Preliminary Practices

Preliminary Practices (Khensur Rinpoche)

Preliminary Practices

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Audio recorded at Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.

About this talk. In this 47-minute teaching, Kyabje Rinpoche offers detailed instruction on the fire puja, a burnt offering practice for purifying accumulated negativity and broken tantric vows. He establishes proper motivation by clarifying two types of bodhicitta: the aspiration to attain enlightenment for all beings, versus actually engaging in the practices that lead there—illustrated with the example of wanting to visit Brisbane versus making the journey. The core of the session covers the full visualization: blessing sesame seeds, generating oneself as the deity, visualizing one’s negativities as a black scorpion at the navel, then using breath and internal heat to expel them as offerings to the fire deity. Rinpoche emphasizes the practice’s appeal: it requires minimal time and materials yet purifies deeply. Intended for practitioners who have received Chenrezig initiation.

I for the sake of all sentient beings equal to the extent of space in order to liberate them to the, highest state of the supreme Buddhahood, I must firstly attain that state for which purpose I listen to this sublime Mahāyāna teaching. So accordingly, please make the motivation and please be in perfect conduct in listening. Great master Śāntideva said, when now we have all the resources, if we don’t do the virtuous action, then the time when we are down in the bad rebirth, how can we do the virtuous thing? The meaning it is the meaning is that we are very fortunate. We can if we from our side do the proper putting of effort then this basis which we have can remove all the adverse conditions and it can fulfill all the positive conditions in doing the practice of Dharma.

So when we have all these excellent conditions, which are on the very basis of the, perfect basis means the human body. So at that time, if we don’t do the virtuous action, then the time when we are down in the bad rebirth, there would be no possibility to do virtue. And therefore, there would be no possibility in that state to come up to the higher realms. With the bad migration and the bad rebirth, there are three number. Those of the hell realm, hell realm, and of the preta or hungry ghost and the animals.

But because the first two are not subject to being visible to us, therefore, we might feel quite doubtful whether those those lands do they exist or not, but they do exist because we can understand from the from the example which we can see from our eyes like the birth into the form of dog, into form of pigs, and so forth. When we look at those states, meaning the dogs and the pigs, when we look at those states, we don’t feel like they are quite too bad. But if we really think and just imagine that we are in those states, then let’s let’s see how terrible they were placed where in those form will live, means they were placed in the sleep, they stay are very filthy, very bad, and very food they get to eat are the left over of the humans. And even the dogs, when they happen to enter into one’s house, everybody tries to drive away saying, oh, go away. Go away.

With us human beings who are supposed to be in better state, even with us, we have the suffering of not being able to be protected from cold. We have the suffering of not being able to be protected from heat, and we have the suffering of not meeting with objects or things we want to meet. We have the suffering of being separated from things we want to meet, and we have the suffering of meeting with things we don’t want to meet. And if these are the suffering which we have, then what to talk about in those states as being dark and sick, etcetera. Not to talk on there’s no no doubt about in those states being more, more terrible, more more with suffering.

On top of those terribly sufferingful state, the animals are very stupid. Therefore, we have our daily life the expression, oh, that man is stupid like animals. Animals, they are really stupid because even if we teach them the Dharma, they can’t understand. If we say, let’s suppose if we say to an animal, if you recite Om Mani Padme Hum once, I will give you whatever you want, but still the animal would not be able to recite. So in that way, the animals, they don’t in whole life, they don’t even have one single imprint of virtuous, virtue or merit.

And with regard to the non virtuous imprint, right from the first time when they awake in the morning. Their whole mind is full of negativity. Their whole mind is full of the attachment, hatred, ignorance, so forth. So their whole negativity and imprints laid by those in those states as animal are countless. Now the time when we have perfect conditions for practicing Dharma, if we don’t do the practice, then perhaps the next year, it might be possible that we are dead.

And once we are dead, we could be once we are dead, we cannot deny the possibility that we are we will be reborn in those states of animals having four limbs and being so stupid and all those miserable Therefore, in those states, if we are born, there is an unbearable amount of suffering, unbearable poor condition. Therefore, it is appropriate now when we have all these conditions, all the perfect conditions complete, we should try as best to have a perfect conduct of body and speech. We should try as much as we can to give up the bad actions, negative actions, and should try as much as we can to adopt or do the virtuous actions. So this is a brief explanation about why we need to do virtuous action. And now there are four things left to be talked about.

The hopping of the water bowls, the making of the mandala offering, and then the fire puja, and then the recitation and the visualization. So with regard to the fire puja, or in accordance to a text which is here. With the fire puja or literally burnt offering, so this practice is very, very significant and has a great benefit, because this practice requires little effort and this practice doesn’t need much, much abundance of wealth or material. And in this way, it can be one of the most profound means to purify negativity. We have a lot of obscurations very thick accumulated from beginningless time.

And if we are practitioner with vows of the individual liberation, then we have a lot of obscuration because of transgressing the rules laid by Buddha. And if we have vows of Bodhisattva, then we have the transgression of creation of the root downfalls and the branch downfalls. And if we have the tantric or mantric vow, then we have the root downfalls and the gross downfalls. So all these are like rainfall and very much in our mind in the form of obscuration. The conditions or materials required for the practices are black steel seeds, sesame seeds, and there should be fire without smoke.

In Tibet, we used to have cow dung, which, is already burned. There’s still fire, but there will not be smoke. And that in particular could be very good. And then you need the offerings, and so forth. So when all these are complete, then sit on one’s cushion properly in the proper position and because this practice is the practice of Mahāyāna and great vehicle, therefore, one should should amend one’s mind.

Of And it starts with the refuge and the motivation words are very meaning. It says I go for refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. And in order to accomplish the welfare of oneself and others perfectly, I will generate the bodhicitta mind. So normally bodhicitta mind is of two, the aspiration bodhicitta mind and engaging bodhicitta mind. So here what we are generating is the aspirational bodhicitta mind.

And then afterward, the line starts goes on with meaning, I will foster all sentient beings as my guest and by perfectly doing the delightful conduct of bodhisattva, I will lead them to the state enlightenment. So this line, all things explain about the necessity of generating the second bodhicitta, engaging bodhicitta. The difference of these two is as Śāntideva says that they wanting to go and the actual going. So the wise wise people should know the difference of these two. So the aspiration in accordance to that, the aspirational bodhicitta is like wanting to go to somewhere.

It is only an aspirational form and whereas afterwards the person stands up from his cushion and actually is in the act of going, then that is the engaging bodhicitta. And that is the that first whole line is a kind of example analogy. For example, in a very understandable example, if we are to go to Brisbane, firstly, we generate this wanting to go to Brisbane. And not only that, we decide in our mind, I will go to Brisbane. So that is like the aspiration of bodhicitta.

And not after that, not only that one gets up from one’s cushion and actually goes to Brisbane either by walking or by car. So that second is like the engaging bodhicitta. Like that example, for the sake of all sentient beings, I must attain the state of complete Buddhahood. So that complete decision of wanting to attain enlightenment $2 for sake of other sentient beings is called aspirational bodhicitta. And afterwards, one thing is that in order to attain that state, I first must accumulate merit.

So in order to accumulate merit, one enters or engages into the proper act, the conduct. So what are the actions? What are the conduct? They are the perfections, the perfection of generosity, of morality, of patience, of joyful effort, and so forth. So with that motivation that I will enter into this practice, the is called engaging bodhicitta.

In this practice, I’m going to do this burnt offering. So that becomes the aspirational bodhicitta. And then one actually is engaged in doing the actual burning offering act. And that actual act of burn offering becomes the engaging bodhicitta in this practice. And because this practice relates with mantra, therefore, there comes additional special mantra motivation which one goes in this this verse in meaning saying, especially for the sake of all sentient beings, I must quickly quickly attain the complete Buddhahood for which purpose I engage into this practice of Dorje Khandru burnt offering.

Quickly, quickly, your repetition has the purpose. The first one is the mantra part is more quicker than the sūtra part. Therefore, the first quickly has that meaning and second quickly is like generating one intense wanting to attain enlightenment in this very lifetime. I will attain in this very lifetime. Therefore, the second quickly is recited.

And now if one is to generate oneself into aspect of deity then let’s say if it is generating into the deity of lower tantra, then one firstly has to bless the vase water. And if one is generating into the deity of highest yoga, highest yoga tantra class then one has to bless the inner offering. And after that one has to recite by which one visualize expelling all the hindrances. And expelling is because with the fireplace of the stove and as well with the fire, they are they are always interfering being. So if they are not then the fire burnt offering or practice will be interrupted.

Therefore, the interferences or the beings who interferes has to be And then one has to transform the fireplace into emptiness and from emptiness one generates a fireplace or a stove of peaceful action and which is white in color and about one one of these sides. One, two. With with all the with all the beaks and everything. So inside that fireplace or inside that stove is a ram’s syllable, which is the nature of pure wisdom and it transforms into very hot burning fire. And on top of that from a PAM syllable, one generate a cushion of lotus.

And again, on top of the So that lotus on top of that is the RUM syllable, which transforms into a sunrise. And at the center of sunrise is the HUM syllable standing upright. And that HUM transforms and in its place transforms and becomes with one face, two arm. And in this that mudrā, holding and the face or mouth mouth completely open. And the mouth is open upward and the right the right leg is drawn and left stretched and on the crown is at the crown is white, at the throat red, at the heart blue.

And then from the Hung syllable at the heart raised or emitted which involves the wisdom being exactly same in the aspect as this one visualized. And then one does the absorption visualization with reciting the mantra JAH HUM BAM HOH at the end of which one visualize or think that both became inseparable. And then the initiating deity, bestows the initiation one’s crown, while Abhisheka HUM, with that reciting that, they bestow the initiation by which the nectars into the body and flows upward the excess one by which the crown of the crown of the wisdom being adorned by Akṣobhya. And then whatever offerings one has arranged, one has to bless them and then offer by and so forth. And afterwards, one has to make the inner offering.

And then one has to make that praise of four lines. The great immovable and so forth. And then visualize oneself as in the ordinary aspect as an ordinary being and in front of oneself arrange arrange black sesame seed and the black sesame seed has to be arranged in the in the in the shape of a black scorpion. And then underneath one’s feet is the whole whole wind, wind or air mandala, which is of a bow shape. And at one’s navel is the fire, tummo, fire, whatever, fire.

And then at one’s heart is the PAM syllable black in color, visualizing that that BAM syllable is the very essence of all one’s negativities and obscuration. The air mandala underneath the feet moves by which it goes upward and ablaze the fire at the navel which further pushes the BAM at one’s heart and it pushes the BAM up and up and lets the BAM go completely out of one’s mouth. So that BAM is one’s negativity and one should visualize that and that time being absorbed into the black sesame seeds. One should think all one’s, sickness, the spirit harm, and the negativities of creation, all the broken samayas, Everything is one should visualize being absorbed into that black sesame seed. And then one takes the tea or the sesame seed like that, and then one offers it into the mouth of the like that and offers it into the mouth of the Dorje Khandru.

And underneath, there a fire. And one should one should not think that these black sesame seeds are offerings of the negativities. Instead one should think that these seeds are very are in essence an aspect are nectar and being offered to the mouth of Dorje Khandru, she became pleased. And then one has to recite the mantra which so that mantra which in Tibetan when translated means my all the broken etcetera, everything be svaha, everything be pacified, be finished. And in this way, I want us to make the So how much one wants to offer 10,000 or 100,000 should be done in accordance or by looking how it suits your time.

There is not any there is not any specific restriction about the time. And after whatever duration of time one is going to do that, when it is finished, then one has to make the offering, etcetera. And then at the end, one has to recite the praise, which we already went before. And then recite the 100 syllable mantra, and then recite the words requesting for forgiveness. And then when that is finished, when one is reciting that one visualize the wisdom being returns back to their natural places and the place being, samaya being becomes the aspect of ablaze fire.

And the ashes of the burned down fire should be placed to a clean places. So this very practice in order to purify the negativity of the broken samayas, etcetera, this practice is recommended to be very, very powerful and because of that it has been passed on in a transmission lineage called ear lineage from one ear to another.