and also a great Christian millennial poet. At the time when you do a meditation practice, it's important to try to keep your mind pure and clear at that time. Basically, our minds are filled with various defilements or impure thoughts. But at the time of doing a meditation practice, really we should try to set those aside and try to get a clear space in our minds to sit down and be able to create ourselves in the form of the deity.

[01:04]

So when you do sit down at the time of meditation, then just try to let go of your ordinary daily thoughts and try to keep a pure mind at that time. So also when you do the meditation, it's important that you create a good motivation for doing the meditation. And the proper motivation, the right motivation really, is to think that you're not doing this for yourself alone, for the sake of your own self, but really that you are doing it for the sake of all other living beings also. And what you should do is that no matter what meditation you're doing, whether you're creating a visualization of yourself as Tara or as Avalokiteshvara,

[02:07]

or whatever deity that you are going to meditate upon, at that time you should really think that you're doing this meditation, you're going to enter into this meditation for the sake of helping to relieve the sufferings of all other living beings, if you really want to bring them to a stage of freedom and liberation and enlightenment also. ... So also when you meditate, you should try to pacify the mind, to keep the mind in a state of clarity, and the way that you should do this is just recognize that your mind, if it starts to wander and be distracted, that you should try to put that away, all your various distractions and other types of thoughts that aren't really

[03:08]

connected, that aren't connected with the meditation itself, that you should recognize that you may be distracted, and then just let go of those thoughts, and bring your mind to a very clear, a very open and very pure space, and that within this open and pure space this clear space of your open mind, that you should perform this meditation. So if you try to meditate and your mind is too, either extreme, if it's too tight or too constricted, or also if it's too loose, or if it's too lazy, then you're not going to have a clear meditation, your mind's going to go in various different directions, whether it be too lazy, or whether it be if you're trying to constrict it or restrict it too

[04:08]

much. So really you should keep your mind in a kind of an equal space, where it's neither wandering off too much, or just kind of falling asleep, or just being too lazy, but in this very clear space, that you should allow your mind to begin meditation. So in order to do this, in order to bring your mind to the state of parity, which is neither, in either extreme, then it's good to begin your meditation with a meditation on concentration, or inside wisdom in other words, to concentrate your mind, to bring it into a form of concentration, so that your mind gains a form of stability in order to do the meditation. So when you begin the meditation, the meditation begins by doing the Refuge Prayer, and in

[05:25]

order to do the Refuge Prayer, actually there's two different forms of the Refuge which can be done, one is known as an extensive or large form of the Refuge, or there's an abbreviated, or just a more simplified form of Refuge. And here in this practice, it uses the more simplified form, where everything is just collected together, and it's just one simple visualization, instead of visualizing many many forms, it's visualized in a very simple form, or a single form, and this actually is given a name, it's known as the Jeweled Refuge, or it's called the Jeweled Form of Refuge. So, in order to visualize the Refuge Shrine, the shrine to which you're going to go,

[06:44]

you're going to do this meditation, you're going to concentrate on, you should think that in the sky in front of you, or in the space in front of you, and it's about, say about four and a half feet, actually it says three, it's a length between your elbow and the top of your finger, so that's about a foot and a half or so, so three of those, so about four feet or something, four and a half feet, five feet out in front of you, you should visualize an ocean, and it's not just an ocean like an ocean of water, but really it's an ocean of divine nectar, like the nectar of the gods, in a very pure and liquid form, and that this ocean is the grounds there for you to visualize the basis of it, and on the edges of this ocean, you should think that there's many flowers and very beautiful trees, and inside the trees there's birds singing with a very sweet voice. And then in the very center of this ocean, you should think that there's a very large lotus that rises out of it.

[07:46]

And on top of this lotus, actually, which opens up, sitting flat on top of this, is a huge moon disk. And then seated upon this moon disk, you should think that the holy Tara appears, who really is the essence of your own teacher, whoever your teacher is, it's the essence of your teacher, but the form, the shape that you're visualizing is Tara herself. And then taking, So when you take refuge, you take refuge in the triple gem of the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha,

[08:59]

and here what we're doing is visualizing Tara in a single form, representing these three aspects of refuge, so that her own physical body, the physical body of Tara that you see in the sky in front of you, seated there, is really the essence of the entire Sangha, the followers of the Buddha, or the Buddha's teaching. That her speech, her voice, represents the Dharma teachings itself, and that her mind, the essence of her mind, represents all the Buddhas and other buddhistic teachers. Then seated in front of this is yourself, yourself in your own form, and you're in And on your right you should visualize that your father is seated there, and on your left

[10:02]

that your own mother is seated there, and then surrounding you, and surrounding all you and your parents, are all the living beings of the six realms of existence, no matter who they are, but you should visualize all of them to have the form of human beings, even though they are of their beings of other realms of existence. So all of you in this huge collection of living beings are there taking refuge together. Yes, so maintaining that visualization, then you should recite the refuge prayer at that time, in the time of reciting the refuge prayer, just meaning that I take refuge

[11:05]

in the holy Buddhas, I take refuge in the enlightened Buddhas, I take refuge in the Dharma teachings, in the holy Dharma, and also I take refuge in the Noble Assembly, and whether you recite in Tibetan or English, it doesn't matter. And at the time of reciting that, think actually that you yourself are not reciting it alone, but instead that yourself and all these sentient beings that are surrounding you, all of you together in one voice are reciting these prayers. So when you're reciting the refuge prayer, then you should recite it as many times as you can, recite it three, seven, or twenty-one times, or whatever you can do, you should recite it at that time. ... After reciting the refuge prayer as many times as you wish, then you should think

[12:21]

that from the heart of Tara, in the sky in front of you, that from her heart many light raises you out and touch all the sentient beings who are surrounding you, excluding yourself, because they touch all the other sentient beings. So without touching yourself, but just all the other living beings around you, it touches them to purify them, purify all their obscurations, and by being purified and blessed by the triple gem here, that you should think that they all just disperse to different buddha realms that they're established in a sphere of enlightenment. Then through yourself now remaining alone, through your prayer seeking the blessings of the refuge in the form of Tara, through praying to her, you should think that from

[13:25]

the top of her head down, and from the throne, the lotus throne that she's sitting on upwards, it all dissolves into a green light, into about the level of her heart, there's just a globe of green light remaining. Then you should think that that globe of green light descends through, down from the space in front of you, and enters into your head and is absorbed into your body. And then you should think actually that when the light rays enter, this global light enters into you, that it descends through your body and merges together with your own heart, with your own mind. And by merging together, you should think that your own mind and the mind of Tara are completely merged together, and then just remain in that state of this unity, this union of yourself and Tara for a moment.

[14:30]

So having completed the refuge, then you should recite the creation of enlightenment thought, which here means that you're saying that I want to gain the stage of full and perfect enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings, and in order to gain this stage, I'm going to practice this meditation practice of Tara. So you should think at this time, when you recite this prayer, that for the sake of all sentient beings, I must gain the stage of full and perfect enlightenment, and in order to do that, I'm going to practice this meditation upon Tara. So having recited this creation of enlightenment thought three times, I'm going to repeat it three more times. You should think at that point, then, that your body, which was just an ordinary body,

[15:44]

when you were doing the refuge, you should have just thought of yourself just as an ordinary person, your own self. But having received the blessings of Tara through her dissolving into you, and also through reciting the creation of enlightenment thought, that at this point, instantaneously, spontaneously, that your body is just transformed into the form of Tara herself. And next, you should think of yourself in the form of green Tara, then, that you should think that within your own heart is a small moon-disc, and on top of this moon-disc is a letter Tum, a green letter Tum, and then from this letter Tum, light raises you out to invoke in all their natural places, places where all the enlightened beings naturally

[16:45]

reside. It means like, for example, in the Potala Buddha realm, or in all the other Buddha realms in the ten directions, that Tara and all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas now come, are invoked or they're asked to come into the sky in front of you, due to that light raising you out from your heart. And then, when Tara, when you think that in the sky in front of you, Tara is surrounded by all these Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, come to that place, then, first you offer prostrations to them, and then, putting your hands together in your forehead, you recite, uh, you just recite the, uh, the verse or the line, Namo Guru Be, and then, holding your hands together at your heart, uh, you recite, Namo Arya Tara Be, Namo Arya Tara Be, Namo Arya Tara Sa

[18:09]

Be, Namo Arya Tara Be, Namo Arya Tara Sa Be, Namo Arya Tara Be, Namo Arya Tara Be, So, what happens here, uh, that you invoke, you bring Tara and all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas

[19:18]

in the sky in front of you, and first you make this, uh, you make the prostrations by holding your hands together and reciting those two verses, Namo Guru Be, Namo Arya Tara Sa Pare Va Na Be, and after making prostrations in this way, of offering prostrations, next is to offer, uh, to make offerings, actually, physical offerings to them, to the, uh, Tara and the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. In order to do this, you should think that yourself in the form of Tara, from your heart, many offering, small offering goddesses issue forth, and as these goddesses issue forth, they make different offerings, uh, to, uh, Tara and the Bodhisattvas, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. So, with the verse, it says, Om Guru Arya Tara Sa Pare Va Na, and then it says, Argam, Paryam, Pushpe, Dupe, Aloke, Gende, Bovedi, Sheddha, Ahom. So, with each of these, actually, you think that when you're offering Argam, Argam represents a water offering, actually, a drinking, a water drinking form, so that the goddesses issue forth and offer water to cool their bodies or quench their thirst. Next, you offer, uh, Paryam, which

[20:24]

is also another water offering, but it's a water offering to cleanse their feet, to wash their body, in other words. Uh, after that is to offer flowers, Paryam means to offer flowers, uh, to them, so it means, actually, the goddesses come forth and present flowers to them. And then, next is Dupe, is to offer incense, which means, actually, to satisfy, uh, smell or odors. Next, after that is Aloke, which represents lamps, so the goddesses issue forth holding lamps, so it's an offering for the eye, one is like an offering for the nose, one for the eye, one for the ears, for the mouth, like this. After offering incense, then, or, uh, Aloke lamps, next is to offer Gende, which means to offer, uh, perfume or scents, uh, scented water. And after that is offering of Nuvedi, which represents a food offering, means a food offering for their mouth. And then, finally, to offer, uh, music or Sheddha, means offering the music to their ears. And so, what you're doing,

[21:24]

then, is thinking that all these very small, countless goddesses issue forth, holding all these different types of offerings, and they come up, they bring, they present them to Tara and all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. And having offered, made all these offerings, then you should think, oh, the goddesses return and are reabsorbed into your heart. So, after making offerings to, uh, this, this shrine in front of you, next you should, uh,

[23:16]

recite what is known as the sevenfold prayer. And the sevenfold prayer here means that for yourself and all sentient beings, all the sins and obscurations and impurities that you've accumulated, not just in this life, but in every lifetime you've had since beginningless lifetimes, all the previous lives that you've experienced. And during all those times, whatever sins and, uh, negative or non-virtuous deeds you've done, there's this time that you would like to purify and, uh, cleanse those. So, in order to do that, you recite the sevenfold prayer. And it starts off, it says, in the three jewels I take my refuge and make confession of all harmful actions individually. So, this time you're just thinking of all the, uh, impure deeds that you've done, and you could think of them individually or collectively, and you just think, whatever I've done in the past at this time with very great regret and with a great feeling that I confess these, I make these known, I lay, lay these bare in front of the guru in the triple gem. And then also it says, I rejoice in, in all the virtuous activity of all beings. So, it means that

[24:18]

no matter what virtue or what good deed has been done, whether by yourself or anyone else in this world, uh, whatever good deeds have been done, that you, it pleases you, it brings you happiness, that others also are performing virtuous deeds. So, you rejoice in the deeds of others. And then it says, I hold in mind the enlightenment of all the Buddhas, which means that no matter what you're doing, whether you're, you're sitting one place, staying in a house, or you're walking around, whatever activity you're doing, if you're working or not working, or whatever you're doing any time of the day, that always you try to keep in mind the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas, you try to keep in mind all the enlightened beings, so that you hold them near to you. And then it says, I take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and the excellent Sangha until I reach enlightenment. So, here again, you're reciting the refuge prayer, or the verse of refuge, meaning that to the Buddha, the enlightened one, his teaching, uh, which comprises all of what he taught, and also the, the excellent Sangha, or those who follow, who properly follow the Buddha's teaching, uh, through all of those, through that triple gem,

[25:20]

I take refuge, and I take refuge not at just this time, but I take refuge from this time until I myself gain the stage of full and perfect enlightenment. Concluding part of that verse, it says, uh, in order to achieve my own and other's aims, I generate the bodhicitta. So, here it means, actually, in order to gain the stage of

[26:24]

full and perfect enlightenment, I'm not doing this for myself alone, but I'm doing this, I'm, uh, creating the stage of enlightenment for the sake of all other living beings. So, at this time, you generate, or you create the thought of enlightenment, for the sake of all living beings, I am going to gain the stage of full and perfect enlightenment. And then, having generated that bodhicitta, or having thought that I am doing this for the sake of all living beings, then it says, I invite all beings as my guests. And just, this means, actually, that once you've created this thought, I mean, it's a thought that you're going to bring happiness to others, you're going to bring them out of their suffering, out of their, uh, limited sphere, you're going to bring them to a stage of liberation and freedom, that they're really pleased with you. And having them pleased with you, it's just like that you're inviting them as your guests. It says, I mean, if you bring someone to your house, whatever, you invite them as a guest, then you give them something that would really please them. So, here, the highest pleasure that you can give to sentient beings is the gift of liberation, is the gift of enlightenment. So, it says that having generated bodhicitta, I invite all beings as my guests, my guests to liberation. And then it says,

[27:29]

So, then, after you create, after reciting this verse of creating the enlightened thought, it says next in the prayer, it says, I practice the excellent pleasing conduct of the enlightened. So, meaning, actually, once you've created this thought, it's not enough just to create the thought, but actually you have to put this into practice. So, that's why it says, I practice the excellent pleasing conduct of the enlightened, meaning that now I promise to help all sentient beings to gain the stage of enlightenment. Now, I must do those deeds that will bring them to that stage. And then finally, it says, and dedicate the merit so all beings may achieve enlightenment, so that the merit arising from this sevenfold prayer, that whatever merit you gain, you don't keep it for yourself, but again, that you're working and dedicating it for the sake of others. So, that prayer, which is called the sevenfold prayer, you should recite it three times. So, after that, there's a verse to recite, which is known as the cultivation of the four

[29:03]

measurables, or the four limitless meditations. And here it begins with, may all sentient beings have happiness and the cause of happiness. So, here again, you're just creating a thought that you really wish to have, not just yourself, but all sentient beings should have this feeling and this perception of happiness. They should be with happiness. And not only do you want them to be with happiness, but also you want them to be with the cause of happiness. You want them to produce whatever actions that are going to create happiness for them. And the next line says, may they be free of sorrow and the cause of sorrow. So, here it means that

[30:08]

just as you wish to be free of suffering, of sorrow, just as you don't want to have any kind of sorrow in your life, also other living beings in this world also wish to be free of sufferings and sorrow. So, at this time, you make a wish that not only yourself, but you wish that all sentient beings should be free of sufferings and sorrow. And not only do you wish them to be free of sorrow, but also even the cause of sorrow. And here the cause of sorrow means that the cause or the conditions that create suffering or sorrow for living beings in this world are various afflictions and defilements such as desire and hatred and ignorance. So, you make a wish at this time that they should also be free of those causes of desire and hatred and ignorance which causes them to be or to experience suffering. So, at this point, you think about that. And the next verse says that may they never be separate from the bliss that is sorrowless.

[31:11]

So, it means that all the living beings of the three realms of existence of this whole entire universe be free of all suffering. And that not only they just have happiness, but they should have a happiness that excludes suffering completely. So, you make that thought at this time. So, the next verse says that may they never be separate from the bliss that is sorrowless. So, you make that thought at this time. And the final verse says that may they live in equanimity, free of attachment and aversion towards near ones and far. And this refers to the idea that usually we feel that for those we love or we like, we try to act or treat them very nicely and have great desires for them and produce

[32:18]

actions that they would like or we would like. And for those that we feel far from, or in other words, those that we dislike or we have hatred or anger towards, that we wish them bad things and we wish that they don't get happy things. So, here actually what we're trying to do is to break that cycle of wanting to draw near just those that we have love towards and pushing away those that we have hatred towards. Here what we want to do instead is see everyone in this world as equal, that instead of loving some and hating others, that instead we see that everyone is equal, that we should have the same type of love for anyone, no matter who they are. So, instead of having attachment to near ones and hatred towards those who we're not close to, that instead we just have an all-pervasive love for everybody equally. So, having created this shrine in front of you, of the refuge shrine, or the shrine that we're

[33:40]

making these offerings to, in other words, we did prostrations and made offerings to, and then also we recited the sevenfold prayer on the four limitless meditations, the shrine that we created in front of us, at this time we want to dissolve that shrine. So, just as you created it instantaneously, at this point with the mantra of Avalokiteśvara, by reciting that, you think that instantaneously that the shrine just disperses through her own Buddha realm, through her own enlightened spaces. And next, in order to begin the actual meditation, we recite the mantra of emptiness, and by reciting that mantra of emptiness, that you should think that everything, the whole objective, subjective world dissolves into a state of emptiness. It means

[34:45]

that all the sentient beings, actually what's called the container and the contained, the container being the universe, your house, the whole world, everything, and also those contained in it, meaning yourself and all the other living beings of this world, that this container and contained completely dissolve into a state of emptiness. So then, arising out of this state of emptiness, you should think that in the place where you are, from the letter PAM arises a bodhis, and on top of that, from the letter A, arises a mundas. And on top of that, you should think that your own mind, the essence of your own mind, appears in the form of a green letter PAM. And then you should think that from that green letter PAM, on top of the mundas,

[35:56]

the light rays issue out. And first the light rays issue out to make offerings to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas, all the enlightened beings in the ten directions. And again, light rays issue out for a second purpose, and the second purpose here is to purify the sins and obscurations of all sentient beings of the various realms of existence. And once those two activities are done, so in other words, the two light rays issue out, one to make offerings to the buddhas and bodhisattvas, and one to purify the sins and obscurations of all living beings, then these light rays return and reabsorb into the letter TAM. And then by these light rays returning and reabsorbing into the letter TAM, this causes the letter TAM to transform at this point. And the letter TAM transforms, in other words, the essence of your own mind transforms into your own shape, as the green Tara, whose body is green in color, one face and two hands. And here you're in the

[36:58]

form of Tara, who's known as the forest-dwelling Tara, or in Texas it's the Tara of the Acacia Grove. So you're self in the form of Tara, one face and two hands, and your right hand is in the form of a gesture of giving, but also held in the hand is a vase, and the vase is filled with nectar of immortality. And then in your left hand, you hold in your heart, between the ring finger and your thumb, the stem of a lotus flower, and the lotus flower then, the stem comes up over your left shoulder and up to your left ear, and at the level of the left ear, the flower opens up, it blossoms at that point. So you're self in the form of Tara, you should think actually that your face is in a very peaceful

[38:05]

and a very smiling mood, and also that you appear to be very beautiful. And also you should think that you're adorned with many very beautiful jeweled ornaments, jewel gold ornaments, and also silk and brocades and clothing. So also you should think that your right leg is slightly extended, coming out slightly, and the left leg is folded up, and this is known again as the gesture or the posture of the temple king. And then also you should think that behind you is like a halo or a backdrop of a huge, very clear, very pure moon. And then after that you should visualize that within your forehead is a white letter A,

[39:07]

at your throat is a red letter O, and at your heart is a blue letter H. Next you should think yourself in the form of Tara, that from the letter home in your heart, that many light rays issue out, and these light rays issue forth to the ten directions, to invoke all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of those ten directions, and all these now converge towards you, and though it's the essence of all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, their form is in the form of Tara, a green Tara, and that all these come forth to you, and actually at that time you're reciting this mantra Om Bhajansamaja, which is at that time you're visualizing the light rays

[40:11]

issuing forth to invoke all these enlightened beings in the form of Tara, and then with the mantra Om Bhajansamaja, you should think that all these Taras now converge towards you, and merge together and enter into the top of your head, and merge into your body. So when you're reciting this mantra, Jah, Jahum Bam Ho, Jah is just for them to come towards you, and Hum is for them to absorb into you. Bam is that they're merging together with you, that these Taras and you as Tara completely merge together, and Ho means that you're completely non-differentiated, you're completely united as one. Next, in order to invoke the Buddhas of consecration, so you can receive the

[41:27]

initiation of consecration at this time, that again from the seed syllable in your heart, from the letter Hum in your heart, light rays issue out, and this time it invokes the five Buddhas of the consecration to come in the sky in front of you. Having invoked, actually with the mantra Om Bhajansamaja, you invoke these five Buddhas of consecration in the sky in front of you, and then you make a prayer to them, and just you ask,

[42:30]

you pray to them that they bestow upon you the consecration, and having prayed in this manner, then the five Buddhas of consecration, they take the vases, they hold in their hands, and you think that they recite the mantra Om Sarva Tatha Gata Abhishekata Samaya Sriye Hum, and as they're reciting this, you think that they're pouring water from the vases onto you, and you think actually the water enters into the top of your head, and fills your body, and will be purifying you of all your sins and obscurations, and blessing you in this way, and it's just like if someone is going to take on a very high position, a new position, in a sense they're given sort of a ceremony, a swearing in, or an enthronement in order to undertake this work, so in the same way, at this time, we're also given this enthronement ceremony, or swearing in ceremony that we actually are this enlightened being, so that we think actually it's the five Buddhas of consecration poured this water onto us, and we're being given this high position, we're being enthroned to this position at this

[43:35]

time. And after the water pours, or enters through your body, and completely fills your body, the water overflows at the top of the head, and again, at this time, we should think that our own Guru, our own teacher appears there, but the form is in the form of the Buddha Amitabha, but the essence of this Amitabha really is our own teacher, and again, maybe about four to six inches high, just visualize and see that they're blessing you. Next, what happens is that the Buddhas of consecration wish to make offerings to you,

[44:52]

because during this meditation practice, first you created yourself as Tara, and then you invoke the transcendental knowledge aspect, or the mind aspect of Tara, so that this merged together. Remember when all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas came in the form of Tara and entered into you, this was actually invoking the transcendental knowledge aspect of the Deity, so that your body and your mind together have been completely created in the form of the Deity, so that now really you are the Deity, you're the body, voice, and mind of the Green Tara. In order to confirm this, the five Buddhas gave the concentration to you, and now they wish to make an offering to you, between that stage of enlightenment and that stage of Tara. In order to do that, you should think that they're reciting these verses, and here the offerings are the same, but they're in a longer form, so it just says, so we're adding these other words, but the offerings are still the same, basic eight

[45:55]

offerings, but they're being given from the Tathagata, from the Buddhas and Tathagatas to you. And after making offerings to you, then the Enlightened Ones also would like to make a praise, and the praise they recited this time, it says, and I prostrate to you, Tara, the mother, the liberator from all poverty. So, the Buddhas in the sky in front of you are now making a praise to you, that you really are Tara of all qualities. So, also at this point, you should take a moment to create what is known as the pride of being the

[47:15]

deity, that you should think that really at this time, I am really Tara, and you should really create this pride that you are such an enlightened being, and this is actually called the general pride of being a deity, that you really create this thought, and you have to be very careful at this point, that you don't superimpose on that pride, that divine pride, ordinary worldly pride, that, you know, if you think, okay, I'm Tara, now I can do anything I want, I can walk around, I can tell people, I can engage in happiness or suffering, or I can engage in pride and and trying to gain fame or renown or whatever, it is not to get the ordinary types of pride, we're not talking about the ordinary types of what's called the eight worldly prides, that these also still must be given up, but what the pride is here, is the pride that really you are Tara, that you really are the essence of this enlightened being, that you really are a holy enlightened being, and maintaining that pride will help you to connect you with being the deity, and if you try to superimpose on top of that or add to that the ordinary worldly pride,

[48:17]

then this is a great fault, and it's a great mistake that you would make, and it wouldn't be a practice of dharma. Now, at this point, you should think that the five Buddhas of the consecration of the sky in front of you, just return, instantaneously return to their own Buddha realms. So, next, you should think, taking yourself in the form of Tara, you should think that in your heart, in the center of your body, there's a small moon disk, in the very center, standing up in the middle, in the center of this moon disk, there's a green letter, TAM, and then surrounding this in a clockwise direction, you should see the letters of the mantra of Tara, meaning Om Tare Tu Tare Ture Svaha, so each letter standing individually around, circling

[49:22]

that central letter TAM, and you should think that each of these letters are standing upright, they're not lying down, they're standing upright, circling the letter TAM. So also, at this time, you should think that the mantra is circling in a clockwise direction around it, and it doesn't say specifically what color the mantra rosary is, but because it's performing the activities of, or performing the function of activities of helping other living beings, that either we can visualize it as being a green color, issuing forth, or even multi-colored, issuing forth, doing different activities for the sake of others. And also, at this time, you should think that these light rays that are issuing out

[51:00]

from the letter TAM and the mantra rosary circling in your heart, they're performing two different functions, and two purposes. One is to make offerings to all the enlightened beings, all the noble ones, bodhisattvas and bodhisattvas, and other enlightened beings. The light rays are issuing out, making all these different, various types of offerings to the enlightened beings. And again, light rays are issuing out to perform the second function of benefiting all living beings, and benefiting them here means purifying them of their sins and obscurations and putting them onto a stage of happiness. And due to this activity arising, these light rays issuing out and performing these two functions of making offerings and helping sentient beings, then we should think, due to that, that from the heart of all the enlightened beings, the light rays, again, issue forth from their heart and come down and enter into the mantra rosary in our heart, so it means that we receive the blessings of all the enlightened beings, their blessings, their transcendental knowledge, their power, and their aid, in the form of light rays that come back, or absorb into

[52:05]

our own heart, into the mantra rosary. So thinking, actually, that these light rays are coming back and blessing your own mind, your own consciousness, giving you the blessings of enlightenment, visualizing these light rays issuing forth and coming back in this way, then you recite the mantra of tarahum tarakdunisvaho, as many times as you can. So also at the time of reciting the mantra, what you can do, then, is perform this visualization of the Light Rays issuing out, making offerings to all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and also

[53:09]

again you can visualize the Light Rays issuing out, benefiting other living beings, purifying them of their sins and obscurations, placing them on the stage of enlightenment. And then also the blessings of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the form of Light Rays coming back and absorbing into your heart. So this visualization of Light Rays issuing out and then coming back, issuing out and coming back, you can maintain this visualization as you're reciting the mantra. And then you should recite the mantra as many times as you can, 100, 1000, 10,000, whatever you can do up to your ability, just continue to recite the mantra. And then after you've recited the mantras as many times as you can, then you make a

[54:11]

prayer to Tara, which says, Blessed One, to Tara, I pray to you, grant upon me, without any exception, all the common and extraordinary siddhis, but not only to myself, but also to all sentient beings. So meaning you actually get through reciting this mantra and praying to Tara that you're able to accomplish the various worldly deeds that you need to do and also the deeds of enlightenment. So this time then, you should think actually that from your heart the Light Rays issue

[55:22]

out and they touch the seat underneath you and the seat, meaning actually the lotus and the moondus, dissolve into Light and they're absorbed up into you. And if you wish at this point, you can just meditate on a state of emptiness. You can see your form as Tara or just a state of emptiness, whatever you wish. But just at this point, do a short meditation of emptiness or even do a meditation just that I am Tara, have the natural pride of being Tara at this time. And then again, you should think really that you are the enlightened being, that you are an enlightened one and think to make this firm that at your forehead is a white letter OM, at your throat is a red letter AH, at your heart is a blue letter HUM. So place those three letters on your body. And then you complete the meditation by reciting the dedication of merits or virtue. And here

[56:41]

it says, by this virtue may I swiftly accomplish Tara. So in other words, may I become Tara, may I attain the stage of the enlightened being Tara. And then, having gained that stage, may I work for all sentient beings. And it says that how I work for all sentient beings is that I want to place them on the stage of full and perfect enlightenment and not even leave one behind. That until all the sentient beings are enlightened, that I'm always continually dedicating my merit for their sake until everyone is free. And then after in the text, there's a short verse of auspicious blessings where it just says, casting off the flaws of body, she possesses perfect great and minor marks. Casting off the flaws of speech, her voice is like the melody of the kalapunga bird. And casting

[57:44]

off the flaws of mind, she understands all things infinitely. Auspicious, glorious, blazing lady, let auspiciousness arise. So this is just the auspicious verse blessing of Tara, just stating that her own, Tara's body, voice and mind is really a state of perfection and using that as a blessing for others. So this completes the explanation of the sadhana, and just a short dedication of merit

[59:06]

from doing this teaching. And then she said actually it would be good if we take a break now for lunch, and after lunch we'll come back together again, and then she'd like to give a teaching on the 21 verses to Tara, the prayer to Tara itself. So she'll do a short history of those verses, and begin an explanation of them. So when we talk about the different tantras, the different types of levels of tantra, of

[61:25]

Buddhist tantras, there are actually different levels that are taught. Lower level, or, I wouldn't say lesser, lower level, the first level is called the Kriya Tantra, in Sanskrit it's called Kriya Tantra. In Kriya Tantra, basically, the main practice of Kriya Tantra is to have a deity in the sky in front of you, or in front of you, or in the sky or whatever, and you yourself are in your own ordinary form. And this is the basic practice for Kriya Tantra, usually that you just see yourself as your own individual self, and that you invoke or visualize a deity in front of you, and to that deity you make offerings or praises or whatever. This is the main practice. So for example, part of the practice we did today was using that as a form of using Kriya Tantra with her in front. And also like there's other examples, one prime example in Tibetan practice or Buddhist Tantra is of the 16 arhats. The 16 arhats again is another practice where basically you're just invoking

[62:27]

the 16 arhats in front of you, in the sky in front of you, and then making offerings or praises, or reciting the mantras or whatever, but it's just using them in front of you. Another level of Tantra, and also actually for Kriya Tantra along with that, actually is that one of the behaviors that you must use for your own practice is to be vegetarian or not vegan. So this is actually part of that process. Another level of Tantra, the next level that's practiced there is called Charya Tantra. And in Charya Tantra, this is Sanskrit, Charya Tantra, what happens is not only do you have a deity in front of you, but also you consider yourself to be a deity. So it extends that practice of doing visualization, but extending it not only to the object, but to your own subject as well. So both of these are equal, and then you practice according to that. In another level of Tantra, the highest level actually, which is called Anuttara Yoga Tantra,

[63:29]

in that process actually there's many different practices, but basically you're really just visualizing yourself as a deity. And then that's actually subdivided into two main categories. One category is known as the process of creation, where you create yourself as a deity, and then there's many practices in accordance with that. And then there's another practice that goes along with that, which is called the process of completion. It's like a second stage of that level of Tantra, and that involves many other practices with prayers or whatever. So these are two levels of the Anuttara practice. Question from the audience.

[64:36]

Question from the audience. Question from the audience. Question from the audience. Connected with the practice of Tantra, with the 21 verses of Tantra, for example, or the 21 forms of Tantra, there are also, there's a ritual which is involved. One of the main rituals is called the Four Mandalas offering to Tantra, which is associated with this. So there's two different things that you can do then. I mean, for example, just for your own practice, your own self-creation,

[66:08]

that you can create yourself in the form of the deity, this is just the meditation practice. But along with that, there's also this practice of creating the deity in front of you, and this is for the purpose of helping others or benefiting others. And what you're doing then is creating Tantra in front of you through this ritual, the Four Mandalas ritual, making different offerings, mandala offerings, or different offerings and praises to Tantra for the purpose of her, to request her to help yourself or to help others. So because of that ritual where it's just a front creation ritual in the Four Mandalas ritual to Tantra, it's just that you create, visualize Tantra on the shrine in front of you, and you make many offerings and you do this whole ritual. And during that process, actually, you remain in your own individual form, your own common form. So for that reason, it's called this Kriya Tantra, it's called the lower level of Tantra, because at that time of ritual, you're only doing the front creation, not the self-creation. But along with that, like the initiation that Jetsuma gave this morning,

[67:14]

because there was some front creation, but also there was a self-creation of creating yourself as a form of a deity, we can also say that this practice involves the second level of Tantra, or what is known as the Charya Tantra level, because there is self-creation. So what's being done here then is that through faith to Tara, through great devotion and faith to Tara, we can do this ritual of invoking her, making offerings, in order to benefit, if we have a problem, to benefit ourself or to benefit others, we can invoke her. And then also we want to do our own practice of trying to gain the various levels of realization and enlightenment, then we can create ourself as a deity in the next level of the Tantra, of the Tantric form, of thinking we are self, or Tara, or whatever. And what happens here, actually, is that the practice of Tara, I mean, well, there's two levels of it. There's the one level, which is just the common level, in other words, the level to overcome different obstacles or problems,

[68:17]

different problems in the world. And especially, for example, it says like the eight fears or the sixteen fears, that when we have great fears or problems, that through the blessings of Tara, this can be overcome. Can you hear back there? But from the ultimate point of view, like the next level, the ultimate point of view is that through the practice of Tara, the one ultimately can also gain the stage of full and perfect enlightenment. So, from the ultimate point of view, all the various deities that we can meditate upon are really the same, because the essence of all these deities are the same. But from a relative point of view, sort of a conditional point of view, there's different deities to overcome different problems or different obstacles. And, for example, Tara is a great help in overcoming various types of fear, problems dealing with fear, for example. But it says in the scripture that for every individual person in this world, they have their own individual karma, and they also have their own karmic link to a certain deity.

[69:22]

And because there's so many different types of people in this world, there's also that many different types of deities. So, depending on your own karmic link or your own behavioral patterns or your own characteristics, there is a deity that has the same types of characteristics or fits into your characteristics that can help you to gain the stages of enlightenment. So, depending on your own personal mentality or character, there are different deities. But, when we're looking actually from the ultimate point of view, we can really say there's only one deity, per se, or there's only one essence of enlightenment, and we don't have to subdivide them. Yes, sir. So, Getsuma would now like to explain the 21 verses to Tara,

[70:27]

which is used in the ritual, and it's a very popular prayer. And she would like to give a short history of it. And she said actually it's very similar to the history she gave this morning, but it actually is slightly different, and it's a little bit more expansive, so she would like to say that first. Yes, sir. So, actually, the first part of the story is the same, that at a previous time, it was a very pure time in the world, many, many, actually thousands and thousands of years ago, at a very pure time, there was this one Buddha, named Ngata.

[71:28]

Yes, sir. So, this one Buddha appeared, his name was Ngata, and Ngata actually just means like the sound of a drum, that was just the name he had. And he appeared at that time in the world, and also at the same time that he was there, there was the king of this one country, a very powerful king, had a daughter, whose name was Yeshidawa. At that time, actually, Yeshidawa lived, and her teacher, her main teacher, the one who showed her the teaching of Dharma, was this Buddha at that time, named Ngata. Yes.

[72:55]

So, also at that time, in addition to that Buddha, there were actually many other very holy enlightened beings who were living there, actually, other bodhisattvas, and others who had gained various stages of the path of enlightenment. And this young woman, Yeshidawa, every day, would make offerings to the Buddha, and also to the other enlightened beings who were living there at that time. So, at that time, when she would make offerings, it says in the text, actually, that she would lay out many jewels in offerings to these enlightened beings.

[74:03]

And it says in the text, actually, that it was like going in the ten directions and putting jewels down. Paksa, what is it? So, actually, it says about 12 leagues, actually, Paksa, I think it's about 80 miles, I'm not sure, something like that. But anyway, it was several hundred miles long, and she would put down jewels and cloth and other types of offerings in front of all these enlightened beings to make offerings to them. So, that time, actually, through her offerings and through her practice, and especially through her creation of the enlightened thought, she actually, at that time, produced this thought of enlightenment to really benefit and aid sentient beings. And it was said, actually, that through her great effort at that time,

[75:05]

that she really attained the first level of enlightenment, the first of the ten levels of enlightenment. of the Bodhisattva stages. She gained it at that time. Yes, sir. So, there were many monks there at that time also, when they saw how great her practice was and how great her offerings were, they said that through your offerings, they were telling her, that through your offerings and through your results, that you're going to gain a very great result. What you should really do to this is that you should make a prayer that in your future, in your next life,

[76:07]

that you will be born as a male, as a man, and that through that, you'll be able to benefit many living beings. Yes, sir. Closing, promoting, and transforming. Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

[77:10]

Yes. So, she replied to them at that time, she said that in actuality, if we look at the ultimate truth, that there's no male and there's no female, there's no man and there's no woman, there's no self of a person, and even the different objective phenomena of this world also do not possess any individual existence of their own. So, from all points of view, there's nothing that truly exists. So, how can you talk about being born as a man or a woman? I mean, that's an absurd statement. And she gave this as a reply to them. So, she said, actually, someone who thinks like that about someone should be born as a male or a female, as a man or a woman,

[78:14]

this actually is a very kind of degenerate thought. It's not a positive thought. And it's someone who's not really thinking in a very good way. It's a non-intelligent type of thinking. ... So then she said, actually, that there's many people in this world who teach the Buddha's path. There's many people who come into the world and teach, they are males. Actually, there's many, many that are available, that have come, who are present. But the number of females who teach the path, the path of realization, are very few. So for that purpose, since there are so many males that are teaching and so few females,

[79:34]

she said that, from this time until I gain the stage of full and perfect enlightenment, from this time until every living being in this world are free of all suffering, or until they gain the stage of full and perfect enlightenment, I will continue to come here to help them, but always in the form of a female. However, at that time, even though she made this promise of doing this still temporarily, but at that time anyway, she lived in the palace of the king, of her father. So while she was living there in the palace, she continued her meditations and making offerings of doing her spiritual practice. So while she was there practicing, she gained various levels of the realization.

[80:56]

One which, for example, is called the state of patience, or the state of going beyond worldly concerns. And also, Shri Ramana was able to enter into various states of samadhi, or various states of concentration meditation that was able to benefit, or there were types of meditations that were able to benefit many living beings. So, due to the power of her meditation, especially due to the power of that samadhi, or those

[81:58]

forms of concentration meditation she was doing at that time, when she would arise out of that meditation, the power of those meditations that she had were able to be carried on into her own personal life, or into other meditations, and due to the power of those meditations, it was said that every day when she practiced, morning and evening, that she was able to benefit many other living beings. She was able to get many people out of their states of suffering and to place them on various stages of enlightenment. So, her name, Tara, actually means the one who releases, or the one who liberates. So here, actually, it's just referring to that deed that she was doing, that every day

[82:59]

when she was practicing, that she kept releasing or liberating others from their states of suffering, or their states of being in this world of existence, so that that became her name, the one who releases the saviors, the one who lets others go, or lets others free. So, the verse itself, the twenty-one verses to Tara, it starts off actually, the person line, it starts off, it says, Om Jetsuma, prostrations to the noble Tara.

[83:59]

So, the verse itself just begins with the prostrations or respect to Tara, so here meaning you who are the one who liberates those from worldly existence, you who have the power to do this, I prostrate to you, the saviors. So, the first verse starts off, it says, prostrations to Tara who is swift, and here swift means the one who is quick, who quickly releases others, who quickly helps benefit others who are in suffering. So, it continues, it says, prostrations to Tara who is swift and courageous, here courageous

[85:11]

means someone who is brave, so just like someone who is victorious in a war considers himself a hero or a victor, here also it's shown that Tara is one who has overcome the defilements like desire, hatred and ignorance, she's been able to destroy these, and since she's been able to destroy them, she's called someone who is victorious or someone who is courageous, as being the winner over them. And then it says, with the eyes like lightning, so it just means actually to her eyes, it just means like just as the sun and the moon are very clear, they can dispel the darkness in the sea, everything is able to be seen in the world, so also Tara's eyes are like that, that through her eyes or through her vision, she can see the different suffering

[86:15]

and such things in this world, she's able to see where anyone is and then quickly be able to help them. And then the rest of the verse says, who arose from the corolla of the lotus face, the lord of the three worlds, so here it means when it says the lord of the three worlds, it's referring to Avalokiteshvara, so when it says that she arose from the corolla of the lotus face, it's just referring to that really Tara and Avalokiteshvara are the same, they're just emanating from themselves. So again it says, who arose from the corolla of the lotus face, of the lord of the three

[88:11]

worlds, the lord of the three worlds being Avalokiteshvara, and it was said actually that the lotus face, it just means that from the beautiful face or the face, the saving face, the one who has great compassion, who's a great savior, it was said actually that one time Avalokiteshvara, he was in the midst of his practice and thinking really that he was liberating all sentient beings from the world of suffering, it was said at one time he just closed his eyes and he had this really strong thought that he was able to liberate every sentient being in the world and he really thought that the world was empty of all suffering beings, and then when he opened his eyes he looked down and he saw there was more people than when he started this practice, so he was so upset by that actually that a tear came out of his eye, so that's why it says from the corolla of the lotus face, it actually just means from the eye of the lotus face of Avalokiteshvara this tear came down, and out of that tear it was said that Tana issued forth. So from issuing forth she also started to work for sentient beings, but what it's

[89:12]

showing actually is that the tear or the whole idea of compassion which is part of Avalokiteshvara is no different than the activities of Tana, so really that they are of one essence, even though they have different forms, different shapes, their essence is the same. The second verse starts off and says prostrations to her whose face bright as the light of

[90:33]

a hundred very full autumn moons. So it's said actually that the autumn moon, it's a very bright moon actually, the full moon of autumn, especially actually this was written in India at the time that the rains had finished by then, actually the summer rains were over and there was no clouds, there was no rain, there was no moisture in the air and things were very clear, so the autumn moon was a very, very bright moon. So just as the autumn moon is very bright and very powerful, it says that Tana's face also is like that, it's a very bright and very clear face, and that when you see that brightness it brings a great joy to your heart, and the joy when you see such a brightness and such a clarity is that you wouldn't want to do something bad, that you would want to put away everything of a negative quality. So seeing that brightness, her face is just like that, when you see that, that really all negative things are put aside. And it also says, it says, blazes forth light of constellations, thousand stars, so it's

[92:03]

just referring to like in the sky where there's thousands and thousands of stars appearing in the sky, that there's a lot of light, it's very bright, so the same way from Tana's body, from her whole body, there's just light always issuing forth, always clearing or dispelling other things. Question from audience

[93:10]

So the next verse starts off and says, Prosperous to her holding a gold-blue lotus. And this says actually that Tana in her hand, she holds a lotus, and it sheers, and the lotus itself is like, when you take gold, I mean gold in it's pure, in it's original state actually it's pretty, it's dirty or it's filled with other impurities, but when you put it in fire and burn it away and you purify it and you burnish the gold, it becomes very bright and very clear. So also the lotus that she holds is very clear, very bright, very pure, so that her activities also are pure in this way. Question from audience

[94:23]

Question from audience Question from audience So also what's represented by this idea of holding the lotus is that she possesses these qualities, and here it talks about giving, diligence, ethics, peace, patience and meditation, and basically what this is referring to are the six perfections, that ordinary people are not able to possess these, we can start to practice them, but we're not able to accomplish the perfection of giving or moral conduct or diligence or patience or meditation or wisdom, but someone who has gained a stage of enlightenment, especially someone such as Tana, who has gained such a pure and high state, possesses these qualities which is So when it says that she's holding the lotus, it means here also that she's holding, she's

[95:53]

a possessor of these six perfections, and with those six perfections that she's able to do very great activities. Question from audience

[96:20]

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