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 46-minute teaching, Kyabje Rinpoche systematically guides the visualization and performance of mandala offerings. He begins with the eight goddesses of offering placed in the cardinal and sub-cardinal directions, positioning sun, moon, parasol, and victory banner—the latter symbolizing the Buddha’s teaching. He moves to visualizing 37 heaps representing all excellences of gods and humans. The core instruction focuses on infinitely multiplying these offerings through Samantabhādra’s clouds, vastly increasing accumulated merit. Rinpoche clarifies two recitation approaches: presenting impure substances or transforming them into a pure Buddha field. He addresses practical questions about counting mandala offerings toward 100,000 repetitions and how the practice adapts depending on whether the aim is requesting the lama’s long life, seeking teachings, or expressing gratitude. Suited for initiated practitioners.

And then it’s the Lama, the goddess of song, but this is holding a, you know, in the hand, and it’s soft red. And and then Karma, the goddess of dance, it’s in the aspect of dancing, the right hand is stretched upward and left like that. In the aspect of dancing, the right hand on top of the head. And then we have Metoma, the goddess of flower. The the goddess of goddess of incense.

Don’t know. The goddess and then goddess of lamp light. And of goddess of goddess goddess of person. So these four are in the sub directions of the four continents, whereas the first four goddesses are to the four directions of the four continents. So with the holding right hand holding a flower and left too.

I’m sorry. The right the left hand is holding a flower goddess of And then each of them being placed in the are placed in their proper places. And then we have Nima and Dawa, the sun and the moon. And sun needs to be arranged if one is considering this part as the east, then one could see Nima, the sun, And then took and took the parasol or umbrella and the banner. So took took or the parasol, which And, also, that’s one way of arranging.

The other way of arranging in the South and moon in the North and the parasol in the West and the banner in the East where one is. And why there is a special meaning of having the banner in the East is because one becoming a banner of the teaching of Buddha. The banner literally means is the mark of victory. So either it is 37 heaps or it is 23 heaps, everything is complete in there. And now on top of that, one also visualize piling or putting into heap all the excellences of the God realm and of the human realm and of one body, one’s roots of virtue, and those of other peoples also one visualize as being heaped up on top of that.

What’s the name? And also whatever one has in one’s aspiration, if one visualize them being on top of these, then there will be special significance of this being accomplished, one’s wishes. So all these excellent things being offered to Lama, Three Jewels and Bodhisattvas together with all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of 10 directions has special significance of oneself receiving oneself receiving special blessings. That And we very is if one does generosity, one will have abundant wealth in future rebirth. So the objects in relation whom we do the act of generosity are two.

The first is the higher objects, the Three Jewels, and second is the lower objects, the sentient beings. So in this way, if we do this offering to the higher objects, the Jewels, definitely we will have all the excellences afterwards in return. But still out of greed, if you were to offer everything that is good, then that wouldn’t do. It wouldn’t work. So then it comes down to the verse where it says Samantabhādra’s cloud of offering, the cloud of offering of so in continuation of the mandala verses.

So why it is that what is the meaning of that is this visualize cosmology as the basis that as the basis of visualization, if one can transform infinite number of same sets of universe in accordance to the explained number like it is explained the 10 million times 100 system of worlds. So if one can transform that much amount of world system and visualize this often then that also can be very good. So what so far visualized the 37 heaps and this excellence becomes the basis. On top of that, one can visualize infinite number being transformed and one it is good if one can transform the number equal to what is explained in the scripture saying the world system of 10,000,000 by 100. One can visualize on top of each of the continents there is a tree branching into 25 numbers and on top of each branches one can visualize Bodhisattva Samantabhādra holding in his folded hand again and one visualize rays being emitted from Bodhisattva Samantabhādra, each of those on 25 branches.

One can visualize each Bodhisattva Samantabhādra emitting rays, each of them emitting another set of 25 Samantabhadras holding a gem and one can visualize further those also each of them emitting rays and emitting another set of five Samantabhadras. So in this way, go on emitting from one from another from one and another from one like that and things that hold extend the space is filled by Bodhisattva Samantabhādra holding the gem offering. So in accordance to the Mandala verse where it says, So my whole body, speech, mind and wealth in the aspect of Samantabhādra’s cloud of offering. So that line in the word means to visualize in that way and then making offering. And this will also include the usual offering where you have the Meru and the four continents of all the 100,000,000 by 100 times world system.

So these souls are also inclusive to what one has visualized in the Samantabhādra Bodhisattva, Samantabhādra Bodhisattva’s clouds of offering. And then as in the lines in the place in the verse, are very finely arranged in the lines. So ranging in the seven kinds of jewels are the kinds of jewels like pearls and pearls. Pearls and so forth, there are seven kinds of jewels, precious stones. And then the seven seven close jewels, literally, it’s called closed.

So that means seven secondary jewels. So they can be. Jesus’ name. You said, I didn’t know you said. You’re about to.

The seven secondary Jewels are what they are called the wheel, the proper jewel-bar, and jewel, cumulative jewel household. So so forth, there are seven secondary. One can visualize those also offered on top of what one has already visualized. So these are in Lam Rim, and if you look, will be quite clear in there when you apply this visualization there too. So all these visualized things to be offered should not be offered in their impure state.

So the whole thing, the ground golden base applied by incense and sprinkled with flower adorned by the Mount Meru and the four continents and sun and moon. I offer to the field of Buddha. Perfectly abide in the pure land. So, there are two ways of recitation. The first one goes on like, So this literally has a meaning like, to the field of Buddha, I wish life and offer.

So this is less in meaning, less significance because one still is visualizing as the substance is being offered as impure, means one is offering them in the impure state and to whom one is offering is to the field of Buddha. And whereas the second way of recitation, I offer this visualized as Buddha field. So in the first is two Buddha field, second is as visualize as Buddha field. So this has a sense that all these instantly transform into all pure. One instantly transform all these impure into all pure as visualize pure field of Buddha where Buddhas do the activities of enlightened giving of teachings and so forth, one visualizes only things that are pure and then makes the offering.

So it seems the second way of recitation has more meaning. And whatever Dharma practice we do, it is very it is generally very good to have to have a large amount of aspiration and to have one one’s attitude really wanting more and more. So that is very good in whatever type of Dharma practice we do and in accordance to that if we visualize the whole mandala set being equal to the 100,000,000 times by 100 for universe system and being offered, then that will accumulate vast amount of merit. Otherwise, if we if we’re just seeing a small mandala set and being offered, then that will accumulate very little amount of merit. So it is best even if one makes the offering to the infinite amount of a mandala set being offered, the object to whom we offer should not be just one object.

One should visualize that one is offering to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Bodhisattvas of all the 10 directions of feeling all the extent of the phase. And to each of them, one can visualize offering each complete set of this cosmology, the mandala. Otherwise, it is not good like just offering one for all of them and just saying like as if saying, all of you have this one and just divide between yourself. That is not good. So in this way, one one should make offering one to each of them complete, and in that way, can be good.

And at the end, one should do the visualization that having offered all these objects of offering, they become very pleased. And having pleased one make the request of the three meaningful points. And at the end, this way has a special significance of the dependent connection in future that aspires and as one is requested, the same could happen. So all these four continents and the whole set of cosmology because we don’t see them doesn’t necessarily have to be maintained that they don’t exist and it is not possible to offer them. Whatever be from my personal suggestion, I’m just suggesting from my personal point of view that it would be good whether they are there or not.

The main thing is we need to accumulate merit for which purpose we visualize that there is this whole set of the continents and everything together with the precious mountains and so forth, and then we are making the offering. Otherwise, it might come down to the point that it is just empty and nothing is to be offered because those descriptions don’t exist. Therefore, there’s nothing to offer and the time when one does the mandala offering, it would just become an act like putting a flower in the hand of a person who has no fingers, has no flower at all. And the flower of space is something which is not at all, it is not grown. Therefore, expression is saying when one does that, it will be like putting a flower on top of a space flower and then putting on.

So like saying non existent on top of non existent thing and gone finally and there will not be nothing at all offered and no merit being accumulated. Do you call eunuch? Eunuch. Yeah. Eunuch.

Sorry. Eunuch. Eunuch. So offering this really accumulate vast amounts of merit and whether they are there or not wouldn’t really count very much because main thing is we want to accumulate merit and we want to get profit. And where there’s a vast where there’s vast and great profit, then we just think ourselves it is worth doing.

And this is what I personally my own So whatever knows, he has tried best to explain, and that’s about the mandala explanation about mandala. And now we have about ten minutes for question and answer. Please question loudly. And can can question of anything which is not clear in the process of transformation. Anything that makes whatever.

That’s right. It’s left to be explained. If one is going to request to Lama and the Three Jewels to remove the hindrances, then you do the offering first. And whereas if you are doing the mandala in order to receive the blessing from your offer. When you are arranging the offering, when you are in the process of arranging, so that’s the offering.

At that time, it is alright. It’s good to you. But when you’re actually at the end making the offering, it doesn’t need to twist around. Open type of the mandala. In most cases, it is alright to have the east one, there are some other type of mandala with our five feet already in a form, concrete form.

So that is in that type of mandala, you wish, like, of the mandala in the aspect of the five wisdom of the five wisdoms of the five Buddhas, five Buddha wisdom. Otherwise, you mostly alright. You have the and then make offering. When we are making the offering when we are making the offering of the body, speech, mind, at that time, we are offering it as a kind of representation of the body, speech, mind, and please remain eternal. And that offering is not an that mandala offering is not an offering mandala proper.

Is that clear? Yes. When you make a body, mind, mandala offering, that time, the body, mind, mandala offering is for a long life, and it is not a mandala offering of offering. It takes a long life mandala often of the body, speech, and mind, then it can be of two kind. One is mandala for long life and another is thanksgiving mandala.

Mandala showing one’s appreciation. And normally just when lama comes and one makes the offering of the body, speech, mind, then that becomes a mere request, a mandala, requesting lama to please remain firmly in this world. The three times mandala offering is done once one has received empowerment. And when one has received empowerment, after that one makes every day three times mandala offering to one vajra master. Means master who has bestowed upon you initiation.

So for those not only that, for those who are practitioners of six-session yoga, it has been said that they should do it three times a day, three times a night. And because three times a night is something not possible because you go to sleep. So three times a day, one day. In the morning, one. In the evening, one.

And in the in the daytime, one. And in the evening, one. But still, the three times a night mandala offering can also be done in the evening. If in visualization, if the east direction is there, opposite to one, then it does not necessarily mean that when one makes the offering, one has to throw it in that way. That is not necessary because that is done only to remove hindrances.

Just a representation of of will, Dharma will. Therefore, it is alright when you don’t offer the complete set just on the base when put on the full direction and full of direction and in the center representing we and make offering make a question please. Give the teaching. That’s fine. I don’t get me on this.

Don’t know one wants to do on a complete set of mandala, then it is alright. Everyone do it on the base or no or just when you little bit on on the complete set. So in the beginning, when one does the mandala open, right from that time at the base, when you put the rings on the base, you can visualize putting on the base mandala on the nine points representing the Meru, and one visualize requesting for teaching. Or when you have already visualized the whole mandala set and have it all there, one can visualize the nine points representing nine heaps on the nine points representing the Meru. But if you think that visualization is not enough space for the Meru to fit into on top of that, then one can have it from the beginning of mandala on the base.

And then please give the teaching requesting at that same time. One is to offer in order to have the lama long life, then one put the four heaps on four directions and in the center one. So this five represents the Dharma cushion of the Lama and request please remain please remain stable. One does the counting of the mandala offering. One means one one goes into mandala offering required for counting number 100,000 so forth.

So, how it is done in counting is one has to accompany the mandala offering with going for refuge verses. Going for refuge, generating bodhicitta accompanied by another word for I offer my body, speech, and mind. Well, and the virtues of the three times And the precious mandala. I offer the Samantabhādra’s cloud of offering. Mentally transforming all these.

I offer to lama, yidam, and so forth. So that’s the words we can have it afterwards. But first, with this one, make the seven heaps. Seven heaps. Sorry.

In in the four directions, one makes the four heaps, and then in the center, one makes the king of mountain. So with that verse, which follows after the and then one puts the sun and moon on top. The sun and moon is added with and each of the offering of the seven heaps makes one count. And then again, one goes to the next one.