Whenever we rejoice in the virtues and accomplishments of those whose attainments are higher than our own we increase our merit abundantly. Such an action endows us with merit half as great as the merit of those in whom we rejoice, and it increases our own potentiality to gain the same attainments.
Buddha Shakyamuni said that we should practise rejoicing in the virtues of five kinds of person: Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Solitary Realizers, Hearers and ordinary beings. It is helpful to read the life stories of Spiritual Guides, Yogis and Buddhas. By contemplating the Buddhas’ qualities of body, speech and mind and the virtuous actions they performed before and after their attainment of enlightenment, and by considering how many beings they have benefited, we will develop appreciation and rejoice in their attainments, thinking ‘How wonderful it will be if I become a Buddha.’ By contemplating how Bodhisattvas develop bodhichitta and successively attain the five Mahayana paths and ten grounds we will appreciate and rejoice in their deeds and develop the thought ‘How wonderful it will be if I become a Bodhisattva.’ By contemplating how Solitary Realizers attain a realization of emptiness and attain a middling enlightenment, and how Hearers attain a realization of emptiness and attain liberation, we will rejoice in their practice of the three higher trainings and increase our own potentiality to gain the same realizations. If we also rejoice in those who, like ourself, have not yet entered a spiritual path but who are practising sincerely, we will eliminate our jealousy and accumulate great merit. We should rejoice whenever others practise giving, moral discipline or any other virtue, and whenever they put effort into studying and meditating on Dharma.
There was once a king called King Prasenajit who invited Buddha Shakyamuni and his disciples to lunch. A beggar called Tepa stood at the king’s gate and rejoiced in the king’s generosity, thinking ‘How fortunate King Prasenajit is!’ When he had finished his meal Buddha dedicated the merit of the beggar for the sake of all beings. King Prasenajit asked, ‘I am the one who has provided this food, so why have you dedicated that beggar’s merit and not mine?’ Buddha replied ‘Today that beggar has performed a more virtuous action and gained more merit.’ Buddha knew that the king’s motivation for giving him a meal was mixed with worldly concerns whereas the beggar’s act of rejoicing was entirely pure.
Our practice of rejoicing will be especially powerful if we can rejoice in the virtues of people whom we dislike or who dislike us. If we can rejoice equally in the virtuous actions, happiness and prosperity of all beings, we will overcome jealousy and hatred, and we will easily attain the realizations of compassion and love.
If we also rejoice in our own virtuous actions we will increase their power and overcome depression and discouragement. We sometimes make ourself depressed by dwelling on the thought ‘I have been practising for a long time but I do not seem to have achieved anything.’ By indulging in such thoughts we can become so discouraged that we feel like abandoning our practice. At times like this we should meditate on our own virtue. There is no doubt that we have practised virtue in the past because we now have a precious human life with all the necessary freedoms and endowments and we have the opportunity to learn and practise Dharma. This good fortune comes only as a result of practising moral discipline, giving, patience and stainless prayer.
Just as our virtue of the past is the cause of our present good fortune, so our virtuous actions of this life will bring future good fortune. Therefore it is entirely appropriate to rejoice in them. We can recall how many times we have listened to Dharma or read Dharma books, how many times we have practised meditation, or how many virtuous actions we have performed. If we remember these and appreciate them without pride we will be able to rejoice purely and thus greatly increase our virtue. Rejoicing in this way protects us from the great danger of abandoning Dharma. If we give up Dharma through discouragement we create the cause to go for many lifetimes without making contact with Dharma and to dislike Dharma whenever we meet it again.
The practice of rejoicing does not require great exertion. Gungtang Tenpai Drolma said:
If you want to practise great virtue even while you are relaxing you should practise rejoicing.
By cultivating this habit of mind we accumulate a vast amount of merit. Je Tsongkhapa said:
It is taught by Buddha that rejoicing is the supreme virtue.
beseeching the buddhas and spiritual guides not to pass away
Although the actual body of Buddha, the Truth Body, never passes away, the bodies that Buddha emanates to guide living beings do pass away. If there are no emanations of Buddha teaching spiritual practices in a particular world, that world is called a ‘barbaric land’. In such a place it is impossible to hear even one word of Dharma. Therefore we should entreat the emanations of Buddha to abide in this world for a long time to bring benefit to all living beings. Beseeching the Buddhas and Spiritual Guides in this way creates great merit.
requesting the buddhas and spiritual guides to turn the wheel of dharma
Forty-nine days after Buddha Shakyamuni attained enlightenment the gods Brahma and Indra requested him to give teachings, saying:
O Buddha, Treasure of Compassion, living beings are like blind men in constant danger of falling. There is no Protector other than you in this world. Therefore, please arise from meditative equipoise and turn the Wheel of holy Dharma.
Buddha accepted this request and began to teach. As a result countless beings have attained liberation and full enlightenment and countless beings have the opportunity to practise Dharma. The kind requests of Brahma and Indra made it possible for us to find Dharma even in these degenerate times. In the same way, if we make requests to the holy beings, asking them to turn the Wheel of Dharma, we will accumulate merit and create the cause to receive Dharma in this and future lives. Indirectly, we will help all other living beings.
dedication
Dedication has six aspects: what we dedicate, the purpose of dedicating, the goal to which we dedicate, for whose benefit we dedicate, the manner of dedicating and the nature of dedication.
We dedicate our virtuous actions of body, speech and mind. The purpose of dedicating these actions is to prevent them from being destroyed or depleted and to ensure that we experience their good results. If we do not dedicate our virtue it can be destroyed by negative actions such as anger or holding wrong views. The final goal towards which we dedicate our virtuous actions is the goal of full enlightenment. We dedicate for the benefit of all living beings, thinking ‘Through the power of my virtuous deeds may I attain enlightenment for the sake of all.’ If we have realized emptiness, the manner of making our dedication is by recollecting that the three – the person making the dedication, the actions that are dedicated and the dedication itself – all lack inherent existence. If we have not realized emptiness, the manner of making our dedication is by considering that these three – dedicator, dedicated and dedication – all lack inherent existence. In the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras Buddha says that our manner of dedicating should unite method and wisdom. This practice is very profound because through this dedication both our merit and wisdom increase and we progress along spiritual paths. Dedication is by nature a virtuous mental factor; it is the virtuous intention that functions both to prevent accumulated virtue from degenerating and to cause its increase.
Whatever our wish may be, if we dedicate all our virtue to that end, our virtue will carry us to our goal. Our virtuous actions are said to be like a horse and our dedication like the reins. When we dedicate we are like a skilful rider who, by using the reins, can direct his horse wherever he wants to go. The Kadampa Teachers taught that whenever we perform virtuous actions there are two important things to remember: to begin with a virtuous motivation and to conclude with dedication.
offering the mandala
The word ‘mandala’
