Lama
Gendun Rinpoche (1918-1997) was the meditation master and the
spiritual leader of the Four
Dhagpos.
He spent over thirty years of his life in solitary retreat in Tibet
and India. Lama Gendun Rinpoche was one of the last great masters of
the old generation of Tibetan Lamas. Everything he taught, had been
experienced first hand during his numerous retreats in caves in the
Himalayas and in India. He represented the quintessence of the fully
realized yogi and the perfectly pure monk. It is said that he
practiced prostrations every day of his life, even in his 70s.
Prostrations
are done in connection with the first of the Four Foundational
Practices (Tib. Ngondro): “Taking Refuge and Developing the
Enlightened Attitude.” We hope that these teachings are inspiring
for those who are doing this practice. Please note that the
information here is not a substitute for the full oral explanations
on the practice, which can be received from experienced friends in
your nearest Karma Kagyu Diamond Way Buddhist Centre.
Lama
Gendun Rinpoche on Prostrations
Why
do we do Prostrations?
1.
The Purification of Pride
First
of all, we should know why we do prostrations. We do not do them to
endear ourselves to somebody else. We do not do them for the Buddha.
Such concepts are completely wrong. The Buddha is not a god of this
world. We bow down to purify all situations from the past where we
did not respect others. Being interested in our own satisfaction and
ourselves we did many negative actions.
Prostrations
help us realize that there is something more meaningful than
ourselves. In this way we purify the pride that we have accumulated
through countless lifetimes thinking: “I am right,” “I am
better than others,” or “I am the most important one.” During
countless lifetimes we have developed pride that is the cause of our
actions and have accumulated the karma that is a source of our
suffering and problems. The goal of prostrations is to purify this
karma and to change our mind set. Prostrations help us rely on
something more meaningful than our pride and ego clinging. In this
way, through full confidence and devotion, we get rid of everything
we have gathered because of pride.
2.
The Purification of Body, Speech, and Mind
When
we do prostrations we act on the level of body, speech, and mind. The
result of doing them is a very powerful and thorough purification.
This practice dissolves all impurities, regardless of their kind,
because they were all accumulated through our body, speech, and mind.
Prostrations purify on all three levels. Through the physical aspect
of prostrating we purify our body. We offer our body to the Three
Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha) and to all sentient beings, wishing
that all their wishes are fulfilled. Through the repetition of the
refuge mantra and the meaning we ascribe to it, we purify our speech.
Through confidence in the Three Jewels we develop enlightened
attitude and devotion. As we are aware of the perfect qualities of
the refuge and offer everything to it, the veils in our minds
dissolve. When our body, speech, and mind are being purified we
realize that what we initially thought of as our body is actually a
manifestation of enlightenment as active compassion. What we
initially thought of as our speech is the expression of enlightenment
on the level of joy; our mind is the truth level of enlightenment. We
are able to see the enlightened reality of our body, speech, and mind
– their full of wisdom truth that we initially were not aware of.
We realize that this practice can lead us to our goal, enlightenment,
because the three levels expressing the state of a Buddha appear
immediately after the three levels of our existence – body, speech,
and mind – are purified. We do not have to look for enlightenment
anywhere else. We do not have to chase any perfect realizations. The
three levels of enlightenment are true inherent qualities of our own
body, speech, and mind. We did not see it before. Prostrations help
us discover it.
3.
Physical Benefits of Prostrations
Prostrations
strongly influence the balance and harmony in our body. Blocks in its
energy channels gradually dissolve. This helps us avoid diseases,
lack of energy, and other problems. Our mind becomes clearer. Our
ability to understand increases.
The
State of Mind During Prostrations
We
should do prostrations with full confidence, joy and motivation to
benefit others.
1.
Confidence
We
should have confidence in the perfect qualities of the Three Jewels
and be sure that their blessing can remove the veils from our minds.
The blessing can appear and the purification is effective when our
confidence in body, speech, and mind meets the transforming qualities
of the enlightened body, enlightened speech and enlightened mind –
the sources of the refuge. If we do not have confidence and cannot
open up to the Three Jewels prostrations will only be like a play.
2.
Motivation to Benefit Others
When
we do prostrations we should understand that good actions are the
source of happiness of all sentient beings. Prostrations are a good
example of this fact. When we do the practice using our body, speech,
and mind, we offer our energy to others wishing that it brings them
happiness. We should be happy about this fact and do prostrations
with joy.
The
Proper Practice
1.
Visualization of the Refuge Tree
In
front of us in space we imagine the whole refuge tree. First, we
imagine Dorje Chang – the lama who represents all sources of the
refuge. We imagine the lama as the center of the refuge tree. We
should be fully aware that Dorje Chang is our teacher and that he is
the mind of our lama. We think about Dorje Chang to make sure that
the manifestation of the nature of mind is not stained by our
habitual thoughts. To help us keep the pure view, the view of wisdom,
we imagine this perfectly pure form. At the same time we keep
awareness that Dorje Chang is the mind of our lama. Everything that
appears in front of us in space is like a rainbow or a reflection in
a mirror; it is not a thing. If we have difficulties visualizing the
whole refuge tree we should have confidence that all objects of the
refuge are really in front of us even if we cannot hold them in our
mind.
2.
Awareness of Ourselve
We
are not alone in our practice. We are surrounded by all beings that
fill the whole universe. We imagine our father on our right side and
our mother on our left. When we stand between our parents from this
life we realize that each and every being without exception has been
our parent in some previous life. This helps us remember the goodness
of all our parents, all sentient beings, who were helping us during
countless lifetimes.
We
imagine the ones we consider our enemies in front of us, between the
refuge tree and ourselves. We think of the people who cause us
problems and obstruct the realization of our plans. All these people
are very important because they help us develop such qualities as
patience and compassion. We usually want to avoid such people. We try
to stay away from them. We do not want to think about them. Putting
them in front of us helps us not to forget them. Treating enemies in
such a way protects us against disrespecting them.
We
focus our attention on the refuge tree. We are confident that the
refuge can free all sentient beings from the suffering of samsara and
it can protect us against the anxiety that this suffering causes. In
such a mind-set, surrounded by all sentient beings, we start to
repeat the refuge mantra. Everything around us starts to vibrate. We
experience strong light from the refuge tree. The light shines on us
because of our own devotion. This makes us open up even more. Then we
start to bow down. We are the masters of the ceremony and lead the
whole practice. Our prostrations immediately inspire all beings to
begin doing the same practice. We hear all beings repeating mantras
and doing prostrations. These vibrations fill the whole universe.
Holding
such a vision rather than concentrating only on ourselves widens our
activity. On the one hand it gives us strength, on the other hand it
gives us motivation to practice. All beings doing prostrations with
us give us encouragement. Experiencing great amounts of energy from
all beings doing prostrations, we feel even more confidence in and
devotion to the Three Jewels. The feeling of “riding with the
crowd” helps us finish prostrations quickly and experience great
happiness during the practice.
3.
The Symbolic Meaning of Each Element in the Act of Bowing Down
To
give the ultimate dimension to our practice we should be aware of the
symbolic meaning of a prostration. Touching our forehead with clasped
hands, we ask the objects of the refuge for the blessing of their
bodies. At the same time we imagine that the blessing of their
enlightened bodies radiates on us, goes through our body and
dissolves all its obscurations. Then our clasped hands touch our
throat. We ask for the blessing of speech. At the same time we think
that the blessing of their enlightened speech emanates from the
objects of the refuge and purifies all obscurations that we have
accumulated through our speech. In such a way we free ourselves from
these obscurations. When we touch our heart with clasped hands we ask
the refuge for the blessing of their enlightened mind. It helps us
get rid of all veils and wrong views in our minds. We are confident
that all evil wishes we have been filling our minds with since
beginningless time are completely purified. We should think that we
are getting the full blessing of enlightened body, speech, and mind
from the Three Jewels. Through the power of this blessing, all veils,
bad karma, and negative tendencies in our body, speech, and mind are
purified. We are completely pure and inseparable from the body,
speech, and mind of the lama and the Three Jewels.
When
our body touches the ground with its five points (knees, hands,
forehead) we should realize that five disturbing emotions – anger,
attachment, ignorance, pride, and jealousy – leave our body and
disappear in the earth. In such a way we experience complete
purification.
The
two aspects of prostrations, dissolving the mind’s poisons and
getting the blessing from the Three Jewels, cause the transformation
of pride, attachment, jealousy, anger, and ignorance into the five
corresponding wisdoms. We should be confident that the transformation
is actually taking place, that we have the natural, inherent ability
to develop these wisdoms.
This
symbolic aspect of prostrations will work only if we have confidence.
Our confidence can give us this big purification. Practicing without
confidence is just like aerobic exercise.
4.
The Significance of Devotion
Our
devotion will grow the more prostrations we do. Finally, we will
reach the level where we will no longer think that our body, speech,
and mind are any different from the body, speech, and mind of the
Three Jewels. Prostrations give a wonderful result; they are the
source of a very powerful blessing and a great purification. We
should not think that prostrations consist only of an activity of our
body. The blessing and purification appear mainly because of our
devotion.
5.
Increasing the Strength of Our Practice
We
practice with an open mind. We should not think that we are the only
person doing prostrations. All beings are doing them with us. We do
not have to limit our thinking only to ourselves. We should not
assert ourselves by thinking, “I am bowing down.” If we think
like that we accumulate good potential that corresponds to the act of
doing one prostration. If we think of all sentient beings doing
prostrations with us, the good potential we accumulate is much
bigger. When we are doing prostrations we should think that a hundred
of our emanations are doing them with us. If we are able to imagine
that our practice will be much stronger. We should not count more
prostrations if we imagine more beings doing them with us. This is
only one of the special Vajrayana methods that help us strengthen our
practice.
6.
Linking the Prostrations with Calming the Mind
After
a while our body will be tired. This is a useful moment to practice
calming the mind. When the body and mind are tired, attachment
decreases. If we stop doing prostrations for a moment our mind will
naturally calm down by itself without any additional help on our
side. When after a while our body and mind feel rested again, our
mind becomes agitated. This is the sign to start prostrations again.
When we alternate doing prostrations with calming the mind we can
practice ceaselessly.
The
Approach to Suffering
Sometimes
we might experience difficulties doing prostrations. Pain and fatigue
will be in our way. There is always some concern: pain in our knees,
elbows, lower back, everywhere. There is no reason to be discouraged
by it or lose confidence in our practice. Neither should we
strengthen the feeling by saying to ourselves, “I suffer so much, I
feel so weak.” By doing this we completely block ourselves. We lose
the ability to act. When the pain is allowed to “have a say,” it
can become a real obstacle on the path of our further practice. We
should use every unpleasant experience, whether physical or mental,
as a means to get enlightened. Such experiences should mobilize us
toward greater effort on our path.
Everything
we experience depends on the state of mind we are in. If we want to
experience things differently we must change the state of our mind.
If we manage to efficiently transform suffering into a positive and
beneficial experience, the suffering will disappear completely
without a trace. This will give us more happiness and joy.
Prostrations
are a way of accumulating truly good potential. They are an easy and
effective way to purify negative actions from our past. On the other
hand, if – due to pain and fatigue – we continue prostrations
being depressed, true purification does not take place.
The
Techniques of Working with Unpleasant Experiences
1.
Depletion of Karma
We
should not think of suffering as something very serious. We should
remember that suffering is just karma, that it is impermanent like
everything else. Suffering has its end. When our karma ripens we
should remain relaxed and observe this natural flow of things. If we
manage to infuse our practice with the understanding of the
impermanence of karma, it will dissolve by itself. Karma is not
something we have to accept or reject. It is like the obligation to
pay our bills which appears automatically. When we have paid our
debts karma dissolves by itself and there is nothing to reject.
2.
Purification of Karma through Physical Indisposition
Dharma
practice eliminates veils and stains that are results of our former
actions. We should perceive the physical indisposition that we
experience during the practice as the result of the compassion of the
Three Jewels. This relatively small suffering dissolves future karma
which will not ripen. For this reason we should experience this
suffering with joy and confidence. Such unpleasant experiences
indicate that the practice works. The use of purifying methods may
result in many unpleasant experiences on the level of body, speech,
and mind. At the same time, we are getting rid of difficulties and
veils in our minds. As we experience purification as a result of our
practice, our confidence in the Three Jewels increases. We feel deep
gratitude because these relatively small nuisances help free us from
conditions that would otherwise ripen as much greater suffering.
3.
Noticing Ego-Clinging through Suffering
We
should regard every suffering as an antidote to ego clinging.
Experiencing one’s own suffering is in itself a proof of our
egocentric attitude towards all phenomena. At the same time, such
situations (where we experience suffering) give us the possibility to
get rid of our ego clinging. If we have no ego-illusion we can
experience no suffering. We should also understand the cause of our
suffering: we experience it because of our former actions which
resulted from our ego clinging. Being so focused on ourselves, we
have sown many karmic seeds which have now ripened as suffering. We
can treat suffering as a teaching showing us the results of actions
that result from being focused on oneself. From beginningless time
this ego clinging has been the cause of us being caught in the cycle
of existence (samsara).
4.
Observing Our Ego
Ego
wants to be satisfied all the time. As long as everything is all
right our ego is content and tries to keep this state. Our “self”
clings to this contentment and our mind is distressed with desire –
the poison of attachment. When nice circumstances are gone, ego still
clings to them because it wants to be content. More attachment and
desire appear in our mind. In the cases of unpleasant situations the
ego reacts with anger and hatred. It tries to avoid them and replace
them with pleasant experiences. In this way our mind is anxious and
unhappy. We can recognize the continuous influence of ego in every
situation. It ceaselessly categorizes experiences as pleasant or
unpleasant. If we follow our ego we accumulate karma which will
sooner or later ripen as different kinds of suffering.
5.
Unpleasant Experiences as a Test of Our Perseverance
We
should remember about our promise to use our body, speech, and mind
for the benefit of others. Knowing that we work for the benefit of
all beings we should keep our promise, subdue our internal
difficulties, and continue our practice.
Translation
from the Polish magazine Diamentowa
Droga (Diamond
Way) by Peter Piasecki and Susan Bixby from Calgary, Canada.
This
teaching is also available on the Kagyu
Asia website
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