Gyalwang
Karmapa began the second day of his teachings on the
Vajradhara Lineage Prayer by providing further explanations
on the previous day’s teachings on the history of the Karma
Kagyu lineage. His Holiness spoke at length on the role of
Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche in the history of the Karma Kagyu
tradition.
He said that
Jamgon Lodro Thaye is the first Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche and
his reincarnation, Jamyang Khyentse Oser, was born as the
son of the Fifteenth Gyalwang Karmapa, Khakyab Dorje. The
Fifteenth Gyalwang Karmapa decided to include him as one of
the heart sons, along with Tai Situpa, Shamar Rinpoche,
Gyaltsap Rinpoche, Pawo Rinpoche and Treho Rinpoche.
Including the Karmapa, this brought the total number of
heart sons in the Karma Kamtsang tradition to seven.
Gyalwang Karmapa said Jamgon Kongtrul was clearly predicted
in the prophecies of Lord Buddha. He said Jamyang Khyentse
Wangmo and Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye were extremely
influential figures in the rime or the non-sectarian
movement in Tibet. They propagated all the teachings of
Tibetan Buddhism.
They
received all the empowerments and instructions available
during that time. They not only remained non-sectarian in
principle but also actively practiced it. Jamgon Kongtrul
Rinpoche traveled all over Tibet and received transmissions
from whoever had them. For instance, there was a story about
how Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche received a rare transmission
from a blind person. He read line by line and had the blind
person repeat after him, thereby receiving the transmission.
How much effort they put into receiving these teachings is
something beyond our imagination.
Jamgon
Kongtrul Lodro Thaye also compiled the Five Treasuries,
which run into hundreds of volumes. He was so indefatigable,
according to one story, that when he was over 80 years old
and found it difficult to write, the pen was tied to his
hand. His activities included the composition, The Prayer
for the Well-Being of Tibet, which is read during the Kagyu
Monlam. Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye personally used to read
it six times a day.
The
relationship between Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and Jamgon
Kongtrul Rinpoche is so strong that it should serve as a
role model for all of us. They were both each others’
student as well as teacher to each other. The Fifth Gyalwang
Karmapa predicted that anyone who had the opportunity to
come in contact with Jamgon Kongtrul and Jamyang Khyentse
Rinpoche would be liberated from samsara (the same was also
said to apply to Terton Chogyur Lingpa.)
In addition,
Jamgon Kongtrol Lodro Thaye is extremely important not only
for the Karma Kamtsang school but also for Tibetan Buddhism
as a whole. His detailed notes on the teachings and
transmissions he received amount to one big volume, about
1,000 pages long. It was published in Tibet last year and is
a great source of information. Jamgon Kongtrul’s work is
invaluable for all those who want to know the history and
details of the 13 tantric and sadhana practices, which
originate from Marpa. We have preserved these teachings so
purely because of Jamgon Kongtrul’s efforts.
The
Fifteenth Karmapa Khakyab Dorje and Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro
Thaye enjoyed a great relationship. The Second Jamgon
Kongtrul Rinpoche, Jamgon Khyentse Oser, was the son of the
Fifteenth Karmapa Khakyab Dorje. Khakyab Dorje had great
devotion to Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye. Consequently,
before he passed away, he had told the Karmapa that he would
come back as his son. Jamgon Khyentse Oser, the Second
Jamgon Kongtrul, was a great master of Mahamudra. The
Sixteenth Karmapa would seek the help of Jamgon Khyentse
Oser whenever he had questions regarding Mahamudra. Although
he was the son of the Karmapa, he was said to have a very
humble demeanor. He was able to connect with everybody
easily.
As you all
know, the Third Jamgong Kongtrul Rinpoche—Lodro Chokyi
Senge—was extraordinary in both dharma and mundane
activities. He was an important confidante of the Sixteenth
Karmapa, for whom he did a lot of work, including building
and looking after the Buddhist institute in Rumtek monastery
in Sikkim. Unfortunately, he passed away in a car accident.
Many people believe if he had not passed away, the Karma
Kagyu School would not have become embroiled in so many
conflicts. His activities were very widespread and many of
you who met with him must still feel those connections. When
the Sixteenth Karmapa was ill, Jamgon Kongtrul went out of
his way to serve his teacher. I have heard that before he
passed away, the Sixteenth Karmapa said, that even though he
might not have had the opportunity to pay back his gratitude
in that life, he would do so in the next life.
The Fourth
Jamgon Kongtrul was recognized by me when I was just a
child. When I was in Tibet, there were some restrictions on
recognizing reincarnations. In spite of these restrictions,
I was able to recognize over 40 trulkus, some overtly and
some secretly. Of them all, the clearest was Jamgon Kongtrul
Rinpoche. With regards to the others, I had a mixture of
clarity and lack of clarity. But amongst all of them Jamgon
Kongtrul was extremely clear. I am confident that his
activities will be beneficial for all of the Karma Kamtsang
tradition. His activities will be strong and stable. I also
request all of you to contribute and support him in his
activities, for Buddhism in general and the Karma Kamtsang
in particular.
Since I have
a knack of getting caught up in problems, I request all of
you to support Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche’s activities. In
2012, it will be 20 years since the Third Jamgon Kongtrul
passed away – and the bicentennial of the birth of the First
Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye. Consequently, the theme of the
next Kagyu Monlam will be Jamgon Kongtrul and his
activities.
We have the
teachings of Buddha because of Shakyamuni Buddha’s efforts
and dedication for many lifetimes. If we talk about
Buddhism, it comes from the tireless work and efforts of
many great beings in the past. The Karma Kamtsang tradition
is the same. The school is flourishing because of the many
masters who worked tirelessly. The fact that we have a
living tradition is due to the efforts of these masters. The
teachings have been preserved thanks to this great effort by
a great many people. If we know what their activities were
and the efforts that they made, we will be able to
appreciate it more and it will help us understand the
greatness of these teachings and the tradition, and to
follow in the footsteps of these masters. It will also help
facilitate a certain kind of devotion and appreciation to
arise in our minds. Otherwise, if we take it for granted,
genuine devotion may not arise. It is therefore important to
know the stories and be inspired by these masters.
Therefore, I am spending time talking about these masters.
Gyalwang
Karmapa pointed out that as the head of the Karma Kagyu
Lineage he also finds it necessary to say a little bit about
troubles that had befallen the Karma Kagyu School. He said
since we are all samsaric beings, some attachment and
aversion is inevitable. He, however, said it is important to
take a long view. He said that it is important to be mindful
and not fall into the trap of attachment and aversion
because there is the risk that it might lead to the
disintegration of the Karma Kagyu’s golden lineage. Some
attachment and aversion might sometimes be necessary.
Nonetheless, it is important from our side to exercise
caution and refrain from getting involved in conflicts. We
have to remain sincere, have a good heart and not do
anything negative or harmful to others. This will be
important in the long run for the long-term interest of the
Karma Kagyu tradition. He said that it was difficult for him
to talk about these matters but as the lineage holder of
the Karma Kagyu tradition, he had to say a little about
these things. However, he could only say so much and then
it was up to us to think more about these matters.
Gyalwang
Karmapa then came to the main teachings focused on the
Mahamudra Lineage Prayers, or Dorje Chang Tungma. He went on
to explain the following stanzas:
Revulsion is
the foot of meditation, as is taught.
To this
meditator who is not attached to food and wealth,
Who cuts the
ties to this life?
Grant your
blessings so that I have no desire for honor and gain.
His Holiness
further explained the Tibetan word shenlok. He said
there are many different translations of this word, such as
“detachment,” “revulsion” and “disgust.” Gyalwang Karmapa
said that the closest meaning of the word is perhaps the
feeling one experiences when accidentally stepping upon a
pile of feces on the road. While sometimes detachment can be
interpreted as being indifferent to both good and bad,
Gyalwang Karmapa said he does not think that is “shenlok.”
One of the
most important yogis, Jetsun Drakpa Gyaltsen, a great
Sakyapa master, said that if you are attached to this life,
you are not practicing dharma. If you are attached to
samsara, then it is not renunciation. If you are attached to
yourself, then you are not a true bodhisattava. If you are
clinging, then it is not the right view. The Four Dharmas of
Gampopas are in essence the same. For a person to be totally
liberated from samsara there has to be e a hand, feet and
the main body.
In addition,
Gyalwang Karmapa said that for detachment or revulsion there
is one-sided or incomplete detachment. For instance, if you
were to put grass in front of carnivorous animals, they
would not eat it; that is not complete revulsion. If you put
meat in front of a deer, it will not eat it because deer are
herbivorous. Also, most of the birds, except crows, do not
hoard things. These are all kinds of detachment but not
complete detachment. Rather, it is simply not in their
nature to be attracted to them.
What do we
mean by true renunciation, true detachment, or true
revulsion? There are three levels of detachment. At the very
least, we need to feel revulsion with this life. At the
level of beginners, we see no use being attached to this
life. If we are more advanced, then we feel no attachment to
samsara. If we are very advanced, then we are not
attached to peace or complete or partial peacefulness.
How should
we feel disgusted with this life? This is my opinion, so I
am not claiming that it is correct: when we say we practice
dharma, what we mean is that we practice it primarily eyeing
our future lives. If you just practice for this current
life, then it is not real dharma. Practicing Dharma is not
for this life, it is for the long run. Of course, we have to
earn a livelihood but the main purpose of dharma is for the
benefit of future lives. But if we get our priorities wrong,
dharma becomes less important. Most people have got their
priorities wrong and have got it upside down. Therefore, it
can be said that whether you are a practitioner or not
depends upon whether you are looking at the short term or
the long-term benefit.
For
instance, Milarepa completely gave up the welfare of this
life. He lived in the Snow Mountains, and he did not have
anything to eat, nor did he have any companion. It is not
possible for us to follow his example because we might die
of hunger, cold or loneliness. I am not saying that
everybody has to practice like Milarepa. But what I am
saying is that it is important to think about the long-term.
As a dharma practitioner, our goal is the long-term, and the
rest is secondary. That is what we mean by the term dharma
practitioner: someone who prioritizes the welfare of a
future life over the present life. For example, a dharma
practitioner can be a businessman, but his or her main goal
is practicing for future lives. In this way, if business is
not so good, there is no major cause for concern, because,
as a dharma practitioner, business is only a secondary
objective, not the primary one. Though there may be problems
with the business, there are other things that could be
done. There is no need to commit suicide.
There are
many monks and nuns here. Some are true sangha, and
others are not. Some of them only come to take tea and bread
or to collect alms. Attending Kagyu Monlam with material
goals is not right because we are here to pray for world
peace. On the contrary, if we practice properly and
accumulate merit, coming here will become meaningful.
The people
who do not believe in future lives can also practice dharma.
Generally there needs to be some merit in order to generate
belief in the next life. For instance, some of us believe
that our happiness comes from external or material things.
If we look deeply then material things are not the source of
happiness. Many people from developed countries have come to
understand this. Material things do not bring lasting peace
and happiness; they produce more difficulties, more
problems, and unhappiness. When we think about it carefully,
to only pursue material things is not the source of our
happiness. We have to understand that true happiness has to
come from within, from developing a certain kind of
contentment. It is not based on gaining material things.
Therefore,
having detachment, some kind of renunciation, or distaste
for material things will bring happiness to our lives. This
is another way of understanding not being attached to this
life. Material things do not necessarily bring lasting
peace. Real happiness has to come from within.
So when we
talk about shenlok, it is sometimes also said that
“meditation” should not be taught to the wrong person
because then it will be used for wrong objectives.
Meditation has to be given to the person who has developed
disgust with the samsaric state of being. Therefore, the
great masters have said meditation has to have the right
ownership. The foot has to be strong because with a good
foot a person can walk towards enlightenment. If you teach
meditation to those who have aspirations only for this life,
it will be used for that purpose and nothing more. It is
therefore important to use it in the right away.
Then
Gyalwang Karmapa related three stories. The first one was
one about Gyalwa Yangonpa’s encounter with Zambala, the God
of Wealth. Once Gyalwa Yangonpa was in retreat and making a
water offering to Zambala. Out of the water bubbles appeared
two Zambalas, one black and the other yellow. The Zambalas
told him they wanted to give him whatever he asked for.
Gyalwa Yangonpa said,” I do not need anything because I
live in solitude in a remote area.” He told Zambala, “If you
really want to give something, please give it to the
beggars.”
The second
story was of Druptop Ugenpa, who was a student of Karma
Pakshi and Gyalwa Gotsangpa. He once came to Magadha in
India. There he had a vision of the Indian deity Ganesha.
Ganesha offered to become his protector, if he made torma
offerings to Ganesha and stayed in Bodhgaya for three years.
In addition, Ganesha would also offer him one third of the
world.
His Holiness
said he was not sure whether the world meant the whole world
or just India. Gyalwa Gotsangpa responded: “I know that you
need meat and blood, which I cannot give you. And how long I
stay in Bodhgaya is totally up to me. Moreover, if you gave
me one-third of the world, what would I do with it?” If you
are too attached to material things, you end up losing your
independence.
The third
story was 900 years old. Once upon a time a rich man lived
next door to a poor man. Every evening, the rich man would
hear the poor man sing and wonder why the poor man was so
happy. Was it because he had so little money? So one day,
after the poor man had gone out to go begging, the rich man
left a huge piece of gold, as big as the size of a goat’s
head, in the man’s room. When the poor man came back, he was
surprised to see it. He thought that somebody must have
forgotten it and contemplated ways to return it to its
owner. However, later he thought that it must have been left
by higher beings, who perhaps wanted to look after him
because he was so poor. Then the poor man began to make
plans about how to spend the gold, how to invest the money
and how to build a new house. Lost in thought, he forgot to
sing that night. Meanwhile, the rich man was watching the
poor man from the window. This proves we often lose sight of
our goals. We pursue wealth to seek happiness. This is not
right. Material things will never bring us lasting peace and
happiness.
