The 7 Preliminaries with Eva Natanya - 24 Envisioning Sukhavati

Eva Natanya, 13 May 2020

Today we will start the next preliminary practice, Phowa. So, might this give an ultimate answer to ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’. We can enter this practice with a sweet, uplifting attitude. Eva (Yangchen) reads an excerpt from the book “The Velveteen Rabbit”, as a parable for the path to enlightenment.

Yangchen then addresses how Phowa practice is not in contradiction with the aspiration to reach buddhahood in a single lifetime, rather it is complementary. What characterizes our aspirations is the perseverance to remain in a path no matter the number of eons it takes, as Tsongkhapa writes, the quickly part is for the sake of others. She talks about how Phowa helps on our surrender, knowing that we are and will be taken care of by our Guru, our ultimate Guru, even when our configured mind is losing its ground. Phowa is letting our heart fly, into infinite space.

The Phowa practice we focus on is based on a Nirmanakaya Buddhafield, which arose from Amitabha’s intense prayer. Yangchen reads Lama Tsongkhapa’s prayer to Amitabha, and explains how birth and life unfold in Sukhavati. She then talks about the possibility of feeling a greater connection to other pure lands, and what this implies for us when practicing Phowa. She also elaborates on the state of mind the prayers generate, as we aspire to be reborn in Sukhavati.

Yangchen clarifies that two termas are put together by Düdjom Lingpa in his commentary, adding up to seven preliminary practices. She also clarifies why there are two Phowa practices in the Khandro Nyingtik text, and reads the opening colophon, as well as the closing lines, of both of them. After this, she goes into “A Treasure House of Blessings” and reads the starting paragraphs related to the practice of Phowa.

Download (MP3 / 14 MB)

Transcript

This lecture does not have a text transcript. Please contact us if you’d like to volunteer to assist our transcription team.