The Dalai Lama's Little Book of Mysticism: The Essential Teachings
Copyright © 2017
by Renuka Singh and His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Foreword copyright © 2017 Robert Thurman
Robert Thurman is the Jey Tsongkhapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Columbia University; president, Tibet House US; author of Man of Peace: The Illustrated Life story of the Dalai Lama of Tibet (2016)
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Cover photograph The Dalai Lama © Creative Commons.
Buddhist praying flags over the mountains, China © dinozzaver/Shutterstock
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Contents
Foreword, by Robert Thurman
Introduction, by Renuka Singh
Selected Quotations
The Three Principal Aspects of the Path
Glossary
Acknowledgments
Bibliography
Foreword
The Sakya monk Tenzin Gyatso, the Great Fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet, seems to me to be exactly what Sakyamuni Buddha himself would be if that supposedly long-deceased buddha being were to emanate himself back onto this planet, his very own buddha-land called Saha (“The Tolerable”), at this moment in its history. That is to say, the Dalai Lama is fully wise about the realities with which he is engaged; tirelessly compassionate toward all of us suffering beings who are struggling against the seemingly implacable forces of egotism and selfishness that are destroying the viable life-space on the planet; and impeccably competent in his thoughts, words, and physical deeds as driven by the spontaneous and highly sophisticated art that introduces beings to the possibility of their own liberation from suffering.
What was said about Tsongkhapa (1357–1419), the beloved teacher of Gendun Drubpa (1391–1474)—the Dalai Lama's first formally (though retroactively) recognized incarnation in Tibet—can also be said about our Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (1935–):
You are Avalokiteshvara, great treasure of unconditional love, Manjushrighosha, prince of taintless intuitive knowledge, and Vajrapani, Mystic Lord, conqueror of the host of demons—O Tsongkhapa, crown jewel of enlightened sages of the Land of Snows, I bow down at your feet, famously good-hearted Losang Drakpa!
Once again, I am honored and pleased to welcome a set of eminently useful, pithy teachings of the good friend of us all, H. H. Dalai Lama, skillfully collected and arranged by Dr. Renuka Singh. The best model of the “guru” in Indian and Tibetan Buddhist tradition is precisely the “good friend” (Skt. kalydnamitra; Tib. geway shenyen or Geshey), which emphasizes the fact that we must save ourselves from suffering, with the help of skillful and virtuous friends, rather than merely looking to divine or human authorities to save us.
The bad news for us timid seekers of refuge is that no one, divine or human, however great and powerful, can save us from the seemingly endless sufferings constantly heaped upon us due to our misunderstanding of our relationship to a seemingly alien universe. The good news—and it is really good—is that we are already, beginninglessly, enfolded in the blissful freedom of an ultimate reality that is infinitely abundant in its sustaining energy. So we do actually have the opportunity and ability to free ourselves from our misunderstanding of that reality that causes us to fear and fight and shut ourselves off from its blessings—with the help of the good friends (enlightened beings) who have already at least somewhat transformed their own misunderstanding and fear into wisdom and love.
Among the good friends around today, the brilliant, good-hearted, and competent Dalai Lama stands out as exceptionally effective in his mastery of the art of opening our eyes, expanding our intelligence, and energizing our hearts to see through our confused ideas, discover what is obviously beautiful before us, and arise from our depressed and bitter thoughts of self-dissatisfaction and despair to relate to others in the kind and loving ways that give relief. He himself is a prime example of how joyful a person can be, even in great adversity, as he has been continually beset with extreme mistreatment by powerful enemies, which might be considered sufficient reason to be traumatized, outraged, fearful, and despairing. But here's his secret:
For Buddhists, nirvana, or the true state of cessation of suffering, is the actual refuge. It is our undisciplined state of mind that causes our suffering. If we can eliminate the causes of suffering, we will attain the state of liberation or nirvana, or a true and lasting happiness.
A person becomes a “Buddhist” by “taking refuge.” But the Dalai Lama does not seek converts, does not urge people to become Buddhists, out of respect for other religions. However, in this little saying from the work below, qualified “for Buddhists,” not to pressure others to agree by fiat, he reveals why he remains happy, no matter how many difficulties he and his people face. He has followed the Buddha's discovery and teaching and has found that reality itself is the “state” of nirvana, freedom from suffering and true happiness—the word “lasting” meaning beyond even pain and death. So just by transforming the mind, exploring reality and discovering its true nature, one finds real refuge from suffering. No need to “become a Buddhist”!
When I think of this little saying, I realize where I learned my shortest answer to the frequent question I encounter: “What is Buddhism?” I always say, nowadays, “Buddhism is just realism!” Since, as a matter of fact, not a matter of religious belief, Buddha discovered that reality is actually the bliss of freedom and love; the more realistic we are, the happier we will be. Some people say, “Ignorance is bliss,” because they think reality is frightening and ultimately awful. Buddha and the Dalai Lama say, “Reality is bliss, therefore ignorance causes suffering; knowledge conquers ignorance, and so actually wisdom is bliss!”
The seemingly simple sayings Dr. Singh has assembled, when contemplated over time with a modicum of concentration, overflow with depth of meaning that provides flashes of such wisdom and so encourages your happiness.
The final treasure in the work are the three principles of the path: renunciative transcendence—the sure expression of compassion for yourself, letting yourself off the hook of feeling driven to accumulate relationships, wealth, fame, success, etc., so you can focus on life's purpose; universal compassion for others—expanding your sense of identification to include others, eventually all of them, and exchanging the misery of self-preoccupation for the joy of loving devotion to others; and, most importantly, the source of such love—realistic wisdom that sees through misknowledge and discovers the fortunate reality of things and the courageous and positive attitude it supports.
In sum, the three principles are first, real love for yourself by relieving yourself of clutter and distractions to focus on finding your human purpose in freeing yourself from suffering; second, real love for others, which naturally overflows from your heart when you feel the relief of finding transcendent purpose and you become acutely aware of how intensely most others need that
kind of genuine relief just as much as you did; and finally the discovery of the source of all love in reality itself, as revealed to the unerring critical gaze of transcending wisdom that sees through delusive mental habits about the self and the world and breaks through into the blissful freedom that is the reality that you recognize as having always been there for you, in you, and in all others.
So, dear reader, what you have before you in this little book is nothing less than a prescription for improving your life in either modest or far-reaching ways. Tsongkhapa himself famously said, “Of all a buddha's deeds, the deed of speech is the supreme!” Therefore, although the “mystic” may sometimes remain silent in some circumstances, usually out of concern someone will misunderstand her or him, words are vitally important to opening the doorway unto the profound reality that is ever reliable and can be discovered in experience guided by but beyond the words. Therefore, I invite you to open the book and hear therein the voice of the Dalai Lama, contemplate his words, and enjoy his wisdom, care, and humor day by day.
—Robert A. F. Thurman
Woodstock, New York, June 7, 2017
Introduction
This book consists of informal versions of sayings chosen from interviews with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, his lectures and teachings given at Tushita Mahayana Meditation Centre in Delhi, and a few texts without any identification of the particular sources. The nature and scope of this book is to increase your awareness of the Buddhist tradition and thought that will lead you to a spiritual experience and an existential commitment rather than merely reducing this process to an intellectual exercise. The sayings of His Holiness become fresh and alive in their concreteness and relevance to your daily life. The mystical quest reflected in this work is an integral part of society; thus, it cannot be dubbed as an individualistic enterprise. Human fellowship and equality are aspired to in the context of charismatic authority of love, wisdom, experience, and compassion.
It is abundantly clear from these quotations and lecture that it is only through ethics, concentration, and wisdom, as also reflected in the Three Principal Aspects of the Path—renunciation, bodhicitta, and emptiness—that you tread the Sutric path. You are encouraged not to identify with the impermanent and transient phenomena as you have to delve deeply into the inner core of your existence, which is empty, transcendent, mysterious, and blissful. Acquiring a pure motivation and purity of heart is the ultimate striving, which results in peace and rest in the possession of a sublime nothing.
The Greek word for mysticism means to conceal. Mystics, whether theists or atheists, perceive their mystical experience as a part of the project of human transformation. In general, mysticism is best understood as a constellation of distinctive practices, discourses, texts, institutions, traditions, and experiences that will bring about a change for humanity. Unlike in all forms of mysticism in different traditions, Buddhist mysticism is not typical God mysticism or an experience of oneness with God. Instead, even though the mystical path has an esoteric dimension, one may dare to call it rational mysticism, having components that are both philosophical and practical. Buddha, unlike his contemporaries, did not advocate for physical penance, complicated rituals, or prayers that help us to attain the highest spiritual awakening, but it is the disciplined tamed mind that rescues us from our kleshas. Also, our fundamental ignorance is responsible for our bondage to the unenlightened cyclic existence. Hence, we have to cultivate the understanding of the nature of existence, which is facilitated by developing our wisdom. His Holiness the Dalai Lama not only provides a detailed stanza-by-stanza exposition of the Three Principal Aspects of the Path, he also intersperses his commentary with personal reflections and experiences on the practice of his spiritual path.
So, you can see this little book as a treatise of few words, primarily for easy comprehension, which expands the illumination of the wisdom that thoroughly differentiates the relative and ultimate truth of any phenomenon. We hope that this work generates wisdom from contemplating on Dharma rather than gives detailed instructions on practicing Dharma. The exposure of people to Tibetan Buddhism has been fraught with magic and mystery, whereas here we try to highlight the heritage of reasoned analyses and systematic practice.
A basic understanding of Buddhism, especially Tibetan Buddhism, is a prerequisite for understanding the idea of the mystical dimension, both at the philosophical and experiential level. The Buddhist Weltanschauung highlights the fortunate human birth we have with its associated intelligence of the mind. This endows us with the capacity to realize emptiness and achieve enlightenment. The three dimensions of ignorance, attachment, and aversion have to be contended with on this path, whereas ethics, concentration, and wisdom are its markers. Reality is understood at two levels: the ultimate and the conventional level of truth. Ultimate deals with the empty nature of all phenomena, whereas conventional refers to the appearance aspect of the reality. All Buddhist training eventually tries to develop and experience the ultimate level of truth and simultaneously acknowledge the conventional level of karmic existence. Thus, the biggest and hardest challenge we as spiritual practitioners have is to integrate the various aspects of the path (as shown in the quotations and the lecture) into our everyday life by lifting ourselves out of our self-created suffering of negative emotions and attitudes. One needs to develop bodhicitta and compassion, realize emptiness, and achieve enlightenment. This will allow samsara and nirvana to become one. Once you trust and surrender and act on the basis of hearing, meditation, and contemplation, you'll be able to see His Holiness as the Buddha.
Instruction in renunciation, bodhicitta, and emptiness is the foundation for any mystical/nirvanic aspiration. The ultimate purpose of our spiritual practice is to discover the essential nature of our being, which is clear, pure, and blissful. What we see around us is actually nothing more than a projection of our inner landscape. The Buddhist point of view identifies our consciousness as the source of our circumstances. For example, painful and confusing situations or happiness arise from similar states of mind. Enlightenment is achievable, now or later, if only we can get rid of our delusions—attachment, hatred, and ignorance—that cloud our mind and prevent our inner sun from shining. We can adopt a gradual or speedier process to develop qualities of love and wisdom, depending on our tendencies, inclinations, and predilections. This means that we evolve from ordinary and deluded beings into totally conscious beings with immeasurable compassion and wisdom. The supreme motivation of bodhicitta helps us to achieve enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. Only by opening our hearts to others can we experience true happiness ourselves. Let us keep in mind that the mystical meaning of the Tibetan mantra Om Mani Padme Hum dwells on the fact that once you surrender, you can spiritually transform your mind, matter, and your surrounding environment. The validity of the mystical experience is clearly reflected and visible in the lives of the highly evolved lamas as they generously impart their wisdom while interacting with us. It is interesting to note that there is a great similarity of mystical expressions and vision in most of the religions, even though some differences may exist in their articulation. This manifests in the form of a consciousness that imparts the experience of nonduality, bliss, and purity. It is the “now” moment that becomes an eternity. There is no before, no after, neither this nor that. In perfect simplicity, we experience the eternal stillness, making us act in the freest manner possible.
Let me now quote His Holiness, who has been seen as the most mystical teacher and scholar. He describes Tantrayana as follows:
“According to the unique description of highest yoga tantra, Buddha nature is the subtlest mind-wind, whose nature is empty of inherent existence. The subtlest mind is an extremely refined state of mind, also called the inner clear-light mind. The subtlest-wind energy is its mount. The two are inseparable. All sentient beings have this subtlest mind-wind, and its continuity goes on until awakening: it is not a sour or independent essence; it changes moment by moment and is selfless and
empty of independent existence. When we die, the coarser levels of mind dissolve into the innate clear-light mind, and when we are reborn, coarser consciousnesses again emerge from the basis of the innate clear-light mind. When these coarser levels of consciousness are present, constructive and destructive thoughts arise and create karma. The result of afflicted thoughts in samsara, the result of virtuous mental states such as renunciation, bodhicitta, and wisdom is the attainment of nirvana. Sentient beings' subtlest mind serves as the substantial cause for a Buddha's wisdom Dharmakaya, and the subtest wind-energy is the substantial cause for a Buddha's form body.
Through special tantric practices this subtlest clear-mind is activated, made blissful, and then used to realize emptiness. Because this mind-wind is so subtle, when it realizes emptiness directly, it becomes a very strong counterforce to eradicate both afflictive and cognitive obscurations. In this way, Buddhahood may be attained quickly.”
—His Holiness the Dalai Lama, from Buddhism: One Teacher, Many Traditions
The Tantric meditations on mandalas and deities might seem mysterious, and you may find them more appealing, but they can be very disappointing, disillusioning, and disheartening as they may not result in any mystical experiences. In this work, we are not focusing on the details of the Tantric path because practitioners maintain that these details should be taught in secret, to suitable students only, who have received the appropriate initiation, and that they should not be commercialized.
As shown in the Sutric path earlier, the secrecy of the Tantric path is not applicable to the practice of bodhicitta. Thus, it is vital that you try to cultivate bodhicitta through aspirational prayers. It is here that the role of the guru gains significance.
So, whether it is the graduated path to enlightenment, the mystical approach of Vajrayana, or the highest yoga tantra meditations, the teachers on this path extol its simplicity in the sense that deep down within yourself, something is touched and transformed. This is accomplished by being inspired by a real master and by having a valid experience of the spiritual realm.