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Michael John Smith

Foundation Yogas For Tantra

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It is my own innate compassion, which led me to Buddhism - something the Catholic Church was unable to help me develop. This means I took an oath very close to what we call the Bodhisattva vow long before considering refuge in the three Jewels or any kind of liberation from samsara. It is however as a result of recently making external contact with one of these jewels again - the sangha - that has led me to taking up once more the four foundation yogas (Mula Yogas) of the Tibetan tantra. As we know these practices are nowadays often taken up before we have even began to meditate properly or to engage seriously in the spiritual practices of the Hinayana and Mahayana.

 

And so it is with my practice that I am starting more with the second Yoga - the development of Bodhichitta or will to enlightenment - and then the first Yoga - the going for refuge and prostration. It means I am reciting my Bodhisattva vow before the visualisation, recitation and prostration of taking refuge. This reflects my own preference for the goal of enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings over the goal of self-liberation. Perhaps it even reflects some kind of testing or examination of the power of taking refuge in order to realise my goal. It probably reflects more than anything my poor practice to date.

 

Is it at all wise to recite the Bodhisattva vow before the visualisation, recitation and prostration of taking refuge or does it have to be done afterwards?

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Explanation

 

My intention is to follow the Nyingmapa tradition of the four mula yogas, starting with the first two in reverse order as follows:

 

I shall visualise my refuge tree as taught to me by my root guru Sogyal Rinpoche

I shall make 108 full prostrations every day for the next 30 months or so (100,000 in all) whilst reciting first my own short Bodhisattva vow:

Although sentient beings are innumerous, I vow to save them

followed going to refuge by simply reciting:

Om Ah Hung

whilst visualising white, blue and red blessings from my refuge tree entering my body, speech and mind.

 

I am not yet ready to commence with the third and fourth mula yogas of Vajrasattva mantra recitation and offering the mandala.

 

Please advise if you think I’m crazy or if this will bring any benefit whatsoever.

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Is it at all wise to recite the Bodhisattva vow before the visualisation, recitation and prostration of taking refuge or does it have to be done afterwards?

You are talking about yoga this and that, Bodhisattva vows, etc... but you said you haven't taken Refuge yet!? It is a bit contradictory. Either you follow Buddhism, or you do not. But you can't make your own "sauce", following one object of Refuge, but not the others, practicing a Path you haven't correctly entered and accepted. You have to make a choice at one moment, set things straight not just in proliferation of words and online psychanalyse but in our conventional reality, the one you live in everyday following and meditating on the meaning of Buddha's Teachings, instead of turning around with whatever curious ideas 'cooked' in your head.

 

Establish correctly the foundation of the Path you want to built, and place brick by brick all the necessary element of the building; as usually we don't build the bathroom of the first floor, the doors of the second, and the chimney before to have finished the foundation first! Otherwise, you end up looking at the building material, playing in the sand, making your hands dirty with ciment... and acheive nothing.

 

All the best

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Thank you for your answer Rinpoche. But I don’t fully understand it.

 

In what way haven’t I taken Refuge?

(Is there only one way? I have heard of Buddhist traditions such as parents having their babies take refuge soon after birth)

 

What do you mean by following one object of Refuge, but not the others?

(I see my refuge tree as the three objects of Refuge and there’s also my body, speech and mind to integrate with this)

 

What is the correct way of entering and accepting the Path?

(Forgive my stubbornness but I see the generation of the Bodhisattva aspiration as the correct way of entering the Path and going to refuge in the three jewels as accepting the Path)

 

Sorry for my confused, poorly written reaction. I am hoping you will understand. As for the foundation of the Path, I promise I will spend more time in following and meditating on the Buddha’s Teachings.

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Thank you for your answer Rinpoche. But I don’t fully understand it.

Re-read what you wrote yourself here: www.dharmaling.org/forums/... where you state you are not officially Buddhist, etc etc.

A baby doesn't take Refuge, s/he gets a blessing after birth. But the official way to enter the Path is to take Refuge in front of a Lama, or a monk at least.

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Thank you Rinpoche but I need to go on a bit more.

 

I am still convinced Bodhichitta is my primary motivation in life and because I am now engaged there must have been an aspiration. I read just today that the aspiring state of Bodhichitta is generated through participation in a special ceremony. Did such a ceremony take place? - in other words when I declared that I was not an official Buddhist, I should of added “as far as I knowâ€Â. You see I remember taking part in quite a few ceremonies but for now I have no recollection of their precise nature, i.e. there were definitely empowerments given but I don’t recall initiations such as taking refuge or Bodhisattva vows. I do know my master Sogyal Rinpoche is very powerful and we had high lamas visit our Rigpa centre and give empowerments. Whether or not this is why I believe I have at least aspiring Bodhichitta, if not engaged Bodhichitta at the present time, I just don’t know - or is it just ideas “cooked†in my head? If I have the time or think it’s worthwhile I may go back and look at some of my postings and answers given but I think I should really just meditate.

 

Anyway as far as taking refuge is concerned, I also believe I have done this and do it continuously though once again I have no recollection of anything other than being taught my refuge tree and practices, which included its visualisation.

 

Today I read through the ritual for the Bodhisattva vow (key to the path of Mahayana) arranged according to the tradition of Patrul Rinpoche. It is very exhaustive but I think the following is relevant here:

 

Recalling the qualities of the Three Jewels, when we come to the Sangha it states -

 

Now it is to the precious bodhicitta and the bodhisattvas, those who possess it, that we express our respect and go for refuge …

 

I take this to mean that the official way to enter the path is to take refuge in front of a lama or monk at least is because this person represents the above. But do I need to enter the path again in this way and make it all official, when I enter the path at least before going to bed and upon rising from bed every day, if not sometimes whilst asleep?

 

I am sorry, I may be wasting your and everybody’s time continuing with this particular discussion - I want to get on with being a Buddhist - for now I think I have everything I need. Thanks again Rinpoche for sparing your precious time for a really stubborn and unworthy student. Anyway, I am certainly not qualified to decide whether or not this posting warrants an answer.

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I read just today that the aspiring state of Bodhichitta is generated through participation in a special ceremony. Did such a ceremony take place? - in other words when I declared that I was not an official Buddhist, I should of added “as far as I know”.

Sorry, but this is ridiculous. "As far as you know"? Hey, about whose life are we talking here?? If you don't know either you have participated or not in a ceremony or not, you surely haven't got that ceremony ie. if it was about Bodhisattava vows, you don't have them! You don't receive an initiation because you are in the room where it takes place, but because you are fully into it!

 

In order to take any empowerment (as such, not just as a blessing) you need to have formally taken Refuge. Taking Refuge shall not be a kind of vague and blur memory. You "reborn" after Refuge, you get a new name, and you place your life under the protection of the Three Jewels.

 

I do know my master Sogyal Rinpoche is very powerful and we had high lamas visit our Rigpa centre and give empowerments.

Did you ever approached this Lama? Did you asked him to become your teacher?

 

Anyway, it is good that you feel onto the Buddhist Path, yet, if you have no recollection of having taken part to a qualified ceremony of Refuge, you might do so the next time it takes place close to you (at Losar time in Ljubljana for example). And if you are in the region, best is also to come discuss the matter to the Temple when you can.

 

All the best

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Firstly you say you don’t receive an initiation because you are in a room where it takes place, and finally you say that I might do so the next time it takes place close to me (at Losar time in Ljubljana for example) - sorry I don’t get it.

 

I consider my on-line connection with Dharmaling as deepening my going for refuge. I don’t need to be “reborn†again with a fancy new name and place myself once again under the protection of the Three Jewels. I have already been “reborn†after my first contact with the Dharma in Dharamsala at the end of the monsoon season in India in 1979 and took my (the life we are talking about here) refuge after hearing the Dalai Lama speak in 1981 and subsequently going to Sogyal Rinpoche’s Rigpa group. I repeat that I regret not immediately calling myself a Buddhist but rather thinking of myself as simply interested in Buddhism (what one might call the preliminaries to taking refuge formally), and I regret never approaching my Lama to ask him to be my teacher. But this does not mean I never took refuge - I placed myself under the protection of the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha with or without formal or official ceremony and continue to do so, at my own level of course. Sogyal Rinpoche was my teacher immediately whether I asked him to become my teacher or not - and he still is, I assure you.

 

Yes I do feel onto the Buddhist path, more than ever since meeting up with Dharmaling on-line. It has given me the opportunity to benefit further from the protection from the Three Jewels I have been enjoying since 1981. It has provided me with the practical advice along with the opportunity to practice better, and led me closer to Rigpa and thinking with a big mind rather than an ordinary, small mind (I think of myself as being “reborn†continuously and shall be using my birth name until I die, thank you). I have enjoyed restating my Bodhisattva vows before such a community of devoted Buddhists and hope it was inspiring (it was on the Dharmaling ning network).

 

I am grateful beyond words to you Lama Shenphen Rinpoche, particularly for the affirmation that karmic traces could indeed be converted and Tonglen would help with my emotions of joy, and of course advising me to complete the six perfections, not to mention just your presence (have you a long-life prayer by the way?). And with your consent and moderation I would like very much to continue with this wonderful on-line connection - this interaction - for the benefit of all.

 

Thanks yet again for your invitation to join you physically - but I am simply not ready yet. I wish you all the best in your celebrations at Losar time in Ljubljana - I shall not be celebrating myself, in a gesture to the dead in Tibet.

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Firstly you say you don’t receive an initiation because you are in a room where it takes place, and finally you say that I might do so the next time it takes place close to me (at Losar time in Ljubljana for example) - sorry I don’t get it.
The part you don't get is called "awareness". If you are in a room where the Refuge ceremony is taking place, but you don't pay attention - and consequently don't even remember about it later - you are not taking Refuge.

I took Refuge in March 1985, and I remember it very well up to today... I've received a new name, and blessing cord from Lama Gendun Rinpoche.

 

Who has told you about a "fancy name"? The name you are getting when you take Refuge is part of the instruction for your Path. When the Lama takes the time for giving a name individually, it exposes your potentials, and what you will have to work on. Is that "fancy"? Do you tend to consider all the important moment and things of the traditional Path as fancy?

 

I have already been “reborn” after my first contact with the Dharma in Dharamsala at the end of the monsoon season in India in 1979
Oh yes, and it seems you remember so well about it that you don't even know if you have taken Refuge or not, if you have Bodhisattva vows or not, if you attended empowerment or not. Great awareness at that time...

 

I regret never approaching my Lama to ask him to be my teacher. But this does not mean I never took refuge - I placed myself under the protection of the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha with or without formal or official ceremony
Better than nothing surely, and your devotion as well as your effort to follow Buddha's Path has surely its positive effect. Yet, your become formally Buddhist once you are taking formally Refuge in front of a Lama or at least a monk. Same with Bodhisattva vows, they are taken through a specific ceremony, not through online networking site or whetever such.

 

Sogyal Rinpoche was my teacher immediately whether I asked him to become my teacher or not - and he still is, I assure you.
How many time did you meet Him in person so that He could give you right advises and instructions for your spiritual Path and practices? Ortherwise, it's like people stating that their spiritual master is His Holiness the Dalaà¯-Lama, whom they never met, never got any instruction from... and might never since approaching His Holiness is not an easy thing.

Of course you can consider His Holiness or whoever other masters as Teacehers of yours, but the Master-to-Disciple relationship is something else, is meant to guide you preciseley through the obstacles of the Path, leading you step by step to Enlightenment. And consequently, you need to meet often with your Root Lama.

 

with your consent and moderation I would like very much to continue with this wonderful on-line connection
Why "on-line" only? Why don't you attend teachings, practices, with real people? Is that a fear of yours? You have to get into the reality a little bit...

 

I shall not be celebrating myself, in a gesture to the dead in Tibet.
You think Tibetans won't celebrate it? What will you dedicate for Tibet? Your sadness? Great! We will dedicate the happiness of the Losar, and the merits of the practices which are done before the tea time...

 

And... Think, meditate, pray, more than spending so much time on-line! Make a pause projecting yourself "on-line" ie. outside of yourself, but focus a bit better on the essential and source of all ie. your mind!

 

All the best

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