and friends. To generate compassion towards all of them we meditate:
Unceasingly, since time without beginning, I have been experiencing the various kinds of suffering. Again and again I have undergone the pains of each of the six realms of uncontrolled rebirth without freedom or choice. Now I have obtained a precious human life with all the necessary freedoms and endowments, and I have discovered Dharma. Now I have a rare opportunity to attain liberation by putting Dharma into practice.
Nevertheless, it remains very difficult to attain liberation because my mind is heavily burdened with delusions preventing me from gaining realizations. Furthermore, I cannot be sure how long this opportunity will last because the time of death is most uncertain. If I die today or in a few months’ time I will have no control over my death and rebirth. I could easily take rebirth in one of the lower realms where the suffering is unbearable. If I were fortunate enough to take my next rebirth as a human being I would still have to endure the sufferings of birth, sickness, old age, death and all the other sufferings of human life. Even if I were to take rebirth as a god I would not be free from suffering. Therefore I must use this chance to attain liberation.
I am not the only one trapped in this pitiable condition of pain and dissatisfaction; how could I aim only for my own release? Every living being who wanders within the six realms of samsara has at some time in the past been my own dear mother, and every single one of them experiences the same sufferings that I experience. Therefore, I must work to liberate all of them. Since only the Three Jewels have the power to protect and help us, I will go for refuge from the depths of my heart in order to be able to free all other living beings from their suffering.
In this way we generate the causes of going for refuge and increase our wish to gain freedom from samsara for ourself and others. This way of going for refuge increases our realizations of renunciation and compassion. Compassion induces the superior intention ‘I must work to liberate all beings.’ Recognizing that we need to go for refuge if we are to fulfil this wish, we focus our attention on the groups of Gurus visualized in front of us and recite fifty times ‘I go for refuge to the Gurus.’ When we have finished this recitation we request the Gurus to bestow their blessings. We then visualize white light descending from their hearts and absorbing into our body and mind, purifying all our negative karma, especially the negative karma that we have created with respect to our Spiritual Guide by actions such as developing dislike or disrespect for him or her, disturbing him, physically harming him, telling him lies, going against his wishes or getting angry with him. When this visualization is complete we should feel that all our negativities have been purified and our body is transformed into the nature of light.
We then recite the same line another fifty times and when we have finished we make requests and visualize golden nectar descending from the hearts of the Gurus and absorbing into our body and mind. This nectar causes our realizations, life span, merit and virtues to increase.
Next we focus attention on the Buddhas and Deities and recite fifty times ‘I go for refuge to the Buddhas.’ When we have finished this recitation we request the Buddhas to bestow their blessings. We then visualize white light descending from their hearts and purifying all our negative karma, especially the negative karma that we have created with respect to the Buddhas by actions such as developing dislike for them, wishing to harm them physically, going against their wishes, selling statues of Buddhas for our own financial gain, or stepping over images of Buddhas thinking that they are insignificant. We then recite the same line another fifty times and when we have finished we make requests and visualize the golden nectar as before.
We continue the practice in the same way, reciting ‘I go for refuge to Dharma’, with our attention focused on the Dharma Jewel, and ‘I go for refuge to the Sangha’, with our attention focused on the Sangha Jewel. When we have finished all these rounds of recitation and meditation we then focus our attention on all the objects of refuge together, and recite as many times as we can the short prayer of going for refuge:
I and all sentient beings, until we achieve enlightenment,
Go for refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.
We then make specific requests to the objects of refuge in accordance with their different ways of helping us. The Gurus help us by transforming our mind with inspiration and blessings; the Buddhas help us by guiding us to liberation and full enlightenment; the Deities help us by bestowing attainments; the Sangha help us by offering assistance in our Dharma practice; the Heroes and Heroines help us by bestowing spontaneous great bliss, thus enabling us to practise Secret Mantra; and the Protectors help us by dispelling hindrances to our Dharma practice. When we have made these special requests we visualize the light and nectar as before.
In the beginning, if we find it difficult to visualize the objects of refuge in this elaborate form we can imagine simply that the Three Jewels are present in the space before us, and then with faith recite the short prayer of going for refuge.
generating bodhichitta
Having gone for refuge we now generate bodhichitta by meditating:
What will it be like when I become enlightened? I will possess every good quality and I will be completely free from all faults, all sufferings and every kind of hindrance. I will have perfect ability to help all other living beings. My emanations will be as numerous as living beings and I will use them for the benefit of all. Just as there is one moon shining in the sky whose reflections fill all the lakes and waters of the world, when I become enlightened my emanations will cover and protect every living being.
When this meditation induces in our mind a strong intention to become enlightened for the sake of others, we hold this thought clearly and single-pointedly for as long as we can, acquainting ourself with it more and more closely. Then we recite the prayer of generating bodhichitta:
Through the virtues I collect by giving and other perfections,
May I become a Buddha for the benefit of all.
Bodhichitta is a mind that has two aspirations, both of which are expressed in this prayer. The main aspiration, to benefit others, is expressed by the words ‘for the benefit of all’. The secondary aspiration, to accomplish the means to fulfil the main aspiration, is expressed by the words ‘May I become a Buddha’.
Since bodhichitta is the main cause of full enlightenment Guru Buddha Shakyamuni is overjoyed whenever it arises in our mind. Therefore, after reciting the prayer we should imagine that in response Buddha emanates another form in the same aspect, which comes to the crown of our head and enters our body, purifying all our non-virtues and obstructions. We are transformed into a Buddha in the same aspect as Guru Shakyamuni. From our body we radiate light in all directions, reaching every single living being and purifying their non-virtues and obstructions. All living beings absorb into light and reappear as Buddhas in the same aspect as Guru Buddha Shakyamuni. Practising in this way is known as ‘bringing the result into the path’. It is so called because we are strongly imagining that we have already attained the future result of our practice. The result itself is full enlightenment and an enlightened being’s ability to help others attain the same state. This practice ripens our potentiality to attain Buddhahood more quickly. This potentiality is known as ‘Buddha lineage’ or ‘Buddha seed’.
enhancing bodhichitta: the practice of the four immeasurables
Before beginning this practice we need to reduce our divine pride and remember that we have only been imagining that we have attained the future result of our practice, and that in reality we ourself and countless other living beings have yet to become enlightened beings.
To enhance our bodhichitta motivation we practise the four immeasurables:
(1) Immeasurable equanimity
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