Kalachakra Six-Session: Taking a Safe Direction from the Three Jewels

When one generates emptiness, is there any correlation between that and the practice of taking the bardo as the path?

There is no reason to think about symmetry with other practices and no need to think of that as the same. The actual meaning of that part of the practice will be discussed later. There is a slightly different presentation of the paths of practice according to this system and there isn’t, for example, visualizing the syllable HUM as part of a practice for purifying the bardo.

Concerning Shambhala, I have heard that the date of that has been brought forward by various circumstances in the world, such as the Chinese invasion of Tibet. Has Rinpoche anything to say on that?

If we follow the traditional way of reckoning, each of the reigns of each of the holders of the caste, then we are nearly at the end of the reign of the 21st. Therefore, the 22nd, 23rd or 24th would be 300 years. That would mean slightly more than 300 years until we get to the reign of the 25th which is prophesized. Concerning whether it would come sooner than that, it is not terribly far off. There is no logical pervasion to say that it would have to come at that particular time, 300 years from now. Consequently, there is no way of making any certain statement to say that it would in fact come earlier.

If we study all the various texts in this system, we will find the discussion of the uncivilized forces being led by the general Hanuman and some correspondence to the various uncivilized forces of the disturbing attitudes of the forces within. There is a great deal of clarification in the literature about the uncivilized forces referring to the uncivilized forces of the disturbing attitudes, the reigns of the holders of the caste referring to the reign of the discriminating awareness of there being no such thing as true identities. This is what can be understood regarding the holder of the caste and so on.  

The Spread of These Teachings

Chilupa did not receive the lineage from Manjushrikirti but from Manjushri himself. The first of the holders of the caste, Jampal Dragpa, or Manjushrikirti, was an incarnation of Manjushri and that is something different. On his way to Shambhala, he had a vision of Manjushri who gave him the initiation. With that and the teachings he came back to India and spread them. 

Shambhala is not a god realm. It is a human realm within what is called Jambudvipa, also called the Southern Continent or Southern Island in the world system. Although Jambudvipa is a human realm, we cannot say specifically that it is on the globe of this planet Earth because we cannot see it here on Earth. However, there are different presentations of the universe and the world systems in different traditions. The presentation of the universe in Kalachakra differs from the usual one found in the abhidharma. In the Kalachakra, we have the presentation of the four continents or island worlds. Within the Southern Island world, there is a large and a small island worlds. We live within that world although it isn’t necessarily pervasive on this planet as we see it now; Shambhala is another world within that Southern Island system, and it’s a human realm. 

We have the different appearances of a universe according to different types of potentials, or karma, that are built up by different individuals. Basically, some people see a universe in one way and other people experience it in another way. The presentation that we have with the system of cycles of time is not the same as we have in the teachings on general knowledge in the abhidharma. For instance, the presentation of a central core mountain, Mount Meru, is quite different regarding its shape and so forth. However, the way that it will appear to one person or another is determined by the potentials that they have built up. 

For instance, now we commonly experience the world as a sphere and that is correct. This is by the force of mass potentials that we all experience it in that way. Nonetheless, there are also people, due to various potentials they have built up, who will see yellow globs of lights in the sky, flying saucers and so forth. Not everybody sees them, but some people do. This could be an indication of seeing something from Shambhala. There is no way of making a definite statement on that. It is a possibility.

We have various rockets that can go to the moon and people have travelled there now. In some systems there is discussion about the various types of living beings that inhabit the moon. However, the people who have gone up there have not built up any type of potential to meet up with or communicate with these beings; they can’t see anything. What people actually see and experience, how things actually appear, is all due to the force of the karma, the potentials that they have built up. 

Even though the explanation of the shape of the world and so forth is different in the abhidharma and the Kalachakra teachings, and there are people who actually do experience the universe in that way, that in itself does not invalidate that we all commonly experience the world as a globe. It is valid.

For instance, there is a glass of liquid here and as a comprehensive result of potentials built up by humans they experience it as a glass of water. When they drink, it is a glass of water that they are drinking. Whereas for hungry ghosts, as a comprehensive result of their actions, it is pus and blood, and when they drink it, they experience it as pus and blood. For the gods, it is nectar. For each of these different types of beings it is validly appearing in differing ways.

For instance, in the summer hungry ghosts suffer heat from the moon, and in the winter they experience the sun as causing them great cold. In Tibet, as His Holiness would sit on his throne, there were some people who could not see him at all. They did not have the potential to see him. It is the same with the great Jowo statue in Tibet, where likewise there were people who could not see it, even though they were standing right there. Once there was a great lama in Tibet who sat on the throne giving an oral transmission, reading the Kangyur, the collected translated words of the Buddha. There was someone in the audience who sat there and all they saw was a person eating a large bowl of mutton.

As to the question of whether Shambhala exists or not, we can’t say at all that it doesn’t exist. In fact, we have to say decisively that in fact it does exist; however, it is just a question of whether or not someone has built up the potentials to actually see it. 

Setting the Proper Motivation

We have begun to speak about how to do this practice. In terms of that, we’ve discussed examining our motivation. After we take our seat for doing our session, we examine our motivation. Next, we will imagine that all limited beings are seated all around us represented, for example, by our mother and father of this lifetime. Likewise, we have all the various beings from different realms experiencing different sufferings and problems associated with those realms, each represented by aspects of human beings who are seated all around us.

We should not have any thoughts or considerations of just wishing for things to go well for us in this lifetime, wishing for an abundance of food, money, clothing, shelter, fame and so forth. Likewise, we should not have thoughts and aspirations to be reborn as a great god in the next lifetime. Also, on the basis of seeing our uncontrollably recurring problems and suffering, we should not wish to gain relief from this solely for ourselves alone. We should not hold any of these types of motivations.

Precious Human Life

Instead, we should think about the wonderful opportunity that we have with the working basis of the precious human body. We have the great opportunity to be able to achieve enlightenment, the full state of the Buddha in this lifetime. We should think about the importance of this precious human body that we have, and likewise we should consider that we just don’t get such a human body for no reason at all. It is not something that easily occurs; rather, it is the result of having built up a great deal of positive potential in past lifetimes. We should consider how difficult it is to have the opportunities that we have now, on the basis of this precious human body.

This precious human body is the result of having built up many causes in past lifetimes and a tremendous amount of positive potential. We have worked very hard to get to where we are now and should not waste it. We can understand this by way of an example: Imagine that we had a very large iron ball that we rolled halfway up a mountain. This would be similar to where we are now. Having worked so hard to move this heavy ball up the mountain, we should not let that go to waste by letting it roll back down the hill. Having already gotten halfway up, we need to continue to work very hard to reach the top. If the iron ball was to roll all the way back down the mountain, we would have to do all that hard work again to get it back halfway up. Therefore, having already worked very hard to achieve a human rebirth, we should work further from that point.

Imagine that the ball rolled back down the mountain and at the bottom there was a lake, and it fell to the bottom of the lake. Then it would be extremely difficult to haul it back out, let alone get it back halfway up the mountain. Like that, if we lose our human rebirth and fall, then it would be extremely difficult to get back to where we are now. 

Even if someone is extremely strong mountain climber and has climbed very high on the mountain, no matter how strong that person is, if they were to fall off the mountain and smash on the bottom, it is going to be extremely difficult to get back up. Therefore, no matter how strong we are, no matter where we are now, if we fall down, it is going to be extremely difficult to achieve the current state of a precious human body.

If it were the case that we could be reborn as a human being with all the opportunities and so forth that we have now, if we could do that over and over again with each rebirth without any work, then that would be quite nice and easy. It wouldn’t matter if we didn’t make much progress in this lifetime, as we could always do it at some future time. However, that is not the case. Only with a great deal of positive potential do we not have to worry so much about future rebirths. However, we have built up a great deal of negative potentials, which are only going to lead to worst states of rebirth. As a result of very strong negative potentials, rebirth as a human or a god or anything nice like that isn’t going to happen.

Furthermore, if we were never going to die or grow old, likewise there wouldn’t be any problems and it wouldn’t be necessary to take the preventative measures of the Dharma now. Similarly, if death was just the end and there was no further rebirth, there wouldn’t be much of a problem because there would only be the one death and nothing more. However, in fact, all of us do take rebirth and will continue to do so. Therefore, it is important to try to bring about happy states in the future over a long, long period of time with many rebirths.

Even if we only think in terms of being reborn as a human being, there are human beings in many different situations in life. There are some whose lives are filled with a great deal of problems and suffering and there are others who have relatively few difficulties in life. Of course, there is no one who has no suffering at all and if we look at humans in the world in general, the ones with problems and suffering far outnumber the number of those who are free of such issues.

Although it may be difficult to consider all the life forms other than humans, because, for example, hell creatures and the hungry ghosts aren’t conventionally visible, we certainly can consider the animal realm alone. On earth, there is far more water than land, and although there are numerous animals on the land, there are far more fish and other creatures living in the water. If we consider all that live in all the vast waters of earth, none are human at all. The animals and fish and so forth far outnumber the humans in this world.

If reborn in one of these worst states of rebirth, we’re quite aware of the kinds of problems and sufferings we would experience. It would be no fun at all. Therefore, it is important to think about the fact that we will die someday. No situation is ever going to remain static forever; things are impermanent and will not last. Think about what type of rebirth we are going to take. If by ignoring the reality of death, we could make death go away, that would be nice. However, we can’t do that. Just ignoring it doesn’t make death go away. We are going to die in any case; therefore, it’s very important to be aware of death and to be mindful of it, as it is a very strong reminder to take advantage of the opportunities that we have now. 

If we haven’t done anything during our lifetime and just ignored death, then at the time of death we will be completely frightened and have a great deal of regrets over having not cared more. This feeling of dread and fear of what might happen to us at the time of death and afterwards is very important because it turns our mind towards trying to find some sort of safe and sound direction to take in life, some sort of refuge.

The main method for alleviating and getting rid of this type of fear that we have concerning death and rebirth is taking refuge or finding some sort of safe and sound direction to follow in life. This is indicated by three things: by the Buddhas or those who are totally clear-minded and fully evolved, by the preventative measures of the Dharma, and the Sangha, the community of those intent on positive goals.

The Buddhas

Those who are clear-minded and fully evolved, the Buddhas, indicate the direction to take. They teach that doing this, things will go well, and doing that, things will not go well. How can we identify and recognize these various sources of safe direction? An example of someone who is clear-minded and fully evolved is Buddha Shakyamuni. Although he has already demonstrated passing away, nevertheless, we can still recall the example of the great Shakyamuni. 

In the context of the text we are currently learning about, the deity of the cycles of time or Kalachakra is likewise a Buddha.

Kalachakra, Cycles of Time, on an external level means the external cycles of time that the universe goes through. As mentioned, time would be in terms of a day or a year. An example of the cycles of time is the cycle of 12 months in a year, or how an hour consists of a cycle of 60 minutes. These are the external cycles of time.

On an internal level, the internal cycles of time within each individual person refer to the 12 major shifts of the breath going through primarily one nostril or the other during the course of a day and a night. This is comprised of the 21,000 individual breaths taken during the period of that time. It refers to these breaths and energy winds and how they go through the energy channels of the subtle energy-system of a body during the course of a period of time. This is what is meant by the internal cycles of time.

The alternative cycles of time refer to a system whereby we can purify these external and internal cycles. The external and internal cycles of time, such as the motion of the 21,000 energy breaths through the body, is something which occurs under the power of impulses or karma, disturbing attitudes and delusions. The practices involved get rid of the coursing of these breaths and energy winds that are under the forces of impulses and disturbing attitudes. They need to be eliminated and then there is an alternative or substitute.

The steps are to first receive the empowerment and sequentially follow the practices of the generation stage and then the completion stage. By that process, as an alternative to the 21,000 uncontrollable breaths of the cycle of time, we can build up over 21,000 components of drops of bliss. In this way we build up what is known as a void body. This brings us to a state of enlightenment. Overall, this is the alternative cycles of time.

By stacking up the 21,000 drops, we eliminate the 21,000 obstacles of various defilements and obscurations. These all become depleted and, as an alternative, we have the achievement of a void form, the state of a fully evolved, totally clear-minded Buddha. This is presented in this system as the deity Kalachakra, deity of the cycles of time.

In this system Kalachakra is actually the Buddha who is showing us the safe and sound direction in life, refuge. This is the source of our safe direction and where we go for refuge. Furthermore, someone who offers a safe direction must be free of all fears and able to free others from fears.

How can we recognize someone who has such ability? 

The actual deepest level of meaning of this type of Buddha is the deep awareness which is non-dual on the mind-stream of such a being. That is something which is very difficult for us to meet with. The Sambhogakaya manifestation, a Body of Full Use, is likewise very difficult for us to see. Only an arya bodhisattva, a dedicated being who has beheld reality, can see like that. However, the Nirmanakaya or Emanation Body in a supreme form, for instance in the form of Buddha Shakyamuni, is visible to human beings; however, humans haven’t accumulated the potentials to actually see all of the 32 major signs and 80 exemplary features of such a supreme form. 

Even if the Buddha were to come as Shakyamuni, humans haven’t accumulated the potential to meet with him. However, if we think of Emanation Bodies in the form of His Holiness the Dalai Lama or our own root spiritual master, then in fact we have actually built up the potentials to meet with such personages. We can see from their examples how someone has the ability to free others from all of their dreads, anxieties and fears.

For example, long ago in India there was an extremely ugly, deformed child. This child looked so terrible that no one could stand the sight. As he grew older, he was so repulsive looking that no one wanted him around. His family threw him out and kicked him into the jungle. The boy was extremely depressed and felt that if his family kicked him out, everyone would similarly reject him. He had to live alone in the jungle with nothing but fruit to eat and he was extremely upset. 

This boy had the terrible problem of being ugly, deformed and terribly depressed over his looks. The Buddha had the ability to be completely skillful in his methods to able to tame others. He saw the plight of this ugly lad and he manifested himself as a boy who was even uglier. The little boy saw this manifestation of someone even uglier than himself, and that made him smile and be happy. He thought, “At last I have someone who is uglier than me.” He bullied the other lad into being his servant, and although he couldn’t get him to do much for him, he managed to get this even uglier boy to wait on him. 

Other examples of the Buddha’s fully evolved state involve Devadatta, Buddha’s cousin who was resentful and wanted to harm the Buddha. At that time there were various mechanical devices, such as catapults, designed to cause a great amount of destruction to various lands and places. Devadatta adopted an enormous catapult to hurl huge boulders at the Buddha; however, being a clearly evolved, fully enlightened Buddha, he could not be harmed by such methods.

There was a time when there was a strong epidemic in the land and a doctor was giving out medication. The Buddha took some medication. Shakyamuni Buddha was someone who was extremely strong, with great physical strength; he could knock over an elephant with a flick of his finger. In accordance with his bodily strength the doctor gave him a dose that was very strong mixed with butter. Devadatta was always trying to compete with the Buddha and insisted on being given the same dose, although he didn’t have the same physical strength. He continued insisting, and eventually the doctor acquiesced and gave him a larger dose than he gave ordinary people.

Devadatta took this large dose of this medicine mixed with butter, and it made him terribly sick. He was in a horrible state on his deathbed. The Buddha went to him with his own son, Rahula. He laid his hand on Devadatta’s head and said, “I have no difference in my feelings towards my own dear son Rahula and you, Devadatta. By the power of the truth of this statement may you be cured.” Because it was a completely true statement, Devadatta immediately recovered from his sickness. His response was to look up at the Buddha and say, “Get your filthy hand off my head.”

Clearly, if we want to have a source of safe direction in life, we need someone who is like this, who has no favorites, doesn’t discriminate between those who help or harm him or her, doesn’t consider some people as near and others as far and has an equal attitude toward everyone. Since the clearly evolved ones, the Buddhas, have all these four characteristics complete, it is totally proper for us to seek a safe direction in life from them. 

The Dharma

Likewise, it is wise to turn to the preventative measures of the Dharma teachings and the community of the Sangha. The actual thing which will give us the safe direction in life is the preventative measures of the Dharma. Taking these preventative measures will give us a safe direction in life. 

What actually is the source of direction which is provided by these preventative measures of the Dharma? What is the Dharma refuge? It is all the abandonments and all the good qualities on the mind-stream of a clearly evolved Buddha. These are the measures to take that will actually give a safe direction, the actual measures that the Buddhas have engaged in. To begin, what we can do is abandon the ten destructive and non-virtuous actions. These provide a safe and sound direction in life, or refuge.

The way in which the Sangha provides a safe direction is that they help by setting an example. They act as a model and an idea of how to direct our lives. This is the way that they serve as a safe direction of refuge. 

For example, once in the lands of the gods there was a child of the gods named Lodro Tenpa, or Sthiramati in Sanskrit. This child of the gods lived in the Realm of the Thirty-three gods where everything was completely lovely and made of jewels and precious gems. If we looked down from that realm onto the most beautiful place of humans, it would look like a garbage heap in comparison. The child lived in this great splendor. 

Although the gods in this realm don’t have many problems or sufferings during their lives, nevertheless, a week before they die they receive signs of their impending death. For instance, they always wear beautiful flower garlands that never decay, but a week before their deaths the garlands begin to wilt and wither. Then, the gods begin to smell bad. With these various awful signs, they know they are going to fall. All the other gods just run away at such a time and don’t want anything to do with them. Even if one might take pity on such a god about to die, it would be to just look at them from a far distance. The amount of suffering that such a god experiences at that time is incredible and unbearable.  

The time finally came for this god Sthiramati to experience the signs that he was about to die. Another painful thing that occurs at such a time is that the gods are able to see the type of rebirth that they are about to take. Sthiramati saw very clearly that he was about to fall to a much worse rebirth in the next life. In fact, he was about to be reborn as a pig. The amount of incredible mental suffering that he experienced with this foresight was completely unbearable. The amount of mental suffering that such a god experiences is far greater than we experience as humans.

He went to the king of the gods, Indra. He asked him to please help him and save him from this predicament. Indra said that he couldn’t help but that he should go to the clearly evolved one, Buddha Shakyamuni. Therefore, he went to the Buddha who advised him to follow the various methods for making requests to the deity named Namgyalma, or Ushnishavijaya, and practice methods to actualize the deity. 

Ushnishavijaya is one of the three deities for a long life. She is white in color with three faces. The central face is also white, the right face is yellow, and the left face is blue. She has eight arms, four on each side. On the right, the top hand is holding a crossed vajra, the next has a small Amitabha and an arrow, and the bottom one is in the giving gesture. The left hand is in the threatening position holding a lasso; the next hand is holding a bow and is in the protection gesture; and the bottom hand is in her lap, holding a vase filled with long-life nectars. There are nine deities in the Ushnishavijaya mandala. On her right is Avalokiteshvara and on the left is Vajrapani. Around her are the various wrathful deities, Achala in front, Takkiraja on the right, behind her is Niladanda and Mahabala is to her left. She has two sons of the gods who are above her. 

Buddha Shakyamuni counselled Sthiramati to engage in this method of practice. By taking this preventative measure, doing the practice of this long-life deity, he was able to exhaust all the negative potential that would have made him be reborn in the state of the pig and he was reborn in a higher realm.

Through this example we can see the three sources of safe direction. The Buddha is the one who offered the safe direction, the practice of the deity Ushnishavijaya was the Dharma refuge or preventative measure, and king of the gods, Indra, would be analogous to the community of the Sangha, in terms of being a friend or a helper who directs Sthiramati to find this safe direction and refuge from the predicament of being reborn as a pig.

What are the actual measures that form the actual refuge of the Dharma Jewel? These refer to all the cessations and the actual pathways of the mind of a Buddha. These are what make up the last two noble truths, namely the true cessations and true paths of the mind. They are the actual measures that would provide a safe direction and through the scriptural texts teach what to be adopted and what to be abandoned. In terms of our own individual practice and our own levels, these scriptural texts contain all the various points concerning measures that provide a safe direction, or that indicate the Dharma refuge.

The Sangha

When one speaks of the Sangha Jewel, this refers to all the highly realized beings, arhats, who have actually beheld reality or voidness. Anyone who has beheld reality and has a straightforward perception of voidness would be considered an actual Sangha Jewel of refuge. This would include householders as well, male or female. It doesn’t matter who they are.

In reference to just the term Sangha, it is the community of those who are intent on a positive goal. This refers to a community of at least four fully ordained or novice monks or nuns. In terms of fully ordained monks, if we had less than four, they would simply be called mendicant monks.

However, in terms of our practice, we should hold great respect for anyone wearing robes and recognize them as a representative of the actual intent community that can provide us with the safe direction of refuge. 

Taking Refuge

Now how do we actually take refuge? It involves truly thinking about death and impermanence and how no situation remains static. Everyone is going to die, and we should feel a great deal of dread and horror about that. That is how to begin. Next, think of all these various sources of safe direction and how they can provide a path out of this dread and fear. Have great faith and respectful belief that they can give us a sound and meaningful direction in life. That is the second step. Additionally, develop a great deal of compassion by thinking about how everybody is likewise in this terrible predicament and how everybody has to have some safe direction in life. Use these as causes to completely turn our minds to following the safe direction indicated by the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. That is what is known as taking safe direction, or refuge.

It is an extremely important point to follow some safe and sound direction in life, and it is essential to recognize who exactly can provide us with that and how to actually proceed in the direction that they indicate. What are the three causes that drive us toward taking a safe direction in life? What are the three causes for taking refuge? 

To review, the first is specifically a state of dread that comes from fear, which comes from fearing death and falling to a worst state of rebirth. It is because we dread dying and falling to a worst state of rebirth, that we seek some safe direction. Secondly, we look at the various sources that can provide a safe direction and we have faith and confidence that, in fact, they can help. The second cause is actually this state of confidence. The third is compassion, the wish for everyone else to also get out of this predicament. This is the attitude with which we actually entrust ourselves to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. This is refuge. 

If we know about these steps, then we can build this up as a beneficial habit of mind. We can also meditate on them. If we want to meditate but don’t actually have an idea of what to build up, it isn’t very helpful. We have to build up good habits, which is what meditation means. If we know all of this and then shut our eyes, try to think about it and meditate, then we will actually get somewhere. We can build up some good habits. Otherwise, we will just sit there with our eyes closed, and it just leaves us in darkness. I am only joking of course.