Teachings related to the Mahamudra Curriculum for Bodhi Path Centers Teachings presented at the Bodhi Path Center

in Remetschwiel, Germany, August 200 Part 2! The e"er perfect #$ Buddhas Marpa did prostrations to the #$ Buddhas% &e do not 'now if the same may (e said of Milarepa, since he did not clearly specify if he did or not% )t was Gampopa*s disciple, Phagmo +ru(pa, who arranged the d,og shing, or the Refuge Tree - the assem(ly of gurus% .is guru is Gampopa, so Phagmo +ru(pa*s arrangement is "ery relia(le% /owadays, e"en though the rules and guidelines set up (y Gampopa are still maintained, the people and systems in today*s societies are completely different than during Gampopa*s time% /aturally, his rules were designed (ased on the people and conditions in his time% .ow they apply now under today*s conditions has (ecome rather delicate% The practice of the #$ Buddhas, which Marpa practiced, is an un(ro'en lineage% )t is, to this day, "ery properly maintained, and so e"eryone could do this practice% These #$ Buddhas will ne"er come to us as human dictators and use religion to control people% This will ne"er happen% There is no ris' that humans could e"er e0ploit this practice% The lineage itself is fresh - the Buddhas are Buddhas, then and now% A Buddha will ne"er come as a human lama whose spiritual 1ualities you could not chec'% There are so many lamas nowadays - some are good, while others may not (e% 2ou can therefore (e misled (y the human lamas% This is what ) mean (y the conditions (eing no longer the same as in Gampopa*s time% To continue to apply Gampopa*s rules can therefore (e ris'y (ecause our societies now are totally different% Therefore, in the Bodhi Path centers, we go (ac' and follow the practices of the great Marpa, i%e% the Prostrations and Mandala practices to the #$ Buddhas% Tummo is a "ery powerful practice% The word, tummo, means "ery powerful% )t is something that you can ne"er re"erse% 2ou cannot (ac' out of it, much li'e a "a3ra% There is a Ti(etan saying4 to practice tummo, you ha"e to (e a human tummo li'e Milarepa% )t means that you ha"e to (e such a powerful person who can ne"er (e stopped (y any o(stacle% 2ou ha"e to (e li'e Milarepa who only mo"ed forward, nothing could ma'e him turn (ac'% A tummo person can then do tummo practice successfully% )f the person is not tummo, or powerful li'e Milarepa, then he will ne"er accomplish the +harma practice of tummo% The practice is one of the 5i0 2ogas of /aropa, which is related to the inner energies% The word tummo is not familiar to you% 2ou might thin' that it is a flame, or a fire in the na"el, (ut it is not that% &hat is your understanding of tummo6 Answer from the audience4 Melting snow% Tummo means powerful in Ti(etan% )t has (een translated as heat, (ut that is not really correct% Tummo means full of power% A German couple once came to Rumte', and it was winter% 7armapa said in con"ersation, with them, 8)t9s "ery cold%8 The man responded (y saying, 82ou should do tummo, then you will (e warm:8 .is understanding of tummo was heat, or a heater% .e was only half right (ecause tummo does produce heat% &hen disciples supplicate a lama, the lama should (e li'e Milarepa, or Gampopa% They are capa(le of (lessing you through their e"er fresh wisdom and power% The times ha"e changed% There are many lamas now% Any one of them could say, 8) am as good as that guru%8 Many teachers could assume the role of a guru% They would as' you to supplicate them and you would get from them the fresh (lessings of the Buddha% By so claiming, they and their followers 'eep the tradition of the gurus ali"e% .owe"er, this does not mean that the true wisdom of Milarepa, Marpa and Gampopa were reali,ed in these gurus in the first place% Therefore, practice the #$ Buddha practice and you are guaranteed to connect with the Buddhas* 1ualities% They will ne"er change: +or3e 5empa and Chenre,ig 5o, ) recommend the #$ Buddha practice for Prostrations and Mandala% And if one decides to follow the ;a3rayana strictly, then the practice of +or3e 5empa will (e ne0t% +or3e 5empa is a ;a3rayana practice% 2ou will need to recei"e the +or3e 5empa empowerment% 2ou will learn to recite the mantra of +or3e 5empa, which is an integral part of the practice% The ne0t practice in the ;a3rayana program of the Bodhi Path Buddhist Centers is the Chenre,ig yidam practice% This is different from the Chenre,ig guru yoga in the lineage of Thangtong Gyalpo, which is a practice mainly for (lessing%

5hi*nay is the main meditation practice <nce you ha"e recei"ed the Bodhisatt"a ;ow, you will learn 5hi*nay as the main meditation practice% ) ha"e already taught the three ordinary 5hi*nay le"els4 counting the (reath, following the (reath, and then resting on the (reath% 2ou (egin to train in meditation (y these "ery effecti"e methods% 7hyerim is actually a special form of 5hi*nay, where you "isuali,e the yidam% )n ;a3rayana, "isuali,ation is a form of 5hi*nay% 2ou will achie"e 5hi*nay through "isuali,ation% But without first ha"ing trained properly at the common 5hi*nay le"els, you will not (e a(le to do the "isuali,ation% Therefore, first train your mind "ery well% 5ince your mind now is li'e a wild horse, you should tame it, train it, and the (reathing method is the most effecti"e method for that% )n the Bodhi Path Centers, we teach the first three of the si0 le"els of 5hi*nay% "ipassana &hen you ha"e achie"ed some success in 5hi*nay, you will learn ;ipassana, how to analy,e the mind% &hen you ha"e good 5hi*nay, you will (e a(le to do ;ipassana "ery successfully% There are two parts to ;ipassana4 one is the analytical way, and the second is to rest the mind in mind% By alternating (etween resting and analy,ing, the two will mutually support one another and enhance your meditation% The Center will offer instructions on how to practice ;ipassana% 2ou will practice the Mandala alongside Tonglen, the meditation of gi"ing and ta'ing% Tonglen is a =od3ong practice, or mind training, and it is an integral Buddhist practice% 2ou can learn how to practice =od3ong at the Center, which incorporates (oth 5hi*nay and =ha'thong meditations% some cautions 2ou will notice that in the Bodhi Path centers, there are no photographs of human lamas for worship% The >?th 7armapa has passed away already% To show respect in his memory, it is proper to ha"e photographs, or thang'as of him on the walls% <therwise, ) usually do not recommend any photos of human lamas for the shrine% &hen one human worships another human, it does not ma'e too much sense: 2ou can ha"e photos of your teacher on the wall, (ut not on the shrine, where you offer them, lamps, oil and water% The photos will not drin': ) ha"e to caution you against this form of worship (ecause a lot of emotions can actually (e aroused (y it% This happened and is still happening in Ti(et% As soon as a Ti(etan enters another Ti(etan*s house, the first attention is paid to the shrine% The custom has (ecome so "ery political% .is picture is here, and not the other person*s, why6 A lot of emotions are thus stirred up% An a(sent photo may inad"ertently (ecome a su(3ect of contro"ersy% .ow come the 7armapa*s picture is there (ut not the +alai =ama*s6 Already, anger arises% This 'ind of attitude is "ery (ad, yet it is happening nowadays% )t is unfortunate that in the &est, the Buddhist centers follow the Ti(etan tradition% 5ome &estern disciples e"en thin' they should not discriminate (etween hus(and and wife% 5o where the teacher is a married man, his picture as well as his wife*s picture are (oth placed on the shrine% )n other words, the teacher*s family gets worshipped, too% This is, of course, too much% @"en when the teacher, and his wife e0plicitly ad"ised against this 'ind of practice, people do it anyways% <nce, some people had made a group photo, which included the Buddha, the 7armapa, and me and their teacher and his wife% /one of us 'new (efore hand that they were going to do it, or we would ha"e ad"ised against it% /onetheless, the picture was made showing a collection of eyes, the Buddha9s eyes, the >?th 7armapa*s eyes, the >Ath 7armapa*s eyes, my eyes, their teacher*s eyes, and so on% &e "ery 1uic'ly e0plained that a picture li'e that was not good% People could always create the many things, and unfortunately, whether they intend to or not, much confusion can also (e started% Right now, there are still teachers li'e me who would say to you, 8+o this, (ut please don*t do that:8 But in the future, if these things go unchec'ed, then the +harma in the &est can (ecome contaminated% There is then a huge ris' of falling into great confusion% Therefore, it is "ery good and important to ha"e proper guidelines% =amas ha"e (een "ery political (oth here in the &est and in Ti(etan society% Therefore, you should treat a lama as you would a teacher, and not as a god whom you worship% A lama is a teacher% .e is your guide from the moment you ta'e Refuge% The 5angha are the 1ualified teachers who can teach you% They lead and guide you on the +harma path, and so a lama is a teacher of spiritual practice% All Ti(etans 'now this already, (ecause the +harma is ingrained in their culture% The Ti(etan culture is "ery political, and so Ti(etans are well "ersed in politics%

People in the &est as well as the Chinese do not ha"e political agendas when they follow the +harma% This is why we ha"e to e0plicitly e0plain to you - treat lamas as teachers of the Buddha +harma% )n this conte0t, lamas are teachers% /aturally, you don*t understand the Ti(etan culture and their politics% 2ou thin' e"erything is for the sa'e of religion when all the while, politics and religion are mi0ed together% This has (een in the Ti(etan culture for many hundreds of years now% As followers of Buddhism, you should follow the 5utra, or the ;a3rayana teachings% Bollow the proper Buddhist te0ts, and the instructions and ad"ice of genuine teachers who are without any political agendas% &hen it comes to initiations, or empowerments, ) always recommend the lamas who are more senior in age to gi"e them (ecause they are more relia(le% These older lamas, who are around age ?$, for e0ample, would genuinely gi"e wangs to the people% ) usually don*t recommend young Rinpoches or lamas to gi"e empowerments too early% )t is (etter to wait until they ha"e matured in age, and ha"e therefore had the e0perience of many retreats, li'e =ama GendCn Rinpoche% Rinpoche was not a recogni,ed reincarnation, (ut he had continuously meditated for many years% .is progress in meditation had (rought him e"er forward, ne"er had he turned (ac'% &hen lamas li'e him in his si0ties, and se"enties, gi"e empowerments, you could really feel assured that the lama and the yidam are insepara(le as taught in the ;a3rayana teachings% But lamas li'e him are indeed rare nowadays% <n the one hand, ) do not wish to underestimate e"ery lama% But on the other hand, you should 'now that e"ery(ody could perform an empowerment% By studying a te0t, one can learn how to do it% @"en you can do it% ) can teach you how to do it% )t is "ery easy% 2ou 3ust follow the te0t, and use the ritual o(3ects in a certain way% To do it superficially is "ery easy% But to really gi"e a real empowerment to the people, from one*s own meditation is "ery difficult% To send the empowerment through meditation is "ery difficult% <ne really has to (e "ery 1ualified% @mpowerment means to (ring up the +harma'aya, 5am(hoga'aya and /irmana'aya from a person*s mind% &hen ) gi"e an empowerment of (ody, speech and mind to you, ) (ring up your +harma'aya, 5am(hoga'aya and /irmana'aya from your mind% ) ha"e to ha"e the power to (ring them up% )t is "ery difficult% But you cannot tell who has the power and who doesn*t% That is the dilemma% Any(ody can read the te0t, and place the "ase on your head% 2ou cannot differentiate (etween the lamas who can actually do it genuinely, and those who cannot% 2ou ha"e no means to 3udge so you can (e confused% Therefore, in the Bodhi Path Centers, ) will only re1uest those lamas who ha"e some power to gi"e initiations%