Reasons for Taking a Safe Direction, Special Qualities of Its Objects

Many people lack a direction in life. They pass their days with meaningless routine and find their lives empty, unfulfilling and leading nowhere. Overwhelmed with depression and boredom at this thought, they might even kill themselves. Some, seeking excitement and thrills, commit acts of violence or devote their spare time to the pursuit of pleasure and entertaining distractions. However, these directions are neither safe nor sound. Crime can lead to imprisonment, and hedonism to frustration and dissatisfaction.

A Buddhist, on the other hand, is someone who takes a safe direction in life. This makes all the difference and, in fact, is what differentiates such a person from a non-Buddhist. Accepting and taking safe direction completely changes the quality of our life.

We become increasingly more stable as each day takes on a positive meaning. With this steady direction, we can embark on a full course of training in all the preventive measures the Buddha has indicated. Therefore, a Buddhist is known as someone living within the bounds of a safe direction (nang-pa, “insider”), while a non-Buddhist as someone living outside such bounds (phyi-pa, “outsider”).

The Fourth Panchen Lama has said In Answer to (Tsongkhapa’s) Questions Posed with an Especially Noble, Exceptional Resolve (Dri-ba lhag-bsam rab-dkar-gyi dris-lan blo-bzang bzhad-pa’i sgra-dbyangs):

As for the actual nature of taking direction, you must agree, O Omniscient One, that taking a safe direction in life arises from your own personal feeling of extraordinary dread and your knowledge that the Rare Supreme Gems have the power to provide a safe direction out of it.

A feeling of fear and dread is the natural outcome of training in the preceding pathways of mind. First, we think about how we will probably not live a very long life but may die at any moment. When we pass away, we do not become nonexistent. Our mental continuums go on by generating future lives. We think about our possibilities and how we have no control over what will happen. Our rebirth will be fashioned from the potentials (nus-pa, Skt. samartha) built up on our mental continuums by our compulsive behavior, and looking honestly, we see that out of unawareness (ma-rig-pa, Skt. avidyā, ignorance) or not knowing any better (mi-shes-pa, Skt. ajñāna) we have mostly acted in a negative fashion throughout all our lives. Our negative karmic force far outweighs any positive one we might have built up.

The causes for a precious human life are pure ethical self-discipline, far-reaching attitudes and stainless prayer (smon-lam, Skt. praṇidhāna). However, our sense of ethics is rather pathetic, and how charitable have we been since we woke up this morning? How often have we prayed? If we have prayed at all, it has usually been for selfish purposes. 

Thus, Shantideva has said in Engaging in Bodhisattva Behavior (sPyod-’jug, Skt. Bodhicaryāvatāra), I.5–6ab: 

Just as a flash of lightning on a dark, cloudy night, for an instant, brightly illuminates all; so, in this world, through the might of the Buddhas, a positive attitude rarely and briefly appears.

Thus, constructive (behavior) is constantly weak, while negative forces are extremely strong, and most unbearable.

Realizing our pitiful situation and mindful of the sufferings of the worse rebirth states, we will naturally be filled with dread at what might lie ahead. Some people may feel they are not afraid of dying, but if we hold our head under water until we run out of breath and begin to pass out, we will soon be convinced of the fear and panic that automatically arise at the threshold of death. Without being aware of this instinctive dread, we cannot utilize it to motivate ourselves to seek safe direction out of a possible future downfall.

The first reason for taking safe direction, then, is a feeling of dread. As someone with an initial motivation, we would dread falling to a worse state of rebirth. When we progress to an intermediate level, we dread being reborn with any of the inevitable problems of samsara. With an advanced motivation, we seek a safe direction for all limited beings because of our dread and inability to bear anyone’s suffering.

Moved into action, we must find a way out of these horrifying situations. We must take a direction that is safe, one that offers a protected space within which to take the essence of our precious human lives. Moreover, we must be confident that we are on the right path. We may have clearheaded belief (dang-ba’i dad-pa, Skt. bhakti, devotion) or belief with an aspiration (mngon-’dod-kyi dad-pa, Skt. abhiprasanna) in the fact of the ability of the Three Rare and Supreme Gems to indicate a safe direction, but if we are unaware of their myriad good qualities, we will lack belief in that fact based on reason (yid-ches-pa, Skt. pratyayita).

Therefore, we must have as our second cause belief based on reason in the fact of the safety of this direction. Without heartfelt confidence based on reason, we will be haunted by doubts and indecisive wavering (the-tshoms, Skt. vicikitsā). Even if we try to take the indicated direction, we will be unsure of what we are doing and will still feel unsafe and insecure.

For taking Mahayana safe direction, compassion for others, is added as a third cause.

With dread of a miserable future and confidence in the ability of the Three Gems to indicate a safe direction, we must actually take that direction by entrusting ourselves completely to it.

As Shantideva has said in Engaging in Bodhisattva Behavior, II.49ab: 

Totally panicked with anguish, to you, Samantabhadra, I offer myself.

Taking safe direction, however, is not a passive act of receiving refuge from some almighty power. Nor is it simply the recitation of a set of phrases. It is an active step that we each must take and that entails an utter change of view. It is only in taking this step and putting a positive direction in our life that we receive protection from all our fears and dreads.

If it is raining and we are cold and wet, and we see a cave, going in its direction is the only way to come under its protection. However, before we will actually think of entering, we must first have a strong dislike and fear of being wet and catching cold, as well as conviction in the ability of the cave to offer us shelter. Moreover, if we merely stand outside shouting, “I turn to the safe direction of this cave,” without actually going inside, we will still get wet.

Even though we are terrified of falling to a worse state of rebirth and are desperate for help, we should not take simply any direction we happen to come upon. If we had fallen in a well and were thrown a rope that was not tied securely to anything stable, we would not get far by depending on it. We must use discrimination and not act hastily.

Matrcheta (Ma-khol) has said in One Hundred and Fifty Verses of Praise (bsTod-pa brgya lnga-bcu, Skt. Śatapañcaśatika), 1–2:

(The Buddha is the one) in whom there are never any faults at any time or in any way, and in whom all good qualities obtain in every respect. If anyone had a sound (discriminating) mind, they would turn for direction to only such a one. They would praise such a one and serve such a one and would have the good sense to live in accordance with whatever he had indicated.

In short, as Chandrakirti has said in Seventy Verses on Taking Safe Direction from the Three (Rare Supreme Gems) (sKyabs-’gro bdun-cu-pa, Skt. Triśaraṇa-saptati), 1:

Buddha, Dharma and Sangha – these three (indicate) a safe direction for those who wish liberation.

If we first give just a rough presentation of these Three Gems, a Buddha is someone who has cleared his mind of all obscurations and trained themselves to the point of having gained all the good qualities anyone could possibly have. It is in this sense that such a person is a Buddha, totally clear-minded and fully evolved. They are completely omniscient and beyond any possibility of making mistakes. The Dharma includes the different degrees of correct awareness of reality, while the Sangha consists of those who have such awareness.

If, with total sincerity and confidence, we take our direction in life from these Three Rare and Supreme Gems, we need not even make them offerings – they will always protect us. If, on the other hand, we appeal to worldly gods (’jig-rten-pa’i lha, Skt. lokadeva) or local spirits, most of whom are merely clutching ghosts still caught up with the uncontrollably recurring problems of samsara, we cannot always rely upon them for protection. They may help us some of the time, but if we do not praise and give these beings incense, clear tea or other such offering, even for one night, they may abandon us, for they are fickle and jealous.

In the northern province of Tsang, there was a spirit who was worshipped locally. Once, a man who happened to have a goiter had to camp overnight out on the open plain. Before going to sleep, he turned to this local spirit for refuge and asked him to protect his life during the night. The wraith agreed, and the man went to sleep. During the night, the attendants and servants of this local deity, who were very fond of eating flesh, came by. Seeing the lone man sleeping, they said, “Let’s eat him!” The spirit, however, told them not to, because he had agreed to protect the man’s life. He suggested that they eat the man’s goiter instead, because the man did not really need it. And so, the attendants and servants took the goiter and went away. When the man woke up the next morning, he not only found himself safe, but also discovered that his goiter was missing. Delighted with his good fortune, he returned to the village.

Now it so happened that in this village there was another man who also had a goiter. Seeing the cured condition of the first man, he too decided to seek the help of this spirit. He went out on the open plain and, before retiring, called on this local deity for safe passage through the night. Late that evening, the attendants and servants came again and, as before, asked the spirit if they could eat this man. Once more the wraith had to say no, because he had promised to protect his life. However, he suggested again that they eat his goiter. “What! Goiter again!” the attendants and servants exclaimed. “Why, that tastes terrible! In fact, we’ll give him back the other man’s goiter. We couldn’t even finish it; it was so horrible.” And so, when the second man woke up the next morning, he discovered that instead of having lost his goiter as he had hoped, he now had two. This goes to show that taking refuge in local spirits is unreliable.

It is crucial, therefore, to recognize exactly what the Three Rare Supreme Gems are that can provide us with a source of safe direction. The Three Gems have both an apparent level (kun-rdzob-pa’i dkon-mchog) and a deepest level (don-dam-pa’i dkon-mchog).

The Buddha Gem

The apparent Buddha Gem is a Buddha’s Rupakaya (gzugs-sku, Corpus of Forms), while the deepest Buddha Gem (don-dam-pa’i sangs-rgyas dkon-mchog) is their Dharmakaya (chos-sku, Corpus Encompassing Everything). This latter has two aspects, a Jnana Dharmakaya (ye-shes chos-sku, Deep Awareness Dharmakaya) and a Svabhavakaya (ngo-bo-nyid sku, Corpus of Essential Nature). Thus, the apparent Buddha Gem is a Buddha’s physical bodies and emanations, while the deepest Buddha Gem is their omniscient awareness and the deepest abiding nature (don-dam-pa’i gnas-lugs, ultimate nature) of that awareness. 

A Buddha’s Rupakaya includes a Sambhogakaya (longs-spyod rdzogs-pa’i sku, Corpus of Full Use) and a Nirmanakaya (sprul-sku, Corpus of Emanations). The former can only be seen by arya bodhisattvas and is the enlightening form that can make full use of all the Mahayana teachings. 

A Sambhogakaya has five certainties (nges-pa lnga-ldan): 

• It always resides in the Buddha-fields (sangs-rgyas-kyi zhing, Skt. buddha-kṣetra) 
• Is always fully adorned with all 112 excellent signs and exemplary features
• Always lives until the end of everyone’s samsara
• Always teaches the Mahayana pathways of mind for spiritual progress, and 
• Always to a circle of arya bodhisattvas as disciples.

A Nirmanakaya is a manifestation of a Sambhogakaya and can be seen by ordinary beings with the fortune to meet with one. It can appear in three varieties:

• A Supreme Nirmanakaya (mchog-gi sprul-sku, a Corpus of Supreme Emanation Bodies) with all 112 enlightening physical faculties, such as Buddha Shakyamuni
• An Artist Nirmanakaya (bzo-ba’i sprul-sku, a Corpus of Emanations as an Artist), such as the one who humbled the pride of the king of the divine musicians by playing a lute that had no strings
• A Personage Nirmanakaya (skye-ba’i sprul-sku, Corpus of Emanations as a Personage), such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

The thousand Buddhas of this fortunate eon are all examples of a Supreme Nirmanakaya. They each have attained a state of Buddhahood long ago. When each of them manifests during this eon, each will emanate themselves simultaneously on the Rose-Apple Islands of each of the billion world-systems in this super-cluster (stong-gsum-gyi stong chen-po’i ’jig-rten-gyi khams) and simultaneously enact on each the twelve enlightening deeds (mdzad-pa bcu-gnyis) of a Buddha.

Just as Buddhas indicate a Sambhogakaya constantly without any break of continuity, the same is true of their Nirmanakaya and the enactment of the twelve enlightening deeds. When these are not occurring in one super-cluster, they are being indicated in others [as cited by Maitreya in The Furthest Everlasting Continuum (rGyud bla-ma, Skt. Uttaratantra), II.56, 61–68].

A Svabhavakaya has two aspects, an omniscient awareness’s voidness and the true stoppings (’gog-bden, Skt. nirodha-satya, noble truth of cessation) or states of being parted (bral-ba, Skt. visaṃyoga, separation) from obscuration that are the case with respect to such an awareness. These two aspects are totally pervasive (don-gcig, Skt. ekārtha, synonymous), being two ways of labeling the same thing from different points of view. Both refer to the deepest abiding nature or the deepest truth with respect to an omniscient awareness. 

The Dharma Gem

The apparent Dharma Gem is the Buddha’s scriptural pronouncements (gsung-rab, Skt. pravacana), divided into twelve categories (gsung-rab yan-lag bcu-gnyis) and gathered in the canonical texts. 

It should be noted that the tantras (rgyud) are not included among the twelve categories. Thus, they are not usually classified in The Three Baskets, although they do appear in the Tibetan Kangyur (bKa’-’gyur). Some masters include the tantras in The Basket of Sutras, while others say they constitute a fourth Basket [as cited by Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro in “Opening the Door to the Dharma” (Theg-pa mtha’-dag-gi snying-po mdo-tsam brjod-pa chos-kyi sgo-’byed)].

These scriptural pronouncements are a symbolic representation designated as the nominal Dharma Gem (brdar-btags-pa’i chos dkon-mchog). 

The deepest Dharma Gem (don-dam-pa’i chos dkon-mchog), however, is either a true stopping or a true pathway mind (lam-bden, Skt. mārga-satya, noble truth of the path) on the mental continuum of an arya. A true stopping is a state of being freed or parted forever from a certain degree of obscuration (ngo-skal-gyi sgrib-pa, portion of mental obstacles), namely that degree of obscuration which the uninterrupted pathway mind (bar-chad med-lam, Skt. ānantarya-mārga) that brought about this stopping was working upon to eliminate. A true pathway mind is a realization (rtogs-pa, Skt. adhigama) on the mental continuum of an arya that has acted as a method for bringing about the attainment of such a stopping. 

The Sangha Gem

The apparent Sangha Gem (kun-rzdob-pa’i dge-’dun dkon-mchog) is the individual person of any arya, whether lay or monastic. 

The nominal Sangha Gem (brdar-btags-pa’i dge-’dun dkon-mchog) refers to an assembly of four or more fully ordained monks with purely kept vows and on the level of from an ordinary being (someone who is not yet an arya) on upwards. The nominal Sangha Gem is not an actual source of safe direction (skyabs-gnas). 

The deepest Sangha Gem (don-dam-pa’i dge-’dun dkon-mchog, ultimate Sangha Gem) is the true stoppings and true pathway minds on the mental continuum of an arya. 

Such beings have achieved a seeing pathway mind (mthong-lam, Skt. darśana-mārga, path of seeing), an accustoming pathway mind (sgom-lam, Skt. bhāvanā-mārga, path of meditation) or a pathway mind needing no further training (mi-slob lam, Skt. aśaikṣa-mārga, path of no more learning). They gain these from having had non-conceptual straightforward cognition of the four noble truths. The aryas may be of the shravaka (nyan-thos, listener), pratyekabuddha (rang-rgyal, self-evolver) or bodhisattva (byang-chub sems-dpa’) class. With pathway minds needing no further training, aryas attain liberation and become arhats (dgra-bcom-pa, liberated beings) of their respective classes.

Thus, the deepest Sangha Gem is totally pervasive with the deepest Dharma Gem and is not actually a Sangha Gem, since it is not a community of persons. The actual Sangha Gem is exclusively the apparent Sangha Gem.

This presentation of the deepest and apparent-level Precious Gems is in accordance with the manner of explanation of the first chapter of Maitreya’s Furthest Everlasting Continuum as elaborated by Jetsun Chokyi Gyaltsen (rJe-btsun Chos-kyi rgyal-mtshan) in The Ocean Playground of the Fortunate Naga King: The General Meaning of the First Chapter (of Maitreya’s Filigree of Realizations) (sKal-bzang klu-dbang-gi rol-mtsho zhes-bya-ba-las skabs-dang-po’i spyi-don), 113b1–114a1. 

Jetsun Chokyi Gyaltsen, known as Jetsunpa (rJe-btsun-pa), a master of the Gelug Tradition from Sera Monastery (Se-ra dGon-pa), composed the set of so-called “Jetsunpa textbooks” (rJe-btsun yig-cha) used by the Ganden Jangtsey (dGa’-ldan Byang-rtse Grva-tshang), Sera Jey (Se-ra Byes Grva-tshang) and Sera Ngagpa Colleges (Se-ra sNgags-pa Grva-tshang).

Qualities of the Buddha Gem

In accordance with Maitreya, The Furthest Everlasting Continuum, I.5, 10 and 14, the Buddha Gem has eight qualities:

• A Svabhavakaya or pure sphere (dag-pa’i dbyings) that is unaffected by anything
• An enlightening influence on others that spontaneously accomplishes all (lhun-grub) without any effort 
• Realizations that cannot be fathomed by or attained under the circumstances of others who have limited minds 
• Complete omniscient awareness 
• Loving-kindness toward everyone 
• The total range of powerful abilities (nus-pa, Skt. samartha, potentials). 

In short, it has:

• What is of meaningful benefit to themselves (rang-don, Skt. svārtha, one’s own purposes) 
• What is of meaningful benefit for others (gzhan-don, Skt. parārtha, purposes of others). 

These qualities pertain both to the apparent and deepest Buddha Gems.

Qualities of a Dharma Gem

A Dharma Gem must have at least some of the following eight qualities. This pertains, however, only to the deepest such Gems. These eight are: 

• Unimaginable (bsam-du med-pa, inconceivable) by those who cling to any extremist view concerning reality 
• Free from the first or both of the following two: any karmic impulses that could throw them into a samsaric rebirth (’phen-byed-kyi las) and any disturbing emotions and attitudes 
• Free from giving rise to any disturbing type of conceptual cognition 
• Pure (dag-pa), in the sense of being unmixed with any mental defilements 
• Clear, in the sense of being clear about and clarifying reality 
• An opponent, to counter obscurations 
• That which is a parting from attachments, namely having the full characteristics of a true stopping
• That through which there comes about a parting from attachments, namely having the full characteristics of a true pathway mind. 

The last two qualities summarize in turn the first and second sets of three.

Qualities of a Sangha Gem

A Sangha Gem, both the apparent and deepest ones, must have at least some of the following eight qualities: 

• Deep awareness of how things exist (ji-lta-ba) 
• Deep awareness of the extent of what exists (ji-snyed-pa) 
• Inner deep awareness of the lack of an impossible “soul” (bdag-med, Skt. anātman, selflessness) 
• Purification from emotional obscurations, such as attachment 
• Purification from cognitive obscurations impeding omniscience 
• Purification from the obscurations of the Hinayanists (dman-sgrib, obstacles of inferior purpose) 
• Awareness of some of the first three qualities 
• Freedom as a result of some of the second three qualities.

There are other ways of presenting the deepest and apparent Three Rare Supreme Gems, based on such other sources as Maitreya, A Filigree for the Mahayana Sutras (mDo-sde rgyan, Skt. Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra). In Pabongka’s Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand (rNam-grol lag-bcangs), for instance, the deepest Sangha Gem is presented as any arya who has any of the eight qualities of awareness and freedom (rig-grol-gyi yon-tan brgyad) just mentioned above. No apparent Sangha Gem is given, while any group of four ordinary beings holding the pratimoksha vows of fully ordained monks is a nominal Sangha Gem, but is not actually such a Gem.

Deepest and Apparent Sources of Safe Direction

There are both deepest sources of safe direction (don-dam-pa’i skyabs) and apparent sources of safe direction (kun-rdzob-pa’i skyabs). These are respectively synonymous with ultimate sources of safe direction (mthar-thug-gi skyabs-gnas, final refuges) and provisional sources of safe direction (gnas-skabs-kyi skyabs-gnas, temporary refuges) [as cited by Jetsun Chokyi Gyaltsen in The Ocean Playground of the Fortunate Naga King: The General Meaning of the First Chapter (of Maitreya’s Filigree of Realizations), 118a4–5].

Deepest sources are free from all obscurations and therefore are not totally pervasive with the deepest Gems. They include, for instance, both the apparent and deepest Buddha Gems, since both the body and mind of such a person, as well as his mind’s deepest abiding nature, are completely untainted. 

Within the deepest Dharma and Sangha Gems, deepest safe direction comes only from those true stoppings and true pathway minds that are on the mental continuums of aryas needing no further training (mi-slob-pa’i ’phags-pa). Such persons are exclusively Buddhas. Likewise, within the apparent Sangha Gem, deepest safe direction derives only from the individual person of those aryas needing no further training. If it is an arya such as a Hinayana arhat, who is someone still needing training, or if it is a true stopping or true pathway mind on the mental continuum of such a being, this would be only an apparent or provisional source of safe direction.

Causal and Resultant Sources of Safe Direction 

Furthermore, there are causal sources of safe direction (rgyu-skyabs, causal refuge) and resultant sources of safe direction (’bras-skyabs, resultant refuge) taken from our future results. Causal sources of safe direction are those persons or phenomena that have already become Rare Supreme Gems. Taking safe direction from them acts as a cause for bringing about our own future attainment of the Three Gems and is also known as the “mere taking of safe direction” (skyab-’gro tsam-pa-ba). When we take safe direction from our future attainment itself, we are deriving our source from the results we will achieve. This is called the “special taking of safe direction” (skyabs-’gro khyad-par-ba).

Within ourselves now, our observance of the ethical self-discipline of engaging in the ten constructive actions (dge-ba bcu, Skt. daśā-kuśalāni, ten virtuous actions) is a Dharma practice that functions as a source of safe direction. Dharma literally means “something that holds us back.” Since restraint from destructive actions holds us back from falling to any of the three worse rebirth states, a sense of ethics and daily behavior based upon it are our most readily accessible source of a safe direction in life.

The Reasons for Their Being Suitable for Indicating a Safe Direction

As we have seen, the deepest sources of safe direction are the enlightening bodies, enlightening minds and nature of the minds of the Buddhas, the true stoppings and pathways of mind on their mental continuums and each of them as an individual enlightening person. 

More specifically, as Maitreya has asserted in The Furthest Everlasting Continuum, I.21:

On the deepest level, the source of safe direction for wandering beings is the Buddhas alone, because the Able Ones have a Dharmakaya (a Corpus Encompassing Everything), and because they are the ultimate endpoint for the Sangha.

There are four reasons why Buddhas are a suitable source who will never let us down: 

1. They are free from all fears for themselves
2. They have skill in means (thabs-mkhas, Skt. upāyakauśalya, skillful means) to free others from all fear
3. With great compassion, they involve themselves with everyone, never regarding some as close and others as distant
4. They fulfill everyone’s aims, whether or not they have helped them.

[1] If Buddhas were not free from all fears for themselves, they would be unable to help anyone else overcome their difficulties. They would be like a person on a crowded bus that had fallen into a rushing river and who, panicking and worrying about himself, was incapable of saving anyone else. Buddhas, however, have cleared themselves of all obscurations – emotional and cognitive. The former would prevent their own liberation from internal enemies, while the latter would prevent their omniscience. Being free from these blocks, they are never ruffled by anything that happens. They remain always clear-minded and fully aware of how to handle any situation and in this way are immune to both internal and external undermining or harm.

In Differentiations within the Rules of Discipline (’Dul-ba rnam-par ’byed-pa, Skt. Vinaya-vibhaṅga), the account is given of when the Buddha’s cousin, Devadatta, made a pact with King Ajatashatru (rGyal-po Ma-skyes dgra) to kill both the Buddha and the king’s own father, King Bimbisara (gZugs-can snying-po) of Magadha. Devadatta used a catapult to hurl a rock at the Buddha, who was teaching at the time on Vulture’s Peak. However, before the rock could strike, Vajrapani (Phyag-na rdo-rje), the emanation of the Buddha’s powerful abilities, destroyed it with a bolt of lightning. The king then decided to send a mad elephant with weapons on its tusks. All the arhats listening to the teachings panicked and fled, but the Buddha remained calm. He emanated lions from his five fingers, and the pachyderm ran away in terror. The Buddha then drew a ring of fire around the elephant, and the beast bowed down to him in obeisance.

In this same source, the account is also told of two rich friends. One was a disciple of Buddha Shakyamuni, while the other followed a teacher holding extremist views. One day, the two friends agreed to invite in turn each other’s spiritual mentors to their homes for lunch. The extremist teacher, wanting to impress the Buddha’s admirer, said to his own followers that the Buddha always laughs when he sees the past or the future, and that when he does so, his disciples ask why he is laughing, and then the Buddha describes what he sees. He instructed them to do likewise whenever he would laugh.

When the extremist teacher arrived with his entourage at the house of the Buddha’s disciple, he accordingly laughed out loud, and his devotees asked the reason. He then explained with dramatic gestures that he saw two monkeys playing in the tree, and that one of them had fallen off into a lake. The Buddha’s follower, sensing that the extremist was only pretending to have the clairvoyant powers of advanced awareness, decided to trick him. When he served lunch, he gave everyone bowls with rice covered with vegetables, except for the extremist master, whom he presented with a bowl that had the vegetables on the bottom and the rice on top. The pompous man, thinking he had been served no vegetables, became outraged, at which point the Buddha’s disciple said, “How can you claim extrasensory powers when you cannot even see the vegetables under the rice right in front of your own nose?”

The friend of the Buddha’s follower became very angry that his master had been humiliated, and he decided to assassinate the Buddha when he came for lunch. He planted traps in his front yard and put poison in the food. However, when the Buddha approached, he knew of the traps and instructed his disciples to let him walk first. When the Buddha triggered the devices, they showered lotus petals down upon him. Seeing this, the extremist follower became very frightened that he had put poison in the Buddha’s food, and so he quickly ordered his servants to prepare a fresh meal.

As it was approaching the noon hour, after which the Buddha and his disciples could not take food, the Buddha said, “Let us now eat.” The extremist disciple stuttered nervously, “No, not yet,” and then confessed his plot to poison the Buddha. The Buddha calmly replied, “Poison cannot harm me. Serve the meal as it is.” When the man expressed concern that it would be dangerous to the others, the Buddha sent his revered disciple Ananda to the kitchen to pronounce the following words of truth over the poisoned food: “Attachment, hostility and closed-mindedness – these three are the trio of poisonous minds of those caught up with worldly concerns. As the compassionate Overcomer of Everything has no minds of poison, by the power of the Vanquishing Master Surpassing All may this poison be overcome as well.” And so it was. Everyone ate the poisoned food without any ill effect, and afterwards the extremist disciple became a devoted follower of the Buddha.

[2] Even though Buddhas are utterly free from all fears for themselves, if they did not have skill in means to free others from their fears, they would be like a mother with no hands, helpless when her child was being carried away by a flood. Buddhas, however, know all the most skillful methods for benefiting even those with the most difficult problems and strongest delusions. We can recall how effective Buddha Shakyamuni was in teaching Little Alley, the notorious simpleton who could never remember a thing he was told. 

[See: Explanation of the Six Preparatory Practices]

In the Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish (mDo mdzangs-blun, Skt. Damamūko-nāma Sūtra), XXXVII, the account is recorded of how the Buddha tamed Angulimala (Sor-phreng), the angriest person we could imagine meeting. Once, there was a very strong man called Angulimala who entrusted himself to a misleading teacher. This devious master cast a spell on him that caused him always to be furiously angry. He then diabolically instructed Angulimala that if he murdered 1,000 people and strung a garland of one thumb from each of his victims, this would lead to his liberation. Having already collected 999 thumbs, Angulimala was about to kill his own mother to complete the lot when he met Buddha Shakyamuni appearing as a simple monk. The Buddha told him not to murder his mother, but to come back tomorrow and take him instead.

The next day, Angulimala returned and met the Buddha walking on the road. Although the Buddha was strolling at a leisurely pace, Angulimala could never catch up, no matter how fast he ran. As his strength and anger eventually ebbed, he called to the Buddha to stop and sit down. The Buddha replied, “I am always sitting, but you never sit still since you were led astray.” “How is it that you are always sitting?” queried the strong man. “Because I have tamed the power of my mind and my senses.” In this clever fashion, the Buddha was able to lead this ferocious murderer to a state of liberation.

Buddha Shakyamuni had a cousin, Nanda (gCung dga’-bo), who was so attached to his wife that he could not bear to be out of her company. If she had to leave the room, he would put a dab of her saliva on his forehead, and she would have to return before it dried up. Everyone was appalled and disgusted by his gross attachment, but the Buddha remained undaunted. To tame his cousin, he first transported Nanda to one of the divine realms and showed him dakinis, celestial maidens so beautiful that his wife looked repulsive by comparison. Nanda became very excited and wanted to know how to win such divine young ladies for himself. Next, he was taken to a joyless realm and shown some gruesome tortures. Terrified of these, Nanda was told that such was the rebirth that awaited those who were overwhelmed with infatuated desire for women. In this way, Nanda too was led to liberation.

Once, there was a king of the gandharva heavenly musicians (dri-za, Skt. gandharva, scent-eaters) who was extremely proud and felt that he was the best musician in all the realms. Seeing this, the Buddha, out of his Artist Nirmanakaya (Corpus of Emanations as an Artist), manifested himself before this king and challenged him to a contest on the lute. The king was cocky and self-assured: no one could possibly be his better. First, they competed with their lutes fully strung, and each subsequent round they removed a string. When they were down to playing on only one string, the king was still puffed up with pride in his own skill. After all, he was a genius. However, when the Buddha removed his last string and continued playing enchanting music, the king was finally humbled and became open to the Buddha’s liberating instruction.

There is also an example of the ugly abandoned child. Once, there was a boy who was so repulsive looking that when he begged for food, he was always pelted with mud and rocks. The beggar child lived on garbage and, thinking himself the ugliest person in the world, was continually forlorn and depressed. Seeing this, the Buddha manifested himself as an even uglier person. The boy became frightened and ran away but later felt a bit proud and self-confident that he was at least better looking than this monstrosity. The Buddha stayed around, and they soon became friends. The more they talked, the more handsome the Buddha became. The boy asked what the cause of this remarkable transformation was, and the Buddha taught him about the laws of behavioral cause and effect. The lad soon regretted all the ugly things he had done in former lives, and eventually he too gained liberation.

[3] Not only are Buddhas free from all fears and skillful in means to liberate others, but they also have complete equanimity. With equal regard for everyone, Buddhas have no favorites. They never consider certain individuals as close and others as distant. If someone were massaging a Buddha’s right side with fragrant sandalwood oil, and another were chopping at his left with a hatchet, he would feel the same love and compassion for both. 

As Dharmakirti has said in A Commentary to (Dignaga’s Compendium of) Validly Cognizing Minds (Tshad-ma rnam-’grel, Skt. Pramāṇavarttika), II.251:

Because (a Buddha) has rid himself (of all obscurations) concerning what is to be adopted or abandoned, he has an equal attitude of equanimity toward all. As he (feels) the same (loving-kindness) toward someone (massaging him) with sandalwood (oil) and someone (hacking his side) with a hatchet, he is spoken of as being free from attachment.

Thus, we need never worry that the Buddhas will be so involved with those they like that they will not have time to provide us with a safe direction in life. Just as our minds are tightly bound with the poisonous attitudes (dug, Skt. visha, poisons) of attachment, hostility and closed-mindedness, the omniscient awareness of a Buddha is inexorably bound by compassion.

Matrcheta has said in One Hundred and Fifty Verses of Praise:

The disturbing emotions bind all these beings without exception. You, in order to release them from these, are eternally bound by compassion.

In the Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish, XV, the occasion of a terrible epidemic is recalled. As many people were suffering and dying, Buddha Shakyamuni pretended to be ill in order to indicate to others the preventive measures to take. The attending physician prescribed a medication to be swallowed mixed with butter, and since the patient was the Buddha himself, he offered an enormous amount of melted butter to suit his capacity.

The Buddha’s cousin Devadatta was always jealous and vying with his peerless relative. He contracted this sickness, and when he went to the doctor, he was given only a small dose of butter. Having seen that the Buddha had consumed a huge amount of the substance, he insisted that he be given the same quantity. The doctor refused and said it could kill him, but Devadatta would hear nothing of this. Reluctantly, the doctor was forced to comply but still gave him only a fraction of what he had prescribed for Buddha Shakyamuni. With great fanfare, Devadatta took the medicine and almost immediately fell deathly ill from what he had swallowed. The Buddha went to visit and, placing his hand on his cousin’s head, said, “If I have no preference between you, who are always trying to harm me, and my own son, Rahula (sGra-gcan ’dzin), then by the truth of this statement may you be cured.” Instantly, Devadatta recovered. His first remark, however, to his enlightened cousin was a venomous, “Get your filthy hand off my head!”

[4] Buddhas not only show no favoritism, but they also attend to everyone’s needs, regardless of whether individuals have helped them or not. Otherwise, since the poor and downtrodden are unable to offer anything of value to the Buddhas, they might be ignored. This, however, is never the case. Whenever someone is ripe, no matter what the situation, the Buddhas will show them the way to liberation.

In the Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish, VIII, the account is recorded of King Prasenajit’s ugly daughter, the Princess Vajri (rDo-rje-ma), who had a face like a pig’s. No one wanted this misfortunate girl, so the king forced one of his ministers to marry her. The unhappy husband was so ashamed to show her to anyone, he always kept her locked up at home. The other ministers wondered about this mysterious princess whom no one was allowed to see – either she must be extremely beautiful or terribly ugly.

One day, the Buddha graced their city with his presence, and everyone but she went to receive teachings. The pig-faced princess sat locked in her room, completely forlorn, and wept. Over and again, she offered heartfelt prayers to be able to meet with the Buddha. All of a sudden, a brilliant light shone before her, and in it was reflected the Buddha’s radiant countenance. At the same time as this vision of perfection arose, Princess Vajri’s own face underwent a remarkable change. It became as beautiful as that of a divine goddess. As the full body of the Buddha began to appear, her body as well became a picture of loveliness. Afterwards, her husband, the minister, was so proud that he paraded his wife around in a carriage.

Only Buddhas possess these four outstanding qualities. Therefore, only they are totally suitable for indicating a safe direction in life. If we sincerely entrust ourselves to their direction, we need never worry. They will never fail us, since they have no goal other than to benefit all limited beings.

Although the Buddhas are always willing to provide us with direction and help, if someone is closed-minded and unreceptive, there is little that the Buddhas can do. They can only act within the bounds of reality, and omnipotence is impossible. If the Buddhas could save everybody from all problems and suffering, they surely would have done so long ago since this has been their long-held aim. The fact there is still suffering in the world indicates that they cannot eliminate others’ problems on their own. Like everything else, it has to happen by a process of dependent arising, and the force of everyone’s karmic impulses is the same as the force of the Buddhas’ enlightening influence. Therefore, the protected space offered by their safe direction has this stipulation – we must be open to taking it.

Furthermore, the more we know about the direction we are taking, where it is heading and the objects that indicate this direction, the deeper will be our commitment to it. Just as the Buddha is totally clear-minded, so too should we aim to be clear about the path to which we are entrusting ourselves. 

Therefore, when we are aware of the qualities of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, it becomes even more apparent why they are known as the Rare and Supreme Gems. As Maitreya has said in The Furthest Everlasting Continuum, I.22:

Because their occurrence is rare, because they are stainless, because they have strength (stobs, Skt. bala, power), and because they become adornments for worldly beings, because they are what is supreme, and because they are inalterable, they are the Rare and Supreme Gems.

When hearing about the qualities of the Buddhas, only those with a large network of positive force will appreciate them and develop belief in these facts. Those without the good fortune of a large stock of positive karmic force will become incredulous, skeptical and may even misunderstand. Therefore, it is crucial to develop constructive attitudes so we will be open-minded and receptive to learning about these great qualities. In this way, we will become inspired by them and confident to turn to the Buddhas for safe direction. Hearing about them and comparing them with our own abilities, we will wish to attain these qualities ourselves. 

Many Westerners come to the East in search of direction and meaning in life, but only those with belief in facts (faith) actually attend teachings and try to improve themselves. Because such persons study and practice, they receive strong positive impressions on their mental continuums, which make it easier for them to develop further good qualities in the future. In contrast, those who lack any belief in facts may come to the same center of spiritual learning, yet waste all their time socializing, smoking and lounging in the sun. Both types of persons were equal when they came from the West, but when they return, there will be a great difference. The ones with the suntan will quickly lose their color, while the others will have established a steady foundation with much to practice and great potential for future growth.

Two Tibetans from Kham (Khams), southeastern Tibet, came to the central region and entered a great monastic university. One had belief in facts and on this basis worked hard and became a geshe, a high lama, and even a successor to the throne of Tsongkhapa. The other, with no belief in facts, wasted his time chatting, drinking tea and strutting around as a monk policeman. Now, both are old men, but what a difference in their ability to help others!

The Qualities of a Buddha’s Enlightening Body

According to Mahayana, Buddhas can manifest simultaneously in innumerable physical forms to help innumerable limited beings throughout all universes. When these emanations are in the form of Sambhogakayas (Corpuses of Full Use) or a Supreme Nirmanakaya (Supreme Emanation), they are complete with 112 physical faculties, namely the 32 excellent signs (mtshan bzang-po gsum-cu rtsa-gnyis, 32 major marks) and 80 exemplary features (dpe-byad brgyad-cu, 80 minor marks). 

Each of these signs and features has a corresponding cause in terms of constructive actions practiced in previous lives. The excellent signs are the indications of a great person (skyes-bu chen-po, Skt. mahāpuruṣa), while the exemplary features reveal inner qualities and serve to make a positive impression on the mental continuums of others. If we are aware of the causes of each of these features, then these physical faculties will show us very clearly the safe direction to take.

Wheel-wielding emperors (’khor-los sgyur-ba’i rgyal-po, Skt. cakravarti-rāja, chakravartin emperors) are also considered “great persons,” and their bodies also display the 32 excellent signs and 80 exemplary features. According to the abhidharma teachings, these emperors appear during a world eon only when the human lifespan is decreasing from a countless number of years to 80,000 years. They wield a gold, silver, copper or iron wheel of authority, depending on whether they rule over four, three, two or one island-continent of a world-system.

Although wheel-wielding emperors share the same bodily features of a Sambhogakaya and Supreme Nirmanakaya Buddha, they lack the other qualities of a Buddha and thus are not fitting objects indicating safe direction. For example, a wheel-wielding emperor cannot emanate innumerable bodies simultaneously throughout all universes in order to benefit all limited beings. Further, according to Mahayana, a Buddha’s enlightening body pervades all Buddha-fields, and all Buddha-fields appear in every pore of a Buddha’s enlightening body. Wheel-wielding emperors lack such inconceivable physical qualities.

According to the anuttarayoga tantra explanations, since the mind of a Buddha is omniscient and therefore pervades all the countless universes and all knowable things within them, the enlightening body of a Buddha likewise pervades all the countless universes. This is because the enlightening mind of a Buddha is a clear-light mind, the subtlest level of mind, while a Buddha’s enlightening body is the subtlest energy-wind that is inseparable from that clear-light mind. Thus, wherever a Buddha’s clear-light mind pervades, a Buddha’s Rupakaya (Corpus of Forms) also pervades. Wheel-wielding emperors certainly lack this quality of an all-pervading body.

In the Theravada tradition, the list of 32 excellent signs appears in The Sutta of the Excellent Signs (Pali: Lakkhaṇa Sutta) in the Long Discourses (Pali: Dīgha Nikāya). Mahayana has two traditions of their explanation. One derives from The Prajnaparamita Sutras (Pha-rol-tu phyin-pa’i mdo, Perfection of Wisdom Sutras). Maitreya follows this tradition in his Filigree of Realizations (mNgon-rtogs rgyan, Skt. Abhisamayālaṃkāra), as does Nagarjuna in his Precious Garland (Rin-chen ’phreng-ba, Skt. Ratnāvalī). These two renditions have only slight differences. The second Mahayana tradition of explanation of the 32 excellent signs derives from The Sutra Requested by the Girl Ratna (Bu-mo rin-chen-gyis zhus-pa’i mdo, Skt. Ratna-dārikā Sūtra). Maitreya follows this tradition in his Furthest Everlasting Continuum.

[See: The 32 Major Marks of a Buddha’s Physical Body]

We can understand how these signs work by considering the example of someone with tuberculosis or consumption. Merely seeing this person’s skinny, coughing appearance, we can immediately tell their internal condition. The same is true for someone yellow with jaundice or red with rage. Although we cannot see someone’s anger, we can tell of its existence by its reflection on the person’s face. As we are plagued with the three poisonous attitudes, our appearance is contorted with the reflections of our attachments, hostilities and closed-mindedness. For instance, if we are very desirous of a sexual partner, we put on cosmetics and perfume, arrange our hair in a special way, wear tight-fitting clothes and so forth. When others see our appearance, they become infected by our longing desire. In contrast, the physical features of a Buddha have excellent signs that mirror their compassion and deep awareness. Even seeing the picture of such a being instills in us a feeling of peace, not desirous attachment. 

No one has been fully enlightened from the beginning. Even Buddha Shakyamuni was heavily deluded at first. He had a limited mind and body, but with perseverance he worked very hard to build up positive karmic force over three zillion eons. In this way, he cleared his mind of all obscurations and evolved to the point that he became omniscient and achieved this Rupakaya (Corpus of Forms). If we are aware of the causes and qualities these physical faculties reflect, we will realize that the Buddhas are completely reliable and that, if we practice these causes, we too can achieve a similar state. Our situation is not hopeless. If we take safe direction from what is indicated by these features and exert a great deal of effort with perseverance, we can certainly become free from all our fears.

However, we must exert that effort. Achievements do not come from no causes at all. The entire positive karmic force that has been built up by all limited beings is equivalent to what is required for achieving a single pore of the enlightening body of a Buddha. A hundred times the positive karmic force needed for all his pores together is required for one of the exemplary features. A hundred times the karmic force for all 80 of these features is needed for one of the excellent signs. A thousand times the karmic force for 30 of these signs is required for achieving a treasure-like curl. A hundred thousand times that karmic force is needed for a crown-protrusion, and a trillion times that is necessary for achieving his extraordinary faculties of enlightening speech [as cited by Nagarjuna in “A Precious Garland,” III.1–8].

The Qualities of a Buddha’s Omniscient Deep Awareness

A Buddha’s omniscient deep awareness constitutes a Deep Awareness Dharmakaya (a Corpus of Deep Awareness Encompassing Everything).

If we give just a brief account, an enlightening mind has two major qualities: 

1. Omniscient awareness
2. Loving-kindness.

[1] While completely absorbed on how everything exists, a Buddha can simultaneously see the total extent of what exists without anything appearing deceptively in a dualistic manner of seeming to be truly existent. In other words, a Buddha can see everything at once, as clearly as he could see a piece of fruit in the palm of his hand, and at the same time still not lose sight of the voidness of all these things that actually exist. Thus, he is always aware of the two truths simultaneously and nothing appears deceptively to his omniscient awareness. If thousands of people were each to put a grain of rice into a pot, a Buddha could instantly say which person had put in which grain. 

A Buddha is aware of everything with non-conceptual bare cognition. As they do not need to rely on lines of reasoning in order to know obscure phenomena (lkog-gyur), such as voidness, or extremely obscure phenomena (shin-tu lkog-gyur), such as the laws of behavioral cause and effect, they no longer have any inferential cognitions. They have gone far beyond and no longer have any gross mental consciousness or gross sensory consciousness, nor any subtle conceptual minds (sems phra-mo), so that they are aware of everything solely through their subtlest minds, known as clear light awareness (’od-gsal, Skt. prabhāsvara). Such a mind is by nature always non-conceptual and never has arising to it any deceptive, dualistic appearance of truly established existence. Having removed all obscurations from it, a Buddha’s subtlest mind becomes omniscient and can function mentally or through any of the five senses. As they do not have limited minds or bodies, they are no longer limited beings (sentient beings).

[2] As for a Buddha’s loving-kindness, it is not something intermittent. It is not that they are concerned about others’ unhappiness and problems only when they are with them and see it but then forget about it when they go away. Being omniscient, they are aware of everyone’s problems all of the time. We, however, are more concerned about ourselves than about anyone else. Yet often we neglect our health. We do many things that are bad for ourselves, both in the long and the short run, and some of us might even take their own lives. The Buddhas, on the other hand, have all achieved their attainments motivated solely by compassion. Therefore, they would never do anything that could possibly harm us, and in this sense are kinder to us than we are to ourselves. 

Thus, the Seventh Dalai Lama (rGyal-dbang bsKal-bzang rgya-mtsho) has said in his Praises to the Noble High One (’Phags-bstod):

Even the intense concern that someone like me has for himself cannot match even a fraction of the compassion that you have on your enlightening mind.

Maitreya’s Filigree of Realizations delineates 21 categories of untainted deep awareness (zag-med ye-shes sde-tshan nyer-cig) of a Buddha’s omniscient mind. To give an expanded delineation of the qualities of a Buddha’s omniscience, four of these categories are often singled out:

• The ten forces (stobs-bcu, Skt. daśa-balāni)
• The four (guarantees) about which they are fearless (mi-’jigs-pa bzhi, Skt. catvāri-vaiśāradyāni)
• The four perfect awarenesses of individual points (so-so yang-dag-par rig-pa bzhi, Skt. catasraḥ pratisaṃvid)
• The eighteen unshared features (sangs-rgyas-kyi chos ma-’dres-pa bcu-brgyad). 

[See: The Qualities of Buddha’s Omniscient Mind]

“Deep awareness” is a term that can be used with many different connotations. There is the

• Deep awareness during an arya’s total absorption on voidness (mnyam-bzhag ye-shes, Skt. samāhita-jñāna, wisdom of meditative equipoise) 
• The deep awareness during their subsequent attainment (rjes-thob ye-shes, Skt. pṛṣṭha-labdha-jñāna, post-meditational wisdom) of the realization that everything is like an illusion (sgyu-ma, Skt. māyā). 

With these comes a network of deep awareness. The former type of deep awareness contributes primarily to the attainment of a Dharmakaya, while the latter to a Rupakaya, or it could be said that the former to a Svabhavakaya and the latter to a Deep Awareness Dharmakaya [as cited by Maitreya in “The Furthest Everlasting Continuum,” II.10–11, 21].

When the term “deep awareness” is contrasted with discriminating awareness (shes-rab, Skt. prajñā), it refers to an omniscient mind’s simultaneous awareness of both appearances and their absence of truly established existence, while discriminating awareness is of only that absence. This type of deep awareness has five divisions:

• Mirror-like deep awareness (me-long lta-bu’i ye-shes, Skt. ādarśa-jñāna)
• Individualizing deep awareness (so-sor rtogs-pa’i ye-shes, Skt. pratyavekṣaṇa-jñāna)
• Equalizing deep awareness (mnyam-pa-nyid-kyi ye-shes, Skt. samatā-jñāna)
• Accomplishing deep awareness (bya-ba grub-pa’i ye-shes, Skt. kṛty-anuṣṭhāna-jñāna)
• Deep awareness of reality (chos-kyi dbyings-kyi ye-shes, Skt. dharmadhātu-jñāna). 

Limited beings also have a certain modicum of these five types of deep awareness since their minds can reflect objects, specify individual ones, be aware of their belongings to common categories, know to do various tasks and understand the sphere of reality which is the apparent nature of things.

The ability of a Buddha to see all things that are not yet happening and that are presently happening does not imply determinism or that all these events exist truly, independently and findably frozen somewhere in time. What has passed has perished (zhig-pa) and what has not yet come about does not yet exist. Nevertheless, a Buddha can see straightforwardly and non-conceptually, without relying on any lines of reasoning, all the no-longer-happenings (’das-pa, Skt. atīta, past events) that have brought about present affairs and all the not-yet-happenings (ma-’ongs-ba, Skt. anāgata, future) that will follow from the present according to the laws of behavioral cause and effect. They see that if a certain course of action is taken, it is because of this or that reason and this or that will happen, while if another is chosen, it followed from such and such a reason and such and such will occur. Thus, there is neither the extreme of free will in the sense of everything happening arbitrarily or at random for no reason at all, nor the extreme of determinism in the sense of all events being prescribed and no one having any choice over what they do. Everything happens by the laws of behavioral cause and effect, and only a Buddha can know this in all its detail.

Thus, a Buddha is the perfect person to turn to for advice and a safe direction in life. No one else has such extensive qualities. 

Having heard about them, if we now ponder over and again all these qualities of the Buddhas and meditate on them, so as to discern them whenever we think of such a being, we will develop a continual mindfulness (rjes-su dran-pa, Skt. anusmṛti) of the Buddhas. By being mindful of them through the many avenues of their infinite qualities, we will develop a belief in these facts that will be correspondingly broad and deep, one that will be founded on reason. Thus, it will be firm, long-lasting and continuous.

We should not limit our discernment of these qualities only to our formal meditation sessions and forget about them during our daily activities. To do so will deprive us of the chance to build up a network of positive force and purify ourselves of negativities. It will act as a hindrance to taking the full essence of our human life. If, on the other hand, we maintain a continual mindfulness of the qualities of a Buddha, we will automatically follow a safe direction in life as indicated by them. We will be inspired to enter into many difficult constructive practices and actions that previously would have never seemed possible or even occurred to us to do. We will be moved into wishing to become enlightened ourselves as we realize how only with such an attainment can we really be of benefit to everyone. Thus, it will help us to develop bodhichitta. Moreover, when we have built up the strong habit of continual mindfulness, day and night, of the Buddhas, then when the intense suffering and terror of death arrives, our mindfulness of our safe direction will not decline, and we will be protected from all our fears. If we die with the Buddhas on our minds, we can be certain not to be reborn in one of the worse states in our immediately following life.

Those who lack faith in the Buddhas do so because of unawareness of their actual qualities. As Geshe Potowa (dGe-bshes Po-to-ba Rin-chen-gsal) has said:

We do not even have the same regard for the omniscient advice of the Buddhas as we do for the words of an astrologer or fortuneteller!

Some charlatan at a carnival tells us we will die this year, and we are completely upset. However, when the Buddha says that if we act destructively, we will be reborn in one of the worse states of samsaric existence, we think it a joke.