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“Meritorious activities like the six paramitas and the four boundless aspirations are very important to realizing rigpa. This support is needed, and we should not disregard them as being unnecessary. Every good deed that we do to benefit ourselves and others without any grasping, without expectation, and without any hesitation will help actualize this realization. At the same time, we should feel great joy and appreciation for who we are, what we have, and for our surroundings, our family and friends, our neighbors and relatives. They are only here with us for a short time, and are not going to stay forever. So while they are here, we should enjoy, appreciate, and respect them. The same is true for ourselves. We should have joy in meeting the Dharma, practicing Dharma, thinking of rigpa, and all these wonderful things. These are not just casual, simple things.
We should also have great devotion and confidence in the teachings and the lineage. The teachings of the Buddha and Guru Padmasambhava say that we should feel such strong devotion, joy, and appreciation that it brings tears to our eyes. Intense devotion is like the spring season—it brings growth in our beautiful garden. It also pacifies obstacles. So we should bring devotion and bodhichitta to the magical display for the purpose of our growth.
Our accumulation of merit and devotion to the teachings and lineage is very important. Otherwise our practice becomes merely intellectual. It becomes filled with hesitation and doubt, and can even become like a competition or challenge if we approach these authentic practices the same way we approach many other things in our duality world. This is not going to serve the purpose of the teachings. We should bring joy, appreciation, and gratitude to ourpractice. For that very reason, the famous Peak of the Vajra Tantra says that in order to realize the self-born true nature, there are two methods: (1) one is accumulating the two merits, and (2) the other is devotion to the teacher and the lineage. If we do anything other than that, it is ignorant activity, like wanting to do something, but actually doing the complete opposite. We will never get the result we are looking for.”
Photo of the shrine room in the new Yeshe Tsogyal Temple in Nashville on the Anniversary of Ven. Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche’s Mahaparinirvana on June 19, 2018.
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Venerable Khenpo Rinpoches
Supreme Wisdom: Commentary on Yeshe Lama (pgs 221-222)
www.padmasambhava.org/the-importance-of-stupas
The conduct of speech begins with refining your wind energy because wind is the cause of speech. To refine your winds, perform the three-part breath purification exercise three times. Imagine that all the negative, dualistic emotional energy that has been clogging your channels is being completely removed. When you breath out, make your exhalation slightly longer, and feel that all the toxic energy in your body is streaming out of your nostrils and mouth into far away space, where it completely dissolves. When you finish the exercise, feel very confident that your winds and channels are now completely pure and filled with refined wisdom energy.
To practice the conduct of mind, strongly feel the presence of Guru Padmasambhava either right above your crown chakra or in your heart center. Full of intense longing, devotion, and confidence, feel that he is the complete and perfect embodiment of all enlightened beings and lineage masters, and recite prayers and mantras according to your sadhana practice. During this time, keep your body and speech relaxed. Relax your mind as well, but remain concentrated on what you’re doing. When your recitation is complete, visualize that Guru Padmasambhava dissolves into light, which then dissolves into your heart. Feel that his enlightened energy completely merges with your own, and meditate. Rest your mind in the natural state, and the moment a thought arises— whatever it is—do not be alarmed. Simply look at it. The moment you look at the thought, it dissolves.”
Venerable Khenpo Rinpoches
The Beauty of Awakened Mind (pg 144)
Photo of Ven. Khenpo Tsewang Rinpoche during the Vajrapani Windhorse Retreat at Padma Samye Ling on May 26, 2018.
This year Venerable Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche is requesting the International PBC Sangha to accumulate the mantra of the Buddha Amitayus, the buddha of infinite life and prosperity.
Amitayus (Skt. Amitāyus, Tib. ཚེ་དཔག་མེད་, Tsepakmé; Wyl. tshe dpag med) is a sambhogakaya aspect of Amitabha, particularly associated with longevity.
The following prayer is a famous terma known as Union of All Jewels revealed by the great terton Jatson Nyingpo, and is found in the PBC Daily Prayers sadhana prayer book on pages 58-59.
Please practice according to the “Three Noble Frames” taught by Longchenpa, Mipham Rinpoche, and so many lineage masters:
- The Noble Beginning of Refuge and Bodhichitta, together with lineage prayers and turning your mind towards the Dharma.
- The Noble Middle of practicing the Visualization Creation Stage and the Dissolution Completion Stage, while abiding in non-grasping wisdom emptiness-awareness (absolute bodhichitta).
- The Noble Conclusion of Dedication and Aspiration Prayers.
Begin by reciting the Seven Line Prayer three times, followed by lineage prayers.
Then visualize Amitayus in the sky in front of you either as a single buddha or yabyum, and begin the sadhana by reciting the homage to Amitayus on page 58 twice in Tibetan and once in English.
Continue by accumulating the mantra of Buddha Amitayus while he emanates pure healing lights of wisdom and compassion throughout the entire universe which instantly merge with the blessings of all the buddhas, remove all obstacles, and heal all imbalances, establishing all sentient beings in the great blissfulness of enlightenment:
OM AH HUNG VAJRA GURU PEMA SIDDHI AYUKE HUNG NRI DZA
After you accumulate the mantra during your meditation session, Buddha Amitayus dissolves into you. Remain in silent meditation for as long as you have time, abiding in the true nature.
Conclude by reciting the brief dedication prayer on page 59 in Tibetan and English, as well as reciting more extensive prayers on pages 28-42, dedicating the merit and making sincere aspiration prayers for the immediate happiness and enlightenment of all beings.
Below is an introduction to Buddha Amitayus by Ven. Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and Ven. Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche that they taught at Padma Samye Ling in May of 2010:
Total Accumulations
Submit Your Accumulation
We all feel so blessed and delighted to have received H.H. Dudjom Yangsi Sangye Pema Shepa Rinpoche at Palden Padma Samye Ling on May 30, 2018!
We pray for his very long and healthy life, and the perfect and swift fulfillment of all his aspirations.
