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1 LODDeD1Btj j
Hn_u u1Ku HngGche



\ 1.! ! !``

RlguiTrusT
PlRLICAT!O:S
13, St. Franci; A\'enue, Southampton, S018 5QL, England
\\"\\"\\. rigu ltru>t.org info@rigultrust.org
Published by Rigul Trust Publications
Text 2011 Ringu Tulku
Ringu Tulku as>em the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
Please do not reproduce an pan of thi; booklet" ithout permission from the publisher.
This Chenretig commemary originated a' an oral teaching gi\' en by Ringu Tulku Rinpoche
in Halscheid, Germany. in Nmember 1998.
Transcribed and edited b Corinnc Segns with further editing by Caitlin Collins.
Chcnrvig painting and dra\1 ing b) R. D. Salga.
Type;ening and de;ign b) Paul O'Connor atjudo Design, Ireland.
Photographs of Rigul, Kham. Tibet b) Francois Henrard.
The root text used here \la> originally translated by Tyler Dewar of the Nitartha Translation Network,
under the guidance of D1gchen Ponlop Rinpochc, with reference to a pre\ iou; translation by the Nalanda
Translation Commillcc. Originally publi,lld in 'Training; in Compassion: Manuals on the Meditation
of A\ alokite,h\ara' (ltham: Snow Lion Pblication.!, 200-) It ha; been re-printed here \\ith the generous
perri,ion of Sno\1 Lion Publicatiom.
Fir>t Edition. Februar) 2011
Primed and bound in the lJK b) the MPG Books Group, Bodmin and King's Lynn.
ISBN 97 8-0-9568133-0-:
1TROD1CJ1C
H1 LCMM1JABY
Refuge
Bodhichitta
\`JJ`JS
Visualisation of Chenrezig
Praise
hc Seven Branch Prayer
Prayer for Liberating Beings from the Si Realms
Self-Visualisation as Chenrezig
Mantra Recitation
Pure appearances
The Dissolution
,.; Contnt

+
!
"h
"'
33
39
43
4
bJ
Re-emergence and Dedication
Additional Prayers and Phowa
Conclusion: The Devotional Approach
DISCUSSION
Dedication
AL L-PERVADING BENEFIT OF BEINGS
The Meditation and Recitation of the Great Compassionate One
GLOSSARY
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
62
64
67
73
101
103
139
144
COMMEMORATING RINGU TULKU RINPOCHE'S HOMELAND IN TIBET 147
Conlenls n1
`I!S!J0 c c 'l' I \ !
T
he Chenrezig sadhana that I will explain to you is a very simple practice.
It's the shortest and most popular text of the sadhana that was composed
by Thangtong Gyalpo. Thangcong Gyalpo [l385-1464)was a well known and
very great master in Tibet. It's difcult to categorise him into any particular
lineage or tradition but, although he stood alone, he is a totally uncontrover
sial fgure. Absolutely everybody from all the different schools acknowledges
his greatness.
Some people say that he lived at least 150years, others that he lived more
than 500years. He was active in various felds, like social work for instance. He
built many iron bridges, I think thirteen or fourteen, in Tibet and Bhutan, some
of which are still used. They were big iron bridges, made with thick iron chains,
twisted together into bigger chains, twisted again into bigger chains and then
assembled into bridges. He is also the founder of the Tibetan Opera. He wouldn't
stay in one place but travelled all over Tibet. Many monasteries are also supposed
to have been founded by him, among them the great Dergay Monastery, with its
famous press, the biggest Tibetan xylograph press (he started the monastery, not
1-:oeec/i-o
the press) . He was a very great bei ng and thi s parti cular sadhana, although qui te
short and si mple, i s therefore regarded as parti cularly powerful and charged wi th
great bl essi ngs.
Chenrezi g - or Avaloki teshvara i n Sanskri t - i s the name of the bodhi sat tva
who i s regarded as the Lord of Compassi on or the embodi ment of compassi on.
The bodhi sattva of compassi on can be consi dered i n t wo ways. Fr om a hi stori cal
or mundane poi nt of vi ew we can say that Aval oki teshvara was a person l i ke us,
l i vi ng a very l ong ti me ago, who felt i nfni te compass i on towards al l senti ent
bei ngs and who was so tremendously courageous that he commi tted hi msel f
to postpone hi s own enl i ghtenment unti l he had brought all other bei ngs to
that state of perfect l i berati on. He i s the greatest exampl e of compl ete courage
and unsel fsh compassi on. Another approach i s to see him not as a human
bei ng, but as compass i on embodi ed in the form of a dei ty. Avaloki teshvara i s
a symbol i c fgure representi ng the compassi on of al l senti ent bei ngs, of al l the
Buddhas and bodhi sattvas. Not only does thi s form represent compassi on, i t
completely embodi es i t .
Chenrezig practice i s done i n order t o develop our own compassi on. From
the Buddhi st poi nt of view, we can try to generate compassi on through changing
or re-thinking our attitude and working on our way of perceiving things. Ten
there's another way, whi ch is the one I will mai nly expl ain here, and that i s through
feeling; i t's an experiential, emotional approach.
I think i t's important to understand, that, i n order to be able to feel compassi on
and have kind, posi tive feeli ngs towards others, we frst need to kow what such
feelings are - this requires that we should have experienced receiving them ourselves.
2 Introduction
Tat's precisely one of the mai n things we work on through the ' deity yoga' which
is the core of a sadhana.
For i nstance, i n thi s practi ce, we i magine the presence of Chenrezi g, the
bodhi sattva of compassi on, on top of our head or i n front of us. Whatever we
think or say, we have a certai n experi ence l i nked to the concepts involved; we
naturally proj ect somethi ng. For example, i f you read the name of a place and
a descri pti on of it, an i mage of i t forms i n your mi nd. In the same way, when
we thi nk of the bodhi sattva Chenrezi g, when we say 'the Lord of Compassi on',
our concept naturally creates the i mage of a compassi onate bei ng and not of
someone who i s angry, arrogant or unhappy. When we thi nk about a ' Buddha',
an enl ightened bei ng, i t evokes an i mage of complete perfecti on, of somebody
wi thout any fault or confusi on, who has done away with i gnorance, who i s totally
wise and completely compassi onate, who only wants to help and work for the
welfare of other bei ngs with no other i ntenti on, no selfsh motivati on.
Ti s i s what we visualise or think of i n thi s practi ce. We feel the presence of
Chenrezig, the most courageous bodhisattva who took the commi tment not to
become enl ightened hi mself unti l al l sentient beings are completely l i berated and
enl ightened. His compassion i s of the strongest kind, the kind that inspires one to
exchange one's own well bei ng and happiness for the well-being and happi ness of
others, to always consi der others' i nterests before one's own.
So we think of Chenrezig, who embodi es that kind of compassi on, who has
the will , the wisdom and the capacity to help. It may help for example to thi nk
of a person i n your l i fe, a true friend, somebody who loves you uncondi ti onally,
who always tries to help you without expecti ng anything in return, and who has
lntmruction 3
the wisdom and the skill to do this in the best possible way. We try to imagine
somebody of that nature, who is the very embodi ment of compassi on. We see
Chenrezig as the very essence of the compassion of all the enl ightened beings,
radiating loving kindness and wisdom.
' Visual ising' doesn't mean trying t o look at something or t o s ee i t as if you were
looking at a picture. Of course, i f you can visualise as clearly as if you were looking
at a picture, that's very good, however visual i sing i s not as if you were sitting there
j ust passively watching a movie. It's more important to get involved i n the process,
to feel that Chenrezig is actually there, i s really present i n whatever form you want
to visualise hi m. It doesn' t really matter whether you visualise hi s form i n one way
or another, although it happens someti mes that a person has a certain connection
with a speci fc form of a particular bodhisattva or Buddha. Te form of Chenrezig
doesn't really matter because, i n a way, i t's our own true loving kindness, the root
of our basic capacity to love and be compassionate that we proj ect and that is
radiating towards us.
We try to feel that we - and all the other beings i n the whole universe - receive
this loving ki ndness. We're all basking i n the l ight and warmth of the loving
ki ndness radiating from thi s being who i s the embodi ment of all the enl ightened
beings. Without conceptual i sing thi s too much, we try to physically feel the
radiance of loving kindness and the well-being of receiving it. We feel that our
i nner heart i s being penetrated by this radiance and that we are really openi ng up
to i t. We feel that we, and al l the other bei ngs, are always in the presence and under
the protection of thi s enlightened bei ng who i s continuously radiating hi s hel p and
uncondi tional loving kindness towards us.
4 Introduction
Al though we don' t need to conceptualise this too much, there are two aspects
i n the medi tation I 've j ust described. One aspect i s that we are generating and
developi ng loving kndness in ourselves by receiving i t, by feeling i t, while the
other i s that we are letting our mind relax, because we naturally relax when we feel
loving kndness. So i t's si multaneously a medi tation that makes our mind calm and
peaceful, and a process of generating loving kndness.
lntmductwn .
11 \() Yl Yl E 'l'/ RY
A
ny Buddhist practice starts with taking refuge and, if it is a Mahayana
practice, refuge is accompanied by the development of bodhichitta. This Is
what we fnd in the beginning of the sadhana:
Sang gye chO dang tshok kyi chok nam la
Chang chub bar du dak ni kyap su chi
Dak gi jin sok gi pe so nam kyi
Dro la phen chir sang gye drup par shok
It means, through all the positive deeds, like giving, etc, and all the positive
results coming from that, may I attain enlightenment for the beneft of all
sentient beings.
The frst two lines are the refuge and the next two the development of
bodhichitta. I don't think it is necessary for me to explain in detail the meaning of
refuge and bodhichitta this time but, as it's a very important subject, I'll say a few
words about it.
11tt! Cemmm!tp
Refuge
Refuge is not only the formal ceremony that marks somebody's entrance i nto
Buddhism; nor is it j ust a prel i minary to Buddhist practice. Taki ng refuge
encompasses the entire Buddhist practi ce : it sets our goal or purpose and defnes
the path to follow as well as the way to travel on i t. It is therefore essential : we coul d
say i n a way that there's actually nothing else i n Buddhi sm but taking refuge. All
the Buddhist teachings and practices are contained within it because everythi ng is
included i n the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.
We can consider i t from di ferent angles, talk about i t at di ferent levels, place
the emphasis on di ferent aspects, but the main point remains the fundamental
desire of every being - not only human bei ngs but actually every sentient being -
to be happy, to have what is pleasurable, and to be free from sufering, problems
and pain. All bei ngs wish for everlasting happiness and that i s where everything
starts. All of us are busy running around, worried and anxious, because of thi s basic
desire for happi ness. But however much we pursue happiness still we are not happy,
because we don't really understand how to fnd the happiness we seek. And when
we look a l i ttle deeper into our predicament, we may wonder whether i t i s possible
to realise this fundamental aspi ration. How can we achieve i t ?
Our usual way is to look for certain things, certain si tuations that we bel ieve will
make us happy. We try di ferent ways and means to get such things and si tuati ons
only to fnd out aferwards that they are not real sources of happiness. Indeed, they
are impermanent, and can even themselves become the cause of further problems.
Tey are not lasting solutions to our problems ; they are not real sources of happiness.
8 Th Commentary
If we then reconsider the si tuation and try to fnd out what is really making us
happy or unhappy, we are led back to our own mi nd. Happi ness and unhappiness
do not come from the things and si tuations we create but from the way our mi nd
reacts , the way our mi nd functi ons.
When I use the word ' mi nd' here, I do not only mean the thi nking mi nd, but
also perceptions, emoti ons, feeli ngs, sensations - the whole of our experience.
If we could fnd a way to work on the mind and change our usual way of reacting,
might i t be poss ible to fnd a state of mind that doesn' t bring us pain, sufering
and problems ? Ti s would mean working less on the things and si tuations that we
experience, and more on the 'experiencer', of these things. From the Buddhi st poi nt
of view, to be abl e to change one's way of experiencing i n a particular context and
si tuation is the main obj ective. Terefore the mai n Buddhi st practice comes down
to working on our mi nd - that is on our own experience.
How things appear for me depends on the way I experience them. Two people
placed in the same si tuation may experience i t and therefore react to i t i n two very
di ferent ways. Te way we experience something is the most important factor
because that is where all our happiness and unhappiness come from. I a given
si tuation, I may react i n such a way that everything is fne and no problem for me, or
I may also react di ferently and feel very unhappy. It all depends on the way I react.
Ti s is why, i n the Buddhist approach, we are essentially working on the way
we react. In order to do this, we have to talk about our emoti ons and percepti ons.
If we can transform all our negative emotions and i mpure percepti ons, nothi ng
else is needed because we wi ll then be completely happy and peaceful. Tat is
Buddhahood. Buddha, or Buddhahood, is nothi ng but a state i n which the mi nd
Till' Commetary 9
constantly remains posi tive and never reacts with negative emotions, never gets
overpowered by them. Tat state of mind i s completely free from problems, which
is why i t is called enli ghtenment or Buddhahood.
Ti s can only come about when one has a real and deep understandi ng, a deep
real i sati on, of how to work wi th the mi nd. It means that one can see oneself very
clearly, without illusions, delusi ons, obstacles, hi ndrances or confusion of any knd.
Wi th that understandi ng and experience, one can transform emoti ons. Tat i s
sometimes regarded as the highest form ofDharma. It is also sometimes called the
Buddha, because this absolute, perfect Dharma is nothi ng but the absolute, perfect
state of Buddhahood. Te real isation of Dharma is the Buddha; so i t doesn' t
really make much di ference whether you call i t Buddha or Dharma. Te Dharma
comprises all the various ways, paths, means, methods and techniques used i n order
to realise the state ofBuddha.
Te people who tread these paths, who practise the Dharma i n a genuine way,
are the Sangha. However, the ultimate or highest form ofSangha is also the Buddha.
It is therefore sometimes said that the true absolute refuge is only the Buddha and
that the two other aspects ofDharma and Sangha are included in the Buddha.
Although in the beginning the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha are presented as three
separate refuges, they really refer to this true realisation, this complete transformation
of our usual way of reacting, which, as long as it is confused, unclear and based on a
misunderstanding, is the source of our suferings, problems and unhappiness.
Our usual , mi staken way of reacting i s called samsara. As long as we react in
this way, we can never be completely happy because, at the most basic level, our
reactions are wrong: they are not in accord with real ity.
I 0 Th Commentary
We could identify the pattern as follows. We want something; then we make
great eforts to try to get i t. Tat very struggle to get happiness brings worries and
anxiety. You see, this way of going about i t i s wrong right from the beginning. le's
as if we come to si t near a fre in order to get cool. Te cooler we want to be, the
closer to the fre we si t ! It i sn't going to work, and this is more or less what we' re
doi ng all the ti me.
It remi nds me of the story of a Tibetan man who went on pilgrimage to
Bodhgaya and came back complai ning that India was so terribly hoc chat even
when he heaped nine blankets around his body, the heat still wouldn' t go away. In
Ti bet, heat is not a problem: the only problem i s cold. If the cold i s very i ntense,
you cover yourself with more bl ankets and, usually, under ni ne blankets, you no
longer feel the cold. So he thought he could fend of the heat i n the same way as
he'd protected himself from the cold.
We need to change our habitual way of reacting through the practice. However,
we should be careful not to practise the Dharma in the way we usually do everything
else, otherwise there will be no di ference ! If we practise Dharma i n order to get
things, we' ll j ust become more samsari c, because we' re practising even the Dharma
i n a samsaric way.
What matters is not so much what we do, but how we do i t. Tat's why
medi tation is so important. Trough medi tati on, we cry to make our mi nd cal mer,
more relaxed, more spaci ous, more peaceful, to release the anxiety, the worries, the
struggle. If our medi tati on is tight and nervous, full of anxi eti es, and i f we 'struggle'
to medi tate, we wi l l never achieve anything. We need to learn how to work on our
mi nd: that's the Dharma practice.
Th Commmtar I I
It's all very well to say that we have to practise Dharma - but the question i s
How? We try to visuali se and to medi tate, but what does medi tation really mean ?
If we don' t clarify this questi on, we' ll fall into the trap of a mi staken, samsaric
practice. We may call i t Dharma but i t's actually no di ferent from samsara - whi ch
is why Gampopa repeated this warning again and agai n: "If you don't practise
Dharma as Dharma, the Dharma will lead you to the lower realms ! " So to practise
Dharma means to work on our mind, on the way we react.
' Takng refuge i n the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha is the frst thing
we do i n our practice. By taking refuge we set our goal, our intention. Without
an obj ective, we're lost, confused, we don' t know what to do or what is i mportant
and what is not. A lack of purpose i n life is a big problem that places us i n a very
difcult posi ti on. First we get bored and then, afer some time, we feel confused
and useless, we are i ncapable of doing anything useful. Ten, because we don't
have a purpose, we feel worthless and fall into depression.
I thi nk i t 's very i mportant to fnd a purpose. I s i ncerely bel i eve that one
can never become depressed i f one has a really good obj ecti ve i n l i fe. When
peopl e have a sense of purpose, they may go through i ncredi ble sufferi ng and
hardshi p wi thout psychol ogi cal probl ems, whi l e those who l ead an ai mless l i fe
are more l i kely to have such probl ems . Taki ng refuge means asserti ng a great
and benefi ci al purpose.
Fi rst, we take refuge i n the Buddha. Of course, to understand the Buddha
i s not easy; i t encompasses the whole practice and experi ence of Buddhi sm.
However, we should at least have thi s concept that Buddha i s the complete
real i sati on, the complete eradi cation of all confusi on and i gnorance, a state of
I 2 ThR Commentmy
bei ng that corresponds to the transformation of all the negative emoti ons. We
should know that this i s the true state of our mind. And that i s what we want
to real i se, to actualise, what we ourselves would l ike to be. We would like to
de-condi ti on ourselves from our confused state of mind and return to the true
pri mordial state of our mi nd, which i s the Buddha nature. Tat i s our purpose.
Tat is our obj ective. And we don' t want i t j ust for ourselves but for all other
senti ent beings as well. Tey all sufer and they all want to attai n everlasting peace
and happi ness, and i t i s for them also that we want to become enl ightened. We
wish to bri ng them all to that state of enl i ghtenment. Tat commi tment i s goi ng
for refuge to the Buddha. It generally consists of two aspects : the wi sh to do i t and
the convi cti on that i t i s possi ble. It i s not easy even to simply understand i t, but
that i s the mai n thing.
In order to achieve our goal, we take refuge i n the Dharma. Te Dharma
encompasses all the di ferent means, practices and trainings that would lead us to
that realisation or actualisation. Taking refuge i n the Dharma is the expression of
our wish to train i n those practices.
Fi nal ly, taki ng refuge i n the Sangha i s our readi ness to open ourselves
to those who have the understandi ng and experi ence of the teachi ngs and
methods, i n order to learn these ways and means. We open ourselves to recei ve
the posi tive i nfuence, the i nstructi ons and teachi ngs of the Dharma so that we
can work on ourselves .
Te whole of Buddhism is incl uded in these three facets of the refuge. Having
taken refuge, we know what we want and what we need to do, so we work on
that and create the right ci rcumstances that will enable us to do it. Te refuge is
Ti< Commentny 13
therefore the enti re Buddhist practice. Tere's actually nothi ng more in Buddhism
than taking refuge.
It may seem easy to understand at an intellectual level but a full understandi ng
is more di fcult than we frst imagine. Even the possi bi l i ty of enl ightenment and
its implications aren' t easy to fathom. A real , deep desi re to achieve i t is di fcult to
develop because we are too i nfuenced and so overpowered by our emoti ons that
our desire i s not usually oriented towards that end.
Nevertheless, even i f i t 's not easy, i t's the most important thing. Of course
everybody wants happiness, but the question i s what will bring us real happi ness,
real peace ? We need to remind ourselves of our commi tment to work in that
di rection and to revive our inspi ration and understandi ng, again and agai n. Ti s is
why we repeat the refuge prayer daily and at the begi nning of every practice.
I thi nk you now understand the i mportance of the refuge. I won' t go i nto
more detai ls.
Bodhichitta
Tere's very li ttle di ference between bodhi chi tta and refuge in the Mahayana
approach. Te Mahayana refuge i s an aspi ration or commi tment to attain
enl ightenment for the sake of all sentient beings, which i s the same as bodhichi tta.
Te main point here is to develop the thought: ' I take refuge i n Buddha, Dharma
and Sangha, and my purpose for doi ng that is to beneft all sentient beings - not
j ust myself For the sake of them all , I would like to become a Buddha'.
I + The Commentary
Bodhichitta is i nspi red by compassion, l i mitless compassi on. We could defne
compassi on i n a general way as unbi ased, universal goodwill. It i s love but - unl ike
ordi nary love - this i s unconditional love. Usually, when we love someone, we
expect this person to love us too and if this is not the case, we feel bad. Tat's
condi tional love. What we're talking about here is uncondi ti onal love. It means
that we wish the best for others, whatever they feel towards us. If somebody hates
me, i t's hi s or her problem. If somebody loves me, i t's also hi s or her problem. From
my side, I have only good wishes, benefci al, posi tive thoughts and intentions for
everybody. I don' t worry about the reactions they may have towards me.
From this poi nt of view, being compassionate i s not heavy; i t 's light to bear.
From my si de, I have no negative feelings towards anybody. I always wish well
towards everyone, whether they l ike me or not, whether they treat me well or not
and even whether I like them or not. Tat i s, I thi nk, also important to understand:
you don't have to like somebody in order to feel compassion for hi m or her. Even i f
you don' t like someone, you don't wish hi m or her bad thi ngs. Someti mes people
have di fculty developi ng compassion for someone they disl ike because they think
that they have to l ike the person. As they don' t, they feel bad and guil ty. However,
i t's not necessary to l ike somebody in order to feel compassion for hi m or her.
Tere are people I l ike and people I don't l ike. We can't l ike everybody and that's
OK, as long as we j ust don't wish them bad things.
Having generated compassion, we try to cul tivate thi s motivati on or aspirati on,
to strengthen i t and extend i ts scope. We recognise that i t's good for us and good
for others. When we don' t have any negative thought, any hatred or any i l l feeling
towards anybody, we al ready feel peaceful because, i n a way, we have forgiven.
The Commenlay 1 5
Forgiveness means having no i ll will or no negative thoughts towards anyone, so
we' re free from our burden of negative thoughts and hatred. Ti s is benefcial for
us, because our mi nd is dear, free from all the garbage, and we have nothing to hold
on to; and, of course, as we no longer hold any negative thoughts against others, i t's
also good for everybody else.
We become naturally purer and more posi tive i n our bei ng and attitude
because there's nobody we consi der as an enemy. Everybody is l ike a fri end
because we wi sh everyone well. Ti s doesn' t mean that we have to parti cularly
l i ke everybody, but we wish them well and they are therefore l i ke ' unacquai nted
friends' or ' unknown friends'. Ti s i s the atti tude we try to generate as we develop
our bodhi chi tta.
Te compassion of bodhichi tta also includes wishing well to everybody.
Moreover, it is boundless or l i mi tless or i nfni te in four ways.
Te frst of the four l i mitless aspects is the wish to see all sentient beings be free
from sufering: not j ust me, my fami ly and my fri ends : not just the people of my
country or those who are Buddhists, or the people of this worl d; but every si ngle
sentient being everywhere throughout the universe.
Te second i s the wish that they all be free from all sufering, not j ust a l i ttle bi t
of thi s or that sufering, but of every ki nd of sufering.
Te thi rd i s the wish that they all will not only be free from all sufering but
that they also attai n the best achievement, the highest form of peace and happi ness,
whi ch is enl ightenment.
Te fourth is the wish that they will not only enjoy thi s highest level of
attainment for a short period of ti me, but forever.
1 6 Th Commentary
Compassion extended in these four l i mi tless ways becomes bodhichitta.
Bodhi chi tta has two aspects : compassion for all beings, and the commi tment to
help them attain enl ightenment. Tese two aspects are also called compassion and
wisdom. Te wisdom aspect i s the understanding that a state of everlasting peace
and happiness - enl ightenment - can be achieved. Te compassion aspect i s the
wish to help all sentient bei ngs to attain that state. Tese two are l ike the two wings
of a bi rd: they must always go together.
When we reci te thi s frst stanza of the text, we're remi nding ourselves of
thi s commi tment. We can ei ther i magine that we take refuge and develop the
bodhichitta aspi ration in front of a Refuge Tree or i n the presence of Chenrezig
alone, consideri ng hi m as the embodi ment of all the aspects of refuge, of the whole
li neage and of our guru. We then take refuge and the bodhichi tta commi tment to
confrm and reiterate our aspi ration and understandi ng. We repeat these four l i nes
three ti mes.
Visualisation of Chcnrczig
Our present purpose is to get in touch with the presence of Chenrezig, an
enlightened being who concentrates in hi mself the energy of all the enlightened
beings, of all the Buddhas.
We don't need to engage i n conceptual speculations about who or what
Chenrezig actually i s. What matters i s to feel that the real embodi ment of unli mited
compassion is actually present in the space above us. We i magine all other sentient
The Commentary l 7
beings around us, and then ei ther visual ise hi m above our heads or in front of us.
It's not j ust ' my' Chenrezig but everybody's Chenrezig.
Te text says :
Dak sok kha khya b se m chen gi
Chi tsuk pe kar d a we teng
Hr le phak chok Chen re zi
Kar sal i zer nga d en tro
Ti s means,
On top r the he a d of myse l and all sentient be ings,
is a lo tu s and mo on, upon this is a HRI.
from the HRI appe ars the noble Chenre zig,
white in colo u r ra dia ting the fve colo urs.
0
.
0
Ti s starts the process of creating our visualisation of Chenrezig, of creating
the form or the way i n which he appears.
First we i magine that a very beautiful lotus fower appears one or two feet
C
above our heads. On top of it foats a moon di sc on whi ca letter HRI (

g ) j ust
drops from nowhere, l ike a thunderbolt. Ti s letter HRI (

g), a very strong whi te

l i ght that spreads i n al l di recti ons.
Ti s li ght touches, i nspi res, and we could al most say 'awakens' all the
enlightened beings throughout space. Carrying thei r blessi ngs, thei r grace and
energy, the li ght is reabsorbed into the syllable. Te light goes our very quickly, and
C
then zooms back into the HRI (

g), which is now charged wi th the blessings and

18 Th Commentar
the energies of all the enlightened beings.
C
Now this very energetic HRI (

g) radiates another set ofl ight rays that touch

all sentient beings throughout space. It completely purifes, heals, liberates and
transforms all the beings i t touches. Having spread throughout space, the light
C C
agai n zooms back into the letter HRI (

g). Ti s HRI (

g) is now even stronger,

even more energeti c, because not only does it have the energy and the blessings of
al l the enlightened bei ngs, but al so the power of having accomplished the beneft
of all the sentient beings.
C
Tanks to that strong energy and activi ty, the HRI (

g ) transforms into the

i mage of Chenrezi g, which is therefore very powerful, very energeti c, l ively and
active. Tis i s what we should try to feel.
Chenrezig i s very beauti ful. He appears to be young, because compassion i s
ageless and never decays or deteriorates. Hi s body has what we call the thi rty-two
major and eighty mi nor signs of a great being and wi th all of the beauty and qual ities
we can i magine belonging to a divine being. He is radi ating compassion and
wisdom. Hi s colour i s whi te, a colour that represents purity and also compassion.
As i s described in some texts, he i s white l ike t he snowy mountai ns, when t he frst
rays of the sun shi ne on thei r slopes.
We shouldn' t categorise Chenrezig as any particular racial type. He's nei ther
Asi an nor Western nor African ; he's j ust completely beautiful. He's si mply whatever
you can imagine as perfection. Maybe the i mages of the dei ti es are created a l i ttle
di ferent from usual human beings preci sely to avoid thei r bei ng categorised into
one particular raci al type ; thi s i s not sai d in any commentary, but i t may be a
possible explanation.
The Commentary 19
Chenrezig has four arms, representing the four li mitless thoughts, namely
love, compassion, rej oicing and equani mi ty, which means a complete absence of
prej udi ces. Hi s body is not that of a normal human being; i t i s so full of energy,
blessings and activi ties that it is conti nuously radiating l ights of the fve colours.
If i t's not too di fcult for you to visualise, then you can contemplate the face of
this completely ki nd, radiating bei ng, who has no sel fsh motive and i s onl y wishing
good for everybody else. Or, i f you' re not very good at visuali si ng, you can j ust feel
his presence, a presence of complete, uncondi tional kndness, love and compassi on.
Te description conti nues :
Dze d;um thukjey chen gyi ;ik
Ti s means that he's smiling and looking at all the sentient beings wi th great
ki ndness, caring for them as if each one were his only child.
And then i t goes on:
Chak ;hi d anl po thal jar d;e
Ok nyi she ! treng pe kar na m
Dar d anl rin chen gyen gyi tre
Ri d ak pak pe to yak sol
Ti s is describing how the frst two ofhi s four hands are folded together around
a wish-fulflling gem, while he holds a crystal rosary in his other right hand, and
a lotus fower in hi s other lef hand. Te garments he wears are beautiful, made
of the fnest colourful silks. He's also wearing a deerskn on his shoulder. Tis is
to symbolise a kind of deer that, l ike dolphi ns, always tries to help other beings.
20 Th Commentary
It is believed - I don' t know whether thi s is true or not - that if you're lost in a
j ungle and you call for help, thi s ani mal will come and lead you out of the forest.
Many stories are told about thi s animal; one of them appears in the Jataka tales, the
stories relating the Buddha Shakyamuni 's former l ives.
In this story, a hunter once fell down a cli f and got lost i n the j ungle. Almost
dyi ng, he was cryi ng for help when a beautiful deer appeared and showed hi m the
way out of the forest, thus saving his l i fe. Tis ani mal was so extraordinary that the
hunter thought the king would reward him for catching i t. He told hi s story to the
king and agreed to lead him to the place where he had seen thi s wonderful animal
and help hi m to catch i t, in return for a reward. Te king surrounded the forest
with hi s men, who started shooting all the ani mals they could see.
When the deer heard what was going on, he came face to face with the kng and
asked hi m, " Why are you doing thi s ? You should not kll uselessly and senselessly
l ike thi s. What do you really want ? " Hearing the deer speak, the ki ng was very
i mpressed. He explained that he klled animal s because he and hi s subj ects had
to eat. Te deer repl i ed, " It is true you have to eat, but you don' t need to kll
senselessly as you're doing now. I am the kng of the deer. If you agree, we can make
an arrangement that will be good for all of us. From now on, I will send a deer to
your kitchen every day." Impressed and surpri sed, the king accepted the deal and
returned to his palace.
Te next day, a deer appeared at his ki tchen door; and the next day, and the next,
and every day. But one day, as the kng of the deer was walkng through the j ungl e,
he heard somebody weeping. Lookng around, he saw a doe who was sobbi ng i n
despair. When he asked why she was weepi ng, she answered that i t was her turn
The Commentary 21
to go next day to the ki ng's ki tchen and that she had j ust given bi rth to the small
baby lying by her side. Her own death would mean that her baby would surely die
too, which was why she was so unhappy. Te ki ng of the deer comforted her and
told her not to worry, that she wouldn' t have to go ; the next day, he hi mself stood
near the ki ng's ki tchen. He looked so extraordinary that the cooks i mmedi ately
i nformed the king that a very speci al deer had come that day. Te ki ng recogni sed
the king of the deer, and asked hi m:
" Why have you come here yourself ? You should have sent one of your subj ects. "
" Today I have come myself, so you can kill me and eat me."
" Tis is not right ! You are such a wonderful being, and you are the ki ng of the
deer. I can't kill you. You must go away at once."
"No. I cannot go because, i fl have to send all my people in turn to come to you
and be eaten, then when my turn comes, I should also share thei r fate. If you spare
my l i fe because I am the king, how can I deserve my tide and lead my people ? My
turn has come today, so I must take my responsi bi li ty."
Te king asked him what he could do to spare his l i fe. Te deer answered, " You
can declare that, from now on, you will no longer requi re any deer to come here
to be killed. You can forbid all the people in your country to hunt deer, and not
onl y the deer but all other ani mals too. Al l the animas are li ke us : they are afraid
when they are hunted, tortured and kill ed. If you give thi s order, then maybe I will
go away."
Te ki ng was so surpri sed and so moved that he agreed i mmedi ately and
promi sed to make thi s announcement that very day. " Now you can go away ! "
he sai d.
22 Th Commmlary
But the deer was still not satisfed. " Te bi rds in the sky are as badly treated as
the other ani mals by the humans;' he said. "So are the fshes in the rivers and lakes.
How can I be happy i f onl y the forest animals are saved but the bi rds and fshes
are still being hunted ? I don't want to leave i fl can only save my people, while the
other ani mals are still not free to l ive thei r l ives happily."
So the king agreed to issue a royal decree stating that from now on, in hi s
country, nobody woul d be allowed to hunt or fsh or kill any ani mal , and that every
l iving being would be free. Ten the deer thanked the king and went away.
Now the description continues :
0 pak me pe u gen chen
In the knot of hai r on top of Chenrezig's head, there's a small Ami tabha.
Amitabha is the Buddha of the Padme family. Chenrezig belongs to thi s ' family'
and i s regarded as the emanation of Ami tabha, which is why this small i mage i s
adorning hi s head.
,hap nyi d or je kyil trung zhuk
Dr me d a war gap ten pa
Kap ne kun di ngo wor gur
He is si tting in the lotus posture, hi s back resting on a whi te moon disc.
It's the presence of thi s bei ng, the embodi ment of the Tree Jewel s, charged
with such deep symbolism and signifcance, and all the enlightened beings'
energies, wisdom and compassi on, that we feel and visual ise on top of our heads or
i n front of us.
Th Commentar 23
Although the text doesn' t cl early menti on anythi ng about the syllabl es
OM MANI PADME HUNG, i t i s generally understood - although i t i sn' t
absol utely necessary - that when we vi sual i s e the dei ty, we also vi sual i se the
mantra i n hi s heart.
As I already repeatedly stressed, the mai n thi ng i n the visualisation i s the
feeli ng. We have to really feel the presence, or the energy, or whatever you call
i t. As in any healing technique, i t's our own concentrati on, our own trust and
confdence that draw the blessings, the power, the posi tive energies of all the
enl ightened beings.
It has to be clearly understood that, when I mention 'all the enlightened
beings', these are not only the Buddhi st enl ightened bei ngs. From a Buddhi st poi nt
of view, there i s no di ference between Buddhi st and non-Buddhi st enlightened
beings. Any being who has reached a high stage of real i sati on, i n whatever way and
through whatever tradi tion, is considered an enlightened being. You can include
everybody, all the great beings you know about or haven't yet heard about. You
i nvoke, embodied and concentrated in your visual isation ofChenrezi g, the total i ty
of everything that is good, posi tive, powerful, benefcial, compassionate and wise.
Tat is what you feel !
We don' t try too hard to 'concentrate' in this practice. We visual ise in the
style of a shamatha or shinay medi tation, which means that we j ust let this fgure,
this image or thi s presence arise l ightly i n our mind and we rest i n that state.
Al ternatively, we can also feel the energy, the j oyfulness, the goodness, the bliss of
the deity, and rest i n that feeling. Tat's al so shinay.
2- Th Commenlary
If the mi nd is di stracted and wanders around too much, we can sharpen the
focus on one parti cul ar detai l , l i ke Chenrezi g's face or eyes, or the l etter HRI
C
( g ) . When the mi nd is scattered and agi tated and we l ose control over i ts
movements, that's the moment when we shoul d concentrate on a small obj ect .
The smal l er the obj ect , t he stronger the concentrati on i s. You can vi sual i se t he
C
mantra or the syllable HRI ( g ) i n very small but very di sti nct l etters, as i f
t hey were wri tten wi th a s i ngle hai r. Or i f there i s mental dul l ness, i t hel ps to
look at somethi ng whi ch i s hangi ng and j us t about to drop or fal l down; thi s
makes your mi nd more al ert.
As we are consi deri ng thi s practi ce from a devoti onal poi nt of vi ew, i t
i s mai nly - as I sai d i n t he begi nni ng - t he feel i ng that matters : feel i ng the
warmth, the protecti on, feel i ng the trust and comfort of havi ng a fri end who
has the capaci ty, the compassi on and the wi sdom to l ook after us. Thi s feel i ng
can be nurtured and sustai ned duri ng our dai ly l i fe. For i nstance, when we
go to bed, we can feel that we sleep under Chenrezi g's protecti on. From the
moment we get up, we can carry on our dai ly acti vi ti es i n hi s presence. In thi s
way, we feel protected and strengthened at every moment and we can better
face di ffi cul ti es, anxi ety or feel i ngs of fear; thi s i s al so an i mportant aspect
of the practi ce. We shoul d understand that thi s i s not somethi ng we create
arti fci ally, but that these posi tive qual i ti es are i nherent i n our very nature, i n
the Buddha nature that i s wi thi n us. These qual i ti es are not separate from us,
but can al so mani fest from outsi de.
Tl Commentary 25
Praise
Having created the visual i sation, we then reci te this praise :
Jo wo kyo n gi ma gi ku d ok kar
D;: ok sang ge kyi u la gen
Tuk je chen gi dro la zi k
Chen re zi la chak tsallo
Tese are the Buddha's own words in praise of Avalokteshvara, which can be
found in both sutras and tantras. Ti s praise is said to have existed even before the
Buddha Shakyamuni composed i t for us. It i s a very simple prayer but i t is supposed
to be very sacred and to carry many blessings. It can be explained accordi ng to
several di ferent levels of meaning but, for the moment, we can just stick to the
li teral meaning of the words.
Jo wo' can approximately be translated as ' Lord'.
'on gyi ma go ku dok kar' means : 'whose white body has never been stained
by any deflement: White is the colour of puri ty.
'zok sang gye kyi u la gyen' means : (you have) a perfect Buddha - that is
Ami tabha - as an ornament above your head.
'Tuk jey chen gyi dro la zik': ' you look wi th compassionate eyes at all beings.'
'Chen re zi la chak tsal lo': ' to you, Chenrezig, I prostrate.'
We try to develop devotion while reciting thi s praise as many times as possible
and feeling that the l ights radiating from Chenrezig's body, carrying hi s compass i on
and energy, really penetrate into us. All the other bei ngs around us, throughout
26 Th CommentiJ
space, also receive that energy and are healed by it.
At thi s point we can add two prayers i f we wish. Te frst i s the seven poi nt
practice or the Seven Branch Prayer; the second i s a prayer for liberating bei ngs from
the six realms. Tese two are added; they are not originally part of thi s particular
short practice. If you only have time for a very brief practice, you can recite one
prayer and leave the other or, i f you are really too busy, you can ski p them both.
l'hc Seven Branch Pravcr
/
Te Seven Branch Prayer is a means of worki ng with seven types of practice on our
strongest harmful emoti ons i n order to develop more posi tive tendenci es.
Te frst branch i s prostration. Prostration i s a way of showing respect; i t's a token
of submission. When we prostrate we bow down to somebody, acknowledging hi s or
her great qualities. We show humili ty. Prostrating i s worki ng on our pride through
developing respect towards others and showing appreciation of thei r qualities.
Here, we prostrate i n a grand way. A bodhi sattva's way of doing things is always
grand and vast. Ti s means that we don't do it alone but with all other sentient
beings alongside us. Not only are we surrounded by all sentient beings all over the
universe, we also imagine that countless duplicates of ourselves emanate from our
body and that all together we prostrate to Chenrezig and to all the Buddhas of the
ten di rections and the three times. Tat means we all prostrate to everybody. Te
Buddhas of the three times are those of the past and present and al so of the future
- who are none other than all the sentient beings; we believe that each and every
The Commentary 27
sentient being will one day become a Buddha. Te Buddhas of the ten di rections are
those residing in the east, west, north, and south, in the four directions in-between,
and above and below.
Te second branch is making ofrings. Ofering means givi ng, being generous,
not holding on or clinging, so thi s works on our miserliness and the tendency to
cli ng to what we have or desire. Of course, we can ofer whatever we want, but
the particular oferings menti oned i n the text are fowers, incense, l ights, music ,
and obj ects we fnd pleasant through the perceptions of our fve senses. What we
are cl inging to, what we are attached to, di stracted by, and bound by, are actually
the pleasures of our fve senses - the beautiful things we see, the fragrances we
smell, sweet tastes, sof textures, and the melodious sounds we hear. We now ofer
whatever we enjoy through our fve senses i n the form of actual material belongi ngs
or oferi ngs created i n our imaginati on.
Tese practices are basically methods for working on our mi nd, which i s why
we ofer mental creations as well. Buddhists consider that what really matters i s
the mental attitude. It doesn' t mean, of course, that real oferi ngs are unnecessary
or that we shouldn' t give real things to other beings. Of course not; the more we
give, the better i t i s. But the poi nt is that here we' re worki ng on our mi nd and,
therefore, mental creations do count. Miserli ness, clinging and attachment are
not necessarily l i nked to what we actually possess. We don' t have to be rich to
be very attached to our belongings. One can be very rich and have lots of thi ngs
without necessarily being too much attached to them. One can also be very rich
and completely attached to all one's belongings. But one can also be very poor and
desperately cling to whatever worthless things one has. One can even be very much
28 Th Commentary
attached to things one doesn' t have. What we actually have or don' t have is not
what determines our degree of attachment. It's rather a way of reacting; i t's al l i n
our mi nd. Ti s i s why we' re here mainly working on our mi nd and why we create a
mental i mage of whatever we' re attached to, whatever we' re grasping at, and then
turn it into an ofering. It's a mental exercise ofletting go.
Te thi rd branch is the purication, also someti mes called the branch of
confessi on. Oferings and puri fcation are two very important trai ni ngs that we also
fnd i n the ngondro and al most everywhere i n Buddhist practices. Tey're about
bei ng able to let go of the good as well as the bad things we' re usually attached
to. Te confession and purifcation i s an exercise i n letting go of the negative or
problematic thi ngs that we've done or experienced and are still holding on to. We
thi nk of all the negative actions we've done i n thi s l i fe and all our previous lives and
we confess them; we feel regret and we resolve not to do them agai n. And then we
feel that we let them go. We no longer hold on to any of these negative things. Ti s
is the essence of purifcati on.
Te fourth branch is reoicing. Ofering counters attachment, purifcation
works on aversion and anger, and rejoi ci ng works on j ealousy and envy. Here
we are rejoi cing at the good things that other people have done or achieved. We
thi nk of all the good deeds achieved by the shravakas, the pratyekabuddhas, the
bodhi sattvas, the Buddhas, and all ordinary beings, and we rej oice. We feel happy
about what they've done and we fully appreciate thei r goodness. Very ofen, when
somebody does or receives something better than us, we're di spleased. Here, on the
contrary, we rejoi ce. Ti s is also a very important practice that should be appl i ed
i n our dai l y l i fe.
The Commentary 29
Te ffh branch is 'sking the Buddhas to turn the wheel ofDharma' and the sixth
is 'requesting them to live long and remain in this world: Tese branches are about
appreci ating the great val ue of the Dharma and wanting i t to last and to spread far
and wide. We ask the Buddhas to continue to give teachings and guidance to us and
to all sentient beings, and also to live long. Teaching is the main activity through
which a Buddha helps others, because that enables sentient beings to understand
how to practise the Dharma and therefore how to help themselves.
Te seventh and last branch i s the dedication, which is a way of sharing the
posi tive thi ngs that we have with all sentient beings. It is a remi nder of our origi nal
bodhichi tta motivation, of our wish and commi tment to put an end to the suferings
of sentient bei ngs and to lead them all , including ourselves of course, to the highest
level of attai nment, the highest level of peace. Tat is why we' re practi si ng. So, now
that we've done some posi tive things, and have refrai ned a l i ttle from doing negative
thi ngs, then whatever posi tive efects we've been able to gather we dedicate to all
sentient bei ngs; we pray that the whole result or frui t of these activities may ri pen
i n each and every one of the countless beings throughout space. And we include in
our dedication not only the posi tive efects of this particular practice but of all the
posi tive things we've ever done in the past and even those we' ll do i n the future ; we
ofer i t all to all beings that they may beneft.
Ti s Seven Branch Prayer i s regarded as an i mportant means to accumul ate
what we call ' merit'. Merit is accumulated through doing posi tive things or
developing good habi ts. At frst, i t's i mportant to eli mi nate our negative habits
and exchange them for posi tive ones. Later, on a frm basis of posi tive habits, we
may come to see the true real i ty, the way things really are, through which we will
30 The Commellll)'
transcend all habits - even posi tive ones. Tat's how we can attain enl ightenment.
However we won't be able to do that if we don't work frst on our negative patterns.
We should beware of getting too caught up wi th sophi sticated philosophy,
becoming fascinated by the ' high views' and ' high medi tations' and overlooking
thi s down-to- earth aspect of the practi ce. Some people only want to hear about,
talk about and attempt to practise the highest teachings : Dzogpa Chenpo,
Mahamudra, Zen satori , shunyata, Madhyamika, and they' re so eloquent they can
talk for hours about i t - but they haven't changed i n the least. Tey' re prone to as
much anger, pride and attachment as before. Tey may assert that there is nothing
we can call ' I ', and they can di scourse on the subj ect, but i f you sl ightly provoke
them they fare up in anger. Tey're j ust ordi nary people who've let thi s philosophy
get into their heads so they' ve become all pufed up. Tey've become completely
unbalanced with such big, infated heads !
I n Mahayana Buddhism we always fnd these two sides or facets, the relative and
the ulti mate, that have to go together in a balanced way. Merit and wisdom have to
be developed simultaneously and support each other. Te accumulation of merit
helps us to develop posi tive habits that will create the favourable environment and
ci rcumstances for us to improve our understandi ng, medi tation and realisation.
Accumulation of merit thus contributes to the accumulation of wisdom. I n turn,
a deeper understanding and greater real isation of emptiness, of the true nature
of reali ty, furthers the accompl ishment of posi tive deeds because i t reduces our
cl i ngi ng and sel fshness. It's therefore essential to develop these two aspects i n a
balanced way.
1 he Commentmy 3 1
L^ ^ ^1 l1J
Prayer for Liberating Beings fron1 the Six Rcaln1s
We then recite the prayers for liberating bei ngs from the six real ms through
Chenrezig's mantra.
As I expl ai ned i n the begi nni ng, this short Chenrezigpractice was composed by
Tangtong Gyalpo, who i s regarded as the reincarnation of a nun called Gelongma
Pal mo who l ived centuries ago i n Indi a. She was born as the daughter of a local
king but when she got leprosy, she was expelled from the palace. She became a nun,
a 'gelongma' or bhikshuni , and she intensively practised Chenrezig. Trough her
practi ce, she was able to heal herself and she became a great master. It is said that
Tangtong Gyalpo composed this Chenrezig practice - and especially thi s prayer
for l i berating bei ngs from the si x realms - in remembrance of hi s past existence as
Gelongma Pal mo.
When we say the m antra, we visual i se i t at the heart of Chenrezig. In the centre
"
of his heart, there's a
0
white HRI (

g), with the six syllabl es OM MANI PAD ME

HUNG (
f
q

) arranged around i t . OM ) i s whi te, MA ) i s green,

NI (
f
) i s yellow, PAD ( q ) li ght bl ue, ME (

) red and HUNG (

) i s dark
blue. Tese six syll ables represent the 'si x wisdoms' or the 'six Buddhas', who are i n
a way the six Buddhas of the si x real ms. Vi sual i si ng them puri fes speci fc emoti ons
correspondi ng to the speci fc real ms.
Te syllable HUNG ) i s related to anger, hatred, our i ncapacity to forgive,
our feel ings of hurt, and all the emoti ons that come from anger and hatred. When
the prayer mentions the hell beings, we feel that dark blue l ight radi ates especially
from the HUNG ) and di spels all our negative emoti ons related to anger, hatred
The Commentar 33
and hurtful feelings. And we also feel that this is happening to all the other sentient
beings, that all thei r actions and emotions l i nked to anger, that would cause them
to take rebi rth i n hell realms, are being completely paci fed and purifed by the
light emi tted by this letter HUNG ( ) . Feeling this, we say the mantra.
Te prayer then mentions the ' hungry ghost realm', which i s linked to strong
cli nging, intense attachment, mi serliness, holding on to things without being able
to share, give or even enjoy them. Such states of mind are the main cause for bei ng
born i nto the hungry ghost real m. When we reci te the mantra, we particul arly
focus on the syllable ME ( ) that radiates red light and dissolves or purifes - in
ourselves as well as i n all other bei ngs - all the emotional states of strong clinging
and mi serliness that might cause us to be reborn as hungry ghosts. It closes the
door to thi s realm for all beings.
Te thi rd real m, the ani mal real m, is associ ated with ignorance and related
states of mi nd: dullness, not knowing, confusion and so forth. We feel that a very
bright blue l ight radi ates from the letter PAD ( z ) and di ssolves all our ignorance,
dullness, obscurity and confusi on, all our unknowing states. Tey're completely
cleared i n us and in all sentient beings. It prevents our being reborn i n the ani mal
realm and brings us wisdom and complete clari ty.
Te syllable NI ( ( ) is yellow. Its light di spels the suferings of bi rth, sickness,
old age, death and loss that are li nked with the human real m. It completely purifes
the desire, strong craving and attachment that are at the root of these suferings, i n
ourselves as well as i n all sentient beings, closi ng the door to unfortunate rebi rth i n
the human real m.
Te syllable MA ( d ) is green and i ts l i ght purifes whatever negative deeds
34 Th Commentary
we and all sentient bei ngs throughout space may have done due to j ealousy and
envy. Te causes and ci rcumstances leading bei ngs to take rebi rth i n the demi -gods
real m are thus stopped and puri fed, and the negative emoti ons l i nked to i t are
transformed i nto the clear light of all- accomplishing wisdom.
Te syllable OM () is whi te and i ts l ight di ssolves the pri de and arrogance
that are connected to the heavenly real ms of the gods. Although the gods lead
long lives of perfect pleasure and enj oyment, that might seem desi rable to us, these
sensual pleasures di stract them from any concern about benefting themselves or
others. Not only are they not mi ndful of any necessi ty to practise, they are actually
exhausting the posi tive results of their previous good karma. Even i f gods live very
long lives by human standards, they are not i mmortal , and the phase of decay
precedi ng thei r death is very pai nful. Tei r foresight allows them to receive the
unbearable vision of the miserable future existence awaiting them i n lower realms.
Terefore, when saying the mantra, we feel that a whi te li ght radiates from the
syllable 0 M ( ) and purifes, i n ourselves and others, all the mani festations of
pride that might lead us to a rebi rth i n the god real m.
Te sound of t he mantra itself has a certain power. Akong Rnpoche di d an
experi ment with dowsi ng once, when he was i n Brussels. He swi tched the television
on and stood in front of i t with a dowsing rod. A dowsing rod twists violently
when i t comes across an electric current, and that's j ust what happened. He asked
somebody to stand between the televi si on set and the rod. Te movement of the rod
became even stronger because the person functi oned as an electricity conductor.
He then put a ' protection' on that person (some black pills from the Karmapa) ,
and the rod stood still : the electricity was blocked and no longer passed through
The Commenl
my
35
the person. He took of the protecti on, and again the electric current fowed
through. Ti s person was then asked to recite the OM MANI PADME HUNG
mantra and, as with the protection, no electric current would pass through hi m.
Such thi ngs happen !
Te main power of the mantra comes, of course, from the dedi cation prayers
of Chenrezig hi mself but the power isn't j ust contained wi thi n the mantra. Its
efcacy also depends on the person who recites it. It depends on how much trust
and confdence the person has i n thi s mantra and on that person's state of mind. If
you're calm and concentrated, the mantra will be very much stronger than i f you
recite i t with a di stracted mi nd. And, of course, the mantra reci tation of somebody
whose mi nd is even clearer, who has reached a certain level of real i sati on, will be
another hundred thousand times stronger. Like everything in thi s worl d, i t depends
on many factors. Ti s is why we should try as much as possible to say this mantra
i n a medi tative state. We should let our mind become cal m and clear, and then,
without tension, spaciously and peacefully, recite it.
Te Tibetans usually repeat mantras while carrying on with thei r daily
activities. Tey j ust keep the mala moving between thei r fngers and walk around,
and when they meet somebody else, i t's, " What are you doing ? " "Oh, my nei ghbour
is terrible ! " And someti mes they don' t even count the beads one by one, they count
fve or six together, goi ng on with thei r conversati on. One can reci te mantras and
do all kinds of things. However, i f one wishes to say mantras properly, then the best
way is to reci te wi th the mi nd completely focused, wi thout any distracti on. Next
best i s to be di stracted in a posi tive way, or to be di stracted without thi nki ng, but
j ust feeling at ease and peaceful. Te worst is to say mantras while being distracted
36 Th Commentary
in a negative way, l ike while bei ng very angry. However, maybe - I don' t know -
it may be better to be angry and recite mantras than to be very negative without
reci ti ng mantras !
We should al so, of course, reci te i t wi th a good aspi rati on, wi th bodhi chi tta,
whi ch i s the bodhi sattva's aspiration to beneft all senti ent beings. We should trust
that thi s mantra has come from Avaloki teshvara hi mself and that i t carri es all hi s
blessi ngs as well as those of al l the great bodhi sattvas and Buddhas of the past. We
should reci te i t with full confdence, convi nced that through i ts reci tation we will
really be able to help all senti ent beings and ourselves. So we' re worki ng on the
negative emoti ons of all senti ent bei ngs, while remai ni ng ourselves i n a clear and
calm state of mi nd. We visualise and feel - feeli ng i t i s the mai n thing - that this
i s what happens to all senti ent beings while we say the mantra.
Te posi tive motivation wi th which one recites a mantra contributes to its
efcacy. A story about Atisha Dipankara i llustrates this. Atisha was a most learned
Indian Pandi t who was invited to Tibet i n the 1 1 th century. He devel oped a
throat problem due to the harsh Tibetan cli mate and the altitude, and he couldn' t
get rid of the i nfecti on for a long time. Somebody menti oned a Tibetan who
had helped many people by saying mantras, and Atisha agreed to see hi m. Ti s
Tibetan man was brought i n, who reci ted the mantras very loudly, with very good
i ntenti ons ; but, because he was Tibetan, he di dn' t pronounce them properly.
Ati sha Di pankara was so bemused to hear the mantras pronounced in such a
completely wrong way that he couldn' t help laughing. He laughed and laughed,
and he laughed so much that eventually the i nfecti ous bli ster i n hi s throat burst
open and he was cured!
The Commentary 3 7
Tere's another funny story about fake mantras. A man once asked a so-called
lama to teach him a m antra. However, that lama was just posing as a lama and didn't
actually know anything. Te man was earnestly requesting a mantra and the fake
lama didn' t know what to say. Embarrassed, he looked around and saw a mouse
appearing suddenly from a hole i n the wall. He then said i n Tibetan, "Pop up
suddenly." He saw the mouse's whi skers and added, "It has whiskers." And then, as
the mouse ran to and fro, searching and scratching around, he added, "It rummages
here and there. " Finally the mouse disappeared, so he said, " It di sappears." And
then, " Tere you are, that's the mantra. "
Te man thanked the fake lama and went away, reci ti ng his freshly learnt
mantra on the way. On his way home he had to travel through a dangerous place
i nfested with robbers. He had to camp there for the night and he was terri fed.
Hopi ng the mantra would protect hi m, he reci ted i t loudly. One of the robbers
caught sight of hi m and deci ded to rob and kill hi m. Te brigand slowly crawled
to the tent. He was very near i t when he heard a voi ce sayi ng, " Pop up suddenly."
Surprised, he thought the man was aware of hi s arrival. He stopped and li stened
more carefully. " It has whi skers. " Ti s thi ef had whi skers : he now really wondered
whether the man knew of hi s presence. Ten he started hunti ng about to see
whether he coul d get hold of somethi ng outside the tent, and he heard, " He
rummages here and there. " By now, the thi ef was convi nced that thi s man had
speci al powers and knew about his presence and i ntenti ons. He was getting really
scared and wondering what to do. Ten he heard, " He di sappears." So he ran away.
So the fake mantra worked quite well in a way. And of course the man who
reci ted i t had total confdence i n his mantra and its efcacy.
38 T Commentar
Self- Vi s ual i sati on as Chcnrezi g
We now transform our own ' three doors', that i s our body, speech and mi nd, into
the deity's body, speech and mind. Te text says:
De tar tse cik sol tap pe
Phak pe ku le ( ;er thrt
M a da k le nang thrul she jang
Chi nt d e wa cen gyi ;hing
Nang ci kye drt lnga k se m
Cenre ;iwang ku sung tuk
Nang drak rik tong yer me gyur
Having prayed to Chenrezi g, who is in front of us or above us, we feel the light
rays carrying hi s blessings and energy entering us and all sentient beings. All our
deflements, all negativities, all the mi nd poisons are thus completely washed away
and purifed.
Buddhi sts bel i eve that all the negative aspects of senti ent bei ngs are onl y
temporary and 'acqui red', l ike dust coveri ng a cl ear crystal . When dust settl es
on a crystal i t l oses i ts cl ari ty and transparency, but i f you wi pe off the dust i t i s
agai n i mmedi ately cl ear and pure. The dust i s not i nherent to the crystal ; i t has
not entered i nto i ts nature. We bel i eve that the basi c nature of our mi nd i s pure
awareness and cl ari ty. It is the Buddha nature, i denti cal to the nature of all the
Buddhas. It is what we call our basi c goodness. The negati vi ty and defi l ement
are not part of i t; they are the resul t of a mi sunderstandi ng. There's nothi ng
T Commentar 39
wrong wi th our act ual nature ; what's wrong is the way we perceive thi ngs.
That's the probl em. That's where al l our probl ems - attachment, aversi on, fear,
dual i sti c views and all the rest - come from. So we don' t have to do anythi ng at
the level of our own nature ; we j ust need to change our way of l ooki ng.
All the negative emoti ons come from a basi c mi sconcepti on, a wrong
percepti on that we call ' ignorance'. It's because of thi s wrong percepti on that all
the negative aspects ari se : the wrong habi ts and mi staken ways of reacti ng that
generate destructive patterns and all our problems and suferi ngs. However, thi s
' i gnorance' i s j ust a mi staken way of seei ng. Tere's nothi ng really wrong wi th
the basi s, with our actual si tuati on. Te problem i s j ust due to a di storted way of
seei ng thi ngs and not to the way we actually are. It's the way we perceive thi ngs
and how we' re condi ti oned to react now, but i t's not our true nature. So the
mi stake can be corrected - al though i t's not easy to do thi s. We' re so used to thi s
way of seei ng that i t's di fcult for us to even i magi ne a state of bei ng that would
be di ferent from the way we feel now. It's very di fcult but i t's not i mpossi ble.
Al l the practices are formulated on the basis of thi s fundamental understanding.
However, this theoreti cal background is not expl ained i n the sadhana i tself which
functi ons not so much at an analytical level but rather at a more practical and
experiential level. Terefore, here, we feel that through the blessings of Chenrezig
and all the enlightened beings, our negative emotions, views, patterns and
condi ti onings are being puri fed.
At the moment at whi ch all the i mpure karmi c appearances and del usi ons
are compl etely puri fed, we become a Buddha. We have unvei l ed our basi c
pure nature, the Buddha nature, and we then percei ve the outer worl d as
-0 T Commmtar)'
' Dewachen', the realm of Buddha Ami tabha, and all the bei ngs in that realm
as Chenrezi g or Drolma. Our own body takes the appearance of Chenrezi g,
our s peech becomes hi s mantra and our thoughts are Chenrezi g's thoughts of
compassi on and wi sdom.
Ti s i s the Vaj rayana way of practi si ng: ' usi ng the result as the path. ' Of
course, we can' t totally understand or i magi ne what bei ng Chenrezi g feels l ike
or what an enl i ghtened bei ng is thi nki ng about, but through our studi es and
through our l i mi ted knowledge, we can i magine what i t mi ght be l ike.
We j ust become Chenrezi g, al most as i f we l et our mi nd di ssolve or mix
wi th Chenrezig. We don' t analyse thi s process ; there's no place for thoughts,
concepts and doubts. We j ust di ssolve i nto Chenrezi g, become Chenrezi g, feel
that Chenrezi g and we have become one, and rest i n that state. We let our mind
' be' Chenrezi g and remain i n thi s uncontrived nature of our mi nd.
' Uncontrived' i s t he i mportant word here. We don' t manipulate our mi nd.
We j ust let i t completely ' be', resti ng i n the most open, most relaxed, most natural
state. Ten whatever we see is the uni on of empti ness and appearance together;
whatever we hear i s sound and empti ness together, and whatever we thi nk i s
thought and empti ness together. Here empti ness means an absence of grasping.
Whatever comes, we just l et i t be wi thout graspi ng at anything. We just l et thi ngs
come and go.
Ti s stage i s what we call the self-visualisation: visualising ourselves as Chenrezig.
Th Commentar + I
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l'CL' ' l\ J :
Quts:icN: It's difcult for me to visualise the moon disc and I think this is
because don't understand its meaning. Why do we visualise a moon disc? If it just
remains an empty shape, nothing more, nothing will arise from it.
Rtcu Tutku RiNrccur: The moon and the sun have great signifcance,
especially in the old, traditional cultures. The moon and sun generally represent
male and female energies. But for the moment we can keep to a basic understanding
without going too much into a deeper meaning. Just think of a very small round
fat disc. It is neither white nor yellow, it's the colour of the moon, nicely shining
but not too bright. Let's not go deeper than that, just the shape.
Q: Rinpoche, I may be wrong but I think what would help me visualise might
precisely be some deeper understanding of its signifcance
Rtrccn: Usually, when we visualise these moon and sun discs supporting the
mantra, it's in the context of a complex sadhana through which we are actually
Di.rcu.si<m 73
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:e| m..ae:|.::|.s|s:e.|||.ea|a. Ve:eee:.s.|e.aae:l!ea :eea:::e
:||a|.a!|m.|ae.||sea:|ea:|e|as, |a:l:.:|e:.sa.| .se:|-ee|el|aew:|ese
w|e.:e+ese:eme- m|.m||.a!|:|ea!s. ba::|eal|.e!ea|:s.s:e|ewm
:e|.:|eswea|!..:a.||:e.e|e:||seae:|e..asel!. !a:.|:|emw|e:|e::|e
w.a:|:e:ae:. Aml ae:|a.w.m.a|a|.:.ae:|e:.a!mse|||!e.a:|.
:..:|.e :..:|s|aea||ae:!e::e|ee|ee!me| |
RINPOCHE: Ve ..a |e.a !ee|e.a ea: ewa .em.ss.ea | :|. a|. a e|
seme|e!we|eee:ma.|.a!:|ea::.a:e. a.:e.ew|.:we|ee|.a!ex:ea!
. ::ee:|e:ee|e. ba:w|eawe|sa.| . seC|ea:e:.s| .|: :ea.|.a.||ea:|ea:
|e|as we :e ae:!ee|e|aea: ewa .em.ss|ea |a: ::|a:e |eae: :|ese
|e|as. l|wew.a::e|eae::|em, :e|.e:|em:e.e|ew|.:ee:.s|es:|e::|em
we4ea :aee!: e|.e:|e. ::|e:.easea:. Ie:esaeaee!: e.|:|emw|e:|e:we
m.|e|:|eme:ae: .Dea :we.||w.a::e|e|. Ca:ea|:e||em.s:|.:we
!ea :|aew|ew:e..||ee:|.:e|j e.:.e.
l:s::ae:|.:semeee|e:e|ase|e| eea||:|e|aew:|.::|e.!..e:|e
:e.e|ewea|!|eee!|e::|em.Ve..a:e||.|:.ea!:|.:. :wea|!|eee!|e:|. m
:e4:.a|| ess- .a!|em.|aew. :||mse|| - |a:|em.ae:| . :ea:eas.a!m.
..::ea!:.a||a:eema.|. l|we..a m.a. a|.:e || m.asa.|.w.:|.:|es:e
!:|a|.al4ea ::||a|we..a|e:e:e..|e!|e::|.:.
Q.l mae:sa:e.
D1.1w.uion 8 1
RINPOCHE: l m .em|e:e|sa:e . Ve:eae:|. a!. a|. s|.a!se: a::.a|. m
.a:. sea l|seme|ew, :|:ea|ea:.as. :.:.ea, :|:ea|w|.:ee:wes.e:!e,
we.a:e:|.:e:sea|:em|. s!:. a|ia:e||em :|.:se:ee!|e:|. m l:|.a|
:|e:esae:|.aw:eaw. :|::.a:e|e|e:|e:|e.as.sma.|.sess.||e, eea
w.:|ea::|e. :e:m.ss.ea Ie..:a.||.||w.a::e|e|e|e! Ve !ea:w.a::e
.eee|e.a:|.a:|e!ea:w.a:, weea|w.a::e.e:|emw|.::|ew.a:
ew|e:es:|e:e||em
Ie :s:.se.:e|:|.sme!. :.:.ea.s :|.:ea:ewe:|iaeaea:se||Yea:e
::.a:eeae:.:ee:..:..:e:|e.em.ss.ea.a!w.s!eme|.||:|eba!!|.s:e
|e|.||sea:.ea:|e.as Yea..a..||. :. m.a.a|.:.ea .|eaw.s| V|e:|e:.:
..:a.|||e|s:|eme:ae:!eea!seam.a:|.as, |a:.:|e.s:ea:e::.a:e
|e| Me:|.aee:|.easj as:|e..asee|eae.se|.:e!..ase le::|.a|.eas
|e..asee|..em|.a.:.eae|m.a|..:e:s l|ea:..:.sewe||eaea| .a!. |:|e
.. :.ams:.a.es.:e:.|: .:m.:e.|||e|e:|e:|e.as, |a:seme:.mes, |ewee:
ma.|ee!eae:ea sea!, . :m.ae:we:| l:s ae:j as:ea:sea!.a, :|e:e
.:em.ae:|e:|..:e:s.ae|e!:ee lewee:,. :we:|s.:|e.s:eaea:se||me:e
s::ea|:|.a ea e:|e:ee|e|e..aseea:m. a!.s .ea.ea::.:e! .a .es. :.e
w.V|eaea.sa.| .seC|ea:e:. ea..a:ess. |||.eae.:.e:|ea|:s.:
:|es.me:.me ..aea C|ea:e:.. sea:ewa:ej e.:.eae|.||ea:|.a|e|.s
es. :.eseea..aae:|ee|ae.:.ew|eaea.ea.ea::.:eea|. s. m.e Yea:e
m.|iaea:m.a!.ea.ea::.:eeaw|.:. ses. :.e- ea..a..||. : m.a.a|.:.a
. |ea| .|e.a!ea:e.|e:e.e..a|ee,.em.ss.ea.a!.||:|ees.:.eeae:.es
|:em C|ea:e:. Yea:e :|e:e|e:e s::ea| !ee|e.a :|. s es. :.e s.!e .a!
:|.a|iaes. :.e|.a!|eae...||:ew.:!s.|| sea:.ea:|e.as C|.ea:se, ea
82 Ducu.uwn
..aae:see:|e |..ee|e..|.a!ee:sea:.ea:|e. aYea!ea :eea|aew:|em
e:|ewm.a:|e.:e, .a!:|.:!eesa :m.::e: ea:esea!.a:|.ee!eae::e
|eae:, |. |e:.:e.a!|e.|:|em.|| Yea.:e|ee|.a:|.: ,w|e:|e::|e|ee|. :e:ae:
. sae::|em..a.se.:|e:e l|:|e|ee|.a!:e.e.e. :, . :ee!, |a:. |:|e!ea :,
. :!eesa :m.::e:ba:ea.:e|ee|.a, ea.:e!ee|e.a.e. :.e.a!|eae...|
mea:.|.::.:a!e:ew.:!s.||sea:.ea:|e. as I. s:..:..ewe:|:|e:e|e:e.:m.a
!. e:ea:|ee|seaea, .a!:|.:.s:|em..a:esa| :
As:e!ee|e.a|.. :|. a:|e:..:. .e, . :s.!. e:ea:m.::e:A..e:!.a:e:|e
ba!!|. s:e. a:e|.ew,|.. :|.emes|:emaa!e:s:.a!.a Ie:e|e:e, :|eme:eea
aa!e:s:.a!w|.:ea:e!e.a, :|eme:eea:|.. :|w.||:ew|e..ase|.. :|. |.se!
eaexe:.ea.e
Q.Amlae:j as:sa|s:. :a:.a.es. :.e.ea.e:|e:.ae.:.eeae |ea|!a :we
e::. !e|.||.ea.e:s. as:e.!e| j as:sa|s:. :a:.aeae|e:.ae:|e:
RINPOCHE: l:s!ea. :e||e::e::esa|s:. :a:eseme:|. aes.:.e|e:seme:|. a
ae.:.eve:ma.||e::e:Ve .:ea::.||ia|e:e.|ea:.ea.e: Iee|ee|.as
m.|e.ea.e:s.|se, . a.w.,|a:w|.:we.:e::.a:e!e|e:e. s:e:e|..eae.:.e
eme:. eas, |ee|.as.a!:|ea|:s|es. :.eeme:.eas, |ee|. as.a!:|ea|:s Iese
.:eae:j as:.ea.e:s, :|e.:eea:|ee|.a, ea:exe:.ea.e I.:se:. me::.a:
V|eawe:.||.|ea: |e.a|:eee|.||.ea.e:s,we :e..:a.||:.||ia.|ea:
:|ea|:.m.:e|ee|, :|ea|:.m.:e:e.| .s.:.eal:s.|se.eaae.:e!:e:|e:..:..ewe
.:eex|.. a. a, .saea-.ea.e:a.|me!. :.:.ea.|se.e.:s.:semee.a:, a.me|
w|eawe.eme:e:|e.em|e:.eas:.eHewee:, aea-.ea.e:a.| !eesa:me.a
Di.s w.1.1ion 83
:|.:we!ea ::|.a|.:.|| . :|.:we!ea :|ew.a:|.a.a!:|.:ea:m. a!j as:
:em..as||.a| I.:|.sae:|.a:e!ew.:| aea.ea.e:a.| e:w.:|e::.ag:.!
e|.ea.e:s las:e.! e||e.em.a ||.al. ea:m. a!|.s.e:.|e.:.a!!. :e.:
aa!e:s:.a!.ae|.:sewaa.:a:e l:sae|eae:j as:.a.a:e||e.:a.|aa!e:s:.a!. a
|a:.:e.|exe:.ea.ee|:|ew.:|.as.:e
Q.le:w|.:ex..::e.sea.:ewese.::..|e!:e:|ee:.e:.ease|:|eeseases
RINPOCHE: l:s:e|.|||e..ase:|e :e :|eea|:|.aswe..aexe:.ea.e. le:
:|ememea: we!ea:|.e:|e.....::e|ee|:|ee..e.a!||. sse|ea:a.:a:.|
. aae: m. a! Ie ea| .ea:..:s e: seas.:.eas :|.: we ..a exe:.ea.e |.ea
:|:ea|ea:eseases seea:eseasesee:ewe:as Ve :e:e:.||!eea1ea:
ea:|em.a!.:e.eas:.a:|e::.a..a|:.a.ssessmea:se|w|.:s a..e. w|.:s
ae:a..e. w|.:sl.a!e|ae. :|e:Ve e:.::..|e!:e:|eseexe:.ea.ese|:|ee
seases A::..|mea:.sae:ea|:.s.a.:ee!:|.as|a:.|se.:|.!:|.as. .:
w|.:. sae:|e.s.a: Ve s::ea|:ej e.:w|.:we.eas. !e:aa|e.s.a: Ae:..ea
.a!.::..|mea:.:e:we|e:mse|:|.s:.s.a:e.ess. :|eeae:.:e::emea!eas
sae:. aVe| .e. a.eas:.a:|e.:.swe.:.e:|eee!seas.:.eas.a!:::e.ve. !
:|eaa.em|e::.||eeaes. .a!.| | :|ee:|e:sae:.as.a!:e||ems.emea. e
:|.:s:|em.. a:e.sea
As|ea.swe:e..:.a:|. sw.aa!e::|eewe:e|:|eeseases. we..a :
|ee..e|a|.a!|:ee Ve :|e:e|e:e|.e:ea!.w.:e|:eeea:se|es|:em:|. s
!eea!ea.e V|eawe..a:e|me:eeaea:.aae:s::ea:|e: .aae:exe:.ea.e.
:|eawe..awe:|eaea:seas.:.ease||e.sa:e.a!!.s|e.sa:e .a!|esseaea:
84 Di.!Gu.Sion
.::.c|mea:.a!.e:s|ea:e:||as Ve ..a|e::|em.ss|,
l:.s!ea.:e|,ess.||e:e|:eeea:se|es|:em|e.:.a!.ax.e:,I.:s:|e:e.sea
w|weme!. :.:e Ves::ea:|eaea:.aae:mea:.|.eas..easaess V|ea:|e.aae:
.eas..easaess.sme:eewe:|a|. we:eae|eae:aa!e::|eee:e|:|eeseases
Ieeseases|aa.:.eaae:m.||,|a::|e,ae|eae:.ea::e|as
Q. V|eal!ea:|..:.ea:..:..es. l..a :|e||..a!ea|:s.:ee.a.a.a!
:|.a|ia:|.::|.s. s:eee.s,.:|.:eae..a :see.s.|,e::.!e|.||eaesae.:.e
..:.eas.a!:ea!ea..es Aae:|e::e||em|e:me. s:|.:.a:|e|e. aa. a. lw.s
:.La:|e.emm. :mea:ae::e!esa.||.!:|.as...aw. :|.| e:e|ea:|as..sm
OK, aew.l ||aee:!e:|.:..|a ba::|ealwea|!seem,se||!e. a. :...a.a!
... a. ee:.a!ee:lew..al:em.seee:,!.,ae::em.|esa.|m. s:.|es...a
w|ealseem,se|||ee.aea!e.a. :.||:|e:. me el|ee|I ..a::e.||,a:.|,
m,se||Aa!|ew..al.a.:e.||e:|e:sea:.ea:|e.as:es|.:em,.sa.| .s.:.eal
!ea' :|ee|a:eeaea|V|.:ee:lsea!:e:|em.sm.xe!w. :|m,.ma:eeae:,
.a!lwea!e:w|e:|e:l mae:..:a.||,|.:m.a:|em
RINPOCHE: V|ea::,.a:ea:.|,:|eae.:.e.::se|ea:se|es.:|e:s::|.a,
l:||a|. .s:e|e.eme.w.:ee|:|.sae.:.e.se.: Me.:.e me.as .s,ea|aew,
seme:|.a:|.:.s|:.a|ae:..as|asae:.as.a!:e||ems|e:as.a!e:|e:s
0a!e:s:.a!. a.|e.:|, :|.:we !ea:w.a: :e |:.asae:.as .a!:e||ems :e
ea:se|es .a!e:|e:s. we a.:a:.||,w|s| :e s:e!e.a:|ese..:.eas :|.:|:.a
sa.|:e||ems.a!we |ee|:e:e: .|ea:|..a!eaesa.|:|.as. |aew.a|,e:
aa|aew.a|,I.:. sae:!. +.a|:. .s. : Mew.:| e.s:we :e.w.:ee|:|e|.:m|a|
Di.1 CU.1.1i11n 85
aspect of negative actions. To know they' re not useful , not benefci al for anybody,
is the starting poi nt of the purifcati on.
How well you' ll be able to abstain from doi ng negative thi ngs depends on
many factors. Fi rst, si nce you're not - at least at the moment - a complete Buddha,
you haven't completely el i mi nated your negative emoti ons and therefore i t's not
real i stic to expect chat you won't make any more mi stakes. So i t's OK i n a way - I
mean, i t's not OK, but chat's your situation. At least you regret whatever negative
thi ngs you've done, especially chose you cling to, l ike deep- rooted hatred and
things you can't forgive, and you wish you could let them go. You no longer want
to keep them.
Ti s deep wish to be able to l et them go is the second important step. Of course
your negative emotions and tendencies won't go away afer having recited the OM
MAN! PAD ME HUNG mantra for thirty mi nutes. Tat's normal . Tese negative
tendencies are deeply rooted; they have built up over a long period, over many
l i feti mes, and we can't expect to get rid of them easily and quickly. We have to work
on it constantly with courage and perseverance.
As to your negative energies, you shouldn't worry too much. When you
cake the bodhi sattva vows, you say chat you wi sh to bring al l the senti ent bei ngs
to enlightenment. Tis shows a strong courage, a strong motivati on. Tis i s why
someti mes, when we rej oice at the thought of our bodhisattva attitude, we say chat
we have actually invited all sentient bei ngs to Buddhahood. However, although we
say that, the beings themselves don't know that we' re thi nking about them. So you
haven't given them any trouble by medi tating on them. You're trying to send them
your benevolent thoughts, energy and compassion, but they don't know chat you're
86 Ducu.I.II0/1
doing i t, so you're not giving them any hardship. You haven't sent them invitations
asking them to come from all over the world to the place where you meditate. So
I thi nk there's no problem in thinking about all sentient beings and trying t o send
them your positive, healing energy. You do it from your own side, and although
you can't do in a completely pure way because you're not completely pure, it doesn't
mean that you're contaminating them with impure energy.
We send negative things when we are negative, whether we consciously send
them or not. If, for instance, you're angry and upset with me, that vibration will be
felt by everybody else here, won't it ? In the same way, when you develop a posi tive,
generous state of mind, i t radiates, it has its own energy and you can send i t to
others. How strong it i s depends on many things. We try to generate as much
posi tive energy, compassion and wisdom as possible, but we are not alone. It's not
only our own ' production' that we try to send, but we also try, in a way, to channel
the energy, the blessings, the wisdom and compassion of all the enlightened beings.
We try to send it to every being but actually we're the ones receiving it most
strongly. We can't possibly concentrate on such posi tive aspects and simultaneously
be negative. Terefore this practice mainly works on our own mi nd.
Q: What are the necessary preconditions for Vaj rayana practices ? For the last
two years, I 've been hearing two contradictory positions concerning this. Te
frst position is that one j ust needs to take refuge before one enters into Vaj rayana
practice, be it Tara or the ngondro or whatever, and then everything else will come
naturally on the way. Te other position is that i t needs several years of Hi nayana
or Mahayana practice, for instance shinay practice or Lam Rm and Loj ong, and
Di.1 W.1.1ion 87
that one needs to work on the basics before entering into Vaj rayana practice, which
i s the highest practice. I 'm a l i ttle confused about thi s.
RINPOCHE: We have these three vehicles or yanas : the Hi nayana - or I would
rather prefer Shravakayana because ' Hi nayana' is a l i ttle di sparagi ng; ' Hina' means
small, so i t means small yana, which is not a very good term - the Mahayana and
the Vaj rayana, and you should understand their relationships as follows.
Te Shravakayana encompasses the basic teachi ngs of the Buddha that are
common to all three yanas. Te Mahayana teachi ngs are not included i n the
Shravakayana but they are included i n the Vaj rayana. Te Mahayana is regarded as
a part of the Vaj rayana. We cannot practice the Vaj rayana without the Mahayana
teachi ngs, which are its basis. So the Vaj rayana actually includes all three.
We could represent i t graphically as three concentric ci rcles. Te frst small
ci rcle at the centre represents the Shravakayana teachings. Te bigger circle is the
Mahayana, and the biggest one, encompassing the other two, is the Vaj rayana. Ti s
means that, i f one practises Vaj rayana, one automatically practises the other yanas
as well, because they are part of it. We could say that the Vaj rayana is the most
' inclusive' tradition. We cannot practise Vaj rayana i f we exclude the two other yanas.
If you understand that, you can say that you practise Vaj rayana even as a
beginner, because Vaj rayana is not restricted to the specifc ' Vaj rayana practices'
only; Vaj rayana encompasses all the teachings. You can practise whatever is the
best for you at this moment, whatever you understand, or whatever you can do,
and still consider that you practise Vaj rayana. Within Vaj rayana, you can practise
everythi ng else.
88 Di.tu.uion
For one who engages on the path of Vaj rayana, there is no one and only way.
Ti s is of course true for all Buddhist teachi ngs. Tere's no one right way. You
can't say that someone can't practise this without having done that before ; that
one must frst do so many years of Loj ong and Lam Rim before being allowed to
do some other practice. It varies from person to person. It depends on the interests
of the person, on the ci rcumstances, on the teachings one has received, on so
many di ferent condi ti ons. Of course, one can establ ish a kind of curriculum, a
graded course that will lead the student slowly from one level to the next. Withi n
thi s context, a student can be advised to study somethi ng frst before studying
something else. Tis approach will help him or her understand progressively, more
deeply, and have a stable foundati on. Tat i s also possible. But thi s doesn' t mean
that i t's impossible for somebody to practise Vaj rayana from the start without
having stepped through the preliminaries.
Te Vaj rayana practice i s very deep, of course. But one can' t say that a beginner
can' t practise i t. It depends on many things, mai nly on the person's trust and
connections. Some people feel naturally attracted towards a certain practice and
they have a very good feeling when doing i t. In such case, that practice i s good for
them, even if i t's not the si mplest practice and would maybe not be the frst thing
to start wi th when following a gradual approach. Maybe that person has more
connections wi th i t - for i nstance he or she may have practised it in a former l i fe.
We can' t general i se about anything or say that there's only one possible approach.
It also depends on how much you yourself understand your practice. If you do a
certain practice and you're comfortable with i t, you get something out of i t, that's
a good practice for you.
D1.1W.1.1ion 89
Some people have the idea that Vaj rayana practice is more difcult. It's not
true ; Vaj rayana practice is not more di fcult. If one knows how to practise, i t
may even be easi er i n a way, because one can rely on many di ferent techniques
and methods that are put together to work on di ferent aspects. In the Sutrayana
approach we only apply one method at a ti me, whereas in the Vaj rayana approach
many di ferent things happen at the same time. Tat's why i t i s said that Vaj rayana
has more means, more methods, which is actually the main di ference between
Vaj rayana and the other yanas. When we practise Vaj rayana, we do exactly the
same thing as i n the other yanas. Te obj ectives remain identical. Whether we
practi ce the Shravakayana, Mahayana or Vaj rayana, we are only workng on our
mi nd, our emoti ons, our percepti ons, our attitude. It's all about working on the
mind, whatever yana we follow. Only the methods vary. Sometimes we use only
one method at a ti me, sometimes we use a few methods at one ti me, sometimes we
use many. Ti s is mainly where the di ference lies.
You don' t have to be afraid of the Vaj rayana. Of course, i t's sometimes said
that practising Vaj rayana i s l ike putting a snake i n a tube : the snake can only
crawl upward and come out from the top or crawl down and come out from the
bottom; there's no way for hi m to get out somewhere in between. Tis can sound
dangerous, and frighten people. However, I think there i s no danger unless we use
i t i n a very bad way. Vaj rayana practice i s not that dangerous. Te basic poi nt i n all
the practices i s to have a good heart. Whatever we do, if we do it with a good heart,
then i t's good and our practice will be fruitful. Even saying one mantra i s useful i f
we say i t wi th a good i ntenti on and a good heart.
90 Di.1<1.1 .1 ion
Q: I 'm workng with physically and mentally disabled people, some of whom have
been kept in psychiatric institutions and clinics for twenty or thi rty years. Tey' re
very dependent and can' t take care of themselves. My j ob is to help them learn
how to develop more autonomy. I encounter a lot of resistance from them because
they are used to being cared for. Tey're scared of being independent i n a way.
Some of them aren't even able to speak. Sometimes, the only way I can teach them
si mpl e things, l ike eati ng wi th a spoon, or goi ng to the toi l et alone - things they'd
normally be able to do but seem to have forgotten - is to force them. I someti mes
wonder whether this is the bodhisattva way ?
RINPOCHE: I think it is very good to teach them how to do that. Of course, it's
hard to teach anybody anything. It's a hard j ob to teach all of you too! It's the
same thing. We talk about practices l ike Hinayana, Mahayana, Vaj rayana, but
there's no shortcut, no ' one thing' that we can do that would solve all problems
at once. We have to work and work and work. It may not sound very exci ting, but
it's interesting. To change a habit is not easy; i t's very difcult. Terefore we need
patience, perseverance, courage and inspi ration. Ten only may we hope to change
our usual way of reacting a little bit.
If you try to help these people with a good intention, i t's very good. You can call
it ' bodhisattva' work or whatever - what you call i t doesn't matter - but i t's very
posi tive. It's not easy to make people learn things, especi ally mentally impaired
persons. You have to be very patient, and try again and again. Of course, you can't
be too harsh or you' ll encounter a stronger resistance. Tis i s a normal reaction. If
somebody gives you orders - " You must do this ! You must do that ! " - your frst
Disw.won 9 1
thought will be, "How can I escape i t ? How can I get out of thi s ? " So you should
persevere but try to keep your approach as smooth as possible, and remai n very
pati ent, and i f there is only very l i ttle result, don't blame yourself. Don' t feel too
bad i f you can' t make peopl e learn what you woul d l ike them to. It's someti mes
very frustrating even to teach people wi thout any parti cul ar di sabil i ty. To teach
di sabled people i s of course much more di fcul t, so there's no need for you to
feel frustrated.
Q: When I t r y to develop love and compassion, sometimes feelings of aggression
and anger come up. I ' m trying to handle these emotions by trying to relax withi n
them but i t proves al most impossible. I feel as i f my head and body were separate
from each other. Tere's a great tension i n the head, as i f everything was pushing
on i t. I don' t know why I feel thi s anger. It's not di rected at anyone i n particular;
i t spreads out to everything around me. It's not an aggression that I can pinpoi nt ;
i t's al most as if the aggression was spreading from everywhere. I really do have the
wish to develop love and compassion but thi s feeling of aggression overwhelms me.
I then have to relax and calm down and start agai n and concentrate on love and
compassi on. Is there anything I can do ?
RINPOCHE: Why not 'enj oy' thi s aggressiveness ? Yes ! You acknowledge the
presence of these emotions. Tere they are. It's OK. Someti mes, such emotions
come up. Where's the problem? It will dissolve i f you don' t fght it. You don't need
to feel so much aversion towards these aggressive feelings. When they mani fest,
you can even use them i n a tonglen practice. You can pray that all the aggressive and
92 Di.1 cJJ ion
angry feelings in the whole world be absorbed in your own feeling of aggression
and that all bei ngs may thus be l i berated from such feelings. You can pray that you
may be the only one to experience such feelings and that, thanks to your practice,
all beings may enj oy perfect peace and happi ness. And then you can have a ni ce
'aggression session' !
You wi l l then di scover a parti cul ar rul e or l aw, namel y that what you want
to s tay for a l ong ti me never stays for l ong ti me ! The aggressi on wi ll di ssolve
on its own.
Q: Is there anything else we can do for people who have di ed qui te a long time ago
and regarding whom we have quite foreboding feel i ngs, in the sense that we aren't
too sure whether they took rebi rth in a good place and we rather fear that the place
they' re now might be pretty bad ? Can we actually do somethi ng for those people
or i s it j ust an illusion to think that we can help them by our practice ?
RINPOCHE: From a Buddhist poi nt of view, if one does something posi tive, there's
a posi tive result and if one does something negative, there's a negative result.
If we do something posi tive and then dedicate the benefci al results for a
particular purpose, there's a certain power, a certain strength attached to it. It's
therefore possible - although maybe not necessarily always the case - that there i s
some beneft to the person for whom we are dedi cating our practice. However i t's
generally believed that it has a stronger, more powerful efect on ourselves. In this
way, i f we try to help somebody else through practices, posi tive actions or whatever,
it actually helps both of us to some degree.
Dl.\ cu.l .l ion 93
Whether somebody is al i ve, has j ust di ed or has been dead for a l ong ti me
doesn' t make much di fference. When we try to hel p someone through practi ce,
prayers and medi tati on, how much hel p the benefci ary recei ves depends on
many thi ngs. The prayer or the practi ce i n i tsel f i s not the only el ement to
consi der. It also depends on our own level of spi ri tual development. If our
mi nd i s clear and cal m, i f we' re very concentrated, i f we have a hi gh level of
spi ri t ual development, t he effect of our practi ce wi l l be much s tronger. I t also
partly depends on the recepti vi ty of the person for whom we are pract i s i ng.
The effectiveness of one and the same practi ce can thus vary greatly accordi ng
to the ci rcumstances.
It is also supposed to help i n di ferent subtle ways that are di fcult to assess
through our ordinary perceptions. Although not clearly or immediately visible, the
efect may be there at a deeper level. Tere's a Milarepa story that illustrates this well.
Mil arepa once went to a high snowy mountain to medi tate. While he was up
i n his cave, snow started to fall heavily. It snowed for weeks and the path to the
cave was completely blocked for the whole winter. Milarepa di dn't have provi sions
for fve or six months and hi s students were sadly convinced that thei r teacher had
di ed, that there was no hope of seeing hi m agai n. Tey organised a ceremony for
his death with prayers, tsog puj as, and other rituals. When spring came and the
snow began to melt and the path was again accessible, the students went to the cave
to get their master's dead body. Tey found Milarepa in the cave, but to their great
surprise and delight, he was alive and even quite heal thy. Milarepa told them that,
on certain days, he had had the impression of eating a large and nourishing meal
and had felt very comfortable.
9- Di.lt7SJ10rl
Tese had been preci sely the days when the students had organised the tsog
puj as for him. Mi larepa laughed and remarked that in this case, maybe tsog puj as
were quite a good thing to do, because he had really felt as i f he had eaten a lot.
Recently, researches have been conducted on the efectiveness of prayer. Te
researchers came to the conclusion that praying sometimes produces efects, and
that the prayer's efcacy has nothing to do with di stance. Whether the person
for whom one prays is nearby or far away doesn' t make any di ference. Time
is no problem ei ther, because even i f somebody died long ago, he or she is still
somewhere. If nei ther ti me nor di stance is an obstacle, then we can defni tely pray
and practise in order to beneft people who've died many years ago. We should try
to do something posi tive, any posi tive action we can think of, and then dedicate its
posi tive result for the beneft of all beings in general and that person in particular.
From a Buddhist poi nt of view, a posi tive deed is something you do inspired
by loving kindness, compassi on, the wish to help others. Conversely, a negative
deed is an action that is motivated by negative emoti ons. Anything that you do
with anger, j ealousy, pride or attachment is a negative deed. For instance, i f you do
something with good intentions that i s concretely helping others, such as charity
work, that's very good. Something that doesn't help in a material way but which
you do with the intention of benefting others, l ike a spi ri tual practice, prayers
or medi tation, should also be regarded as a posi tive deed. Even studying can be
considered a posi tive deed if inspi red by a posi tive motivation. Almost anything
can be a posi tive deed i f your motivation is really good, so what you do is entirely
up to you. Tere's nothing like a li st of the positive deeds you should do !
D/Jcwwn 9.
Q: Could you please explain the background and purpose of tsog puj as ? I can't
relate to the explanations I 've heard so far. I was told that the participants i n a
tsog puj a visualise themselves as deities and that the oferi ngs contain meat and
sometimes alcohol. I heard that the function of such ri tuals i s to change impure
thi ngs into pure things.
RINPOCHE: Te Sanskit term is ganachaa, which has been translated as 'tsog khor'
in Tibetan. ' Tog' means gathering, and ' kor' is a wheel ; so it's the wheel of gatherings.
In the begi nni ng, when Vaj rayana was practised secretly, practitioners would
come together and have a meal that was at the same time a practice. Te 'tsog khor'
probably comes from that tradi ti on. I t can accompany any tantric practice that
belongs to tantras higher than Yoga Tantra.
Te meal, the festive part of the tsog ( a tsog has many di ferent parts) , i s a way
of working on our fve senses. Te method may be di ferent, but the obj ective is
the same as in all the other Buddhist practices. It's based on the understanding of
the emptiness and fundamental sameness of everythi ng. With thi s understandi ng
as background, the tsog i s a practical way of taking things as they come, of not
di stingui shing too much between good and bad, pure and impure. Trough the
tsog practice, we' re trying to work on our strong aversion to bad, unclean things,
and on our attachment to what i s beautiful, nice, pure and attractive. Ti s i s why
we fnd meat and alcohol in a tsog practice. Whatever has been brought by the
participants is shared between them all and they are supposed to eat anythi ng,
whatever is there, whatever i s available. It's an exercise i n getting rid of concepts, of
rigid ideas of good and bad.
96 Di.1cssion
Ti s traini ng very much belongs to a Vaj rayana level of practice and it can
be mi sunderstood by people who practise at the level of the Shravakayana or
Mahayana. We should understand that we have three levels of precepts : the Vinaya,
the Bodhi sattvayana and the Vaj rayana precepts.
Te Vinaya strictly states what i s right and wrong, good and bad, what one
can and cannot do. Te Bodhisattvayana precepts are a l i ttle less clear-cut, as the
motivation behind an action comes into considerati on. A particular acti on i sn't
always bad or good i n i tself; i ts value depends on the particular si tuation and the
intention that motivates it. Te Vaj rayana goes still further. It aims at complete
freedom and, at some stage, you should l i berate yourself from even good things
that still bind you.
Ti s i s actually why the Vaj rayana was kept so secret : because thi s approach can
be mi sused by people who don't have the right understanding. It can be dangerous
to say to somebody who isn' t ready, who hasn' t reached a hi gh level of spi ri tual
development, that everything that's bi ndi ng him is wrong, even the sacred precepts
he vowed to respect. Tat's why Vaj rayana was kept so secret.
Te tsog i s a big and not very easy subj ect i n itself. To do i t properly i s quite
deep and complicated. At a simple level , i t's also an ofering to our teacher and all
our vaj ra brothers and sisters, and enj oying ourselves while perceiving everythi ng
purely. We visualise ourselves and the peopl e around us as dei ties, which means
that we develop confdence i n our true nature, in our pure essence. Wi thi n that
pure perception, whatever actions we perform are divine actions and whatever we
eat is a pure substance of ' one taste:
Eating becomes an ofering because our body i s the mandala of the hundred
Di.1 w.uion 97
wrathful and peaceful deities. From a Vaj rayana poi nt of view a human being is an
aggregate of all the dei ti es. It's not an impure but a pure aggregate, which is why, i n
the Vaj rayana, our body i s always regarded as a mandala. Te cosmos outside i s the
outer mandala, the body inside is the inner mandal a, and the mi nd is also a mandala.
Perceiving these three levels of mandalas corresponds to having the pure vision: we
have no ego but the pure vision of the mandala inside, outside, everywhere. Within
this state, we're completely free from fear, free from attachment, free from aversi on.
Tere's nothi ng but the completely pure nature of everythi ng. Tere's nothi ng but
the deities and pure mandalas. Ti s state i s the enl ightened state. Ti s i s what the
tsog puj a i s somehow related to.
Q: What does the swastika stand for i n Buddhi sm? As you know, for us i t 's
associ ated wi th Nazi sm and the Thi rd Rei ch, but what's the ori gi nal meani ng
of thi s si gn ?
RINPOCHE: Te swastika is a very old Indian symbol. ' Swasti ' means good luck,
everythi ng good. It's a symbol of stabili ty. In Tibet, thi s symbol was mostly used by
Bonpos ; Buddhists di dn' t use i t very much.
I think Hi tler chose this sign because i t comes from India, to poi nt to the
Indian origin of the Aryan race. Tere's nothi ng wrong with the symbol i tsel Te
sign is much older than Hi tler.
In Indi a, you' ll fnd many images bearing the swastika. Some look l ie Buddha
i mages but most of the ti me they're not the Buddha but a contemporary of the
Buddha, Jain Mahavira, the founder of the Jain rel igion. He's represented l ie the
98 Di.1GUJ.1 ion
Buddha and someti mes the only detail that di ferenti ates hi m from the Buddha i s
the presence of thi s swastika symbol.
Q: Coul d you please bless the text of my practice ?
RINPOCHE: What we call ' rabnay' is the blessing of i mages and i nani mate obj ects.
It's si milar to the empowerment given to people. Trough thi s bl essi ng, we try to
bri ng the wi sdom energy i nto that particular obj ect.
However, books never need any blessing. Books are already bl essed because
they' re the Buddha's words ; they are the Dharma. When one reads a Dharma
text, one actually gets the blessing from i t. Tat's why there's a Tibetan saying,
' Don't place even a Buddha i mage on top of the Buddha scriptures'. Ti s means
that i mages are not more but less important than texts. Te scriptures contain
the understandi ng, the meaning - everything - and therefore we Tibetans show
great respect towards the texts. We never step over a book or place shoes on a text.
It's someti mes said that one shouldn' t di sregard even one letter, like a letter ' na',
because even such a small letter represents the Dharma. Ti s attitude may seem a
l i ttle extreme but you should understand it comes from the fact that in the past, i n
Ti bet, writing was mai nl y used to reproduce scriptures and teachings.
Q: May I wash a protection cord ? Is this some ki nd of everlasting protecti on?
RINPOCHE: When we bless somethi ng, we pray that all the Buddhas of the three
times and the ten di recti ons may come and reside i n thi s obj ect and bless all sentient
Dm.won 99
beings until the obj ect itself is destroyed or di si ntegrates into its fve constituting
elements. Te blessing is thus supposed to be efective until the obj ect i s worn out
and falls apart.
I think there's nothi ng wrong with washing a protection cord. You don' t
need to wash i t too ofen or keep i t too clean ei ther. Recently, I gave a nice gilded
statue to one of my students. She cleaned and brushed i t so much that all the gold
was rubbed of!
As a last remark, if you have to di spose of a blessed obj ect, try to do i t i n a
ni ce way if possible. It's better to burn it rather than to throw it away in the dustbi n.
Q: My bad habits always l ead me i nto the wrong di recti on. What can I do i f all
of a sudden I realise that I am going i n the wrong di rection? How can I get back?
Could you give me a knd of ' hook' or some good advice I could use to keep to the
right path?
RINPOCHE: Te moment you understand that you' re going in the wrong di rection,
j ust stop and turn back. Tink of when you mi ss the right turning on the road. You
do the same thing. If you're driving from Hamburg to Halscheid, and you realise
you've mi ssed the turni ng, then, as soon as you fnd this out, you try to get back on
the ri ght road, don' t you? Tat's all !
l 00 Di.IC.\.\111n
All my babbling,
In the name ofDharma
Has been set down fithfull
By my dear students of pure vision.
I pray that at least a faction o the wisdom
Of those enlightened teachers
Who tirelessl trained me
Shines through this mass o incoherence.
May the sincere e rts of all those
Who have worked tirelessl
Result in spreading the true meaning o Dharma
T all who aspire to know.
May this also hel to dispel the drkness of ignorance
In the minds o all living beings
And lead them to complete realisation
Free fom all far
Ringu Tulku 1 997
.LL- 1ERVAI `G 1ENEII J` CJ I 1II`GS
Jhc \cditation and RccitationoI
thcGrcatLomassionatc |nc
II::]::. .::/ /o.1l:c:tt.tJ 0I rum:nr.r/mtt .r:rn14 1I.lIIuH
o]:/..l:.t l :.nti.ti: !It.
SANG GYE CHO OANG TSHOK KYI CHOK NAM LA
In the supreme Buddha, dharma and assembly,
CHANG CHUB BAR DU OAK NI KYAP SU CHI
I take refuge until attaining enlightenment.
OAK GIJIN SOK GYI PE SO NAM KYI
Through the merit of practicing generosity and so on,
DRO LA PHEN CHIR SANG GYE DRUP PAR SHOK
May I attain Buddhahood in order to beneft beings.
KccuttIrccttmc:.
| uuun_IbrdcIj:
DAK SOK KHA KHYAB SEM CEN GYI
On the crown of the head of myself and others -
sentient beings pervading space,
6 > ~ ^

CI TSUKPEKARDA WETENG
On a white lotus and moon, is HRI.
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HRI LE PHAK CHOK CEN ZI
From it appears noble and supreme Avalokita.
KAR SAL CZER NGA DEN THRO
He is brilliant white and radiates the fve lights.
aBwiqBm|t]B:@: IU
`
DZE DZUM THUKJEY CEN GYI ZIK
Handsome and smiling, he looks on with eyes of compassion.
CHAK ZHI DANG PO THAL JAR DZE
He has four hands: the frst are joined in ajali,
OK NYI SHEL THRENG PE KAR NAM
The lower two hold a crystal mala and a white lotus.
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OAR DANG RIN CHEN GYEN GYI TRE
Adorned with ornaments of silks and jewels,
RI OAK PAK PE TO YOK SOL
He wears an upper garment of deerskin.
106 auPm:q6tc8
. ,.- . .
CPAK ME PE U GYEN CEN
Amitabha crowns his head.
ZHAP NYI DORJE KYIL TRUNG ZHUK
His two feet are in the vajra posture.
x~
DRI ME DA WAR GYAP TEN PA
His back rests against a stainless moon.
KYAP NE KON DO NGO WOR GYUR
He is the embodiment of all objects of refuge.
H Pemulil(Bmt !f" Beifl' U7
Think that you and al sentient beings are supcating with one voice:
&

|CWO KYON GYI MA GO KU DOK KAR
Lord, white in color, unstained by faults,
DZOK SANG GYE KYI U LA GYEN
A perfect Buddha adorning your head,
THUKJEY CEN GYI DRO LA ZIK
You look upon beings with eyes of compassion.
CEN R ZI LA CHAK TSHAL LO
Avaloldta, we prostrate to you.
Recite that as many time as you can.
IU AlPl din,l Bmfit !FBringr
PHAK CHOK CEN Zl WANG OANG
To noble lord Avalokita
CHOK CU OLSUM ZHUK PAYI
And to all the Buddhas and their heirs
GYAL WASE CE THAM CE LA
Of the ten directions and three times,
KON NE OANG WE CHAK TSHAL LO
We prostrate with joyful faith.
AI Ptm'ding &nfit "/&in. U9
ME TOK DUK PO MAR ME DRI
We make oferings, those actual and those emanated by mind:
ZHAL ZE ROL MO LA SOK PA
Flowers, incense, light, perfume,
NGO JOR YI KYI TROL NE PHOL
Food, music, and so on.
PHAK PE TSHOK KYI ZHE SU SOL
Assembly of noble ones, please accept them.
1 10 sPr:nqBmjit !l&inr
THOK MA ME NE DATE BAR
From beginningless time until now,

MI GE CU DANG TSHAM ME NGA
Our minds overpowered by mental afictions,

SEM NI NYON MONG WANG GYUR PE
We have committed the ten nonvirtuous actions and
the fve acts of immediate consequence.
Q g
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DIK PATHAM CE SHAK PAR GYI
We confess all these negative actions.
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NYEN THO RANG GYAL CHANG CHUB SEM
We rejoice in the merit
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SO SO KYE WO LA SOK PE
Of whatever virtue has been accumulated
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DO SUM GE WACl SAK PE
By hearers, solitary realizers, bodhisattvas,
~ ~ ~
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SO NAM LA NI DAK YI RANG
And ordinary beings throughout the three times.
1 12 AllPlrlin Benfil u/&ing>
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SEM CEN NAM KYI SAM PA DANG
Uaccordance with the diverse capabilities
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LO YIJE DRAKJI TAWAR
And aspirations of sentient beings,

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CH CHUNG THUN MONG THEK PA YI
We request you to turn the wheel of dharma
^ ~ ^ ^ ^ ^
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CHO KYI KHOR LO KOR DU SOL
Of the greater, lesser, or conventional vehicles.
A/1-PmulifBtnfit '!(Bting 1 13
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KHOR WAJI MA TONG BAR
Not passing into nirvana
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NYA NGEN MI DA THUKJE YI
Until samsara is emptied,
DUK NGEL GYAM TSHORJING WA YI
Please look with compassion on sentient beings

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SEM CAN NAM LA ZIK SU SOL
Drowning in the ocean of sufering.
1 14 &Prai:8:it ]8i:.
+ * +
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DAK GI SO NAM Cl SAK PA
May all the merit we have accumulated

THAM CE CHANG CHUB GYUR GYUR NE
Become a cause for enlightenment.
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RING POR MI THOK DRO WAYI
Without delay, may we become
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DREN PE PAL DU DAK GYUR CIK
A glorious guide for beings.
aBioiq&flil &if!.o 1 15

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SOL WA DEP SO LA MA CEN R ZI

We supplicate you, guru Avalokita.

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SOL WA DEP SO YI DAM CEN Z

We supplicate you, yidam Avalokita.
^ ~

SOL WA DEP SO PHAK CHOK CEN R ZI

We supplicate you, supreme noble Avalokita.
1 16 au1voi8:t8:.
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SOL WADEP SO KYAP GON CEN R ZI

We supplicate you, lord of refuge Avalokita.
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SOL WADEP SO CHAM GON CEN Zl

We supplicate you, loving protector Avalokita.
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THUKJE ZUNG SHIK GYAL WATHUKJE CEN
Embrace us with your compassion, compassionate victorious one.
A/-Pnvu/ing &nefit (Bein I'
^ . ^ " .
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THA ME KHOR WAR DRANG ME KHYAM GYUR CING
For beings who have wandered through countless aeons in endless samsara
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ZO ME OUK NGEL NYONG WE DRO WALA
And experience unbearable sufering,
* ^

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GON PO KHYE LE KYAP ZHEN MA CHI SO
There is no other refuge but you, lord.
^
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NAM KHYEN SANG GYE THOP PARJIN GYI LOP
Grant your blessing that they may achieve omniscient Buddhahood.
1 1 8 uHcioBmfil ]Hiq

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THOK ME DO NE LE NGEN SAK PE THO
Because of accumulating negative karma from beginningless time,
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ZHE DANG WANG GI NYAL WAR KYE GYUR TE
Due to aggression, sentient beings are born in the hells
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TSHA DRNG DUK NGEL NYONG WE SEM CEN NAM
And experience the sufferings of hot and cold.
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LHA CHOK KHYE KYI DRUNG DU KYE WAR SHOK
May they be born in your presence, supreme deity.
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OM MANI PADME HUNG
AI-Pmulif &nt ! &ii 1 19
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THOK ME DO NE LE NGEN SAK PE THO

Because of accumulating negative karma from beginningless time,
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SER NE WANG GI YI DAK NE SU KYE

Due to miserliness, sentient beings are born in the hungry ghost realm

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TRE KOM DUK NGEL NYONG NSEM CEN NAM
And experience the suferings of hunger and thirst.
+ ^ " ^ ^

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ZHING CHOK PO TALA RU KYE WAR SHOK
May they be born in your supreme pure land ofPotala.
OM MANI PAD ME HUNG
I20 A ll-Prmdinx Bnefit <{&ingr

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THOG ME DO NE LE NGEN SAK PE THO

Because of accumulating negative karma from beginningless time,

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TI MUK WANG GI DO DROR KYE GYUR TE
Due to bewilderment, sentient beings are born as animals

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LEN KUK DUG NGEL NYONG WE SEM CEN NAM
And experience the suferings of stupidity and dullness +
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GON PO KHYE KYI DRUNG DU KYE WARSHOK

May they be born in your presence, protector.
A/-Pnwdin &neit 1/&ing. I 2I

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THOG ME DO NE LE NGEN SAK PE THO

Because of accumulating negative karma from beginningless time,
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Db CHAK WANG GI MI YI NE SU KYE

Due to desire, sentient beings are born in the human realm
-
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DREL PHONG DUK NGEL NYONG NSEM CEN NAM

And experience the sufferings of constant toil and poverty.
C ^* " ^

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ZHING CHOK PO TALA RU KYE WARSHOK
May they be born in your pure land ofSukhavati.
~ =
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OM MAN! PAD ME HUNG
122 AIPng Bit 1/!ings

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THOK ME DUS NE LE NGEN SAK PE THO
Because of accumulating negative karma from beginningless time,
.

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THRAK OOK WANG GI LHA MIN NE SU KYE

Due to jealousy, sentient beings are born in the realm of the jealous gods
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THAP TSO DUK NGEL NYONG WE SEM CEN NAM
And experience the suferings of constant fghting and quarreling .

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PO TA LA YI ZHING DU KYE WARSHOK

May they be born in your pure land ofPotala.
Al-Penwrin. &nefit of&in,ss 123

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THOG ME NE LE NGEN SAK PE THO
Because of accumulating negative karma from beginningless time,
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NGA GYAL WANG GI LHA YI NE SU KYE

Due to pride, sentient beings are born in the realm of the gods
" "

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PHO TUNG DUK NGEL NYONG WE SEM CEN NAM
And experience the suferings of death and falling .
^ - ~ ^ .

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PO TALA YI ZHING DU KYE WAR SHOK
May they be born in your land of Potala.
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OM MANI PAD ME HUNG

I2+ AlFmti Bnejit 1/Bti
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DAK NI KYE ZHING KYE WATHAM CE DU
Birth afer birth, through all our lives,
~ ~

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CEN ZI DANG DZE PATSHUNG PA YI

May we liberate beings of the impure realms
~ ~

|
MA DAK ZHING GI DRO NAM DROL WADANG
By activity equal to yours, Avalokita,
^
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SUNG CHOK YIK DRUK CHOK CUR GYE PAR SHOK

And may the supreme speech of your six syllables pervade the ten directions.
AllPn'lding Benl <!/ &inJ.< 125

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PHAK CHOK KHYE LA SOL WATAB PE THO
Noble and supreme one, by the power of supplicating you,
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DAK GI DOL JAR GYUR PE DRO WANAM
May beings to be tamed by us
^ "

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LE DRE LHUR LEN GE WE LE LA TSON
Practice karma and its result and apply themselves to virtuous actions .
^ ^ ^
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DRO WE DON DU CHO DANG DEN PAR SHOK

May they act in harmony with dharma for the beneft of beings.
126 A/-Przttdir(l /ncjit a/Bil
" " -

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DE TAR TSE CIK SOL TAP PE
Due to supplicating one-pointedly in chat way,
~
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PHAK PE KU LE CZER THRO
Light rays scream forth from the body of the Noble One
'

MA DAK LE NANG THROL SHEJANG

And purify impure karmic appearances and mistaken consciousness.
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CHI NO DE WACEN GYI ZHING
The outer world becomes the pure land ofSukhavaci.

NANG CO KYE DRO LO NGAK SEM
The body, speech and mind of the inhabitants within
C
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CEN ZI WANG KU SUNG THUK
Become the body, speech and mind of Avalokita.
C
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NANG DRAK RIK TONG YERME GYUR

Appearances, sounds and awareness are inseparable from emptiness.
Whie meditating on the meaning ofthat,
recite the mantr as much as you can:
~
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OM MANI PAD ME HUNG
At the end, without conceptualing the three spheres,
rest evenl in your own nature.
I28 4lIPnva:J, uto8:
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DAK ZHEN LO NANG PHAK PE KU
The physical appearance of myself and others is the body of the Noble One.
^


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DRADRAKYIGEDRUKPEYANG
Sounds are the melody of the six syllables.
" "
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DREN TOK YE SHE CHEN PO LONG
Thoughts are the expanse of great wisdom.
A/-Pwtlin Bnft olBin. 129
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GE WADI YI NYUR DU DAK
By this merit, may we quicky
~
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CEN ZI WANG DRUP GYUR NE
Accomplish Avalokiceshvara

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DRO WACIG KYANG MALO PA
And establish every being without exception

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DE YI SA LA GO PAR SHOK
In chat state.
130 AlIP@@.u}.t @::
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DE TAR GOM DE GYI PE SO NAM KYI
By the merit of meditating and reciting in this way,

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OAK DANG OAK LA DREL THOK DRO WAKON
May we and beings with whom we are connected
^

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MI TSANG LO DI BOR WAR GYUR MA THAK
Be miraculously bor in Sukhavati
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DE WACEN DU DZO TE KYE WAR SHOK
As soon as we have lef behind this impure body.

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KYE MA THAK TU SA CU RP DRO NE
As soon as we are born there, may we traverse the ten bhumis
Al-Pnwdinf Bn4it t!f 6:q I 3I

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TROL PE CHOK CUR ZHEN DON JE PAR CHOK
And beneft others in the ten directions through our emanations.
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GE WADI YI KYE WO KUN
By this merit, may all beings


SO NAM YE SHE TSHOK DZOK NE
Perfect the two accumulations of merit and wisdom
^

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SO NAM YE SHE LE JUNG WE

And achieve the two genuine kayas
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DAM PAKU NYI THOP PAR SHOK
Arising from merit and wisdom.
132 Alhztit! Bneit /&in.
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CHANG CHUB SEM CHOK RIN PO CHE
In whomever the precious bodhichitta

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MA KYE PA NAM KYE GYUR CIG

Has not arisen, may ttarise.

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KYE PA NYAM PA ME PA DANG
In whomever it has arisen, may it DOLdecline,
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GONGNEGONGDUPHULWARSHOK
But increase further and further.
AllPermding &nt{il 1(&ingr 133
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E MAHO
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NGO TSHAR SANG GYE NANG WATHA YE DANG

Wondrous Buddha Amitabha,
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YE SU JO WO THUKJE CHEN PO DANG
On your right, Lord of Great Compassion,
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YON DU SEM PA THU CHEN THOP NAM LA
On your left, Bodhisattva Attain er of Great Power,
" "
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SANG GYE CHANG SEM PAK ME KHOR GYI KOR
Surrounded by your immeasurable retinue of Buddhas and bodhisattvas.
Io+ Al-l1din Betfit / Btiii!S
" < " ~
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DE KYI NGO TSHAR PAK TU ME PA YI

In this Buddhafeld known as Sukhavati
" " ~ ~

DE WACEN ZHEJA NZHING KHAM DER

Of wondrous, boundless joy and happiness,
~

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DAK NI DI NE TSHE PHO GYUR MA THAK
May we be born, 3soon as we depart from this life,
" *

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KYE WAZHEN GYI BAR MACHO PARU
Not taking other births in between,
* ^
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DERUKYENENANGTHEZHALTHONGSHOK
And see the face of Amitabha.
A/l-Pdin! Bl / Bcing. I3
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DE KE OAK GI MON LAM TAP PA 1I
May all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions
-
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CHOK CO SANG GYE CHANG SEM THAM CE KYI
Grant their blessings so that our aspiration
" *
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GEK ME DRUP PARJIN GYI LAP TU SOL
May be accomplished without obstruction.
: ~ - ^
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:
TEYATHA PENTSENDRIYA AWABODANIYE SO HA
TAO YATHA PANCHANDRIYA AVABHODANAYE SVAHA
136 AllmdilBmrfit { Btiii!S
Te root text was written by Shangpa siddha, Tangtong Gyalpo. Te Seven-Branch Prayer and
Supplication o Caling with Longing were written by Pema Karpo. Te Abbreviated Sukkdvdti
Supplication is a terma received by Mi ngyur Ri npoche.
Translated by Tyler Dewar of the Ni tartha Translation Network.
2002 by Tyler Dewar and the Ni tartha Translation Network.
|l ' fJ^^.XR ^
Am tl (Tib. 'd dpag mec The Buddha of the lotus family. lord of the pure land of
Sukhavati. Amitabha is also the manifestation of the discriminating wisdom.
AnJal| (Skt.) Hand mudra of divine offering.
Avalckita (Skt.) [Tib: spyan 7gzigs!Chenrezig] Abbreviated name of Avalokiteshvara
bodhisanva of compassion.
Bardo (Skt. Antarabhava) [Tib. bar do ) Intermediate state, usually referring to the
intermediate state between death and the next rebirth. Four Bardos refer to all stages of
intermediate states.
OdItIttta (Skt. Bodhichina) (Tib. byang chub sems) 'Awakened heart' A wish to end
the sufering of all the beings. This term expresses the core of the Mahayana teachings of the
practice of compassion and wisdom.
!cv.+cicn (Skt. Sukhavati) [Tib. bde ba can] 'Blissful realm', the pure realm of
Buddha Amitabha.
!cWuccnray (Skt. Sukhavati) A prayer for all beings to take rebirth in Buddha
Amitabha's pure realm ofDewachen.
uo\:u !J
Dowing Search for water, or minerals.
Lr bum (Tib. bru 'bum) One hundred thousand syllables. A system of reciting as many
hundred thousand times as there are syllables in the mantra.
Dtogchen (Skt. Mahasandhi or Maha ati) [Tib. Rdzogs pa chen po/Dzogchen] Great
Perfection or Ati Yoga. An advanced meditation practice that emphasises the primordial
purity of the mind, and the methods for realising it. The highest teaching of the Nyingma
school of Tibetan Buddhism.
Dwgpa !'hcnpo sec Dzogchen.
! :utiipop.t (Tib. sgam po pa ).(i079-I I53)Also known as dvags po I ha rje, 'the Physician
ofDagpo'. Main disciple ofMilarepa, Gampopa was a master in the two lineages ofKadam
and Mahamudra. He is seen as the foundCr of the Kagyu lineage.He frst studied medicine
and became a doctor. Afer the death of his wife, he became a monk and studied the Kadam
tradition. He gained direct understanding of the Dharma with his master Milarepa.
'uru (Skt.) One who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom and authority in a
certain area, and who uses it to guide others.
Kmg )ong\r<.n (,.tmpo (Tib. srong bthan sgam po (69-650or 6i7-650):King ofTibet who
prepared the way for transmission of the Buddhist teachings. He regarded as Bincaration
of Avalokiteshvara. He married Bhrikuti of Nepal and WenChengofChina, who each brought
a sacred statue of Buddha Shakyamuni to Lhasa. He built the frst Buddhist tempes in 1'ibet,
established a code oflaws based on Dharma principles and had his minister, Thonmi Sambhota,
develop the Tibetan script. During his reign, the translation of Buddhist U7into Tibetan began.
Lun I:n Progressive, graded Path.
Ltkhtlwng see Vipashyana.
L<)iong (Tib. blo sgong) Practice of mind training.
!+U Glossar
:1adhy.lmika (Skt. Madhyamika) [Tib. dbu ma) The Middle Way. The highest of the four
Buddhist schools of philosophy. The Middle Way means not holding any extreme views,
especially those of eternal ism and nihilism.
Mahamudra (Skt. Mahamudra) [Tib. phyag @chen po] Literally. 'The Great Seal', the
ultimate view of the highest Tantras, a profound method based on direct realisation of the
mind's true nature. This is the highest meditation practice within the Kagyu, Sakya, and
Gelug lineages of Tibetan Buddhism.
Maluyana (Skt. Mahayana) [Tib. thegpa chen po] The vehicle ofbodhisattvas striving
for perfect enlightenment for the sake of all beings. One of the three great subdivisions
of Buddhism, emphasizing the teachings of the Prajnaparamita on emptiness and the
development of the compassionate and altruistic attitude of the bodhisattva.
:fa la (Skt.) Rosary. The Buddhist rosary is made of I08beads. These beads can be of various
substances: wood, seeds, precious or semi-precious stones, ivory, etc.
Mantra (Tib. sngags!ngak) Literally means 'protecting the mind'. It is also H blessed and
empowered sound, in form of words or syllables.
P.mdita (Skt. Pandita) [Tib. mkhas pa] Learned master. Indian scholar or professor of
Buddhist philosophy arc usually referred to as Panditas.
Phnr ba (Tib.) Ritual dagger.
Pratycbbuddh,\ (Skt.) (Tib. rang sangs ras ] 'Solitarily enlightened one: a Hinayana
Arhat who attains nirvana chiefy through contemplating the Izlinks of dependent
origination in reverse order, without needing teachings in that lifetime. He lacks the
complete realisation of Buddhahood and cannot beneft numberless sentient beings as a
Buddha does.
Cl@ I +I
Prdi minar pt<\ricc' Preliminary practices to the Mahamudra teachings, including the
four common preliminaries (meditation on the 'four thoughts that turn the mind towards
the Dharma: namely the precious human life, impermanence, karma and the suferings of
samsara) and the four specifc preliminaries (refuge and bodhichitta, Vajrasattva purifcation,
mandala ofering and guru yoga - each being repeated ,times).
Puj.l (Tib) Ritual, specifcally. making offerings.
lut I !v We visualise a huge tree supporting on its outspread branches all the masters of
the lineage, all the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, yidams, dharma protectors and representations of
the dharma. This is what we call a 'refuge tree'.
.+dI.ma (Skt.) [Tib. sgrub thabs] 'Means of accomplishment: Tantric liturgy and procedure
for practice, usually emphasizing the development stage. The typical sadhana structure
involves a preliminary part, which includes the taking of refuge and arousing ofbodhichitta,
a main part that involves the visualization of a Buddha and the recitation of mantra, and a
concluding part that involves the dissolution of the visualisation and resting one's mind in its
'natural state', the whole process being scaled by the dedication of merit to all sentient beings.
atn.u. (Skt.) jTib. 'khor ba] cyclic existence in which ordinary beings, trapped in an
endless cycle of rebirth in the six realms, experience endless sufering.
.ltori Japanese term referring L the realisation of the nature of one's mind in the Zen tradition.
`Iuna:Ia (Pali.) [Tib. zhi gnas!shinay] Calm abiding meditation.
`Ii\\1ka (Skt. Shravaka) [Tib. nyan thos) 'Hearer' or 'listener'. The followers of the general
and common teachings of the Buddha.
`IimVeca (Skt.) [Tib. stongpa id) The true nature or suchness of mphenomena that is devoid of
true, inherent and independent existence and is beyond levels of conceptual elaboration.
\ukha\ uii (Skt) See Dewachen.
II2 Clo o
v.:stik An ancient Indian symbol of stability and auspiciousness.
cn dircction The eight compass points, nadir and zenith.
cnIIumi (Skt. ground or foundation) Stages or levels of attainment through which the
bodhisattva passes on his/her path to enlightenment. Each serves as the basis for the next level.
1:tvas (Tib. gter ma Treasure') l )Concealed treasures, of many diferent kinds including
texts, ritual objects, relics and natural objects. 2)Transmission through concealed treasures,
which were hidden mainly by Guru Rinpoche and Yeshe Tsogyal, to be discovered at the
proper time by a tenon, a 'treasure discoverer', fr the beneft offuture disciples.
I:rcctimcs Past, present and future.
Itgtn (Tib. gtoWg le)Lit. 'taking and giving: A bodhichitta practice of taking others'
sufferings and misdeeds upon oneself and giving them one's virtue and happiness.
Iog (Tib. thogs) Feast ofering, see below in the text for further explanations.
V.;;a (ib. rdo rje /dorje) Weapon oflndira. Something which can destroy anything but can
not be destroyed by anything. A symbol of indestructible, invincible, frm and ungraspable.
The ultimate vajra is emptiness.
\:pashy.u.: (Skt.) [Tib. Lhagthong] Insight meditation, which develops insight into the
nature of reality.
l~
IJ
1X C K : ( ) \ L E D C EM E : '.l S
We wish ro thank all the people who have so k:ndlyand patiently given their advice
and help in bringing this book to fruition. celebrating the flourishing of the Dharma
in Rigul, Kham, Tibet.
The Venerable Ringu Tulku Rinpoche for his precious commentary on this sadhana of
Chenrezig. For Rnpoches blessing and tireless help with oNefeeing the stages of rh is book.
All the people of Halscheid who organised the ori_naoral reaching on the sadhana in l998.
Corinne Segers for transcribing and editing rhe original teaching and Cait Coli ins who
helped and who so kindly re-edited some of the tet again in 20l0.
Tyler Dewar and Snow Lion Publications for giving per1i:on ro publish this
Chenrezig sadhana . .
Jude Tarranr for her unriring support and guidance on helping me ro see rh is book
through ro completion.
Annie Dibble for her valuable help and advice. Lama Tenam for fxing our Tibetan fonts!
I+I Acow< I CIIr
Clai re Trueman, Meriel Cowan, Rachel Moftt, Dave Tufeld, Yen. Ri nchen, and jayne
Whi stance for thei r ki ndness i n checking for mi stakes i n the production of this book.
R. D. Salga for hi s wonderful pai nti ng and drawing of Chenrezi g, ofered from hi s heart.
Franco is Henrard for hi s amazi ng i mages taken on hi s vi sits to Rigul , Ti bet.
Paul O' Connor for his i nspi rati onal and beauti ful design and type setti ng of the book.
And for Paul's very ki nd and pati ent help.
We wish to thank the people who have generously sponsored this book.
We are pleased that 1 00% of all the proceeds received by Rigul Trust from the sale of
thi s book wi l l go to fund Rigul Trust health, education and poverty rel i ef projects. Ti s
wi l l hel p to bri ng beneft to al l the children, the teachers, the cooks, the health cl i ni c, the
doctor, hi s assi stant, the nurse, and al l the peopl e i n Rigul , Ti bet.
And fnally we dedi cate thi s book to the people of Rigul , Tibet, for all who fnd
inspiration and j oy i n thei r hearts from Ri ngu Tulku Ri npoche's commentary on thi s
Chenrezig sadhana and for the beneft of all bei ngs everywhere.
May al l bei ngs be SAFE. May al l bei ngs be HAPPY. May all bei ngs be PEACEF UL.
May all bei ngs be FREE. May all beings AWAKEN t o the l ight of their TRUE NATURE.
Margaret Richardson
Rigul 'ust
A.tknowler(

emenl. 1 -.
\MMEMRAJ` l NG 11 `Gl | | Kl
1I NPOCHL S CJ M||AND l N
| BLJ
Ti s is a commemorative book to celebrate the fouri shi ng of the Dharma, the
monastery, the health cl i ni c and the school in Rigul , Kham, Tibet, the bi rthplace
of Ringu Tulku Ri npoche.
Trough many bl eak years, the continuation of the practice of Buddhadharma i n
Rigul has been made especially possi bl e by the devotional and dedi cated eforts
of all the khenpos, the tulkus and the lamas ofRigul monastery. Ringu Tulku
Ri npoche is the abbot of the monastery, having to operate from a position of exile
and l ives in Sikkim, India.
All the people of Rigul and the surroundi ng area have spent years experiencing
extreme poverty and hard labour. From the depths of thei r being they have
summoned up the strength and the courage, the resolve and the determination, to
maintain the spi ri t and welfare of thei r communi ty by helping each other in very
trying times for the last ffy years.
So much has been, and is being, achi eved i n very difcult and challenging
ci rcumstances. Te monastery has been reconstructed and in August 2009
thousands of people came to Rigul monastery for teachings and blessings to
mark the great occasion of the opening of the shedra. Ti s big inauguration was
presided over by Dulmo Choj e Rinpoche, as the chief guest, wi th over eight
hundred monks and nuns attendi ng the opening ceremony including high
Rinpoches, khenpos and lamas.
1 1 8 Comml'momllllg Rm gu 1ulku Rmfmdu :, l/omeland i n Tibet
In recent years a purpose built health clinic and school have been built, which
serve the wider community.
The monastery, the health clinic and the school have been supported, fnancially,
in prayer, in kind and in deed, by students, friends and family ofRlngu Tulku
from every walk oflife, from all over the world.
All of this is fulflling one ofRingu Tulku's dreams. A celebration of the wisdom
and compassion that shines through Ringu Tulku Rinpoche's inspiration and
initiative in developing the monastery, of which he is the abbot, the health clinic
and the school from afar in geographical terms but steadfastly held within his heart.
Margaret Richardson
1yu/1'!I
(ommrmom|trRt)gt1u|ku Rtn]uc' 1umcIuaJa 1.|x I+9
Rigul Trust is a UK Charity whose main aim is to provide funds for the provision
of basic health care, education and poverty relief amongst Tibetan refugee
communities in India, and in particular for the people of some of the
most remote areas of Tibet, such as Rigul.
In Rigul, we currently fund Dr. Chuga, Ani Choden the nurse, Karma Tsisha the
doctor's assistant, the running costs of the health clinic, the education of sixty
children with two free, hot meals a day at school, fve teachers and three cooks.
O!1 L\ NLVL, LH L L 1 1LI1!L!, VLL1o1 N1oI.
YYY.ri gul t r us t . org
Rigul Trust, 13 St. Francis Avenue, Southampton, 5018 SQL UK.
Tcl: +44 (0)23 8046 2926
Patron: Ringululku Rinpoche * IKCharity Rcgiscration No: 1 12476