[Teaching translated by Joseph Faria] This is the continuation of my notes on the Tergar retreat teachings.
Tranforming
How to transform emotions? Like the
beautiful statue in the shrine [behind Khenpo-la] made of clay, we can transform the
muddy mind into the crystal mind. Mingyur
Rinpoche explained yesterday how to do it with visualization.
We explained the abandoning
of emotions of the Sutra path. In the Mahayana path we move on to transform the emotions.
Finally in the Vajrayana we transcend the emotions. In the Kagyu and Nyingma traditions we do transformation
with the recognition and awareness methods.
In the path of transformation, we don’t discard any emotion, but we see
in them the nature of the deity through visualization.
The difference between relinquishing and
transforming is that in the first path we see the emotion as flaw, as something
we need to get rid of, like a poison, or a dangerous animal. In the path of transformation we do not
see it as flaw. The third path is that
of recognition. In the recognition we do
not see the emotion either as flaw, moreover we see it as something pure and
wonderful, and then we try to befriend the emotion. When we look at the emotion we don’t try to avoid
or transform it, but to work directly with it to liberate us. The goal of the three approaches is similar
because is to tame or pacify our mind, and reduce the experience of suffering, transforming it into awareness, compassion, and wisdom.
For example, if I get angry at the
translator, because I think he is not doing well his job, and I want to hit him,
I can question “Why I am angry? Maybe he is sick, or he didn’t sleep well and
that is why he do not translate well.” I
can also look at me, “Maybe I don’t speak clearly. He tried his best. Why am I angry?” This is the path of relinquish.
In the path of transformation we don’t
follow, react to the anger, but rather we transform it by visualizing as the
deity, the yidam (Buddha, Tara, etc.). The
visualization of the deity neutralizes the emotion because we cannot hold simultaneously
in mind two opposite emotions. This connects
us with the positive qualities of the deity and reduces the power of the
negative emotion. Although the deity has
a human appearance, its essence is love and wisdom, so we focus mainly on its essence.
For example, if we must deal with craving,
we can transform it in Amitabha. We
don’t think on Amitabha as separate, but we think of desire as a beautiful form
of wisdom. The human appearance [of the
deity] helps our mind to work with it, but the transformation is thru the
essence characteristics. Instead of
falling in the energy of desire, we turn our attention to the nature of
Amitabha, we think we possess the qualities of Amitabha. Even if we cannot visualize, we can think on
the qualities, so we can transform the emotion that way.
Do you know Amitabha, White Tara or Buddha Shakyamuni? Was Buddha a man? Was he compassionate? Was he a good or bad man? When we think of Buddha there are three ways.
- In the Vajrayana we think on Buddha as someone not afflicted by emotions, but can manifest his nature of love, compassion, and wisdom.
- In the common (Sutra) vehicle we think of the Buddha as a wise man, with a compassionate behaviour. His love is not only for humans, but extends to all sentient beings, including bugs and mosquitoes.
- [in the Mahayana] The Buddha can explain the true nature of things, as empty of inherent existence. When we work with emotions [in the common vehicle] we think of the Buddha as a noble being endowed with love and compassion and wisdom in front of us and we wish to transform ourselves into someone similar to the Buddha.
- In the Vajrayana the Buddha is not an ordinary individual, in terms of his enlightened qualities. When visualize us as the Buddha, we think having the same nature of love and wisdom. Working that way, as soon an emotion arises we think of us with these enlightened qualities.
Meditation
- Let’s do some practice. Would you like to visualize yourself as a Buddha or in front of you? We will visualize us as Buddhas. Do you think your mind has the same qualities of Buddha’s?
- Look at any emotion is present. Maybe you think you think not having any emotion. Whatever you think or feel recognize it as it is.
- Now visualize yourself as Buddha, whatever you think or feel. Visualize it as a dream, although it appears, is not real, like a rainbow in the sky.
- Think about the essence of Buddha as possessing love, compassion and wisdom.
- Think that your own qualities are the same of the Buddha, that you and the Buddha are indivisible.
- Just rest your mind
No matter what emotion arises, if we follow
them, we accumulate karma and we experience samsara. Now when we experience a
negative emotion, not only we don’t follow, but we use them to visualize us in
a pure form. That way, the emotions become
weaker and we start to purify our karma.
Let’s practice again. We will combine the
three approaches of relinquish, transformation and recognition, that we can
practice separately, together.
Meditation
- Sit with your back upright and release tensions in the body.
- Keep your attention to not get lost, think on any thought or emotion that arises, ‘I don’t want to follow’
- Contemplate the afflictions that disturb other beings. Consider any emotion you are experience replaces the same emotion experienced by all other beings. Wish that the emotion of all these beings comes to you.
- Imagine how wonderful would be that all the beings get free of this emotion, and formulate the intention to prac-tice liberating all them from this affliction.
- Imagine now the Buddha Shakyamuni in the space in front of you. Think on his qualities: love, compassion, and wisdom. Reflect that he looks at all us thru these qualities.
- Thinking on the qualities and the teachings of the Buddha, form the intention to bring all this into practice.
- Visualize light irradiating from the Buddha and it strikes you, filling you with blessings, and liberating you from all the disturbing emotions. Now you are inseparable from the Buddha, you transformed into the Buddha.
- Now all your emotions has transformed in the essence of the Buddha: love, compassion, and wisdom, the same nature of the Buddha Shakyamuni.
- Visualize the light reaching all the beings, and their emotions also transform into love, compassion and wisdom. All them also become Buddhas.
- Our mind and the minds of all beings become inseparable from the Buddha’s mind and rest with it.
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