Thursday, January 14, 2010

Mani Recitation Retreat 2009

At the suggestion of Crystal, an extract of what I had summarized from the Dharma talks given by His Eminence , the 12th Nubpa Rinpoche, ( also greatly appreciate the translator who did a great job translating from Mandarin to English ) during the Mani retreat 2009 shall be posted.
Pardon is sought if there is any wrong remembrance or misinterpretation.


25/12/09 MorningSadness is a nature of life where they appear & disappear, therefore, we should treat sadness as a form of practice.
We should develop a Renunciation mind. (Chu Li Xin)
It is important to recognize that nature of samsara is suffering and the root of samsara suffering is: our ignorance!
We see an “I” or ego, the clinging to the idea of “My” friend /foe gives rise to attachment, greed & hatred.
With karma & karmic results, cause & effect relationship gives rise to samsaric rebirth of the 6 realms.
We know the lower 3 realms consist of sufferings, even the 3 higher realms with human realm also facing suffering of Birth, death, sickness, and old age.
Look at our body, we have to take care of this body that gives us problem and trouble.

Our mind and body is constantly being tormented by suffering.
To eradicate suffering, we must find a way, similarly as finding a good doctor to heal the sick.
Sick is not just body pain but great illness of birth and death and who could be the doctor for that?
--> The Buddha!

First of all, we need to take refuge in the Triple Gem.
The Buddha is the doctor; the Dharma (Teachings of the Buddha) is the appropriate medicine necessary to cure the illness. Taking refuge to Dharma is like taking medicine to liberate suffering. During treatment process, friends, nurses’ support help one to cure, hence, good companion (Sangha) to practise the Dharma is important too.
Refuge in the Triple Gem helps one to accomplish greatly.

Today we are here to visualize the 6 syllabuses & refuge is also important & inseparable.
Out of Compassion, Guanyin manifest as Bodhisattva form but He had already attained Buddhahood.


Taking refuge before Him is as good as taking refuge in the Buddha.
Reciting the 6 syllabuses is as good as taking refuge in the Dharma.
Understanding the Dharma helps to remove emotion and bad karma and allow inherent wisdom to arise.
By practicing together in this retreat, is as good as taking refuge in the Sangha (Community).
Therefore, in this practice today, we have incorporated taking refuge in the retreat.

Renunciation mind is important and Refuge naturally arise.
Be Relax & at ease with what you are doing and you will have a good experience. :-)


Continuing ~ part2

Mani Recitation Retreat 2009

Part2

Below is extract of what I had summarized from the Dharma talks given by His Eminence , the 12th Nubpa Rinpoche, ( also greatly appreciate the translator who did a great job translating from Mandarin to English ) during the Mani retreat 2009.
Pardon is sought if there is any wrong remembrance or misinterpretation

25/12/09 EveningTo attain Buddhahood, it is necessary to generate Bodhicitta.
There is Relative Bodhicitta and Ultimate Bodhicitta.

Relative Bodhicitta requires training the mind to give rise to the thoughts of 4 Immeasurables.
All sentient beings are our fathers and mothers who protect us till we grow up.
We should develop Equanimity towards all beings, as they could be parents of our past lives.
We should think of sufferings of beings in lower realms & generate compassion towards them.
To save all sentient beings, we must become Buddha and this is Bodhicitta --> Bodhisattva.


26/12/09 MorningThe Ultimate meaning of all traditions is to be liberated from sufferings.
There are 2 kinds of accumulation: merits & wisdom.
We should practise the 6 Paramitas and Mahayana tradition has more methods:
1) Generation stage;
2) Completion stage.

Under generation stage, there are many methods but among all, easiest to visualize is Avalokiteshvara.
For ordinary beings, easiest way is to do Mani recitation.
It is the embodiment of all Buddhas.
Every sentient being has this inherent Buddha nature and through this recitation, it can bring out our Buddha nature.

State of emptiness - Our body is not physical but form of emptiness (rainbow like state of Avalokiteshvara).
We are sentient beings with karma and visualization could purify our karma.
Within our heart center, imagine light emit to all directions into all sorts of offerings to make to all the Buddhas.
When light returns & dissolves in us, we receive blessings from Buddhas of all directions& purify ourselves.
While reciting with great compassion, visualize with lights to all directions and purify all obscurations of all sentient beings who turn into Guanyin.
Visualization helps enhance our Bodhicitta.
It helps purify own body, speech & mind and all beings.
It enhances our practice. Even if short time using this method, every individual would have their own experience and it is a beneficial practice.

Mani Recitation Retreat 2009

Part 3

Below is extract of what I had summarized from the Dharma talks given by His Eminence , the 12th Nubpa Rinpoche, ( also greatly appreciate the translator who did a great job translating from Mandarin to English ) during the Mani retreat 2009.
Pardon is sought if there is any wrong remembrance or misinterpretation.


27/12/09 Morning
We are fortunate to be human among the 6 realms and have the opportunity to meet & have trust in the Dharma.
Few people have such opportunities to practice and fewer to gain attainment & achievement.
Especially in such a developed nation of Spore that we took time to practice in accordance of Dharma.
We are always working hard but when we are about to leave the world, what follows us?
The positive and negative karmic deeds follow us like shadows.


3 most important steps of practice (not quite sure if this 3 identification header is right)


1) Take Refuge & Motivation
As Buddhist, we take refuge; without good motivation, we could not label ourselves as Mahayana practitioner.


2) Generation of Avalokiteshvara: accumulation of merits & wisdom are the causes & conditions for Perfect Buddhahood.
When practicing, we see our body as Avalokiteshvara, our mind in terms of Loving-kindness, our speech into 6 syllabuses.


3) Purify Body, Speech & Mind.
While reciting, visualize the 6 Syllabus to all ten directions to make offerings to All Buddhas & also light to all sentient beings who convert to Avalokiteshvara. All beings are Avalokiteshvara and all our thoughts Bodhicitta.


Visualize oneself as Avalokiteshvara and on crown of our head:
Amitabha Buddha --> our Root Guru and visualize always having blessings.
We receive Guru’s blessings, progress on to recognize own nature of mind.


Methods: 1) Gather accumulation; 2) Guru’s blessings
Root Guru dissolve into light to our heart & hence mind of Guru and us is the same. As we rest in this state, Relative & Ultimate Bodhicitta is generated.

Today is 3rd day & best opportunity to accumulate merits and benefit all beings.
Practice is long run.
From now on, we should try all ways & means to generate Bodhicitta.
It is only with Bodhicitta that we can truly practise & not make mistakes in our practice.

27/12/09 Evening Closing SpeechDedication is important. Why we had not become Buddha?
It is because we do not know how to dedicate our merits.
When practise along the path, we gathered good deeds and accumulation but because we do not dedicate enough, merits exhausted & greed, jealousy, etc generated affect the merit.


Therefore, while dedicating merits, we need to have a goal & having done good deeds we should be dedicating to all sentient beings (past parents). This helps generate Bodhi & accumulate merits to Buddhahood. This way to dedicate with goal is with Form.


What goal? The Goal to liberate all sentient beings to Buddhahood.


Ways to dedicate from Ultimate Bodhicitta ---> Emptiness of 3 Spheres.


Concept of “I” & “Others” not existing --> Dedicate


Finally, Rinpoche wishes all of us Good Health, Progress in Practice, Always watch our mind, develop Loving-kindness & Compassion within us, and open up our personal wisdom.
Wisdom and Compassion is together. (Like bird with 2 wings)
Wisdom is knowing what to do & not to do, and then one will not lose direction..


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Amituofo

May All Beings Be Well & Happy

May All Progress along the Right Path

Om Mani Padme Hung