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

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

32 [ 0 it earlier when you were teaching? Why did you make no reference tO mind training then?" Sha-ra-wa responded, "What's the use of giving a great teaching like mind training if no one really wishes tO practlce it?" I think 、 need tO pay more attention and respect tO this ancient tradition Ofnot teaching the Dharma tO anyone and everyone without discrimrnatlon. ln the past, teachers did not teach just anyone 、 MhO came tO them, nor did they give Just any teaching that was re- quested 丘 om them. They sought to ensure that appro- priate teachings 、 rmparted tO appropriate diSCi- ples. ln that way, only truly dedicated and spiritually oriented disciples became involved in the Dharma, and as a result their practice 、 very successful. Teach- ing tantra 、 severely restricted, and only the most ca- pable and devoted disciples 、 Mere permitted tO recelve it. ln recent times, such restrrctlons have been 、 Maived, and even tantra has become the subject of popular public teachings. After making three prostrations, Che-ka-wa went back to where he was staying and, opening a copy of Nagaouna's 臾尾 0 Ga 〃イ found the quotation that Sha-ra-wa had recited. Then, setting aside all negative thoughts, he spent more than ハ years at the place called Sho putting these teachings on mind training into practice. Then he spent years at a place called Gye-gong and another four at a place called Shar-wa. Altogether, Che-ka-wa spent fourteen years engaged in developing the awakening mind under his teacher's 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

Of 、 vanting happiness and not 、 vanting suffering as you do and they have the same right to achieve happiness and dispel suffering. I think this train of thought will be more effective and more useful for some people. If you compare yourself 、 vith Other sentient beings, even though you have a right to happiness, メ ou are just one person, 、 Mhereas Other sentient beings are infinite. NOt only is your own happiness and suffering related t0 others, but the more you help them, the happier you will be. The more you harm or neglectthem, the more miserable you will be. Therefore, sacrificing your own interests for the sake Ofthe maprity is the more intelli- gent approach. This, brieflY' is how to practice ex- changing yourself for others. ・石 can take the practice of cultivating the a 、 vaken- ing mind to heart by meditating first on love and then on compassion. The text says: Practice a combination Of giving and taking. You meditate on love by meditating on giving your bOdy, 、 vealth, and positive qualities tO Other sentient beings. If we dedicate our body, wealth, and virtuous qualities to others, they will serve some purpose. If we hoard them and protect them for ourselves, they will 0n1 メ bring frustration. First, 、 have tO reflect on the advantages Of trarning the mind tO generate love by g1Ving these things away. One sutra says that even if you 、 tO make offerings as extensrve as the count- less realms Ofthe umverse tO countless supreme beings, T H E AWA K E N I N G M I N D

POSitive VIew. You compare your misfortune tO those 、 MhO are more miserable and ackno 、 that you have been spared that greater misfortune. Such an attitude helps to reduce the burden and yields more ln- sight intO the nature Of suffering. You alSO become more broad-minded and more relaxed. On the other hand, people who are unable to view their problems flexibly become depressed and unhappy. lt is obvious that our minds have a great role to play in making our lives more meaningful and happier. This is not a ques- tion Of achieving great spiritual feats but a matter Of basiC common sense. The mind training teachings, as their name implies, chiefly concern ways and means of shaping the mind. ThiS is particularly relevant tO a Dharma practitloner. Unless 、 are able tO trarn our minds SO that they can withstand the ups and downs o 日飛 , it will be hard to contlnue our spiritual endeavor. TWO Situat10ns hamper our Dharma practice. one is 、、 are well offand everything goes smoothly with no obvious hin- drances. The Other is 、、 are beset by continual hardships and disasters. ln the first case the mind be- comes inflated and arrogant. ThiS leads tO Other dis- turbing emotlons, like jealousy and competitiveness. We must not allow ourselves to be carried away by the wind Of such negative forces. On the contrary, 、 should learn tO turn the situatlon tO our advantage. lt 、 be 、 tO take a more 、 Mholesome VIe 、 and flect that we are able to enJOY good fortune and com- fort no 、 because Of our past good actions.We can 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

I take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and spiritual communlty, Until I attain the state Of enlightenment. By the force of generosity and other virtues, May I achieve Buddhahood to benefit all sentient beings. This is extremely important for developing a posi- tive attitude and avoiding being overwhelmed by hos- tile forces. The more 、 generate such an attitude and the more we make our minds familiar 、 vith POSitive qualities and appreciate their benefits, the more stable and more lncorruptible our minds will become. ・ With- out such a practice, 、 may be able tO generate a POSI- t1Ve mind tO some extent. HO 、 Mever, if 、 dO not con- stantly familiarize ourselves with it, it 、 become like weak tea. This is only natural. The scriptures describe twenty-two kinds of awak- ening mind. lt is said that until メ ou have attained the stability of the earthlike awakening mind or the gold- like awakening mind, there is a risk ofyour awakening mind degenerating. For this reason lt iS important that development of the qualities of compassion should be augmented by wisdom, and development of the quali- ties of wisdom should be augmented by compassion ・ Compassion and wisdom should be practiced in com- bination. FamiIiarity 、 the practice is a key factor. And since many of us readily talk about "all mother sentient beings ' or sentient beings Ofthe SiX realms Of existence, it iS important tO have S01 e idea Of 、 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 R T

100 individual. When you generate the awakening mind, you extend your care and concern to the well-being of everyone else. The aspiration to attain the fully awak- ened state of a Buddha for the sake of all sentient be- ings is a pure and powerful intention. a result, both others and ourselves will e 可 oy lasting peace and hap- p 1 neSS. lt is important tO be a 、 vare that disturbing emotlons and the obstructions tO complete kno 、 Mledge are but adventltlous stams on the mind. They are not intrrnsrc tO the nature Of the mind and therefore can be com- pletely removed. The import of this is that omm- SC1ence IS something 、 can achieve. Naturally, if 、 have achieved ommscrence, 、 are in the best position to help others. ln trying to be helpful, mere sincerity and dedication are not enough. lt iS essential tO under- stand each individual's interest and capaclty and men- tal disposition. Then our efforts to ん 16 Ⅱ sentient be- ings' welfare will be effective, and we will able to gradually lead them to Buddhahood. The awakening mind is the most supremely posi- tive thought. lt is worth employing every means and methOd tO generate it. Even in our ordinary everyday life, kindness and good-heartedness are highly valued. ThiS iS ObVious even in relation tO animals like dogs and cats. Kinder, more peaceful dogs attract a better response than those that are aggressive. The same ap- plies in human society. We all like to be around kind people. Their peaceful and relaxed nature is soothing and j 。 y ん 1. 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 R T

growth and is a tool ofexploitation. They even say that religion iS an れ p り , and meaningless pursuit. Tibetans, on the other hand, believe in the Buddha's teaching and see it a source ofpeace and happiness. Broadly speak- ing, Tibetans are indeed happy, peaceful, and resilient in the face of diffculties. Those who oppose religion tend tO be more anxrous and narro 、 M-minded. lt is aISO noticeable that Tibetans do well without having to work so hard, while the Chinese struggle much harder tO survrve. Positive, merltorrous aCt1Vity results happiness and success. The forces involved in the la 、 Of cause and effect are not physical entities, but if 、 Observe them carefully we can learn how they operate. When 、 Tibetans became refugees, our lives 、 Mere initially very hard. We possessed not an inch ofland and had tO depend on Others for support. ln the course Of time, our S1tuation improved. ThiS iS our good karma com- ing t0 fruition. Similarly, in ordinary life some people are 1 れ ore successful than Others for no obvious reason. We just say that he or she is lucky, but these are in- stances Ofthe 、 MOrking ofpositive karma. We should stop not only negative actrvities, but 引 SO the motivation that gives tO them. lt is impor- tant tO refrain 丘 0n1 the ten un 、 vholesome deeds bOth 伝 01 a spiritual point OfVie 、 and because they are con- trary to acceptable human behavior. Wanton slaughter of animals, killing human beings, and abusive sexual behavior like rape are againstthelaw everywhere. Now- adays we see many new laws being made, but whatever punishments are prescribed, people always seem to find AWA 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

the right attitude. Reflect thatto be born as a free and fortunate human being is very rare. Ask yourselfwhat is the purpose of rebirth as a human being. We are not born intO this 、 Morld as human beings tO create more problems and confusion. If 、、 Mere, human ex1Stence would be worthless. Therefore, the right attitude to adopt is to think you will attain the fully awakened state Ofa Buddha on the basis Ofyour precious human I 飛 . Think that even if メ ou cannot ん lfi Ⅱ the needs of Other sentient beings, you will not dO anything tO harm them. lt is very important to refresh this kind of motivation right at the beginning of the day so that your motivatlon, right 伝 0n1 、 you 、 up, iS not influenced by disturbing emotions like hatred, anger, and desire. Your attitude 伝 0n1 the start should be Vir- tuous. And with that you can clean the place, arrange representations of the objects of refuge, offerings, and so forth. most important factor, before you start the ac- tual practice, iS tO cultivate the right kind Of attitude. Your motivation should always follow 。 themes: tak- ing refuge in the Three Jewels—the Buddha, his teach- ing, and the spiritual community—and the awakening mind. If your practice is not complemented by taking refuge in the Three Jewels, it will not be a Buddhist practice. If it is not influenced by the awakening mind, it 、 not be a practice Of the Great VehiCle or a cause for achieving the fully awakened state ofa Buddha. ln the practice oftaking refuge, it is not necessary [ 0 visualize the objects of refuge. You can reflect upon T H E M E D I TAT 1 0 N S E S S 1 0 N

2 四 the other is invalid. Similarly, the Buddha, sentient be- ings, the cycle 0f existence, and the s ね記 beyond sor- row are the same in the sense that they lack existence. StiII, you must be able tO discrimmate be- t 、 veen those that are ObjectS tO be aspired tO and those that are to be discarded or avoided. How is the view of selflessness to be established? The selfofpersons and the selfofphenomena are bo 市 ObjectS tO be negated. There is no difference bet 、 them in terms of subtlety. But because of some differ- ence Of subtlety in the nature Of the Object, it is said that the selflessness ofpersons IS more easily realized. ln order to establish the selflessness of persons, you must first understand 、 Mhat iS meant y se or person. There are different interpretatlons Of this according tO the various Buddhist schools of thought. The actual object of the conception of self is "l. " This is some- thing that exrsts conventionally, as a designated phe- nomenon, labeled on the basis of the physical and mental components. According tO none of the collection of physical and mental components could be the person. He says we generate a feeling of "l" in relation 「 0 our physical and mental componentS' but we do notsee any ofthem as "I. " We think ofthem as mine. '' For example, we look at our legs and say' "Those are mylegs. ' We do not identify ourselves com- pletely with our legs or our minds or any other 0f our physical and mental components. From these examples 、 move tO the understanding that the person is the mere label designated upon the T H E AWA K E N I N G V I E 、 V 0 F R E A L I T Y