Vajrayana Part 9

3 PRINCIPALS OF THE PATH/MIND TRAININGS:

The way (method) to effect change is to observe the Dharma, watching and correcting the actions of body, speech and mind at all times with (mindfulness) & transform/develop new positive habits.

Preliminaries:

A) RENUNCIATION/NGEJUNG

For a lay person - without a pure renunciation to free oneself from samsara there is no other means to pacify the 'cravings' and 'desire' for enjoyment (pleasure) and happiness of samsara. To liberate ourselves from samsara it is important to cultivate true 'renunciation' (non grasping).

Human birth is very difficult to find and yet have no time to spare. The human life we enjoy today is with 18 rare distinctive qualities which are divided into two groups:

1) Freedom from eight types of meaningless busy states. (obtain 8 Freedoms)

2) 10 great facilities necessary to carry on effective Dharma practise. (obtain 10 Endownments)

Now in this precious human life we have achieved all the 18 important qualities to do the practice of Dharma.  The precious human life is very rare due to:

1) The causes and conditions to produce it are very difficult to accumulate.

2) The quantity is very small if compared to other beings and life.

3) The analogy employed to explain it is very rare to encounter.

8 Freedoms:

1. Freedom from being born with wrong view

2. Freedom from being born  as animal ie. in total ignorance, fear and the loss of freedom to practice Dharma.

3. Freedom from being born as a hell-being-which is an extreme experience, with no opportunity to study Dharma.

4. Freedom from being born hungry ghost-the specific suffering is of thirst and hunger.

5. Born at a time when Buddha's teachings still exist. (qualified dharma teachers, sincere Dharma bros & sisters).

6. Being born in a place where there is no access to Buddha's teachings.

7. Freedom from being born without full faculties such as intelligence. (to engage in study, contemplation, meditation...)

8. Not being born in the demi-god realm/god realms.  While life are luxurious, it is an existence that sees the constant exhaustion of good karma and without any interest in cultivating virtue to sustain the good karma.

10  Endownments:

1. Being born as human being

2. Being born  place where there is  Dharma

3. Being born with full faculties

4. Not being perverted by committing heinous crimes-killing mother or father, spilling blood of a Buddha or Arhat, causing a split amongst the Sangha.

5.  We have faith in 3 Jewels, Karma and 4 Noble Truths.

6. Born at a time when the Buddha has come.

7. Born in the fortunate period when a Buddha has taught the Dharma.

8. Born at a time when the teachings.

9. Being born at a time where Dharma is being followed by people who have interest in its study and practice.  The best way to repay the kindness of the Buddha and the great mahasiddhas and masters is to explore the studies, familairise with them and live in them.

10. Being born in a place where people are kind and support Dharma activities.

To gain the precious human rebirth, one needs to create 3 causes :

1) Morality or ethics of avoiding the 10 non-virtues

2) Engage in the practice of the 6 Perfections

3) Having the aspirations to gain the precious human rebirth.

The 10 non-virtues:

3 of body - killing, stealing, sexual misconduct

4 of speech - lying, harsh speech, divisive, gossip

3 of mind - covetousness, ill-will, wrong view

The 6 Perfections are:

1) Morality

2) Generosity

3) Patience

4) Joyous

5) Perseverance

6) Concentration and Wisdom

Reflection: In order to practice dharma we should learn about the different traditions and after finding one which is best suited to ourselves, we should follow it sincerely.  The Buddha came to fulfil the wishes of sentient beings, to end suffering and to attain temporary and permanent happiness. All the various levels of teachings were delivered to individuals of different capacities by the Buddha Sakyamuni and they are similar in the respect that their aim is ONE.  The karma produced by such an action is called 'abandonment of the dharma' and the Buddha has stated in many sutras that its degree of heaviness cannot be compared with the killing as many arhats as there are grains of sand in the Ganges.  The practice of dharma is for the abandonment of unskilful actions and for the collection of skilful ones. At the very end of it all, we leave the classroom of our lives & return to the Spirit, it will matter not how much money we had, but how rich we were in loving, giving for a good cause, compassion, grateful, thankful... 

4-Seals:

a) Reflect on impermanence

b) All contaminated phenomena are suffering eg. samsaric beings' minds-deluded perceptions

c) All phenomena are empty and selfless , we are all interdependant.  The emptiness of self relates to the concept of 'I' , petty ego...labelling. The self-grasping mind which holds the view that a phenomena exist independently without cause and conditions?

d) Nibbana is peace ie. everlasting peace.