Re: "The Five Tibetans" & ‘phrul ‘khor (yantra)

WHAT IS TIBETAN YOGA? WHAT IS TIBETAN YOGA? Today, people think Yoga is a system of physical exercise to have good health. This is external Yoga called Hatha Yoga. Yoga in Indian traditions, however, is more than physical exercise; it has a meditative and spiritual core. It is very interesting when we study about the original meaning of Yoga. Yoga means “unifying action of body, speech and mind”. So, if any Yoga Guru does not teach fully three mentioned aspects, his disciples cannot attain the enlightenment, regarding as the lack of leg stirrup, we cannot put the pot on it to cook dish. With the good condition, I clarify this kind of Yoga, called Tibetan Yoga and it is called Tibetan Tantra translated by Chinese. Marpa Lotsawa “Tantra” does not mean “secret”, because the purpose of Buddhist teachings is popular for all sentient beings to practice for enlightenment. The root of the word “tantra” means to stretch or to continue without interruption from generation to generation, from the beginning to the end. However, Tibetan Tantric is really too delicate, complex in the activities of “actions of body, speech and mind”; thus, it is impossible even to enter the graduated path to enlightenment, let alone get supreme happiness of nirvana. Thanks to the Great favour of The Enlightened One: Avalokiteshvara, I have studied and practiced Tibetan yoga for a long time, I have found the essence and simple method which does not take time as much as laymen’s time going to the temple every night, or monks’ life in the monastery. This method is for busy people with working, human beings having bad memory because of age, or those who have too much pressure want to get rid of disturbing negative thoughts and transform their mind. This method brings you happiness in this and future lives. Avalokiteshvara Here, it is necessary to avoid the word “cultivate”, meaning practicing Dharma teachings as many people’s thought. They are monks who live in the temple and laymen who have free time to go to the temple in the late afternoon without doing chores or no taking care of children. So, it is usual to see the old going to the temple while the youth rarely comes there because they have much work to do. Thus; while the young say that they want to cultivate, the old say: “It is too young to go to the temple” or “what problem with you? Lovesick? Breaking heart? It is the love story “Lan and Diep” being the bitter taint for Buddhism. Lan wanted to go to the temple because of breaking heart, not for attaining fully enlightenment. Would Lan have gone to the temple if she had married Diep? Would Lan have gone to the temple if she had married Diep? Also, the episodic novel “Journey to the West” as a hammer striking Buddhist stronghold is the worst taint for the Buddhism, against the truth about his holiness Tang Xuanzang, a high-ranking monk in Tang dynasty in China. The fictional Xuanzang is presented as a young monk who is extremely naive, showing idealistic compassion without wisdom. In contrast to the historical Xuanzang, he is a wise and learned scholar. The history is far different from the novel. The episodic novel “Journey to the West” as a hammer striking Buddhist stronghold is the worst taint for the Buddhism The novel by author Kim Dung is also far different from the history, which makes readers get misunderstanding about his fictional characters. According to history records, Duan Zhengchun, is Dali’s King in Yunnan, surrendered to Mongolia and he himself was a pioneer who led the way for Yuan troops to invade our country at the first war. Yet, in his novel, Kim Dung modeled him into a hero. Beside, high virtuous elder monks or masters such the typical character as “A Golden-wheel king” in Tibet, called Western Region in novel, were described as being eager for fame, greed and mean-spirited. There are many false features of Kim Dung’s novel that I did not need to mention. However, it is sure to self- make and self- receive. Duan Zhengchun was a pioneer who led the way for Yuan troops to invade our country at the first war Now, to avoid confusion with the word “cultivate”, let’s go back to the original language nature. “Cultivate” means practice (Learning, Thinking, and Practice). First you should listen or read then try to understand the meaning and finally practice. If you practice in that way, you can attain enlightenment. What do you practice? Practicing the right Dharma means to correct your character, to eliminate bad habits and obey the Buddha’s teachings. It should be stressed that the Buddha does not force a Buddhist to go to the temple, to live in the pagoda, to wear the cassock. Thus, there are monks or nuns (the people with the celibate life) and Buddhist laymen or women (the people with the married life) who all can practice Buddhist Dharma. However, there are many monks or nuns living in the temple but they break the precepts, accumulate the wealth, greed for power, the Buddha called them as “robber” monks. Meanwhile, the laymen or laywomen who live a virtuous life, practice the right Dharma, keep the precepts have been called noble Buddhists. Such people are called Lama Laymen in Tibet. Now, we quote the Buddha’s interpretation as the basis for the writing: “Renunciation means leaving home, stopping attachment to worldly pleasures, being away from suffering and three realms (escape from 3 fire house: leaving home, free from suffering and three realms). From this sense, one who can get purity called renunciation, so the word of monks means “purity” (shanga) in Sanskrit. Vimalakirti, Guru Rinpoche (“Precious Master”) Padmasambhava, Saint Marpa, Patrul, J.Dudjom, Dilgo Khentse, Kusum Lingpa, Chagdud Tulku, Thinley Norbu … who represent “purity”. Kusum Lingpa From the view point of the Dharma, we know that practice Dharma without obstruction by space, time, and social class. Thus, busy people with severe livelihood, under work pressure need appropriate methods to practice called “Practicing Dharma in Daily Life”. In addition to the state of pure practice, the practitioners in Mat Gia song Nguyen has practiced and applied “Method of Practicing Dharma in Daily Life” for over 5 years. I will present as follows: *Make use of practicing Dharma in Daily activities as a mean to reach enlightenment: 1, When eating, let’s bless all sentient beings eat Buddha’ food; 2, When drinking, let’s bless all sentient beings drink Buddha’s water; 3, When standing up, let’s bless all sentient beings have the appearance like the Buddha’s body; 4, When sitting down, let’s bless all sentient beings have the Bodhgaya; 5, When opening the door, let’s bless all sentient beings open the door entering the liberation city; 6, When closing the door, let’s bless all sentient beings close the door of the lower realms; 7, When stepping up, let’s bless I help all sentient beings come to the high realms; 8, When stepping down, let’s bless I liberate all sentient beings from the lower realms; 9, When making a fire, let’s bless all sentient beings burn out all disturbing emotions; 10, When tightening the belt, let’s bless all sentient being tighten the root of good thing; 11, When feeling misery, let’s bless all sentient beings’ misery will be calm down; 12, When feeling happy, let’s bless all sentient beings achieve the happiness of Buddha’s nature; 13, When going to bed, let’s bless all sentient beings achieve the dharmakaya; 14, When waking up, let’s bless all sentient beings awaken in enlightened state; 15, When going out, let’s bless I start on the holy path of liberating all sentient beings; 16, When getting dressed, let’s bless all sentient being have the modest and sense of shame. Dilgo_Khyentse_Rinpoche NOTE: A / INTERPRETATION: People living in the present life are inseparable from daily activities, less or more in on specific situation. It is the direct conditions for practitioners to pray for all sentient beings, reflecting the diligent practice as Saint Maitreya’ saying: “ Diligent practice is the supreme virtue” (Mahayana solemn Comments). Because its cause is blessing for all sentient beings, it results the restoration of immensely blessings from numberless sentient beings in samsara (Hells, Pretas, Animals, Human, Asura, God) according to the law of Cause and Effect. It results the restoration of immensely blessings from numberless sentient beings in samsara according to the law of Cause and Effect. Once the practitioners make continuous and regular Dharma practices with conscious attitude in all their movements, in the meantime they remember to pray for all sentient beings. Then they have accidentally trained mindfulness meditation (Vipassana). Practitioners who always thinking about all sentient beings at any time, they have trained mind in Bodhicitta. Thus, this is the mind of Bodhisattvas which is sublime in end but simple in practice. However, at the beginning, the practitioners only learn by heart 2 or 4 blessings. Until maturity, you learn more practices. B/ PRACTICING THE SIX PARAMITAS ON EACH STEP Six Paramitas consist of (1) Generosity, (2) Discipline (The precepts in all the traditions are essentially identical and are commitments to abstain from killing living beings, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and making use of intoxication), (3) Patience, (4) Diligence, (5) Meditation, (6) Wisdom. Om Mani Padme Hum Tantric sutra affirms that when reciting silently the six-syllabled Sanskrit mantra “OM MANI PADME HUM) (reciting loud enough for your collar to hear), we practice Six Paramitas at the same time. On the other hand, Tantric Buddhism asserts that reciting the six-syllabled Sanskrit mantra simultaneously bring happiness to all sentient beings in the cycle of deaths and rebirths. Furthermore, Tantric Buddhism also assures that the six-syllabled Sanskrit mantra is typical for profound meanings of 12 Buddhist Sutras. So when reciting the six-syllabled Sanskrit mantra, we simultaneously chant 12 Buddhist Sutras. Therefore, we can assert: Reciting the six-syllabled Sanskrit mantra, we not only recite the Buddhist Sutras and practice Six Paramitas, but also bring peace to 6 realms in samsara. This practice is called “3 in 1” method. C/ PRACTICE It is very simple. Taking the left foot first and silently recite “OM MANI”, next stepping the right foot and silently recite “PADME HUM”. Every day, how many steps you walk, you know how many mantras you recite. It is magical that mantra recitation with footstep is reciting in awareness. But Awareness is wisdom. Then you at once accumulate merit and wisdom by reciting silently mantra while stepping. Every day, how many steps you walk, you know how many mantras you recite In summary, while praying for all sentient beings to gain the fully enlightened state in 16 daily activities and reciting mantra with footstep, we practice fully yoga because of unifying of body, speech and mind. When you take body’s activities such as: walking, sitting, sleeping, working, talking, eating … with the motivation of compassion for all sentient beings by mantra recitation, and the thought motivated by the wish for all sentient beings to experience happiness and benefit. So, do you need to go to temple for cultivation? Should you be in the temple to chant the Buddhist sutra every day? With my writing, may Hai Phuong layman understand and practice for your own benefit and others. Remember: “Dharma practice lead a success life as the firmly rooted tree must have durable trunks, green leaves and beautiful flowers”. And finally, this method has the best efficiency when the Guru takes delight in permitting to practice. If you read this article, you practise without the Guru’s permission, no matter how much you practice it, you will not get any achievement. Because you practice without his agreement, you break the No. 2 precept in the tantric precepts. Thinley – Nguyen Thanh Tweet