Second flower bloom

Chapter 6 How to Do Your Homework

Starting from taking refuge, no matter how busy you are at work, you should devote a certain amount of time to practice every day, which is very important for our future liberation.

Many people continue to play their roles in society and family after converting to Buddhism. However, no matter what you do in the world, you must take liberation from reincarnation as your ultimate goal in life.

Without this renunciation there is no escape from suffering.Regarding the pain of samsara, we should have a deep understanding that the main obstacle to liberation from samsara is our habitual tendencies and karma created by ignorance since beginningless time.

Although Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have taught us many ways to purify karma, only when we put these teachings into practice can we obtain the great benefits of Buddhism. Therefore, Sakyamuni Buddha once said: "I I will tell you the way of liberation, and you should know that liberation depends on yourself."

It is unrealistic for many people to ask everyone to give up the secular life immediately and go to retreat to practice in caves, but I also don't want everyone to use the worldly life as a reason to give up practicing Buddhism.

Don't think that as long as you take refuge, everything will be fine, and your future liberation is guaranteed.It is very difficult to make progress if one does not practice at all after taking refuge.So I want to start with taking refuge. No matter how busy you are at work, you should devote a certain amount of time to practice every day. This is very important for our future liberation.

The content of daily practice is generally determined according to the requirements of the master or according to one's own situation. It usually includes meditation, visualization and chanting of scriptures and mantras of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. This is what we Buddhists call " Do your homework."

Everyone should know that scriptures and mantras are the Vajra Speeches spoken by Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for the benefit of all beings, and they have incredible blessings for our continuous changes.Homework includes morning lessons and evening lessons at fixed times every morning and evening, as well as mantras and holy names recited at irregular times.

Before morning class and evening class, please try to turn off your mobile phone, TV, computer, unplug the phone line, and let your heart be quiet.The mind of an ordinary person is very easily disturbed by the outside world. I also feel deeply about this. Sometimes when I call while doing homework, I can't answer it, and it's not OK if I don't answer it. It's very embarrassing.Let everyone turn off their mobile phones, etc., to avoid these disturbances as much as possible.

A few years ago, Tashi Chilin gave Dasen Khenpo a telephone for the convenience of his work, but not long after, Khenpo said that the telephone interfered too much with practitioners.He called the monks of Tashi Chiling together and said to everyone: "Tashi Chiling is the place where real practitioners live. Congda and Tenzin Nyima really need a phone because of work, but others don't. After speaking, Khenpo picked up a stone from the ground and smashed the phone.

From then until now, Tashi Chiling, except for Congda and Tenzin Nyima, other monks have no mobile phones, and are not allowed to install phones.Anyone who has been to Tashichi Forest knows that Dasen Khenpo is a very good practitioner. Even he feels that the phone interferes with his practice. As ordinary people, we should pay more attention.

In addition to the distractions mentioned above, we also encounter various other distractions in our daily life.These distractions disturb our mind moment by moment.Don't think that only the image with terrifying face and teeth and claws is the devil. In fact, all the things that interfere with the practice and hinder the liberation are the manifestation of the demon king Bo Xun.It often hides behind seemingly ordinary things and disturbs our mind. If we cannot recognize its essence, it will be difficult to get relief.

When you are ready, start to do morning classes and evening classes.

[-]. Morning class

1. First offer water and incense in the Buddhist hall, and prostrate three times in front of the Buddha statue. After the salutation, sit on the meditation cushion in the "Seven Ways of Pilu".

The so-called "Seven Ways of Vairocana" are: (1) Sitting posture, sitting in cross-legged posture with both legs crossed. If you can't do it, you can also sit in half-legged posture.Sitting cross-legged can allow the body to quickly obtain the five kinds of merits such as lightness and tranquility; (2) The body should be upright, not bent forward or backward too much, so as not to cause drowsiness and restlessness. According to Tantra, if the body is upright, the pulse When the pulse is upright, the heart is upright; (3) the head should be slightly lowered forward; (4) the eyes should be slightly closed, looking down at the tip of the nose; (5) the tip of the tongue should touch the palate; (6) the arms should be spread out, shoulders and arms should be even , do not draw in; (7) Both hands should form a seal.

Breathing in and out of nature slowly, gradually becoming subtle and silent, so that one's heart can be calmed down and settled down for a period of time.

2. Then, start to adjust the breathing.

The specific method is: first press the root of the ring finger of the left hand with the thumb of the left hand, and then press the other four fingers on the thumb one by one, so that the hand becomes a fist, which is called Vajra Fist.

Hold the Vajra Fist with your left hand, press the Vajra Fist on the artery at the root of your left leg, and then hold the Vajra Fist in the same way with your right hand, and press the right nostril with the index finger or middle finger of your right hand to let the breath out from the left nostril At this time, imagine that the karma accumulated since beginningless time will turn into black turbid air in the body and be discharged from the left nostril. Exhale slowly like this three times.

Then use the Vajra Fist of the right hand to press the artery at the root of the right leg, press the index finger or middle finger of the Vajra Fist of the left hand to press the left nostril, exhale through the right nostril three times, and visualize the same as before.

Finally, use the left and right Vajra Fist to simultaneously press the arteries at the base of both legs, exhale through both nostrils three times at the same time, and the visualization is the same as before.

The reason why you make a fist and press down on the arteries at the root of your ring finger and the root of your thigh is because there are two veins in these two places.Suppressing it can allow us to quickly get rid of distracting thoughts and calm our hearts.

3. After the breath is adjusted, start to recall your dream last night.

If you do good deeds in your dreams, it means that you have made some progress in your practice. You should be happy and visualize offering these merits to the Guru, the Three Jewels, and dedicate them to sentient beings in the six realms. If you do evil things in your dreams, it means that your practice is not very diligent. , immediately repent and pray for the blessing of the Guru Triple Gem.

4. Then start practicing "Guru Yoga".

People often ask me: To visualize the guru, is it better to visualize the image of the guru himself or to visualize the guru as a deity?
This depends on your individual circumstances.If you truly believe that your guru is the Buddha, and that the Buddha appeared in the form of a human to save yourself, and you have no doubts about this, then you can directly visualize the image of the guru himself when practicing the Dharma.If you only visualize the guru as a Buddha, but still have doubts about the fact that the guru is a Buddha, you can visualize the guru as a deity when practicing the Dharma.Or even though you still have doubts about the guru being a Buddha, but visualizing the guru directly makes you feel more blessed than visualizing the real deity, so you can also visualize the guru's image when practicing the Dharma.

Visualize the guru directly above the top of your head, facing forward, or at a slant above the top of your head, facing yourself, or visualize the guru as a deity, also in the above position.In this way, while visualizing, while chanting Guru Yoga.After reading, start to pray to the guru. If the guru has a heart mantra, you can also recite the guru's heart mantra at this time.After the recitation is over, visualize the guru as a bright point, which melts from the top of the head into your heart, and think: I hope that I can also achieve the same merits and virtues as the guru.Then visualize that your mind is indistinguishable from that of the guru, stay for a while, and come out of samadhi.The time of entering the meditation can be long or short, depending on the individual's ability.

Guru Yoga is the source of all teachings, pointing directly at the reality of all dharmas. Although it is the ultimate method, it is easy to understand and practice, and can be practiced anytime, anywhere.Every morning when you wake up, imagine the master jumping out of the lotus in your heart, like a fish jumping out of the water, lively and nimble, and rise above your head at once; Entering the lotus flower in the heart, the body of the guru will shine, illuminating yourself and everything around you; when eating, visualize the guru in your throat, and invite the guru to enjoy the delicious food; The top of my right shoulder; when I feel happy, I think this is the gift of my master; when I am sick, excluded, slandered, etc., I think this is my result.The compassionate guru blessed me, let me go through all this while I still have the ability to purify my past karma, and seize the opportunity to experience the suffering of others, so as to generate bodhichitta more quickly.

You can also visualize yourself becoming a five-color drop, which will quickly merge into the heart of the master.The master keeps going up, higher and higher, farther and farther away.Contemplating in this way, rest in the inseparable inseparability of your own mind and the teacher's mind.In short, visualize everything you see and hear between walking, living, sitting, and sleeping as the manifestation of the guru.It all comes from the Guru, just like sunlight comes from the sun.

Often think about the merits of the guru, the kindness of the guru to oneself, and sincerely pray to the guru or recite the mantra of the guru.I believe that the guru has never left me for a moment, so there should be no slack in respecting the guru.

5. After finishing the "Guru Yoga" in the morning class, you can start the "chanting" homework.

Under normal circumstances, you can follow the order of the Sutra and Secret Recitation Collection, that is, start to recite from the "Word Blessing" on the first page, then "Eight Auspicious Songs", "Rituals for Offering", "Psychic Worship and Vows" Prayer (Seven Branch Offerings), "Rituals of Faithfulness", "Prayer for Great Freedom", "Praise of Manjusri", "Rituals of Shakyamuni Buddha's Dharma Practice", etc.Before reciting, it is best to familiarize yourself with the Chinese meaning of the reciting words, and then recite according to the Tibetan tone.If you can't do it temporarily, you need to become proficient as soon as possible.

In addition to the above content, there is also the "Diamond Sutra", which can be said to cover the essence of the Prajna method.It is very difficult for anyone to recite the "Great Prajna Sutra" in the Tripitaka, but it only takes more than ten minutes to recite the "Diamond Sutra", but it has the same merit as reciting the "Great Prajna Sutra". .Practicing and reciting the "Diamond Sutra" regularly can quickly purify the karma from beginningless eons and open up wisdom. Therefore, when I make a connection with the "Diamond Sutra" dharma book, I ask everyone to recite it every day.

The "Heart Sutra" is short in text and profound in meaning.In the past, many monks became enlightened while reciting and practicing the "Heart Sutra", and showed many incredible behaviors.There is also the Sutra of Reminiscing the Three Jewels. This classic allows us to recall the merits and virtues of the Three Jewels and feel grateful to the Three Jewels.In some monasteries in Tibet, all the monks will recite this sutra together before holding the puja. "35 Buddha's Confessions" is also very helpful for us to purify the karma created by the three gates of "body, speech and mind".

The texts of the Buddhist scriptures I mentioned just now are very short, and it should be easy to recite them every day.In addition, according to your own situation, you can also recite "Vows on the Indistinctness of the Dzogchen Foundation Path and Fruit", "Opening the Way of Liberation", "Vows on Ultimate Bliss", "Rituals for Guru's Offerings and Practices", etc.

Dharma King Ruyibao said that the "Guru Puja" is very special, and it can bless practitioners to achieve enlightenment quickly.It is also possible to practice guru offerings according to the method of guru yoga.

6. After finishing the morning class, according to the situation of your practice, recite the deity practice and deity mantra anytime and anywhere in the day and count carefully.

[-]. Evening class

During the evening class, you should offer incense and prostration in the Buddhist hall again.After that, start to think about whether you have done good karma or created bad karma in the past day. For the good karma you have done, you should be happy and offer the merit to the Guru Triple Jewel; for the bad karma you have created, Immediately recite the Hundred-Syllable Mantra of Vajrasattva for repentance.

According to the "Teachings of Samantabhadra Master", if we recite the hundred-character mantra 21 times a day, our bad karma will not increase; It can be cleaned.Therefore, it is very important to recite the Hundred Character Mantra every day to repent of your karma.

Those who make offerings to Dharma protectors should first offer Dharma protectors, and then review their actions for the day.

At the end of the day's practice, recite the "Vows of Samantabhadra" in return and make a vow.

Finally, before falling asleep, visualize the guru entering the heart from the top of the head, magnifying the light, or visualize the guru as the deity, and fall asleep with good thoughts in mind.

Also, meditate at least half an hour a day.

The method is very simple: for those who have realized the nature of mind, first pray to the guru, and then settle down in the mind. After staying for a while, come out of the samadhi, pray to the guru again, and then stay in peace. Repeat this practice for at least half an hour; The person who lives in the meditation of emptiness, alternates and repeats with praying to the guru.This is an effective way to quickly bless, gain or consolidate a state of enlightenment.This is what Dharma King Ruyibao asked us to do when he taught Dzogchen in Nanshan of the college.You should do the same now.

The above are some basic requirements for us to do our homework.Doing any good deeds, including doing homework, should be supported by the "Three Supremes".

If you can persist in doing your homework every day, I don’t think it will take long before your mind-continuum will change, and your renunciation and bodhicitta will also increase greatly. This is confirmed by the practice experience of many people.

Maybe some people think that they are very busy at work and it is difficult to recite so many contents every day, so it is better to wait until they have time in the future or after retirement.People who have such thoughts can seriously think about it, who can guarantee that you can live until retirement?And who can guarantee that you will have time to practice in the future?
There is a family at the foot of Tashi Chilin Mountain, where two brothers and sisters and their respective families live.My sister has three very cute children.Every time my car passed their door, the children would run out and wave to me happily.Last month, the elder brother of this family came to see me at the college, saying that his sister, the mother of three children, died suddenly a few days ago, and asked me to rescue her.He cried and said that the family went to attend his sister's wedding that morning, and they were so happy. No one thought that she would die when she returned home in the afternoon.My younger sister is only 27 years old, and she hasn't practiced Buddhism much in her life. The only consolation is that Tashi Chiling is nearby, and my younger sister sometimes goes there to turn scriptures and accumulate a little merit.

You see, life is like this, impermanence will not come just because you are young, you love life, and your children have not grown up.Grasping the present moment and practicing diligently is what a true Buddhist should do.

The content of the homework I am talking about here is not very much. If you concentrate on reciting, you can finish it in less than an hour.What we Buddhists pursue is liberation and benefiting sentient beings. If you can’t do your homework even if you spend an hour a day, then you haven’t really developed confidence and renunciation in your continuum.

Those who have renunciation, no matter how busy they are usually, will find time to practice; if they are not renunciation, they may do their homework today but not tomorrow.If things go on like this, even if you take refuge, you won't make much progress.It is like this today, and it will still be like this a year later. There will not be much change until the final death. The so-called liberation becomes empty talk, and it will be too late to regret it.Therefore, I hope that no matter how busy you are, you must spare some time every day to complete your homework.This is the minimum requirement that a Buddhist disciple should meet!

Chiarombo
Nov. 2008, 8

Oral narration on June 28 of the Tibetan calendar
Supplement on September 9th, record of disciples
(End of this chapter)