there is a good chance that we may become enlight- ened during the era ofthe next Buddha, Maitreya. You can meditate on your spiritual master as he or she nor- mally appears to you. Visualize him or her in the space before you at the level of your forehead. Alternatively, visualize him or her in the form of Tsong-kha-pa, for example, at the heart Of Maitreya. lmagine inviting him from the Joyous Land and that he descends to the space before you. First address your prayers and re- quests for realization tO the spiritual master. VI- sualize him or her seated on the cro 、 Of your head and begin 、 vhatever meditation you are going tO dO. ln order tO reflect on the preciousness Of li as a human being, it is necessary tO consider the Other places 、 Mhere 、 could have been reborn as a result Of our karma.We know that karmic actions leave an 1n1- print on the mindstream or contlnulty Of COIISCIOUS- ness.We commlt various kinds ofactions in relation [ 0 external ObjectS, and 、 accumulate Others by entering 1ntO a deep state Of meditative concentratlon. Some- times actlons Of this latter type result in birth as a god. Even these days I know some people who, although they do not profess to practice the Dharma, have had certarn experrences connected tO mental development through 、 they attain a certain amount Of mental absorption. This shows that human beings have differ- ent aptitudes; some are 1 れ ore involved 、 external ObjectS, Others are more 、 lOOking, tending tO be more concerned 、 inner realizations and absorptrve states Of mind. Just as there are many different aspects A 、 VA 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

stated that there is no use in simply having many monks and nuns. Some people object, butl have sound reasons for what I have said. The true value of Dharma can be revealed by ten good practitioners. Even one highly qualified practitloner can make the virtues 0fBuddhism shine. There is great merlt in taking ordination as a 1 月 onk or nun if you dO SO ln a proper manner and With the right motivation. Therefore, before deciding to do メ ou should examlne and confirm your intention. You should be aware of the benefits and purpose of what you are doing. Change should begin with mental trans- formation. Mere physical change does not achieve the 、 MhOle purpose. Those 、 MhO lack a commltment tO men- tal transformation and misbehave set a bad example and cause the people's 市 to decline. So when I talk about quality, I am referring to people gaining a proper understanding of the Dharma and putting those teach- ings intO practice in their daily lives. These days, there is some religious freedom ln Tibet. PeopIe are allowed to become monks and nuns and to rebuild some of the monasteries destroyed by the Chinese. Some Tibetans who have lately visited Tibet have told me that the monks and nuns there have not had a proper religious education and only en- gage in performing ritual. Others have had the impres- sion that the monks and nuns in Tibet are really reli- gious minded and dedicated to the pursuit ofspiritual practice. Rebuilding the sacred Buddha Dharma must be done 、 Mith the utmost care and attentlon. S 0 U R C E A N D QU A L I T I E S

Even at the best Of times there is no guarantee that 、 will not die tomorro 、 M. ・ We may believe that because someone is in perfect health, she will not die for a long time.We may think that because someone else is 、 and ill, he will die soon. But these are mere assump- t10ns. There are SO causes and conditions for dying that we do not know when death will strike. You may think that, in the event of an earthquake, you have a very solid house. You may think that, if a fire breaks out, your feet are swift and you will be able to run away. Still, we do not have any guarantee that we can protect ourselves against every eventuality. There- fore, we should take every precaution and prepare to face this unkno 、 sltuation. We can be sure that our deaths 、 come; 、 are unsure When. Finally, at the time of death, nothing can help ex- cept your Dharma practice. When you die, you have to go alone, leaving everything behind. You may have many wonderful friends and relatives, but at that time none Of them can help you. ・ Whoever is dearest tO you is absolutely helpless. You may be rich, but wealth can- not help you at the time of death. You cannot take a single penny with you. lnstead, it is more likely to be a cause Of 、 vorry.. Your best friend cannot accompany you tO your next life. Even a spiritual master cannot take his or her most devoted disciples tO the next world. Every one of us has to go alone, propelled by the force ofour karma. I Often reflect on my own situation the Dalai Lama. I am sure there are people 、 MhO are prepared tO C R 見 AT I N G T H E P E R S P E C T I V 見 F 0 R P RA C T I C E

si 、 ould reflect on hO 、 death occurs in relation tO tlme and place. Not a single individual will avoid death. Death is a universal condition. ThiS has been true in the past, SO at present, and 、 contlnue tO be true in the future. Whatever physical existence we adopt will not be immune to death. Even Buddhas have le 丘 their bodies behind, so what can be said of ordinary beings? ln terms Of place, there is nowhere that can be re- garded a death-free zone. Wherever we stay we can- not avoid death.We cannot hide in the mountalns, 、 cannot remaln in space beyond death's reach. Death comes upon us like the falling ofa huge mountain from which there is no escape. ・ We may be brave, cunmng, and clever, but 、 Mhatever tactlcs 、 use, there iS no 、 vhere to escape from death, not high in the mountains, deep in the sea, in the densest forest, or in the cro 、 Mded city.. There is not a single person in history who has not had [ 0 die. Even the most spiritually evolved have passed away, not to mention the most powerful kings and the bravest 、 Marr10rs. Everyone, rich and poor, great and small, man and woman, has to die. When meditating on death, we should pay closest attentlon tO its unpredictability. The uncertalnty about when death will strike actually impedes our spir- itual endeavors. We accept that death will definitely come one day, but since lts tlme Of arrival is not fixed, we tend to think of it always as being some way o 圧 ThiS iS an illusory notion. AS a matter of fact, 、 are constantly racing tO 、 our death 、 vithout stopping even for a n101 れ ent. C R E AT I N G T H E P E R S P C T I V E F 0 R P RA C T I C を

221 the innate conception 0f self apprehends its object. There are two methods for doing this: analytical medi- tation and single-pointed meditation. Analytical medi- tation, which we are engaged in here, is done using dif- ferent patterns 0 日 ogic. lfthe "l" exists as we identify it, as lntrinsically existent, 1 [ must be either one 、 our physical and mental components or separate from them. There are only these ハ vo possibilities with no op- tron in between. 圧 the "l" had an independent exrs- tence, it could not depend on the person's physical and mental components. Either the physical and mental components are the themselves, or the has no re- lation to them at all. lfthe physical and mental compo- nents are the "l," when they disintegrate at death, the I will also disintegrate. Similarly, just as a person leaves her body behind when she dies, the "I" will also be abandoned. Furthermore, if the "l" were truly one with the physical and mental components, as there are many components, there 、 be many selves within one person. If the self or "I ” of this 1 飛 and the nextlife have no relation between them, they would not be of the same continuum. The virtuous actlons done by the person of this life would not affectthe continuity of his next li . ln that case, whatever the person in the next life experiences 、 be Without cause or condition cause he 、 not have created the experiences him- self, since he iS not related tO the person Ofthe previous 1 飛 . ln this way you can see the faults of holding the Vie 、 that the person iS either truly one with or separate from his or her physical and mental components. That T H E AWA K E N I N G V I E W 0 F R E A L I T Y

Of consclousness, SO there are different types Of exis- tence. When the mind is untamed, it may be likened to the animalrealm. Thelevel ofuntamed mind in which you experrence the most lntense suffering can likened to the hell realm. On the other hand, the mind can be trained. The highest point ofthattraining is the fully awakened state ofenlightenment. lt is difficult to prove the existence Of different realms as they are ex- plained in the scrrptures, because they tend tO contra- dict observed facts. However, the Buddha himselfsaid that 、 Mhen something contradicts experience and logic itshould be abandoned. lt iS diffcult tO prove assertions in the scriptures that the hell realms exlst at a certain depth under the lndian continent. But 、 can definitely say that among human beings there are different kinds ofmentality. Some peo- ple are tortured by intense suffering and anxiety. Even animals experrence different types Of existence. There are SO certam mystenous forces, 、、 attribute tO spirits. 、 Among the different realms ofexistence, such as the gods, human beings, and animals, the higher or 1 ore fortunate forms include the human and god realms. Reflect on the great rarity and potential of human exlstence. Apply the same type of practice when you meditate on the next topic, death and impermanence. Make fervent requests tO the spiritual master tO be able tO achieve realization through your meditation and tO overcome obstacles tO your dOing SO. iS hOW you T H E M E D I TAT 10 N S E S S 10 N

2 イ ln 、 Mriting hiS own treatises, he studied numerous clas- sical lndian texts thoroughly and did exhaustive re- search tO ascertain their intention. ・ When 、 study his 、 vorks, we can really appreciate his scholarly acumen and precision. He was especially distinguished for dis- cussing the more difficult and finer points of philoso- phy, which was rare among the greatscholars in Tibet. Bu-tön, a reno 、 SChOlar Of the previous genera- ロ on , 、 Mrote very extensively, in fact more than Tsong- kha-pa, but he did not deal with philosophical points as thoroughly. Because ofthis, there is a saymg among the scholars ofAmdo, northeastern Tibet, "lfyou need references, consult Bu-tön, but ifyou have philosophi- cal doubts, consult Tsong-kha-pa ・ When 、 study the works 0f different writers, 、 get S01 れ e feeling for their personalities. Some go intO great detail but are not very clear and precise 、 it comes tO stating theoretical positions. others are more concrse and straightforward 、 Mhen it comes tO theories and philosophicaltenets. Writers revealtheir own per- sonalities in their 、 Mriting. They are like the human face. Even though everyone has the same number of features within the small area Of the face—t 、 MO eyes, one nose and SO on—still no t 、 M() faces are identical. There are as many different faces as there are people ・ Supreme among his wonderfulteachings Are the means for activating the a 、 Makening mind. I shall expound his perfectteaching with absolute accuracy; 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

needy, and downtrodden. ln Calcutta' there is M0ther Teresa, for example. Many Christians care for lepers with a total disregard for their own lives. ls there any Tibetan monk doing that? Nearly a thousand years ago, the great Tibetan master Drom-tön-pa actually did such great work and lost his limbs. More recentlY' Te-hor Kyor-pön Rinpoche also took care of people suffering from leprosy. Therefore, rather than being confrontational, it would be Wiser and more meaning- fulto learn from each other. ln this way, religious peo- ple can play a positive ro に in creating peace and har- mony in our 、 h,rorld. Because people are different and their mental incli- nations vary, the Buddha taught a variety 0f philo- sophical views. The whole purpose ofhis teaching is t0 benefit sentient beings, ultimately tO lead them tO peace and enlightenment. The Buddha's teaching is not rigid dOCtrine that requires all adherents tO f01- low one and the same philosophical theory. On the contrary, the Buddha gave various levels ofexplanation to suit his disciples' varying degrees ofintelligence and mental disposition. Consequently, in lndia' four mapr schools of thought came about. Even among the four major SChOOIS Of thought, there are numerous sub- schools. lt is important to remember that all the Buddha taught was meant to help sentient beings and guide them on the spiritual path. His philosophical teach- lngs 、 not JLISt abstract speculation but part Of the processes and techniques for combating disturbing M 0 T I V 見 A N D A S P I R A T 1 0 N

Though the world and its beings be 応Ⅱ the fruits of misdeeds, And unwished-for sufferings pour upon me like lnspire 1 e tO see them as means tO exhaust the results Of negatlve actions, And tO take these miserable conditions as a path. Wherever 、 live and 、、 assocrate 、 Mith, we are always grumbling and pointing out what they have done wrong. As a result we are always unhappy ・ There is no need tO elaborate the advantages Of con- cern for the welfare of sentient beings and the disad- vantages Of the self-centeredness. There iS no need tO say more; simply 100k at the difference between ordi- nary immature people 、 MhO work for their O 、 benefit and the Buddha who works for the purpose of others. There is a difference in the two approaches tO culti- vating concern for the 、 MeIfare OfOther sentient beings. You can see sentient beings in a pleasing light by re- membering their kindness tO you over many lives. You respond t0 them because they have benefited you. }綫0 、 h,rever, this attitude borders on the opportumstic: "l'll take care of you because you have been kind to me, otherwise, why should I bother?" On the other hand, when you cultivate concern for the welfare of other sentient beings simply because they are like you ln wanting happiness and not 、 suffering, you do not think about whether they have benefited you or not. You simply think that they have the same nature A ′・ A K E N I N G T H E 、 { I N D , L I G H T E N I N G T H E H E A RT

reJOice at the opportunity tO impact this tradition, as I 応Ⅱ ow its practice myself. Although I do not claim to have allthe qualifications necessary for giving such in- structions, I have great admiratlon and devotion for them. I reJOice that this precrous lnstructlon, transmlt- ted 伝 om the Buddha, has actually come down [ 0 a per- son like me in this degenerate age 、 the teachings ofthe Buddha have almost become extinct. Whether I this teaching or you are listening tO or read- ing it, 、 are not ln an act Of competition. We are not doing it for personal gain. lfthis teaching is given out Ofa pure 、 tO help Others, there iS no dan- ger Of our state Of mind deteriorating; it can only be lmproved. We can achieve enlightenment only through the practice Of meditation; without it there iS no way we can transform our minds. The whole purpose of read- ing or listening tO Buddhist teachings iS tO enable us tO undertake the practice properly. Therefore, we should try our best tO put 、 Mhat 、 understand intO practice. At this juncture 、 have obtained this precious li as free and fortunate human beings, able to engage in this practice. We should seize the opportunity. Although it iS lmportant [ 0 take care Of our livelihood, 、 should not be obsessed by that alone. We should also think of our future, for 1 飛 after death is something we know little about and our fate is unpredictable. If there is a life after death, then it iS very important tO think about it and prepare for it. Atthis point' when we have ob- tained all the conditions necessary for practicing the I N T R 0 D U C T 1 0 N