Emptiness

The teaching of Emptiness is very important in both the Sutrayana and Vajrayana. A practitioner will not be able to make good progress on the path of enlightenment if he fails to understand the teaching of Emptiness. Emptiness does not mean an absolute void. To an ordinary person, it is either existence or non-existence; good or bad; pretty or ugly; black or white - one tends to fall into the concept of duality. 

Sakyamuni Buddha expounded the Law of Karma and sufferings at the initial stage - these are teachings about Existence. You will likely mistaken the true meaning of Emptiness if you are exposed to this subject too early, that you might assume that there is no need for practice if everything does not exist. On the other hand, if you hear only the teachings of Existence, you will be constrained by the concept of Existence and will not be able to attain enlightenment. So, there is a need to teach the subject of Emptiness – to bring the students to a higher level of realization, breaking away from the concept of Existence. However, there is one thing that cannot be refuted – the Law of Karma. You have to trust the Law of Karma but you cannot be constrained by its concept; you will need to balance it with the concept of Emptiness in order to be able to break free from the Cyclic Existence.

Sakyamuni Buddha expounded the concept of Egolessness, which is not equivalent to the meaning of a complete void; it means that the notion of ego is actually unfounded. In all circumstances, Emptiness and Karma co-exist. All things visible to our eyes are a composite existence of both Karma and Emptiness in one. When Sakyamuni Buddha expounded the teachings of Egolessness, He mentioned the Law of Karma too. Please bear this in mind – the Law of Karma truly exists; you will fall into hell if you do the bad things. Sakyamuni Buddha said that hell does exist. However, had He stopped at this level and not gone on to teach about Emptiness, you would think that once you fall into hell, you will never be able to leave break free from it. Hell is real but it is also empty in nature. After you have fallen into hell, when you realise that hell is also empty in nature, you will be able to break free from the Cyclic Existence. Sakyamuni Buddha mentioned both the Law of Karma and Emptiness. This is an area in Buddhism that is difficult to comprehend because both concepts seem to be contradictory. It is not easy to understand the Law of Karma and Emptiness at the same time. Sakyamuni Buddha said that all phenomena are empty in nature. However, Composite Existence is just another side of the same coin as Emptiness. A phenomenon is a composite existence that is empty of a self-nature, that it is just an appearance. Although an appearance can be seen but it is empty in nature. It is indeed difficult to comprehend this concept. 

Many Vajrayanists and those who study the teachings of Prajna Wisdom have difficulty in grasping the true essence of this teaching. Emptiness does not mean a physical void; it is intertwined with the Law of Karma. The Law of Karma is empty in nature but appearance can be formed based on a set of conditions (composite existence) due to the nature of Emptiness. You will need to actualise the practice in order to fully figure out this teaching of Sakyamuni Buddha, otherwise you will think that He contradicted Himself. This is a concept which cannot be easily understood simply based on our conventional logical thinking. Our conventional logical thinking is very much confined within the sphere of Existence and Non-Existence. Egolessness and Emptiness are very superior views but they are difficult to be comprehended through conventional logic. If you mistaken the teaching to be a complete void, you will fall into nihilism which is wrong. When you fall into nihilism, you will think that since everything is empty, you can do whatever you like and do the wrong things including transgressing the precepts. It is indeed not easy for one to master these two concepts of Emptiness and Existence. Ponder these two concepts.

Our limited cognitive ability is the reason why we are ignorant of the Law of Karma. Usually we cannot see the workings of the Law of Karma – there are many bad people who seem to be still enjoying their lives regardless of their bad deeds. Actually, we can only see a small fraction of an unlimited span of space and time – we are constrained by our limited view and therefore we suspect the Law of Karma. Sakyamuni Buddha said that the Law of Karma is real but the ordinary people do not have a higher wisdom to understand it. Even the Arahats who have developed supernatural powers cannot fully comprehend the Law of Karma, let alone the ordinary ones. A Buddha possesses unlimited supernatural powers and therefore has a full view of the Law of Karma. An ordinary person can never understand the Law of Karma on his own. Death is merely an end of this lifetime but the beginning of the next. All that you have done in this lifetime will be carried forward to your next life. Thus, your present life is a continuation of your past life and the creation of your next life, and this cycle repeats… 

Next, “happiness comes easy”. Happiness does not require too many conditions. Sakyamuni Buddha said that there are many things in life that appear trivial but can bring about happiness – when we are thirsty, we will feel happy after drinking a cup of water; when we are hungry, we will feel happy after eating a bowl of noodle. Small little things in life can create happiness for us – connect the individual happy periods into a long string of happiness, and you will become a happy person. We should purify our mind daily and feel such sense of happiness simply, and you will improve in your practice gradually. Actually, true happiness comes from a peaceful mind but not physical possessions. Many people have mistaken that happiness comes from their physical possessions; Sakyamuni Buddha had denied such view. All the external possessions are not the true source of happiness but suffering. You will feel anguished when you fail to possess what you desire. True happiness comes from the inner peace within our mind, simplicity and the willingness to let go. 

More than 2,500 years ago, Sakyamuni Buddha attained full enlightenment under a Bodhi Tree and He continued to teach for the next 49 years. In the Lotus Sutra, He was recorded as saying “There is no sentient being who does not possess the wisdom of a Buddha.” Another word, every sentient being possesses the wisdom of a Buddha but he is unable to attain it due to his own deluded thinking. The most important thing to us is to rediscover this innate wisdom right within us. All sentient beings are already in possession of a complete and enlightened mind, regardless of how lusty, tyrannical, cunning or ignorant we are; this enlightened mind of ours never depletes. It is there all along. We only need to relax, and bring it out in us – this is the most important objective of a spiritual practice.


A Dharma Discourse given by Acho Rincpohe on 7 Aug 2013.

A Precious Human Birth

Acho Rinpoche: Today is the first day of the first Lunar Month, which is also the Supernatural Day of the Buddhist Calendar; the Tibetan Calendar is one day later. The power of blessing of the Supernatural Day is inconceivable. You should practise with vigor within this month in order to cleanse your negative karma; develop your brilliance and wisdom. Strive to maintain a happy mind at every moment, immersing in a spiritual joy. This is how we should cherish this life and our encounter with the precious Tantra. Do practice well. Is there anything else that anyone would like to share?
 

Xin: I had a dream one night, after chanting the heart mantra of Acho Rinpoche and later retiring to bed. In my dream, I saw a man following me closely. I did not recognise this man who seemed to be in his forty. Suddenly, he became smaller and smaller in size and he finally transformed into a silver dragon! It was beautiful! It was illuminating with rainbow light. It asked me to ride on its back. I hesitated slightly but eventually decided to take the ride. At that juncture, I woke up from my dream.  

Acho Rinpoche: Xin achieved a spiritual response after chanting my heart mantra. I have a very profound affinity with the Dragon Buddha who was the first dragon attaining Buddhahood in the dragon world. I told the audience at the Dragon Vase Practice held in Penang, Malaysia that if Dragon Buddha graced the occasion, it would mean that the highest merit was attained. As Dragon Buddha has a very profound connection with me, those who chant my heart mantra and practice well will be protected by the dragon kings! This is the promise of Dragon Buddha. They will help you and even give you a ride, bringing you to the various inconceivable places. Dragon Buddha is the biggest Buddha in the dragon world who looks after the rest of the dragons. Those who chant my heart mantra will receive very powerful blessing and achieve superior spiritual responses.

Mayumla had a vision of light during our last prayer session? Let’s invite her to do the sharing.

Mayumla: It was a special sensation that occurred during our chanting of Karmapa’s mantra. When I visualised the image of the 17^th Karmapa, I felt more closely connected with the 16^th Karmapa instead. I could feel his aura showering my body and my heart chakra emitted light outward, returning into the body of the 16^th Karmapa. It seemed to be in a circular motion. When I seemed to nearly enter a state of quietude, I hesitated because I was worried that I might end up losing my way. I remained in that strange sensation for quite awhile.

Acho Rinpoche: The special occasion (Acho Rinpoche came across the picture of the 17^th Karmapa in Chinese monk robe hung in a shop) was the cause of doing a special prayer on that day of chanting the mantra of Karmapa. Karmapa descended during our prayer, including all the lineage patriarchs ranging from Vajradhara, Tilopa, Naropa… to the 17^th Karmapa, giving us blessing. Mayumla saw light emitted from her heart chakra because she has a special connection with the 16^th Karmapa. She saw light being exchanged between her heart chakra and that of the 16^th Karmapa. That was a very good spiritual response and attainment. I hope you would cherish such inconceivable power of blessing and seize the opportunity to practise well, and strive for the state of enlightenment in this lifetime.  

Cyclic Existence is an inconceivable phenomenon. If you fail to practise well, you will continue to be stranded in the Six Realms of Cyclic Existence perpetually. We are not certain if we could still come across the precious Buddha Dharma in future. It will be extremely difficult for one to gain a human birth. However, it will be extremely easy for one to lose a human birth and fall into the Three Lower Realms (animal, hell being and hungry ghost); there is no way to make a comparison numerically. Therefore, I repeated many times that as long as a man does not practise or fail in his practice of the Buddha Dharma, he will not be able to keep his human birth. It is indeed very hard to gain a human birth but the opportunity of falling into the Three Lower Realms is much greater, let alone the difficulty of rising to the highest Path of Buddhahood. It is very hard to go beyond the Six Realms of Existence and return to the Path of Buddhahood. It is also very hard to return to the Human Realm from the Three Lower Realms. One will be stranded within the Three Lower Realms for a long time once fallen.

Do not assume that the Three Lower Realms are no big deal and ignore the likelihood of falling. Once fallen into the Three Lower Realms, one will continue to be born as a snake, cat, dog, worm, hell being, hungry ghost etc. Do not assume that the Hungry Ghost Realm is not big deal because it is in a state of great suffering, likewise the Hell Realm. Hungry ghosts are perpetually in starvation but they will never be able to eat anything at all, for millions of year. It will be very difficult for one to rise from a lower realm to the Human Realm. Since we are fortunate enough to be reborn in the Human Realm based on good karma, we ought to cherish this precious human birth and put it to practice. With the superior power of blessing, we should strive towards enlightenment. We should return to this world to help the rest of the sentient beings after attaining Buddhahood, and remain in this world to perpetually turn the Wheel of Dharma to help the sentient beings.

This life will pass in no time. I repeated many times that your wife, children, career etc. will vanish in a blink of eye; what is most important is to do your spiritual practice.

A Dharma Discourse given by Acho Rinpoche on 10 Feb 2013.

X-Tour: Wakayama & Koyasan Tour, Japan 2013

The group at To-daiji Temple, Nara

Acho Rinpoche with Venerable Mori Taikou

After visiting Shandong in May and Mtn. Wutai in China in Sep this year, we started planning our next trip to Sri Lanka in Dec. Joanne was the one planning the Sri Lanka tour but in Oct, while we were still discussing if we should do our trekking on a sacred mountain in the middle of the night, Joanne suddenly told me that her family was not going for the trip. Nevertheless, she would continue to help us do the planning. Reason being, she promised her kids earlier that she would bring them overseas at the end of the year but her kids were not interested in Sri Lanka. When Joanne consulted the tour agent, Cathy, who arranged our last Bhutan trip, the latter suggested “Wakayama”. I had no clue where Wakayama was until I read a brochure given by Cathy later. It was actually a new Japan tourist spot which has become popular in the recent years. When I continued to read the brochure, I was surprised to find out that Koyasan was actually within the Wakayama Prefecture! At the time, Nelson from Australia informed me about some Japanese spirits approaching him, requesting our visit to Japan to help deliver the souls of the sentient beings there.

So, a group of thirty of us embarked on yet another extra-ordinary tour to Japan on 15 Dec 2013, accompanied by rainbows throughout the tour……

We visited Shikoku and Koyasan 16 years ago. How time flies! How impermanent life is! During that tour, we followed the track of Master Kukai (Kōbō-Daishi, 774–835) who founded Japanese Vajrayana Buddhism. Actually, my first connection with Japan started way back in 1989 when I made a one-month trip to Japan, representing Singapore in an ASEAN exchange programme. I was in Saga-ken of Kyushu, when I visited a big monastery of the True Mantra School of Japanese Vajrayana Buddhism. And I fostered a very close relationship with the abbot of that monastery after the visit. Doctor Qiuji was my host during my stay in Japan then. He saw me doing my daily prayer at his home and therefore, he asked me if I would be interested to visit a big monastery in Saga-ken. However, the students of the abbot who answered his call told him that his teacher’s schedule was full, with meetings scheduled up to two months later. On the next day, Doctor Qiuji and I went ahead on our own to visit the monastery. To our surprise, the abbot was standing high up on the staircase leading to the monastery, awaiting our arrival. Later, he told us that he had a dream last night, in which Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara told him to cancel all his appointments on the following day and await the arrival of a practitioner from the Lion City of Singapore.

Through an interpreter, the abbot told us that he saw Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara sitting above my crown. He invited me into his personal shrine with a huge Acala statue being enshrined. Initially, he performed some ritual and gave me blessing. Suddenly, I told him that I would like to give him blessing and consecrate the statue of Acala instead. He appeared to be very happy after receiving the blessing from me and thanked me several times. He told the interpreter that he saw me transforming into Acala during the blessing! He was very happy that I gave him blessing and consecrated his Acala statue. He also said that I was chanting an ancient Acala mantra transmitted secretly only to the abbots of the True Mantra School. Later, he offered me a monk robe and a rosary of Japanese Vajrayana lineage, symbolising my superior connection with the Japanese Vajrayana lineage.

On our first day of arrival in Japan, the winter season has already started in Japan. However, we saw lots of red maple leaves in the vicinity of Wakayama Castle. Actually, Wakayama Prefecture is the warmest place in Japan during winter; its temperature has never fallen below zero degree Celcius. No wonder we could sing “Maple Love” while enjoying the sight of snow at the same time! Koyasan was covered by snow everywhere. It snowed on our very day of arrival in Japan. Our Japanese driver told us that of course it does snow in Koyasan but the snow has never been so thick! Well, that appeared to be a snow of blessing celebrating our arrival! We, the sons of the tropical Lion City, felt exhilarated by the beautiful snow, and  we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly playing snow-fighting in Koyasan like kids.

Rainbow has never missed its promise. This time, rainbows followed us closely wherever we went. Rainbow appeared for the first time during our visit to Negoroji Temple. Venerable Mori Taikou was the monk who showed us around the temple during the visit. He had been to US in the past and read the book entitled “The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying” written by Sogyal Rinpoche;he felt deeply touched by the book. When he found out that I was actually from the same Nyingma Dzogchen School as Sogyal Rinpoche, he knew that we had a very close spiritual connection with each other. On the third day, a huge rainbow arc appeared near our hotel.  On the fourth day, after our lunch, another huge rainbow arc appeared in the sky. On the last day, yet another rainbow appeared in the sky when we arrived at Todaiji in Nara.  There was a cloud in the shape of a Three-legged Sacred Crow that appeared next to the rainbow, and a huge white lotus appearing in the form of cloud too. The Sacred Crow has a long history and connection with Japanese Shinto and Japanese Vajrayana Buddhism (True Mantra School of Koyasan). There was little wonder that the Sacred Crow showed itself and protected us throughout the trip.

We enjoyed the tour while doing our spiritual practice simultaneously throughout the trip. This trip benefited both the spiritual and human worlds tremendously; it was full of the radiance of Buddha Light. Our Japanese tour guide, Chiyoko San, knelt before me on the fourth night, taking refuge in Acho Rinpoche. She invited us to visit Okinawa next, as the souls of the spiritual beings there need to be delivered. Reason being, when Okinawa was invaded by the American soldiers during World War II, the Japanese soldiers and civilians were forced to retreat to the southern part of the island but most of them ended up killing themselves in the sea eventually. On the very last night of our group practice, I asked the group if anyone would want to follow me to Okinawa? I got an instantaneous response from almost everyone who said “On!” When will our next trip to Japan be? Well, I shall leave it to the Sacred Crow to make the arrangement…… 

Acho Rinpoche

28/12/2013


Pictures: Wakayama Tour Pictures

Kindness

We will share the reading of this book entitled “A Quiet Path” written by Xi-a-rong Khenpo tonight. One of the chapters mentions about the right attitude of a practitioner and the way of practice after taking refuge. We will be going to Mtn. Wutai soon. So, I encourage you to chant the heart mantra of Manjushri Bodhisattva before going. In this book, the author mentioned about one of his teachers, Jin Wang Khenpo, who learnt from H.H Jigme Puntsok when the former was still a very young student. He did not do well in his study and he could not understand many of the teachings. So, he prayed to Manjushri Bodhisattva and chanted a few billion times of His heart mantra. Finally, he was able to read the Five Major Commentaries with ease and became a renowned Khenpo of his time. He became a great teacher who was very eloquent in his speech and could make references readily from a wide range of sources; he had assimilated the teachings of all the sutras and commentaries in his heart. He understood all the teachings after chanting the heart mantra of Manjushri Bodhisattva rigorously. I am requesting you to just chant five hundred thousand times of His heart mantra because it can help you gain a higher wisdom.

This book mentions a quality of a practitioner – kindness. Kindness is actually easy. However, many practitioners are actually more unkind than the non-practitioners. A practitioner should reflect on his own shortcomings but not do so on others; he should discipline himself but not others. There are many practitioners who like to gossip about others but never do self-reflection. The author said, a practitioner should be humble and respectful of others. A Buddhist should abstain from hurting others at all times, in both speech and action. He should not criticize other religions including the Outer Paths, let alone other schools of Buddhism. Do not criticize other schools of Buddhism, be it Hinayana, Mahayana, Vajrayana etc., for all of them were transmitted by Sakyamuni Buddha to address the different needs of the students. We take refuge in different schools of Buddhism due to our own karma; we should not disturb others in their practice – do not perturb the minds of others.

Many of our friends and relatives, due to various reasons, have not taken refuge in the Three Jewels. They are struggling hard in this illusory world to earn their living and pursue their so-called happiness. According to the author, such happiness is just the cause of suffering. Most people thought that they work for money and raise their children in order to achieve happiness in life but it turns out to be the cause of suffering instead. A practitioner seeks to let go of such worldly pursuits.

There was a lady who has good faith in the Buddha teachings and was considering taking refuge but she dropped the idea after seeing many Buddhists around her behaving poorly in their conduct. Therefore, we should be a good role model to others but not just tell others that we are a Buddhist when we still behave poorly in our conduct; you will make others lose faith in the Buddha teachings. A Buddhist who is arrogant and self-centered, who is fond of criticizing others will make others lose faith in the Buddha teachings and drop their idea of wanting to take refuge in the Three Jewels. Instead, a Buddhist should make others aspire to become a Buddhist too. Change yourself and make others feel that you are a humble and kind person; this is the kind of Buddhist that can bring positive influence to others around him including his friends and relatives, colleagues etc. Do not just be a Buddhist in name but not in action. The author said, on the path of enlightenment, only a heart of kindness can eventually blossom into a flower of true happiness; an evil mind can never blossom into a flower of kindness.

Master Tsongkhapa said, “A person who is kind at heart will live a happy life in his present and future lives. A practitioner must have a kind heart.  A kind person who is firm and steady will not be far from enlightenment the moment he starts walking the path of enlightenment.” So, as long as you are firm, steady and kind, when you start doing your practice, you will not be far from the attainment of enlightenment. These are a few key points for the practice. Recitation of the sutras, chanting of the mantras, being more superior than others, and yearning to teach others or become a teacher to others are just not important. The more important point is actually about being humble, training one’s own mind, becoming compassionate and benefiting others.

A Dharma Discourse given by Acho Rinpoche on 21 Aug 2013.

Refuge

Only when one has taken refuge in the Three Jewels, he has truly entered the School of Buddhism and is called a Buddhist. To me, becoming a Buddhist is the most important decision in our life. Being born into this world, going to school, marrying a wife and being a top scholar etc., will pale against taking refuge in the Three Jewels. After taking refuge in the Buddha, you become the son of the Buddha, the prince of Buddha, and a seed of enlightenment is planted deep in your being which will lead you to the attainment of Buddhahood one day.

Why do we aspire to become a Buddha (the enlightened one)? If we do not attain Buddhahood, we will remain stranded in the Six Realms of Cyclic Existence (Samsara), no matter who you are. Samsara consists of the Three Upper Realms (God, Demi-god, Human) and the Three Lower Reams (Animal, Hell, Hungry Ghost). Even the highest among men like the President or Chairman of a country, or the richest man in the world, are just one of the beings within Samsara. All sentient beings within the Samsara suffer from all the imperfections in life, mental afflictions and the incessant cyclic existence of birth and death. Sakyamuni Buddha said, “This world is an ocean of suffering.” So, regardless of your highest achievement and richest wealth, or poverty as a beggar, you are just a human being who must face the inevitable process of birth, aging, sickness and death; you will not be able to break free from this cyclic existence.

A student asked Sakyamuni Buddha, “How long have we been around in this cyclic existence?” Sakyamuni Buddha said, “Imagine your skeletons accumulated after each death piling up to the peak of Mtn. Sumeru or Mt. Himalaya, which would mean millions of times. However, you do not know it because of the lack of wisdom. You have been living and dying for so long, sometimes you were born a woman, sometimes a cat, sometimes a dog and sometimes a cow….. It has never come to an end." How meaningless! You have never been able to break free from this cyclic existence. Maybe if you did good in your past life, you will be born a richer person who can afford a good meal each time. However, you are still stranded in this cyclic existence. Only when you have taken refuge in the Buddha, you have obtained an opportunity to break free from the Samsara.

The Buddha Dharma is the highest teaching in this world; the rest are considered the Outer Paths. So, after taking refuge in the Buddha, you must not take refuge in the Outer Paths. Another word, after doing your doctorate, you do not go study in the primary or secondary schools. Taking refuge in the Buddha is the most important decision in your life. What do you do after taking refuge? “Do good. Avoid evils.” This is the fundamental behaviour of a Buddhist. You must not behave like an ordinary person who is greedy and do bad things to others; taking refuge will be a meaningless act then as it makes no difference from one who has not taken refuge. If someone has not taken refuge in the Buddha but he is a good person who did many good things, he fares better than those who have taken refuge. Those who have taken refuge in the Buddha should reflect on your own behavior and strive to do better than others. You must strive to eradicate your selfishness and serve others – help the sentient beings.

The teachings of the Buddha Dharma are vast like an ocean. It is impossible for you to learn and practice all in one life. However, we can focus on one teaching and not be over ambitious. What we just did was to focus on doing only one practice. There are many schools of Buddhism including the Hinayana, Mahayana, Vajrayana, Pure Land, Zen etc. We belong to the Vajrayana. One of my lineage came from True Buddha School. I am a reincarnated master from the Nyingma of Tibetan Buddhism; I was the abbot of a monastery in Qinghai Province in China. When they found me, I was given the lineage of Nyingma. So, my practice is a union of both the True Buddha School and Nyingma.  

The highest attainment in the Hinayana is Arahat. Pure Land Buddhism told you that the attainment of Buddhahood is very difficult, that you will need to go through a period of Three Big Kalpas before attaining Buddhahood; there is no such thing as attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime. The Pure Land School teaches the incessant recitation of the name of Amitabha Buddha. When one attains a steady mind through the recitation of the name of Amitabha Buddha, he can be reborn in the Western Blissful Pure Land and start learning the Buddha Dharma there. Why don’t we start learning the Buddha Dharma now? We can do it swifter here. Vajrayana believes in the attainment of Buddhahood in this lifetime because it has a very special method. There are four major sects in Vajrayana including Kagyud, Sakya, Nyingma and Gelug. Gelug belongs to H.H Dalai Lama. Kagyud has H.H Karmapa. Sakya has H.H Sakya Trizin. Nyingma has six branches; we belong to one of the braches called “Dzogchen” (Great Perfection).

The highest attainment in Vajrayana is the practice of “Dzogchen”, the peak of the Nine Paths. There were many patriarchs of Nyingma Dzogchen who attained “rainbow body” when they passed away. They passed away in a sitting posture and their physical bodies transformed into rainbow before disappearing into space. The Dzogchen practice of our school is indeed very inconceivable. Those who followed me to the Shandong Tour this time witnessed the appearance of rainbows wherever we went; it does have a connection with the Dzogchen practice. When you have accomplished the Dzogchen practice, you will attain Buddhahood in this lifetime and rainbows will appear wherever you go. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will follow you. When you accomplish your Dzogchen practice, you are just a living Buddha no different from Sakyamuni Buddha. So, it is important to know that only Refuge can lead us out of the Samsara.

If you ask me, “What is the benefit of leaving the Samsara?” The state of enlightenment is beyond words. It is beyond the comprehension of sentient beings. It is beyond the conceptual thinking of all men. Sakyamuni Buddha said, He could manifest numerous Emanation Bodies to help all the sentient beings in the universe. This is an inconceivable state of enlightenment. Spiritual practice is about getting oneself out of the Samsara first, followed by helping others to get out of the Samsara next. Share with others what you have learnt including the people around you, your kids, your family, your relatives and friends, gradually enlarging the circle to the whole universe and all sentient beings; wishing that they will take refuge in the Buddha and attain Buddhahood one day; transforming this world into a Pure Land is our ultimate aim.

Tonight, after taking refuge, you should do good and avoid evils, practice well for the sake of enlightenment, and share with others your attainment. Although Tantra can help one attain Buddhahood in one lifetime, it is actually not that easy. It requires you to focus fully on doing the practice, which is not easy. If you cannot attain Buddhahood in this lifetime, do it in your next life; if you fail to do so still in your next life, continue to do it in your next three lives, six lives, twelve lives……. One day, you will definitely attain Buddhahood! Anyway, Vajrayana is indeed a swifter path than other schools of Buddhism.

Vajrayana also requires a practitioner to abide by the precepts strictly. Our prayer book contains many important teachings, including the sadhana and precepts. A practitioner cannot transgress the precepts of Dzogchen. We have the Five Precepts, Fourteen Root Downfalls etc. Of course, I do not expect you to be able to abide by all the precepts immediately. You can start by abiding by one, two, three, four, gradually increasing the number. One day, you will naturally be able to abide by all the precepts. There is no immediate success or immediate Buddhahood; it requires a long period of practice. Precept is very important. When Sakyamuni Buddha was about to pass into Nirvana, His students asked, “When you are gone, where can we find our next teacher?” He told his students “Let the precepts be your teacher.” That shows the importance of precept. Everyone should abide by the precepts strictly, do good and avoid evils, and help others.

One more point. Vajrayana brothers and sisters are closer than our family members. Our existence spans across numerous lifetimes. When you pass away from this life, you will not recognize those people whom you are associated with in this life when you make a return in your next life. You will not even know where they have gone in their next lives. Your connection with them only lasts one lifetime. However, the connection among Vajrayana brothers and sisters will last forever. Once you have taken refuge in me, our connection will never end; you will follow me life after life to do your practice. This is a very profound affinity. Like the saying goes, “A teacher for one day will be one’s father for an entire lifetime.” “Father”, in our context, does not refer to a relationship that only lasts one lifetime; it refers to an eternal relationship. And you are eternal Vajrayana brothers and sisters. So, you must treat one another closer than your own family members. You will all come with me to the Blissful Pure Land in future.  

A Dharma Discourse Given By Acho Rinpoche on 5 May 2013, in Shandong Province, China for seven Shandong students who just took refuge in Acho Rinpoche.