That's the same. People who have the text, we're trying to determine whether this is a universal error or whether it just happened in a couple of copies. On the back of page 9, have people got an upside down page 12 or do they have a page 10 on the back of page 9? You've got a page 10 on the back of page 9.

[01:03]

Some of the copies, page 9 on the back is Tibetan with phonetics, upside down, and over on the left here, you've got an upside down number 12. So there's a significant number that are like that. We're sorry about that. We only just noticed it as I sat down to use the textbook. Some people have it right and some people have that mixed up. Right. It should be 9, 10, 11, 12. They're out of order and upside down. Yeah, we can rectify it. Out of order pages are not the correct order. Maybe they can leave their name with a bill. We'll try to get you the right page. Okay. OK, so the only problem that there will be is that certain copies, page 9 will have page 12 on the back upside down, and page 11 will have page 10 on the back upside down.

[02:22]

You've got all the text there, you've just got it in a slightly unique order. But if you leave us your name, we'll try to get you the properly printed pages. It seems as though most copies are OK, but I notice the number of hands up. So if those people want to leave their names and addresses, So that we can get back to you with the correct paging. Pagination. Yeah, fortunately the English is all in the right order in everybody's copy. It's only the Tibetan phonetics that's wonky. Okay. What's your name? Dushan. Dushan. Oh, yeah. Today, to deliver my gift, I don't know if it's true or not, but when I was young, I used to go to the temple to pray. [...] Jetson Kushok says, this afternoon then I'll be giving a brief teaching on the meditation of Green Tara according to this particular tradition.

[03:47]

In the larger collection in which this practice is found, there is not as such a specific teaching manual for the practice. But what I would like to give you at this point is a short instruction on how to use the meditation in a formal sense on a regular basis. So those of you who intend to use the practice in the future should listen well, take notes, pay attention to what's being said. A lot of it will be more or less obvious to intuit from the English translation. All of the text that you're going to be using for the practice has been translated in this edition. But we'll go through it stage by stage and describe the various parts of a session of practice. I also think it would be very good if, following the teaching, we all took a short time to practice together, reciting through the text once and meditating together, just to get the feel of it. So, I'm going to read it to you.

[05:01]

So, I'm going to read it to you. to San Diego. Take it. [...] Take The first stage in the meditation is the taking of refuge, and many of the remarks that I made yesterday in the context of the Chenrezig practice apply here as well.

[06:12]

In this particular tradition of Tara, the method used for visualization during the taking of refuge is known as the jewel method, in the sense that the single form of the Deity, like a jewel with many facets, like a wish-fulfilling gem, is the embodiment of all the sources of refuge in a single symbol. which is to say that you begin the meditation in a formal sense by visualizing in front of you a large lake, a body of water from the center of which rises the stem of a lotus in full bloom. On top of this lotus is a throne supported by eight snow lions and formed of precious metals and precious stones. On top of the throne is a seat formed of a lotus in full bloom with the full the disc of the full moon lying flat on top of it. And seated upon this assemblage of lotus throne and lotus moon seat is the form of green Tara depicted in the frontispiece of the text here.

[07:15]

And the form of Tara is the embodiment of what is essentially one's root guru in Vajrayana practice. So the essence is of the presence of the guru. The particular form manifestation is that of the Deity Tara. And this form of Tara is regarded by the practitioner as the union of all the sources of refuge. The mind The enlightened mind is represented by Tara being the jewel of the Buddha, the enlightened speech of Tara as the jewel of the Dharma, and the enlightened form of Tara as the jewel of the Sangha. As you recite the refuge prayer, you are conceiving of yourself principally as the practitioner, but also your mother and father in this life on either side of you, and surrounding you and your parents, all the beings of the six realms. Now again, it's most practical to conceive of an enormous crowd of human beings, to think of all beings in a human form.

[08:21]

rather than try to get into a lot of details of what different kinds of beings might look like and so forth, but just to think of the concept in your mind of an enormous crowd of human beings, not something local at all, we're not talking about just this neighborhood, but an entire universe filled with a vast crowd of beings, all joining with you in the taking of refuge. So, with that visualization and that frame of mind, you begin the recitation. In the Tibetan phonetics, this begins on page two, in the middle of the second line, with dak dang dro wa, and then on the other side of the picture, nam ka dang nyam pe, sem chen tam che, etc. And the English translation is given on page three, not the part in phonetics, in italics rather, but in the Roman script. I and all beings, sentient beings equal to the ends of space, from this time forth until the essence of enlightenment is reached, and so forth.

[09:26]

So that is the beginning of the liturgy and is specifically the stage of taking refuge. When I was young, my father taught me. When I grew up, my mother taught me. When I grew up, [...] my father taught me. So, following this introductory phrase, I and all beings, sentient beings equal to the ends of space, from this time forth until the essence of enlightenment is reached, the actual prayer of refuge is on page four or five. Take refuge in the glorious sacred gurus, we take refuge in the blessed accomplished Buddhas, we take refuge in the sacred dharmas, we take refuge in the noble sanghas. Then you repeat that over and over again, that particular section, we take refuge in the glorious sacred gurus, we take refuge in the blessed accomplished buddhas, we take refuge in the sacred dharmas, we take refuge in the noble sanghas, we take refuge in the glorious sacred gurus, and so forth.

[10:38]

You recite that four-line refuge prayer on page five over and over again. If you're using the Tibetan, the section that begins at the very top of page four with Palden Lama, it is from there that you recite, down to line three, at the very beginning where it says, Chyo. So from Palden Lama, Damban Lama, Chapsu Chyo, down to Pakpe Genden Lama, Chapsu Chyo, that is the part that is repeated over and over again. So depending on whether you're using the Tibetan or the English, nevertheless that section on the taking of refuge is recited over and over again. Now the text says recite this three or seven times on page four. Jetsun Kushok said, because it is a very short easy to recite prayer. Seven times is to be encouraged, that a person recite this no less than seven times at the beginning of a session. But if you wish to prolong the stage of taking refuge and recite it eleven times, twenty-one times, as many times as you like, that's perfectly appropriate. But the general recommendation is that a minimum of seven is to be encouraged. Following this recitation of the prayer of refuge, the taking of refuge over and over again,

[11:52]

The practitioner then meditates that the sources of refuge dissolve into light. That is to say, in this case, the form of Tara in the sky in front on this throne dissolves into light and this light is absorbed into and becomes inseparable from the body, speech and mind of the practitioner. The body, speech and mind of the practitioner then is blessed with the blessings of enlightened body, speech and mind. And as far as the other beings in the visualization, this vast crowd of sentient beings, they simply return to their own environments. There's no need to prolong the visualization or to do anything with it at that point. They simply pass from the consciousness or awareness of the practitioner. You simply cease to focus upon that aspect. We have to go to the temple. If we go to the temple, we have to go to the temple. If we go to the temple, we have to go to the temple. If we go to the temple, we have to go to the temple. The second stage is the generation or arousal of bodhicitta, the compassionate and altruistic resolve that should precede the meditation.

[13:19]

This begins, in the Tibetan, in the middle of line three on page four, sem chen tam chye chitundu, dzope sanjiji gopam tabra jah de chedu, and so forth. In the English, it begins at the bottom of page five, for the sake of all beings, I will attain the developmental stage of a perfect Buddha. For that purpose, I will meditate on Jatsantara. This is simply to reinforce the attitude at the beginning of every session of meditation that your purpose in undertaking the practice and in seeing it through is not simply one of selfish motivation, but one of altruistic concern for the welfare of others and that it is truly for their benefit that you undertake the practice. And so as you recite the words, you also reinforce the attitude mentally. And this is recited three times over, this section. When I was young, I used to go to the temple to pray to the Buddha. When I was young, I used to go to the temple to pray to the Buddha.

[14:21]

When I was young, I used to go to the temple to pray to the Buddha. The next stage of the preliminary part of the meditation begins on page six in the Tibetan, towards the end of line one, rong kecigi, jetsun maraselwe thuka, and so forth. In the English, on page seven, I appear instantly and clearly as Jetsuntara. That is to say, you cease conceiving of yourself in your ordinary shape, your ordinary body, and instantly generate the impression of yourself. as the Green Tara, depicted on the left there on page 7, that particular form of the Deity, with the tam syllable, which is written both in the English phoneticization and the Tibetan script, just to the right of the figure on page 7, the third line of text.

[15:22]

That syllable, which is the seed syllable of the Deity, appears within the heart, within your heart, you as the Deity. resting on a moon disk, standing as it were on the flat disk of the full moon. Light rays shine from it, inviting Aryatara to appear in the sky in front of me. That is to say, you are in the form of the Deity, and from the seed syllable in your heart, light shines forth and summons Another form of the Deity, the wisdom aspect of the Deity, to appear in the sky in front of you. And the form of Tara in the sky in front of you is identical to your own, but it is crowned by the Buddha Amitabha. And there's a small line drawing on the right-hand side of the page there of Amitabha. As well as the 21 forms of Tara and an assembly of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, there is a larger retinue around the central figure in front of you of these Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and the mandala, the 21 forms of Tara. The liturgy carries on on page 8 in the Tibetan with...

[16:27]

Om Vajra Samaja is the mantra used at this stage in the visualization, and you couple it with the visualization that the assembly actually appears in the sky in front of you. And there is also what is called a mudra, or ritual gesture, that accompanies that mantra. So as you recite the last few words of this section of the text, as you approach this section of Om Vajra Samaja, you rotate your hands in a clockwise clockwise circle, and cross the wrists with the right hand in front of the left. Everybody see? So you simply rotate the hands in a small circle and snap the fingers, and then you curve your index finger and you draw in slightly. It's not an exaggerated gesture, it's not, but you just draw in gently with it. And that is the mudra of summoning. It's called the mudra of summoning, the gesture of summoning the deity. So as you recite, om vajra saman jah, you perform the mudra, recite the mantra, and visualize that the form of the deity, crowned by Amitabha, surrounded by the other twenty forms in the assembly of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, that all of these appear, are summoned and appear in the sky in front of you.

[17:55]

So it is a physical, mental, and verbal act, all in one. That's why we have to go to Lama's temple. We [...] have to go to Lama's temple. At this stage then, the form of the Deity has been summoned into the sky in front of you and you offer prostrations. Not literally, you don't literally get up and bow down, but mentally you honor the Deity and you fold your hands, place them at your forehead, and then move them down to your heart. And as you recite the two mantras on the top of page eight,

[18:56]

and nine, depending on whether you're looking at the Tibetan or the English part of it, namo gurupya, which means prostrations to the gurus, and om aryatara-saparivarebhya, homage or prostrations to Tara together with her retinue. That is literally what those mantras mean in Sanskrit. So as you fold your hands at your forehead, you say, namo guru-bhya, and honor the gurus. As you move them down to your heart, to the heart level, you say, om aryatara-saparivare-bhya, which is the honoring of the Deity and the mandala surrounding the Deity. This one is for tea, for breakfast. For breakfast we have almonds, raisins, raisins, almonds, raisins, [...] raisins. The next stage of the meditation is the making of offerings to the deity.

[20:07]

Having shown initial respect and honor to the deity, you then present traditional offerings. And again, this is a process that involves the recitation of a mantra in Sanskrit, the performance of mudras or ritual gestures which symbolize the various offerings, and the accompanying visualization, the accompanying meditation that these offerings are mentally called to mind and offered to the Deity as a further sign of respect and devotion. So, if we move through the mantra on pages 8 and 9, Aum Arya Tara Saparevara, which simply means noble Tara together with her retinue, Argam, padhyam, pushpe, dupe, aloke, gande, naivedye, sabda, aham. Argam is drinking water, padhyam is washing water, pushpe are flowers, dupe is incense, aloke are lamps, gande refers to scented water,

[21:19]

Naivedya to food, Shabda to music, sound and music. So these are the sense offerings which are made to the deity at this point. And again, each one has a ritual gesture. So just to go through these mudras, If you intend to use this practice and are interested in going through the mudras, we'll run through them briefly at this point. Argam. So, first is argam, in which the middle fingers are extended and the rest are kind of crooked and the hands are placed, palms together with the thumbs in. Padam [...] So these are the flowers.

[22:47]

This is a symbol of the... This is a mudra of holding a garland of flowers, like a lei or a wreath of flowers that you're holding in your hands, but you simply fold your thumbs in and curl your fingers over and place the hands together with the palms up. Again, these aren't exaggerated gestures, it's not, you know, like that, but you just bring your hands together like that. The next one is dupe, which is incense, and this is done by simply moving the hands so that the palms are down. So they're facing down, the palms are down, rather than out. So it's simply a case of rotating the hands 180 degrees. Aloke is with the thumbs up and the fingers curled in and the hands placed together. Gende, which is scented water, the palms are facing outwards with the thumbs side by side, extended side by side.

[24:01]

Nirenda is food. turn the hands over and you offer what essentially is the mudra of offering a plate of food. This is naivedya. Shabda. Shabda, as you bring your hands in, the finger, forefinger, index finger is extended, the other fingers are drawn in over the thumbs and then you just place the tips of the forefingers together. Yeah. You can ask her. This is a very, very long time ago. [...]

[25:01]

This is a very, very long So you didn't have any children? No, I didn't have any children. I didn't have any children. I didn't have any children. So you didn't have a husband? No, I didn't have a husband. My mother had a son. [...] My mother I don't know what to do. I [...] don't know what to do. So each of these ritual gestures has the particular shape that the hands take when you form the fingers in this way, has some relationship to the actual offering that's taking place.

[26:03]

The first two, drinking and washing water, because they are liquid offerings of water for various purposes, the mudra representing them is a stylized version of a pot or a vessel with a spout for pouring. So that's the historical origin of this kind of gesture. Thumbs are in, pardon me. Fine point here. Thumbs are in rather than out. The flowers, again, is the gesture of holding a garland, as though you were holding out a garland of flowers, like a lei or a wreath made of flowers. The gesture for incense, which is simply turning the hands so that they're facing palms downward, comes from the fact that when the sticks of incense, wands of incense, are lit and carried around the temple during a ceremony, the bundle is held like that.

[27:16]

you're holding a bundle in each hand, and the one that is lit in your right hand is being wafted back and forth. Now, you don't actually do this when you're doing the mudra, but that's the origin of that gesture, of that way of holding the hands. It's from the way in which the wands or bundles of incense are held by the shrine keepers. The gesture for alokay for lamps is a little more straightforward and easier to understand. The thumbs sticking up are like the wick flame of an oil lamp or a butter lamp. This being like the body of the lamp with the wick coming out of it. The gesture for gande or scented water is taken from the idea of a hand fan that's cooling because the offering of scented water is the offering of a cooling and refreshing scent. like a cologne or a bath water or something like that, that would be cooling and refreshing to the skin, just like a fan is. And so, you don't do this with your fingers, but that's the origin of the way of holding the hands, with the thumbs pressed together and the fingers facing outwards.

[28:27]

Again, food is the, naivedya is the offering of food, just as though you had a plate or a tray of fruit that you were offering to somebody in a very respectful way. And then finally, sabda, the extended forefingers are like drumsticks for beating upon a drum. But again, you don't drum with your fingers in this particular method, at least you simply place them together. But they are symbolic of drumsticks being used to play drums. How are you? I am fine. I have heard that you are going to be a monk. I [...] heard that you are going to be a monk. 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.

[29:30]

When I was young, I used to go to the temple to pray. [...] At this point, then, you have invited or summoned the form of the Deity into the sky in front of you. You have demonstrated respect and devotion to the Deity through frustrations. Further honor is shown the Deity through making these offerings with the accompanying gestures and mantras that are recited. At this point, there is a recitation of a prayer known as the seven-branch prayer in the particular formulation that's used in the Vajrayana. There are several different renditions of this seven-branch prayer.

[30:31]

But the part that begins on page eight at the end of line two, kun chok sum la dak chap ji, and continues over to page twelve. Now, if you have one of the gibbled editions, you'll need to go from page 8 to the back of page 11, where you have an upside-down page 10, and that continues on. Again, once you've got a straight copy from us, it'll be much more easy to follow. If you're using the Tibetan then, you recite from the end of line 2 on page 8 through the whole of page 10, to the end of line one on page twelve, where it says three times, Drupada Shoka, three times. So you then go back to page eight, Kunchok Soma Dachachi, and so forth, and you recite that section over and over again three times. The sense of it, the English translation, is given beginning on page nine, towards the bottom. In the three jewels I take my refuge. So that's the first branch or the first stage of the prayer, the taking of refuge, a reiteration of the taking of refuge from now until you and all beings attain enlightenment.

[31:36]

And make confession of all sins individually. This refers to all negative or harmful acts that you and all beings in this and any previous lifetime have committed. All of these are being acknowledged, purified at this point. I rejoice in the virtuous activity of all beings. This is the next stage of the prayer. the state of rejoicing in the merit of others, of any virtuous or positive action committed by any being at any point. That's serving as a focus for your admiration and rejoicing. Then over to page eleven, and hold in mind the enlightenment of the Buddhas. The next stage then is the reiteration of the full and complete awakened state of Buddhahood as the goal. I take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha and the Excellent Sangha until I reach enlightenment." There's a bit of overlap here because that was also the first line of the prayer, but here again the formal vow of refuge is reinforced. In order to achieve my own and others' aims, I generate the bodhicitta.

[32:40]

This is the reiteration or reinforcement of the bodhisattva vow, that in order to benefit beings, you give rise initially to that attitude of seeking their enlightenment as well as your own. Having generated bodhicitta, I invite all beings as my guests." Then over to page 13, I practice the excellent, pleasing conduct of the enlightened. This is the application aspect of bodhicitta. There's the initial aspiration where you intend to benefit beings, and then there's the actual application where you begin to work for the benefit of beings, through your practice, in this context. And finally, I dedicate the merit and dedicate the merits so all beings may achieve enlightenment. That is the final branch of the prayer, the dedication of merit. So, this particular section is a purification of the thread of your consciousness and an augmentation of positive qualities such as merit and wisdom. And it is still part of the preliminary stages of this meditation. And that section is recited three times over.

[33:44]

In the beginning of the world, there was a big tree, a small tree, and a big tree, and a big tree, and a small tree, and a big [...] tree. When I was a child, my father was a monk. He taught me how to read and write. He taught me how to read and write. He taught me how to read and write. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. The next stage, which is on page 12 in the Tibetan and 13 in the English, is the cultivation of what are called the four immeasurables, four specific attitudes which are encapsulated in the following four lines.

[35:20]

May all sentient beings have happiness and the cause of happiness. That is, from the Buddhist point of view, love. The attitude of love towards another being and towards all beings is the attitude that they be happy. A selfless wish that another being be happy and enjoy the causes of happiness in the future. That is loving that being. The second line, may they be free of sorrow, and the cause of sorrow embodies the attitude of compassion. The awareness of the suffering of others and the sincere desire to remove that suffering. The sincere wish that beings be free of their pain. The third line, may they never be separate from the bliss that is sorrowless, is the encapsulation of the quality of joy, rejoicing or celebrating a state of true happiness, of enlightenment, which is free from any taint of suffering or sorrow, and the sincere wish that all beings enjoy that final happiness which transcends sorrow. And then the final line, may they live in equanimity, free of attachment and aversion towards near ones and far.

[36:26]

This quality of equanimity is one of positive response to all, that is to say, rather than simply treating or parents and children and brothers and sisters and close friends well and ignoring everybody else or treating them meanly or with mean-spirited intent, instead your response is positive towards all beings. That is the wish embodied in this fourth line of the prayer, that all beings enjoy that state of equanimity where their response to each and every being is a totally positive one. Up to this point, we have been involved with what is called the mundro or preparation stage of this practice. We now have reached the point where the practitioner begins the main body of the practice, which is the generation of oneself as the deity.

[37:28]

Previously, for a brief period, you visualized yourself instantly as the deity, but the main body of the practice here requires a more methodical identification with the form of the deity. How do you do it? I don't know how to do it. [...] I don One of the unique features of this particular sadhana, as opposed to most other texts that you'll run into, is that point at the very beginning of the practice, just after the vow of refuge and the

[38:42]

the Taking of Refuge and the Arousal of Bodhicitta, where you say, I instantly become Tara, and then you summon the wisdom aspect of the Deity and make offerings and so forth. That self-generation, that instantaneous self-generation, is not something you'll find in other texts. It is a perfectly authentic and appropriate step in this text, but you probably won't find it very commonly in other sadhanas. More often the sadhanas go straight from the Taking of Refuge and the Bodhicitta section to this part on page 15 where you dissolve everything into emptiness. In this particular sadhana there's an additional section of gaining merit and developing wisdom through generating yourself instantly as the Deity, inviting the full mandala of the Deity, and then offering prostrations, offerings, purifying yourself with the seven-branch prayer, and generating or cultivating the four immeasurables. So that's an additional wrinkle, if you will, an additional element in this text that you won't find in a lot of other sadhanas. At this point, however, though you have previously generated yourself in the form of the Deity, in that instantaneous way, at this point, as you recite the mantra on page 1415, Aum Shunyata Jnana Vajra Svabhava Admako Ham, and there's a rough translation of the Sanskrit underneath, Aum, I am the very epitome of the Vajra nature, the awareness of emptiness.

[40:07]

With the recitation of that mantra, you dissolve all concepts in your mind, of yourself as the deity, of the deity in front, of the environment in which you are physically located, your shrine and so forth, all of that is allowed to fall away and the mind settles into a state of bare awareness for just a few moments as you recite that mantra. And we'll go stage by stage through the visualization then in the English on page 15, and corresponding to that and beginning on page 14. From an empty state, from the state of this emptiness, there appears a lotus from palm. So initially there is the form in the mind of the syllable palm, which is shown in both its English transliteration and in the Tibetan script there, and a moon disk from A. So there appears this pam, which becomes a lotus flower, and you can see a diagram over on the left-hand side of the page there to show you the full assemblage as it's built up in meditation.

[41:16]

So from the pam there appears the lotus, from the A there appears the moon disk on top of the lotus, like a flat cushion almost, and then above that a green syllable tam, This tam is the seed syllable of the deity. Also from your point of view as the meditator, it is the principle of your consciousness embodied in the pure form of the mantra syllable. From its complete transformation, that is to say, initially there is the form of the syllable, and then instantaneously it becomes the form of the Deity. It is replaced by the full form of the Deity, and so you appear in the full form of the Jetsunma, Tara of the Acacia Grove.

[42:20]

Her body is green like an emerald, so it's a very intense, rich, green color. So the form has one face and two arms. The right hand is in the mudra of perfect generosity and you can see on page 17 there's a small line drawing of the deity. So the right hand is held palm outward with the fingers pointing down on the right knee. The left hand is at the heart, held to the heart, holding between the thumb and the ring finger, the stem of a blue lotus, with the petals of the lotus opening next to the left ear of the deity. It's been two weeks.

[43:23]

It's been two weeks. The hair on the head of the deity, half of it is falling freely, spilling over the shoulders and down the back in long strands. And the rest of it is bound up in five tresses in a kind of top knot on the top of the head.

[44:24]

Five large tresses that are kind of braided together in a top knot. The form is adorned with garments of silk and ornaments made of precious jewels. and is sitting in a posture, what is known as the posture of ease. And you can see from the diagram that this is a very loose cross-legged posture with the right leg extended slightly, not stretched out completely, but extended in front of the left leg. So just as it's depicted in the line drawing there. This is a letter from my father. He wrote it for me. He wrote it for me. This is a letter from my father. Yes, yes.

[45:32]

Yes, yes. As you visualize yourself in the form of Tara, you visualize that at her forehead is the white syllable om, again that both the English and Tibetan scripts are given on page 17. At her throat is the red syllable ah, and at her heart is the blue, dark blue syllable hum. Up to this point, what you have created in meditation is a form of the deity known as the samaya aspect, the commitment aspect. In order to infuse that meditation with the wisdom principle of the Deity, you now, by a process of meditation, summon what is called the wisdom aspect. And this is done by meditating and reciting, as on page 19, from the hung, that is to say, the hung in your heart as Tara.

[46:38]

shine light rays inviting all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in forms of Tara, Om Vajrasamaja. And again there is that mudra of summoning where you rotate the hands, cross the wrists with the right in front of the left, snap the fingers and then hook the forefingers and draw them in. So there is a... Having invoked the wisdom aspect of the Deity, it does not remain as something separate, but is absorbed into your own commitment aspect to become inseparable from it. So the two aspects become united in non-dual, in a state of non-dual union. And this is what is signified by the mantra on page 19, Ja Hum Bam Ho. And the mudras of hook, noose, chain, and embrace, which are referred to there, each one is tied in with one of the mantra syllables.

[47:41]

So with ja, you're using the right index finger to hook over the left pinky, the left little finger. That's the initial stage of drawing in, drawing the wisdom aspect towards you. Ja. Hong. With hung, the hands are placed back to back with the thumbs in, and the middle and ring fingers curve slightly over the thumbs, and then they're placed back to back. And there's a kind of an aperture between your wrists, you can kind of see through. That's the noose, right? With bum, which is the chain, the merging of the two aspects, you loosely link the pinkies and the pointers. What do you call this? Index finger. Back to being in grade school, kindergarten.

[48:44]

So the little fingers, the pinkies and the index fingers are hooked together loosely, and the palms are up. With whole, the rejoicing or the celebration of the union of the two aspects, you simply cross the hands at the chest, just as you do for the mudra of summoning, but you don't snap at this point. You simply cross the wrists, the right in front of the left at the heart. And with that, the external wisdom aspect of the Deity merges with and becomes one with your own meditated aspect as the commitment Deity. I don't know what to say. [...]

[49:47]

Following the dissolution of the wisdom aspect into the commitment aspect and the union of the two, there is a further summoning of the Buddhas of the five Buddha families of Vajrayana, what are called the Abhisheka deities or empowerment deities. Now, although the text isn't explicit here, the visualization is identical to what it is above, that from the hung in your heart as Tara, light shines forth and summons the Buddhas of the five families. And the line drawings on the page here, on page 19, showing very similar figures with slightly different mudras and slightly different implements, these are the Buddhas of the five families in their masculine and feminine aspects in union. And so these Buddhas of the five families, masculine and feminine, appear in the sky in front of you with this, again, with the summoning gesture, om bhajata samajjhaha, and the recitation of the mantra. When I was young, when [...] I was young, Having invited the Buddhas of the five families to appear in front of you, in the sky in front of you, you as Tara,

[51:26]

You then supplicate them to grant you abhisheka, or empowerment, and that is what is indicated at the bottom of page 19 there. I supplicate all the Tathagatas, all the Buddhas, to grant me abhisheka, to grant me empowerment. And with that, while you recite the following section of the text on page 21, You are meditating that it is actually the deities, actually the Buddhas of the five families that are reciting this. You're reciting it on a practical level. You are the one reciting the words. But the image in your mind is that you are hearing the Buddhas of the five families confirm your request by reciting, just as when the Buddha was born, the devas bathed him, so too now with that pure celestial water in the same way we anoint you. And then they say, and that is the mantra which indicates the conferral of the empowerment by the Buddhas of the five families.

[52:50]

This is a very abridged visualization of empowerment at this point. In a more detailed sadhana, more extensive sadhana, there would be different stages. Your form as the deity would be anointed with vases of abhisheka water or nectar from the deities in front. There would be a shower of blossoms or flowers that you would visualize being cast down upon you to confirm the empowerment. A great mood of celebration and delight on the part of the deities empowering you and on the part of you as the deity being empowered. So, I am going to teach you how to do it.

[53:55]

I will teach you how to do it. So, following the recitation of that mantra on page 20, in the middle of line 2 in the Tibetan, or in the middle of page 21 in the English, om sarvata tagata abhishekata samaya sriye hum, saying this, they confer abhisheka on me by pouring water from vases through the top of my head, filling my body in purifying stains. So your form as the deity is being completely cleansed of all residual stains and obscurations. As your form fills with this, the excess water flows up over the top of my head and from it appears Amitabha to crown the top of my head." So as the fluid which is conferring the empowerment is visualized as filling your body, filling your form as the deity, it then overflows in the crown of the head and swirls to condense into the form of the Buddha Amitabha, which again is shown on page 7.

[55:05]

There is a line drawing of the Buddha Amitabha for those unfamiliar with that. And this form of the Red Buddha Amitabha is again the form manifestation of what is essentially the presence of your guru. So essentially you are invoking the presence of your guru. From the point of view of the form of the meditation, this is the Buddha Amitabha above the crown of your head. This is what is known as being crowned by the Lord of the family. Each of the five Buddha families has a particular Buddha iconographically associated with that particular family as being the, quote, Lord of the family, the central principle of that family. And Amitabha is the central principle of this particular family, the lotus or Padma family of deities. This is David's son, David's daughter. David's daughter, Tara. This is his son, David's [...] son,

[56:16]

When I was young, I was in the army. I was a soldier. [...] Yang rang yin ying gaa na yi [...] y In the next stage, you begin to prepare for the mantra recitation. Page 22, 23. And when you say the mantra garland surrounds the tongue syllable on a moon disk in the heart,

[57:17]

Now, there's no explicit instructions in the text itself, but from other practices we can infer that the format is very much the same. You'll see the line drawings of the mantras both in English and Tibetan on page 23. Now, of course, due to the fact that it's a two-dimensional medium, the letters are lying flat, or appear to be lying flat on the moon disk. In fact, in the three-dimensional visualization, they are standing upright, like pickets in a fence, that kind of idea. So there is the moon disk, and then there is the central syllable, the tam, standing upright in the center, and then surrounding it, going clockwise and facing inwards, around the rim of the moondisc are the syllables, om, ta, re, tu, ta, re, tu, re, sva, ha, the ten syllables of the mantra of Tara. Whether you visualize them in English or in Tibetan, the principle is the same, that they are standing upright in the center and on the rim of the moondisc, and the ones that are on the rim are arranged in a clockwise fashion, facing inwards, om, ta, re, tu, ta, re, tu, re, sva, ha.

[58:51]

This whole assemblage of moon-disc, seed-syllable and mantra-garland is visualized in your heart, that is to say, in the center of the heart region of yourself as the Deity. And as you begin to recite the mantra at that point, om tare tu tare turi-svaha, om tare tu tare turi-svaha, over and over again, as many times as you intend for that session, there is a somewhat standard visualization that applies in the case of almost every deity, which is that of light of a particular color going out from the mantra syllables in the heart. In the case of green Tara, the light is green. So you visualize green light, a green radiance shining forth from the seed syllable and the mantra syllables in the heart, in your heart yourself as the deity. This light is going throughout the universe and it performs two functions. As it first shines forth, it is in itself an offering to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, to enlightened beings in all directions. And pleased with this offering, they return their blessings in the form of light, of green light, which is absorbed into you and into the syllables in your heart.

[60:03]

So first the light goes forth as an offering and returns as blessing. It then goes forth as a purification of the obscurations and suffering of all beings and the negative karma of all beings. And in purifying them, it transforms them so that you actually meditate or visualize that all beings are transformed into forms of the deity Tara. And so as much as your imagination is able to encompass that, you visualize all beings becoming Tara following this purification. And then again the light returns. So you spend the greater part of a meditation session reciting the mantra over and over again and performing this pulsation of the light, visualizing the light going forth as an offering, returning with the blessings, going forth as a purification and returning again, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. So you simply repeat the mantra over and over again and repeat the cycle of visualization over and over again, focusing the awareness upon it. Following the recitation of the mantra as many times as you intend for that session,

[61:12]

you supplicate the Deity, invoke the blessings of the Deity to grant to you and all beings what are called the common and the extraordinary siddhis. Common being those more mundane powers, spiritual powers and insights, and the extraordinary siddhis being the full realization of awakened Buddhahood. And so that is the prayer that begins on page 22 in the Tibetan, line 2, chomden deme. or in English, as it says in English, Blessed One, I supplicate you, grant without exception all the common and extraordinary siddhis, accomplishments, to me and to all sentient beings. Those of you who've been around Tibetans may have noticed that when they recite a mantra, when they finish reciting a mantra, they coil their mala up in their hand and place it on the crown of their head. That's not a crucial part of the ceremony. If you see people doing that, that's fine. If you want to do it yourself, that's fine, too. But there's no need to do that. You simply finish the recitation and perform the supplication.

[62:37]

I don't know what to say. [...] Again, while it's not explicitly stated in this text, you are supposed at this point to perform the dissolution stage of the visualization. So following the supplication, following the recitation of the mantra and then following the supplication for the conferral of siddhi or accomplishment, you meditate that your own form as Tara, from the lotus seat beneath and from the top of the head above, this form begins to dissolve into light and gradually this light coalesces in the heart region of the deity and then simply fades from view.

[63:42]

And so the actual form of the visualization dissolves and you let the mind rest. It is as though the form of the deity, your form as the deity, simply vanished into thin air. And you let the mind rest in a state of bare awareness without any conceptual framework of you as the deity or whatever. No conceptual framework, no ideas running through the mind at all. And simply let the mind rest as comfortably as possible for a short period of time in that state. Thank you, Tom. I love you. When I was young, I used to go to school. I went to school when I was five years old. I went to school when I was ten [...] years old. Then, from that state of emptiness, you re-emerge as the form of the Deity, again summoning forth this image of yourself as the Deity Tara.

[64:59]

So for people who are using this practice on a daily basis, for whom Tara is their yidam, they would dissolve the visualization and then before they concluded the meditation they would summon up again the form of the deity in meditation, visualize themselves in the form instantaneously again. and further conceived that the Deity was marked at the forehead, throat, and heart by the three syllables om, ah, and hum, representing enlightened body, speech, and mind. Now again, you're not going to find anything in the text that actually says, now you dissolve the visualization, now you reappear as the Deity. If you are using the practice on a regular basis, if you do rely upon Tara as your yidam, however, it's perfectly appropriate to insert that at this point. First the dissolution stage, and then the re-emergence in the form of the Deity. This is a gift from God. I want to give it to you. And then the next stage is the dedication of the virtue of the practice, which begins at the bottom of pages 22 and 23.

[66:19]

In the Tibetan, with gewan di, and yur du dak, jetsun drom mudra jane, and in the English with, by this virtue may I swiftly accomplish tara, and may all beings, not one excluded, be placed in this same state. So that is the formal dedication of the virtue and merit of the session of practice, dedicating it towards the enlightenment of all beings. And the final Conclusion of the practice is the prayer of auspicious benediction, which simply lists the qualities or refers to the qualities of body, speech, and mind. Casting off the flaws of body, she possesses perfect, great, and minor marks.

[67:22]

Casting off the flaws of speech, her voice is like the melody of a kalapinka bird. And a kalapinka bird is an Indian species of, I think, a cuckoo. It has a very sweet voice, anyway, a very, very beautiful voice. And so it's traditionally used in Tibetan literature as a poetic example of something very, very beautiful to listen to, very, very melodic and sweet. So her voice is like the melody of the Kalapinga bird. Casting off the flaws of mind, she understands all things infinitely. Auspicious, glorious, blazing lady, let auspiciousness arise. This all referring, of course, to the Deity Tara. Yes, we have been doing this for a long time. We have been doing this for a long time. We have been doing this for a long time. We have been doing this for a long time. So, in that you have received

[68:28]

transmission of the empowerment of Tara and an explanation of the formal meditation, those of you who are able to implement it on a regular basis, this is ideal if one is able to actually carry it through in practice. At the very least, if you are able on a regular basis, monthly or whatever, to take part in a ritual known as the four-mandala ritual, we referred to this earlier today, where the form of the Deity is visualized in front of you and there is an elaborate process of offerings and praise to the Deity, then this is another way of maintaining an intimate connection with the blessing of the Deity. There is a very famous a prayer poem known as the Praises to the Twenty-One Forms of Tara, which is an integral part of the Four Mangala Ritual. And this is another means of practice, because the prayer of praise in itself constitutes a meditation on Tara. And so, if you are interested in pursuing that, you can approach a teacher and get teachings on that particular Praise to the Twenty-One Forms, memorize it and use it on a regular basis.

[69:52]

No, I don't have it. You don't have it? No, I don't have it. You don't have it? No, I don't have it. [...] No, I don With respect to the short practice that we've just gone through now or the more extensive ritual, whether you do it in Tibetan or English is of no import. If you wish to do either of these practices in English, that's perfectly appropriate. Je Tsongkhapa at this point would like to give what is called the lung or reading transmission for the 21 praises.

[70:57]

He said that the way that this particular book she's reading from is set out, it just has one verse here and then an explanation of it, and another verse the next page, so she's going to be hopping from page to page. So it may take her a while to find it all, but we'll get through the 21 verses. OK. OK. OK. Chant the Tathagatagarbha Sutra. Shantarakuntasundarachakya Sanghya Thogwa Namakhyamma Mahalakshmipu Kholukhyamma Ranggawin Khyamantunga [...] Shantarakuntasundarachakya Sanghya Thogwa Namakhyamma Mahalakshmipu Kholukhyamma Ranggawin

[72:37]

PRAYING MANTRA SANGHA ALPHA YIN, [...] SANGHA ALPHA YIN So, there's a day, so there... I don't know what it is.

[74:01]

I don't know what it is. I don't know what it is. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. It's a very good question.

[75:06]

It's a very good question. You read it. You read it. You read it. Lama Tenanguji said, tengu yawes, tegi sunangu khwa sani, tini ghanla yana segun wada, men nebatin tegu yawes, tegi segun wadu tabanis, khadugu kola taten tengute, khadugu kula taten tengute, tegi tenyadu kola tenyadu, kilo tenyadu, tenyadu.

[76:18]

Lama, tshasawala, sawa tenyadu, This is my mother. She is my mother. She is my mother. She is my mother. So, I was there for a year or two, and then I went back to Dar es Salaam. I was in [...] Dar es Salaam. You mean, that's just, you know, drum rhythm, that kind of rhythm?

[77:33]

Chogye rhythm? Yes. Drum rhythm, chogye rhythm. No, no, [...] no. I don't know. [...]

[78:33]

I don't know. [...] I don't know Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. In the edition of the text that was prepared for this weekend, there is also a section known as Supplications to the Gurus.

[79:39]

Now, these are prayers to the major lamas of the Sakya line of Buddhism, Sakya school of Buddhism, of which this practice is a part. So if you have that section on supplication of the gurus, you'll notice on page one there is a longevity prayer for His Holiness Sakya Trzin, page two for His Eminence Daksin Rinpoche, who currently lives in Seattle, Washington, page three for His Eminence Chögyi Trichin Rinpoche, and page four for His Eminence Lüding Ken Rinpoche, who, by the way, is Jetsen Kershuk's brother-in-law. She is married to the brother of Lüding Ken. On page five, there is a swift rebirth prayer for the very venerable Deshan Rinpoche, who passed away in May of last year. And finally, on page six, last but certainly not least, but who insisted that she be placed last, is Sakya Jetsun Macchimi Ludding, who is the teacher before us today. When we were printing this edition, she insisted that we put her longevity prayer at the tail end, although we tried to convince her otherwise of her importance in the current

[80:51]

maintenance of the Sākhya line. On page seven is the longevity supplication for all gurus, regardless of their affiliation on a nominal level of which lineage they belong to or which school they follow. A longevity supplication for all of them to enjoy long life and health and continued productivity in spreading the teachings. Now, generally speaking, the value of longevity prayers is twofold. Through the devotion and faith of a student reciting a longevity prayer for his or her guru, this can directly contribute to the lengthening of life and the increased health of that teacher. It is certainly a factor. It is also a source of great merit for the practitioner because it is a focus for their own faith and devotion and the generation of positive goodwill and positive wishes. And so it is also something that helps ensure a longer life and more freedom from sickness for the practitioner.

[81:57]

They can be recited, these prayers can be recited at any point, at the beginning of a meditation session, at the end of a meditation session, it's quite appropriate to meditate, to recite them and meditate upon them whenever you feel moved to do so, at any point. If, in the case of, for example, in the case of the prayer to Desha and Ravishe, who has passed away physically, the recitation of the prayer at that point, rather than being a longevity prayer, is a prayer for the swift return of the teacher in another incarnation. The prayer that this teacher and other teachers will continue to be active in the cycle of rebirth, liberating beings, will not pass into final nirvana, but instead will continue to manifest. in incarnate form for the benefit of beings. It is also a means by which the student, in their own minds, reinforces the understanding that mere physical death does not separate the bond, does not rend asunder the bond between guru and disciple, that there is an ongoing commitment, an ongoing connection through samaya, through commitment, that does not end with the physical death of either the guru or the student.

[83:12]

And so, as a means of invoking the blessings of gurus, both living and those who have passed away, we use these prayers at any point, beginning of a session, end of a session, whenever it's appropriate, whenever it fits in comfortably. These particular prayers were selected because they are connected with the lamas of the Sakhya school with whom this practice of Tara is intimately associated. His Holiness Sakya Trizin is the supreme lama of the Sakya school at this point in time. He is, as it were, the main holder of the Sakya lineage. But equally important in the development of the Sakya school was a parallel lineage in Tibet of the same clan, exactly the same family origins, headed currently by his eminence, Daksha Naradasa, who lives, as I said previously, who lives in Seattle, Washington, has lived there for many years.

[84:14]

As well as the main school of Sakya, there are two sub-schools, known as the Tsar school and the Ngor school. This is simply, these are named after place names in Tibet, the monasteries where they first developed. And in the case of the tsar school, or sub-school of Sakhya Buddhism, the current lineage holder of this particular branch is His Eminence Chögyi Trichin Rinpoche. In the case of the ngor sub-school, there were four main houses, four main branches, and the position of abbot of ngor monastery and the holder of the ngor lineage passed The more editing it will give you, the worse it will be. Every three years, it would pass to one of these four houses. So there was a sharing of the responsibility between these four houses. But since the invasion, military occupation of Tibet, and since the breakdown of that traditional structure, for the last several decades, the role of lineage holder for the war school has been principally carried out by his eminence, Lüding Khenre Peshe, who is Jetsun's brother-in-law.

[85:28]

and who has visited North America previously and will do so in the near future. His eminence, Ludincamp then, is the head of the Moore School. The very Venerable Deshan Rinpoche, who passed away in his 80s last year, in May of 87, at the age of 81 he was, was a lama originally of the Moore School, this Moore sub-school of Sakya Buddhism. But he became famous during his lifetime as one of the most encyclopedic scholars in the Tibetan tradition, and one of the most ecumenical figures that the Tibetan tradition has seen in a century. He was a paragon of non-sectarian acceptance and devotion to all the lineages of Buddhism, and his understanding and experience of those lineages was unrivaled. and his loss was a very great one. And so the prayer is included here as a formulation of the devotion that his students feel to him, and the sincere wish that he and teachers like him will continue to manifest in this world for the benefit of beings.

[86:34]

And then, as I said, last but not least, there is Sakya Jetsun Lachchimi living, and her long life prayer was included. in this galaxy of Sakya Lamas. This last prayer for Jetsun Kusho was actually written by Dajan Rinpoche several years ago in New York, when he was visiting his center in New York and teaching there. He composed this prayer. Now you'll notice in each of these prayers there are underlying sections. And if you look in the left-hand side under the Tibetan, you'll see little marks which look like a circle with a little crescent underneath it, highlighting the various syllables. Stylistically, the way longevity prayers are written in Tibetan is that the personal name of the teacher is incorporated into the prayer, into the poem. And Tibetan names being, they're not casual, they're not meaningless sounds. Each Tibetan name has a certain linguistic value. It means something. For example, Ösel, clear light.

[87:36]

Chi-me, Je Tsongkha's personal name is Chi-me, which means deathless or immortal. Chi is death, me is without, not. So immortal, deathless. So that is work into the prayer by the person who is composing it. So where these sections have been underlined, they are the English translations of the different elements in the teacher's name. And, in the case of Jetsunma's prayer on page 6, the one that was written by Deshirubhishe, you'll notice that her personal name then, in Tibetan, becomes Chime, from the first line, which is deathless or immortal, Usel, luminous or luminosity, on the second line. Third line, Rigdzin, means Vidyadhara or holder of wisdom. Trinle, enlightened activity, Wangmo, which means she who is literally a powerful woman, a powerful woman who is rich with spiritual power, something like that.

[88:37]

So this was the personal name she was given at her birth, and this was the name that Desha Nirvisa worked into the poem when he wrote her longevity prayer. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. So, Je Tsongkhapa says, at this point I'd like to I'd like us to practice together for a short time just reciting through the text, going through it slowly.

[89:48]

She said, with your permission, I would ask that we do it in the Tibetan language because I follow that much more carefully and much more closely than I do the English language. But from tomorrow on, feel perfectly free to use the English language. There's no statement being made here that Tibetan is better than English. It just happens to be the one that I relate to more directly, she said. With that in mind, we'll recite through in the Tibetan phonetics. For those of you who have gibbled copies, remember when you get to page 8 that you've got to find page 10 quickly. And there'll be sections where we recite over and over again. Remember, there are those sections that are repeated. So once we've recited page 2 and we get to page 4, the three lines on page 4 are recited over and over again. and then we continue on. So if you find yourself continuing on and all of a sudden the words don't seem to jibe with what you're hearing, that means you should be going back to the beginning of the section and reciting it over and over again. So it will be a little bit awkward at first, but we'll get through it.

[90:53]

Goa Namkha Dhammyambe Semchen Khamche Dönü Dönü Sömte Kyi Si Chöngshü Nyingpo La Kyi Kyi Par Dönü Palden Lama Damba Namla Chak Su Chok Sobe Sangye Chom Lene Namla Chak Su Chok Dambe Chö Namla Chak Su Chok Pabbe Gen Dön Namla Chak Su Chok Palden Lama Damba Namla Chak Su Chok slobhe sanche chomden de namla chapsuchyo. Dhamme chu namla chapsuchyo. Pabbe gendun namla chapsuchyo.

[92:01]

Pabde lamma dhamma namla chapsuchyo. Slobhe sanche chomden de Dhamme chu, Dhamma Chaksu Cheo Habbe Gendun, Dhamma Chaksu Cheo Banden Lamman, Dhamma Dhamma Chaksun Cheo Solpe Sangye Chomden De, Dhamma Chaksu Cheo Dhamme Chu, Dhamma Chaksu Cheo Pabbe gendun nam la chab su chö, [...]

[93:02]

Pabbe gendun nam la chak su chok. Lam ma dam pa nam la chak su chok. Dol pe sang gye chong den de nam la chak su chok. Dhamme chö nam la chak su chö. Pabbe gyen dön nam la chak su chö. Pabbe nama dhamma nam la chak su chö. Tsobe sang chö chom dön dön nam la chak su chö. Dhamme chö nam la chak su chö. Dhamme gendun, namla chak su ché, Tang ché ché, dun du dzok pe, Sang ché ché, go van tog pa chak. ti ché tsu ché tsu ma du ma gong pa ché wo.

[94:10]

sem chen tham ché ché dun du dzok pe sang ché ché gong wan thob pa chak.

[94:18]

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