SAKAAL TIMES (ENGLISH), 29.07.2012
How often have we ever wondered if we had any specific advantages over other beings with a human birth? Or whether, we and everything around us, is subject to transitioning by the very nature of being impermanent? Or that situations within and around us are constantly subject to causes and conditions that come to fruition sooner or later? And how do we look at the existence of all kinds of suffering in this world and handle it? While the Four Thoughts may sound coming from Buddhist philosophy, the fact is that they are not confined to any particular religion or tradition but are the very nature of the reality we live and work in. It may just be that Buddhists have had a better recognition of it, have organized its component aspects and have perfected means and ways to actualize these four thoughts. And have found a definitive path to liberate themselves and others from it.
The human birth as we can see is possible and possessible. That everything around us is not permanent has enough evidence through death, destruction and falling apart (including the cosmos where stars explode and recreate themselves all the time). To a person with average intelligence the law of karma (cause and effect) is not difficult to understand either; if we sow wheat, it will be wheat we will reap given the favourable conditions. And the sufferings of sickness, old age and death are prevalent in all life forms.
The above are termed as ‘Four Thoughts’, also referred as outer practices or common preliminaries taught under the profound Nam Choe (meaning Space Dharma or Mind Treasures) tradition of Vajrayana as ‘Ngondro’ teachings (Ngondro means ‘moving forward’). It has been comprehensively established that these teachings came from the Buddha of Infinite Compassion, Avalokiteshvara’s own mind and mouth. So, to follow them, the purest motivation, faith, confidence and intention is required from the teacher and student alike.
Here, briefly we will explore the Four Thoughts.
1. Precious Human Re-birth: Whether we like it or not, whether we believe in it or not, whether we accept it or not the fact is that we all have re-births. The causes for all kinds of forms we may take depends on ripening of the causes and conditions. Therefore, it is clear that since we in our past lifetime created virtuous causes and conditions of morality, we have been bestowed upon a human life. However again, we are also very fortunate that not only do we have the human form but we are born with our sense faculties in place, born in an era and place where Buddha’s teachings are easily accessible and imparted by compassionate teachers and can generate faith and intention to receive the teaching. All these fortunate occurances are classified as five individual advantages, five circumstantial advantages and eight ‘free’ states, giving us the status of precious human rebirth. It has been adequately established that rebirth as human being is not possible unless we have created causes of morality in our previous lifetimes. Using metaphors, the Buddha said to his brother Nanda: ‘It is very difficult to balance sesame seeds on the tip of a needle. It is very difficult for peas to stick to a wall when they are being thrown at it. In the same way, obtaining human birth is very difficult’. Therefore, without squandering away these advantages, without exhausting the good done over previous lives, it would be wise, bold and sensible of us to practice the dharma, to be able to discover enlightenment in one life and one body.
2. Impermanence of this life: However rich we may be, however good-looking or gifted we may be the fact is that we will die someday. The fact is that we are born from causes and conditions, called ‘conditioned phenomena’, and that by very nature conditioned phenomena are impermanent. Every day we move closer to death. The options before us therefore are: whether we meet death totally unprepared and uncertain of what will happen to us at that moment or try and understand the prospect of death through dharma and be reasonably assured of it when it comes. In either case, we cannot avoid it nor can we say when death will befall upon us. The dharma teachings specify 404 causes of death, 80000 types of forces that harm our life and the body that consists of 36 different types of impurities that cause us to die. Therefore the need to contemplate on this is very important and there is no time to waste. An old Tibetan saying goes ‘our next day or next life, which comes first we never know’. And the masters say, if there is one thing to meditate upon for enlightenment, it would be to meditate on impermanence.
3. The law of cause and effect: The law of karma is central to Buddhist teachings. That we have created causes to get human rebirth should be very satisfying for us. But, what we do in and with this life will determine what rebirth we will take ahead. The Buddha says ‘what we are is what we have done and what we will be is what we do today’. So it is evident that we need to create virtuous conditions in this life to enable a better rebirth. The fact, with enough examples to back it as proof, is that our consciousness doesn’t just fade away like a burnt out candle but is carried forward. At rebirth it is our past karma that propels this consciousness into next rebirth. Anger causes rebirth in hot and cold hell realm, greed and avarice is responsible for rebirth in hungry and thirsty spirit realm. Ignorance and delusion are causes for rebirth in animal realm. Rebirth in jealous gods realm is a result of envy and likewise longlife gods are born due to extreme pride. It is important to mention here that even rebirth in god realm means suffering of age and rebirth is lower realm subsequently. Unfortunately, as human beings we are born in the desire realm, whose predominant tendency is to produce non-virtuous karma! So in order to find an anti-dote to this, to counter this situation we need to practice dharma.
4. Defects of cyclic existence (samsara): The defects mentioned here refer to the sufferings beings have to undergo in the realm they are born in. There are three fundamental types of suffering. Suffering of change, suffering upon suffering and all pervasive suffering. While the commentary on suffering of change is one the human, demi god and god realms wherein all beings born in these realms experience suffering. Humans experience the sufferings of birth, old age, sickness and death. Demi gods suffer from constant fights and quarrels and gods suffer from fall (from their present situation) and change (rebirth in lower realm). Suffering upon suffering refers to those of beings in the three lower realms. Beings born in hell reals suffer from intense heat and cold, those born in hungry spirit realm are constantly tormented by hunger and thirst, while the animal reals suffer from stupidity, being killed, being forced into excessive work etc. All pervasive suffering is this body consisting of five aggregates ( form, feeling, mental formation, perception and consciousness) with which we experience suffering. Such suffering is not easily recognized by ordinary beings but by exalted ones, much the same way as one does not feel the pain of a strand of hair on a palm of our hand but the same strand of hair in our eye makes us feel the discomfort and suffering.
While this ends the teachings on the outer preliminaries, there are four extra-ordinary or inner practices of taking Refuge (in the Three Supreme Jewels of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha) & arousing our Bodhichitta that transforms every virtuous action to the path of enlightenment, Mandala offerings for swift accomplishments of merit & wisdom, Vajrasattva practice to purify all our accumulated bad karma and obscurations and finally the Guru Yoga practice to receive blessings. Choed (Body offering thru visualizations) and Phowa (Transfer of consciousness), also covered in Ngondro teachings, are branch practices. However, these require detailed commentary and extensive descriptions of visualizations to dedicated practitioners and hence are not covered here.
This year, during the month i attended and received the profound Ngondro teachings and empowerments under the most enlightened and purest masters of the tradition (called Khenpo’s or learned professors of Buddhism, on par with Rinpoche’s). It also coincided with the third Mahaparinirvana anniversary (22-24th March) of HH Padma Norbu Rinpoche (Penor Rinpoche as he is fondly called), not only a great master of the Nyingma Tradition but also the founder of Namdroling Monastery and Ngagyur Nyingma Institute for teaching and practice near Mysore. Followers in the form of practitioners, sponsors and laity arrived from countries such as China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore amongst others over the three days of extensive and elaborate prayer sessions conducted by high lamas (or heart essences) of the tradition and attended by thousands of monks and nuns for the swift re-birth of His Holiness.
Ngondro teachings and practices alongwith advanced practices of Tsalung (understanding body channels and winds) and Dzogchen (Great Perfection) teachings are held over four weeks at Ngagyur Nyingma Institute, Namdroling Monastery, South India every year. Sessions are well structured and extensive often stretching 14hrs each day, 7days a week and include: chanting, studying, praying, meditating, practicing, receiving teachings, transmission and empowerments . All three sessions begin simultaneously on the eighteenth day of the first month of the Tibetan calendar and are open to monks and lay people alike. Teachings are imparted in Tibetan and English. Although no fees are expected, one needs to make own arrangements for accommodation and food. Willful donations are welcome.
How often have we ever wondered if we had any specific advantages over other beings with a human birth? Or whether, we and everything around us, is subject to transitioning by the very nature of being impermanent? Or that situations within and around us are constantly subject to causes and conditions that come to fruition sooner or later? And how do we look at the existence of all kinds of suffering in this world and handle it? While the Four Thoughts may sound coming from Buddhist philosophy, the fact is that they are not confined to any particular religion or tradition but are the very nature of the reality we live and work in. It may just be that Buddhists have had a better recognition of it, have organized its component aspects and have perfected means and ways to actualize these four thoughts. And have found a definitive path to liberate themselves and others from it.
The human birth as we can see is possible and possessible. That everything around us is not permanent has enough evidence through death, destruction and falling apart (including the cosmos where stars explode and recreate themselves all the time). To a person with average intelligence the law of karma (cause and effect) is not difficult to understand either; if we sow wheat, it will be wheat we will reap given the favourable conditions. And the sufferings of sickness, old age and death are prevalent in all life forms.
The above are termed as ‘Four Thoughts’, also referred as outer practices or common preliminaries taught under the profound Nam Choe (meaning Space Dharma or Mind Treasures) tradition of Vajrayana as ‘Ngondro’ teachings (Ngondro means ‘moving forward’). It has been comprehensively established that these teachings came from the Buddha of Infinite Compassion, Avalokiteshvara’s own mind and mouth. So, to follow them, the purest motivation, faith, confidence and intention is required from the teacher and student alike.
Here, briefly we will explore the Four Thoughts.
1. Precious Human Re-birth: Whether we like it or not, whether we believe in it or not, whether we accept it or not the fact is that we all have re-births. The causes for all kinds of forms we may take depends on ripening of the causes and conditions. Therefore, it is clear that since we in our past lifetime created virtuous causes and conditions of morality, we have been bestowed upon a human life. However again, we are also very fortunate that not only do we have the human form but we are born with our sense faculties in place, born in an era and place where Buddha’s teachings are easily accessible and imparted by compassionate teachers and can generate faith and intention to receive the teaching. All these fortunate occurances are classified as five individual advantages, five circumstantial advantages and eight ‘free’ states, giving us the status of precious human rebirth. It has been adequately established that rebirth as human being is not possible unless we have created causes of morality in our previous lifetimes. Using metaphors, the Buddha said to his brother Nanda: ‘It is very difficult to balance sesame seeds on the tip of a needle. It is very difficult for peas to stick to a wall when they are being thrown at it. In the same way, obtaining human birth is very difficult’. Therefore, without squandering away these advantages, without exhausting the good done over previous lives, it would be wise, bold and sensible of us to practice the dharma, to be able to discover enlightenment in one life and one body.
2. Impermanence of this life: However rich we may be, however good-looking or gifted we may be the fact is that we will die someday. The fact is that we are born from causes and conditions, called ‘conditioned phenomena’, and that by very nature conditioned phenomena are impermanent. Every day we move closer to death. The options before us therefore are: whether we meet death totally unprepared and uncertain of what will happen to us at that moment or try and understand the prospect of death through dharma and be reasonably assured of it when it comes. In either case, we cannot avoid it nor can we say when death will befall upon us. The dharma teachings specify 404 causes of death, 80000 types of forces that harm our life and the body that consists of 36 different types of impurities that cause us to die. Therefore the need to contemplate on this is very important and there is no time to waste. An old Tibetan saying goes ‘our next day or next life, which comes first we never know’. And the masters say, if there is one thing to meditate upon for enlightenment, it would be to meditate on impermanence.
3. The law of cause and effect: The law of karma is central to Buddhist teachings. That we have created causes to get human rebirth should be very satisfying for us. But, what we do in and with this life will determine what rebirth we will take ahead. The Buddha says ‘what we are is what we have done and what we will be is what we do today’. So it is evident that we need to create virtuous conditions in this life to enable a better rebirth. The fact, with enough examples to back it as proof, is that our consciousness doesn’t just fade away like a burnt out candle but is carried forward. At rebirth it is our past karma that propels this consciousness into next rebirth. Anger causes rebirth in hot and cold hell realm, greed and avarice is responsible for rebirth in hungry and thirsty spirit realm. Ignorance and delusion are causes for rebirth in animal realm. Rebirth in jealous gods realm is a result of envy and likewise longlife gods are born due to extreme pride. It is important to mention here that even rebirth in god realm means suffering of age and rebirth is lower realm subsequently. Unfortunately, as human beings we are born in the desire realm, whose predominant tendency is to produce non-virtuous karma! So in order to find an anti-dote to this, to counter this situation we need to practice dharma.
4. Defects of cyclic existence (samsara): The defects mentioned here refer to the sufferings beings have to undergo in the realm they are born in. There are three fundamental types of suffering. Suffering of change, suffering upon suffering and all pervasive suffering. While the commentary on suffering of change is one the human, demi god and god realms wherein all beings born in these realms experience suffering. Humans experience the sufferings of birth, old age, sickness and death. Demi gods suffer from constant fights and quarrels and gods suffer from fall (from their present situation) and change (rebirth in lower realm). Suffering upon suffering refers to those of beings in the three lower realms. Beings born in hell reals suffer from intense heat and cold, those born in hungry spirit realm are constantly tormented by hunger and thirst, while the animal reals suffer from stupidity, being killed, being forced into excessive work etc. All pervasive suffering is this body consisting of five aggregates ( form, feeling, mental formation, perception and consciousness) with which we experience suffering. Such suffering is not easily recognized by ordinary beings but by exalted ones, much the same way as one does not feel the pain of a strand of hair on a palm of our hand but the same strand of hair in our eye makes us feel the discomfort and suffering.
While this ends the teachings on the outer preliminaries, there are four extra-ordinary or inner practices of taking Refuge (in the Three Supreme Jewels of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha) & arousing our Bodhichitta that transforms every virtuous action to the path of enlightenment, Mandala offerings for swift accomplishments of merit & wisdom, Vajrasattva practice to purify all our accumulated bad karma and obscurations and finally the Guru Yoga practice to receive blessings. Choed (Body offering thru visualizations) and Phowa (Transfer of consciousness), also covered in Ngondro teachings, are branch practices. However, these require detailed commentary and extensive descriptions of visualizations to dedicated practitioners and hence are not covered here.
This year, during the month i attended and received the profound Ngondro teachings and empowerments under the most enlightened and purest masters of the tradition (called Khenpo’s or learned professors of Buddhism, on par with Rinpoche’s). It also coincided with the third Mahaparinirvana anniversary (22-24th March) of HH Padma Norbu Rinpoche (Penor Rinpoche as he is fondly called), not only a great master of the Nyingma Tradition but also the founder of Namdroling Monastery and Ngagyur Nyingma Institute for teaching and practice near Mysore. Followers in the form of practitioners, sponsors and laity arrived from countries such as China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore amongst others over the three days of extensive and elaborate prayer sessions conducted by high lamas (or heart essences) of the tradition and attended by thousands of monks and nuns for the swift re-birth of His Holiness.
Ngondro teachings and practices alongwith advanced practices of Tsalung (understanding body channels and winds) and Dzogchen (Great Perfection) teachings are held over four weeks at Ngagyur Nyingma Institute, Namdroling Monastery, South India every year. Sessions are well structured and extensive often stretching 14hrs each day, 7days a week and include: chanting, studying, praying, meditating, practicing, receiving teachings, transmission and empowerments . All three sessions begin simultaneously on the eighteenth day of the first month of the Tibetan calendar and are open to monks and lay people alike. Teachings are imparted in Tibetan and English. Although no fees are expected, one needs to make own arrangements for accommodation and food. Willful donations are welcome.
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