Vision, Meditation and Action

16th Karmapa Teaching

Tashi Deleg, to you Australian who like Mahayana Buddhism, and especially to
all those who delight in our Karma Kagyu Teaching. This time, Khyentse Chokyi
Wangpo, a Karma Kagyu tulku, has come here. I hope that, until now this has brought
vast benefit to the Western Australians here.

In general Dharma can be integrated in any activity. Nevertheless, particularly

for us practitioners, Dharma means to correct and bring us up from lower states in this
lifetime. Therefore, in this case the lower states means the five afflicted poisons. If we
ask what are the causes of the five afflicted poisons? Then the answer is ignorance. If
we are seeking help to dispel this ignorance, then we must practice the extraordinary
Mahayana Dharma, and reach an understanding of it within ourselves. That is the first
result. That is the essential point. For example the present Bhagawan Buddha, the one
who achieved all purposes, previously became completely enlightened at Bodhgaya
India, at the especial place where the future 1002 Buddhas will also appear. The
incomparable Buddhist teachings spread from this place. Since then, like a fire
spreading over a great hill, the extraordinary Tantra teachings have progressively
spread. Because of them great numbers of Siddhas appeared in India. Among those
Siddhas the greates are the Eighty Siddhas etc, who were well known. This
extraordinary teaching comes from the Mahayana teaching, which can bring to
complete enlightenment within a moment and can distinguish all phenomena in a
moment.

Therefore, since then the earlier Tibetan translators, scholars and Siddhas have
brought the essence of all those Teachings, and that incomparable Tantric teaching
flourished in Tibet. Since then up till the present generation, uninterrupted Siddhas
have come. Among those, the greatest example was Jetsun Milarepa, who achieved
the non-dualistic form of Vajradhara within one life and one body. First he purified the
bodu and speech obscuration. He went through difficulties. Then finally he obtained
confidence in meditation, and he obtained the result of the meaning of Mahamudra.
That was the Mahasiddha Milarepa. Therefore his limitless blessing and compassion
can be received even in these controversial times of the five kinds of degeneration.
Everyone who has merely heard his name is freed, on top of thet they will follow the
path, and they will obtain the result. Therefore these days the lineage has flourished
with great certainty throughout the world in both West and East. This shows how it is
possible for the Buddha´s compassion and blessing to arise in one´s present life.
Normally just by hearing something in your ear does not give rise to the great courage
for following the path. Therefore having this thougt of wishing to engage in practice
shows that this blessing is truly present. Nevertheless, individual results are related to
the actions accumulated in the past. Good results come from good actions and bad
results come from harmful actions. Even if ones previous accumulated results are not
strong, just assimilating the Mahayana Teaching in oneself will purify the two
obscurations and their tendencies. Also we will understand the nature of the self
aware primordial wisdom.

Nevertheless, the fact is that in the Kagyu tradition you still need to have all the
aspects of view, meditation and conduct. And the Kagyud tradition does have a view
and meditation. The Kagyupa has extraordinary instructions that immediately liberate
the wisdom of self awareness by the view and meditation alone. So now all Australian
people really have great hope to understand Milarepa´s Lineage, obtain the ultimate
result and attain the joyful Nirvana. Therefore, due to your great wish I have especially
sent, on my behalf, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, one of the senior Kagyu Tulkus.
Regarding this, on the one hand, you disciples should receive the teachings carefully.
On the other hand the Teacher should give instructions according to the disciples
capacity. All in all the Dharma should be flourishing properly. I have a great hopes to
build a foundation of the Australian Milarepa lineage that will be the cause for
dispelling the ignorance of all Australian people, and for them to realize primordial
wisdom and finally obtain peaceful liberattion, and for them to come to the
inseparable heart with Vajradhara, And may they temporarily gain happiness with a
great motivation to benefit all others and may they have confidence in cause, action
and effects with the thought of great love between each other, free from rivalry.

In general, at first for those who want to receive the Kagyud teaching it is not
easy to receive and for those who teach it, it is not easy to teach. The teaching is very
precious (secret), and if it reaches the ears of those with broken samaya, indeed both
the teacher and disciple receive harm instead of benefits. If it is taught by those who
have the most profound devotion confidence and realization then the teachings is the
authentic Vajrayana tradition. Therefore, in our Kagyud tradition the first step of
engaging the path should start with the “The great of the Precious Garland”. Then,
training is needed in the four thoughts turn the mind, for stabilizing ones devotion and
trust. It was said by the famous Kagyud Master that the teaching of the Preliminary
practices is more profound than the actual practice. Therefore if you don´t purify the
defilements of body, speech and mind one will not understand the deeper
obscuration, which only causes growing suffering, never happiness. Hence, it is very
important to train the body, speech and mind from the beginning. For example the
preliminary practices: first do postrations, then secondly recite the Hundred Syllables
to purify negative Karma, then the Mandala offering for gattering the two
accumulations of merit and Wisdom. Then, the so called “Root of the Thousand
Buddhas comes accordingly from a Guru (teacher)”. Therefore within that
understanding, recite the Guru Yoga to gain the enlightened qualities. One necessarily
has to chant the four Preliminary practices. Then sequentially the practice needs to be
upgrade. Therefore, our Kagyudpa view, meditation and conduct, as mentionated
earlier, should be learned afterwards.

For example, The View – Among the two kinds if Madhyamaka, for us, the
former Kagyudpa Master up until now have accepted the Zen tong Madhayamaka, the
view which transcends subject and object, and is the unity if fundamental emptiness
and primordial wisdom. Therefore it is either called zung jug u ma chenpo – the unified
great middle path or Zhen tong u ma chenpo – the `emptiness of other middle´ middle
path, which should be the approach of Asanga´s thougt.

In terms of Meditation, the profound method is the practice of the `Six

doctrines of Naro´ and meaning-wise is the practice of Mahamudra, the Co-emergence
yoga that works to truly accomplish the four Kayas and primordial wisdom within this
life. And among the three Tantra traditions (father, mother and inseparable) the
inseparable Tantra is called Kalachakra Tantra, which is unified great pleasure. In these
we have what we know as the Generation Stage (Kye- rim) – co emergence and the
Completion Stage (dzog rim) – the inseparability of breath and mind. For example first
the Generation stages purifies the body speech and mind. Then visualize the favored
meditational deity. Also there is the Vase Empowerment, Secret Empowerment,
Wisdom Empowerment and Primordial Wisdom Empowerment, which are called the
four empowerments. In addition there is what is know as `the Insight
empowerment´or the `Quality of the four empowerment´s which both have the same
meaning. This makes five empowerments. Then, there are Dharmakaya,
Samboghakaya, Nirmanakaya and the Svabhavikakaya. To experience the meaning of
the Kayas, then one needs the Generation Stage, co-emergence for grounding the
Completion Stage of the inseparability of breath and mind. If you look at the meaning
of the inseparability of breath and mind either in the Sutras or in terms of the View, it
will be as I explained just before. For example the inseparable unity of essence and
wisdom is called zung jug u ma chenpo `The unified great Middle Path´. If we take the
example of a deity, the it is Svabhavikakaya that is profound and peaceful in nature,
free from the eight kinds of conceptual thoughts, Unified Great Pleasure, The
Inseparability of joy and emptiness and the Great pleasure of Unity, which is the
meaning of Inseparable Tantra. This is the extraordinary terminology of our
Kagyudpas´s. And they are to be practiced.

Hence, for the higher practice, one starts from the `The Great Path of the
Precious Garland´. Then gradually one must observe the meaning of Tantra. Otherwise
it is like trying to climb to the roof of a house without using a ladder. How is that
possible? It will not work. Therefore, one needs to purify the harmful actions and
obscurations of body speech and mind in order to receive the Teaching. The above
points are very important. Now these are the things that are to be realized by all of
you Dharma center members and I will pray that results of your realization bring vast
benefit to countless sentient beings.

The power of truthful aspirations by Bodhisattvas can turn fire into water and
can turn water in to fire. The source of this power comes effortlessly. By making efforts
one can´t have this power. Effortlessness is the ultimate meaning. And making efforts
is the relative meaning. By the power that comes through this effortlessness and the
power of the result of ceaseless love and compassion towards all sentient beings. By
this power, at this time, I wish that the Australian Dharma flourishes higher and higher
until the moon and sun cease to turn.

May this King of Aspiration Prayers,

Bring about the supreme aim and benefit for all infinite beings,
Completing this scripture adorned by Samantabhadra,
May the lower realms be completely emptied.
Just as the precious Tathagatas,
With whatever strength of aspiration, motivation and deed they have
In that way may I also quickly bring sentient beings,
To the Buddha´s land without exception.

May the suffering of sentient beings be endeed,

By the sound of the great Dharma drum.
May it remain, giving teachings for,
Ten million Kalpas and unimaginable time.