When I asked the Master who he was, he explained that it was the God of Prosperity and that he would help me with my business. I then asked what prayers I should recite. He replied that it was not necessary to say any specific prayers but only offer incense every morning. So I continued to do this for years until I finally learnt who this deity was in 2008: the Great King, Dorje Shugden!

Since I started to pray to my God of Prosperity, I have been doing well in the management of my family funds. I survived the Asian Financial crisis and also the Tech bubble burst in 2000. During these two crisis, many people lost huge amounts of money. I did too, but somehow, I seemed to recover quickly and always came out of the situation better.

In 2004, when I bid for a franchise of a popular restaurant, I managed to get it against much competition. I have always felt that in my businesses, “things” always seem to be smooth and when there were obstructions, I seem to overcome them quite effortlessly.

On a personal note, when I heard that my daughter-in-law was pregnant with a pair of twin girls in 1997, I was very happy to receive the news. However, unfortunately, they were born 12 weeks prematurely and survival was difficult. Somehow, once again a miracle happened and after intensive medical care and a 21-day stay at the hospital, both my twin granddaughters survived.

Miracles have been happening more often now since I set up a proper altar and statue of Dorje Shudgen in my house. The protection from Dorje Shugden has not only been for me but for my whole family.

For example, one day, at exactly the same time that I was saying my prayers towards a special thangka of Dorje Shugden, my daughter-in-law ran into a car accident, where she drove into a ditch. She came through without a scratch on her and the wondrous thing is that there was also not a scratch on her car.

At around the same time, my son was the victim of black magic. His conduct during that time was terrifying and he was most difficult to be with. Knowing how compassionate Dorje Shugden is, I prayed for him to help and my son is now fine. He is even most beautifully working for the Dharma now and has become very involved in our Dharma centre.

When I sit down and think, miracles have been happening to me all the time and I know that they will continue. I will always be grateful to that Buddhist master who first introduced me to such a powerful and giving Protector.

~ Phyllis ~

*For more information, please visit www.LamaYeshe.com – Introduction to Tantra: In 1980, in California, Lama Yeshe gave a commentary to the Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig) yoga method. This video is Lama Yeshe’s introduction to this series and constitutes a wonderful explanation of the fundamentals of tantric practice.

Dharmapalas, Chos-skyong – “Protectors

Lama Namse Rinpoche was born in Tsurphu, Tibet in 1930 and became a monk at the age of fifteen. He studied the Tibetan religious language, etymology, grammar, poetry, all major Hinayana and Mahayana texts and commentaries, as well as the philosophy of the various Buddhist schools from ages 16 to 21.

Then Lama Namse did a 3-year, 3-month, 3-day retreat and practiced the profound instructions of the Kagyu teachings intensively. From 24 to 26, he concentrated on The Five Treasuries of Jamgon Kongtrul the Great.

From 27 to 30, Lama Namse went on pilgrimage and practiced in many sacred retreat sites. He left Tibet and came to India when he was 30 and did another 3-year retreat. Then he became a retreat master for many new retreatants. He travelled to Rumtek Dharmachakra Centre when he was 37 and received the empowerments of the Kagyu Ngagzod and Damgang Ngagzod.

Since 1974 he has served as a teacher of the Kagyu Lineage all over Europe and has helped many students understand the path. Lama Namse Rinpoche is His Holiness Karmapa’s official representative in Canada and is head of Karma Sonam Dargye Ling, the Canadian centre for His Holiness the Seventeenth Gyalwa Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje.

When receiving precious Dharma instructions, especially those of the Great Vehicle, it is necessary to arouse the pure motivation, bodhicitta, which is the sincere wish to attain a enlightened mind for the benefit of oneself and every living being.

Before earnestly studying and meditating the Buddhadharma, it is utterly necessary to recollect the fundamental teachings and to be sure that one has understood them correctly. Every Dharma activity presupposes a good understanding of the basic instructions that Lord Buddha gave to us.

For example, any skyscraper that is erected without a fundament will collapse in a storm. It is the same with knowledge of Dharma: It is only possible to progress in one’s practice if one understands and has integrated the basic instructions in one’s life. It is tempting to think one has understood them, but it happens so very often that practitioners falter if they skip stages while hoping to traverse the path and achieve fruition.

I was asked to speak about the practice of Mahakala, but there must be a misunderstanding. In order to meditate Mahakala, a disciple must have completed Ngondro (the preliminary practices) and a yidam practice. This is the reason why instructions on Mahakala are not presented to a general audience nor in public – it is not common and would not benefit anyone.

Western students are fascinated about the idea of meditating Mahakala, but it is only correct to present the instructions to advanced practitioners. If a student meditates similar practices without having completed the preliminary and yidam practices, then there is the very great danger and probability that many false concepts will arise and as a result that person will err, which would be extremely difficult to heal.

Without the fundamental practices, one cannot understand Mahakala. It is better to refrain, seeing that practicing Mahakala without preparations on the part of a disciple only makes him or her more neurotic and confused.

Furthermore, receiving the empowerment that allows one to practice Mahakala involves profound details and a strict commitment. Living up to the commitment of engaging in the quite complex details of practice that the empowerment entails can become more than difficult for you. I do not want to withhold anything from you, rather I want to protect you from making a promise that you cannot keep. But I will offer the blessing.

Let me explain this with an example: People in the West need to have completed elementary school, then junior high, and later received a high school education before going to college. No parent would think of registering a six-year old child at a university.

Wouldn’t a youngster be out of place and suffer frustrating consequences if parents overloaded their child with such high expectations should that child be enrolled in university courses?

Dharma is the same – it is necessary to first fully understand what one is doing. Intellectually reiterating what one has heard will not do. Disciples need to discuss their practice with their teacher.

If a meditation master sees that a disciple is ready, then he will suggest which practice is suitable and best. Students must rely upon the insight and decision an authentic and qualified instructor makes when it comes to Dharmapala meditation.1

It is necessary to follow the path properly if one wishes to integrate the Dharma in one’s life. It is of no help at all to skip stages, because something will be missing along the way; sooner or later one will have difficulties, because one would not know how to differentiate mistaken ideas that are so hard to correct.

Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to practice step-by-step and in accordance with an authorized Lama’s instructions. It is also important to do the practice that he recommends in order to benefit reliably.

There are different types of Dharmapalas – male and female, with one or two faces, with two or many arms, and in powerful and ferocious forms that bewilder and frighten those who aren’t initiated but see them. So, if a student isn’t ready but meditates a Dharmapala, there is the great danger that he or she might think it is all right to destroy enemies or carry out harmful activities with the same force as a specific protector.

This problem is not new; it occurred in Tibet for hundreds of years – there are always people who misuse these most peaceful yet powerful techniques of practice. Misled individuals might accomplish their malicious aims by relying on Dharmapalas.

One thing for sure, though, meditating a Dharmapala with the wrong intention and understanding will directly lead to rebirth in a lower realm of existence, horrendous states in which beings are doomed to suffer extreme anguish and pain for a very long period of time. In that case, the favourable freedoms and advantages that we all have got now and that are so hard to get – a precious human birth – will have been totally wasted.

It is generally said that the task of a Dharmapala is to protect the doctrine, its upholders, and practitioners. It is not that easy for lay practitioners to appreciate the various Dharmapalas, though.

Mahakala, for instance, is depicted stomping on two human beings, who symbolize death of the two main obscurations that, like a corpse, will not stand up again. Hagiographies of great realized masters tell us that they recited millions of mantras of Chakrasamvara or Hevajra, for instance, before they concentrated on a guardian deity.

These practices must be perfectly accomplished before one even hopes to meditate a Dharmapala correctly. It is of utmost importance to be very cautious, to be honest with oneself, and to be concise.

There are three kinds of protectors: wisdom, activity, and worldly protectors. A few wisdom protectors are indivisibly united with Avalokiteshvara, Chenrezig, the “Lord of Compassion.”

Other wisdom protectors emanate directly. They are completely enlightened bodhisattvas who have taken the vow to guard wisdom-holders and the Buddhadharma for the benefit of sentient beings.

When reciting the Refuge Prayer in Ngondro, we seek refuge in the Dharma protectors who are wise and who do not harm a single being, not even in slightest ways. Practitioners must be careful about the larger number of worldly protectors.

There are more worldly protectors than wisdom Dharmapalas. Worldly protectors still have subtle veils. They can be compared with human beings like us, who are apt to do good but do bad things too, and they do cause problems.

We can compare worldly protectors with someone who blackmails us or expects a lot in return for any help they may give. We are bound once we have such an unfortunate relationship, because they demand regular offerings from us – if we fail, we’re in for a surprise.

There are protectors even more mundane than the worldly protectors; they control the worldly protectors. If these mundane beings become upset because we didn’t satisfy them in one way or another, then trouble is in store, for example, mental and physical illnesses. It is extremely hard to please such beings; they become very nasty if they don’t like something we did or failed to do for them.

There are wisdom Dharmapalas who protect a lineage; for example, the six-armed Mahakala is the guardian of our Kagyu Lineage. The two-armed Mahakala is not the main protector of the Kagyu Lineage, rather specifically a protector of the Karmapas.

Wisdom Dharmapalas are emanations of bodhisattvas like Avalokiteshvara. It is said that he once saw that it was necessary to emanate a wrathful form. Light flowed from the dark blue syllable HUNG in his heart and spontaneously became a protector that was perceived in such a form.

Avalokiteshvara did emanate for specific purposes – to give advanced masters powerful practices that enable them to pacify severe situations with wisdom and compassion and to continuously benefit beings through the unimpeded play of the enlightened mind.

Even though a Dharmapala is an emanation of Avalokiteshvara, it is not possible for ordinary practitioners to deal with him adequately, and therefore I want to warn you to please not even think about meditating a Dharmapala at this stage in your practice.

Most Dharmapala practices belong to the Secret Mantrayana, which is synonymous with Vajrayana. It is important to understand what is meant by “secret.”

The term ”secret” that is used in association with higher tantras is not something like a secret military force that an evil opponent may not discover, rather it means that the instructions are only given to disciples if they are useful to them and if they can practice without taking or causing harm.

If a disciple has not met preparations and is not ready, then it would be too early and even dangerous – therefore wrong – to impart the instructions, since a disciple could have mistaken thoughts and distorted ideas about them.

For instance, a misled disciple might think Dharmapalas are malevolent spirits who are about to attack – one of the dangers that the Secret Mantrayana brings along. Therefore it is said that if one wants to embark on the vehicle of Mantrayana, it is absolutely necessary to rely on a Lama and to practice the instructions that he imparts.

Sincere trust and devotion in a Root Lama enable a follower to traverse Vajrayana correctly, to practice the profound techniques, and attain fruition very fast. If a Lama sees that further deep instructions cannot benefit a disciple, they are kept secret.2

There is a reason why there are three vehicles in Buddhism; they are differentiated according to the time it takes for a diligent follower to achieve fruition.

Hinayana practitioners need many eons to accumulate merit, to eliminate negative habits, and to engage in beneficial activities. Mahayana practitioners advance faster, but they need many lives to attain fruition.

Vajrayana practitioners can attain buddhahood within one single life, but they need unwavering trust and devotion; they did meet preparations in former lives to understand the teachings correctly now and to have the opportunity to practice them diligently in this life.

Lord Buddha did not teach Vajrayana in public. It is recorded in the tantras that the Buddha did not appear in his usual form when he taught Vajrayana, rather he manifested as the deity of a specific tantra when he spoke to those few individuals in India who were ready to receive the quite profound teachings.

When the great councils were convened many years after the Buddha’s Parinirvana, nobody knew what Vajrayana followers were doing – they did not speak about this openly. Noble followers of Vajrayana did not talk about their practices with anyone except their personal meditation master, their Root Guru, which enabled them to mature and advance quickly and efficiently.

This very silent approach changed when the Dharma was brought to Tibet and Vajrayana became the spiritual reference for an entire nation of citizens. Of course, Vajrayana spread like wildfire in Tibet, but after it became institutionalised, the number of great practitioners who attained realization rapidly declined.

There are life-stories of great Indian masters, particularly life-stories of the 84 Mahasiddhas, who practiced the techniques of Secret Mantryana, i.e., Vajrayana. They attained realization very quickly due to their diligence and manifested amazing activities for the benefit of all sentient beings – they flew through the sky, walked through walls, left their footprints and handprints on rocks, and so forth.

It is a truth that the saintly Mahasiddhas studied and practiced Hinayana and Mahayana and developed deep devotion to their teachers for many lives and were ready and prepared to receive deeper instructions when they did.

The Mahasiddhas did not speak about their practice in public – they kept it a secret. This is true of our great Kagyu forefathers, too. The life-stories of Tilopa and Naropa are well-known. We have heard and read about the hardships and difficult tests that Naropa had to go through before he was even allowed to ask Tilopa for profound instructions and became worthy to receive them.

We also know about the hardships that our other Kagyu forefathers endured in order to receive profound transmissions. Their life-stories show us that we – all the more so – still need to become worthy vessels for the profound teachings and that anything we do is small in the light of what they went through for our sake and for the welfare of future generations.3

The Dharmapala tradition as we know it arose in India during the 6th, 7th, and 8th centuries. The most popular Dharmapala practice that spread within the context of Buddhism was the four-armed Mahakala, which originated in a vision that Tilopa had while practicing meditation intensively and for quite a while before he accepted any pupils.

Residing in utter solitude near Somapuri, the site of one of the great Indian monastic universities,4 Tilopa fervently meditated the Chakrasamvara Tantra for twelve years. During this time, Chakrasamvara often manifested to him – it is said “face-to-face.”5

It was during the most advanced stage in Tilopa’s practice that immense hindrances arose and subtlest clouds of obscurations had to be removed. Therefore Chakrasamvara manifested from his heart the four-armed Mahakala, who taught Tilopa supplication and offering prayers, syllables, and mantras. Tilopa wrote down these instructions and transmitted them to most worthy disciples. This was the beginning of Dharmapala practice in Vajrayana.

Tilopa’s outstanding disciple was Naropa, who – like his teacher – rebelled at a young age against his royal training. When he was eight years old, he left his home in Bengal and went to Kashmir to study. Having gone through the curriculum in three years, he then studied logic, science, grammar, rhetoric, and art with the best teachers.

Meanwhile his parents arranged for his marriage; eight years later Naropa left wife and home and was ordained as a monk in far-off Kashmir. He sought a better education and went to Nalanda University near Pullahari in the district of Bihar and soon became abbot there. But a dakini told him that meditation was more important than studies, that he should seek Tilopa and ask for instructions, which he did.

Without recognizing Tilopa when he did find him, he was put through twelve excruciating tests, persevered, and mastered the instructions; then he took disciples of his own. Why did Tilopa put Naropa through so many hardships before he transmitted the teachings to him?

Although Tilopa saw that Naropa was a most perfect vessel for the teachings and more advanced than he realized that he himself was, through the clarity of his enlightened mind he saw that Naropa was still proud and had less obvious subtle obscurations that needed to be purified.

Naropa went through much pain before he even dared ask Tilopa for instructions. There is a story that describes how difficult it was for Naropa to even be accepted as Tilopa’s student.

The story goes that they were walking through the country and arrived in a little town. They passed an empty building and Tilopa murmured out loud so that Naropa could kind of hear, “If I had a pupil who really trusted me, he would jump from the roof of that building without hesitating.”

Naropa looked around, didn’t see anyone, and thought to himself, “He didn’t mean me, did he?” Realizing nobody else could be meant and due to his great devotion and trust, he climbed on the roof, jumped, and landed on the hard ground, smattered and smashed.

When Tilopa casually returned from his walk around the area and saw Naropa more dead than alive, he asked him, “What happened? How do you feel?” Naropa answered, “I feel awful, like a corpse.” This is why Naropa has come to be known by the name Naro, which means “human corpse.”

Naropa had to go through further hardships and, having withstood them, he then received precious instructions during the many years he spent with his wonderful teacher. He practiced diligently and achieved perfect realization.

Among the teachings he received were rare Dharmapala practices. Other great Mahasiddhas received other Dharmapala practices and they shared them with each other, aware that future generations would benefit immensely.

Naropa’s most excellent pupil was Marpa, who visited India three times, learned from a hundred teachers, and spent many years at the feet of his Root Guru.

Marpa practiced all teachings he received, achieved realization, brought the teachings to Tibet, and translated them from Sanskrit into Tibetan. And so, the precious teachings of Tilopa were handed down to Naropa; he passed them on to Marpa, who brought them to Tibet.

The Dharmapala practices developed further at this time; the main ones that Naropa gave Marpa are the four-armed Mahakala and Palden Lhamo, called Shri Devi in Sanskrit. Palden Lhamo, the “Glorious Goddess,” also known as Düsum, is the only female among the eight Dharma protectors.6

We know that Naropa told Marpa, “These practices are very efficient but difficult to practice. They are not meant for everyone. Please, only give them to disciples who are advanced enough to practice them correctly. It is not right to give them to every disciple. If a few advanced disciples practice them, then the inspiration and blessings that must be kept secret will undoubtedly embrace and benefit everyone.”

There are protectors who originated when Guru Rinpoche came to Tibet and subjugated spirits that did everything in their power to prevent Buddhism from being established on Tibetan soil. In the life-stories of Guru Rinpoche, Padmasambhava, we read that he ran into many negative forces when he arrived in Tibet; he bound them to the oath that they would not only stop harming others but would protect anyone involved with beneficial activities for the welfare others. As a result, many Dharmapalas arose in Tibet.

In the ancient texts that are continuing to come to light, we read that it is certainly not good if every devotee meditates a Dharmapala, that only a very small number of practitioners are qualified and eligible, and that others should not become involved with them.

The ancient scripts also state that before even thinking about taking up the practice of a Dharmapala, a student needs to have studied and understood Lord Buddha’s fundamental teachings, the purpose of the teachings, why it is necessary to strive for enlightenment for the benefit of all living beings, and so forth. Furthermore, a practitioner needs to have completed the common, the special, and the very special preliminaries.

In order to practice the special preliminaries, a diligent student needs to have received the empowerment of the yidam deity and should have meditated this deity for quite a while. There are outer, inner, and secret aspects of each yidam. If one practices correctly and discusses one’s experiences with one’s meditation master, quite a number of years will pass. If one’s teacher then says that one may begin meditating a protector or if he says one should not, then it is only proper to respect and heed his advice.

Should a devotee even start studying and contemplating the Dharmapalas, then it is truly necessary to first have completed the preliminaries and to be certain and sure that bodhicitta has arisen and developed in one’s mind. It is absolutely necessary to have the pure motivation and to know that Dharmapala practice is not carried out to increase one’s own power and profit.

Negative intentions of any kind may not be, so a practitioner must have vanquished the greatest number of negative thoughts and emotions in the own mind – that everyone does have – and he or she needs to rely on a meditation instructor who can truly judge whether this is the case or not.

Therefore, at this stage in practice it is very important that disciples increase bodhicitta, “loving kindness and compassion,” so that one day they can reliably benefit others. How does one practice properly? By receiving the instructions, by contemplating them ever more deeply, and by meditating them so that one actually experiences the truth of the teachings.

If one succeeds, then one will achieve liberation from suffering in cyclic existence and be able to benefit others; one will not go astray by thinking that one can do practices one is not really ready for and that will present great obstacles. So it is much better for you to concentrate on a few essential practices and to practice them for the rest of your life as sincerely and diligently as possible. Thank you very much.

May virtue increase!

Presented at Theksum Tashi Choling in Hamburg, July 2007. In reliance on the German rendering kindly offered by Thomas Roth, translated into English and edited by Gaby Hollmann, with sincere gratitude to Madhavi Simoneit and Lama Dorothea Nett.

Footnote:

1. Dharmapala is the Sanskrit term that was translated into Tibetan as chos-skyong, which means „protector of the teachings.” Dharmapalas are either enlightened beings, or spirits and gods who have been subjugated by great masters and bound under oath to guard the teachings.
2. Secret Mantrayana is gSang-sngags in Tibetan and refers to the esoteric instructions. The tantra called dGongs-pa-grub-pa’i-rgyud states: “One should know that all mantras are divided into three classes, gnostic mantras which are the essence of skillful means, dharanis which are the essence of discriminative awareness, and secret mantras which are the non-dual pristine cognition.” Dharani is the Sanskrit term that was translated into Tibetan as gzungs. It is a verbal formula blessed by a buddha or bodhisattva, similar to the mantras of Vajrayana, but found in the sutra tradition.
3. For example, Tilopa benefited from the expulsion he experienced by travelling throughout India, searching out many teachers, and learning their methods. He earned his living during this period by grinding sesame seeds (til in Sanskrit) for oil, the connotation of his name. He was a perfect vessel and received direct transmission of the Mahamudra and other teachings from Buddha Vajradhara, Dorje Chang, who was his Root Guru. Although he chose to live in remote and inhospitable regions, Tilopa’s fame as a master brought him excellent students.
4. The six celebrated Buddhist centres of learning in India were founded in the 7th century A.D. by the first ruler of the Pala Dynasty upon the model of Nalanda University, which was probably built during the reign of King Kumara Gupta (415-455 A.D.). The six Buddhist universities of ancient India were Nalanda, Vikramashila, Odantapuri, Somapuri, Jagaddala, and Vallabhi. They were destroyed along with other major centres of Buddhism in India when Muslims invaded the subcontinent and unleashed a period of destruction and genocide. The staff and students of the large Indian universities fled and sought safety in Tibet.
5. Chakrasamvara is very important in many schools of Vajrayana, especially in the Kagyu school. Translated into Tibetan as ‘Khor-lo-bde-mchog, it literally means “wheel of bliss” and is a male yidam practice, particularly associated with bliss. He can have one face and two arms, or three faces and six arms, or four faces and twelve arms.
6. The eight Dharmapalas are Mahakala, Palden Lhamo, Yamantaka, Kubera, Hayagriva, Changpa, Yama, and Begtse.

Source: http://www.rinpoche.com/teachings/darmapalas.htm

No FPMT centre does this practice and all fully support His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s wish that this practice not be done. For more information, see http://tibet.net/important-issues/dolgyal-related-statements-and-resolutions/.

Dorje Shugden

Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave the following talk on the Dharma protector practice, Dorje Shugden. First he talked about the importance of compassion and our responsibility for leading all sentient beings to enlightenment. To do that, we need first to become enlightened ourselves. In order to do that, we have to complete the entire path to enlightenment, the root of which is guru devotion. Then Rinpoche talked about the qualities of the guru, including the ten qualities from the Abhisamayalankara and the twenty qualities required of a tantric guru.

If you are making a new Dharma connection with a teacher, aside from the other qualities of the teacher that you should check, you should also examine the teacher to make sure that he or she is in harmony with His Holiness Dalai Lama regarding the practice of what is called döl-gyäl, the protector Shugden.

Make sure that the teacher does not do this practice. These days, that is an extra analysis you should make. In that way, you’ll avoid problems in the future.

Recently, I also introduced a new guideline for the protection of the Dharma centers and their students, which is not to invite to the center teachers who do the protector practice and are therefore against His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

However, this doesn’t include gurus who may have practiced the protector in the past. It doesn’t mean that they’re bad. I’m not saying that.

If you have already made a Dharma connection with such teachers and you criticize them or give them up, that is totally incorrect; that is opposite to lam-rim practice. The lam-rim, sutra, and tantra teachings all explain how to practice guru devotion so that we can avoid creating such heavy negative karmas as criticizing our gurus. It’s for our benefit.

Since we disciples want profit, not loss, since we aspire to achieve the highest profit, enlightenment, the complete qualities of cessation and realization, it is crucial to know how to practice guru devotion.

If those gurus who used to do the practice still had the same aspect now, if they were still alive in that aspect, they would also change.

For example, His Holiness himself did the practice in Tibet for a short while, but after extensive analysis, checking many experiences and signs, and considering the advice of many other high lamas who advised not to do the practice, His Holiness also decided against it.

It is not only His Holiness who is saying not to do this practice. Before His Holiness, many other high lamas, holders of the entire Buddhadharma, also instructed their monasteries and students not to do this practice.

After checking in many ways, His Holiness came to the conclusion that for the benefit of individual people as well as the world in general, he would stop doing this practice and also advised others to stop.

Therefore, if those gurus who did the practice still had the same aspect, they would stop. Also, many gurus, many great teachers who are still living, have stopped as well, even though they used to do the practice before.

Even though many people, groups, and monasteries have asked His Holiness to change his advice on this, he has remained firm. Since he arrived at his decision through many years’ analysis, there has been no change; His Holiness always says the same thing in this regard. As His Holiness has said in many teachings, he will never change his opinion on this matter.

If His Holiness the Dalai Lama is not Chenrezig, if he’s not Buddha, who else is there in the world that you can point to as Buddha? If His Holiness is not the Buddha of Compassion, then it’s a mistake to call other lamas Buddha, who are said to be incarnations of a Buddha.

[Rinpoche then explained in detail how His Holiness is Chenrezig and how the guru is Buddha.]

Dorje Shugden Practice

A student asked Rinpoche questions about the practice of the protector Dorje Shugden. His Holiness the Dalai Lama had asked his students to stop performing this practice. Many students had received initiations from their gurus and taken commitments to perform the practice before His Holiness made this request. The student had decided to stop performing the protector practice, but was concerned about the impact on his relationship with the gurus who had given him the initiations and commitment to do the practice. Rinpoche commented as follows.

With regard to your question about the protector and your concern about not generating negative thoughts and losing faith toward other lamas, the decision that you have taken is correct.

Kopan Monastery had been performing the Dorje Shugden practice from the beginning, as this was Lama Yeshe’s main protector [he had several but DS was the most important] , on whom he relied whenever he needed help for anything [for help on anything, not just mundane].

But since His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the one who holds, preserves, and spreads the entire Buddhist Dharma – both the lesser vehicle and the Mahayana, Paramitayana, and Secret Mantra Vajrayana – without the existence of His Holiness, not only Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism but Buddhism in general would suffer in the world. It would be similar to when children are left behind when their parents die. It would be like that.

Therefore, support for His Holiness becomes very important. Another thing is that His Holiness is the main source of world peace. In this aspect, His Holiness gives so much peace and happiness to so many millions and millions of people in this world.

This aspect of His Holiness is the greatest inspiration, bringing many millions of people’s hearts toward Buddhism. Even though we have many high lamas, not everyone is able to manifest this particular aspect, even though from my side the virtuous friends are of the same essence.

Therefore, it becomes very important to support His Holiness and to fulfil His Holiness’ wishes. For that reason, Kopan Monastery stopped doing this practice. This was done for His Holiness. This does not mean that Pabongka Dechen Nyingpo, His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche, and His Holiness Zong Rinpoche have made mistakes. It does not mean they are wrong. Nor does one have to look at the protector as evil. For us ordinary people it is difficult to judge, because we cannot see these lamas’ minds.

Another side of the teaching is that it is mentioned that the protector is an Arya Bodhisattva, a manifestation of Manjushri. So, then, there is also the risk of our creating very heavy karma in that context. [for having bad thoughts about an enlightened being]

In addition, if one has received teachings, initiations, and so forth from Geshe Kelsang Gyatso*, including the practice of Dorje Shugden, there is a way of practicing lam rim in relation to this situation.

In the lam rim, it says that the Buddhas – for example, Buddha Vajradhara, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, and so forth – manifest in ordinary form and guide us to enlightenment. That means they manifest in an ordinary aspect that shows mistakes, such as having delusions, performing mistaken actions, and so on.

One can also think in this way about the situation, according to the lam rim. In reality, there is no mistake here, but the guru is showing the aspect of making mistakes, like a movie actor.

Thinking in this way and relating the situation to that part of the lam rim helps keep one from losing faith, from losing guru devotion. It only inspires one. Why? Because without the ordinary aspect that shows mistakes, we have no other way to be guided. There is no other method for the Buddhas to guide us to enlightenment.

Another way to look at this situation is that although in reality there is no mistake on the guru’s part, nevertheless we see mistakes according to our karma. The guru shows mistakes because we only have the karma to see this manifestation at this moment, and nothing else.

In this matter, that aspect becomes most precious and important for us, for our minds. As it is mentioned by Gyalwa Ensapa, “Until one becomes separated from evil karmic obscurations, even if all the Buddhas without exception directly descend in front of one, one will not have the fortune to see the supreme holy body, adorned with the holy signs and exemplifications, but rather only the present appearance (the ordinary view). ”

Even if a guru kills another guru or kills many millions of people, as Hitler or Mao did, since one has made a connection with him or her, one should never lose faith from one’s own side.

Unless from his or her side the virtuous friend tells you, “Now I am no longer your guru. You should not follow me anymore,” unless he gives this permission, one must not give up one’s faith in that teacher.

One time, after I had listened for three days to one person’s teachings, that person told me not to follow him. The bodhisattva Khunu Lama later explained to me that it was acceptable not to follow that person, but important not to criticize, to keep the mind in equanimity regarding him.

It is said in the tantric teachings, “If one thinks one’s own guru is bad-tempered, one will be reborn in the hell realms for 60 eons.” If one does not cultivate devotion after one has made a Dharma connection – which means having received teachings with the recognition of guru and disciple – then it is said in the teachings that one will be reborn as a dog one hundred times, and then be reborn in a lower caste – or, as His Holiness Zong Rinpoche mentioned, as a scorpion.

This applies even if there are no negative thoughts arising toward the guru, such as heresy or anger, but one still does not develop devotion and follow the teacher after listening to even just one stanza, even if one no longer regards that teacher as one’s guru or forgets one’s guru-disciple relation.

The conclusion is that both ways of looking at the situation with the guru are correct, because there is a purpose to both: that is, to benefit others. These ways of thinking are what protect our mind from the heaviest karma.

Action Against Lamas

A student who had very heavy obstacles in his life, and felt like he was being attacked by spirits, had taken it upon himself to force lamas who were performing the protector practice, Dorje Shugden, to stop. Rinpoche sent him the following advice.

My very dear Jimmy,

Thank you very much your kind letter. I appreciate you following His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s wishes. That helps Tibet, and also helps your growth – not physical growth, but spiritual growth. You made a wise decision. That is very important: thinking big for the future of the teachings of Buddha and for sentient beings.

If those other lamas are your gurus – that means, if you have received initiations or teachings from them, with the recognition that you had a guru-disciple relationship and that person is the guru and you are the disciple – then if you get angry or generate heretical thoughts toward that person, it is not good.

In Lama Tsongkhapa’s Lam-rim Chen-mo (The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment), it says, Even simply generating non-devotional thought, to think of the guru as an ordinary person, is an obstacle.

So, you can imagine what it is like if you generate heresy and anger toward your gurus and criticize them with a negative mind. This is creating the heaviest obstacle to realizations on the path to enlightenment, and the heaviest obstacle even to this life’s happiness, as well as to future lives’ happiness. There is no need to mention liberation or enlightenment.

The other thing is that in this life, by generating heretical thoughts or anger toward the guru, one experiences heavy sufferings, especially sickness, and many catastrophes, one after the other.

Also, when you die, it is in such a terrible way. It is very terrifying, not peaceful, and there is the most unbearable suffering in the hell realms. Not only that, but it lasts for such a length of time, for eons.

Please read the section on guru devotion in Pabongka Dechen Nyingpo’s Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand. Also, read the section on guru devotion in Lama Tsongkhapa’s Lam-rim Chen-mo. Please study other Dharma books, at least these two texts and the sections that I have mentioned.

In the teaching Commentary on the Difficult Points of the “Black Enemy of Yama,” (Tib: Dra-nag-ka-drel) (see Steps on the Path to Enlightenment, Volume 1, page 157) it is said that after having made a Dharma connection, receiving teachings (even four words), with a recognition of a guru-disciple relationship (the other person is your guru and you are his or her disciple), if you forget to devote yourself to that person as a guru, or if you don’t regard them as your guru, you will be born as a dog for one hundred lifetimes, and then you will be born into a lower rank. His Holiness Zong Rinpoche says one is born as a scorpion instead of in a lower rank.

If you did create negative karma with your teachers, please confess whatever heresy, anger, or criticism you have committed against them. Confess as quickly as possible.

If death comes before your confession, your future lives will be so difficult. Not only will you be unable to meet the guru, but you will also be unable to meet the Dharma. Not only that, but you will experience unimaginable suffering for an incredible amount of time.

The Fifth Dalai Lama advised how to practice guru devotion in this kind of situation. When you have difficulty with gurus, seeing mistakes in their actions, then think that this is the view of your own hallucinated mind. All these appearances are your own mistakes manifested as the guru’s holy actions. Recognize it as your own mistake and abandon it, like a poison.

What is to be abandoned is one’s own thoughts of seeing mistakes in the gurus, which are ordinary concepts. You can abandon this by thinking in the way His Holiness the Fifth Dalai Lama explained.

Gyalwa Ensapa said,
In short, whatever great or small realization one generates is due to having meditated with little or great devotion. To the qualified valid gurus, may I be able to complete the commitment without obstacles, and look at the gurus’ qualities with no mistakes.

The other way is to think that bodhisattvas work for sentient beings. Their only concern is other sentient beings, without exception, no matter how evil they are. The more evil they are, then the more the bodhisattvas cherish them, and the more concern the bodhisattvas have for them. [by actively participating in the DS controversy, people begin to do things against their vows, begin to be more 'evil' - bodhisattvas then, according to what Lama Zopa says, should have more compassion and concern for these people who need more help to achieve enlightenment.

So think more carefully about the high lamas' motivation for creating this controversy] Their attitude is like this, and their action is only to work for sentient beings. That includes you. Even a very new bodhisattva who became a bodhisattva today thinks like this.

Therefore, there is no question about Buddha, who completed the path, with both method and wisdom, who has omniscience, perfect power, and complete compassion for all sentient beings, including you. The Buddha will not work for himself, even for one second, but only for all sentient beings, continuously, according to the level of their minds.

Buddha works by manifesting in various forms and revealing different methods, not only by giving teachings, initiations, vows, and so forth, but also guiding beings in many different ways, giving advice and leading you in so many ways from happiness to happiness, up until enlightenment.

Now, there is not just one Buddha. There are numerous buddhas guiding you and other sentient beings. Who else are those buddhas than your gurus? Who gives you teachings, vows, initiations, oral transmissions, and advice? Who definitely brings you to enlightenment with these methods?

There is no question. If they are not manifestations of the buddhas, or Buddha doesn’t manifest through them and guide you, then that means there is no Buddha guiding you. That means either you don’t accept that there are countless buddhas, or you don’t accept that there is even one Buddha, or you think that there is a Buddha, but he is not omniscient. Or you think that Buddha doesn’t have compassion toward you, or Buddha doesn’t have perfect power to guide you or to reveal methods to you.

If you think like this, it means there is no Buddha and nobody can become a buddha. All these mistakes arise, and many Buddhist teachings become falsified.

Because you trust in His Holiness the Dalai Lama, you have no doubt that His Holiness has limitless compassion. You have no doubt that His Holiness and particularly what he teaches is Chenrezig manifested. He is not telling lies.

So, you have no doubt that Shakyamuni Buddha does exist, and that his path has no mistakes, and there is no doubt that there are countless buddhas.

Then, think that the conclusion is: for all those from whom you have received teachings with a recognition of a guru-disciple relationship, from your side, you must have a new mind, a different mind, 24 hours every day, and think differently.

Think of them as Buddha. Each and every one of them is Buddha guiding you. This is the most important thing. This devotional thought is the most precious one in your life, more precious than billions of dollars, gold, diamonds, or wish-fulfilling jewels.

From this thought, you can achieve all happiness up until enlightenment, and you can bring about complete happiness for all sentient beings. You can fulfil all the wishes of all sentient beings.

Thank you very much. Sorry, you have written many times, but I wasn’t able to reply quickly. Please keep my reply. It might be helpful to read it from time to time. You can also show it to others who have similar problems.

With much love and prayers…

Forsaking a Guru

A student wrote to Rinpoche saying that he had forsaken one of his gurus, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso*. The student said that he was not keeping his vows and was aware of the negative karma that could result from these actions. Rinpoche answered as follows.

Once you have made a Dharma connection with the virtuous friend, your guru, you cannot give up this relationship unless the guru himself or herself says, “Don’t come,” or “Don’t regard me as your guru.”

By giving up Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, you have created heavy negative karma in this life. Since you haven’t given me up, I suggest that you confess to Geshe Kelsang Gyatso about what happened, and devote yourself again to this virtuous friend.

According to guru devotion practice, no matter how many gurus you have, you should look at all of them as one being, one mind, and that is Dharmakaya. That view must come from the disciple’s side. You look at them as one mind in different bodies, acting in different ways, according to the karma of sentient beings and their ordinary mistaken minds.

This is what one should practice, if one wants profit and not loss. So, change your attitude and apologize to Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. Confess to him and follow him again, unless he says, “No”. This will help lighten your heaviest negative karma.

In this world, people are so afraid of getting cancer or AIDS, but they don’t think about eons of suffering in the hell realms. There is such great suffering in the lower realms that cancer and AIDS or whatever suffering one can encounter in the human realm seems a great comfort and pleasure by comparison.

Causing heresy and anger and giving up the virtuous friend is much worse than killing and waging wars. This is because the object is very powerful. One’s guru is the most powerful among all powerful objects, such as buddhas.

The karma from forsaking one’s guru is worse than the karma generated by Hitler and Mao Tse Tung. Mao Tse Tung caused harm to many holy beings, but they were not his gurus.

In the world, someone who kills many millions of people can still achieve enlightenment in that same lifetime. But generating heresy toward the virtuous friend and giving up one’s devotion to the virtuous friend makes it difficult to achieve enlightenment, even if one practices tantra with much hardship. It will be like taking a rebirth in hell.

Therefore, what I am saying is this: In the world, actions such as killing and waging war have very bad repercussions and are terrible, but the karma from these actions is mild compared to heresy and giving up one’s guru.

You can see in the outline in the lam rim, even if one commits the five heinous crimes – killing one’s father, killing one’s mother, drawing blood from a Buddha, causing schism in the Sangha, and killing an Arhant – one can still achieve enlightenment, but not based on mistaken devotion to the virtuous friend. If you read Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, or Essential Nectar, particularly the lam rim outline on guru devotion, you will understand.

I advise you to make your negative karma smaller by apologizing with regret. Practicing Buddhism is basically your choice. If you want to be free from suffering and its causes, delusion and karma, this is what you need to do: practice the Buddhist path and the Four Noble Truths.

If you don’t want to be free from suffering and its causes, then there is no need to practice Buddhism. If you don’t want happiness, then don’t practice virtue.

*Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, a teacher in the UK, who continues to engage in and encourage the Dorje Shugden Protector practice.

Faith in His Holiness

A student wrote to Rinpoche saying how another student had been doing a protector practice, which His Holiness the Dalai Lama had asked people to stop practicing, but had now stopped.

My dear Tony, 
I hope you are well.

I received your message regarding the other student. I think it is very good that he has stopped that practice, and especially it is excellent that he has faith in His Holiness the Dalai Lama. That is really great!

There are so many reasons to follow His Holiness. He is the embodiment of compassion of all the Buddhas, and especially now he has reincarnated to guide the Tibetan people.

In fact, as we all know, for many lives His Holiness the Dalai Lama has reincarnated to guide the Tibetan people, and especially to preserve the complete teachings of the Buddhadharma. His Holiness is the only one in this world who completely preserves the holy Dharma that came from the Buddha, which has come through the great yogis and pandits of India and Tibet.

Because of His Holiness, the Buddhadharma has spread all over the world. Not only the Buddhadharma, His Holiness is also able to speak in a universal language that goes beyond religion. Every year, thousands of people follow the path and make their life meaningful, and are able to find answers to their life questions due to His Holiness.

This is all due to the kindness of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. So, you can see how His Holiness is of the greatest benefit to this world. Even the political leaders of this world respect His Holiness.

It is the same with so many great Tibetan reincarnations, who also follow His Holiness. If this isn’t Guru Shakyamuni benefiting the world, if this isn’t Manjushri benefiting the world, then who could it be?

There are many reasons for following His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s advice regarding not following or practicing the protector. His Holiness is able to teach in any culture and able, in a very grounded way, to relate so well to others.

Therefore, we have the responsibility to pray for His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s long life and to help and support His Holiness’s holy wishes and activities.

His Holiness supports many things, such as the environment, etc., but His Holiness’ main message has to do with the mind, because everything comes from the mind. Suffering and happiness depend on the mind.

His Holiness not only teaches the entire path to enlightenment, but also in a very practical way helps people to deal with the problems of their daily lives. Therefore, His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s existence in this world is extremely important. He is the guide and gives the antidote for all the problems of this world.

Therefore, one person following His Holiness’s advice achieves His Holiness’s wishes—this is the cause of His Holiness’ long life. The more we as individuals follow His Holiness’ advice and support His Holiness, the longer His Holiness will stay in this world and benefit sentient beings.

As far as reincarnation is concerned, the most important thing is being recognized through this life’s actions. Recognition should come naturally and organically in dependence on how that person conducts his life and activities to benefit others. The label tulku doesn’t mean anything; the importance is how much you benefit sentient beings.

If you don’t benefit sentient beings, the title is empty, really empty. So, we should not be concerned with a label. People will respect or not respect in dependence on this life’s actions .

In essence, everything will depend on his practice, how well he does this in accordance with Lama Tsongkhapa’s instructions. And that’s it. The result will come from that.

Actually, more and more people want to be recognized as a tulku. In fact, all of us are reincarnations—we are the reincarnations of worms in our stomach, pigs, dogs, cats, and bugs.

So, everyone is a reincarnation of someone, something. The worms in the stomach are there because of their past negative karma of being attached to sex. So, everyone is a reincarnation. Without a past life, there will not be this life.

So, the conclusion is: whether recognized or not, people respect you on the basis of your actions to benefit others. This approach fits.

Thank you for all your activities. Please try as much as possible to do everything with bodhicitta. In this way there will be the most benefit to sentient beings.

With lots of love and prayers…

From Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archives
(http://www.lamayeshe.com/index.php?sect=article&id=335)

Most Buddhist Monasteries in Mongolia were destroyed during the communist regime, which lasted until 1990. One of the only to survive was Gandan Monastery, being used as a showcase for visitors.

It’s official name is Gandantegchinleng Khiid. This name signifies something like Great Place of Complete Joy or Great Way to the Cosmos. Literally it can be translated as:

• Gan = rejoyce
• Dan = perfect
• Teg = vehicle > Tegchin = Mahayna (Greater Vehicle)
• Leng = island

Which would result in Mahayana Island of Perfect Rejoice, with Island being a generally used metaphor for monastery. Gandan is the largest and most important monastery of Mongolia, with over 400 monks.