When I was young, I used to go to the temple to pray. I used to go to the temple to pray. When I was young, I used to go to the temple to pray. I used to go to the temple to pray. When I was young, I used to go to the temple to pray. I used to go to the temple to pray. Rinpoche? During your pastimes, during [...] your pastimes I don't know.

[01:00]

I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. we haven't time today to we haven't time today to I explained each of the 37 offerings, the 37 offerings made in the longest version of the mandala prayer.

[02:18]

As for the second version, that is the offering of the seven mounds, it will suffice for you to know that one is offering in the center the great mountain Sumeru, surrounded by the four great continents. and then the sun and the moon. Now, you should visualize Sumeru, as we described it before, and the four continents as just being filled with all the emblems, all the signs of good fortune. each of these different continents, as we said, have beings and special characteristics that distinguish them from other regions of space.

[03:26]

But, for example, in our western continent, Bodhinya, if one imagines that the that the surface of the earth is filled with very abundant crops and fruits and flowers and all good signs of prosperity, wealth and causes of happiness for beings and so forth. In other words, use your own imagination for signs of good prosperity, well-being for beings. These are all, you should think that you are offering this sort of a universe. That's something like New York. So now we're going to, in a very introductory way, really to acquaint you with the actual

[04:44]

service itself. We're going to run through the mandala offering ceremony. Now, since it is being treated here as a meditation in itself, we have again, as always, the preliminary practice in which the mandala offering will be preceded, the main meditation of mandala offering will be preceded by the taking refuge and the awakening of the enlightenment thought, then the purification through emptiness in which you recite the mantra Aum Svabhava Suddha. Then His Holiness will lead the Tibetan lamas in the recitation of the long poem the long form of the offering, mandala offering, to which you should listen with very single-pointed attention and imagine that you are offering such a universe as we described in making the mandala offering.

[06:13]

After that, we will all join in reciting the short form of the mandala offering found on your flyer handouts, and we will recite that together a hundred times. Now we will first recite the Combined Refuge and Bodhicitta together with the lamas and then they will recite for us. Love is love. Love is love. Dhikra lakme chesang, dhikra pai shok.

[07:32]

Sang gyel chok lak, sok gyel chok na. Lak chok chok par duk, sak gyel chok suk. Gyel tak gyel chok, sok gyel chok na. Gyé-dor-pa-pen-ché Sang-gyé-dor-wa Cho Sang-gyé-ché Thang-tsoy Gyé-dor-nam Gyal-chang-kyu-pa-dur-la-gyé-kyap-tsu Tswing-ta-phi-kyin-tsoy Gyé-dor-so-nam Nying'o la penche sang nying'o wa shok [...]

[08:38]

Madhava is known as Tang, Tongva is known as Sangsang. And then there is another one, which is known as Töng. Töng [...] is known as Töng. Tö In this way, you will be able to understand the meaning of the word. You will be able to understand the meaning of the word. chenpe, jenpa, jagdoji, ketungu, yupa, doje, toka, nongwa, and that's gongari. And it is tapo, it means, it's a long dig, lama, yupa, tongi, doje, chungu, mongwa, gongari.

[09:56]

When you're down, you're not going to keep it. Down, you're not getting it. You're not getting it. That's what I'm saying. Yes, sir. [...] All right, now We will give you the instructions for the way in which you should perform the full meditation, the full ceremony of the mandala offering.

[11:14]

First you recite the Combined Refuge in Bodhicitta three times, as we have just done. Then you recite the Mantra, which purifies through emptiness. That is the mantra, om svabhava-suddha-sarva-dharmah svabhava-suddho ham. You'll find that in every meditation manual or in particular in the meditation of great compassion. recite that, I mean visualize that everything, all ordinary appearances and situations, yourself included, disappears, vanishes into the state of emptiness. Then out of that state of emptiness, emerges, suddenly emerges a vast celestial mansion which has four sides and a door at each side. It is fashioned of very priceless stone and decorated with jewels and flowers and the like.

[12:21]

It is a true celestial mansion. And it is a very, very vast, a very vast mansion in its dimensions. Now, then visualize that in the center of that celestial mansion in front of you there is that eight lions are upholding a jewel throne. Atop that is a lotus, and upon that lotus is the jewel tree, the wish-fulfilling tree. And on top of that is the lotus and your own guru in the form of Vajradhara, just exactly as he was described to you yesterday in your refuge visualization, blue-black in color and so forth with crossed hands, referred to the visualization for the refuge taking.

[13:34]

which were given yesterday. And again as yesterday, exactly as yesterday, in the front you have all the deities of the four classes of Tantras. And surrounding him you have, first of all, you have surrounding him all the masters of your line of transmission, meaning all the Sakyapa Lamas from Virupa on down to the present. They are all in the form of Vajradhara himself. Then in the front of the Guru you have all the deities, the tantric deities of the four classes of tantras. To his right you have the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in both the nirmanakaya and dharmakaya aspects. Behind him you have the great mountain of sacred literature representing the dharma. to his left you have the eighth great bodhisattvas, Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri, Maitreya and the others, together with the wealth gods, the protectors of the dharma, dakas and dakinis, representing the sangha.

[14:46]

Again, just as yesterday in the refuge-taking ceremony, you should visualize your guru in the center of this great celestial mansion. I'm going to tell you a story. I'm going to tell you a story. So, you know that. Chö Yen.

[15:50]

Chö Yen. Chö Yen. Yes. Shantagati Satsang, Agam Sedu Chögyam Rinpoche. Chögyam Rinpoche, when he was young, [...] when So, Rombolche was a man who had a lot of money. He [...] had a lot of money.

[16:51]

He had a lot of money. [...] He had a lot of I'm not going to talk to you that's all. Do this, do that, no more. I don't know. I don't know. You can't do it.

[18:18]

You can't do it. [...] homo-borgdhi-la-sobha-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara-dharmakara I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.

[19:19]

I don't know. [...] Yes. Now, visualize that rays of light shine out from the... Visualize that boundless rays of light shine forth from the hearts of those

[20:32]

of the guru surrounded by the preceptors, the buddhas and bodhisattvas and deities who are visualized in front of you. And these boundless rays of light shine throughout space and invoke all the buddhas dwelling throughout space. All their wisdom, transcendent wisdom, compassion and power are invoked and return and converge upon them and converge upon the gurus in the form of rays of light and are absorbed into them. Now, at this point, you should visualize that from your own heart myriad offering goddesses issue forth and make offerings to the Guru, to the line of preceptors, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, as visualized before.

[21:46]

These different offering goddesses are very beautiful goddesses who carry offering cups made of exquisite, fashioned of exquisite precious metals and stones, and they make the sevenfold offering, that is, the offering of the seven items that were described earlier surrounding the shrine mandala. That is, first of all, White goddesses, white offering goddesses issue forth and carry, carry this, carry the, and make offerings of drinking water. Then red goddesses issue forth and make offerings of the, of the bathing water.

[22:50]

By the way, you should just imagine the whole sky is just filled with these goddesses offering this very exquisite, these exquisite idealized substances. Then again, white goddesses issue forth offering the flowers. Blue goddesses issue forth offering incense. Pink goddesses issue forth offering the lights. Green goddesses offer the incense. No, no. Not incense, but perfume. That's what I meant. Yes. Rinpoche, the... Ghandi, Ghandi, Ghandi, Ghandi Rinpoche. All right, blue goddesses offer the perfume.

[24:01]

Red goddesses offer the food. Can we start over? All right, I'll run through it again. Let me just get it down myself. Red goddesses offer the food. Then blue goddesses offer the incense. Yes, and blue goddesses offer the music. Okay. Beg your pardon? Yes, I'm going to repeat them. All right. Yes, thank you. Drinking water is offered by white goddesses. Washing water is offered by red goddesses. White goddesses offer the flowers. Blue goddesses offer the incense.

[25:36]

Pink goddesses offer lights. Green goddesses offer the scented water or perfume. All right. Well, food is offered by red goddesses and Music is offered by blue goddesses. Really, it's not so important just the colors of the goddesses. You just visualize that offering goddesses are making offerings. It's not really a big deal. Your heart, from your heart, just imagine that the sky is filled with these offering goddesses carrying offerings of these different seven things that we have described and offering them to the Buddhas, okay?

[26:42]

You should just think that they are very vast and in number and are making these offerings to the Buddhists on this vast scale. So, you know, more, [...] more Yes. Yes. Yes. When you are young, you are young.

[28:10]

When you are old, you are old. When you are young, you are young. When you are old, you are old. [...] then I'm going to be a non-believer. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. I don't know. I don't know.

[29:10]

I don't know. [...] I don't know number of genesis. And it did. So, so, [...] Yes, thank you. Yes, one should also visualize that one is performing

[30:12]

prostrations before the shrine and making the sevenfold offering. The sevenfold offering you may recall from our, from the descriptions given during the various initiations this winter. But in brief, the sevenfold offering is that, is the, sevenfold service rather, is the, is the taking of refuge, the confession of sins, the rejoicing in the virtuous acts of others, requesting the teachers to remain long, for the teachers of Dharma to remain long in the world, requesting them to teach the Dharma, and the dedication of merit, and one other one.

[31:45]

Bodhichitta. Yes, the awakening within oneself, the resolve to be enlightened. Is it wrong, Your Holiness? This is another thing. Something else altogether. I'm sorry. Yes, Your Holiness. Would you please... Yes, Your Holiness. I see. Only the Bodhichitta or this one, Your Holiness? This is the Chökyi Korda Korda, isn't it? The Mahayana is prostration first, and then offerings, and then confess, and then rejoice, and then request to turn on the wheel of dharma, and then request to remain in this world, and then dedication to me. That's good. So the other one was the offerings, right after taking a refuge, you would have offerings. Thank you. Then, so, this is very important, the sevenfold, the sevenfold service is really of great importance and should be performed.

[32:56]

Yes, lotus. Yes, it is. OM MI SOPA WAI YODA SOHA DAMA SOPA WAI YODO OM DALE RINPOCHE YAME PO DRONG RINPOCHE SEM CHE PYE NYE DA WAI TSE PYE DZIN GYI TSE LA MA DO GYI CHUNG GYI KHOR CHEN PYE RAM CHE GYI GYI GYIN TZAM PO DEN GURU JIPE LAMA NANGYI KURUN DANDE YODAM YISO YI SANGYI DONG YAT TUNG KYU YEN DE GYEN DE NANG YIN YONG YANG NI GYEN TSUL KHRIN TAR THAB

[34:09]

YIN NANG SOSHU THUG NE WI PYI PYE THUG CHE YIN NI GYAL WAI SI DANG KYI OM MI NANG KHA GUNG WAI KHYI DRUNG TE SOSHU RIN THAM PYE DANG YIN YIN PYE GYI ROL OM YEN KUN RINPOCHE DAI POR DROI SAK DOI SAK PAR RINPOCHE AI DKAI PAI DAI PYE PYE DROI PYE Aloy ken ken de neva enda shanda aye om namo renda draya yama namo bhaja om namo renda draya yama namo bhaja om namo renda draya yama namo bhaja om [...] nam

[35:16]

Avalokiteshvara, I bow to you. [...] And now we will First, we will have the offering according to the longer version, which the Tibetans will recite the offering of the 37 nouns.

[36:29]

After that, we will join in the offering of the mandala offering, the shorter form as found on the handout. Namaskar. He's one of the room about a little bit of [...] a little bit. OM MEN PEN TZAR PA MED LHAG WANG YIN CHEN YUNG SU DRAG PA LHUNG KHYEN SUR KHYEN TZAR YIN CHEN OM MEN PEN TZAR PEN MED LHAG WANG YIN CHEN YUNG SU DRAG PA LHUNG KHYEN SUR KHYEN TZAR YIN CHEN OM MEN PEN TZAR PEN MED LHAG WANG YIN CHEN YUNG SU DRAG PA LHUNG KHYEN TZAR YIN CHEN OM MEN PEN TZAR PEN MED LHAG WANG YIN CHEN YUNG SU DRAG PA LHUNG KHYEN TZAR YIN CHEN OM MEN PEN TZAR PEN MED LHAG WANG YIN CHEN YUNG SU DRAG PA LHUNG KHYEN TZAR YIN CHEN OM MEN PEN TZAR PEN M

[37:45]

TUN TAM PYE LEN NUR BWA LAI CHE CHANG RANG ME YIN LÜ DOR LÜ PHAI MA YAI THAI MA YAI YIN YUR PYE THAI LANG DUR NGUR GAM LENG CHEN TUNG, GAM LENG CHEN CHEN TAI, RUNG PO CHEN RUNG, PO SUNG CHEN CHEN, DUNG CHEN CHEN PA, MANG PYIN PA YIN RUNG HOI, GO LO RUNG PO CHEN. RINPOCHE [...] May you be happy. Mahakasyapa, [...]

[39:06]

Okay. So, I'm going to say, [...] Thank you very much.

[40:25]

Nge kye nalik tso tan kye wa nang la huwa kye huwa. [...] Nge kye nalik tso tan kye wa nang la hu Now please join in the recitation of the short form, the Mantra offering Sanjeeviji. KUN YI ZHIG ZHIG ZHONG NYE YONG TSUN TO WEI SHEN GYI LO TSU SOI KUN YI ZHIG ZHIG ZHIG ZHONG NYE YONG TSUN TO WEI SHEN GYI LO TSU SOI KUN YI ZHIG ZHIG ZHIG ZHONG NYE YONG TSUN TO WEI SHEN GYI LO TSU SOI KUN YI ZHIG [...] ZHONG NYE YONG TSUN TO WEI SHEN GYI LO TSU SOI KUN YI ZHIG [...] ZH

[41:57]

May all sentient beings be happy. May all sentient beings be happy. du yin non yin ren jen me mo ren jen wen jai kan ren jen wen jin po la so thang lai me jai du yin me jen du gyi lop pa jok si wa lop ja yin me lai pa gran du zong gye Nang kyi chig kyi ne kyi pye, sun gyi nuk kyi gyi chig, nang kyi chig kyi ne kyi pye, sun gyi nuk kyi gyi chig, nang kyi kyi ne kyi pye, sun gyi nuk kyi gyi chig, nang kyi [...] kyi kyi ne kyi pye, sun gyi n

[43:08]

du nye yin par gyur tse par dung par min mis kyu gyur kyal wo kyal wa gyur sik rung gyal gyal de nang gyal ri Namo Shakyamuni, Shakyamuni Buddha. chen [...]

[44:15]

Chanting. Chanting. I can't listen to him. Look, look at this. KYAN NI KUN DE LA MA RIN PO CHE KUN CHEN [...] PA SO BA DE YANG MED KAN CHEN [...] DU SHI ZIN KUN CHEN PA DUNG KUN DUY CHEN GYI ROL KYAN NI KUN DE LA MA RIN PO CHE KUN CHEN [...] PA SO BA DE

[45:33]

Namo'valokiteshvaraya Thank you. Thank you. Rongo, [...]

[46:36]

After you have offered the mandala the desired number of times, you should then conclude by directing your mind towards the root guru as he is visualized. in the sky in front of you, and recite the verse of the Guru Yoga, which invokes His blessings. That is the verse we have just recited at the bottom of your handout. It's called Kabdekundu. Recite this verse several times, and then visualize that all the, as yesterday, when you visualized the refuge,

[48:06]

the gurus and deities at the refuge shrine. But again, The deities, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas dissolve into light one after the other. One each dissolves into light and is absorbed into the other, and progressively they are absorbed into one another until finally only one's root guru remains in the form of Vajradhara. He also dissolves into light, that is, from the crown of his head downward to his heart and from the throne upwards, he dissolves into light and till finally only a small dark blue dot or point of light remains. And this descends through the crown of one's head and is absorbed into one's own consciousness at the region of one's heart. There at the region of one's heart you should visualize a lotus of various colors, very colored petals,

[49:13]

upon which is seated, upon which rests the sun and the moon, and... And then he is absorbed into oneself, seated there on his own is one's guru in the form of Vasudhara and you should visualize him there and think that he remains within your own consciousness until you have gained enlightenment. Chö yö la tso, yö la ma ra ta, de yong rung gö yü zu ni yö de, rung nyi pe ma dag yi nyi dö de.

[50:15]

Patanjali, may you need someone like you. Patanjali, lama namo jiye, pang gyi jhin par khe me ten jhule, pang gyi jhin par go nye kye song gye. Chanting gön nön nyin tön nong chö po wa yi, dül ha kyan tön pa tön tön wa yi, dak shi shak mya kham tön la kyin de, nyin gyi su kyi tön nil ta kyi mo,

[51:39]

Dönpä yürü chö [...] chö, nge wa dönpä yi gyé so ta gyi, dro lö la ma ta dun gyi gyur yi. Svāmādhānaṁ namo namah. Svāmādhānaṁ namo namah. Namo Buddhaya. Namo Buddhaya. Namo Buddhaya. So, I'm going to read it to you.

[53:00]

I'm going to read it to you. This concludes the instructions for the mandala offering.

[54:06]

Finally, we have the instructions for the last exercise, that of the Guru Yoga. Instructions for this meditation will be much briefer than the others. The meditation itself is performed rather simply. You visualize on top of the crown of your head, a lotus, and atop that a moon and throne, upon which is seated your own root guru in the form of Vajradhara, as described earlier. Think that he is the quintessence of all the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, protectors of the dharma, the wealth gods, the dakas and dakinis, of all of them he is the very essence. He embodies the essence of all those holy beings.

[55:34]

Now visualize that rays of light shine forth from his heart into all directions and invoke all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas protectors, etc., dwelling throughout space, and they converge upon him, falling like rain through space, and are all absorbed into himself. And then, with the mind of intense, sincere, unwavering faith and devotion, thinking that he is truly the quintessence of all those, of all those holy beings and the true refuge for yourself. You pray for his blessings and pray that you will never be separated from his guidance and blessings. And then you recite the desired number of times the Guru Yoga verse which will be found on the handout.

[56:38]

The final verse on your handout, recite that the desired number of times with a mind of unwavering faith, devotion and longing for his guidance. Rinpoche will recite the verse for us and give us the loom for that particular meditation. Then we'll join him in reciting the verse. Seng du ngenpo dorje tukarano, ren shen ru jin, tar gyur na zhi luk, lung shu dzokar sa we, tukar ni, he chu tsuk gyur lama ye dang tong, sung gyi sung sung, kyu sung no le, shin chung yir mi, kya kung ngo, yi gyur. Pa de tsar we, lama ren po, kye dak kyi syur, bin le den syur,

[57:43]

TAT TEN CHEN PÖ KHO NYE CHE SUNG TE PO SUNG DU RYE MÖ KÖ TZA DU SO KUNG KÖ THENG KYE DE CHEN NYE KÖ CHEN NYE DRAG CHAL WA KANG LA MA RIN CHEN DRAG KÖ DRO [...] Amaggay wang zhung, yong yong sa gyar pe, la song nyin gyur gyang zung, dze zung. Lek shik gar tun gyi la, da me ba, pa bin la, me gya la, su wa de, yong yong la, me san la, nyin la. Kyur gyur du dze, bur gyur pe mo tse, kyi me, em re gyang zang, dze yin gyi, kyi me, sam de, do gyur san gyi lo. Amaggay wang zhung, san la, du ma zhung, do gyur chen pe, gya e gong ba dung, kyi me, chen la, do gyur pen pe, In the name of the Lord Buddha, I bow to you. I bow to you. I bow to you. Now please join in reciting the Guru Yoga verse.

[59:01]

chani kundu namah rinpoche yin chukye chola sova de nam eka de chen kye tu chen si chukye badol kundu chen kye lo chani kundu namah rinpoche yin chukye chola sova de nam eka de chen kye tu chen si chukye badol kundu chen kye lo chani kundu namah rinpoche yin chukye chola sova de Nye-mah-dee. [...] Nye-mah-dee After the recitation of the Guru Yoga verse, you should then visualize that the

[60:32]

that your guru who is seated on the crown of your head in the form of Vajradhara now dissolves into light and is absorbed downward into your own consciousness so that your own consciousness, your mind and his mind become non-dually mixed. And then with assuming the correct posture of meditation with a straight spine and so forth. You should sit for a while in silent meditation without grasping at any concept or at any state of mind whatsoever. Just sit in a very, very thoughtless and ungrasping meditation upon the non-duality of your mind and the Guru's mind. Let us do that now.

[61:48]

Oh, my God. Hongtong, Ngudur, Dongzhi, Limpur, Zhongyi, Lingwa, Yishuang, Gongzhi, Tongzhi, Baitre, Nongzhi, Lomai, Nezhi, Zhengzi, Jiayin, Zhebalet, Udi, Medzhung, Chenling, Zhongshan, Laiyi, Zhongyi, Badin, Lame, Nongpar, Thawal, Laike, Zhi, Tsoyok, Lhokta, Mekhe, Zhing, Zhengzi, Lipur, Chongme, Ngubu, Zhezhu, In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen. In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Siddhātāṃ jītaṃ drajjhavaiśo gīlāṇḍai jihvāiśo, gāsanāyiśe suddhuśe sanāyiśe lakṣu, sambhārkaṇḍitopariśo, sanju-sañjuramukhe, māyīvānāṃ jītaṃ jītaṃ jīvānyāmbaraṃ mevāyā, koṇḍakaṇḍitopariśo, saṅjīko saṅjīkṣaṇḍitopariśo, [...] saṅjīkṣa

[63:30]

This completes the instructions for the guru yoga and with this we have completed our our discussion of the five exercises collectively known as the Ngandro practices. In the brief time we've had for the purpose, we have tried to give you some indication as some indication of the nature of these exercises, their purpose, and the basic instructions you will need if you ever wish to practice any of them.

[64:53]

Admittedly, the instructions and the practice that we have engaged have only been introductory. We tried to give you a sample of what the practice should be like. It has been more in the nature of an introduction to each of the five with a bit of practical application thrown in for your benefit. We hope that it's been of some benefit, that you will have gained some understanding of the basic exercises and their purpose and of their practice as well. We'll conclude our weekend session by the recitation of the Dedication of Merit. That's on your regular page. After which, if you wish, we'll set aside

[66:02]

fifteen or twenty minutes to answer some of your specific questions. Would you ask me to share with reference to the rice that you use? Are we supposed to clean it? How do we clean it? And how often do we change the rice that we've been using? I am also a poet. I am [...] a poet. He's known as the yoga, the very sort of one. I keep a sack. If you don't know how to do it, you can't do it.

[67:14]

You can't do it. [...] Yes. Before offering, before using the rice for your mandala offering, you should check it to make sure it is quite clean. That is to remove all white pebbles or whatever other impurities you might see there. It's also a good idea if you want to wash it first. Just satisfy yourself that the rice you're using is clean, is clean enough. Then use it.

[68:15]

Ideally, you should change the rice you're using after every session. A session is a formal session of meditation, usually lasting, say, a morning or three hours or two hours or whatever your session is. However, it will be all right if you just change the rice every day. For example, you use a certain amount of rice for your offering one day, and the next day you should replace that with new, cleaned rice. Yes. Susan Mayers. Yes. So, we just, we want to, if we say we want to practice to improve the other, do we do all and everything like that? Yes, I think this question was answered yesterday. Yes, I know. This question was answered yesterday. And at that time, if I can briefly reply, Rinpoche said that you can do it either way.

[69:46]

Generally speaking, it's better to concentrate in each session, in one session of meditation, to concentrate upon one. one of the five exercises, that is refuge, practice your refuge as a separate meditation in itself. And then, at another time, if you so wish, you, for example, do guru yoga, make a whole session of guru yoga. However, he said, there's nothing to prohibit you combining them in the way you've just described, in which all of them are practiced in the same session. Generally speaking, he said it's advisable to concentrate upon one. And just I might add myself, parenthetically, it's usually advisable to concentrate upon one, one of these, for example, in the order they've been given. First refuge, accomplish your full requirements of refuge and then take up, then move on to the second requirement, which is quite, what was it? the hundred syllable mantra and so forth, because they do have, there is a certain amount of progression from one to the other and having had the first, for example, having mastered the refuge, puts you in much better shape for mastering the second one and so forth.

[71:08]

Yes, that fits in, you know, in which each of these is treated as a meditation, as Rinpoche said, so that in each session of meditation you'll definitely have those three elements, those three stages involved. The first is the preliminary stage of taking refuge and awakening the light of thought. The second will be your main practice, whether it is taking refuge or hundred-syllable mantra meditation or guru yoga or whatever. followed by the third stage of dedicating marriage. Yes. Yes. Carol. I am I'm clear as to where the. With the. And all the goddesses. What is that? which is the Chöpi Lama, the King, the Mandala Puri, the Chöpi Lama, that you visualize that

[72:38]

Countless offering goddesses emerge from your heart, issue forth from your heart and make offerings to the visualized shrine of the gurus, buddhas and bodhisattvas. This precedes your offering to them of the mandala itself. All right? Preceding the offering of the mandala. You mean, where does that come in? But that's when you visualize the mandala. I mean, that's you... Yes. As you're offering it, you understand or you visualize that this is... the mandala that you have of rice represents this whole universe or cosmos that you are, in fact, offering. Yes. Yes. What are you... What are we doing? What is the mantra? What I was doing was reciting the mantra. Which mantra? For the giving offering of the mandala. You mean the verse?

[73:54]

The little verse of... What are you doing? You're repeating? Yes. So at the moment, it's the moment of visualizing the mantra? Or visualizing the... Well, to the best you can approximate, I would... I think Rumichai said you visualize all of that. Yeah, but it's not when we realize Mount Meru and the four continents. It's when we realize... To the best of your ability, I think you do have in mind that you are offering Mount Meru, the four continents, the sun and the moon, at least roughly in the center, you know, as you said, the mountain with the four continents in each corner, and then the sun and the moon, you should at least have. the idea, the concept to the best of your ability to visualize. He said it takes a long time before this becomes easy to keep all these in mind, but sort of approximate it. And at the same time also visual intervention? Yes, yes, you should at least have an idea that you're in a mansion and that there are the Buddhas, there's the offering shrine, and there are the Buddhas and all of that that you are offering, and then you're offering a mandala as this.

[75:00]

It's really quite complicated. He said it takes time, but sort of approximated and tried to master the details. And it will come gradually. The more you get into it, it sort of falls into place. Yes. Well, if you're considering, like, numerically, if you're counting the mandala offerings, you know, as you go on, is it one meditation session on the mandala offering that's considered one? Or, like, I noticed Rinpoche would, like, you know, symbolically represent Mount Sumeru and the continents, and then wipe it off and do it again. And we would also be simultaneously chanting, which goes even faster, you know, the mandala, So what is actually counted as one? Just the whole meditation session itself? No, no. Each arrangement of the mandala, of the Sumeru surrounded by the four continents, and the recitation of one recitation of that four-lined verse, that is one.

[76:03]

And then when you clean it, that's one mandala. Then you start all over again, and that's two and three and so forth. Okay. Jennifer, you had a question? Yeah, I was just wondering. I was just wondering about the teachings. Yes, you were saying. Yes. OK. I was wondering about mixing traditions. That's all. I mean, if I like, I consider my roots to be collar chain. Yes. OK. But it's a different lineage. And I was wondering, like some of the instructions here where you put short in the refugee. Sure. For prostration, prostration. Can I do that or should I follow what I know? Yeah. The way that the other method. Yes.

[77:05]

Yes. Yes. The practice and purpose of these foundation practices are really identical in all of these sats. If there are slight variations, then of course it is not only quite alright, but quite excellent that you would follow the instructions that Kalarimitra may have given you.

[78:17]

Or if you wish to have clarification, I'm sure that Lama Nurga will be able to give you the details for practice. There's certainly so little difference that it makes, you know, there's no difference at all about the instructions that you will receive for practice. And if there are variations, you should learn these from Lama Narpa or others, and Khenpo Kathar and others, and practice accordingly, yes. Can I just ask about Vajrasattva? Is he visualized and imagined as well, or is it just he just sort of feels spontaneous? That was for the Vajrasattva meditation of Ligyapa, of the hundred-syllable mantra. No.

[79:26]

At the time of visualizing, of meditating upon Vajrasattva and reciting the Hundred-Syllable Mantra, there is no visualization of a celestial mansion. Yes, I saw a hand, like, and there was, who was it, Kathy? Through the instructions for our compassion meditation, I've been trying as much as possible to make a habit of having Amitabha on the crown of my head, and I find that whenever were instructed to place a new visual information layer on a client that's face is already up. Are you Buddhas fighting amongst themselves here? They sort of shove each other around. Get out of here. I don't know what to do.

[80:44]

You should... You should also let Vajrasattva sit there sometimes. It's just this is the problem you've got actually. This problem is really only a symptom of, how do you say, of beginner's... that you want to get used to visualizing, you know, one form or another in your head.

[82:09]

There really won't be any problem in switching from one visualization to another. It's only because you are having a kind of a rigid I had to say a reifying approach to your visualization and started making them really real and rigid there, that you haven't developed this flexibility, but it comes through further practices. Okay? Yes. Let's see. I'll take a minute. We're doing the budget. And I noticed that when she was reciting the same names, these eight, eight, I don't remember them, but they correspond to the eight points on this on the Mandala that he's made here. You mean the the offering points where you say to Mandala offering.

[83:13]

And can and where does it begin? And can we should we or can we associate it with this associations that are given in the eight different points? You know, the King or King or the. I'm going to say the end of the. Yes. [...] In the Vajrapani meditation, the Vajrapani Buddhadharma meditation which you are referring, there is, there is,

[84:17]

There is a point at which, there are two points as you say, at which one makes the offering of the, makes the seven or eight offerings of drinking water, bathing water, flowers and food and so forth. This, although there is not the, there are no instructions there for making the offering of the mandala itself, but only of these eight items, offering items, definitely you should meditate, you should make those offerings. offerings of those eight offerings in just the way that it has been described today, even to the point of including the offering goddesses with just the same colors and just the same way that it was described today. And in fact, wherever those seven or eight items are to be offered, eight offerings are to be made, you can do it exactly as you have heard it today.

[85:46]

And that holds true for the other teach other instructions you've been given this weekend, wherever it's called for, refuge or mandala offerings and so forth, they can be made, can and should be made in just the, according to the instructions you have heard this weekend. Yes. I've got five minutes. All right. All right. Yes, the offerings are just, yes. You would like to, what, you would like to see them? You would like to know what they are, or what? To see them. To see them. Offering of drinking water.

[86:52]

Point it out. For offering the drinking water very quickly to run through them, the middle fingers Middle fingers should be joined in this way, but not... And then they should be pointed directly out in front of you.

[87:57]

They should not be raised in this manner. This is the offering of drinking water, om bhaja argam aham. The offering of bathing water, om bhaja padyam aham, is exactly the same. Do it again. Okay. Then the third, the offering of push palms, the offering of flowers. You should fold your thumbs in, both thumbs in, and curl your fingers over them to form a kind of fist. Bring them together. Yes. All right. Now, the offering of incense is just the reverse. I mean, it's just the same, but your fists are turned downward. All right. The offering of lights. Form a fist but have your thumbs upward.

[88:59]

Bring the two fists together and touch the thumbs. All right. That's the offering of aloki or lights. The offering of incense. Spread the fingers, join the thumbs beneath. Excuse me. I'm sorry. I'm very sorry. It was not incense. Perfume. Yes, not incense sticks, but perfume. Thank you. Join the fingers in this way. Bring the fingers together, fingers both hands together and have the... And just let the thumbs dangle. All right? Yes. Then the offering of food. It's just again have the fingers extended.

[90:03]

but turned upward. The hands should be turned upward. In this way. This is the offering of food. Okay? For the offering of music or shabda, your four fingers should be extended. Your four fingers only should be extended. Alright. Thumbs should be tucked under Three of your fingers with your four fingers extended outward. Bring your two hands together. Touch the tips of your four fingers. Yes. And then snap your fingers. Okay. There you go. One last question. That's it. Someone who hasn't asked. Nobody has asked. Who is our root guru? Is it the person who first initiated us? Is it someone we choose? Is it someone who started us on the path?

[91:04]

Can we change it from time to time? Your root lama is the one who gave you initiation into the meditation you are performing. initiation or instruction. Yes, all right, thank you very much. Yes, in answer to your question back there, in answer to your question, if you have received many empowerments from many different ones, many different lamas, you should then you should then think of all of them as your lamas and think of that particular lama who has been

[92:18]

most kind to you, whose instructions you are following most, whose meditations you are practicing most, and with whom you feel the greatest rapport, personal rapport, and the most likelihood of getting instructions from, the guidance you need, you should consider in this way and decide which one you feel to be your principal lama among lamas. All right.

[92:44]

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