Continuing Commentary on the Text
Rejoicing
After rededicating our heart with aspiring and pledged bodhichitta, then rejoice and feel happy. The verse states:
Now my life’s become fruitful, for having wonderfully attained a human existence, today I’ve awakened my Buddha-nature and now have become a Buddhas’ spiritual child.
With that we feel how wonderful it is that we have received a precious human body and that we have all these opportunities.
The next verse reads:
Now, in whatever way possible I shall undertake actions that accord with its traits, and never defile this impeccable nature that lacks any flaw.
We promise not to be reckless and not to do things like drinking, smoking, or acting in any old wild way. We promise instead that we will make proper use of the human rebirth that we have and not just let it go to waste.
Visualization
The next part is to visualize the field of merit, sometimes called the bountiful field for building up a positive potential. This can also be done in the way that the Cycle of Time deity, the Kalachakra, can be generated. These two can be done together.
The text describes this:
Within a state of fantasy-free clear light mahamudra, on the broad path before me of the immortal divines, like a glittering multicolored display of rainbows, in the center of a billowing ocean of clouds of Samantabhadra offerings, on a throne of jewels held aloft by eight breath-taking lions, on the face of an opened thousand-petaled lotus delighting the mind, on top of symbolic discs of a moon, a sun, and Rahu and Kalagni planets, as a total amalgam into one of as many infinite masses of sources of safe direction as there are, inseparable from my kind guru, stands the magnificent vanquishing master Kalachakra, imbued with the lustrous hue of a sapphire, blazing with brilliance, with one face and two arms, holding vajra and bell.
To symbolize the uncommon path of method and wisdom as a unified pair, your manner is that of a union with Vishva-mata, saffron in color, holding a cleaver and skull cup. With your right leg red and outstretched, your left one white and bent, dancing on top of a Mara and Rudra, you are elegant with hundreds of artistic tones. Your body, adorned with jewelry inspiring awe, like the vault of the heavens beautifully studded with clusters of stars, stands amidst an effulgence of five-colored stainless light, exuding joy, with three bodily points in the nature of three vajra-deities taking the form of letters begotten of light.
Emanated from the seed-syllable at the heart, Vajra-vega, holding a bevy of fearsome weapons, hooks in firmly a host of sources of direction, living in infinite pure-land abodes, to become of an equal taste with you who are here to bond me closely. You now assume the grand nature of being an amalgam of every safe source of direction.
The way that we do this is to imagine that the ground in front of us is broad and expansive with the nature of precious gems of lapis lazuli and so on. This wide, vast land is filled with offerings, flowers, and fields like the beautiful tulip fields that we find in Holland, with lights and perfumes. At the center of all of this is a grand throne, which is held up by lions. The text refers to the eight ones who steal our heart away, referring to these eight lions. On top of that there is a lotus, then a flat moon disc and a sun disc. On top of that is the North Node planet, Rahu, and on top of that is the South Node planet, Kalagni.
On top of that, we have the deity of Cycles of Time, the deity Kalachakra. He has one face and two arms, with the right leg stretched out and the left leg bent. As we see here in the picture he is embracing his partner, who is called Vishva-mata, or the mother of all variety of things. We are visualizing the deity before us and our bountiful field to build up positive potential. The deity is inseparable from the root spiritual master. Doing this fulfils one of the four practices to bind us with Avalokiteshvara, namely the bond with the guru, or spiritual master. After this follows the seven-part basic practice of making offerings, which we will explain later on.
Brief Overview of Generation and Completion Stages of Practice
In brief, this path involves a generation stage followed by a completion stage that consists of the six yogas. The integrated practices of the six yogas are: individual collection, mental constancy, breath control, holding, continual mindfulness and single-minded concentration. Through the six branches of the completion stage practice, we then stack up the 21,600 elements of bliss and achieve the voidness form. Through the various stages of this, we can achieve the state of an enlightened Buddha, first of all, from stacking of these drops.
In order to have something that will ripen into the success of the practices of the completion stage, we have the generation stage practices in which we generate ourselves in the form of Kalachakra. The process of the generation of that deity is similar to when we generate the deity in front of our bountiful field in this six-session guru yoga practice. We are building up positive potential as it would be in the generation stage in that we are generating ourselves as the form of that deity.
Therefore, what I will say now coming from the teachings on the generation stage can be applied to when we visualize the deity in front of us, as part of our bountiful field.
What we need to do is meditate on a deity, taking all the various energy-winds and various energy-channels within the body, and arising in the form of a deity whose parts correspond to all those individual energy-winds and energy-channels.
Causes and Conditions
For whatever occurs in samsara or uncontrollably recurring existence, we have an appropriating or material cause and various conditions that occur simultaneously with it. This is due to the ignorance with which we grasp at the identity of a person. Based on this, we have various types of impulses, or karma, which act as the cause of taking a rebirth. As an example of these causes and conditions, in making a clay vase, the mud with which it is made from would be either the appropriating cause or, in this case, the material cause. The water and other things involved would be the simultaneous conditions that go towards making the vase.
To review, because we have this ignorance with which we grasp for true identities of things, this causes various types of impulsive behavior or karma. It is these impulses that act as the appropriating cause for taking various types of rebirth. In the course of the day we have the movement of the 21,600 breaths through the body, and this is something which acts as a simultaneously occurring condition for taking a rebirth.
An integrated practitioner, or yogi, who is trying to do all these practices, then tries to get rid of the impulsive behavior or karma, and likewise the disturbing emotions or attitudes. We will actually get rid of these impulses and disturbing attitudes in the completion stage practices. The generation stage, generating ourselves as a deity, acts as a practice that will ripen into the ability to do the completion stage practices.
Six Constituents
In terms of how we practice, we are talking about human beings who are made up of the six constituents. What are the six constituents?
There are three constituent elements received from the father and three from the mother. From the mother comes the sperm, blood and marrow; and from the father comes the flesh, bone and skin. When a person dies, the sperm and blood elements as well as the consciousness depart at the time of death. The way they separate is that the speck, referring to the blood, goes up. For example, when we die, red things come out of the nose. The sperm, the white substance, leaves from the lower orifice; the red substance comes out of the blood from the nose and the consciousness goes off to the in-between states. That is the way that these things depart. We meditate in the form of a deity, so that we have control over this condition.
The main trunk of the body is blue. The right leg is red and outstretched so that the blood element is siphoned down rather than going to the nose. The left leg is bent and white to signify that the sperm element doesn’t leave from the bottom but hooks back up the body to the crown of the head. This signifies the achievement of a voidness form and stacking up with the 21,600 drops of bliss. This becomes completely filled and we achieve enlightenment in this form. Therefore, by meditating on the deity with the right and left legs in these colors and positions, it ripens and acts as a cause to be able to achieve these results.
Additionally, there are the two deities, underneath his feet, the god of desire, Kamadeva, and the god of power, Ishvara. They signify the winds in the right and left channels, and standing on them indicates blocking the winds through those channels. By meditating in this way, it ripens into actually being able to do that in the completion stage.
Cycles of Time
Let’s go into a little more elaborate detail on the cycles of time. There are 12 divisions of a year, referring to either twelve periods of the zodiac or the 12 months. A year, made up of 12 zodiacal months, can be divided into periods when the sun is more in the northern or southern parts of the sky.
This we have to check up with you. When the sun is in the northern, then the days are shorter and in the southern they are longer. Is that correct? What is the reason?
When the day is shorter, in the winter here, which portion of the sky does the sun go through in its orbit as it comes up and goes down?
[Inaudible responses]
Consideration is the exact opposite of the way that we conceive of it, or the way of looking at it. The way that I was phrasing it, was giving the impression that I was talking about which part the sun is, when actually we are talking about which part the earth is. So the earth is more towards the north in the winter when the sun is in the summer the earth is more in the south where the sun is. So it comes out correct with the way that it is here.
For example, look at it in terms of a mountain in the eastern direction and note where the sun rises on that mountain range. During the course of the year, we will notice that during the summer months the sun rises more in a northern direction and in the winter, it will rise in a more southerly direction. That statement is made. The sun rises in the north during half of the year and in the south during half of the year. It rises in the north during the summer and in the south during the winter. If we had a mountain in the east here, we would observe that.
On the external level, we have the course of the year or 12 zodiac months divided into two periods where the sun rises in the north and the south. On an internal level during the course of the 12 major shifts of the breath that occur during the day, we will have half that go through the right nostril and half that go primarily through the left nostril. Then, on an alternative level we have two legs. We have been explaining the three levels: the external, internal and alternative Kalachakra.
Likewise, on an external level we have the 12 months which can be divided into four periods of three months each. On an internal level the 12 shifts of the breaths can be likewise divided into three divisions of four each. This corresponds to the deity having three necks.
Then, just as we can have four divisions of three months in the 12-month year and four divisions of three shifts of a day, then likewise, as a deity, we have four faces.
Also, in the course of a 12-month year, we can divide it into six seasons of two months each. There is spring, late spring or the hot season, two months of summer, two months of autumn, two months of early winter and two months of late winter. Likewise in the 12 shifts of a day, we can have six periods of two shifts each. Like that, as a deity, we have six collar bone regions.
Just as 12 months and 12 shifts, as a deity, we have 12 shoulders. On an external level we have the period of waxing and waning of the moon for each month, and thereby have 24 such periods in a year. Internally, when we divide the shifts of the breaths into the two components, we have 24. Likewise, as a deity, we have 24 arms.
On an external level we have 360 days in a lunar year, 30 days for each of the 12 months. On an internal level we have 360 periods of sixty breaths each, making the 21,600 breaths in the course of the day. Again just as we have 360 days in a lunar year, with 30 days for each of the 12 months, on an internal level we have 360 periods, each of 60 breaths, making the 21,600 breaths in the course of the day.
Likewise, as a deity, on each of our 24 hands, we have three jointed areas on each of our five fingers. Then, 24 multiplied by fifteen equals 360. We have 360 finger joint parts to correspond to the 360 days and 360 groups of 60 breaths in a day.
In this way, we can begin to get an appreciation of what is meant by external cycles of time, internal and alternative cycles of time. This is an explanation of the full deity.
However, when we are doing the visualization of the bountiful field, we only have the simple form of the deity, with one face and two arms. Again, we are visualizing the deity before us and our bountiful field to build up positive potential. The deity is inseparable from the root spiritual master.
In general, all the various numbers of arms, legs, shoulders, joints and so on are involved in this. Likewise the colors of red, white, blue correspond with the various elements and so on. If we went into all these details, it would get very complicated. However, gradually this is something that we will come to know. What I have explained so far are examples for understanding the complexity. I have taken some of the meanings and put them all together into these points that are convenient to remember so that we can begin to gain an understanding of it. With that as a foundation, we can go further into the details and begin to understand the symbolism of all that is involved.
Do you know of a children’s toy that has four wheels and you pour boiling water into a little square cart on top? The boiling water will cause the car to move. Have you heard of it? Do your children play like that?
To explain, if we have a small wooden toy with four wheels and place on it some sort of container with a heating element to make water boil, the agitation of the boiling water would cause the cart to rock back and forth. If we were to plug or block it up, the force of that boiling water would cause it to shoot up in the air. From that, we can understand the technology of sending a rocket to the moon.
Likewise, I have explained on a simple level all of what is involved in the symbolism of external, internal and alternative cycles of time and since we have great interest in this subject matter, then on that foundation we can likewise all make great progress. Those of us who have received this initiation from His Holiness are extremely fortunate. On the basis of this, we will be able to gain realizations; however, things like that do not come very quickly or all at once.
We should think about all things involved in uncontrollably recurring situations and that all of samsara has no essence at all. This is something to then keep in mind as an attitude. It is not to take everything and throw it all into the river. It is an attitude to take, to realize that all things have no essence. If I were to tell everyone to throw everything into the river, then it would be difficult for us to go out and do that. So don’t worry, I am not going to tell everyone to do that.
Questions and Answers
Does the explanation of cycles of time relate to the six-session practice?
It is connected to this because we are meditating on having the body of the deity. That is what we are supposed to do with the six-session yoga. We visualize ourselves as the deity. If we are doing a six-session guru yoga practice that does not involve the deity Kalachakra, we do not have to worry about this. If we are doing that, then that is what it is all about. When we are doing these hidden practices of these deities in terms of Kalachakra, then we can speak about the entire practice in these categories of external, internal and alternative. However, that is specifically if we are talking about this deity.
How are we supposed to learn this practice? How do we learn about this deity and the other deities?
Start out the study in terms of the six-session guru yoga practice and then go onto the generation stage. There are various explanatory texts in Tibetan.
What times of day do the shifts in breath occur? Are they actual moments that change or are they a gradual change?
There is a correspondence in terms of the hours of the day when we have these shifts occurring. However, these shifts occur gradually and to get into this we have to do a lot of extensive study of the subtle energy-system, to gain an appreciation of it. First, of all us have to get into the chakras, the various centers in the body. We have an explanation of this in the Guhyasamaja system, where we are speaking about 72,000 energy-channels in the body. In this system, the naval chakra has 64 channels, the heart has eight, the throat has 16, and the crown has 32.
Within the context of that system, then the 64 channels from the heart have two each of the 64 connecting up with one each of the 32 channels in the crown chakra; two each from the 32 go into each of the 16 in the throat; and then two each from the 16 go into one of the eight at the heart. So, everything is all connected.
The shift in breath occurs in terms of how the energy-winds are going, primarily through one or another of the side channels that come out of the heart chakra. There is a description of eight shifts that occur with that and a presentation of the major and minor shifts of the breath. This is a very extensive topic, and in order to get into it, we have to study the presentation of the situation of the body, the mind and body, as well as the mind in common in the completion stage.
The situation of the mind involves the energy-channels that abide in the body, the energy-winds that move through it and the energy-drops that are in that system. All of these are extensive topics; however, if we study them carefully and through proper tantric instructions, we’ll learn and know all about it. We can say in general that we do have certain shifts that occur, and that we could then correlate to certain hours of the day.
There is also a discussion of the breaths in terms of the five types of breath in correlation to the five dhyani Buddhas, the five Buddha-families. In that description, we have the five breaths represented in the terms of the five types of energy-wind. There are the downward voiding, the upward going, the equalizing, the life sustaining and the all-pervading breaths.
In this anuttarayoga system the all-pervading one doesn’t move but the others do. The Akshobhya breath is the main one in the center. For instance, when the day starts, we have that type of breath coming primarily through the right nostril. Then, we have the four other types of breath surrounding Akshobhya in the center. The breath courses around and then the next ones come up. It goes like one of these psychedelic lights that we see with the different colors turning around. Each one will take a turn within each type of breath; within the downward-voiding breath, there is the downward downward-voiding and the upward-downward voiding. We have all these types of breaths with subdivisions.
If we are a skillful yogi with knowledge of all these types of breaths, then we will be able to have a very long life and foresee whether things will go well or badly for us in each day. We will be able to develop a much-heightened sensitivity.
Concerning the sun and the moon element to the planets, what is the symbolism on the external or internal level?
On the external level, they are the Sun and Moon and the North and South Node planets. On the internal level, they are the red drops, the red of the blood, the white sperm and the various types of energy-winds. Also, on the alternative level they can be applied to body, speech, mind and deep awareness, the four-fold division. If we study the great texts, the great classics on the subject matter, then we will know. It’s not possible to explain the whole thing all in this answer.
Offerings
The making of offerings comes with the next verse:
O my bountiful field, my kind sublime guru, that I might please you, I offer to you, with a mind unattached, undaunted, and clear about the three circles involved: billowing masses of clouds of outer offerings – both actually arrayed and created from the play of absorbed concentration – as well as of inner and hidden offerings, and six pair of slender-bodied, delightful bestowers of bliss with lotus-hands stunningly beautiful with gifts worthy to offer – such common and uncommon presents as these, as well as my body, whatever I enjoy, and the network of my constructive acts, anything physical, verbal, or mental that I or others enjoy, and the network of my constructive acts throughout the three times, a splendid jeweled mandala, with a host of Samantabhadra offerings – taking these to mind, I present them to you, my guru, my yidam, my Three Supreme Gems. Accept them, please, by the power of compassion. I humbly request you for inspiration.
IDAM GURU RATNA MANDALAKAM NIRYATA-YAMI
This involves the usual offerings of the various types of waters, flowers, incense, lights, food and so on. Whatever types of offerings we make, it is important to recognize that whatever representation we have, that the offering is to the actual Buddha. To make pure offerings is something that is very important. By making offering in this practice, it fulfils one of the close bonds with Amoghasiddhi, namely to make offerings three times each day and each night.
There is an account of the former Kadampa Geshe Puchungwa, spiritual master of the Kadampa lineage, who in the early part of his life was very poor. He made incense offerings by just rolling together some weeds that grew in the meadows and the mountains and offered them as his incense. However, he was so sincere in making offerings and in his practice that he built up the potential for being able, in the later part of his life, to make offerings of very precious sticks of incense, worth about three gold coins each.
Offering also includes offering of a mandala, a round symbol of a world system. We offer this by imagining a world system, either in the way in which it is presented in the abhidharma teachings on general knowledge, or with a central Mount Meru and four-island worlds. In this practice, we present it in the aspect as the world system is described in the cycles of time teachings. We can likewise imagine it the way that it is experienced now, in the modern world, in terms of a globe as the Earth.
In whichever way we visualize it, we should imagine that all the roots of our positive potential and all of our possessions of the three times take the aspects of this world system and we offer them as a mandala offering. Doing that with the appropriate verses fulfils the commitment given in the Fifty Verses of Guru Devotion of offering a mandala three times each day and three times each night.
Admitting Wrongdoings
In the next verse, we openly admit or confess the wrongs we have done.
Every negative act and downfall I’ve made or caused others to commit from beginningless time, due to the untamed stallion of my mind being drunk with the spirits of the reckless three emotions of poison, and especially my actions breaking my bonds with the general and specific traits of the five Buddha-families – such as disturbing my guru’s mind or breaching his words – also my not safeguarding correctly the twenty-five types of tamed behavior and so forth, whatever disgraceful actions I’ve done, I openly admit, with a strong mind of regret and the promise to restrain from doing them again.
We should think in terms of all the various destructive things we have done, as exemplified by the ten destructive or non-virtuous actions, and feel a great regret for them. Think of the negative actions that we have done in previous lifetimes, which have caused all the various difficulties we have in this lifetime. Likewise, think of the destructive things we have done in the past and continue to do now and feel strong regret. Openly and honestly admit that they are all wrong and feel great regret and remorse about them.
If we feel sincere regret about all the destructive things we have done and all the negative potential we have built up, then it is possible to purify ourselves in regard to the experience of all the results. For an example, if we were one of three people who had eaten poisoned food and one person died and the other was deathly sick, we would feel intense regret at having eaten that same food. Likewise, we should think in terms of all the negative potentials that we have built up and how so many beings have been reborn in lower rebirths as a result of similar negative actions, while still others are about to fall. Where were we? Clearly, we feel strong regret for what we have done.
Whatever type of recitation of mantra that we might do, such as om mani padme hum, the recitation of the Confession Sutra before the Thirty-five Buddhas or various other similar texts, these are all methods towards purifying ourselves of negative potentials.
Rejoice in Positive Deeds
The next verse instructs us to rejoice:
I rejoice in the ocean of my own and others’ well-done deeds producing bounteous foam of delightful results.
In terms of this, think of all the good things that we have done in the past which result in the attainment of a precious human rebirth in this life. Likewise, we should think of all the positive things we are doing now and all the positive things being done by others. This builds up a great deal of positive potential. For instance, if someone else offers 100 butter lamps and we rejoice in that, even without having offering the butter lamps ourselves, we build up the same amount of positive potential as the person making that offering.
In the past, during the time of the Buddha, King Bimbisara invited him and his community for a great feast. A very poor person stood outside the festivities and watched. He rejoiced very much in the offering. He said, “As a result of doing negative things and not making such offerings in the past, I was reborn as a poor person for now. But I rejoice in the positive potential being built up by the king in making this offering to the Buddha and all of his community.” In so doing, he accumulated a great amount of positive potential.
Request for Turning the Wheel of Dharma
The next verse has the request for setting in motion the flow of various rounds of transmission of the measures. In other words, the verse is the request for the turning of the wheel of Dharma. This is done by imagining that we offer a golden wheel with a 1,000 spokes to the object before us and to request the teachings.
I request you to let a monsoonal rain fall of three vehicles of Dharma suiting the thoughts and tempers of modest, middling, and supreme disciples needing to be tamed.
With a body of coarse forms that can appear to the face of those who look from this side of omniscience, please remain here without dissipation, unchanging and stable for hundreds of eons.
We also request that our spiritual master lives for countless eons and doesn’t pass away. We do this by imagining that we offer him a diamond-strong throne, made by diamonds. If we really make a very sincere request for the long life of our spiritual master, in this way it also builds up the potential for us to live a long life.
Dedication
The seventh of the seven basic practices is to dedicate whatever positive potential that we have built up. We look at whatever we have done, for instance, some recitation, and we look at the positive potential that we have built up by that and use that as a basis. We dedicate that as an object towards the fulfilment of something, for instance, towards our attainment of enlightenment in order to be able to help all beings.
I dedicate my network of constructive acts such as this as a cause for quickly attaining the enlightening state of a Kalachakra unified pair.
From this moment on, till my purified state, I reaffirm my bodhichitta aim, heighten my pure resolve, and rid myself of conceiving of “me” and “myself, the possessor.”
For example, there is the potential built up by making an offering of flowers and we dedicate it towards our enlightenment, so that we can help all beings. In that way, the potential will not run out until that goal has been attained. If we simply pray, “May I achieve enlightenment in order to benefit all beings,” this would be an aspiration type of prayer. It would not be a dedication prayer. In order for it to be a dedication prayer, it has to have a basis, some object or item dedicated for a specific goal. In this way, the dedication is also an aspiration prayer together.
If we don’t dedicate a potential in this way, the potential will merely ripen into one result and then it will be finished. However, when we dedicate it to the attainment of enlightenment for the benefit of all beings, that potential will not exhaust or run out no matter how many things ripen from it. Moreover, if we become angry, it devastates the ability of our positive potential to act as roots to ripen into positive things. Whereas, if we have properly dedicated the positive potentials, our anger will not devastate that potential.
Overcoming Anger
Still, it is very important to work to overcome our anger. This is something that we will be able to slowly accomplish with all the various methods. If we can overcome anger, then we will not have to be reborn in one of the hells.
When we achieve the path of application pathway mind, the second of the five paths, at that point we achieve the patience stage and we will no longer be reborn in one of the hells. The reason for this is that the circumstances for our taking such a rebirth will no longer exist because we will have overcome our anger. If we are never be angry, the circumstances for us to be reborn in hell will never be provided.
The gods in the upper realms never become angry. The gods in the desire realm likewise do not become angry. When the anti-gods, the asuras, wage war with the gods, in order to create the anger to fight, the gods drink water from a certain lake in a grove, which helps anger to arise so that they can go and fight wars with the anti-gods.
It is said that if we have patience and tolerance, we won’t have anger. Likewise, it is said that if we are a god, then we won’t have anger. However, it was explained the other day with the story of the child of the gods Sthiramati that he was about to be reborn as a pig. Most of the gods are reborn in the worst states of rebirth and so it seems that here we have some sort of contradiction.
We may examine this and ask if we achieve the patience state on the path of application, if we have that type of mind and have overcome and eliminated anger so that we will never be reborn in a lower realm, then how is it that when we are a god and no longer have anger, we can still be reborn in a lower realm? What is the difference? There is a difference. When we achieve the patience state of mind, at that point we have completely overcome all of our anger. We will never become angry again. Whereas it is only a temporary condition that as a god we have no anger. We have no more anger in that state because of the great happiness in that condition; however, it doesn’t mean that we will not have to overcome our anger all together. Therefore, it is possible to be reborn in the lower realms afterwards.
To learn about the various methods and opponents to apply to overcome anger in connection with developing patience and tolerance, study the Bodhicharyavatara, Engaging in the Bodhisattva Behavior. This is something that we can study separately.
The primary circumstance under which we become angry is usually when something is going wrong with our work or activity; for example, we don’t get what we want, or we lose possessions, or something like that. However, these are no reason for us to become angry. If we lose something, then obviously what we should have done is to have been more careful and taken more concern in protecting it in the first place. If we have already lost it, getting angry will not help to alleviate the situation. Therefore, it is very important to be very careful and on our guard beforehand so as not to lose things.
There was one precious spiritual master who said that we must take care of our possessions very well and, if we you lose them, never become angry, but just laugh. Everything will perish in the future. Even Mount Meru and all the continents will go up in flames, and surely, if that is going to happen, there is no reason to ever be angry with anything. Any possession is just the product of hard work. If we have lost it, it is just a matter of working again to get another one.
If we lose things or obstacles and interferences come up, we should think that things like this have happened under the power of certain types of interferences. Now that they have occurred, we are through with that interference arising. We should also think this in terms of anytime when we are sick or hurt. At that time, we should accept this on ourselves and likewise take on all the sicknesses and sorrows of everyone else: “May all things ripen on me and by my experience of this sickness may they not have to have that.” In this way, we will have no mental unhappiness in addition to the physical suffering that we have in such situations. There is no reason to add to that any additional mental suffering, and with this type of method we can get rid of that.
The worst thing that can happen is when we reach the point that medicine can no longer work for us and we are about to die. If that is the worst, any other things that occur during our lifetime that don’t go well are trivial compared to that.