6 more subtle and difficult tO control. Activities Of the bOdy and speech are more ObVious and easier tO learn and practice. ln this context, spiritual pursurts involv- ing the mind are more delicate and harder tO achieve. lt is essential for us tO understand the real meaning ofBuddhism. lt is very good that interest in Buddhism IS growmg, but 、 is 1 れ ore lmportant IS tO kno 、 what Buddhism really is. UnIess we understand the es- sential value and meaning of the Buddha's teachings, any attempt tO preserve, restore, or propagate them is likely to go 0 on a wrong track. The doctrine and un- derstanding of the Dharma is notsomething physical. ・ rherefore, unless it is done with a proper understand- ing, the mere constructlon ofmonasterles recltatlon Of scriptures may not even be a Dharma practice. The point iS that Dharma practice takes place in the mind. lt would be a mistake to think that simply changing our ClOthes, sayrng prayers, or maklng prostratlons en- compasses the entire practice Of the Dharma. Let 1 れ e explarn. When 、 are making prostratlons or C1rcum- ambulating the temple, all kinds of thoughts arise in our mind. When you are bored and the day is very long' going around the temple can be very pleasant. 圧 you find a talkative friend to accompany you, the time Just flies. lt might make a nrce walk, but in a true sense it IS not a Dharma practice. There are even occasrons when メ ou could apparently be practicing the Dharma, but in reality you are creating negative karma. For in- stance, a person the temple could be devising a plan tO deceive someone or plOtting revenge AWA K E N I N G T H E M I N D , L I G H T E N I N G T H E H E A RT

Ofthe breeze in the trees inspires sentient beings tO en- gage in the practice 0fDharma. When you come to the practice of giving away your wealth and belongings imagine transforming them tOO 1ntO ObjectS tO satisfy Other sentient beings. ・ when they are received they will serve as conditions for sentient beings [ 0 gage in the practice of the Dharma. Next is the meditation on g1V1ng a 、 your vrrtues. UnIike the preuous round of offerings, g1Ving away ObjectS that you presently possess, メ ou can dedicate tO Others the virtue that you have created, are creating, and will create. You should recall the virtuous deeds of your body, speech, and mind, from simple things like a gift of 応 od to an animal up to the generation of the awakening mind, with joy 応 1 admiration. Visualize g1Ving them all tO sentient beings. lt is very important first tO generate great love and concern for Other sen- tient beings. contrary tO their desire for leisure and happiness, they are in pain and distress, oppressed by suffering and its causes. lmagine relieving all beings in all worlds of their misery by the gift of your virtues. Think that they each acquire the complete causes and conditions for awakening tO enlightenment. such meditation on generosity may not immedi- ately help Others in practical terms, but itS value iS not tO be underestimated. By means Of such we develop the courage to be truly generous. The signifi- cance oftraining our minds in g1V1ng in this 、 is that 、、 Mill release ourselves from the grip Of miserliness. At present we might not be able to work practically for T H E AWA K E N I N G M I N D

control the disturbing emotlons. lts scriptures are con- cerned 、 Mith 、 vaglng 、 against disturbing O ロ ons. person 、 MhO emerges victorious becomes a Buddha. The practice Of Dharma has t 、 MO functions: lncreas- ing virtue and eliminating disturbing emotlons. By and large, our whole being is so dominated by disturb- ing emotlons that 、 hardly notice their presence. But 、 Mhen 、 begin tO practice the Dharma and try tO 、 war on the disturbing emotlons, 、 meet 、 inter- esting experiences. lnitially the practitioner feels that negativities have increased and the mind has become more polluted with neurotic thoughts. If this happens tO you, it IS lmportant tO realize that in this case per- ception does not conform tO reality. lt is a sign that you are on the right track. Before entering intO spiritual practice, you have no idea of the myriad games played by disturbing emotrons. You only begin to be aware of them once you start tO practice the Dharma. For in- stance, someone WhO suffers serious injury hardly feels the paln at the beginning, but under treatment that person 、 start tO feeling agony as his or her senses re- cover. Although the purpose ofour spiritual endeavor is to gain freedom from problems and enjoy peace and suc- cess, things might not work out as lntended. lt may happen that we seem tO experience greater hardship and increased difficulties. At such a juncture' メ ou should not allOW narrow considerations tO dominate butshould view things in a broader context. lt may be that due tO your Dharma practice' some aspect Ofyour T RA N S F 0 R M I N G T R 0 U B L E I N T 0 F 0 RT U N E

2 part. This completes the request. Next, we take refuge. Think about the Buddhas and the bodhisattvas you have already visualized in front of you. The Buddhas, 、 MhO are the spiritual community Of those 、 MhO have completed the practice, and the bodhisattvas, the spir- itual community Of those still in tralning, represent our objects ofrefuge. What makes them so precious?lt is the qualities they represent. And what are these qual- ities? The maln one is the Dharma. The Dharma is the actual refuge that protects us from fear.Therefore, it iS the Dharma, the true cessatron and true path, within the minds of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas in front of you that represents the actual refuge. SO, vividly recall the qualities of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha in front ofyou. NOW, 、 Mhat iS the content Of the request? The sen- tient beings that we have visualized around us desire happiness and do not want suffering. We all have an equal right to achieve happiness and remove suffering. B ut it iS due tO igno rance Of 、 Mhat iS tO be practiced and 、 Mhat is tO be given up that 、 are unable tO put an end to suffering. Today, by the compassionate blessing of the Three Jewels, we have identified the naturally abid- ing factor that enables us tO remove suffering and achieve happiness. Therefore, you should decide that you tOO 、 actualize the qualities Of realization and abandonment possessed by the Buddhas and bodhi- sattvas. The process of seeking refuge in the Three Jewels is not Just a recltatron Of 、 MOrdS. lt iS an aspiratlon tO at- tain the same qualities ofrealization and abandonment A ′・ A K E N I N G T H E M I N D , L I G H T 見 N I N G T H 見 H 見 A RT

you acceptthe possibility 0f future lives, then death is justlike changing your clothes. The continuity of the mind goes on. }40 、 vever, as 、 have no idea what the future hOldS, it is necessary tO engage now in practrces that will help us then. Even in this world we need friends and support in times of difficulty. When we have to face the unknown alone we will have only our prevrous practlce tO support us. Now when we talk abo ut Dharma p ractice, people sometlmes misunderstand what it means. SO let me put 1 [ in perspective. Practicing the Dharma does not mean you have tO give up your profession or dO a 、 With your possessrons. There are various levels Ofprac- tice according to individual ability and mental disposi- tion. Everyone cannot renounce the 、 and medi- tate in the mountains. ThiS iS not practical. Howlong could 、 survive? ・、 starve. ・ need farmers to grow food, and we need as wellthe support of the business community. These people also can practice the teachings and integrate their lives within the bounds of the Dharma. Business people must make profit to earn their living, but the profitshould be moderate. Similarly, people in other trades and pro- fessions can 、 MOrk honestly and conscrentiously With- out contradicting the Dharma. ln this way they can serve the community and help the overall economy. I usually advise people to devote half their time to the affairs 0 日飛 and half their time to the practice of the teachings. This , lthink, is a balanced approach 応 r most people. Of course, we need the real renunclates C R E AT I N G T H E P E R S P E C T I V E F 0 R P R A C T I C E

there, and the one circumambulating are you doing?" The other replied' "l am meditating on patience. " The first retorted, "Eatshit!" and the medi- tator Jumped up' shouting in anger. This clearly shows that the realtest of practice is whether we can apply it 、 Mhen 、 encounter disturbing situatlons. I feel that practice after the seSSIOn is p rob ably 1 蝨 0 re important than the practice 、 dO during the session. During the seSSIOn 、 are actually refueling recharging our ergy tO be able tO dO the practice after the session. There- fore, the more we are able to mold the mind during the session, the better we will be able to face difficulties afterward. The text explains the nature of the special kind of human 1 飛 that has the freedom to practice the Dharma. lndividuals who have the freedom and op- portunity tO dO Dharma practice are no [ encumbered by wrong views. They are free 丘 om the constramts 0f birth as an animal, a hungry spirit' or a hell being. They have avoided being born in a place where the Buddha's teaching does not prevail or in a remote bar- baric land. Nor have they been born dumb or stupid ・ lmagine being born as a bird' concerned only with finding od. We would have no opportunity to prac- tice the Dharma. Fortunately, 、 have not been born as birds or animals but as human beings. even human beings, 、 could have been a land where the Buddha's teaching was unheard of. wealth and intelligence would make no difference; we would not be able to practice the Dharma. MY West- ern friends come 伝 01 れ places 、 there used tO be no C R E AT I N G T H E P E R S p E C T I V E F 0 R P R A C T I C E

their infinite kindness and their great qualities and then imagine taking refuge in them. lfyou wantto vi- sualize the objects of refuge, you can do so according tO vanous traditions. The 1 れ OSt important thing is that your practice 0f taking refuge should be properly founded. The reasons for taking refuge include fear of the sufferings Ofthe cycle ofexistence, a strong conVlC- tion that the Three Jewels have the ability to protect you from these sufferings, and a strong sense Of C01 Ⅱー passion for Other sentient beings. TO cultivate the right attitude, it IS important to identify what is meant by the Dharma. Dharma means the cessation of suffering and the paths thatlead to it. Develop a strong convrction that the Dharma is the true object of refuge that can protect you and all other sentient beings from the fears Of the cycle Of existence. If you have a powerful understanding of what the Dharma IS, lt 、 give rISe tO a strong convlctlon within you. That is the true refuge, and you will de- velop a strong asprratlon tO achieve such a state. Having set your mental attitude, recite the refuge formula as much possible. If you are doing a visual- ization, you can think Of purifring nectar descending 伝 om the objects of refuge. lt enters you and all sen- tient beings, purifying you of negativities and placing you all under the protection of the Three Jewels. Then when you generate the a 、 vakening mind, visu- alize sentient beings around you. They appear in the forr 蝨 ofhuman beings but contlnue tO undergo the suf- ferings of the particular realms in which they were L I G H T を N I N G T H E H 見 A RT born. Ponder these and cultivate strong feelings of AWA K E N I N G T H E M I N D ,

dures are aimed directly or indirectly at molding the unruly mind and disciplining it, subduing negative as- pects Of the mind and enhancing itS POS1tive aspects. For example, 、 recite prayers and dO meditation. Such practices should promote goodness of heart and foster virtues like kindness and patience. They should subdue and eliminate negative aspects ofthe mind like ammoslty, anger, and jealousy, because these are a source Of disturbance and unhappiness for ourselves and others. This is why practice of the Dharma is ben- eficial. This automatically leads to the question, ls it pos- sible tO practice the teachings? The ans 、 IS an em- phatic yes. At this juncture we have obtained this human life.We have the fortune to have met appropri- ate spiritual masters 、 MhO are compasslonate and capa- ble in guiding us on the proper path. We also have free- dom and opportunity [ 0 engage ln spiritual practice. We should notthink of postponing our practice of Dharma until the next Iife.This is a mistake, because it will be difficult to be born as a human being in the 応 - ture. Nor should we think that we will put 0 任 our practrce until next year or even next 1 れ onth. That 、 will die is inevitable, but we do not know when it will be. Of the many practices open t0 us, generating the a 、 Makening mind iS the most lmportant. lt iS important tO remember that everyone innately possesses Buddha nature and that disturbing emotlons are only temporary afflictions ofthe mind. By properly practicing the Dharma, these disturbing emotlons can C R 見 AT I N G T H E P E R S P C T I V E F 0 R P R A C T I C E

Life as a free and fortunate human being is alSO rare simply in terms Of numbers. lfyou compare the num- ber ofsentient beings in the human realm and those in the realms of animals and so 応 r 市 , you will find that animals and birds far outnumber human beings. Even when they have obtained li as human beings, very few turn their minds tO 、 vard Dharma practice. There- fore, 、 have tO generate a WiSh deliberately tO extract meaning our lives as human beings. lt iS clear 仔 01 れ、 vhat 、 have discussed here that life as a free and fortunate human being is extremely rare. Those of us who are endowed with all these spe- cial features must realize that we have the ability tO achieve great goals. Here, where I am teaching the holy Dharma, 、 are surrounded by countless birds and in- sects. But, far from understanding these teachings, they have not the slightest thought of virtue. They only think about 応 od. So it is not sufficient that the Dharma be available. lndividuals require a working basis that enables them to understand and put the teachings 1ntO practice. Because of the long tradition of Great Vehicle Bud- dhism in Tibet, Tibetans have acquired certaln innate positive qualities. They are given to saying kind and sympathetic 、 MOrdS. Even in remote nomadic areas, il- literate Tibetans pray for the sake ofall sentient beings, thinking of them all as having been their mothers in past lives. I have met many people om these places, who ask me to come back to Tibet soon for the benefit Of all mother sentient beings. lt sometlmes makes me C R E AT I N G T H E P E R S P E C T I V E F 0 R R A C T I C E

someone harasses us on the road or insults us in public, it is very possible we will become angry and aggressive ・ We might even retaliate on the spot. lfthat happens, 砠 the kindness, patience, and understanding we devel- oped in our meditation lnstantly vanish. Ofcourse, lt IS very easy tO be compassionate and altruistic 、 we are sitting comfortably on our seats, but the test Of the practice iS 、 we encounter a probler れ . For example, when we have the opportunity to fight and we refrain from fighting, that is Dharma practice. When we have the power to bully someone and we refrain from doing so, that is Dharma practice. SO, the real Dharma prac- t1Ce IS tO control ourselves in such circumstances. To make our spiritual practice stable and enduring, we must trarn conslstently.. A fair- 、 Meather practltroner has little hope of achieving his or her go 矼 lt is ex- tremely important tO practice the teachings day after day, month after month, and year after year. Anyone 、 MhO practices conslstently can develop spiritual realiza- t10ns. Since every impermanent phenomenon changes, one day our wild and rough minds will become disci- plined and wise, fully relaxed and peaceful. Such won- derful mental qualities can be developed simply by seeing the advantage Of virtuous thought and action and the drawbacks of delusion. Nevertheless, it is ⅵ that the practitioner learns the proper technique and method. ln the quest for spiritual realization, we do not have tO use brute force. When I 、 receiving teachings 伝 01 れ Khun-nu Lama, he to 旧 me a story 0f someone in Lhasa doing crrcumambulations. Someone else 、 meditating AWA K E N I N G T H M I N D , L I G H T E N I N G T H E H A R T