives rise to true insight 2 that allows one to understand the true meaning of absolute truth, which in turn awakens trust in the Guru and the Three Jewels, resulting in exceptional, unshakable faith 3 . Thus, insight into the state of nature and faith born of trust mutually reinforce each other.

Long ago, when preparing to leave Jetsun [Milarepa], Dagpo Rinpoche asked:

When will the time come to take care of the disciples?
Jetsun replied:

After a while you will have a clear understanding. And then you will see the essence of the mind very brightly, not like now. When this happens, such firm faith will be born in you that you will consider even me, an old man, to be a true buddha. That's when the time will come to take care of the students.

So, whether or not you receive the flow of grace and blessings of the Guru and the Three Jewels depends only on your faith and devotion.

Once upon a time, a student casually said to Jo-wo-je Ahachig:

• 
  Atisha, give me blessings!
• 
  Show your devotion first, slacker! - followed the answer. 4

So, unshakable and complete trust [in the Guru and the Three Jewels is absolutely necessary]: it, by opening the gates of refuge, generates exceptional faith and devotion.

1.2. [Taking refuge depending on the motive]

Depending on the motive, taking refuge with such faith is also divided into three types.

1.2.1. [Taking Refuge of a Small Being] 5

If one takes refuge out of fear of the sufferings of the three lower realms—hell, pretas, and animals—and simply strives for the happiness of the higher realms—humans and gods, then this is called taking refuge by a small being.

1.2.2. [Take Refuge by an Average Being] 1

If you realize that samsara is never free from suffering, whether you are born in the higher or lower realms, and you take refuge in the Three Jewels just to find the peace of nirvana free from suffering, then this is called taking refuge by an average being. .

1.2.3. [Take Refuge by a Great Being] 2

If you see that all beings are living in the great ocean of endless suffering of samsara, enduring an inconceivable multitude of tribulations, and you take refuge to bring all beings to unsurpassed, perfect Buddhahood, full of omniscience, then this is called taking refuge by a great being.

Thus, from these three motives, one should choose the urge of the great ones - to bring innumerable sentient beings to perfect Buddhahood. Although, at first glance, happiness in the higher worlds of gods and people may seem eternal, in fact it is not free from suffering. When the reasons for enjoying happiness in the higher worlds are exhausted, its inhabitants again fall into the lower worlds. Why strive for the happiness of the higher worlds if it is fleeting? Even if we, like Shravakas and Pratyekabuddhas, achieve [Hinayan] nirvana, that is, peace and tranquility only for ourselves, while all other living beings - our parents from beginningless time - are drowning in the ocean of suffering of endless samsara, this will not be right. .

Since taking refuge in the Three Jewels, stemming from the desire to bring all sentient beings to Buddhahood, is entering the path of the great ones, the path of immeasurable goodness, it is from this motive that one should proceed.

in the shastra Ratnavali LXXVIII says:

Since the worlds of living beings are immeasurable,

The desire to help them should be just as boundless.

2. The [Four] Ways of Taking Refuge

According to the ordinary vehicles 3, one takes refuge by recognizing the Buddha as the teacher, the Dharma as the path, and the Sangha as companions to help one successfully follow the path.

According to the methods of the special vehicle of the Secret Mantra, one takes refuge by offering one's body, speech, and mind, relying on the Deva as a support, and on the Dakini as companions.

According to the best method of the Vajra Essence 1, on the fast path one takes refuge by using the nadis, controlling the pranas and purifying the bindus, which become nirmanakaya, sambhogakaya and dharmakaya respectively.

[Refuge of dzogchen] the supreme unerring Vajra Refuge in the natural state 2 relies on the great indivisible primordial wisdom whose essence is emptiness 3 , nature is clarity 4 , and compassion is omnipresence 5 ; it resides in the minds of the deities of refuge as the ultimate goal to be realized in one's own mind. Here refuge is taken in a state of going beyond [concepts] 6 .

2.1. [Visualization]

When you have fully mastered all the above methods of taking refuge, you actually take refuge, for which you need to imagine an assembly of the deities of refuge 7 .

Imagine that the place where you are is a beautiful, delightful land of the Buddha, made of jewels. The ground there is smooth as a mirror, without any unevenness, mountains and valleys. In the middle, right in front of you, is a wish-fulfilling tree 8 whose five branches, abounding in leaves, flowers, and fruits, stretch out in all directions, filling the sky to the east, south, west, and north. All leaves and branches are decorated with precious bells, bells, pendants and various garlands. On the middle branch is a precious throne supported by eight great lions. On the throne lies a lotus with multi-colored petals, [and on top of it] the sun and moon. On them sits your glorious root guru - an incomparable treasury of compassion, the personification of the essence of all the buddhas of the past, present and future, gathered together, appearing in the guise of the great Vajradhara from Uvdiyana 9 . He is pinkish white, has one face, two arms and two legs; he sits in a regal posture. In the right hand, the fingers of which are folded in the mudra of threat, is a golden five-pointed vajra. In the left hand, the fingers of which are folded in the mudra of samadhi, there is a bowl-skull, and in it is a vessel with the nectar of the wisdom of immortality, adorned with a branch of a wish-fulfilling tree. He wears a tantrika robe 1 , a monk's robe 2 and a king's robe 3 , and his headdress is a lotus cap. He sits united with his wife, the white dakini Yeshe Tsogyal, who clutches a curved knife and a skull cup full of blood [in the right and left, respectively].

Imagine this image in front of you, facing you. Above his head, imagine all the lineage gurus 4 sitting in ascending tiers. Although, generally speaking, there are countless lineage teachers, the root lineage gurus Dzogchen ningtig are:

Dharmakaya Samantabhadra 5,

Sambhogakaya Vajrasattva 6,

Nirmanakaya Garab Dorje 7,

Acharya Manjushrimitra 8,

Guru Shrisingha 9,

Scholar Jnanasutra 10,

Great pandita Vimalamitra 11,

Padmasambhava from Oddiyana 12,

Dharmaraja Trisong Deutsen 13,

Great Translator Vairochana 14,

Dakini Yeshe Tsogyal 15,

Omniscient Longchen Rabjam 1,

Rigdzin Jigme Lingpa 2 .

All of them must be represented with their own decorations and objects - they sit on thrones, one above the other, and the top one does not touch the head of the bottom one. They are surrounded by an incomprehensible multitude of yidams - a collection of deities of the four sections of Tantra, as well as hosts of dakas and dakinis.

On the front branch is Buddha Shakyamuni, surrounded by one thousand and two Buddhas of auspicious kalpa, as well as other Buddhas of ten directions and three times: past, present and future. All of them are in the form of the highest nirmanakaya 3: dressed in monastic clothes 4, marked with thirty-two signs of a Buddha, including ears 5 on their heads and signs of a wheel on their feet, as well as eighty minor bodily signs. They sit cross-legged in the vajra posture. Their body color is white, yellow, red, green and blue. 6 Imagine that their radiant bodies emit countless rays of light.

On the branch to the right [of the Guru] are the eight great bodhisattvas, chief among them Manjushri, Vajrapani and Avalokiteshvara 7 . They are surrounded by a noble sangha of bodhisattvas, white, yellow, red, green and blue. Dressed in thirteen sam-bhogakaya ornaments and robes, they stand with their feet together.

On the branch to the left [of the Guru] are Shariputra and Maudgalyayana, two eminent shravakas, surrounded by a noble sangha of shravakas and pra-tyekabuddhas. Imagine them white, in three-piece monastic robes; they stand holding staffs, begging bowls, etc.

On the far branch is the precious Dharma in the form of stacks of books. Crowned with six million four hundred dzogchen tantras, they lie in a sparkling weave of rays of light, labeled to you. Imagine that they themselves make a hum of vowels and consonants.

The rest of the space is filled with powerful dharmapalas 8 and guardians 1 , among which there are both embodiments of the wisdom of the Buddhas and those that are subject to karma. All male dharmapalas face outward to protect you from the destructive causes that prevent you from gaining the fruits of Dharma practice. They do not allow the intrusion of external interference. All female dharmapalas face you to prevent leakage of the acquired inner blessings. All of them have the immense beneficial power of omniscience and have great love for you. See them as your great deliverers.

To your right, imagine your current father, and to your left, your mother. Imagine all your enemies in front of you, those who harm and interfere with you, and behind them - all living beings of the six destinies and three worlds, crowding below, as if in a huge market square.

Expressing respect with the body, [they] prostrate in bows, prayerfully folding their palms. When paying respect by speech, they say prayers of refuge. Paying respect with your mind, [all of you] think like this: “O Guru and the Three Jewels! In luck and failure, in joy and sorrow, in illness and misfortune, whatever happens to me, you are my only protection, refuge, help and hope. Therefore, I place all my hopes and faith in you - from now on and until I acquire the essence of wakefulness 2 . I will never rely on the advice of my father and mother, or on my own understanding, but I will seek support in the Guru and the Three Jewels. I am obedient to you. I want to get what you got. I have no other refuge and hope but you!

Thinking thus, fervently [pray]:

Konchog sum no dasheg tsawa sum

Tsa lung tigle rangshin changchub sam

Novo rangshin tutje kilkor la

Changchub ningpo bardu kyabsu chi 3

In the sugata of the Three Roots, the true Three Jewels,

In bodhichitta - the nature of nadis, prana and bindu,

In the mandala of essence, nature and compassion

Taking refuge until I have an awakened heart!

Every time you practice, repeat this as many times as you can. It is necessary to say the prayer of refuge at least one hundred thousand times 1, setting yourself a clear schedule for this.

In addition, the practice of refuge should be done constantly and considered as important as the practice of yidam.

2.2. [Practice Patience]

Taking refuge, they represent the father and mother, respectively, to the right and left of themselves, and enemies and opponents in front of them.

If you are wondering why enemies and opponents should be considered more important than one's own parents, the reason is that a follower of the Mahayana should impartially spread bodhichitta to countless sentient beings. In particular, in order to acquire a huge amount of merit and not waste the merit already acquired, one should consider meditation on patience as the main practice.

In addition, the practice of patience [should be understood] as the proverb says: “How to develop the power of patience if no one annoys you?” It is the harm caused by enemies and adversaries that makes it possible to develop the power of patience.

If you look carefully, [it will turn out that] from the point of view of Dharma, enemies and opponents do more for you than parents. Your parents teach you dishonest ways to achieve worldly well-being in this life and thereby deprive you of the opportunity to get out of the hellish abyss in future lives. Therefore, you are not as obliged to them as it seems.

As for enemies and adversaries, by creating difficulties for you, they provide an opportunity to exercise patience. They forcefully deprive you of wealth, property, pleasures and the like - all that, in fact, serves as the source of all misfortunes and bonds that do not allow you to escape from samsara. Therefore, you should be grateful to them. Even evil spirits and harmful forces give you the opportunity to practice patience, and therefore, thanks to the pain and suffering they cause, you get rid of the misdeeds accumulated in the past.

Even Jetsun Milarepa himself met with Dharma after his uncle and aunt stripped him of all his possessions. And the nun Palmo, fleeing from the leprosy sent by the Nagas, began to practice the sadhana of Avalokiteshvara and gained absolute perfection. The omniscient Dharmaraja [Longchenpa] said:

If suffering makes you seek the Dharma

And find the path to liberation, be grateful to the offenders!

If discouragement - a consequence of grief - makes you seek the Dharma

And find eternal happiness, be grateful to sorrow!

If the evil caused by harmful beings makes you

seek the Dharma

And gain fearlessness, be grateful to demons and evil spirits!

If people's hostility makes you seek the Dharma

And find goodness and serenity, be grateful to your enemies!

If severe calamities make you seek the Dharma

And find an unchanging path, be thankful for disasters!

If someone's evil intent makes you seek the Dharma

And find the root meaning, be grateful to the attackers!

Be grateful to those who helped, and dedicate merit to them!

Be grateful to everyone who helps in this life, and besides, they were your parents in past lives - that's why they occupy such an important place.

2.3. [End Rendering]

In conclusion, at the end of the practice, imagine that due to your ardent devotion, countless rays of light emanate from the deities of the refuge assembly. These rays touch you and all other living beings, and you, like a flock of birds frightened away by a pebble from a slingshot, soar up and instantly merge with the deities of refuge. Then, starting at the edges, the deities of the refuge assembly gradually dissolve into the light that enters the Guru at the center, the embodiment of the essence of the three refuges. All the deities sitting in tiers above the Guru also dissolve in him. The Guru himself also dissolves into the light and disappears. Let your mind, free from thought emission and conception absorption, remain for as long as possible in the primordial state of dharmakaya without any constructs.

Coming out of this state, dedicate merit for the benefit of countless sentient beings:

Geva diyi nyurdu dag

Konchog sumpo drub gyur ne

Chig kyang malupa firewood

Deyi sala gopar shog 1

Thanks to these merit

May I quickly attain the state of the Three Jewels

And I'll bring you to the same level

Every single living being.

Let your mind always and under any circumstances not part with mindfulness and vigilance. As you walk, visualize the deities of the refuge assembly in the sky [above] your right shoulder, as if you are walking around them in a circle. When you sit, imagine them in the sky above your head - you turn to them with prayers. When you eat and drink, [imagine them] in the middle of the throat - [you offer them] the first taste of all food and drink. When you go to bed, visualize them at the center of the heart - this is the method of dissolving delusion into the clear light. So whatever you do, never parting with a clear vision of the deities of the refuge gathering and with unwavering faith in the Three Jewels, devote yourself entirely to taking refuge.

3. Instructions on taking refuge and the benefits [from taking refuge]

There are three types of instructions:

1. 
   Three things to avoid.
2. 
   Three things to do.
3. 
   Three additional instructions.

4. [Benefits of taking refuge.]

3.1. Three things to avoid

Taking refuge in the Buddha should worship worldly gods, all more remaining in samsara.

The gods of the tirthikas - Shiva, Vishnu and others who themselves have not been freed from the suffering of samsara, as well as local deities, spirit masters of the earth and similar powerful worldly deities and demons should not be worshiped as a refuge in[this or] in the next life. 1 It is said:

After taking refuge in the Dharma, do not harm sentient beings.

Even in dreams, actions that cause harm to other living beings or cause them to suffer should be avoided. Do your best to abide by this rule. It is said:

Having taken refuge in the Sangha, do not befriend the Tirthikas 2 .

Do not enter into intimate relations with those whose views coincide with those of the Tirthikas, who do not believe in the Dharma and the Buddha who preached it. Although there are no true tirthikas in Tibet, friendship with those who offend and blaspheme your teacher and the Dharma and, like tirthikas, denigrate the deep teachings of the Secret Mantra, should be avoided.

3.2. Three things to do

Having taken refuge in the Buddha, reverently revere even a small fragment of his image. Lift it to the crown and lay in some clean place. Treat it like the very Jewel-Buddha and develop faith and pure vision.

Having taken refuge in the Dharma, have respect even for a piece of paper if it contains even one letter from the sacred texts. Almost lift it up to the top of your head, and treat it like the Dharma Jewel itself.

Having taken refuge in the Sangha, treat even the piece of red or yellow cloth, the symbol of the Jewel-Sangha, as the Sangha itself. Raise it respectfully to the top of your head and place it somewhere clean. Develop faith and pure vision.

3.3. Three additional instructions

Seeing in your teacher - a virtuous friend who explains to you what should be avoided and what should be accepted, the true Jewel-Buddha, avoid stepping even on his shadow, serve him and take care of him.

Accepting everything your teacher tells you as the Dharma Jewel itself, obey his every word, willingly fulfilling his orders.

The followers of your guru, his disciples and his consort you must revere as the Jewel Sangha itself. Show them respect in deed, word and thought, avoiding any deed that, even for a moment, could upset them.

Particularly in the Secret Mantra vehicle, the Guru is considered the main refuge. His body is the Sangha, his speech is the Dharma and his mind is the Buddha. Therefore, the Guru should be seen as the embodiment of the Three Jewels. Follow him, accepting all his actions as good. Rely on him with complete confidence and try to pray to him constantly. If you grieve him in deed, word and thought, it is tantamount to giving up all refuge. Therefore, with sincere zeal and firm determination, try always and under all circumstances to please the teacher.

Whatever happens to you - happiness or sorrow, success or failure, illness, adversity, and the like - rely solely on the Jewel-Guru. If you are happy, be aware that this is a result of the grace of the Three Jewels. [The Buddha] said that everything good and pleasant in this world, even something as small as a cool breeze in the heat, comes from the grace and blessing of the Buddha. In the same way, even the slightest glimpse of good thoughts springs entirely from the incomprehensible power of his blessings.

From Bodhicharyavatara 1 [Shantidevas]:

Like a flash of lightning in the night

Brightly illuminates the blackness of the clouds,

So, thanks to the power of the Buddha, sometimes it happens in the world

A brief glimpse of good thoughts.

That is, whatever blessings and pleasures you enjoy, all this should be understood as the mercy of the Buddha. Whatever obstacle you meet - illness or grief, the machinations of evil spirits and opponents and etc. - in order to overcome him, do not resort to any other means than praying to the Three Jewels. Even if doctors treat you or perform healing rituals and so on for you, all this must also be understood as a manifestation of the deeds of the Three Jewels 2 .

Recognizing in everything that happens the manifestations of the deeds of the Three Jewels, develop faith and pure vision in yourself. Before going on business to other places, [the first thing] is almost the Three Jewels - the buddhas of that direction.

Always and under all circumstances recite the main prayer of refuge: or from the Nyingtig teachings (Konchog sum no desheg tsava sum...), or that which is called the four-line prayer of refuge [of Tantra]:

lama la kyabsu chio

Sange la kyabsu chio

Cho la kyabsu chio

Gendun la kyabsu chio 3

I take refuge in Guru.

I take refuge in the Buddha.

I take refuge in the Dharma.

I take refuge in the Sangha.

This four-line prayer should be treated as a yidam. Tell others about the greatness of taking refuge and advise them to take it. Entrust yourself and others to the Three Jewels in this life and the next, diligently repeat the prayers of refuge.

Also, before going to sleep, visualize the deities of the refuge assembly, as already mentioned, in the center of your heart. Focus on them when you fall asleep. If you fail to do so, think that all the gurus and the Three Jewels, full of love and kindness towards you, are truly sitting at your bedside. Be imbued with faith and pure vision, and then, remembering the Three Jewels, fall asleep.

When you eat and drink, visualize the Three Jewels in your throat and treat them to the taste of all foods and drinks. If you fail, imagine that you offer them the first taste of all food and drink.

If you are going to put on new clothes, first lift them up to the sky, thinking that you are offering them to the Three Jewels. Then wear it as if it were a gift from the Three Jewels.

Whatever you see in this world: blooming gardens, transparent rivers, majestic buildings, shady groves, fabulous riches and treasures, beautiful people in exquisite attire, etc. - all that attracts and delights, mentally offer the Three Jewels.

When collecting water, first offer it to the Three Jewels LXXIX, and only then fill your dishes.

Everything that is attractive and desirable in this life - pleasures, pleasures, fame, wealth - should be considered the grace of the Three Jewels. Devotedly and with pure vision, think: “Let all this belong exclusively to the Three Jewels!”

Whatever merit you gain by doing prostrations, offerings, imagining deities, chanting mantras, etc., offer them all to the Three Jewels and dedicate the merit to sentient beings.

On the full moon and new moon, six times a day, etc., make as many offerings as possible to the Three Jewels. Also, don't forget to make other offerings to the Three Jewels on special days 1 .

Whatever happiness or sorrow you may experience, always and under all circumstances remember to take refuge only in the Three Jewels. If you are able to take refuge when you are haunted by nightmares in your dreams, then you will be able to do so in the bardo state. It is necessary to diligently master this practice until you have mastered this ability. In short, one must entrust oneself exclusively to the Three Jewels - to such an extent that one does not give up this refuge even on pain of death.

Once in India, the tirthikas seized a Buddhist layman and began to threaten:

• 
  If you refuse to take refuge in the Three Jewels, we will not kill you, otherwise, say goodbye to life!
• 
  I can give up refuge in words, but not in my heart, replied the Buddhist. And the Tirthikas killed him.

You need to have the same hardness. No matter how wonderful the teachings you practice, if you refuse to take refuge in the Three Jewels, you will not be considered a Buddhist.

It is believed that the difference between a Buddhist and a non-Buddhist lies in the refuge. Even non-Buddhists can avoid negative actions, they can strive to achieve ordinary spiritual perfections, contemplate deities, practice nadis, prana, etc. But they do not know about refuge in the Three Jewels, which means they do not find the path of liberation and cannot be freed from samsara.

In the ocean of Dharma sutras and tantras, there was not a single passage that Jowo-je Atisha did not read and comprehend. But since he believed that the most important thing was to take refuge, he taught his followers only about refuge, for which he was even called Pandita Refuge.

So, having embarked on the path of liberation and becoming a Buddhist, one must continue to take refuge even at the risk of life and put into practice the instructions for taking refuge.

As the sutras say:

One who takes refuge in the Buddha,

True upasaka 1 ,

He will never seek refuge

No other deities.

One who takes refuge in the holy Dharma,

Renounce thoughts of harm.

One who takes refuge in the noble Sangha,

Never befriends tirthikas.

These days, people who consider themselves followers of the Buddha have no respect for objects of refuge, etc. For them, images of the Buddha and Dharma books are just merchandise to be sold or pledged. To behave in this way means "to live on the ransom of the body of the Three Jewels", and this is the gravest crime. An equally grave offense from which one should refrain is criticizing images of the Buddha, etc., from the point of view of their beauty, except in cases where they require restoration or restoration of proper proportions.

A particularly grave sin is to put sacred books and objects on the floor, step over them, salivate your fingers when turning pages, and in other ways show disrespect.

Buddha said:

When the last five hundred year period comes, I will be present in the form of the letters 2. Believing that they are me, Give them due respect!

Those were his words.

Even the worldly rule says that you can not put the image of the Buddha on the sacred books. For of all the symbols of the body, speech, and mind of the Buddha, it is the sacred books that represent his speech; they teach us what to avoid and what to accept, serving the cause of preserving his teaching. Therefore, they say that there is not the slightest difference between the sacred books and the Buddha himself, which means that they are above all.

In addition, in our time, for most people, vajra 3 and bell 4 are just everyday objects, and not symbols of the Three Jewels. But the vajra is a symbol of the five primordial wisdoms of the mind of the Buddha, etc., and on the bell there is a face, which, according to the lower vehicles of Tantra, symbolizes Vairocana, and according to the higher vehicles of Tantra, Vajradhatvisvari 1, that is, it bears the image of the body Buddha. It also bears the seed syllables of the Eight Great Mothers. In addition, he is a symbol of the speech of the Buddha, the sound of Dharma. Therefore, the vajra and the bell combine three symbols - the body, speech and mind of the Buddha. In particular, the vajra and the bell contain the entire circle of the Vajrayana Secret Mantra mandala and serve as a special sign of its samaya, and therefore neglecting them is a serious crime. Always treat [the vajra and the bell] with the utmost respect.

3.4. [Benefits of Taking Refuge]

So, taking refuge in the Three Jewels is the foundation of all Dharma. One who simply takes refuge, sows the seed of liberation, moves away from the accumulation of negative actions and accumulates good ones, lays the foundation for all vows and becomes the source of all knowledge. Now virtuous deities will give you protection and grant wishes, you will be inseparable from the vision of the 2 Three Jewels and will be able to remember your past lives. You will be happy in this life and the next, and eventually attain Buddhahood - as they say, the benefits will be immeasurable. The "Seventy Verses of Refuge" LXXX says:

Anyone can take vows

Except for those who didn't take refuge.

Taking refuge is a necessary foundation for those who take the pratimoksha vows, whether monks, novices or lay students 3 . In addition, impeccable and complete refugee taking is important not only for the subsequent development of bodhichitta, receiving Vajrayana 4 Secret Mantra empowerments, etc. - it is absolutely necessary and simply for the daily restoration and purification of the LXXXI vows. Therefore, it forms the basis of all vows and good qualities. Even if you just hear the name Buddha or make even a slight connection with any of the symbols of the Three Jewels, the seed of liberation will be sown in your mind and you will eventually attain nirvana. What can be said [about the benefits] of taking refuge when one understands the full importance of the Three Jewels!

In the Sutra, in the Vinaya section, there is a story about how a dog chased a pig around a stupa - thus, the seed of liberation was sown in the pig's mind. And they also tell how one sa-tsa helped three people at once achieve Buddhahood. Once a passer-by saw a sa-tsa on the ground near the road and thought: if you leave it here, it will get wet from the rain. To protect the clay figurine, he covered it with an old shoe sole that lay nearby. Then another traveler walked by. He discarded the sole, thinking: it’s not good for such an unclean thing as an old, dirty sole to lie on a sa-tsa. Due to their good intentions, both the one who put the sole and the one who threw it away became kings in their next lives.

Acting with pure intent

The one who put the sole on the Buddha's head,

And the one who took it away -

Both are said to have become kings.

Thus, three people: the first one who made the sa-tsa, the second one who covered the sa-tsa with a sole, and the third one who discarded the sole, gained the happiness of rebirth in the higher worlds, and since the seeds of liberation were sown in them, they reached Buddhahood step by step.

Taking refuge also protects one from committing negative actions. If you take refuge with ardent devotion from the bottom of your heart, the negative karma you have accumulated in the past is reduced. and exhausted. Also in the future, due to the compassionate blessing of the Three Jewels, all your thoughts will become good and you will never accumulate negative karma. It is said that even King Ajatashatru, who killed his father and later took refuge in the Three Jewels, suffered only seven days in hell before being released from it. Also Devadatta, who performed three of [five] misdeeds "without a gap" 1 - even during his lifetime he burned in hellfire, but then he believed in the words of the Buddha and vowed that from now on he would take refuge in the Buddha with all his heart. As the Buddha predicted, Devadatta became the Pratyekabuddha Rupachen.

Thanks to the kindness of the guru and virtuous friend, now we have heard the pure, sublime Dharma. So in we have an increased interest in acquiring the good and giving up the bad. If we now make every effort to take refuge with all our hearts, our mind will be blessed, and all the good qualities of the path: faith, clear vision, determination to leave samsara 2 , feeling regret about being in samsara 3 , faith in the law of consequences, etc., will increase rapidly.

If, on the contrary, we regard taking refuge and praying to the Guru and the Three Jewels as secondary matters, then no matter how much we want to leave samsara, no matter how much we regret staying in it, our ideas are so deceitful, the mind is childishly undeveloped, and thoughts it is erroneous that the current good thoughts can easily turn into bad ones. It must be understood that even for stopping negative thoughts in the future, there is nothing better than taking refuge.

In addition, one must remember the words that demons are especially hostile to those who meditate diligently. It is said:

The deeper the Dharma, the stronger the black demons.

We are currently in an era of decline. Therefore, for those who meditate on the profound meaning and receive a great amount of merit, the [harmful forces] that hinder the practice of the Dharma and destroy the previously accumulated merit can appear in any form - as deceitful worldly temptations, as hindrances from relatives and friends, as obstacles. in the form of diseases and the intervention of evil spirits, as doubts and prejudices in one's own mind, and the like. If, as an antidote to all this, we make an effort to wholeheartedly take refuge in the Three Jewels, then everything that is inauspicious for Dharma practice will turn into auspicious, and merit will skyrocket.

Today, lay people, wishing to insure themselves for a year against illness, loss, etc., invite ignorant lamas and their students who have not received initiations or oral transmissions and have not recited the mantras the required number of times. However, they undertake to conduct rituals, which include the appearance of the mandala of an angry deity. Having no idea about the stage of origin and the stage of completion, they goggle their eyes like saucers and inflame their rage towards the dough figure. They are engaged in nothing more than a "red offering" of meat and blood. Shouting out the words, "Get 'em over here! Kill them! Wait for it! Beat them!” - they cause a feeling of violent anger in all who hear them. On closer examination, such actions are reminiscent of one of the sayings of Jetsun Milarepa:

Summon the gods of wisdom 1 to protect worldly people - it's like forcing the king to step down from the throne and force him to sweep the floor.

Padampa Sange said:

They are building a Secret Mantra mandala in a goat pen and they believe it will help them!

As Padampa noted, such actions pollute the one who practices Secret Mantra in the spirit of Bon 2 .

Only one who is completely free from selfish interests is allowed to practice [out of compassion] the destruction of enemies and adversaries who have committed ten grave crimes for the benefit of the Dharma and sentient beings. If a person performs such a practice under the influence of anger and addictions, then it will not only not lead to the destruction of obstacles, but will plunge him into hell.

If you perform meat and blood offerings without mastering the generation and completion stages of meditation and without observing samaya, there is no need to expect help from the wisdom deities, protectors and dharmapalas. Only deities 2 and demons hostile to the Dharma will gather to enjoy such negative offerings, torma 1 and so on. Such an offering may seem to bring temporary benefits, but in the end it brings nothing but various undesirable consequences.

Instead, trust in the Three Jewels. Invite lamas and monks whose minds are calm and subdued, and ask them to recite the prayer of refuge a hundred thousand times. There is no protection stronger than this, as it comes from the Three Jewels. In this life, nothing undesirable will happen to you, and all desires will gradually come true. All glorious deities will protect you, and all those who can harm you - evil spirits and opponents of the Dharma, will not even dare to approach.

Once they caught a thief and beat him hard with sticks, accompanying each blow with a [line from] the refuge prayer: “I take refuge in the Buddha,” etc. Having duly hammered these lines into the mind of the thief, he was released. The thief spent the night under the bridge and no words of refuge came out of his head, of which the pain from the beatings reminded him. At that time to the bridge approached a host of gods and demons. “Here is a person who has taken refuge in the Three Jewels!” they shouted and rushed off.

So, if you wholeheartedly take refuge in the Three Jewels, it will become the most powerful remedy for all the troubles in this life. And in the next life, it will help to gain liberation and omniscience. Taking refuge brings innumerable benefits.

Sutra of the Immaculate LXXXII says:

If the merits of taking refuge were to take on a material form, the entire celestial space would not be enough to contain them.

AT Prajnaparamita Sanchayagathe says:

If the merit of taking refuge were to take shape, the three worlds would be too small to contain. Can the waters of all the great oceans be measured with a teacup?

And in the Heart of the Sun Sutra LXXXIII it says:

One who has taken refuge in the Buddha

Can't kill millions of demons.

Even in the case of moral decline and mental confusion,

He will certainly escape the causes of rebirth.

All these three sayings [of the Buddha] speak of the immeasurable benefits of taking refuge. Therefore, the foundation of all Dharma - taking refuge - must be given special attention.

Even though I took the triple refuge, deep down in my heart I was faithless.

Although I undertook to perform three exercises LXXXIV, at times the zeal leaves me.

Bless me and all those who are equally weak-willed,

That we may have firm, unshakable faith.

These are the instructions for taking refuge, the cornerstone of all paths.

Translation from Tibetan: B. Erokhin. Editor: B.I. Zagumenov

388 pages, hardcover

The classic work of the patriarch of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism is one of the first encyclopedic reviews of the views and practices of Mahayana Buddhism and the Diamond Chariot, which served as a model for the creation of a number of such works. The book belongs to a class of literature detailing the stages of practitioners' progress on the path to achieving Buddhahood, as well as the key concepts of Buddhism. The high literary merit and philosophical depth of the book make it not only a desktop guide for every Buddhist practitioner, but also one of the most remarkable monuments of Buddhist literature.

Translation from English: Farida Malikova

216 pp., hardcover

This is one of the earliest Dzogchen texts, in which Manjushrimitra laid out the fundamentals of the teaching he received from Garab Dorje. The book includes another small text: "The Oral Instruction is a tantra about the practice of developing a state of pure and total presence."

Translation from English by Farida Malikov

192pp., hardcover

The second volume of The Light of Wisdom contains Padmasambhava's famous text Lamrim Yeshe Ningpo, as well as a commentary on it by Jamgon Kongtrul entitled "The Light of Wisdom" and notes on Jamyang Dragpa's commentary. The book contains in-depth explanations of the Buddhist Vajrayana, from the essence of initiation and tantric obligations to an explanation of the generation stage.

Volume 2 provides in-depth explanations of the Buddhist Vajrayana, from the essence of initiation and tantric obligations to an explanation of the generation stage. The root text of Lamrim Yeshe Ningpo-terma, discovered by the great terton Chokgyur Lingpa, incarnations of the great translator Vairocana, together constitute a complete treatise, embracing all the tantras, agamas, and upadeshi traditions of the ancient translations of the Nyingma school. Such a treatise is very rare to find in the past, present or future.

texts by Padmasambhava

Translation from English: Farida Malikova

304 pp., hardcover

This book is a vivid example of the Tibetan genre of spiritual literature "namtar", a spiritual biography that tells about progress along the path of the Teaching and the achievement of complete liberation. Its main character is Yeshe Tsogyal, a close disciple and wife of Guru Padmasambhava. The life of the heroine fell on a key period in the history of Tibet, when Buddhism came there from India and began to spread.