salutary in that it not only counters all one's clinging to phenomena, and engenders within oneself an attitude of freely giving, giving away all that one might think to lay claim to, but by offering them with such an attitude to the enlightened ones that one accumulates an infinite amount of merit. All of this merit serves to ready oneself, to ripen one's own being, to sustain properly all the advanced practices and insights I met with in the advanced stages of practice.

[01:05]

All right. Now, Rinpoche has recited for us here tonight the full version of the mandala offering prayer. there is a shorter form which we recite each Wednesday night when requesting him for the lam-dre teachings. It is the first verse on page two, which goes, and in effect, it says that I offer the entire universe, the four continents which surround the Mount Sumeru, and so forth, and so forth, offering these to the enlightened one.

[02:14]

As a result or through my offering this universe to the enlightened ones, may all beings Well, in effect, may all beings be established in the pure realm or in the pure Buddha fields. If I have some help in between now and the next section, you might be able to get some of these things translated or... translated and xeroxed for tomorrow's morning session, but I can't promise anything. That's why we have to be careful.

[03:41]

We have to be careful. [...] The Yes.

[05:24]

Now the final nandro practice is that of the guru yoga or meditation upon one's root guru or one's own root guru, in which one visualizes one's own guru, and directing one's mind single-pointedly towards him, one invokes his own blessings and recites a verse of an invocation. The verse that is most usually, most frequently recited is found It's the first verse, and you're going to the line of the gurus. .

[06:31]

I don't think it's that, but after all... . [...] When did you get married? When did you get married? When did you get married? Okay.

[08:00]

One of the most frequently recited verses is the one just recited. We'll make that available for you at the appropriate time in Tibetan phonetics and English translation. Or you might choose to recite another appropriate verse, such as the invocation of the... of the great Sakyapandita. This was done by Lama Lakhwara Rinpoche, who recited, who in his practice of the Guru Yoga meditation, recited this verse 6,500,000 times. Yes. Well, tonight we have tried to give you an introductory outline of the main exercises collectively known as the ngondro practices.

[09:38]

We'll save the details for the practice. of each for the sessions which follow tomorrow and Sunday. Tonight, we'll conclude our introductory session by reciting the verses of dedication on this page two of your Lamdre prayers, followed by the prayer for the long life of His Holiness and Dejuan Rinpoche. After that, we will take tea, during which you are free to ask any questions. Thank you very much. Any questions about tonight's topics? Since this is a process of purifying the mind, would it be more effective for Westerners to use the conceptualizations with which they are familiar?

[10:53]

And if the purifying process had anything to do with the symbols itself, like the Sanskrit syllables, for instance, in the Vajrasattva mantra? I'm sorry, Steve. I haven't really quite caught the question yet. Can the prayers be done in English? Can the ref get it? Oh, now it's... Rinpoche, the... I... The hundred syllable mantra should definitely be recited in the Sanskrit poem. Yes, Louie. In this 10,000 frustration, if a person is physically handicapped and not to the full frustration, is there something else that you can do over it?

[12:42]

And the second thing is the hundred-syllable Sanskrit mentioned. Is it necessary to repeat that in Sanskrit? Can you use the English translation, Weston? Of which hundred syllables? Well, I'll just get the second part of your question. Rinpoche has just said that the hundred-syllable mantra must be recited in its Sanskrit form. I'll ask the first part of your question. Rinpoche, What is your name? My name is Rangdi Lupa. I am the leader of the Kikerebe family. I am the leader of the Kikerebe family. I am the leader of the Kikerebe family.

[13:44]

I am the leader of the Kikerebe family. I am the leader of the Kikerebe family. Thamma ni sanga gyaru. Thin ni di lawa ni tu. Thirupati thana tu ni. Gowa mara thang deyere. Thin ni tu ni. Tsa. Thin na yin lawa sang jeet ke. Tsa se. Tsa se jeet sanga thapa gyang se. Sangpa nana sangpo sangpo. Lala sangpa. Khang li la. Thamda phutin mungpa yek. Lala sangpa. Mungpa khaang kut gole ma re. Thi thambo zunga. Thin ni. Tha jang mena di jang. Thank you. I don't . Thank you.

[14:45]

Yes. If you are physically unable to perform the full prostrations, it is quite permissible to accomplish this exercise by performing what is called the prostration, the three-limbed prostration, in other words, rather than the full or eight-limbed prostration in which eight points of your body are touching the ground or touching the shrine, touching the ground rather than the shrine. that you merely touch your forehead and your two hands to the shrine. This is the form which Rinpoche, because of his own physical handicap, performs always in lieu of the full prostration. This practice is sanctioned by the great Jetson Tapa Jensen, who in certain of his works has

[16:01]

has stated that it is permissible to, it is all right to perform prostration in a number of ways, ranging from the full eight limb prostration to an abridged to an abridged form, or the prostration, or the three-point prostration. And in answer to the second part of your question, I repeat that had said that the 100-syllable mantra must be recited in its Sanskrit form. Yes, Steven. Two-part question. Yes. May some of the other prayers be recited, not the mantras we're saying. The mantras should be said in Sanskrit. All right. Prayers. And the second part, I've been saying two different refuges for a number of years. Yes. May those be used since I've been using bread as my refuge. There are prayers given me by a long list.

[17:05]

I see. Let me check. Yeah, yeah, yeah. um um um Yes, Stephen.

[19:11]

It's generally thought by Tibetan lamas such as Rinpoche and the Venerable Kala Rinpoche that it's preferable to recite these prayers also in the Tibetan language, inasmuch as the creator or the inventor of the Tibetan language, at least of the Tibetan grammar, Tumrisambhota is regarded as an emanation of the bodhisattva of wisdom, Manjushri. Therefore, it's thought that the Tibetan language, by its very formation or considering its source and its function, is a language especially blessed and very, how do you say, very much imbued with you say, with kind of a sacred quality for these reasons.

[20:47]

So although it's not obligatory or mandatory that one should recite prayers in the Tibetan language, it is at least, in their opinion, a very nice, heavy thing if you can do it. In answer to the second part of your question, it's quite all right to recite the forms of the refuge prayer, the refuge formula, which you have been given previously, so long as they include the as long as they are, of course, directed towards the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. If these three are invoked, or if one invokes them as one's refuge, then it really doesn't matter the wording of the formula. Okay? Yes, Craig. Is there a difference in effect between saying the mantras silently or saying them aloud, and which is more preferable?

[21:56]

The mantras. Yes, about the mantras, all of it. So, yigyāva lā sādhu vihīṅgāḥ, they don't delight the... . [...] Although, There are, although instructions concerning the recitation of mantras vary

[23:12]

in that at certain times and for certain purposes, it is, of course, permissible, it's all right to recite mantra in a number of ways, either loudly or silently or mentally or so forth. Generally speaking, it seems it is thought that desirable by lamas such as Rinpoche, Kala Rinpoche and others that one recite the mantras such as the hundred syllable mantra. In and a voice barely audible, and a voice loudly enough that you can hear, loudly and slowly enough that you can yourself hear the enunciation, your enunciation of the syllables, but not so loudly that others might hear them.

[24:18]

All right. I'm sorry, Moke, back there. Okay. The prostration is in the Buddha, and if there is a history in the time of the Buddha, our time would be in India or in the time of Tibet, for the use of prostration in the Buddha's time. Would you repeat that? I'm sorry, I didn't hear you. If there is a prostration in the Buddha, and if there is a history of the prostration in the time of the Buddha, and if there is a history of the prostration in the time of the Buddha, Yes, that's very... .

[25:54]

Yes. . Yes, in answer to your question, Rinpoche said that The gesture of folding the hands at each of the three sacred places, or the three psychic centers, is indeed a form of mudra.

[27:01]

Its term, if I understand correctly, the akasha-garbha mudra, or the storehouse of space mudra. However, when one then performs the prostration of extending one's body on the ground, that action itself does not constitute a mudra. It is instead called a bodily exercise. So I deduced that a mudra is limited to a gesture of the hands. I decided that. So in answer to your second question, the teachings or the use of mudras was introduced by Lord Buddha at the time of his actual ministry in India. It has always been an integral part of Buddhist practice, religious practice.

[28:05]

And while it can't be considered an isolated practice, practice with its own tradition, it is definitely an integral part of Buddhist religious worship. And its function throughout has been to enable one to accumulate merit through through offering respect and worship to the three jewels, the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Does that answer your question? Yes, sir. I could give you an eight-part question.

[29:07]

Okay. Do all of the foundation practice that have to be done actually in front of the shrine, or can I, while I'm serving my time on the subway... If you do my practice, such as the reference to that, and it's, I think, very long. How best to keep track? You get to about maybe 59,480, such and such. How are you keeping track of it? You look out the window. Praise Christ. She's got the bridge standing by her. Wait for me. Wait for me. The picture drawing with the leading angel.

[30:12]

What do you think is the most important thing in the life of a Buddhist? I think the most important thing in the life of a Buddhist is to be able to do good deeds. Can you remember the Jiva Niva Ladd, the Khyamdra Lazarevi, the Dronkhat? I don't know what that is. That Dronkhat, that's the one, this one. All right. Thank you.

[31:24]

Yes. It is all right, it is permissible to practice or to continue one's practice of certain of these foundation exercises when one is going about one's daily affairs or in travelling, to the extent that one is able, it is all right to accomplish it. And it isn't absolutely mandatory that you must be seated in front of your shrine while accomplishing these. In answer to your second question, what keeps a record of the number of recitations, et cetera, that one has formed by the use of counters? And tomorrow or whenever we, in that session in which we are dealing with the detailed instructions for prostrations or whatever, we'll talk more about this.

[32:36]

But one needs to invest in the counters for your rosary. Okay? All right. Yes, Elizabeth. Yes, I am in the rocks. In Tannai, in Shing, Shing. Yes, I am in the rocks. Yes, I am in the rocks. You can't do that.

[33:40]

You can't do that. [...] You will need to have a proper a proper instrument for the mandala offering.

[34:51]

It's not, although it's It would be best if one had a traditional mandala plate, such as the one used in our ceremonies here. It's permissible to use one fashioned of wood. Nalan Leper Rinpoche, when performing the kism, offerings of the mandala used such a wooden mandala because he was quite poor. It's not permissible to use ordinary plates, paper, glass, plastic, and so forth, and other sort of makeshift mandalas. That isn't allowed. I suppose it looks just like that, but made of wood, is it?

[35:59]

Yes. Yes. It's one of those made of wood. Well, there's no need to, without the air level, it'd be cut. Yes. Yes. Try to move along. Yes, we'll talk about that. Obviously, we'll have to solve that at the time of the procession. Carl, you had a question. You said that In fact, the foundation practices that the Mahayana, any Mahayana practice has, would lead to little or no results. That's one for me, because in other particular games, they don't have the foundation practice, and it's not in the score. So I know a really illustrative following for that task, who received apparently It's a great insight for passion development. Very good.

[37:00]

So, thank you, the Catholic view, and other people too. Yeah, me too. Rinpoche. Rinpoche, thank you. Rinpoche, thank you. I'm glad to meet you. How do I say that? Today we are going to talk about the meaning of the word Zin and the meaning of the word Cha and the meaning of the word Hin. We are going to talk about the meaning of the word Hauna.

[38:04]

What is the meaning of the name of the King, [...] When I was a child, I used to go to the temple to pray to the Buddha. [...] Yes. The the Chan or Zen schools to which you referred are of course are of course also branches of the are of course branches of the Mahayana Buddhism Mahayana Buddhism consists of two branches

[40:00]

two aspects exoteric and esoteric now the Mahayana Buddhism to which we referred to which we are referring in in in stating that these foundation exercises are essential or requisites is, of course, the Mahayana Buddhism that consists of both Paramitāyāna, or exoteric Buddhism, and Vajrayāna, or esoteric Buddhism. basis of merit purification and mental orientation acquired through the accomplishment of these five practices are designed primarily to form a base for later tantric practice or Vajrayana practice, which is, of course, a form of Mahayana Buddhism not shared by the Zen school or Chan schools, which are

[41:34]

on the other hand, adherents, whose followers, on the other hand, are adherents of Paramitayana, of the Paramitayana path. So, however, to the best of our knowledge, those then schools also do, although they don't emphasize these practices in quite the formal manner that we have done, here. Nonetheless, it's hard to believe that they do not also accumulate merit through the performance of prostrations of one kind or the other, or offering praises to the Buddha, or making offerings to the Buddha, Dharma, or Sangha, or in one way or the other, that they accomplish these very same exercise, they perform these very same exercises without, however, placing the same emphasis that we do on the Vajrayana path.

[42:40]

Okay? Yes. Yes. Yes. Okay, all right, I'm sorry, it's very late, so...

[42:58]

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