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THE PROFOUND PATH OF PEACE

INTERNA110NAL KAGYU SANGIIA ASSOCIATION. VI

This issue is dedicated to the supreme Vidyadhara

the Venerable Karma Ngawang Chokyi Gyatso Kunga Sangpo, Rinpoche,

the Xlth Trungpa Tulku

I

Yen. Trungpa Rinpoche

The Profound Path of Peace a magazine of the International Kagyu Sangha Association of Buddhist Monks and Nuns

Editor-in-Chief: Ladro Zangpo Editor: Thelma Habgood Graphics: Molly Nudell

The International Kagyu Sangha Association of Buddhist Monks and Nuns (IKSA) was founded in 1981 by the Four Regents of the Karma Kagyu Lineage: H.E. Shamar Rinpoche, H.E. Tai Situ Rinpoche, H.E. Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche and H.E. Gyaltsap Rinpoche. Its main purpose is to increase the communication between the monastic Sangha and its centers and to further the education of the monks and nuns and their understanding of the monastic life.

The calligraphy on the cover page was contributed by H.E. Tai Situ Rinpoche. The letters in the flame say 'zhi wai lam sang' and mean "Profound Path of Peace". The letters in the black bowl at the bottom say 'kon chog sum' and mean"Three Jewels".

Acknowledgements: The drawing on page 9 was provided with the permission of Ngodrup Rongae who is a Tibetan Masterpainter living in Halifax, N.S., Canada. The two drawings on page 47 and 53 are provided with the permission of Karma Sonam Gyamtso Ling. They were taken from the book "Principles of Tibetan Art" written by Gega Lama and edited by Karma Sonam Gyamtso Ling, Grote Hondstraat 36,2018 Antwerp, Belgium. Ken McLeod's translation of 'The Seven Points of Mind Training' is provided with the permission of Ken McLeod and Shambhala Pu blications, Inc., Horticultural Hall, 300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115.

Subscription rate for The Profound Path of Peace : 1 issue $ 7.00 Can (overseas $ 8.00 Can) 1 year ( 2 issues) $ 14.00 Can ( overseas $ 16.00 Can) Please make your check or money order out to Ladro Zangpo and mail it to :

Ladro Zan gpo, c/o Gampo Abbey, Pleasant Bay, N.S., Canada BOE 2PO.

Copyright IKSA

CONTENTS

Editorial Articles

News

- 'On Monastic Discipline', a seminar given by the Ven.Thrangu Rinpoche in 1985 at Gampo Abbey

- Talk 5 : The Outer, Inner and Secret Pratimoksha and the Four Powers of Confession

- Talk 6 : Nine Aspects of the Noble Being - Talk 7 : Three Aspects of the Mahayana Vows - Talk 8 : Five Classes of Vajrayana Precepts

- 'The Seven Points of Mind Training' by Chekawa Yeshe Dorje

- Dhagpo Kagyu Ling ( France) - Gampo Abbey ( Canada) - Karma Ling ( France)

Page 5

- Kunzang Dechen Osel Ling: Open Letter from the Very Venerable Kalu Rinpoche ( Canada)

- Yeunten Ling: 'The Karma Gadri School' by Gega Lama ( Belgium) Anecdotes

Discipline and Beyond Portrait

H.E. Palden Pawo Rinpoche Books Projects

Pictures:

Issue No 6

- Evam, personal seal of the Trungpa tulkus - Yen. Trungpa Rinpoche - Vajradhara, a drawing by Ngodrup Rongae - Yen. Thrangu Rinpoche by Marvin Moore - H.E. Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche, Yen. Gendun Rinpoche,

Yen. Lama Jigme Tsewang and gelongs - Very Yen. Kalu Rinpoche - IIIrd Gyalwa Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje, a drawing by Gega

Lama - H.E. Palden Pawo Rinpoche - H.H. the XVIth Gyalwa Karmapa, Rikpe Dorje

August 1988

EDITORIAL

This issue of The Profound Path of Peace , No.6, appears during a time when we all eagerly await the official announcement of the rebirth of His Holiness the XVIIth Gyalwa Karmapa.

Issue No.5 has received a good response from many sides and we take this as a sign that The Profound Path of Peace is following the right track while at the same time keeping open to new suggestions.

"The way in which you develop at the very beginning is most important for the future", said Thrangu Rinpoche during his recent visit to Gampo Abbey. This brings up three issues which I would like to share with you.

First, at present, we are at the very beginning of transplanting Buddhism and especially Buddhist monasticism to the western soil. H.E. Shamar Rinpocbe pointed out ''There are different lineages in the Kagyupa school. All are connected with His Holiness the Karmapa from the spiritual point of view whilst having autonomy of function and organization on the administrative level. Each high Lama of the school conducts his own monastery in an autonomous way ... ". The high Lamas each with their particular style of manifesting at this particular time and space have cultivated their students in slightly different ways. Each individual Sangha has developed their qualities in a characteristic way and by doing so has discovered good points which they would like to maintain and weaker points which they would like to improve or transform. The Profound Path of Peace would like to be a mirror and forum where the different styles could be appreciated and could influence one another whilst basicall y maintaining the oral instructions of one's root teacher. In this way the Sanghas could be of great help to one another.

The second issue points to the need for the purity of transmission of the teachings. At this point Buddhism is transplanted into a culture with basically judeo-christian roots but the basic skillful means for establishing a Buddhist mandala in the West are not on a 'professional level ' because the western monks and nuns and yogins are still on an apprenticeship. The development of 'professional' skills like meditation, study, the work of the chopon and the umdze, monastic arts, musical instruments, tormas, etc., can only occur slowly and gradually and needs a good mixture of discipline, passion or effort, patience and gentleness. The Profound Path of Peace would like to help to enhance and cultivate these skills by developing and suggesting projects in these areas with the aim of creating reliable reference materials which then could be shared with others as well as trying to help so that a few individuals could be trained on a professional level who then could be entrusted to train others.

Finally and unavoidably we have to understand that the work of IKSA is only

possible with a little bit of financial support. At this point it would be enough if you could send us your check or money order for this issue as soon as possible and, if possible, if you could prepay the next forthcoming issue which will appear in January 1989. You will find the necesary information for this on page 4. If you would like to make a donation, we would welcome any contribution to help to pu blish future issues.

With all the best wishes,

Yours in the Dharma

Lodro Zangpo

ON MONASTIC DISCIPLINE

A seminar given by the Yen. Thrangu Rinpoche at Gampo Abbey in August 1985.

TALKS: THE OUTER, INNER AND SECRET PRATIMOKSHA AND THE FOUR POWERS OF CONFESSION

As usual, when we listen to the teachings, we should cultivate the attitude of bodhicitta for the sake of all sentient beings. .

We have been discussing the Pratimoksha. According to the Tantrayana, the Pratimoksha is classified as outer, inner and secret, corresponding to the Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayanarespectively, but the purpose of all three Pratimokshas is to tame one's mind and free oneself from delusions. There is, however, a difference in their approach. The Hinayana Pratimoksha is called the path of abandonment. As we have said before, according to the Theravadin system, we should not allow delusions to arise and should not allow actions of body, speech and mind to go along with the delusions. Non-virtuous actions of body and speech are carried out due to impure motivations of attachment, aggression, ignorance, pride or jealousy. We should stop the delusion when it fIrst arises in our mind and should stop the non-virtuous actions of body and speech which follow.

In the case of the Mahayana or bodhisattva vow, delusions are also abandoned, but in a different way. Rather than being rejected, delusions are transformed through the practice of love and compassion. The power of love and compassion gradually increases until they become vast and profound at the stage when one becomes a bodhisattva. The bodhisattva transforms the negative emotions, such as attachment or aggression, not only his own but those of all sentient beings. By the transformation of negative emotions, all delusions are spontaneously abandoned. Although the actions of the bodhisattva may appear, to an observer, to transgress the vows, for example killing or having sexual intercourse, however, internally, the motivation for the actions is for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Abandonment of delusion is also the path in the Vajrayana vows. By means of one's meditative absorption state, one comprehends the delusion arising in one's mind and one spontaneously liberates oneself from it. This is called the arising and spontaneous liberation of delusions, in Tibetan shar-drol (T: shar-grol); the delusion arises and is simultaneously liberated.

We should practise all three levels at the same time. The outer discipline that we

follow falls into the category of the Pratimoksha, in which the motivation is liberation for oneself alone. Therefore the inner discipline of the Mahayana should be practised and the attitude of the bodhisattva should be adopted. In the secret discipline of the Vajrayana, one should still meditate on the Pratimoksha and Mahayana vows, but when one realizes the true nature of all phenomena, then one practises yidam meditation. These are the three-fold vows; the Vajrayana vow includes all three vows. Although Milarepa outwardly did not have the appearance of a fully-ordained monk, inwardly his mind was purified of all delusions, and so that is why he was a perfect practitioner. Milarepa said: "I don't know the Vinaya, but taming one's own mind is the Vinaya."

What we shall discuss now is the Pratimoksha sutra. In the Pratimoksha, there are three kinds of downfalls, lesser, medium and greater. The greater downfalls should not be committed. The lesser downfalls occur because we have been conditioned by negative actions carried out during our previous lifetimes. Even though we may commit these lesser downfalls, we should not let them accumulate or pile up one on top of another:Rather, they should be purified or repaired by means of sojong (T: gsosbyong; S: Posadha). The Tibetan word so (T: gso) means to repair or heal whatever has been damaged. Jong (T: sbyong) means to give up or purify the stains. In the sojong ceremony, one is asked if one realizes the faults one has committed, and then one must resolve not to repeat the same mistakes in the future. When one has seen one's faults, one will not repeat them in the future, and this helps one to observe one's vows properly.

After noticing one's faults, then the four powers of antidote are applied. The first of these powers is the power of revulsion or the power of regret, knowing the faults one has committed to be faults and being disgusted with them, then one can reject the negativities. The second power is the power of remedial action, knowing the antidotes for non-virtuous actions and applying them diligently without interruption. The third power is the power of reliance, relying on the Three Jewels, the Buddha who shows the path, the Dharma which is the path of practice, and the Sangha as companions on the path. The fourth power is the resolve not to repeat the fault in the future. The most important antidotes are the power of regret and the resolve not to repeat. If one commits a fault for the first time, one should resolve not to repeat it, but if one commits the same fault a second time, one should again resolve not to repeat it, and so on. By resolving not to repeat the fault each time one commits a non-virtuous action, one's mind becomes strengthened not to receive the downfall, and in this way delusions are pacified. This is how the sojong ritual is performed. But purification does not mean that one first commits a fault and then purifies it [Rinpoche laughs). What it does mean is that first by the power of regret one repents one's fault and by the fourth power of antidote one resolves not to fall under the power of delusion and not to repeat the fault thereafter. Not being dominated by non-virtue and delusion, one's mind becomes

pacified. We shall stop here today.

Question 1: I wonder if Rinpoche would say more about what it means in the Mahayana to transform delusions?

Rinpoche: All delusions of attachment, aggression and ignorance are arising from cherishing oneself, cherishing "I". When practising the bodhisattva path, instead of cherishing oneself, one cherishes others since one has resolved to work for the benefit of other sentient beings, and in this way, one can transform all the delusions. We have loved and cherished our "I" and have tried to benefit only ourselves from beginningless time. That attitude has been of benefit neitherto ourselves norto others, and it has been the cause of our endless wandering in the suffering of samsara. Understanding the faults of cherishing ourselves, we can change the object of the cherishing. Instead of loving ourself, we transform that into love for others, and thus we will be endowed with loving-kindness, compassion and bodhicitta. In this way, we don't focus on the delusions, we don't judge the delusions as bad, or negative, or wrong. That is why they are transformed naturally.

Question: That seems to cover loving-kindness and compassion. How do you transform aggression in the Mahayana if aggression comes to you?

Rinpoche: If you love yourself, if you consider yourself to be important, then aggression will arise in you because you will have the notion that somebody is harming you, or that somebody is harming your parents or your friends, or that somebody is helping your enemies. This aggression arises based on cherishing ego. But if you change your attitude and are concerned for the welfare of other sentient beings, then the delusions are naturally transformed because you no longer hold yourself as most important.

Question 2: Rinpoche, sometimes transcendental ignorance and transcendental passion are mentioned. We start off in the Hinayana, saying: "Don't do those things, they're bad", and then in the Mahayana, we say "Do these things, they're good". But what we're working towards is simply the removal of delusions, which is neither good nor bad. If we simply reinove delusions then proper action must follow. I guess that's my question. In other words, on the Vajrayana level, what we're working towards is simply removal of all delusions, and the Hinayana and Mahayana are stages that help support that. Is the Vajrayana the only way to remove all delusions ultimately?

Rinpoche: Actually, all three vehicles have the way to free one from delusions, but the Vajrayana method is quicker and more powerful.

Question: Rinpoche, would it necessarily be better, if it's more powerful and quicker?

Rinpoche: [Rinpoche laughs and answers in English]. Of course.

Question 3: As I understand it, there are three of the four antidotes in the sojong ceremony. First you admit or confess your wrongdoings, then you say you're not going to do those again, so that's the fourth antidote. In the early stages of the ceremony, you take refuge, so the third antidote is there. My question is about the second antidote. Is there something that you practise again and again to purify the negative karma resulting from the wrongdoing? Is the sojong ceremony itself the second antidote, so in that way does sojong have all four antidotes?

Rinpoche: Only two of the four antidotes are included in the sojong ceremony. These two are fIrst. the power of reliance in which you make your confession in front of all the monks, and second, the power of resolving not to repeat the wrongdoing in the future. The other two powers are not included in the sojong ceremony, you practise them all the time.

Question: It seems that the fIrst power of antidote, the power of regret, would have been included because the preceptor says: "Do you see your faults as wrongdoings?" and then you have to say" "Yes, I see them as wrongdoings", and also you actually admit what you did. So it seems to me that the fIrst power should be included in the ceremony.

RinpQche: You actually have the fIrst power within yourself before you make confession in the sojong. During the ceremony you are asked if you have faults. So although tttere are four antidotes to practise, only two are included in the sojong ceremony, and the other two should be practised all the time.

Question 4: Rinpoche, in the Hinayana Pratimoksha, you talk about delusions coming up and some sense of suppression of these delusions. Suppression somehow implies that the delusion is not really being dissolved, but is being pushed away so that it actually still exists within one. Is it more the idea that the delusion is suppressed and comes up and is suppressed and the awareness that arises from this activity gradually purifies the delusion?

Rinpoche: There is no place where the delusions can dwell in our mind. What Rinpoche means by suppression is that one does not allow the delusion to arise in one's mind. Shantideva gives an example for this. If one tries to destroy one's enemy, then that enemy will go someplace else, and when he is strong enough to take revenge, he will come back to avenge himself. But the delusions are very weak; they have no place to go, and no place to come back to. Once they have been removed from oneself, they cannot come back again.

Question 5: Rinpoche talked about lesser, medium and greater downfalls and said that the lesser downfalls are due to the actions of previous lifetimes. Would Rinpoche please give examples of medium and greater downfalls, and are they also due to

actions of previous lifetimes? Rinpoche: There are two things that have to be abandoned, the fIrst being evil

deeds and the second obscurations. If the actions of one's body, speech or mind cause harm to other beings, either directly or indirectly, these actions are evil deeds. These actions have nothing to do with previous karma or previous habitual tendencies, but rather they are connected with present motivation. Generating the motivation to kill or to steal depends solely on oneself and one has the power or freedom to stop oneself from doing these evil deeds or to actually carry them out

Obscurations, which are related to mind, also do not depend on karma, but they do depend on one's habitual tendencies. From beginningless time, we have all been habituated with the negative emotions, attachment, aggression and ignorance. Some people have strong attachment, some have strong aggression, and some have strong ignorance, depending on how much one has been habituated with these delusions. These habitual tendencies are to be abandoned. Rinpoche says there are two words that, in Tibetan, have almost the same meaning. These words are gom(T: sgom), meaning practice or meditation, and gom (T: goms) [?}, meaning'habitual tendencies. When we practise very diligently and our practice is powerful, then that's gom, meditation. When we don't practise whole-hearted! y, don't exert effort and don't put our strength into our practice, then it becomes gom, just a habit, a habitual tendency. So in order to abandon obscurations, one has to replace gom (T:goms) by gom (T: sgom) [Rinpoche laughs]. '

Question: Would you give examples of lesser, medium and greater downfalls? Rinpoche: These downfalls are not related with karma. They are aspects of evil

deeds. Of these three downfalls, the lesser downfalls sometimes have not yet ripened into evil deeds but may be the seed of evil deeds later on. For example, some monks don't wear the lower garment, the sham-thab (T: sham-thabs), properly. At that moment, it's not an evil deed, but it may ripen into an actual evil deed gradually.

Question 6: Rinpoche, in Vajrayana post-meditation practice, what is the discipline that self-liberates delusion?

Rinpoche: One should have the two qualities of mindfulness and introspection in post-meditation. The Tibetan equivalent for the English word "post" is je-thop (T: tjes-thop). Je means that one carries the essence of the practice within oneself and should not lose that essence.

Question 7: What is the actual moment-to-moment discipline which you say is mindfulness that self-liberates delusions?

Rinpoche: Rinpoche says that's the answer to your question. The Vajrayana practice emphasizes the inner mind rather than the outer discipline. As Milarepa said: "Taming one's mind is what the Vi nay a is." In order to tame one's mind, one should

practise meditation and to have powerful practice, one should depend on mindfulness and introspection.

Question 8: I have a question about the relationship between the four powers of confession and accumulation of merit in the Mahayana practice. Are they two sides of the same thing or do they deal with different areas? It seems to me that when I fIrst studied the four powers, there were many cases where what you need to regret or not repeat are not particularly really negative states of mind, like wanting to kill somebody, but just mediocre states of mind, not especially good and not especially bad states of mind, in that what you need to regret is that you didn't have a large enough idea of what your responsibility was, or you were not daring enough to fulfill your bodhisattva action, or you were not being resourceful enough, or you have been too hesitant. That's sort of an example. My question is, in terms of the four powers of confession, are they only for real negativities or are they the negative side of the accumulation of merit Thatone should energetically, resourcefully act for the benefIt of others and that one's habitual tendencies stand in the way of that.

Rinpoche: Accumulation of merit is not related to the four powers of confession, but the four powers of confession are related to the accumulation of merit.

Question: In other words, the four powers of confession would be helpful in the accumulation of merit, but merit is not accomplished by doing the four confessions.

Rinpoche: That's all [Rinpoche laughs]. Question: Thank you, Rinpoche.

Question 9: In today's talk, Rinpoche referred to outer, inner and secret. Could you say something about the secret obstacles?

Rinpoche: In the past, Rinpoche asked all the translators to translate sang (T: gsang) as secret, but now Rinpoche says this is not the proper translation. The short path leading to our destination is called sang-lam (T: gsang-lam), a short-cut or a quicker road. According to Rinpoche, sang has the connotation of what is the main issue of the subject. [Rinpoche laughs]. For example, if you want to put on the light, you have to go and switch it on, otherwise if you just try to break up the whole thing in order to put on the light, you can't do it unless you go andjust switch it on. So the main issue of the whole thing, how you can put on the light, is called sang in Tibetan. When sang is translated into English as secret, that causes a lot of trouble [Laughter, Rinpoche laughs] .

Question: So it's more like a key. Rinpoche: Rinpoche thinks if you take the example of a motor-car, the engine is

the main key, the most important thing. If you want to drive the car, or stop it, or whatever you want to do, it has to be done by the engine, so the engine is the sangba.

TALK 6: NINE ASPECTS OF THE NOBLE BEING

While listening to the Dharma, one should generate the attitude of bodhicitta. In general in the Buddhist tradition there are three different types of practice,

namely, view (T:lta-ba; S: drsti, darshana), meditation (T: sgom-pa; S: bhavana), and action (T: spyod-pa, S: carya). The Pratimoksha sutra deals with discipline or action (T: lta-ba). Living in the monastery requires discipline or right action which benefits both oneself and also other sentient beings now and in future generations and maintains the teachings as well. Noble beings, those who work for the benefit of other sentient beings, have nine different ways in which they help others, three of which are for their own benefit alone, three for the benefit of other sentient beings, and the last three both for their own and others' benefit.

The three ways of working for one's own benefit are hearing (T: thos-pa), contemplating (T: bsam-pa) and meditating (T: sgom-pa). One has to depend on somebody else to show one the right path and so one listens to the teachings of the Lord Buddha. From the Hinayana point of view the Buddha taught in the dul-ba (T: 'dulba), the Vinaya, the way how to free oneself from attachment, in the do-de (T: mdosde), the Sutras, how to free oneself from aggression, and in the ngo-pa (T: mngonpa), the Abhidharma, how to free oneself from ignorance. There also exists a Tripitaka (T: sde-snod-gsum) in the Mahayana and also a Tripitaka in the Vajrayana.

The shastras (S; T: bstan-bcos) or treatises are of help in understanding the Buddha's teachings which are very vast and profound. The four most important commentaries or shastras on the Buddha's teachings are the Madhyamika (T: dburna), the Prajnaparamita (T: sher-phyin), the Vinaya (T: 'dul-ba) and the Abhidharma (T: mngon-pa). The Madhyamika shastra deals with emptiness, the Prajnaparamita shastra with knowledge and wisdom, the Vinaya shastra with discipline or action, and the Abhidharma shastra with how one progresses along the path and the stages.

Having listened (T: thos-pa) to these four treatises, then one contemplates (T: bsam-pa) them. Contemplation actually is not separate. Rather, one contemplates and examines what one has heard again and again and develops one's knowledge. Finally one meditates (T: sgom-pa) on these four treatises and on the teachings one has received for various practices. Gampopa has said that hearing, contemplating and meditating should be all combined together. If a practitioner tries to meditate without having listened to the teachings, he cannot meditate because he has nothing to meditate on. He is like a man without hands who tries to climb a mountain but cannot

because he cannot hold onto the rock. Listening to the teachings without meditating is also not beneficial. It is like a rich man who has much wealth but is not able to buy himself good food or good clothes. Being able to listen and also to meditate is most beneficial; it is like a bird with two wings that can fly in the sky.

The three ways of benefitting other beings are speech (T: mchid), debate (T: rtsod-pa) and composition (T: rtsom-pa). In order to convey the real meaning of the teachings to others, one has to speak to them so they can understand. The Lord Buddha said that he was unable to wash away the sins of others by water; in order to help sentient beings, one has to show them the right path by explaining the teachings to them. This was the only way the Buddha could pass on his inner wisdom to others. Just as the Buddha taught others, likewise we also teach by way of speech (T: mchid).

The second way of benefitting others is by debate (T: tsod-pa) or discussion. Discussion clears away any doubts or misunderstandings that may arise when the Dharma is being explained. The Lord Buddha said that if one wants to buy gold from a shop, before one actually purchases it, one should examine it to see if it is real gold or fake gold. Then, if one finds that it is real gold, one tests it to see if it is of good quality or poor quality by putting it in the fire, cutting it or rubbing it By doing so, one finds out if it is pure gold or not. In the same way, the teachings of the Buddha should be carefully examined rather than believed just because the Buddha said that In order to explain the teachings clearly to others, one should be free of doubt and misunderstanding oneself and this is the function of debate and discussion.

The third way to benefit others is composition (T: rtsom-pa). When one is fortunate enough to receive the teachings directly from a teacher, then one can clear away one's doubts and misunderstandings by asking questions directly to the teacher. For people who do not have this opportunity, due to time or place, one can compose treatises which they can read and study and thus clarify their doubts.

These six points constitute the three ways in which noble beings benefit themselves and the three ways in which they benefit others.

Finally there are three ways in which noble beings accomplish the benefit of both themselves and others. These are: learned (T: mkhas-pa), well-disciplined (T: btsunpa), and kind (T: bzang -po) or compassionate. For oneself, it is important to know the essence of the teachings, and in order to help all sentient beings, learning is important. This is the first way, being learned (T: mkhas-pa).

The second way is being well-disciplined (T: btsun-pa). Being learned alone is not enough; one should be able to bring one's learning into the practice. One should be able to bring the Pratimoksha, the bodhisattva and the secret Vajrayana vows into the practice in order to help other sentient beings as well as oneself. If one brings one's knowledge into the practice, one's example will convince others to practise as well. If one does not practise personally, others will not believe one. For instance, the power of the garuda protects one from harm caused by the nagas, including the disease of leprosy. So if a leper claims to have the garudas ' instructions to protect him from the

harms of the nagas, nobody will believe him. So in order to help oneself and other sentient beings, one should be well-disciplined and practice.

The third point is kind, compassionate, zang-po (T: bzang-po). Loving-kindness and compassion are needed both to become a noble being and to help other sentient beings. Loving-kindness may not manifest itself externally. Thus Marpa was apparently very unkind to his student Milarepa, scolding him and abusing him and making him undergo so many difficulties. But for a very extraordinary student like Milarepa, his deep devotion and respect for the teachings prevented him from becoming discouraged by Marpa's seemingly bad treatment and Marpa's withholding the teachings from him. Because of his deep devotion, he obeyed every order the teacher gave him. If Marpa told him to build a house, he built the house; if Marpa told him to demolish the house, he demolished the house. But for other students, the externally manifested loving-kindness and compassion are necessary to bring them to the teachings and the practice.

These were the nine aspects of the noble being. These are not included in the Pratimoksha but they are included in the practice of those who live in monasteries and are also the fruit of monastic life.

So we will stop here today.

Question 1: Rinpoche, could you explain what nagas are? Rinpoche: In general, there are things we can see and those that we cannot see,

such as local deities, worldly gods, and some sentient beings that we cannot see directly. Among the nagas, there are those who practised the path and attained realization and there are others who through their powerful delusion and aggression misuse their power and harm other sentient beings. Various diseases, such as leprosy, are caused by these nag as.

Question 2: Rinpoche, is contemplation the same as thinking about something? Rinpoche: Rinpoche is not quite sure about the translation for the word contem

plation. The meaning we are using here is to brood over or to think about the teachings we have heard, and to try to keep these teachings firmly in our mind by thinking about them again and again. In the sutras, contemplation is used for analytical meditation. In England, one translator was using contemplation for all meditation ( Rinpoche laughs].

Question 3: Rinpoche, in the Japanese or Zen traditions there are disciplines like calligraphy, tea ceremony or kyudo. How does contemplation fit into those practices or traditions?

Rinpoche: Rinpoche thinks that's a good way to contemplate, for example, by calligraphy or tea ceremony, how to hold the mind, awareness. In the Tibetan tradition, we used to meditate by putting a small stone in front of oneself and trying

to focus on that stone, practising contemplation in that way. Also we meditated by holding the breath, chanting and prostrating. They are all the same [Rinpoche laughs].

Question 4: Rinpoche, in the monasteries, how are people taught the categories of speaking, debating and composing? How is a student taught to speak?

Rinpoche: The motivation of the one who is explaining the Dharma is very important. If his motivation in teaching the Dharma is pure, then he will find the appropriate way to give the Dharma to others. If he has the pure motivation to help sentient beings, he will know what sort of teachings are appropriate for those who are listening. When Rinpoche was talking about Marpa Lotsawa and Milarepa, he spoke as if Marpa had no compassion for Milarepa, but actually he had very strong compassion for his students. Not showing love and compassion to Milarepa may be the strongest love and compassion.

Question: Right. And what about composition, actually being able to write it down, composing treatises. Is that taught?

Rinpoche: As times change, in each generation people have a different way of understanding the Dharma, so for future beings it is necessary to compose new treatises that will suit their minds. Thus we can understand the commentaries written by the Indian pandi tas more easily than the teachings of the Lord Buddha himself. And the Tibetan commentaries are easier to understand than the works of the Indian commentators. And the works oflaterTibetan translators are easier to understand than the earlier translations. In that way changing times cause changing understandings.

Question: My question further is do you have other classes where students learn to write this way? Is it something that's taught or do you write it down just from your understanding? In the shedra do they study how to write?

Rinpoche: Yes, to some extent the students are taught in the monastery. The monks write poems and other subjects. But most important is understanding the real meaning of the Dharma. When one understands the meaning of the Dharma, one can put it down in writing [Rinpoche laughs]. Some branches of composition are learned, like poetry.

Question 5: Rinpoche, can you give us a short introduction to the form of monastic debate and maybe give an example?

Rinpoche: The reason why you are debating, the point that you accept, is most important. For instance, there is a group who say that they accept one point, emptiness, and the reason why there is emptiness is because there is impermanence. If you acknowledge impermanence, if that is an appropriate reason, then you can accept emptiness. If the reason is false, then you cannot accept emptiness. For example, if Rinpoche said that the hand is empty, and you ask why is the hand empty, Rinpoche would say "This is not a hand, this is the thumb, this is the index finger; this is not a hand because this is a nail; this is not a hand, this is skin; inside the skin is not a hand,

Yen. Thrangu Rinpoche

it is flesh; inside the flesh is not a hand, it is bone. So there is no hand [Rinpoche lau ghs. Laughter).

Question: How is this conducted in a monastery? Could you say more about how they actually learn to debate in a monastery?

Rinpoche: Actually, in the traditional Tibetan way, it was more simple by taking it in short sentences, so one can debate much quicker. However the main thing is that there is one thing that has to be accepted. For example, if Rinpoche says the hand is emptiness, then you would ask "why?". Then he would give several reasons to

establish the hand-ness of the hand. By debating, one develops confidence in the words and meanings of the philosophical schools.

So we shall stop here if you have no further questions.

TALK 7: THREE ASPECTS OF THE MAHAYANA VOW

As usual, we should generate bodhicitta while listening to the precepts. Two days ago, we discussed monastic discipline from the point of view of the

three-fold precepts. The Theravadins observe the precept from the Pratimoksha point of view, self-liberation. From this point of view the Tibetan practitioners seem not to be as strict and literal in observing the Pratimoksha sutra as the Theravadins. But since they have the motivation, not only of self-liberation, but of bodhicitta and of the Vajrayana as well, the Tibetan practice of the Pratimoksha is more complete, in fact.

So far, Rinpoche discussed the Pratimoksha vow and the secret Yajrayana vow. Today Rinpoche will talk about the Mahayana vow, the bodhisattva vow. In general, there might seem to be a contradiction between the practice of the Pratimoksha precepts and the Mahayana precepts, the former focussing on the attainment of selfliberation and the latter abandoning self-liberation and seeking attainment solely for the benefit of other sentient beings. But because motivation is regarded as of prime importance, the Mahayana precepts are regarded as more important. Since one has already taken the bodhisattva vows, then when one receives the Pratimoksha vows, they are viewed from a Mahayana perspective. In Tibet in the Mahayana system, the practice of the following faults: the four defeats (S: parajika dharmas, T: 'pham-pa), the thirteen remainders (S: samghavashesa dharmas, T: lhag-ma) and the thirty downfalls (S: naihsargika-payantika dh arm as , T: spong-Itung) is emphasized, whereas the rest of the faults are considered to be of lesser importance. Instead the motivation of bodhicitta, which arises from the very beginning when one takes the vows, is accented.

The bodhisattva vow has three aspects: first, abandoning faults; second, accomplishing virtuous actions; and third, working for the benefit of all sentient beings. The first precept, that of abandoning harmful actions of body and speech, is the same as the Pratimoksha precept. The second and third precepts, however, are special to the bodhisattva vow. Virtuous actions are accomplished by means of the six pararnitas about which Rinpoche will talk today.

The first pararnita, generosity, dana in Sanskrit (T: sbyin-pa), has three divisions. The first is to give to others one's possessions, such as wealth, food, clothing, etc. The second is to protect others from fear and sorrow. According to the Mahayana system, I temporary help, although it is of benefit to other sentient beings, is not as important

as ultimate help. In order to liberate sentient beings ultimately from suffering, one

must introduce them to the practice of the Dharma, which is the third division, that of giving the noble teachings. The Dharma should be presented to beings in accordance with their individual dispositions or inclinations. Some beings are inclined towards the profound teachings, some towards the vast teachings, and some towards the lesser teachings. Some beings may have the inclination to practise the vast and profound teachings, but because of lack of opportunity, they have to practise the lesser teachings. Therefore Shantideva has said that the vast and profound teachings should not be given to those who do not have the capacity to practise them, and that the lesser teachings should not be given to those who have the ability to practise the vast and profound teachings. Rather, beings should be given teachings in accordance with their ability and capacity.

The second paramita, discipline, shila in Sanskrit (T: tshul-khrirns), is what to refrain from. It, too, has three sections, but Rinpoche has already talked about shila and thinks that he does not have to repeat it.

The third paramita is patience, kshanti in Sanskrit (T: bzod-pa). Patience to endure hardship is necessary to forebear harm from one's enemy, to understand the meaning of the teachings, and to accomplish the noble teachings. When our enemy harms us, we become angry with him. But we should not become angry because it is the nature of ordinary beings to benefit themselves and do harm to others. Therefore, if we relate to an ordinary being, naturally we will be harmed, and that harm is caused by ourself, not by the other. We can take the example of fITe. The nature of fITe is to be hot and burn, so if we put our hand in the fITe and our hand is burned, there is no reason for us to be angry. That makes no sense [Laughter}, the fITe will naturally burn us. It is our fault, not the fault of the fITe. So if we make a relationship with an ordinary person, we will receive a harmful response from him, and so we should develop patience in order to accomplish virtue. In order to accomplish virtue we need an object. For example, if we practise generosity, there must be someone to whom we

. are giving something. In the case of patience, there must be someone through whom we can accomplish virtue. Towards whom can we practise patience? Not to those who are good to us, but towards those who harm us. So in order to practise patience it is necessary to have someone who harms us [Laughter] and that enemy helps us accumulate virtue. The third classification of the pararnita of patience is patience while practising and realizing the teachings. We should not become discouraged by thinking that we cannot understand or cannot realize the essence of the teachings. We should continue to work with our knowledge and level of practice and put all our effort into practising with patience.

The fourth pararnita is the pararnita of diligence, virya in Sanskrit (T: brtson'grus). Diligence is necessary because laziness constantly comes up on the path of Dharma. One of the aspects of laziness is putting oneself down, looking down upon oneself, thinking that one is hopeless, that one does not have the capacity for

realization. This attitude obs tructs one's practice and one's attainment of realization. One should give up thoughts of inadequacy and instead develop the feeling of being able to achieve whatever one wants. This is like a good suit of armour that protects one in battle so that one does not fear the enemy, one has pride in oneself and can rouse up one's courage. Similarly, discouragement is an obstacle on the path of practice, an obstacle which can be overcome by a strong powerful mind. This type of diligence consists of having strong faith and devotion, and turning one's thoughts to the practice of Dharma. The third aspect of diligence is applying one's mind constantly and uninterruptedly to the practice.

The ftfth paramita is meditation, dhyana in Sanskrit (T: bsam-gtan). In general, shi-ne (S: shamatha, T: zhi-gnas) stabilizes and pacifies the mind which is constantly wandering. Dhyana is of two types, the ftrst being mundane or worldly dhyana which consists of stabilizing the mind. The second type is transcendent dhyana in which, based on worldly dhyana, one's practice and meditative states may progress.

The sixth paramita, prajna in Sanskrit (T: shes-rab), has the three aspects of hearing, contemplating and meditating which Rinpoche discussed yesterday.

These six paramitas constitute the basis for working for the beneftt of all sentient beings. Tomorrow we will talk about the third category of the acitivity of a bodhisattva, namely working for the sake of others. We will stop here today.

Question 1: Rinpoche, I didn't understand the difference between mundane and transcendental meditation. What is an example of worldly meditation?

Rinpoche: Shamatha meditation is the mundane state of dhyana. If, in addition to shamatha, there is the wisdom of egolessness and the practice of vipashyana (S; T: lhag-mthong), that constitutes the transcendental state of dhyana.

Question 2: Rinpoche, how useful in general is it to take the precepts of Pratimoksha? This issue comes up in the context that many of us who are Trungpa Rinpoche's students have been taught in a style that doesn't start with discipline as a function of taking the precepts. Another way of saying it is that if you are already tamed to some extent, then merely keeping the ftve lay precepts doesn't provoke anything in terms of one's practice. It seems that the Vajrayana practice is the key issue in terms of what we are doing. What is the use of having the Pratimoksha vows at all? And if I may add one more thing, Rinpoche has said that one of the functions of keeping the vows is that you are creating merit for yourself. But the question is, so what? [Laughter]

Rinpoche: Trungpa Rinpoche has been spreading the Dharma for sixteen or seventeen years in places where the Dharma has never been heard before. Different methods of teaching must be used in places where the Dharma has not been spread previousl y. That is the reason why, for the time being, you are not going through the

precepts of the Pratimoksha [Rinpoche laughs]. That is why a monastery is slowly being established here [Laughter]. Trungpa Rinpoche' s idea of building a monastery here [Rinpoche laughs] is because he sees the importance of practising the Pratimoksha precepts. In general, it is true that it is most important to tame one's mind which is like a wild elephant. In order to tame our mind, we cannot merely say "I would like to tame my mind." Different techniques are necessary, such as taking the precepts, 10-jong (T: blos-byong) or mind training, or meditation. It would be fine if we could tame our mind with just one method, but that's not possible.

In answer to your second question, Rinpoche says that it is actually difficult to believe that once you have taken the precepts, your merit is increasing .That for example, if you have a hundred animals and you kill one animal on each hour, then you accumulate the karma of killing an animal each hour. But if you have taken the precept not to kill, then each hour you accumulate the good karma of not killing [Rinpoche laughs].

Question: It seems to me that the way Trungpa Rinpoche has taught has emphasized the Bodhisattvayana, and therefore the way he has presented shila or discipline is in terms of working with the existing situation oflife. If you have a family, if you have an administrative job with Naropa Institute, or if you do organizational work connected with the Dharma, you have an existing life situation. Rather than changing that life situation by taking the monastic vow and leaving your family, you can accept that situation and make that into a path of discipline in which the five precepts can present some guidance. But in order to pursue the discipline, one must sharpen one's discrimination about how to work with one's life situation, both surrendering to one' s life situation and getting into it and giving up negativity in that way, also positively bringing about benefit by actual bodhisattva activity, by stretching oneself into bodhisattva action. I think that Tony's question is coming from that area.

Rinpoche: When the Lord Buddha came into the world and began to spread the Dharma, he presented different paths to different people. First he showed the Hinayana path, then the Mahayana and gradually he showed the Vajrayana path to tame all sentient beings. Rinpoche thinks that Trungpa Rinpoche is doing the same thing. He came to a place where Dharma had not been heard before and began to spread the Dharma. At flIst he taught his students the practice of shamatha, then gradually the practice of ngondro and gradually the practice of Vajrayogini. And gradually he built a monastery [Laughter, Rinpoche laughs].

Question 3: Rinpoche said it's better not to have relationships with ordinary beings because we should know that we will get burned if we put our hands in the flIe.

Rinpoche: You misunderstood what Rinpoche actually meant We cannot just escape from ordinary people [Rinpoche laughs. Laughter] . The example that he gave

of fire is that fire is hannful only if we put our hands into it; otherwise fire is not hannful, in fact it is very useful to us. Similarly if someone harms us, instead of returning the harm or taking revenge, we should have patience.

Question: The analogy of putting our hands into the fire, what does that correspond to?

Rinpoche: If you have anger towards the person who is harming you, conflict is created which leads to suffering. This corresponds to putting your hands into the fire. If you don't put your hands into the fire, your hands are not harmed. Likewise, if you do notreciprocate when someone is angry with you, or when someone is harming you, then you are free from any problems.

Question 4: The notion of patience often has the connotation of being passive, of not acting. Could Rinpoche comment on the notion of patience and skillfulness?

Rinpoche: Patience and skillful means are slightly different. Rinpoche will explain skillful means more fully tomorrow.

Question 5: Maybe this will take Tony's question a little bit further [Rinpoche laughs. Laughter]. It is easier to formulate in the teachings what to refrain from. In terms of what positively should be cultivated on the bodhisattva path, we can give general guidelines, as Rinpoche has done today, the six paramitas. But very spec illcally what one has to cultivate at any given time has to be very personal and is a matter of stretching one's personal awareness of what one's responsibility is or what should be done to benefit the Dharma, what should be done to work with others. It is more difficult to give positive rules about that because it has to come from one's personal insight. In terms of what to avoid, it is easy to formulate that. In terms of what to cultivate positively, you can gi ve general rules, bu t the crucial important issues for one to address in one's own path at any given time has to come from personal insight, being willing to look around and being honest with oneself. By taking the five precepts, one feels that one is accomplishing something substantial on the path. But in a sense, if you only stay with that and do not look at what is really a challenge for you on the path, you would not be accomplishing very much actually.

Rinpoche: Actually the practice of the six paramitas is the same from the general point of view or from the personal point of view. One is not able to practise the paramitas one hundred percent, but one practises in accordance with one's abilities.

Question: It seems that in order to apply the teachings to personal experience, there's hearing, contemplating the teachings, and trying to actualize them in one's mind. There is no formula for how to actualize them concretely, but that has to be based on personal recognition of the situation. There's no issue here. The issue in terms of Tony's question is that the way we have been trained so far by Trungpa Rinpoche is that if one is purely keeping the Hinayana precepts of restraint, one is accumulating virtue from that, but from another point of view, it does not seem that

one is positively doing very much. We have been trained in a very Mahayana way so that the Pratimoksha by itself does not seem to be enough. [Rinpoche laughs, DLLD laughs]. Thank you

Rinpoche: We should stop here today.

TALKS: FIVE CLASSES OF VAJRAYANA PRECEPTS

While listening to the Dharma teachings, please generate the attitude ofbodhicitta.

Yesterday Rinpoche discussed the ftrst two aspects of the bodhisattva precepts, namely refraining from faults and accomplishing virtue or merit. Today he will discuss the third aspect of working for the sake of all sentient beings.

There are four methods to bring sentient beings into the path of Dharma. The ftrst method is to give whatever is needed. With the motivation of helping others to attain elightenment, others can be brought to the path of Dharma by being shown the right method. The second is kind speech; when others are brought to the path, their faith may be aroused by speaking kind words. If these ftrst two actions are based on impure motivation, that is deceptive. But if these actions are supported by pure motivation, then that is regarded as the perfect method, and if they are further supported by the precepts of bodhicitta they are even more extraordinary and beneftcial. The third method is to communicate directly through the teachings, showing those who have already been introduced to the Dharma the proper path of practice and eradicating whatever obstacles may arise while they are practising the path. These obstacles may cause the practitioner to lose faith and devotion and by exerting one's effort, one can eliminate the practitioner's obstacles. If the practitioner has gone off onto the wrong path, one can guide him back to the right path, and if he is not evolving on the path, one can help him to evolve. The fourth method is to act appropriately with the ways of the world, for example one should practise in the same way that one explains the Dharma to others.

The Pratimoksha is called the outer precepts; in this stage one refrains from destructive actions of body and speech. The precepts of the Mahayana or the bodhicitta precepts are called the inner precepts; at this stage the important thing is to examine one's mind. The third stage is the secret Vajrayana precepts. The word sang-ba (T: gsang-ba) is usually translated into English as "secret", but this has an ambiguous interpretation. It's as if Tibetan Buddhism has to conceal itself because there is something wrong in its practices, like black magic, that is not proper to reveal to others, so it must be kept secret. The misconception is due to the way the word sang-

ba has been translated. In all of the Buddhist practices, particularly in the Vajrayana practices, there is nothing that must be hidden and kept secret There is no fault in the practice that makes it improper to show to others. Nor is it because Tibetan Buddhists are greedy and don't want to reveal the teachings to others. By not giving the teachings to others, one's motivations would be wrong and not in accord with the Dharma.

The word sang-ba has the connotation of pointing to the main issue, whatever it is, and gives the idea of something powerful. At the Mahayana level, the main issue according to the sutras is emptiness which is not merely empty but also has the aspect of clarity. At the Vajrayana level of sang-ba, the emptiness of phenomena is not of primary importance, but the main issue is one's inner mind. For example, if a man who is sleeping dreams about a lion or tiger, using weapons to help him or getting his friends to help him are of no use whatsoever. The only way to help him is to waken him from his sleep and then instantly he will be free of his fear of the lion or tiger. If we can awaken from our inner mind, we fmd that there is no essence in external phenomena.

When we examine our inner mind, we find that it is polluted by the five poisons (S: klesa; T: nyon-mongs), attachment (S: raga;T: 'dod-chags), aggression (S: dvesa; T: zhe-sdang), ignorance (S: moha; T: gti-mug), jealousy (S: irsya; T: pbrag-dog) and pride (S: manas; T: nga-rgyal). When these five emotions are purified, they are called wisdoms (S: jnana; T: ye-shes). Realizing the nature of our mind as the same as the five wisdoms, we will then manifest the five wisdoms. This process of trying to find the main issue of the mind is called sang-ba or the secret Vajrayana.

The secret Vajrayana precepts are divided into five classes according to the five buddha families. The first, the samaya of Vairocana (T: rnam-par snang-mdzad), consists, as we have already described of the path of the three activities of a bodhisattva, namely refraining from nonvirtuous deeds, accomplishing virtue and working for the sake of all sentient beings. Vairocana is the basis of the other buddha families, and the wisdom of the dharmadhatu (T: chos kyi dbyings kyi ye-shes) is regarded as the basis of all the wisdoms.

The second, the purification of aggression into mirror-like wisdom (T: me-long lta-bu'i ye-shes), is the samaya of Akshobya (T: mi-bskyod-pa), which consists of always holding the vajra and ghanta and having devotion to and faith in one's root guru. The delusion of aggression is very powerful and in order to purify this, one must depend on one's root guru. Aggression is transformed by the mirror-like wisdom into pacification.

The third, the samaya of Ratnasambhava (T: rin-chen 'byung-Idan), transforms pride into the wisdom of equanimity (T: mnyam-pa nyid kyi ye-shes) which enriches. The practice for this samaya is generosity with regard to wealth, possessions, food, etc.

The fourth, the samaya of Amitabha (T: 'od-dpag-med), transforms attachment into the wisdom of discriminating awareness (T: so-sor rtogs-pa'i ye-shes). Its

activity is that of magnetizing other sentient beings, and to accomplish this one must observe the three-fold precepts of Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana. Having the knowledge of the three yanas, one can show others the path appropriate to their individual dispositions.

The fifth, the samaya of Amoghasiddhi (T: don-yod grub-pa) transforms jealousy into the wisdom that accomplishes all actions (T: bya-ba nan-tan-du grub-ba'i yeshes). The activity in this family is that of wrathful action. By making offerings of tormas to the wrathful deities, one can accomplish one's goal faster.

The precepts of the Hinayana are included in those of the Mahayana which in turn are included in the Vajrayana precepts. Therefore to observe the Vajrayana precepts is to observe all three at once.

We shall stop at this point.

Question 1: When you spoke of the samaya of Akshobya, you were speaking about the purification of anger, aggression, and then in the samaya of Amoghasiddhi you spoke about wrathful activity. Could you say how those two, anger and wrath, are different?

Rinpoche: The deities have two aspects, peaceful and wrathful. The peaceful aspect is like the bodhisattvas. The wrathful aspect is not in the form of delusion such as aggression, but rather the wrathful activity helps one to accomplish one's goal rapidly. So wrathfulness and aggression are different. The wrathful aspect has power. For example, if a child does something dangerous and if his parents pet him and say: "Don't do that", the child won't listen to them. But if the parents raise a stick and say: "Don't do that", then the child will obey. The wrathful action ofraising the stick has the power to stop the child from doing dangerous things which a peaceful method does not have [Rinpoche laughs]. That action is not the method of aggression but rather the method of wrathful activity. Aggression in the purified state is mirror-like wisdom, the activity of which is pacification. Jealousy in the purified state is all-accomplishing wisdom, the activity of which is wrathful action. That is why aggression and wrathfulness are different.

Question 2: Rinpoche, how does the offering of tormas relate to that? Rinpoche: The offerings and tormas are offered to the dharmapalas, so that is how

one's goal is quickly attained. Question: Isn't that a lot of superstition [Laughter]? My western mind has a hard

time relating to that kind of action because I often ask "Who's tricking whom?" If I offer a cake to something I can't see, it is difficult seeing any sense in that.

Rinpoche: Do you have confidence when you visualize Dorje Phagmo? Question: I'm not doing that practice yet. Rinpoche: When practising guru yoga, do you rouse confidence? Question: Yes.

Rinpoche: So if your guru is three hundred miles away from you, but if you pray to him, how would you get results?

Question: It's the old question, if you meditate, you create a visualization and it seems to be part of the visualization that you believe in it. But obviously the visualization is not reality in the common sense because it's a created reality. In my practice, I'm creating that mandala within my mind, and I don't think about whether it exists out there or not.

Rinpoche: Rinpoche says that the visualization is related to reality. For example, if you visualize the guru on the top of your head, that will be of benefit to you. If you visualize a frog or any other animal [Laughter] on top of your head, that will be of no benefit [Rinpoche laughs. Laughter]. When we visualize, we need some basis on which we can visualize, therefore we visualize on the basis of tormas.·

Question 3: Rinpoche, when you discussed the padma family and the transformation into discriminating awareness, it seems to me that you have to really understand and practise all three yanas completely. That's a pretty big job.

Rinpoche: One doesn't have to practise all three yanas in detail. By practising Vajrayana, one is practising all three yanas because the Hinayana precepts are included in the Mahayana, and the Mahayana precepts are included in the Vajrayana. By realizing the three yanas, when one teaches, one can give teachings appropriate to different individuals. The Lord Buddha gave 84,000 different teachings, but that doesn't mean that one has to go through all 84,000 of them. If one practises fully one of them, that serves the purpose of practising all the rest of them. Since each sentient being has different dispositions and capabilities, there are 84,000 different teachings. That is why, also, that there are three yanas.

Question: Rinpoche, would the practice of Vajrayogini be one of the 84,000? Rinpoche: Yes, that is one path of the secret Vajrayana included in the 84,000

teachings of the Buddha.

Question 4: Rinpoche, what is the practice for the samaya of V airocana? You said there were three precepts ofVairocana and I was wondering what they are.

Rinpoche: The samaya of Vairocana is the precepts of the bodhisattva and the fruit of that is dharmadhatu which is the basis of all the activities, pacification, magnetizing, accomplishing and enriching.

Question 5: Rinpoche, is cause and effect more important than belief in any kind of reality? I think it relates to Zangpo' s q ues tion. But I believe that Vaj rayogini is more real than this wall.

Rinpoche: [In English] That's very good. [Laughter. Rinpoche laughs] . Question: I used to believe that this wall was more real than something like

Vajrayogini which I couldn't even imagine. So because of the effect of that belief,

whether Vajrayogini is real or not real is actually not important, but the effect of Vajrayogini and offering to Vajrayogini is important. That was my question.

Rinpoche: That's very good if you have the confidence of visualizing orrealizing Vajrayogini as solid as this wall. More real than the wall. The effect of that is positive, very good. The wall, like all phenomena, is empty. But according to ultimate truth, Vajrayogini is real and exists from the point of view ofUma (T: dbu-ma), Shentong Madhyamika. Ultimately all forms do exist. Since you have that attitude, and by realizing ultimate truth, you can attain your goal very fast

Question 6: Rinpoche, in connection with that question, some teacher, not a Buddhist teacher, once said that you could take anything and put it up on a shrine and venerate it, and by generating your own energy into that situation, it would become sacred. Is that some sort of recognition of sacred world? Where do one's own delusions enter into that situation that could create confusion? I'm trying to ask about the fabrications of one's own mind. In other words, putting a lot of energy into something gives it some sort of reality. It's sort oflike Zangpo' s comment that if you can't see something, how do you know that it has any validity? If you just sit yourself down to work with the practice and believe it has validity, then it has validity, but how is that separated from your own belief in some sort of actual validity that exists beyond whether you believe it or not?

Rinpoche: Not seeing something is not sufficient reason for saying that it doesn't exist. For instance two people may be sitting facing each other and they can see each other, but they cannot see what the other one is thinking about, even though they are both thinking. The reason why we offer tormas and other offerings is to show that we have confidence, devotion, conviction in the deities to whom we are making the offerings. Whether it is one's root guru, or one's yidam, the most important thing is confidence. If one has no confidence, one will never accomplish one's goal. Also we should have confidence in the personal deities and dharmapalas and make offerings to them, because they have the power of eliminating all our sufferings. It's not that the gods are hungry or something like that [Rinpoche laughs. Laughter).

Question: These dharmapalas are states of mind, aren't they? Rinpoche: According to the Hindu point of view, everything was created by a

god, but we don't believe that. The Theravada school emphasizes that there is no god . at all, and that also is not accepted by the Vajrayana. From the Vajrayana point of view, happiness or sorrow all depend on oneself. But yet infmi te nu mbers of Buddhas and bodhisattvas exist, some in the aspect of personal deities, some in the aspect of dharmapalas. If we arouse faith and devotion to them, through their power we can receive blessings. That is why the yidarns and dharmapalas are not just the creation of one's own mind.

Question 7: For many years I thought that meditation is just working with my own

mind, but then I thought about interdependent origination and I understood that everything that seems to exist is in contact with other phenomena, other beings. So I began to see the possibility that even the Buddhas whom I cannot see are related to me because of their interdependent nature. The question is how do they relate to me?[Laughter]

Rinpoche: Actually all phenomena are based on interdependent origination. But your understanding of interdependent origination seems to be different from what it actually means. For example [Rinpoche holds up two pieces of incense], one is long, one is short and Rinpoche says the longer one is long and the shorter one is short, and everybody here would say the same thing. [Rinpoche breaks the longer one so that it now is shorter than the initial one.] Now the initial short one is long and the other one is short. The initial short one hasn't changed its nature, but now it is long. By comparison, one is longer and one is shorter. That is what comparison means. But actually there is neither long nor short, one depends on another. So things are created by our own minds, depending on other things. Rinpoche didn't completel y understand your question of how you are dependent on the Buddha.

Question: My understanding of interdependence was that I don't have existence on my own. Now I'm sitting on the ground and the heaven is above me. I could understand that there are beings whom I cannot see but who are, nevertheless, related to me because they live in their own environment, so they have a ground on which they live, and so they could be connected to me. But my question was, along with making these offerings, there's sometimes the feeling "Am I a blind believer if I do that, just believing that blessings come to me?" How can that be reasonable? Am I responding to blessings coming from outside which I do not see? How do I know that I receive blessings?

Rinpoche: Rinpoche will explain why the offering is important. For example, there are two friends who have a very close and deep relationship with love and compassion for each other. But merely saying it is not sufficient. They must express their love and compassion to each other either by exchanging gifts or by helping each other. In the same way, even if you say: "I have very deep faith and devotion to the Lord Buddha", that is not enough. You must offer something to represent your deep faith in the Buddha. As for blessings, in some ways it is difficult to understand how we receive blessings, but in other ways, it is quite easy. For instance, when we see the statue of the Buddha or the shrine, devotion arises within us. But for other people, for instance that couple who came here to make the fUm for TV, when they saw the shrine or the picture, they just say: "Oh, this is a colourful picture. It must be some sort of superstition, something they believe in." So, although the process of seeing is the same, the way we see it and the way they see it are different. They don't understand what it is. So Rinpoche says that these are the blessings that you are receiving.

Question: Let's use an example. We have ravens here. Sometimes we make offerings and we see the ravens sitting outside. Then somebody says: "Oh, the

Mahakalas are outside" and everybody says: "Oh, the Mahakalas are outside." [Laughter]. So I ask myself "What is this all about?" We want to be reasonable, we don't want to believe everything blindly, otherwise we lose any ground for discrimination.

Rinpoche: One cannot say that all the ravens we see outside eating tormas are all Mahakalas [Rinpoche laughs]. But sometimes, depending on one's motivation, on one's power of faith in the raven for instance, that will produce blessings. But usually that is not true.

Question 8: Rinpoche, if one was able to experience absolute reality directly and immediately, then practice, including Vajrayogini practice, would not be necessary.

Rinpoche: In general, the attainment of Buddhahood is quite far off [Laughter. Rinpoche laughs]. We cannot realize the absolute nature of things immediately because of our hea~y habitual tendencies. So therefore we have to meditate [Rinpoche laughs].

Question: Yes, yes, yes.

Dorje Loppon Ladro DOlje: Rinpoche, we would like to thank you very much for all the teachings you have given us here, and in saying this, I think I am speaking on behalf of the Vajracarya Trungpa Rinpoche, under whose auspices we have established the Abbey here and requested you to come and certainly you have manifested to us the power and blessings of the lineage of the Vinaya tradition from Shakyamuni down to Upali down to the present time, and you have also certainly shown the blessings and kindness of the bodhisattva lineage, and you have also manifested the blessings and kindness of the Kagyu siddhas. So we thank you for your teaching and also the atmosphere and environment you have created here in this place. And this is certainly a landmark, a very special time and landmark for Gampo Abbey that you have been able to come here, and we hope that you will be able to come here many times again in the future. This is a small token of our gratitude.

Rinpoche: Rinpoche is very happy to be here among you to give teachings, and Rinpoche prays that in the future the Dharma will flourish here. Rinpoche has spent about two weeks here and now we have come to the end of the two weeks, which indicates the nature of impermanence [Laughter]. Rinpoche says that it is very good that you had the opportunity to use your precious human body for the sake of practising the Dharma, and all of you have been very fortunate to receive teachings from Trungpa Rinpoche and to practise in accordance with the teachings. Rinpoche hopes that his teachings here will benefit your practice further in the future. Rinpoche prays for all the best auspicious things.

THE SEVEN POINTS OF MIND TRAINING

The Preliminaries, Which Teach the Supportfor Dharma

First, train in the preliminaries.

The Actual Practice: Training in Bodhicitta

ULTIMATE BODHICITTA Regard all phenomena as dreams. Examine the nature of unborn awareness. Even the remedy is freed to subside naturally. Rest in the nature of all, the basis of everything. In postmeditation practice, be a child of illusion.

RELATIVE BODHICITTA Train in taking and sending alternately. Put them on the breath. Three objects, three poisons, three seeds of virtue. Use sayings to train in all forms of activity. Begin the sequence of exchange with yourself.

The Transformation of Adverse Conditions into the Path of Awakening

When evil fills the world and its inhabitants, Change adverse conditions into the path of awakening.

RELATIVE BODHICITTA Drive all blame into one. Be grateful to everyone.

ULTIMATE BODHICITT A To see confusion as the four kayas, The protection of emptiness is unsurpassable.

SPECIAL PRACTICES The four applications are the best method. In order to take unexpected conditions as the path, Immediately join whatever you meet with meditation.

The Utilization of the Practice in One's Whole Life

WHAT TO DO DURING ONE'S LIFE A summary of the essential instructions: Train in the five forces.

WHAT TO DO AT DEATH The mahayana instructions for how to die Are the five forces. How you act is important.

The Extent of Proficiency in Mind Training

All dharma has a single purpose. Of the two judges, rely on the principal one. Always have the support of a joyful mind. You are proficient if you can practice even when

distracted.

Commitments of Mind Training

Always practice the three general principles. Change your attitude, but remain natural. Do not talk about weak points. Don't think about the affairs of others. Work on the stronger disturbing emotions first. Give up all hope for results. Give up poisonous food. Don't rely on consistency. Don't be excited by cutting remarks. Don't wait in ambush. Don't make things painful. Don't put the horse's load on a pony. Don't aim to win. Don't revert to magic. Don't reduce a god to a demon.

Page 35

Don't seek pain as a component of happiness.

Guidelines for Mind Training

All active meditation is done in one way. All corrections are made in one way. At the beginning and at the end, Two things to be done. Whichever of two occurs, be patient Observe these two, even at the risk of your life. Learn the three difficult points. Take up the three primary resources. Don't allow three things to weaken. Make the three inseparable. Train in all areas without partiality. Overall deep and pervasive proficiency is important. Always meditate on volatile points. Don't depend on external conditions. This time, practice the important points. Don't make mistakes. Don't fluctuate. Train wholeheartedly. Find freedom through both examination and

investigation. Don't make a fuss. Don't be caught up in irritation. Don't be temperamental. Don't expect thanks.

Concluding Verses

This quintessential elixir of instruction, Which changes the five kinds of degeneration Into the way of awakening, Is a transmission from Serlingpa. The awakening of the karmic energy of previous

training Aroused intense interest in me. Therefore, I ignored suffering and criticism And sought instruction for subduing ego-clinging. Now, when I die, I'll regret nothing.

Page 37

['The Seven Points of Mind Training' comes from the tradition of spiritual instruction of Chekawa Yes he Dmje and is an excerpt from ''The Great Path of Awakening" by J amgon Kongtrul the Great, translated by Ken McLeod and published by Shambhala, 1987.].

NEWS: DHAGPO KAGYU LING

Uplift for the Sangha in France

Two encouraging pieces of news for the Sangha, from Dhagpo Kagyu Ling, the European Seat of H.H. Karmapa :

July 1987 : H.E. J amgon KongtrulRinpoche gave gelong vows to 21 monks, most of whom entered the three-year retreat under the guidance of Gendun Rinpoche a few months later, either as fIrst- or second-timers.

January 1988 : The French government offIcially recognised the existence of the monastic community of Dhagpo Kagyu Ling. This is a 'fIrst' for the French who have never before recognised a non-catholic group. More than anything else this pulls Tibetan Buddhism out of the sect category and sets it fIrmly amongst the official religions.

The community, Karme Dharma Chakra, has officially twelve members, half of whom are Westerners. The number is limited because of the legal obligation to pay the social security and pension charges of each member. Let us hope that one day all the monks attached to DKL may become part of the community.

Footnote for nuns: French law does not admit the possibility of mixed monasticism ! The nuns must organise themselves and make a separate application to become a recognised community.

Anila Rinchen, Dhagpo Kagyu Ling.

NEWS: GAMPOABBEY

The visit of the Venerable Thrangu Rinpoche during April and May was another milestone in the recent development of Gampo Abbey. This was his frrst longer visit to Gampo Abbey in his function as Abbot of Gampo Abbey. Not only was everyone highly delighted with his ease, humour and overwhelming warmth but he also caused everyone's confidence in the monastery to increase by giving the Abbey a clearly determined direction for the future, and at the same time by accomodating everyone in his or hernatural place in the mandala that he created around himself as Abbot. The extent of his commitment, warmth and care was like that of a father to his family.

A long time ago Trungpa Rinpoche had written to Thrangu Rinpoche giving precise detailed explanations of his interest in establishing Buddhadharma in Nova Scotia and particularly in establishing Gampo Abbey. In respect to those explanations and in order that Gampo Abbey should have strictly monastic rules, he asked him if he would be willing to look after Gampo Abbey. "Although Trungpa Rinpoche wrote to me several times, not only once, I did not feel, while Trungpa Rinpoche was still alive, that it was absolutely necessary for me to come because he was taking care of everybody, every center, of course including Gam{)9 Abbey." Also his attention was mainly taken up by his other responsibilities, such as looking after the Thrangu Tashi Choling in Nepal, the Thrangu Tashi Choling in Tibet and the Rumtek monastery and Shedra.

But then when Trungpa Rinpoche passed away, he had the "feeling that the reason why he wrote so many letters to me was also a prediction that it was not really necessary to look after Gampo Abbey at the time when he was still alive but it was essential for me to do so after his passing away .... With that in mind !feel very strongly that this is my responsibility." In order to fullfill the wishes of the Vidyadhara, he would like to develop a very strong monastic discipline at Gampo Abbey.

He mentioned that every project that Trungpa Rinpoche started was very precise and orderly, and as it was Trungpa Rinpoche's intention to be very precise in all his activities, he feels that he wanted Gampo Abbey to develop a very pure and precise monastic rule, as indicated in the letters.

Thrangu Rinpoche noted that in regard to householders, Trungpa Rinpoche had alreadl y developed a system and therefore there would be no need to develop a second system as TrungpaRinpoche's system was already very effective. That system allows one to have a family and to practise at the same time even if one has no interest in

following the five precepts in addition. "However, we must keep in mind, and I think I can speak on behalf of Trungpa Rinpoche' s intention, that for this particular place, Gampo Abbey, Trungpa Rinpoche wanted a very strict rule." Therefore Thrangu Rinpoche wants that all lay people who live at Gampo Abbey must try to follow the five precepts. This should prevent Gampo Abbey from becoming a mixture of precepts and shilas, as otherwise people, especially newcomers, would get confused which system they should follow. He emphasized the necessity of developing a strong system now because the way in which one develops at the very beginning is most important for the future.

"Although I feel that it is mainly my responsibility to fulflll the wishes of the Vidyadhara here, I also feel that you as well have equal responsibility to fulfill his wishes ..... Together I feel that we can really fulfill the very dream, the very wish of the Vidyadhara. With this hope I have come here this time, and with this hope I will provide and give vows in the future."

Lord Maitreya, Tai Situpa Perna Wangchok Gyalpo (the 11th Tai Situpa, 1886 - 1952), declared that "the images he makes can be used as the object of one's offerings without necessary consecration".

He was also recognised as an emanation artist, thus being an artist of exceptional ability. Together with his students, he worked unceasingly on his paintings from his youth till the age of eighty-five.

I, Gega (Jinpa) Lama, was born in the year "Master of Birth" in the sixteenth sixty-year cycle (1931). I was interested in art from an early age. Although I met some stone engravers, I did not have a teacher on art until I was sixteen.

Until that time I studied linear grids, chanting, music, etc. Then, at the age of sixteen, I started my studies on art with the artist Chokyong. I continued to learn about proportions with Tanglha Tsewang. Through his kindness I received teachings on the linear grids, proportions, drawings as well as other oral and practical instructions.

When I was twenty-two years old, I was able to work on my own. My first work was to paint one thousand Buddhas for the benefit of my deceased mother. Due to Tsewang's kindness, I surpassed my former teacher Chokyong. I continued to make paintings of various sizes for myself and others, making this my principal occupation.

At a certain time I learned to cast bells, rupas and so on, from a craftsman named Damcho. Mter this, I worked sometimes on paintings, sometimes in metal. However, some of my relatives kept saying that working with hammer and tongs was a very low profession. They said it was not proper for someone of the family of Lingkar to be a blacksmith, which in India was regarded as the lowest class of profession. Though I myself do not think this way, I gave up casting metal, afraid that my family would be of inferior status in India.

On May 19th 1978, Gyalwang Rigpay DOIje (the 16th Karmapa, 1924 - 1981) instructed me to support the Teachings by ensuring that the Gadri lineage was continued. Both he and his principal students have advised me to have a strong motivation to try to benefit the Teachings and beings.

In accordance with this, I teach wherever those eager to learn have gathered and spend my life making representations of the body, speech and mind of the Buddha.

Most of the successive masters of the Gadri lineage in the past were emanation artists. Although I am a holder of their lineage, I am not anything such as an emanation. Therefore the images I create must have obstacles expelled, be ritually purified, be consecrated, and so on.

Lama Gega

NEWS: KUNZANG DEC HEN OSEL LING

Lama Drubgyu, Kalu Rinpoche's retreat master at Kunzang Dechen Osel Ling on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada who is now in India, has asked us to present this 'Open Letter from Kalu Rinpoche' in the Profound Path of Peace.

The world is currently experiencing unprecedented material development and the discovery of new knowledge, creating good fortune and well-being for everyone. At such a time as this, the unsurpassable wisdom of the sacred Dharma can bring immense happiness and benefit This wisdom is contained in the great treatise' Sheja Kunkhyab', or 'Encyclopedia of Knowledge', written by J amgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye (1813 - 1899), the non-sectarian master of all the teachings, whose life was prophesied by the Buddha. If this great work is translated into English, the nature of all samsara and nirvana will appear vividly like a reflection in a clear mirror in the

minds of the most learned of the world, as if the expanse of their understanding were fIlled with sunlight.

The 'Encyclopedia of Knowledge' is a vast ocean of the general and exceptional fields of knowledge ofIndia and Tibet.

It describes the four phases of this world's creation, existence, destruction and non-existence; the causes, conditions and interdependence through which this occurs; the duration of these phases; the way beings in the six realms came into existence; their experiences of happiness and suffering; the existence of previous and future lifetimes; the causes, conditions and interdependence of these; and karmic cause and result

It describes the nature of mind, the source of all phenomena, which gives rise to the variety of appearances; how samsara is created through not recognising the nature of mind; the attainment of Buddhahood, the four kay as and the five wisdoms, through recognition of the nature of mind; the accomplishment of the two objectives through the wisdom that knows the nature and variety of all things; the means to accomplish Buddhahood : listening, contemplation, and meditation as the basis, the three trainings as the principal activity, and the six perfections as an adornment; and the qualities and signs of accomplishment on the five paths and ten stages.

It also contains the history of the appearance of humans in this world; the royal succession from the first king Mahasammata; the lifespans, deeds and activities of the thousand Buddhas of this fortunate aeon - the three Buddhas of the past, commencing with Krakuchanda, the Buddha of our time, Shakyamuni, and the nine hundred and ninety-six Buddhas of the future; the appearance in India of Buddha Shakyamuni, the eight patriarchs, the sixteen elders, the six adornments of the world, the two supreme ones, the four marvellous acharyas, the eighty-four mahasiddhas, and countless panditas and siddhas; the development of Buddhism in India for 2550 years; and the spread of the hinayana and mahayana into many other countries. Buddhism continues to flourish in these countries, and pilgrims come from around the world with onepointed faith and devotion to visit and make offerings to the holy places of India.

Further, it recounts the history of Tibet, the land of snow mountains on the roof of the world: the first appearance of human beings in its central region; the appearance of the first king, Nyatri Tsenpo; the royal successions, seven of the Tri Dynasty, six of the Lek Dynasty, eight of the De Dynasty, five of the Tsen Dynasty, and the twelve and a half reigns of the Dynasty of Happiness; the reign of Songtsen Gampo; his marriage to the Chinese and Nepalese princesses who brought the two Shakya J owo statues, the most sacred images of Tibet; his construction of a hundred and eight temples in order to tame the entire Tibetan territory through geomancy; the history of Trisong Detsen, Pandita Shantarakshita and Acharya Padmasambhava, and many Indian panditas and siddhas who established the sutra and tantra teachings in a definitive form through teaching and translation; the twenty-five principal disciples of Padmasambhava and the eighty siddhas of Yerpa, and so on; the coming to Tibet of Lord Atisha, Phadampa Sangye and many other panditas and siddhas; the one

hundred great Tibetan translators, the thousand assistants and others, who, without concern for life, limb or wealth, went to India and translated faultlessly all the Buddha's teachings, the commentaries and the various branches of knowledge.

It describes the five lesser and the five greater fields of know ledge, the latter being the four general subjects of art, medicine, grammar and logic, and the inner knowledge of the madhyamaka, paramita, vinaya, abhidharma, tantra and the commentaries; the eight practice lineages: Nyingma, Dhagpo Kagyu, Lamdre, Shangpa, Jonang, Ganden, Shicho and Nyengyu; and the history of the accomplished learned ones, as numerous as the stars in the sky, such as the supreme masters of realization, Marpa, Milarepa, and Gampopa, who received and practised perfectly all the empowerments and instructions of these lineages. They held, maintained and promulgated the precious teaching of the Buddha through explaining, writing and debating. Consequently, it has continued to exist until this time, spreading throughout the world to become the general wealth of all people from all walks of life.

It explains how all these vast, profound teachings of the Buddha found in sutra and tantra are perfectly and distinctly elucidated with clarity and precision by means of the eight kinds of statements with an underlying meaning, and the six limits and four modes of tantric explanation. It presents the stages, essence, definitions and meaning of these teachings; the ripening empowerments and liberating instructions of the eight practice lineages; the succession of masters of each lineage; the practice of the creation and completion phases; the visualizations; the progress through the paths and stages; the fruition; the nature of view, meditation and conduct; the wheel of activity which benefits the teachings and beings; the origin ofthe representations of Buddha's body, speech, and mind; the purpose, meaning and source of such subjects as artistic proportion and form, offerings to the deities, music, chanting, the playing of instruments, dance, mudras, and symbolic implements.

I believe the translation of this great treatise which encompasses all knowledge will bring great happiness and benefit. In 1986 I entrusted the translation of chapters from this text to those who understand Tibetan and have compassion, particularly those students of mine who have accomplished the three-year retreat Thinking only of their lama's command, the welfare of beings and the teachings, they disregarded their own livelihoods and came to India at their own expense. On December 1st, 1987, a translation committee was convened in Bodhgaya, at the monastery of Beru Khyentse Rinpoche. The translators have worked with great diligence day and night for three months. They have obeyed their teacher as Marpa obeyed Naropa and Milarepa obeyedMarpaLotsawa, and have followed in the footsteps ofKawaPaltsek, Chorolui Gyaltsen, and Shang Yeshe De, and other great translators of the past.

Bokar Rinpoche, Khenpo Lodro Donyo Rinpoche, and I have taught them whatever we know, and Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso, Tara Rinpoche, Chatral Rinpoche, and other learned masters have answered their questions and corrected their

translations on several occasions. At this time, the translators are departing for an interim break, taking chapters of

the 'Encyclopedia of Knowledge' with them to translate. I am making preparations for the translation committee to reconvene in the summer of i 988 to translate as much as possible for a period of five or six months at Sonada Monastery, DaIjeeling, to be followed by three months in Bodhgaya. I believe that the central government ofIndia will give us the necessary recognition, cooperation and assistance for this project, as it is evident that our translation work is entirely free of any political concerns or selfinterest and will greatly increase world-wide knowledge and will benefit both present and future generations.

The illuminator of the Kagyu teaching, the tenth Surmang Trungpa Rinpoche, was one of my teachers. I received both ripening empowerments and liberating instructions from him. The eleventh TrungpaRinpoche, Chokyi Gyatso, who recently passed into nirvana, was recognized by both Gyalwa Karmapa and Tai Situpa. He had a brilliant understanding of all sutra and tantra texts due to his powerful insight, and became a mahapandita eloquent in both Tibetan and English.

He developed the teachings and nurtured his students through manifold activities, one of which was the creation of the great N alanda Translation Committee. It is my wish that the prominent member of that committee, Mr. John Rockwell, come to participate in this translation work for the next session. I therefore request that his sangha kindly provide his travel expenses to and from India.

The 'Encyclopedia of Knowledge', root text and commentary, is a great treatise that contains the quintessence of the ocean of the sutra and tantra texts of Buddha's teaching. I am certain that the translation of this work will be a tremendous contribution to Buddhism and to humanity. In the future, this tranlation committee, Dragyur Kunkhyab Choling, will operate under the names of the incarnate lineage holders of the great Buddhist traditions of Tibet, headed by the supreme non-sectarian lord of refuge, the crown jewel of the teachings, His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

The lamas, tulkus and spiritual teachers who take part in this committee will receive the title "Maha-Pandita" ("Great Scholar"). Those who complete the work of translation into English will receive the title of"Maha-Lotsawa" ("Great Translator") conjoined with the name of their nationality.

[This proclamation of the translation of the 'Encyclopedia of Knowledge' and the formation of the translation committee Dragyur Kunkhyab Choling has been made at Bodhgaya, India, on the auspicious occasion of Losar, 1988.]

Kalu Rinpoche

NEWS: YEUNTEN LING

The Karma Gadri Tradition

The Karma Gadri school of art is famous throughout Tibet, the land of snow mountains.

Through his successive incarnations, the Gyalwa Karma,Pa, being aware of the variations of regions, times and beings, has demonstrated different activities.

The seventh Karmapa, Chodrak Gyamtso (1454 - 1506), had an encampment that consisted of hundreds of painting masters and students, that would move from one area to another, all articles being carried along by horses and mules. It was such a great encampment that it became famous as "The Great Encampment that Adorns the World". Thus the names Gadri (Encampment Art) or Garlug (Encampment Style) were introduced.

During the lifetime of the eighth Karmapa, Mikyo Dorje (1507 - 1544), the 'emanation-artist', Tulku Namkha Tashi, promulgated what was known as "Art in the Style of the Three Countries". Figures were drawn in the Indian style, the colouring and shading followed the Chinese style, and the landscape and composition were according to the Tibetan style.

He thus established the artistic tradition that has wonderful special qualities and is called Karma Gadri. It is praised in all the trustworthy texts on making representations of the Three Jewels that have been written in the land of snow mountains.

Since the time of Tulku N amkha Tashi there have been many masters in the Karma Gadri lineage. The most important of these are the unequalled Cho Tashi (17th century), Karma Tashi of Kasho (18th century), Rabjampa Tenpay Gyaltsen of Dhagpo, Tulku Karma Sidral, Khyenden Karma Rinchen, the tenth Karmapa Choying Dorje (1604 - 1674), Tsukla Chokyi Nangwa, Perna Rabten of Kasho, Nyikar Druk of Surmang, Tashi Gyamtso of Surmang, Ogyen Geleg Tendzin and Lama Ladro of Khari.

They had many students from whom many transmissions of the Karma Gadri spread thoughout Tibet and Kham.

My teacher, Tanglha Tsewang, was born in the year "Creating Virtue" of the ftfteenth sixty-year cycle (1902). From a young age, he was very talented, ftlled with a deep desire to create representations of the Buddha's body, speech, and mind.

He met W ari Lam and Perna Rabten and studied painting and sculpture with them to the point of perfection. He became famous and had many students. Without showing partiality, he developed their various talents with many different methods of

teaching. Being a good-humoured man, he made many jokes, and there was always the sound of laughter among his students.

He had a vast knowledge of the Dharma, so he could unerringly specify the characteristics of the different deities, peaceful or wrathful forms, the categories of the higer or lower tantras, the Sarma or Nyingma viewpoints, and so forth. His paintings were so excellent that all who saw them were inspired.

Lord Maitreya, Tai Situpa Perna Wangchok Gyalpo (the 11th Tai Situpa, 1886 - 1952), declared that "the images he makes can be used as the object of one's offerings without necessary consecration".

He was also recognised as an emanation artist, thus being an artist of exceptional ability. Together with his students, he worked unceasingly on his paintings from his youth till the age of eighty-five.

I, Gega (Jinpa) Lama, was born in the year "Master of Birth" in the sixteenth sixty-year cycle (1931). I was interested in art from an early age. Although I met some stone engravers, I did not have a teacher on art until I was sixteen.

Until that time I studied linear grids, chanting, music, etc. Then, at the age of sixteen, I started my studies on art with the artist Chokyong. I continued to learn about proportions with Tanglba Tsewang. Through his kindness I received teachings on the linear grids, proportions, drawings as well as other oral and practical instructions.

When I was twenty-two years old, I was able to work on my own. My first work was to paint one thousand Buddhas for the benefit of my deceased mother. Due to Tsewang's kindness, I surpassed my former teacher Chokyong. I continued to make paintings of various sizes for myself and others, making this my principal occupation.

At a certain time I learned to cast bells, rupas and so on, from a craftsman named Damcho. Mter this, I worked sometimes on paintings, sometimes in metal. However, some of my relatives kept saying that working with hammer and tongs was a very low profession. They said it was not proper for someone of the family of Lingkar to be a blacksmith, which in India was regarded as the lowest class of profession. Though I myself do not think this way, I gave up casting metal, afraid that my family would be of inferior status in India.

On May 19th 1978, Gyalwang Rigpay DOlje (the 16th Karmapa, 1924 - 1981) instructed me to support the Teachings by ensuring that the Gadri lineage was continued. Both he and his principal students have advised me to have a strong motivation to try to benefit the Teachings and beings.

In accordance with this, I teach wherever those eager to learn have gathered and spend my life making representations of the body, speech and mind of the Buddha.

Most of the successive masters of the Gadri lineage in the past were emanation artists. Although I am a holder of their lineage, I am not anything such as an emanation. Therefore the images I create must have obstacles expelled, be ritually purified, be consecrated, and so on.

Lama Gega

ANECDOTES

Discipline and Beyond

Kbenpo Karthar Rinpoche told the following story about Kbenpo Gangshar who was one of the main teachers of the Vidyadhara Trungpa Rinpoche.

Kbenpo Gangshar's family name was Adok Tarampa. In the past, many people from that area were skilled scholars of the Sanskrit language and, as experts in · Sanskrit, they obtained that title, Tarampa. The translation of Tarampa is something very similar to "yogi". So he was born into that family. His mother had already given birth to three children who had all died. According to the Tibetan tradition, when another child is born, that child is not raised there because the omens of mishaps have already appeared, and so this child, if it is delivered, must be moved to another location. So Khenpo Gangshar being the fourth, shortly after he was born, his father took him on his horse to his aunt and Kbenpo Gangshargrew up with his aunt. When Kbenpo Gangshar was only two or three years old, he could describe very precisely how his father had lifted him onto the horse and how he took him to his aunt's home when he was just born. By this everybody knew he was an exceptional, extraordinary being, but nobody knew that he was a very high incarnate being.

In his childhood, Kbenpo Gangshar showed tremendous energy. He was very naughty and sometimes also very aggressive. He would punch anyone around him who was his own size. They thought that the best thing to do with this child was to send him to a monastery to make him a monk. So his uncle, Lodro Rabsel, who was also a Kbenpo, took care of him and, of course, taught him all the disciplines. He proved to be very hard to discipline. One winter when the snow had covered all the ground, there was a spot where some birds were eating the seeds thrown out as offering. Kbenpo Gangshar, who at that time was four or five years old, took a big flat stone and threw it on top of the birds. His uncle scolded him and said: "Why do you kill animals? I take so much time to teach you not to kill, and you kill." And Kbenpo Gangshar said: "1 haven't killed anything. The birds are cold and so I protected them with the stone", and his uncle said: "You liar!", pulled his ears and took him out to see. He lifted the stone and all the birds flew up into the sky.

From then onwards his uncle knew that he was a very high being and let his nephew do whatever he liked. No more disciplining.

PORTRAIT

Beginning with this issue we would like to present a Portrait section which is intended to reflect our devotion to the teachers and holders of our lineage who are breaking the ground for the establishment of Buddhadharma in the West. This portrait, the first of the series, is of HE. Pawo Rinpoche who, although he refrained from giving a great number of teachings, publicly affected so many people so deeply i~ a very special way.

His Eminence Palden Pawo Rinpoche is an emanation of Amitabha, the Buddha of Boundless Light, and an emanation of Guru Rinpoche's main disciple, Vairocana.

" The First Pawo Rinpoche, the great Pandita Sherab Jungne, a contemporary of Naropa, was the keeper of the southern gate of the renowned Nalanda University of India. The Second Pawo, Dekyong Zangmo, was a manifestation of Vajrayogini and the third, an emanation of the Heruka, Pal Rolpai Yeshe. The first three appeared in India.

In Tibet, several of the Pawo Rinpoche incarnations were great Tertons (treasure discoverers of the Nyingma tradition), including Rongdon Sheja Kunzig; Orgyen Rinchen Lingpa, the greatest of the Five Precious Tertons; Drodul Samdrup Gonpa and Gyaltsen Palsang. They were all greatly learned and realized masters, whose beneficial activity regarding the Terma, the hidden treasure texts of Guru Padmasambhava, was energetic and extremely vast.

Pawo Chowang Lhundrup (1395 - 1443), the first Pawo within the Kagyupa lin"eage, was the chief disciple of the VIIth GyalwaKarmapa, Chodrag Gyatso. At that time His Holiness Karmapa requested Pawo Rinpoche to be the Head of Marpa Lotsawa's main seat in Lhodrag and invested him as one of the 'Kagyu Gyalwa Yabsras', "The Victorious Fathers and Sons of the Kagyu Lineage".

The Second Pawo Tsuglag Tengwa (1444 - 1506), the principal disciple of the VIIIth Gyalwa Karmapa, Mikyo Dorje, was a scholar recognized throughout all of Tibet who wrote the "mkhas pa'i dga' -ston", a well-known history of Buddhism in Tibet and three important commentaries on the Vajrayogini meditation among many other works. All the successive Pawo Rinpoche incarnations have been greatly erudite and realized meditators as well.

The present Tenth Pawo Rinpoche, Tsuglag Mawai Wangchuk, was born in Central Tibet in 1912 under auspicious signs.

From the age of five until forty, H.E. Pawo Rinpochereceived all the empowerments, transmissions and explanations of the Sutra, Tantra and Terma of both the Kagyu and the Nyingma lineages from H.H. the XVth Gyalwa Karmapa, Khakhyab DOJje, Tai Situ Padma Wangchuk Gyalpo, Jamgon Kongtrul of Sechen and many

HE. Palden Pawo Rinpoche

others. During that time he also stayed in retreat for long periods of time. In 1959 PawoRinpoche had to leave Tibet as did many thousands of people due

to the foreign take-over by the Chinese. Due to ill health (arthritis and rheumatism), he went to Europe in 1975 for

treatment and afterwards settled in the Dordogne region of France. From the age offorty, H.E. Pawo Rinpoche has been leading the life of a humble,

compassionate and concealed ascetic yogic monk and adheres to contemplative tranquility by avoiding worldly fame and honour. Within the Kagyu lineage H.E. Pawo Rinpoche is known as the holder ofPadmasambhava's hat.

His monasteries in Tibet having been completely destroyed by the Chinese, Pawo Rinpoche with his two Lamas went back to Kathmandu, Nepal, in November 1986 to establish his monastery which will function as the main seat of the Pawo Lineage outside of Tibet. But due to ill health, he is no longer able to do the fundraising for it so that the construction work on the monastery has been held up for more than a year although the exterior of the building could be finished. Anybody who is able to help this wonderful realized man, please contact:

Pawo Rinpoche Nehnang Samten Choling Les Tranchats 24580 PlazaclRouffignac France

Pawo Rinpoche c/o Dawa Arts GPO Box No 2703 Kathmandu Nepal

BOOKS

PRINCIPLES OF TmET AN ART by Gega Lama. English/Tibetan, 448 pages, 212 black and white illustrations and diagrams. Price: 3950 BF. Publisher: Karma Sonam Gyamtso, Grote Hondstraat 36, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium.

In the foreword of the book, H.H. Dingo Khyentse Rinpoche says: "This is a book on the bodily proportions of sacred figures, one of the branches of the manual arts, a division of the traditional technical sciences which form one of the five main fields of knowledge. These illustrations are the work of the Lingtsang artist Gega Lama and they are authoritative, having as their ultimate sources the Sutras, Tantras and Practical Instructions. This frrst publication of these drawings is certainly trustworthy."

The book describes the origin of the graphic arts of Buddhism, defines the qualities and the education of an artist, gives a complete technical survey of the bodily proportions and compositions in thangka painting (peaceful and wrathful sacred figures, ornaments, gestures, attributes, garments) and specifies the criteria determining qualitiy in art.

Gega Lama was officially recognized by the four Regents as the holder of the Karma Gadri tradition and is responsible for the art department of the Shedra in Rumtek and the Karma Gadri Thangka Painting School Europe, in Yeunten Ling.

The 'Principles of Tibetan Art' is used as the official manual for technical drawing. It is a unique book of art and an encyclopedic work, published in English with the accompanying original Tibetan text. It was translated by Karma Chochi Nyirna (Richard Barron). (See also the article in this issue on the Karma Gadri School.)

THE GREAT PATH OF AWAKENING. A commentary on the Mahayana Teachings of the Seven Points of Mind Training. By Jamgon Kongtrul, translated by Ken McLeod. 90 pages, $ 9.95 paper. Publisher: Shambhala Publications, Inc., Horticultural HaU, 300 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, MA 02115.

At the core of spiritual development in Mahayana Buddhism is the arousal of bodhicitta, "awakened heart", the unconditional intention to help all sentient beings become free of suffering. It is the complete abandonment of any sort of personal territory, both in our relationship with others and in our understanding of the world as it is. It begins with the development oflove and compassion for others and matures into the full resolution to help them as much as possible.

This theme is the focus of The Seven Points of Mind Training as taught by Chekawa Yeshe Dorje, a twelfth-century master of the Kadampa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. The teachings came down from the Indonesian master Serlingpa to Atisha (982 - 1054) who passed them on to Dromton Rinpoche (1005 - 1064), the founder of the Kadampa lineage. The Great Path of Awakening is a new translation of this basic teaching with the illuminating commentary of J amgon Kongtrul (1813 - 1899), a great versatile and prolific scholar. Kongtrul provides clear and concise instructions for practicing the techniques of mind training, with an emphasis on meeting the ordinary situations of life, employing intelligence and compassion under all circumstances.

Ken McLeod is a senior student of the Very Venerable Kalu Rinpoche. He is a resident teacher at Kagyu Do-nga Choling, a practice center in Los Angeles.

PROJECTS

On his recent visit to Gampo Abbey, the Venerable Thrangu Rinpoche asked me to put together a little brochure or article on "How to make and how to wear all the monastic robes." Until now I have collected only a little material and I would like to ask anybody who has teachings on the robes, some knowledge about the symbolism of the robes, illuminating stories about their history, drawings, etc. to contact me so that we could exchange and discuss the information. This process would then hopefully lead to a reliable presentation which Thrangu Rinpoche thought would be important to share with the monastic Sangha.

Lodro Zangpo/IKSA

•• <1'"

"The Karmapa is like the sun; After setting it will return the next day -

And it is the same sun."

H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, 1981

Page 55

The planned contents of the forthcoming issue No.7 which will appear at the end of January 1989 are:

the ftrs t few talks of Thrangu Rinpoche' s most recent inspiring seminar "The Three Vows" based on the Sheja Kunkhyab by Jamgon Kongtrul the Great, Lodro Thaye, a continuation and further deepening of his teachings "On Monastic Discipline" which appeared in the last two issues of The Profound Path of Peace

the Nalanda Translation Committee translation of the Sojong text Its commentary, based on Thrangu Rinpoche's oral teachings, is in the process of being completed and might be included if space and time allows

news, anecdotes, features, portrait, announcements of the schedule of events of the different centers and other usual features

Please submit articles, anecdotes, the schedule of events of your center, or advertisements as soon as possible but no later than

January 1st, 1989.

Also, in case your subscription expires, please send your check or money order for renewal to :

Lodro Zangpo c/o Gampo Abbey Pleasant Bay, N.S. Canada BOE 2PO

We welcome any donations that you care to make to help pu blish future issues of The Profound Path of Peace.

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