His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, during the General puja at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Taipei, compassionately (maitr\u012b and karu\u1e47\u0101) bestowed a pair of Vajra and bell upon each of 19 disciples with a fate to practice Vajrayana, indicating that Rinpoche is going to begin to transmit Vajra Dharma.<\/b>
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\nTibetan Buddhism attaches great importance to the lineage of transmission and reliance on the guru and the sequential guidance of the guru. After observing these disciples over a long period of time, Rinpoche, during today\u2019s General puja, compassionately (maitr\u012b and karu\u1e47\u0101) performed Dharma according to the Dharma text, blessing each pair of Vajra and bell before personally bestowing them, one by one, to the 19 disciples. Rinpoche then gave a detailed explanation of the profound meaning represented by the Vajra and bell. He repeatedly demonstrated the proper way of holding and shaking them, patiently corrected the disciples\u2019 handling of the Vajra, bell, and hand drum, and taught that the essence of learning and practicing the Buddha Dharma lies in one\u2019s heart. Above all, practitioners must possess complete respect, reverence, and faith in their guru and in the Buddha Dharma.<\/b><\/p>\n
According to the different fate and root-capacity of each sentient being, Rinpoche guides the disciples step by step in practicing the path of liberation, leading them out of the sea of suffering. The disciples deeply understand that the Vajrayana lineage is even incomparably wondrous and that receiving its transmission is entirely due to the compassionate (maitr\u012b and karu\u1e47\u0101) attraction (Puja Teachings Index 22) of the guru. They pray to always remember their guru\u2019s teachings, faithfully practice according to his instructions, and never disappoint his boundless compassion (maitr\u012b and karu\u1e47\u0101) and painstaking efforts.<\/b>
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\nRinpoche ascended the mandala and respectfully made prostrations to all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, then he offered a khata to the wish-granting jewel Dharma throne of His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Afterwards, Rinpoche sprinkled blessed water before White Tara with a Kalasha, and then purified the 19 pairs of Vajra and bell placed upon the mandala. After ascending the Dharma throne, Rinpoche recited the Hundred-Syllable Mantra and the Great Six-Syllable Mantra before bestowing the following precious Dharma teachings:<\/p>\n
Today, there will be some special liturgies. As everyone knows, when learning Buddhism, one first learns Exoteric Buddhism. When the proper fate has matured, as the guru considers the time that a disciple is ready to receive Vajrayana (the so-called Secret or Vajra Vehicle), the guru will begin giving the teachings. However, whether or not you are qualified to learn Vajrayana does not depend on how many prostrations you have done, how much you have practiced, how much you have wished to learn, or how long you have spent on retreat. It is determined entirely by your guru. Why is this decision made by your guru? Because there are many requirements that must be fulfilled before one is qualified to practice Vajrayana. If I were to explain them all, it could take more than one or even two full days. Therefore, a guru must observe the disciples over a considerable period of time before deciding whether to transmit the Dharma.<\/p>\n
Take my own experience as an example, I took refuge in His Holiness in 1983, and he observed me for more than ten years before he gradually began transmitting Vajrayana to me. Vajrayana is divided into the Kriya-Tantra (Action Tantra), the Charya-Tantra (Performance Tantra), the Yoga-Tantra (Yoga Tantra), and the Anuttarayoga-Tantra (Highest Yoga Tantra). Those with poorer root-capacities practice the Kriya-Tantra (Action Tantra), the Charya-Tantra (Performance Tantra); those with better root-capacities practice Yoga Tantra; and those of the upper root-capacities practice the Anuttarayoga-Tantra (Highest Yoga Tantra). Every one of these requires the guru\u2019s oral transmission, guidance, and blessings. For example, during these two retreats, almost everyone in the retreat heard the mantras chanted by Rinpoche in blessing. Why? Because Rinpoche continually blessed them, removing all obstacles and keeping them healthy during their retreat.<\/p>\n
Since I began to help sentient beings in 1995 and established the Buddhist Center in 1997, so many years have passed that I finally selected 19 people whom I consider qualified to begin receiving the Vajra Dharma, the so-called \u2018Vajrayana.\u2019 Many people may think that this means these disciples have practiced better than others. Do not misunderstand. Receiving Vajrayana does not mean a person is better or more capable than anyone else. It simply means that their attitude is different from that of ordinary people. In what way is it different? They have made up their minds to attain the Bodhisattva stage and ultimately Buddhahood, rather than spending every day imploring the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to help them with the countless trivial matters of worldly life. Only after observing them over such a long period of time did I feel that these 19 disciples were, albeit just barely, for me to begin transmitting the Vajrayana teachings that I have received.
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\nMany people may think, \u2018Hasn\u2019t Rinpoche always been performing Vajrayana?\u2019Yes, I have always been performing Vajrayana on your behalf, but I have not transmitted it. Many people think that once they have completed the Four Extraordinary Foundations of Vajrayana Ngondro, they are ready to learn Vajrayana, that is not necessarily the case. Even for those who have been in retreat, I still may not transmit it to them, because this is how I myself learned Vajrayana. His Holiness did not gather a large group of people and transmit Vajrayana to them. For example, in 2007, when I went to Lapchi Snow Mountain for a retreat, His Holiness only brought me. There is plenty of space on Lapchi Snow Mountain, and many people could have gone there for a retreat at any time, yet His Holiness brought only me. His Holiness has many disciples in Taiwan, many disciples throughout the world, and also many monastic disciples. Why did he bring only me? Please think carefully about this. It was not because I made great offerings, nor because my root-capacity was especially superior. Of course, my root-capacity is a bit better than ordinary people\u2019s, but the most important reason was that His Holiness noticed that, in this lifetime, for the sake of the Buddha Dharma and sentient beings, I would disregard even my own life. I do not cherish anything about myself. As long as I have not yet drawn my last breath, no matter how difficult it may be, I will still climb onto the Dharma throne and perform the Dharma.
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\nMany people learn Buddhism hoping to learn it comfortably and happily. What are they really learning? Just two days ago, I came across another Vajrayana text that states very clearly: if you are looking forward to a future life, then you should not practice Vajrayana. Exoteric Buddhism clearly explains the cultivation for future lives, that is the path for ordinary people. Why do we vow to be reborn in Amitabha\u2019s Land? Because you are cultivating for a future lifetime. Vajrayana, however, is the practice of this very lifetime. If you succeed in this life, then you have succeeded. This is why Vajrayana possesses such great capability and can accomplish what others cannot. The power of Vajrayana is tremendous, and it comes from the greatness of its motivation. Therefore, if you come to listen to the Buddha Dharma merely because you want it to help you improve your temper or change your personality, I advise you not to come anymore. Why? Because you are not learning the Buddha Dharma. If all you want is to change your temper or personality, you can achieve some improvement by reading the works left by the sages of the past every day, it can also change some of your characters.
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\nToday I selected 19 disciples, according to what criteria? I do not need to tell you what those criterias are, I make that decision according to what is taught in the Dharma texts, there is no need for me to explain it to you, because I know all of you very well. If I told you anything, you would simply do it, but that would be Conditioned Dharma. If you continue to practice the Buddha Dharma taught by the guru, one day your guru will definitely see the results of your cultivation. Just like His Holiness continually transmitted the Dharma to me, yet he never told me what I would become in the future, he never spoke of it. For example, the Great Amitabha Puja of Transferring Consciousness that I now perform was transmitted by His Holiness when he came to Taiwan one year. He suddenly took me to a place, a house that someone offered to His Holiness to stay, and His Holiness recited the Dharma text once while sitting by the window, and then said, \u2018All right. From now on, you will begin practicing this Dharma.\u2019 He did not tell me how to arrange the mandala, how to recite during the Dharma performance, or even how to do the visualizations. For how many years have I held the Great Amitabha Puja of Transferring Consciousness for twenty thousand attendees? (The assembly replies:Seventeen years.) If, during those seventeen years, I had not transmitted the sentient beings\u2019consciousnesses properly, regardless of the fact that I would perhaps not even be alive today, this Monastery of mine would never have been built.
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\nWhy was this Monastery able to be built? Besides the blessings of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Dharma Protectors, and my guru, the most important reason is that all the sentient beings whom I have liberated have allowed me to accomplish this thing smoothly and successfully. People may not see how powerful I am, but now I have proven it. Why did His Holiness say that I should build the Monastery? It was to prove to others whether or not I had truly achieved attainments through practice. If you do not believe it, then go and build a monastery yourselves. You will not be able to do it, even with money! Why can\u2019t money alone establish the Monastery? Because there are countless complicated matters that money cannot resolve, they undoubtedly require good fortune and wisdom to cope with one by one. Especially in Taiwan, it is impossible to find a piece of land with no one living nearby. Such a place does not exist, even if you went to the seashore, someone would eventually come to see what you were doing. The establishment of this Monastery at the very least demonstrates that this Rinpoche possesses great good fortune and is not an ordinary person. Moreover, every aspect of this Monastery has been established and carried out completely according to the Dharma.
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\nI will now begin the liturgy and give a pair of Vajra and bell to each of the disciples I have selected. These Vajra and bells indicate that they are qualified to receive Vajrayana I teach from now on. They are also qualified to receive my teachings in the practices of the solar plexus and bindus. However, this does not mean that they are now senior disciples, because they are not qualified to teach sentient beings. However, a Buddhist Center should cultivate both Exoteric Buddhism and Vajrayana simultaneously. Therefore, I must train a group of disciples.
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\nThe Vajra and bell represent a token, because the practice of Vajrayana requires both the Vajra and bell, as well as the hand drum. The bell and Vajra represent s\u016bnyat\u0101 (Puja Teachings Index 21) and activities, also represent indestructible. Once you receive this pair of Vajra and bell, they will accompany you for the rest of your life. If you lose them or have someone else use them, that is none of my business, take care of it by yourselves. From now on, whenever I ring the bell while performing the Dharma, those disciples who have a Vajra and bell will ring theirs together with me. This signifies that you are now qualified to participate in the process of the Dharma performance. But, it does not mean that you are practicing the Dharma as you sit below reciting mantras, you\u2019re not!
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\nLet me tell you again: when you recite mantras, it is simply to keep your mind from wandering, so that you can listen attentively to Rinpoche\u2019s mantra recitation. Do not think that because everyone is reciting together, the combined power is therefore great. There is a saying in Tibet: the merit derived from the practice of a monastic who abides by the precepts is equal to that of one hundred lay practitioners who have taken refuge. The merit of a Khenpo is equal to that of one hundred monastics who abide by the precepts. A Khenpo is one who trains monastics in the liturgies of practice, retreat, etc. The merit of a Rinpoche is equal to that of one hundred Khenpos. The merit of an Ngakpa (Puja Teachings Index 02), a lay Rinpoche, is equal to that of one hundred Rinpoches. A tert\u00f6n master, one who discovers the Dharma texts left by the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Padmasambhava, possesses the merit of one hundred Ngakpas (Puja Teachings Index 02). I am an Ngakpa (Puja Teachings Index 02). So if you multiply my merit, how many people\u2019s merit would that equal? How many? Who here studied mathematics? (Someone replies: One million.) One million. So each of you contributes only one millionth while reciting below. Is that of any use? No! But Rinpoche still compassionately (maitr\u012b and karu\u1e47\u0101) allows you to recite, because otherwise you would be too bored.
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\nThe Dharma texts also state very clearly that, before you have achieved attainment in the practice of any yidam, you must never use that yidam\u2019s mantra or statue to bless the sick or attempt to change another person\u2019s problems. Otherwise, you will forever suffer from poor health, forever experience financial loss, and never attain attainment in the practice of that yidam. Nowadays, there are many people doing exactly this. I even have a disciple who is a physician. Before taking refuge in me, he enjoyed forming Buddhist mudras and constantly reciting and making mudras for other people. They do not understand the serious consequences involved, before achieving attainment in the practice of a yidam, if you continually make use of that yidam to earn money, the karmic retribution is extremely severe! When I first began learning Buddhism, I did not accept a single offering, even from disciples who had taken refuge in me, until His Holiness told me that I could. Without good fortune, how could I accept offerings? They must all be repaid. That is why, even today, I absolutely do not accept offerings from those who have not taken refuge. If they have not taken refuge and are not learning the Buddha Dharma, how could I possibly repay what I receive from them? Therefore, I simply do not accept their offerings. It is not that Rinpoche lacks compassion (maitr\u012b and karu\u1e47\u0101). Rather, it is precisely because of my compassion (maitr\u012b and karu\u1e47\u0101).
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\nLater, I will perform a very simple Dharma for each pair of Vajra and bell. Each of the selected disciples will come forward to receive a Vajra and a bell. From now on, you will all sit in the front row. Every movement you make, even the blink of an eye, I will be able to see clearly. So sitting in the front row is not a good thing. Secondly, do not think that learning Vajrayana makes you superior. The Fourteen Common Tantric Root Downfalls<\/i> clearly state that those who practice Vajrayana must never criticize those who learn Exoteric Buddhism or those who learn Hinayana. Each person has his or her own fate, and no one should criticize another. The fact that you have the fate to receive Vajrayana does not make you nobler than others. Those who have not learned Vajrayana are not necessarily any less accomplished. It is simply that their path may take longer. Even through the practice of Exoteric Buddhism alone, one can achieve attainment, but it requires more time.
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\nThe practice of Vajrayana is the Dharma of Rapid Attainment. It makes it possible to achieve attainment within a single lifetime. But because it is a swift path, you must also be prepared to give up a great deal. What must you give up? As far as human things are concerned, if they are unnecessary, you simply let them go. What does that mean? Others may have time for entertainment, but you will not. Does that mean your life will be miserable? Once you achieve attainment in your practice, you will realize that it is not suffering at all. Why do all of you suffer now? Because you have not yet achieved attainment. Because you are still living a human life. Because you still have the desires of ordinary people. Therefore, whenever the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas do not fulfill your wishes, you suffer. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas teach us how to attain Buddhahood, become Bodhisattvas, and free ourselves from birth and death and reincarnation. They do not teach us how to satisfy our countless trivial desires. Now that I have authorized these disciples to begin learning Vajrayana, their path will become even more demanding, learning Vajrayana is extremely arduous. It is certainly not as you may imagine, reciting sutras all day and thinking that is OK. It is very demanding, I\u2019m clearly an example.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Next, Rinpoche instructed an attendant to present a pair of Vajra and bell. Holding the Vajra in his right and ringing the bell with his left, Rinpoche recited mantras to bless the Vajra and bell. Then he personally called each disciple by name to come up to the mandala and personally bestowed the Vajra and bell upon them. As each disciple\u2019s name was called, he or she respectfully came forward, extended both hands to receive the Dharma implements, accepted the Vajra with the right hand and the bell with the left. Without sparing any effort, Rinpoche followed the liturgy, blessing each pair of Vajra and bell before personally bestowing them one by one.
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\nAfter the 19 disciples had received the Vajra and bell bestowed by Rinpoche, he began reciting mantras while ringing the bell and instructed them to ring their own bells together with him. With eyes full of compassion (maitr\u012b and karu\u1e47\u0101), Rinpoche continuously blessed each disciple as they rang their bells. Rinpoche showed a fatherly smile several times.<\/p>\n
After the bell-ringing concluded, Rinpoche expounded: You all ring the bell in various strange and bizarre ways; none of you take note of how I do it\u2014I mean, really! You keep looking at yourselves. In the past, the moment I picked up the bell and Vajra, I knew exactly how to ring the bell. Some of you ring the bell like this\u2026in the Era of Dharma Decline, there are very few sentient beings with the root capacity. Do not think that you will know what to do simply by picking up the bell and Vajra.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Next, Rinpoche demonstrated the correct way of holding the Vajra. You all hold it like this, which is wrong. Your hand must be tilted slightly, not horizontal like this, nor should it be completely slanted like this. Because I hold the Vajra in the manner of Vajrasattva, you may not hold the Vajra in this manner, since you have not attained achievement with Vajrasattva.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Again, Rinpoche demonstrated the correct method of ringing the bell and reprimanded Disciple-Lin: You ring the bell like so, as if you\u2019re throwing out the trash! And you\u2019ve studied music; I think you shouldn\u2019t learn Vajrayana. Just because I have bestowed the bell and Vajra upon you doesn\u2019t mean I cannot take them back\u2014they belong to me. I brought these bells and Vajras back from India twenty years ago. Therefore, don\u2019t consider these bells and Vajras yours because I have given them to you\u2014I can take them back anytime, as I have not asked you for any payment for them yet.\u00a0
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\nDon\u2019t look at others and think this is easy, only to end up doing it in such a scattered manner. His Holiness never taught me how to ring the bell, and yet why is it that when you pick them up, you do not know how to ring them? Because Rinpoche practices the Furious Sector, therefore my gesture is like this (Rinpoche demonstrates the method for ringing the bell in person). Usually they ring the bell like so; this is the ordinary way, but I most certainly do it like this because I learned the Vajra Furious Sector; the mudra for the Vajra Sector is different. When does one ring the bell? For instance, when you practice Achi Dharma Protector, at certain points you are asked to ring, and you should do so accordingly. The Vajra and the bell mean that you may practice wisdom along with compassion (maitr\u012b and karu\u1e47\u0101) in duality; this is called the dual practice of compassion (maitr\u012b and karu\u1e47\u0101) and wisdom. Therefore, you must delve into these methods and gestures.\u00a0<\/p>\n
One by one, Rinpoche demonstrated the mistakes the disciples made when ringing the bell. Disciple-Wei\u2019s body is moving when ringing the bell, are you fighting!? Look at how I ring the bell, you can never see my body moving. Therefore, ring gently, and it shall ring. Do you see me move like this? Disciple-Wu is like this as well. This is the first time ringing the bell, you are all stiff, and none of your wrists are soft. Either that or once you ring the bell, the sound is very faint, that\u2019s wrong. You do not take note of how the guru does it\u2014I rang for a long time on purpose for you to watch, and yet you\u2019re still the same, Disciple-Chou is like this as well. To learn Buddhism, one cannot do as one pleases, one must watch one’s guru, and if one cannot do so, one must go back and practice. Just because you have the Vajra and the bell does not mean you can definitely practice and attain success in the Vajra section, it is still very early on.\u00a0
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\nBells and Vajras come in a five-pronged form, including the central prong, and this is the type that you normally use. When we practice furious yidams, we use a nine-pronged Vajra. For example, whenever I practice Hevajra, I always use a nine-pronged vajra. All of this carries a very profound meaning. Bells and Vajras also vary greatly in quality and grade, the batch we have now is actually quite good.<\/p>\n
Rinpoche then instructed an attendant to bring forth the hand drum. You may buy a cloth bag to keep your bell and Vajra in. When you are at home, there is no need to put them in a bag if they are placed on the mandala, unless you are taking them somewhere. When placing the bell and Vajra on the mandala, do not arrange them as you would hold them in your hands, place them in the opposite orientation. On the mandala, they are always placed the other way around. Why? Because it\u2019s for the Bodhisattvas\u2019use. Only when you are about to use them should you take the Vajra into your right hand. In the future, you may also receive a hand drum. Since you are not permitted to use one made from bone, yours will be a wooden hand drum. After demonstrating how to play the hand drum, Rinpoche instructed the attendant, \u2018Let each one of them take a turn shaking it.\u2019<\/p>\n
One by one, the nineteen disciples took turns in shaking the hand drum, and one by one Rinpoche inspected and instructed them on how to drum properly.\u00a0
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\nDisciple-Chou, I\u2019ve noticed that you are very stiff! Disciple-Tu is very foolish. (Rinpoche pointed at another disciple) You follow her in being foolish. Okay, next, (Rinpoche pointed at another disciple) no strength. (Rinpoche pointed at another disciple) Didn\u2019t you eat? Next. (Rinpoche instructed the attendant to bring forth the hand drum) This wooden drum is already very light, and yet you\u2019ve all made a mess of drumming. (Rinpoche demonstrated how to shake the hand drum.) What\u2019s the difference? (The disciples reply: Rinpoche uses two fingers with great strength.)
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\nSo don\u2019t think that practicing the Dharma is easy, all right? After watching, do you think it\u2019s simple? Not a single one of you can actually do it. It\u2019s not a matter of brute force, why do you insist on using brute force? Because your mind is not gentle and supple. Especially Disciple-Chou\u2014you are as stiff as a board. How does one become soft and supple? It is because your mind has begun to cultivate compassion\u00a0 (maitr\u012b and karu\u1e47\u0101). Once compassion\u00a0 (maitr\u012b and karu\u1e47\u0101) naturally arises in your mind, every movement you make will become gentle and supple. You don\u2019t have to learn it as a technique. No one taught me either. His Holiness never taught me how to play the hand drum, he simply handed it to me and told me to figure it out myself. Nor did I study with any khenpo, I practiced little by little on my own. You have to pick it up yourself and experience it firsthand. Why? For example, when you don\u2019t yet know how to drum, you need to grip this part where the banner strap is attached. If you don\u2019t hold this part, the drum may fly out of your hand. Why don\u2019t you hold it? In fact, playing the drum does not depend on the strength of your wrist. It relies on the muscles of the forearm. (Rinpoche demonstrates the movement himself.) Especially when we play the large hand drum used in the Chod practice, it is certainly not as easy as you imagine.
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\nToday, this also tells others who want to learn Vajrayana Dharma that it is about accomplishing through body, mind, and speech together, rather than simply relying on reciting mantras. How does one accomplish through body, mind, and speech? Because every movement, every action you take is to benefit sentient beings and show reverence to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and the guru. If you constantly think of yourself, you will not be able to fulfill it. If you are trying to put on a good performance, you will never be able to do it. If you are trying to perform exactly like Rinpoche, you will not be able to do it either. It should all arise naturally, learning the Buddha Dharma is not a form of academic learning, nor is it simply a matter of being taught or of receiving something from someone else, everything arises from your self-nature. Once your self-nature begins to be restored, even the way you ring the bell and play the drum will naturally be different, it will come about effortlessly. Why can’t you do it? Because you are making a conscious effort to do it.<\/p>\n
Why do we ring the bell and play the drum? In Exoteric Buddhist monasteries you will have seen bell towers and drum towers. In truth, the meaning in the Dharma is the same \u2014 it is simply that Tibetan Buddhism has miniaturized the bell and drum, transforming them into bell, Vajra, and hand drum. Why? Because the sutras teach that striking the bell and beating the drum allow sentient beings of all Six Realms to hear the Dharma.
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\nOne simply could not play such large drums and bells constantly. Therefore, we\u2019ve miniaturized them into the bell and Vajra. The guru employs his compassionate (maitr\u012b and karu\u1e47\u0101) heart and, through the bell, vajra, and drum, enables sentient beings to hear all of the Buddha Dharma. The drum brings the chaotic minds of sentient beings to the state of ding (Puja Teachings Index 06), and the bell brings the excited minds of sentient beings into ding (Puja Teachings Index 06), while awakening them from the unenlightened state. Therefore, we ring the bells not for our own practice, but rather to enable sentient beings in hell to hear the Buddha\u2019s name when they hear the sound of the bells. For example, there is a monastery in Taiwan that always rings its bells in prayer every Lunar New Year, but that\u2019s complete nonsense! There are sutras and Buddhas\u2019 names engraved on the bells, and by striking them, sentient beings in hell will hear the sound. When they hear such sounds, their minds calm, enabling them to hear all the Buddhas\u2019 names and mantras, which then bless and benefit them. It is not the case that striking the bell benefits oneself and the fate of the nation, this is wrong.\u00a0
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\nTo come back to what was said \u2014 if one continuously strikes the bell, it lessens the suffering of beings in hell, because when we strike the bell, the anguish and cold hardness of the hell beings\u2019 hearts instantly dissolve, and they become cool and at ease. When this place becomes cool, disasters also diminish. When we shake the hand drum, it is so that sentient beings\u2019 minds do not keep moving restlessly \u2014 it settles them, so they follow the rhythm and listen to the Dharma. Therefore, everything used in the Dharma is for the sake of sentient beings, not for oneself. If you come to attend a puja, do not come with the attitude of \u2018I have already heard a great deal \u2014 that is enough, I will be fine.\u2019 The sutras do not say this, the Dharma texts do not say this. Those who have not taken refuge in the Buddha Dharma are forever auditors. And since they are auditors, they will have the opportunity to learn the Dharma again only in a future life. Do not think that by not taking refuge, one can rely on oneself to practice.
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\nYou have seen me ring the bell and hold the Vajra, and I\u2019ve allowed nineteen of them to do the same, but none of them succeed. When you are unable to do so, you are not diligently practicing the heart Dharma, you are even holding them wrong. You have all seen clearly how I hold them, why can\u2019t you do it correctly? You believe that \u2018I am practicing myself.\u2019Just as Disciple-Lin holds them this way.
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\nRinpoche reprimanded Disciple-Lin: You have gotten so used to taking out the trash. If you were young, I would have nothing to say \u2014 but at your age, still not paying attention \u2014 and you even studied music! In a symphony orchestra, if there were a bell, would anyone shake it like that? This shows that you are very stubborn. Disciple-Chou is also very stubborn, that is why she is so stiff.\u00a0
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\nRegardless of whether today we learn Exoteric teachings or Vajrayana, every action, every word, every thought is for the benefit of sentient beings \u2014 and also for our benefit, to leave the sea of suffering in samsara, it is not for the purpose of changing one\u2019s personality. Take, for example, some gurus throughout history who had very fierce temperaments and did not speak with gentle or pleasant words \u2014 if you did not listen, they would strike you with a stick. You might say their personality was bad \u2014 and yet they were practitioners? It is not that their personality was bad, they were using different methods to help different sentient beings. So whether today you wish to attend a puja, take refuge in Buddhism, or learn the Dharma \u2014 it must absolutely not be for the sake of some minor benefit in this one lifetime. If that is your reason, I urge you not to come. Outside there are many strange and crooked people of the external paths which will satisfy your minor desires. But learning Buddhism is not for the sake of desire, it is to resolve the problems that we have been unable to resolve across life after life. What problem? The problem of samsara. If you do not believe you will be reincarnated, then you do not believe in the Dharma. And if you think that by reciting a Buddha\u2019s name you can reach Amitabha Buddha\u2019s Pure Land \u2014 then you simply do not believe the sutras, because you have created your own brand. Everything that the sutras teach, we must do.<\/p>\n
For example, those who wish to practice on their own should not come to listen. Yesterday, a disciple came to implore me to transfer consciousness for her grandmother,\u00a0 I said, \u2018Do not come to implore me \u2014 tell your father to perform the consciousness-transference\u2019, because her father does not believe. I asked her, \u2018Your father has recited sutras, he has recited different sutras \u2014 one is the Ksitigarbha Sutra<\/i>, what\u2019s the other one?\u2019 She said: The Heart Sutra<\/i>. I said, well then tell your father to perform the consciousness-transference for your grandmother. The Ksitigarbha Sutra<\/i> mentions how to perform consciousness-transference \u2014 does it not? (The assembly replies: Yes.) One must prostrate until blood flows, prostrate until one faints, prostrate until one weeps, and one must sell one\u2019s grand mansion and make offerings to the Buddha. Your father recites the Ksitigarbha Sutra<\/i> \u2014 tell him these are the words of the Ksitigarbha Sutra<\/i>, not my words. If one does not follow this method, there is another method also taught in the Ksitigarbha Sutra<\/i>: one must donate all of the deceased\u2019s belongings in their name to perform virtuous deeds, one must extensively perform meritorious Dharma activities on behalf of the deceased, and one must continuously offer to the deceased the merit accumulated through one\u2019s own practice.
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\nTo practice the Vajra Dharma, you have all seen that as long as I have transferred consciousness for the deceased, there will definitely be auspicious signs. When the funeral home workers come, they all know that I have already performed the Dharma for the deceased, they\u2019ve said it themselves, these are not my own words\u2014because they have seen more dead people than living ones! Only then can you say that you have transferred consciousness. Many may say, \u2018Rinpoche is compassionate (maitr\u012b and karu\u1e47\u0101), but why won\u2019t he transfer consciousness?\u2019 In the Era of Dharma Decline, some people believe consciousness-transference to be something very simple and are disrespectful towards the Buddha Dharma and the guru; therefore, I must let them know that to implore the guru for consciousness-transference, one must fulfill certain criteria according to the Buddhist sutras, which are not of my own invention.\u00a0
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\nRecently I transferred the consciousness of a disciple\u2019s wife, I did not take a single penny from him, and he saw all the auspicious signs with his own eyes. Why did I not take a single penny from him? I will not go into the prior circumstances \u2014 at the very least, he never left my Buddhist Center, he is still my disciple, and what I have promised I will always fulfill. Not only did I not take a single penny from him \u2014 I did not even drink a cup of water from him. Rinpoche carried out what was asked. So do not think that Rinpoche lacks compassion (maitr\u012b and karu\u1e47\u0101)\u00a0<\/p>\n
As long as you remain my disciple, I have made two promises: One, I will definitely transfer your consciousness and prevent you from falling into the Three Evil Realms. Second, I will prevent you from dying from an untimely death unless you have broken the Five Precepts and the Samaya Precepts, and for those who practice the Vajrayana Dharma, if you break the Fourteen Root Downfalls, then I cannot do anything. For instance, Disciple-Wei\u2019s son got into such a severe car accident and yet nothing happened to him\u2014it\u2019s his good luck that his father happened to be in retreat. His father dreamed that he died in a car accident, and kept imploring me in the retreat room on behalf of his son. It becomes evident that the affection between father and son is greater than that of the guru and disciple.\u00a0
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\nOriginally, those of us in retreat pay no attention to whatever dreams occur. During one of my own retreats, I had similar dreams but disregarded them. Why? Whether something occurs or not \u2014 it is his fate as well as mine. As long as I am in retreat, I apply my mind wholeheartedly to the retreat. Disciple-Wei\u2019s participation in this retreat was superfluous, that is why I told his son to be filial to his father, because he wasted his father\u2019s time. For a father to seek the Dharma in this way is entirely understandable \u2014 but one who has entered the Vajrayana must have a mind that is firm and unyielding, unmoved by anything whatsoever. This is precisely why I have now, reluctantly and with considerable difficulty, selected only nineteen people.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the past, when I was in the retreat, I saw that something would happen to my family, I did not implore for it at all. Afterwards, matters happened exactly the same as what I had seen. Why did I not implore? This was everybody’s fate. I don\u2019t enter a retreat to implore for my family to be a certain way. I go into a retreat for cultivation, to help myself have the possibility to attain Buddhahood in this life, to be liberated from life and death, or to help sentient beings to be liberated from life and death. Therefore, why am I so powerful and capable of performing consciousness-tranference? I do it all for the sentient beings, each time of retreat is all for the sentient beings, it is not about\u00a0 what might happen to me, I think none at all. For example, this time of retreat, I did not eat any rice for the first three days. I ate only vegetables. It was not because I was not hungry; I was extremely hungry. Rather, it is to reduce my clothing and food and to give them to sentient beings. Today, we had a meal to eat, it was with the help of sentient beings. Entering the retreat, I will give this back to sentient beings. I saw some monastics bring large quantities of snacks into a retreat to eat, afraid of starving to death. What kind of retreat is that? This physical body is able to stay alive and let you go into retreat, then you just get into the retreat! Secondly, don\u2019t you believe in the yidam and the guru? The guru will definitely protect you.<\/p>\n
For example, when I entered a retreat, I would perform Dharma to protect the twenty-nine disciples who were in retreat, so that there would be no health problems. Many of them have illnesses, but it turns out nothing happened. Every day, they hear me reciting mantras. There is no amplification machine installed in my place, yet they still hear it everyday. What lies in Rinpoche\u2019s mind now are my disciples, and all the thoughts are about sentient beings. Especially that you are willing to enter a retreat, and I keep you even more constantly in my thoughts. Is there still any need for one to implore? If you are willing to practice, then there is no need to implore. If one is willing to practice, what is there to fear? One hopes that merely by coming a few times, and can obtain everything? I have said this many times, if it were so simple, I would be the first to raise my hand and tell His Holiness that I no longer practice.
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\nI have already entered retreat twice this year, and I still need to do so again. Because all day long, I am terribly worn down by you; people who are not qualified to implore for liberation come and trouble me, and yet it is hard to say no to not help you for liberation. Helping you to liberate, it will consume my good fortune. It is not that I am reluctant to give my good fortune, but I still have many things to accomplish; therefore, I must continually enter retreats, it is not for the enlightenment. It is just like when someone wants to help others, one needs to have money and ability; therefore, I need to enter retreats to accumulate good fortune, wisdom, and energy, to continuously help sentient beings. To help sentient beings, is it that simple to just speak about Buddha Dharma? Every person comes in various types and is completely different, one comes out of nowhere and implores me to help transfer the grandmother\u2019s consciousness, knowing that his father does not believe, how am I supposed to transfer consciousness? Why doesn\u2019t\u00a0 one believe? The pride of men. What is called the pride of men? A man thinks that I am more capable than you, and even if I cannot surpass you, at the very least, I refuse to listen to you. The sorrow of men and a characteristic of the male. Nowadays, plastic surgery, nose augmentation, and makeup are popular. The characteristic of women is to think, \u2018Fine! Can I compare to you who is more beautiful?\u2019Men do not do such, so they compare wealth and power instead.
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\nToday, I let these nineteen disciples start to receive Vajra and bells. The nineteen of you must be even more cautious and vigilant, I will not let you off. One slightest mistake, I will immediately kick you out. Since learning Vajra Dharma, the karmic retribution of violating the Fourteen Common Tantric Root Downfalls are far heavier than the Five Precepts. Because one can achieve attainment very fast by learning Vajra Dharma; therefore, the corresponding karmic retribution is also severe. Learning Exoteric Buddhism, it would take a very long time, so the karmic retribution are lighter. Today, Rinpoche has especially performed this ceremony for everyone to see, it is not that these nineteen are more capable than you, it is only to tell you that practice has stages. When you reach a certain standard, Rinpoche will automatically give it to you, there is no need to implore. If you have not reached it, even if you come and cry in front of me, it will be no use. I myself have practiced with great diligence and sincerity, without regard for my life to attain achievements. Of course, I do not wish you to imitate me in such a way that by caring neither for life nor families and giving up everything, you absolutely could not do that. But at the very least, you have to be like true practitioners. Let me remind everyone again: the days we are living now, and every aspect of the life we are leaving, no matter how skillful you are at calculating and scheming, at the end , it was all for nothing. Everything we experience in this lifetime is merely the power of karma that accumulates from your past lives. Once this karma is exhausted, it is gone, and this lifetime will also come to an end.
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\nRinpoche has now practiced until the age of eighty and still has the physical strength, continuously practicing. Of course, it is practiced in accordance with all the Dharma methods taught in the Dharma texts. Correspondingly, the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, gurus, and Dharma protectors support and protect me, letting this physical body of mine not to decline so quickly, and can help even more sentient beings who are in need of help. These male disciples of mine are each older-looking than the last, some are seventy years old, yet they look even older than I who are eighty years old, because they did not practice. What does it mean didn\u2019t practice? They didn\u2019t listen to the words Rinpoche said, and find some methods on their own to practice. Gave him a Dharma text, and I did not tell him to recite it and he recited it on his own. This is no guru! Without the guru, nothing one does will succeed. Do not think that, just by giving you the Dharma text, you can practice to attain accomplishment on your own, you absolutely can\u2019t attain any results! Because this Dharma was transmitted to you by the guru, and above the guru are all the lineage gurus. If you do not even respect your own guru, will those lineage gurus pay any attention to you? They will not. Since the lineage gurus will not pay attention to you, of course, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will not pay attention to you either.
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\nGlorious Jewel has another distinctive feature, this place is not for money and wealth and fame to practice. I have always very much hoped that the Buddha Dharma can be transmitted into this world in a true and genuine way, and let the sentient beings be able to learn what is called authentic Buddha Dharma. What so called\u2018authentic,\u2019doesn\u2019t mean formal, rather, it is the Buddha Dharma of the right direction.\u00a0 Don\u2019t go astray. Once one goes astray in this lifetime, it is very hard to turn back. Originally, I did not want to speak about this, but having reached here, I have to say a bit.
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\nWhy have I not allowed this disciple, who has been ordained for many years, to practice the Vajra? He made a very serious mistake. When he went up to the Vajra (Secret) Hall to clean the Buddha statues, he said: The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are not wearing pants. Till now, he has not repented. Rinpoche asked that monastic disciple, \u2018When Shakyamuni Buddha was born, was he wearing pants?\u2019 (The monastic disciple replies: No.) Then why, when you saw the statue of the Vajra Buddha, you immediately spoke? Therefore, deep in your heart, you have been poisoned; because Exoteric Buddhism likes to criticize Tibetan Vajrayana very much. Until now, you still haven\u2019t repent about this matter. Do not think that I do not remember. When it comes to matters related to the Buddha Dharma, I remember very clearly, a sentience, and an action. Therefore he is a material that is for Exoteric Buddhism.<\/p>\n
To be able to stay inside a Buddhist Monastery, especially after receiving approval from our entire lineage, and being blessed by His Holiness, how could there still be a problem ? When did you become His Holiness? Since when was it your turn to criticize? The Fourteen Common Tantric Root Downfalls state very clearly that one must not criticize the Vajrayana. If there are matters you do not understand, you may ask for instruction instead of giving your opinions on Buddha Dharma. You have already violated a very serious precept, yet you do not even know it. When you received the Three Precept Platforms, hadn\u2019t it stated that, as a monastic, you must not use your mouth to recklessly criticize anything? Yes or no?\u00a0 (The monastic disciple replies: Yes.) Do your words count as criticism? (The monastic disciple replies: Yes.) Then do you think the Bhikkhu Precepts of yourself are still pure? (The monastic disciple replies: They are not pure.) You are on your own, because I am not your ordaining master, nor was I the one who transmitted the precepts upon you. Think about it yourself for how to handle it.<\/p>\n
Therefore, there is only one heart in the Buddha Dharma: a heart that respects the Buddha Dharma. When you see any phenomenon, do not recklessly criticize it. I will tell you a short story that is very popular in Tibet. Along the roadside, there are often Buddha statues. One day, there was a heavy snowfall, someone passed by and saw that a Buddha statue was covered entirely with snow and he felt very sad, but could not find anything to help cover it. Just then, he saw an old, worn-out shoe by the roadside. He picked up the shoe and placed it over the Buddha\u2019s head, and let the Buddha would no longer be exposed to the snow. Another person passed by and saw the shoe on the Buddha’s head and he thought, \u2018Who put a shoe on the Buddha\u2019s head?\u2019 He felt that it was irreverent, so he removed the shoe. Who was right? Both of them were right. The first person did not want the Buddha statue to be harmed, but he had no other tool,\u00a0 only this shoe, he thought it could protect the Buddha statue from damage. Therefore, he was right. The second person felt that placing in such a way was irreverent, he wanted to be reverent to the Buddha statue, so he was also right. Therefore, what does the Buddha Dharma say? Your heart.<\/p>\n
This monastic disciple has a deeply rooted rejection of the Vajrayana inside his heart, therefore, very naturally he came up with this. These female disciples would not say it, but he would, because he has been ordained for decades and has heard far too much. The Buddhist sutra states that the clothing worn by Buddha statues is related to each liturgy and precept. Vajra Warriors are naked, and below the waist they do not wear pants, they are only covered by a single piece of cloth. You have read many Buddhist sutras. I ask you, is it this case? (The monastic disciple replies: Yes, I have seen it.) Then why don\u2019t you criticize it? When one goes to any Buddhist monastery, as long as it is an authentic Buddhist monastery, if you see a Buddha statue that you do not know, you may choose not to bow or prostrate, but do not open your mouth and speak. For example, when we went to Bhutan, we visited a Drikung Kagyu Monastery of Dharma Protector Achi. It is a very famous site, with a history of around five or six hundred years. Inside, there were many Buddha statues that I had never seen before, and their appearance was completely different from the yidam\u2019s Buddha statue we are learning now. I did not say a single word, nor did I ask His Holiness about them. Buddha statues made in different eras are different. Since they have been preserved for several hundred years, there must certainly be a reason for it. We should just be reverent, as for whether you accept or not, once you have left, what does it have to do with you?<\/p>\n
For example, this monastic disciple does not want to learn Vajra Dharma, then it has nothing to do with you, but do not open your mouth and speak. Once you open your mouth and speak, you slander the Buddha. He thinks that he does not slander the Buddha, because he does not recognize. Therefore, learning Buddhism, the most important matter is the heart. Your mind must gradually be corrected and brought back. Do not be self-righteous, using your own methods to think about what is called Buddha Dharma. Do not use your own thoughts, thinking: \u2018I want this, and I do not want this\u2019, then you are the Dharma of discriminating. As long as you have a discriminating mind, never will you be able to cultivate compassion (maitr\u012b and karu\u1e47\u0101) of equality. Without\u00a0 compassion (maitr\u012b and karu\u1e47\u0101) of equality, the chances of violating the precepts are very high. Do not harm yourself.
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\nRinpoche has propagated the Buddha Dharma for several decades and only hopes one matter: people who learn Buddhism must clearly know why they have come to\u00a0 learn Buddhism. Do not continue to pass through this lifetime in a confused, muddled, and aimless way. Life passes very quickly, I never expected that I would muddle along until the age of eighty. Therefore, one lifetime has passed, what to do? Where will one go? What will happen? For example, there are many Dharma that I cannot speak out now. For example, in our Vajrayana talks about the several stages when people die; it is explained very clearly inside. You know about the external suffering, as for inner changes, you definitely know it very clearly too. Where does the principle lie? For example, when we feel unhappy, it is as though there is some kind of suffering somewhere. You know it very clearly, but you cannot explain exactly where the discomfort is. Is that so?
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\nDeath is just like this. You are very clear that this matter is happening, but there is nothing you can do about it. However, by learning Vajrayana, we know the process and face it with an ordinary and steady mind, so that we will not fall into reincarnation. Secondly, absolutely believe in the guru! Just know that, \u2018The guru can save me.\u2019If you believe in the guru, then what pain or happiness, pay no attention to it, only then will one definitely be able to leave. Today, I originally intended to speak about the Buddhist sutra, but there is no time to do so. Through the authorization I give them today, allowing them to follow me in learning Vajrayana and also for those who still have no chance to learn Vajrayana to be clear that it is not that they are more capable, it is only that they have met certain standards, nor does it means that you are incapable. Because you have still remained here, that means you are capable. In what way are you capable? You are capable because you can still endure being scolded. (The assembly laughs and says: Thank you, Rinpoche!) In what way are you capable? You are capable\u00a0 of continuously competing with Rinpoche to see who grows older.
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\nLife is like a dream, when the dream ends, everything is empty. Do not keep being so attached to certain ideas of one\u2019s own. This monastic has violated this problem. Therefore, he has recited so many Buddhist sutras, and all are in vain. The Diamond Sutra<\/i> states it very clearly: like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows. He does not believe this sentence, and keeps speaking at length about sentient beings realizing the causes of enlightenment, about creating merit, and so forth. Speaking about these is useless. If he does not understand that life is like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, and a shadow, then it is useless; including us, people who perform Dharma, all feel that everything is like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, and a shadow. Without this thought, it would be impossible for Rinpoche to help others to transfer consciousness, bestow blessings, or even see his matters from thousands of kilometers away. Where does all of this come from? It is not because I have opened up some kind of supernatural power. Rather, it comes from proceeding in the proper order, step by step, and continuing to do.
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\nWhy does Rinpoche need to continue entering the retreat? As it is said earlier, it is to save more good fortune to help sentient beings. The important thing is: since I am learning this yidam, I must be able to fully accomplish what this yidam is able to accomplish, that is to be attained with the guru. This yidam is able to do many things, the more I see, the more I feel how small and insignificant I am.
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\nRinpoche performed the Dharma Protector Achi Liturgy and instructed the nineteen disciples who had received the Vajra and bell to ring together.
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\nRinpoche bestowed teachings after the Dharma performance has come to perfect completion: Presenting you with the Vajra and bell today is only a beginning. I hope that, in the future, many more of you will meet the qualifications to receive instruction in the Vajrayana teachings. Of course, whether that happens depends on your own efforts. Today, I am also giving each of the nineteen of you a khata to wrap your Vajra and bell.<\/p>\n
At this moment, Rinpoche instructed Disciple-Tu to ring the bell and patiently taught the correct way to do so; one should hold the handle at the top of the bell, and the fingers should not cover the bell itself. Rinpoche then asked Disciple-Que to ring the bell and had him compare for himself the difference in sound between ringing it with his fingers covering the bell and ringing it while holding the handle at the top. Rinpoche then bestowed teachings: You always do things your own way. You never pay attention to how the guru holds the bell. Every time, you think you are so clever, yet you cannot even hold a bell properly. If you are this stubborn, then you should not learn Vajrayana. You are always so self-righteous, convinced that you know better and that you are capable.<\/p>\n
\u00ab Previous<\/a> - Puja Teachings<\/a> - Next \u00bb<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, during the General puja at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Taipei, compassionately (maitr\u012b and karu\u1e47\u0101) bestowed a pair of Vajra and bell upon each of 19 disciples with a fate to practice Vajrayana, indicating that Rinpoche is going to begin to transmit Vajra Dharma. \u00a0 Tibetan Buddhism attaches great […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-11296","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t