THE
MEANING OF VAJRAYANA
Guru Yoga is an effective Vajrayana practice. What does Vajrayana
mean? In Buddhism, we talk of the three yanas: Hinayana, Mahayana,
and Vajrayana. This does not mean that there are actually three
separate categories of practices. Rather, the distinctions are
more reflective of the practitioner's personal attitude and individual
capacity. Vajrayana means actually the understanding of the mind.
It is not a course or a subject that you study in school for instance.
There are no grades to pass. There is no beginning and there is
no end. Some people can practise Vajrayana yet others find it
difficult to understand. It depends on the individual capacity,
propensity and personality. For those who are not inclined towards
Vajrayana thinking that it does not suit them, it does not mean
that their capacity is blocked. It just means that they may practise
Vajrayana later on.
THE MEANING OF PRAYER
When we recite prayers, we try to adapt our minds to the meaning
of the recited words. Before every teaching, we always say prayers.
Individually, we pray to make wishes that will benefit ourselves
and others, and to express what we wish to do. We pray to integrate
our wishes within ourselves, to integrate them into our habit
of mind. Praying is not for calming the mind. First, we pray and
make wishes, then we listen to the teachings, then we practise
what we have learnt. Then we act in accordance to our wishes.
This is the process. Our actions are thus linked to our wishes
in our prayers. This is why we emphasize that before we start
something, we always pray sincerely.
TO PREPARE FOR THE PRELIMINARIES
The preliminaries are practices that include the contemplation
on the Four Thoughts, and the special preliminaries known as the
Ngondro practices. They enable us to do the main practice of meditation.
But before we start on the preliminaries, we have to prepare ourselves.
This may sound simple enough. But what does prepare mean? It means
to listen, to reflect, and to integrate the teachings so as to
understand the deeper meaning of dharma teachings and practice.
For what are we preparing? The purpose of all practices based
on the teachings of the Buddha is to reach our own mind and nothing
more. When we have achieved this goal, we are said to be enlightened,
or we have reached Buddhahood. These are just terms that may be
at times confusing. Enlightenment cannot be fixed in these terms.
We talk about enlightenment but for now, it is merely a projection
of an idea. We are not really clear about it. Actually, enlightenment
is a mind that is clear and stable, free from ignorance. This
is the state of mind referred to as sangs rgyas (sang gye) in
Tibetan. San means completely clear, pure, free of all stains.
Gye means knowledge in the fullest extent, or all encompassing
knowledge. It is a state free from ignorance and preconceived,
or fixed notions, but at the same time, mind is clear about mind
itself.
listen, reflect, and integrate the teachings into practice
First, we have to listen to the teaching with an open mind, and
we try to understand it. Then later, when we do our practice,
we will have a slightly different expectation. This expectation
does not block us. In fact, it directs us deeper into the meaning
and understanding. It leads us into another kind of experience.
How
we apply the teachings is important. If you have already received
some teachings and you are now practising, then you should continue
to practise and to reflect deeper on the meaning. People who are
just new to the teachings may find it difficult to understand.
It may not really be what they are looking for. But whatever it
is that they want, they will also need the Dharma. Take for example
that we are looking to buy a house. We may not be concerned about
a garden, or the lawn at the time of looking. We find the house
we like and we move in. Once we are settled in, we start to think
about additional things such as a nice garden, and so on.
Some
people go for teachings to look for solutions for their problems.
Their focus is on how to get rid of them. While other people may
want to be more clear and productive in their lives. In any case,
they pick the parts of the teachings that suit them, or that they
could use. They apply what they can in their own situation. But
later on, they again find that something is missing! This is why
it is important to have an open mind. Try not to limit our own
vision. By doing more and more practice, by listening to more
and more teachings, we begin, very slowly, to open ourselves.
This will in turn strengthen our resolve that enlightenment is
indeed very important to us. But in the beginning, most people
do not have this wish for enlightenment. Therefore, the teachers
who understand the inclination of the people try to include key
points that are useful both for the short-term as well as for
the long-term. Needless to say, it all depends on the practitioner.
He has to integrate what he has learned through listening, practising,
ever mindful that enlightenment is the ultimate goal, his long-term
objective. It is a continuous and gradual process. It is not good
to rely on the teaching when we have a problem only to forget
about it after the problem passes. Always remember the process
of listening, reflecting, and integrating the teachings into our
practice. In this way, we prepare ourselves to progress to the
preliminary practices. In our daily life, we will find that more
and more we will act accordingly. As a result, our actions will
benefit others as well as ourselves.
our goal is enlightenment
Many people come to receive teachings, but they are not quite
sure what it is they are looking for. They may wish to gain an
understanding of life for instance. But, it is much better to
resolve that the enlightened state of mind is our goal; then between
now and until we are enlightened, all our actions will be directed
at this goal. As always, when we practise, there will be some
result. The result benefits us and our minds will become clearer.
For instance, one result is that we will realize how important
the ultimate goal really is to us, we will then be more committed.
We will want to start the preliminary practices. For now, we simply
try to keep a more open mind. This will bring us more understanding
that in turn will benefit others and ourselves. Gradually, we
will become clearer about ourselves.
keep an open mind
Up until now, we are used to our own thinking, thinking for ourselves
and for our own benefit. This comes easy to all of us. But when
we are asked to broaden our current thinking, we find that our
minds are very limited with respect to our attitudes and ideas.
When we want something, we push to achieve the result. We move
on, pushing to achieve result one after another. We have been
like this all along. But to achieve enlightenment, or to achieve
a clear mind is quite different. It is not just one fixed result
that we can obtain. We say that the Path (to enlightenment) encompasses
many qualities and extensive knowledge. Each of us individually
has to discover for oneself a clear understanding of one's existence
and of this world. In the meantime, we need to maintain an open
mind, a broad vision, and not to lose track of the ultimate goal.
a clear mind
A clear mind is a mind without veils and without ignorance. The
adjective clear does not mean clear as in light. It can be misunderstood.
To clear our mind of veils does not mean to reject all the nice
things, for example. There is no need to reject the positive feelings,
the nice appearances, etc. They are a part of normal living, a
good way of living, but they are not our main goal in life. Clarity
of mind will come on its own. Everything will clear by itself.
This is the meaning of sangs rgyas (sang gye). This explanation
is limited by words. The deeper meaning of sangs rgyas (sang gye)
has to be seen or experienced for oneself. But first we prepare
by listening to the teachings. There are a lot of explanations
that we can receive from teachers or we can read them in the written
text. This is referred to as listening to the teachings.
Next,
we need to focus on our goal. This is what practising the teaching
means. We always try to be clear in mind. The opposite is to be
unclear which means being connected with ignorance. We may think
we are seeing clearly when in fact the seeing is not right. This
is one form of ignorance. Ignorance does not mean stupid. It means
that there is no clear understanding as opposed to sangs rgyas
(sang gye). In sangs rgyas (sang gye), there is no blockage. We
cannot see that the earth is round, for instance, so we say that
our vision is blocked. We can only see from here until the wall.
We cannot see beyond the wall, it blocks our view. When the mind
is clear, there is nothing to block our view. There is no ignorance.
There are no mental veils. Mind is clear and it sees limitlessly.
This is often very difficult for us to relate to because right
now, we are limited by this physical body, by this physical world.
But mind's nature is without blockage. We keep emphasizing this
clarity aspect of mind because we have to become familiar with
it. Otherwise, in the next moment, clarity is forgotten and we
are back in our usual ways.
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