BRINGING YOUR PRACTICE INTO

A TEACHING BY KHENPO TSEWANG GYATSO RINPOCHE

DAILY L

All of practice, according to the scriptures of Sakyamuni Buddha and the treatises of all the great scholars and masters of India, involves training your mind through meditation or other means, and then disciplining your speech and physical actions according to that mind training. The actual practice is based on your intention. For example, making a vow helps you discipline yourself to carry through with a certain practice in a serious way. There is the pratimoksha vow according to the lesser vehicles (Hinayana), the bodhisattva vow according to the gre.atervehicles' Mahayana practice, and the vajrayana vows according to the tantric practice. Within tantra there can be an inner tantric vow and an outer tantric vow. Your intention also encompasses your attitude toward the spiritual practice, toward all beings, and toward this cyclic existence. _ Mind training also is based on the view-your understanding of the nature of cyclic existence, of the nature of the external world, and of the internal nature ofliving beings. With right viewyou can do proper meditation practice, and mind training can become actualized. Then, meditation becomes inseparable from behavior, or discipline of the body, speech and mind. When all of the four causes and conditions-intention, view, meditation, and behavior or discipline-are properly assembled, then definitely one can have fruition. Everyone has the Buddha nature, or Christ nature, and anyone can,attain enlightenment if one follows the path seriously and continuously, with diligence and perseverance. The possibility of achieving within this liretime depends on one's potential and one's faculty of mind. One doesn't necessarily have to practice every path, including Hinayana, Mahayana, Vajrayana, and the

After we leave the meditation cushion, how do we go about applying the Buddha's teachings to our daily lives? Sangha Journal recently asked this ofKhenpo 1Sewang Gyatso Rinpoche, the U.S. representative ofHis Holiness Penor Rinpoche, former head of the Nyingma school ofTibetan .Buddhism. Khen Rinpoche's response was a comprehensive public teaching on the topic. His advice is offired first from the Hinayana perspective, then theMahayana, and finally the Vajrayana. For each ofthese three paths, he reveals how to base one's meditation practice and behavior on a foundation ofstrong, clear intention and right view.

into practice. Condensing the path into four divisions-intention, view, meditation, and behavior-helps to show us how we can apply the practice in our day to day lives.

HIS MORNING, WE'RE ADDRESSING

how we can apply the Buddhist ,

teachings as a practice in day to day life;

The Buddhist teachings are very profound and vast, and there

also are many different levels at which we can put these teachings

inner and outer tantra. Every one of these paths is a complete path to libera tion from the suffering of cyclic existence.

One has to study why self-cherishing or self-attachment is the cause of suffering. The teachings offer a very detailed explanation of this. Whatever questions one may have related to it, there is an answer that makes you under stand. You analyze and judge the answer in your own mind. When it is clear to

EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US negativeTO GET RID OF SUFFERING. Weprob want to experience pain, WANTS emotions, depression, and other don't lems. We want to always be very happy, peaceful, prosperous, and healthy. There is no difference among all the sentient beingseven poisonous snakes and tigers wish to avoid the suffering of starvation and thirst. For human beings, wherever they live and whatever their faith, traditions or pos sessions, they all want to experience peace and happiness and get rid of suf fering and pain. For this purpose we look for some kind of spiritual support. Or, we do yoga, or train in the gym, go to school, learn songs and dances, go to work, and conduct the rest of our day to day lives. We have become very busy for the sole purpose of achieving happiness, peace, and some level of freedom from pain and suffering. However, to be lib erated from the suffering of this cyclic existence, or this samsara, then one has to follow a spiritual practice.

you, then you can accept its truth. For diat, you need to have valid logic and valid cognition. It is not just that you have to believe what Buddha taught you use all your intellectual wisdom, whatever skills and methods you have, to examine it. The only antidote to selfattachment is your ability to realize the emptiness of the self. Again, there is a complete teaching on emptiness of self, with many differ ent explanations and examples, so you can become very clear about it.

Whatever path we follow, it has to be based exactly on the real nature of

reality. It must be based on valid cognition: Through very logical means, one comes to know the nature of the truth, and the nature of the path itself, which also is the truth. According to Hinayana Buddhism, one's intention rst is to understand the suffering of cyclic existence. The moment we know the nature of this suf fering, we want to be liberated from it. We develop a sense of renunciation. One has to have this mind of renunciation, through which one can be com pletely dedicated to practice and become liberated. One's compassion and lov ing-kindness for other sentient beings may be limited, as long as one has that intention to be liberated from suffering.

BASED ON THE self, you medi emptiness of VIEW OF THE tate on that emptiness. When you meditate with continuity, diligence and perseverance, then one day you will have the direct perception, direct experience of the emptiness of self. The moment you have that realization, then the concepts, aficted mind, negative emotions, and attach ment toward the self are instantly gone. It is like when there is light, the darkness is gone. The darkness has no power to remain. When you purify or abandon ignorance, then you have gained wisdom, a sense of insight in relation to the self's true nature. When you have that experience in practice, then naturally all the afic tions of mind also are puried. There is no way you could do any sort of neg ative action. You are not going to accumulate any source of karma.

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WITH THAT INTENTION, THEN THE REAL PRACTICE The absolute truth is which is the crucial point of all these teachings. is based On the view, always more difcult to understand, believe and actualize on the Hinayana path. That doesn't mean that we cannot experience realization. The view according to Hinayana is the realization of the emptiness of self. We realize that whatever suffering we experience in our day to day lives is because of attachment and self-cherishing. This is the main cause of our being reborn in samsara, over and over.

Until discipline or that realization through meditation law of karma. you reach behavior should be based on the practice, your Understanding the law of karma validates our view.

JOURNAt

sangha Every action we take has its own conse' quences. Some of these consequences ripen right away, some within a few years, some in the next life, some even many lifetimes later. Based on the law of karma, one avoids harmful deeds and maintains any behavior that is virtuous. The law of karma applies not only to physical actions, but also to actions related to the speech and mind. Neutral actions don't bring any kind of fruition, positive or negative. Virtuous actions have positive consequences such as hap piness or prosperity. Consequences of non-virtu ous actions are always negative, such as negative emotions, depression, or other problems. In the beginning, it is difcult for us to con centrate on always doing virtuous things. We don't have the habitual tendency. That is why we sense of mindfulness in our day to day lives.

It is not like your body is in California, your mind is in New York, and your speech is somewhere

Maryland. Your mind and body are always with you, and you are the only one who can really watch your self. We ourselves are responsible for our own world. We can take every possi ble opportunity to avoid negativities and to do something virtuous. That is the discipline and the behavior.

When we train our mind, we and we want to practice and be in that way. loving-kindness are good, come to know that compassion and Without mind training, this doesn't happen. Consider how all sentient beings are the same, like oneself. They all wish to avoid problems, suffering, pain, just as I do. And they all wish to achieve peace and happiness, just as I do. Contemplating on this, meditating on this, helps us to generate com passion and loving-kindness and gives us the intention to cany them into our daily lives. We can talk, act, and feel with compassion and loving-kind ness throughout our day. When someone yells at you or criticizes or ignores you, even when you are being nice and compassionate, you have to understand that this person has a problem, that is why he is angry, frustrated or blaming. When you try to be more humble and nice, and try to subdue your ego, even strangers will like it even if they don't know anything else about you. In the Mahayana tradition, this intention is very important. If all your actions of body, speech and mind are governed by compassion and lovingkindness, the consequences will always be positive. No matter whether some one appreciates you or not, something positive will always result. Based on the law of karma, no one can destroy that potential, steal it or exchange it. One day you will just gain the positive consequence. When we don't have a deep understanding about that law, then when someone shows anger, we also respond in angerand that is always destruc tive. Responding with compassion is a way to subdue the other person's anger. When a husband is angry, the wife has to be more patient, loving and com passionate, and just take everything. That way she can pacify the husband's anger. Similarly, when the wife is angry, frustrated, agitated, yelling at her hus band, then he can just be compassionate and patient. "Oh honey, you have a problem. Whatever I can do, I will help you. Don't worry, just relax." Even if your spouse says "You are the reason I'm having all these trou bles!," still you take it! "Okay, I'm the cause of all these problems." You can

22 need to work hard on it. First, we must have a in Maryland.

Whatever we do, in our work, when we drive, we have to be mindful. Mindfulness training is very important. It is not necessarily a kind of meditation, but rather some sense of awareness. It is not that complicatedit is just, in this present moment, whatever you are doing, to be mindful. When you are cutting vegetables, you have to be mindful or you will cut your nger. This may cause you to become frustrated or angry, and to take it out on your family. When you are doing practice you have to be mindful as well. If you spend your session thinking, "I have to go shopping today at Wal-Mart," there is no real practice. If your mind is wandering while you are chanting mantras, then no matter how many mantras you chant, they will not be effective. Whatever you do in your day to day life, you can watch your body, speech and mind. It is not necessary to watch a million things at onceonly your body, speech and mind, that which is within your self. It is not like your body is in California, your mind is in New York, and your speech is somewhere in

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subdue your ego. You just say "I'm sorry" and take on the blame. Then of course, the other person has no choice but to be relaxed. If we cannot take one person's anger, how can we take the anger of all these sentient beings? It is impossible! It's similar between children and parents, sisters and brothers, between friends, between -re neighbors. Having that kind of training, one's mind naturally becomes more virtuous, comCannOt passionate, loving, kind. One becomes very 1 . broad minded.

Emptiness and interdependent origination do not contradict each Vol. 1 no. 3 other; they are harmonious and inseparable.

When we understand that things do not Then, even when good things tence, then we see their illusory nature. have their own true exis happen or bad diings happen, we don't get too excited or depressed. Even when somebody insults you or praises you, it doesn't really matter because it is still illusion. You can just abide in the middle, with the intention of generating com passion and loving-kindness. That is the practice. Discipline in Mahayana practice encompasses the six perfections (of gen erosity, ethics, patience, joyous effort, meditation, and wisdom). These perfec tions must be developed slowly, without falling into extremes. For example, if

one person's anger, how can we take the anger of all these sentient beings?
Gaining theinvolves an understanding of the practice right view in Mahayana nonduality of interdependent origination. Everything that exists in the world is dependent and interrelated. There is no single phenome non that is inherently independent and inher ently existing. Everything is dependent in its nature. That is the truth, that is the reality. It is so subtle, and yet it is so vast and profound. The more you examine the reality of interdependent origination, the deeper your experience of it will be, and the more sense it will make. You will develop direct perception of the nature of mind. Interdependent origination is exactly like the World Wide Web, you know? All Websites are connected with each other, all are interdepen dent. Similarly, everything that exists and appears, since time without begin ning, arises from that state of interdependent origination. There is no way that one can argue that this is not the case. It is simply the nature of relative phenomena. Because all phenomena are dependently arising based on causes and conditions, no single phenomenon has its own inherent existencenot our mind, our sensations, our body, the external world, nothing. The true nature of phenomena is emptiness.

one is overly generous and gives too much away, one may be left without the things one needsand other people, who are supposed to also be generous, don't take care of you. When there is no immediate result, one has regret, and feels that generosity just isn't working. Practicing patience in daily life involves learning to relax, be patient, and handle things slowly whenever problems arise. Impatience never brings a bet- ^ ^ ter result. One can't become perfected right away with the practices of the six perfec tions. But with diligence, perseverance, meditation, wisdom, we slowly, slowly get stronger in the practice. Even Sakyamuni Buddha took three countless aeon lifetimes to carry through the six perfection practices. One needs to be far-sighted: "Until I attain enlightenment I'll never, ever give up these practices, no matter if it takes a billion lifetimes. I still want to ben et all these sentient beings, no matter whether they feel grateful or not." However much you think you are beneting them, that's how much they are beneting you. If there are no sentient beings, then how can you generate com passion or loving-kindness? If no one is mean to you, then how can you prac tice patience? That is the bodhisattva path. With that discipline, you accumulate merit with the intention of being compassionate and loving. Then, you view everything based on its reality. Then, just meditate, meditate. The actual meditation practice you do is on the view: on emptiness and on interdependent origination. Through your behavior, you accumulate merit and wisdom, by which you can attain enlightenment.

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The compassion, loving-kindness and bodhicitta, tothe view of generating inner tantric practices also are based on attain enlightenment for the benet of all sentient beings. One develops this view such that it gets better and better, higher and higher, and more and more profound. You try to have the pure perception that all sentient beings, including oneself, are like deities. Then, one tries to have the intention of a deity: to perceive as a deity, behave as a deity, meditate as a deity. There is no way an enlightened deity can do any thing negative or harmful. You cultivate an awareness that perceives everything as pure, perfect and accomplished by its nature. And again, everything has the nature of emptiness. Nonduality of awareness and emptiness is the view. In your actual meditation practice you experience all appearance as deity, all sounds as deity mantra, and all your thoughts as enlightened deity's mind. When you maintain this view, you can carry that kind of mindfulness and awareness into your day to day life. When somebody yells at you, you think, "This is a wrathful deity." Wrathfulness is the deity's display. Perceiving the person as mean and cunning is just aficted mind. You need courage to pursue your path in that way, in any given moment, whatever happens. As you seriously carry through this practice with diligence and continuity, after some time you realize that you will never, ever again project anything ordinary, like an ordinary sentient being. You project that all beings are enlightened. Since you have really experienced pure perception, you will never, ever have the conceptual thought that "this is negative" or "this is good." Even when ordi nary beings try to harm you, there is no way they can do so. Insults are like an echo, just an illusion. Even if you cannot perceive all beings as deity, at least understand that they have the nature of emptiness, and that they appear because of interdependent origination. To actualize that kind of realization, to develop and truly experience that view, one needs to take time to practice it in daily life. Then, one must focus on behavior, or discipline of the body, speech and mind. Even if you cannot help, at least you don't consciously harm other beings. One can lead one's daily life with that kind of commitment, based on gen erating compassion, loving-kindness and bodhicitta.

IN ing-kindness inis how we train ourselves: whenever possible doing the six summary, this our day to day lives, and generating compassion and lov perfections or deity practices. The more one's mind is trained, the more capable it becomes of spreading out, extending compassion toward the greater population. Finally, one will have that practice which is called immeasurable compassion.

KHENPO TSEWANG GYATSO RINPOCHE is one of three senior khenpos (abbots) at Ngagyur Nyingma Institute in Bylakuppe, India, and is resident lama of Palyul Changchub Dargyeling, based in Mill Valley, Calif. He has received comprehensive training under His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche, His Holiness Penor Rinpoche, and numerous other masters. Khen Rinpoche studied at the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies at Sarnath under Khenchen Palden Sherab, graduating at the top of his class. He currently serves as the U.S. representative for H.H. Penor Rinpoche, Palyul lineage throneholder and former head of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. Khen Rinpoche's teaching was given in English at the Kunzang Palyul Choling retreat center in Poolesville, Md., in June 2002. Kunzang Palyul Choling audiotaped the talk, Matthew Mackey transcribed the teaching, Alan Schaaf of Palyul Changchub Dargyeling reviewed the edited tran script. Photographs were taken by Polly Turner just before and during the teachings. Upcoming teachings by Khen Rinpoche include: Mid-January through February 2003, Palyul Namdroling Monastery, Bylakuppe, Karnacaka, India. July 4th weekend, 2003, Nyungne Retreat at the Palyul Retreat Center, McDonough, New York. For details about Khen Rinpoche's schedule, visit www.palyul.otgAhensched.html.

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