B. Alan Wallace, 13 Sep 2014
Alan tells us this is a good point in the retreat to refresh our motivation and guides the practice he has taught many times, the four-fold practice of arousing loving kindness for ourselves.
Meditation starts at 7:00
As the ever so revered Atisha said, tokta nila jawa ni in the beginning and the end there are two tasks. So now we begin our retreat, we’ve had a good preparation, everything done thus far has been, ngondro preliminary practices. Now we go into the main practice. But whenever you begin the main practice you start with motivation. Tokta nila jawa ni two tasks one at the beginning and one at the end. The one at the end is dedication, dedication of merit. So I’ve been doing this every single night because we are all practising after we depart at 6 o’clock. So I’ll leave to you at the end of the day, to dedicate whatever merit from the practice but now, let’s sit quietly. We’ll start with the chanting, I think it’s a good way to start, and we’ll go to the metta bhavana, loving kindness practice. In this four fold way that many of you have heard me teach many times but you can always approach it fresh. I’m going to trim it just a tiny bit so it will be a 20 minute session. Okay, better to be seated unless you are uncomfortable in which case, on your back. Please if you like to be lying down please do so now. We’ll start as always with the seven line prayer and I’ll mention this - when you come to the culmination and receive the four empowerments, you have the dissolution of the body speech in mind of Padmasambhava with yourself, this is an absolutely marvellous platform from which to develop loving kindness for yourself because the location of that, the locus of that is your own Buddha nature, wishing yourself, this sentient being, wishing yourself well from the very core of your heart, from the ground of your being that is the source of infinite loving kindness. So to the best of your ability come to rest there and from that perspective arouse loving kindness for yourself.
[2:20] Hung orgyen yul gyi nup jang tsam
pema ge sar dong po la
yam tsen chog gi ngö drup nyey
pema jung ney zhey su drak
khor du khan dro mang pö kor
kyed kyi je su dak drup kyi
jin gyi lap chir shek su sol
guru pema siddhi hung
Transcriptionist note: The Seven Line Prayer and Mantras (in Tibetan and English) and Guru Rinpoche Mantras (in Sanskrit) are written below.
HUNG ORGYEN YUL GYI NUP JANG TSAM HUNG
In the northwest frontier of Oddiyana,
PEMA GE SAR DONG PO LA
In the heart of a lotus
YAM TSEN CHOG GI NGÖ DRUP NYEY
Sits the one renowned as Padmasambhava,
PEMA JUNG NEY ZHEY SU DRAK
Who achieved the wondrous supreme siddhi,
KHOR DU KHAN DRO MANG PÖ KOR
And is surrounded by a host of many dakinis.
KYED KYI JE SU DAK DRUP KYI
Following in your footsteps, I devote myself to practice.
JIN GYI LAP CHIR SHEK SU SÖL
Please come forth and bestow your blessings.
GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG
OM āḥ hūṃ VAJRA GURU PADMA SIDDHI hūṃ
Oṃ āḥ hūṃ Vajra Guru Padma Tötreng Tsäl vajra
SAmayajaḥ siddhi phala hūṃ
[7:00] What is your heart’s desire, what is your vision of your own flourishing that will bring you the greatest meaning and joy in your life. Envision it, move into this realm of possibility which is not yet actualised.
[9:20] And symbolically visualise this pristine primordial purity of your own awareness as a radiant orb of white light incandescent, fathomless in the centre of your heart, the heart chakra and with every out breath arouse the aspiration may I experience such well-being. May I cultivate the causes of such happiness. With each out breath imagine inexhaustible rays of white light flowing from your heart permeating your entire body, saturating every cell, pervading your mind with the aspiration of loving kindness, may you be truly well and happy.
[11:04] In order to realize such well-being what would you love to receive from the world materially, spiritually, psychologically - from those near and far in the short-term and long-term. What aid, what help would you love to receive so that you may realise your heart’s desire? Envision it. [11:32]
[12:32] With each in breath imagine light flowing in from all directions above and below and from all the sides light flowing in from the family of sentient beings, from the buddhas from the bodhisattvas, fulfilling whatever you need, all that you truly need from moment to moment, day to day. Imagine the symbolically flowing in, in the form of light fulfilling, saturating your body to overflowing and with the aspiration may I receive all that I truly need to realise my heart’s desire.
[15:15] Imagine indeed receiving all that you need from moment to moment, day to day.
[15:58] It will not be possible to realise the greatest potential, fulfillment, awakening without bringing about deep and lasting transformation from within so in the same spirit of loving kindness for yourself, wishing yourself well - from what qualities would you love to be free? Qualities of the mind, qualities of behaviour. With what qualities would you love to be richly imbued in the way you engage with the world and in the quality of your mind, how would you love to transform and evolve so that you may move along the path to perfect awakening? Invision this.[16:43]
[17:30] And with each out breath once again imagine a cascade of light, rays of light emanating from your heart pervading your entire being. Imagine breath by breath as you arouse this aspiration of loving kindness that in fact right now, here and now you are in fact transforming, maturing, evolving spiritually according to your own ideals, your own vision. [18:00]
[21:22] And finally what would you love to offer to the world so that your own life can be as richly imbued with meaning as possible, provide you with the greatest possible sense of fulfillment. What would you love to offer to the world around you, to those who are near and far, in the near term and long-term. What is the greatest good you might share drawing on your own unique background, your skill, your aspirations, your gifts, what would you love to offer to the world? Bring it to mind. [22:00]
[22:43] And breath by breath as you arouse this aspiration for a final time imagine rays of light emanating out in all directions imagine these rays taking on the form of what you would love to offer to the world around you. Imagine people receiving it, human beings, other sentient beings whatever gifts you would love to offer to the environment and all the inhabitants who dwell within it. Breathe out these aspirations of loving kindness. [23:30]
[25:30] Then release whatever visualisations you’ve brought to mind, release any aspirations, release all objects of mind, finally release your mind, let it dissolve into space and let your awareness rest right where it is, still and luminous. [26:00]
[27:00] Meditation timer ends.
Olaso. I hope that was helpful, that was my motivation, really simple. And so, we’re finished and the meetings this morning, the interviews, it will be twenty minutes later. So we will start at ten twenty and then you can do the arithmetic, okay. Enjoy your day.
Transcribed by Rob Milan
Revised by Rafael Carlos Giusti
Final Edition by Cheri Langston.
Ask questions about this lecture on the Buddhism Stack Exchange or the Students of Alan Wallace Facebook Group. Please include this lecture’s URL when you post.
RSS