Vision, Meditation and Action 16th Karmapa Teaching

Tashi Deleg, to you Australian who like Mahayana Buddhism, and especially to all those who delight in our Karma Kagyu Teaching. This time, Khyentse Chokyi Wangpo, a Karma Kagyu tulku, has come here. I hope that, until now this has brought vast benefit to the Western Australians here. In general Dharma can be integrated in any activity. Nevertheless, particularly for us practitioners, Dharma means to correct and bring us up from lower states in this lifetime. Therefore, in this case the lower states means the five afflicted poisons. If we ask what are the causes of the five afflicted poisons? Then the answer is ignorance. If we are seeking help to dispel this ignorance, then we must practice the extraordinary Mahayana Dharma, and reach an understanding of it within ourselves. That is the first result. That is the essential point. For example the present Bhagawan Buddha, the one who achieved all purposes, previously became completely enlightened at Bodhgaya India, at the especial place where the future 1002 Buddhas will also appear. The incomparable Buddhist teachings spread from this place. Since then, like a fire spreading over a great hill, the extraordinary Tantra teachings have progressively spread. Because of them great numbers of Siddhas appeared in India. Among those Siddhas the greates are the Eighty Siddhas etc, who were well known. This extraordinary teaching comes from the Mahayana teaching, which can bring to complete enlightenment within a moment and can distinguish all phenomena in a moment. Therefore, since then the earlier Tibetan translators, scholars and Siddhas have brought the essence of all those Teachings, and that incomparable Tantric teaching flourished in Tibet. Since then up till the present generation, uninterrupted Siddhas have come. Among those, the greatest example was Jetsun Milarepa, who achieved the non-dualistic form of Vajradhara within one life and one body. First he purified the bodu and speech obscuration. He went through difficulties. Then finally he obtained confidence in meditation, and he obtained the result of the meaning of Mahamudra. That was the Mahasiddha Milarepa. Therefore his limitless blessing and compassion can be received even in these controversial times of the five kinds of degeneration. Everyone who has merely heard his name is freed, on top of thet they will follow the path, and they will obtain the result. Therefore these days the lineage has flourished with great certainty throughout the world in both West and East. This shows how it is possible for the Buddhas compassion and blessing to arise in ones present life. Normally just by hearing something in your ear does not give rise to the great courage for following the path. Therefore having this thougt of wishing to engage in practice

shows that this blessing is truly present. Nevertheless, individual results are related to the actions accumulated in the past. Good results come from good actions and bad results come from harmful actions. Even if ones previous accumulated results are not strong, just assimilating the Mahayana Teaching in oneself will purify the two obscurations and their tendencies. Also we will understand the nature of the self aware primordial wisdom. Nevertheless, the fact is that in the Kagyu tradition you still need to have all the aspects of view, meditation and conduct. And the Kagyud tradition does have a view and meditation. The Kagyupa has extraordinary instructions that immediately liberate the wisdom of self awareness by the view and meditation alone. So now all Australian people really have great hope to understand Milarepas Lineage, obtain the ultimate result and attain the joyful Nirvana. Therefore, due to your great wish I have especially sent, on my behalf, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, one of the senior Kagyu Tulkus. Regarding this, on the one hand, you disciples should receive the teachings carefully. On the other hand the Teacher should give instructions according to the disciples capacity. All in all the Dharma should be flourishing properly. I have a great hopes to build a foundation of the Australian Milarepa lineage that will be the cause for dispelling the ignorance of all Australian people, and for them to realize primordial wisdom and finally obtain peaceful liberattion, and for them to come to the inseparable heart with Vajradhara, And may they temporarily gain happiness with a great motivation to benefit all others and may they have confidence in cause, action and effects with the thought of great love between each other, free from rivalry. In general, at first for those who want to receive the Kagyud teaching it is not easy to receive and for those who teach it, it is not easy to teach. The teaching is very precious (secret), and if it reaches the ears of those with broken samaya, indeed both the teacher and disciple receive harm instead of benefits. If it is taught by those who have the most profound devotion confidence and realization then the teachings is the authentic Vajrayana tradition. Therefore, in our Kagyud tradition the first step of engaging the path should start with the The great of the Precious Garland. Then, training is needed in the four thoughts turn the mind, for stabilizing ones devotion and trust. It was said by the famous Kagyud Master that the teaching of the Preliminary practices is more profound than the actual practice. Therefore if you dont purify the defilements of body, speech and mind one will not understand the deeper obscuration, which only causes growing suffering, never happiness. Hence, it is very important to train the body, speech and mind from the beginning. For example the preliminary practices: first do postrations, then secondly recite the Hundred Syllables to purify negative Karma, then the Mandala offering for gattering the two accumulations of merit and Wisdom. Then, the so called Root of the Thousand Buddhas comes accordingly from a Guru (teacher). Therefore within that understanding, recite the Guru Yoga to gain the enlightened qualities. One necessarily

has to chant the four Preliminary practices. Then sequentially the practice needs to be upgrade. Therefore, our Kagyudpa view, meditation and conduct, as mentionated earlier, should be learned afterwards. For example, The View Among the two kinds if Madhyamaka, for us, the former Kagyudpa Master up until now have accepted the Zen tong Madhayamaka, the view which transcends subject and object, and is the unity if fundamental emptiness and primordial wisdom. Therefore it is either called zung jug u ma chenpo the unified great middle path or Zhen tong u ma chenpo the `emptiness of other middle middle path, which should be the approach of Asangas thougt. In terms of Meditation, the profound method is the practice of the `Six doctrines of Naro and meaning-wise is the practice of Mahamudra, the Co-emergence yoga that works to truly accomplish the four Kayas and primordial wisdom within this life. And among the three Tantra traditions (father, mother and inseparable) the inseparable Tantra is called Kalachakra Tantra, which is unified great pleasure. In these we have what we know as the Generation Stage (Kye- rim) co emergence and the Completion Stage (dzog rim) the inseparability of breath and mind. For example first the Generation stages purifies the body speech and mind. Then visualize the favored meditational deity. Also there is the Vase Empowerment, Secret Empowerment, Wisdom Empowerment and Primordial Wisdom Empowerment, which are called the four empowerments. In addition there is what is know as `the Insight empowermentor the `Quality of the four empowerments which both have the same meaning. This makes five empowerments. Then, there are Dharmakaya, Samboghakaya, Nirmanakaya and the Svabhavikakaya. To experience the meaning of the Kayas, then one needs the Generation Stage, co-emergence for grounding the Completion Stage of the inseparability of breath and mind. If you look at the meaning of the inseparability of breath and mind either in the Sutras or in terms of the View, it will be as I explained just before. For example the inseparable unity of essence and wisdom is called zung jug u ma chenpo `The unified great Middle Path. If we take the example of a deity, the it is Svabhavikakaya that is profound and peaceful in nature, free from the eight kinds of conceptual thoughts, Unified Great Pleasure, The Inseparability of joy and emptiness and the Great pleasure of Unity, which is the meaning of Inseparable Tantra. This is the extraordinary terminology of our Kagyudpass. And they are to be practiced. Hence, for the higher practice, one starts from the `The Great Path of the Precious Garland. Then gradually one must observe the meaning of Tantra. Otherwise it is like trying to climb to the roof of a house without using a ladder. How is that possible? It will not work. Therefore, one needs to purify the harmful actions and obscurations of body speech and mind in order to receive the Teaching. The above points are very important. Now these are the things that are to be realized by all of

you Dharma center members and I will pray that results of your realization bring vast benefit to countless sentient beings. The power of truthful aspirations by Bodhisattvas can turn fire into water and can turn water in to fire. The source of this power comes effortlessly. By making efforts one cant have this power. Effortlessness is the ultimate meaning. And making efforts is the relative meaning. By the power that comes through this effortlessness and the power of the result of ceaseless love and compassion towards all sentient beings. By this power, at this time, I wish that the Australian Dharma flourishes higher and higher until the moon and sun cease to turn. May this King of Aspiration Prayers, Bring about the supreme aim and benefit for all infinite beings, Completing this scripture adorned by Samantabhadra, May the lower realms be completely emptied. Just as the precious Tathagatas, With whatever strength of aspiration, motivation and deed they have In that way may I also quickly bring sentient beings, To the Buddhas land without exception. May the suffering of sentient beings be endeed, By the sound of the great Dharma drum. May it remain, giving teachings for, Ten million Kalpas and unimaginable time.