Awesome Acts Of Kindness.

Meet 98 year old Dobri Dobrev, a man who lost his hearing in the second world war. Every day he walks 10 kilometers from his village in his homemade clothes and leather shoes to the city of Sofia, where he spends the day begging for money.
Though a well known fixture around several of the city’s churches, known for his prostrations of thanks to all donors, it was only recently discovered that he has donated every penny he has collected — over 40,000 euros — towards the restoration of decaying Bulgarian monasteries and the utility bills of orphanages, living instead off his monthly state pension of 80 euros.

Daily Purification: A Short Vajrasattva Practice

Daily Purification: A Short Vajrasattva Practice

By Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Soquel, CA USA 1999 (Archive # 1055, Last Updated Nov 1, 2011)

Source: Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archieve

Just Reprinted! 

In Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand Pabonka Rinpoche explains how the great Atisha
would purify any negativity, no matter how small, immediately. Even in public or when riding his horse, as
soon as he noticed a breach of his ethics, he would stop what he was doing, drop to one knee and then and
there, purify it with the four opponent powers—the powers of dependence, regret, remedy and restraint.
Atisha practiced purification in this way because of his deep realization of the psycho-mechanics of negative
karma, especially its four fundamentals: negative karma is certain to bring suffering; it multiplies
exponentially; if eradicated, it cannot bring its suffering result; and once created, it never simply disappears.
Through the study and practice of Dharma, we should try to attain Atisha’s level of understanding. In the
meantime, we should try to practice as he did. Therefore, out of his great compassion, Lama Zopa Rinpoche
has composed this short Vajrasattva practice and requested that it be published in a pocket-sized format that
is easy for people to carry round and have available at all times. Thus, we can be like the great
Atisha—whenever we notice we have broken a vow or created any other kind of negative karma, we can
whip out our little Vajrasattva book and purify that negativity with the four opponent powers without a
second’s delay.

A Short Vajrasattva Meditation

The Power of Dependence (A): Taking Refuge
"I forever take refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha,
I take refuge in all the three vehicles,
In the dakas and dakinis of secret mantra yoga,
In the heroes and heroines, the gods and goddesses
And in the bodhisattvas of the ten bhumis.
But most of all, I take refuge in my holy guru forever." (3x)

The Power of Regret

First recall the definition of negative karma-any action that results in suffering, usually an action motivated by
ignorance, attachment or aversion.
"Almost every action I do, twenty-four hours a day, is motivated by worldly concern, attachment to the comfort
of this life. It is like this from birth to death in this life and has been like that from beginningless rebirths.
Nearly every action I have ever created has been non-virtuous, the cause of suffering. Not only that, but
continuously I have also been breaking my pratimoksha, bodhisattva and tantric vows. Worst of all, I have
created the heaviest of negative karmas in relation to my virtuous friends-getting angry at them, generating
wrong views, having non-devotional thoughts towards them, harming their holy body and disobeying their
advice. Having these negative imprints on my mental continuum is unbearable. It's as if I've swallowed a
lethal poison. I must practice the antidote right away and purify all this negative karma immediately, without a
second's delay."
In this way, generate strong feelings of urgency and regret.

Remembering Impermanence and Death

1/4
"Many people my age or younger have died. It's a miracle that I'm still alive and have this incredible
opportunity to purify my negative karma. Death is certain but its time is most uncertain. If I were to die right
now, I would definitely be born in the lower realms. Because I could not practice Dharma there I would remain
in the lower realms for countless eons. Therefore, how unbelievably fortunate I am to be able to purify my
negative karma right now, without even a second's delay, by practising the Vajrasattva meditation-recitation."

The Power of Dependence (B): Generating Bodhicitta

"But I am not practising this Vajrasattva purification for myself alone-the purpose of my life is to release all
hell beings, pretas, animals, humans, asuras, suras and intermediate state beings from all their suffering and
its causes and lead them to unsurpassed enlightenment. In order to do this I must first reach enlightenment
myself. Therefore, I must purify all my negative karma immediately by practising the Vajrasattva
meditation-recitation."
Visualization
"Above the crown of my head, seated upon a lotus and moon seat, are Vajrasattva father and mother. Their
bodies are white; each has one face and two arms. He holds a dorje and bell, she a curved knife and skull
cup. They are embracing each other. The father is adorned with six mudras, the mother with five. He sits in
the vajra posture, she in the lotus.
"Vajrasattva is my root guru, the holy mind of all the buddhas, the dharmakaya, who out of his unbearable
com-passion, which embraces me and all other sentient beings, appears in this form to purify me and all
others."
In this way, your mind is transformed into guru devotion-the root of all blessings and realizations of the path
to enlightenment.
"On a moon disc at Vajrasattva's heart stands a hum encircled by a garland of the hundred syllable mantra. A
powerful stream of white nectar flows from the hum and mantra garland and I am cleansed of all sickness,
spirit harm, negative karma and obscuration."

The Power of the Remedy: Mantra Recitation

Om Vajrasattva samaya
manupalaya, Vajrasattva denopa titha,
dido me bhava, suto kayo me bhava, supo kayo me bhava,
anurakto me bhava, sarva siddhi me prayatsa,
sarva karma su tsame, tsittam shriyam kuru hum,
ha ha ha ha ho, bhagavan
sarva tathagata, vajra mame muntsa,
vajra bhava maha samaya sattva ah hum phet

The meaning of the mantra: 

You, Vajrasattva, have generated the holy mind (bodhicitta) according to your
pledge (samaya). Your holy mind is enriched with the simultaneous holy actions of releasing transmigratory
beings from samsara (the circling, suffering aggregates). Whatever happens in my life-happiness or suffering,
good or bad-with a pleased, holy mind, never give up but please guide me. Please stabilize all happiness,
including the happiness of the upper realms, actualize all actions and sublime and common realizations, and
please make the glory of the five wisdoms abide in my heart.
Recite the mantra seven or twenty-one times or as many times as possible, practicing the three techniques of
downward cleansing, upward cleansing and instantaneous cleansing.1

2/4
Generating Faith in Having Been Purified

"From the crown of my head, Guru Vajrasattva says, 'Son of the race2, your negativities, obscurations and
broken and damaged pledges have been completely purified.'"
Generate strong faith that they have been completely purified just as Guru Vajrasattva has said.
The power of Refraining from Creating Negativities Again
"Before Guru Vajrasattva, I vow never again to commit those negative actions from which I can easily abstain
and not to commit for a day, an hour or at least a few seconds those negative actions from which I find it
difficult to abstain."

Absorption

Guru Vajrasattva is extremely pleased with your pledge. Vajrasattva father and mother melt into light and
dissolve into you. Your body, speech and mind become inseparably one with Guru Vajrasattva's holy body,
speech and mind.

Dedication

"In emptiness, there is no I, creator of negative karma; there is no action of creating negative karma; there is
no negative karma created."
Place your mind in that emptiness for a little while. In this way, look at all phenomena as empty-they do not
exist from their own side. With this awareness of emptiness, dedicate the merits.
"Due to all the merits of the three times collected by me, buddhas, bodhisattvas and all other sentient beings
(which appear to be real, from there, but which are empty), may the I (which appears to be real but is empty)
achieve Guru Vajrasattva's enlightenment (which appears to be real but is empty) and lead all sentient beings
(who appear to be real but are totally empty) to that enlightenment (which appears to be real but is empty) by
myself alone (which appears to be real but is also totally empty, non-existent from there).
"May the precious bodhicitta, the source of all happiness and success for myself and all other sentient
beings, be generated within my own mind and in the minds of all sentient beings without even a second's
delay; and may that which has been generated be increased.
"May I and all other sentient beings have Lama Tsongkhapa as our direct guru in all our lifetimes, never be
separated for even a second from the pure path that is greatly praised by the conqueror buddhas, and
actualize the complete path-the three principal paths and the two stages of Highest Yoga Tantra-the root of
which is guru devotion, within our minds as quickly as possible.
"Just as the brave Manjushri and Samantabhadra realized things as they are, I dedicate all these virtues in
the best way, that I may follow after them.
"Whatever dedication the three time victorious ones gone to bliss have admired as best, in the same way, I
also perfectly dedicate all these roots of virtue so that I may perform good works."

Notes:
1 See The Tantric Path of Purification, pp. 58-60, for details of these three methods of purification. [Return to text]

3/4
2 This "son of the race" has nothing to do with gender but refers to a sentient being of a certain mental type,
which in turn relates to the buddha family into which one has been initiated. [Return to text]
4/4

Medicine Buddha Mantra

Advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche regarding Medicine Buddha

Blog Source: migtsema.com

If you can recite Medicine Buddha mantra as much as you can every day (good to do at least 5 malas), this will purify negative karma and will help you never to be reborn in the lower realms.

TADYATA OM BHEKHANDZYE BHEKHANDZYE MAHA BHEKHANDZYE (BHEKHANDZYE) RAJA SAMUDGATE SVAHA

Medicine Buddha said that even if an animal hears the Medicine Buddha mantra it will never be reborn in the lower realms.
If you don’t purify negative karma, even dying, having cancer, still you have to die because of negative karma, because it is not purified, so you will be reborn in the lower realms as a hell being, hungry ghost or animal, and again and again without end have to suffer. Therefore, you need to purify the negative karma now. If you cannot bear the sickness now how can you bear the suffering of the lower realms? Especially because of the incredible length of time that beings have to suffer in the lower realms. It is a billion times more suffering than all the human problems put together.
Medicine Buddha mantra prevents you from experiencing all these things. So it is much more precious than skies of gold, diamonds and wish-fulfilling jewels—all this wealth means nothing because it can’t purify all the negative karma. Even if you own that much wealth, this one Medicine Buddha mantra is much more precious because it leaves imprints of the whole path to enlightenment in your mind; it helps you to have realizations of the whole path to enlightenment. It ceases all the gross and subtle defilements and makes you achieve enlightenment.

Besides the benefits you receive from reciting Medicine Buddha mantra, also these are the benefits just from hearing the mantra. So therefore this mantra is much more precious than the whole sky full of diamonds and infinite jewels. With the Medicine Buddha mantra you can liberate numberless sentient beings from oceans of suffering and bring them to enlightenment. Therefore, again, reciting even one mantra or hearing just once the Medicine Buddha mantra is much more precious than the sky filled with gold, diamonds, wish-fulfilling jewels and zillions and zillions of dollars.
So with full trust in Medicine Buddha you recite the mantra, knowing that Medicine Buddha will completely take care of your life, heal you. With full trust know how Medicine Buddha is always with you, in your heart, on your crown, in front of you. There is not one second that Medicine Buddha does not see you or have compassion towards you.
One student in Hong Kong does Medicine Buddha practice daily and she had a very heavy brain operation. During the operation she actually saw Medicine Buddha. She had a miracle recovery, as it was a very risky operation, but she surprised all and was able to recover and is still alive. So Medicine Buddha looked after her.
Also one person in Taiwan, he is not Buddhist, he could not move his body, could not get up and he didn’t have any helpers around him. He very badly needed to take his medicine and the medicine was far away in the bathroom. Next to him was a Medicine Buddha statue and when he turned his head he saw that the Medicine Buddha statue was holding his medicine. So he was able to take his medicine. Later he passed away and when he passed away he was able to put his hands in the mudra of prostration at his heart to show that he remembered Medicine Buddha; he passed away peacefully.
So, if you can, do the Medicine Buddha practice.
Also a short way to practice is by reciting the refuge and bodhicitta prayer: “The purpose of my life is to free all beings from suffering and lead them to enlightenment, therefore, I am going to do the Medicine Buddha practice, especially to purify the negative karma, defilements, disease and spirit harm, as well as to do healing, so that I can have a healthy and long life to offer service and actualize the path.”
Visualize Medicine Buddha on the crown of your head or in front of you [at the level of your forehead.] Nectar beams emit from Medicine Buddha and enter your own body and mind like water. It pushes away all the dirty things, like pouring water into a glass pipe; all the dirty water flows out the top. All the disease, spirit harm, negative karma and obstacles are completely purified.
Also think that all sentient beings are in your heart on a moon disc, especially people who have cancer. Think that the nectar is purifying the four things (disease, spirit harm, negative karma and obstacles). All are purified, including your sickness.
If you are doing the practice for someone else, visualize is the same except that you visualize Medicine Buddha above their heads.
At the end dedicate the merits:
“Due to all the merits I have collected in the past and present and that I will collect in the future, may the wish-fulfilling, most precious, ultimate good heart bodhicitta, cherishing other sentient beings and letting go of the I, be generated in my heart and within the hearts of all living beings without delay of even a second. May the bodhicitta that is already generated be increased forever more.
“Due to all the merits of the past, present and future that I have collected and that others have collected, however many sick sentient beings there are may they be instantly liberated from their sicknesses and may sentient beings never get sick.
“Due to the merits of the three times, which exist but are empty from their own side, collected by me and all others, may I, who exists but is empty from my own side, achieve enlightenment, which exists but is empty from its own side, and lead sentient beings, who exist but are empty from their own side, to that enlightenment, which exists but is empty from its own side, by myself alone, who exists but is empty from my own side.
“I dedicate all the merits as the bodhisattvas Samantabhadra and Manjughosha realized and in the way that the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the three times dedicate and admire the most.
“Due to all these merits, may I actualize completely the stainless teachings of Lama Tsong Khapa, which unify sutra and tantra in this life, and may those teachings flourish and spread in all directions.”

To get the whole practice:
http://www.fpmt.org/education/prayers/mbpujalttrbklt.pdf

Dealing with Depression

Everyone of us goes through times when life seems extremely difficult - we are left alone, we can’t pay the bills, we have lost our job, we have lost a loved one. At these times we wonder how we could possibly make it through the next week. Somehow, we usually do!

It is possible to lose our perspective, and to paint the picture gloomier than it really is. We look toward a future which seems to be a minefield of problems and wonder how any human being would cope with what we face.

A person embarking on a day’s march would be foolish to carry enough provisions for a lifetime. It is not strange then, that many people carry around all their worries for the next twenty-five years and wonder why life is so difficult? We were designed to live twenty-four hours at a time. No more. It is pointless worrying about tomorrow’s problems today.

Next time you find despairing, ask yourself these questions -
Have I got enough air to breathe?
Have I enough food for today?
( If the answer is “Yes”, things are already looking up!).

We often overlook the fact that our most important needs are being met. I like the story of a man who phoned Dr. Schuller. The conversation went this way.

The man said, “It’s over. I’m finished. All my money has gone. I’ve lost everything.”
Dr. Schuller asked, “Can you still see?”
The man replied, “Yes, I can still see.”
Schuller asked, “Can you still walk?”
The man said, “Yes, I can still walk.”
Schuller said, “Obviously you can still hear or you would’nt have phoned me.”
“Yes, I can still hear.”
“Well’” Schuller said, “I figure you have got about everything left. All you have lost is your money!”

Another question we can ask ourselves is “What is the worst that could happen? And if it did, would I still be alive?” So often, we magnify things out of proportion. The worst that could happen is probably very inconvenient, but not the end of the world.

The next question to ask yourself is, “Am I taking myself too seriously?” Have you ever noticed that you can lose a week’s sleep over something that your friends would never give a second thought? This is often because we take ourselves too seriously. We figure the whole world is watching. It is not. And so what if it is? No doubt you are living your life the best way know how.

Next question, “What am I learning from this situation?” With hindsight, looking through a “retrospectoscope”, we can generally learn from our difficult times. The hard bit is being balanced and aware enough to learn while we are suffering - or why we are suffering. The happiest people tend to be able to always see their hard times as a valuable learning experience. They keep their chins up, they keep a smile on their faces, they know things will improve and that they will emerge from their trials better people. This is easier said than done!

Another question: If things really seem serious, will I be OK for the next five minutes? Once you have made it through those five minutes, just aim at getting through the next five. Bite off one small chunk at a time. It saves a lot of indigestion. Also, keep yourself busy. Give yourself a five minute job into which you can put your total energy. We always feel so much better when we are busy.

What else can I do?

Probably the greatest way to feel better about yourself is to do something for somebody else. Excessive worry and self-pity grow out of self-preoccupation. The moment you start to make other people happy, whether you are sending them flowers or digging their garden or giving them your time, you feel better! It is automatic. It is simple. And wonderful.

In a Nutshell

Disasters aren’t so disastrous if we tackle them a piece at a time. Also, the sooner that we recognize what we stand to gain from the experience, the easier it is to deal with.

Being Happy
Andrew Matthews
May 20, 2007

THE BUDDHA

THE BUDDHA

"Enlightenment, for a wave in the ocean,
is the moment the wave realises it is water."
Thich Nhat Hanh

WHAT IS A BUDDHA?

The word Buddha means "awakened one" or "enlightened one". The Buddha was an "ordinary" human like you and me before he became enlightened. Enlightenment is compared to waking up, because we suddenly experience a complete transformation of body and mind when we wake up. A Buddha is a person who has developed all positive qualities and eliminated all negative qualities. One could say that a Buddha represents the very peak of evolution, as he/she is omniscient or all-knowing. With his wisdom, a Buddha really understands the truth, whereas ordinary people live like in a dream, an illusion that prevents us from understanding reality properly.

"Our teacher, Sakyamuni Buddha, is one among the thousand Buddhas of this aeon. These Buddhas were not Buddhas from the beginning, but were once sentient beings like ourselves. How they came to be Buddhas is this.

Of body and mind, mind is predominant, for body and speech are under the influence of the mind. Afflictions such as desire do not contaminate the nature of the mind, for the nature of the mind is pure, uncontaminated by any taint. Afflictions are peripheral factors of a mind, and through gradually transforming all types of defects, such as these afflictions, the adventitious taints can be completely removed. This state of complete purification is Buddhahood; therefore, Buddhists do not assert that there is any Buddha who has been enlightened from the beginning."
His Holiness the Dalai Lama from 'The Buddhism of Tibet'

The historical Buddha, Shakyamuni or Gautama Buddha, lived about 2,500 years ago in India. However, he was not the first Buddha, and will not be the last either. He taught that during this eon (very long time period, maybe comparable to the life-time of the universe as we know it), there would be 1,000 fully enlightened Buddhas who would introduce Buddhism (after it has been totally forgotten). The numbers one to three in this eon are Krakucchanda, Kanakamuni, Kashyapa, then comes Shakyamuni (the historical Buddha some 2,500 years ago), and the next Buddha will be called Maitreya.[1]

WHAT IS A BUDDHA NOT?

A Buddha is not the creator of the universe, like "God" in the Christian-Judeo-Islamic sense. In fact, there is no creator of the universe given in Buddhist philosophy apart from the karma (actions) of sentient beings (beings with a mind like huans and animals).

The Buddha is not omnipotent (all-powerful) like the Christian-Judeo-Islamic "God". (The simple reason is that if he were, out of compassion, he would have long released all sentient beings from suffering.)

The state of a Buddha is not impossible to reach (although it may take many lives and extensive effort).

A Buddha is not hindered by ignorance, but is omniscient (knows everything).

A Buddha is not a passive being; he will use his wisdom to help to other living beings when they are open to his advice.

SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA'S LIFE STORY

Prince Siddharta Gautama was born some 2,500 years ago as a prince in what is now called Lumbini in Nepal. At his birth, many special signs appeared. His father asked a sage living in his kingdom for advice on his son. The sage predicted that Gautama would become either a great King or a great spiritual teacher.

The King wanted his son to be his successor and tried to keep him far away from all matters of life that could incline him to a spiritual life. Gautama usually spent his life in his father's palace, surrounded by all the possible luxuries of the time. He proved to be a special child, being quite intelligent as well as an excellent sportsman. He married to a beautiful woman he loved, and they had a son.

When Gautama was 29 years old, he discovered there was much suffering in the world around him. Traditionally it is explained that he suddenly recognised the problems of sickness, old age and death when visiting the city. Being shocked by the suffering of all living beings, he decided to search for way to end it. He left his wife and child, the palace and even his royal clothes, and started out on a spiritual quest.

Gautama studied under various teachers and followed their practices until he mastered them all. His first teacher was Alara Kalama who taught a form of meditation leading to an exalted form of absorption called "the state of no-thingness", a state without moral or cognitive dimension. Gautama saw this was not going to solve suffering, and continued his search.
The next teacher was Udraka Ramaputra who taught him meditative absorption leading to "the state of neither perception nor non-perception". Again, Gautama realised this was not the state he was looking for. (Both Alara and Udraka are by some scholars considered to be Jain followers.)
Next, he tried extreme ascetic practices at Uruvilva in North India, with five other ascetics who turned into his followers. In the end, Gautama nearly died of starvation.
After about six years of searching, he realised that just wearing down his body did not generate new insights, but rather leads to weakness and self-destruction. When he decided to give up extreme asceticism, his five students left him.

	The 'Bodhi' tree in Bodhgaya
	The Sarnath stupa, location of the first teachings

He then sat down in a place now called Bodhgaya (North India) under a Bodhi-tree and decided not to get up anymore until he discovered the truth. Just a short time later, he became a fully enlightened Buddha. This means that he actualised all positive potentials of a sentient being and rid himself of all negative qualities. With this, he realised the true nature of existence and suffering (emptiness), and how suffering can be ended. (On the right is a descendant of the original Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya.)

Seven weeks after enlightenment, the Buddha gave his first discourse in Sarnath, near Varanasi (see image below right). Here he taught the 4 Noble Truths. The Buddha continued to teach during his life, until passing away at the age of  81.

The Buddha once summarised his entire teachings in one sentence:

"I teach about suffering and the way to end it".

The main disciples of the Buddha are also known as the Great Arhants: Shariputra, known for his understanding of the Abidharma teachings; Maudgalyayana, known for his psychic powers; Mahakashyapa, the great ascetic; and Ananda, the personal attendant of the Buddha who recalled every word the Buddha spoke.

The Buddha's life is also sometimes summarized in the so called 'Twelve Deeds of the Buddha'. See the Samye website for a description of these.

People often wonder if it was not selfish from the Buddha to leave his wife and child, and the rest of his family on his spiritual quest. Of course, on the short-term it may have caused especially his wife much sorrow, however, as is nicely recounted at the Buddha Mind website, all his family members achieved enlightenment. One of the important annual Buddhist festival days celebrates the Buddha's returning from the 'Heaven of the 33'; he went there to teach the devas of that realm, including his mother, so that she achieved enlightenment. So, it is easy to see that whatever suffering the Buddha caused to his family members turned into more then a blessing in the end.

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