A Selection of Teachings from a Tibetan Buddhist Tradition

[From a teaching on the Aspiration Prayer of Mahamudra by the Third Karmapa given by Bardor Tulku Rinpoche at Kunzang Palchen Ling in May 2012. Translated by Lama Yeshe Gyamtso. Transcribed by Linda Lee. Edited by Matt Willis. All rights reserved. Please do not reprint without permission.]

Question: I’ve been having a problem with doubt. It seems almost overwhelming at times. There is just so much negativity about practice and doubts, things like that.

Rinpoche: This is what’s called an obstacle. But the word “obstacle” in English has one misleading connotation. In English, it implies something extraneous to the road we’re traveling on. It’s like a tree that falls across the road, something that’s not part of the territory. But in Tibetan, the road, barche, doesn’t have that connotation. It’s like part of the terrain that’s difficult. Getting there is a good thing.

It’s natural that whatever practice you’re doing, the more intense you are, the more focused you are on it, the exact opposite of what you are trying to achieve will hit you in the face again and again. So, when you’re trying to purify, you experience all your crud; when you’re trying to cultivate devotion, you experience doubt.

That is healthy because the function of the practice is to overcome that. You can’t overcome something until you’ve encountered it. So, it is a battle. Practice is a battle. And as with any battle, you damn well better win! If you get in a fight, you better win the fight. That’s what practice is. Expecting practice to not involve encountering the opposite of what you’re trying to do would be like getting in a boxing ring and no opponent ever getting in. It hasn’t begun yet. It begins when you’re both in the ring. What you need to do is recognize that this doesn’t mean that something’s gone wrong; it means that something is going right. But you have to win.

[From a teaching on the Aspiration Prayer of Mahamudra by the Third Karmapa given by Bardor Tulku Rinpoche at Kunzang Palchen Ling in May 2012. Translated by Lama Yeshe Gyamtso. Transcribed by Linda Lee. Edited by Matt Willis. All rights reserved. Please do not reprint without permission.]

The most important thing in considering this [the Aspiration Prayer of Mahamudra by the Third Gyalwang Karmapa Rangjung Dorje] is our appreciation. It is said that until the teachings of the thousand buddhas of this kalpa have finally disappeared, the teachings of the Gyalwang Karmapa, the guide of beings, will never disappear. In every lifetime, as he has taken successive rebirths, the Karmapa has reappeared something in the manner of a flame of a butter lamp being used to light a second butter lamp, and so on.

In that way, the Karmapa’s realization, the Karmapa’s blessing, has not diminished through time. The First Gyalwang Karmapa Dusum Khyenpa was given the epithet Dusum Khyenpa, Knower of the Three Times, because he was able to see everything of the past, present, and future — all at once — as clearly as we would see something placed on the palm of our hand. Because of the Karmapa’s omniscience, and because his teachings will remain until the teachings of the thousand buddhas of this kalpa have disappeared, he is called the Embodiment of the Activity of All Buddhas.

For example, in the Guru Yoga for the Four Sessions, composed by the Eighth Gyalwang Karmapa Mikyo Dorje, it says, “Precious Guru” or “Lama Rinpoche.”  Why do you call the Karmapa “Lama Rinpoche”? Because rinpoche means “precious” like a jewel. So, it’s actually metaphoric. You’re referring to the fact that your guru is like a wish-fulfilling jewel in that he can supply everything you need, can grant all of your wishes, and can fulfill all of your hopes just by being asked.

That section of the liturgy continues, “You possess the ultimate lineage.” This means that the lineage of the Karmapas, in his successive rebirths — from the First Gyalwang Karmapa Dusum Khyenpa down to the present Seventeenth Gyalwang Karmapa — the blessing, the realization of the Karmapa, has in no way diminished, has in no way decreased or weakened. The Karmapa, as I said, is like a flame transmitted from one wick used to light another wick as he passes from body to body. This was true of the First Karmapa Dusum Khyenpa, the Second Gyalwang Karmapa Karmapa Pakshi, the Third Karmapa Rangjung Dorje who composed this aspiration prayer, and all of them, down to including the present Seventeenth Karmapa.

The liturgy in the Guru Yoga of Four Sessions continues. It says, “You have massive blessings.”  Massive blessings means the Karmapa’s blessing. The blessing he can impart is unquestionable. It’s huge. It’s enormous. It’s incomparable. You don’t need to wonder, “Does this guy have any blessing or not? Can he protect me or not?” It’s way beyond such questions.

The liturgy says, “You also have the full confidence of realization.” That means that he has achieved and remains in the confidence of a full realization of Mahamudra.

It continues, “You have the eyes of supercognition,” which again refers to the Karmapa’s omniscience, his knowledge of past, present, and future.

“You can display miracles.” That means that when it’s appropriate, when he sees that it’s actually going to help one or more beings, the Karmapa can and will perform miracles.

“You are kind beyond any possibility of repayment.” The kindness of the Karmapa is something that not only could we never repay, but it’s almost beyond our understanding or appreciation. This is because it’s utterly spontaneous. It’s almost automatic. It’s almost unthinking. Its responsiveness is instantaneous to our needs. And therefore, his blessing is instantaneous.

The liturgy continues, “You place buddhahood in the palms of our hands.” This means that when you receive the Karmapa’s blessing, in that instant — when you receive it fully — you will achieve buddhahood. This is what is intended by the statement made by the Buddha, “The difference occurs in an instant; buddhahood is achieved in an instant.”

The liturgy continues, “You transform ordinary appearances.” In that instant, when you receive the Karmapa’s complete blessing, everything changes forever. Everything that appears to you is changed. How is it changed? The next line in the liturgy says, “You display their boundless purity. You display or reveal through your blessing the boundless purity of all phenomena that was previously concealed.”

The lineage of this Mahamudra, the definitive and ultimate meaning of all of the Buddha’s teachings, was mentioned widely and propagated by Lord Gampopa, and therefore is upheld by the successive Gyalwang Karmapas and by all of the twelve branches of the Dakpo Kagyu of Gampopa’s lineage.

Because of the tremendous benefits of the practice of Mahamudra there is also tremendous benefit to the practice of this aspiration prayer. And there is no doubt that if you recite this prayer as part of your practice — since the only concern that buddhas have, the only thing that they really care about, is helping beings — there is no doubt whatsoever that they will help you, and that you will finally realize Mahamudra.

We are, therefore, very fortunate to be exposed to this tradition and these practices. So I strongly encourage you to make active use of this aspiration of Mahamudra

[From a public talk on Natural Meditation, Wisdom, and Compassion given by Bardor Tulku Rinpoche in Phoenix, Arizona in February 2012. Translated by Lama Yeshe Gyamtso. Transcribed by Pema Wangmo. Edited by Matt Willis. All rights reserved. Please do not reprint without permission.]

The Buddha’s tradition generally defines wisdom as the ability to correctly distinguish the true attributes of things or phenomena. This means to recognize the nature of all things, and to be able to distinguish correctly between one thing and another.

Generally speaking, this type of wisdom is said to be cultivated in three stages. The three stages are called hearing, thinking and meditation. Hearing refers to the process of study, the acquisition of information and knowledge. Thinking refers to the rigorous analysis of the information or knowledge that has been gained until there is a decisive resolution of its true meaning. And then, through meditation practice, we come to a direct experience of what has been conceptually understood.

Because it is only meditation that leads to direct realization of these three stages, the one that is the most important is the third – the stage of meditation. Nevertheless, in the Buddhist tradition in general, it is recommended that meditation be preceded by some period of study or hearing and some period of rigorous analysis.

In our tradition, the lineage of Lord Gampopa, which combines the mahamudra tradition with the mind training teachings of the Kadampa school, there are two ways to approach this. If someone encounters the teachings in their youth, and has time therefore to do so, they can begin with years of exhaustive study, then exhaustive analysis, and then approach the formal practice of meditation. But, if someone lacks that much time, it’s sufficient, according to our tradition, to engage in a briefer period of study and analysis and principally to use the practice of meditation itself to develop the wisdom that is able to correctly discern the attributes of things.