HOW TO PRACTISE THE THOUGHT-TRAINING TEACHING ENTITLED:

THE EVER-FLOWING WATER OF BODHICITTA, ANNIHILATING THE DEVIL OF THE SELF-CHERISHING MIND

Here is shown a teaching in eight verses that includes the whole technique of training the thought in relative and absolute Bodhicitta.

It has been composed by Lang.ri T'ang.pa Dor.je Seng.ge, a disciple of the virtuous friend perfect in all knowledge, Ka.d'am.pa Po.to.wa Rin.ch'en Sal, who was the only one of his Guru's eight Heart-sons to receive the special instructions of the teaching on changing oneself into others.

The practice of these teachings has three divisions: the preparation, the actual practice and the completion.

1. The Preparation

Seated comfortably, generate a particularly virtuous motivation. Then, either make a glance meditation on the Lam.rim Teachings, from the beginning - devotion to the Guru - to the end, or with strong feeling, think as follows:

"It is inadequate merely to ensure that I shall not be reborn in the suffering lower realms: I must release myself from the whole of samsara.

"Yet neither is this enough. All sentient beings have been my mother; there is not a single one who has not. Each has been my mother time without number, and each time has been as kind as my present mother.

"At this very moment, not only are these kind mother sentient beings in great and real suffering, but they are also running constantly to create the cause for more. There is not a minute nor even a second in which they can experience an instant's happiness. If a mother's suffering is not alleviated by her own son or daughter, then who else will do it?

"Even though it is up to me alone to bear the burden of eradicating the suffering of all mother sentient beings, at the moment I am incapable of relieving the suffering of even one sentient being. But if I were to receive the Enlightened, Holy Body, just one ray of its light could ripen the minds of countless sentient beings, leading them into a state of great peace.

"Therefore, to release all mother sentient beings from suffering and lead them into the most sublime happiness of Enlightenment, I must attain the state of Buddhahood.

"The attainment of Buddhahood is not without cause or conditions; the principal cause is the two Bodhicittas. Therefore, I am going to practise the profound oral teaching on training the mind in Bodhicitta."

Visualise, at the level of your forehead at a distance of a body's length, your Root Guru in the manifestation of and inseparable from one-thousand arm Avalokiteshvara, standing on a moon disc which rests upon a lotus.

Now perform the seven-limb practice:

(I prostrate to Guru Avalokiteshvara; each and every offering (I make) including those really performed and those mentally transformed; every sin collected from the beginninglessness of samsaric life is confessed (offered); I rejoice at all ordinary beings' and noble beings' actions. Please, Buddha, by living as our guide until samsara ends (the void of samsara), reveal the Teachings to sentient beings. Because of the merits created by myself and others, may the two Bodhicittas ripen and Buddhahood be received, for the sake of all sentient beings.)

Now make the following heartfelt request:

"Precious Guru, please bestow upon me your blessings: help stop any wrong conceptions from ever entering my mind, make my mind one with Dharma and bring me correct realizations of the whole Path, from Guru devotion to the completion of training, the unified Vajra state. And please bestow upon me special blessings, so that I shall receive immediately the loving, compassionate Bodhicitta."

2. The Actual Practice

1. Determined to obtain the greatest possible benefit from all sentient beings, who excel even the wish-fulfilling jewel, may I hold them most dear at all times.

Visualization:

From the seed syllable HRIH on a lotus and moon at the heart of Avalokiteshvara, much blissful, white nectar streams down through the centre of your head, filling your whole body, purifying all obscurations, especially those that prevent you from holding others most dear, and bringing all realizations, especially those of holding others most dear.

2. When in the company of others, may I always consider myself the lowest of all and from the depth of my heart hold them dear and supreme.

Repeat the visualization, the nectar purifying especially the obscurations that prevent you from holding others dear and supreme and bringing realizations of how to do this.

3. Vigilant, the moment a delusion appears endangering myself and others, may I confront and avert it without delay.

Repeat the visualization, the nectar purifying especially the obscurations that prevent you from confronting and averting delusions, and bringing realizations of how to do this.

4. Whenever I see beings of wicked nature overwhelmed by violent, negative actions and sufferings, may I hold such rare ones dear, as if I had foand a precious treasure.

Repeat the visualization, the nectar purifying especially the obscurations that prevent you from regarding harmful beings as precious and dear, and bringing realizations of how to do this.

5. When, out of envy, others mistreat me with abuse, insult or the like, may I accept defeat and offer the victory to others.

Repeat the visualization, the nectar purifying especially the obscurations that prevent me from accepting defeat and offering victory to others, and bringing realizations of how to do this.

6. When someone I have benefitted and in whom I have great hopes gives me terrible harm, may I regard him as my Holy Guru.

Repeat the visualization, the nectar purifying especially the obscurations that prevent you from regarding harmful beings as your Holy Guru, and bringing realizations of how to do this.

7. In short, both directly and indirectly do I offer every benefit and happiness to all my mothers. May I secretly take upon myself all their harmful actions and suffering.

Repeat the visualization, the nectar purifying especially the obscurations that prevent you from taking the harmful actions and suffering of all mother sentient beings upon yourself, and bringing realizations of how to do this.

8. Not to be defiled at any time by the stains of the superstitions of the eight worldly dharmas by perceiving all dharmas as illusory, may I be released from th~ bondage of attachment.

Repeat the visualization, the nectar purifying especially the obscurations that prevent you from perceiving all dharmas as illusory and bringing release from the bondage of attachment.

3. The Completion

Then request: "Precious Guru, please bless me and all mother sentient beings to attain the precious Guru Buddha's Enlightened state."

Extremely pleased by this request, your Guru descends through the crown of your head to your heart. Much blissful white light emanates from the seed syllable HRIH at the heart of Guru Avalokiteshvara, passing through infinite space in all directions, purifying all sentient beings. Then visualize all these beings as having become Avaloketeshvara.

Finally, make this dedication prayer:

"May the suffering and the causes of suffering of all sentient beings ripen on me now, and may all sentient beings receive the results of my virtuous actions and Bodhicitta."

It is essential to wish and pray like this always, to create such merit constantly, and to find such virtuous Gurus and meet such virtuous friends in all future lives.

This Teaching was dictated by Lama Thubten Zopa and transcribed by Venerable Thubten Donyo in October 1975.

It has been done not only for my own benefit, but with the thought that it may help those intelligent, young Westerners of today, who have found that their lives are full of problems for which they can find no solution. These seekers are greatly fortunate merely being able to see a Teaching such as this - The Bodhicitta Thought-Training - that contains the method of transforming any of the present day's sufferings into happiness, while leading the practitioner to the ultimate happiness of Enlightenment. This precious Bodhicitta Teaching is priceless; the benefits it brings could never be bought by even countless galaxies full of wish-fulfilling jewels.

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