His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s Puja Teachings – October 12, 2025

His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche ascended the Dharma throne and expounded on‘ Scroll 32, Chanding (Puja Teachings Index 6) Paramita’(Chapter 10, section 2) ’of The Mahayana Sutra of the Bodhisattva Treasury of the True Dharma Taught by the Buddha.
 
Rinpoche instructed the monastic disciples to lead the assembly in reciting the Refuge Aspiration Prayer, the Sevenfold Offering Prayer, the Sutra of Recollecting the Three Jewels, The Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas, and the Prayer to the Eight Noble Auspicious Ones. Afterwards, Rinpoche recited the Great Six-Syllable Mantra, his sacred body and the mandala radiated golden light, and a miraculous fragrance, even greater than the past, filled the space. The attendees all felt their bodies grow hot and their vexations subside, enabling their minds to concentrate on receiving Rinpoche’s incomparably wondrous and pure teachings of the Buddha Dharma. 
 
Next, Rinpoche bestowed precious teachings on the Buddha Dharma:  

Sutra: ‘Further, as one has the knowledge of the heart of others. If a sentient being acts upon the cause of making offerings(Dānapāramitā), he or she shall attain the fruit of making offerings in future lives. Further, should a sentient being act upon the cause of abiding by precepts (Śīlapāramitā), he or she shall attain the fruit of pure precepts in future lives. Further, should a sentient being act upon the cause of forebearance (Kṣāntipāramitā), he or she shall attain the fruit of endurance in future lives. Further, should a sentient being act upon the cause of diligence (Vīryapāramitā), he or she shall attain the fruit of diligence in future lives. Should a sentient being act upon the cause of Chanding (Puja Teachings Index 6), he or she shall attain the fruit of Chanding (Puja Teachings Index 6) in future lives. Should a sentient being act upon the cause of wondrous wisdom (Prajñāpāramitā), he or she shall attain the fruit of wondrous wisdom (Prajñāpāramitā) in future lives. Should a sentient being act upon the cause of Mahayana, he or she shall attain the fruit of Mahayana in future lives.’
 
This passage teaches that by practicing the Six Paramitas in past lives and/or this life, one will most certainly attain these karmic fruits in future lives, and will definitely go forth in the direction of Buddhist cultivation; therefore, everyone should reflect—have you practiced at all? If not, it means that you did not practice the Six Paramitas in your past lives, and now that you have heard the guru’s teachings, you must practice them immediately. If you do not come to plead for the Dharma and think that you can attain achievement through practice just because you have heard of the Dharma—that’s absolutely impossible. 
 
If a sentient being acts upon the cause of making offerings, he or she shall attain the fruit of offerings in future lives. You all believe that you are cultivating the act of offering through making offerings of red envelopes or to the Monastery, and that you needn’t discuss the matter with the guru. But that is equivalent to not making an offering because you are the ones making offerings of your own accord. You are all making this mistake now, thinking that learning Buddhism is about practicing on your own instead of practicing what the guru teaches. If the guru tells you to do something, you will do it; therefore, it has nothing to do with the guru. In November, I will perform a very long Guru Puja; this Dharma text states repeatedly: without the guru, there is no practice. Master Gampopa said a long time ago: very few remember the graces of the guru in the Age of Dharma Decline; thus, the Dharma texts constantly remind you to remember the guru’s graces, but you don’t remember.
 
Why did I berate those three disciples last week? Because they do not remember the graces of the guru, they are unable to listen to the Dharma transmitted by the guru, nor are they able to practice it. You treat this place like a buffet, picking what you like. For instance, a few young disciples came to plead for the Dharma texts yesterday; they pleaded for everything except the guru’s longevity prayer. It isn’t that by reciting the guru’s longevity prayer, the guru would live long; this has nothing to do with you. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s Longevity Prayer was bestowed upon me by my root guru, His Holiness the Chetsang Kyabgon, and why do I allow you to recite it? It is to enable you to enter my merit ocean, as I live long, so should you. 

Unexpectedly, those young disciples did not plead for (my Longevity Prayer), which shows the lack of respect for one’s teachers and elders. In Pure Land Buddhism, the first good fortune is to respect one’s elders, and thus, they have not practiced. Similarly, the male disciples are afraid of being berated. That’s also a sign of disrespect for their elders. If you want to learn something, you will definitely get scolded, beaten, and you will definitely lose all of your face, so I can judge that all of these male disciples will most certainly not attain this karmic fruit in the next life because they have not practiced in this life! It is evident that they have not practiced in the past life! Do not think that having heard of something means that you can practice it, you cannot attain it; making an offering is such a simple matter that you have been unable to cultivate;  you think that by giving money, you are making an offering, but actually that is not the case. 

The disciple who died suddenly in the bath recently has definitely made more offerings than you have, and yet, why did he end up this way? His karmic fruit was supposed to be much worse originally; however, having made offerings, he died this way instead of in a car accident. From the day I met him until his death, he did many disrespectful things to the guru, much like you male disciples, and he thought that by following the guru and reciting every day on his own was sufficient; he never came to plead for the Dharma! I’m driving a super race car; you can’t even see my rear lights. How can you follow me?
 
Everyone is incredibly arrogant, just like the male disciples who are afraid of Rinpoche, and by not coming to see me, you have sown the karma of not being able to see me when you die. Do you think that by attending the puja every Sunday, you will receive everything? If it were that simple, I would not have had to enter retreat with such hardship! And now His Holiness is preparing for his next incarnation through retreat! Who are you to think that by coming every Sunday to listen for a bit, you are practicing Buddhism? What you are doing now is being disciples who are slightly better off than believers. Refuge disciples must obviously learn with the Buddha Dharma, but you’re not willing to learn. You think that by coming  to listen for a bit every week, you will know about it? Making offerings alone is something that you have not completely, thoroughly fulfilled to the details. I have once been without money for food, but the fruit and flowers offered to the Buddha and Bodhisattvas were never lacking; could you do the same? I have been without money to pay rent; however, I gave my money to the first Drikung Kagyu Buddhist Center to pay their rent. Could you do that? I had no money to build the gold-clad roof for the Drikung Thil Monastery so I sold my things. Could you do that? None of you can bear to give up anything,  so don’t think that you are making offerings！
 
Today, at lunchtime in Dazhi, I scolded the accountant from my company because initially, the ringtone of my mantra recitation could bring in about $1,000 a month in revenue for the Association.. Unbelievably, she thought that it was too little, so she told the mobile carrier that we would not accept the payment because the association would have to file taxes for the mere $1,000. Every week, you come to listen to my Buddhist teachings for two hours, and each of you gives me $1,000; some of you are more generous and give me more. But she thought that $1,000 was too little, and did not think that the guru was so wretched that he had to exert so much effort in teaching the Dharma. Having practiced so much, each person gave an average of only $1,000. I’m not being calculative about money with you; I’m just telling you–don’t think that you are practicing, by not listening to the words of the guru, not acting according to the guru’s teachings, you are not practicing. You are merely attending a puja, and you may attain some human and heavenly good fortune for future life,  but which you definitely cannot use in this life.

I have constantly emphasized that you must realise how to repent; a few days ago, a female disciple died of cancer—she was diagnosed in May with Endometrial cancer. Typically,  she never showed her face, but she came to see me when she was diagnosed; it’s not a matter of whether or not she had money; she never came to see me. Similarly, the male disciple who died in the bath was wealthy, but never came to see me. This female disciple, who had cancer, came to see me when she was diagnosed. And I told her directly, ‘You did a lot of bad things. And you did not repent, so in your end-stage cancer, you will feel a great deal of pain, and I won’t be able to help you.’ I’ve never said such words, have I? (The assembly replieds: Yes!) 

Many of you present who were diagnosed with cancer have come to see me, and didn’t I tell you that I could guarantee that you will not feel pain before death? (The assembly replies: Yes.) Indeed, just as I had told her, before her death, she had daily dosages of 3,5,6 shots of morphine, but still could not stop the pain. One of the disciples mentioned this to me, I said it was because she had not repented. So, this disciple told another disciple who went to see her, the person who went to see her told her, ‘Rinpoche said you have not repented.’ And so, she opened her mouth and began to repent, although she was not repenting to me, yet, because I had told her about repentance, it was equivalent to repenting to me. She said a lot, and after she said her words, she died. Initially, the hospital was going to feed her morphine directly because the shots were useless. If one ingest morphine, one will definitely fall into the Three Evil Realms for certain when one’s life comes to an end.

Why did I give you a Vajrasattva Empowerment last week? Because none of you have repented and think that you have done nothing wrong, nor has anything happened. Reckoning occurs before death, and the male disciple who died in the bath encountered his reckoning, but fortunately, he continued to make offerings, and that’s why he could receive the Phowa Dharma; this female disciple, who died of cancer, had no Phowa Dharma. This has nothing to do with money, but rather because she was unwilling to repent while she was alive, and she thought she had done nothing wrong. She thought it was something minor, she hadn’t kill anyone, and now she’d already become a vegetarian.
 
You all have this kind of concept, especially those male disciples who aren’t practicing at all; you will then have to bear the consequences of your karmic forces. I will not be responsible for it. I can merely lessen the severity of your karmic forces, and if you’re unable to hear my voice, you will die immediately. Fortunately, this female disciple had an epiphany before death. Finally, she repented because the pain was so unbearable. If even morphine shots could not stop the pain, it is imaginable how painful it must be. The hospital was going to feed her morphine, and her whole body would have gone numb, which is equivalent to drug use. 

So,  don’t think that you are practicing the Six Paramitas, including these monastics. The worst is this monastic who has been ordained for over 30 years,he has not practiced the Six Paramitas at all. Whatever he says is always those same old lines: to acknowledge the six bandits as one’s father, to be incapable of distinguishing truth from falsehood. He only knows terms, and yet he has not practiced the Six Paramitas at all, therefore, he shall never attain the fruit of the Six Paramitas in his future life—these are the words of Buddha. I could attain achievement in this life because I have practiced in the past, although I might not have practiced very well, I have definitely put in the effort. And that’s why, in this life, I had the fate to encounter a good guru, a lineage with which I had the fate. Thus, in this life, I could benefit sentient beings.

You often think that by reciting or prostrating on your own, and not leaving the Buddhist Center, it would all be sufficient; all of this is good, but you can only use it when you’re dying. For instance, the female disciple could not even come to see me one last time, nor could she leave any final words. She was not that poor, but she kept it all and made offerings only after her death. For instance, this male disciple who died in the bath—his son kept saying that he wanted to express gratitude towards me. I refused to see him because,  first, he did not listen to me, and is not a vegetarian, and second, he thought that by expressing gratitude, he could resolve all matters. His father was my disciple, and I will help my disciple, but it has nothing to do with him. If it were someone else, they might have met with the son to see if there was any chance to get more offerings. Now I will instruct the disciple in charge; if he still wants to make offerings, you must say that I will refuse it. Even if it were his father‘s money, I would refuse it. (The disciple replies : Yes.)

Therefore, reading this passage is not about reciting sutras, but rather it’s Buddha telling you that what you have not performed in past lives shall not amount to any karmic fruit in this life. You still have some time to do these things right in this life. Even if you cannot do it right, it’s fine. Do it gradually, do it ceaselessly, by accumulating, you shall definitely have this karmic fruit in the next life. You can plead to be reborn in Amitabha’s  Pure Land, but you’re unable to go there. Why not? The Amitabha Sutra states very clearly that you must not be lacking in good fortune, merit, and fate. Where does good fortune and merit come from? It comes from cultivation, and it is useless to cultivate superficially. You must practice from the depths of your hearts.

For example, the case I mentioned earlier, which one does not repent, shows that the Dharma Protector is very capable, and so is the yidam. Suppose I hadn’t told the person in charge. How could I make her willing to repent before death, and make all of the karmic forces preventing her death disappear instantly, and also make the karmic forces for her to go to the Three Evil Realms disappear instead of making her better? If she repented any later, having ingested the morphine, she would’ve abused drugs in this life; the sutra says very clearly that those who have abused drugs will definitely go to hell, she was only an hour and a half away. She continued attending the pujas, although she made offerings of $500 or $1,000 NTD each time, she still accumulated some meager good fortune, which in her final hours enabled someone to pass a message to me, allowing me to send a message back.

Who passed on the message? (A disciple replies : Reporting to Rinpoche, it was Disciple Lin.) Rinpoche expounded: Disciple Lin has accumulated some good fortune. So now you see clearly! Accumulating some things in aspects of Buddha Dharma will send help to you when you are in need, but it is not to help you pay your housing loan or allow you to attain enlightenment, but rather when you need it the most, it shall appear. Two disciples went to talk to her, and in that instance, she listened to them. She never listened when kneeling in front of me; she never repented. So, after saying her words, there was no pain left. 
 
Buddhist sutras talk about openly repentance, but not these male disciples, including the male monastic disciple; it is useless to repent to the yidam and the Buddha’s statue! Why is it ineffective? The sutra said very clearly that if there are holy beings, meaning the practitioners who can liberate you from life and death within a 500 km radius of the place of your dwelling, you should repent to them. If not, you may repent to the Buddha’s statues. But the problem is, if you are to repent to the Buddha statue, you must at least retreat for at least a month or more. Therefore, if you think that you are repenting every day, it’s useless! Because the guru is here. When you don’t listen to the guru, why is it immediately effective when you repent to the guru? Because the guru has practiced the Six Paramitas in the past lives as well as this life, and the guru possesses good fortune. So, as soon as you repent, the guru will reach attainment with the yidam immediately, bless you instantly, and resolve your problems immediately, even faster than a morphine shot. Therefore, Buddhism is not about superstition. It’s definitely a series of cultivation methods. In China, there were too many literary men who, especially beginning in the Song dynasty, spoke of Buddhism, but never practiced Buddha Dharma, and this went until now; the constant talking never led to any cultivation. The male monastic is exactly like this; no matter how hard I spoke to him, he has remained the same, but has he practiced? No, because if he had practiced, he wouldn’t be this way today.
 
The sutras keep repeating this because the Buddha keeps reminding you to stop daydreaming—if something was not done in past lives, it will not happen in this life; and if you hope for it to happen in a future life, you must act on it right now, without even a second of delay. If you haven’t been taught how to do sitting meditation by a guru, how could you possibly do sitting meditation? I haven’t yet taught you how to do sitting meditation either. The Drikung Kagyu lineage has its own method, but why do I not teach you? Because you are not cut for it—you lack the proper respect toward the guru.

Yesterday I felt deeply disheartened. Many young people came imploring for the Dharma text of Dharma Protector Achi. I asked them:Does Achi listen to you, or to me? If you don’t respect your guru, do you think Achi will still help you? Don’t assume that just by reciting the Dharma text of Achi every day, she will come to your aid, because the Dharma text of Dharma Protector Achi clearly states that Achi protects only the disciples of the Drikung Kagyu lineage. And what does it mean to be a disciple of Drikung Kagyu? It means following the unbroken lineage transmission—having no other gurus, keeping a single-pointed mind, receiving oral transmission, and having gratitude toward the guru. If you fail to do these things, it’s useless. Believe me, because this is the way I have attained results through practice.

You possess more good fortune than I—you have access to so many practice texts and so many sutras. When His Holiness said just a few words to me, I had to go into retreat and practice right away; he didn’t even ask how I practiced. Of course, my root-capacity is different from yours. So you must understand these few sentences clearly. Shakyamuni Buddha was not telling you stories; he was telling you why you are now so pathetic, so miserable, and so detestable. Because you did not cultivate in your past lives; therefore,  you should start practicing immediately in this life. Every method within the Six Paramitas requires the guidance and instruction of the guru. Don’t think that you’re practicing patience or endurance. Endure for what?

Same as this female disciple—she knew morphine was poisonous, yet she took the injection anyway to avoid pain that she didn’t want to endure, but still felt pain afterward. This shows that as a disciple who has taken refuge, one should not touch such substances. When the pain became unbearable, someone told her, “Rinpoche said you haven’t repented,” and only then did she suddenly realize that she needed to repent. She had kept this matter hidden in her heart for a long time, thinking it was nothing—just an illness. Last week, it was mentioned that if one’s mind is kind, even with cancer, it wouldn’t cause unbearable suffering to the point of wishing for death. So everyone should understand this clearly: the reason you are able to practice Mahayana in this life is that you have heard it in past lives, and in future lives you will definitely attain the fruition of the Mahayana.
 
Sutra: ‘Moreover, there are sentient beings who cultivate the causes of the Pratyekabuddha path; in future lives, they will attain the fruition of the Pratyekabuddha. There are sentient beings who cultivate the causes of the Śrāvaka path; in future lives, they will attain the fruition of the Sravaka. There are sentient beings who cultivate worldly causes; in future lives, they will attain the mundane results.’

This means that those who practice the path of the Sravaka and Pratyekabuddha in this life will continue to do so in their future lives. There are sentient beings who cultivate worldly causes; in future lives, they will attain the mundane results. That is why I tell you not to practice merely the worldly Dharma. If in this life you keep cultivating the causes of reincarnation, in future lives you will still remain in the cycle of reincarnation. 
To renounce reincarnation, you must ask yourselves: apart from the things you must do in daily life, what is your state of mind? What do you think about? What are you seeking? For example, some male disciples say they dare not meet Rinpoche because they are afraid of being scolded. If that is the case, I can guarantee you will continue to remain in reincarnation. Knowing that you have faults, being scolded would actually help purify much of your negative karma; yet you refuse to be scolded, refuse to come, and only look at Rinpoche from afar. In this life, you must be very clear about why you are studying Buddhism. If your purpose is to fulfill worldly desires, you will continue to revolve in the cycle of birth and death in this world. But if your purpose in studying Buddhism is to liberate yourself from birth and death, to transcend the reincarnation’s sea of suffering, and thereafter to benefit all beings, then that is true Buddhist practice, and in your next life you will not return to this reincarnation’s sea of suffering. I have repeatedly explained this cause and effect to you.

You all say you believe in karma, but the fact is that none of you really do, especially the male disciples. Not one of you truly believes it; each thinks himself a gallant man with valor. Can any of you actually attain any results through your practice in this life? Among all the lay male disciples who took refuge in His Holiness, I was the only one who achieved attainment, because I was not afraid of being scolded. No matter how harshly His Holiness scolded me, I never dodged, because His Holiness is my guru. But all of you are very good at dodging! Is dodgeball popular in Taiwan? Are you preparing for a dodgeball game? Then let’s found a Glorious Jewel Dodgeball Team and have the men join. Anyone who gets hit once is fine, $100,000 NTD! I’ve never seen men so timid and unmotivated in Buddhist practice.

Every week, it’s always the women who come to implore for the Dharma. Where are the men? Out earning money? Yet I don’t see more offerings being made. Or do you have other places to go? For those married couples who have both taken refuge with me, if the wife comes on Saturday but the husband doesn’t, the wife should keep an eye on him! (The assembly laughs.) There’s no excuse not to come! I’ve never seen men with such boldfaces. Now I finally understand how you managed to get married, because you were shamelessly persistent in pursuing your wives! In this life, your mindset toward Buddhist practice truly matters. Always be mindful, and never stray from the Dharma methods the Buddha taught us. Otherwise, you will only plant the worldly seeds and be reborn again in the cycle of reincarnation。

Sutra: ‘Sariputra, if these fates arise, and if those fates arise, in future lives these sentient beings will truly realize their root nature.’

The Buddha said that because of these fates, in future lives, these sentient beings will awaken to their root nature. This is connected to their past lives, and it should be understood very clearly. That is why I am truly scolding you now—it is based on what you are showing in this life, with solid grounds. I am not scolding arbitrarily. If you were truly practicing the Six Paramitas, you would never behave like this. In this life, some of you still think that simply reciting a few prayers every day is practice, or that just listening to Rinpoche’s Dharma teachings counts as practice. That is not. The sutras have taught so much, yet you have never sincerely reflected on the Buddha’s compassion for us.
 
Sutra: ‘Toward those sentient beings who are capable of maturation, and not growing weary or bored. Until, through wisdom, one understands the very root of the mind.  Teach the authentic Dharma to those who have proper Dharma vessels for it.’

For sentient beings with upper root-capacity, they will definitely achieve maturity on a certain day, not in the sense of attaining Buddhahood or Bodhisattvahood yet, but in that their minds have transcended the ordinary and turned toward the wisdom of the holy ones. So being capable of maturation, and not growing weary or bored, means not becoming tired of oneself or of others. When beings come to you, you do not avoid or reject them. For instance, when that disciple who refused to repent came to me, I could have ignored her, but as a guru who teaches disciples through compassion. Even if she refused to repent, I could only see whether she had the fate and the good fortune to truly listen and change. The very moment she believed the guru’s words that she had not repented, and sincerely repented, all the force of her negative karma stopped, and her good fortune arose.

So, when those male disciples refuse to come see me, it means they have no good fortune—because they are unwilling to repent, their negative karma keeps accumulating, but they don’t realize it. Why do I emphasize repentance so much? Because Buddhism is unlike any other religion, only in Buddhism is there a method of true repentance. If you do not actually practice repentance, and merely keep praying for blessings from Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, thinking that will make you better, it is impossible. As mentioned last week, even when we reach the stage of practicing the Anuttarayogatantra (Highest Yoga Tantra), before visualizing the yidam, we must first practice Vajrasattva—repenting even the subtlest of karmic traces. If you do not come before me to openly confess and repent, and instead think that mumbling at home to Dharma Protector Achi will suffice, in fact, Dharma Protector Achi cannot even hear you!

In the Dharma text of the Dharma Protector Achi in Furious Appearance, it is written very clearly: besides Achi herself, there are four retinues surrounding her; outside them, twelve more; and beyond them, countless deities of Earth Mother encircling Achi like sesame pods that have burst open. For those who have not become true disciples of the Drikung Kagyu lineage—meaning those who do not follow the teachings and methods of Drikung Kagyu in their Buddhist practice—the deities of Earth Mother will seal off their voices, preventing Achi from hearing them. Do not assume that simply because you have taken refuge in me, and I belong to the Drikung Kagyu lineage, that you automatically become a disciple of the Drikung Kagyu lineage. The Drikung Kagyu lineage, like other lineages, ultimately aims at attaining Buddhahood—but it is an ancient and very strict tradition, teaching precisely according to the methods that the Buddha himself expounded in the sutras.

To be honest, being this strict brings me no benefit, does it? If I were a bit less fierce, everyone would be happy. So why am I so strict? Because this is how I was taught, and this is how the sutras teach. If I didn’t speak this way, I would be creating karmic debts I’d have to repay later, which means I’d have to come back again—and I don’t want to come back! That means your Rinpoche does not practice worldly Dharma but supramundane Dharma. As long as there are people who are willing to practice supramundane Dharma, no matter how many problems they face, those problems will not become obstacles on the path to learning the Dharma; gradually, the influence of those obstacles will fade away. Yet you all focus on worldly Dharma—praying for blessings, for good health, for smooth careers. In Vajrayana, there are indeed prayers for such things at the end of the Dharma texts, but their purpose is not for enjoyment; it’s because a bunch of great Dharma activities need those resources as tools to accomplish. In that case, such prayers are appropriate. But if the purpose is not for the Dharma itself, then those prayers will not bear fruit. Don’t think that merely praying guarantees attainment.

Until, through wisdom, one understands the very root of the mind. It means that one should use wisdom to understand where the root nature comes from—it foundation of the mind. Everything we have cultivated in past lives was determined by our own mind; it is the mind that influences and decides. The mind is the true foundation of Buddhist practice; it is not what we think, not our common sense, not our education, not human ethics and morality. It is the mind that makes decisions. If your mind resolves to practice the supramundane Dharma, then it is the supramundane path. If your mind resolves to practice the worldly Dharma, then it is the worldly path. If your mind resolves to practice the Sravaka or Pratyekabuddha path, then that is what you are cultivating. I am very concerned about this monastic disciple who has been ordained for over thirty years. In this life, he is practicing the Sravaka-Pratyekabuddha path. On the surface, he appears to practice the Mahayana, but in fact, he practices for his own liberation alone. Because his cultivation is entirely for his own enlightenment, his desire to understand. He is unwilling to sacrifice his reputation or pride. Now he speaks more and more cautiously, almost afraid to say anything—afraid that I might scold him. His attitude is: ‘Whatever I say will be wrong, so I’d better shut my mouth.’ But if he doesn’t speak, how can he ever know where his mistakes lie? That is the attitude of one who practices for personal liberation, not the Mahayana path.

What does ‘the root of the mind’ truly mean? Our minds are originally identical with the minds of all sentient beings, even identical with the mind of the Buddha. The difference lies in the positive and negative karmas we have accumulated throughout countless lives in the reincarnation’s sea of suffering, which have completely obscured our pure mind and true nature, rendering them invisible to us. Thus, in this life, we learn the Dharma through our own ideas, feelings, consciousness, experiences, and learning—but without a firm decision of the mind. What is the difference between you and me? It’s that my heart is set on accomplishing it.  I do not think, ‘If I do this, will Rinpoche be happy?’ or ‘If I do this, will Rinpoche scold me?’ or ‘What will happen if I do this?’ Those thoughts mean the mind has not decided.

For example, when the Disciple surnamed Lin went to speak to that female disciple who was nearing death, she said to her: ‘Rinpoche said you have not repented.’In common sense, by worldly standards, one would not say something like that. Since the woman was already suffering in great pain, most people would instead say, ‘Rinpoche will bless you so you won’t hurt so much.’ But Disciple Lin completely believed in whatever the guru said would definitely be true, and so she conveyed exactly that message— ‘Rinpoche said you have not repented.’ None of you would have spoken that way. I didn’t say anything else, only ‘she hasn’t repented.’  It’s about the attitude of the mind, and you definitely wouldn’t say it like that; you would add something euphemistic before or after my words, embellish them a little to make them sound gentler and easier to accept. That is precisely the problem; it is a matter of the mind, it is exactly what the very phrase is talking about: the root of the mind. Because Disciple Lin did this thing, I permit her to attend the Hevajra puja. She had implored me to attend this puja for a long time, and I had always refused, but on the 18th, I allowed her to attend.

Teach authentic Dharma to those who have proper vessels for it. If you have the root-capacity to learn authentic Dharma, meaning that in this life you are meant to learn authentic Dharma, then the teachings will be given to you; otherwise, not a single word would be given. That is why right now you are not permitted to enter the Vajrayana (Secret) Hall. Even the monastics are not allowed in, because they are not the proper vessels for that teaching. The Ratnakuta Sutra has said that those who do not have the root-capacity for the Dharma will not even be told the contents of that sutra. Rinpoche has already been very compassionate in explaining so much to you. I could have chosen not to speak at all, because many of you are not the type of disciples who have the root-capacity for authentic Dharma. What is ‘authentic Dharma’? No matter what Dharma one learns, it is for the sake of liberation from birth and death. Yesterday, some young people came to implore the Dharma text of Dharma Protector Achi, but they did not implore for His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s Longevity Prayer. Why? Because they have no root-capacity of the authentic Dharma. They only wanted Achi to protect them, but forgot that without the guru, how could Achi even appear? They showed no gratitude, no respect toward the guru—only used me to get something they thought would make them better. That is why I do not grant them transmission. Now you understand why I refuse to transmit certain teachings. The purpose of transmission is not to make you feel better, but to help you understand the foundation of the Dharma is to enable you to liberate yourself from birth and death, and then help other beings do the same. That is the essence of the Dharma, not the pursuit of trivial, worldly benefits in this single lifetime.

For example, one disciple’s wife was in poor health, and he kept coming to beg me to help her. I told him, ‘Stop asking, let things follow their natural course.’I have said before: ‘If being sick is good for me, then let me be sick.’What does that mean? If I fall ill, and through that illness I am able to repay the karmic debts of this life, then I will not fall into hell—so let me be sick. If sick people come before me yet still do not recover, that means in this life their illness is repaying their karmic debts. But this husband—I’m not sure whether it’s out of love, boredom, or loneliness—kept coming to ask again and again. In other words, he does not trust the guru. Haven’t I said before, ‘If being sick is good for me, then let me be sick’? (The assembly replies: Yes.) Then why can’t you take that to heart? You say, ‘If being healthy is good for me, let me be healthy.’ That’s fine too, but are you qualified to save others? I’m not asking you to make such a vow; that is a vow made by those who practice Vajrayana. But you should still learn that spirit. 

When someone in your family falls ill or faces misfortune, it is only natural. Shakyamuni Buddha clearly taught that birth, aging, sickness, and death are conditions every being must go through. Why does the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara Monastery have four doors? They represent the four gates of birth, aging, sickness, and death; everyone must pass through them. Do you expect Rinpoche to make these things disappear? Even Shakyamuni Buddha could not do that. Unless one attains Buddhahood, such things cannot be transcended. So on what basis could you expect it? When some misfortunes happen to you and are resolved, you come to express gratitude to Rinpoche. Since you come to give thanks, let’s see where that gratitude truly lies. Everyone knows I often ask, ‘Where did the money come from?’ If someone cannot afford to give, I return it. So don’t go around saying you made a ‘great offering’ to Rinpoche. A great offering means your entire heart has been offered.

There is a story in the sutras: Long ago, there was a poor woman who saw Shakyamuni Buddha walking by. She threw out her most precious pair of pants so that the Buddha could step on them instead of stepping on the mud. When everyone else rushed outside to pay homage to the Buddha, she dared not go out, for she no longer had pants to wear. Yet because she had offered all she possessed, she later became a consort. However, when she became wealthy and tried to offer to the Buddha again, the Buddha refused to accept, for she no longer had the mind of great offering. A great offering is not about material wealth; it is about your heart. Without such a heart of great offering, even if you were to bring all your wealth to me, I would return it. But if a poor person comes with nothing, I may only take a small symbolic sum, perhaps $1,000 NTD. This explains clearly why Rinpoche is so strict. The Buddha said it plainly, only those who have proper root-capacity are taught the authentic Dharma. Those who have no proper root-capacity are merely catered to. The authentic Dharma is never taught casually, nor transmitted casually. In this age of Dharma Decline, too many people misuse the Buddha’s teachings for worldly or heretical aims, so the genuine essence of the Dharma is no longer openly spoken. You can test this yourself: listen carefully when Rinpoche teaches in the Monastery, do I speak much Dharma there? Why not? Only perform the Dharma practice. Many people who haven’t even taken refuge attend pujas but refuse to take refuge. Because they have made offerings to the Monastery, the practice is performed for them, but I do not speak much Dharma, only a little. I will not teach the Ratnakuta Sutra. Thus, if one is not a vessel of the authentic Dharma, even the Dharma will not be transmitted.

Sutra: ‘Furthermore, what is there to be gained from expounding the Dharma? It is to ensure that one does not engage in other doctrines or extraneous actions.’

This section means: when one teaches the Dharma, what does he or she obtain? It is to ensure that one does not engage in other doctrines or extraneous actions. The essential purpose is to prevent engaging in pursuits unrelated to the Dharma. As lay practitioners, it is of course impossible to avoid all worldly matters entirely. Therefore, the crucial point lies in your state of mind. Things that are not related to the Dharma, which refer to those not aimed at liberation from birth and death, nor at the accumulation of good fortune and merit. Such things, if avoidable, should not be done. All that is done should arise from the intention to benefit sentient beings, to inspire them to praise the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and to form fate for their own future practice of the Dharma. Those actions are allowed to make. What are extraneous actions? For example, having already taken refuge in the Buddha, yet still burning incense and praying to ancestors to bless your grandchild, that is extraneous karma. Or thinking, ‘That is very efficacious, let’s go and listen there, that is extraneous karma.’Or seeking the kind of Dharma teachings that entertain people— that is extraneous karma. Likewise, those who learn Buddhism here while simultaneously pursuing other spiritual practices or psychological methods are engaging in actions beyond the Dharma— in other words, extraneous actions.

Sutra: ‘If sentient beings in the present life diligently seek the various teachings of the Dharma, they, with root-capacity, will realize the true nature of all things.’

It means that, in this present lifetime, sentient beings keep searching and seeking within all aspects of the Dharma, trying to find or grasp something. Yet,  they, with root-capacity, will realize the true nature of all things. In other words means that unless one truly possesses the proper root-capacity or has actually practiced, all that searching will be of no use. Many people claim to have met a certain Dharma King, great Rinpoche, or visited sacred places for pilgrimage; they are searching and seeking the Dharma. Thinking that they’ve attended many pujas, yet they still didn’t learned the Dharma properly. This is because of karmic tendencies from past lives — always moving around, listening here and there without settling — the same pattern continues in this life and will persist in future ones as well. As for myself, in this lifetime within Vajrayana, I have taken refuge in only one guru; others are fate connection gurus, there can be only one root guru. This sentence means that many people spend their lives restlessly searching for a guru or a place that pleases them, but never truly find it. Why? Because in past lives they never formed the right fate, never encountered, and never rose the motivation to do such a thing. Therefore, in this life, even if they happen to meet (their predestined guru), they cannot stay; this is their habitual tendencies. They habitually leave as soon as the guru does not fulfill their personal expectations.

Sutra: ‘Moreover, when beings are attached to greed, one should truly know that they are attached through greed. When they are free from greed, one should also truly know that they are free from greed.’

This means that the one who transmits the Dharma must clearly understand the greed of sentient beings. Specifically, what kind of greed they possess and in what aspect it manifests, and then guide them to free themselves from it. When they have indeed let go of their greed, the one who transmits the Dharma should also clearly recognize that they have become free from it.

Sutra: ‘When beings are possessed by hatred, one should truly know that they are possessed by hatred. When they are free from hatred, one should also truly know that they are free from hatred. When beings are ignorant, one should truly know that they are ignorant. When they are free from ignorance, one should also truly know that they are free from ignorance.’

All sentient beings possess the three poisons of greed, hatred, and ignorance, and will continue to do so until they attain the realization of a Bodhisattva’s Dharmakaya. Therefore, the foremost responsibility of a guru is to help those who have karmic connections and have taken refuge gradually lessen these defilements, and ultimately bring them to cessation. Only when the mind is free from greed, hatred, and ignorance can true practice begin. This is why even in the teachings of the Anuttarayogatantra (Highest Yoga Tantra), great emphasis is placed on overcoming these three poisons. Human beings inevitably harbor them — even those who practice the Dharma. In fact, those who believe they have made great progress in cultivation often fall into an even subtler form of greed — greed for the Dharma itself. Thus, these lines teach that one must understand the origins of beings’ greed, hatred, and ignorance, and skillfully guide them to free themselves from these afflictions.
 
Sutra: ‘If these or those sentient beings have defilements and obstructing minds, all of them can be truly known as they are.’
 
All sentient beings have defilements and obstructing minds are very complex. They themselves create this complexity, which stains their pure nature and obstructs their pure mind. All of them can be truly known as they are.. For example, the female disciple who died of cancer, I knew she had not confessed her faults, which was obstructing her. So I told her, and she was able to repent. This is a Dharma method. Just four words were enough: ‘She has not repented.’ Not four hundred words. A true Dharma method can work with a single word. Those four words, once she heard them and acted, immediately resolved the problem. Similarly, for the male disciple who died in the bathtub — if, when offering to the Monastery, he had first consulted me, or entrusted it to me to handle, perhaps he could have avoided his death this time. Even if I could not see it directly, my blessing would have reached him.

Those who hide and avoid seeing me — beware, no matter how much you hide, you cannot escape your own karma. I really do not understand what these men are doing. On Saturdays, which are clearly days off, that Disciple surnamed Shen — isn’t Saturday a holiday? Why have I never seen you? Even if you have no money, you can come. If you cannot afford a taxi, I will provide it. You say you are busy! When sick, you say, “Rinpoche, save me.” How many times have I helped you? Why am I even mentioning him? First, because he is a bit overweight; second, because I remember him. Those who do not come are right in another sense, because I will not remember them anyway. 

Sutra: ‘Having truly understood, one then expounds the Dharma accordingly.’
Knowing exactly where your problem lies, and strikes directly at it. That monastic disciple who has been ordained for over thirty years — once I see the issue, I hit straight to the point, whether he likes it or not. I’ll never say the things he wants to hear, ‘You’ve been ordained for over thirty years; you must be so diligent, you must have studied a lot of Dharma, you’re so good with Buddhist terminology, you should guide others well, you’ll surely attain achievement.’Even when facing a Buddha statue, he speaks nonsense and utters false words! As a guru, if one doesn’t possess certain abilities, one truly shouldn’t run a Dharma Center. Even if there are only a thousand people — if each of you brings me one karmic burden, plus that of your parents’, that’s at least three per person — that’s three thousand karmic loads. I only weigh sixty-five kilograms; how could I possibly carry that? Many people claim they ‘carry the karma of sentient beings,’ but without cultivating bodhicitta, it’s not that they can’t bear it, it’s that they can’t even lift it.

I’m still alive after all these decades because I’ve always stayed true to myself. I never flatter or curry favor with anyone. No matter which of the twelve zodiac animals you are, I won’t pat your back. Dragon, snake — all the same to me, I treat everyone equally. When I speak to you, I go straight to your problem. If you can take it in, that’s your good fortune; if you can’t, that’s still your good fortune. Why? Because in your next life, you won’t repeat the same mistake, for I’ve already helped you block that path. Truthful words are often unpleasant to hear; anything that’s beneficial to you never sounds nice. So if you expect Rinpoche to tell you pleasant things, that won’t happen. Even before I became a Rinpoche, His Holiness never once praised my practice. It wasn’t until after I finished my retreat in 2007 — and didn’t die — that he began to praise me, just a little. And who do you think you are, expecting Rinpoche to call you diligent? You’ve chanted the Great Six-Syllable Mantra ten thousand times — so what? If you haven’t eliminated all your greed, hatred, and ignorance, every repetition of that mantra is still filled with greed, hatred, and ignorance. Just now, when I chanted the Great Six-Syllable Mantra, it felt hot, didn’t it? (The assembly replies: Yes!)  It smelled especially fragrant, right? (The assembly replies: Yes!) That’s because I smell good today! (The assembly laughs.) 

So, let’s be clear about what it really means to expound the Dharma, teaching the Dharma isn’t necessarily what you imagine —sitting on the Dharma throne, opening sutras or Dharma texts. When practitioners reach a certain level of fruition, every word they speak is the Dharma, because they no longer talk about anything unrelated to it. They don’t indulge in idle or flowery speech, they don’t say things that have nothing to do with cultivation or transforming your view of life, they speak directly and straight to the point. Therefore, if you truly wish to learn the Dharma as it is, you must let go of any thought of flattery. Don’t expect your guru to praise you for doing something good, and don’t think you can hide away, thinking the guru won’t scold you. Right now, I’m quite capable — I may not even know who’s who, but when I start scolding, I scold everyone, no matter who you are, so you’re all dragging each other down! And you male disciples — if you keep behaving like this — I’ll scold all of you now, and then scold you again later.

When we speak of expounding the Dharma, the word Dharma doesn’t just refer to Buddhist terminology, as some of you might imagine. Take that monastic disciple who has been ordained for over thirty years for example — he keeps talking about distinguishing between truth and falsehood, going on and on about it. What really matters is to see where the problem lies and to strike directly at the root, resolving the afflictions of sentient beings with precision.

Sutra: ‘With the wish to free all beings from their afflictions, he approaches the assembly and observes them in this manner.’

When you speak the Dharma to someone, it should be for the sake of helping them be freed from afflictions. But the meaning of being freed from afflictions is not what most people think — it’s not about simply having a lot of troubles on your mind, or feeling unhappy about how things are going. The true definition of affliction is: as long as a single thought of ours is not directed toward practice, it is an affliction. Listen carefully! Those people who came yesterday to plead for the Dharma, they were pleading with afflictions; they wanted to receive the Dharma text of Dharma Protector Achi to gain blessings — that is an affliction. They’ve forgotten the guru’s benevolence, there would be nothing without the guru. So I didn’t transmit the Dharma, the purpose is to help you be free from afflictions. I keep scolding those male disciples because they’re full of afflictions. I’ll keep scolding them until one day they finally see where their problem lies. When they can let go of their afflictions, that’s when the Dharma will truly begin to work for them. What kind of power? The power of practice! 

Approaches the assembly and observes them in this manner. When you use a method to help someone free themselves from afflictions, you must also observe them within the crowd — among people. For example, many of you help at the Monastery or the Association, and when you get scolded by me, it’s because you were working with afflictions. Why? Because you want that your way of doing things is right. ‘This is how it should be done, so I’ll do it this way.’ You’re not helping with a humble mind for the benefit of sentient beings. Why do mistakes happen? Because you think you’ve earned merit, that you’ve made contributions, that you can control the matter. The moment affliction arises, your pure nature is covered, and mistakes follow. At the last puja, so many people were arranging the cushions, yet everything turned into a mess. When I went there, it was all set right. It’s not because I’m smarter, nor because I’ve studied something special; it’s simply because I have few afflictions. My only thought was to let the sentient beings attending the puja to see the mandala clearly, and to join the puja with joy. But the ones arranging things were thinking: We must not make mistakes, we’ll just do whatever Rinpoche says. If something changes midway, we don’t know what to do — Rinpoche can handle it. With so many afflictive thoughts in the mind, how could the work possibly turn out well? So when you work among others — it’s up to you. Observing.

Sutra: ‘In every assembly, among all kinds of beings, he observes each and every one of them thoroughly before speaking the Dharma.’

Rinpoche gets very tired, having to observe what each of a thousand people is doing, among a thousand people, everyone’s educational background, personality, habits, and karma are all different. So to manage a thousand people and have them all sit down obediently to listen to the Dharma, I think I’m doing pretty well (The assembly applauds), don’t applaud, none of you have changed, applause is useless, what I really hope is that you change. Before I pass away, I hope every one of you will truly listen and transform yourselves.

Before speaking the Dharma. This means that when he expounds the Dharma, it is never something rigid or repetitive, each time there is always a special case that arises to tell everyone. For instance, take the recently deceased female and male disciple — their cases show you something special, what happens when one refuses to listen, and what happens when one fails to use the Dharma to transform oneself. Back to two people with cancer. One of them — she wasn’t completely obedient, but at least she listened halfway, before she passed away, she felt no pain at all. Although she was reluctant to make offerings, because she still listened, that itself counted as an offering. The other one didn’t listen, he’s still alive, receiving all kinds of treatments. He does have good fortune, but that kind of fortune — I don’t want it. Sigh! I’d better not say too much, only doctors can speak about such things, but this kind of treatment, the further it goes, the more painful it becomes.

Disciple Hsieh, share your opinion as a doctor, I’m not a doctor, so I shouldn’t say too much. How does cancer treatment actually feel for the patients? (Dr. Hsieh, a disciple, reports: In my more than forty years of medical experience, I’ve witnessed the devastating effects of chemotherapy. After treatment, the body is often left broken; some patients become severely swollen after death, weighing five to seven kilograms more than they did while alive. Before dying, their skin may ooze blood and fluid; their joints stiffen and can no longer bend; they lose the ability to urinate or defecate, and even morphine can’t relieve their pain. And it’s not only physical pain, as the tumors continue to grow, they press on other parts of the body, creating unbearable sensations of pressure and twisting. Many suffer nightmares, speak incoherently, and completely lose all sense of human dignity. Further treatment often only worsens the suffering, some patients grow emaciated — nothing but skin and bones — with distended bellies and sunken eyes. We call this the “malignant body condition.”Without the help and blessings of the guru, facing cancer is an experience of extreme torment.）

You must clearly understand that the karma you create must always be borne by yourself, no one else can share it or change it for you. That female disciple repented before she passed away, and in that very moment, her karma was transformed, because she truly repented. But you have not yet repented sincerely, you think repentance is only to avoid bad luck. One day, when you face the great matter of life and death, when you are in unbearable pain, unable to live yet unable to die, only then will your heart of repentance become truly strong.

According to the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows, true repentance is like when Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, in a past life as the brahman female, prayed on behalf of her mother —  making prostrations to the Buddha until she shed tears, bled, and fainted; that is genuine repentance. You don’t have that, you’re just afraid of punishment, afraid of future misfortune, so you confess things now, hoping they might change.
 
True repentance means truely recognizing that one’s own greed, hatred, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt have obstructed one’s cultivation and harmed many beings who should never have been harmed. Even if those beings do not come to seek revenge, the karmic force and resentment they carry will inevitably reach you. Repentance is not asking them to forgive you, to let you go, or to pardon you. The only ones we can ask for forgiveness from are the Buddhas and bodhisattvas—for not practicing the Dharma well. To repent is to make a firm resolve from this moment on never again to commit even the slightest wrongdoing, and to dedicate all our body, speech, and mind to the benefit of sentient beings. Through such repentance, we pray that the evil deeds and karmic consequences we have created will not obstruct our path of cultivation or our efforts to benefit sentient beings. Only this kind of repentance has real power.  If one repents only for the sake of his practice, or because one was scolded by the guru for saying something wrong, it is all wrong.

As long as one has not yet attained Buddhahood, one must continue to repent, for the mind still contains flaws and has not yet reached perfection. Do not assume that chanting many Buddha names or engaging in much practice means you no longer need to repent. The Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows has stated that ‘All our thoughts generate karma and vices’, unless one has reached the stage of an Eighth-Ground Bodhisattva, whose every thought arises purely for the sake of sentient beings. Before attaining the fruition level, one must rely on repentance to constantly examine and remind oneself not to err again.

The Buddha once said: a person who has done wrong but is willing to repent can still become a Buddha; but one who refuses to repent will never, for all eternity, attain Buddhahood! The kind of repentance the Buddha spoke of is sincere, pure, and entirely free from expectation or personal benifit; only such repentance carries true power. The sutras say that genuine repentance can be so intense that tears of blood may flow from one’s eyes—something even I cannot do. Your tears, however, are like crocodile tears. What are crocodile tears? (A disciple reports: According to the internet, crocodile tears are secretions, not real tears.) Your tears are the same; they are false tears, not tears of true repentance. 

Tears of repentance don’t come from forcing yourself to blink or trying to squeeze them out, you don’t need to feel your nose sting either; true tears of repentance flow naturally, without any effort or thought. I’ve experienced it myself, when genuine repentance arises from the heart, tears and mucus flow automatically, without any of that heaviness or sadness in the chest, it just happens on its own. The reason it hasn’t happened to you yet is because the heart of repentance hasn’t truly arisen. Don’t think that merely saying words counts as repentance. When a pure heart of repentance manifests, the power of practice naturally arises with it, and both move forward together side by side.

Sutras: ‘Śāriputra, the Bodhisattva Mahāsattva fully knows all the past and future of sentient beings, the inherent capacities and wisdom of these sentient beings, yet the Bodhisattva’s own mind does not abide anywhere.’
 
This Bodhisattva (the one who teaches the Dharma) clearly understands the past and future tendencies and wisdom roots of all sentient beings. Because the Bodhisattva’s mind is free from attachment, and has ceased clinging to any particular state or object, they are able to truly perceive the root capacities of all beings.
 
Sutras: ‘And likewise, the mind of others also does not abide anywhere.’

His mind towards other sentient beings is not attached or fixated. For example, even if a sentient being does not make an offering, I will still help them with an impartial mind.
 
Sutras: ‘Why is this so? Because this Bodhisattva Mahasattva, through the realization of wisdom, the mind does not abide anywhere. Through the realization of mindfulness, the mind does not abide anywhere. Through the realization of insight, the mind does not abide anywhere. Through the realization of the right direction, the mind does not abide anywhere.  Through the realization of supreme wisdom, the mind does not abide anywhere. Through awakening, the mind does not abide anywhere. Having severed habitual tendencies and latent defilements that give rise to coarse afflictions, the Bodhisattva is pure, radiant, and free from all faults. Clearly understanding all Dharmas, and deeply discerning the diverse mental activities of all sentient beings, truly comprehends the state of a mind that does not abide.’

This passage explains what exactly does the mind of the Bodhisattva practic. Although the Bodhisattva has the mind to liberate sentient beings, but he is not attached to it. The Bodhisattva liberates sentient beings according to their fates, so the mind does not abide. Adapting to fate does not mean desultorily, instead, as the sentient beings have the fate to plead, the Bodhisattva’s heart will be accord with them, and help them; If not, the Bodhisattva won’t arise the mind to help with this and that. As the Bodhisattva possesses wisdom, he clearly understands of a mind that does not abide, won’t be attached to anything or help someone, all adapting to the fate. 
 
Through the realization of mindfulness, the mind does not abide anywhere. Mindfulness refers to the thought of compassion and the bodhicitta that arises in a bodhisattva’s mind — it is Sūnyatā (Puja Teachings index 21), not something that exists permanently, therefore, the mind does not abide anywhere. For example, after I complete a transference, the matter no longer exists, I do not dwell on whether it was successful. Once the puja ends, the fate also ends. Thus, it does not abide anywhere. If I keep thinking about whether the transference was successful, my energy field will influence the consciousness of the deceased being I sought to help. Because I feel it was not done well, they too will not be well-transferred. Simply put, when I perform a transference, I understand my own cultivation and abilities, and with the blessings of the guru, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, I am very clear that it will benefit sentient beings — that is enough. Not caring about what will happen afterward, or whether performing many such transferences will bring better results — being free of these thoughts is the true transference.

Through the realization of insight, the mind abides nowhere. Because one, through wisdom, thoroughly understands all fates, the mind abides nowhere.
 
Through the realization of the right direction, the mind abides nowhere. Right direction refers to clearly understanding how the six realms of existence arise, and what causes lead sentient beings to reincarnate within them. Having fully understood the causes of transmigration through the six realms, the mind abides nowhere. For example, Shakyamuni Buddha, throughout countless past lives, was born in the animal realm, the heaven realm, and even the hell realms. Yet, because the Buddha has cultivated the Bodhisattva path, he experienced no suffering, entering those realms to save sentient beings.
 
Through the realization of supreme wisdom, the mind abides nowhere. Supreme wisdom is the wisdom of Sūnyatā (Puja Teachings index 21）.

Through awakening, the mind does not abide anywhere. Awakening means the realization of the great matter of birth and death — seeing clearly the causes and conditions. After recognizing the cause of sentient beings’ reincarnation, the mind does not abide anywhere. For example, if I perceive that a being lacks the genuine mind of offering, even if they offer a large sum of money, I would not accept it. If I sense that accepting such an offering would lead that being toward hell, I refrain from taking it. This is the awareness born of awakening, a knowing that intuitively understands the karmic nature of the sentient being.
 
Having severed habitual tendencies and latent defilements that give rise to coarse afflictions. Habitual tendencies do not refer to daily habits, but rather to the deep-seated habitual tendencies of reincarnation that are accumulated over countless lifetimes, arising from greed, hatred, ignorance, pride, and doubt. When these tendencies are cut off, the latent defilements that give rise to coarse afflictions. In Vajrayana sutras, practitioners often pray: May we not experience inauspicious dreams. It’s because repeated inauspicious dreams will give rise to afflictions. Many people think dreaming and waking are separate states, but they’re actually not. Both dreaming and waking are forms of dreaming. One with conscious awareness to proactively do something, and one without consciousness (with no feeling). Whether the dreams we experience while asleep or the things we do while awake, they’re all the activities of consciousness itself. If one frequently experiences nightmares, over time one’s body and fortune will deteriorate. Therefore, if you have  nightmares frequentely, that meansyou lack repentance, offerings, and practice. Who among you has dreamed of flying upward and then suddenly falling from the sky? (Many in the assembly raise their hands.) It seems almost everyone has. This is because you have once reincarnated in the six realms and fallen into the Three Evil Realms, such habitual tendencies still linger. Thus, when one’s practice reaches a certain level, even not all dreams are auspicious—at the very least, free from nightmares or dreams of being chased.

Pure, radiant, and free from all faults. The Bodhisattva, having removed the defilements of greed, hatred, ignorance, pride, and doubt, attains a mind that is luminous and pure, free from all faults. 

Clearly understanding all Dharmas. The Bodhisattva clearly discerns all Dharmas that can benefit the sentient beings and knows how to apply them.
 
Deeply discerning the diverse mental activities of all sentient beings, truly comprehends the state of a mind that does not abide. Discerning the diverse mental activities does not mean that the Bodhisattva helps beings with a mind of discrimination, for all beings are fundamentally equal and possess the same pure Dharma nature. Thus, when performing transference, (the Bodhisattva) delivers all beings of the six realms equally. The discerning here refers to helping sentient beings according to their individual karma. For example, for the disciple who lacked a mind of repentance, I simply said to her, ‘You have not repented.’ These five words alone were enough to help her. There are also cases where I refuse offerings, like the disciple who once made offerings as if squeezing toothpaste; even now, I still do not accept her offerings because her mind is not right, yet I still transferred her consciousness to help her pass away without pain. I do not act based on money, I still perform the transference even without offerings. The difference lies only in the timing, those without good fortune cannot be liberated immediately. The male disciple who passed away while bathing, I could perform Phowa for him right away, because he had made sufficient offerings. Having offered much is not the matter of money, do not misunderstand this, even one who has no money but continually pays homage to Rinpoche is also a way of making offerings, yet I would also find out those who pretend to be poor. Thinking of saving money for funeral expenses in the bank account only seeks mental comfort, such acts bring no good fortune. Do not rush to withdraw all your savings to make offerings. I do not ask for that, I only want you to understand your own mindset.
 
When the time of death comes, the distinctions are not made by Rinpoche, I transfer consciousness regardless of money. The distinctions come from your own karma and good fortune. Those male disciples who are afraid to see me and afraid of being scolded, keep letting their own discriminating mind appear, when I appear to transfer your consciousness, you will definitely flee becasue my appearance will be fierce at that time. For those burdened with heavy karma, I will express a furious appearance when I appear, for I must drive away the obstructing deceased sentient beings from you. I will definitely appear furiously and chase them away. This passage today is very important; if you wish to learn the Dharma, you must clearly examine whether you are genuinely putting it into practice.
 
Truly comprehends the state of a mind that does not abide. This means (the Bodhisattva) possesses a profound capacity to deeply enter and unlock the hearts of beings, yet remain unattached.

Sutra: ‘Sariputra, when a Bodhisattva, through His actions and appearance, enters into and understands the mental states of sentient beings through such modes of practice, this is called the Bodhisattva Mahāsattva’s perfection of the wisdom of knowing others’ minds.’
 
The Buddha taught this to show us that: If a Bodhisattva, through the conduct and outward expression of practice, can enter into and open the hearts and wisdom of sentient beings, only then is the mind-reading truly perfected. The earlier passage Clearly understanding all Dharmas. Deeply discerning the diverse mental activities of all sentient beings, truly comprehends the state of a mind that does not abide means a Bodhisattva can enter and resolve the problems within sentient beings’ minds, yet his mind does not abide. The most essential meaning of the state of a mind that does not abide is the arising and cessation of fate. When helping beings, once the fate has been fulfilled, the matter is complete, (the Bodhisattva) does not continue to dwell on it, nor speak of it for his own merit, it is only to serve as an example—to help others understand the outcomes of such practice. When you hear this teaching, shouldn’t you reflect and make some adjustments within yourselves? If, after hearing so much, you still remain unchanged, like the Disciple Shen who, despite being saved many times, continues to live a comfortable life without gratitude, I worry deeply. Not for his health, but because one day, should something happen, he may no longer find me, think about what that means by yourselves. I will give him one more month; if he remains the same, then it is better that he leave.
 
I already shoulder too much burden, if you would truly practice, even through hardship or with all effort, I am willing to help. But if you are not a true practitioner, why remain here? Wasting your youth and money. I will gradually identify such people one by one. Do not think that merely attending the weekly pujas is OK, I will certainly do things you do not expect me to do. Yesterday, I already instructed the monastic disciples to tell the family of the disciple with shingles that they will be given two more chances. If their answers still reveal that they have no genuine intention to learn the Dharma, then leave—because they are ungrateful. The sutras teach us to repay the Four Great Benevolence, and the first among them is the benevolence of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Since the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have saved your lives, why do you not make a firm resolve to dedicate your life to learning the Dharma? You originally had no life to begin with—yet still wish to live comfortably as ordinary humans? The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas preserved your life so that, in this very lifetime, you may have the strength to attain liberation from birth and death. If you truly practice in this life, you will have the opportunity again in the next.
 
I have been so ill that even my pulse could not be taken, yet I continue my practice. How about you? I am one who practices even without regard for my life, I will not ask you to risk your life, but to learn the Dharma, you must make a firm decision. Do not think that: it’s fine, start tomorrow, I still have many things to finish, I’ll seek Rinpoche after that. These days, I am often unpredictable and changeable because whenever what you do has nothing to do with the Dharma, I instantly lose patience. I used to endure much, because at that time, His Holiness had not yet confirmed my fruition level. But now that it has been authorized, it shows that all I have done in the past was not mistaken, that is why today the fate, good fortune, and merits still allow me to continually help you, your families, and friends.
 
Returning to the matter, only 600 believers attend the puja at the Monastery, are you ashamed of that? There are 900 disciples in total, subtracting 300 of elderly and children leaving 600. If each of the 600 people brings just two people, there would be 1,200, yet all of you act out of a discriminating mind! You didn’t know which Dharma puja would be held in October, so you didn’t invite people to come. Meanwhile, for the Great Amitabha Puja of Transferring Consciousness, people are lining up to register. You only care about your own peace and comfort, do others outside not wish for it too? Have you not noticed how many people in Taiwan die from accidents every day? Do you have no sense of empathy? Only care about yourselves, yet you cannot truly be well if the sentient beings aren’t well. Do not assume that I must always hold pujas at the Monastery. I could sell everything I own and maintain the Monastery by myself, I do not need you.

Starting from January next year, I will be leading a group of disciples in a retreat. Since none of you have ever done a retreat before, it will first last for seven days. Disciples who have already completed the Four Extraordinary Foundations of Vajrayana Ngondro should register first. The deadline for registration is November 10. If the number of participants is insufficient, I will then consider whether other disciples are qualified to join the retreat.

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Updated on October 15, 2025