Professional Documents
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The Day of A Buddhist Practitioner
The Day of A Buddhist Practitioner
of a Buddhist Practitioner
BOKAR RINPOCHE
The Day
of a Buddhist Practitioner
Immanent nature of samsara and nirvana
the clear light
the saintly Dharma shows the mode of being
the clear light
may the fortunate ones who practice
the mahamudra-clear light
become Buddhas in the heart of Awakening
the clear light
BOKAR RlNPOCHE
The Day
of a Buddhist Practitioner
Bokar Rinpoche
ClearPoint Press
San Francisco, California
The Day of a Buddhist Practitioner
Published by:
ClearPoint Press
PO Box 170658
San Francisco, CA 94117
7
a) Posture .............................. 41
b) Visualization .......................... 41
USING CIRCUMSTANCES MINDFULLY ............. 43
1- Happiness ............................... 43
2- Suffering ................................ 44
3- Illness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
4- Small Occasions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
5- When We Eat Meat ........................ 49
6- Television . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
7- A Cure for Each Emotion .................... 53
a) Desire and Attachment .................. 53
b) Aversion and Anger .................... 54
c) Blindness ............................. 55
d)'Pride ........... : .................... 55
e) Jealousy .............................. 57
RIGHT CONDUCT .............................. 73
Ten Positive Deeds ........................... 74
Three Positive Deeds of the Body ............ 74
Four Positive Deeds of Speech .............. 75
Three Positive Deeds of the Mind ............ 75
Ten Negative Deeds .......................... 76
Three Negative Deeds of the Body ........... 76
Four Negative Deeds of Speech .............. 76
Three Negative Deeds of the Mind ........... 77
A FEW MANTRAS .............................. 79
ENDNOTES ................................... 83
GLOSSARY .................................... 87
INDEX ....................................... 94
8
Introduction
9
Let us think of our present good fortune and of
the positive activity of our past lives that made it
possible. Let us rejoice and progress on the path.
10
Even if the latter possibilities are closed to us
and we have no opportunity to stay at a Dharma
center, we can still practice during our daily life
and benefit from this.
If we devote even a very small amount of time
to practicing the Dharma on a regular and daily
basis, this small amount will accumulate day after
day, and after months or years, the results will be
far from negligible. We will form the habit of a
spiritual life and accumulate a great deal of positive
potential. We will rid ourselves of many negative
habits and avoid many negative deeds.
The positive and negative coloration of our
deeds comes from habits imprinted in our mind.
Deeds that we accomplish under the influence of
these . positive or negative habits will produce
karmic results and will ripen. Engendering even a
single positive thought imprints a positive habit in
our mind. Activities of speech and body leave an
imprint in our mind in the same way.
Every day, we must be careful with our
physical, verbal, and mental behavior in order to
eliminate any negative aspect, and develop the most
positive attitude possible. This will transform us.
11
RESPECTING RELATIVE TRUTH
12
this process is also an infallible process in the
framework of relative truth.
Even if fire does not exist from an ultimate
point of view, if we place our hand in the fire, we
immediately burn ourselves.
Until we have realized this ultimate reality, let
us adopt a positive type of activity and reject the
negative.
MENTAL IMPRINTS
13
alcohol. Soon the moment arrives when the habit is
so strongly rooted that the person cannot do
without alcohol. What happened? A deeper and
deeper imprint formed in the mind and became an
addictive characteristic.
The same process occurs when we form positive
imprints for a spiritual life. Initially, it is often
difficult to form positive habits; however, gradually,
what we do by first imposing an effort on ourselves
becomes easier, and we end up discovering great
joy in it. Our mind and the Dharma blend together.
When we meditate, it is the Dharma; when we do
not meditate it is also the Dharma. Acquiring these
positive imprints is very important and cannot be
achieved without continuity. Practicing one day and
neglecting practice the next day is not sufficient. For
the positive habit to become stronger, regularity
and perseverance are necessary. After some months
or years, we become aware that our negative
tendencies have decreased, and our positive
tendencies have bloomed. We must stay on the path
until Awakening.
Imprints left by negative deeds are not
irremediable. It is possible to undo them by
regretting and disapproving of them. Imprints are
then neutralized and their karmic result will not
occur. On the contrary, without regretting and
disapproving them, negative imprints, if left to
14
themselves, increase each day. A small negative
deed accomplished today, if we do not disapprove
of it, creates an imprint that deepens each day in
our mind. It is a little like money that, deposited in
the bank, produces interest each day. But, in the
case of negative deeds, the interest works against us
until we redeem it in the form of great suffering.
If we do not pay attention, positive imprints can
also be nullified. An angry move or other negative
feeling can destroy all the merit of a positive deed
if we have not dedicated it earlier to the benefit of
all beings. Dedication not only preserves acquired
merit but allows it to grow day after day. 5
15
Beginners can have only a limited approach to
ultimate truth through meditation. They must
devote themselves mainly to working within the
framework of the relative. Then, their inner
development gradually leads them to a stage where
both aspects find a balance in the practice: on one
side, meditation and understanding of ultimate
truth; on the other side, activity in the relative
domain through working of body, speech, and
mind. The deeper the realization of ultimate truth
becomes, the less important the practices requiring
an effort of the body, speech, and mind are.
For us beginners, only meditating on the
ultimate mode of being is extremely difficult. This
must be supported by the active participation of our
physical, verbal, and mental activity, by an effort to
reject the negative and adopt the positive.
Therefore, steady daily practice is necessary.
A CERTAIN CHANGE
16
We might soak black fabric in red, yellow, blue,
or green dye; it will never become red, yellow, blue,
or green. We might leave it for hours or for days;
no modification will occur. In a similar way, if no
change occurs within us, it iS the sign of absence or
insufficiency of our practice.
On the contrary, when we soak white fabric in
a dye, it takes the color. For instance, when soaked
in yellow, at best, it will become bright yellow. But,
if the fabric does not take the color well, it will not
stay completely white, it will become a dull yellow.
It is the same with our spiritual practice; if done
perfectly, at best we will attain Awakening in this
lifetime. However, if we do not attain the ideal
result, at least a certain change must occur. Our
activity and speech at least must become slightly
more positive than before having taken Refuge. Our
mind must at least be less occupied by ill will or
covetousness but be occupied by good will,
contentment, compassion, and faith.
We must be like white fabric that can be dyed
and not like black fabric that never changes. To do
that, daily practice is indispensable.
17
Green Tara
Milestones for the Day
MORNING
19
As far as possible, we express these wishes
aloud; otherwise we can recite them mentally.
2- Breathing Exercises
a) Expulsion of Residual Breath
Sitting on the bed, we inhale deeply. When we
exhale, we stretch out our fingers while our hands
rest on our knees. Exhaling must be light in the
beginning, stronger in the middle, and light again
at the end. Although we exhale through the nose, at
the same time, we think that we reject the air
through the mouth and all the pores of our skin.
We imagine that the exhaled air is black in color;
that it carries bad karma, veils, and conflicting
emotions accumulated since time without
beginning; and that all these negative aspects are
disappearing into the distance. We then deeply
inhale while closing the hands. We think that the
compassion and blessing of the Buddhas and
Bodhisattvas, taking the shape of a light of five
colors (white, blue, yellow, red, and green) enter
through the nose, mouth, and pores, and circulate
throughout our body.
We do three cycles of inhaling/ exhaling.
20
we focus our entire attention on breathing, mind
and breathing having become one.
We do this for seven breathing cycles.
21
Today, from this instant on to the moment in the
evening when I fall asleep, I will exert myself to
accomplish all the positive and reject all the negative. I
will practice the spiritual path to become able to help all
beings be free from suffering and progress toward
liberation. 8
22
"·_)
5- Making Offerings
It is important, if possible, to arrange a small shrine
in our home. On a shelf or piece of furniture, we
place a statue or a picture of the Buddha, in front of
whom we place the seven traditional offerings:
drinking water, washing water, flowers, incense,
light, perfumed water, food, and music. 9
Having purified ourselves by washing, we make
offerings.
24
Facing the shrine, we then prostrate three times
reciting the mantra.
25
Pure and perfect Buddha, glorious and victorious
Sakyamuni, you are the master, teacher, the Lord, Thus-
Gone, and Victor over all enemies. I pay homage to you
and place myself under the protection of your teaching.
Grant me your blessing. 11
7- Taking Refuge
Still sitting in front of the shrine, we recite the
prayer of taking Refuge. If we know the whole
representation of all aspects of Refuge as described
in the preliminary practices, we imagine that we are
in front of them. Otherwise, we simply visualize
Sakyamuni Buddha facing us in space, or our root
lama or our yidam (Chenrezig or another one) with
the thought that they gather in themselves all the
aspects of Refuge.
We recite one of the three Refuge prayers 12
seven times:
Long form
PALDEN LAMA DAMPA NAMLA KHYAB SU CHIO
YIDAM KHILKHOR GI LHATSO NAMLA KHYAB SU CHIO
SANGYE CHOMDEMDE NAMLA KHYAB SU CHIO
DAMPE CHO NAMLA KHYAB SU CHIO
P AKPE GENDUN NAMLA KHYAB SU CHIO
26
PAWO KANDRO CHOKYONG SUNGMA Y TSO
YESHE JI SHEN TANG DENPA NAMLA KHYAB SU CHIO
27
Brief Prayer
LAMA LA KHYAB SU CHIO
SANGYE LA KHYAB SU CHIO
CHO LA KHYAB SU CHIO
GENDUN LA KHY AB SU CHIO
28
hanging labels. However, neither plants nor trees
have taken Refuge.
If our vows of Refuge are limited to having cut
a strand of hair followed by a label, they cannot
bring us much. On the contrary, we must nourish
them every day through sincere recitation of the
prayer that renews and reinforces them; each day,
we must think of placing ourselves under the
protection of the Three Jewels until Awakening, in
order to be spared from suffering, sorrow, danger,
and fear, and to be led to Awakening.
8- Chenrezig Practice
It is beneficial to briefly do the short Chenrezig
practice every morning using the text in the
following section:
a) Taking Refuge and Developing the Mind of
Awakening
SANG GYAY CHO DONG TSOK KYI CHOK NAM LA
CHANG CHUB BAR DU DA W NI KYAB SU CHI
DAG GI JIN SOK GYI PAY SO NAM KYI
DRO LA PEN SHIR SANG GYA Y DRUB PAR SHO (three times)
29
Syllable HRI from which Chenrezig appears
Om Ma Ni Pad Me Hung
b) Phase of creation of the deity
DAG SOK KA KYAB SEM CHEN GYI
CHI TSU PAY KAR DA WAY TENG
HRI LAY PA CHO CHEN RAY ZI
KAR SAL 0 ZER NGA DEN TRO
DZA Y DZUM TU JAY CHEN GYI ZIK
CHAK SHI DONG PO TAL JOR DZA Y
0 NYI SHEL TRENG PAY KAR NAM
DAR DONG RIN CHEN GYEN GYI TRAY
RI DAK PAK PAY TO YOK SOL
0 PAK MAY PE U GYEN CHEN
SHAP NYI DOR JAY KYIL TRUNG SHUG
DRI MAYDA WA KYAB TEN PA
KYAB NAY KUN DU NGO WOR GYUR
31
To his back is an immaculate moon disc.
He gathers the essence of all Refuges.
Praise:
JO WO KYON GYI MA GU KU DU KAR
DZOK SANG GYA Y KYI U LA GYEN
TUK JAY CHEN GYI ORO LA ZIK
CHEN RAY ZI LA CHAK TSAL LO
(three times)
Then:
DAY TAR TSAY CHIK SOL TAB PAY
PAW PE KU LAY 0 ZER TRU
MA OAK LAY NANG TRUL SHAY JANG
CHI NU DAY WA CHEN GYI SHING
NANG CHU KYA Y ORO LU NGAK SEM
CHEN RAY ZI WANG KU SUNG TUK
NANG DRAK RIK TONG YER MAY GYUR
32
erroneous understanding.
The outer world becomes the Land of Bliss;
The body, speech, and mind of beings
Become the Body, Speech, and Mind of the Lord
Chenrezig.
Appearances, sounds, and cognition are united in
emptiness.
33
By the virtue of this practice
May I quickly realize the Lord Chenrezig,
Then establish in this state
The totality of beings.
34
In this way, we take advantage of many
moments during the day to recite the mantra,
uttering it or if not possible, saying it inwardly.
This is the end of the morning practices.
35
Chenrezig
MEAL PRACTICE
37
2- Offering to the yidam, for instance, Chenrezig
38
EVENING
1- Chenrezig Practice
Before going to bed, we sit for a while in front of
our shrine if we have one.
We can briefly do Chenrezig practice as follows:
1) Taking Refuge with the prayer SANGYE CHO
TANG ...
2) Reciting 100 or more mantras
3) Silent meditation (shinay) for a while
4) Dedicating from DA SHEN LU NANG PAKPAY
KU until DAY YI SA LA GO PAR SHO
39
EMAHO!
Nco TSAR SANGYE NANGWA TAYE TANG
YE SU JOWO TUJE CHENPO TANG
YONTU SEMPA Tu CHEN TOB NAMLA
SANGYE JANGSEM PAKME KHOR GI KOR
DEKI NGOTSAR PAKTU MEPA YI
DEWACHEN SHE JAWO SHINGKHAM DER
DANI DINE TSEPO GYUR MATAK
KYEWA SHEN GI BAR MACHO PA RU
DERU KYE NE NANGTOL SHEL TONG SHO
DEKE DAGI MONLAM TABPA DI
CHO CHU SANGYE GE ]ANG SEM TAMCHE KI
GEL ME DRUBPAR JINGILAB TU SOL
TEYATA PENTSANDRIYA AWA BODHANI SOHA
Emaho!
Wonderful Buddha of Infinite Light
on your right there is the Lord of Great Compassion 16
on your left, there is the Bodhisattva with Great Powers 17
and you are surrounded by numberless Buddhas and
Bodhisattvas.
This world called Land of Bliss
is happiness and well-being, wonderful, and endless.
As soon as I leave this life
without taking any other births in the meantime
may I be reborn into it and see the face of Infinite Light.
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the ten directions
40
please grant your blessing in order that the wishes
uttered like this be realized without obstacle.
TEYATA PENTSANDRIYA AWA BODHANI SOHA
b) Visualization
- We imagine that the Buddha, lama, or yidarn is
above our head. We think, "Tomorrow, at such and
such a time, I will get up and do my practice," and
we fall asleep in a spirit of devotion.
-We can also imagine that the luminous lama (the
Buddha or a yidam), the size of a thumb, is in our
hearti 8 in an abode of light. We fall asleep with this
thought.
41
Manjushri
Using Circumstances Mindfully
1- Happiness
During the day, we encounter many joys. If we do
not use them as a support for spiritual practice,
they are useless. However, if we know how to
integrate them into practice, they allow us to create
new positive karma. Otherwise, we exhaust our
potential for happiness without accumulating any
new positive karma. If we use the beneficial
potential without recharging it, it becomes
exhausted. It is like eating a piece of fruit. Once
eaten, nothing is left. To transform our joys and
happiness into spiritual practice, we must think that
we do not keep them for ourselves but dedicate
them to the happiness of others. It is like sowing
the seed of the piece of fruit we have eaten. Because
of the seed, other good fruit will ripen in the future.
By dedicating it, our potential for happiness does
not exhaust itself. Present happiness prepares the
way for future happiness.
When we are happy, we dedicate our joy to the
assembly of happiness:
43
When we feel good, physically or mentally,
these circumstances give us joy or happiness. When
we are successful in whatever we undertake, we
must become aware of this and wish that all beings
know the same happiness.
If we want to, we can also support this thought
by the visualization of taking and sending-in this
case, we imagine that we exhale white light
spreading to all beings and bestowing happiness
upon them.
On the other hand, our happiness and joy
should not be an occasion for vain satisfaction or
attachment. We must remind ourselves that
happiness and joy are the fruits of past positive
karma; therefore, they are passing and changing,
lacking any definitive characteristic.
2- Suffering
When we suffer, if we do not use this suffering as
a support of spiritual practice, the situation is even
more difficult to bear because it is complicated by
rejection, worry, or anxiety, even though these
cannot help us to escape from suffering.
There are two benefits in integrating suffering
with practice:
- Suffering and worry become less important and
therefore decrease.
44
- Thinking that we take upon ourselves the
suffering of all beings, we engender much positive
karma.
When we suffer, we take the suffering upon
ourselves:
45
3- Illness
When we are ill, we reflect as follows.
"Pains I now feel are the results of negative
deeds done in the past. I, myself, am responsible for
them.
Other beings who have accumulated more
negative karma suffer even more than I do. May
illness and suffering of all beings melt into mine;
may all beings be free from suffering and illness."
Thinking like this, we do the visualization of
taking and sending. We imagine that we inhale black
breath through which we take the illness of all
beings upon ourselves, then we exhale a white
breath that gives happiness and health to all beings.
Sometimes, we become aware that the
experience of this illness is possible only because of
false perception engendered by the absence of
realization of the mode of being of the mind. From
the point of view of ultimate realty, what is called
illness does not exist. Being ill is a little like
dreaming that we are ill. We would feel the
suffering of a illness that exists nowhere but in our
dream. Our illness has in fact no reality in and of
itself.
We can also imagine that our lama, seen as the
union of the Three Jewels, is present in the ill part
of our body, and that in his or her luminous body
46
Sangye Menla
flows a nectar that spreads into the ill area and
relieves us.
Finally, if we know the practice, we can pray to
Sangye Menla (Medicine Buddha) and recite his
mantra.
4- Small occasions
We can use many gestures of daily life in many
circumstances to sow in our mind thoughts oriented
toward Awakening. To do so, we can retain and use
the wishes taught by the Buddha himself in the
Sutra of Great Approximation.
- When we dress:
May I dress with the cloth of scruple and modesty.
- When we walk:
May I progress on the path of Awakening.
48
-When we ride (drive, take a train, and so on):
May I ride the horse of diligence.
49
consumption. We must not order a live animal to be
killed for ourselves.
Meat bought at the butcher comes from animals
killed for general consumption and not directly
from an order we have given. Eating this meat is
also a negative deed but it is less serious.
When we eat meat, we must direct our
compassion toward the animal that was killed,
recite the Names of the Buddhas, Chemezig mantra,
or other mantras, and blow on the meat. We wish
at the same time that the animal be delivered from
inferior realms and be born into the Land of Bliss.
Doing this not only brings help to the animal
but also diminishes the strength of negative karma
accumulated through eating meat.
6- Television
Since television did not exist at the time of the
Buddha, he did not talk about it. However,
nowadays in the West, most people spend time in
front of the television.
Watching television occasionally is not harmful,
but devot'mg many hours is harmful from several
points of view.
- Firstly, it wastes much time. Two hours spent
watching television is two hours that we might
have spent practicing the Dharma and, therefore,
accumulating great positive potential. Or with these
50
two hours, we could have done something useful.
Or with these two hours, we might have rested. It
is better to sleep and be peaceful than to waste time
in front of the television.
- Secondly, television is harmful to our mind. We
are usually inhabited by many thoughts.
Nourishing our mind with all kinds of news and
fantasy will only increase the flow of thoughts and
will give us neither peace nor happiness.
For those of us who practice the Dharma, it is
best not to watch television or at least to give it
very little time.
When, however, it happens that we watch
television, let us do it with moderation and try to
use it as a support of practice by applying the
following methods.
51
Impermanence: Television shows us changes that
occur in the world, situations that successively
improve or deteriorate. We think that all
phenomena of samsara are transitory and changing.
Good or bad, everything changes.
In fact, the true show is the world itself.
Television only offers us a reduced sample, a small
imitation. It is necessary to know how to apply the
few examples that television gives us to the entire
world, reflecting upon them to understand their
universality.
52
By occasionally watching television and using
these methods, television cannot harm us. But only
under these conditions.
53
This does not mean that we can never benefit
from any of the pleasure of this world. But the
stronger the attachment, the stronger the suffering.
If we lick honey greedily on a razor blade, we will
deeply cut our tongue; if we lick it carefully
knowing that the sharp blade is hidden under the
honey, our tongue will be lightly cut. Also, we must
know how to benefit from worldly pleasures with
caution and moderation. Generally, we do not know
how to be moderate because we are not aware of
the razor blade hidden beneath the honey. Attracted
by the honey, we lick it without moderation and
deeply hurt ourselves.
54
c) Blindness
Blindness is not to know what is beneficial or
negative from a spiritual point of view. The remedy
is to study the Dharma, to understand the law of
karma, the nature of the mind, and so on.
d) Pride
To appear in our mind, pride is supported by many
pretexts such as beauty, power, wealth, culture,
intelligence, or some capabilities in one domain or
another. Pride results from a lack of reflection.
However, if we reflect, it is easy to see that there
are people more beautiful, powerful, wealthy,
educated, intelligent, or more capable. We then see
that believing that we are superior is no more than
a sign of stupidity.
Once upon a time, there was a frog living in a
well. He looked at his dwelling as an immense
surface of water that had no equal anywhere.
Another frog who lived at the seaside passed by
one day and jumped on the rim of the well to see
what was at the bottom.
"Where do you come from?" asked the frog on
the bottom.
"I come from the seaside."
"Sea? How large is the sea?"
"Oh, it is really very large."
55
Sea? How large is the sea?
"As large as one fourth of my well?" asked the
proud frog that could not really see what the other
frog meant by "very large."
"No, much larger."
"As large as half of my well?" asked the well
dweller with some disbelief.
"No, even larger."
"As large as my well then?"
"No, larger than your well."
The frog thought that the visitor was teasing
him. A surface of water larger than his well? What
stupidity! However, to be sure, he asked if he could
see the sea.
The other frog agreed and both of them went
hopping to the seaside. Poor well-frog! Such
immensity! It was too much for his mind, and he
collapsed. Such was his pride that he could not bear
the thought of anything larger than his well.
. Pride makes us suffer and makes us create
suffering for others. If we actually have certain
qualities, pride will add nothing. If we have no
such qualities, pride will not give them to us.
e) Jealousy
When we are jealous of another person, when we
resent the thought of another possessing what we
do not have or that happier events take place for
57
this person, we must see that our unhappiness
makes no sense.
On the contrary, we must put ourselves in the
place of the other person.
"If I am in the position of someone receiving
something good, would someone else's jealousy
make sense? No. Likewise, my own envy is only
stupidity.
"What good happens to others is not something
taken away from me. Even if I could deprive others
of what they have, this would give me nothing.
"Jealousy is only a thought expressing the
confusion of my mind."
58
Breathing exercises
59
Washing oneself, one thinks that one is purified.
60
Prostrating in front of the shrine
61
Meditating in front of the shrine
62
"May the ocean of suffering of the world be dried
up." Bokar Rinpoche recovering from surgery.
63
"May I dress with the cloth of scruple and
modesty."
64
"May I be tied with the belt of commitments."
65
"May I climb the path of liberation."
66
-- ·
"May I open the door of profound reality."
67
"May I close the door of inferior realms."
68
"May I go forward on the path of Awakening."
69
"May I ride the horse of diligence."
70
"May I arrive at the city of nirvana."
71
"May I meet with a perfect Master and follow his
or her instructions." (Bokar Rinpoche welcoming
Kalu Rinpoche)
72
Right Conduct
73
Generally, we call positive deeds any activity of
our body, speech, and mind that contributes to
another person's benefit, immediately or later,
through its effects.
On the other hand, we call negative deeds any
activity of our body, speech, and mind that causes
another person's suffering, immediately or later,
through its effects.
The details of this ethic are complex, but the
directions are simple, presented in the form of a
classification of ten positive deeds and ten negative
deeds. 20
74
Four Positive Deeds of Speech
1) Speaking the truth, talking frankly.
75
my own mind that cause this. I wish, in the future
to obtain a clear, thorough understanding."
76
4) Engaging in useless conversation, words without
spiritual benefit, and those useless even for
ordinary activity. This idle talk makes us lose time,
and arouses desire, anger, jealousy, and often ends
up creating dissension among those with whom we
converse.
77
speech, and mind. First, we produce a thought,
then, we put it to work physically or verbally. We
create karma by doing this. Karma necessarily
accumulates through one or several of the three
doors, the body door, the speech door, and the
mind door. This is why the classification of deeds
follows this division between body, speech, and
mind..
78
A Few Mantras
Chenrezig Mantra, to develop love and compassion
OM MA NI PAD ME HUNG
79
In the following pages, you can add other deities'
mantras whose empowerment you have received.
80
Additional Mantras
81
Amitayus
Endnotes
1. Sutras are the texts collecting the teachings given by
the Buddha in the framework of the Small and Great
Vehicles; tantras gather teachings of the Vajrayana, the
Diamond Vehicle.
83
7. Samsara: cycle of conditioned existence, that is, the
world where beings are born unceasingly, in more or less
painful conditions. Getting out of samsara is attaining
liberation.
84
others. Dharma means spiritual teachings. Superior
Sangha represents the community of realized beings.
Other members of the spiritual community form the
ordinary sangha. The celestial Warriors (Dakas ), Ladies
of the space (Dakinis), protectors, and guardians of the
Dharma are beings living on higher levels than us, acting
as messengers and protectors. They appear to correspond
to the different types of angels in Christian theology.
16. Chenrezig.
17. Vajrapani.
85
refer to recompense or punishment given from above. It
simply derives from the description of invisible reality
done by the Buddha who had a direct vision of the
inherent consequences of any deed. It is a little like the
driving rules of happiness: "red flare: hazard," "red light,"
"green light," or freeway to freedom.
86
Glossary
ACCUMULATION OF MERIT: Practice of positive deeds
allowing us to store energy for the progression on the
spiritual path. This accumulation of merit can be done
through the practice of giving, making offerings, reciting
mantras, visualizing deities, and so on.
87
BUDDHA NATURE: Potential of Awakening inherent in
all beings.
88
DHARMA: Buddha's teachings or the spiritual path.
89
Awakening. For example, the mantra of Chenrezig is OM
MA NI PAD ME HUNG.
90
PURIFICATION: All negative deeds done in this life and
in the past lives have left imprints in our potential of
consciousness. These imprints will ripen, engendering
suffering and obstacles to our spiritual practice.
Purification will neutralize these imprints in order to
avoid or reduce their effects. A qualified teacher might
designate specific practice to do in order to purify
oneself.
91
to the play of thoughts. It can be done with or without
support.
92
VEILS: That which obscures our Buddha nature such as
ignorance, latent conditioning, dualistic perception,
conflicting emotion, karmic veils, and so on.
93
Index
ACCUMULATION OF MERIT ................. 87
AMIT ABHA ............................... 34
AWAKENING 2, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 17, 19, 22, 27, 29, 39,
48, 51, 75, 77, 87, 88-90, 93
BEINGS ...... 9, 15, 19, 22, 27, 29, 31-34, 38, 39, 44-46,
51-54, 76, 87, 88, 89, 90, 92
BODHICITT A .............................. 87
BODHISATTVA ................. 40, 87, 90, 92, 96
BODY ... 11, 16, 19-21, 24, 27, 31-34, 38, 41, 46, 73, 74,
76-78, 88, 89
BREATH .......................... 7, 20, 21, 46
BUDDHA .. 6, 7, 9, 16, 19, 23-29, 31, 32, 34, 37, 38, 40,
41, 43, 48, so, 53, 74, 77, 88, 89, 92, 93
BUDDHAHOOD ......................... 87, 88
CAUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 76, 88, 89
CERTAINTY ............................... 96
CHENREZIG . 7, 8, 10, 26, 27, 29-34, 36, 38-40, 50, 79,
88, 90, 96
COMPASSION . 17, 20, 31, 32, 38, 40, 50, 51, 54, 58, 79,
88, 91
CONFLICTING EMOTIONS ........ 20, 53, 88, 89, 91
DEATH ............................. 51, 93, 96
DEDICATION ........................... 15, 89
DHARMA ... 2, 10, 11, 14, 25, 27-29, 37, 50, 51, 55, 75,
89, 91, 93
DHARMAKAYA ............................ 89
EMPTINESS ......................... 27, 33, 89
94
FREEDOM ................................ 74
ILLNESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 46, 51, 79
IMPERMANENCE ....................... 52, 92
KARMA . . . . . . 19, 20, 24, 43-46, 50, 55, 75, 77, 78, 89
LAMA ............... 7, 10, 25-28, 38, 41, 46, 90, 92
MANTRA ......... 24-26, 33-35, 41, 48, 50, 79, 88-90
MENTAL CALMING ........................ 92
MIND . 7, 11-17, 19-22, 24, 27, 29, 33, 34, 38, 41, 46, 48,
51-53, 55, 57, 58, 73-78, 89-92, 94
MODE OF BEING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 12, 16, 46, 73
NIRVANA ........................... 2, 49,91
OBSTACLE ................................ 41
POSTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 19, 31, 41, 90
PURE LAND ............................... 49
PURIFICATION ...................... 23, 89, 91
REFUGE ..................... 7, 17, 25-29, 39, 93
SAMSARA ................... 2, 19, 49, 52, 92, 93
SANGHA ................... 25, 27-29, 37, 92, 93
SHINAY ............................... 39, 92
SUFFERING . 8, 12, 15, 19, 22, 29, 37, 43-46, 51, 53, 54,
57, 58, 73-77, 88, 90-93
TEN DIRECTIONS ....................... 34, 40
THREE TIMES ............ 21, 25, 29, 32, 38, 41, 88
VAIROCANA .............................. 90
VAJRA ................................ 31, 90
VAJRASATTVA ............................ 89
VAJRAYANA .................. 7, 9, 21, 28, 89, 93
VISUALIZATION .............. 8, 41, 44-46, 89, 94
WISDOM ........................ 27, 33, 88, 96
YIDAM ...................... 7, 26, 27, 38, 41, 94
95
OTHER BOOKS PUBLISHED BY CLEARPOINT PRESS
By Kalu Rinpoche
• Excellent. Buddhism
• Profound Buddhism
• Secret Buddhism
By Bokar Rinpoche
• Chenrezig Lord of Love
• Meditation Advice to Beginners
• Death and the Art of Dying in Tibetan Buddhism
• Profound Wisdom of the Heart Sutra
• Opening the Door to Certainty
• Taking the Bodhisattva Vow
96
Giving up the ordinary activities of the mundane
world to devote ourselves to spiritual practice alone
would create an ideal condition for inner growth.
This is possible for very few individuals. For the
rest of us who must juggle work, family, friends,
and deal with all kinds of emotions, a way to
integrate our spiritual practice into daily life is
much needed. Bokar Rinpoche gives us this
guidance in a variety of situations so we can
ground our spiritual practice in every moment of
our ordinary life and become more mindful.
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