The One -true practice

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>>The essential point of all the modes of Dharma taught by the

>> Buddha

>>The root of delusion is one's own mind grasping

>>external appearances as being truly existent.

>>Whatever creation or completion stage meditations are

>> employed,

>>all are intended as methods to reverse this attachment to the

>> reality of deluded appearance.

>>If stubborn habits of attachment and aversion are not reversed,

>>then meditation is as meaningless as a gopher hibernating in a

>> hole.

>>It is not meditation, nor is it non-meditation.

>>Not being meditation, there is nothing at all to focus on,

>being free of duality is "evenness,"

>>everything being perfect in mind is "singularity,"

>>and this completion in itself without anything else is

>> "spontaneously perfect."

>>This is the ultimate intention of the victorious ones of the

>> three times.

>>-------

 

Yes.

>From a Lama's teachings -

 

"The heart of true Dharma, the true vital force, the true meaningful core of

Dharma is Bodhicitta. Dza Patrul Rinppche has said that if one has

Bodhicitta, the true aspiration to enlightenment, this can be sufficient to

bring one to realization; but if one does not have true motivation to

enlightenment, there is no way that one can attain anything. So having a

true sense of motivation is an absolutely indispensable aspect of our

practice and can even be the whole of our practice.

 

Shantideva has said that the true aspiration to enlightenment is the one

medicine that cures all illness; it is the one universal practice which is

the supreme practice amongst all others which leads to enlightenment. Love

and compassion is the heart of the true aspiration to enlightenment.

 

In the Sutra called, "The Sutra Taught to the King" the King requested the

Buddha to give him a teaching which was deeply meaningful but easily

implemented. So the Buddha taught the king about the true aspiration to

enlightenment which is something one can impliment not just in meditation

but in all one's activities throughout the day and which was the appropriate

practice in all circumstances. The Buddha indicated that whether walking or

sitting or whatever you are doing - remember the true aspiration to

enlightenment always and under all circumstances. This will by itself

eventually lead you to enlightenment. This is called the precious awakening

mind. It is called precious because amongst all the myriad modes of

positive mind, this is the most valuable and most powerful mode of

expression of positive mind.

 

Wny is this so powerful and so beneficial? First, because we contemplate

the infinity of sentient beings in the universe. Secondly, we consider the

suffering of all these beings and their different modes of suffering which

can be experienced in deluded worldly existence and are being experienced by

all of these beings. Thirdly, because we consider time. We consider that

all of these deluded beings are going from one deluded state to another and

from one state of suffering to another until the attainment of enlightenment

by all of them (us). Fourthly, because the aim of the true aspiration to

enlightenment is to lead all sentient beings out of suffering. You consider

enlightenment itself and its infinite qualities of physical manifestation,

verbal expression, completeness and depth of intuition and the expression of

qualities and activities. All the infinite aspects of enlightenment are

considered. Thus the true aspiration to enlightenment is the superior mode

of consciousness and creates infinite benefit because we consider the

infinity of sentient beings, the infinity of their suffering, the immensity

of the task of leading them all to enlightenment and the infinite perception

of the qualities of enlightenment.

 

The practice of the true aspiration to enlightenment consists of the

practice of implementing the four boundless: boundless love, boundless

compassion, boundless joy and boundless equanimity.

 

Shortened version:

 

"From now until samsara becomes empty, I shall accomplish the benefits and

happiness of all sentient beings. May all sentient beings be happy, may

they be free from suffering and the causes of suffering". In Tibetan

"sentient beings" are "mother" beings.

 

"Once you and I were the same". In the original condition all sentient

beings are intrinsically enlightened and there is no intrinsic difference

between a Buddha and a sentient being.

 

"But I became fascinated by my own problems and wander in suffering" -

means becoming fascinated with ourselves and ego fabrications.

 

"You have cared for others and attained enlightenement" - means that through

the outward aspiration of freeing beings from their sufferings, which is the

true aspiration to enlightenment, one attains enlightenment as did the

Buddha.

 

"And so now I must bow to you" - means that in the original condition there

is no difference between an ordinary sentient being and enlightenment, but

in a circumstantial situation, there becomes the difference of the

actualization of realization on one hand and the actualization of suffering

on the other."

 

Metta,

 

Joyce