Contemplation – Karmapa Center 16

Every Ending Is a New Beginning on the Path: Q&A on the 37 Practices

Our series Meditation for All: 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva concluded by reciting Ngulchu Tokmé’s root text, followed by a Q&A sessions with our resident teacher, Acharya Lhakpa Tshering, and how the end of this series also marks a new beginning.

The (in)equality of beings

One participant asked a question about verse 17 from Ngulchu Tokmé’s text, which reads:

“Even if someone my equal or lower
Should insult me influenced by pride,
To place them with respect, as if they were a guru,
At the crown of my head is the practice of a bodhisattva.”

Since it is often taught that all beings are equal, the participant wondered how to understand the phrase “someone my equal or lower.”

Acharya Lhakpa kindly offered the following explanation, inviting us to consider different perspectives. Looking through the lens of ultimate or absolute reality, all beings are indeed equal, as each possesses buddha nature–the very essence of the Tathāgata. However, when looking through the lens of the conventional or relative reality, beings can be seen as equal, lower, or higher in relation to one another.

Another way to reflect on this is through the teaching of dependent origination. Everything arises in dependence on something else. All phenomena exist in a web of causality or interdependence. This dynamic is evident in everyday life: for example, in a workplace, we have colleagues who are our equals, as well as those who hold positions higher or lower than ours.

It is this conventional, worldly perspective that Ngulchu Tokmé likely had in mind when writing about “someone my equal or lower.”

Śāntideva and the Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra

Another participant inquired about the life and teachings of the Indian pandita Śāntideva. During his times as a scholar at Mahāvihāra Nalanda, the ancient monastic university, some fellow monks reportedly said that Śāntideva only achieved three “realizations”: eating, sleeping, and going to the toilet. However, when challenged to teach–an attempt to humiliate him and have him expelled–he shared the verses that later became renowned as the Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra (The Way of the Bodhisattva).

Acharya Lhakpa kindly offered a brief overview of Śāntideva’s life and liberation story, emphasizing the heart-meaning of this text. Śāntideva himself noted that his work does not present anything new or poetic but simply conveys the words of the Buddha as taught in the sūtras.

Much like Ngulchu Tokmé’s root text, which can be understood as guidance on traveling the heroic path of a bodhisattva, Śāntideva’s teaching centers on bodhicitta—the mind set on awakening. The first three chapters describe how to give rise to the aspiration for awakening, followed by three chapters on maintaining this attitude, and another three on expanding and strengthening bodhicitta. The tenth and final chapter is dedicated to the practice of dedication.

Acharya Lhakpa explained how we might put these teachings into practice:

Carefully reflect on the benefits of bodhicitta.
Work through our mental afflictions, learning to bring these emotions onto the path
Once we have gained some mastery over our afflictive emotions, we then practice the six perfections, or pāramitās.

At the conclusion of our practice, we dedicate any merit we have accumulated. Simply put, “we share the merit with all sentient beings,” Acharya said.

The practice of study, contemplation, and meditation

The third and final question concerned the practice of study, contemplation, and meditation. One participant noted that Ngulchu Tokmé emphasizes these practices throughout the text and asked for clarification: What exactly is meant by study, contemplation, and meditation? In particular, how does meditation differ from contemplation, and where does analytical meditation fit within these three?

In response, Acharya summarized the threefold practice as follows:

“We study to understand what was not yet understood, we contemplate to remove doubts, and then we meditate to gain experience, familiarize ourselves with the Dharma, and put it into action to liberate all sentient beings from suffering.”

Acharya further explained the role of analytical meditation, noting that it can be understood as a part of contemplation. Why? Because, together with śamatha (calm-abiding meditation), analytical meditation helps to dispel doubts and clarify understanding.

Moreover, Acharya emphasized that once we have gained certainty through contemplation, it is essential to familiarize ourselves deeply with the wisdom arising from contemplation. In other words, we must internalize the teachings—they need to become an integral part of our being. This internalization is the essence of “meditation”: by putting the teachings into practice and gaining experiential insight, we progress toward realization and, ultimately, enlightenment, for the benefit of all beings.

Deepening our Practice

Following these final remarks, it was noted that our brief discussion of the 37 practices has come to a close, and now it is time to deepen our study and contemplation of the Dharma. In particular, given the importance of meditation, we need to gain more experience through practice to progress on the bodhisattva path toward our ultimate goal: enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.

Therefore, building on this series, we will continue with a new series of Dharma talks and practices inspired by Ngulchu Tokmé’s text, the lives of great masters, and the teachings of the Kagyü lineage—especially the lineage of the Karmapas. You can learn more here about this upcoming series. In this spirit, our Tibetan Language Class will start to focus on colloquial Tibetan and reading basic Dharma discourses.

With this, the current series concluded, and the merit was dedicated.

Intermezzo: Cultivating an Altruistic Aspiration and Bodhicitta

Following our opening chants, we began the practice of śamatha (calm-abiding meditation). We can also think of this formal meditation practice as resting at ease or slowing down the mind. In addition, two key points were emphasized: having a beginner’s mind and our physical posture.

Beginner’s Mind

Some might feel very familiar with śamatha practice, others feel it is very new to them, or for others as something in-between. What is important to remember is what is known from the Zen-tradition as “beginner’s mind.”

While slowing down and taking a step back from the usual rhythm of our lives, which often just takes us along, we can bring curiosity and wonder towards Atiśa’s question that we asked ourselves during our last session: What is the state of my mind, right now, this very moment?

Having a beginner’s mind also means we look at the movement and state of our mind without any judgment—without evaluating it as good or bad, positive or negative. As Acharya Lhakpa Tshering often instructs during our practice: “Be aware; simply be aware.”

Importance of the Posture of Body

Not so much as a precondition but as part of the practice of śamatha, we pay attention to our physical posture. That, by itself, helps to let the mind slow down and bring clarity. This way, we can see the state of our mind clearly and work with it.

Therefore, we sit well-grounded and balanced, with our hands resting on our knees or in our lap. We straighten our spine, which in one way can be understood as making sure we are centered. Our shoulders are slightly pushed towards the back, opening our chest. We tuck in our chin, and our tongue slightly touches the upper palate. Relaxing the jaw, our mouth typically opens slightly. We relax our forehead and our eyes. Our gaze is resting in front of us without looking at a particular object. We gently notice the movement of our breath.

In some traditions, it is taught that our physical posture is half of the work or even more than ninety percent. In any case, it is clear that paying attention to our physical posture is of great importance.

Having established our physical posture, we can look again and ask: What is the state of my mind, right now, in this moment?

Connecting with the Wisdom-Intent and Our Capability on the Path

While remaining seated in our posture of body, we recited the homage, purposes of the composition, and first ten verses of Ngulchu Tokmé’s Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva. By doing so in this manner and by looking carefully at how the words impact us, we can connect deeply with the wisdom-intent.

Before contemplating Verse 10, we briefly reviewed the two verses we contemplated the previous week.

Verse 8: This one focuses on the fact that all our actions of body, speech, and mind, are in a chain of cause and effect. As taught in the Sūtras by Buddha Śākyamuni, no karma is “wasted,” meaning that whatever action we perform will, sooner or later, have a result. Therefore, Ngulchu Tokmé teaches us with this verse to never commit any negative actions because, at some point, these will only lead to suffering.
Verse 9: If we don’t commit negative actions of body, speech, and mind, but engage in virtuous activity, we will increasingly find ourselves in comfortable places, with wealth in both material and immaterial ways. In a worldly sense, we may feel happy and at ease. However, Ngulchu Tokmé points out in the ninth verse that none of these pleasurable states of being offer any lasting happiness. Rather, the things we enjoy are fleeting and very quickly fade away, like a “dewdrop on a blade of grass.” Therefore, we should strive for the supreme state of liberation to be fully free of pain, despair, and suffering — the state of samsara.

These two verses, as explained by Acharya Lhakpa, show the lesser and middling types of being or capability, respectively. The tenth verse points to the highest capacity. We can also think of these in terms of potential. For most of us, if not all, we move between these three, depending on the day or week. Sometimes even within one day or a single formal meditation session.

Making a Connection

Reminding us of the importance of our physical posture, we continued contemplating the three types of potential or capability, focusing on the highest one as expressed in the tenth verse of Ngulchu Tokmé’s Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva, as translated by Christopher Stagg:

“From beginningless time, my mothers have loved me.
If they suffer, how can I worry about my own happiness?
Therefore, in order to liberate sentient beings, which are boundless,
To engender bodhicitta is the practice of a bodhisattva.”

In his commentary on this verse, the twentieth-century master Dzatrul Ngawang Tenzin Norbu explains that recognizing all sentient beings as having been our mother gives us all the reasons to follow the example of past bodhisattvas by practicing in the same way for the benefit of others. Acharya Lhakpa further clarified that the notion of “mother” serves as an instruction to find a way to connect with every being without exception. This connection forms the basis upon which loving-kindness, compassion, and ultimately the resolve to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all (bodhicitta) can be cultivated.

Sevenfold Cause-And-Effect Instruction to Generate Bodhicitta

From the perspective of making a connection, we engage in a slightly adapted version of the sevenfold cause-and-effect instruction from the Kadampa tradition to engender or cultivate bodhicitta. In brief:

Bring someone to mind who has been kind to you in this life and feels close to your heart. This could be your mother, father, brother, sister, relatives, a teacher, anyone.
Feeling the presence of this person, recollect or remember the kindness you received.
Realizing the kindness that person gave to you, connect with the feeling and intention to repay this kindness and offer something in return, material or immaterial.
Having the wish to repay the kindness of him/her/they, give rise to the thought: “How wonderful would it be if this person knew nothing but peace and joy in life.” Gently smile and imagine their life to be so. Free of any hardship. This is the quality of loving-kindness.
Remember a time when things were not easy for this person or visualize the possibility of such a moment or period. Give rise to the thought: “Oh no, what can I do to help?” We feel the urgency and think: “May this suffering be dispelled. May this person be completely free of this hardship.” This is the quality of compassion.
Realizing that, like this person, everyone — every creature we know or don’t know, seen or not seen, maybe different in appearance but equal at this fundamental level — wishes nothing but happiness and does everything they can to avoid suffering; and by seeing this equality, we give rise to the thought: “I will do whatever I possibly can to remove the suffering of beings and bring all of them to a place for genuine freedom and happiness.” This could be called the quality of the highest resolve or altruistic aspiration.
With each single step being the cause for the next, all six together are taught to become the cause for the highest result or effect of the sevenfold instruction: bodhicitta.

This powerful meditation practice aims to cultivate genuine compassion and engender the heart of awakening as Ngulchu Tokmé instructs in the tenth verse.

In this way, we deepened our connection to these three kinds of capabilities and the ways to contemplate them as support for our practice. Having expressed gratitude to everyone for joining today’s practice, we concluded with the dedication of merit and wish to cultivate this highest resolve that is the basis for bodhicitta and the practice of a bodhisattva as taught from verse 11 onwards.

Intermezzo: Contemplating Karma and Saṃsāra

Settling into a formal meditation posture for our practice of śamatha (calm-abiding meditation) after our opening chants, we emphasized a key point of this particular meditation technique: to ensure our body is comfortable yet awake, and is a support to look at the state of our mind.

What is the State of My Mind?

Atiśa Dīpaṅkaraśrījñāna, the great Indian master who is renowned in the history of Tibetan Buddhism and considered the founder of the Kadampa tradition, is said to have emphasized asking ourselves: What is the state of my mind? We often ask ourselves how we are doing and reply with an answer relating to our physical well-being. However, the more important question to ask, according to Atiśa, is about our mental state: What is the state of my mind in this moment?

When looking at the state of our mind, following the instructions of Acharya Lhakpa Tshering, we can do so without judgement. Instead, we can approach this practice with curiosity and openness. We don’t need to force the mind to be in a particular state or have certain thoughts or not. Rather, we look with awareness and simply notice: What is the state of my mind, right now?

Some Instructions for Contemplative Meditation Practice

In the wake of our śamatha practice, we moved into two contemplative meditations. Whenever we step into such practice, we can keep a few instructions in mind:

Sit in a formal meditation posture (like with śamatha practice);
Feel grounded and connect with a sense of calmness and openness;
Contemplate questions or statements with wonder;
Don’t apply a strong force to reasoning or thinking nor think you need to find an answer right away;
See how you respond physically, emotionally, and mentally without judgement;
Notice how it impacts you, in this moment.

At the end of our contemplative practice, we can make a brief mental note to ourselves with a sense of joy and appreciation for the experience, and possibly having gained a new or deeper understanding, or particular insight. And then we simply let go and practice śamatha again for a brief moment.

Obtaining Stable Trust in Karma, Cause and Effect

In his commentary on the eighth verse, Acharya Lhakpa noted various times that we do not need to seek the lower realms, or any realm, somewhere “out there.” We can just look at our present world and the state of our mind. His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, says something along the same lines:

“The lower realms have been described as deep underneath us or far away from the earth. But we can find smaller versions of these realms in this very world, right before our eyes. It is not necessary to look below the earth or anywhere else, because war and famine are happening right now, and they are exactly what has been described as the misery of the lower realms.”

Seeing the lower realms in this way and to bring it closer, we can consider the following:

When did we contribute, in some way or another, to the suffering of ourselves and/or others? We can bring to mind any moment, no matter how small or big, when we were a contributing factor to harm or pain.
What were the various causes and conditions that led to this moment? Understand that there is never a single cause nor might we have the full picture of everything involved. Yet, we can connect with the fact that cause and effect is at play.
Consider how negative states of mind, harmful speech, or unwholesome actions of body, only lead to suffering. Likewise, how positive states of mind, kind speech, and wholesome actions of body, can bring happiness.

As a way to conclude this contemplation, reflect on the following words of Atiśa:

“What is truly profound is none other than karma, [cause] and result. Obtaining stable trust in karma, cause and effect, is more supreme than seeing the face of the yidam deity.”
Quoted from A Guide to the Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva, translated by Christopher Stagg

Leaving the Swamp of Saṃsāra

The previous session, Acharya Lhakpa suggested we think of the higher realms, be it the demigods, gods, form realms or formless realms, as living in a high-end neigborhood. Putting aside any prejudices we might have towards such a place, we can think of it as a place of peace and joy, then visualize and consider the following:

Imagine a happy and peaceful neighborhood that is safe, clean, spacious, and full of flowers and trees.
Visualize everything that would make your high-end neighborhood as lovely as possible, be it with parks, fountains, particular shops, a house you really would like to live in, whatever might be the source of your happiness.
Consider that these outer objects are all conditioned phenomena: dependent on the gathering of causes and conditions and, thus, impermanent. See in front of you how this high-end neighborhood slowly, but surely, starts to deteriorate and all things fall apart.
Apply the same impermanence to your own body: day-by-day, the body becomes older, we are affected by sickness, and, at some point, sooner or later, this life will come to an end. Just like we can not stay in a high-end neighbourhood indefinitely, we will need to let go of this body too, and not quite know where we will end up next.
Connect with the fact that such a neighbourhood and life in this world cannot offer lasting happiness. Therefore, determine clearly that there is no point in being attached to this kind of happiness and make sure to seek out liberation.

As a way to conclude this second contemplation, that relates to the ninth verse, we can reflect on the following words of Atiśa:

“Friends, this swamp of samsara is without happiness; go to the dry land of liberation.”
Quoted from A Guide to the Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva, translated by Christopher Stagg

Progressing Along the Path in Our Own Dialectic Manner

Contemplative meditations like the above offer a way to make a personal connection with the instructions of Ngulchu Tokmé and the explanations of Acharya Lhakpa. In our context, it can help us see and feel how verse 8, 9, and 10 indeed show a progression on the heroic path of a bodhisattva.

As we consider this progression, it will help us to do so without any judgment about where we should be on the path or how things should be. What is most important is to understand our own personal path and practice. This is something that can change moment-to-moment, day-by-day, and week-by-week.

In other words, rather than thinking of this progress in a linear way, moving up, we can think of it as a dialectical process. Today we may strongly connect with karma, thinking “Oh, I should really avoid negative actions.” Tomorrow, we may connect more with the absence of lasting happiness, thinking “Oh, I thought this was a source of happiness but I see it is not…” And at other times we may really connect with an altruistic intention when we help someone. In this way, we connect with and strengthen all three capabilities. Bringing all three together in this way can support our practice and help us progress along our own paths.

With that final remark and thanking everyone for joining this practice, we concluded with the dedication of merit and the wish for all beings to be well and attain enlightenment.