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 session, Kyabje Rinpoche teaches the mandala offering, a core practice in the Chenrezig preliminary cycle. He opens with Buddhist cosmology — how worlds form and beings take rebirth in different realms — then pivots to a critical point: why Buddha taught this way and how practitioners should examine teachings rather than accept them on faith alone. The main instruction focuses on the mandala offering itself: preparing the base with fragrant substances, performing three clockwise wipings while visualizing purification of body, speech, and mind obscurations for yourself and all sentient beings. He then details the mandala’s cosmological structure: Mount Meru at the center, the four continents and their subcontinents, the seven precious treasures, and the goddesses positioned in cardinal directions. For practitioners engaged with Chenrezig.

Down to the human realm and take rebirth. So in this when the inhabitant sentient beings start to inhabit in these realms, inhabiting up to the point that first sentient being in the Avici hell, the lower hells, takes rebirth, then that is the time the formation period is finished and then starts the abiding or being a large part of the universe. So this is being explained about how the world is born. So does it really agrees to your ears? So this is what explanation is in the scriptures, but because Buddhist teachings has two aspects, the interpretive and the definitive, therefore this may not be necessarily taken as if they are in literal.

Because like an expert doctor, he treats the patient according to the needs of the different patients. When the patient is suffering from cold, the medicine would be for that too cold and if he is suffering from high temperature then medicine would be for that and if he is suffering from hepatitis then the medicine would be like that. So Buddha gives teaching in accordance to the various needs and various requirements of the sentient beings. Therefore, it depends to which sentient being it’s going to work, that type of teaching begins. For example, an expert doctor would recommend to a patient with high fever saying you should not eat meat, you should not eat eggs.

And after a while, when the patient gets bit, gets rid of the high fever, then the exposure that the patient could be suffering from wind disease. So at that time the same doctor to the same patient will recommend you should eat meat, you should eat eggs. So with that there are two different recommendations, prescriptions. So same is with the Buddha, first he teaches what is required at that level to that sentient being and when he when the sentient being gets to a higher level, then the teaching is a bit different. The same person is the one who gives the prescription and the first and the second prescription are completely contradictory but that doesn’t matter because the main thing is what is required at particular time to the patient.

For example, even among the different philosophical schools of Buddhism, Buddha explained according to the different requirements of different disciples for those of the lowest schools where Buddha says things and phenomena exist outwardly in external stage because that is their level of understanding. And afterward, the same disciple when he gets a bit better, then Buddha says that the external existing nature of things is not is not there. And after that, when the same disciple gets a bit better to grasp the to grasp the view of the mind only and middle way, then Buddha says that not only the things are externally existent, they are even on top of that. They are not truly existent. So it is the same teacher giving same teachings to the same disciple.

Even Buddha himself, he said in his own words that you bhikkhus, monks and nuns. You should examine my words and you should examine my words in the manner a person buying a gold would do it by burning, cutting, and rubbing. And then if you find it fine, you should accept not just out of faith. So in meaning, it means if a person is going to buy such a precious thing like a gold, then he would first make sure the thing he’s buying is really gold. So in order to ascertain that this is gold, he would first burn it and see it is real gold.

And after that, he will still be unconvinced, and he will still go on to the second phase of examination cutting it with the sword or whatever. He will cut it and see in inside it is gold or not. And afterward, even if it’s not convinced, still he will go on rubbing it on a rough surface like rocks and then he makes sure that this is gold. So likewise with Buddhist teaching it should be analyzed, examined by three criteria that it is not contradicted by direct valid cognition and it is not contradicted by valid inference. So it has been explained that you should do the explanation through the three ways of so you should do the examination through the three ways of examination and don’t take the teachings just by being believing, just by being faithful to me.

With regard to the words or sūtra of Buddha, there are two aspects, two kinds. The interpretive sūtra, interpretive words of Buddha, and the definitive words of Buddha, definitive teachings or sūtra of Buddha. So those which in accordance to the literal sense cannot be accepted and which needs to be interpreted in other meanings through other way of explanation, they are called the interpretive sūtra, interpretive words of Buddha. And those which are as literal literal, they are true and to be accepted, and those which when analyzed still remains to be true and acceptable and then they are the one which belongs to the second part, the definitive words or definitive sūtra of Buddha. Therefore, it is not necessary that we should always take what is literally there.

It may still need to be interpreted in other way and that’s why there are these two aspects, the interpretive and definitive aspect of the words or sūtra of Buddha. And as as explained yesterday, with that king, King Ajatashatru, in order to remove his intense regret, Buddha Buddha explained in the teachings saying that father and mother are to be killed, whereas the whereas the interpretive thought or intention of Buddha was the action and the causes of action, the delusions, they are to be they are to be killed. The explanations about cosmology be, Buddha’s purpose in coming to universe was not like an architect trying to measure the whole cosmological structure. His main purpose in coming to universe was to do the welfare of the sentient beings, to turn the to turn or to transform the minds of the sentient beings. That is the main purpose of Buddha coming to universe.

So I’m gonna stop here. So the whole explanation about the cosmology and the whole universe seems like a big burden bringing pain on our back. Now with the explanation about the manner of offering mandala. Basically, that was what is explained in the sūtra, the size of the mandala. If one nowadays, it is quite difficult to have that big mandala.

Anyway, at least it is explained that mandala to be offered should not be smaller than one span. Now first one has to apply the sweet smelling perfumes and substances on the mandala base. So it has to be the thumbs wiping from the center of the mandala and then offer like that. You would. Would.

Yeah. Clockwise. And again, one does another circle of applying the good If possible, it has to explain one should apply the sweet-smelling substance. So in the beginning, it’s just a sweet-smelling substance. So one should apply sweet-smelling substance if possible every month once, if not at least once a year.

So, that is what is meant in the beginning of Mandala verse. The ground base is smeared with incense. So incense means something which smells good. Smells smells good. So this applying is what goes in accordance to the first presentation, The ground base is being anointed with incense.

The base mandala should be, if possible, gold, then if not then silver, if not then iron or metallic, if not at least of stone. And this has special difference of accumulating different amounts of merit. And the substances of the offering, the heaps offering, if they are possible, it has been explained should be of precious substance. They are called. And if it is not possible, then it is explained it should be grains, barley.

And if it’s not possible, then it should be good good and nice nice stones nice stones. And if not, it has also been explained that sands will also do. And it has been explained if it is like grains or barley, then they should be applied with sweet smelling substances and that way would be good. Because these are substances to be offered to the Three Jewels, therefore they should be as best in quality as possible and one should try as best one can afford, one can be able to. And if the person has all the resources, but still if one does the offering from worst kind of material, then instead of accumulating merit, it will exhaust, it will finish one’s merit.

So the mandala has to be held in the left palm, left hand, and it is not it is not permissible. It means it is is not good to have the holding of mandala with empty hand. Therefore, the palm should firstly be with some amount of grains or barley and on top of that, put the mandala base over it. And then one takes amount of grains in the right hand and with that one wipes the mandala base as much as one can towards clockwise. And this one one does at the same time, one visualize that one is wiping, one is purifying all the obscurations, negativities of oneself and all other sentient beings.

And again one wipes as much as possible with visualization. One is wiping the obscuration and negativities of oneself and others accumulated through speech. So which implies the first wiping has to do with those of body. And again one takes amount of grain and then wipes as much as one can and thus the visualization alone that the negativities of oneself and other sentient beings accumulated through mind are purified. And then one does anticlockwise three times with grains and puts it on the basin, wash three times.

And three times is because of the purpose that one visualize taking the blessings of all the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas. The blessings of body, of speech, and of mind with each time. And then so on as explained yesterday before, it is like the beginning of all mantras, and it is it is it is auspicious expression, and it is the mantra called the mantra of Vajra ground. Means Vajra, indestructible. Means the earth, ground, and together on from top.

Together, they blesses the ground base into the very nature of or vajra base. Vajra earth, vajra ground. In some text, it has been explained the very time when one starts applying the yellow yellow free smell substance along the edge of the mandala at that time along by one recites Om Vajra Bhumi Ah Hum because the very color of the substance which is yellow one applies it itself signifies or represents the earth which also is yellow in color. And then as explained before means the same thing. And Reke means the iron fence.

And is as same. It blesses the iron fence into that that aspect. And now we start doing the pouring of the piles or heaps, be it 37 or 23 or 25, whatever. So first is to the central, the king of the mountain, the great and glorious Mount Meru, one offers in the center the first heap. So with this the king of the mountain, Mount Samiru, according to the Abhidharma text, it has been explained as being four square four angles, four square, four angles, one square.

In the East, it is silver color white. And in the in the South is lapis lazuli, and in the West is. It’s translated as ruby. And and in the north, it is of gold. So that’s the color of the Mount Meru of the four different colors on four angles.

So Mount Meru in nature is of four jewels, four precious stones. And then comes the Sha Lu pa, Sha Re da har, so Sharadata Continent, the East Continent. So with regard to how we consider which is East, so this is of two. One is this in direction parallel to one from one’s point of view and then another is from other’s point of view. Well, with the mandala offering, it can it is of two.

So it is of two. One offers one to make as an offering. Another is one makes mandala offering in order to receive inspiration and blessing. So, when it is the mandala making offering, then one considers the east opposite to one’s and then one puts the first one on that direction. Is that clear?

And if it is for receiving blessing, then is continent at that time, one puts the first heap towards oneself starting from that direction. And with regard to the color of the East Continent, it is white because the white white part of the king of mountain is white and the shade or reflection of that face turns the continent into white. Therefore, the South is of green and the West Continent is of red and the North of yellow. So the South Continent is in the color of. So it is of that color.

We should say blue or green. So then one makes that heap saying that is Lipapo Continent, so Videha. So why it is called Lipapo, which literally means superior body or superior body. Why it is called that is because in that continent, the humans are double the size of those compared with the South Jambu Continent, the Earth Continent. And then it’s the whole example in South Jambudvipa Continent and why it is called Zampo Link the island or continent of Zampu is because in the South Continent, there is a special tree called Zampu tree, and that Jambu tree when its fruits fall down into the ocean, it makes a sound like jambu.

So because of that it is called Jambu Continent. And because it is surrounded on by surrounded on by ocean, therefore, it is called island, literally. Therefore, the whole thing is called Jumbo Island. And then Aparagodaniya, the West Continent, the West enjoying on cow. So why it is called West Palantir, West enjoying on cow is because in that continent, there is a cow which is made of precious stone given and human beings of that continent enjoy or rely on that.

Therefore it is called the West enjoying on cow, West Aparagodaniya. And then Uttarakuru, the North Continent, the North Unpleasant Sound. So why it is called the North Unpleasant Sound Continent is because when people in that continent, when they’re about to die at the time before a week, within a week of their death, they come in the space an unpleasant sound saying that they will be dying in a week’s time. And then with each of the continent there are two subcontinents. So we start with Luzong Lipa, That is the two subcontinents of the East Continent.

So we offer Li on the right to the East Continent and Lifa on the left of the East Continent and then Laia So with each of the subcontinent, we offer the heap representing them to right and left of their respective continents. So there are eight subcontinent. Therefore, there will be eight to put. And then when one says Rinpoche Ri, the precious mountain or even mountains, that time, one has to put the heap on top of the East Continent because precious mountain is the common wealth and it is the most important wealth of the people in the East Continent and that precious or jewel mountain has to be thought upon as the mountain which is made of all the precious stones like pearl, lapis lazuli, and so forth. And the wish-granting tree, the common wealth of the South Continent.

And then the wish-granting cow is of the West Continent and the unploughed harvest is of the North Continent. And Khorlo which is the precious wheel one puts the heap on top of the East Continent and Norbu, the precious jewel, one puts the precious gem one puts it on the top of the South Continent. And then the Tremo, the precious queen, the precious queen, one puts it on the North, on the West, on top of the West Continent. And then the precious minister, one puts it on the top of the, on top of the, what’s called, North North Continent. And then we have the Langchen which is the precious elephant and then the Tazhon which is the precious supreme horse and then the precious general and then then what is her?

So that is the great treasure vase. So each of these puts the heaps in the intermediate directions starting from the Southeast, then Southwest, Southwest, Northwest, Northeast. Is that clear? So each of these is like with the first one which is the Langchen, the Precious Elephant, one puts the heap in the Southeast or East South subcontinent between south and east. And then it goes like that in the forward subdirection.

And then there are the goddesses. So first, it starts with the goddess of beauty or goddess of grace. So this has to be put on the east direction. So this goddess is one of the one of the goddesses and its body is body, and it is in this aspect in this. Oh, okay.

It sits like And it’s white in color. And then it’s the Wait. No. And then it’s the the goddess of garlands. So this one puts in the south direction on.

And it is in this gesture holding a vajra rosary. And it is a yellow body.