Pointing Out the Dharmakaya

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Pointing Out the

Dharmakaya BY THE NINTH KARMAPA, WANGCHUK DORJE

Translated by Cortland Dahl

Tergar

This text is published as part ofTergar International's Path of Liberation meditation curriculum, created by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche.

Pointing Out the Dharmakaya, by the Ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje. Translated by Cortland Dahl. © 2009 Tergar International. All rights reserved.

For more information, please contact: Tergar International 810 1st St. S., Suite 200 Hopkins, MN 55343 + 1.952.232.0633 www.tergar.org

Pointing Out the Dharmaktiya

Restriction Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche has requested that this book be read only by those who have received pointing out instructions from a qualified Buddhist lineage holder. Tergar students who have attended Mahamudra Level II or Path of Liberation Level I retreats meet this qualification. If you have not received such a transmission, please respect this request and do not read beyond this point.

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Pointing Out· the l)/1ann ak. 1a

Concise Instructions on Uniting with th Inn t M. It mud a

Pointing Out th

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Quintessential Nectar: A Lamp th t Illumlnat

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OM SVASTI SIDDHI HUM

Glorious sacred guru- inseparable from the sovereign lord Vajradhara and source of all experience, realization, and enlightened qualiti s- I prostrate at your feet and take refuge in you. Please grant me your blessings! The system known as the "union with the innate Mahamudra" is the very essence of the enlightened minds of the victorious ones of the three times. From great Vajradhara down to Gyelwa Konchok Yenlak , this tradition has been passed on orally, uninterrupted by other lineages. The heat of blessings and the dakinis' warm breath have not faded from these instructions. Its skillful methods bring abo ut the attainment of the unique union, the state of Vajradhara, in one body and one life. Practicing this uncorrupted system of the precious Kagyii Lineage invqlves three steps: the preliminaries, main practices, and n lu ion.

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The Preliminaries The Common Preliminaries Session One

The Rarity of the Freedoms and Riches When practicing the genuine, sacred Dharma, a perfect vessel or support is needed, just as a fit vessel is needed to hold the milk of a lioness, which will break an ordinary container and go to waste. Since this precious human body with its freedoms and riches is supreme among supports, you are extremely fortunate to have obtained this precious human life. Such an existence only comes about through the force of having previously cultivated a great deal of merit and wisdom, refrained from committing the ten forms of vice even at the cost of one's life, embraced the ten virtues, and created an infinite amount of merit. It is not obtained without cause, nor does it manifest due to good hick or just by chance. Because of its causes, therefore, such an existence is extremely rare. The rarity of the precious human life can also be demonstrated using various similes. Obtaining such an existence can be likened to getting a bean to stick to the side of a wall, for example, or to a turtle coming to the surface of a vast ocean once every hundred years and, on such an occasion, sticking its neck through the hole of a wooden yoke floating on the ocean's surface. It can also be likened to finding the rare udumbara flower. Just like the precious human life, all three of these situations are next to impossible. Finally, we can also see how rare the precious human life is from its relative improbability. If the number of beings in the lower realms were as great as the number of dust particles on a vast plain, those with an ordinary human body would number as few as the particles that would fit on the tip of one's finger. A precious human life with its freedoms and riches, moreover, would be equivalent to a single minute particle.

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Likewise, there are many who engage in vice, while those who practice virtue are relatively few in number. For this reason, many beings are born in the lower realms. From a general perspective, moreover, the attainment of a human life in which virtue may be practiced is extremely rare and scarce, even within the higher realms. This human life that we now have is both rare and fragile, so if we leave this existence empty handed, we will stumble into an inescapable pit once we are reborn in the lower realms or into another unfortunate existence in a future life. Keeping this in mind, do not let yourself get distracted for even a second. Think to yourself, "With great perseverance, I must focus on the key points of virtuous activity and set out on the path!" Infusing your mind with this resolve, do your best to turn your mind towards the Dharma. Session Two

Death and Impermanence Without meditating on impermanence, you will never give up your fixation on this present life. If that doesn't happen, you will not be able to let go of the eight mundane pursuits. As a result, you won't be liberated from samsara or give birth to any extraordinary experiences or realization. Meditating on impermanence is the solution to these problems. Begin by contemplating the impermanence of the external universe. Consider how it first comes into existence, remains for an intermediate period, and is finally destroyed to the point where nothing remains at all. The same is true of the progression of time. Morning, afternoon, evening, and night-time is unstable and changing with each passing moment. The seasons as well are ephemeral and impermanent; winter changes into spring, spring into summer, and summer into fall. For these reasons, all conditioned things are subject to change and decay by their very nature. The sentient beings that inhabit the universe are impermanent as

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well. The newborn, children, middle-aged, and elderly-everyone dies in th end. What's more, there is no way to tell when death will strike. We can never be sure that we will not die this very day or tomorrow. There are many who are alive one moment and a corpse the next, struck dead by some unforeseen circumstance. It could be a sudden encounter with food, poison, a weapon, fire, water, or cliff. No matter how long our lives may be, we won't live to see one hundred. Indeed, since a third of our lives is already gone, death is approaching. Many of those whom we've known in the past-our gurus, teachers, friends, loved ones, close acquaintances, countrymen, and neighborsare now gone. Some died suddenly, while others suffered for a long time due to illness. Experiencing unimaginable sickness, pain, and suffering, there was nothing they could do to skillfully out-maneuver or trick their way out of death, despite the fear and trepidation they felt. They simply passed away. Once they are gone, we are powerless to see them again.- Like a pebble thrown into a pool of water, we have nodue where they have gone. This separation may be unbearable, yet still they disappear without a trace. Their corpses, meanwhile, are brought to charnel grounds and left there, lying motionless on the ground. We have no idea where their minds have gone or where they might be taking rebirth in the present. In fact, this same fate will befall us as well. "What will I do when this happens to me?" you may think to yourself, "What will become of me if I die at this very moment?" All that we do for this present life is truly insane. We are like 'animals being led to a slaughterhouse. If we now whil away our time planning for the future, falling prey to the eight mu.nd n pursuits and negativity, or living our lives in a state of apathy, th ·r will be nothing in store for us but suffering. 11 J w!ll ompletely let go of all my preoccupations with this present I · ," y u may now think to yourself, shaking with fear, "Instead, I will d m thing th at will benefit me in future lives!" With this thought in mind , don 't I. t your mind get caught up in distractions. Give up all n m s fo r this life a nd form the sincere resolve to practice diligently

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for your whole life. Narrow your focus and do your best to merge your entire being with the Dharma. At the beginning, it is important to meditate on impermanence and death. Think about all those who have died in the past, and how you yourself are in the same position. All of your wealth, reputation, and other such factors will be left behind when you are on the verge of death. They won't do you any good, nor will you be able to take them with you when you die. The only thing that will be of any benefit is the Dharma. This line of thinking will cause you to practice the Dharma. It is also important to meditate on impermanence and death throughout [the spiritual path]. Since we have no idea when death will strike, there is no time to sit idle. Contemplating this topic will, for this reason, motivate you to practice the Dharma. Meditating on death and impermanence is also important at the end of this process, for it will lead to realization of the luminosity of death, the dharmakaya. The nature of death is the ultimate truth, beyond all conceptual complexities. For all these reasons, you should apply yourself assiduously to meditating on impermanence. Session Three

The Principle of Karmic Causality Well then, if when we die we simply ceased to exist like a snuffed-out candle flame, as the Nihilists would have us believe, or if we had control over the rebirth process, then all would be well and fine. But this is not how it works. On the contrary, we must be reborn, and it is what we have done in the past that will dictate where this rebirth will be. If the karma we accumulate is motivated primarily by anger, for example, and if we amass negativity in relation to an important object or engage in the ten forms of vice either intensely or many times, w will be r born in hell. If the karma we accumulate is motivated primarily by attachment, and if we amass negativity in relation to an object of moderate importan e, or engage in the ten forms of vice with moderate int I ity r fr qu n y,

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we will be reborn as a spirit. Finally, if the karma we accumulate is motivated primarily by ignorance, and if we amass negativity in relation to an ordinary or inferior object, or engage in the ten forms of vice with little intensity or only a few times, we will be reborn as an animal. On the other hand, engaging in great, moderate, and minor tainted virtue leads to rebirths as gods, demi-gods, and humans, respectively. The karma we accumulate does not simply disappear in the interim; it remains with us. Since we will experience [the results of our actions] without deviation, like a line drawn straight towards us, you should keep a close watch on your three gates at all times. Rejoice in virtue and cause it to flourish by dedicating it in a pure manner to the welfare of all beings. This will ensure that it does not go to waste. You should also openly acknowledge vice and restrain yourself accordingly. It is important to work at correcting negativity and downfalls; do not let such factors remain with you for even a day. Instead, form the sincere resolve not to fall prey to destructive or negative attitudes, .and to eliminate them as soon as they manifest. In practice, you should be able to discern virtue and vice clearly, knowing what you should do and what you should give up.

Session four The Shortcomings of Samsara As explained above, our actions produce effects, whether these actions are virtuous or negative. Nonvirtuous deeds lead to a rebirth in the lower realms, where we find the eight hot hells, the eight cold hells, and the two ephemeral and neighboring hells, making eighteen in all. The suffering that occurs in each of these hells is infinite and unbearable. Beings in these realms experience nothing but suffering; they have no chance for pleasure. Imagine what it would be like to be born in the hot hells. Right now, a mere mouthful of hot soup will burn you. What would happen if your innards were incinerated by molten metal? If you were boiled alive in a

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cauldron? Or if some other unimaginable fate were to befall you? Likewise, since the mere prick of a thorn pains you, why even mention what would happen if you were hacked apart with a blazing axe or dismembered by a burning saw? How does the sensation of cold feel when your clothes are too thin? When born in the cold hells, your naked body will be tortured by an unbearable icy wind, causing the flesh to split apart. These and the other forms of suffering there are unfathomable. What about being born in the spirit realm? Right now, going a single day without food seems unbearable. When born as a spirit, however, you won't be able to find a single drop of water to drink, or a piece of food to eat, for five hundred years! What's more, one day in the spirit realm equals an entire month for humans. Even if you manage to find something to eat, you will not be able to get it down your throat or digest it. Instead, your internal organs, blazing with fire, will incinerate whatever you eat, bringing you great suffering. As for animals, oceanic species live in the outer oceans and those that are scattered elsewhere dwell in the ·realm;~fhumans and gods. Some of these animals prey on one another, while others are burdened with impossible loads. They are forced to plow fields and experience other forms of suffering, such as being castrated, pierced, and slaughtered. The birds flying in the sky, land-dwelling herbivores, and every other species see all the humans and other beings they encounter as merciless killers and constantly fear for their lives. The suffering they experience equals the pain that would be inflicted on your present human body were it to be stabbed by five hundred spears. Indeed, those born in the animal realm undergo great suffering. The suffering experienced by gods comes from their death and transmigration. The mental anguish they experience is a hundred thousand times more intense than the sufferings experienced in hell and can be likened to the experience of a fish flopping around on hot sand. The nature of the demi-gods' plight is such that their minds are ignited by warfare and strife, while their bodies are wounded and undergo all the sufferings listed above.

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Humans experience the suffering of the birth process. When in the t11b, i t fee ls as though you are being crushed under a mountain when ur mother has eaten until full, and it feels like you are dangling in pac when she is hungry. When your mother eats hot food, you suffer as though you are being boiled alive, and like you've been stuffed into an icy cavern when the food she eats is cold. The actual experience of birth is like being squeezed between two massive mountains. When you are born, falling onto a bed feels like you are being thrown into a pit of thorns. The suffering experienced when the amniotic sac is stripped away feels as though you are being flayed alive. As you gradually grow old, your teeth will fall out and your hair will turn grey. Your eyesight and hearing will weaken and your back will hunch over. When you stand up, it will feel like you are being pulled back down. When you sit down, it will feel like you are falling, since your legs will no longer be able to support your body. What's more, you will become an object of ridicule for all. These are the kinds of suffering you will endure. If you can't even bear to have a toothache right now, then why even mention what will happen when you experience these other forms of suffering? Next comes the suffering of death. Lying on your deathbed, you will eat your final meal as your loved ones gather around. You will utter your final words as the stages of dissolution commence, causing you to feel as though your body is falling into the earth. As your breath escapes from your mouth a.nd nose again and again, you will find yourself wild r d and unable to inhale, your breathing having suddenly c ~ cl. Th ~ a r you experience will be unimaginable, yet you will have w v rt death. - t'l xp ri nee other forms of suffering as well. We are unable to l'l · In wh t w h av , and unable to find what we want. We are fearful m · tin ur n mi s, and also oflosing those dear to us. We fear that m lhl11 · will happ n to our sons, and that our daughters won't find ull r . W r also afraid that our material wealth, family and friends, rid r ulation will be lost. All this and more brings us suffering. w

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For all these reasons, even if you attain the tatus of 13rohmu, Indra, or a universal emperor, all the wealth and pleasur s f am ilr, will do you no good. A prisoner in a dark dungeon wou ld thi nk of n thing but escape. With no desire to remain there, nor any attachment to th e dwelling, the prisoner would think of nothing but gett ing out. You should cultivate a similar attitude of pure renunciation. Wi th a sincere resolve, think to yourself, "There isn't even a moment's worth of happiness to be had here in samsara. It's nothing but suffering! I must do everything I can to escape this fiery pit, this dank dungeon, this putrid swamp. I'll die before I let myself get caught up in the eight mundane pursuits or the wealth and pleasures of samsara!"

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The Unique Preliminaries Session Five The first set of instructions on the unique preliminaries concerns the practices of taking refuge and cultivating bodhichitta, both of which ensure that you are a fit vessel for the teachings and that everything you do will lead you along the path to liberation. Second and third are the meditation and recitation ofVajrasattva, which purifies negativity and obscurations, followed by the mandala offering, a practice that will enable you to complete the two accumulations. Fourth is guru yoga, which brings blessings in a swift manner.

Refuge and Bodhichitta What is it that will prot~ct you from sa~sara and enable you to free yourself from its suffering? It is the Three Jewels. The path must be followed by taking the Buddha as your teacher, the Dharma as your path, and the Sangha as your companions on the spiritual journey. Nevertheless, in an ultimate sense, only the Buddha is capable of affording protection. All of these, moreover, are unified in your root guru. Hence, you should take refuge with your teacher and then work at achieving the state of perfect b1:1ddhahood by cultivating supreme bodhichitta for welfare of sentient beings. Keep in mind that all of these beings have been your mother ahd father at one time or another. Recall the kindness they have shown you and, with the wish to repay that kindness, help them attain the state of buddhahood. To this end, cultivate bodhichitta with the following thought: "I will train like the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the past, cultivating bodhichitta and making aspirations just as they did!" In brief, you should meditate as follows: Imagine a tree with one trunk and five branches, either in the form of a wish-fulfilling tree or another

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tree, symbolizing the singular essence and five forms of the Jewels. This tree is in the midst of a vast lake, surrounded by a lush meadow. In the center of the tree, visualize your root guru in the form of Vajradhara, blue in color and with arms crossed at his heart, holding a vajra and bell. With legs crossed in the vajra posture, he sits upon a lotus, sun, and moon, wearing all the various jewel ornaments. His body is clothed in silks and adorned with the marks and signs of buddhahood. All the lineage gurus surround him, either seated above him in tiers or crowded around him. On top of the branch in front of him, visualize glorious Chakrasamvara or another suitable yidam deity standing on a lotus, sun, and corpse, or on Bhairava and Kalaratri, and surrounded by the assembly of deities of the four classes of tantra. On the right branch, imagine the Buddha Shakyamuni, seated on a snow lion throne, a lotus, sun, and moon, and surrounded by the buddhas of the ten directions. In back, the jewel of the Dharma faces towards you, in the form of a pile of texts with a shimmering gold appearance. To the left are the eight close sons and the rest of the Great Vehicle sangha, along with the sangha of the Foundational Vehicle, including Subhuti, Ananda, and the supreme pair. All of these individuals are crowded around the central figure . At the edge of the seat of the main figure are the Dharma protectors, with the warriors and dakinis swirling around them like snowflakes in a blizzard. All the infinite number of beings stand on the meadow at the shore of the lake, led by you, acting as their guide. Imagining that you all take refuge and cultivate bodhichitta, recite the refuge verses a suitable number of times and clearly bring to mind the way to arouse bodhichitta that was outlined above: In the Buddha, Dharma, and Supreme Assembly, I take refuge until enlightenment is achieved. May the merit of my generosity and other good deeds Lead to buddhahood for the welfare of all beings.

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I take refuge in all the buddhas Until the essence of awakening is reached. In the Dharma I also take refuge, And in the gathering of bodhisattvas.

May all sentient beings have happiness and the causes of happiness. May they be free from suffering and the causes of suffering. May they never be apart from sublime bliss, free from suffering. May they remain in a state of equanimity, free from attachment and aversion to those near and far. Recite these prayers in a heartfelt manner as you visualize, doing your best to merge your recitation and meditation. . To conclude, imagine that the sources of refuge melt into light and dissolve into you, causing your own body, speech, and mind to merge inseparably with the enlightened body, speech, and mind of the sources of refuge. Session Six

The Meditation and _Re~itation of Vajrasattva The meditation and recitation of Vajrasattva purify negativity and obscurations. To begin, imagine guru Vajrasattva above the crown of your head. He is white in color, seated on a lotus and moon disc, and adorned with the marks and signs ofbuddhahood. With his right hand, he holds a vajra at his heart, and with his left, a bell at his hip. As you imagine this, recite as follows: uru Vajrasattva, please purify all my negativity and obscurations

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And: Protector, under the sway of unknowing and ignorance, I have transgressed and broken my samayas. Guru, protector, grant me refuge! Foremost holder of the vajra, Embodiment of great compassion, Lord of all beings, I go for refuge to you. I confess all lapses of the subsidiary and main samayas of enlightened body, speech, and mind, both my own and those of all sentient beings. Please purify and cleanse this whole host of impurity, all our negativity, obscurations, faults and misdeeds.

Your supplication causes a stream of white nectar to flow out of Vajrasattva's big toe and into the opening at the crown of your head. All of your illnesses, harmful forces, negativity, and obscurations are then washed away like a pile of ash, pouring out from your bodily orifices, pores, toes, and so on in the form of black liquid. This transforms your body until it is as pristine as an immaculate crystal globe. Imagining thi , recite as many hundred-syllable mantras as you can. At the end, Vajrasattva says, "fortunate child, all of your n ativity and obscurations have been purified." With these words of absolution, Vajrasattva melts into li ht dissolves into you, causing your own body, speech, and mind to m r inseparably with his enlightened body, speech, and mind, li k wat r poured into water. Let your mind relax. Rest naturally for a mom 11t without trying to change anything.

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Session Seven Mandala Offering The mandala offering will allow you to complete the two accumulations. There are two mandalas, the mandala of accomplishment and the offering mandala. For the former, hold a mandala in your hand and clean any dust off by circling your hand in clockwise direction while holding some grains of rice. As you do so, imagine that all the impurities subsumed under dualistic delusion.are purified into nothingness. Next, circle your hand in a counter-clockwise direction three times and imagine that the two accumulations of merit and wisdom are perfected. As you place heaps in the center of the mandala and in the four directions, visualize that the mandala transforms into an infinite palace and the heaps into five groups ofJewels, as in the refuge visualization. To make the offering easier, imagine that all the figures of the mandala are facing towards you and place the mandala in the center of the shrine. For the offering mandala, hold a grain as you did with the mandala of accomplishment and clean the mandala plate by circling its perimeter three times, imagining that all of the negativity, obscurations, mistakes, and downfalls, both in your own being and in that of others, is purified in the process. Next, place heaps in the eight cardinal and intermediate directions as you recite the prayer that begins, "Sprinkling the earth with perfume ...," or another suitable mandala liturgy. Offer the two wat~rs, the five enjoyments, the five sense pleasures, and other outer offerings; the five meats, five nectars, and other inner offerings; and the sixteen awareness consorts and other offerings of bliss as secret offerings. All of these should be offered in a state in which the one making the offering and the one to whom the offerings are being made are indivisible. This constitutes the offering of reality itself. As you imagine yourself presenting whatever offerings you find, pray as follows:

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Through the power of this offering, bless me so that the two accumulations may be perfected and sublime experience and realization may manifest. With these words, imagine that the assembly of deities of the mandala of accomplishment melt into light and dissolve into you. Then rest in that for a moment in an uncontrived state. Session Eight Guru Yoga

The practice of guru yoga provides access to blessings in a swift manner. To begin, imagine yourself to be a yidam deity such as Chakrasamvara, with your root guru at the crown of your head. As spelled out in the FourSession Guru Yoga, the guru is dressed in the form of a fully ordained monk, with a black_hat and golden complexion. His hands are crossed, holding a vajra arid bell, symbolizingthe inseparabill.ty ofmethod and wisdom. Alternately, you may visualize your root guru above your crown in his or her own appearance, or in the form of a yidam deity that you find particularly inspiring. Above your guru's crown are the lineage gurus, from Vajradhara on down. Once again, you may imagine them seated above one another in tiers or crowded around the central figure. Arouse a feeling of extraordinary, boundless devotion and affection towards these figures. Then offer the following prayer of supplication: Glorious precious guru, please bestow the four empowerments upon me. Mature the four continua and swiftly grant me the siddhis of the four activities. Especially, may experience and realization effortlessly dawn in my being right now. May I thoroughly attain your status and bring all beings to this very state.

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Offer these and other fervent supplications for a long time and use this to bring about a definitive shift in your perception. Next, imagine that the lineage gurus, buddhas, bodhisattvas, warriors, dakinis, Dharma protectors and their retinues all dissolve into your root guru. Then meditate on his or her form as the embodiment of all these figures and present outer, inner, and secret offerings, along with the seven branches. Finally, offer any supplications that you feel are appropriate, such as the following: With all the infinite number of beings, my very own mothers, I supplicate the guru - the precious buddha. With all the infinite number of beings, my very own mothers, I supplicate the guru - the all-pervading dharmakaya. With all the infinite number of beings, my very own mothers, I supplicate the guru - the great bliss sambhogakaya. With all the infinite number of beings, my very own mothers, I supplicate the guru - the compassionate nirmanakaya. If you would like to receive the four empowerments, imagine the guru to be the embodiment of the Three Jewels and give rise to a feeling of intense devotion. This, in turn, causes white, red, and blue light to stream out from the guru's forehead, throat, and heart center, respectively, hitting your own three places. The negativity and obscurations of y9ur body, speech, and mind are purified and you receive the vase, secret, and knowledge-wisdom empowerments. You are also empowered to practice the path, which involves meditating on the development stage; the completion stage practices of the channels, energies, and essences; and the union of the method and knowledge of the fo ur j oys. Moreover, a causal link is formed with the fruition - the nl rm anakaya, sa mbhogakaya, and dharmakaya. Flv - lor>d light th en radi ates out from the guru's entire body and hits your own body all over, purifying the three gates in equal measure • nd d Ing away with th two obscurations and their latent tendencies.

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The fourth empowerment is rece ived and you are empowered to meditate on the indivisibility of awareness and emptiness on the path. It is also now your destiny to achieve the fr uition of this process-the essential kaya, or kaya of great bliss. The guru then melts into light and dissolves into you, causing your own body, speech, and mind to merge indivisibly with his enlightened body, speech, and mind. Imagining all this, rest fo r a moment in an uncontrived state. Guru yoga is extremely important, so meditate diligently. Whenever you practice these four preliminaries, do so continuously and recite the liturgy consistently in four sessions each day. The true mark of practice is to perceive yourself to be practicing even in dreams. Therefore, since signs that the accumulations are developing and the obscurations are being purified will manifest in actuality as well as in dreams, practice these preliminaries assiduously.

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The Specific Preliminaries Session Nine The specific preliminaries consist of the four conditions for practice: the causal condition, empowering condition, object condition, and 1· . . . . ... . ""\ proximate condition./I._he causal_