We are unaware of any copyright restrictions associated with the translation of these pieces. Should anyone believe that copyright has been infringed, please contact us immediately with details.
The following passages are offered with pure intention and we ask that they are treated with the utmost respect.
Thus have I heard: once the Blessed One was dwelling in the royal domain of the Vulture Peak Mountain, together with a great gathering of monks and Bodhisattvas.
At that time the Blessed One entered the samadhi which examines the dharmas, called "Profound Illumination", and at the same time noble Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva, looking at the profound practice of transcendent knowledge, saw the five skandhas and their natural emptiness.
Then through the inspiration of the Buddha, Shariputra said to Avalokiteshvara: "How should those noble ones learn, who wish to follow the profound practice of transcendent knowledge?" And Avalokiteshvara answered: "Shariputra, whoever wishes to follow the profound practice of transcendent knowledge should look at it like this, seeing the five skandhas and their natural emptiness, form is emptiness, emptiness itself is form; emptiness is no other than form, form is no other than emptiness; in the same way feeling, perception, concept and consciousness are emptiness. Thus all the dharmas are emptiness and have no characteristics. They are unborn and unceasing, they are not impure or pure, they neither decrease nor increase. Therefore since there is emptiness there is no form, no feeling, no perception, no concept, no consciousness; no eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind; no appearance, no sound, no quality of hearing, no quality of smelling, no quality of tasting, no quality of sensing, no quality of thought, no quality of mind-consciousness; there are no nidanas, from ignorance to old age and death, nor their wearing out; there is no suffering, no cause of suffering, no ending of suffering and no path; no wisdom, no attainment and no non-attainment. Therefore since there is no attainment, the Bodhisattvas abide by means of transcendent knowledge; and since there is no obscurity of mind they have no fear, they transcend falsity and pass beyond the bounds of sorrow. All the Buddhas who dwell in the past, present and future by means of transcendent knowledge fully and clearly awaken to unsurpassed, true, complete enlightenment. Therefore the mantra of transcendent knowledge, the mantra of deep insight, the unsurpassed mantra, the unequalled mantra, the mantra which calms all suffering, should be known as truth, for there is no deception. In transcendent knowledge the mantra is proclaimed:
Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha.
O Shariputra, this is how a Bodhisattva-Mahasattva should learn profound transcendent knowledge"
Then the Blessed One arose from that samadhi and praised the Bodhisattva-mahasattva Avalokiteshvara saying: "Good, good, O son of noble family! Profound transcendent knowledge should be practiced just as you have taught, and the Tathagatas will rejoice"
When the Blessed One had said this, Shariputra and Avalokiteshvara, that whole gathering and the world with its gods, men asuras and gandharvas, their hearts full of joy, praised the words of the Blessed One.
The passage below is taken directly from teachings received at
Kagyu Samye Ling
'Shri, my son,
You must bear these things in mind;
Three things should not be forgotten:
The grace-filled guru;
The Enlightened Buddha;
Recollection and Awareness
Three things should be remembered:
The preceptor who ordains you;
The teachings that reveal the path;
And discipline.
There are three things that you must have:
A mind which stays where the body is;
A body which remains in the right place;
A mind which dwells in a state of relaxation.
There are three things which are best forgotten:
Anger against one's enemies;
Attachment to loved ones;
Slothful sleep.
There are three things which it is better to restrain:
One's tongue in public;
One's hand in private;
One's thoughts all the time.
There are three things which one should keep quiet about:
One's own virtues;
The faults of others;
One's intentions for the future.
There are three things which one must not make a show of:
The impulse to renounce worldly clingings;
The baited trap of one's own hypocrisy;
The urge to display one's religious fervour.
There are three places where we should not go:
Among hostile people;
In a crowded gathering;
A place where games are played.
There are three things which should not be talked about:
The Dharma to those who do not want to listen;
Private matters with strangers;
Pointless fantasies in general.
There are three things which one should not do:
Behave temperamentally to a friend;
Speak inconsistently;
Act two facedly.
There are three things which one should refrain from:
Overweening self-importance;
Harping on the faults of others;
Despising anyone.
There are three things which one should not offer:
Gifts to those of higher rank;
Devotion to a charlatan;
One's innermost thoughts to anyone.
There are three things which one should not mentally dwell on:
A pretty girl's body;
A friend's behaviour;
One's own virtues.
There are three things in which one should be adaptable:
Speaking to a friend;
Wearing the clothes of the country;
Turning one's mind to the Dharma.
There are three things which one should not listen to:
Flattering words;
Talk of the latest craze;
Advice from a foolish person.
There are three things which one should not covet:
A rich man's wealth;
A position of rank;
Flashy clothing.
There are three things one should not speak ill of:
A person who is well respected;
Another man's merchandise;
A good friend.
There are three things one should not praise:
A man who is vilified by everybody;
A conceited fool;
Your own child to others.
There are three things which one should neither praise nor criticise:
One's relatives;
A man you know nothing about;
Actually, anyone at all.
There are many other things you should remember, but the essential thing is to observe yourself all of the time. Do not forget this. Both mundane and spiritual practice are contained in this.
These few words are full of profound meaning, so do not ignore them.
To my dear son, Shri, from
Naljorpa Trime-Lodro.'
|
|