His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s Puja Teachings – July 19, 2026

His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche ascended the Dharma throne and expounded on ‘Scroll 33, Chanding Paramita (Chapter 10, section 3) of The Mahayana Sutra of the Bodhisattva Treasury of the True Dharma Taught by the Buddha and Gongchig (dgongs gcig, The Same Intention）by Lord Jigten Sumgon.
 
After ascending the Dharma throne, Rinpoche began to recite the Hundred-Syllable Mantra. Then, Rinpoche instructed the monastic disciples to lead the assembly in reciting the Refuge Motivation Prayer, the Prayer of Four Immeasurables, the Sevenfold Offering Prayer, the Prayer for Dharma Transmission, ‘the Sutra of Recollecting the Three Jewels,’ and ‘the Prayer to the Eight Noble Auspicious Ones.’

Rinpoche then recited the Great Six-Syllable Mantra for a long period. His sacred body and the mandala emitted a golden ray of light, while a miraculous fragrance permeated the air. The assembly all felt the chakra vibrate, and their whole body grew warm. All their distracting thoughts ceased, and they experienced an unprecedented sense of physical and mental calm and purity, enabling them to receive Rinpoche’s incomparably wondrous teachings.
 
As Rinpoche began chanting the Great Six-Syllable Mantra, many people did not notice that the guru had already begun chanting and continued putting away the Dharma texts, creating considerable noise. Rinpoche looked over and instructed one disciple to leave and not to participate in the puja today. He then resumed chanting the mantra and continued blessing sentient beings for a long time.
 
After completing the mantra chant, Rinpoche bestowed precious Dharma teachings:
 
Why did that disciple have to leave just now? None of you take the Dharma seriously or pay attention to what the guru is doing. The guru had already begun chanting the mantra, yet you were still occupied with your own affairs, continuing to put away your Dharma texts. I chanted the mantra one thousand times, and by the time you finished putting away your Dharma texts, I had already chanted at least ten times. This means that those ten chants had nothing to do with you. What were you busy with? This shows that you start to learn the Buddha Dharma only after attending to yourselves.

Why was that disciple sent out just now? Because the disciple leisurely took out a tissue and wiped his nose. It is not that he should not wipe his nose. However, based on my own experience in practice, once the guru began expounding the Buddha Dharma or chanting a mantra, I would enter ding (Puja Teachings Index 06) and do nothing else. You, by contrast, attend to yourselves first and listen to what the guru is reciting only when you have time. This is why no blessings will have any effect on you. Do you think it makes no difference? The Buddha Dharma is about the mind, not the surface! The moment even the slightest disrespect or unwillingness to accept the teachings arises in your mind, the Buddha Dharma is lost to you. It is then no more than a recording playing a sentence for you to hear.

The Buddha Dharma teaches that when your mind is filled with so many impurities and delusional thoughts, virtuous teachings cannot enter it. You intend to begin listening when you have time. Even after coming to the Buddhist Center to attend a puja, you still do not concentrate and continue to put your own needs first. I have long wanted to address the way you put away your Dharma texts, it took you at least a minute. You thought that you should put the Dharma texts away first and then listen attentively. You have attended the pujas so many times that you already know I begin chanting the mantra as soon as the recitation ends. Yet you consider my mantra chant is not effective to you, so you first finish whatever you think you ought to do. As a result, you do not receive the blessings from those first few chants. Learning Buddhism requires a very meticulous mind. A careless person cannot learn the Buddha Dharma. What kind of person is careless? One with strong self-attachment.
 
Let me tell you a short story. One year, His Holiness held a puja in India, and I was seated beside him. A bee flew directly in front of His Holiness and hovered there, yet His Holiness continued reciting as usual without even blinking. You can also observe what I am like once I have ascended the Dharma throne: I would not move even in an earthquake. Although you may not be able to do this, you should train yourselves in this direction. Do not think that you must first finish taking care of your own affairs before you can concentrate on listening to Rinpoche expound on the Buddha Dharma or chant mantras. Every missed line is a line lost. Life is short, and time passes second by second. The guru will not be here forever, continually teaching you the Buddha Dharma. Once the time has passed, it is gone. Therefore, I hope that all of you will place the Buddha Dharma first in your hearts. If you put yourself first, you will have no way to practice the Bodhisattva Path or even to approach Bodhisattvas. Moreover, the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center does not teach the Hinayana; it is a Buddhist Center that teaches the Mahayana and Vajrayana. A Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist Center enables you to accumulate the resources of good fortune and merits rapidly. Correspondingly, however, you cannot conduct yourselves in the same way as ordinary people.
 
 The Ratnakuta Sutra teaches what kind of mind a Bodhisattva should possess. If you think that you are not practicing the Bodhisattva Path and implore only peace and safety, then who will help you? Rinpoche! Why do the Bodhisattvas help Rinpoche? Because Rinpoche has cultivated the mind of a Bodhisattva. Since you neither appreciate nor understand the Bodhisattva mind, how can the Bodhisattvas help you even if you wish for their help? The Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows states very clearly: only after reciting the sacred name of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha ten thousand times every day for three years will the virtuous spirits and deities near your home protect your house. It does not say that Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha will come to bless you. Very few people are able to recite the Great Six-Syllable Mantra ten thousand times every single day. This is stated in the sutras; it is not something I say. If reciting it ten thousand times a day were enough for Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara to come and protect you, there would be no need for a guru to exist.

Why does the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows say that spirits and deities will protect the house rather than the individual? How do virtuous spirits and deities protect the house? They prevent evil spirits and your karmic creditors from entering the home. Once you go outside, they can still approach you. The sutra does not say that these virtuous spirits and deities will constantly accompany you; it only allows you to sleep more soundly. Why does Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha say it this way? Because you are not practitioners and continually implore blessings and protection, only spirits and deities will protect you, not the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and not Rinpoche. My teachings of the Buddha Dharma are based on the sutras, the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows explains this very clearly. So, why can’t you get what you implore for? Spirits and deities have not yet liberated themselves from reincarnation, so how could they help you attain liberation from reincarnation? The sutras teach that only the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas can help us attain liberation from reincarnation. Only after a guru has learned the methods and taught them to you can you attain liberation; it cannot be attained merely by imploring it every day. I have expounded on the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows. You can listen to them again. (His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche Expounds on ‘the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows’)
 
Why does Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha exist? Because people simply cannot bring themselves to practice. When told to practise, very few will actually do so. Out of compassion (maitrī and karuṇā), Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha first helps prevent you from falling into Hell in this lifetime. Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s  vow is, ‘I vow that I will not attain Buddhahood unless and until all of the hells are empty.’ It does not mention the Animal Realm or the Ghost Realm, only Hell. This is because beings in the Animal and Hungry Ghost Realms still have opportunities to hear the Buddha Dharma, whereas those in the Hell Realm have absolutely none. Why did Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha make such a vow? Because sentient beings do not believe in the Buddha Dharma, so he saves as many as he can.
 
The Lotus Sutra explains this very clearly. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas used carts drawn by deer and oxen, placing many toys upon them to entice the children to climb aboard so that they could be carried out of the burning house. Yet some children jumped off the carts halfway and turned back, this refers precisely to you. You are now turning back, do not think that you are practicing. You say that other places are not this strict, of course they are not, other places want believers, whereas I want disciples here. If you merely want to be a believer, go to another Buddhist monastery; do not remain here, because everything I teach about the Buddha Dharma is based on sutras.
 
Let me remind you again: do not think that Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara will come to save you, because you recite the Great Six-Syllable Mantra every day but are not learning the Bodhisattva Path. Although ‘the Universal Gate Chapter’ has stated that Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, who embodies great maitrī and great karuṇā, hears the cries of the world and rescues sentient beings from suffering. What does ‘hearing’ mean? It means that only when you recite Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara’s sacred name with sincerity, earnestness, and compassion (maitrī and karuṇā), can Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara hear you. Otherwise, Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara cannot hear you, because this is what the Bodhisattva’s vow power entails. You think that Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara is very compassionate (maitrī and karuṇā), so you keep on imploring. Although Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara is not so strict, there are still requirements. Other yidams are even stricter. How so? You are qualified as a practitioner only when you fulfill the conditions taught in the Buddha Dharma. Many people continually come to implore Dharmas, but I ask: What Dharmas are you imploring? Rinpoche has already given you many Dharmas. Have you put the ‘Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas’ into practice? Have you done it thoroughly? If not, on what basis are you imploring more Dharmas? The ‘Thirty-Seven Practices of  Bodhisattvas’ constitute the foundation and basis of the Dharma. Every practice teaches the practice of a Buddha’s disciple, the conduct that every disciple of the Buddha must carry out. Since you have not done so, what Dharma are you imploring! You consider the guru should teach you more so that you would be awakened. 

The sutra explained earlier that awakening accords with fate. What fate does this refer to? The fate of practice, through which one gradually attains enlightenment. You are not people who can attain sudden enlightenment. Ask yourselves honestly: who among you uses the Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas to examine yourselves every day? If you do not do this each and every day, what entitles you to implore Dharmas? When you took refuge, I told you: when the guru transmits a Dharma, and you do not practice it, this is called ‘slacking off.’ If you are slacking off, no further Dharmas will be transmitted to you. Do you know why? If the guru keeps on transmitting you Dharmas, the more advanced the Dharma you receive, the more severe your karmic retributions will become. Rinpoche does not want to harm you! Do not think that learning the Four Extraordinary Foundations of Vajrayana Ngondro and completing them will somehow make you different. It won’t. If the foundation has not been properly laid, the house will collapse as soon as the wind blows.
 
From now on, if you consider yourself my disciple and believe that you have taken refuge, if you still fail to use the‘Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas’to examine your thoughts, words, and actions every day, I can ask the Dharma Protector Achi to drive you away, I do not need disciples. Why should you stay here? You only keep me tied down here every day, unable to move anywhere. Once you meet the standard required of a disciple of the Buddha, the Dharmas will naturally come to you. Yet you have not met that standard, and you kneel before me all day, talking a great deal of nonsense and imagining that learning a little more Dharma will enable you to practice better, that is impossible. The ‘Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas’ sets forth the standard that every disciple of the Buddha must fulfill. If you have not fulfilled it, you are not a disciple of the Buddha. You may have already taken refuge, but because you have failed to meet this standard, you are not a disciple of the Buddha; you are a believer who has taken refuge. There is only one thing for you to do: make offerings and stop imploring Dharmas. If you implore a Dharma but fail to attain the results of practicing it, you will inevitably complain again that the guru refuses to transmit Dharmas to you. If you have what it takes, the Dharmas will naturally be transmitted to you. In the same way, His Holiness naturally took me into retreats and instructed me to do one thing after another. His Holiness asked me to attend pujas in India not to bless me or increase my good fortune, but to observe me, to see what I was like and whether I truly had what it took.
 
You truly need to change. Day after day, you continue living comfortably in the same old way, and no one takes my words to heart. The Ratnakuta Sutra states this very clearly, so does the‘Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas’:The mind of attachment to loved ones churns like water. (An excerpt from Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s teaching on the essence of the first and second practices of the ‘Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas,’ given on September 22, 2002) Have you put this into practice? For example, when the son of Disciple Jiang wanted to learn Buddhism, she insisted on forcing him to study abroad, saying that she had already paid the deposit. Rinpoche asked Disciple Jiang, ‘Is money so important to you? Or has that school promised you that, after your son graduates, he will earn NT$200,000 a month? You have already made many mistakes in this lifetime, do not make your child repeat them, will you?  If you refuse to listen, I will make you leave. I have helped you more than enough; I owe you nothing.’
 
None of you listen at all. At the beginning of the year, I told you not to speculate in the stock market, yet one disciple ignored me and invested several million NT dollars in funds and stocks. I am not opposed to your buying stocks; what I said was that you should buy them as long-term investments. For example, I have two stocks, which I donated to the Foundation. I bought them when they were worth just over NT$ ten per share; they should now be worth more than NT$ forty per share! Together, the two holdings are now worth several million NT dollars. I never traded them and only collected the dividends each year. Rinpoche asked the accountant disciple, ‘Approximately how much are the two stockholdings I donated worth now?’ (Report to Rinpoche: The two stockholdings Rinpoche donated are now worth approximately NT$4 million.) I originally bought them for only a few hundred thousand NT dollars. The profit I made was not kept for myself; I donated it to the Foundation. Would you be willing to do that? Could you bear to part with the money? If I had kept those shares, I could have continued collecting dividends every year. I did not have to give them to the Foundation. However, I believe one thing: there is no such thing as money obtained without effort. Nor is there such a thing as simply being lucky enough to receive a sudden windfall. We Cantonese have a saying: ‘The more wealth one has, the poorer one’s health becomes.’ Something must always offset the gain; it is impossible for everything to go well at once. Now that you are learning Buddhism, this does not mean that you are forbidden from buying and selling stocks or making investments., but you must not be greedy. Just follow Rinpoche: buy two stocks, hold them until their value rises, and then donate them. Could you do that? None of you could bear to part with them!
 
You even talked back to me, saying that you had already paid the deposit. Rinpoche asked Disciple Jiang, ‘Do you not know that your son cried his eyes out because he wanted to learn Buddhism? Do you know what kind of sin you commit by obstructing others from learning Buddhism? As his mother, you believe that he will have a promising future only if he returns from studying abroad. But what sort of ‘future’ do you mean, a future measured only in money? This shows that you no longer believe in the Buddha Dharma. Why, then, are you still here learning the Buddha Dharma? I have never studied abroad, yet you now work for me. You truly have no sense of gratitude. This is a family matter, so I will no longer involve myself; you handle it yourself. If you do not believe in the Buddha Dharma, then leave! Leaving would make you feel more comfortable, okay? You have completely refused to accept the Buddha Dharma. You have always disobeyed me from the beginning until now. I will not fire you. You can still come to work.
 
Sutra: ‘Through observing the precepts, one gives rise to that tranquil mind.’
 
This sentence is very important. Once you have accomplished all the preceding requirements, the mind observing the precepts gives rise to that tranquil mind. Precepts, ding (Puja Teachings Index 06), and wisdom: precepts give rise to ding (Puja Teachings Index 06). A person who does not observe the precepts will never have ding (Puja Teachings Index 06). Just like you, as soon as you finished reciting the Dharma text, you began putting it away, making noises that disturbed the guru while he was chanting the mantra. This shows that you have not observed the precepts. If the guru’s power of ding (Puja Teachings Index 06) were insufficient, the noise you made alone would have been enough to disrupt him. You thought it didn’t matter and wanted to finish your own business first so that you could then concentrate on listening to the guru’s mantra chant. All of you are selfish! Tranquility does not mean that the mind becomes completely motionless or ceases to function. It means that the mind is not moved by anything. It is not moved by anything through eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and consciousness, nor sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and thought. It remains entirely tranquil. Only when a sentient being makes a motivation that attains the yidam’s vow will his mind be activated; otherwise, it is not disturbed by anything.

Why must we observe the precepts? If we do not observe, we would not know the proper boundaries of Buddhist practice, because we have become accustomed to learning Buddhism through our own ideas. The Buddha established the precepts not to control you, but to make your mind gradually become tranquil. For example, when I attended a puja presided over by His Holiness, His Holiness spoke Tibetan from the beginning to the end without any translation. How did I receive his blessings? By observing the precepts with my mind. What precept did I observe? When the guru transmits the Dharma, regardless of whether I understand what he is saying or what language he speaks, the guru is transmitting the Dharma. The guru’s mind is pure while transmitting the Dharma, so my mind must also be pure. I should not think, ‘I cannot understand this,’ ‘I do not understand what he is saying,’ or ‘I am not capable of this.’ These are impure. Impurity means that the mind is not tranquil; consequently, it cannot receive the pure Dharma. Why did I scold you? The moment the guru begins chanting the mantra, you must settle your minds. If your minds are impure, you cannot receive the mantra I chant, because the mantra I chant is pure. I did not tell you that I would chant the mantras based on how much money you gave me. I simply keep on blessing you.
 
If you don’t accept, the blessings are gone. You may wonder, ‘Can a single second be so serious?’ It really is that serious. At the time of death, everything is on that single second. You do not need to chant many mantras, at the very instant when you draw your final breath, if you remember the mantra and the guru, you will be able to ascend. Therefore, if you do not develop the habit of settling down and listening as soon as the guru begins performing the Dharma, you will not be accustomed to doing so at the time of death either. You may think that the guru is nervous about ‘death’ because he is old and nearly eighty. The fact is that I have taken death seriously ever since I began learning Buddhism. I clearly understood that only the Dharma could liberate me from the cycle of birth and death. No worldly method or anything else could help me, only the Buddha Dharma. Therefore, I have always cultivated along this path. Only now have I gradually come to understand why people become fearful at the time of death and why they cannot remain in control of themselves: they do not observe the precepts and do not have faith in the guru. They harbor even the slightest doubt about the guru and rely on worldly perspectives to decide what to do. They cannot even accept the guru’s advice, believing that the guru does not understand them, that the guru is trying to harm them, and that the guru does not know how they should raise their children and cultivate their children’s abilities.

If you do not give rise to a tranquil mind, none of the Buddha Dharma will be effective to you. Must the mind remain tranquil twenty-four hours a day? No. Even a single second of tranquillity will definitely help you at the time of death and during mantra recitation. Once you become accustomed to this tranquil mind, even if it arises for only one, two, three, or five seconds while you are reciting a mantra, the mantra’s power of blessing will be very strong. But if you are accustomed to keeping yourself busy, for example, putting away your Dharma text before listening to Rinpoche chant the mantra, you will retain that same habit around the time of death. Before and after your final breath, you will instinctively attend to yourself and think of yourself first. Therefore, when the Buddha Dharma appears, and the guru appears, you will naturally take care of yourselves first. As long as a single thought arises in you, ‘snap!’ It’s gone.
 
The Dharma trains us to develop a tranquil mind, but not so that we may feel comfortable, become free from distracting thoughts and afflictions, and delusional thoughts. Ultimately, it is about how we can be liberated from birth and death, avoid falling into the Three Evil Realms, and follow the light of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and the guru toward the virtuous realm. So, all the teachings of the Buddha Dharma we are continually talking about are for the great matter of birth and death. They are certainly not about the delight, anger, sorrow, and happiness, nor about the love, hatred, and emotional entanglements of these few short decades of life, nor are they about family affairs. Even when a Vajrayana Dharma text speaks of bringing family harmony, this is to prevent family matters from giving rise to so many afflictions while you practice, and to pacify your first so you can practice properly. Few people would act as I did. During my retreat, I saw that something had happened in my family, yet I remained in retreat and did not implore the Buddhas or Bodhisattvas. Unlike Disciple Wei, who kept imploring me! If something happened, it was the result of my own karma and fates. Since I was in retreat to attain liberation from birth and death and to benefit sentient beings, I could not possibly waste my retreat time on family matters.
 
 Many people believe that they should devote themselves to their families. That is true, because you owe them. But as you continue repaying that debt, there comes a time when you should let go! You say that it is your responsibility. That is true, legally, you are responsible for your child until the age of eighteen. After eighteen, your child is legally an adult and must assume responsibility on his own, even his parents can no longer discipline him. Learn from me, once my child turned eighteen, I let him live as he wished. If they encounter a problem and come to me, I will help if I can. If I cannot, I tell him plainly that I cannot help. Unlike you, who give everything of yourself to him, even obstructing your son from learning Buddhism, and you call yourself his mother! Since you have taken refuge, I have repeatedly taught on the Dharma throne that one must never obstruct another person from learning Buddhism. Why are you so cruel?  You even claim that you love him and hope that he will become successful in the future instead of ending up like his father! What nonsense! I am in a good mood this morning, so I will scold you a little more.

Sutra: ‘Through the practice of kṣāntipāramitā (Puja Teachings Index 17), give rise to that immeasurable mind.’

As I explained last time, we must endure what others cannot endure. Many people think that practicing kṣāntipāramitā (Puja Teachings Index 17) means enduring slander or mistreatment from others. No, such things can all be endured. The most difficult one to endure is the temptation of fame and gain. Disciple Jiang, for example, finds this temptation very difficult to resist. She thinks that once her child completes his education, he will have a bright future and can learn Buddhism afterwards; there is no hurry because he is still young. What is Rinpoche’s greatest capability? It is the practice of kṣāntipāramitā (Puja Teachings Index 17). When people slander me, I simply smile. When fame and gain are placed before me, I reject them. Only by doing so have I been able to attain accomplishment through practice! Even monastics are unable to withstand it. The moment someone says, ‘Dharma master, you have such a dignified and majestic Dharma appearance,’ they begin to think that they have attained something through their own practice and that it is the result of their retreats. Of all the Six Pāramitās, I consider kṣāntipāramitā (Puja Teachings Index 17) the most difficult to practice.

An immeasurable mind means that, until one attains Buddhahood, one must never relax one’s practice of kṣāntipāramitā (Puja Teachings Index 17), absolutely not. Rinpoche is now a Rinpoche, having a Buddhist Centre, and has a Buddhist Monastery. Have fame and gain come my way? Of course they have! Must Rinpoche withstand them? Yes. I must resist them. The more accomplished a practitioner becomes, the more clearly he understands that the good fortunes accumulated through practice serve only two purposes: to help himself attain liberation from birth and death, and to help sentient beings attain liberation from birth and death. If those good fortunes are spent on fame and personal gain, his power to help himself and sentient beings will immediately diminish. Many people think, ‘Is there anything wrong with dedicating good fortunes and merits to my own family?’ It is not that doing so is wrong. However, the power for those two purposes will continually diminish, preventing one from accomplishing them. We, as Buddhists, especially as practitioners and monastics in particular, must be vigilant against fame and gain. Do not think that relaxing yourselves for a moment will do no harm; it will. If you relax for even a moment and fail to cultivate the pāramitā of kṣāntipāramitā (Puja Teachings Index 17), none of the practices that follow can be accomplished.

The more others praise you, the more cautious you must be, because karmic obstacles have come. This also applies in the workplace. When someone praises you, do not immediately think that you are remarkable. Perhaps the person is merely flattering you because he hopes you will take on more work later. Or perhaps the person praises you so that you will lower your guard, allowing him to do something to his own advantage. You are expected to fulfill your assigned duties because you receive a salary. But deliberately trying to display your best side to others is unnecessary. If you follow the company’s rules and perform your work according to its established procedures, others will naturally see your good sides; there is no need to compete. If you have good fortune, you will naturally advance. If you do not, no striving will help.
 
Yesterday, an official who had been promoted came to thank me. I told him, ‘Do not thank me. It has nothing to do with me.’ Why does it have nothing to do with me? Because I will not protect you simply to ensure that your official career proceeds successfully and smoothly. A former government minister was once my disciple, yet I never compromised with him. I helped him through a crisis, thereby enabling him to become a minister. He had become involved in a serious lawsuit and did not know how to resolve it. I told him where one of his subordinates had filed a particular document. He went to look for it and indeed found it. That document proved that he had not engaged in corruption, and he was afterward promoted to minister. After becoming a minister, however, he chose his ministerial position over the Buddha Dharma. I never saw him again before he died. Therefore, I show no favour to government officials, because being an official is about fame and gain.
 
Since you are a public official and receive your salary from the people, you should, in Zhuge Liang’s words, ‘dedicate yourself entirely.’ You need not be so pitiable, but you should at least fulfill your responsibilities and perform the duties expected of you. Why would you still need me to bless you? If you want me to bless you so that your official career will prosper, that is fine! Give me all of your salary. But you cannot give me all of it, because you still need to pay your mortgage and your children’s educational expenses. What, then, are you asking me to bless? Officials should therefore not come to me and say, ‘Gratitude to Rinpoche, for helping me get a promotion.’ It has nothing to do with me, it is the result of your own good fortune. Nor should officials imagine that, after advancing in their careers, they will be useful to the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center. You will not. I would not even seek assistance from a government minister, would I turn to minor ones like you? Do not have an inflated ego.
 
I have met people from every walk of life in Taiwan, but I have never used any of them to handle my personal affairs. Whenever I have asked for assistance, it has been solely for His Holiness or for the lineage. As my disciples who are also public officials, you should tell others, ‘I am able to do my work well because Rinpoche taught me the Buddha Dharma, and I apply the Buddha Dharma in carrying out my duties.’ Why don’t you say it? Are you afraid that others will discover that you are a Buddhist? Believers of non-Buddhist religions openly declare their religions. There’s a ‘men’over there. Why, then, can we not openly say that Amitabha Buddha is here? I do not care whether you are a grade-thirteen or grade-fourteen official. If I discover that you refuse to tell others that you are a Buddhist, you will be in serious trouble. Are we Buddhists somehow ashamed to let others see? Through the practice of kṣāntipāramitā (Puja Teachings Index 17), give rise to that immeasurable mind. Whether in the mundane path or in the supramundane path, we must achieve this.

Sutra: ‘Vīryapāramitā (Puja Teachings Index 18) gives rise to that supreme mind. Chanding (Puja Teachings Index 06) frees one from the distracted mind. Incomparably wondrous wisdom distances from the mind of conceptual elaboration. Foundations of mindfulness (smṛtyupasthāna) eliminate the mind of contrived mental engagement (manasikāra-citta) with non-foundations of mindfulness (asmṛtyupasthāna). The right abandonments accord with the arising and extinction of the mind. The teleportations are free from the mind of frivolous play.’
 
Vīryapāramitā (Puja Teachings Index 18) does not mean measuring how many times you have recited mantras and sutras or how long you have spent in retreat. Vīryapāramitā (Puja Teachings Index 18) means identifying the most essential point. For example, after reading the sutras, Rinpoche draws upon his experience in cultivation to explain their most essential things to you. You must take these teachings to heart. Also, vīryapāramitā (Puja Teachings Index 18) means continually advancing through these essences and making unceasing progress in learning the Buddha Dharma. You must progress from being an ordinary being toward liberation from birth and death, and eventually cultivate the Bodhisattva Path and attain Buddhahood. This is the supreme mind, it is not a mind that merely implores blessings and protection.

When you practice diligently, worldly matters will be gradually handled well naturally. Not being diligent, merely seeking for protection all day long. It is just like what is stated in the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows, reciting ten thousand times each day for three years, it is the virtuous ghost deity coming to protect this home, and it doesn’t protect other matters. Inside the Buddhist sutra, it does not say that because the virtuous ghost deity comes to protect this home, it will make you wealthy, let your children study well; it only states that protecting this home will not have unexpected misfortune enter; for example, fires, floods, and ghosts and goblins can’t enter. The Buddhist sutra doesn’t state that one will get everything, Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha does not lie to people. You lie to yourselves, thinking that Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha said he will protect you. Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha did not say that he will protect you, it is the ghost deity that comes to protect you.
 
The Universal Gate Chapter also states very clearly that Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara could accept the offerings of the great Bodhisattva, but he refused to accept it, Shakyamuni Buddha then advised him to accept it. Why accept it?  It is for the sake of sentient beings; for the sake of making offerings to the Buddha. A Dharmakaya Bodhisattva of a great Bodhisattva, do you think that by telling the Bodhisattva about your family problems or complaining that your husband doesn’t listen to you, the Bodhisattva will come and help you? No. Because he knows very clearly that this is your karma, your cause and effect. The Bodhisattvas help us attain rebirth in the Pure Land in this very lifetime. Why do I always recite the Great Six-Syllable Mantra before each puja? It is to help you cultivate virtuous fate so that, at the end of this lifetime, you may attain rebirth in the Pure Land.  It is not to satisfy the various worldly desires you have during these few short decades of human life.
 
You come to plead for the Dharma all day long,  there is no need to plead anymore! Why is there no need to plead? Because at every puja, I recite the Great Six-Syllable Mantra. If you truly believe, it is definitely sufficient for you to use and enables you to be reborn to the Pure Land. If one wishes to implore for the Dharma, then ask yourselves whether you can one hundred percent be reverent to the guru and believe in Buddha Dharma; no matter what kind of matters the guru does, not the slightest mind of doubt arises. His Holiness has personally said it, and I also said it: when you see the guru doing something, and you can’t accept it, it is your fault, not the guru. You will say, ‘Is the guru so extraordinary? Whatever he does is okay?’Whatever the guru does is done in accordance with the precepts, never goes beyond the body of the precepts. He can do matters that you can’t. Then, you listen to him, alright? (The assembly replies: Yes.) If you are that capable, you come and perform the Chod, okay? If you were able to perform the Chod, then there is no need to listen to me! Therefore, all of this is nonsense, haughty and arrogant, self-righteousness, and overwhelming pride!
 
Everyone sees me as human like you. Indeed, I still possess a human body, but my heart is no longer human. If I were still a human like you, I am 80 years old this year, and still able to sit over here today, scolding from nine-thirty until now, ten-thirty? (The assembly laughs.) You try it! A bunch of elderly men here. Let’s see, choose any one of them and ask him to scold for an hour. I am already not a human! Why am I not a human? Because I am now expounding the Buddha Dharma. Every time before I perform the Dharma, I implore Shakyamuni Buddha to bless and support me, letting me have wisdom as the sea, and be able to expound the Ratnakuta Sutra to you, to solve your doubts, and enable you to attain Buddhahood as soon as possible. I did not say to make you become wealthy as soon as possible. Perhaps I should’ve said this, if you all get rich quickly, surely you’d at least share a little with me, wouldn’t you? I can say this to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, because the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will listen to me now, make each of you become wealthy as soon as possible. No matter what your definition of ‘getting rich’may be, surely I’d at least get a small share, wouldn’t I?  Yet Rinpoche has never said this. If using a worldly Dharma perspective to see, it is best that I say this, right? The Buddhist Monastery still needs money, the B Buddhist Center needs money, and money is needed everywhere. I adapt to fate, going along with the fates. Today, you learn Buddhism at the Glorious Jewel is the place where you are under the least pressure; I never single out a major donor for everyone to admire and then make you compete with that person. 

I have experienced this before. Someone fought to take the position of a major donor, and the Dharma master even came to discuss it with me, saying, ‘This time, can you yield the place?’I said okay. The master had already promised it to me beforehand, but I still said yes. You would not be able to do this. Even if you said yes with your mouth, you will still feel angry inside your heart, thinking that the master had already promised, but now he changed and made you not a major donor. Because I think that major donor is just a title, I had already given the money; perhaps someone else had made a higher bid, if he wanted it, then take it! (The assembly laughs.) It may have been because the monastery of my exoteric Buddhist Dharma master needed financial support, so perhaps he did not dare offend that official; I am different, even if someone is an official, I will still berate him. In the past, a fairly high-ranking government official came to see me at the Dongfeng store and said many things, and I told him, ‘You are truly bureaucratic.’ I berated him directly and spoke directly. Therefore, his nickname now is ‘Bureaucrat.’ He did not listen to me, and then matters happened. Relatively speaking, he had also helped the Buddhist Center with some small matters, so even now I still think of him.
 
What is the so-called supreme mind? Cultivation can be divided into supreme, middle, and inferior mind. This mind isn’t for dividing people into different levels or classes.  As the Dharma texts stated, for those who practice the Buddha Dharma, everything depends on one’s aspiration. The greater one’s aspiration, the greater the blessings one receives. If one learns Buddhism without diligence, merely reciting casually each day as a perfunctory routine, and doing one’s session as though simply completing an assignment, then this is not the supreme mind. The supreme mind is no matter whether it is reciting mantra every day or doing sessions; one uses the most sincere heart, the most focused heart, and the most compassionate(maitrī and karuṇā) heart to do it. It is not for the sake of personal matters; if one thinks that by cultivating oneself one will become somehow different than others–you are finished. Such a motivation is the lowest of all—it is a mind of greed.  Turning Buddha Dharma into greed, greedy people are not able to learn Buddha Dharma forever. Even if I give the Dharma text to you and bestow oral transmissions to you, you can’t practice to have any results. The Dharma protectors and the yidams will all block you, not allowing you to attain any practice. For once you have attained something through practice, you become even more capable. If your mind is still so full of greed, that would be disastrous. Therefore, you are hindered and obstructed, so that, for no apparent reason, you find yourself unable to think, unable to recite, and unable to practice properly. 

If you do the sessions with the states of mind I have just spoken about while learning Buddhism, then one day, you will follow fate and naturally come to accord with awakening. Awakening does not mean immediately attain great and complete enlightenment. It means that, little by little, one comes to realize what aspects of oneself need to be improved, what needs to be thrown off, and not to be attached to, this requires time. As I often say, how many years did you spend studying? Twenty years, with each day going to classes for eight hours. Ask yourselves: do you now use eight hours each day to do Buddha Dharma? One hour is already remarkable. On what basis, does one think that with using half an hour per day, even only spend one hour, and practice for five and six years, one is able to fly through the skies and burrow through the earth? You studied for nearly twenty years, obtained a diploma, and after entering society, you only earned fifty thousand dollars.
 
Now, the only difference between learning Buddhism and studying is that there is no graduation diploma. But when you study to the highest level, it is not the matter of whether you study well or not, but who decides whether you can study? Your professor, right? No matter how well your thesis is written, if your professor is displeased with you and says you do not qualify, then you do not qualify. Isn’t it? Just like when you learn Buddhism, thinking yourself is very diligent and being very reverent, but Rinpoche said you can’t then you can’t. Why? Rinpoche is a person who has gone through the path and accomplished practice. Moreover, I am not a reincarnated one; I have the entire experience of cultivation. Therefore, I know very clearly whether your methods of practice are correct or not. You say that you are reciting exactly as instructed and that there is nothing wrong with that, but your mind is not right! With the wrong heart, there will be no further transmission.
 
Just like when those of you who attended university and wrote thesis. You felt that you had written very well, why did the professor refuse to pass? Because the professor has studied and realized it himself. When he reads your writing, he knows whether you truly understand or only pretend to understand. Learning Buddhism is almost the same like this. Therefore, don’t think that learning Buddhism is because you can recognize words, are sensible, and have grown up, with a look, or listen a bit, you can practice to have results come out. Shakyamuni Buddha expounded the Dharma for more than forty years, why did he expound so many Buddhist sutras? It was precisely targeted towards us foolish humans; us humans are very foolish, yet we still think we are very clever.
 
I have been to many places in India. In many rural areas, there are monkeys, and everyone knows what monkeys are like. In Sravasti, the place where Shakyamuni Buddha expounded the Dharma in his later years, strangely enough, the monkeys there were very well behaved. They will not come over and disturb you, they simply crouched there quietly in groups. Even animals in Sravasti are all different from those in other places. When I went to Sravasti, there was a dog that saw me and kept walking ahead of me, leading the way. It led me all the way to the Bodhi tree, and no matter how others tried to chase it away, they could not drive it off.
 
The first time I went to Sravasti, I sat down beneath the Bodhi tree and was about to expound the Buddha Dharma. Suddenly, behind the tree, a woman appeared and smiled at me. When I turned to look at her, she had disappeared. It was impossible that she flew out, because the area around the Bodhi tree was enclosed by iron railings, with only one gate for entering and exiting; she must pass in front of me. The railing was as high as the Dharma throne, and she was wearing Indian women’s clothing, it would be impossible for her to climb over it. Unless, the only way is flying out, but none of us saw her fly out. She simply appeared from behind the tree, around the middle of the trunk, smiled at me, and when I turned my head to look, she was already gone. I am not telling you a mythological story, many very interesting things happen in Sravasti. 

Last time, when I went to the place in Nepal where Shakyamuni Buddha was born, something similar happened as well. That tree of Shakyamuni Buddha’s birthplace had been bought by the Japanese, and only the roots were left there. When we went there, we had to cross a bridge. This bridge was one-way; one entered from this side, and those on the opposite side couldn’t come across; one could only walk forward. I walked in front, and the disciples followed behind me. When I reached the place of the tree, I saw a Sri Lankan monk take a khata to me. Sri Lankans do not take khatas; and, behind me, there was a Rinpoche from Qinghai, this lama didn’t offer it to him, he offered it to me instead. Once I received it in my hands and looked up, that person had disappeared. It was impossible for him to pass by my place and walk over. From the side of the tree to the other side, it was about the distance from the mandala to the entrance, such a far distant. It was impossible for him to vanish with a snap of the fingers. Therefore, when one’s practice has reached a certain level, many things are beyond what brush and ink can describe.
 
Just like the typhoon of this time, the Japanese weather station said that, ‘There is a mysterious force in Taiwan that suddenly weakens the typhoon.’(The assembly laughs.) I do not know what mysterious force it was either. Because typhoons all come to take revenge, one need to use the heart of compassion (maitrī and karuṇā ) to let the sentient beings of the typhoon to eliminate the heart of hatred, so that they will no longer come seeking revenge.

Chanding (Puja Teachings Index 06) frees one from the distracted mind.  Why does one need to cultivate chanding (Puja Teachings Index 06)? It is because our hearts are used to being distracted, used to thinking about many matters in each second with every thought generated. However, if we cultivate chanding (Puja Teachings Index 06), we are then able to focus and gather the mind and prevent the heart from distraction. Especially when we are reciting a mantra, we need the power of chanding (Puja Teachings Index 06) even more. Therefore, each time, after we complete the Dharma and finish dedication, we need to ding(Puja Teachings Index 06) for a while. What so-called ‘ding(Puja Teachings Index 06) for a while’does not mean sitting still; rather, it is remaining seated and calm for a while; accumulated little by little, the power of chanding(Puja Teachings Index 06) will arise. Don’t be in a hurry to get up to do this or that after recitation; sit for a while. It doesn’t matter how long—even one or two minutes is effective. Train your mind gradually to become accustomed to this state of freedom from distraction. 

After we finish reciting mantras, let the mind calm for a while. What does it mean to calm for a while? Reciting mantras is movement, and tranquilness is the heart of the original tranquility. We need to let the moving mind return to the mind of tranquility. This must be done through a chanding (Puja Teachings Index 06) and a method of sitting cross-legged, letting the mind return to tranquility. How long does the tranquility lasts is not important, as long as one feels no distracting thoughts, there is tranquility. Once distracting thoughts arise, it means this power of chanding (Puja Teachings Index 06) has disappeared, and one can get up. The power of chanding (Puja Teachings Index 06) will gradually extend; as long as one trains slowly, one will gradually feel that the time from chanding (Puja Teachings Index 06) to the arising of distracting thoughts becomes longer and longer, and that distracting thoughts no longer arise so quickly.
 
What so-called distracting thoughts means when you enter chanding (Puja Teachings Index 06) and are without thoughts, the moment a thought suddenly arises, it indicates that the power of ding(Puja Teachings Index 06) has been lost. If we are practicing seated chan(Puja Teachings Index 06), then of course we continue to let ourselves focus, and this ding(Puja Teachings Index 06) will come back. In fact, within this state of ding(Puja Teachings Index 06), ding(Puja Teachings Index 06) is at a certain state. Once entering ding(Puja Teachings Index 06), if a thought suddenly arises again, it means that this ding(Puja Teachings Index 06) and this power are gone. Therefore, one needs to regain this ding(Puja Teachings Index 06). This depends upon long-term training; it is not something that can be accomplished in one or two days, or even in one year. Again, I remind everybody: you spent twenty years studying all these useless books, so why do you think that you can become adept at learning Buddhism within such a short period of time? None of you have ever thought about this matter. Everyone feels that they are different, thinking that, ‘I have come to learn Buddhism, and I have very good virtuous roots; I will be able to accomplish it within a single glance.’How could it be so simple? If it were that simple, then I wouldn’t need to practice.
 
Incomparably wondrous wisdom distances from the mind of conceptual elaboration. Once your wisdom has opened, it is the most incomparably wondrous, it is exceptionally good towards the mind of conceptual elaboration. It means that wisdom itself is sūnyatā(Puja Teachings Index 21) generated from ding(Puja Teachings Index 06). Once sūnyatā(Puja Teachings Index 21) appears, wisdom naturally manifests. The manifestation of wisdom is not something with form, nor something without form; nor is it a thought. It is none of these. When the mind reaches the utmost tranquility, wisdom naturally arises.  What is it like when this wisdom arises? Only when something appears does wisdom respond. If not, wisdom remains tranquil and unmoved. When the heart of incomparably wondrous wisdom is generated, all worldly affairs are nothing more than a game and an argument, but this mind can never help us in our practice.
 
Foundations of mindfulness (smṛtyupasthāna) eliminate the mind of contrived mental engagement (manasikāra-citta) with non-foundations of mindfulness (asmṛtyupasthāna). The Buddhist sutras speak of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. To explain it simply: when we recite the Buddha’s name or a mantra, it is initially the conscious mind that is engaged. It is through the activity of consciousness that each mantra is recited. However, through sustained mantra recitation over a long period of time, we gradually enter the state of chanding (Puja Teachings Index 06). Once we enter that state of chanding (Puja Teachings Index 06), it is wisdom that recites; it is our pure nature that recites. When it is our pure nature that is reciting, there is no longer the conscious intention of reciting, it arises naturally. This is precisely what the Pure Land Sutra means by ‘thought after thought is Amitābha,’ with the recitation of the Buddha’s name continuing without interruption. Even when the recitation continues uninterrupted, and every thought is Amitābha, one has still not reached the state of ‘Foundations of mindfulness (smṛtyupasthāna) eliminate the mind of contrived mental engagement (manasikāra-citta) with non-foundations of mindfulness (asmṛtyupasthāna).’ One has merely attained the mind of vīryapāramitā(Puja Teachings Index 18).
 
However, to reach the state of ‘foundations of mindfulness (smṛtyupasthāna) eliminate the mind of contrived mental engagement (manasikāra-citta) with non-foundations of mindfulness (asmṛtyupasthāna),’ one must cultivate the wisdom of sūnyatā(Puja Teachings Index 21). Some people say that they even recite the Buddha’s name in their dreams, but that is still not this state. This state is one in which, the moment one enters ding (Puja Teachings Index 06) and visualizes the yidam, the mantra arises spontaneously. It does not come through thought, memory, or deliberate effort. Because the mantra is pure, it already abides within one’s pure self-nature. A mantra embodies the yidam’s wisdom, vows, merits, and good fortune in their entirety. We want to recite to become attuned with the guru and the yidam, it is not the case that one becomes attuned with them simply by reciting the mantra one hundred thousand times—that is impossible. Rather, only through repeated retreat practice does one have the opportunity to become attuned with the guru. Why? Because the guru’s mind is the mind that liberates sentient beings and helps them attain Buddhahood. If one does not possess such a mind, then everything remains merely fabricated, conceived by thought, and arising from consciousness—it does not arise from sūnyatā(Puja Teachings Index 21).
 
Therefore, ‘foundations of mindfulness (smṛtyupasthāna) eliminate the mind of contrived mental engagement (manasikāra-citta) with non-foundations of mindfulness (asmṛtyupasthāna)’ is when one is about to use the mantra to help sentient beings, after the thought of this mantra arises, the mind does not arise for one’s own sake; rather, it is completely generated in accordance with bodhicitta and the heart of compassion (maitrī and karuṇā). After the thought of liberating sentient beings arises, the power of thoughts would then generate a power that can contain it. Just like this typhoon: because I gave rise to the power of compassion (maitrī and karuṇā), and ‘foundations of mindfulness (smṛtyupasthāna) eliminate the mind of contrived mental engagement (manasikāra-citta) with non-foundations of mindfulness (asmṛtyupasthāna)’ because my intention was hoping sentient beings would not suffer. Therefore, foundations of mindfulness (smṛtyupasthāna) appeared, and the thought of mantra was then able to generate power to carry out what I want to accomplish. Rinpoche asked the monastic disciples, ‘Right? Have you still not awakened?’(The monastic disciples reply: Reporting to Rinpoche, I had never heard this before. I had never heard such profound Buddha Dharma before.)It is not that profound! It is just speaking. Is it useful? (The monastic disciples reply: It is useful.)How is it useful? (The monastic disciples reply: It is to regain one’s pure self-nature and give rise to the wondrous function of compassion(maitrī and karuṇā) and sūnyatā(Puja Teachings Index 21).)
 
To reach this level, it is not something that can be accomplished by thinking, because the moment one thinks, it is consciousness. The eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind are all said to be the six thieves; therefore, you are contrived. Contrived thought is not necessarily bad, but the range of its power is limited, and it is also with sāsrava. Why do we constantly speak of cultivating sūnyatā(Puja Teachings Index 21)? Śūnyatā(Puja Teachings Index 21) is not something you can accomplish by reciting the Great Six-Syllable Mantra ten thousand or twenty thousand times every day; nor can it be accomplished by doing one hundred thousand times of grand prostrations, or by completing the recitation of the Guru Yoga. Śūnyatā(Puja Teachings Index 21) absolutely requires constant retreats, and giving up many human thoughts and ways of doing things, can one gradually come to experience it. How long will it take? Don’t know. It is different for every person.

The right abandonments accord with the arising and extinction of the mind. When you generate correct abandonments, abandon the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind, as well as the six contacts– sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and idea. To‘accord with the arising and extinction of the mind,’ one must understand that this mind arises and ceases; it is not eternal; it will never stop at one point, nor will it be extinguished forever. Just as stated in the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows:  All our thoughts generate karma and vices. When we understand these two sentences, how can we grasp the arising and ceasing, and generate right abandonment? What does it mean to apply right abandonment? We know that we have greed, hatred, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt; eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind; as well as sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and idea. All of these are things that interfere with us in practicing and attaining sūnyatā(Puja Teachings Index 21). But, we, human beings, without these tools, would not be able to live either.
 
For example, without eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind, you cannot live. Without sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and idea, you can’t survive either. How can we prevent these things from interfering with our pure self-nature? It is not relying on your own power; you need to rely on the blessing power of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and the guru, letting you gradually be able to distinguish clearly that these- eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind are merely tools for your own survival. Even if it helps me in my practice, it is also a tool, it is not something that can help me to attain Buddhahood. Sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and ideas are also tools. When we have completed a thing, we give up this tool, don’t we? For example, when we write an article and finish writing it, the pen will be put down, it is impossible for you to keep holding that pen. This concept is in such a way.
 
This means that when we recite mantras, we need sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and idea. However, when we recite the mantra, a thought comes out —the thought of helping sentient beings arises—sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and ideas need to be put down. Just as I just scolded you for putting away the Dharma text first. You were taking care of yourselves first! You don’t understand that when I’m reciting mantras, many sentient beings are listening. It is not only in the Buddhist Center, but the entire void is also listening. Your disturbance is not towards me, it’s towards them. But you think of yourselves first, ‘Ah, Rinpoche has begun reciting the mantra. We should put away the Dharma text first, so that we can concentrate and recite properly.’ This is wrong, you’re still only concerned about yourselves.
 
Therefore, the concept of the Buddha Dharma is extremely sharp and subtle, a single thought alone can change many things. You must understand clearly where this thought is coming from, rather than saying that ‘I don’t know! I’m not clear about it! Sorry.’It has nothing to do with me! All of these are your selfish and self-centered thoughts. Since you have chosen to learn Buddhism, you must understand that learning Buddhism is not for the sake of satisfying certain material desires in the human world during these few short decades. What is important is that, in this lifetime, you are able to change your future lives. Therefore, in this lifetime, apart from eating, working, and handling matters, one must devote all of one’s life force to Buddha Dharma; only then will there be an opportunity to ensure that, after this lifetime comes to an end, your future lives will certainly be good.
 
Ask yourselves how much time you spend each day in the Buddha Dharma? Even the method I taught you, to examine yourselves with The Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas before going to sleep every day; it takes at most ten minutes; many of you do not do it, because you don’t believe that you have any faults. Thinking that ‘I have done nothing wrong! I have taken refuge, become vegetarian, and observed the precepts. I am doing very well. Nothing has happened to me so far. I have been living quite comfortably, and I have not yet fallen ill!’ Therefore, you will forever remain at a level and will never be able to make progress. No other Buddhist center asks the disciples to examine themselves with The Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas. Only I make this requirement. This is also something that Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara supports and approves of.

But you don’t listen to the words spoken by Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara either, nor do you listen to the Dharma transmitted by the guru, I do not know what Dharma you are pleading for. Without examining whether your body, speech, and mind go against the Buddha Dharma, merely thinking all day about learning more Dharma, for what? Any Buddha Dharma is for the sake of liberation from life and death, for benefiting sentient beings, and for helping sentient beings attain Buddhahood. There is not a single Dharma that is not for it. Since none isn’t for it, but your body, speech, and mind still make mistakes every day, how can you practice? Is it very difficult to examine yourself every night before going to sleep? When you examine yourself, only Heaven, Earth, and you yourself know. I do not know, nor would I ascend there listening to what you are saying. Why don’t you do it? Why do you think that you are already very good, and you are a good person? Look carefully at what The Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas says. In the end, it speaks of the Six Paramitas.
 
Everything expounded now in the Ratnakuta Sutra are related to the Six Paramitas, not a single one that is unrelated to them. Since you are unwilling to practice the Six Paramitas, spending all day imploring the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and the guru for protection, that will do also. Then, do not implore for the Dharma anymore, just obediently attend the puja, listen in a very quiet manner, and change what you can. If you can’t change, then wait for death! When one dies, see whether there is fate for me to help liberate you, that is all! No matter how much I say, you don’t listen. No matter how many times you’re told or reprimanded, you still insist on doing things your own way.
 
Let me remind you again: every one of you spent twenty years studying, and after entering society, you earned only fifty thousand dollars. I am not asking you to spend eight hours every day, giving up your work, family, or children. It means that once you allocate more time for the Buddha Dharma, your opportunities will be very high. But you are simply lazy. Every day, you light a stick of incense and practice the Dharma Protector Achi, and so on. This is equal to offering a plate of fruits and asking the deities to give you everything. It is the same idea. Could there really be such a good thing? Then, I would be the first one who would not need to practice. Every day, I still practice so much.
 
The teleportations are free from the mind of frivolous play. Teleportation means possessing the supernatural power of teleportation, which means that when a person has cultivated the supernatural power of teleportation, one can leave the mind of frivolous play. Teleportation does not mean being able to fly from this place to that place. What Rinpoche is saying today is exaggerated a bit. For example, when I visualize myself in the midst of a typhoon, this is the supernatural power of teleportation. For example, when I perform Phowa to help sentient beings, if I did not possess the supernatural power of teleportation, it would be impossible for me to perform Phowa for him. For example, when I perform Chöd, I am able to call sentient beings to come to the site and liberate them. Without the supernatural power of teleportation, it is also impossible. Free from the mind of frivolous play. When this person possesses teleportation, towards various worldly matters, he feels like it is a game, a process of play, very brief and transient. Therefore, his mind that values entertainment will gradually be eliminated. Within his life, it is the Buddha Dharma.
 
I often urge these young people not to spend so much time on amusement when they’re young. It is not that I forbid you to play or not allow you to play. Without good fortune, one can’t play, right?  When you play, you play away your good fortune. When you are old, all the problems come out. We often speak of the good fortune of later years. The good fortune of later years is more important than the good fortune of the young. If one has no good fortune in the later years, naturally, the health will not be good. Naturally, one will make wrong decisions in everything; the cultivation also goes wrong, the life goes wrong, too; nothing goes well. Therefore, while you are young, I am not asking you to eliminate your desire for amusement altogether. Rather, you should reduce the frequency. If there is no need, then do not go looking for entertainment. Do not think that because you’re young, you should enjoy yourself a little more, and spend every day with nothing but amusement on your mind, believing that once you are old, you will no longer be able to enjoy it. Even if, when you are old, you can no longer enjoy those things, at the very least you should still have the strength and health to walk on your own. As for me, I can still drive and still fly wherever I need to go.

However, if one places great emphasis on playing and pleasure during one’s youth, and all one does is play and enjoy oneself all day, one is continuously spending one’s merit — and when it runs out, there will be nothing left in one’s later years. Because you are all people who don’t understand how to accumulate good fortune, thus, when you look at many elderly people, their health begins to decline gradually as they age, but not because they must go through life, old age, sickness, and death. I too must go through life, old age, sickness, and death, but I can lessen and postpone these types of suffering, and prevent them from occurring to me so soon. Because, first of all, even though I had not yet become a Buddhist in my youth, I still rarely went out for fun; each day I went to work and returned home afterwards, and at most I would have dinner with friends and go straight home after that. Furthermore, there weren’t that many ways to have fun back in my day; nowadays there are too many ways to seek pleasure. Second, after I learned Buddhism, I had even less of a sense to have fun. Therefore, once you have attained the supernatural power of teleportation, you will be free from the mind of frivolous play.

Sutra: ‘From faith, diligence, mindfulness, ding (Puja Teachings Index 06) and wisdom— give rise to an unobstructed, naturally equal mind that enters into understanding.’ 

‘From faith, diligence, mindfulness, ding (Puja Teachings Index 06) and wisdom; when one departs from the mind of frivolous play, one gives rise to firm faith, a diligent mind, and mindfulness. Just as I practice faith, diligence, and mindfulness every day, which is to believe that I will one day reach Buddhahood, and thus I continue to act diligently. This notion is not just uttered verbally, but instead, once this mindfulness arises very firmly, mindfulness, ding (Puja Teachings Index 06) and wisdom will be generated, and wisdom opens up. For example, when I liberated the typhoon, it was not through destruction because they came to seek revenge, how could I destroy them? I merely urged them not to hold onto such angry and hateful thoughts, and I have them if they refrained from hatred—this is wisdom. It is not through blowing them up, if I blew them up, who would the sentient beings within seek a reckoning with? Of course it would be me! They must seek their revenge somewhere, right? Therefore, one requires wisdom to liberate sentient beings.
 
Give rise to an unobstructed, naturally equal mind that enters into understanding. When you give rise to this kind of mindset, certain obstacles to learning Buddhism will disappear, giving rise to a naturally equal mind that enters into understanding. This means to follow equanimity, refrain from a distinguishing and calculative mind, and enter the gate of understanding and practice to unravel any doubts about the Buddha Dharma. Why do you still have so many doubts about Buddha Dharma and the guru? Because you have not cultivated the Six Paramitas, naturally you don’t possess the equal mind that enters into understanding. For example, when Rinpoche met His Holiness, I naturally believed, took refuge, and followed him to learn Buddhism without any other thought. This resulted from practicing in the previous lifetimes, since you did not practice in the past life, you must change in this, and do not think through your own views.  Your views are those of ordinary human beings, how can you view the guru, the sutras, and a guru who has attained achievement and reached fruition through the views of ordinary human beings?

I often say that if I broke the precepts or went against anything of the Buddha or the guru’s teachings, how could I transfer consciousness? Ghosts are much more in tune than you, the ghosts all know whether or not I can transfer consciousness. If I cannot transfer consciousness, would you still feel cold when I perform the Chod Dharma now? No, because the ghosts won’t come. When you hope it won’t be cold, it means no ghosts will come, which means two things: first, I have liberated all the ghosts. Could that be possible? No, it’s impossible because people are dying every day. Second, the ghosts do not want to come because I have broken the precepts. Therefore, if you keep thinking about me through your own views, you’ll all go down. What I can do, you can’t. If you think you’re so capable, next time there’s a typhoon, I won’t practice any Dharma, you do it, how’s that? There’s going to be a typhoon soon, I can teach you how to practice Dharma. 
 
How ridiculous that some of you thought of comparing yourselves to me, despite the fact that I still look like a human. Let’s not discuss how much I have cultivated in terms of my heart, since I began practicing Buddhism at the age of 35, it has been nearly 40 years. Even if I only recited one thousand times each day it’s more than what you have recited; isn’t it so? So stop comparing yourselves to me, will you? You can compare whether you are older or younger than me, whether you drive as fast as me—that’s alright. (The assembly laughs.) But, do not compare any of the rest with me, you don’t have the ability to compare with me. 

Let me tell you once again, I have practiced for 40 years—if I recited the Great Six-Syllable Mantra one thousand times each day, nothing more—count how many times I have recited it. Moreover, I have gone through over a dozen retreats, each lasting from a week to at least one month, two months, or even three. Have you ever entered a retreat? On what basis do you compare yourselves to me? Because you are a man and so am I? But there are all types of men, ones that speak Cantonese Mandarin and ones that speak Taiwanese Mandarin, right? (The assembly laughs.) Therefore, don’t compare. The Buddhist sutras teach us not to compare, don’t they? (The assembly replies: Yes.) One must be content with one’s station—the more content you are with your place, the greater your chances are of achievement. 

I used to be the only person of Han ethnicity in a circle of Tibetans—I was always content with my station—if His Holiness did not tell me to sit over there, I would not sit there, nor would I fight for the seat or to see His Holiness. Even His Holiness announced me as the grand donor who donated over US$ 16 million—does that make me a grand donor? I do not fight for anything, I remain content with my station, and await the guru’s arrangement. You are different, you fight for everything and try to tell me what you want. I never told His Holiness anything about what Dharmas I wanted to learn, and yet he threw everything at me, what to do?
 
Sutra: ‘Therefore, the five roots and five forces give rise to the heart that destroys the mindset that submits reluctantly.’ 
 
Therefore, the five roots and five forces— look up these two terms for me. Only those who practice this way can attain the five roots and five forces; these are Buddhist terminologies. To give rise to the heart that destroys the mindset that submits reluctantly—when one gives rise to this kind of heart, you can destroy the mindset that yields in submission. This type of mindset refers to learning Buddhism reluctantly for certain specific matters instead of for the sake of relieving oneself of life and death, helping sentient beings attain Buddhahood—this is submission. Submission means that you are dissatisfied with certain situations and hope that Buddha Dharma can help you, thus you come to learn Buddhism. This represents 99 percent of you because you all come for specific matters, and that’s what we call reluctant submission. It is better to have a heart of reluctant submission than to have none at all because at least you know that you possess causal conditions and karmic forces, and therefore hope to receive the help of Buddha Dharma, which is much better off than the people who don’t believe at all. However, if one hopes to go further, this type of reluctant submission for specific reasons cannot bring you any further—you will stop at a certain stage. Since you come reluctantly instead of through true motivation to learn Buddhism, you’re learning Buddhism with a heart that submits reluctantly. 

Sutra: ‘With respect to the Seven Branches of Realization (saptabodhyaṅga), there arises the distinguished Bodhicitta.’  
 
Seven Branches of Realization (saptabodhyaṅga), male monastic disciple, do you know about it? Don’t you? ( The monastic replies: I have heard of it, but have forgotten.) Go look this up, and I will explain it to you next time.
 
There arises the distinguished Bodhicitta. How can the Bodhicitta be distinguished? The Bodhicitta can be distinguished as the worldly Bodhicitta and the incomparably wondrous Bodhicitta. What is the worldly Bodhicitta? When we give rise to the power of compassion (maitrī and karuṇā), we will want to cultivate the Bodhicitta—this is the worldly Bodhicitta. The incomparably wondrous Bodhicitta is the Bodhicitta of śūnyatā (Puja Teachings Index 21), which is naturally generated without thinking about it. As long as sentient beings are facing difficulties, are in need of Buddha Dharma’s help, or need to learn Buddhism, it arises naturally. Therefore,  why does one generate the distinguished Bodhicitta? This means that, based on the Seven Branches of Realization (saptabodhyaṅga), different levels of the Bodhicitta arise through different stages of realization, which means that one’s motivation is very important. What one means by motivation is, for example, some people come to attend the puja for their personal benefits, and will therefore receive the blessings of a single person instead of the immense blessings from the various Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and the guru. If your motivation is to help sentient beings attain Buddhahood, the blessings become enormous. What are the benefits of enormous blessings? It helps lessen, eliminate, or even prevent the obstacles for us in learning Buddhism. 
 
Sutra: ‘With respect to the Noble Eightfold Path (āryāṣṭāṅgamārga), there arises the heart that observes and reflects upon the correct understanding.’  
 
What the above paragraph denotes are all the stages of cultivation in Buddha Dharma. First, it talks about the Five Roots and Five Forces, which, upon rising, destroy the mind of reluctant submission. Once the mind of reluctant submission disappears, the Seven Branches of Realization (saptabodhyaṅga) rise, which then gives rise to the distinguished Bodhicitta. Once the distinguished Bodhicitta rises, with respect to the Noble Eightfold Path (āryāṣṭāṅgamārga), there arises the heart that observes and reflects upon the correct understanding. Once we understand the Noble Eightfold Path (āryāṣṭāṅgamārga), we employ it to observe and reflect upon this correct mindset. The Noble Eightfold Path (āryāṣṭāṅgamārga),is a Buddhist term, so write it down for me. Because I never studied the sutra, I don’t know any of these terms. 

An ordained practitioner practices according to the different levels; according to Exoteric Buddhism, one practices level by level: from the Five Roots and Five Forces, to the destruction of the mind of reluctant submission. Then the Seven Branches of Realization (saptabodhyaṅga) give rise to the distinguished Bodhicitta. From the distinguished Bodhicitta, we get the Noble Eightfold Path (āryāṣṭāṅgamārga), which enables us to observe, visualize, and see this correct mindset that resolves doubt. Without these foundations, we often explain Buddha Dharma through our own intentions—our consciousness and experiences. For example, I once heard someone say that one should ‘repent only once, and do not repent again; should one continue to repent, this thought will still remain in your heart.’This is incorrect because the Dharma texts, even at the stage of Anuttarayoga-Tantra (Highest Yoga Tantra), state that one must repent, as the obstacles for practicing Buddhism from past lives still exist. This means that the person speaking had not practiced Anuttarayoga-Tantra (Highest Yoga Tantra), so they don’t understand what repentance is for, and believe that it is simply for worldly matters. If one repents for worldly matters, can one attain Buddhahood? No.
 
For example, in Anuttarayoga-Tantra (Highest Yoga Tantra), the Vajrasattva we practice is also different. Therefore, when the practice reaches a certain level, one will understand what the mind of correct understanding and resolving doubt is. The different levels are as in the way we studied in elementary school, middle school, high school, and college to receive different types of knowledge. Thus, it clearly states here that by practicing Exoteric Teachings, only once you have cultivated the mind of correct understanding, the Five Roots, Five Forces, destruction of the mind that submits reluctantly, the Seven Branches of Realization (saptabodhyaṅga), and attained the Noble Eightfold Path (āryāṣṭāṅgamārga) through different levels, can you truly attain the ability of correctly understanding all of Buddha Dharma. So, why do we need a guru? Once the guru understands, he will use the right means to teach you, showing you how to practice and saving you a lot of time. 

According to these teachings from the Buddhist sutra, it would take a very long time for you to practice, and would require you to chanding (Puja Teachings Index 06) and recite every day. You don’t have the French time to do so; you only have Taiwan time. What is Taiwan time? Scrolling on the phone, watching TV, and gossiping; so you don’t have the time. Why does Vajrayana so strongly require one to listen to the guru? Because a meritorious guru doesn’t appear out of thin air—he must have gone through many trials and cultivation. His teachings on the Buddha Dharma are absolutely not of his own imagination or invention—it must all be taught according to the Dharma texts, sutras, and experiences of cultivation, which thereby saves you a lot of time. 

Why do we make offerings to the guru? The reason is here as well—because he has saved you a great deal of time and money. If you were to practice these few things from the scripture and reach realization at each stage one by one, you would need to retreat for at least a decade. Do you have the Taiwan time to do all this? Since you don’t, listen to the guru. How do you know if the guru is capable? I dare not say that I am capable, but at least His Holiness told me to build a Monastery of my own. Because in Tibet, it is clearly stated that a Rinpoche who has attained achievement will have the good fortune to build his own monastery. When His Holiness told me to build the Monastery, I had no idea how, where, how much money it would cost, or where that money would come from. But I went forward and built it—this is the achievement of my practice. Just as His Holiness said, you’ll encounter help with whatever you do—that is the achievement of your practice. Since everything I do is Buddha Dharma, naturally the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will help me and enable me to attain achievement. When I need people, they appear—whatever I need comes about. So, you compare yourselves to me—will you stop? Let’s not talk about building a monastery; you couldn’t even create a shrine for the Tudi Gong (Earth Deity) on a tree if I asked you. And yet you still compare? Shameless. That is a very harsh thing I just said — you are truly shameless. Someone might say: ‘Why can he do it and I cannot?’ Comparing oneself to others — what is the next line? (The assembly: It drives you mad.) You said it — not me.
 
The Buddhist sutras teach us not to compare. The Bodhisattvas do not compare, why? Each of them has their own vow power. In a previous incarnation, Shakyamuni Buddha constantly compared while propagating the Buddha Dharma with Amitabha Buddha; Shakyamuni Buddha also believed that his teachings on sunyata were the supreme Buddha Dharma, and that some of the Dharma unrelated to sunyata that Amitabha Buddha taught were not as great and advanced. Therefore, when Shakyamuni Buddha attained Buddhahood in this life, it was in the Saha world under great hardship. When Amitabha Buddha attained Buddhahood, it was in the World of Ultimate Bliss (sukhavati), under comfortable conditions—the difference was a single thought. All the teachings from the Buddhist sutras are for the sake of enabling you to attain Buddhahood, so you must make clear your mindset and motivations now. It’s ok if you cannot accomplish them now, but this path, these thoughts, and your direction must be correct; don’t go down the wrong path. If you’re mistaken, you must drag yourselves back. 
 
Why do I ask you to use the Thirty-seven Practices of the Bodhisattvas? Because the Thirty-seven Practices of the Bodhisattvas constantly point out your mistakes to bring you back on the correct path. If you don’t employ the Thirty-seven Practices of the Bodhisattvas, even if I prevent you from falling into the Three Evil Realms, it does not mean that you will have the chance to learn Buddhism in your next life. Because when the mind is incorrect, you’re on the wrong path. All that Rinpoche teaches is useful to you, why should I keep emphasizing the Thirty-seven Practices of the Bodhisattvas to you? I could transmit the Jambhala Dharma to you so that you can practice it everyday, and tell you to give me some once you get rich. You all know that I am very capable when it comes to practicing the Jambhala Dharma, but why don’t I transmit it? The Jambhala Dharma is for helping the impoverished sentient beings, monasteries, and Buddhist centers. Since you have made offerings to me, I practice it for you—I always practice the Jambhala on the first day of each Lunar New Year because you have all made offerings before. So, everyone has a job now, right?

You must all be clear that the correct understanding about Buddhism is not what you can imagine on your own, or learn from rumors along the way—it must all be based on the teachings from the Buddhist sutras. You must abide by the teachings if they are from the Buddhist sutras or Dharma texts. All of my teachings today are from the Buddhist sutras—none of it is of my own words or invention. For example, as mentioned earlier the Five Roots, Five Forces, and the Seven Branches of Realization (saptabodhyaṅga)—have you accomplished them? If not, on what basis can you call yourselves Buddhists? Be obedient and follow instructions. 
 
Particularly since Rinpoche attained achievement as a layman, I understand your worldly matters more than anyone. I am not ordained—I am lay and thereby understand these matters even more than you do. When I told you not to speculate (pronounced ‘chao’ in Mandarin, similar to the word for frying food in a wok) someone thought I meant not to fry vegetables. I don’t understand why there are such foolish people. I can’t speak too plainly; otherwise people in finance will berate me for hindering their business. Good, now practice the Dharma Protector. (The assembly: Thank you, Rinpoche.)

Gongchig (dgongs gcig, The Same Intention) by Lord Jigten Sumgon
 
Rinpoche led the disciples in practicing the Dharma Protector Achi Liturgy, and proceeded to bestow teachings: 
 
I flipped open  Jigtien Sumgon’s Same Intention. It first says here that ‘Any sentient being can attain merit through upholding precepts.’Jigtien Sumgon states, ‘To restrain all unvirtuous acts is the reason for establishing the precepts for all sentient beings. Causal conditions arise without deception; any sentient beings who transgress the precepts incur fault. For these three reasons, any being who upholds the precept accumulates merit.’This sentence means that whether one is an ordained or lay disciple, as long as one upholds the precepts, one shall definitely have merit. 
 
Jigtien Sumgon states, ‘Any sentient beings who transgress the precepts incur fault. ’If any sentient being disobeys the precepts, they are mistaken. The entire system of precepts was established for the whole — not formulated separately for monastics and laypeople. 
 
‘Therefore, anyone, regardless of their social standings, will incur fault if they transgress the precepts—this is the fundamental nature of fate generation; therefore, with regard to the training rules taught by the guru of the teaching, precepts so precious as these, one must be willing to relinquish even one’s life rather than transgress them.’ This sentence makes it clear that one should not think that if one breaks the precepts, one can just come and repent. Even if one must relinquish one’s life, one must not break the precepts. You may open the precepts, go against them, but you must not break them. What does it mean to break, to open? I have taught you in the past and will not explain them again today. 
 
The reason why  I specifically emphasized these two aspects today is that many believe that there are no precepts in the school of Vajrayana. But actually there are—the precepts are much stricter in practicing Vajrayana Dharma—more so than the ordained precepts for Bikkus and Bikshunis. Why are they stricter? Because once one cultivates Vajrayana, one’s vow power, heart, and capabilities become great, and if the practitioner does not uphold precepts, one can very easily hurt oneself and even others. Some Dharma texts even tell us that one mustn’t practice certain Dharmas casually and what the results will be if one does practice them—but this is not within the realm of discussion for today. 
 
Regardless of whether you wish to learn Buddhism today, you must uphold the precepts — you must keep them. Of course, for one who has received the precepts, the karmic consequence of breaking them will certainly appear more quickly. For one who has not taken refuge and has not received the precepts, and yet breaks them — the karmic consequence will also appear: perhaps more slowly, perhaps more severely, perhaps with the consequence distributed across many occurrences. These precepts were not established by Shakyamuni Buddha merely because people wished to learn the Dharma. 

 ‘Therefore, whether or not a Buddha appears in the world, whether or not precepts are established — based on the Dharma nature of all phenomena, for any sentient being, any sacred being, the fruits of suffering and happiness will arise distinctly and without confusion. This is how it has always been — therefore any sentient being who upholds the precepts will have the fruit of merit.’ This means that regardless of any sentient being — whether a practitioner or a noble one — the fruit of suffering and the fruit of happiness arise separately and without confusion. It is impossible for an entire life to be only happiness or only suffering — karmic consequences will certainly appear. Any sentient being who is willing to uphold the precepts will have the fruit of merit appear. Therefore it is only through upholding precepts that ding (Puja Teachings Index 06)  is produced; it is only through ding (Puja Teachings Index 06)  that wisdom is produced; and it is only through the production of wisdom that sūnyatā(Puja Teachings Index 21) can be realized.

It states clearly here that you should not think that you can break precepts casually once you learn Buddhism—once you break a precept, you have to practice a great deal more in order to restore this precept, and you must also repent completely from the bottom of the heart instead of think you can get away with things through luck: I made a mistake, but now the guru, Buddha, and Bodhisattvas have forgiven me. The Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and the guru do not forgive or refuse to forgive—they can only accept your repentance. Upon accepting repentance, it means that you will not commit the mistake ever again. If once repentance is accepted, and yet you still refrain from changing, it is all still the same. The meaning of accepting your repentance is that the guru, Buddha, and Bodhisattvas bear witness to prove that you have changed, and to tell those sentient beings: he is willing to change, so give him some time. This is the effect—it isn’t that when you say, ‘Guru, I have been wrong,’ the karmic fruit won’t occur. If that were the case, then everyone would first break the precepts completely and come tell me, ‘Guru, I have repented.’What about the karmic fruit? Thus, this is not the case.
 
I often remind everyone — whether or not you wish to learn Buddhism, be careful. In a world as turbulent as this, one must be even more careful: step by step, with caution at every turn. Do not indulge yourself, do not let yourself become lax — one moment of carelessness and something will go wrong. Because the place where we dwell is the world of the five degeneracies — as the sutras teach — where one may at any moment be swept into inauspicious shared karma, evil shared karma. So you must resolve firmly to protect yourself with precepts — precept-protection, protecting yourself. Do not think that precepts are there to control you — they are there to protect you. Do not think that after breaking a precept, confessing will mean the karmic consequence will not appear — that is not correct. Everyone breaks the precept first and then comes to tell Rinpoche: ‘I was wrong, Rinpoche, please forgive me.’ My forgiveness has nothing to do with it — I only receive your confession. Everyone mistakenly thinks that once confession is done, nothing will happen.
 
Many people have performed prostrations before Emperor Liang’s Repentance Rite — within it there is a phrase: the flower of sin flies. The flower of sin has flown. What does flying mean? Many people think that when the flower of sin flies away, it will no longer bear fruit — is that the meaning? It is not. When the flower of sin flies, it still carries seeds with it. Whether those seeds will descend and bear fruit — that is unknown. What the flying of the sin-flower means is that the time for the fruit to ripen has slowed, has lengthened — giving you sufficient time to cultivate a great deal of virtuous Dharma, so that the evil fruit, the fruit itself, becomes less bitter, less sour. If there were no karmic consequences after repentance, what would be the point of it? Why is it that after taking refuge, one must first receive the precepts? One could simply not receive them! Just as in other religions — water is poured from the head down over the face, one soaks briefly in a pool, and it is declared: you are clean. By that logic, soaking in the bathtub every day would make one clean.

Whether or not Buddha is born into this world to regulate these precepts, we must be clear that any sentient beings, once born into the world, will encounter the continual occurrence of karmic fruit of both joy and suffering. This denotes that you must have karma, causes and conditions, and since there is karma, you must protect yourselves with the precept to stop creating causes of suffering—it does not manipulate or control you; it protects you, lessens, or even prevents the karmic fruit of suffering in the future. 
 
Many people very easily let themselves become lax. ‘Rinpoche, I was wrong — I have come to repent.’ As a Bodhisattva, one must accept your confession — one cannot refuse it. But after the confession — has there been change? No change, still the same — what is the point of coming to repent? In particular, when the guru accepts your confession, it means he has become your witness — declaring that you will change. The Dharma Protector was already about to deal with you — and now temporarily stops. But if you do not change, the Dharma Protector will come. Do not disbelieve this. I have cultivated the practice of the Achi Dharma Protector to the point where many people have seen her standing behind me. You do not have the capacity to see this — but many who consider themselves to have psychic powers or a third eye have seen her. Today Rinpoche particularly raises these two points: those who uphold the precepts all accumulate merit; those who transgress the precepts all incur fault. I tell you very clearly: Jigten Sumgon, as the founder of an entire tradition, would absolutely not speak carelessly or casually — what he has been able to say must be the truth.

So you must listen, you must carry it out, you must watch over yourselves — do not let yourselves off. Does even a single arising thought matter? We speak of body, speech, and mind, do we not? When an evil thought arises, immediately recite the mantra to suppress it— do not allow it to continue. Our thoughts are like the prayer beads, following one after another — they do not burst out all at once in a single rush; they come one by one, around and around in a circle. The first one arises — if you stop it there, the second that arises will be different. But if you keep pursuing it, thinking: ‘This guru is wrong — but where exactly is he wrong?’ — that is the second. ‘He really is wrong!’ — that is the third. ‘Where is he wrong?’ — that is the fourth. And so the evil thoughts keep accumulating — keep accumulating — and the mind becomes unwholesome. All virtuous Dharma becomes irrelevant to you, because all of the Buddha Dharma is virtuous. If you are able to stop it — with what method do you stop it? With faith and reverence — and it stops. The wholesome thought that arises next will suppress it. Have you understood? Teaching you is like teaching kindergarten — truly exhausting. (The assembly in unison: Thank you, Rinpoche.)
 
Let me remind you once again: as ordinary human beings, you possess both evil and virtuous thoughts because greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt all still exist—you have not yet disposed of them, but you must not keep chasing after evil thoughts. Once you give rise to an evil thought in thinking that the guru is wrong, don’t keep thinking, ‘In what aspect is he wrong? How is he wrong? Can I accept it? To what extent is he wrong? Should I point out his mistake? Should I tell the others? Or should I keep it to myself?’ This way there are 9? Isn’t this evil? Would this give you good health? I can guarantee not. 
 
I would not do that — why not? Because I fear cause and effect. You are not afraid of cause and effect. You repent — ‘Rinpoche, I repent to you.’ I am not angry with any of you. Whatever any of you do, however you treat me — I will not be angry, and I will not withhold forgiveness. It is simply that when Rinpoche sees you in this state — unwilling to learn Buddhism —  then I shall not let you learn it, that is all. To prevent you from continuing to create evil karma. Everyone must understand this clearly, all right? Now, in the blink of an eye, it is already July. This year is passing quickly. I also have a little less time left on this earth. How long I can live — I myself do not know exactly; I have an approximate sense, but I cannot tell you. So everyone must be clear: to learn Buddhism— this resolve is your own, it is yours to determine. By no means come to learn Buddhism with a mind of submission under pressure. 
 
Next, Rinpoche led the assembly in performing the dedication liturgy.

« Previous - Puja Teachings - Next »

Updated on July 22, 2026