body and dissolves into our heart. We focus single-pointedly on this process of exhalation and inhalation, breathing out our distractions and breathing in Buddha’s blessings, until our mind has become clear and peaceful. At this stage our mind is like a clean white cloth that we can now color with a virtuous motivation such as compassion or bodhichitta.
Going for refuge
Having calmed our mind, we now go for refuge to the Three Jewels. The Three Jewels are the Buddha Jewel—all fully enlightened beings; the Dharma Jewel—the spiritual realizations developed through practicing Buddha’s teachings; and the Sangha Jewel—the Superior practitioners who have realized ultimate truth directly. Understanding that it is only these Three Jewels that have the actual power to protect living beings from fear, danger and suffering, we imagine and believe that in the space before us is the living Buddha Shakyamuni surrounded by all other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, like the full moon surrounded by stars. Then with strong fear of samsaric rebirth and with deep faith in the power of the Three Jewels to protect us, we recite the refuge prayer and make a strong determination to rely upon Buddha, Dharma and Sangha until we attain enlightenment.
Generating bodhichitta
We then generate the motivation of bodhichitta. The value of our meditation, and indeed of any virtuous action, depends primarily upon the motivation with which we engage in it. If we meditate with the motivation just to relax and improve our physical health, our meditation may accomplish these goals but it can hardly be considered a spiritual practice. The highest motivation of all is bodhichitta, the wish to attain full enlightenment to help all living beings. If we meditate with this motivation the merit of our meditation will be limitless. To generate bodhichitta we think:
Each and every living being trapped in the prison of samsara is experiencing danger, fear and suffering, life after life, endlessly. If I myself attain enlightenment my emanations will pervade all worlds and protect every living being. I must become a Buddha for the benefit of all living beings.
With this motivation we recite the bodhichitta prayer three times.
Going for refuge to the Three Jewels is the gateway through which we enter Buddhism in general, and generating bodhichitta motivation is the gateway through which we enter Mahayana Buddhism. Since the strength of our bodhichitta depends upon the strength of our love and compassion, we then recite the following prayer from the depths of our heart:
May everyone be happy,
May everyone be free from misery,
May no one ever be separated from their happiness,
May everyone have equanimity, free from hatred and attachment.
With bodhichitta motivation we then engage in the practices of accumulating merit, purifying negative karma, receiving the blessings of the Buddhas and contemplating and meditating on Eight Verses of Training the Mind.
VISUALIZING THE FIELD FOR ACCUMULATING MERIT
We imagine that in the space in front of us is the living Buddha Shakyamuni, who is one nature with our Spiritual Guide, surrounded by the lineage Gurus, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and other holy beings. At the heart of Buddha Shakyamuni is Buddha Amitabha, who is the same nature as Bodhisattva Langri Tangpa, the author of Eight Verses of Training the Mind. We focus on the assembly of these enlightened beings, and when we perceive a rough mental image we meditate on this for a short while. This assembly is called the “Field for Accumulating Merit” because just as external crops grow from seeds sown in an external field, so the internal crops of merit or good fortune grow from the seeds of faith and devotion sown in the field of all enlightened beings.
Although these holy beings are in reality present in front of us, because of our ignorance and negative karma we cannot see them. Even so, we can communicate with them by means of visualization. If we find it difficult to visualize the Buddhas, or if we do not develop any special feelings when we do so, this is because in the depths of our heart we do not believe that they are actually there. However, as already explained, Buddhas are everywhere. Visualizing Buddhas is not like a children’s game of make-believe, but a way of opening our mind to what is already there. Buddha Shakyamuni said, “Whenever anyone with faith visualizes me, I am there.” On an overcast day, although we cannot see the sun directly we have no problem imagining it shining behind the clouds because we know that it is there. In the same way, even if our visualization of the Buddhas is very unclear we should have no doubt that they are really present before us. If we engage in visualization with full confidence that the living Buddhas are in front of us, our mind will definitely make a connection with them, and gradually the clarity of our visualization will improve.
At the beginning we do not need to visualize the Buddhas in detail; instead we should simply believe that they are present in front of us and develop strong faith. Through the power of our faith and familiarity, visualizing the Buddhas will eventually become effortless. We do not find it hard to visualize our mother, because we know her so well. In a similar way, when through studying and developing faith in Dharma teachings we come to understand the nature, functions and good qualities of Buddhas, it will be easier for us to visualize them. It is also important to understand how we too can become a Buddha, for when we are confident that enlightenment is a possibility for us we will naturally feel much closer to those who have already attained enlightenment.
OFFERING THE SEVEN LIMBS AND THE MANDALA
To accumulate merit and purify negativity we now offer the practice of the seven limbs and the mandala. The seven limbs are: prostration, offering, confession, rejoicing, beseeching the holy beings to remain, requesting the turning of the Wheel of Dharma and dedication.
Prostration
Focusing on the assembly of Buddhas in the space before us, with a mind of deep faith and respect we press the palms of our hands together at our heart and recite the appropriate line from the prayer of seven limbs.
Offering
To empower our mind with the positive energy needed to attain full enlightenment for the sake of all living beings, we make extensive offerings to the assembly of holy beings. We make not only the offerings we have arranged on our shrine, but also use our imagination to offer all objects of enjoyment existing throughout the universe, such as beautiful gardens, lakes, trees and mountains, as well as the sun, the moon and the stars.
Confession
In the presence of the great Compassionate Ones, the assembly of Buddhas, we confess with a mind of great regret all the non-virtues and negative actions that we have accumulated in this life and in countless previous lives, and we promise that from now on we will not commit them again. In this way we purify our mind of our burden of negative karma and remove the principal obstacles to spiritual development.
Rejoicing
To rejoice means to appreciate and take delight in the good fortune, virtue and happiness of others. If we rejoice in others’ good qualities, this will create the cause for us to develop similar qualities ourself. Overcoming all feelings of jealousy and competitiveness, we should rejoice in the virtues of all beings—those still in samsara and those who have completed the spiritual path to enlightenment. All those who are now Buddhas once wandered the painful paths of samsara, just as we still do now. However, through their great effort they entered the Bodhisattva’s path, and progressing through all its stages, attained complete enlightenment. From the depths of our heart we rejoice in their virtuous attainments and pray to become just like them.
Beseeching the holy beings to remain
Without Spiritual Guides, who are manifestations of Buddha’s compassion,
