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Instruction that will help at the time of death – Phakchok Rinpoche message on Guru Rinpoche day สารจากท่าน พักชก ริมโปเช กรกฎาคม 2555

Guru Rinpoche Day
Dear Friends Near and Far:Greetings to you all on this Guru Rinpoche Day, the day he was known as Guru Senge Dradok back in the 8thcentury raising the victory banner of the Dharma when he vanquished the tirthikas from South India who were attempting to harm the Buddha Dharma.I truly hope that you’ve all be happy and healthy. I am happy and juggling a bit with my weight here in Hong Kong but besides which all is well!

A student of mine recently asked me for a pith instruction that will help him at the time of death and I couldn’t think of any other teaching but the advice given by Guru Rinpoche to his consort, the Lady of Kharchen, Yeshe Tsogyal.

And from the “Dakini Teaching”, it goes . . .

“Master, although I have served you for a long time, I am now an old woman with no confidence at all about the moment of death.  So I beseech you to hold me with compassion and give me a single instruction – concise and easy to practice – that condenses all the oral teachings into one.”

The great master replied, “Devoted woman with a faithful and virtuous mind, listen to me.  Although the profound key points of body are many, rest freely and relaxed, in whatever way you feel comfortable. Everything is included in simply that.

Although there are many key points of speech, such as controlling the breath and reciting mantras, stop speaking and rest like a mute.  Everything is included in simply that.

Although the many key points of mind involve concentrating, relaxing, projecting, absorbing, focusing inward and so on, everything is included in resting in genuine simplicity, free and easy, in your own nature.

“The mind won’t remain serenely in that state.  Like a cool breeze in the heat of the sun, if you ask, ‘Is it nothing?’ it vanishes swiftly like mist.  If you ask, ‘Is it something?’ it has no shape, color or any identifying characteristic whatsoever but is utterly empty and completely awake.  Vividly awake – this is the fundamental nature of your mind.

“Since this is how it is, the view is to recognize and resolve on that point. 

The meditation is to remain undistracted in a state of tranquility, steadfast, without fabrication or fixation. 

In that state, to be free from clinging or attachment, accepting or rejecting, hope or fear, towards any of the experiences of the six senses – that is the conduct.

“Whatever doubt or divided mind occurs, supplicate to your master.  Don’t remain among a crowd of people; practice in seclusion.  You must give up whatever great desire and yearning you have for this life, completely cut your attachment toward those with whom you have ties of attachment, and practice.  In that way, although your form is human, your thinking will be equal to that of an enlightened one.

“To continue, at the time of dying, practice as follows:

“As the earth element dissolves into the water element, the body becomes heavy and cannot support itself.  As the water element dissolves into the fire element, the mouth and nose dry up.  As the fire element dissolves into the wind element, the body heat slips away.  As the wind element dissolves into consciousness, one cannot but exhale with a rattle and inhale with a gasp.

“At that time, it feels like you have been pressed down by a huge mountain, are trapped within darkness, and hurled into space.  All these appearances are accompanied by roaring and ringing sounds.  The entire sky will appear as vividly bright as silk brocade flung open.

“Furthermore, within a dome of rainbow lights the natural forms of your awareness will materialize as peaceful, wrathful, and semi-wrathful deities with various heads.  Brandishing many kinds of weapons and filling the sky with fierce sounds.  The light, moreover, will be like a hundred thousand suns shining simultaneously.

“At this time, your innate deity will remind you of awareness, saying: ‘Don’t be distracted!  Don’t be distracted!’  Your innate demon will disturb the appearances and sweep them away, uttering many sharp and fierce sounds and leading you into confusion.

“When this occurs, know that the sensation of being pressed down is not a mountain pressing down but is your own elements dissolving.  Do not fear that!  The feeling of being trapped within darkness is not darkness, but are your five sense faculties dissolving.  The feeling of being hurled into the expanse of space is not being hurled.  It is that your mind and body have separated and your breathing has stopped so that your mind is without support.

“All experiences of rainbow lights are the natural radiance of your awareness.  All the peaceful and wrathful bodies are the natural forms of your awareness.  All sounds are your own sounds.  All lights are your own lights.  Have no doubt about this!  If doubt arises, you will be thrown into samsara.  Having resolved this to be self-display, if you rest wide awake in the luminosity inseparable from emptiness, by simply that you will attain the three kayas and become enlightened.  Even if cast into samsara, you won’t go.

“The innate deity is the present taking hold of your mind with undistracted mindfulness.  From now on, it is most important to have no fascination, happiness or sorrow, and to be without hope and fear or clinging and fixation towards any of the objects of your six sense faculties.  If from this time onward you attain stability, you will become enlightened by taking hold of your natural state in the bardo.  Therefore, the most vital point is to sustain your practice undistractedly right now.

“The innate demon is your present habitual ignorance, your uncertain mind, and your doubt.  Whatever fearful phenomena appear at that time – such as the triad of sounds, colors and lights – do not become fascinated, do not create doubts and do not panic.  Since you will wander in samsara if you fall back into doubt for even a single moment, gain complete stability.

“At this time, all womb entrances will appear as celestial palaces, and you must not be captivated by them.  Be sure of that!  Separate yourself from hope and fear!  Without taking another rebirth, you will become enlightened.  I swear this without a doubt.  During this period, you are not benefited by a Buddha; it is your own awareness that has been enlightened from the very beginning.  You are not harmed by the hells.  Fixation is purified by itself so that all hope and fear concerning samsara and nirvana are severed at the root.

“Examples for becoming enlightened at such a time are like murky water becoming clear and limpid, like gold being purged of impurities, or clouds vanishing from the sky.  Having attained the space-like Dharmakaya for your own benefit, you will accomplish the benefit of sentient beings pervading space.  Having attained Sambhogakaya and Nirmanakaya for the welfare of others, you will benefit sentient beings as much as your awareness pervades phenomena.

“If this instruction is given three times to a very evil person, such as someone who has killed his own father and mother, he will not fall into samsara even if thrown there.  Thus, enlightenment is without a doubt.  Lacking an instruction like this, regardless of however many other profound teachings you may have, you can only speak the words.  Hence, since you do not know where you may wander, practice this teaching with perseverance.

“Concerning the disciples to whom this type of teaching should be given, they should be those with great faith, great diligence and great intelligence, who always remember their teacher, have confidence in the oral instructions, and exert themselves vigorously in the practice.  Their understanding should be stable and they should have the capacity to give up worldly concerns.  To them you should be generous.  In addition bestow the master’s seal of entrustment, the yidam’s seal of secrecy, and the dakini’s seal of entrustment.

“Although I, Padmakara, have followed many masters for three thousand, six hundred years, have requested oral instructions and detailed explanations, and have taught, meditated and carried out sadhana practice, I have not found any teaching more profound than this.  Now I am going to tame the rakshas, and you should practice exactly in this way.  Mother, you will become enlightened in the Buddhafield of Vajra Varahi.  Therefore, persevere in this instruction.”

After he spoke, the guru mounted the rays of the sun and departed to the land of the rakshas.  The lady attained liberation at this time and put the teaching in writing, hiding it as a profound treasure.  She made this aspiration: “In the future, may this be passed on to Guru Dorje Lingpa.  May it then benefit many beings.”

This completes the extremely sacred instruction, The Most Refined Essence: the reply to questions on self-liberation in the bardo of dying.  Samaya, seal, seal, seal.

For those of you who just embarked on the path, don’t be alarmed by the instructions above. To you all I would like to simply remind that, at the time of death, do not have any regrets of this life, no attachment or clinging to this life and to your samsaric belongings, confess of all your wrong doings, shouldn’t fear and instead when fear arises, think of your guru, and finally know that all the experiences that you are experiencing are nothing but the reflection of your mind.

Sarva Mangalam,
Phakchok Rinpoche

www.phakchokrinpche.org

Dharma talks at Wat Bejamabophit temple July-Dec 2012 ขอเชิญร่วมฟังธรรม ณวัดเบญจมบพิตรฯ ในทุกๆเดือน กรกฎาคม-ธันวาคม 2555

พุทธมามกมูลนิธิ ในพระสังฆราชูปถัมภ์

Buddhist foundation

ร่วมกับ

with

วัดเบญจมบพิตรดุสิตวนาราม

Bejamabophit temple

ขอกราบอาราธนาพระคุณเจ้า และเรียนเชิญพุทธศาสนิกชนผู้สนใจธรรมปฏิบัติร่วมฟังธรรมและปฏิบัติกรรมฐาน

Homage to the Buddha and inviting all Buddhists to listen to Dharma and practice meditation

ณ วัดเบญจมบพิตรฯ ศาลาธรรมชินราชปัญจบพิธ ดาดฟ้า ชั้น ๕

At Wat Benjamabophit temple, top floor 5th level

องค์แสดงธรรม คือ

With the following details

(all talks are in Thai)

พระอาจารย์วิชัย เขมิโย วัดถ้ำผาจม อ. แม่สาย จ. เชียงราย

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 1 กรกฎาคม 2555 เวลา 14.00น.

 

พระอาจารย์ลมาย ลาภสัมปันโน วัดพระพุทธบาทดอยโล้น อ.บ้านตาก จ.ตาก

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 19 สิงหาคม 2555 เวลา 14.00น.

 

พระอาจารย์ท่อน ญาณธโร วัดศรีอภัยวัน อ. เมือง จ. เลย

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 23 กันยายน 2555 เวลา 14.00น.

 

พระอาจารย์ปริญญา ธีรปัญโญ วัดพุ่มบำเพ็ญธรรม อ.บ้านไร่ จ.อุทัยธานี

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 21 ตุลาคม 2555 เวลา 14.00น.

 

พระอาจารย์ปราโมทย์ ปาโมชโช สวนสันติธรรม อ. ศรีราชา จ. ชลบุรี

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 25 พฤศจิกายน 2555 เวลา 14.00น.

 

พระอาจารย์เยื้อน ขันติพโล วัดเขาศาลาอตุลฐานะจาโร อ. บัวเชด จ. สุรินทร์

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 23 ธันวาคม 2555 เวลา 14.00น.

 

ติดต่อ พรหมชัย เกษมวรกิจ 0800788077

Monk education hall construction in Sra Kaew 30th June 2012 Sra Kaew province ขอเชิญร่วมเป็นเจ้าภาพทอดผ้าป่าสามัคคี เพื่อสมทบทุนสร้างศาลาการเปรียญวัดทัพหลวง จังหวัดสระแก้ว วันเสาร์ที่ 30 มิถุนายน 2555

 

ขอเชิญร่วมเป็นเจ้าภาพทอดผ้าป่าสามัคคี เพื่อสมทบทุนสร้างศาลาการเปรียญวัดทัพหลวง อำเภอวังน้ำเย็น จังหวัดสระแก้ว วันเสาร์ที่ 30 มิถุนายน ตามรายละเอียดด้านล่าง ติดต่อ คุณสิทธิชัย 089-7517812

 

ธนาคารกสิกรไทย สาขาวังน้ำเย็น ชื่อบัญชีนายสมจิต ปุ้ยนอก
นายแหล่ พลเดช พระสวัสดิ์ สุขกาโม ในนามวัดทัพหลวง บัญชีเลขที่ 273-2-68162-3

Kasikorn Bank, Wang Nam Yen Branch, Account number 273-2-68162-3

หรือ  ธนาคาร ธกส. สาขาวังน้ำเย็น   ชื่อบัญชี วัดทับหลวง เลขที่ 278-2-90806-1

 

ติดต่อ พระอาจารย์ สวัสดิ์ สุขกาโม โทร.081-2631646

พระอาจารย์ อำนวย สุจิตโต โทร.080-6312920

สอบถามเส้นทาง คุณสิทธิชัย 089-7517812

Invitation to be co-host in Tod Pha Pa ceremony and making contribution for construction of monk education hall at Wat Thap Luang, Ampur Wang Nam Yen, Sa Kaew province on Saturday 30th June (for more information and to make contribution for this please contact ram@pluslab.com or call 081-9855564

Shamatha and Vipashyana retreat Aug 2nd – 5th 2012 with Lama Rinchen Phuntsok บรรยายธรรมและฝึกสมาธิสมัถ และ วิปัสสนา จ. เชียงราย 2-5 สิงหาคม โดยพระลามะ รินเชน พุนสก

“Shamatha and Vipashyana” (Calm abiding and Insight) meditation 4 days retreat in Chieng Rai from August 2nd to August 5th (4 days long-weekend public holiday) at The New Life Foundation, please try to arrive by August 1st evening (http://www.newlifethaifoundation.com/retreats/4-day-shamatha-and-vipashyana-retreat/)

บรรยายธรรมและฝึกสมาธิสมัถ และ วิปัสสนา จ. เชียงราย 2-5 สิงหาคม วันหยุดยาว ควรจะมาถึงสถานที่ภายในวันที่ 1 (มีแปลไทย)
สอบถามข้อมูลเพิ่มเติมได้ที่ 081-9855564
ลงทะเบียนได้ที่  http://www.newlifethaifoundation.com/retreats/4-day-shamatha-and-vipashyana-retreat/

Please note that the weekend of the retreat is a long-weekend public holiday so would be good to book your travel early. Please try to arrive at the retreat venue on August 1st evening or early morning on August 2nd. 

For more information please contact us here, for reservation please contact retreats@newlifethaifoundation.com

 

Shamatha and Vipashyana

“Shamatha” or Calm Abiding takes the meditator to the stage where emotional conflict and disturbing trains of thought are eliminated in a state of thoughtful concentration which is calm and peaceful. In this peaceful and calm condition nothing disturbs equanimity, whether coming from outside or inside the mind. It is a state untroubled by attachments and aversions.

 At the same time the insight which is engendered by one pointed absorption allows clear vision of one’s own mind and the nature of things. This is called “Vipashyana” or Insight, which is a clear mind with an incisive insight into the nature of reality. Calmness and clarity allow the mind freedom to be in the here and now.

 

The other teaching programs are yet to be finalized. We will keep you posted and you can check at Mongkol Sri facebook page and also at www.mongkol.org

 

We are also raising fund for the payment of his flight ticket and other traveling expenses so if you would like to make a contribution please contact us here or call me at 081-9855564. The balance from the contribution will be directly donated to Lama Rinchen.

 

Here is a brief biography of Lama Rinchen:

Venerable Lama Rinchen Phuntsok is a skillfull teacher with a light and joyful manner. He is a scholar and meditation master of the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition. Born in Tibet, Lama Rinchen began receiving instruction in the traditions of Tibetan Buddhism at the age of six in Tsasum Chokhorling Monastery in Tibet. After he left Tibet in 1958, he studied at Young Lama’s Home School in Dalhousie, The Buddhist Monastic School in Rewalsar, Nyingmapa Lama’s College in Dehra-Dun, and Zongdog Palri Monastery in Kalimpong. Lama Rinchen graduated from Sanskrit University in Varanasi India where he completed advanced studies in Sutrayana Buddhist philosophy and scriptures, commentaries, logic, literature, history, and the major sciences of the Tibetan curriculum.

 

To complete his training in Vajrayana Nyingma School studies, he served as private secretary to the late His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche, supreme Head of the Nyingma order of Tibetan Buddhism for over fifteen years. During that time he received all the important empowerments, transmissions, essential instructions, the oral teaching of Nyingma Kama, and the Profound Rediscovered Teachings of Terma of the great Lotus Born Teacher, Guru Padmasambhava, the founder of Vajravana Buddhism. For many years Lama Rinchen was in charge of Zangdog Palri Monastery in India and also Urgyen Dongag, Choling Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal. In 1980, His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche asked him to come to the United States to teach in his New York center where Lama Rinchen was director and resident Lama for four years. Since then he has lectured widely throughout the United States and Europe at centers, colleges, and universities. Lama Rinchen visits his students every year and stays in St. Louis to give teachings and empowerments for several weeks during his U.S. tour. He also has students in New York, California, Colorado, New Mexico, etc., as he continues to spread the teachings of the Dudjom Lineage.

(http://dongakcholing.org/LamaRinchen.html)

 

 

Pith instructions by Padmasambhava – Phakchok Rinpoche message in June 2012 สารจากท่าน พักชก ริมโปเช มิถุนายน 2555

Guru Rinpoche Day

Beloved Friends Near and Far,

I hope you and your loved ones have been happy and healthy. I am at the moment in a small Malaysian city of Batu Pahat leading a Mahamudra retreat. And all is well here!

For today’s Guru Rinpoche Day, I thought of extracting few pith instructions by Padmasambhava to his close student, Trisong Detsen and a brief overview of how it all started.

How Padmakara came to the Snowy Land of Tibet.

It all started with Samye! The Great Lopon, Padmasambhava came to Tibet on the invitation of the Great King, Trisong Detsen under the guidance of the Great Abbot, Shantarakshita to built the first ever Buddhist monastery of the country.

When King Trisong Detsen, the thirty-eighth king of Tibet, was twenty-one years of age he formed a strong aspiration to spread the sacred teachings of the Dharma. He invited the Great Abbot; Shantarakshita from India who helped laid the foundation of the great temple. Whatever was build during the day was dismantled at night by the local spirits creating much obstacle which eventually lead the Abbot to make the prediction to invite the great master Padmasambhava to come to Tibet.

At the Tamarisk Forest at Red Rock, Padmakara met the king of Tibet and then proceeded to the top of Mount Hepori to bring the gods and demons of the country under his command. He laid the foundation for Samye and saw it through to completion, employing also the gods and demons who had earlier hindered the building. In five years the work was completed for the temple complex of Glorious Samye, the Unchanging and Spontaneously Accomplished Temple.

After the completion Samye, the King requested empowerment and instruction from Padmakara. At Chimphu, the hermitage above Samye, the great master gave profound teachings to many destined students headed by the king and his sons and the twenty-five disciples.

Guru Rinpoche remained in Tibet for 55 years and six months; 48 years while the king was alive and seven years and six months afterwards. He arrived when the king was 21 (810 A.D.). The king passed away at the age of 69. Padmakara stayed for a few years after that before leaving for Ngayab Ling by liberating the king of the Rakshasas and assuming his form at the Glorious Copper Colored Mountain of Glory.

Below is an excerpt of the extraordinary teachings given by the Master to the King.

Guru Rinpoche said this to Trisong Detsen:
To condense all into a single sentence: the view is to be free from convictions, meditation is to not place the mind on anything, experience is to be free from savoring the taste and fruition is beyond attainment. The Buddhas of the three times have not taught, are not teaching, and will not teach it to be any other than this!
(Advice from the Lotus Born pg. 38)

Guru Rinpoche to the King:
The awakened mind of bodhichitta is not created through causes nor destroyed through circumstances. It is not made by ingenious Buddhas nor manufactured by clever sentient beings. It is originally present in you as your natural possession. When you recognize it through your master’s oral instructions, since mind is the forefather of the Buddhas, it is like the analogy of recognizing someone you already know.
(Advice from the Lotus Born pg. 38)

King: What does it mean to ‘clear away the faults of conviction’?

Guru Rinpoche:
Even though you have realized that your mind is the Buddha, don’t forsake your master! Even though you have realized appearances to be mind, don’t interrupt conditioned roots of virtue! Even though you don’t hope for Buddhahood, honor the sublime Three Jewels! Even though you don’t fear samsara, avoid even the minutest misdeed! Even though you have gained the unchanging confidence of your innate nature, don’t belittle any spiritual teaching! Even though you experience the qualities of samadhi, higher perceptions and the like, give up conceit and pretentiousness! Even though you have realized that samsara and nirvana are nondual, don’t cease to have compassion for sentient beings!
(Advice from the Lotus Born pg. 39)

King: What does it mean to ‘gain certainty’?

Guru Rinpoche:
Gain certainty in the fact that since the very beginning your own mind is the awakened state of Buddhahood. Gain certainty in the fact that all phenomena are the magical display of your mind. Gain certainty in the fact that the fruition is present in yourself and is not to be sought elsewhere. Gain certainty in the fact that your master is the Buddha is person. Gain certainty in the fact that the nature of view and meditation is the realization of the Buddhas. Practice by means of such confidence.
(Advice from the Lotus Born pg. 39)

Sarva Mangalam,
Phakchok Rinpoche

www.phakchokrinpoche.org

www.cglf.org