Avalokitesvara

Who is Avalokitesvara? What is his place in Buddhist doctrine and history? Why is he important in Tibetan Buddhism? What is his function in Tibetan Buddhism? What does he do? What are the philosophical explanations of his existence? How is he used in contemplative practice? Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, is one of the most important and popular Buddhist dieties. Although he originally was conceived of in a Mahayana context, he has been worshipped under different names and in different shapes in nearly every form of Buddhism in every country Buddhism has entered. Avalokitesvara first appears in Indian Buddhism. He is originally mentioned as one of a number of bodhisattvas. These bodhisattvas are personifications of various attributes of the Buddha. Avalokitesvara is the personification of compassion. The development of a Buddhist doctrine of bodhisattvas is more or less contemporaneous with the development of brahmanic deity worship. Either the same societal forces led to both developments, or the bodhisattva doctrine was a response to the rival movement of brahmanic deity worship. The bodhisattva doctrine may have appeared as early as the second century B.C.E. Originally, bodhisattvas were considered to be less important than buddhas. Buddhas, of course, are completely enlightened beings, whereas bodhisattvas are beings who are on the verge of being completely enlightened. Bodhisattvas originally appear as attendants of the buddhas. Texts speak of there being vast numbers of bodhisattvas. A few of the bodhisattvas are more important than others. Avalokitesvara does not appear in the earliest texts about bodhisattvas. However, after a while he becomes one of the important bodhisattvas. By the second century C.E., in the larger Sukhavativyuha, Avalokitesvara is described along with Mahasthamaprapta as one of the two bodhisattvas in Sukhavati, the pure land of the Buddha Amitayus. The two of them are described as the source of the light that illumines the pure land. They also teach the devotees of Amitayus, adapting their techniques to the understanding of the listeners. Avalokitesvara's prominence changed as the doctrinal position of Mahayana Buddhism changed. In Mahayana, compassion and wisdom are seen as being the two most important qualities a person can develop. In early Mahayana, wisdom was seen as more important than compassion. Therefore, Manjusri, the bodhisattva of wisdom, was the most highly regarded bodhisattva. However, with time, compassion came to be seen as the more important quality, and thus Avalokitesvara became the most honored bodhisattva. Avalokitesvara's rise in prominence did not stop at this point. Probably around the fifth century C.E., a full-blown cult of Avalokitesvara emerged. Avalokitesvara evolves into the supreme savior of all suffering beings. He takes on the characteristics of various brahmanic gods, such as Brahma, Visnu, and Siva. Like Brahma, Avalokitesvara is described as the creator of the universe. "From his eyes arose the sun and the moon, . . . from his mouth, the wind, . . . from his feet, the earth."1 He is also described as being the creator of the brahmanic dieties. This attribution of power to Avalokitesvara may well have been aimed at proselytizing among brahmanic followers. Descriptions of his physical form become increasingly fantastic. He is described as being enormously large. His face is a hundred thousand yojanas in circumference (a yojana is a few miles long). His body is gold colored. He has a halo in which there are five hundred buddhas, each attended by five hundred bodhisattvas, each attended by numberless gods. From the hair between his eyebrows there flow eighty-four kinds of rays. Each ray contains a vast number of buddhas and bodhisattvas. Each of his ten finger tips has eighty-four thousand pictures and each picture has eighty-four thousand rays which shine over everything that exists. And so forth. At this point, Avalokitesvara takes precedence over the buddhas. Even the buddhas cannot estimate Avalokitesvara's merit. It is said that just thinking of him garners more merit than honoring a thousand buddhas. Avalokitesvara's rise to prominence may be partially caused by the Mahayana doctrine of the bodhisattva vow. This doctrine says that the most wonderfully compassionate decision is to vow to stay a bodhisattva instead of becoming a buddha, because bodhisattvas can more effectively help other beings become enlightened. Because of his compassion, Avalokitesvara has vowed not to become a buddha and slip into nirvana until after all sentient beings are saved from the nearly endless round of suffering in samsara. Instead, he has committed to continued existence so that he can help suffering beings. Avalokitesvara is not the only bodhisattva who has made this vow. However, he embodies the compassionate motivation which led all bodhisattvas to the vow. Thus, valuing the bodhisattva vow leads to valuing Avalokitesvara and everything he signifies. As compassionate action is Avalokitesvara's essence, he is supremely helpful. He can assume any form in order to help sentient beings, and there are descriptions of him appearing as buddhas, brahmanic gods, humans, and animals. In all these forms he does wonderful things to help alleviate the suffering of beings and bring them towards enlightenment. He rescues his followers from fires, from drowning, from bandits, from murder, from prisons. He gives children to female followers who want children. He helps release beings from the three mental poisons of passion, hatred, and delusion. He helpful both on the physical, worldly plain, and on a more psychological or spiritual level. In addition to being the personification of compassion, Avalokitesvara has been connected with light more thoroughly than any other Buddhist deity. The stories say that he was created from a ray of light which emanated from Amitabha Buddha. Avalokitesvara is a luminous being of light, and is repeatedly described as radiating light which shines over all sentient beings and over all corners of the universe. Similarly, he sees everything and everyone in all corners of the universe, a fact that is emphasized by his name. "Avalokitesvara" comes from two roots, "avalokita" and "isvara". "Avalokita" means "glance" or "look". "Isvara" means "lord". "Avalokitesvara" has been taken to mean such things as "Lord of what we see", "Lord who is seen", "Lord who is everywhere visible", "Lord who sees from on high", and "Lord of compassionate glances". None of these interpretations are definitive, but regardless of how his name is interpreted, Avalokitesvara is certainly connected with lightness and sight. His ability to see everywhere is important because it allows him to manifest his compassion everywhere. The light that he emanates everywhere is sometimes described as a representation of the flow of his compassion to all parts of the universe. As Buddhism spread throughout Asia, the teachings about Avalokitesvara were carried everywhere Buddhism went. In China and Japan, Avalokitesvara is the most popular bodhisattva. However, he has undergone a sex-change, and is almost always portrayed in feminine form. In China, he/she is called Kuan-yin or occasionally Kuan-tzu-tsai. In Japan, she is called Kan-non or Kwan-non. In both countries, she is seen as the supreme savior of suffering beings and is worshipped widely as the goddess of mercy and compassion. She gives children to women who pray to her for offspring. The cult of Avalokitesvara also spread to Sri Lanka. This is a little surprising as Sri Lanka primarily follows Theravada Buddhism, while Avalokitesvara was originally a strictly Mahayana conception. In Sri Lanka, he is called Natha, which is an abbreviation of Lokesvaranatha, which means "Lord of the World". He has become identified with the bodhisattva Maitreya, the "future Buddha". He is also seen as being identical with several Hindu gods. Natha is seen as the guardian deity of Sri Lanka, and is reportedly worshipped primarily because he is regarded as a pragmatically useful source of advantages in the phenomenal world. Although I have been able to find very little information on it, apparently the cult of Natha has also spread with little change to other Theravada Buddhist countries, such as Cambodia and Burma. In Nepal, Avalokitesvara is conflated with the Brahman deity Matsyendranath. He is worshipped in elaborate rituals which are performed by a priestly caste. Ordination is handed down from father to son, with some important positions being sold to the highest bidder from within the caste. According to one reporter, the meanings behind the rituals have been largely forgotten. However, they continue to be performed because they are customary and are considered to bring luck. In Tibet, Avalokitesvara has reached a position of tremendous importance. The stories surrounding him, his integration in the practicalities of life, and his use in meditative practice have all been highly developed. The Tibetans started with Avalokitesvara (here called Chenrezi) where the Indians left off. Traditional Tibetan belief holds that the cult of Avalokitesvara was brought to Tibet by the eighth century C.E. During the eighth century, King Srong-btsan sgam-po was active in bringing Buddhism to Tibet. This king is considered an incarnation of Avalokitesvara. Tibetans traditionally believe that he was active in propagating a cult of Avalokitesvara. Not long after his reign, Buddhism went into a decline, and did not revive until the eleventh century. Western scholars believe that although there may have been a small following of the Avalokitesvara cult during the reign of Srong-btsan sgam-po (and there is not much evidence that there was any such cult then), the cult certainly died out between then and the eleventh century. Traditional Tibetan belief holds that the cult continued in secret during this period. However, everyone agrees that the cult of Avalokitesvara first became widely popular during the eleventh and twelfth centuries. The belief that Avalokitesvara is the creator of the universe was accepted and elaborated upon. In Tibetan writings, he is seen as not only creating the world and the Hindu gods, but also as creating the buddhas and the buddha-fields. The whole cosmos exists as a manifestation of Avalokitesvara's creative activity. This is especially true of Tibet, which is depicted as having a particularly close relationship with Avalokitesvara. His vow to save all beings becomes a vow to first save Tibetans, because they need his teachings particularly badly and because the Buddha asked him to concentrate on Tibet. Stories arose which describe Avalokitesvara as being intimately involved with the creation of Tibet. One of the more popular of these stories describes the creation of the Tibetan people. Once there was a monkey who was an incarnation of Avalokitesvara. He lived in the mountains, where he practiced meditation. One day, a demoness saw him and fell in love with him. She tried unsuccessfully to court him, and finally said that she would bring disaster on all the living beings in the area if he did not marry her. The monkey was confused, and asked Avalokitesvara what to do. Avalokitesvara told the monkey to marry the demoness. The monkey and the demoness wed and had six children, who were the progenitors of the Tibetan people. Thus, all Tibetans are direct descendants of a manifestation of Avalokitesvara. Tibetan Buddhism also produced the innovation of recognizing mortal human beings as the incarnations or manifestations of dieties. As far as I am aware, Tibet is the only Buddhist country that has this understanding. Incarnations of Avalokitesvara are particularly important in Tibetan history. I have already mentioned the progenitor monkey and King Srong-btsan sgam-po. Another manifestation of Avalokitesvara which plays a crucial role in Tibetan history is the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama has been repeatedly incarnating in Tibet since the fifteenth century. He is now in his fourteenth incarnation. The Dalai Lama is the head of the Kagyu-pa school, which is one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Also, from the time of his fifth incarnation in the early seventeenth century until the Chinese conquered Tibet, the Dalai Lama was the ruler of Tibet. Thus, Tibet was governed by a manifestation of their protective deity, who was also the progenitor of the Tibetan people and the ruler who had brought Buddhism to Tibet. Further, this deity, and therefore also his manifestation, is the personification of compassion, which should guarantee that his rule is kind and reduces suffering. Avalokitesvara is important not only in Tibetans' understanding of their history, but also in their practice of Buddhist meditation. Particularly in tantric visualization practices, Avalokitesvara, as the embodiment of compassionate action, is critically important. In tantra, practitioners create visualizations which are structured so as to bring about experiential realizations of Buddhist teachings2. In order to understand the purpose of these visualizations, it is necessary to understand the philosophy which the visualizations serve to make experientially real. What is this philosophy? It is beyond the scope of my paper to lay forth the entire teachings of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism, but I will try to briefly outline the philosophies which are most commonly used in tantric visualizations of Avalokitesvara. The most obvious Buddhist teaching used in these practices is the importance of compassion. What, precisely, is the Buddhist understanding of compassion? Compassion starts with sorrow at the suffering of others. As such, it incites action aimed at reducing the suffering of others. Compassion is the motivating force behind useful action. It is a warm, positive energy directed towards helping others. Compassion can only arise when we do not have a strong sense of separation from others. If there is a feeling that I am over here, and you are over there, and we are totally separate individuals, then we will not be able to truly sorrow at each others' pain, because others' pain will not touch us. In order to truly be touched by the suffering of others, we have to abandon our attachment to sharp divisions between individuals. We need to live in awareness of the flow of energy between ourselves and others.

Credit to: Karen M. Andrews

Consecration Rituals

The Consecration Ritual - Excerpts

Offerings are a major part of the ritual of consecration and of many other Tibetan Buddhist rituals, but their nature clearly reveals their Indian origin. Offerings are made to acquire merit, but the recipient can be the poor and needy as well as lamas or deities. If the merit thus acquired is dedicated to the attainment of enlightenment, the offering becomes partof the practice of the perfection of giving. Though elaborate offerings to deities who never seem to partake of them may seem wasteful to the sceptical, especially in the case of the ritual fire offerings during which everything is burned, such offerings are not merely meaningless ritual. the primary aim of Buddhist practice is to train the mind and this is the context in which the offerings should beunderstood. Whether physical offerings actually benefit the recipient or not, from the practitioners point of view they are an essential means of reducing the desire and greed which characterize our relationship with the physical world. Desire is to think that we would be satisfied if we were to obtain some object, and greed is to think we will be more satisfied if we can keep what we have obtained or gain more. Both passions tend to reinforce the notion of ourselves as real, independent selves to be satisfied. Making offerings accustoms the mind to giving, letting go of desirable objects, and serves to loosen our sense of clinging to a real and independent self. The merit derived from giving can be a cause in the short term for acquiring wealth, but ultimately for attaining enlightenment. Offerings directed to certain deities, Buddhas, or Bodhisattvas create connections with them. In Sanskrit the word for offering is "puja" which means to please. Offerings please the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, not becausethey are pleased to receive gifts, but because they delight in the virtue of the givers, which is determined by the quality of their motivation in making the offering. Offerings need not even be material. Milarepa offered his spiritual practice, his most cherished attribute. The best offerings are of virtuous accomplishments. Thus, the offering of religious practice is what most pleases the deities and creates a bond between them and the practitioner, which provides a basis for his/her further development. Several factors determine the quality of an offering. Prominent is the giver's motivation, though the status of the recipient and the nature of the offering also contribute. The giver acquires the greatest merit when he/she is motivated by a wish to attain enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. It is much less if he/she aspires for his/her own enlightenment alone and even less if he/she wishes merely to obtain a good rebirth in his/her next life. The poorest motivation is the wish to gain some benefits in this lifetime, such as wealth and a long life, or to be completely mundane in seeking a reputation for generosity. The status of the recipient is an important factor. The merit gained by making an offering with absolutely pure motivation to a Buddha is immeasurable. Since images and other manifestations of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are to be regarded as no different from them in nature, making offerings such as are made to the mandala deities in the consecration rituals is equivalent to making offerings to the Buddhas. The Buddhas are exalted objects of offering because they are the ultimate source of refuge, not because they will snatch us out of cyclic existence, but because the teachings they demonstrate enable us to do so ourselves. One's own lama or teacher is also an exalted object of offering, because it is due to his personal kindness and guidance that one can make any progress on the path of development for the benefit of all sentient beings. Nevertheless, since pure motivation is so important, a gift made with a very pure motivation to a needy person is also very meritorious. One can reflect that this needy person has at sometime been one's own kind mother or consider the fact that one depends on others to attain enlightenment, for without them one would have no opportunity to practice giving, ethics and forbearance, which are essential in the quest for Buddhahood. Thus it could be said that the merit obtained from making a modest gift to a needy person with an exalted motivation is far greater than one made to a Buddha with a poor motivation. Whatever is offered should always have been honestly obtained, for a wrongly acquired object severely detracts from the wholesome quality of giving it. Offerings should always be of the best one has. Food offered tothe Buddhas should not be bad or rotten on the pretext that no one will eat it. It is good to offer one's own food before eating it. Since the main purpose of making offerings is to reduce avarice, one should do so without a trace of regret. The Buddha recommended that avaricious people should initially accustom their minds to giving, by giving something from one hand to the other. Water is also commonly offered. Water is pure. the Indian master Atisha, who visited Tibet with profound effect in the eleventh century, praised the purity of water in Tibet, saying that simply by appreciating its excellent qualities one could offer it joyfully to the Buddhas. Water can easily and honestly be obtained and when offering it one can imagine washing away the miserliness of all sentient beings.

(Portion of "The Consecration Ritual", pp 55 - 56, Cho-Yang, Vol. 1-No.2,1987. Cho-Yang is an occasional publication of the Council for Religious andCultural Affairs)

The Mirror of Essential Points

A Letter in Praise of Emptiness From Nyoshul Khenpo Jamyang
Dorje to his Mother

I pay homage at the lotus feet of Tenpai Nyima,
Who is inseparable from Dharma-lord Longchen Rabjam
And perceives the natural state of emptiness
Of the ocean-like infinity of things.

A letter of advice I offer to you, my noble mother Paldzom;
Listen for a while without distraction.

Staying here without discomfort,
I am at ease and free from worries
In a state of joyful mind.
Are you well yourself, my dear mother?

Here, in a country to the West,
There are many red and white skinned people.
They have all kinds of magic and sights,
Like flying through the skies
And moving like fish in the waters.
Having mastery over the four elements,
They compete in displaying miracles
With thousands of beautiful colours.

There is an endless amount of spectacles,
Like designs of rainbow colours,
But like a mere dream, when examined,
They are the mistaken perceptions of the mind.

All activities are like the games children play;
If done, they can never be finished.
They are only completed once you let be,
Like castles made of sand.

But this not the whole story;
All the dharmas of Samsara and Nirvana,
Though thought to be permanent, they do not last.
When examined, they are but empty forms,
That appear without existence.
Although unreal, they are thought to be real,
And when examined, they are unreal like an illusion.

Look outward at the appearing objects,
And like the water in a mirage,
They are more delusive than delusion.
Unreal like dreams and illusions,
They resemble reflected moon and rainbows.

Look inward at your own mind!
It seems quite exciting, when not examined.
But when examined, there is nothing to it.
Appearing without being, it is nothing but empty.
It cannot be identified saying, "that's it!"
But is evanescent and elusive like mist.

Look at whatever may appear
In any of the ten directions.
No matter how it may appear,
The thing in itself, its very nature,
Is the sky-like nature of mind,
Beyond the projection and dissolution of thought and
concept.

Everything has the nature of being empty.
When the empty looks at the empty,
Who is there to look at something empty?
What is the use of many classifications,
Such as 'being empty' and 'not empty'
As it is illusion looking at illusion,
And delusion watching delusion?

"The effortless and sky-like nature of the mind,
The vast expanse of insight,
Is the natural state of all things.
In it, whatever you do is all right,
However you rest, you are at ease."
This was said by Jetsun Padmasambhava
And the great siddha Saraha.

All the conceptual designs,
Such as "it's two!" or "it's not two!"
Leave them like the waves on a river,
To be spontaneously freed in themselves.

The great demon of ignorant and discursive thought
Causes one to sink in the ocean of samsara.
But when freed from this discursive thought,
There is the indescribable state, beyond conceptual mind.

Besides mere discursive thoughts,
There is not even the words of 'samsara' and 'nirvana'.
The total calming down of discursive thought
Is the suchness of Dharmadhatu.

Not made complex by complex statements,
This unfabricated single bindu
Is emptiness, the natural state of mind.
So it was said by the Sugata.

The essence of whatever may appear,
When simply left to itself,
Is the unfabricated and uncorrupted view,
The Dharmakaya, emptiness mother.

All discursive thought is emptiness,
And the seer of the emptiness is discursive thought.
Emptiness does not destroy discursive thought,
And discursive thought does not block emptiness.

The fourfold emptiness of the mind itself
Is the ultimate of everything.
Profound and tranquil,free from complexity,
Uncompounded luminous clarity,
Beyond the mind of conceptual ideas:
This is the depth of the mind of the Victorious Ones.

In this there is not a thing to be removed,
Nor anything that needs to be added.
It is merely the immaculate
Looking naturally at itself.

In short, when the mind has fully severed
The fetters of clinging to something,
All the points are condensed therein.
This is the tradition of the supreme being Tilopa
And of the great pandita Naropa.

Such a profound natural state as this,
Is among all the kinds of bliss,
The wisdom of great bliss.
Among all kinds of delight
It is the king of supreme delight.
It is the supreme fourth empowerment
Of all the tantric sections of the secret mantras.
It is the ultimate pointing out instruction.

The view of 'Samsara and Nirvana Inseparable',
And that of Mahamudra, of Dzogchen, the Middle Way and
others,
Have many various titles
But only one essential meaning.
This is the view of Lama Mipham.

As an aid to this king of views
One should begin with Bodhicitta,
And conclude with dedication.

In order to cut off through skilful means
The fixation on an ego, the root of Samsara,
The king of all great methods
Is the unsurpassable Bodhicitta.

The king of perfect dedication
Is the means for increasing the roots of virtue.
This is the special teaching of Shakyamuni
Which is not found with other teachers.

To accomplish complete enlightenment
More than this is not necessary
But less than this will be incomplete.
This swift path of the three excellences,
Called the heart, eye and lifeforce,
Is the approach of Longchen Rabjam.

Emptiness, the wish-fulfilling jewel,
Is unattached generosity.
It is uncorrupted discipline.
It is angerless patience.
It is undeluded exertion.
It is undistracted meditation.
It is the essence of prajna.
It is the meaning in the three yanas.

Emptiness is the natural state of mind.
Emptiness is the non-conceptual refuge.
Emptiness is the Absolute Bodhicitta.
Emptiness is the Vajrasattva of absolving evils.
Emptiness is the Mandala of perfect accumulations.
Emptiness is the Guru Yoga of Dharmakaya.

To abide in the natural state of emptiness
Is the 'calm abiding' of shamatha,
And to perceive it vividly clear
Is the 'clear seeing' of vipasyana.

The view of the perfect Development Stage,
The wisdom of bliss and emptiness in the Completion Stage,
The non-dual Great Perfection,
And the single bindu of Dharmakaya,
All these are included within it.

Emptiness purifies the karmas.
Emptiness dispels the obstructing forces.
Emptiness tames the demons.
Emptiness accomplishes the deities.

The profound state of emptiness
Dries up the ocean of passion.
It crumples the mountain of anger.
It illuminates the darkness of stupidity.
It calms down the gale of jealousy.
It defeats the illness of the kleshas.
It is a friend in sorrow.
It destroys conceit in joy.
It conquers in the battle with Samsara.
It annihilates the four Maras.
It turns the eight worldly dharmas into same taste.
It subdues the demon of ego-fixation.
It turns negative conditions into aids.
It turns bad omens into good luck.
It causes to manifest complete enlightenment.
It gives birth to the Buddhas of the three times.
Emptiness is the Dharmakaya mother.

There is no teaching higher than emptiness.
There is no teaching swifter than emptiness.
There is nn teaching more excellent than emptiness.
There is no teaching more profound than emptiness.

Emptiness is the 'knowing of one that frees all.'
Emptiness is the supreme king of medicines.
Emptiness is the nectar of immortality.
Emptiness is spontaneous accomplishment beyond effort.
Emptiness is enlightenment without exertion.

By meditating emptiness
One feels tremendous compassion
Towards the beings obscured, like ourselves,by the belief in
a self,
And Bodhicitta arises without effort.

All qualities of the path and bhumis
Will appear naturally without any effort,
And one will feel a heartfelt conviction
Regarding the law of the infallible effect of actions.

If one has but one moment of certainty
In this kind of emptiness,
The tight chain of ego-clinging
Will shatter into pieces.
This was said by Aryadeva.

More supreme than offering to the Sugatas and their sons
All the infinite Buddha fields
Filled with the offering of gods and men;
Is to meditate on emptiness.

If the merit of resting evenly
Just for an instant in this natural state
Would take on concrete form,
Space could not contain it.

The peerless Lord of the sages, Sakyamuni,
For the sake of this profound emptiness,
Threw his body into pyres of fire,
Gave away his head and limbs,
And performed hundreds of other austerities.

Although you fill the world with huge mounds
Of presents of gold and jewels,
This profound teaching on emptiness,
Even when searched for, is hard to find.
This is said in the Hundred Thousand Verses of Prajna
Paramita.

To meet this supreme teaching
Is the splendid power of merit
Of many aeons beyond count.

In short, by means of emptiness,
One is, for the benefit of oneself,
Liberated into the expanse of the unborn Dharmakaya,
The manifest complete enlightenment
Of the four Kayas and the five Wisdoms.
The unobstructed display of the Rupakaya
Will then ceaseslessly arise to teach whoever is in need,
By stirring the depths of Samsara for the benefit of others
Through constant, all-pervading spontaneous activity.
In all the Sutras and Tantras this is said
To be the ultimate fruition.

How can someone like me put into words
All the benefits and virtues hereof,
When the Victorious One with his vajra tongue
Cannot exhaust them, even if he speaks for an aeon?

The glorious Lord, the supreme teacher,
Who gives the teachings on emptiness,
Appears in the form of a human being,
But his mind is truly a Buddha.

Without deceit and hypocrisy
Supplicate him from your very heart,
And without needing any other expedient,
You will attain enlightenment in this very life.
This is the manner of the All-Embodying Jewel
Which is taught in the Tantras of the Great Perfection.
When you have this jewel in the palm of your hand,
Do not let it meaninglessly go to waste.

Learning, like the stars in the sky,
Will never come to an end through studies.
What is the use of all the various kinds
Of the many teachings requested and received?
What is the use of any practice which is higher than
emptiness?

Do not aim at having many ascetic costumes,
Such as carrying a staff and wearing braids and animal
skins.
Leaving the elephant back in your house,
Do not go searching for its footprints in the mountains.

Mother, meditate the essence of the mind,
As it is taught by the guru, the Vajra Holder,
And you will have the essence of the essence
Of all the eighty-four thousand teachings.
It is the heart nectar of a billion
Learned and accomplished ones.
It is the ultimate practice.

This advice from the core of the heart
Of the fallen monk Jamyang Dorje,
Is the purest of the pure essence
From the bindu of my life blood.
Therefore keep it in your heart, mother.

These few words of heart advice
Were written in a beautiful country-side,
The city of the spacious blue sky,
Rivaling the splendour of divine realms.

To the devoted Chokyi Nodzom,
My dear and loving mother,
And to my own devoted students,
I offer this letter of advice.




This letter to my students was composed by one who goes by
the name 'Khenpo', the Tibetan Jamyang Dorje, in the
Dordogne Herbal Valley of Great Bliss, in the country of
France beyond the great ocean in the western direction.

May virtue and auspiciousness ensue!



(This was put into English, with the help of Khenpo
Rinpoche, by Erik and Lodro.
Perigueux Retreat 1983

Heart Sutra

Thus have I heard at one time. The Lord was dwelling at Rajagriha, on Vulture-peak mountain, together with a great host of monks and a great host of Bodhisattvas. At that time the Lord was composed in the concentration on the course of dharmas called 'Profound Illumination.' At that time also the noble Lord Avalokita, the Bodhisattva and Mahasattva, in the practice of the profound Perfection of Wisdom, looked down; he beheld but five skandhas and that in their own-being they were empty.

Then, through the inspiration of the Buddha, the Venerable Sariputra said to the noble Lord Avalokita, the Bodhisattva and Mahasattva: "How should any child of good family train, who wishes to engage in the practice of the profound Perfection of Wisdom?" And the noble Lord Avalokita, the Bodhisattva and Mahasattva, spoke to the venerable Sariputra as follows.

"Sariputra, any son or daughter of good family who wishes to engage in the practice of the profound Perfection of Wisdom should look upon it thus: he or she beholds but five skandhas and that in their own- being they are empty.

Form is Emptiness, Emptiness is form. Emptiness does not differ from form, and form does not differ from Emptiness.

Likewise feelings, recognitions, volitions and consciousnesses are empty.

So, Sariputra, all dharmas are Emptyness, without differentiating marks; they are not produced or stopped, not defiled and not immaculate, not deficient and not complete.

Therefore, Sariputra, in Emptyness there is no form, no feeling, no recognition, no volitions, no consciousness; no eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind; no visible form, no sound, no smell, no taste, no tangible, no mental object; no eye-element, and so forth, up to no mind-element and no mental-consciousness-element; no ignorance and no extinction of ignorance, and so forth, up to no aging and death and no extinction of aging and death; likewise there is no Suffering, Origin, Cessation or Path, no wisdom-knowledge, no attainment and non- attainment.

Therefore Sariputra, because there is no attainment, Bodhisattvas abide relying on the Perfection of Wisdom, without obscurations of thought, and so are unafraid.

Transcending perverted views, they attain the end, Nirvana. All Buddhas existing in the three times, relying on the Perfection of Wisdom, fully awaken to the highest, perfect Enlightenment. Therefore one should know that the mantra of the Perfection of Wisdom is the mantra of great knowledge, the highest mantra, the unequalled mantra, the mantra that allays all suffering, the Truth, since it has nothing wrong.

The mantra of the Perfection of Wisdom is proclaimed:

TAD-YATHA; GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA!

In this way, Sariputra, should a Bodhisattva and Mahasattva train in the profound Perfection of Wisdom."

Then the Lord rose from that concentration and commended the noble Lord Avalokita, the Bodhisattva and Mahasattva, saying: "Well said, well said, O son of good family!

So it is, O son of good family, so it is. Just as you have taught should the profound Perfection of Wisdom be practiced, and the Tathagatas will rejoice.

Thus spake the Lord.

The Venerable Sariputra, the noble Lord Avalokita, the Bodhisattva and Mahasattva, and the whole world, that assembly with devas, human beings, asuras and gandharvas, were delighted and applauded the Lord's speech.

For the full Tibetan interpretation of the Heart Sutra look for the Dalai Lama's book pictured above.

FAQ in Tibetan Buddhism

This was borrowed from Sacred Texts .com. I found it so worthwhile I wanted to share it on here.

The purpose of this FAQ list is to give a basic understanding of a few
key terms or concepts that may be a little confusing for someone new to
this realm. It is not an authoritative text on Tibetan Buddhism.

1. What's 'Vajrayana'?
2. What's Tantra?
3. What are Lineages?
4. What does 'Taking Refuge' mean?
5. What is an 'Empowerment'?
6. What's a 'Root Lama'?
7. Aren't lamas pack animals?
8. What are Yidams?
9. What are those wrathful looking beings?
10. Book list


1. What's Vajrayana?/How is Tibetan Buddhism different?

Vajarayana is the most popular form of Buddhism in Tibet. Vajrayana
(also 'Mantrayana') is the third of the three vehicle of Buddhism. 'Yana'
means 'vehicle'. The teachings of the Buddha are divided into three yanas:
Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. Theravada, the most popular school of
Hinayana ('Lesser Vehcile') concentrates on discipline and virtue. Mahayana
concentrates more on altruistic motivations (compassion) and wisdom. All
three incorporate discipline, compassion, and wisdom with different methods
and motivations toward the common aspiration for Enlightenment.
In Vajrayana ('Diamond Vehicle') the central Mahayana themes of
compassion and emptiness are dealt with using symbolic and practical systems
of technique and understanding. There is the belief that enlightenment can
be attained through the proper combination of wisdom and compassion. The
three vehicles should not be considered as in conflict with each other.
Hinaya is a foundation for Mahayana, just as Mahayana is for Vajrayana.

2. What are tantras?/What is Tantra?

The tantras are the root scriptures of Vajrayana. The tantras are
texts ascribed to the Buddha in various manifestations. They usually describe
the mandala, mantra, and practice associated with a particular
deity/enlightened being.
The sexual symbolism of tantric sacred art has led to some
misunderstandings. Tantric texts are not 'pillow books', and their practice
depends on discipline, not indulgence.

3. What are the Lineages?/What is a lineage?

Tibetan Buddhism focuses strongly on maintaining a continuity of
teaching traced back to the Buddha. The relationship of the student to the
teacher (lama or guru) is very important. This continuity is maintained
through practice lineages. The true teachings can only be passed from a
living teacher to a living student, and cannot be learned properly from
books. Sometimes the teachers are in supernatural form.
A lineage isn't exactly a 'school', but the analogy is helpful
for a basic discussion. Tibetan Buddhism has four main lineages:
Gelug(school of the Dalai Lama), Kagyu, Sakya, and Nyingma. Each of these
has further divisions as well (such as Karma Kagyu and Shangpa Kagyu).
Gelug is considered the 'newest', started in 1409 with the foundation of
Gaden Monastery. Popular thought is that Gelugpas emphasize monastic
discipline and intellectual acuity, Kagyupas meditation, Sakyapas scholarly
activity, and Nyingmapas guru devotion. These emphases should not be
exaggerated though; all the schools advocate all forms of dharma activity.

4. What is 'Taking Refuge'?

The Buddhist path begins with taking refuge. We take refuge in the
three jewels, Buddha, Dharma, and the Sangha. The Buddha serves as our
example, Dharma as our path, and the Sangha as our companions on the path.
Tibetan Buddhism adds three more refuges(The Three Roots): the
Lama(s), the assemblage of Yidams (meditational deities), and the assemblage
of Guardians (Herukas, Dakinis, Dharmapalas). On the physical level this is
just repeating the vow, but there is an inner level. We are surrendering to
forces within us that are more continuous than our transient ego, and
asserting our commitment to unfreezing these forces to let them work through
us.

5. What is an 'Empowerment'?

Empowerments are further developments of what is started by taking
refuge. These are 'initiations' that help clear away obstacles to our seeing
things as they truly are. The Tibetan word is 'wangkur' (dbang-skur), 'wang'
is something like 'power'. The power is in the sense that the person is
allowing greater scope to more fundamentally wholesome aspects operating
within. Empowerments usually involve a ritual where the lama purifies the
aspirant and introduces him/her to a mandala, which is described fully and
the associated mantra (a chant). The aspirant is encouraged to consider the
mandala as a representation of his/her true nature. The Empowerment of a
deity helps to develop the particular psychological aspect s/he represents.

6. What's a 'Root Lama'?

'Root Lama' refers to a teacher from whom one had received the
empowerments, instructions, and precepts that form the center of one's own
practice.

7. Aren't lamas pack animals?

No, those are llamas. Lama is a title much like the Sanskrit 'Guru'.
Lamas are experienced and learned buddhist teachers. The term is often used
to refer to the members of the 'clergy' in general. The word comes from the
Tibetan 'la' (from 'la na me pa'), "insurpassable", plus 'ma', "mother". The
allusion is to the great compassion a mother has for her child. As sources
for refuge(see #4) they are the Root of Spiritual Blessing, which they bestow
on us in Empowerments(see #5).

8. What are Yidams?

(See #4 on Taking Refuge) Yidams are meditational deities that
symbolize various aspects Enlightenment. As sources for refuge they are the
Root of Accomplishments. Accomplishments refers to the Supreme Accomplishment
of Buddhahood, and ordinary accomplishments of long life, wealth, etc.

9. What are those wrathful looking beings?

Dharma Protectors and Guardians, they are embodiments of Wisdom.
They are usually represented having a terrifying appearance; they are
invoked to eliminate obstacles to the path toward Enlightenment. As sources
of refuge they (along with Dakas and Dakinis) are the Root of All Buddha
Activity.



10. Book List

"Freedom in Exile"
The Dalai Lama's autobiography.

"The Tibetan Book of the Dead"
Various editions/translations are out there of this classic.

"Tantric Mysticism of Tibet"
by John Blofield. Assumes the reader has a bit of background
knowledge of Buddhism. Deals with Tantric Meditation.

"Open Heart, Clear Mind"
by Thubten Chodron, excellent easy-to-read and practical intro
to Tibetan Buddhism.


Some of the information in this faq comes without permission from the
"Tibetan-English Dharma Vocabulary" prepared by Kagyu Thubten Choling,
127 Wappingers Falls, NY.

Words of Truth ~Dalai Lama~

Words of Truth
A Prayer Composed by:
His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso The Fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet

Honoring and Invoking the Great Compassion
of the Three Jewels; the Buddha, the Teachings,
and the Spiritual Community

O Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and disciples
of the past, present, and future:
Having remarkable qualities
Immeasurably vast as the ocean,
Who regard all helpless sentient beings
as your only child;
Please consider the truth of my anguished pleas.

Buddha's full teachings dispel the pain of worldly
existence and self-oriented peace;
May they flourish, spreading prosperity and happiness through-
out this spacious world.
O holders of the Dharma: scholars
and realized practitioners;
May your ten fold virtuous practice prevail.

Humble sentient beings, tormented
by sufferings without cease,
Completely suppressed by seemingly endless
and terribly intense, negative deeds,
May all their fears from unbearable war, famine,
and disease be pacified,
To freely breathe an ocean of happiness and well-being.
And particularly the pious people
of the Land of Snows who, through various means,
Are mercilessly destroyed by barbaric hordes
on the side of darkness,
Kindly let the power of your compassion arise,
To quickly stem the flow of blood and tears.

Those unrelentingly cruel ones, objects of compassion,
Maddened by delusion's evils,
wantonly destroy themselves and others;
May they achieve the eye of wisdom,
knowing what must be done and undone,
And abide in the glory of friendship and love.

May this heartfelt wish of total freedom for all Tibet,
Which has been awaited for a long time,
be spontaneously fulfilled;
Please grant soon the good fortune to enjoy
The happy celebration of spiritual with temporal rule.

O protector Chenrezig, compassionately care for
Those who have undergone myriad hardships,
Completely sacrificing their most cherished lives,
bodies, and wealth,
For the sake of the teachings, practitioners,
people, and nation.

Thus, the protector Chenrezig made vast prayers
Before the Buddhas and Bodhisativas
To fully embrace the Land of Snows;
May the good results of these prayers now quickly appear.
By the profound interdependence of emptiness
and relative forms,
Together with the force of great compassion
in the Three Jewels and their Words of Truth,
And through the power
of the infallible law of actions and their fruits,
May this truthful prayer be unhindered
and quickly fulfilled.

This prayer, Words of Truth, was composed by His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet, on 29 September 1960 at his temporary headquarters in the Swarg Ashram at Dharamsala, Kangra District, Himachal State, India. This prayer for restoring peace, the Buddhist teachings, and the culture and self-determina-tion of the Tibetan people in their homeland was written after repeated requests by Tibetan government officials along with the unanimous consensus of the monastic and lay communities.

Believe Nothing