Kalachakra Six-Session: Introduction to Kalachakra

The salutation made at the beginning of the text in Sanskrit is: Namo Guru Shri Kalachakraya. The first syllable of this salutation means to prostrate. The actual meaning of namo has the connotation “to bow down.” The next word in Sanskrit, guru, has the connotation of the formidable spiritual master. In Tibetan it’s the word lama, the peerless spiritual master. The word guru derives from the root “heavy,” “weighty” or “formidable.” It means a spiritual master who is formidable in having all good qualities. The next word in the salutation, shri, means all-around perfect. In Tibetan, the word is palden.

The next word, Kalachakra, in English translates as “cycles of time,” and in Tibetan dukhor.

The final syllable ya at the end means “to,” indicating to whom one bows down. The full salutation is: 

I bow down to my peerless spiritual master, the All-Around Perfect Cycles of Time. 

The next line says: 

Having bowed to the original Buddha union of the Vajra of Great Bliss with the aspectless great seal. 

We will change that translation as it needs improvement; however, after having bowed, we have the words for great bliss and vajra. This refers to the vajra, the deep awareness of a great blissful consciousness with mahamudra, or the great seal without aspects. 

The great sealing gesture of mahamudra without aspect refers to voidness, or reality. The term “with aspect” refers to the aspect of the consort of the deity known as the “all-aspected” consort or partner of Vishvamata. Together this refers to the consort, who is a sealing gesture in an aspect, taking on an aspect of a partner. However, this is the union of a blissful consciousness of vajra, of voidness, that is without any aspect of voidness itself. 

Who is in union with this? In the text, this line is translated as the original Buddha. However, that is misleading. It would be better to say the “Buddha from first of all.” This term refers to a practice on the completion stage of Kalachakra in which we are stacking up 21,600 drops of great blissful consciousness in order to get rid of the 21,600 different aspects of mental obscuration. The text also refers to one who becomes a Buddha by “first of all,” starting to stack up the first of the 21,600 drops.

Therefore, the primordial or original Buddha is the Buddha from “first of all starting to stack up.” The prostration is made to the Buddha from “first of all” in union with a great sealing gesture of a partner. This stands for a union that is without any aspect, namely voidness, together with the diamond strong, or vajra of great blissful consciousness, which is aware of voidness.

All of this is in reference to the All-Around Perfect Cycles of Time. Kalachakra has three different levels: external cycles of time, internal cycles of time and alternative cycles of time. External cycles of time refer to cycles of the years, days, nights and so forth. Internal cycles of time involve the various cycles of the energy-winds and breaths throughout the subtle energy system of the body of a person, the various spheres of cognition and the various aggregate factors of experience, or aggregates. They are on the level of these internal cycles of time that include the cycles of 21,000 breaths and so forth. 

For ordinary persons, both the external and internal cycles of time occur without being under their control. They transpire due to the power of impulsive behavior, or karma, and disturbing attitudes or delusions. The way that the body or the external environment go through various cycles of time is due to the force of various actions, karma and disturbing attitudes. These are the bases to be purified. Because both of these external and internal cycles of time come about under the influence of impulsive behavior and disturbing attitudes, they bring about nothing but problems and suffering.

Purification of Cycles of Time

We want to purify and get rid of the types of external and internal cycles of time. We practice to accomplish this in terms of having the external environment or universe being a celestial palace, and internally being a deity and so forth. This is the way of purifying these external and internal cycles of time.

Therefore, to purify these cycles of time, which arise and occur due to the power of impulsive behavior and disturbing attitudes, it is necessary to purify and substitute them with what is known as the alternative cycles of time. The alternative cycles of time first involve receiving all the proper initiations from the full world system of these cycles of time, of the deity. Then, while keeping all the vows and close bonds of the practice, we engage in the two stages of the practice of this deity. The initiation and the two stages of practice constitute what is known as the alternative cycles of time.

The tantra text, from which this derives, was delivered by Buddha Shakyamuni in the south of India, in the place that is known as the “Great Stupa of the Glorious Mound of Rice,” or Shri Dhanyakataka in Sanskrit. Buddha Shakyamuni offered this in the aspect of this deity of the All-Around Perfect Cycles of Time at this great relic monument, to an audience comprised of the main the king of Shambhala, Suchandra, or Dawa Sangpo in Tibetan, and the lesser kings of the 96 regions of Shambhala. The Buddha delivered this tantra text in 12,000 verses.

King Suchandra practiced on the basis of the root text in 12,000 verses, and eventually wrote a much more expanded version of this text in 60,000 verses. The lineage continued with a line of six further religious kings. After that, in accordance with the prophecy which appeared in these teachings, 600 years later there appeared the first holder of the caste, sometimes called the Kalki King, King Jampal Dragpa. He was a manifestation of Manjushri. 

At the time of King Jampal Dragpa, there were many uncivilized people residing in Shambhala unwilling to practice any of the Buddhist teachings, particularly the hidden measures of tantra. The holder of the caste, King Jampal Dragpa ordered them to practice or leave the land. Refusing, they were expelled and went to the outlying border regions where they underwent a great many difficulties. They came to regret their previous refusal and behavior. Due to their remorse, King Jampal Dragpa allowed them to return. They requested and received teachings, particularly the initiation to the deity of Cycles of Time. The king then created a singular caste known as the holder of the caste. 

The people practicing this deity system requested a more condensed and accessible text for learning and participation in these teachings. King Jampal Dragpa wrote a much shorter text for them in 1,030 verses. All these people, the various sages and those from the priestly caste, the merchant caste and so forth were united into one caste by conferring upon them this initiation. Therefore, King Jampal Dragpa received the title of Holder of the Caste, the Kalki King, and began the line of holders of the caste.

The son of the first holder of the caste was Pundarika, an emanation manifestation of Avalokiteshvara. He became the second holder of the caste and wrote a further commentary of the text known as the Stainless Light, or Vimalaprabha in Sanskrit. This root tantra text on these cycles of time has five chapters. 

Overview of the Chapters of the Vimalaprabha

The first chapter is known as The Chapter of the World Sphere and discusses the external cycles of time and the presentation of the external world and environment. The “sphere” refers to the perishable basis of our world. 

The second chapter is called The Chapter of the Internal Things. This chapter deals with the inner cycles of time, namely the entire presentation of the aggregates, or aggregate factors of experience, the various stimulators of consciousness, the various spheres of consciousness and the various components of the subtle energy systems, such as winds, drops and so forth. 

In order to purify both these external and internal cycles of time, it is necessary to go through various stages of the practice. The first of these is to receive a proper empowerment or initiation. Therefore, the third chapter is known as The Chapter of the Initiation.

In order to actually engage in purification, the first practice after the initiation is the generation stage. The generation stage is not the same as what is presented in the other systems of peerlessly integrated deity practice, or anuttarayoga tantra. In these other systems, there are the various practices of taking the three Buddha Bodies in order to purify the birth, death and bardo, or in-between stage. In the system of cycles of times, the basis to be purified is presented simply in terms of purifying birth, death and rebirth. There is no practice for taking the bardo as a pathway. The generation stage is presented in terms of purifying death and rebirth in regards to a method for actualizing the deity. Therefore, this fourth chapter is called, The Chapter of Actualization, referring to the generation stage. 

This generation stage is designed to ripen the disciples. It ripens into the ability to achieve the various realizations and insights in the completion stage and to achieve the resultant stage of the all-around perfect cycles of time known as a Voidness Body. The completion stage is addressed in the fifth chapter known as The Chapter on Deep Awareness. 

These are the various texts dealing with the cycles of time. To repeat, we have the root tantras and other various commentary materials that were first spread in the land of Shambhala.

We might ask, how did these teachings spread to the land of India? It came through the great Indian master, Chilupa. He set out for the land of Shambhala in order to receive these teachings, and on the way he was met with a manifestation of Manjushri. Manjushri conferred upon him the initiation and gave him the teachings on this deity practice. He went back to the land of India and the practice began to spread from him. After that, came further masters, Tsu Chenpo the Elder (Samantashri) and Kalapada the Younger. 

Cycles of Time in the Tibetan Calendar

These teachings then spread through various masters to Tibet. In Tibet there is a way of counting cycles of time in their calendars known as the system of sixty-year cycles. The first of these sixty-year cycles started with the first year of when these teachings on cycles of time were brought to Tibet. Each of the sixty-year cycles starts with the fire, or Yö year. Yö is the name of a Tibetan animal with a red lion-like mane. Now, we are somewhere in the sixtieth of the sixty-year cycles since then; and the twenty-first holder of the caste, Mahabala, is ruling in Shambhala. 

In the future, in the time of the twenty-fifth holder of the caste, there will be a great event and a war against the uncivilized forces in this world. The people in Shambhala will help to bring about victory over these forces during that war; and afterwards, the teachings on these cycles of time will come to spread and greatly pervade. The prophecies describing the future war include a time of great spreading of devices or technology. When our civilization reaches a point of extremely advanced technology, the war will begin. Actually, technology will be the most advanced, developed, widespread, and at a far higher quality in Shambhala than here. 

The fact that currently there is now a great interest in this system of cycles of time is very good. It’s an indication that the various types of connections have been made in the past with the former holder of the caste, Pundarika, the incarnation of Avalokiteshvara. Once again, we continue to have the incarnations of Avalokiteshvara offering the initiations of this system. It continues to leave great instincts on various peoples’ mind-streams to have connections with this deity practice. This is something very good, particularly now when we are already receiving signs of advancing technology. 

We are all fortunate to have been able to receive the initiation into this system of cycles of times. When this future event happens, we will again be reborn as humans with all the propensities and instincts for this practice. We will be able to do this practice to its greatest extent and achieve a state of full enlightenment through it at that time. Those of us who were able to receive the initiation last year from His Holiness are extremely fortunate. This is an extremely rare event, particularly, the way that the initiation was given with the full ceremony and rituals from the mandala or world system of this deity made out of powdered sand. Such a full ceremony involves a great deal of ritual and preparation, particularly regarding the ground on which this round symbol is placed and created. All the various rituals for the consecration involve 13–14 days of intense ceremonial practice. It was also very difficult for those of us who went there to gather the expenses to travel; therefore, it is so fortunate for those of us who had this opportunity. 

Taking Advantage of Our Good Fortune

In general, it is very difficult to have human rebirth, a human body, and even more difficult within the sphere of being human to have all the interest and circumstances for the spiritual practice of the Dharma. To meet with the preventive measures of the Dharma is very rare. Even more difficult is meeting with the vast-minded, or Mahayana measures. Even more difficult than meeting with the vast-minded, or Mahayana measures, is to meet with the hidden measures of tantra.

Within the various hidden measures to protect the mind, it is even more difficult to come upon those involving the peerlessly integrated deity systems of anuttarayoga yoga. Among all the various peerlessly integrated deity practices, it is even more rare and difficult to come upon these teachings of the deity of the Cycles of Time. The fact that we have opportunities to meet with these teachings now is an indication of a buildup of great positive potential cultivated in the past.

However, we have met with these teachings and have received the initiation from His Holiness. This puts great seeds, or propensities, on our mind-streams. As I’ve said, in the future there will be a time when these teachings on the cycles of time will be greatly widespread. At that time, if we have not taken advantage of the foundation and seeds built up now, if we don’t do practices such as the practice of integrating oneself with a spiritual master – in terms of the cycles of time, Kalachakra guru-yoga – and if we don’t build up potential to purify ourselves of various negative potentials and just waste the opportunities that we have so that we cause ourselves to be reborn in one of the lower states of rebirth in the future, then what will happen?

If we are in one of the worst states of rebirth at this future time when these teachings are really widespread and propagated, then what a pity. Therefore, it is very important to take advantage of the opportunities that we all receive and lay very strong foundations now by getting further into the practice. 

Tantra Classifications

We have been discussing the deity practice of the cycles of time, or Kalachakra. Within the teachings of sutra and tantra, this deals with tantra, the everlasting streams of deity practice. Within the different classes of these deity practices, there are the ritual deity practices of kriya tantra, behavioral deity practices of charya, the integrated deity practices of yoga tantra and the last class of peerlessly integrated deity practices, which is anuttarayoga tantra. Within that, there are father and mother practices. This is in the classification of the mother practices.

It is necessary beforehand to train with the common paths of mind found in the vehicle of far-reaching attitudes, or perfections. We all have a great wish to be able to achieve the resultant state of enlightenment. Furthermore, we wish to achieve this state of enlightenment during our extremely short lifetime, particularly now. If we were someone like the great, ever-vigilant Milarepa, then we would be able to achieve enlightenment in our lifetime. However, to have such a strong willpower, determination and strength for Milarepa’s intensive practice would be extremely difficult for us. 

Although it would be best to be able to practice at such an extensive level as Milarepa, still we can practice at our own level and ability. This would involve the same wish to achieve enlightenment, although following our practices in slower order. All of us are the same in that we all wish to be happy and no one wishes for suffering or problems. This is true even for the smallest bug; even the smallest bug wishes to be happy. For instance, if a small bug is crawling on the ground and we put a stick in front of it, it is a clear indication when it runs away. It runs away because it wants to be happy and not to be hurt by the stick. 

All of us are people who are extremely interested in taking these preventative measures of the Dharma. It makes me extremely happy to see such people as yourselves. It is important for all of us to think in terms of having long-term continuous practice and to have a great deal of enthusiasm for these positive things. It is important not to have expectations of making fantastic strides in six or seven days, or even in a few months. Instead, intend to have long, gradual and continuous practice. 

It is very important to aspire to achieve the great realizations on the paths of these hidden measures, of tantra, to protect the mind. However, it is also important to start that out with the common paths of the mind of the perfection vehicle, the vehicle of far-reaching attitudes. This begins with thinking about the precious human rebirth and then going on in proper fashion from there. 

You have great geshes available in this city, for example Geshe Kelsang and Geshe Wangchen. If you study with them properly, you will learn the entire context of the practices and how everything fits together. In that way you will be able to make proper progress. Sometimes what happens is that people hear a huge variety of teachings and immediately think to adopt this or that without knowing how things fit together. That is a fault. If we know the entire context, then we will know how to practice properly. It would be like going to regular school and progressing through the first and second grade and so forth. Likewise, step by step we should know how to fit together all the various types of Dharma practices.

In general, it is very good to know and study as many things as possible and to see things through to completion. There is an endless variety of things to be known; however, since our human life is short and not something that will last forever, it would be very difficult for us to know and learn everything. 

There is an example of the swan. When milk is mixed with water, a swan has the ability to be able to extract the milk and drink it separately. Even though a swan has that ability, nevertheless, it can only drink as much milk as it is capable of drinking. It can only drink its’ fill. Likewise, we should think in terms of that example when deciding what we are going to study and practice. 

The way that a swan is able to separate a mixture of milk and water is quite specific. If milk ages or sours, it separates into curds and whey. We can then extract the essence of the milk from the combination of milk and water. A swan has something in the apparatus of the mouth and beak that acts like a souring agent that changes the liquid as it comes into the mouth. Swans can extract that portion that would correspond to curds and whey. Likewise, we need such an agent when approaching spiritual practices.

In terms of ourselves, we have the wish to achieve the enlightened state of the Buddha. We all have the ability to do so, having attained our precious human rebirth. Just as this example of the mechanism allowing a swan to extract milk from water, likewise, we have an ability to be able to achieve enlightenment and extract actual spiritual practices. That ability is in fact our interest, faith and wishes to achieve enlightenment. These act as an agent, through our practice and so forth, to allow us to extract what would be the essential spiritual practices. For instance, we can understand that in terms of today actually being a holiday from work. If we had no interest or desire to learn about any spiritual practice, then we would not have come here. We would not have gone to all the bother to come and listen to the teachings. The fact that we have interest and intention to make some spiritual progress has acted as an agent to allow us to come and extract the essence of the spiritual practice.

This is a result of a great deal of positive potentials built up in past lifetimes. This accounts for such a strong interest in spiritual practice. The prophecy made by the Buddha that the preventive measures of the Dharma would spread is actually happening. The spiritual practices are spreading. They are similar to milk in the swan analogy, and they have been in existence in Tibet for a thousand years. These practices are now flowing from Tibet to this part of the world, and they are like milk. Therefore, we should drink as much as we are capable of taking in.

What actually is a spiritual practice, or Dharma? At the very least, it is a method for being able to bring about happiness in future lifetimes. A practice that is only dealing with this lifetime cannot be considered an actual spiritual practice of Dharma. If it is dealing with future lifetimes and beyond, then it is a spiritual practice.

For instance, a medical doctor is involved with a practice for being able to help people in this lifetime. Therefore, what he is doing is not a spiritual practice. However, there are certain doctors who will recite mantras and blow their breath on a patient or say various prayers, and with the vibrations of those mantras and various other actions, work to benefit patients in future lives as well. Those doctors are involved in medical practice for this lifetime but also a spiritual practice to benefit patients in their future lives. 

In terms of happiness in future lifetimes, we all wish for happiness that is long-lasting, continuous and great. However, we don’t really know and can’t really conceive of what it means to have great long-lasting pleasure and happiness in future lifetimes. We only think in terms of this life and in terms of physical and mental happiness. Most of us put all our energies and work into getting shelter or housing, food and clothing. There are various ways of bringing about such physical happiness and many different ways of making a living.

In order to make a living and attain physical happiness, there are some who steal, assassinate or murder. Others might slaughter animals to make a living. Although they may attain some happiness from these activities, it certainly harms the other individuals involved and they are, in fact, creating further problems for themselves. It would be as if we had a big open wound on the side of our face, and we cut off our nose to paste it over the wound.

There are another class of people who try and make an honest living in business or agriculture. Among them there are some who succeed and there are others who do not.

Why is it that some people succeed, whereas others fail? The fact is that certain people fail because of negative potential from past lifetimes. If we have acted destructively and negatively, it builds up negative potential. As a result, things don’t go well and there are problems. Likewise, if we have acted constructively, it builds up positive potential that, in turn, ripens into happiness. This is why there can be two people doing exactly the same work and one fails while the other succeeds. 

The basis of building up a great deal of positive potential by acting constructively in past lifetimes contributes to the causes for success when we add the circumstances of this lifetime plus hard work. By adding circumstances together with the causes from previous lifetimes, people might then attend schools to learn various skills and trades. They might become a teacher or doctor, but whatever type of profession they engage in, they are able to succeed.

However, even though they work very hard, succeed materially and have some physical happiness, nevertheless, these people might still be quite unhappy. Regardless of the results of all the efforts and work, they still have a lot of problems in life. We can see this in terms of a person who might have the wealth and power of the entire nation yet still is dissatisfied, discontent and wishes to have more. This is an indication that there is still a great deal of mental unhappiness that is not solved by simply becoming materially well-off.

Any type of food, clothing and reputation that one achieves, one never feels that they are enough, as people continue to work constantly. Work seems to be something that never ends; the seasons turn from summer to fall, winter and then spring again, and work seems to go on round and round in a circle. Life just continues like that until it finishes with death. There is sickness, old age and then simply death. There is no way that one can escape this vicious process of dying. Although we might wish to be able to buy our way out of aging and dying, there is no way that we can escape this. We constantly work for an entire life, and the work is something that never ends; nevertheless, life ends and so work too will come to an end. So, what are we doing?

Examine the state that we are in when the work of this lifetime finally ends. The end comes when we are old and decrepit; our work ends in this pathetic state with a great deal of difficulties. At that point, we have a great deal of problems and unhappiness. If we ask, is there any way to get rid of this great unhappiness that comes at the end of one’s life? Then, yes, there is a way. It involves having taken the preventative measures of the Dharma, the spiritual practices. On the basis of that, it is possible not to have such problems and sufferings at the end of one’s life. It is possible to bring about a mental happiness at the end of one’s life. 

There are many people who try to engage in such practices. One way would be to give up any interest in worldly matters and just go off into intensive practice. There are many examples in India, Tibet and Mongolia of people who have one hundred percent decided that they will follow spiritual practices. They go by foot and walk all the way from their country for years to get to the main centers of learning to pursue their practices.

Although we don’t have to walk such enormous distances to meet with these spiritual practices, nevertheless, we do have to take airplanes and work very hard to save up the money to be able to go and study these intensive practices. When we put so much effort and work into it, we shouldn’t plan to work intensively for only a few months or give it up after a few years. We should think in terms of a long spiritual practice. 

Giving Up Attachments to Things of This Lifetime

In the preliminary discussion in the text, in the instruction, it says that one should not have the strong infatuation and obsession for things in this lifetime. In this translation we’re using it says, “Those who want the goods should not remained attached to the mere marvels of things of this lifetime, as if it were the essence.” 

What that means is that we put a certain amount of effort into making a living and getting food and shelter for this lifetime, but we put our main energies into a spiritual practice. So the way to practice is in terms of making a living, doing regular type of work, whatever we are engaged in, and also doing a spiritual practice as well. Combine the two types of activities, but we put our main effort and interest, in terms of our mind and our attitudes, into our spiritual practice. 

In terms of whether you are directing your energy merely towards these lifetimes or towards benefiting future lifetimes, you put your energy into future lifetimes. In terms of working just for ourselves or for others, we put our effort into working for others. Further, when it comes to either worldly or spiritual things, we put our effort into spiritual things. In this way, we lead an integrated life of both doing a normal type of occupation and also doing a spiritual practice. In terms of the verbal energy that we have, this is something that is best to direct by saying mantras, as we have these various prescribed syllables to protect the mind in terms of reciting names of the Buddhas or other dedicated beings. Then, in terms of the attitude that we have, we should try to have a warm and kind heart, a dedicated heart of a bodhichitta, one that is devoted to others and towards achieving enlightenment, and in this way lead a life.

In the past there were many examples of living this way of life; for example, if we look at the 80 mahasiddhas or highly realized beings in India, there were many among them who were either tailors, weavers and so forth, who maintained regular occupations as well as spiritual practice and who became highly realized beings. 

If we examine our lives up to now, most of us have put our efforts into trying to achieve food, clothing and shelter. We have an excellent basis of a human life now, but we are wasting it by not building up the causes to have opportunities in future lives. Therefore, on the basis of this precious human life that we have now, we should work very hard to be able to improve our future lives.

In order to really make this lifetime that we have meaningful – the text continues, in this introductory set of paragraphs, to discuss what is essential – it is necessary to gain a definite understanding of reality in terms of voidness and the absence of all fantasized ways of existing. It is also necessary to gain great compassion, the wish for everyone to be free from all their sufferings and problems. The text continues: It is important to find a spiritual master who is fully qualified.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is certainly the most fully qualified spiritual master of all. When we receive an empowerment, we are accepting all the vowed restraints involved with the initiation. We also maintain all the close bonds with the practice, which are certainly very important. These involve the vowed restraints of these hidden measures, the tantric vows. There are 14 root vows and eight secondary ones. In terms of the vowed restraints for dedicated beings or the bodhisattva vows, there are 18 root vows and 46 secondary ones. It is extremely important to learn and study these vows with your geshes and lamas and try to keep them perfectly.

The six-session integrated practices, or yogas, are extremely important, since this is a method to actually keep the various close bonds with the practices as promised at the time of the initiation. Included in these various practices are those for integrating ourselves with a spiritual master, or guru yoga. This is the topic that we will discuss during this series of talks. 

How to Begin to Build Up Beneficial States of Mind

First of all, we have to consider the type of human life that we have and our great respites. In other words, there are various circumstances in which we would have no chance at all to make spiritual progress and no chance at all to improve ourselves. However, since we are free from these states of no chance, then we have a human life with the eight respites. Likewise, we have various enriching factors in terms of our life.

At one time, there was a monk who would normally lie down and meditate in that posture. In that sense he was like a bull or a cow. The point is that if we can’t sit in the more usual types of meditative postures then don’t worry about that. We should sit in whatever way is comfortable for us as we try to build up some beneficial habits of the mind. This means to meditate. There is a posture known as the seven-part posture of Vairochana. Are you aware of what these involve? If so and it is comfortable, that is the posture to assume.

How do we first begin to meditate? The first step is to examine our motivation to see whether we have a good or a lousy one. We should see if we are under the influence of infatuation and desires, or a very hostile or adversarial state of mind, or a closed-minded, ignorant state of mind. If we are very hostile and angry and sit down to attempt some wrathful practices, it will not turn out well at all.

For instance, if we are dyeing a piece of cloth and the cloth is not very clean and white at the beginning, it is very difficult to correctly dye it another color. It is the same way regarding our attitudes. If we don’t start with the proper attitude and motivation, it is very difficult. If we find that our motivation is poor and our mind is quite disturbed, there are various practices in terms of breathing meditations that are designed to settle our mind so that we can continue and develop the proper motivation.

There are various levels of motivation that we can have and some of these can be illustrated with the various accounts of Geshe Ben Gungyal (Kungyal). Are you familiar with accounts from his life? I will share some things from his life. In Tibet there is an area called Phenpo and from this region many great spiritual masters and geshes from the Kadampa tradition flourished.

In the early part of his life, Ben Gungyal was a notorious bandit and went around doing many horrible things. He also hunted, fished and worked a piece of land that was approximately equivalent to 40 acres. Since he was such a notorious bandit, when travelers came through the region where he lived, they were terrified of meeting up with him. They would often enquire if this bandit was around to try to avoid encountering him. 

On the high mountain pass, which separated this region of Tibet from Lhasa, in the next valley, there was once a nomad who met with Ben Gungyal on this pass. He did not recognize Ben Gungyal and he asked him if he knew where the bandit Ben Gungyal would be so that he could try to avoid him. 

Ben Gungyal answered, “I am Ben Gungyal.” The nomad was so terrified that he fell off his horse and off the mountain. Ben Gungyal was really quite upset to see that just the force of the sound of his name could cause someone to fall off a mountain with fear. He regretted what he had done as a bandit and decided to change. Thereafter, he engaged with spiritual practices of the Dharma after that.

What type of spiritual practice did he follow? One type of preventative measure was recognizing in his daily behavior the ten constructive or the ten destructive actions. He would take a piece of white chalk and every time he would do something constructive he would put down a white mark and every time he did something destructive, or negative, he would put down a black mark.

In the beginning he got only black marks and no white at all. Eventually, he got fewer black marks each day and the white marks increased. At night when he would make this accounting for the day, as one would in a store when accounting for daily sales, if he found he had many more black marks than white, he would take one hand in the other and scold himself severely. He’d say, “You really are a naughty boy, acting as a bandit all your life.”

If he had done more positive things and had been more constructive during the day, with more white marks, he would take his right hand with the left and congratulate himself for his increasing moral discipline. He continued in this way as a spiritual practitioner, and one day an old woman invited him to her house for a meal. He found he still had very strong instincts and habits of being a thief. He saw a basket where she kept her tea and he put his hand in to take some tea for himself. He realized he was doing this and so grabbed the hand in the tea basket with his other hand. He shouted out to the old woman, “Come quickly; I’ve caught a thief.”

He continued in this fashion and became famous as a spiritual practitioner. Many people began to travel to meet him. Since he had become famous as a practitioner, one day he learned that a wealthy patron was going to come and visit him in his place of practice. He got up very early and set up an especially beautiful altar with beautiful flowers and clean water offerings and made a special effort to make everything very, very beautiful and elaborate. Then, he sat down and examined what his motivation had been for his preparations.

When he realized that he had really worked very hard to sweep and clean the room, set up butter lamp offerings and beautiful flowers simply because this wealthy patron was coming and he wanted to impress him and make a show, he thought, “That is really a terrible motivation.” He went outside to the place where he kept the ashes from the fireplace and took a bucket of ashes and proceeded to fling it all over his altar. He later explained that he had thrown ashes into the face of the eight worldly concerns, or eight worldly dharmas, and became very famous as someone who did this. 

Eight Worldly Concerns

Can you list the eight worldly concerns? We could list hundreds and thousands of different concerns, but the eight we are referring to are: happiness and sadness, hearing pleasant things and unpleasant things, gain and loss, and praise and blame. In terms of ordinary worldly people, they are very happy when they are praised and very upset when they are blamed or condemned. The rest of us do the same. 

However, if someone is really doing spiritual practice, then it is just the opposite. For example, when people put them down, they are very happy, and they do not like being praised. The reason they are happy when they are blamed is that it is the result of various past negative potentials actually ripening. They are happy because they have exhausted that potential. The reason they don’t like being praised is that praise is the result of previous positive potentials. Having them ripen into simple praise now is a waste of positive potentials because they will run out. That is why they don’t like being praised.

Geshe Ben Gungyal said, “When I was working a 40-acre field, hunting, fishing and acting as a bandit, my mouth could never find enough food to fill it. Now, when I have given up all concern and don’t want anything, there are so many people coming to give me offerings. With all of these offerings and food, I can’t find enough mouths to consume it all.” 

By sharing these various accounts, I am not telling fairytales and stories. These are actual accounts. There are many benefits to knowing these examples from the past. With this account in mind, the start of any meditation practice, to build up some beneficial habits of mind, is to examine our motivation for doing so. When we meditate, look at the various motivations that we might have. Are we thinking merely to try for things to go better for us in this lifetime? Are we trying to prevent ourselves from being born in a worst state of rebirth in the future or of how to get out of all our uncontrollably recurring problems in samsara? Is it that all worldly things have no essence and we want to be peaceful all by ourselves? We should clear all of these improper motivations out of our mind.

Precious Human Life, Death and Impermanence

First, look and see how obsessed we are with things of this lifetime. Basically, we have to turn away from obsession with things of this life. To begin this process, recognize the opportunities that we have with a fully endowed human life and how difficult it is to obtain them. Then, it is important to then think about death and how nothing in life is static and that everything is impermanent. Truly think of these topics, and we will be able to turn away from being obsessed with things of this lifetime.

This working basis, this precious human life is something that will not stay forever. It will perish for it is certain that we will all die, although there is no way to be sure when our death will come. At the time of death nothing will be of help to us except the various preventative measures that we have taken with the Dharma. Think like this that anyone who is born must die, and no one who is born has ever escaped from death. The conclusion that we will come to is to take some of these preventative spiritual measures with the Dharma.

Even if we have built up a great deal of positive potential in past lifetimes so that in this life we are well-off, with ample food, clothing and shelter and everything goes well for us, even if we are able to live our entire life in this situation, still it is not possible to escape death. To die having just led a regular life, we feel very empty and filled with regrets. Even if we have lived 100 years, nevertheless, at the time of our death that long life of being well-off will seem just like a dream that has passed in an instant. We will still be filled with a great deal of sadness and suffering in our mind. 

However, if such a person has engaged in various preventative measures of the spiritual practices of Dharma, when they approach their death, the measures taken during their life will prevent this terrible sorrow and unhappiness. They will have done a great deal of repetition of various mantras such as om mani padme hum and engaged in various constructive positive actions in their life. They will have been kind to others. They will think about having had a full life with ample food, clothing and shelter due to the kindness of the Dharma gem. They will think, “I have not wasted my life. I have spent my time practicing spiritual measures and acted kindly. Now I have no regrets.” In that way, it is possible to die in a very positive and happy frame of mind. 

They will know that there is no way that anyone can avoid dying and feel content that they had not wasted their entire life just fooling themselves. If we spend time constructively, we will both take care of this lifetime and will build up various potentials that will continue to be taken care of in the future. We will have made various requests to the Triple Gem to continue to have opportunity in the future to continue with the spiritual practices of the Dharma. 

Therefore, think about the fact that if we have been born, the only thing that will follow is that we are going to die. We must make the firm decision that we are going to fully engage in the preventative measures of practices of the Dharma. We must decide to do this right now; it is not something that we should put off until tomorrow. We do not know when we will die; it is just a matter of time. Therefore, have a kind, warm heart now and use your verbal energy to say mantras. We should start from this moment on. Don’t put it off until tomorrow as we can easily die before we have time to do it.

Furthermore, we should decide to practice only these specific spiritual preventative measures. Think that this alone will be of help in future lifetimes. For example, if we have accumulated £100,000, we are not able to take even one pound with us into future lives. However, if we have built up positive potential by reciting various mantras 100,000 times, then that builds up a great deal of potential that will carry into future lifetimes. Therefore, we should make a definite decision to put our energies only into these spiritual practices.

This concludes this portion of the discourse.