endless suffering of this cycle of rebirth is terrifying, like being trapped in a circle of fire. Therefore I will strive day and night to permanently cease this samsaric rebirth by striving to permanently abandon its root, the ignorance of self-grasping.
We meditate again and again on this determination, holding it single-pointedly without forgetting it. The mind that maintains this determination continuously is authentic renunciation, which opens the door to liberation.
Now, upon what method should we rely to permanently cease samsaric rebirth and permanently abandon its root, the ignorance of self-grasping? We can accomplish this aim only through receiving Buddha’s blessings, receiving help from Sangha and practising the Dharma of the three higher trainings. Thus, the only refuge that permanently liberates us from the endless sufferings of samsara is the Three Precious Jewels – Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. This refuge cannot be found elsewhere. Having understood and contemplated this, we should develop within our heart irreversible faith and trust in the Three Jewels. This is also a cause of pure refuge practice.
Then, through the power of correct imagination we visualize, actually appearing in the space in front, our root Guru in the aspect of Guru Sumati Buddha Heruka, whose nature is our root Guru, Je Tsongkhapa, Buddha Shakyamuni and Heruka, surrounded by all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the ten directions. Observing them, we briefly meditate single-pointedly with a mind of strong wishing faith, thinking:
How wonderful if I and all mother living beings become like these enlightened beings.
Having generated and visualized the objects of refuge in front in this way, we recite the ritual prayer three times while making a promise:
O Guru Sumati Buddha Heruka, from now until I attain enlightenment I will rely upon and hold as my objects of refuge only the Three Jewels – Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.
I will apply effort to receiving Buddha’s blessings, receiving help from the Sangha and attaining the realizations of the Dharma Jewel as the ultimate protection for myself and others from the fears of samsara.
Reciting this ritual prayer three times we take the Mahayana refuge vows. It is very important to do this every day.
The meaning of going for refuge to the Three Jewels is making a promise to apply effort to receiving Buddha’s blessings; to receiving help from the Sangha, the pure spiritual practitioners who show a good example; and to attaining the realizations of the Dharma of the three higher trainings – training in moral discipline, training in concentration, or meditation, and training in the wisdom of emptiness, all with the motivation of renunciation – as the ultimate protection for ourself and others from the fears of samsara. These promises are the essential commitments of going for refuge.
HOW TO TRAIN IN THE COMPASSIONATE MIND OF BODHICHITTA, THE GATEWAY TO ENTERING THE MAHAYANA, THE MAIN PATH TO THE STATE OF ENLIGHTENMENT
Bodhichitta is a mind possessing two aspirations – wishing to directly benefit each and every living being every day, and wishing to attain enlightenment ourself for that purpose. A mind that spontaneously wishes to attain enlightenment for the sole purpose of permanently liberating all living beings from suffering is bodhichitta. When we generate this precious mind we become a Bodhisattva and are called a ‘Son or Daughter of Buddha’. Because this compassionate mind of bodhichitta opens the door to the Mahayana path for us, it is called the ‘gateway to entering the Mahayana path’.
To gain a realization of bodhichitta we need to make effort to practise it. It is impossible for such a precious mind to arise naturally without training. How should we practise it? Je Tsongkhapa says:
On the ground of equanimity pour the water of love and sow the seed of compassion. From these the medicinal tree of bodhichitta will arise.
Here, ‘the ground of equanimity’ refers to affectionate love observing all living beings, ‘the water of love’ refers to cherishing love observing all living beings, and ‘the medicinal tree’ refers to the realization of bodhichitta.
Thus, there are four stages to the practice of bodhichitta:
1. The practice of affectionate love
2. The practice of cherishing love
3. The practice of great compassion
4. The practice of actual bodhichitta
Je Tsongkhapa and his Two Sons descending from Tushita Pure Land
HOW TO PRACTISE AFFECTIONATE LOVE
To generate the realization of affectionate love observing all living beings we contemplate as follows.
In general, Highest Yoga Tantra is known as the quick path to the attainment of enlightenment, but in the Sutras it is the spontaneous mind of compassion observing all living beings that is explained as the quick path. If we have this mind, then through its power we will never waste a single moment, but draw closer and closer to the attainment of enlightenment every moment of the day and the night. With such a mind of compassion we will be like the Kadampa Geshe Chekhawa, for even if we wished to go to the hell realms in our next life we would definitely be born in the Pure Land of Buddha through the power of our pure karma and pure mind. We should think:
All the previous Buddhas attained the state of enlightenment in dependence upon the realization of compassion for all living beings, and it will be the same for all future Buddhas.
Attaining enlightenment is the main purpose of obtaining this present human life; therefore I must attain enlightenment, Buddhahood.
We generate this thought strongly, and then think:
Although attaining enlightenment depends upon generating the realization of compassion, this is impossible without an object of compassion. Only living beings can act as this object.
Therefore, for me, all living beings are my Spiritual Guides who are leading me to the Mahayana path by acting as the objects of my compassion.
They are also all my kind mothers of previous lives.
Understanding and contemplating all of this, from the depths of our heart we generate a mind that feels very close, warm and happy towards all living beings equally. This is affectionate love for all living beings. We transform our mind into this affectionate love and meditate on it continually until we develop a mind that spontaneously feels very close, warm and happy towards all living beings equally. When we develop this affectionate love our mind is pervaded by pure love for all living beings, and this makes our mind peaceful and balanced, free from anger and attachment. Thus, this affectionate love is also called ‘equanimity’.
If we have on our consciousness the ground of equanimity – affectionate love observing all living beings – it is very easy to develop the remaining realizations of cherishing love, great compassion and bodhichitta. Detailed explanations of training in cherishing love, great compassion and bodhichitta can be found in the book Modern Buddhism and other Lamrim texts.
In short, Lamrim and Lojong together with generation stage are the preliminaries for Mahamudra. The actual principal practice of Mahamudra is a completion stage practice. The real Mahamudra is a higher realization of completion stage – the union of great bliss and emptiness, meaning clear light.
There are two ways to practise Lamrim and Lojong as
