Buddha in The Palm of Your Hand (1982)

BUDDHA
IN THE PALM
OF YOUR HAND
Osel T endzin
BUDDHA IN THE PALM
OF YOUR HAND
Copynghted matenal
BUDDHA
IN THE PALM
OF YOUR HAND
Osel T endzin
Foreword by Chogyam Trungpa
Edited by Donna Holm
SHAMBHALA
BOULDER & LONDON 1982
Copyrighted ma erial
SHAMBHALA PUBLICATIONS, INC.
1920 13th Street
Boulder, Colorado 80302
0 1982 by Osel Tendzin

AU rights reserved.
Distributed in the United States by Random House

and in Canada by Random House of C~da Ltd.
Di.stributed in the United Kingdom by Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd.,
London and Henley-on-Thames
Printed in the United States of America.
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
First Edition
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publicodon Dora

Tendzin, Osel, 194l·
Buddha in the palm of your hand.
Includes Index.
I. Spiritual life (Buddhism) 2. Buddhism-
Doctrines. I. Title.
BQS660.H6 294.3'#48 81-&KSO
ISBN 0-87n3-223-X (pbk.) AACR2
ISBN 0-394-70889-X (Rmdom House: pbk.)
Copyrighted material
CONTENTS
Acinowledgments ix
FOREWORD: PROCLAIMING THE LIVING STRENGTH OF THE xi
PRACTICE UNEAGE, by Chogyam Trungpa
INTRODUCTION
PART I
1. PROVISIONS FOR THE JOURNEY 7
2. A STRAIGHTFORWARD VIEW 11
3. THE LANDSCAPE 1+
4. CONSIDERING THE TRUTH 19
5. THE REsERVOIR OF COMMITMENT 22
6. OVERCOMING HOPE AND FEAR 27
7. CONNECTING WITH THE EARTH 32
8. THE CLEAR ATMOSPHERE 37
9. STEPPING THROUGH AN OPEN DOORWAY +0
PART II
10. REMEMBERING WHO WE ARE 45
11. THE PATH OF THE NOBLE ONES 51
12. THE SPIRITUAL FRIEND 55
13. EMPTINESS 59
1+. TAKING OUR PlACE IN THE WORLD 61
PART III
15. TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 67
16. ENTERING THE GURU'S WORLD 71
17. THE MEANING OF DEVOTION 77
18. LONGING 84
19. GRATITUDE 90
20. THE DAWN OF REAUZATION 94
INFANT SoNG OF A SoN OF THE KAGrti GURU 101
NOTES TO "THE STORY OF REo ROCK AGATE VALLEY" 103
Index 106
ILLUSTRATIONS
CovER Ka. Tibetan seal script for the word "lea," meaning "com-
mand. This is the personal seal of the Vajra Regent bsel T endzin.
II
FRONTISPIECE Buddha Shaltyamuni. This 9th-century Indian (Kashmir)

bronze statu.e depicts the Buddha in teaching mudra. Courtesy ofthe
Virginia Museum.
PAGE 26 Calligraphy by Vajracarya the Venerable Ch<:igyam Trungpa,

Rinpoche. The inscription reads:
If you know " Not" and have discipline,
Patience will arise along with exertion.
Then the ultimate "No" is attained,
And you are victorious over the maras of the setting sun.
Photograph by George Holmes and Blair Hansen.
PAGE so The bodhisattva Chandraprabha. This is a photo-diagrammatic

representation of the famous eighth-century Japanese bronze
statue in the Yakushiji monastery at Nara. Courtesy Loltesh Chandra.
Photograph by George Holmes and Blair Hansen.
PAGE 76 Jetstin Milarepa (1<>4·0- 1123). The chief disciple of Marpa,

Milarepa is renowned for his songs of devotion and realization.
Courtesy of the Ernoyrajlslta Museet, Stocltbolm.
PAGE 110 Vajracarya the Venerable Chagyam Trungpa, Rinpoche and

Vajra Regent Osel Tendzin. Photograph by Liza Matthews.
PAGE 113 Four-Armed Mahaltala. Mahakalas are the wrathful protectors of

the dharma. This statue is reputed to have belonged to Nagarjuna,
the famous Indian master of the second century A.D., who
founded the Madhyamab school. Photograph by George Holmes and
Blair Hansen.
To His Holiness the Sixteenth Gyalwa Karmapa,
Rangjung Rikpe Dorje, whose buddha activity caused
the sun of dharma to shine throughout the world; and
to the Vidyadhara, the Eleventh Trungpa Tulku, the
Venerable Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche, my root guru,
the one who showed me the way.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
EARLY IN 1980, HAVING BEEN REQUESTED by students to publish a

book, the Vajra Regent Osel Tendzin decided to undertake such
a project. He was encouraged and supported in this venture by
Vaj:racarya the Venerable Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche, as well
as by Samuel Bercholz, President and Editor-in-Chief of Sham-
bhala Publications.
The initial research for material for this manuscript began in
the spring of that year, using as source material transcripts of
talks that had been given by the Vajra Regent throughout the
United States over a three-year period from 1977 to 1980. In
editing these talks, every effort was made to preserve the
original flavor of the Vajra Regent's teaching style, while at the
same time rendering the talks into literary form.
The final draft of the manuscript was a collaborative effort of
the author, the editor, and Carolyn Rose Gimian, the Editor-in-
Chief of Yajradhatu. The collaborative process of finalizing the
manuscript was an invaluable experience, and we owe the Vajra
Regent our heartfelt thanks for his patience, perseverance, and
continual guidance in clarifying our understanding of this
material.
We would also like to express our thanks to David I. Rome;
the Loppon, Lodro Dorje Holm; Reginald A. Ray, Chairman of
the Buddhist Studies Department ofNaropa Institute; and Larry
Mermelstein, Executive Director of the Nalanda Translation
Committee, for their careful reading of the final manuscript .
•
lX
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special thanks are due to Sarah levy of the Vajradhatu Editorial

Department, who copy-edited the final manuscript and made
many invaluable suggestions as to its revision.
We would also like to thank the Nalanda Translation Com-
mittee for the translation from the Tibetan of' 'The Story of Red
Rock Agate Valley" that appears in Part III of this book.
Special thanks are due to the directors and staff of Rocky
Mountain Dharma Center, who hosted the Vajra Regent on
several occasions during the preparation of the manuscript.
Their hospitality and support tremendously facilitated this
work. We would also like to express our gratitude to the many
volunteers who cooked, cleaned, babysat, typed, ran errands,
and in general provided the environment in which this book
could be produced.
Finally, we would like to thank the staff of Shambhala
Publications for their continued support of this project.
The particular insight and skillfulness that characterize the
teachings of the Vajra Regent are presented here in a direct and
powerful manner. We hope that this book will not only inspire
those who are searching for a genuine and profound path, but
also deepen the understanding of those already familiar with the
buddhadharma.
Donna Holm
Editor
FOREWORD
PROCLAIMING THE
LIVING STRENGTH OF
THE PRACTICE LINEAGE
IN ORDER TO CREATE A CIVILIZED WORLD, it is very important for

one person to trust another. Furthermore, it is very important to
impart the wisdom of one human being to another and to trust
that wisdom at the same time, knowing that it is immaculate,
pure, good, accurate, no nonsense.
In the twentieth century, we talk about democracy, individu-
alism, personal heroism, and all kinds of things like that. While
aU of those ideals are excellent in one sense, they are the crea-
tion of a culture that does not appreciate arduous and long train-
ing in a traditional discipline. Throwing away trad.i tion and
wisdom that have been developed through many centuries is like
tossing the extraordinary exertion and sacrifice that human
beings have made out of the window, like dirty socks. This is
certainly not the way to maintain the best of human society.
While much of Europe was still quite primitive, tantric
Buddhism was flourishing in india. At that time in India, people
were less savage. They practiced purification and learned how to
treat each other as brothers. Needless to say, such human
wisdom evolved by means of compassion and love of the
world- love of humanity, animals, plants, flowers, and all the
rest. Lord Buddha's message goes along with that: If you feel
bad about somebody, don't destroy him; take such bad aggres-
sion onto yourself, as if you were in that other person's place.
xt•
FOREWORD
Thus the tradition of exchanging oneself for others was devel-

oped by the Lord Buddha.
In this little book, my Regent, Osel Tendzin, has discussed
the principles of the attainment of enlightenment, that is,
human decency and human wakefulness. No self-proclaimed
wisdom exists in his writings. Osel Tendzin reflects here only
the study and training he has gone through with my personal
guidance. These are the identical teachings that I received in the
same way from m y teacher, Jamgon Kongtrtil of Sechen. So
everything in this book is according to the tradition. I would
certainly suggest that readers pay a great deal of attention to this
work that my Regent has produced.
As members of the Practice Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism,
our path and goal are to tame our ego-centered mind, which
consists of passion, aggression, and ignorance. As a student and
child of mine, Osel Tendzin has developed his natural ability to
respond to the teachings of egolessness. He not only intellectu-
ally comprehends these teachings, but he has actually practiced
and trained himself in this way. Although I would not say Osel
T endzin is an enlightened person, he is one of the greatest
examples of a practitioner who has followed the command of
the Buddha and his guru and the tradition of the Practice
Lineage.
Many Oriental advisors have said to me, "Do not make an
Occidental your successor; they are not trustworthy.'' With the
blessing of His Holiness the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, and through
working with bsel Tendzin as my Regent, I have come to the
conclusion that anybody who possesses tathagatagarbha is
worthy of experiencing enlightenment. Moreover, Osel T endzin
is my prime student . He. has been able to commit himself and
learn thoroughly the teachings of vajrayana. I have worked
arduously in training him as my best student and fo.remost
xu
..
FO REWORD
leader, and His Holiness Karmapa has confirmed his Regency.

With His Holiness' blessing, bsel Tendzin should hold his title
and the sanity of the enlightened lineage. He is absolutely
capable of imparting the message of buddhadharma to the rest of
the world.
I am extraordinarily happy and joyous that my Regent has
made his talks available in the form of a book. This work should
be tremendously beneficial to those who would like to follow
the path of enlightenment and the Practice Lineage of the Kagyii
Tradition.
Dragon thunders:
Rainclouds
Lightning
Power
Strength.
Warrior proclaims:
Gentle
Excellent.
Fruits grow and taste delicious.
As buddha nature blossoms,
The world has no regrets
But experiences the dharma
And rejoices in the Great Eastern Sun.
Let us wake as buddha!
Vajracarya the Venerable Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche

Boulder, Colorado
16 December 1981
...
Xlll
INTRODUCTION
As HUMAN BEINGS, WE SPEND MOST OF OUR LIVES believing in a myth.

We have heard that it is human nature to be bound by anger and
fear, hatred and jealousy. We have heard all our lives that it is
" only human" to take care of ourselves first. Although it is
extremely painful to think of ourselves in such a negative way, it
·is convenient to believe that myth. At some point or other, most
of us just shrug our shoulders and say, ''That's the way it is.' ' For
although we often feel ashamed of ourselves and our fellow
human beings, we feel helpless to change what seems to be
inevitable.
Some people might go to great lengths to try to eliminate
their fear. But in attempting to do so, they create other myths-
the myth of self-sacrifice or the myth of the super hero. How-
ever, these approaches only breed further confusion and
aggression, because they are based on a fundamental misunder-
standing of our nature. Actually, we are stunned by the aggres-
sion we see in the world. Unless we have become totally numb
and insensitive, we feel sadness when someone is hurt, we feel
pity for those who suffer. But we are caught between feeling
such sadness and wanting to protect ourselves.
The Buddha taught that all of us have the intelligence and
sensitivity to conquer our fear. He taught that we are tende.r-
hearted human beings, who possess a basic goodness. According
to the Buddha, if we possess any human nature at all, it is this
basic goodness, and by realizing this goodness in ourselves, we
1
BUDDHA IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND
can overcome doubt and hesitation. We can actually dissolve the

myths about ourselves, conquer our fear, and attain enlighten-
ment. This kind of conquering does not involve force; it relies
on gentleness. Only gentle beings can produce a gentle world.
The path of the Buddha is indestructible. People like our-
selves who wonder how to make sense out of this life can only
ben~fit by hearing and practicing this ancient and noble tradi-
tion. However, following the Buddha's path does take discipline
and effort. If we apply discipline and effort and follow the path
with a clear mind and a pure heart, it can only lead to a full
realization of our basic goodness; it can only lead to unsurpass-
able, great enlightenment. We are skeptical, no doubt, that such
a possibility exists for us. We are fearful, no doubt, that we are
too late. We are hopeful, no doubt, that we are just in time.
This book is meant to give a concise and simple outline of the
Buddhist path as taught by the Kagyti lineage of Tibet. It is my
intention to present a practical way of relating to what some
people have considered to be a complicated and unreachable
philosophy. Buddhist practice is beyond philosophy; it is a pure
and useful teaching. We should not equate purity with Utopian
ideals, nor should we understand "useful" to mean utilitarian.
These teachings are simple truth, and their power is that they
can be applied immediately to our everyday life and the world
we live in.
The great teachers of the Kagyti lineage have said that by
practicing, you can actually deliver Buddha into the palm of your
hand. This is not meant as a boast, but as a declaration of truth.
The imagery of the phrase " delivering Buddha into the palm of
your hand" is quite literal. It means that you can achieve
enlightenment. Buddha refers to awakened mind. The palm of
your hand is the gentle resting place of enlightenment, the seat
of awakened mind that you already possess. And Buddha can be
2
INTRODUCTI ON
delivered there by following the instructions of your guru. So

delivering Buddha into the palm of your hand means receiving
teachings from your guru, practicing them, and taking your
place as an awakened being.
In our tradition, teachings are handed down personally from
teacher to student. This is called lineage. Delivering Buddha into
the palm of your hand points out the reality of lineage: it refers
to the unending possibility for the transmission of awakened
mind to occur. This transmission transcends racial and cultural
boundaries. Buddha's mind was not an Indian mind; my guru's
mind is not a Tibetan mind; my mind is not an American mind.
As a person born and raised in the West, I can say without a
doubt that the Buddha's transmission of how to attain enlight-
enment is applicable to all human beings.
This material is based on the oral instructions given to me
personally by my root guru, Vajracarya the Venerable Chogyam
Trungpa, Rinpoche, the Eleventh Trungpa Tulku. These
instructions were presented to me in a precise form, and I am
delighted by the opportunity to present them to others. If I have
made any errors, it is purely my fault and not the fault of the
teachings. If I have said anything of benefit, it is purely due to
the kindness of my teacher.
This is a traditional presentation of the stages of the path. It
was not written in order to convert anyone, but to communicate
what I know according to what I have been taught and what I
have experienced. I offer it as a humble expression of one who
has merely begun. My clear desire is for all of us to transcend
pettiness and attain the complete enlightenment of a buddha. As
far as I can see, there is no real distinction between one human
being and another, apart from our idiosyncrasies- and even
those are not as problematic as we think they are. I trust that
3
BUDDHA IN TH E PA L M OF YOUR HAND
what I have said in this book will help to illuminate that basic .
fact.
May this book help to eliminate the confusion of beings like
myself who, due to carelessness, have forgotten the noble path.
No matter who we are, we can attain the ultimate good.
When I met my guru, I saw the rugged power of a

clear mind.
I fell effortlessly into the open path.
Living under the white umbrella of the compassionate ones,
I remain continually grateful.
PART I
The path of meditation is the way to achieve freedom

from confusion by transforminB that confusion into
wisdom.
ONE
PROVISIONS FOR THE JOURNEY
THROUGHOUT HISTORY THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN an appreciation of

that which is ultimately good and wholesome. The buddha-
dharma, the teachings of the Buddha, provides a way to realize
that ultimate good. In this book we propose to study these
teachings as transmitted by the gurus of the Kagyti lineage of
Tibet. Because their realization and understanding have been
based on personal experience, the teachings of their tradition
continue to be fresh and alive; they are available to all of us right
now. The message of this tradition is how to cultivate enlight-
ened mind.
The motivation to cultivate enlightened mind begins as a
vague impulse to achieve something. That vague signal leads us
to search for an answer to the fundamental question of who and
what we are. Our impulse to search, our longing to achieve,
contains the seed of enlightened mind.
What is enlightened mind? According to the Buddhist teach-
ings, enlightened mind is not manufactured. It is not a result of
causes nor an accumulation of events; it is not an addition to
what already exists. Enlightened mind has no birth and no death.
It is without preoccupation, fear, expectation, or disappoint-
ment. That state of mind already exists in us; it is intrinsic to all
human beings. Without any doubt, each one of us can expe-
rience it. That is our basic ground: our mind, as it is, is sufficient
to realize the awakened state.
If that is the case, then what needs to be cultivated? The

awakened state of mind is habitually obscured by ignorance;
therefore it is necessary to cultivate the discipline that can
illuminate our true nature. When we lift the veil of ignorance,
awakened mind shines by itself.
We might ask, ''How do you know there is an awakened state
of mind? Can you prove that ignorance exists? Can you prove
that enlightenment exists?'' These questions express our general
concern about our state of mind, about whether we feel good or
bad or whether we are right or wrong. They are a manifestation
of natural inquisitiveness. Because we are fundamentally open
and awake, we are inquisitive; and our inquisitive mind is
constantly questioning or searching.
According to the buddhadharma, the proper way to use
inquisitiveness is to practice the discipline of meditation. We
must constantly apply the technique of meditation practice in
order to wear down our habitual tendency to ignore our basic
state of mind. Meditative discipline brings about the realization
that both ignorance and inquisitiveness come from the original
ground of enlightened mind, which is unobstructed and has no
allegiance to whatever occurs. That original mind is like a vast,
open field, which is beyond success or failure, beyond good or
bad.
These teachings are meant to give an outline of what is real
and true. If enlightened mind were not already there, we would
have no way to begin. The Kagyii lineage, in particular, empha-
sizes that all of us have basic intelligence, the spark of wisdom.
Glimpses of the awakened state of mind occur in our ordinary
experience. This is what makes it possible for us to journey on
the path to enlightenment.
There are two aspects of this path: practice and study.
Practice is the most important, because only through direct,
8
PROVI SIONS FOR THE JOURNEY
personal experience can we attain realization. In fact, the

Kagyi.i lineage is called the Practice Lineage. The second aspect,
study or intellectual understanding of the teachings, illumi-
nates our practice and confirms our intuitive experience.
Those two, practice and study, are the provisions for our
.
JOUrney.
Having a proper attitude towards journey is essential. If we
make a journey properly, then everything we encounter is
considered part of it. We are fully involved in the process of
journeying rather than being fixated on our destination. We are
not looking for quick solutions, but we are willing to be open,
precise, and thorough in relating with ourselves as well as all the
facets of our environment- the weather, the scenery, the land-
marks, and the obstacles or sidetracks along the way.
As we begin our journey, the biggest obstacle that we encoun-
ter is materialism. Materialism in general is the ego-centered
notion of possessing things for oneself. Physical materialism is
the accumulation of material comforts; psychological material-
ism is the accumulation of philosophies, ideologies, or psycho-
logical theories. But the most extreme and dangerous form of
materialism is spiritual materialism.
Before we are even attracted to spiritual materialism, we have
already become dissatisfied with physical and psychological
comforts. Spiritual materialism is based on trying to possess
the highest spiritual state, trying to have the best meditative
experience. We adopt a spiritual disguise in order to mask our
own fear and clinging; we convert spiritual teachings into per-
sonal territory. We smother any spark of intelligence, and in the
process, we deceive ourselves and produce spiritual fraud. We
may even go so far as to encourage others to follow us in our
deception by capitalizing on their confusion and encouraging a
" herd instinct."
9
BUDDHA IN TH E PALM OF YOUR HAND
In entering the path to enlightenment, we are beginning the

process of transforming confusion into wisdom. But in order to
make this journey, we must first acknowledge that we are
confused and that our environment is chaotic. Beyond that, we
must understand that chaos and confusion are perpetuated
because we do not have the training to see things as they are.
The only way to begin our journey is to work with confusion.
Looking into confusion is the opposite of spiritual materialism.
Adopting spiritual materialism, we would like to disregard
confusion and immediately embrace our own idea of enlighten-
ment. We would like to believe we can accomplish in three days
what should involve our whole life. In trying to sidestep confu-
sion, trying to get around it, we miss something very dear and
precious. ln fact, we miss our own wisdom. Therefore it is best
to begin simply, by taking a fresh look at our world and our
•
expenence.
10
TWO
A STRAIGHTFORWARD VIEW
WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR LIFE in a straightforward way, we see

that everything is marked by impermanence, or transitoriness.
Anything that is born will eventually die. The phenomenal world
and our bodies are subject to birth, life, decay, and death. It is
the same with our thoughts and emotions. We feel happy and
that lasts for a while, and then that happiness might change into
sadness or depression. We cannot even hang on to our belief in
consciousness as an eternal principle. If we look carefully, we
see that even consciousness is purely a collection of mental
events that having been brought together, eventually disperse.
Since the experience of impermanence is all-pervasive, there
is nothing that we can grasp and hold on to and say, " This lasts
forever. " We are left with a sense of groundlessness. That
experience is the discovery of egolessness. Because we are
confused, we base our perceptions on an idea of ourselves as a
permanent entity. That so-called permanent entity is known as
' 'ego.' ' But there is no permanent self or ego- there are simply
mental events, which in themselves are impermanent.
When we try to find out who we are, we cannot come up with
anything. There is nothing concrete or real or solid that we can
call " me" o~ " myself." We might think we are our body, but
we know the body decays. We might think we are our thought
process, but we know that thoughts constantly change. We
might think we are our memories, but they come and go, they
fade away and return. So we cannot depend on any of that as a
11
BU DD HA IN THE PALM O F Y O UR HAN D
constant reference point to prove that we exist. Even when we

try to pin down who it is that perceives impermanence, we get
completely dumbfounded. Our intuition and our knowledge
cannot be attached to anything. There is no permanent witness
to any event.
Not seeing clearly the truth of impermanence and egoless-
ness, we suffer. We suffer when we experience change; we
suffer because we do not know who we are. We have a feeling of
separation between who we think we are and our body, our
thoughts, our emotions, and our environment, and that pro-
vokes continual ambivalence and anxiety. In refusing to
acknowledge our basic anxiety, we become numb. That numb-
ness takes the form of believing in a permanent self or ego. But
the more we cling to the belief in a self, the more pain and
alienation we feel.
According to the Buddhist teachings, that perpetuation of
suffering need not happen. We do not have to create boundaries
in order to define ourselves. It is possible to look at our lives in a
more straightforward way. We can experience impermanence,
egolessness, and suffering simply, without having to create a
fortification called " [. " We can glimpse the possibility of
uprooting our confusion. At that point, because we see the
reality of impermanence, egolessness, and suffering, we get fed
up and disgusted with repeating the same pain over and over
again. This is a very positive step. Our revulsion and nausea
bring the recognition that this human birth, which is so very
tenuous, is very precious at the same time. We realize that death
can come at any minute; we have no idea when we are going to
die. Therefore, we feel we must find a way out of our confusion.
The path of meditation is the way to achieve freedom from
confusion by transforming that confusion into wisdom. Medita-
tion practice does not introduce the notion of a higher being
12
A STRAIGHTFORWARD VIEW
who will rescue us, nor does it propose that attaining a higher
consciousness will save us. It worlc.s with what we have right
• • •
now: our perceptiOns, our memortes, our emot1ons, our
thoughts. Meditation practice is the process of being awake to
what is. What is needed is commitment.
13
THREE
THE LANDSCAPE
W ESHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT THECAUSE of confused existence,

or samsara, is the struggle to survive. We hope that we will
continue to survive, and we fear that we won't. Hope and fear
play off each other all the time and create what we know as
everyday life. Those emotions arise because seemingly there is a
threat to our continued existence. Not being able to remember
the moment we were born and not knowing when we are going
to die, we live with constant uncertainty. We avoid speculating
about the moment of death, and trying to remember our birth
seems impossible-so we continue our struggle to survive. We
hope to achieve ultimate, everlasting security, and this keeps us
continually preoccupied.
This preoccupation is fueled by what are traditionally known
as the three poisons: passion, aggression, and ignorance. These
confused emotions are the basic energy of ego. If we feel that
something will help us to survive, we try to attract or hold or
possess it. That is passion. If we think that something threatens
our survival, we try to repel, intimidate, or destroy it. That is
aggression. If we feel indifferent, lazy, or dull, that is ignorance.
The momentum of passion, aggression, and ignorance builds
until the energy produces different styles of preoccupation,
hallucinatory worlds, which are known as the six realms. The
experience in each of these realms is overwhelming suffering.
Sometimes we create a habitual existence in which everything
is predictable, so that there is no need to relate with the
14
THE LANDSCAP E
uncompromising quality of pain. This particular attitude des-

cribes what is known as the animal realm, or the consciousness
like that of an animal. This style of imprisonment is based on
ignorance. The quality of our experience in this realm is a kind
of numbness and lack of humor. Like animals, we are slaves to
the seasons and the environment. We just plod along, ignoring
the implications of our experiences. We are born, grow old, and
die; our family, friends, and associates come and go. Life is
taken for granted. We experience disappointment and achieve-
ment, but never with any enthusiasm. Day turns into night;
weeks become months; months become years. We take every-
thing literally because we are afraid to speculate on the meaning
of our existence.
Then perhaps we dream of other possibilities, and we become
seized by a sense of hunger. We think our predictable life is too
limited, and we want to discover a more interesting and satisfy-
ing world. But our search already has a sense of hunger attached
to it. We feel starved and we carry our starvation with us
everywhere. This is the realm of the hungry ghosts, which is
motivated by passion. The notion of a ghost here is that of a
phantom in an unfamiliar world. We are out of our own
environment and looking for something different. What we find
appears to be delightful, but it never really satisfies us. We feel
we have finally found a delicious world, a rich world, and we try
to devour it. The sense of being starved pushes us to try to eat
tremendous amounts, but when we do, we vomit. Then we feel
hungry and have to eat again. No matter how much we eat or
how often, no matter how much richness we experience,
nothing can remove our sense of hunger, our sense of poverty.
We are still trapped in the hope of achieving ultimate
satisfaction.
15
When sensual delights prove to be unsatisfactory, we begin to

feel we should transcend the problems and limitations of desire.
We think: "Perhaps if I get into the realm of thought, I can
achieve a sense of security. Philosophical pleasure doesn't help
that much; however, spiritual pleasure might bring ultimate
fulfillment. Perhaps the most sublime thing would be to have a
mind that cannot be disturbed. The best mind would be cloud-
like, spacelike-limitless, untouchable, and unshakable. ' '
These thoughts are delightful and, in fact, very exciting. We
become enthused by the idea that we could actually dwell in
celestial space with uninterrupted pleasure and security. We
could possess ultimate victory, power, and discipline. We could
achieve continual bliss by becoming a spiritual being.
All the energy of our search for security is now channeled into
developing a sophisticated mental world. We become preoccu-
pied with the contemplation of limitless space and cosmic
principles. This is called the realm of the gods. The experience
of this realm is characterized by concentration or absorption,
which is actually a more subtle form of ignorance. By concen-
trating our mind, we create a kind of euphoria or trance. We
become hypnotized by our own mental energy. We assume the
posture of one who knows the heavens, one who is completely
in touch with the cosmos. We experience power and stability,
and we feel we have reached our destination.
Feeling we have reached the highest state where nothing can
touch us, we begin to relax, believing we no longer have to
struggle. At first this feels wonderful, but after a while we notice
a subtle change in energy, and we become slightly uncornfort·
able. We try to adjust to the change, but any little movement or
deviation from that sense of limitless existence is frightening.
When fear comes into the picture, we begin to doubt our
accomplishment; we think that maybe we missed the point
16
THE LANDS CAPE
altogether. Then we start to lose confidence in our power to

concentrate. Paranoia and aggression begin to creep in, and we
enter the realm of the jealous gods.
In this realm, as we become more anxious and upset, we start
looking everywhere for the cause of our discomfort. But we
cannot look everywhere at once, and that increases our paranoia
and our sense of being victimized. We become highly defensive
and feel we must not let anyone see that we have fallen from our
lofty seat, our state of grace. We try to act relaxed, but we feel
overwhelmingly irritated by the constant pressure to secure our
world and maintain our secret. We no longer possess any
composure, and we blame others for our misfortune. We
become jealous of anyone who seems to be better off than we
are. We a.r e sure there is some further knowledge that would
solve our problems. At the same time we feel ourselves sinking
faster and faster from the heights, and we become more and
more afraid.
Eventually we become so fearful that our life becomes a
nightmare. Everything and everyone we encounter is horrific.
Our fear becomes so exaggerated that even simple sense expe-
riences become extremely threatening and painful: a drink of
water becomes poison; a pleasant, sunny day becomes unbear-
ably hot. The world becomes a complete and total threat. We
have descended into the realm of hell, which is marked by
continual anger and hatred. There seems to be no way out. In
fact, the more we try to escape, the more torturous the night-
mare becomes.
In all of the five realms we have just described, we never see
the cause of our continual pain. Our state of mind is so solid that
we are not even aware that we are confused. In only one of the
six realms, the human realm, can we experience any possibility
of freedom from our otherwise endless imprisonment in hallu-
17
cinatory worlds. This possibility arises when there is a gap or

break in the intensity of our pain. Such a break allows us to
glimpse the confused nature of our existence; it allows us to
relate with our pain. In terms of conventional logic, when we
discover pain we hope there is an alternative. In terms of
buddhadharma, since pain is the nature of existence, we realize
we should examine it thoroughly. The opportunity to do so
arises only in the human realm.
18
FOUR
CONSIDERING THE TRUTH
THE HUMAN REALM IS THE ONLY REALM in which we can unravel the
thread of confusion and attain enlightenment. The Buddhist
teachings speak of human existence as precious because it
provides the working basis for that attainment. Why is this so?
Each form of existence, or realm, is marked by a particular
neurotic emotion. The neurotic emotion of the human realm is
passion, or desire-but it is a less poverty-stricken form of
passion than that associated with the hungry ghost realm. The
passion of the human realm is longing rather than hunger. This
longing is what leads us to search for a spiritual path.
As human beings, we generally believe that desire is good and
healthy and, in fact, essential. We think if we were utterly
without desire we would cease to exist. Ordinarily, desire
implies the possibility of fulfillment, of possessing the object of
our desires. But actually, as long as there is desire there can be no
fulfillment. Accomplishing our goals never really satisfies us.
This is because the object of desire is always the projection of
ego, and therefore has no essential reality.
When we start to realize this, we become disappointed. Our
disappointment becomes so vivid that we feel disgusted with
confused existence, and we are drawn to looking deeper into our
life. We begin to question whether trying to fulfill our desires is
all there is to life. We ask ourselves, "What is the meaning of
life? What am I doing? Where am I going?" It doesn't matter
how successful we have been in our endeavors. If we have the
19
BU DD H A IN T H E PALM OF Y O UR HA N D
honesty to penetrate the veneer, the outward display of our life,

we realize how wretched we actually feel. Although our feelings
of disgust and wretchedness are irritating and painful, at the
same time they are clearly auspicious. They prompt us to search
for a spiritual path and allow us to go beyond our usual preoccu-
pations and defenses.
In the other realms there is no possibility of intelligent doubt,
of actually thinking, '' Does it have to be this way? Is it possible
that I am taking the wrong approach altogether?" The intensity
of pain in those realms is so overwhelming that there is no gap in
experience. There is no time to wonder about or question what
is going on. Habitual patterns are so vivid and claustrophobic
that the thought of seeking enlightenment never occurs. Only in
the human realm can we conceive of such a thought, and that
thought comes out of the experience of disappointment. At that
point we are able to hear the noble doctrine of the Buddha. In
that way, the desire of the human realm becomes a useful tool
for attaining enlightenment. Without such longing, merely
being born in the human realm is not likely to lead to liberation.
It becomes just another stage in our continua.) journey through
the six realms.
The doctrine of the Buddha begins with the teaching of th.e
Jour noble truths. The four noble truths show the path of libera-
tion in the human realm. They are called noble because they
liberate us from confusion. They are true because they are not
based on speculation, nor are they contrasted with falsehood.
They are simply the statement of what is. Merely hearing the
teaching of the four noble truths can cut the speed and intensity
of our preoccupations. Listening to the Buddha's description of
the nature of confused existence and the nature of the path to
liberation, we begin to develop a new perspective. That
perspective is the perspective of enlightenment.
20
CONSIDERING TH E TRUTH
The first noble truth is that suffering is the nature of exist-

ence. All of existence-all of the six realms, including the
human realm-is marked by suffering. The second noble truth
describes the origin of suffering. The origin or cause of suffering
is craving to maintain a self, ego. That craving gives rise to
conflicting emotions and karma, the inevitability of cause and
effect that brings about the continuous cycle of birth and death
in the six realms. The third noble truth proclaimed by the
Buddha declares that there is an end, a cessation, to suffering.
When the Buddha talked about the cessation of suffering, he
was not talking about pain becoming happiness or pleasure.
Cessation is the end of struggle and confusion. The fourth noble
truth is that there is a path that leads to the cessation of struggle
and the attainment of enlightenment. The primary discipline of
this path is the practice of meditation.
This path was practiced by the Buddha himself, and has been
transmitted from that time to the present day. It has been
handed down from teacher to student through the ages, uninter-
ruptedly and without corruption. By hearing, contemplating and
practicing the Buddha's teachings, confidence starts to grow in
us. This confidence is not blind faith based on ignorance or
wishful thinking. It is the beginning of real conviction based on
personal experience. We begin to actually appreciate the pre-
ciousness of our human birth.
21
Copyrighted mater;ial
FIVE
THE RESERVOIR OF COMMITMENT
IN ORDER TO BE A PRACTITIONER of the buddhadharma, it is neces-

sary to recognize and develop three types of faith. Faith means
the confidence in our intelligence that enables us to practice
meditation and understand the four noble truths.
The fi.r st type of faith or confidence is called trusting confi-
dence. This trust is based on understanding the Buddha's teaching
of cause and effect, or karma. Trust in the teaching of karma is
the starting point for any practitioner of the dharma. Karma is
not particularly mystical; it is the simple law of cause and effect.
Karma begins with the ignorance of clinging to a self. Attempt-
ing to maintain a self creates a continual chain of volitional
action based on impulse and expressed through body, speech,
and mind. Our present circumstances are the result of volitional
actions in the past; our future circumstances depend on voli-
tional actions in the present.
Thus karma, or volitional action, is motivated by confusion-
that is, by belief in a self or ego. This confusion ultimately
results in birth in the six realms. Virtuous actions produce a
favorable birth in a higher realm- the realm of the gods, jealous
gods, or humans. Aggressive or degraded actions produce birth
in a lower realm- the realm of hell-beings, animals, or hungry
ghosts. The aim of the practitioner is to cut this chain reaction
entirely by means of the practice of meditation.
The second type of confidence is called longing confidence.
This is the recognition that enlightenment is possible. Having
22
THE RESERV OIR OF COMMITMENT
realized the possibility of liberation from confusion, a sense of

longing or eagerness to attain it naturally develops.
The third type of confidence is called lucid confidence. An
understanding of the misery of confused existence and the truth
of karma, together with a longing to free ourselves from sam-
sara, brings clear vision. We realize that the three jewels- the
Buddha, the dharma, and the sanaha- are the means to liberation.
This is lucid confidence. It is the motivation to take the refuge
vow, the first formal commitment that we make as practitioners.
Taking refuge in the three jewels means acknowledging, to
begin with, that we are alone and that being alone is itself an
expression of human dignity. We discover that there is no
alternative to working with ourselves. There is no time left to be
a spiritual consumer, constantly comparing prices in a super-
market of different spiritual disciplines, window shopping,
glancing through catalogues. There are no promises that can be
bought or bargained for in the confused world. Those activities
can only produce further suffering.
When we make that discovery we become inspired to take a
very definite and sure step: we commit ourselves to the path of
the awakened one, the Buddha, by taking the vow of refuge.
That is the first step in transforming our chaotic world into a
sane world. Taking refuge in the three jewels is a statement of
our commitment to ourselves. We formally acknowledge that
the process of transforming confusion into wisdom has begun
and will continue until we are freed from the interminable
suffering of samsara. This is accomplished by understanding the
nature of the three jewels of refuge: the Buddha, the dharma,
and the sangha.
Taking refuge in the Buddha means realizing that a human
being like ourselves attained enlightenment and, in fact, practi-
tioners have been doing so for over 2,500 years. The basis for
23
BUDDHA IN THE PALM O F YOUR HAND
our commitment is not the worship of a divine being; it is

knowing that we can do precisely as the Buddha himself did.
When we take refuge in the Buddha, we understand there is no
external savior. The Buddha sat alone and attained enlighten-
ment, and we take refuge in his example. We must do as he did:
rely on our own mind, our own exertion, our own practice. That
is what we have right now, and that is sufficient.
The second object of refuge is the dharma, that is, the
teachings of the Buddha. We take refuge in what the Buddha
taught. We acknowledge that the dharma is our basic guideline,
our only reference point in working with everything we encoun-
ter in our life: our thought processes, emotions, bodily sensa-
tions, relationships, and so on. Since the essence of the teachings
is contained in the practice of meditation, we commit ourselves
wholeheartedly to that discipline when we take refuge in the
dharma as path.
The third object of refuge is the sangha, the community of
practitioners, spiritual friends, who like ourselves are commit-
ted to the path of sanity. Relating with the sangha brings the
understanding that our fellow practitioners are making the same
journey. The fact that there are other people practicing in the
same way provides a lot of encouragement. At the same time
there is no sense of dependency. We do not have to lean on our
companions. We have genuine respect for the people around us;
therefore we would like to create and maintain an environment
of sanity for them. That creates tremendous power and sense of
community. At the same time we do not forget that our journey
is a solitary journey, a lonely journey. When we experience our
aloneness in the midst of the sangha, we realize the unique
quality of our journey. we reaffirm our commitment to practice
because we understand there is no fantasy involved in this
path- we must walk on it ourselves.
24
THE R ESERVOIR OF COMMITMENT
Taking refuge actually changes the course of history. Waking

up to our own decency cuts the chain reaction of endless rebirth
in samsara, the six realms. In I)Ur lifetime there are very few
events that make sense, very few decisions we make that ulti-
mately change our lives. This is one of the few sensible things we
can ever do. At the same time, making such a commitment
means that we have no choice but to proceed, to move forward
towards enlightenment.
25
\ .
.•.
'· .. \
....••=~·
'"' .
' '(o_-
..
~~~ ·
..
~iF
1
~"'~~;a..~, -~~~·t3"'"'~
~~··.M'"~ ~~~· ""bj--....,~1
)
fT''1te a
SIX
OVERCOMING HOPE AND FEAR
As A RESULT OF REALIZING THE THREE TYPES of confidence and taking

refuge in the three jewels, we begin to appreciate discipline.
Having heard the teaching of the four noble truths, we recog-
nize the importance of discipline as the means of liberating
ourselves from confusion. The path that leads to enlightenment,
as transmitted by the Kagyti lineage, consists of three yanas, or
vehicles-the hinayana, mahayana, and vajrayana. The three
yanas provide specific disciplines that are suited to the various
stages of a student's development.
In the first yana, the hinayana, the practitioner frees himself
from confusion by not indulging in degraded or samsaric activ-
ity. The goal of this practice is the attainment of sosor charpa, or
individual liberation. In the second yana, the mahayana, the practi-
tioner vows to attain enlightenment not simply for himself, but
for the benefit of others. In the vajrayana, the final stage of the
path, when the student has thoroughly prepared the ground
through the practices of the previous yanas, he develops the
ability to transform confusion into wisdom on the spot.
Traditionally, the attainment of individual liberation in the
hinayana is accomplished by practicing the three disciplines:
shila, samadhi, and prajna-right conduct, meditative absorption,
and discriminating awareness. Shila is the discipline of not
harming oneself or others. Samadhi, meditative absorption, is
the practice of unwinding confusion, and prajna is the discrimi-
nating awareness that leads to enlightenment.
27
We could begin with a discussion of shila or, in Tibetan,

csultrim, proper action. The discipline of proper action is not to
cause harm to oneself or others; and it comes out of disgust at
having done so, time and time again. Not harming others does
not imply, at this point, helping others. It is not actually possible
to help others properly until we stop creating pain for ourselves.
So, to begin with, we have to recognize the suffering of our own
existence and develop the resolve not to create further pain and
confusion for ourselves.
In order to do that, we must develop an attitude of renuncia-
tion. Renunciation is generally understood as giving up pleasure,
whether it is the pleasure we take in money, food, sex, clothing,
or any other worldly activities. This is the common interpreta-
tion of renunciation-a kind of deprivation. True renunciation,
however, is not particularly involved with the practice of
asceticism.
Before attaining enlightenment, the Buddha practiced many
different types of asceticism in order to eliminate worldly
desires. In order to eliminate craving, he underwent severe fasts;
in order to eliminate attachment to his body, he subjected it to
extremes of heat and cold; in order to overcome ignorance, he
went without sleep; in order to let go of attachment to worldly
dwelling places, he meditated every day in a different place. He
attained all that his teachers could show him, but he realized he
was still not free of ego-clinging. Therefore he abandoned
conventional ascetic practices. He realized that if he did not take
care of his body, he could not practice meditation; if he could
not practice meditation, he could not attain enlightenment. He
decided to remain on one spot and eat enough food to sustain his
body. He arranged a comfortable seat and devoted himself to
simple practice.
28
OVERCO MING HOPE AND F EA R
Proper renunciation begins with being willing to look at the

pollution we create with our desire for personal gain and
pleasure. That desire is fueled by hope and fear, the mechanisms
of ego's survival. By taking the attitude of renunciation and not
succumbing to the desire to perpetuate ego, we free ourselves
from our continuous grasping. Thus the discipline of renuncia-
tion could be described as a kind of energy conservation. It
involves taming the wildness of mind by establishing a neutral
ground that is not subject to the rages of hope and fear. That
neutral ground is created by the practice of meditation. Since
there is no external savior, no means to individual liberation
other than working with ourselves, we must practice medita-
tion. We must work with being alone, being by ourselves.
We see the pollution caused by lust, stupidity, greed, envy,
and pride, and we see that by not refraining from those actions
we cause harm to ourselves and others. When we bring the
discipline of renunciation to our practice of meditation, we
make a very powerful discovery. We discover that there is
tremendous dignity in our human existence. We no longer have
to cater to the demands of hope and fear. We realize that we
have the strength to be disciplined and the decency to be gentle.
That is shila.
The second discipline is samadhi. Samadhi, or meditative
absorption, refers to subduing or stilling confusion by means of
one-pointed absorption in a meditative technique. Samadhi is
developed through the techniques of mindfulness and aware-
ness. As we have said, meditation practice creates a neutral
ground, where we can relate simply and directly with our body
and our breath and our environment. In that neutral situation,
our mental world becomes quite vivid. We witness the newsreel
of our lives, our mental autobiography, in memories, discursive
thoughts, and emotions. Once we begin to practice, we come
29
home, so to speak. When we visit our family after a long

absence, there is a great commotion. All of our relatives are very
excited; they haven't seen us in years. Some of them cry; others
seem very happy and relaxed; others are brooding-it's quite a
show. Coming home in terms of meditation practice is the same.
All of our relatives-our mental family of memories, dreams,
hopes and fears, what we have been, what we are, what we hope
to be-sta.r t to speak up, expressing their reaction to having us
home.
When a particular thought arises in our mind, we feel excited
or sad or panicky. Sometimes we feel like falling asleep; other
times we feel so angry that we want to jump up. Occasionally
our life story seems like a very vivid and garish cartoon; but at
other times we feel like congratulating ourselves on how well we
are doing. So confused existence has the quality of spinning
around and around, very fast. The practice of meditation gives
us the opportunity to be still so that we can see our confused,
spinning mind. When that stillness becomes continuous, that is
the experience of samadhi.
The third discipline, which is born from the previous two, is
known as prajna, discriminating awareness, or knowledge.
There are two types of knowledge. The first is conventional
knowledge, knowledge based on the accumulation of informa-
tion, memory, and so on. Biased by ego, we pick and choose
what we think is of value. Whatever is pleasing to us is consi-
dered a proper object of knowledge, and whatever is painful is
considered something to ignore. The second type of knowledge
arises from pure, inquisitive mind that has no bias. This is
prajna. This type of knowledge does not depend on a knower;
therefore it is egoless. Prajna is intuitively felt rather than
remembered. It understands the nature of things as they are.
30
OVERCOMING HOPE AND FEAR
We begin to develop prajna by examining the components of

our experience. Is confusion real? Is pain real? Does happiness
exist? Is there a state of mind that might be called enlightened? If
so, what does that mean? What is mind? What are thoughts and
emotions? Prajna examines what is, precisely, without the bias
of ego's interpretation. It uncovers knowledge of how our body,
speech, and mind function; how the world works; how there is
confusion and how there is liberation. More specifically, prajna
is the knowledge of how thoughts arise, linger, and fade away;
how thoughts, in their vividness, become emotions; how emo-
tions give rise to actions; and how actions produce results.
Contemplating in this way liberates us from the intense confu-
sion of the six realms.
31
SEVEN
CONNECTING WITH THE EARTH
DISGUST WITH SAMSARA LEADS US TO SEEK a discipline that will cut

through habitual patterns. We look for a path, a teaching that is
not based on accumulating further neurosis and confusion. The
discipline that provides the framework for our entire path is the
formal practice of sitting meditation. Meditation practice allows
us to look at things clearly, and we begin to develop mindful-
ness. Mindfulness means paying attention to the details of our
experience. Without mindfulness, we stumble, we get con-
fused, we lose our way, and there is no possibility of proceeding.
When we do not miss the details of our experience, we are
awake, alert, and precise.
The practice of mindfulness is common to all Buddhist
traditions. Although the techniques may vary slightly, the basic
practice is the same. The meditation practice that cultivates
mindfulness is known in Sanskrit as shamatha, which means
dwelling in peace-taming the mind. The Tibetan term for that
is shine. Peacefulness does not mean numbness or casualness, but
rather feeling at home with the natural precision of mind. The
practice of shamatha meditation is characterized by expanding
rather than focusing on one point. Centralizing everything is a
problem because it assumes that everything revolves around
" me, " " myself. " Clinging to the notion of self produces the
pain of hope and fear. So shamatha practice is based on letting go
of the tightness of self-involvement.
32
C O NN ECTING WITH TH E EARTH
The technique of sitting meditation is very simple: it is the

process of becoming one with the breath. It is very important to
understand the difference between following the breath and
becoming one with the breath. Following the breath involves
some kind of witness or watcher, and can actually reinforce the
sense of self or ego. Strictly speaking, becoming one with the
breath does not involve any kind of witness. Breathing does not
need a watche.r; it is not self-conscious. The breath goes in and
out very naturally. We do not consciously have to try to breathe.
So working with the breath is not adding anything particularly
new to our experience.
Traditionally, meditation is practiced sitting cross-legged on
a cushion of some kind. Sitting on a cushion on the ground is a
statement of our connection with earth; that is, we are not
fantasizing. We are being realistic and practical. The first thing
we do is simply to sit down on our meditation cushion. We relax
and take a comfortable posture, upright but not rigid. Correct
posture means sitting with our head, shoulders, and spine
vertically aligned, but without tension. This posture expresses
our wakefulness-we are not asleep or dreaming,
After arranging the proper seat, we rest our hands comfort-
ably on our thighs, palms down. Our eyes are open, and our gaze
is directed slightly downward. We do not have to stare fixedly at
one point or blur everything into a fuzzy haze, but gently take in
the immediate environment.
At that point we become aware of our breath going out. As
we do so, we feel the actual physical breath going out- not just
a mental picture of the breath. It goes to the end of its journey
and dissolves into space. As the breath goes out, it has a
particular texture and tone and outward movement. Sometimes
it is ragged; sometimes it feels very smooth. Sometimes it is
shallow, and other times it is deep or heavy. We should be
33
BUD D HA IN TH E PALM OF YOUR HAND
mindful of the texture of the breath without trying to change it.

When the breath dissolves into space, there is a gap. At that
moment there is no memory of the meditator. The breath
dissolves, there is a gap, and that is followed by the inbreath.
The inbreath is not emphasized. It is simply a natural function:
our lungs are filling with air. The breath just comes back; then it
goes out again. Breath; out; dissolve; gap. That is precisely the
process we are working with.
When we begin to meditate, we feel self-conscious. We have
an exaggerated sense of ourselves as " the meditator." That is
not particularly a problem. However, we should remember that
what we are interested in doing is becoming one with the breath.
The reason we work with the outbreath is because it has a
natural sense of expansion and decentralization, of letting go
and going out as opposed to focusing on " this, " or " me." There
is no one watching the breath go out. There is simply breath
going out into space and dissolving.
This process is very important because it brings a sense of
leaving this territory, this "I." The practice of meditation
awakens the intuitive sense of egolessness. Breath goes out,
dissolves into space, and comes back; goes out, dissolves into
space, and comes back. By practicing in this way we are eroding
the basis of ego. It is so simple that it does not involve any
concept at all. In fact, when we say, "going out, " " dissolving,"
and " gap," we are just pointing to how to practice. Individually,
we find our way.
Generally speaking, when we begin to practice we think we
should become an ''ideal' ' meditator- someone who can follow
the technique without being interrupted by thoughts. However,
we have a lot of accumulated memories, and the thought process
continually chums them up. What do we do with the thoughts
that we experience? According to the traditional instructions,
CONNECTING WITH THE EARTH
when a thought arises, we label it "thinking." It is not said

aloud; we just mentally label, "thinking." We might ask, " Isn't
that just another thought?" Labeling thinking is merely a
reminder to return to the breath. The word " thinking" doesn' t
mean anything. It marks that moment of awareness when we
realize we are thinking rather than being one with the breath.
When we are practicing, following the technique, it dawns on
us that we are actually meditating properly. Then we become
fascinated by that. In the process of becoming fascinated, we
also become self-conscious and start to worry about whether we
can maintain our experience of meditation. That immediately
opens the door to discursive thoughts because we are again
focusing on die notion of ourself as the meditator. We are
inviting back all our memories, fantasies, hopes, and fears.
Sometimes that fantasy world seems overwhelming and has
the appearance of a private horror show of our own. The point is
not to take it too seriously. Just look at it. It doesn't matter
whether it is pleasing or not-it is simply "thinking." Labeling
thinking is like a sharp knife, which cuts precisely but gently.
When we label a thought ''thinking,' ' it is not a matter of push-
ing it away. At the point when we label " thinking," the thought
process is cut, on the spot. By doing that, we automatically come
right back to the breath.
Bodily sensations are also labeled ''thinking. '' We could say
that whenever we are not one with the breath, everything that
arises in our practice is labeled " thinking." This includes the
itch on our face and the pain in our knees. This does not mean
that our posture must be absolutely rigid. If we are so distracted
by a particular physical pain that we cannot follow the tech-
nique, it is sometimes necessary to adjust our posture.
The practice of meditation makes us very sensitive, not from
the point of view of becoming touchy or irritable, but from the
35
BUDDHA IN TH E PA L M OF YOUR HAND
point of view of becoming sharp and precise. We become like a

needle-very thin and clean, straight and pointed. We pay
attention to everything that goes on in our life all the time.
Mindfulness throws a spotlight on all our behavior. Since our
actions are an echo or mirror image of our state of mind, every
gesture is worthy of attention. We begin to see how our
behavior affects the world around us and how each little move
we make can create chaos. If we fail to see this, we push our way
through the world, bumping into each other and stepping on
each other's toes. We fail to notice where we are going and what
we are doing. Our behavior is haphazard and chaotic, lacking
dignity and intelligence because it is based on impulse. Through
the practice of meditation we can become gentle and dignified
human beings.
Although I have given written instructions on how to medi-
tate, it is necessary not only to read and study the teachings, but
also to receive personal instruction from a qualified teacher. It is
necessary to have an ongoing relationship with one who has
made this journey already. Since the time of the Buddha,
meditation practice has been transmitted in this way, personally,
from teacher to student.
36
EIGHT
THE CLEAR ATMOSPHERE
SHAMATHA MEDITATION IS VERY SIMPLE and direct: using the tech-

nique of working with the breath and labeling thoughts we begin
to see that sensations, thoughts, and emotions are simple events.
Things as they are, are simple, good, and direct. They do not
need elaboration. In fact, we could say that the cause of chaos
and aggression is our tendency to create unnecessary complica-
tions. So the more we practice, the more we understand a sense
of great simplicity.
The practice of shamatha brings freedom from clutter, from
the continual whirlpool of our thought process and our constant
sense of anxiety, our sense of being chased by our own emotions
and sensations. The introduction of mindfulness into our life is
like good, fresh air. We see that it is not necessary to complicate
our life. There is no longer any reason to believe in a fantasy of
who and what we are. We experience our thought process, our
body, our actions, and our environment directly, without having
to invent a so-called ego. This freedom from complications
brings the experience of unfabricated healthiness, wholesome-
ness, and goodness.
The discovery of simplicity brings delight in practice. When
we first meditate, taking delight in our practice might seem
artificial. But genuine delight is not an attitude that we adopt. It
is a natural result of the simplicity that comes from mindfulness:
seeing things directly and not having to invent a sense of identity
is delightful. At the same time, it is impossible to discover such
37
BUDDH A I N TH E PALM OF YOUR H AND
delight unless we have discipline. With discipline, delight in

practice becomes a continual process, which regenerates itself
and expands without effort. We need discipline to allow that
state of mind to unfold.
As we continue to practice, delight and goodness naturally
grow beyond the boundaries of simple mindfulness. Because of
the basic wholesomeness of shamatha, we experience stability of
mind and confidence in our practice. Because our state of
wholesomeness is continuous and real, and because our practice
is good and solid, we are confident of not falling again and again
into a whirlpool of confusion. We have recognized that our
thought process is not problematic, and therefore we can relax
with our thoughts and emotions and bodily sensations-with
whatever occurs in our practice.
Once we begin to relax in practice, flashes of insight occur.
This is the beginning of vipasbyana. Vipashyana is a Sanskrit term
that means insight, or clear seeing. The Tibetan term for vipa-
shyana is lhaluhong. The clear seeing of vipashyana arises out of
shamatha. From shamatha we learn that things are very direct:
senses, body, thoughts. The experience of sha~atha practice
teaches us that things are just what they are; therefore we relax
in our practice. Mindfulness naturally expands into vipashyana
insight, and we begin to notice the atmosphere around our
practice. This is called awareness. We begin to look out,
expand, and insight occurs spontaneously.
With the insight of vipashyana, we recognize the elements of
every situation as being without the bias of ego. We see that our
world is a combination of factors that, in themselves, have no
particular meaning other than what we attribute to them at each
moment. This is the discovery of egolessness: realizing that
things have no solid existence. This expansion of insight brings
tremendous ventilation, freedom, a spacious attitude. At the
38
THE CLEAR ATMOSPHERE
same time, it cuts through any sense of nesting in feeling good

and healthy. We feel sharp, tentative, precise, and spacious.
Inquisitive mind is freed from the burden of ego-clinging, and
we can actually see all the possibilities in a situation.
At first when insight arises, we do not know how to handle
that experience, except by labeling it " thinking." But at the
same time we feel the urge to go further. Going further does not
mean abandoning the discipline of mindfulness. The simplicity
of mindfulness is like an anchor: it connects us with the direct
and precise experience of our basic wholesomeness and good-
ness. Going further means going beyond the idea that everything
must have a purpose, including our practice. When we expe-
rience that our practice has no purpose, our awareness and
sensitivity to the environment become acute. We begin to
realize that awareness is present in the environment itself;
therefore it needs no purpose. It is not our awareness; it does not
depend on the reference point of ego at all.
At this point, awareness is seen as intelligent, self-existing,
and continuous. This realization is based on true insight, that is,
the direct knowledge of things as they are. That knowledge is
not limited to a mere description or an accumulation of data.
When inquisitive mind is liberated from the bonds of ego, we
see the egoless nature of ourself and phenomena; therefore we
realize that we do not have to struggle to survive. We do not
need to speed or rush in order to accomplish a good and
wholesome life.
39
NINE
STEPPING THROUGH
AN OPEN DOORWAY
IN ORDER TO PRACTICE VIP ASHY ANA properly, we should understand

the attitude of accommodation. Accommodation refers to our
ability to hear the dharma. If we are motivated by what we think
we can get out of our practice and study of the dharma, then we
cannot actually hear the teachings, nor can we take them to
heart and practice them properly. In order to hear the teachings,
it is necessary to remove the obstacle of personal goal orienta-
tion. Our state of mind must be free from aggression. The
attitude of nonaggression, of not practicing for personal gain, is
the accommodating attitude of vipashyana.
The basis of vipashyana is the experience of shamatha, which
is marked by simplicity, precision, and accuracy. The practice of
awareness naturally unfolds from the discipline of mindfulness.
In fact, the two are inseparable in the sense that the experience
of one leads to the experience of the other. So the practice of
sitting meditation is still the basic discipline that develops
awareness.
It is possible, however, that our mindfulness practice may
become too tight, too goal-oriented, or too directional. When
that happens, we need to develop a further sense of accommoda-
tion, of loosening up and feeling comfortable. When our strict
approach to discipline opens up, a transition is taking place in
our practice. We awaken to the environment around us, and we
begin to feel space more than technique. This does not mean
40
STEPPING THROUGH AN OPEN DOORWAY
that technique is no longer necessary; it means that we no longer

have to prove to ourselves that we are doing it. Relating to the
literalness of the technique provides precision; but only when
we relax and relate to the expansiveness of the environment
does our centralized notion of a self start to dissolve.
When we are sitting, practicing the breathing technique, and
labeling thoughts, we experience lapses in our practice charac-
terized by drowsiness, agitation, or laziness. We become capti-
vated by our thoughts, memories, fantasies, and so on, to the
point that we become lost in our mental world. Suddenly, we
experience a flash. In that flash of awareness there is no ego, no
watcher.
We can make use of the flash of awareness in this way: when
we become aware that we are not practicing the technique, we
can allow ourselves to come back to the breath with a sense of
accommodation and naturalness, without feeling good or bad,
without struggling to get back . Generally, we say to ourselves,
''I'm not doing the technique; I should be doing the technique. ' '
We feel tense and try to force ourselves to come back to the
breath without effort. Usually we return to the breath when we
remember that is what we are supposed to be doing. But as we
progress in our practice, we begin to feel that coming back is not
due to memory at all. The actual flash of awareness happens
before we attach a description to it.
The experience of this flash of awareness brings the
spontaneous awakening of prajna, discriminating awareness.
Prajna is fully-liberated intelligence: it does not depend on the
confirmation or feedback of ego. Therefore prajna is able to
discriminate that which liberates us from that which binds us to
confusion. Because it is egoless, prajna brings together intuitive
experience and intellect, and allows us to completely identify
with the teachings of the Buddha. It is prajna that enables us to
41
contemplate egolessness, impermanence, and suffering, and

penetrate the teaching of the four noble truths.
The intellect of prajna is the discriminating aspect of mind,
which ultimately leads to wisdom. Ordinarily, intellect is
regarded as an analytical process that makes distinctions and
puts things into categories. Intellect is usually associated with
logic and some notion of proof: it provides confirmation for
ego-centered experience. All this arises from the misconception
that the function of intellect depends on a lcnower, a centralized
basis of intelligence. However, intellect is fundamentally not
dependent on ego. Neither does our intuitive perception need
ego to function. Through vipashyana practice, both intellect and
intuition are liberated from the bonds of ego.
Vipashyana frees us from grasping and ego-clinging. With the
dawn of vipashyana we feel inspired to leave our confusion
behind. It is like stepping through an open doorway, into a cool
breeze of fresh air. For a long time, we have protected our
confusion and hesitated to step through that doorway. But now
we feel drawn to walk through, with full appreciation of what
we are doing. This is the entrance to the bodhisattva path, to a
wider vision and deeper commitment to practice. It is the birth
of buddha mind, awakened mind.
+2
PART II
Talking about this spark of wisdom is a very delicate

matter and potentially explosive. Nevertheless, at some
point it is necessary to proclaim our own quality of
wakefulness, which is called buddha nature.
TEN
REMEMBERING WHO WE ARE
IN PRACTICING THE HINAYANA DISCIPLINE, we have been careful and

precise, working hard to recover from the illness of confused
ideas. All of that good discipline has prepared us to take one
bold, strong step. That step is proclaiming that in each of us,
there is a spark of wisdom that is absolutely uncontrollable.
Talking about this spark of wisdom is a very delicate matter and
potentially explosive. Nevertheless, at some point it is necessary
to proclaim our own quality of wakefulness, which is called
buddha nature.
As we practice meditation and develop mindfulness and
awareness, there is a tendency to become insular, to create a
subtle kind of fortification. As we file down the coarseness
caused by passion, aggression, and ignorance, we begin to
experience freedom from suffering. But our confidence is still in
its infancy, and we fea.r we might regress to samsaric behavior.
At that point, we might attempt to make our practice into a
safeguard against the suffering of confusion. But not wanting to
experience pain becomes a problem, because it is a gesture of
defense rather than of liberation.
When we leave the environment of sitting practice and
venture out, we encounter the world of confusion, which is
harsh and unpredictable. The postmeditation experience is not
quite as refined as we expected. We wonder whether we should
take a chance on relating to all of it again. Will we Jose our sense
of peacefulness and clarity?
45
I
BU DDHA IN TH E PA LM OF Y OUR H AND
At some point we realize that our experience of mindfulness

and awareness has no ground in itself. Because there is no
confirmation of our existence, we feel naked. We find that
Buddhism is not supporting us; there is no floor underneath at
aJI . Then we become frightened and shocked. We realize that
nothing, including our practice, can save us. We might even
have second thoughts about our commitment to this path.
T his is an extremely important point in our journey. We are
about to make a transition into the mahayana, the great vehicle,
the open way. This experience of vulnerability, which quivers
and is not quite sure, is the stepping stone to the mahayana path.
If we do not take that step, our practice could become solidified,
like a monument that has no Life of its own. Our practice has to
expand to include the reality of postmeditation, which includes
the reality of relationships. We realize that we can afford to be
slightly more adventurous. We can afford to accommodate the
noise, the din, the color, and the chaos.
O nce we feel we have accomplished our discipline, we would
like to protect it. The mahayana provides the means to protect it
properly. The mahayana path is like the ultimate vaccine. This
vaccine, which is made of illness itself, has to be reinjected into
our system. This happens when we realize we cannot exclude
the nonspiritual from our life. We cannot exclude the nonmind-
ful and the nonaware. We have to accept negativity as part of
our path.
In order to do that, we have to make friends with ourselves
completely, by developing what is known as maitri, or loving
kindness, kindness to ourselves. Kindness to ourselves means
kindness to whatever negativity arises and to whatever seems to
be outside our discipline. We have to learn to relax and readmit
chaos, which means having an open heart. This open heart is like
a wound : it is tender, throbbing and alive. It brings the delightful
46
R EMEMBERING WHO WE ARE
-... discovery that fundamentally we are really quite soft. But when
.• we look around, we see the whole world is struggling with that
vulnerability and tenderness, trying to build steel, concrete and
--· glass over the soft earth. So the mahayana path begins with
maitri, the kindness that waters the soft earth so the seed of
...., buddha nature can grow.
The teachings of the mahayana proclaim that all beings
possess an intrinsic and undeniable wakefulness, which is called
buddha nature. In Sanskrit, it is known as tathagatagarbha, which
'
•
•• means seed of the enlightened ones. Tathagata means enlight-

ened one, and garbha means seed or womb. This fundamental,
-
•
intrinsic wakefulness in us is both the starting point and the

-' fulfillment of our human life. It is the cause of trying to achieve
•• something and the achievement itself.
.
•
All of us would like to live a full and complete life and
accomplish something meaningful. In that way we are different
from the beings in other realms, such as animals, gods, or hungry
ghosts, who do not share this uniquely human aspiration.
Nevertheless, when we are born, we are born into confusion.
Human existence is full of pain and discomfort, anxiety and
expectation. Although our life is based on pure buddha nature, it
is clouded by uncertainty.
The shock of birth makes us bewildered. Because we have no
recollection of being born, we are constantly trying to
remember who we are. We lose the clarity of intrinsic wakeful-
ness, and we think, "Who am I?" Then we think, " If I am so and
so, then how should I behave? How can I fulfill my life?'' We are
not sure, and because of that we try to create a way to be sure.
We rely on the words of our parents, our peers and school
teachers, our friends and relatives, our governments, and our
books, in our attempt to remember who we are. We pursue
diverse paths- spiritual, psychological, and material. But even
47
I
BUDDHA IN THE PALM OF YOUR HA ND
our most wonderful thoughts and our greatest aspirations are

linked to uncertainty about who we are.
Our efforts to remember can either breed further confusion
or lead us to the genuine path. According to the mahayana
teachings, tathagatagarbha is the seed of truly remembering who
we are. It is the womb which gives birth to the tathagata, the
fully awakened one. Tathagatagarbha is primordial goodness,
that is, self-existing goodness without a reference point, good
without contrast to bad. The potential to become buddha is
already contained within us. When we realize our potential to
become buddha, we start to recall our actual birth-not the
physical birth of so and so, but our primordially good being. The
clouds of uncertainty begin to disperse, and we discover a state
of complete openness, which is vast and deep, free from con-
cept, free from any reference point whatsoever.
The discovery of buddha nature leads to the development of
compassion. Compassion is the natural expression of self-
existing goodness. It is the basic instinct to care for others that
exists in all beings. When we were born, someone nursed us so
that our little body would survive. That was our mother. With-
out her, we would not be alive. Everyone has had someone who
took care of him when he could not care for himself. Even the
most vicious animals care for their young; the most hardened
criminal has the capacity to love something or someone.
When we consider that fact, we cannot help but realize the
basic tenderness and gentleness of our nature. We realize that
we can be kind to ourselves, and furthermore we can radiate that
kindness to others. The generation of compassion creates a river
of kindness. That kindness continually benefits countless
numbers of sentient beings and yet leaves no trace of its owner
or bearer. ln our lifetime, with great effort and true insight, we
can give birth to compassion.
48
•
.-
~ ... ' a;
ElEVEN
THE PATH OF THE NOBLE ONES
THEMAHAYANAISTHEGREATVEHICLE that can bring all sentient be-

ings to the other shore, that is, deliver them from ignorance and
suffering to en.lightenment. But in order to enter this path, we
should have a firm resolve to renounce samsara. We should
realize that wandering in the confusion of samsara is a complete
waste of time and is actually going against our buddha nature.
As we continue to practice, we become acutely awMe of the
suffering of others, realizing that all sentient beings are tortured
by their own projections, believing them to be real. We see
clearly that sentient beings are caught in the net of passion,
aggression, and ignorance, in an immeasurable ocean of suffer-
ing. That ocean of samsara is so great and awful that we can
never forget the sentient beings who are drowning in it. There-
fore we make a commitment to practice diligently until samsara
is completely emptied of confusion.
As we continue to practice, we realize that we cannot simply
rely on our own feelings of accomplishment. For the first time
we actually think beyond ourselves. We begin to take a genuine
interest in everything around us. We realize we must do some-
thing that is not motivated merely by the desire for individual
liberation.
Suddenly, almost unexpectedly, a wider space opens up.
There is a feeling of something being born in us, expanding and
waking up. That experience is the birth of bodhicitta. It is the
experience of buddha nature becoming manifest. Bodhi means
51
awake; cicta means heart, or mind. So bodhicitta means awaken-

ed heart, or the mind of enlightenment.
Bodhi refers to the intrinsic wakefulness that is already in each
of us. That wakefulness contains prajna, discriminating aware-
ness. Because we are awake, we can see things clearly. When we
see things clearly, we understand the nature of our own hea.r t-
the nature of dua-which is fundamentally decent, gentle and
compassionate. Therefore we are not afraid to act from this
wakefulness.
The activity of bodhicitta is traditionally divided into two
categories: aspiration and practice. The aspiration of bodhicitta
is the compassionate attitude that comes from our understand-
ing of the suffering of sentient beings. It is our desire to attain
enlightenment for the benefit of others. The practice of bodhi-
citta is actually to carry out our aspiration by demonstrating our
own wakefulness so that others, in turn, can realize they also
possess immaculate bodhicitta.
Our aspiration to achieve enlightenment is transformed into
practice only when we take the bodhisattva vo~. A bodhisattva is
a practitioner of the mahayana path. As we have said, bodhi
means awake; sauva means being. So bodhisattva means awak-
ened being. The bodhisattva vow, like the refuge vow, is a public
statement, witnessed by the sangha and confirmed by the
teacher. We vow that from now on we will be bodhisattvas: we
will work and practice with complete wakefulness, so that other
beings may follow that example. In doing so, we become part of
the Buddha's family, the family of the awakened ones.
The bodhisattva 's way has been called the path of the noble
ones. Nobility is the heart of compassion. It is the true dignity of
human birth, which is not based on the acquisition of wealth,
power, or title in the ordinary sense. The bodhisattva's wealth is
the heritage of buddha nature; the power to liberate others from
52
THE PATH OF THE NOBL E ONES
suffering is bodhicitta; and the title, bodhisattva, acknowledges

the pure dedication to achieving enlightenment.
Those who consider charity and good works to be the bodhi-
sattva's path are missing the point. This path is not an ordinary
one; in all the world there is no other like it. The noble family of
the bodhisattvas is completely uncorrupted. The great lineage of
bodhisattvas vowed to work ceaselessly for the sake of all
sentient beings. They opened themselves and made the com-
mitment to completely let go of personal territory. Ordinary
practitioners would like to be content with their own practice
and realization. But when we have the sincere desire to com-
pletely eliminate self-deception, undergo every hardship, and
sacrifice our own comfort, then we can step forward firmly on
this path.
When we take the bodhisattva vow, we acknowledge the
workability of neurosis and confusion; otherwise we cannot be
certain of overcoming the deceptions of ego. We have to give up
any sense of personal security, of trying to protect our own
territory, even if this includes our own practice and realization.
We have to expose our neurosis and our embarrassment, our
vulnerability, pride, dejection, and all the rest. We have to
display these openly so that the warmth of compassion can
dissolve any tendency to linger in samsara. Opening ourselves in
this way is not a matter of becoming an exhibitionist, nor of
looking for relief from pain. Neither are we trying to attract
sympathy for ourselves. Giving up privacy is a way of overcom-
ing fear and demonstrating that neurosis is workable in the
context of discipline. This is the proper attitude of a bodhi-
sattva.
By giving up privacy and forsaking any impulse to nest, hide,
or protect ourselves from the turmoil of the world, we develop
an enlightened attitude. The basis of an enlightened attitude is
53
BUDDHA IN THE PALM OF Y OUR H AND
contained in the words of the bodhisattva vow, which say,

" From now until I have become the very quintessence of
enlightenment, I will develop an attitude directed towards
unsurpassable, perfect, great enlightenment, so that the beings
who have not yet crossed over may do so, who have not yet been
delivered may be, who have not yet found relief may find it, and
who have not yet passed into nirvana may do so." This means
giving oneself completely to sentient beings.
Once we have taken the bodhisattva vow, we should go
straight ahead. Shantideva, the great eighth-century mahayana
teacher, writes in the Bodhicaryavatara, his treatise on "Entering
the Practice of a Bodhisattva, " that we have to become like a
bridge that travelers walk over, like moonlight that cools the
heat of passion, like medicine that cures disease, or like the sun,
which illuminates the darkness of ignorance. As bodhisattvas we
are willing to receive and embrace whatever occurs in our life. A
sense of real vulnerability and openness is always present. We do
not hesitate to expose ourselves to whatever pain, suffering, or
chaos exists in the world.
It takes courage and a sense of peace and generosity to
ourselves and others to actually embark upon this noble path. At
the beginning, it does not matter that much whether our under-
standing is completely perfect. What is important is not holding
back when people need us or when a situation needs our help. At
the same time, we should not burst in when people don' t want
our help. We should have some feeling of pride and warriorship,
but it is not necessary to crusade. There is no reason to attack or
fight confusion. Being open and gentle brings tremendous con-
fidence because it needs no defense. We can just be a vehicle for
others to use to cross over the ocean of samsara and attain
enlightenment.
54
TWELVE
THE SPIRITUAL FRIEND
MonvATEDBY THEBODHISATTVA vow. we embark on the open way

of the mahayana path. We vow to make our sanity completely
available to all sentient beings. As long as other people are
suffering, we promise not to rest in an individual state of peace.
But how can we accomplish the immense task of relating with
everybody? The first step is to acknowledge our relationship
with the teacher.
Most of us come into contact with the dharma because of our
inquisitiveness and frustration. At the beginning of our journey,
in the hinayana stage, we receive instruction from the teacher,
who simply tells us how to be sane. The hinayana teacher is like a
good physician who has the medicine that counteracts the
poison of samsara. Because of our immediate need to hear the
teachings and practice the path of sanity, our relationship with
the teacher is at first somewhat distant. We are more interested
in the teachings than in the personality of the teacher.
Practicing shamatha and vipashyana makes us feel healthier,
but something still troubles us. We feel fine by ourselves, but we
feel embarrassed with others. We might have discovered some
sanity in ourselves, but when we relate with others it feels quite
thin. In the midst of the chaos of relationships, our sanity seems
fragile, and we wonder how to behave. After the illness of
passion, aggression, and ignorance has been treated, a sense of
emotion lingers. During our recovery period we feel slightly
shaky, slightly unsure of our energy. Although we are on the way
55
Copynghted material
BUDDH A I N THE P AL M OF YOUR HAND
to becoming well, it is still necessary to go back for a checkup.

After our initial symptoms subside, we need to return to the
teacher to make sure everything is completely cleared up.
We go back to the teacher, understanding that he actually saw
us when we were sick. This is tremendously embarrassing. We
had hoped our illness was completely cured, but in fact, we must
see the teacher again . Although we know it is the best thing to
do, we feel defensive. We think, " Why should I? I'm all right;
there is no need for me to worry ." It is so embarrassing that we
wonder whether it is really necessary to have a personal teacher.
But because of our embarrassment it is absolutely necessary.
Our embarrassment is the fuel to actually work with all sentient
beings and become a bodhisattva. With the help of the teacher,
our embarrassment becomes the key that unlocks the treasury of
the mahayana. Without our shaky quality, our clumsiness that
makes our hands tremble and our mouth feel dry, without the
fact that we don't know what to say, we could not work
compassionately with all sentient beings. Only our personal
relationship with the teacher shows us how to do that.
In the mahayana tradition, the teacher is known as the
kalyanamitra, or spiritual friend . The physician of the hinayana
becomes the friend in the mahayana. Relating with the spiritual
friend is a very powerful experience. It involves our sense of
being naked and vulnerable. At the same time there is some kind
of magnetism or attraction. That is because the kalyanamitra
embodies the qualities of the bodhisattva. We are too shy to
acknowledge that, but we know it is true.
Meeting the spiritual friend is like meeting our lover for the
first time. Having admired our lover from a distance, there
comes a time when we have to say, ''Hello.'' Perhaps the person
will not respond, which might make us angry or depressed . But
56
TH E SPIRITUAL FRIEN D
still, we anticipate that meeting and hope the person will

become our intimate friend, our best friend.
The spiritual friend is actually the best friend we will ever
have. He does not care whether we are the best or the worst.
When we meet with our spiritual friend, it is very shocking:
nothing happens; something happens; we cry; we laugh; we have
lots of thoughts; or we feel blank. Sometimes we have many
questions; at other times we don' t have much to say. But no
matter what happens, the spiritual friend always welcomes us
wholeheartedly. He welcomes our delight, our irritation, our
excitement, and our depression. The whole array of emotions
that we display in front of the spiritual friend is heartily
accepted.
Since the kalyanamitra has great compassion, he acts with
spontaneous intelligence rather than out of convention. He has
no hesitation about being human. He has unending warmth and
openness and energy to work with us. He sees our buddha
nature, and therefore he never regards our neurosis as something
to be destroyed. Rather, he sees it as transparent, delightful, and
workable. He is the only one who will encourage us to overcome
all obstacles, no matter how difficult. Others might offer expla-
nations, but the spiritual friend will say, "Go ahead."
The spiritual friend does not manifest as a divine being. He is
one hundred percent human, and therefore he reflects our own
human qualities. He actuaUy eats and sleeps and goes to the
bathroom. He is at once totally wise and totally humble. This
throws us off guard and makes us even more embarrassed,
because we see that we cannot hide anything. Working with the
spiritual friend is so revealing, with all of its irritations and
embarrassments, that we begin to understand what the bod-
hisattva path is all about. By not clinging to personal liberation
and by opening ourselves to the spiritual friend, we begin to
57
understand that our nakedness and embarrassment contain the

seed of sanity. In other words. sanity is also present in our
emotions. We realize we can expose our neurosis without being
apologetic or arrogant. We feel as though we have rediscovered
our own heart.
The spiritual friend is like a treasury that contains our inheri-
tance as human beings. In fact. the kalyanamitra represents our
emotional connection to all sentient beings. He is like a clear
mirror that reflects whatever is put in front of it. Our relation-
ship with the spiritual friend encompasses our entire emotional
world. At different times he is like a husband or wife. a teacher.
a friend. a lover, a yogin. a scholar. or a poet. We become quite
infatuated and in awe of this person. to the point where we
become inspired to emulate his dedication to all sentient beings.
Through our relationship with the spiritual friend we see that
enlightenment can be embodied in a human being; it need not
remain a distant goal. Therefore the spiritual friend should be
sought out, venerated. and requested to teach.
58
THIRTEEN
EMPTINESS
M AKING FRIENDS WITH OURSEL YES and discovering the spacious

world of the kalyanamitra, in which we can afford to be open, is
very exciting. That feeling of actually waking up, discovering
our buddha nature- realizing that our neurosis, our preoccupa-
tion with ourselves, is merely a temporary obstacle- is tre-
mendously inspiring. However, this excitement could be
misleading. It might blind us to the true nature of compassion.
True compassion is the result of experiencing shunyata. Shun-
y a means empty; and ta means " ness." The doctrine of
emptiness is the essential teaching of the mahayana. It is the
ultimate truth of non-ego. In fact, it is beyond non-ego; it is no
ego. Even to say that shunyata is an " it" is misleading. Neverthe-
less, it is necessary to speak in terms of shunyata experience in
order to understand how to practice the mahayana teachings.
The experience of shunyata occurs as a glimpse of uncondi-
tioned mind. For a moment, there is no project whatsoever, no
occupation, no dwelling in past, present, or future. There are no
preconceptions and no alternatives. In a flash, there is no sense
of hanging on to anything. Initially this experience is brought
about by contrast. As beginning practitioners, we experience a
vivid contrast between meditation and postmeditation. There is
a definite shift at the end of a practice session, which we might
regard as a relief. We feel as though we have let go of something,
finished something. That feeling is deceptive because it comes
from making a distinction between practice and everyday life.
59
BUDDHA I N THE PA LM OF Y OUR HAN D
We feel there are two worlds: the world of our practice, which
has become familiar and trustworthy, and the world of postmed-
itation, which is still in question. Nevertheless, when we expe-
rience the contrast between those two, that brings a glimpse of
shunyata.
The experience of shunyata does not happen because of any
plan or scheme; it happens suddenly, spontaneously. We cannot
even say, " I just experienced shunyata," because there is no
memory of " I" in the experience. At the same time, the
experience of shunyata is not a state of blankness. It is a state of
total awareness, devoid of self-consciousness. That experience
is primordial; it is not the accumulation of preconceived ideas.
Those who recognize shunyata are those who practice,
because the practice itself is designed so that we can recognize
it . As we take part in the environment of discipline, we also
create our own version of what we are doing. In the midst of
trying to maintain that, we experience a gap. That moment is
empty of all preconceptions. At that point there is no beginning,
no middle, and no end. There is just what is, which is shunyata.
Experientially, shunyata can be described in terms of vastness
and profundity. Profundity is the discovery that all beings, and
in fact all phenomena are from beginningless time without
ego. Vastness is total relaxation and freedom from clinging to
existence. When we experience both profundity and vastness
together, we give birth to compassion. Compassion arises as the
genuine expression of sympathy and friendliness to all sentient
beings who suffer in samsara because they have not realized the
egoless nature of existence. Compassion radiates the warmth of
primordial goodness in all directions. That warmth has no limit
because it has its origin in shunyata. The mind of true compas-
sion is this: there is no doer, there is no act of doing, and there is
no recipient of the action. Because of that, we can communicate
with others unobstructedly.
60
FO URTEEN
TAKING OUR PLACE IN THE WORLD
THE STARTING POINT OF THE MAHAYANA path is the affirmation of

the existence in all beings of buddha nature, primordial good-
ness. Through the practices of shamatha and vipashyana, buddha
nature is awakened, and that sparks the first glimpse of compas-
sion in ourselves. Even though neurosis pops up, that spark of
wakefulness continues to grow. Relating with ourselves be-
comes less heavy-handed, more workable, and more manage-
able. As we realize we can handle ourselves quite easily, a sense
of strength and confidence develops. That feeling of workability
is maitri: gentleness and kindness to ourselves. When we expe-
rience true maitri, we realize we can extend that gentleness and
kindness into our world by committing ourselves to the path of
wakefulness, the mahayana. In doing so we begin to arouse the
bodhicitta in our heart. From that, we give bi.rth to the notion
that we can achieve enlightenment for the sake of all sentient
beings.
Bodhicitta, the essence of kindness, is further awakened by
taking the bodhisattva vow, which proclaims that from this day
onward, ''I will devote all of my energy, practice, body, speech,
and mind to the benefit of others. I will attain enlightenment,
not for my own benefit, but for the benefit of others.' ' In order
to carry out this vow, we must become generous. This means
that we no longer regard practicing meditation and relating with
others as separate events. Rather, our practice of meditation
unfolds in such a way that relating with others becomes medita-
61
BUDDHA IN TH E PALM O F YOUR H A ND
tion in action. Having seen the egolessness of self and the

egolessness of all beings, we are freed from the burden of
self-interest. Bodhicitta matures, and the spark of compassion
becomes a flame, radiating warmth in all directions. Joy arises
spontaneously and naturally, and working for the benefit of
others is no longer a chore.
The spiritual friend is of primary importance in developing
this sense of delight. Without such a friend, who has practiced
and achieved liberation, it would be impossible to clear away the
veils of ignorance and conflicting emotions. The spiritual friend
creates an atmosphere free from conditions. In that space we can
expose our fear, doubt, pride, and our sense of accomplishment;
there is no reason to hold back and try to maintain our territory
or security. When we work with the spiritual friend, we
encounter the vast space of compassionate mind, in which it is
possible to completely let go. Usually letting go means not
caring what happens; but in this case, letting go means surrend-
ering to greater openness. Although we may sometimes feel
threatened or shy or inadequate, because of the generosity of the
spiritual friend, we realize that those feelings are actually the
fuel for the attainment of enlightenment.
In order to realize the mahayana path, we have to perfect
what are known as the transcendent actions of the bodhisattva,
the six paramitas. Param means "other shore" and ita means
"gone"; so paramita means to reach the farthest shore- to
transcend, attain perfection. The six paramitas are: generosity,
discipline, patience, exertion, meditation, and knowledge or
prajna. These actions are called transcendent because they are
not defiled by ego and can therefore cut through the chain of
cause and effect. They are also called virtuous actions, not in the
sense of personal adornment but as ultimate virtues that go
beyond conventional ideas of good and bad.
62
TAKING OUR PLACE IN THE WORLD
When we begin to practice the paramitas, there is a sense of

self-conscious effort. As we continue, these practices become
the spontaneous realization and demonstration of our bodhisat-
tva vow. The essence of paramita practice is taking on the
suffering of others without giving back anything harmful. All
suffering is taken on ourselves; all good is given to others. This
practice is impossible without the experience of egolessness. As
long as we cling to existence, there is no way to take on the pain
of others and, in fact, all we can do is perpetuate suffering. By
being empty and transparent, by not holding on to the notion of
ego, we can actually change the world.
The bodhisattva activity of the paramitas arises spontaneously
from meditation practice. We realize that if we lack generosity,
it is because we are hoarding our wealth as a means of security; if
we are not disciplined, it is because we have no respect for
others; if we are not patient, it is because we have not tamed
aggression; if we are not energetic, then there is no inspiration
for others; and if we do not meditate, then our mind bounces
back and forth between clarity and cloudiness. Finally, we
realize that if we do not develop prajna, then the knowledge of
how to be of supreme benefit to others eludes us. Prajna is that
which sees shunyata. With the clea.r vision of prajna, we recog-
nize buddha nature in all beings, and we act without self-
interest. Having accomplished the paramitas, we take our place
in the world as a bodhisattva who has a true and noble heart
filled with compassion.
The result of practicing the paramitas is the realization of
greater vision. That vision sees that, from the very beginning, all
beings possess primordial wisdom, the wisdom of letting go.
This kind of wisdom is called jnana in Sanskrit and yeshe in
Tibetan. Joana is wisdom that is primordially pure and self-
existing. It is totally available all the time. Joana is vast space,
63
BU DDHA IN THE PALM OF Y OUR HAND
which is the openness of mind, accompanied by unceasing

energy. It is the union of shunyata and compassion. When space
and energy are realized as indivisible, then wisdom dawns in the
form of mahakaruna, great compassion: all actions become bene-
ficial because they are not motivated by hope and fear. The
dharma is seen as completely pure and continually existing. The
world as it is becomes the self-existing realm of the buddhas.
64
PART III
All in all, the desire for enlinhtenment, for fulfillment,

for realization, abides in the imane of the nuru.
FIFTEEN
TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO DISCUSS the prospect of hearing the

vajrayana teachings. Vajra is a Sanskrit word that means in-
destructible, diamondlike; and yana, as before, means vehicle.
So the vajrayana is the indestructible vehicle, the complete
teachings of the Buddha. This vehicle encompasses both the
hinayana and mahayana disciplines in the sense that the vaj-
rayana is the fruition of the two previous yanas. The hinayana
and mahayana create a fifm foundation that enables the practi-
tioner to be brought to the point of spontaneous awakening.
The heart of the vajrayana teachings is the realization that the
phenomenal world and one's mind form an indestructible unity,
which includes the defilements of ego as well as the purity of
practice. Thus at this stage of the path, every element of
existence is seen as sacred; nothing is rejected. In the previous
yanas, there is a notion of direction. That is to say, in the
hinayana and mahayana we start from confused existence and
proceed on the path of dharma in order to uncover awakened
mind. But in the vajrayana, we begin with the proclamation of
vajra nature, the indestructible and primordially pure nature of
all beings. Because all beings possess vajra nature, enlightenment
is no longer viewed as a conclusion, but as the starting point of
practice. Practice is not seen as a means to an end, but as the
expression of awakened mind in everyday life.
These teachings are sometimes called the secret teachings:
because of their directness and simplicity, they can easily be
67
BU DDHA IN THE PA lM OF YOUR H AND
missed. They are also known as secret because it can be

extremely dangerou:s to proclaim vajra nature as the starting
point. The danger here is that without tb.e proper training,
students might confuse neurosis with enlightenment. With-
out thoroughly exhausting ego by means of the disciplines
of mindfulness, awareness, renunciation, and dedicating one's
life to others, receiving the vajrayana teachings would be
destructive.
At this point in our journey, our experience of practice
should be continuous rather than marked by highs and lows.
However, there still might be some sense of holding back. There
might be some little comer, some little pocket we would like to
reserve for ourselves. It is not necessary to analyze what that
reservation might be. But in order to become a student of the
vajrayana, we cannot carry with us any hidden reservations. If
we try to do so, the vajrayana will remain secret, because it
demands total commitment, total hearing, total contemplation,
and total meditation.
When we enter the vajrayana, we must pay complete atten-
tion to what is being said. We must take part in the total
environment of the path we are about to enter. When we take
that step, expectations or wishful thinking will not help us; only
aspiration based on a solid foundation of discipline, only total
awareness, will help. So we must join the vajra atmosphere and
commit ourselves to the totality of the vajrayana teachings.
Suppose we aspire to accomplish a particular goal in our
life- let's say, to become a bank teller. We work very hard to
get an interview with the personnel director of the bank; we
want the job badly. We would like to be accepted as a teller
among tellers. So we straighten up and put on our best suit of
clothes. We try to be correct and dignified so that we will be
hired. We feel we have the intelligence to be a bank teller, but
68
TOTAL ENVIRONM ENT
we must impress the manager with our ability to do it, and that
involves how we present ourselves.
In the same way, when we enter the vajrayana, how we
present ourselves is extremely important. Obviously, we cannot
present a facade, because without the proper qualifications, we
will surely not be accepted. Neither can we be naive in our wish
to be accepted. There is something more than that. It is abso-
lutely necessary that our motivation and intention be perfectly
pure.
To become a student of the vajrayana, we must realize
egolessness of self and other. We must have generated the heart
of tenderness, bodhicitta, so as not to cling to egolessness as a
mode of being. And furthermore, we must have unshakable
conviction in the truth of the teachings. But first and foremost,
as students of the vajrayana, we must have a clear perception of
our teacher as the embodiment of enlightenment. We must
realize that the vajrayana teachings are inseparable from the
vajra master.
In the hinayana, the student experiences the teacher as wise
and fatherly; in the mahayana, as an intimate friend who cares
for the student's well-being. In the vajrayana, the teacher is
called the vajra master, or vajracarya. Only the vajra master
understands that the power of the vajrayana teachings is so great
that, without proper preparation, the presentation of naked
truth could undermine a student't progress, rather than provok-
ing spontaneous realization. So in order to practice the vajrayana
teachings, it is absolutely necessary to have a qualified and
authentic vajra master or guru.
In entering the vajrayana, how should we regard the guru, the
one who presents the teachings? The guru himself is the living
buddha; he is none other than buddha. He is the supreme
example of sanity. Passion, aggression, and ignorance do not
69
BU DDHA IN T H E P AL M OF YOUR H AND
come into play with him. No matter whom he encounters in his

life, he is not biased . He is absolutely not moved by the winds of
conflicting emotions. His body, speech, and mind are com-
pletely synchronized. Whatever he says, whatever he does, is
completely pure and straightforward, without deception. He is
elegant, and he serves to enrich the world and all sentient beings.
He has perfected the stages of the path and thoroughly realized
vajra nature. He is completely accomplished, and therefore he
can deliver buddha into the palm of your hand.
It has been said that even the enlightened ones of previous
times paid homage to the vajra masters who imparted the
teachings of vajrayana to them. And if they have done so, what
about ourselves? Seeing our gu.ru as buddha is essential to
receiving these teachings. We might have conflicting thoughts
about our guru, but those thoughts are inconsequential. The
truth is that the one who presents the complete teaching to us
can be none other than buddha. When we regard our guru in
that way, our mind opens and we receive the teachings without
hesitation.
70
SIXTEEN
ENTERING THE GURU'S WORLD
ONCE WE HAVE COMMITIED OURSELVES to the guru, how do we ap-

proach him in order to receive the vajrayana teaching? We join
our hands together: that is the gesture of supplicating the guru,
the one who presents the ultimate teaching. We join our hands
together at the level of our heart, and we bow our head. That
gesture is one of immense gratitude for having the good fortune
to hear these teachings in our lifetime. That is the appropriate
way to approach the guru of the vajrayana.
In doing so, we are not trying to manipulate or court the vajra
master. We are affirming the respect we have for our own
intelligence as well as for the guru. We are closing the gap, so to
speak; we are closing the gap between doubt and speculation by
pressing our hands together at the level of our heart. At the same
time we are overcoming the frivolity of our habitual way of
making a request and our awkwardness in approaching the
teacher. That display is the recognition that the presence of the
guru cuts frivolity, laziness, and doubt on the spot. Therefore
joining our hands and bowing our head slightly is not simply a
physical gesture; it is a portrait of our state of mind.
At that point, how should we conduct ourselves? We should
make a prostration; we should surrender body, speech, and
mind to the one who transmits the teachings to us. We have
committed ourselves to the environment of the teachings, and
we have approached the guru properly. Now, we prostrate,
which means, ''No matter what obstacle occurs, I will give my
71
BUDDHA IN T HE PALM OF YOUR HAND
total being to this path, to this practice.'' When we prostrate,

we are declaring that we will not hold on to any comfort
whatsoever. We are prostrating and giving up clinging to the
past. There is no need to hold back, because there is no fear of
the repercussions. That is making prostration: surrendering
body, speech, and mind to the guru.
When we prostrate to the vajra master, that alone does not
completely make us fit to receive teaching. We must also make
some offering. What is it that we offer? We should offer the
very best expression of our desire for enlightenment.
Marpa was the father of the Kagyti lineage in Tibet. He lived
in the eleventh century. When he wanted to return to India for
what was to be his final visit to his vajra master, the great Indian
pandit Naropa, he gathered a great sum of gold dust, because
that was considered the very best offering. He worked very
strenuously to accumulate that gold, and then he brought it to
India and offered it to his guru, Naropa. After many months of
hardship and searching for Naropa, he presented the gold dust,
saying, "Please give me the teachings." Marpa offered the gold
dust, but Naropa said, "You should offer this to the three
jewels,'' and he threw it into the jungle. Then he said to Marpa,
who was dumbfounded, "If you desire gold, look at this."
Naropa opened his hands, and they were filled with gold dust.
Then he struck the ground with his foot, and the entire sur-
roundings became gold. And then some realization arose in
Marpa.
Marpa was not in the least stingy. He worked very hard and
offered all that he had in order to receive the teachings. Our
mentality towards receiving the vajrayana teachings should be
the same as his. Any wealth, fame, good fortune - anything in
our life that is good and wholesome-we should actually offer
in order to receive the vajrayana teaching. When we offer, there
72
ENTERING THE GURU 'S W O RLD
might be some sense of, " Look what a great thing I'm giving
you. I am surrendering my body, speech, and mind. Isn' t it
wonderful that I can give you something?" But when we offer
something, we should offer it completely. This is symbolic of
not holding on to any spiritual insurance policy. In other words,
we should not wait for a response to our offering. We should
realize on the spot that these teachings are so precious and so
real that they cannot be bargained for at all. If we do not
understand this, we can never completely enter the world of the
vajra master.
Milarepa was the foremost student of Marpa. When he went
to meet Marpa, he wanted the teachings very badly; however,
Milarepa did not have any gold. When Marpa asked him, " What
is your offering?" Milarepa replied, "All I have to offer is my
body, speech, and mind. " Then Marpa said that whether or not
Milarepa would attain enlightenment in his lifetime would
depend solely on his effort. That is the kind of offering we must
make. We must offer our intention to manifest as a full y
awakened being. We must offer our effort and, with that effort,
we must build a palace of enlightenment. That is the vajrayana
approach.
After offering, we feel some sense of having connected to the
vajra world, the guru's world. Having entered the guru 's world,
the next step is to follow his instructions. Because the guru sees
that our basic intention is without passion, aggression, or ignor-
ance, he is extremely pleased. We have come to him with folded
hands, prostrated, and made our offering. We have offered our
purest intention to achieve the essence of buddhadharma, the
enlightenment of all the buddhas. He is delighted to teach us,
and now we must follow his instructions. FolJowing the guru 's
instructions is not just a matter of listening to his words. It
73
BUDDH A I N TH E PALM OF YOUR HA ND
means committing ourselves to the total, sacred world that

he presents. Following the guru's instructions is the ulti-
mate offering. As Milarepa said, "All I can do is follow your
exampIe. "
74
SEVENTEEN
THE MEANING OF DEVOTION
[The following four chapters are a commentary on "The Story of

Red Rock Agate Valley," the first song in the famed Hundred
Thousand Sonns of Milarepa. A translation of this song, prepared by
the Nalanda Translation Committee, under the direction of Vajra-
carya the Venerable Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche is appended
here divided into four parts. The relevant sections appear at the
beginning of the appropriate chapters. -ED.]
THE STORY OF RED ROCK AGATE VALLEY
NAMO GURAVE 1
Once the Lord of yogins, 2 Jetsiinl Milarepa, was dwelling in

the state of luminous mahamudra 4 at the Fortress of Garudass in
Agate Valley. At one point, he arose to prepare a meal. He
couldn't find any wood in the firepit, much less any flour, salt,
or thickener. Also, there was no water and no embers in the
stove. Mila thought, "I have let these things go too long. I
should go and gather some wood. "
When he had gathered enough wood in the folds of his robe,
a great wind suddenly arose. When Mila held on to his robe, the
wood blew away. When he clutched the wood, his robe blew
away. He thought, "Although I have stayed such a long time in
retreat, I still have not let go of attachment. What is the use of
practicing the dharma if I don't let go of attachment?" And he
said, "If the wind blows my robe away, let it. If it blows the
wood away, let it." He let go of them both and stood there.
77
Copyrighted matenal
BUDDHA IN THE PA LM OF YOUR HAND
However, due to his lack of nourishment, with the next gust

of wind Mila fell down in a faint for a while.
When he awoke, the wind had calmed and his robe was
dangling from the top of a tree. He felt sad and sat in meditation
atop a boulder the size of a sheep.
THE KAGYti LINEAGE IS CALLED the oral-instruction lineage. Ka
means word or command, and ayii means lineage or continuity.
So Kagy ii means the continuity or lineage of the guru 's
command- in other words, the continuity of oral instruction.
The oral instructions of this lineage have continued in unbroken
succession from the time of Tilopa to the present day. Tilopa,
who lived in India in the tenth century, was the forefather of the
Kagyi.i lineage. He received teachings from four gurus, and in
addition he received the vajrayana teachings through his direct
realization of the awakened state. Tilopa passed his teachings on
to Naropa; Naropa gave transmission to Marpa; and Marpa
transmitted his wisdom to the great yogin, Milarepa.
Altogether, the Kagyu lineage is based on the transmission of
the awakened state of mind from guru to student. That transmis-
sion only occurs in the atmosphere of devotion. Devotion to the
teacher arises when we have had some glimpse of enlighten-
ment. That glimpse creates open space, and in that open space is
the possibility of clear communication. When that openness is
accompanied by heartfelt longing for the teacher, the embodi-
ment of the awakened state, a meeting of minds between the
guru and the student is possible.
When the guru and the student experience a meeting of
minds, that creates a mutual bond, a mutual commitment to
complete enlightenment. On that basis of mutual trust, the guru
can transmit the vajrayana teachings to the student. Transmis-
sion takes place when the guru points out the nature of reality,
that is, the enlightened quality of one's mind. Such transmission
78
TH E M EANING OF D EVOTION
can occur in three ways. It can occur by meeting the guru's mind
directly, that is, transmission beyond thought. Or it can occur
through gesture or symbol, which points out enlightened mind
in the phenomenal world. Finally, transmission can occur
through oral instruction. But without devotion, transmission is
impossible.
Devotion is not a matter of blind faith, fanaticism, or senti-
mentality. Genuine devotion is full of precision and clarity, and
rests on the perfection of mindfulness and awareness. With
devotion we can hear the guru's instructions clearly and follow
them precisely. Without devotion, we might receive instruc-
tions, but it would be impossible to understand them or put
them into practice. Devotion cuts through our mental fog of
doubt and speculation, and therefore, we are able to practice the
instructions of the guru on the spot, without hesitation. The
result of taking to heart the instructions of the guru and follow-
ing them completely is the attainment of enlightenment.
The great yogin, Milarepa is the foremost example of how a
human being like ourselves practiced devotion to his guru and
attained enlightenment . When Milarepa was still a youth, his
father died. Milarepa' s uncle and aunt usurped his father 's estate
and made servants of him and his family. Milarepa's mother,
angry over losing the family fortune and lands, sent him to study
black magic. She wanted her son to avenge the injustice and
humiliation they had suffered. Milarepa was so devoted to his
mother that he did what she asked. He studied hard and per-
fected the art of sorcery. Then, using the magic he had acquired,
he brought down destruction and chaos on his aunt and uncle
and everyone else who had taken part in the downfall of his
family.
Because of his devotion to his mother and his longing to
relieve her suffering, Milarepa was able to direct his mind
79
B UDDHA IN T H E P ALM OF Y OUR H AND
one-pointedly, and he accomplished what he set out to do.

However , his devotion was misguided. In his fervor, he failed to
realize that his actions would cause even more suffering. Like-
wise, if we think that attaining enlightenment will bring us
power over o thers, we are mistaken; and if our intentions are
mistaken, then our ability to follow spiritual instructions and
achieve power or clarity o r precision will only cause more chaos.
The refore, in developing an attitude of devotion, we must have a
firm understanding of the law of karma, cause and effect.
When Milarepa eventually met his guru, Marpa, he had to
labor many years and unde.rgo severe trials and hardships. Why?
So that he could relate to his past actions, the karma he created,
and acknowledge that he had actually caused harm. Whether or
not he was naive at the time, Milarepa did commit those
particular crimes. When one causes destruction, harm, or chaos
to others, that is a crime. It was Marpa' s duty to point that out to
Milarepa by whatever means possible, so that Milarepa could
overcome his own negative karma. It is the same with us.
Practicing meditation is not a matter of abandoning pain or
erasing our memory of it. In fact, by practicing, our experience
of suffering becomes more vivid. If we do not acknowledge
having caused harm to ourselves and others, there is no way to
go further. We cannot receive the precious instructions that
lead to liberation, without taking responsibility for our whole
life.
When we meet a genuine guru , we develop a deep longing to
practice and attain that state of wholesomeness which is the
complete fulfiUment of our life as a human being. Milarepa saw
in his guru the quality of the awakened state of mind, and he
knew that was what he wanted to achieve. Our experience is
precisely the same. In recognizing the awakened state of mind of
the guru, we long to follow his example.
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TH E MEA N ING O F DE VOTIO N
After studying with Marpa and following his instructions for

many years, Milarepa received transmission and went to practice
in solitude. He practiced diligently for a long time. Because he
was so keen on achieving enlightenment, he neglected ordinary
things; he even neglected taking care of his own body. Milare-
pa's meditative absorption became so great that he ate very little
food and hardly gave thought to replenishing his supplies. When
he finally realized that he needed to eat, if only to continue
practicing, he left his meditation retreat in search of provisions.
Suddenly a storm arose, and the wind tore at his robes . When
Milarepa tried to hold on to t~e firewood he had collected, his
clothing blew away, and when he tried to hold on to his clothing,
the firewood blew away.
When we practice, we realize some sanity in ourselves. But if
we try to hold on to it, it slips away. On the other hand, if we
deliberately try to let go, we become distracted. If we try to
contain the experience of meditation, we find it is like a wet bar
of soap constantly slipping out of our hand. Milarepa realized
that mind is not something that can be captured or contained.
The analogy of the wind, the firewood, and Milarepa's clothing
points out that until we abandon clinging, our experience will
not be stable.
After practicing for a time, we might feel that we have
accomplished something. However, as soon as we get up from
our meditation cushion, we forget our practice. We become so
fascinated by phenomena that we completely lose our perspec-
tive. We become as engrossed in making a cup of tea as Milarepa
was in trying to gather firewood . We see a teacup looming in
front of us like a jewel. As we reach for it, we suddenly wonder,
"Why am I getting so excited about this?" Then we wonder
whether our practice is having any effect. We think, ''This really
isn' t getting me anywhere. I feel like giving it up. "
81
BU DD H A I N THE PALM OF YOUR H AND
Eventually we become disappointed in our practice and in the

teachings. When our experience does not meet our expecta-
tions, we become disillusioned and think about giving up. We
think, " I'll never be free of attachment to this ego. The whole
thing seems completely hopeless; I might as well forget it. '' As
Milarepa said, " What is the use of practicing the dharma if I
don' t let go of attachment?" After practicing for so long, he still
felt he was clinging to ego. We practice for so long and it seems
to be so simple and good. Then just a little thought, like having a
cup of tea, completely steals our awareness.
In Milarepa' s experience, his cup of tea was the firewood and
his practice was his clothing. He wanted to maintain his prac-
tice, but at the same time he wanted that firewood. That is what
we do . We want to hold on to our practice, but we think we
need a cup of tea. They both appear to be completely real and
vivid and necessary, and we don' t see how we can let go of either
one. So we are blown back and forth by our confusion. Finally,
everything is so frustrating that continuing seems pointless.
Milarepa studied with his guru for some time, but then he had
to practice alone. At that point all he had was the instructions of
his teacher. He followed them as best as he could, and when his
discipline and devotion broke down he tried to repair them. But
he felt he could not go on, so he gave up. Then Milarepa said, " If
the wind blows my robe away, let it . If it blows the wood away,
let it, " and he fainted away from weakness. When he came to,
he saw his robe hanging from the branch of a tree. He under-
stood at once the impermanence and fickleness of this world.
He saw that the reality of the world was like that bit of cloth. A
tremendous feeling of renunciation arose in him. He sat up, and
on that very spot began to meditate.
If we are fortunate, we wake up and see the complete chaos
and futility of our world. At that moment, we understand why
82
TH E MEANING OF D EVOTI ON
our guru told us to practice. That is when devotion increases and

renunciation is affirmed. Giving up fascination with our own
survival, we see that all of our experience is like Milarepa's robe
hanging from the tree. That overwhelming realization brings us
back to practice.
To begin with we have devotion to our guru, and therefore
we follow his instructions. As we practice, we realize that
devotion includes paying attention to every detail of our life.
Every moment we forget , faint a little bit, and come back. Let us
take our own frustration as an opportunity to wake up. The
shock of waking up reveals the futility of samsara and the true
meaning of devotion.
83
EIGHTEEN
LONGING
Then, to the East, in the direction of Trowo valley, a white

cloud was floating. Mila thought, " Under that cloud over there
is the dharma place of Trowo valley. There dwells my guru, the
translator Marpa Lotsawa. ''
Mila remembered the father guru expounding the tantras, 6
giving abhishekas, 7 and oral instructions in the midst of his wife
and a gathering of vajra brothers a!'ld sisters and attendants. He
thought, " If Marpa were there now, I would go to see him no
matter what happened. "
On top of his earlier sadness, Mila felt immeasurably intense
sadness in remembering the guru. He: shed many tears and sang
this song of sad longing, " The Six Remembrances of the Guru ."
Venerable Marpa, merely remembering you, father, dispels

longing.
Lord Marpa, this lowly one sings a song of longing.
To the East of the Red Rock Agate Valley

A white cloud floats.
Under this floating misty white cloud
Is a back range of mountains like a posed elephant.
The range in front is like a great posed lion.
On that mountain, at the holy place, the dharma place of
Trowo valley,
On a great throne of marble,
On a seat of antelope skin-
LONGING
Who else could sit there

But Marpa the Translator.
What joy if you were there now!
Though my devotion is meager, how I long to see you I
Though my longing is meager, how I long to see you I
The more I contemplate, the more I remember the authentic
guru.
The more I meditate, the more I remember Marpa Lotsawa.
Your wife Dagmema, who is better than any mother-

What joy if she were there now!
Though the journey is long, how I long to see her!
Though the path is difficult to travel, how I long to see her!
guru.
The profound Hevajra Tantra'-

What joy if it were being taught now!
Though my understanding is meager, how I long to learn it!
Though my intellect is meager, how I long to study it!
guru.
The four sign abhishekas of the hearing lineage9-

What joy if they were being performed now!
Though my offering is small, how I long to request it!
Though I lack the abhisheka offering, how I long to request it!
guru.
The profound tnstructions of the six yogas of Naropa to_

What joy if they were being taught now!
85
BUDDHA IN T H E PALM OF Y OUR HAND
Though my perseverance is meage.r, how I long to request

them!
Though my exertion in practice is meager, how I long to
practice them!
guru.
The faithful assembly of dharma friends of 0 and Tsang-
What joy if they were there now!
Though my experience and realization are weak, how I long
to compare with them!
Though my understanding is inferior, how I long to compare
this with them!
guru.
Though in the state of devotion, this lowly one is inseparable
from you.
Remembering the guru with wholehearted longing
I am tormented by desire and overwhelmed.
I am so choked up I cannot speak.
Kind one, please dispel this son's longing.
Thus Mila sang.
D EVOTION IS OFTEN MISUNDERSTOOD. Our ideas of devotion are

often clouded by misconceptions or wishful thinking. We think
there is someone who could absorb our ignorance and irritation,
someone greater than we are, who could act as a kind of cosmic
sponge. On the other hand, we feel that relying on someone else
is a kind of slavery or giving up of individuality. We wonder why
we should be devoted to anyone at all. If our meditation practice
seems to be going well, what need is there for devotion? Real
86
LONGIN G
devotion does not come from discursive thoughts about whom

we should be devoted to or why . Real devotion springs from
disgust with samsara, nausea with endless, needless suffering
and pain.
If we can actually see how useless and unnecessary it is to
remain ignorant and confused, then devotion begins to beat in
our heart. Until there is real aversion to samsara, we cannot give
birth to genuine devotion. Holding on to expectations,
thoughts, or experiences of the past , present, or future is utterly
meaningless: " Even though my past experiences have be en
disappointing, maybe in the future, things will be better." If we
cling to fascination for what we might get, then there is no room
for devotion to grow in us. When we see that samsara is nothing
but a rotting corpse, we come to a turning point in our journey.
The guru is the key element in this transition. His very
existence provides a vivid contrast to the insanity of samsara. It
is obvious that the guru has no allegiance to confusion. At the
same time, he demonstrates the brilliance of a fully enlightened
human being. He is the treasury, the repository of the teachings.
Because of his example, our devotion becomes the confidence
to overcome obstacles on the path.
In Milarepa's song, we read how he regained his composure
and resumed meditating. At that point, Milarepa was overcome
by tremendous longing for his guru. He thought "If I could just
be with my guru ." As we endeavor to accomplish our practice,
our mindfulness and awareness come and go. That becomes a
reminder of the futility of lingering in samsara. Then the thought
of the guru arises and sparks us to persevere in our practice.
Remembering the guru brings a vivid sense of nowness, and
we long to throw off the dullness of ignorance. The thought of
the guru arises in our mind like the thought of home. Although
we may be far from home, it still seems so real to us. We feel as
87
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BUDDHA IN T HE PALM OF Y OUR H AND
though we can smell the flowers in the garden and see the
pattern on the bedroom wallpaper. We can even hear the voices
of our family. Even if the time we spent with the guru was brief,
when we think of him, we feel so lonely. Seeing his picture or
even hearing about him evokes a recollection of that time when
we felt completely at home with ourselves. We remember the
kindness of the one who taught us the dharma, and we recall
those moments when we felt completely unfettered, just listen-
ing to the guru's words.
Eventually we have to go off on our own, just as Milarepa did.
We have to relate with the world around us-our family , our
home, our job, our car, and so on. We try to practice and study
the teachings, and at the same time take care of the necessities of
life. In the midst of all that, we are overcome by a feeling of
sadness. ''If I could only be with my guru, listening to him teach.
It was so simple and fresh. Now everything seems so desolate
and lonely." We think of the guru, the Buddha, Tilopa, Marpa,
and Milarepa-all the great lineage holders of the past- and we
are deeply touched. They practiced so diligently, even though it
was lonely. They worked so hard to be able to pass down these
precious teachings to us.
Contemplating in this way, we come to a crossroads where
loneliness becomes aloneness. In the midst of complaining about
ourselves and our problems, we suddenly feel totally alone, as
Milarepa did. What we yearn for seems so distant and far away,
and we long to be one with it. At the same time, because of our
practice, it seems to be right here, in the very moment, and we
can almost touch it.
Milarepa said, " The more I meditate, the more I remember
my guru." Because the separation from the guru is so real,
tangible, and vivid, we contemplate his teachings over and over.
The more we contemplate his teachings, the more we practice.
88
LONGING
The more we practice, the more we recognize the guru as the

embodiment of the awakened state, and the more we long to
realize that ourselves. That longing is like a rip or tear in our
heart. The more our heart is tom apart, the more we think of the
guru and the dharma.
When we feel that sense of separation- "I haven't quite got
it yet; I haven't understood" - th.e n the image of the guru arises.
All in all, the desire for enlightenment, for fulfillment, for
realization, abides in the image of the guru. Even when we see a
painting or a statue of the Buddha, longing for the awakened
state of mind is kindled in us. We cannot manufacture this
longing; we have to experience it. That can happen only when
we encounter someone who presents the truth without apology.
Longing for the guru is the same as longing for the extinction of
ego. Such longing produces great practice.
89
NINETEEN
GRATITUDE
The cloud stretched out like five rolls of silk of different

colors. On top of it, Lord Marpa himself arrived, his dignity
even greater than before, riding a white lioness adorned with
many ornaments.
Marpa said, "Son, great magician, what has happened now
that you should call out to me with such fervent longing? Have
you lost faith in the guru, yidam, 11 and three jewels? Have you
been following negative discursive thoughts? Have the obstacles
of the eight worldly dharmas 12 entered your house of practice?
Have the demons of hope and fear bothered and irritated you ?
"Offer up service to the guru and the three jewels. Give gifts
down to sentient beings of the six realms. Between the two,
haven't the favorable circumstances of purifying your evil deeds
and obscurations and cultivating virtues arisen in you ? No
matter what, we cannot be separated. Therefore, practice and
accomplish benefit for the teachings and sentient beings.''
Hearing Marpa say this, Mila experienced unbearably intense
joy, and within this state, he sang this song of his experience that
arose in reply to Marpa's words.
I saw the face of the father guru and heard his words,
And the depression of this lowly one arose as meditative
•
expenence.
By remembering the example of the guru,
Realization was born in my depths.
The blessings of your kindness literally entered me.
90
GRATITUDE
All antidharmic thoughts ceased.

This song of longing in remembering you, guru,
Although it may irritate the ears of the jetsun,
This lowly one has no other thoughts but these.
I will continually arouse my devotion; please protect me with
your kindness.
My practice of enduring suffering with perseverance
Is service that pleases the father guru.
My wandering alone through mountain retreats
Is service pleasing the dakinis. 13
This holy dharma free from narcissism
Is service to the teachings of the Buddha.
This practice which will continue as long as I live
Is a gift to sentient beings who are without protector.
This exertion without concern for sickness or death

Is the broom that sweeps away the karma of evil deeds and
obscurations.
This austerity of rejecting sinful food

Is the beneficial condition that gives rise to experience and
realization .
Through practice, I repay the kindness of the father guru.

Lord guru, please protect this son with your kindness.
Grant your blessings so that this lowly one may keep to retreat.
D EVOTION TO THE GURU IS a constant reminder that we have all

the qualities necessary to become a buddha, and that our
practice is a true and complete expression of our buddha nature.
Through devotion we realize the inseparability of mind and
guru. Further, we realize phenomena as not being separate from
mind . In other words, awareness is not separate from itself; it is
91
not separated by the dream of ego. The object of devotion, the

perfectly enlightened one, the one who was so generous as to
impart the teachings to us, the one who has conquered wander-
ing mind, the one who understands the nature of cause and
effect, the nature of impermanence, and all of the things we
have studied-that one is no different than our own mind. As
Marpa said to Milarepa, "No matter what, we cannot be
separated. "
The longing that we feel for the guru is the same longing that
we feel to completely free ourselves from samsara. The guru is
like a lighthouse in a storm. When the waves begin to rise and
the sea gets rough, there is a beacon of light. That light reveals
the nature of the storm itself- the nature of the wind and water,
the nature of the turbulence and agitation. At the same time, the
guru is like the captain of a ship. He knows the currents; he
knows how the ship moves and how much wind the sails can
take. When we are terrified by the storm and afraid of drown-
ing, the guru reminds us of our training. Since we have actually
committed ourselves to this voyage, we are able to handle this
situation. We do not have to feel frightened. We can trust our
discipline and overcome our fear. Discursive thoughts and
preoccupation with pain and pleasure become transparent.
The vision of the guru is not a product of imagination. In
Milarepa's case, his vision was a reminder of Marpa's presence in
his life. In the same way, remembering the dharma is like
actually hearing the voice of the guru. It is the real expression of
our commitment, and in that sense it comes from our own heart.
Therefore devotion to the guru brings about perseverance in
practice. That is what Milarepa was saying: just recalling the
words, remembering the teachings and the person who embod-
ies them, brings a shock of wakefulness. Even if that shock
occurs in the length of time it takes to strike a match, that is
sufficient to bring about perseverance in practice.
92
GRATITUDE
Remembering the guru is not some kind of wish-fulfilling

fantasy. The guru reminds us of how much we have done and
how much we have yet to do. In Milarepa's vision, his guru told
him to practice for the benefit of others. Before he saw the
vision of his guru, Milarepa thought, "Even though I have
practiced, I still have conflicting thoughts which weaken my
resolve." But when he saw Marpa' s face and remembered the
teachings he had been given, he was encouraged. He thought,
"You didn't ask what my credentials were; you took a chance on
me. Because of you, I can practice the dharma. '' It is the same
for us. Without the guru, we would still just be searching for
fulfillment. There would be no dharma in our life. We might be
dealing in diamonds; building a new house in Vermont; going to
California and getting into the health food business; going to
New York and becoming a high-powered person; staying home
on the farm and milking the cows. No matter what we do, it
would be meaningless without the precious opportunity to
practice.
Realizing that, devotion expands and increases and we
become full of joy at our good fortune. The genuine guru is so
generous and open that he presents the feast of dharma fear-
lessly. His kindness is all-encompassing and does not demand
anything in return. He offers the teachings, knowing that we
must make use of them ourselves. No one else can do it for us.
The guru shows by his example that we can attain enlightenment
through our own efforts. When we come into contact with such
a person, we realize there is only one way to repay his kindness.
Seeing the preciousness of what he has shown us, we long to
expand our realization further and further by our practice. As
Milarepa said, ''Through practice, I repay the kindness of the
father guru."
93
\
TWENTY
l
I
THE DAWN OF REALIZATION
Inspired, Mila put on his cotton robe, and carrying some

twigs he returned to his practice cave.
Inside his cave, there were five iron atsaras, 14 who stared at
him with eyes the size of saucers. One was sitting on the jetsun's
bed preaching; two were listening; one was preparing food; and
one was flipping through his books.
At first , Mila was shocked. Then he thought, ''These must be
the magical tricks of the local deity who is displeased. Although
I have been dwelling in this place a long time, I have not offered
any torma, 15 nor have I made even one praise. Thus I should
praise this place. '' Then Mila sang this song in praise of the
place.
E mal This sacred ground of solitary retreat

Is the place where the victorious ones attain enlightenment.
It is the hallowed place where siddha.s•6 dwelt.
This place where I dwell alone
Is the Red Rock Agate Valley Fortress of Garudas.
Above, clouds circle about.
Below, brooks gently flow.
In between, vultures sweep and soar.
Fruit trees abound.
Trees sway and dance.
Bees buzz their song.
The fragrance of flowers wafts about.
Birds chirp, a delightful sound .
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Copyrighled malerial
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TH E DAWN OF REALIZATION
At such a Red Rock Agate Valley

Birds and their young exercise their skill in flying.
I. Short and long-tailed monkeys exercise their skill too.

Various wild animals frolic .
I I, Milarepa, exercise my skill in meditative experience.
I I exercise meditative skill in the two bodhicittas. 17
I am in harmony with the local deity of this place of solitude.
I
You ghosts and spirits who are gathered here,
I Drink t his amrita•s of friendliness and compassion
I And depart to your respective abodes.
I Thus Mila sang.
The atsaras seemed to be displeased with the jetsun, and were
I walking about, glancing at each other with mean looks. Then
I two more atsaras joined them. Some of the seven atsaras bit
I their lower lip. Some ground their teeth and clenched their
fangs. Some made mocking laughter and fierce sounds. T hey all
joined together and made a t hreatening gesture.
Mila thought, " These spirits are creating obstacles, " And
therefore he recited a subjugating mantra 19 with a wrathful gaze.
They did not leave. He aroused great compassion in his heart
and though he expounded the dharma, they still did not want to
leave. Then he thought, " In Lhotrak, Marpa gave me the
transmission of all dharmas as mind . I decisively realized my
own mind as luminosity-emptiness. 20 Even if they leave, if I
cling to dons 21 and obstructing spirits as external, what is the use
of practicing t his austerity?'' Having realized this fearless confi-
dence, he sang this song of possessing the confidence of
realization:
Father, victorious over the troops of the four maras, 22
I pay homage at the feet of Marpa the Translator.
I would not call myself an ordinary man.
I am a cub of a powerful white lioness.
95
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BU D DHA IN TH E PALM OF YOUR HAND
In the womb of my mother, I accomplished the three powers.

As a young cub, I slept in the den.
As a youth, I guarded the entrance of the den.
In my prime, I roamed the high glaciers.
No matter how intense the swirling blizzard, I have no fear .
No matter how high the precipice, I am not afraid.

I am a chick of the garuda, king of birds.
Already in t he egg, my wings and feathers were fully developed.
As a young chick, I slept in the nest.
As a youth, I guarded the entrance of the nest.
As a great garuda in my prime, I soared through the heights of
the sky.
No matter how great and vast the sky, I have no fear.
No matter how steep and narrow the gorge, I am not afraid.
I am an offspring of the great yormo fish.
In my mother's womb, my golden eyes rolled.
As a baby, I slept in the nest.
As a youth, I was foremost in swimming.
As a great fish in my prime, I explored the limits of the ocean.
No matter how giant the waves, I have no fear.
No matter how many threatening fishhooks, I am not afraid.

I am the son of a Kagyi.i guru.
Even in my mother's womb, I developed devotion.
As a child, I entered the gate of the dharma.
As a youth, I studied.
As a great meditator in my prime, I wandered in mountain
retreats.
No matter how great the viciousness of the demons, I have no
fear.
96
THE DAWN OF R EALIZATION
No matter how numerous the magical tricks of dtsns, I am not

afraid.
The paws of a lion standing in the snow never freeze.

If the paws of a lion in the snow could freeze,
Accomplishment of the three powers would have little meaning.
The garuda that flies through the sky cannot fall.

If the great garuda could fall from the sky,
Fully developed wings and feathers would have little meaning.
The fish swimming in the water cannot drown.
If the great fish could be drowned by water,
Being born ln the water ~ould have little meaning.
An iron block cannot be broken by rock.
If an iron block could be broken by rock,
Smelting it would have little meaning.
I, Milarepa, am not afraid of demons.

If Milarepa were afraid of demons,
The realization of things as they are would have little meaning.
You, the assembly of demons, d6ns, and obstructing spirits who

have been good enough to come here-
What a great wonder that you have come now!
Don't be in a hurry; relax and stay as long as you wish.
We shall talk and discourse at great length.
Even if you're in a hurry, by all means stay for the night.
We shall compete in the skill of the three gates, 23
And see which is superior, the black or white dharma. 24
You won't be able to create obstacles, nor can you return to
your dwelling place.
Since you are unable to create obstacles, if you go home now,
Your having come here would be embarrassing.
Thus Mila sang.
97
Arousing the pride of the yidam, he rushed forward. The

atsaras were terrified and their eyes darted about in terror. Their
bodies shook so much that the whole cave began to shake, and
continued until they all dissolved into one. That one turned into
a whirlwind and then disappeared.
The jetsun thought, ''That was Vinayaka, king of obstructing
spirits, who was looking for his opportunity. Also, the wind
before was his magical trick. Through the guru's kindness, he
did not find his opportunity." Then, inconceivable progress in
Milarepa's realization arose.
This situation created by Vinayaka, king of obstructing spir-
its, is called either the story " The Six Remembrances of the
Guru," or the story " Red Rock Agate Valley," or else the story
"Mila Gathering Wood." lt has three names but one meaning.
May there be virtue.
DEVOTION TO THE GURU CUTS through the lethargy and doubt we

encounter in our practice. Recalling his instructions and the time
we spent in his presence creates continual inspiration and
energy. But inspiration is one thing; realization is another. Even
though we remember the guru and his example, there is still
work to be done. Realization means uncovering that which is
already there. This is brought about by practice. Practice is not
some kind of tool with which to manipulate or pry open buddha
nature. Neither can we deceive ourselves by trying to rely on
temporary experiences of realization as a kind of security.
Milarepa returned to his cave, feeling refreshed and ener-
gized. To his surprise, he found the five demons staring at him.
He tried different practices to dispel negativity, but then he
realized that he already understood that appearances were not
separate from his own mind. He thought, "All in all, mind and
phenomena are empty, shunya. Neither phenomena nor mind
98
TH E DAWN OF R EALIZATI ON
exist independently. In that case, what do I have to fear?" Then

he sang his victorious song of realization, and ended by welcom-
ing the demons that had come to afflict him. Milarepa said to the
demons, "What a great wonder that you have come now! Don' t
be in a hurry; relax and stay as long as you wish. We shall talk
and discourse at great length. . . . By all means stay for the
night. " We can welcome our fear and our doubt in the same
way. That is when devotion matures into realization .
As we practice, we would like to get rid of the unpleasantness
in our life; we would like to cling to happiness and joy. But
suddenly we encounter an unexpected situation, just like the
demons, rolling their eyes, making a mockery of us, reading our
books, eating our food, growling at us. We are caught off guard,
and we try to make them go away, but they don' t . The notion
that we can use any kind of trick or gimmick or even force
to dispel negativity keeps us from realizing the nature of
phenomena and the nature of our own mind. That which occurs
in the realm of phenomena, in the realm of mind, occurs by
itself. And moreover, that which occurs is transparent and has
no solid or separate existence. We can actually subjugate obsta-
cles by not trying to manipulate them at all. We can dispel them
by inviting them as our guests. We should prepare a meal and
invite our guests to sit down and partake of it. We should
continually commit ourselves to following the example of those
like Milarepa, who practiced the buddhadharma and understood
that the essence of practice is nonaggression.
Making an offering of our practice to the guru is the best gift
we can give. By continually offering, realization dawns. At that
point the guru is no longer just a person; he is the principle of
enlightenment that exists in all sentient beings. Therefore when
we offer our body, speech, and mind to the guru, we offer to all
beings, without exception. When Milarepa rushed with open
99
arms towards the demons, he had absolutely no care for his own
safety. He wasn' t trying to outwit anyone; he didn't have to
protect himself any more. He was just opening and offering
himself.
When we are struggling on the path and wondering how we
could ever do such things, we should remember to begin with
what we have. We are not living in a cave in the snow moun-
tains, but still the eight worldly winds howl around us. We are
not living in solitude, but still discursive thoughts keep bother-
ing us. We are not living on a diet of flour and water, but still we
a.re concerned about our supper, about getting to the super-
market before it closes.
These stories of Milarepa and his life and his songs are real.
When MUarepa speaks about being a vulture or a fish or the
wind, or when he talks about birds flying and bees buzzing, he is
not simply talking about the landscape. He is expressing the
vitality oi his mind and the experience of being totally one with
things as they are. He is proclaiming the continuity of his
realization. Milarepa stands as an example to us. In the same
way, we can be an example of sanity to other sentient beings
who struggle and suffer and may have never even heard of the
word, enlightenment.
100
INFANT SONG
••
OF A SON OF THE KAGYU GURU
From the all-encompassing vajradhatu, indestructible

nonthought beyond description,
From the vast dharmadhatu , the unceasing play of energy
and light,
The dharmakaya Vajradhara takes form as the incomparable
root guru, Chokyi Gyatso.
The five poisons and the eight worldly dharmas are
transformed into wisdom and skillful means
Look! The aspirations and desires of sentient beings are
fu lfilled .
With unceasing devotion I prostrate to the only father guru

I offer all that is worthwhile and pleasing- the wealth of all
the universes
I confess to lingering in the grip of samsara
I rejoice in your boundless generosity.
Please continue to turn the wheel of dharma

Remain with us in your undefiled splendor
May all sentient beings attain enlightenment
And may I never rest until samsara is thoroughly emptied.
Dharma brothers and sisters entering the immutable path,

Feeble as we are, we still have eyes and ears
I0 I
BUD DHA I N THE PALM OF Y O UR HAND
Fickle as we are, we still have an empty heart

Arrogant as we are, we still have intrinsic awareness.
My friends, but for a flash of lightning there could be

perpetual darkness
Look at the precious gem, the guru, and see the Buddha
himself
In the brilliant mandala of suchness,
Receive his instructions with discipline and delight.
May all beings attain unsurpassable joy

May all beings be prosperous
May the victorious guru ignite the blazing fire of ultimate
wisdom.
In order to be a good student, it is necessary to forget about

your self-importance. How to proceed is to consider everything
that emanates from the guru as definite instruction, whether it
seems mundane or profound. How to continue is to act on
instruction immediately, without self-conscious deliberation of
analysis. How to sustain your effort is to have undiminished faith
in the power of the lineage as the real expression of truth. This is
my advice according to my own experience. I wish you aU great
•
success.
..
OSEL TENDZIN
21 March 1980
102
NOTES TO "THE STORY
OF RED ROCK AGATE VALLEY''
l. Sanskrit words meaning " homage to the guru."

2. A male practitioner.
3. An honorific term for a highly respected teacher.
4. The meditative transmission taught especially by the Kagyii school.
In the state of mahamudra, all experiences are transformed into prajna
and skillful means, which in tum manifest as the vivid and energetic
display of enlightened mind.
5. A bird of Indian mythology that is said to hatch fully grown, and is
therefore used as a symbol of awakened mind.
6. Tantra means continuity and refers to the continuity of the path, in
which the attainment of enlightenment, based on the ground of innate
wakefulness, is brought to fruition by the practices that overcome
confusion. Here, tantra also refers to the root texts of the vajrayana and
the practices they describe.
7. Literally, abhisheka means annointment or empowerment. It is a
formal ceremony of transmission in which a student of the vajrayana is
empowered by his vajra master to perform a particular practice.
8. An important collection of teachings of the anuttara yoga tantra
class. Hevajra was the yidam of Marpa Lotsawa.
9. A synonym for "oral instruction lineage."
I 0. This term refers to the six yogic practices as well as their fruitions,
which were taught to Marpa by Naropa. They are a central part of the
advanced teachings transmitted by the Kagyii lineage down to the present
day.
II . A meditation deity in the vajraya.na. In this case, deity does not
refer to an existing personage, but to the embodiment of the practition-
103
BUDDHA IN THE PALM OF Y OU R HAND
er's buddha nature. By identifying with a particular yidam, the practi-

tioner can discover and express his inherent wisdom.
12. Gain and loss; fame and disgrace; praise and blame; pleasure and
pain.
13. A wrathful or semi-wrathful female yidam, symbolizing compas-
sion, prajna, and shunyata.
1+. A demon.
15. A sculpture made of tsampa (roasted barley flour) and butter,
traditionally designed as an offering.
16. A term for an enlightened master in the vajrayana tradition. Siddha
connotes one whose realization brings about the ability to utilize the
magical possibilities of the phenomenal world.
17. There are two types of bodhicitta: absolute and relative. Absolute
bodhicitta is indivisible emptiness and compassion- radiant, unshake-
able, and impossible to conceptualize. Relative bodhicitta, which arises
from a glimpse of absolute bodhicitta, is the aspiration to practice the
mahayana path and deliver all sentient beings from samsara.
18. A blessed substance, containing liquor and relics, which aids the
yogin in intoxicating the duality between samsara and nirvana. This
provides the means of transforming confusion into wisdom; therefore, it
is called amrita, or "anti-death."
19. Words or syllables that express particular energies. Mantras are a
means of transforming energy through sound and speech; mantra binds a
situation into wakefulness.
20. A state which i.s both erppty of preconceptions-shunya-and full
of brilliant presence and energy -osel (Tibetan) or prabbasvara (Sanskrit},
luminosity.
21. A type of malevolent spirit, who tends to cause either physical or
psychological disease in response to a lack of mindfulness on the part of
the practitioner.
22. The fundamental obstacles of clinging to a self, conflicting emo-
tions, death, and seeking for pleasure.
23. Body, speech, and mind: the three gates, or modes, through which
one relates to the phenomena.! world.
104
NOTES
24. Black dharma generally refers to c.onfused acts based on passion,

aggression, and ignorance. Here, it specifically refers to magical obstruc-
tions created by the atsaras. White dharma refers to the dharma of the
Buddha, which teaches the means of overcoming ego-clinging.
105
INDEX
Actions Commitment, 22-25

• nscendent, 62-64 Compassion, iS
volitional, 22 heart of, 52
Awakened true nature of, £2
being, 52 Confidence, 2 1
heart, 52 three types of:
state of mind, L ~ 42, 67, 8.2 trusting confidence, 22
Awareness, 38-39, 4 <b4 1 longing confidence, 22-23
lucid confidence, 2J
Confusion, I 0, 12, 22, 23,
Basic goodness, I. See also 29-30, 41-42, 45
Tathagatagarbha
Bodhicaryavatara. See Entering the
Practice of a Bodhisattva Demons, 98-100
Bodhicitta, 51-53, 61-62 Desire, 19, 28-29
activity of, 52 Devotion, 77-83, 86-89,
Bodhisattva, 52- .54 9 1-93, 98- 100
path, 42, 52-53 Dharma, 2!
transcendent actions of, 62-64 Discriminating awareness. See
vow, 52-55, 6.1 Prajna
Buddha, 1- 3, 23-24, 2..8.
guru as, 69- 70
See also Three jewels of refuge Ego, II, 12, 21, 22, 29,41-42
Buddhadharma, 7, 22 eroding of, H
Buddha nature, 45, 47-48, Egolessness, 11 -1 3, H
51-52, 61. See also Tatha- discovery of, II , 38-39
gatagarbha Embarrassment
Buddhist path, f. 3, 24 as fuel for bodhisattva path,
two aspects of, 8. 56, 57-58
106
IND EX
llmptiness, 59. See also Shunyata Human

Enlightened mind, 1. ~ 52 birth, 1.2. 2 1, 4 7-48
as basic ground, 2 dignity, li. f2.. ~ 52 •
how to cultivate, 2:& nature, 1
See also Mind, awakened state
of
Enlightenment, 2-3, 1.2, 22-23, Ignorance, ~ 14, 15, 16, 22
~ 78, 99- 100 and inquisitiveness, 8
and the bodhisattva, 52-53 Impermanence, 11- 12
palace of, 2l Individual liberation, '[1 2.2
path to, !..Q. 20,n Inquisitiveness, 8
perspective of, 2.0 and meditative discipline, 8
Entering the Practice of a Insight, 38- 39
Bodhisattva, 5! Intelligence, fully liberated,
41 - 4 2
Faith. See Confidence

Four noble truths, 20-2 1, 21 Jnana, 63- 64
(1st) suffering, 21
Journey, 7- 10, .M
(2nd) origin of suffering, 21 lonely, .M
(3rd) cessation of suffering,
proper attitude toward, 9
2.J
(4th) path, 21
Kagyii lineage, f. L 8-9, 27,
Guru, 69-74, 87- 88, 92- 93 77-78
following instructions of, Kalyanamitra, 56, 57, 52. See also
73-74 , 78-80 Spiritual friend
longing for, 84- 89, 22 Karma, il. 22, 8Q
offering to, 72-73, 22
as principle of enlightenment,
88-89, L.OO Labeling thoughts, 3.5
prostration to, 71-72 Lhaltthong, l8
as supreme example of sanity, Lineage, defmition of, 3
62
See also \fajra master
Mahayana, '[1 46-48, 5 1
Maitri, 46-47, 6.J
Hinayana, '[1 ~ Marpa, 72-73, 78, 80-81
Hope and fear, !.±. 27, 2.2 Materialism. 9
107
Copynght J"'"at rill

IND EX
I physical, 2 Samadhi, ?L 29-30

psychological, 2 Stt also Three disciplines
spiritual, 2-1 0 Samsara, 14, fl. 32, 5..1
Meditation, ~ lit 29-30 aversion to, and binh of
in action, 61 - 62 devotion, 86- 88
and bodhisattva activity, 6l Sangha, 2!
discipline of, ~ 21 , ~ 32 Sanity, ~ 55, ~~ 81, 100
path of, 12- 13 Self, lit 32
technique, 33- 36, 1L +O=+l Sharnatha meditation, ~ 37- 38,
Milarepa, 73- 74, 77-83, 84ff. 40=+ I. Stt also Mindfulness
songs of, 77-78, 84-86, Shila, 2L 28-22
90-91, 94-98 Stt also Three disciplines
Mind, awakened state of, ~ ~ Shine, 32
il. Set also Enlightened mind Shunyata, 52-60
Mindfulness, ~ 32, ~ 37-381 and binh of compassion, 6Q
~ in. Stt also Shamatha Simplicity, l1
meditation Six paramitas, 62-6i:
Myth(s), I Six realms, 14-18, 20, 21 , 22
animal realm, IS
god realm, 16
Naropa, 72, 78 hell realm, 17
Negativity, 46, 22 human realm, 17-20, 21
hungry ghost realm, 15- 16
jealous gods realm, 17
" The Six Remembrances of the
Oral instruction, 78
Guru," 84-86, 28
Sosor lbarpa. Stt individual
liberation
Pain, 17- 18. Set also Suffering Spiritual friend, 55-58, 62
Postmeditation, ~ as clear mirror, S8
Practice lineage. Stt Kagyi.i as treasury, sa
lineage Stt also Kalyanamitra
Prajna, ?L 30-31, 4 1=42 1 52, Spiritual materialism, 2= I 0
6l ''The Story of Red Rock Agate
Stt also Three disciplines Valley," 77ff., 28
Suffering, 12, 5..1
as nature of existence, 21
Refuge vow, 2J and paramita practice, 6l
Renunciation, 28- 22 Stt also Four noble truths, Pain
108
I
I
!
I
IND EX
T~ refuge, 23-25, r1 Transmission

Tathagatagarbha, 47-48. See of awakened mind, t 78-79
also Basic goodness; Buddha three ways of receiving, 78-79
nature Trungpa Rinpoche, Vajracarya
Teacher the Venerable CMgyarn, 3
in hinayana, 55-56 Tsultrim. See Shila
in mahayana, 56-58
in vajrayana, 69- 70
Three disciplines, 27- 31 Vajracarya. See Vajra master
samadhi, 27, 29- 30 Vajra master, 69- 70, 71-73.
shila, 7:1..., 28-29 See also Guru
prajna, 7:1..., 30- 3 1, 41-42, 52, Vajra nature, 61
63 Vajrayana, 61..- 70
Three jewels of refuge, 23 and "secret" teachings, 67- 68
Buddha, 23- 24 Vipashyana, 38- 39, 40-42
dharma, ~
sangha, ~
Three poisons Wakefulness, 45, 52
aggression, 14, l1 Watcher, ll
I ignorance, !f.. ~ 16, 22 Wisdom, 63-64
I passion, !f.. ~ 1.9 as mahakaruna, 64
Three yanas, 21 spark of, 4.5
hinayana, 27, 4.5
I mahayana, 21
I vajrayana, 27, 67-70 Yeshe. See Jnana
I Tilopa, 78
I
\
l
109
Vajradhatu, a world-wide organization of meditation and study cen-
ters, was founded in 1970 by Vajracarya the Venerable Ch<>gyam
Trungpa, Rinpoche. Vajradhatu has more than sixty-five local centers
throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. These centers offer
programs in the study of Buddhist philosophy and psychology and the
practice of meditation . Two rural centers, Karme-Choling in Vermont
and Rocky Mountain Dharma Center in northern Colorado, provide the
opportunity to study and practice in a more contemplative environment.
Nalanda Foundation was established in 1974 by T rungpa Rinpoche as a
nonsectarian educational organization. Its divisions include Naropa Insti-
tute, an innovative liberal arts college, and Shambhala Training, a secular
meditation program.
Information on any of the Vajradhatu centers can be obtained by
writing to Vajradhatu, 1345 Spruce Street , Boulder, Colorado 80302, or
directly to any of the local centers listed below. Information on Naropa
Institute can be obtained by writing to the institute at II II Pearl Street,
Boulder, Colorado 80302; and Shambhala T raining can be contacted at
1745 Walnut Street, Boulder, Colorado 80302. A catalogue of cassette
recordings of lectures by Osel Tendzin is available from the Naropa
Institute Bookstore, 20 11 Tenth Street, Boulder, Colorado 80302.
USA
Vajradhatu Karme-Choling
1345 Spruce Street Star Route
Boulder, Colorado 80302 Barnet, Vermont 0582 1
(303) +44-0210 (802) 633-#17
Karma Dzong Rocky Mountain Dharma Center
1345 Spruce Street Route I
Boulder, Colorado 80302 livermore, Colorado 80536
(303) +44-0190 (303) # 0-0552
Copynghted matenal
Dbarmadbatua: 7109 Woodlawn Avenue, N.E.
3179 Peachtree Road Seattle, Washington 98115
Atlanta, Georgia 30305 (206) 522-2199
(40+) 262-2527 1424 Wisconsin Avenue, N. W.
1702 South Fifth Street Washington, D.C. 20007
Austin, Texas 7870+ (202) 338-7090
(512) 443-3263
2288 Fulton Street
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Berkeley, California 94-70+
(415) 841-3242 Vajradbatu Canada
32 Elmwood Avenue P.O. Box 2141, Station M
Burlington, Vermont 05401 Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 387
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Buddha in The Palm of Your Hand (1982)

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BUDDHA

0 1982 by Osel Tendzin

Distributed in the United States by Random House

Printed in the United States of America.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publicodon Dora

FRONTISPIECE Buddha Shaltyamuni. This 9th-century Indian (Kashmir)

PAGE 26 Calligraphy by Vajracarya the Venerable Ch<:igyam Trungpa,

PAGE so The bodhisattva Chandraprabha. This is a photo-diagrammatic

PAGE 76 Jetstin Milarepa (1<>4·0- 1123). The chief disciple of Marpa,

PAGE 110 Vajracarya the Venerable Chagyam Trungpa, Rinpoche and

PAGE 113 Four-Armed Mahaltala. Mahakalas are the wrathful protectors of

EARLY IN 1980, HAVING BEEN REQUESTED by students to publish a

Special thanks are due to Sarah levy of the Vajradhatu Editorial

IN ORDER TO CREATE A CIVILIZED WORLD, it is very important for

Thus the tradition of exchanging oneself for others was devel-

leader, and His Holiness Karmapa has confirmed his Regency.

Vajracarya the Venerable Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche

As HUMAN BEINGS, WE SPEND MOST OF OUR LIVES believing in a myth.

can overcome doubt and hesitation. We can actually dissolve the

delivered there by following the instructions of your guru. So

When I met my guru, I saw the rugged power of a

The path of meditation is the way to achieve freedom

PROVISIONS FOR THE JOURNEY

THROUGHOUT HISTORY THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN an appreciation of

If that is the case, then what needs to be cultivated? The

personal experience can we attain realization. In fact, the

In entering the path to enlightenment, we are beginning the

WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR LIFE in a straightforward way, we see

constant reference point to prove that we exist. Even when we

W ESHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT THECAUSE of confused existence,

uncompromising quality of pain. This particular attitude des-

When sensual delights prove to be unsatisfactory, we begin to

altogether. Then we start to lose confidence in our power to

cinatory worlds. This possibility arises when there is a gap or

CONSIDERING THE TRUTH

honesty to penetrate the veneer, the outward display of our life,

The first noble truth is that suffering is the nature of exist-

THE RESERVOIR OF COMMITMENT

IN ORDER TO BE A PRACTITIONER of the buddhadharma, it is neces-

realized the possibility of liberation from confusion, a sense of

our commitment is not the worship of a divine being; it is

Taking refuge actually changes the course of history. Waking

OVERCOMING HOPE AND FEAR

As A RESULT OF REALIZING THE THREE TYPES of confidence and taking

We could begin with a discussion of shila or, in Tibetan,

Proper renunciation begins with being willing to look at the

home, so to speak. When we visit our family after a long

We begin to develop prajna by examining the components of

CONNECTING WITH THE EARTH

DISGUST WITH SAMSARA LEADS US TO SEEK a discipline that will cut

The technique of sitting meditation is very simple: it is the

mindful of the texture of the breath without trying to change it.

when a thought arises, we label it "thinking." It is not said

point of view of becoming sharp and precise. We become like a

THE CLEAR ATMOSPHERE

SHAMATHA MEDITATION IS VERY SIMPLE and direct: using the tech-

delight unless we have discipline. With discipline, delight in

same time, it cuts through any sense of nesting in feeling good

IN ORDER TO PRACTICE VIP ASHY ANA properly, we should understand

that technique is no longer necessary; it means that we no longer

contemplate egolessness, impermanence, and suffering, and

Talking about this spark of wisdom is a very delicate

REMEMBERING WHO WE ARE