Awakening the Mind, Lightening the Heart. Литагент HarperCollins USD
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from the master from Sumatra.
All of the extensive teachings given by Buddha Shakyamuni, the collection of 84,000 teachings, are meant for removing our mistaken attitude, the misconception of self, and for training our minds to benefit others. All these teachings are meant for removing the collection of 84,000 disturbing emotions, as well as birth, sickness, old age, death, and the other sufferings generated by them. Such instructions are referred to as nectar. The Sanskrit term for nectar means “that which grants immortality.” A skilled physician who knows how to administer such nectar properly can relieve a patient from sickness and even death. Similarly, through following such instructions as these, we can be liberated from such problems as death, old age, and so forth.
The practice of the awakening mind is like just such an elixir. If you practice in the tradition of those intent on personal liberation, of course you can attain freedom from death, old age, birth, sickness, and even the cycle of existence. But it is only by generating the awakening mind, supplemented by other practices, that you will be able to attain the state of Buddhahood. Therefore this practice of mind training, which is a means to generate the awakening mind, is actually the essential practice. This instruction is called the essence of the nectar because by following it you can achieve the state of immortality, which is actually liberation. There are two methods explained in the Buddha’s teachings: the method that leads to achieving personal liberation and the method that leads to the fully awakened state of a Buddha. All these traditions were held by the great teacher from Sumatra, known as Ser-ling-pa. Atisha (982–1054 C.E.) received his training in the awakening mind especially from Ser-ling-pa.
Atisha, the great Indian master, had coundess disciples in India, Kashmir, Nepal, and Tibet, but of these the greatest was Drom-tön-pa (1005–1064). He was the real holder of the lineage of Atisha. He was a great practitioner, who even to ordinary perception had achieved the awakening mind. It is due to his kindness and hard work that the Kadampa tradition came into being in Tibet. Drom-tön-pa in turn had many outstanding disciples, but there were three main ones, Poto-wa, Chen-nga-wa, and Phu-chung-wa, known as the three Kadampa brothers. Chief among these was the great spiritual master Po-to-wa (1031–1106), who inherited the mind training lineage. Po-to-wa was extremely successful in developing the Buddhist doctrine and focused primarily on the thorough practice of the six principal texts of the Kadampas.
Po-to-wa’s main practice was generating the awakening mind. He had more than two thousand disciples from all regions of Tibet determined to attain liberation. Two from central Tibet were compared to the sun and the moon, the great Lang-ri Tang-pa Dorje Seng-ge (1054–1123) and Sha-ra-wa Yön-den Drak (1070–1141). Sha-ra-wa possessed the complete instruction and transmitted his lineage to more than 2,800 monks. Of his four principal disciples who were responsible for passing on his lineage, Che-ka-wa was responsible for the teachings on mind training and generating the awakening mind.
Che-ka-wa once heard the “Eight Verses for Training the Mind” by Lang-ri Tang-pa, which caused him to develop a strong interest in this teaching. He visited Lhasa in search of more teachings on mind training. Some of his wise friends told him that because a spiritual master of the Great Vehicle tradition should be worthy of esteem, he should seek out either the great Sha-ra-wa or Ja-yul-wa. Accordingly, he visited Sha-ra-wa, who was staying at the House of Sho in Lhasa. When Che-ka-wa arrived, Sha-ra-wa was giving a teaching on the levels of those who aspire for liberation. At first Che-ka-wa was not very impressed, because he did not find what he was seeking. The mind training practice of exchanging oneself with others in order to develop altruism was not even mentioned. Afterward, he felt confused and began to wonder whether such a practice of mind training still existed and whether this master possessed the lineage.
The next day, while the monks were making their alms round, Che-ka-wa found the great master circumambulating a stupa. He immediately spread out a mat and asked him respectfully to sit down, saying, “I would like to discuss with you certain things about which I am unclear.”
Sha-ra-wa replied, “Since you are a great teacher yourself, what is it that is still unclear to you? I explained everything very clearly when I was seated on the religious throne.”
Che-ka-wa then recited the “Eight Verses for Training the Mind” and said, “There are practices here that are useful when, because of my untamed mind, I sometimes face problems like not finding a place to stay or being harassed by others. If I do this practice of mind training, giving the benefit to other people and accepting defeat for myself, I find it very useful. Sometimes, of course, it is extremely difficult to put such mind training into practice, so what I want to ask you is, is mind training appropriate to practice, and can it become a cause for attaining Buddhahood?”
Then Geshe Sha-ra-wa, who was actually turning the beads of his rosary, said, “There is no doubt about the usefulness of the practice of mind training. Of course, whether it is suitable for you or not is a different matter. If you do not desire Buddhahood, that is one thing, but if you really wish to attain enlightenment, then this practice of mind training is essential.”
So his actual answer was, “Whether you like it or not, if you really desire Buddhahood, then mind training is the only way.” Che-ka-wa thought that since his reply was so forthright, Sha-ra-wa must have great personal experience of the teaching. Next he asked, “Since this mind training instruction is an authentic teaching there should be scriptural references for it. Can you tell me what the source is?”
Sha-ra-wa replied, “Who would not regard it as derived from the work of the exalted Nagarjuna? The authentic source of this teaching is to be found in his Precious Garland, where it says, ‘May their unwholesome deeds bear fruit for me. May all my virtue bear fruit for others.’”
Che-ka-wa responded, “I like this teaching. Kindly give it to me.”
Sha-ra-wa advised, “The practice of this instruction requires constant effort over a long period of time, but if you are prepared to make such an effort, you can take these teachings from me.”
Che-ka-wa then inquired, “If this practice is imperative for attaining Buddhahood, why didn’t you refer to it earlier when you were teaching? Why did you make no reference to mind training then?”
Sha-ra-wa responded, “What’s the use of giving a great teaching like mind training if no one really wishes to practice it?”
I think we need to pay more attention and respect to this ancient tradition of not teaching the Dharma to anyone and everyone without discrimination. In the past, teachers did not teach just anyone who came to them, nor did they give just any teaching that was requested from them. They sought to ensure that appropriate teachings were imparted to appropriate disciples. In that way, only truly dedicated and spiritually oriented disciples became involved in the Dharma, and as a result their practice was very successful. Teaching tantra was severely restricted, and only the most capable and devoted disciples were permitted to receive it. In recent times, such restrictions have been waived, and even tantra has become the subject of popular public teachings.
After making three prostrations, Che-ka-wa went back to where he was staying and, opening a copy of Nagarjuna’s Precious Garland, found the quotation that Sha-ra-wa had recited. Then, setting aside all negative thoughts, he spent more than two years at the place called Sho putting these teachings on mind training into practice. Then he spent six years at a place called Gye-gong and another four at a place called Shar-wa. Altogether, Che-ka-wa spent fourteen years engaged in developing the awakening mind under his teacher’s guidance. Che-ka-wa gained a perfect realization of the awakening mind through emphasizing the exchange of oneself with others. Later he said, “All the sacrifices I have made and the hardships I have undergone have now borne results.”
For great beings such as these, spiritual knowledge was not confined to mere intellectual understanding. They were more concerned with spiritual realization than anything else. Neither teacher nor student was under any of the pressure that is so common these days. Consequently, they followed what we might call an experiential method. In this process, students would progress according to their experience of what they had already been taught. A text would not be taught from beginning to end without a break but gradually, in stages. Students would be taught the next part only when they had gained sufficient