SUPPLICATION TO MAÑJUÌRI

Transcription

1 SUPPLICATION TO MAÑJUÌRI I prostrate to the Bhagavat Mañjuàri. Your mind is completely pure and luminous, like the sun free of the clouds of the two obscurations; You hold a text at your heart, since you see all the variety of objects just as they are; You love like your only child all the multitude of beings, who are trapped by the darkness of ignorance in the prison of saùsïric existence And are afflicted by suffering; your speech, possessing the sixty kinds of melody Roars mightily like a dragon; thus you awaken from the sleep of the kleàas, liberate from the chains of karma And dispel the darkness of ignorance; you hold aloft a sword since you cut all the sprouts of suffering; You are primordially pure and have completed the ten bhâmis; you have perfected all the qualities; the kïya of the elder son of the Victorious One Is adorned with the 112 ornaments. You dispel the darkness of my mind. I pay homage to Mañjuàri.

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3 THE SCIENCE OF MIND INT200 Sourcebook THE NALANDABODHI STUDY CURRICULUM Under the Direction of The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche Nalandabodhi Study Curriculum 200 Series

4 Published by Nalandabodhi P.O. box Seattle, WA U.S.A by Nalandabodhi Individual articles by the Ven. Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche also 2002 by the Ven. Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche. Individual articles by The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche also 2002 by The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. Cover: Calligraphy "Renunciation" by The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche also 2002 by The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. All rights reserved. Published January 2002 Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from Nalandabodhi or The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. This text is published as a part of the study curriculum of the Nalandabodhi Buddhist Path under the direction of The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. For further information: Nalandabodhi P.O. Box Seattle, WA curriculum@nalandabodhi.org

5 INTRODUCTION TO THE NALANDABODHI STUDY CURRICULUM Nalandabodhi Study and Meditation Centers offer a comprehensive curriculum in Buddhist studies, which adapts the traditional curriculum taught in Tibetan Buddhist educational academies for Western audiences. Students progress sequentially through basic Buddhist introductory topics, the increasingly complex topics of the HÓnayÏna and MahÏyÏna studies, and conclude with the subtleties of the VajrayÏna. The curriculum is also supplemented by an advanced Buddhist studies program provided at Nitartha Institute. Such a systematically organized curriculum of Buddhist studies, which leads students through a gradual path, is for the most part unavailable elsewhere. The Nalandabodhi Study Curriculum is the product of many years of work in transmitting, translating and adapting the traditional educational system for students in the West. Completion of the curriculum provides a student with a comprehensive foundation in all aspects of Buddhist studies. The core curriculum is composed of original teaching materials, distinguished by their thoroughness and accessibility, with extensive references to leading complimentary works in Tibetan Buddhist studies. The core curricular materials were drawn primarily from the teachings of The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, who designed the curriculum as well as the advanced study program at Nitartha Institute. Rinpoche is acknowledged as one of the foremost scholars of his generation in the Nyingma and Kagyu schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Schooled in the traditional Buddhist educational system, Rinpoche has also studied in Western educational institutions and has taught Western students for many years. Fluent in the English language and wellversed in Western culture, Rinpoche has been able to develop a curriculum, which addresses the needs of Western students while maintaining a fidelity to authentic Buddhist teaching principles. Overview of the Curriculum Buddhist studies may be classified into three categories: the HÓnayÏna, MahÏyÏna and VajrayÏna, termed the three yanas, or vehicles. The Nalandabodhi Study Curriculum is designed to allow students to master the basic ground, path and fruition teachings of each yana. Initially, the student may study introductory topics from courses such as "What is Buddhism?" "Karma, Merit and Magic: an Introduction to the Three Yanas," "Life of the Buddha" and "The History of Buddhism." Non-elective studies begin with the HÓnayÏna and MahÏyÏna curriculum: v

6 HÃNAYÀNA: THE PATH OF THE NOBLE ONES (NALANDABODHI STUDY CURRICULUM 200 LEVEL) MAHÀYÀNA: COMPASSION WITHOUT LIMIT (NALANDABODHI STUDY CURRICULUM 300 LEVEL) VAJRAYÀNA VIEW: DEVOTION AND ENLIGHTENMENT (NALANDABODHI STUDY CURRICULUM 400 LEVEL) Levels of the curriculum are available to the general public. The 400 level of the curriculum includes topics in the VajrayÏna ground, path and fruition teachings. VajrayÏna is considered a division of the MahÏyÏna, employing different methods, but traditionally is treated as an independent division for studies. For students interested in this level of study, completion of the 200 and 300 level courses and membership in Nalandabodhi are among the prerequisites for participation in the VajrayÏna curriculum. The Nalandabodhi Study Curriculum is offered in conjunction with the Nalandabodhi Practice Curriculum for Nalandabodhi students. Together, these two curricula, designed and supervised by The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, provide students with a thorough training in the philosophical and meditative disciplines of the genuine lineage of the Kagyü and Nyingma traditions. The Nalandabodhi Study Curriculum is developed and maintained on an ongoing basis by the Nalandabodhi Curriculum Committee. For more on the practice curriculum, contact a Nalandabodhi center near you. We wish to express our deep appreciation to The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche for these teachings and for transmitting their heart essence to us with such precision, clarity and warmth and to Acharya Sherap Gyaltsen Negi and Acharya Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen for their advice and continual support of students. May all those who travel this path of study achieve realization and continue the sublime tradition of liberating suffering by pointing out enlightenment. vi

7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS On behalf of The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche and Nalandabodhi, we would like to acknowledge and thank the individuals who contributed in various capacities to the production of the materials for the Nalandabodhi Study Curriculum. We appreciate their dedicated efforts offered with boundless generosity, patience and diligence in the areas of archiving, research and compilation of teachings, transcribing, editing, proofreading, design, formatting and production of the source books. We thank those who are involved in the formidable task of translating the source books from English into other languages. Additionally, we thank the study coordinators of the Nalandabodhi centers and Study Groups, who implement the curriculum with precision and care. We are especially grateful to Acharya Sherab Gyaltsen Negi for his astute guidance and his kindness in sharing his knowledge of the details of this seemingly limitless path. May the collective aspirations of these individuals to provide a genuine guide to beings of this age swiftly bear fruit. Special thanks to Tenzin Namdak Lama, Marty Marvet, Cindy Shelton and Tyler Dewar for their extreme hard work in accomplishing this task. We also extend our sincere thanks to: Robert Fors, Karl Brunnhoelzl, Amita Gupta, Carole Fleming, Lynne Marvet, Oona Edmands, Jirka Hladis, Andrew Clark, Meg Miller, Daniele Klapproth, Lyle Weinstein, Heidi Caltik, Kim McMeans, Kathy Penny, Jan Puckett, Jean Peters-Do, Deborah Calloway, Gerry Wiener, Dylan Vaughn, Carmen Rumbaut, Rachel Cheatle, Kris Shaw, Joshua Spett, Jesse Hollingsworth, Stella Young, Margaret Russell, Jan-Marie Martell, Laurie Milner, Kristina Bischoff, Brigitte Schnoor, Ani Chonyi, Bruce Roe, Tashi Wangmo and Migme Chodron. While it is not possible to individually acknowledge the contributions of everyone involved with all phases of the archiving, recording, transcribing, editing and final production of the teachings included in this series, we are grateful to those students who continually express their devotion and commitment through this important work. Nalandabodhi wishes especially to thank Ari Goldfield, Dennis White and Clark Johnson for their consistent and generous support in facilitating access to the teachings of Venerable Khenchen Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche and Very Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche for the Nalandabodhi Study Curriculum. vii

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9 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION TO THE NALANDABODHI STUDY CURRICULUM... V ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS... VII CLASS 1: DISCOVERING THE SCIENCE OF MIND... 1 BUDDHADHARMA: SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY... 1 TRANSPLANTING THE GENUINE DHARMA... 2 Pure Water...2 Obsessed By the Container...3 Awareness and Skillful Means...4 Continuity of Enlightened Heart...5 HÃNAYÀNA: THE FIRST PATH... 5 Attention to Details...6 Discovering the Heart of Renunciation...7 Individual Salvation...8 CLASS 2: ESTABLISHING THE VIEW STUDYING THE TEACHINGS OF THE BUDDHA Regarding Study as Practice...13 Conceptual Understanding...14 THE GREAT WHEELS OF THE TEACHINGS First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma...17 Second Turning of the Wheel of Dharma...19 Third Turning of the Wheel of Dharma...19 Indicative and Definitive Meanings...19 Summary of Classifications...22 THE TWO VEHICLES OF THE TEACHINGS HÓnayÏna...24 MahÏyÏna...26 Collecting the Teachings of the Buddha...27 Three Baskets of the Teachings...29 ix

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11 Discovering the Science of Mind

12 ShÏkyamuni Buddha

13 INT200: THE SCIENCE OF MIND CLASS 1: DISCOVERING THE SCIENCE OF MIND 1 BY THE DZOGCHEN PONLOP RINPOCHE What is Buddhism? To begin to answer this question, we must learn to distinguish the pure buddhadharma the teachings of the Buddha from its cultural container. Buddhadharma is the content that we are trying to bring from one culture and language to another country and another language. Pure buddhadharma is the dharma that deals with our mind. It is a genuine science of mind that works with the basic potential of our mind. Like genuinely pure water, the Buddhadharma takes the shape and color of its particular container, but remains essentially pure. We begin learning about these teachings with the HÓnayÏna, sometimes called the "vehicle of details." This path begins by looking in a detailed way at our own experience. It seems that no matter what walk of life we may be following, there is always a sense of dissatisfaction, a fundamental urge to search for something new all the time. On the path we learn how to penetrate that experience, make something useful out of it, and thereby liberate ourselves from that suffering. BUDDHADHARMA: SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY For anyone who reads "dharma books," goes to "dharma centers" and "meditates on dharma," it is especially important to understand what buddhadharma is. Buddhadharma is the content that we are trying to bring from one culture and language to another country and another language. Pure buddhadharma is the dharma that deals with our mind. It is a genuine science of mind that works with the basic potential of our mind. It points out our basic potential, the positive aspect of the mind, as well as dealing with our negative emotions, the negative mind of kleshas and ego-clinging. Dharma works with these two aspects of our mind as a pure and genuine science of the mind. Dharma is also a genuine philosophy of life, which not only talks about our mind, but also about how to apply that understanding in everyday life situations. Thus, it is a philosophy of a way of life, a philosophy in action. It does not just sit in a professor's 1 Class materials are excerpted from lectures by The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche on: 1) The Life and Teachings of Guru Padmasambhava, Hamburg, Germany at Theksum Tashi Choling, Reprinted in Bodhi, Issue 4, Fall ) The HÓnayÏna Path, Treasury of Knowledge Retreat, San Antonio, Texas, 1998.

14 INT200: DISCOVERING THE SCIENCE OF MIND CLASS 1 thesis as a theory of the mind, but it is also carried into our actions in day-to-day life. TRANSPLANTING THE GENUINE DHARMA Pure Water The content of dharma is like pure water genuinely pure which we are trying to pour into different containers. In Tibet, with the blessing of Padmasambhava, the Indian master who was largely responsible for the establishment of Buddhism in Tibet, we prepared containers of wood, brass, silver and gold and poured the water into those. Water, having no shape or color of its own, takes the shape of its particular container, and it reflects the color of the people who created the container. It may even smell a little bit like butter tea, because it is poured into that container. Nevertheless, water remains water, all the time. The nature of the water is the same as the water we saw in the Indian cup. When we bring the water of the genuine dharma to the West, it is the same thing. We pour that water into our Western container, perhaps a European container of beautiful porcelain. We place the same water into our container here, and the water takes the shape of the porcelain cup and reflects our color. It even tastes and smells a little bit like its new country. When we bring that same water into the American culture, the water is the same, but the container is different. In this case, it is a paper cup. Still, when the paper cup is strong and clean and pure, then it performs the same function as a gold cup, or a crystal glass. It does not matter. The container holds the water and performs the function, but the container, the culture, is different. Pure dharma is beyond culture and language. That can be experienced if you just take a few seconds and reflect on it. What is dharma? When you really reflect on what dharma is, you realize that it goes beyond any language, form or culture. 2

15 INT200: DISCOVERING THE SCIENCE OF MIND CLASS 1 Obsessed By the Container One of the most powerful aspects of the dharma that we bring into a different form and a different culture is its pure essence, devoid of any cultural elements. When we reflect on the possibility of different containers, it is crucial for us to contemplate the nature of this pure essence, beyond all language and form, as well. It is easy to become totally obsessed by the beauty of the container. It is always more fascinating to look at something new and different. If we visit a family in the same city and see something different, like different silver, different china, or different interior decoration, it is fascinating and refreshing. We are away from that boring stuff on our wall that we have been looking at for twenty years. We are having a great time seeing something totally new. Originally, there is a sense of attraction to new objects. It is always very fascinating, but it will not remain fascinating forever. We become so obsessed with a certain object, perhaps a beautiful statue, that the object becomes quite powerful, as a result. When we hold this statue in our hands, our whole body shakes and shivers, and when we look at this statue, tears come into our eyes. The experience is that emotional. It is such a fascinating object. However, if we have that statue in our house, sitting there on our shrine, in our bedroom, for twenty years, looking at the same statue, we lose that original fascination. It becomes, in some sense, a very boring object again. It has become no different than our Picasso poster hanging on the wall. For that reason, it is very important for us not to fall impulsively into a reaction towards new fascinating objects. When we do this, we get into deep trouble. We think these things are going to save us from our boring old mind and from stuffy air. We think they are going to give us fresh air and a refreshing mind. But if we get trapped in the same obsession with form, we are going to be trapped in this pollution eternally. There is no end to it. It is an eternal chain, and it leads us into deep trouble. In America, they call it deep shit. It is very expressive language, because you are really getting into this deep... thing, you know. 3

16 INT200: DISCOVERING THE SCIENCE OF MIND CLASS 1 Awareness and Skillful Means It is necessary to maintain a certain level of awareness and skillful means, in bringing this pure water into different containers. It requires tremendous precision, mindfulness, and compassion in order to fully transplant the same dharma and have it take root in another culture. The water cannot exist without a container. Therefore we cannot totally ignore the container and say, "These forms are not important, what we really want is the water." How, then, would we keep the water? In every culture, when buddhadharma comes, there seem to be two extreme views, which are also obstacles. In one view, we become totally obsessed by the container and develop attachment to it. Then we work all the time to preserve the old container. In the other view, we say, "All the containers are bullshit, we don't want these containers. What we really want is the content. Just the water." However, we have no idea how we are going to keep the water without any container. In order to balance these two views, we need to have a precise and skillful method to transplant, or transport, this water from one container to another container. That process of precision and skillfulness is described in an example given by the great Indian scholar, Chandrakirti. He said that if a monkey is attached to his old abode, which is an old tree, and if that old tree is slowly dying and falling apart, then the monkey needs to swing to another tree. However, Chandrakirti says that skillful monkeys would not let go of their old tree branch until they could really get a good grip on the branch of a new tree. Only then would they let go of their old tree, happily and safely reaching the new tree, full of life. Whereas, unskillful monkeys would let go of their old tree branch before they could get a good grip on a new branch. In that case, they would fall and die. Therefore, on the one hand, this swing that history and time are taking is a very dangerous swing. On the other hand, there is no option. We cannot just stay on this old tree forever. We have to swing. Whether we like it or not, 4

17 INT200: DISCOVERING THE SCIENCE OF MIND CLASS 1 we have to swing to the new tree. Not being attached to one particular form is part of the dharma. That is part of our practice. Therefore, we must take this swing in the skillful monkey way. Continuity of Enlightened Heart The pure, genuine dharma, which has continued throughout history, is the continuity of enlightened heart. It is the continuity of enlightened realization. It is not the continuity of form, culture and language. It is like baking a very delicious bread, a very nice German or Turkish bread, and trying to preserve it by putting it in the freezer. That is one way of preserving it. However, in doing so, we lose the meaning of freshness, the day-to-day experience of fresh bread. The bread only lives as a museum piece. Whereas, if you receive the lineage of baking delicious bread, and if you continue the skill of baking such bread, then that continuity becomes a living tradition. It becomes not only a living tradition, but a beneficial and powerful tradition as well. Therefore, continuing the existence of the pure and genuine dharma, like baking fresh bread, is more important than preserving a particular form, which would be like keeping the bread in a freezer. HÃNAYÀNA: THE FIRST PATH The first path in Buddhism is the path of HÓnayÏna, which means the lesser vehicle, or the basic journey, which is extremely important. The vehicle of HÓnayÏna in the classical Buddhist path is known as the vehicle of details. This vehicle pays very detailed attention to very fine levels of the path and the practices of discipline. This vehicle or path of HÓnayÏna is the basic foundation, which is very necessary. For this reason, this path of HÓnayÏna is known as the lower vehicle or lower path. When we say "lower" here we are talking about the lower part of the building. For example, let's look at the pyramid of Egyptian culture. The pyramid is a very beautiful example of architecture. However, 5

18 INT200: DISCOVERING THE SCIENCE OF MIND CLASS 1 in order to reach that peak, so to speak, you really need to pay very close attention to the foundation, to how you lay the foundation and to how you build one level on top of the other. It is a gradual process to reach the peak. You cannot start from the top and build to the bottom. You have to start from bottom and build up to the top. In a similar way, the HÓnayÏna is the path of details. It is the basic ground the foundation path. Attention to Details On this foundational path, when we say "details" what are we talking about? Let's say, for example, that you are going to the Oscar ceremony. You have won an Oscar, and you are going to receive the Oscar award and to attend the party. When you are going to go to the Oscars, what do you do? Where do you start? You take a bath. You dress very fancy, and then, when you go there, you pay attention in great detail as to how you want to present yourself. You pay attention to how you want to appear and what you want to say. You have to pay attention to all the aspects of these details. You have to start from the point of taking a bath. Then you pick out a nice pair of trousers, and you make sure that you have a belt so that your trousers won't fall off when you are on stage receiving your Oscar. It is very important, but we do not realize that. We do not realize how important the role is that our belt plays. You must pay detailed attention to these things. Then when you get there everything, everything works out well. In the HÓnayÏna path, we pay detailed attention to every level of karmic cause and effect to the consequences of our actions and we work with the path of discipline, which is directly connected with the spiritual practice of working with our karma. Therefore, the HÓnayÏna journey begins with the detailed journey of a disciplined path. This discipline and precision is a very important to our path. 6

19 INT200: DISCOVERING THE SCIENCE OF MIND CLASS 1 We all have a very difficult time working with discipline. It is difficult whenever we start to do anything new. It can be difficult to do anything old, too. For example, going to work is such a drag every day. You have to drag yourself. You have to have the discipline to wake up early enough to have the time to prepare for your work and so forth. These are all forms of discipline. "Discipline" does not necessarily refer just to monasticism. This is a misunderstanding. We always think of discipline as being an element of the monastic path, but discipline exists in every level of path in Buddhism. Therefore, even our practice of sitting in shamatha meditation is a very important discipline. These disciplines are based on the HÓnayÏna journey, the first and the most basic journey of Buddhism. Thus, HÓnayÏna is the first, foremost, and most important journey in Buddhism. Discovering the Heart of Renunciation On the HÓnayÏna path, what we really discover is the heart of renunciation. Renunciation is connected to the suffering of saùsïra. Renunciation, at this stage, is connected to the nature of impermanence that we all experience in everyday life, in every moment. Renunciation also is connected to the thought of seeing the possibility of freeing oneself from saùsïra. Therefore, the main principle of the path here is a strong sense of renunciation. We look at saùsïra, our everyday life, the life of an emperor or the life of a panhandler on the street. We look at every aspect of life. It seems that no matter what walk of life we may be following, there is always this sense of dissatisfaction. There is a fundamental urge to search for something new all the time. Whenever we find that new thing in our life, then we go back to the same basic feeling or same basic experience of mind, which is dissatisfaction again. Then we have an urge for look for another new thing. It is an endless journey. That state of mind actually shows clearly the basic suffering of saùsïra the basic suffering of our fundamental existence. Therefore, the HÓnayÏna 7

20 INT200: DISCOVERING THE SCIENCE OF MIND CLASS 1 path emphasizes penetrating that suffering. One penetrates that feeling and those experiences on this path and makes something very useful of them. Individual Salvation That thought or feeling of dissatisfaction can lead us to the state of enlightenment, the state of liberation, freedom, because that very basic notion of dissatisfaction causes the renunciation of saùsïra. It causes the thought of wisdom. It causes one to see that there is the possibility of freeing oneself from such suffering and pain. Therefore, there is a great benefit to this nature of renunciation, the thought of renunciation. Consequently, the HÓnayÏna path is strongly associated with the thought of renunciation and the path of individual salvation. In a way, there is the sense of a very ego-centered spiritual journey taking place here, because our main concern is individual salvation, individual freedom. This makes sense in the beginning because, if we want to help someone, we must have what he or she needs. If we want to feed someone, we must have food first. If we do not have any food, then what are we going to feed this hungry little being? Therefore, the HÓnayÏna notion is "In order to help someone you must have some enlightenment first." We must attain some stages of realization before we can help others. Accordingly, the first journey we take on this path is totally concentrated on selfliberation. Individual liberation is the first path, the first journey, which is called "the HÓnayÏna journey" in Buddhism. 8

21 Establishing the View

22 ShÏkyamuni Buddha

23 INT200: DISCOVERING THE SCIENCE OF MIND CLASS 2: ESTABLISHING THE VIEW 2 BY THE DZOGCHEN PONLOP RINPOCHE How do we approach the study of buddhadharma? Hearing or study is very much emphasized in the practice of the Buddhist path and is regarded as practice. Study of the teachings of the Buddha increases your wisdom, your insight, and your understanding. There are a variety of ways that these genuine teachings, proclaimed by the complete and perfect Buddha, can be classified. The complete Buddhist path is described in terms of the three great cycles of the teachings (the three Turnings of the Wheel of Dharma), the two types of meaning (indicative and definitive), and the grouping of the teachings into two vehicles (HÓnayÏna and MahÏyÏna). STUDYING THE TEACHINGS OF THE BUDDHA All dharma practice, all aspects of the path of Buddhadharma, are included in the three steps of hearing, contemplation and meditation. These three steps contain all the various aspects of the Buddhadharma. They can also be explained in other ways such as ground, path and fruition or view, meditation and conduct. Since there is a sequence to these steps, it is absolutely necessary to begin with the step of hearing or listening to the dharma. Jamgön Lodrö Thaye compares it to the ground that is necessary for there to be crops. If there is no ground, nothing can grow. In the same way, if there is no initial hearing of the dharma, there can be no contemplation upon it. Without hearing and contemplation, there can be no practice of meditation. For that reason, it is important in the beginning to engage in impartial and wide hearing or study. This means to learn to appreciate and understand the various aspects of dharma within the HÓnayÏna, MahÏyÏna, and so forth. At the same time, one s study must not be restricted to the formal study of Buddhism alone. It should include understanding psychology, other philosophical systems, as well as some scientific 2 Class materials are excerpted from lectures by The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche on The PrajñÏ of Hearing, The Three Turnings of the Wheel of Dharma and The Three Dharmachakras, from The Treasury of Knowledge Retreat (San Antonio, Texas 1993 and 1994). Rinpoche's talks here were based on Jamgön Kongtrül Lodro Thaye's The Treasury of Knowledge.

24 INT200: DISCOVERING THE SCIENCE OF MIND CLASS 2 training. This is actually recommended in the Treasury of Knowledge by Jamgön Lodrö Thaye. To back up his recommendation, he first gives a detailed presentation of what is called The mundane path. In the context of his original text, it is a detailed presentation of Hinduism, because Hinduism was the only non-buddhist religion with which Buddhists were then familiar. Nowadays we have access to a variety of philosophical systems, a variety of religions, and a variety of approaches to psychology and therapy. Yet as was said by Lord AtÓsha, life is short, and there is lots to learn, or life is short, and the things one could learn are endless. What is recommended is to take the approach of the swan drinking milk out of water. There is a legend that if you pour milk into water, swans can get the milk out without drinking any water. When they are finished, you end up with just water. This signifies that within the massive amount of things one could learn, one has to prioritize and select what is actually going to be useful. Therefore, it is necessary in the beginning to establish some hearing, or learning, as a ground for one s practice. There is a saying in Tibet, meditation without learning, or without having heard the dharma, is like trying to climb a rock face without arms. The Buddhist path is a path of knowledge, a path of insight, and a path of wisdom. One can try to attain awakening through meditation alone without knowledge, without insight, and without wisdom. With only the intention, I am going to meditate until I attain full awakening, one is unlikely to accomplish very much even though it is an excellent intention. For example, if someone without arms or hands were to say, I am going to climb that rock face without assistance, while it may be an excellent intention, he is unlikely to get there. 12

25 INT200: DISCOVERING THE SCIENCE OF MIND CLASS 2 One of the most important teachers in the Kagyu tradition, Lord Gampopa, said, The dharma is complete when one combines hearing, contemplation, and meditation in one s practice. Typically, first hearing or study is presented and then contemplation, which is the actual training in prajñï. Then, on the basis of that, meditation is presented. Regarding Study as Practice Hearing or study is very much emphasized in the practice of the Buddhist path. Study of or hearing the dharma is regarded as practice. Generally people have a slight misconception about the relationship between study and practice in Buddhadharma. They think that study is one thing and then there is real practice; which is something else. They think that study is not real practice, that real practice consists of things like visualizing deities and reciting mantras. Sometimes they think that study is all well and good, but that you need to accumulate a great deal of merit, which can t be accomplished through study since study is merely intellectual. One of the reasons we tend to look at things this way is that we are sick of studying. We have spent our whole lives studying and we feel that it has not really benefited our minds. But the type of study involved in the study practice of Buddhadharma is the kind of study that increases your wisdom, your insight, and your understanding. Actually, there is no better way to gather the accumulation of merit. It was said by the Buddha, If you fill the entire universe with the most precious jewels and offered it to each and every Buddha who is present anywhere, you would accumulate tremendous merit, yet it would still be measurable. If on the other hand, in the midst of this age of decadence, you ve learned and explained properly even one verse or one sentence of 13

26 INT200: DISCOVERING THE SCIENCE OF MIND CLASS 2 dharma, the amount of merit you accumulate is immeasurable. Approaches to Study There are many different aspects to hearing the dharma. There is literally hearing it in the presence of the kalyïúamitra [spiritual friend], the presence of the teacher. But the term hearing the dharma includes all forms of study. It includes reading books of the Buddha s teachings and, given the examples of modern technology, it also includes receiving instruction by watching videotapes, listening to audiotapes, and so forth. All of this is genuine activity of hearing the dharma. All of it is very important. There are many methods that one can use for study. This is especially important for western practitioners of dharma because, generally speaking, westerners have good study habits based on the western educational systems within which they have been brought up. If these habits of study can be turned toward this genuine path, then you can make great use of the insight, which has already been produced by your education. Conceptual Understanding The prajñï or knowledge associated with this first step of hearing is conceptual understanding. This refers to a conceptual understanding of the meaning of the words that you are hearing or reading. At the same time, when you first read a book and generate an understanding based on what you have read, you gain a certain level of understanding; but it is not necessarily the most that you can get out of that book. When you read it a second time, you will understand it in a different way, in a fuller way. When you read it a third time, you will understand it in even more profound way, and so forth. It is important to remember that your first take or your first understanding on a book or text may not be the final one. So trying to get more and more out of what you study or what you hear is the practice of the prajñï of hearing. 14

27 INT200: DISCOVERING THE SCIENCE OF MIND CLASS 2 The most important point is not to get puffed up with arrogance right after you first read a book and think you understand it. This seems to be a fairly common problem nowadays. Obviously it is a waste of the prajñï that has been generated up to that point through the practice of hearing. The type of knowledge that is mixed with arrogance and the thought, There s nothing more to learn, I now really understand it, is called twisted prajñï. The remedy for this is to remember that there is always more to learn. Remember that when you have developed one level of conceptual understanding, there is undoubtedly more that you could understand about that particular text. If you maintain this attitude of being willing to go further and learn more, then the prajñï that you develop will become the genuine prajñï of hearing. When studying the dharma and learning new terms, new words, and new ideas, people sometimes experience having more thoughts. They have the idea that all that study does is to give them more thoughts it makes their minds wilder than before. In fact, that is not what is occurring. Because you are being exposed to these ideas, you are simply starting to become more aware of how many thoughts you have. It is not that they are increasing; in fact they are becoming less. However, as they decrease, they become more evident because the confusion is somewhat diminished. Therefore, you might think that things are getting worse when they are actually getting better. This was said to me by my teacher Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, and I regard it as true. Jetsun Milarepa said, Understanding is like a patch sewn onto clothing. This means that conceptual understanding of dharma, as necessary as it is, is still an understanding that is not yet mixed with the fabric of your mind. Such understanding is just something that has been superimposed upon your mind: It is like a patch that has been sewn onto the fabric of old clothing. This means that so long as 15

28 INT200: DISCOVERING THE SCIENCE OF MIND CLASS 2 all you have is a conceptual understanding, when you experience mishaps and unpleasant situations, such understanding will prove insufficient to protect your mind from suffering. While it may appear vivid while things are going well, it will seem insufficient at a certain point because it has not merged with and dissolved into the fabric of your mind. If you can remember that from time to time, it will be helpful. It demonstrates why there is really no reason to be proud of conceptual understanding, which is like sewing a patch onto your mind. The main subject or the main emphasis in one s gradual study of dharma is what is called the supermundane prajñï, or knowledge that is beyond the world. This is taught in all phases of dharma, in both HÓnayÏna and MahÏyÏna. The main subjects of supermundane prajñï are emptiness, and the presence of Buddha Nature in the mind. Generating definite or certain understanding about these is the training in the prajñï of hearing. If this prajñï of hearing is applied to all aspects of the Buddha s teachings, then this generates authentic supermundane prajñï. THE GREAT WHEELS OF THE TEACHINGS There are a variety of ways that the genuine dharma, or the sat-dharma, proclaimed by the SamyaksaÙbuddha, the complete and perfect Buddha, can be classified. These are based on the viewpoints of the different vehicles. If looked at from the main viewpoint of the MahÏyÏna, it is said that all the various teachings of the Buddha can be summed up into what are called the "Three Dharmachakras." Different approaches to assigning a division among the Three Dharmachakras have arisen. One approach is based on time. In this approach, the teachings of the Buddha are divided into three distinct periods. The other approach is based more on topic. In this approach, the division is made based more on what he taught. We will be following the approach taken by most scholars, which distinguishes, between the Three Dharmachakras with regard to 16

29 INT200: DISCOVERING THE SCIENCE OF MIND CLASS 2 their topic. The reason for this is the uncertainty of a definite time sequence in his passing from one of these dharmachakras to another. Whether the Three Dharmachakras are approached by means of topic or of time, the first topic did occur first in time. Therefore, the first dharmacakra is the one with which we will begin. First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma After the Buddha attained full awakening, he remained, abiding in samadhi, alone in the forest for a period of seven weeks. Immediately upon his awakening at Bodhgaya, he is said to have said the following: I have attained a dharma that is like ambrosia, that is profound, tranquil, beyond elaboration, luminous and noncomposite. But nobody would understand this, so it is better that I remain silent in the forest. With that intention, he went from Bodhgaya to Varanasi; remaining in the forest there for seven weeks. Before the Buddha s awakening he had engaged in the practices of ascetic mortification for several years. During that time, he had acquired a following of five companions who were his devoted followers in that path. When he realized that this extreme asceticism was not a genuine path, he accepted food that was given to him and went to Bodhgaya to attain enlightenment. His five companions developed the attitude that he had broken from his discipline and they repudiated him. However, when he reached Varanasi, they heard of his qualities and desired to see him again. The Buddha was residing in an area called the Deer Park in Varanasi. They went to meet him and, when they saw the Buddha, they were immediately overcome with confidence in him. At this time, the gods Indra and Brahma exhorted the Buddha to teach, and not to remain silent. As offerings and encouragement to do this, they offered him a one hundred-spoke golden wheel and a conch shell. 17

30 INT200: DISCOVERING THE SCIENCE OF MIND CLASS 2 When the golden wheel was placed in front of the Buddha, two deer, a male and a female, came and lay down on either side of the wheel, intending to listen to the Buddha. The retinue of his five former companions was present. The Buddha decided that all of this together indicated that it was appropriate to try to teach after all. He gave his first teaching, called the First Dharmachakra, of the Four Noble Truths. The Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths four times in his first lecture or sermon. The order in which he taught them was first the truth of suffering; then the truth of the cause of suffering; then the truth of cessation of or liberation from suffering; and then the truth of the path which is the cause of cessation. As he taught these, the five former followers were immediately liberated, and they became arhats, with remainder. The Buddha s presentation of the discipline and ordination of individual liberation or prïtimoksha, as well as his presentation of the path of the shrïvakayïna, the vehicle of the listeners, begins with this sermon. At this time, and for some time thereafter, the manner in which the Buddha ordained people as bhikshus was simply to say, Come here. These words, spoken by the Buddha, were sufficient to bring about complete ordination. So originally there were no rituals or elaborate ceremonies connected with the ordination process. Gradually, the Buddha began teaching what is now referred to as the vinaya, or "the taming." All of the teachings he gave at this time are included in the format of the Four Noble Truths. He presented the path based on the discipline of individual liberation, the antidote for the cause of suffering, which is karma and the kleshas. Severing the cause leads to personal liberation or nirvïna. This path, which he presented in the format of the Four Noble Truths, is the truth of the path, the fourth Noble Truth. 18

31 INT200: DISCOVERING THE SCIENCE OF MIND CLASS 2 Second Turning of the Wheel of Dharma Following this presentation, the Buddha began presenting what is called the Second or Middle Dharmachakra. The name of this is the Dharmachakra of Essencelessness because it teaches a lack of essence or inherent existence to all things, from form all the way up to omniscience. Among the vehicles, it is classified as the MahÏyÏna teaching. Many of the MahÏyÏna sâtras are of this dharmachakra. The Buddha taught this at Vulture Peak Mountain near RÏjagÝha. The Buddha gave these teachings in the midst of the retinue of bodhisattvas and MahÏyÏna practitioners, such as the community of the MahÏyÏna sangha of 500, and so on. He taught what is called prajñïpïramitï, "the Great Mother." There were two main topics: the expressly stated topics and the topics stated by implication, or hidden topics. The expressly stated topic is emptiness. The hidden or concealed topic is the stages and paths of the MahÏyÏna. The essence of the presentation of the middle Turning if the Wheel of Dharma is called The Three Doors of Liberation. These are the ground, which is emptiness; the path, which is absence of characteristics; and the result, which is the absence of craving. Third Turning of the Wheel of Dharma The Third Dharmacakra, called the Dharmacakra of Thorough Distinction, was taught in various places to a retinue of bodhisattvas. It is called this because, in the teachings of this dharmachakra, the Buddha made clear distinctions between his various statements. He divided them into indicative statements, those having indicative meaning, and definitive statements, those having definitive meaning. He would say things like, When I said such and such, that was an indicative statement; but when I said such and such, that was a definitive statement. Indicative and Definitive Meanings What we listen to consists of the three presentations of the dharma by the Buddha, which are called the Three Turnings of the Wheel of 19

32 INT200: DISCOVERING THE SCIENCE OF MIND CLASS 2 Dharma. The first of these, the presentation of the Four Noble Truths, forms the basis for what is called the Common Vehicle, which is also known as the "lesser vehicle" or the vehicle of the "listeners" or "hearers." The Second Turning if the Wheel of Dharma is called the Presentation of the Absence of Characteristics. In this phase of teaching, Lord Buddha emphasized emptiness and selflessness, the lack of true existence. The third and final phase of his teaching is called the Dharmacakra of Full and Final Distinction. This means that in this final Turning if the Wheel of Dharma, he most clearly and distinctly distinguished between the indicative meaning and the definitive meaning of his various teachings. These three periods of teaching are associated with specific sites in India. The first turning of the dharma wheel occurred at Varanasi, the second occurred at Vulture Peak Mountain near RÏjagÝha, and the third occurred all over the place. The need for the Third Turning if the Wheel of Dharma was principally that, until then, the Buddha had taught in a few different ways. He had taught on a level that has called the indicative meaning. In other words, he taught through indicative statements such as the First Turning if the Wheel of Dharma. The Second Turning if the Wheel of Dharma was principally made up of those statements that later produced the Mind-only school. This school is considered to be based upon indicative and not definitive meaning. Consequently, he needed finally to identify and characterize what he had taught as being either one way or another, as being either indicative or definitive. He only did this at the end of his teaching, in the Third Turning of the Wheel. Therefore, according to the Treasury of Knowledge of Jamgön Kongtrül Rinpoche, in this tradition we identify the Third and final Dharma Wheel as the Buddha s ultimate statement of the definitive meaning. Indicative Meaning The point is that in his great compassion, by which we mean his complete dedication to the welfare of beings, and his considerable perfect skill, the Buddha was able and willing to teach in any way 20

33 INT200: DISCOVERING THE SCIENCE OF MIND CLASS 2 that would lead beings on a correct path to liberation and, finally, to Buddhahood. That was his main concern. The problem is that some people would have become terrified and run away if he had taught them about absolute truth, emptiness, and selflessness and so forth in the beginning. The way he taught in those situations was designed to lead those individuals on the path towards an understanding of absolute reality. What that means is that those teachings were not direct statements of or about absolute truth. Those teachings were concerned with relative truth or relative reality. Such statements and such types of teaching are called statements that lead one to the truth rather than definitive statements of the truth. This is what is meant by "indicative meaning." Indicative meaning, drangdon in Tibetan, is translated as the meaning that leads you toward the final understanding. In some contexts, these can also refer to statements with a hidden intention. To give an example of indicative meaning: In his initial presentation of dharma, the Buddha taught as though beings had some kind of true existence. He would say that there are these five aggregates of which a person is made up and a person made up of these five aggregates spins around and around and around in saùsïra; which is translated as spinning. He did not present the idea of the selflessness of persons right on the spot. Another example: In his first presentation of dharma, the Buddha did not talk about the mind of awakening, which is the intention to bring all beings without exception to Buddhahood. He did not talk about the need for great compassion. This is because what we really want in the beginning, what we are really hoping for, is our own freedom. Fundamentally, we want our own liberation. In the beginning, our basic motivation for practice is the thought, I can t take this suffering any more. One cannot present dharma to someone in that situation by starting out with why you should think only of others and not of yourself. It is unrealistic and the result would be that people would be frightened away. For that reason, the Buddha emphasized seeking one s own liberation in his first 21

34 INT200: DISCOVERING THE SCIENCE OF MIND CLASS 2 presentation of dharma. He said that one s own liberation is what is important. He did not present the approach to awakening that is found in the bodhisattva view. Therefore, indicative statements by the Buddha are statements that indirectly indicate the path to awakening without being a direct or definitive statement of the final nature of awakening. These statements are not misleading: They lead you in the right direction in a manner that is appropriate to your particular concerns at that time. Definitive Meaning The other type of teaching is called the "definitive meaning." Definitive statements are statements that do not require interpretation. They are direct and, to some extent, literal. They are final and do not indirectly lead to the meaning but rather they are direct statements of it. For example, included in this category are the Buddha s teachings on twofold selflessness; his teachings on bodhichitta, the mind of awakening; and his statements that final awakening depends upon this and this. These statements do not require further interpretation. Included in this category are his teachings on emptiness in the PrajñÏpÏramitÏ sâtras, such as: Form is emptiness. Emptiness is also form. Form is no other than emptiness. Emptiness is no other than form. Especially included as definitive are his explanations of the presence of Buddha Nature and that the dharmakaya of buddhahood pervades the mind of each and every sentient being. These are all called statements of definitive meaning. Summary of Classifications In brief, there are usually two ways in which we refer to the dharmachakras. The common names for them are: the First Dharmachakra of the Four Noble Truths, the Second Dharmachakra of Essenselessness or Absence of Characteristics, and the Third Dharmachakra of Full or Thorough Distinction. However, according 22