Buddhist Hour
Script No. 404
Broadcast live on Hillside 88.0 FM
on Sunday 30 October 2005CE 2549 Buddhist Era
This script is entitled:
Atisha’s Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment, Part XII
Thank you for joining us. Today marks our twelfth and final part in our series, Atisha’s Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment.
Atisha Dipamkara Srijana, born in the year 982 AD, is known and respected throughout the Buddhist world. As a student of over 100 teachers, including the Venerable Masters Dharmakirti and Bodhibhadra, he was trained in all schools of Buddhist philosophy and practice.
After he attained to incredible heights in both the open and secret teachings of the Buddha, he went on to become one of the greatest teachers in Nalanda University, a famous Centre of ancient Buddhist learning. Nalanda’s ruins now rest in modern-day southern Bihar, India, about 90 kilometers south-east of Patna.
In India, the Buddhist teachings were flourishing and enjoyed a golden age. However, it was a very different case in neighboring Tibet. Although the Buddha Dharma had been transmitted there some centuries earlier by the Tantric adept Guru Rinpoche, the influence of Tibet’s native religion, called Bon, had grown. The previous king of Tibet, named Langdarma, made great efforts to remove the Buddha Dharma from his lands. As a result, the teachings declined and few qualified masters remained.
The king of Tibet, Jang Chub O, the successor of Langdarma, made a desperate plea to Atisha to come to Tibet and bring Pure Dharma with him, Dharma that was uncorrupted by wrong views.
After some consideration, Atisha agreed and after many hardships arrived in Tibet. He taught there for over 20 years and during his stay wrote a text called “A Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment.” This text served as the basis for the Lam Rim tradition, a system which sequentially lays out each step of the Buddhist path to Enlightenment.
He, and the text he had written, did a great deal for clarifying the misconceptions of how to practice the open and secret teachings of the Buddha in harmony. He is commonly known as “The Elder” by Tibetans, and he is known for his great compassion and wisdom in leading Tibet into a new age of Pure Dharma.
The founder of our Temple, the Master John David Hughes, gave an oral commentary on “A Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment.”
Master John Hughes gave this teaching to his students in 1989, during a five-day meditation course.
The teachings were recorded on audio-cassettes and have recently been transcribed.
On last week’s program, John D. Hughes explained the various benefits of maintaining mindfulness, as well as the qualities that a qualified Guru should possess.
On today’s program, Master John D. Hughes continues with an explanation of how to take the Bodhisattva vows and how to keep them from lifetime to lifetime.
JDH: Alright, so the, the texts have got these seven parts. Number three is the usefulness of the text, four is the summary, five are the word definitions, six is the relevance of the text, and seventh are the objections and responses. So the responses have got many meanings.
The text says, yet another who merely who folds his hands and inclines his thought to enlightenment, the latter's worship is higher by far because in it there is found no limit. The low, inferior or mediocre logic systems that humans employ have limits but the superior being is practically without limit.
When you get the thoughts of aspiring to enlightenment, then with great effort strive to expand them fully. The way you do this is you put your mind up in the sky about seventy percent and you see like blue, vast blue in the mind which is equivalent to the first peaceful state which you've all experienced at one time or another.
So by holding the mind up in the sky seventy-percent the mind expands naturally. You're working with nature now, you're not fighting nature and you've got about thirty percent attention on your body. Your body's sitting in about fourth rupa jhana. So your body gets a wash and you've got this vast mind, and on that vast mind, because the beings of the past, present and future have dedicated their merit to anyone of superior being, like you are, you get these showers of blessings.
So, we were just talking earlier about making sure. If you have a logic system that refuses to accept blessings and then we talked about the conduct of beings and how they become silent Buddhas and so on, but you, you recall your resolve. In other births you didn't come to this second of your life out of nowhere. Your accumulated half-baked vows, three-quarter baked vows, seven-eight vows from many lives contributed to this event.
You know, I met many, many, many lives, so many lives, over a long time, you and I have been together again and again. I've been with Melva a long time ago, way back, you know. World cycles back. And then she goes off to some place, I go off to some place, and then we meet again. Now because in the past lives we were kind to each-other, we've got pleasant disposition. We're sitting here. We're not fighting with each-other. We're not killing each-other. We're not robbing from each-other. We're not lying to each-other. We're not having sex with each-other's wives or girlfriends. And we've haven't got booze or grass or heroine. Out of our past karma, our past causes, this is what brings us together like this. So everyone here has five precepts. I have five precepts, you have five precepts, in the present.
The causes of us being able to sit here are the accumulated drive, the effort, from many, many past lives. In some past lives you had other teachers, but you learned things from them maybe for resolve. Or maybe you've seen people you admired and said I wish I was like them. So you could have lifetimes of never hearing the word Buddha and then you hear the word Buddha and at first you don't know it.
So a right resolve, if you are to observe the full training, I’ll explain to you. A right resolve will not be furthered without locking it in with vows because without vows, if you say I'll, like I vow I'll do this, this is like a vow, you know? I'll have a cup of coffee, that's like a vow. Vows don't, don't go over the top about the word. Intention to do, doing it with intention, this is the same as vowing. Without the intention to do there won't be any doing, there's has to be an intentional cause. So you make intentional cause that I will progress in the minds, and in this case the mind is Bodhicitta.
Therefore, he who seeks his growth in the resolve for perfect enlightenment earnestly takes these ideas. So on that vast blue sky there's plenty of space on the mind spread across the vast blue sky. See, if your mind's down like a pinhead it's hard to get much on, but on that vast blue sky, I've got a photograph I took of a plane come on the dawns or something, I must get it developed. There's an aeroplane right in the sky with smoke over the grand final, or the semi final. In that vast blue sky where your mind dwells there’s like a graffiti board with nothing on it. It's clean. So you can write, you know, big, you know. I will come to enlightenment, full enlightenment, quickly, quickly. You can write on it. You're writing in the sky and then when you look in the sky next time you'll remember the vow. So you write, I will undertake five precepts right across the sky. You're looking at neon lights, lasers, any, you know.
You know, some people like neat block tight, paint em' in, tiz em' up. Five precepts are my victory, I've had a victory. I own five precepts. I, they're my property. I own Triple Gem Refuge, my property. I am the owner of the five precepts, they're mine, right across the big sky. I have Triple Gem Refuge and no other refuge except maybe my Tantric Gurus. So only he who makes lasting vows, it's no good making a vow and then wiping it out. If you put it up in the sky, leave it there. Every time you come back to do this meditation the writing will be there. Only the person who repeats the vows in one of the pratimoksha's, you know, the rules of conduct, seven ranks, is fit for the vow of the Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva has eighteen root vows. Only the person who repeats the vows in one of the pratimoksha’s seven ranks is fit for the vow of the Bodhisattva. There's no other way for it to be. I mean cause and effect.
When you write in the sky, your vows, the celestial sky dweller, sky dwelling beings see it. The word for Dakini in one translation means sky dancer. They dwell in sky, dakinis and the dakas, male and female forms. They see your vows, the celestial beings see your vows. The arya Bodhisattvas see your vows. By writing in the sky with your vast mind, just like we look after things here, we clean up the kitchen, dust the altars, just that like, we keep everything tidy and clean up. Wash the dishes. Other beings keep this place tidy I mean for me, for you.
So there are beings whose job in life, if you like, is to guard vows. They're like, like if you wrote them in gold paint and they got a bit weathered they'd come and touch up the gold paint. They like doing that. You know?
Write the five precepts in your mind, on the sky. You put today's date. What's today's date?
Student: The twenty-fourth.
JDH: Twenty fourth. Nine. Any of you know the year?
Student: (Laughing)
JDH: I'm timeless.
Student: Eighty-ninth.
JDH: Nineteen eighty nine. You write the date and in your next life when you do this meditation you will see like the theosophical quality of kasic record. In your next life you'll do this meditation and it'll be easier next life. You'll remember those vows, the ones you wrote, and you will see written by so and so’s name, today's date, the twenty-fourth of September, I've lost the year. I'm timeless. Nineteen-eighty-nine by John David Hughes.
What I usually write underneath that, I am not going mad. I write that underneath it because in my next life when I retrieve my vows its so, you know, going along suddenly bang you remember, ah I used to be called this. I write underneath it I'm not going mad because, see sometimes you're among people who don't understand. You say, do you know in my past life I was called John David Hughes? And then, in your next life, there they'll, and you'll be so happy because you'll say I took these vows last life on the twenty fourth of September nineteen eighty nine and my name was whatever your name is, and here I am in my next birth and I remember. I even remember my teacher's name. My teacher's name was John David Hughes and he lived at 33 Brooking Street Upwey. Upwey is not far from Melbourne, it's in Australia. You might even come back here out of nostalgia.
And you look, ah! Look, they've still got that multi-armed Kuan Yin, look at that! They've got, ah, I remember that. And then you look and say I built that! I did that, I put in that, I did that. It's not, it's deja vu with absolute knowledge. I planted that tree. I did that, I built that, I did that. I used to know that broad. I'm not going mad. Then, because of the great merit in your next life you don't just say ah, there's no good talking to ding-a-lings. You'll remember that.
I am happy. I am a Buddhist! Ah! Of course I'm a Buddhist. How could I have forgotten? Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha refuge then retrieve everything you've got. I know how to meditate! I now how to smoke cigarettes, drink coffee, whatever you do. I know there are teachers. I know there's a way. You recall your resolve in your other births, this is what the text says, and observe fully the training I've explained to you. I'll read it again.
When you get the thoughts of aspiring to enlightenment then with great effort strive to expand them fully, the thoughts of aspiring to enlightenment, and to recall your resolve in your other births. Observe fully the training I've explained to you. Then you'll remember he was reading Atisha’s Lamp and Commentary. I bet there's a copy at the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd. library.
A right resolve will not be furthered without vows that make progress in mind. Therefor, he who seeks growth in the resolve for perfect enlightenment earnestly takes them, takes those vows. Writes in the sky. Only he who has lasting vows, now up in that area there are beings who keep those vows clean. Like, you can have a librarian who looks after books. You have a recording artist who puts someone's voice on a record. There are beings that keep these vows that you write in the sky. They reaffirm them or look after them. So you don't have to do too much yourself. You say, devas, in the land sea and sky, hear me! I'm doing these vows to get to full enlightenment, I want to pick them up in my next life. Get to me, here, now, the devas who maintain this sky writing and then dakinis come who specialise in this area.
Only he who has made lasting vows in one of the pratimoksha's seven ranks is fit for the vow of the Bodhisattva. There is no other way for it to be. It's like you couldn't hold your Bodhisattva vows, your eighteen root vows, if you didn't hold your precepts. The minute the precepts are reformed there is the Bodhisattva vows. The Tathagata, the Buddha, has said that of the seven ranks of the Pratimoksha the Glorious Pure Life is the highest, the high morality, the sila, is the highest vibe, by which he meant the vows of the monk. Two-twenty-seven in theravada, two-fifty in China plus some extra precepts for the nuns. For laypeople, five. According to the ritual given in the conduct chapter of the Bodhisattva Levels, one takes the vow from any good Guru who has the proper characteristics.
One, he is learned. I once was down at Tara house and, I think Geshe Dhargye or someone else there, and Sandup was translating, and I said, and it got to this business about taking vows, and then the Geshe said anyone got any questions, because he knew I wanted to say something. I said if you take the vow from your Guru you've stolen it! I thought the precepts were no stealing. I made a joke and he laughed, and the others went, you know, that bloody Spike. If you took the vow from your Guru, your Guru would be without a vow, he'd have no moralities. So it doesn't mean take the vow from the Guru because I take five precepts from your Guru and it'd mean your Guru has no precepts. Take eighteen Bodhisattva vows from your Guru. Your Guru wouldn't have any Bodhisattva vows, you've stolen, you see?
If you stole the vows, you will lose them. If you stole the Bodhisattva vows you would lose them. So obviously when it says one takes the vow from any good Guru who has the proper characteristics, the Guru can produce multiple light rays from his body. On the end of the lightrays appear Bodhisattvas, Arhants, Buddhas, Buddha images, just psycho working, and they can reduce image of the Guru himself. So where is the Guru? And that model, this Guru is sitting as an emanation, so where is the Guru? On that model this Guru is sitting as an emanation on one of the rays of light and the true Guru. So like conjuring trick.
Now, because of the power of the mind, this Guru, you want to say, well which is the Bodhisattva emanation of this Guru? Well, this Guru, for the purpose of this excersise, is an emanation of Manjusri for the simple reason it's expedient means that the, this text by Atisa, is homage to Bodhisattva Manjusri and I taught the other day Minnie the mantra and she did well.
So, if you take the vows or the precepts from this emanation through the beam of light you would be stealing from Manjusri Bodhisattva. So taking the vows must mean something else. What does it mean? Look in your mind to find out now. How do you correctly take the vow? What's called taking the vow. It can't, it can't mean, you know, grabbing out and ripping of a mental formation or a sankhara. It must mean something else. Sit and meditate until you understand.
So, from the Cloud of Jewels text it says, O noble youth, the Bodhisattva bound by the vow of the Bodhisattva is the one who says I cannot be directly awakened to the supreme and perfect enlightenment just by the pratimoksha vows. Rather, I must train myself in everything the Tathagatas have ever joined as Bodhisattva practice and training in the Sutras and by their example. So at this point I will imitate my Guru, this is a commentary, in following the Mahayana Sutras to explain what must be practiced in the comprehensive training of the Bodhisattva. I've already indicated in the preceding stanzas who the unique vessel for the Mahayana is. It's the superior person.
So in pointing out the path of the great wagons, for hereby saying, according to the ritual given in the conduct chapter of the Bodhisattva Levels, one takes the vows. Out of that, Six Perfections. The nature of conduct all inclusive, the difficulties, the approaches, the holy man, all kinds. The wish in misfortune, happiness here and hereafter, and purify conduct. The good Guru, I show how this ritual precedes saying, one takes the vow from any good Guru who has the proper characteristic, that's the stanza, twenty-two of the text. And who is the good Guru, and what is his proper characteristics? One who is learned in the ritual of the vow, and himself lives the vow he has taken and has the compassionate forbearance to impart it. Know him to be the good Guru. Learned in the ritual of the vow means that he is well informed and knowledgeable about it. He lives the vow he has taken means the Gurus own conduct is not diminished or destroyed and that it is pure. Forbearance means he is willing to do it and proceeds freely in imparting the vow. Compassionate means he sees his disciple as a son and he cannot bear to see others suffering.
This ends our series, Atisha’s A Lamp on the Path to Enlightenment. The entire series will be available online on our website, www.bdcublessings.org.au, in the future. We hope you have gained something from hearing these holy teachings and above all, we wish that you, our listeners, and indeed all beings, be well and happy in each and every lifetime.
May all beings see the Buddha, hear the Dharma, and join the Sangha.
May you be well and happy.
May all beings be well and happy.
This script was prepared and edited by Alec Sloman.
References
Recording Title: Atisha's Lamp on the Path
Tape 9 Side 1
Teacher: John D. Hughes
Date of recording: 24/09/1989
Transcribed by Alec Sloman
Checked by:
CD Reference: 24_09_89T9S1
File Name I:\24_09_89T9S1A_JDHtranscribe.rtf
Document Statistics
Word count: 3,544
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