Audio recorded at Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this two-hour teaching, Kyabje Rinpoche offers detailed instruction on the Segyu Guru Yoga practice from the Guru Puja (Lama Chöpa) sādhana. He opens by establishing the correct motivation—transforming one’s mind through bodhicitta, the commitment to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. Rinpoche then presents three visualization methods for the guru—vast assembly, vertically stacked, or all-encompassing jewel—followed by guidance on taking refuge and generating the four immeasurables. He explores the distinction between aspiring and engaging bodhicitta with precise instructions on recitation and vows. The teaching concludes with discussion of guru meditation as the central practice and an extended Q&A on karma, non-virtue, and tantric vows. For practitioners with tantric initiation.
File metadata (for organising)
File: SSGY 110823 000 – KR.mp3
UUID: bebf7c28-c7b5-485f-81e7-0586722441d4
Teacher: Kyabje Rinpoche
Collection: Guru Puja – Lama Chopa
Recorded at: Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide
Words: ~3,713
So we will meditate for one or two minutes on generating the appropriate motivation for listening to these teachings. Our motivation must be a good motivation since we attend teachings to transform or to modify our minds. And the transformation or the modification of our minds which is involved is that wish to help all sentient beings. At present, we are unable to do so, so we must strive for the state of great enlightenment at which point we will be able to do so. And striving for this state, we should aim to satisfy all of the desires, the wishes and the objects which sentient beings aspire to.
And as the Pänchen Lama says in his commentary on the Lama Chöpa, for refuge is the gateway to the teachings, bodhicitta is the gateway to the Mahāyāna. Rinpoche explained last time how to perform the visualization for the practice of the Segyu Guru Yoga. One can perform it in three different fashions, either in keeping with the Lama Chöpa or the Guru Puja, eliminating however the tree on the foundation, and visualizing as in keeping with the Guru Puja from the lotus upwards, or alternatively, visualizing one large throne. And upon this throne, five smaller thrones with Buddha Śākyamūni in center, the Ārya Maitreya to his right, Mañjuśrī to his left, the root guru in front, and Guru Vajradhāra behind him. Alternatively, one can also visualize the guru in this context as the all encompassing jewel.
And in this case, one visualizes as all encompassing jewel, the root Guru in whom one has the most faith, and who has been the kindest to us, either in the aspect of Vajradhāra or in the aspect of Je Tsongkhapa. In any case, the body of the Guru is the Sangha, his speech is the Dharma, and his mind is the Buddha. One can elaborate on this by visualizing that from the three syllables Om Ah Hung, at his heart light rays emanate which attract the wisdom beings who dissolve within him and so forth. And after visualizing the object of refuge in this way, one must then take refuge. For this, one has to generate the general causes of refuge.
And then upon this, if one is practicing in a larger context, one generates faith and conviction, and in the context of the Mahāyāna, generates also compassion. At this point, whatever the visualization which one has adopted, one must generate the strong sense that apart from the object of refuge, I have no other hope, and then take refuge on that basis. And now on page two of your root text, the Segyu Guru Yoga, recapitulating the verses of refuge in bold letters in the center. The two final verses of the prayer of refuge with a merit accrued by charity and so forth, may I become a Buddha for the weal of migrators refer to accomplishing both one’s own welfare and the welfare of sentient beings. The welfare of sentient beings is first and foremost accumulated through the practice of compassion.
And having practiced in this way, the mind of bodhicitta becomes the actual substance from which the deeds of the bodhisattva such as engaging in generosity, ethics and so forth arise. And moving onwards on page two of the root text, one at present passes through the generation of the four immeasurables on the basis of having taken refuge. Here, the four immeasurables actually act as a means to enhance the bodhicitta one has generated. And then moving onwards on the Segyu Guru Yoga, page two, under the symbol 25 in the left margin. So this fulfills the statement in the advice regarding refuge, that one must go for refuge thrice by day and thrice by night, as well as the pledge of Vairochana to take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.
Generally speaking, there are six pledges of Vairochana. Here three of the pledges are fulfilled, those of taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha, each corresponding to one pledge. Then moving onwards in the root text, thinking may all sentient beings upon being bereft of the closeness and distance of attachment and anger. Here there are two ways of reading attachment and anger. One can read it from the standpoint of the path, or from the standpoint of the relationship of sentient beings with each others.
From the standpoint of the relationship with sentient beings with each other, it is a wish that sentient beings have neither attachment nor anger towards each other. For all from the standpoint of the the path, it is the wish to develop this within our own mind stream. This fulfills two qualities, immeasurable equanimity, which fulfills our own welfare, and the gift of fearlessness, which fulfills the welfare of others. Then moving onwards onto page three. In addition, two of the pledges of Ratnasambhava are fulfilled.
Generally speaking, Ratnasambhava has four different pledges. They are to grant or to bestow the four different types of giving, to practice the generosity of giving things, to practice the generosity of giving Dharma, of giving fearlessness, and of giving love. Here, two of the forms of giving are practiced. And here to give an example, the intensity of the feelings involved should be akin to those of a mother for her single child afflicted with disease. So, in this context, the four immeasurables, immeasurable equanimity, compassion, love, and joy, act as a means to enhance the power of the previously generated bodhicitta.
There are two types of bodhicitta. There is on the one hand aspiring and on the other hand engaging bodhicitta. The two verses, or the two first verses of refuge on page two, for refuge until enlightenment I go to supreme Buddha, Dharma Sangha, actually refer to the generation of aspiring bodhicitta. Then moving to the commentary on page five, the middle of the text, aspiring bodhicitta does not need to be held through a ritual. Mere aspiring bodhicitta and engaging bodhicitta do not have the same meaning.
In other words, they are different. Regarding engaging bodhicitta at this juncture after having recited Gurus, Conquerors, their Sons and so forth, to take engaging bodhicitta vows, one must be convinced after the third recitation. In addition, giving the example of being concordant with the deeds of conquerors of old, one recites three times just as the former gone ones, thus all the way down to having trained. So here, one has to recite three times these verses, and after reciting them three times, while visualizing that they are being recited in front of all of the Buddhas of former times and of the present, one will have received both aspiring and engaging bodhicitta vows. And then returning to the root text, the Segyu Guru Yoga on page three, in the middle of the text, the stanza, I will not give up even at the cost of my life, the mind wishing to attain full enlightenment for the sake of liberating all migrants from the fear of existence and peace.
From now on until Buddhahood I will sustain it, can either be used to take simultaneously both the vows of aspiring and of engaging bodhicitta, or alternatively can be used to take alone the vows of aspiring bodhicitta, taking the vows of engaging bodhicitta with the next stanza. Here, one initially with this stanza gives rise to bodhicitta within the continuum and the stanza clearly formulates after generating it, one takes a pledge never to abandon it even at the cost of one’s life. So this is fully satisfactory to generate in a concise fashion the vows of engaging bodhicitta. Then should one wish to generate independently engaging bodhicitta, one engages it by the following stanza. Gurus, conquerors, their sons and so forth, pay heed to me, just as the former ones gone thus gave birth to the bodhicitta and dwelt by stages in the precepts of bodhisattvas.
Likewise, I also will give birth to bodhicitta having trained in stages in the precepts of the bodhisattvas for the welfare of migrators. So it is important here to generate these levels of consciousness incrementally and in an unmistaken sequence. Initially, one generates aspiring bodhicitta, then one generates engaging bodhicitta, then one engages in the activities of a bodhisattva starting with generosity and moving onwards with ethics and so forth. Moving back to the commentary of on page six, the commentary reads, since in the Sakya tradition one does not repeat after and so forth, but utters the vows together, this cannot bestow the vows. So generally speaking in the Sakya tradition, the teacher and those taking the vows utter the vows together.
In the Gelug tradition, these vows are repeated by the students after they have been heard by the teacher. It is difficult to see how the vows could be taken correctly in the Sakya tradition if they were recited simultaneously. This text does not explain also the advantages and disadvantages of generating and not generating bodhicitta. And the verses which are recited after having taken the vows of engaging bodhicitta at the bottom of page three of your root text, the Segyu Guru Yoga, have the following meaning. The verses are at present, my life has borne fruit, having obtained an excellent human existence.
Today, I am born in the lineage of the Buddhas. Now I have become a son of the Buddhas. My life has borne fruit. In the first verse, it means that my life has become meaningful in that very second instant at which I have obtained the vows of both aspiring and engaging bodhicitta. This is the instant in which this verse is uttered.
Today, I am born in the lineage of the buddhas. The lineage of the buddhas here refers to the fact that bodhicitta, at least contrived bodhicitta, has been generated within one’s mind stream. If the vows of aspiring bodhicitta and contrived bodhicitta have not been generated within one’s mind stream, it is difficult to see how one could be born in the lineage of the Buddhas. Therefore, they must have been initially generated. For an ordinary being, it is difficult to generate bodhicitta initially, as a prelude, great compassion must be generated.
So in this context, where one can say that the vows have indeed been taken, it is a very different affair to know whether or not bodhicitta has been generated. Contrived bodhicitta would have to be as to spontaneous bodhicitta, it is another affair. It is up to oneself to examine carefully whether one has obtained the vows or not, and only after examining this is it appropriate to engage in the behavior suitable for a bodhisattva. Then the following verse page four, at this juncture, I must definitely begin to behave in keeping with my lineage. I will not sully this noble flawless lineage, thus will I act, refers both to the fact that one has obtained a meaningful human rebirth and to the advantages here of rejoicing.
And one can do this more extensively with the verses from the Bodhisattvacharyavatara. Here it is important to meditate on joy and to rejoice that having received these vows, this is like a huge force which dispels all of the negativities within our mind. So it would be best if you had the root text and the commentary side by side. Page four of the root text, page six of the commentary. The verses of visualization of the guru in front.
In the space in front, on a ravishing bejeweled throne, atop a lotus, vast sun and moon mandalas. Here, the lotus refers to renunciation, the sun refers to definite or ultimate bodhicitta, and the moon to conventional bodhicitta. The root guru, the omnipresent Lord Vajradhāra, and you have to add one verse, I forgot, of blue in face with two arms, having taken Vajra and Bell embraces a consort in his likeness. Moving onwards to the verse at the end of the following stanza, his mere recollection dispels all anguish. The anguish referred to here is the anguish of the three categories of beings.
The being of the small, the middling and the greater scope. Moving onwards to the following stanza, his three places are marked by the three letters. This refer to the three letters Om, Ah and Hung. Now at present in the commentary of Pabongka Rinpoche on page six on this text, the Guru Yoga was presented according to the treatises, the two root commentaries in which clarifications were set out as, in the space in front on a ravishing bejeweled throne. The aphorism by the conqueror Gutsampa, this refers not as in the footnote to the Gotsangpa from the twelfth century, century, but to a Sera Je guru who actually said to his disciples, numerous are the obstructions of the monks.
Precisely for that reason, many meditate on the generation stage, for there is no higher meditation than that on the Guru. Naturally, all those who have received initiation have the obligation to meditate on the generation stage. However, in practice, there is no meditation which is greater than that on the spiritual teacher. Generally speaking, the generation stage is only present in highest yoga tantra. The three lower tantras, have either a yoga with sign or a yoga without sign.
However, the specific cause for full enlightenment are the two yogas of the the highest yoga tantra, which is generation stage yoga and completion stage yoga. Moving onwards in the commentary, since nothing is superior to beseeching the Guru for, and I forgot to put here, great benefits, which is the first advantage of beseeching the Guru, swift blessings, which is the second advantage, and dispelling interferences, which is the third advantage, all those applying themselves to virtue must take Guru Yoga as the life of the path. Here, Rinpoche would like to point out that there are many tutelary deities, many Yidams. None is superior. And at the bottom of page six in the commentary, from within the three methods of meditation or visualization of the guru, one can visualize him as a vast assembly, as a gathering in keeping in keeping with the Lama Chöpa, or one can visualize the teacher vertically vertically stacked on one’s crown in keeping with Yamāntaka.
Or finally, one can meditate on the all encompassing gem on the guru alone in the tradition of the all encompassing gem. He should be visualized in the space in front at the distance of one arm span, neither too high since this creates agitation nor too low since this creates dullness. Moving onwards, on page seven in the commentary, the location of the guru meditated upon is as said in the Abhidhana tantra, should that benevolent guru be meditated upon, dancing on the hands’ palm at the center of the heart, or on the body’s parts, even the blessings of 1,000 Buddhas will be included within that person. The methods of meditation here are on the crown, within space, at the heart, etc. And within the three former mentioned types of meditation, here one meditates on the Guru in keeping with the last one, in other words, the all encompassing gem.
In the final two verses of the Abhidharma tantra’s quote, even the blessing of 1,000 Buddhas will be included within that person. Actually, Rinpoche thinks, refer to the fact that the spiritual teacher is seen as the emanation of the 1,000 Buddhas who will manifest in our world system. And here, regarding height in the Pabongka Rinpoche’s commentary, since agitation arises from height and sinking from lowness, an appropriate height is at the point between one’s eyebrows. And moving onwards with the commentary, the lion’s throne indicates either the four fearlessnesses or the eight results. The four fearlessnesses are part of the 37 factors or the 37 limbs of awakening.
And they refer to that specific fearlessness within the mind of the Buddha, which arises through his having abandoned all objects of abandonment, and through his having attained all objects of attainment. Much could be said about the eight results, but Rinpoche would not enter into that here. The variegated lotus sun and moon discs commonly indicate the three principles of the path, renunciation, bodhicitta, and the wisdom realizing emptiness, and uncommonly indicate the clear light, illusory body, and the Yuganaddha of the state of union. Here, the clear light refers to that wisdom which realizes emptiness through great bliss, and has two subdivisions into an example and a meaning clear light. The illusory body is itself subdivided into a learner’s illusory body and a non learner’s illusory body, and is none other than that wind or that inner energy, which voyages in conjunction with the mind of clear light.
And the state of union refers to that union of the conventional illusory body and the meaning clear light. Light. Rinpoche will stop here. And, if you have a really good question, you can ask it. You don’t have to have a question.
It’s quite okay. And you have listened carefully. And if you have doubts, you may have a question. Otherwise, we can relax. Yes, naturally.
Can’t ask any question. Yes, please. So the difference in the rebirth in the various hells is a difference of cause. It depends on the cause. So for instance, it is generally said that for a great very great non virtue, the 10 non virtues such as killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, and so forth, this acts as a cause for rebirth in one of the hell realms.
A middling of those non virtues acts as a cause for rebirth as a preta or a hungry ghost. And a light cause or a lesser cause acts for rebirth as an animal. Now, great middling and light in terms terms of the cause depend first on the motivation, the intensity of desire or anger. It depends also, for instance, on whether one has vows or not. Whatever a person who has vows does is heavier.
It also depends on the object. What one does towards one’s parents, towards an arhat and so forth are very heavy deeds. And since these various lower realms depend on causes, they are impermanent. As they are impermanent, once the power of the cause is exhausted, one is liberated from this hell realm, and one can be reborn in one of the higher realms. This is because they are impermanent.
So, Rinpoche does not understand very well the Christian doctrine. It is also the same thing for the vajra hells. The Vajra Hells are results. They are results of causes. Now here, the cause is the heaviest of all.
Why is it the heaviest of all? Because it entails acting in opposition to the most beneficial cause of all. The most beneficial cause of all is that tantric practice which enables one to attain full enlightenment within one short life time of this degenerate age. Nothing is more beneficial than that. If one acts in opposition to that, the misdeed is extraordinarily heavy, and then it precipitates us into the vajra hells.
If we take, for instance, abandoning killing, killing is a non virtuous deed. While abandoning killing is virtuous, nonetheless, it is not possible through abandoning killing alone to attain full enlightenment, let alone full enlightenment in one life. One can also not attain full enlightenment through just abandoning the 10 non virtuous deeds. It is very different for the tantric vows and pledges. This is the way to think about it.
Cosmo? Did you understand? Yes. Let us think of the number of faults and non virtuous deeds of sins we have accumulated just in this life since we were children, killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, arrogance, and so forth. And then let’s just let us extend it backwards in times through the infinite sequence of lives.
The weight of sin, the weight of non virtue is huge. It is like a Mount Meru of non virtue which is weighing on us. Only the path of secret mantra enables one to attain full enlightenment, complete destruction of this in one lifetime. There is no greater power than this. In turn, acting in contradiction to something that beneficial can only be the most evil thing there is.
Bitter. Bitter. Bitter. Bitter. To give an example, I think Robert is referring to quinine, which is extraordinarily bitter and comes originally from a plant.
However much however many molasses you add to quinine, it is very difficult to eliminate the bitterness of quinine. You have to add a huge amount of molasses to eliminate the bitterness. In the same way, we need a huge amount of virtue to eliminate the bitterness of sin. So because we have been accumulating since since beginningless time, the power of the afflictions is very great, and a small practice of virtue is not going to help. One needs a powerful and uninterrupted practice of virtue.
This is our only hope. So what do we need? We need bodhicitta and the view which realizes emptiness. It is the twin pair of bodhicitta and the view which realizes emptiness, which gives Tantric practice its speed. And it is on that pace basis and on that basis alone that there can be a fully qualified deity yoga.
Otherwise, there is no such thing as deity yoga. The non Buddhists, the Hindu practitioners have generation stage practices. It is said they also have power and various other practices like tummo. This leads them neither to liberation nor to full enlightenment. We must meditate well on bodhicitta and on the view.
Okay. We have a few flyers of for the next round of mandala constructions, Chenrezig Buddha of Compassion, the opening ceremony, 20 at, 12:00. That’s this coming Sunday, I think. So there’s a few if you’d like to take them and put them around as usual.
Thank you. I asked Rinpoche, are you tired? And he said, no. How can I be tired? I it’s like feeling like going on a picnic.
You know? Such a profound teaching. And I hope you all went to picnic as well. There is a child and you mentioned. Thank you.
Just just