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Hope, Fear and Ego – Phakchok Rinpoche message in September 2012 สารจากท่าน พักชก ริมโปเช กันยายน 2555

Guru Rinpoche Day

 Dear Friends Near and Far:I hope you have all been happy and healthy. I am in Guadalajara, Mexico preparing for todays Guru Rinpoche Day’s feast offering. I am going to keep each and everyone of you in my mind during the feast offering.

So for today’s Guru Rinpoche Day, I would like to share with you a key that helps unlock the root of all hope and fear. To really understand the dharma, to practice the dharma, and to apply the dharma, you really need to understand this key. On a day to day basis, where does all our hope and fear arise from? It arises from identity, feeling, belief, and ego clinging. The root is ego, this self centered ego.

What is hope? Hope is a positive attachment. When you don’t receive that or don’t have that you feel pain. What is Fear? Fear is something that you don’t like to have or don’t want to be. So most of our thoughts and feelings are contained in hope and fear.

Now I am going to give you a short quotation:

“Without cutting or reducing ego clinging, no matter how much you want to practice the dharma or live a positive life it is not going to work.”

As usual, my advice is don’t believe me but see it for your own self. So usually I say “seeing” is the first step, “recognizing” is the second step, “admitting” is the third step, “changing” is the fourth step and “measuring change” is the fifth step.

From another quotation:

“Without cutting the root of ego, meditation is just a creation of mind. Understanding is just labeling. Thinking that you understood is just subtle pride. When you really cut the root of ego, you don’t differentiate between yourself and others, and then you will understand selflessness. It is then when the realization of emptiness and compassion is going to be inseparable.”

So it is very important to reduce the ego. My message today may sound complicating to some, helpful to a handful and completely gibberish to many! But from my part, it is, has been, and will always be a joyful pleasure to connect with each and everyone of you and be a constant reminder of impermanence with each passing GRD one year after another.

Enclosed is a picture of my grandfather, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche pointing his finger inward. Thinking of you all and keeping you all in the depth of my heart and aspiration.

Sarva Mangalam,

Phakchok Rinpoche

www.phakchokrinpoche.org

www.cglf.org

Three Qualities – Phakchok Rinpoche message in August 2012 สารจากท่าน พักชก ริมโปเช สิงหาคม 2555

 Guru Rinpoche Day

Dear Dharma Brothers and Sisters,I hope you have all been happy and healthy. I have been well and busy hopping from one city to another on the eastern coast of United States.  I started out this morning at the Garrison Institute and then to Bedford to do a puja at a close friend’s place  and then to Irvington for an afternoon teaching followed by dinner with few friends and now finally in Room # 232 of some hotel an hour away from NYC. Yes, I am exhausted and therefore will keep todays GRD message short, my apologies.

So, whether in your mundane life or your spiritual, always remind your self of the three qualities:

1. Intelligence and wisdom in your brain

– Knowing your own negative emotions, knowing the dharma, and knowing how to practice the dharma.

2. Compassion in your heart

– Compassion without bias, compassion without judgement, and compassion without ego.

3. Dignity and confidence in your gut

– Knowing that you can succeed in your practice, seeing your improvement, and gradually gaining dignity in your practice without ego.

See it, experience it, and investigate whether having these three qualities in your life impact your life positively or not!

 

Sarva Mangalam,

Phakchok Rinpoche

www.phakchokrinpoche.org
www.cglf.org

Look at your mind – Phakchok Rinpoche message in July 2012 สารจากท่าน พักชก ริมโปเช กรกฎาคม 2555

Dear Friends Near and Far,

I hope you have all been happy and healthy. I am keeeping well and writing to you all from Cooperstown, Upstate NY. I am here at our retreat center leading a retreat and we just finished performing a feast offering as today being Guru Rinpoche’s Day, the 10th day of the lunar calendar. It’s almost midnight here and I’m trying to send this post out before midnight. Since I didn’t get much time to think about what to write for today’s post, I thought of sending you this picture of Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche, considered to be the living representative of Padmasambhava, he was a great revealer of treasures ‘terma’ concealed by Padmasambhava. I always keep this picture along with Kyabje Rinpoche’s words close to my heart and as a constant reminder to check my mind.

May all beings see their own face in that very moment through the blessings of the Guru.

 

Sarva Mangalam,
Phakchok Rinpoche

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

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

Dispel Obstacle – Phakchok Rinpoche message in May 2012 สารจากท่าน พักชก ริมโปเช พฤษภาคม 2555

Guru Rinpoche Day

 

 

Dear Friends Near and Far,

 

I hope you’ve all been happy and healthy. I am very well and just started off with my travels for this year. I left the Valley this afternoon for Malaysia where I’ll be for the next few weeks. I’ll be hopping from one city to the next in Asia en route to North America via Australia and then to South America, Europe and finally back home in October. I have just started my journey and I’m already tired! But I’m certainly looking much forward to seeing many of you during my stops around the globe.

 

It’s already late here in Malaysia and by the time I send this message out, it’ll probably land in your inbox on the 11th for those of you living in East, for which I truly apologize. But for the rest of you in the West, still the morning of 10th, Guru Rinpoche Day!

 

Anyhow, about two weeks ago we were on a pilgrimage following the footsteps of the Lotus Born in Nepal and Sikkim. It was a memorable trip still so vivid and in memory of it, I would like to share Padmasambhava’s last instructions to his students before leaving for the Chamara Island.

 

At the pass of Gunthang, on the border of Nepal and Tibet, as Padmasambhave is getting ready to leave for the Chamara Island of the cannibal demons, his students implore him not to leave them. Padmasambhava has no choice but to leave, for the cannibal demons would spill out from the Chamara Island into our world and destroy the human race and only he can tame them with his wisdom and compassion. To the grieving students, Padmasambhava encourages them by saying, ‘ for the people of the future, I have left behind blessings in the form of body, speech and mind.’

 

‘I have left “kutsaps”- representation of myself in the form of statues, blessed them and concealed them with the intention that beings in the future might see them, receive blessings and make a direct connection with me.’ He made the aspiration that coming into contact with a kutsap would be no different than meeting Padmasambhava in person. Beings who make such a connection will be blessed in this life and future lives. It serves as a source of blessing, removes obstacles, as well as strengthens and deepens one’s connection to Padmasambhava.

 

‘To represent my speech there are the many treasure texts hidden. The famous prayer to dispel obstacle, a terma of Chokgyur Lingpa is one such example.

 

Guru Rinpoche, the Buddha of past, present and future,

Dewa Chenpo- Guru of Great Bliss- the source of all siddhas,

Dud Dul Drakpo Tsal- Wrathful One that Subdues Negativity- who removes all obstacles,

Grant your blessings we pray! Through them, may all our obstacles, outer, inner and secret- be quelled,

And may all our aspirations be fulfilled!

 

‘And for my mind representation, it is always with those who have a karmic connection with me. For those who pray to me I am always there, especially on the tenth day of the month, I will be there to dispel the suffering of the beings.’

 

Sarva Mangalam,

 

Phakchok Rinpoche

 

 

 

 

 

www.phakchokrinpoche.org

 

Taming the Mind – Phakchok Rinpoche message in April 2012 สารจากท่าน พักชก ริมโปเช เมษายน 2555

Tame your own mind

Guru Rinpoche Day

Dear Friends Near and Far,

Greetings to you all on this Guru Rinpoche Day. Wherever you are and in whatever situation you are in, I truly hope that you are genuinely happy and healthy and that your karma never runs out and take you away from this current state.

I am by the way, in the Kathmandu Valley and presently, pleasantly happy and a little bit busy presiding over the Hundred Diety puja. Today is the 4th day of the 9-day/24 hour puja. And while sitting in the puja, I was checking in and out thinking of what to write for today’s GRD message. Lately I’ve been reading a series of question/answers between the Lotus Born and his Tibetan consort, Khandro Yeshe Tsogyal and then thought of sharing one such with you all.

During the fifty-five years that Guru Rinpoche remained in Tibet, Khandro Yeshe Tsogyal, his peerless student, served him as the most devoted and diligent attendant. Without exception, he bestowed upon her the entire extract of his oral instructions, and the essence of his wisdom. During this time, she collected and committed to writing all the teachings that he gave and kept them concealed as precious treasures.

She said, ‘on different occasions, he gave advice on dharma practice that I persistently retained in my perfect recall, collected and wrote down for the sake of future generations. Since they were not meant to be spread at the present time, I concealed these teachings as a precious treasure. May they meet with worthy and destined people’.

She goes on to say, “this ‘Cycle of Teachings Through Questions and Answers’ was committed to writing in the upper cave at Chimpu on the twenty fifth day of the second moon of fall in the year of the sow”.

An extract of a teaching from this particular terma treasure called Cycle of Teachings Through Questions and Answers:

Master Padma: When practicing the Dharma, you must first tame your own mind.
Lady Yeshe Tsogyal: What does that mean?
Master Padma:
You must extinguish the scorching flames of anger with the water of loving-kindness.
You must cross the river of desire on the bridge of powerful remedies.
You must light the torch of discriminating knowledge in the darkness of stupidity.
You must crumble the mountain of pride to the ground with the pestle of diligence.
You must overcome the storm of envy by wearing the warm garment of patience.

In any case, these five poisons, your old archenemies, will ruin your being in the three realms of samsara if you uninhibitedly indulge in them. Do not let them run wild. There is a danger in that.

Sarva Mangalam,
Phakchok Rinpoche

Footsteps of the Lotus-Born Pilgrimage 13-23 April, 2012

We are pleased to announce that Kyabgon Phakchok Rinpoche will be leading a pilgrimage to the major sacred sites of Guru Rinpoche in Nepal and Sikkim, from 13 to 23 April this year. In total, we will be visiting ten sites, plus an optional trip to Maratika Caves. In each location, Rinpoche will be leading a tsok offering (or feast offering) associated with the Trinley Nyingpo (Guru’s Heart Practice, Dispeller of All Obstacles) from the Treasures of Chokgyur Lingpa.

Pilgrimage is a wonderful opportunity to connect our life and practice with the blessings of great enlightened ones who have consecrated these places. By visiting these sacred locations with the right frame of mind we can gather the two accumulations and remove our obscurations as taught by the Buddha.

This year’s pilgrimage will only be limited to twenty-five (25) persons, on a first come first serve basis. The closing date for registration is 23 March, 2012. To register, please visit http://www.cglf.org/news-a-events/foundation-events.html

CHOKGYUR LINGPA FOUNDATION
www.cglf.org

Kindness – Phakchok Rinpoche message in March 2012 สารจากท่าน พักชก ริมโปเช มีนาคม 2555

Practicing Kindness

 

Dear Friends Near and Far,

I hope you’ve all been healthy and happy. It’s been two months since our last connection, and for those of you who noticed that I didn’t drop into your mailbox last month, I truly apologize. I’ve been away the past month on a family pilgrimage where I din’t have access to internet. Anyhow, a very happy Guru Rinpoche Day to you all today. This month’s Guru Rinpoche Day is a special one as it falls on a Saturday, and therefore a “pen chu”.Today I want to relay to you all the importance of practicing kindness. Actually what is kindness? Kindness is the basis of happiness. Kindness is the basis of the life we live. Kindness is the basis of the dharma. The basis of practicing the dharma should be on a caring positive mind. So kindness is understanding. Kindness is a thing that you don’t take advantage of. It is seeing that it is directly and indirectly benefiting you. For example, if you are giving alms to a beggar and if you have a feeling of savior or superiority, then think twice. Who is doing a favor to whom. I would say that the beggar is doing a favor to you. If there is no beggar, and if you have the motivation of accumulating merit by giving alms to beggars, then who are you going to give to? Kindness can produce a good caring heart. So think of kindness towards your parents who care for you, your friends who are doing something special to you, and even to a waiter who is serving you. Don’t take advantage of that or think you own that because it is their responsibility or that they should since you are paying for it.

Kindness can help you gain caring and showing kindness means you understand. So please practice kindness. When you think of kindness towards your teacher, you gain devotion. When you think of kindness towards your parents, you gain respect and caring. And when you practice kindness towards the general public, you become more positive and good hearted, naturally. When you practice kindness towards your loved ones, your understanding grows and so does your patience. So basically only by practicing kindness, you are producing more positive thoughts and as a result, improving the qualities of your life.

For those of you who don’t feel much kindness towards others, you should at least be very kind to your ego!  The most important key is that you need to see your own faults and to do this, you need to be kind to your ego. Because when you do so, you’ll see your mistakes and the causes of those mistakes.

I know that everyone has so many things to do mundanely and in their practice as well and I wouldn’t want to add anymore to that. But please do think of my message today. I’m participating in a ceremonial puja of longevity which goes on for nine days on a 24 hour period. I’m sitting through the day session from sunrise to sunset and today I’m a feeling a little down with a cold and at the moment a little tired and dizzy while writing this to you. So think of kindness towards me for starters!

Kindness is a very positive thought which leads to a positive life and that in turn makes your life more meaningful leaving no room for regrets and therefore free of suffering. How kind of “kindness” in creating a ripple of kind positive effects in our lives.

Last but not the least, when you are having your next meal, try to practice kindness towards the person preparing the meal, or to the one serving you that meal, to those who planted that meal and to those insects who died in the process and when you think of kindness in this manner, your meal naturally becomes precious, more delicious, more unique and as a result, makes you more positive, more compassionate and basically more meaningful all because of just thinking of kindness!

Thinking of kindness, I seal today’s GRD message with much love and affection towards all of you, wherever you are.

Sarva Mangalam,

Phakchok Rinpoche

 

 

 

Five faculties – Phakchok Rinpoche message in January 2012 สารจากท่าน พักชก ริมโปเช มกราคม 2555

Guru Rinpoche Day

Dear Friends Near and Far,

First off, I would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year! I hope this new year brings you and your loved ones abundant joy and good health. Today being the first Guru Rinpoche Day message of the year 2012, I would like to share with you a teaching given by Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche many moons ago in Bhutan, perhaps the most memorable time of my life. Rinpoche besides being my root guru, was also like a father figure to me. I am where I am spiritually today only because of the kindness of my gurus.

 

One day in his audience, when he was talking about the Great Perfection, he gave me a piece of advice spreading out his five fingers in front of me and mentioned think of these as the five different motivations. He drew a line along his little finger and pointing to the lower half said, “One motivation we have is fear and the wish to be free from that fear in this life. For example, some people are sick or are experiencing some particular hardship and because of which, start practicing. That kind of intention is not very pure.” Pointing to the upper half of his little finger he said, “This is the desire to gain excellent qualities in this life. For intance, wanting to have good health, long life and so forth. Both of which are samsaric motivations” he said. The second finger Rinpoche mentioned is neither positive nor negative, but of a neutral intention. The middle finger he said is the motivation of those with inferior faculties, thinking, “I fear falling into the lower realms and instead want to be liberated from the lower realms and because of this reason I want to practice observing karma.” The next finger he said is the motivation of those with mediocre faculties, those at the Arhat level, who fear being in samsara. Finally pointing to the thumb he said, ” This is the motivation of those with superior faculties, the superior motivation of pure bodhichitta.” Pure compassion and wisdom. When these two are combined together then you have pure bodhichitta. When you lack one of these, it is not pure bodhichitta. So Rinpoche said, out of these five, which motivation should we have? This one, he said, with a big thumbs up.

 

Most of the time quite honestly speaking we have the lowest motivation. We have fear of suffering, obstacles and attachment to excellent circumstances and qualities. Sometimes we might reach the third or the fourth level, but then we fall back down again. We never reach the highest level. To close his advice, we mentioned, whoever you are and whatever practice you do, when you lack this superior kind of motivation that means you lack what? Enlightenment!

 

Sending you all much love and affection on this Guru Rinpoche Day.

 

Sarva Mangalam,

 

Phakchok Rinpoche