Paramitas – Karmapa Center 16

While first reminding us of the general meaning of dharma, the three trainings, and the teachings on buddha nature, Acharya Lhakpa Tshering then turned towards the third and fourth pāramitā or perfection, the practice of patience and diligence, respectively. What do we need to get closer and closer to the state of buddhahood?

Creating Space to Look Within

It was emphasized that we begin with the practice of śamatha (calm-abiding meditation), as a way to slow down our mind and create a space to look within. Through looking within, we start to see the workings of our mind. In this way, we become familiar with ourselves and will be able to tame and train the mind, which can be understood as the general purpose of the dharma.

In addition, whether we think or feel our practice went well or not, we can always end our session with a feeling of appreciation. No matter how we may evaluate our practice, we can rejoice that we took the time to work with our minds. This applies equally to listening or studying the dharma as well.

Three Baskets and Three Trainings

Acharya continued our session by encouraging us to give rise to the intention to listen, contemplate, and practice the dharma for the benefit of all sentient beings. Dharma can be understood as the teaching of the Buddha. These teachings, he elaborated, are grouped together in three “baskets”– the Tripiṭaka.

Within these three collections, we find the three trainings: the training in higher discipline or ethics, the training in higher meditative concentration, and the training in higher wisdom. Illustrated by the example of obtaining sesame oil from a sesame seed, Acharya stressed that we can all obtain the state of omniscience or buddhahood if we make an effort to do so. Why is this so? Acharya said:

“The nature of the mindstream of a buddha and the nature of the mindstream of an ordinary being is identical. All sentient beings possess buddha nature.”

In brief, he continued, buddha means the exhaustion of all delusions and the full development of wisdom. Practicing dharma, then, is to remove our delusions and expand our wisdom. In order to do this, we need to accumulate merit and wisdom through the 37 practices of a bodhisattva, as pointed out by Ngulchu Tokmé, and especially that of the six pāramitās. If we do not engage in these practices, we will unnecessarily prolong our time in the world of suffering orsaṃsāra.

Patience Without Malice

After covering the pāramitā of generosity and discipline in the previous sessions, Acharya continued with verse 27, which expresses the perfection of patience:

“For bodhisattvas who desire a wealth of virtue,
All harmful actions done to them are like a precious treasure.
Therefore, to practice patience that is
Without any malice toward anyone is the practice of a bodhisattva.”
(Quoted from A Guide to the Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva, translated by Christopher Stagg)

Practicing patience may not be easy. In fact, Acharya said, it is quite difficult. Both the sūtras and bodhisattvas like Śāntideva teach that patience is even more difficult than to bear suffering. Yet, it is of great importance. Why? Drawing from Śāntideva’s Entrance to the Way of a Bodhisattva and Bodhisattvapitaka Sūtra, Acharya explained that a single moment of anger can destroy all the virtue that we have gathered for a very long time. Therefore, “[…] to practice patience that is without any malice toward anyone […],” as taught in this verse by Ngulchu Tokmé, is the key practice.

Getting Closer to Buddhahood by Taking Small Steps

Despite the difficulty of practicing patience, Acharya shared various practical ways to strengthen our patience in daily life and when practicing the dharma, and to do so one step at a time:

Instead of thinking of those who cause you harm as enemies and trying to destroy them, we should look at them as a treasure, turn inward, and tame our mind of anger. “Taming the angry mind is equal to taming all outer enemies,” Acharya said.
In everyday situations, like someone cutting the line at the grocery store or when the coffee we ordered isn’t quite right, we reflect on ourselves and on the unseen difficulties that may be behind those actions. This way we can gradually expand our patience.
Whenever we encounter difficulties during dharma practice, like physical pain in meditation, or hearing about very subtle and profound teachings on karma or emptiness which may be difficult to grasp, instead of resisting or turning away, we need to open our mind and develop endurance.

In short, if we are able to carry such situations onto the path and consider them as treasures, then we will be able to get closer and closer to the state of buddhahood, the wealth of omniscience.

Ending Laziness

The next verse, 28, teaches about the practice of exertion or diligence:

“Though the hearers and solitary realizers practice only for their own benefit,
They exert themselves like their hair is on fire.
Seeing this, to practice diligence, the source of qualities,
For the sake of all beings is the practice of a bodhisattva.” (28)

Just like we need to strengthen our patience by taking small steps, we need to gradually increase our diligence. Whereas anger is the affliction to be removed through developing patience, the obstacle we are working with in the context of the pāramitā of exertion is laziness. Acharya explained that the teachings speak about three kinds of lazinesses that we need to put to an end:

Laziness of inactivity: our regular kind of laziness of being passive, like just sitting on a couch.
Laziness of clinging to non- virtuousnonvirtuous actions: rather than practicing the dharma to attain enlightenment, we engage in non- virtuousnonvirtuous activities like duck hunting or something similar.
Laziness of lack of self-confidence: thinking, for one reason or another, that it would not be possible for us to obtain buddhahood.

As mentioned earlier, Acharya reminded us about the teaching on buddha nature: all sentient beings possess the same essence or potential to become a buddha. Therefore, he said, “if we put in an effort and exert ourselves, if we are diligent, we are all able to recognize our buddha nature and obtain the state of buddhahood.”

Making a Real Effort to Benefit Others

In this verse, Ngulchu Tokmé points to the effort made by śrāvakās (hearers) and pratyekabuddhas (solitary realizers). While they practice dharma solely for their own benefit, following the path of individual liberation, they exert themselves “like their hair is on fire.”

Knowing or seeing that hearers and solitary realizers exert themselves in this way, there is no need to speak about the effort we should make to obtain enlightenment. After all, Acharya taught, we seek to benefit all sentient beings on the Mahāyāna path. So, our diligence should surely be even greater than the hearers and solitary realizers. If, Acharya continued, we would practice dharma in a continuous manner and engage in virtuous activity, even when starting with just a couple of minutes a day, we would be able to achieve the state of omniscience.

Applying this to studying Ngulchu Tokmé’s 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva, Acharya closed our Meditation for All session by encouraging us to practice or, at least, to read these verses regularly. If time allows, every day.

“Even if you don’t understand the meaning,” Acharya said, “if you read with the intention to benefit others, having an altruistic mind, the meaning of these verses will naturally come to us.”

Acharya thanked everyone for joining in this practice, and we dedicated the merit.

Karmapa Khyenno!

In verse 22, Ngulchu Tokmé teaches us about ultimate bodhicitta. Last week, our resident teacher, Acharya Lhakpa Tshering, offered an explanation of this verse and the two following verses, which show how to cut through our confusion and see reality directly. The next couple of verses, Acharya said, instruct how to put the teachings on ultimate bodhicitta into practice in post-meditation or subsequent attainment: through the six pāramitās or perfections .

Working with Our Breath and Distraction

Acharya first guided us in the practice of śamatha (calm-abiding meditation) following the recitation of our opening chants. He highlighted how we can calm the mind through focusing on the movement of our breath, with the air coming in and going out through our nostrils. Whenever we find that our mind gets distracted or we enter into a state of daydreaming, we can simply bring our awareness back to our focal object: in this case, the movement of our breath. We do this practice repeatedly, Acharya instructed.

“It doesn’t matter how many times you get distracted,” he said. “Whenever that happens, just be aware of it. Distraction is nothing bad, and we are not trying to not get distracted. We are simply aware of it, and return to our focal object.”

We engage in this practice with the aspiration to attain enlightenment for the benefit of everyone. Therefore, whatever merit we gain through it, we wish it to be the cause for fulfilling this aspiration.

A Beginner Bodhisattva Practicing Generosity

Previously, we discussed the topic of ultimate bodhicitta. Today, we turn to the question: How to put this into practice in post-meditation or subsequent attainment? On the path of the Mahāyāna or great vehicle, this is done through the six pāramitās or perfections, starting with the practice of generosity as expressed by verse 25:

“Since, if you wish for enlightenment, you must give even your body away.
What is there to be said about giving material objects to others?
Therefore, to have generosity without hope of
Being paid in return is the practice of a bodhisattva.”
(Quoted from A Guide to the Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva, translated by Christopher Stagg)

Nguclhu Tokmé’s main instruction, Acharya explained, is to practice generosity without “hope of being paid in return.” No matter what kind of generosity we engage in, this is something we should remember all the time. Yet, as a beginner, this is very difficult. We have a strong habit of wishing to get something in return for our actions. Therefore, our resident teacher elaborated, many dharma practices make use of this habit and encourage us to think: “Through this practice I will accumulate the two accumulations of merit and wisdom, and will obtain the state of buddhahood.” Thinking thus, we will engage in practices like generosity as a beginner bodhisattva.

The Ground for Ultimate Reality

From the perspective of ultimate bodhicitta and realized bodhisattvas, there is no accumulator, nothing to be accumulated, and no object of accumulation. Ultimately, those do not exist. While realizing this is our ultimate goal, Acharya said, “without relying on relative bodhicitta, there is no way to reach ultimate reality.” He illustrated this with an example often taught by Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso Rinpoche: An airplane taking off to the sky (ultimate) needs the ground (relative) to make speed to get up there.

Turning to the practice of generosity, Acharya taught that there are three kinds of generosity:

The generosity of material goods
The generosity of protection from fear or offering refuge
The generosity of giving or sharing the dharma

The bodhisattva who fully gives rise to the aspiration of attaining enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings, Ngulchu Tokmé writes in this verse, even gives their own body away. Acharya explained that we need to see this in the context of the Mahāyāna path. Bodhisattvas who have seen the truth of emptiness directly will indeed be able to do this. This does not trouble them. For beginner bodhisattvas, we instead focus on the three kinds of generosity.

Only Give What is Beneficial to Others

The practice of generosity, Acharya stressed, does not mean that we give away whatever we have nor give things to anyone at any point in time. Instead, as the Indian Buddhist master, Śāntideva, teaches in bodhisattva-caryā-avatāra, we carefully look at what the other really needs and would benefit from.

Illustrating this with various examples, Acharya explained that we give what is beneficial. If this consists of giving something small, then that is what we should do. Furthermore, giving is not limited to some kind of object. Showing respect through our physical actions, speaking gently, and being kind are also acts of generosity. We can think of offering a smile or protection to those who seek refuge out of fear.

Although sharing the dharma is considered the most supreme act of generosity, this may not always be what the other needs. The intention, therefore, may be good, but we really should be giving what the other needs at that moment — not what we want to give.

A key thing to remember: We should practice generosity without the hope of being paid in return. Otherwise, our practice will become ingenuine and cause suffering to come our way.

Getting To a Place of Coolness

The six perfections taught through these verses by Ngulchu Tokmé follow a certain progression. The perfection of generosity, which is mainly to liberate ourselves from the attachment or clinging to samsaric (i.e. worldly) things, prepares us for the practice of discipline taught in verse 26:

“If, lacking discipline, you do not accomplish your own benefit,
Wishing to accomplish others’ benefit is laughable!
Therefore, to engage in discipline
Without samsaric craving is the practice of a bodhisattva.”

The English word “discipline” and Tibetan tshül thrim are trying to capture the Sanskrit word “śīla,” which means something like “coolness.” Acharya explained that we can understand this from the context of the burning sun in the places where Buddha lived: If you sit under a tree or in the shade on a sunny day, you will be able to feel this coolness. The heat, in this case, is a reference to the experience of attachment and other mental afflictions. The coolness refers to the place we experience through guarding or watching the actions of our body, speech, and mind, with an emphasis on the first two. This is the so-called discipline.

Benefiting Ourselves and Others

If we contemplate this practice of guarding or disciplining ourselves, Acharya said:

“Then we can see that if we are not capable of guarding our body, speech, and mind we can easily see in today’s world how this gives us a lot of problems, a lot of hardships, a lot of suffering. On the other hand, if we are capable to discipline ourselves, that will become the foundation for all kinds of virtuous qualities and the ground for the accumulation of merit. This, in turn, enables us to benefit both ourselves and others.”

If, as Ngulchu Tokmé points out, we are not able to practice discipline, then benefiting others is laughable. How can you benefit others, if you can’t even keep yourself out of trouble?

Progressing Towards the State of Buddhahood

To conclude, and responding to a question asked by one of the participants, Acharya explained how the practice of the Mahāyāna path is fully encompassed by the six pāramitās. Therefore, if we are able to practice those, we can realize the truth of emptiness and obtain the state of buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings. This, however, is not easy. Why?

As human beings, Acharya elaborated, we have many mental afflictions. Particularly strong is the affliction of desire or clinging to worldly things and, especially, the grasping at a self or self-fixation. Since attaining buddhahood requires the realization of emptiness and the absence of a self, it is very difficult. Therefore, we need to work with mental afflictions in a gradual manner and, for example, make our attachments smaller and smaller.

The practice of the six pāramitās can be understood as working with increasingly subtle mental afflictions. The first pāramitā, the practice of generosity, has as the main instruction to let go of the hope of being paid in return. This consists of working with very coarse forms of attachment. The second pāramitā, the practice of discipline, has as the main instruction to practice discipline “without samsaric craving.” This will help to prevent attachment to samsaric things from arising and further reduce our clinging. As we progress through the practice of the six perfections in this way, we get closer and closer to the realization of emptiness, and the realization of buddhahood, for the sake of all beings. Our goal, Acharya said, “is to have the understanding of emptiness. But, without clearing away these obscurations like attachment, there is no way to reach that goal.” This is why we practice the six pāramitās on the heroic path of compassion. These are the practices of a bodhisattva.

Following those words, we dedicated the merit.