Echoes Bouncing Off Echoes

What Happened When the Buddha Died?

sherabzangpo — Sat, 10 May 2008 10:46:51 +0000

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.16.1-6.vaji.html

How the Blessed One Passed into Nibbana

9. And the Blessed One entered the first jhana. Rising from the first jhana, he entered the second jhana. Rising from the second jhana, he entered the third jhana. Rising from the third jhana, he entered the fourth jhana. And rising out of the fourth jhana, he entered the sphere of infinite space. Rising from the attainment of the sphere of infinite space, he entered the sphere of infinite consciousness. Rising from the attainment of the sphere of infinite consciousness, he entered the sphere of nothingness. Rising from the attainment of the sphere of nothingness, he entered the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. And rising out of the attainment of the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, he attained to the cessation of perception and feeling.

10. And the Venerable Ananda spoke to the Venerable Anuruddha, saying: “Venerable Anuruddha, the Blessed One has passed away.”

“No, friend Ananda, the Blessed One has not passed away. He has entered the state of the cessation of perception and feeling.”59

11. Then the Blessed One, rising from the cessation of perception and feeling, entered the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. Rising from the attainment of the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, he entered the sphere of nothingness. Rising from the attainment of the sphere of nothingness, he entered the sphere of infinite consciousness. Rising from the attainment of the sphere of infinite consciousness, he entered the sphere of infinite space. Rising from the attainment of the sphere of infinite space, he entered the fourth jhana. Rising from the fourth jhana, he entered the third jhana. Rising from the third jhana, he entered the second jhana. Rising from the second jhana, he entered the first jhana.

Rising from the first jhana, he entered the second jhana. Rising from the second jhana, he entered the third jhana. Rising from the third jhana, he entered the fourth jhana. And, rising from the fourth jhana, the Blessed One immediately passed away.

The World’s Echo

12. And when the Blessed One had passed away, simultaneously with his Parinibbana there came a tremendous earthquake, dreadful and astounding, and the thunders rolled across the heavens.

13. And when the Blessed One had passed away, simultaneously with his Parinibbana, Brahma Sahampati60 spoke this stanza:

All must depart  —  all beings that have life
Must shed their compound forms. Yea, even one,
A Master such as he, a peerless being,
Powerful in wisdom, the Enlightened One, has passed away.

14. And when the Blessed One had passed away, simultaneously with his Parinibbana, Sakka, king of the gods,61 spoke this stanza:

Transient are all compounded things,
Subject to arise and vanish;
Having come into existence they pass away;
Good is the peace when they forever cease.

15. And when the Blessed One had passed away, simultaneously with his Parinibbana, the Venerable Anuruddha spoke this stanza:

No movement of the breath, but with steadfast heart,
Free from desires and tranquil  —  so the sage
Comes to his end. By mortal pangs unshaken,
His mind, like a flame extinguished, finds release.

16. And when the Blessed One had passed away, simultaneously with his Parinibbana, the Venerable Ananda spoke this stanza:

Then there was terror, and the hair stood up, when he,
The All-accomplished One, the Buddha, passed away.

17. Then, when the Blessed One had passed away, some bhikkhus, not yet freed from passion, lifted up their arms and wept; and some, flinging themselves on the ground, rolled from side to side and wept, lamenting: “Too soon has the Blessed One come to his Parinibbana! Too soon has the Happy One come to his Parinibbana! Too soon has the Eye of the World vanished from sight!”

But the bhikkhus who were freed from passion, mindful and clearly comprehending, reflected in this way: “Impermanent are all compounded things. How could this be otherwise?”

18. And the Venerable Anuruddha addressed the bhikkhus, saying: “Enough, friends! Do not grieve, do not lament! For has not the Blessed One declared that with all that is dear and beloved there must be change, separation, and severance? Of that which is born, come into being, compounded and subject to decay, how can one say: ‘May it not come to dissolution!’? The deities, friends, are aggrieved.”

“But, venerable sir, of what deities is the Venerable Anuruddha aware?”

“There are deities, friend Ananda, in space and on the earth who are earthly-minded; with dishevelled hair they weep, with uplifted arms they weep; flinging themselves on the ground, they roll from side to side, lamenting: ‘Too soon has the Blessed One come to his Parinibbana! Too soon has the Happy One come to his Parinibbana! Too soon has the Eye of the World vanished from sight!’ But those deities who are freed from passion, mindful and clearly comprehending, reflect in this way: ‘Impermanent are all compounded things. How could this be otherwise?’”

19. Now the Venerable Anuruddha and the Venerable Ananda spent the rest of the night in talking on the Dhamma. Then the Venerable Anuruddha spoke to the Venerable Ananda, saying: “Go now, friend Ananda, to Kusinara, and announce to the Mallas: ‘The Blessed One, Vasetthas, has passed away. Do now as seems fitting to you.’”

“So be it, venerable sir.” And the Venerable Ananda prepared himself in the forenoon, and taking bowl and robe, went with a companion into Kusinara.

20. At that time the Mallas of Kusinara had gathered in the council hall to consider that very matter. And the Venerable Ananda approached them and announced: “The Blessed One, Vasetthas, has passed away. Do now as seems fitting to you.”

And when they heard the Venerable Ananda speak these words, the Mallas with their sons, their wives, and the wives of their sons, were sorely grieved, grieved at heart and afflicted; and some, with their hair all dishevelled, with arms upraised in despair, wept; flinging themselves on the ground, they rolled from side to side, lamenting: “Too soon has the Blessed One come to his Parinibbana! “Too soon has the Happy One come to his Parinibbana! Too soon has the Eye of the World vanished from sight!”

The Reverberation of Sanctity

sherabzangpo — Sat, 10 May 2008 10:21:02 +0000

A few weeks ago, in the Tibetan colony of Bir in Himachal Pradesh, my good friend Tenzin Drakpa (”Renowned Holder of the Teachings”), whose father was one of the core members of the most resilient group of freedom fighters for Tibet, gave me a strip of red cloth. This cloth was blessed and considered a holy object, which a devout Buddhist would place on his head when receiving it. It was blessed by being placed on the very spot where the Buddha manifested the appearance of passing away and leaving his Indian body for mahaparinirvana — all as a skillful teaching to show that all compounded phenomena are impermanent, even the physical forms of buddhas.

The cloth is placed on the holy spot of Buddha’s death in Kushinagar, one of the four main Buddhist pilgrimage sites, for one week. During this week it soaks up the blessings. It is then sold by the meter. Drakpa bought a few meters and cut strips to give to his friends. A good idea, I thought.

The cloth is not itself a holy object, but is made so by its physical contact with a specific physical location that is charged with spiritual energy, namely that of the passing away of a fully enlightened buddha, with all of the attendant miracles.

The basic concept here is that ordinary physical objects can be transformed into holy objects, capable of transferring blessings and spiritual power, by virtue of their physical association with sacred physical objects or sacred living beings. Most of the sacred physical objects in religious traditions are made so by their association with sacred living beings, who are in and of themselves sacred. In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, things that touch things that touched holy beings can be considered holy and worthy of reverence.

It brings to mind the fact that it’s quite likely that every single one of us may have breathed or may currently be breathing the same air that Jesus and Buddha breathed; that we may even be breathing in the very atoms that composed their exalted forms; and that we ourselves — that is, our own bodies — may be, at this moment, composed of some of the same molecules that composed the revered forms of any number of spiritual masters.

By extension, since all phenomena, physical or otherwise, are utterly interconnected, then every single molecule and atom could be considered blessed by the reverberating, pulsing network of sanctifying connection. Everything is literally connected to something (and everything) that is holy and sacred. Remember that next time you turn on the evening news.

It is said in certain teachings from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition that, from the Buddhist Tantric viewpoint, wherein all phenomena are already of the nature of enlightenment, one can receive blessings, immense positive karma, and realization through one’s interaction with seemingly ordinary things.

According to this system, all physical phenomena are composed of the five elements. This may seem to be an incorrect and primitive scientific worldview, but it is really a practical way of thinking of the physical world, which has correlations with modern science. Fire corresponds to heat and warmth; water to wetness and liquid; wind to movement and vibration; space to the absence of physical obstruction; earth to solidity and hardness, and so on. All physical phenomena can be categorized according to the five elements, and this schema has many, many correlations, extending infinitely to include the whole of phenomenal, mental, emotional, cultural, and psychological experience, in a broad five-fold net.

The ultimate nature of the five elements is the five kinds of pristine wakefulness, or primordial wisdom (ye -shey). This means that inherent within the qualities of ordinary physical and mental phenomena is a deep and pure nature, which expresses itself in different facets.

In other words, our worlds, both inner and outer, display a multitude of qualities and aspects on an “ordinary” level, which is apprehended through the lens of defiled perception, which operates under the power of bewilderment and non-recognition of their true nature. This true nature is of one essence — emptiness, luminosity, and clarity — but also displays a multitude of qualities. These qualities, rather than mundane differences, are different kinds of wisdom, which arise out of that one wisdom-essence’s spontaneously arising compassion, because the infinite number of sentient beings have an infinite number of varieties of defiled perception, which must be addressed on their own terms in ways that they can understand.

The five ordinary elements are really the five extraordinary elements of deep awareness; the five ordinary afflictive mental states are really the five extraordinary states of pristine wisdom. Thus it’s said that with devotion and pure perception, one can accumulate vast merit and virtue (the causes of future happiness and positive circumstances) through praying to otherwise ordinary objects such as statues of the buddhas and so on, because, being composed of the five ordinary elements, their real nature is enlightened pristine awareness.

By extension, one could cultivate an attitude of devotion to the whole phenomenal world, based on this pure perception. Imagine what THAT would feel like?

Take a walk in the woods and recognize the utterly innate purity of everything you see, hear, smell, and touch. Pray to everything as a manifestation of utmost wisdom, reality, and compassion.

Objects like the blessed red cloth are, on one level, merely skillful devices to inspire the cultivation of devotion and other positive mental states, and a reminder of sacredness in general. Since all phenomena must have some kind of connection with all people and objects that are considered holy, then all phenomena, all things, are blessed by virtue of this connection, and are sources of blessings. Even the screen you are looking at right now, even the mouse that you use to navigate this blog, and even the eyes you use to read it.

And since all phenomena are, from the beginning, primordially of one taste with absolute wisdom — emptiness of which compassion is the very essence — then they are blessed already, in and of themselves, without needing blessings from some outside source. Even the trash on the side of the road, even the endless barrage of advertisements, even hair clogged in your bathtub drain.

It would be amazing if the whole world could entertain these ideas. Even the non-religious and non-spiritual would be given pause for contemplation, and a re-thinking of their habitual reactions to things. No matter how awful you might feel, no matter how dirty and mundane some physical thing might seem, if people could entertain the view of primordial purity, even just slightly, it would do much to lesson the arising of disturbing thoughts and harmful words and actions, and thus create greater peace and evolved behavior throughout the world.

This piece of cloth is blessed. It laid for a week where the complete and perfect Buddha Shakyamuni rested his 81 year-old body for the last time, to let it be known that we’d better make use of our precious human lives. Strive on with diligence! Shall I cut you off a piece?

be like a window

sherabzangpo — Wed, 07 May 2008 10:27:31 +0000

Looking outside the window

where the blue and red painted

letters

say teaveg.thukpamilkveg.momo

and so on, la sog pa, all backwards for me,

all tempting –

no class today, so

i get the Special Thali.

the sun dares to shine:

“you’ve got to be like a window

–not a door

but a window“

If you want to transmit wisdom

through speech

Properly

that is.

This ashtray that abides

before me is beautiful. The scene

before you is Beautiful. If there was

an All-Powerful Overseer, he wrote this

universe to remember the beauty

in her mind.

We have many eyes.

Some of them are clouded.

Some of them are clear.

Some of them are made of smoke

And some emit sweet tears.

The Tathagata never wrote a

book, but had many mouths instead.

From them all, he sent forth flowers

which fall upon your head.

Darjeeling, India

5.5.2008

reciprocal favor

sherabzangpo — Fri, 02 May 2008 13:12:51 +0000

Breathe in

all my suffering

I humbly request you.

If you do that,

you will be greater than a queen.

If you do that,

I will

be able to relax.

Breathe out

all your happiness

and send it to me

I humbly request you.

If you do that,

you will be

more powerful than

an empress.

If you do that,

I will

be able to

walk on clouds.

You can ask me

to do the same for you

and I will.

Then we will abide

forever

in the lap of

the savior goddess,

together.

Darjeeling, India

indestructible country

sherabzangpo — Fri, 02 May 2008 12:56:49 +0000

lightning bolt country.

mountains made of wind.

a process no one knows.

clouds tempt the trees.

a horizon that knows mist.

a sun that knows itself.

diamond bolt country.

birds made of steam.

a kind of unfurling, a kind of unfurling that answers answers.

a hotel made of mountains.

trees tempt the clouds.

gentle vista, you can recognize something.

soft one, you conceal universes,

and thereby create beauty.

indestructible country.

an atmosphere that supports

only water:

water mountains

water sky

water hillsides

water people

water trees

water air

water culture.

your sunset is cold, but it

creates a sphere of warmth.

yor mountains are green, but they

create a sphere of blue.

your people are dark, but they

create a sphere of light.

your beauty is obvious, but you

pile up mountains to hide your face.

this is a process that everybody knows.

gentle vista, all those

who are conscious

perceive you.

clouds tempt the trees.

Darjeeling, India

A prayer for Tibet

sherabzangpo — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:37:44 +0000

Prayer for Peace and Freedom

Due to the great force of negative karma amassed in past lives,
In this life we Tibetans are undergoing great suffering.
May all the causes for this suffering finally be consumed
And may the happy sun of freedom dawn above us all.

The most salient supporting condition for the suffering of Tibetans
Are the Chinese, who are confused about what causes happiness and pain.
May they develop great loving kindness and compassion
Directed toward us Tibetans and all sentient beings.

We must recognize that we Tibetans viewing the Chinese
As our enemies and their viewing us with hatred and disdain
Will cause ceaseless suffering for all concerned. Knowing this,
Let us have love for one another like the love between mother and child.

Through the powerful reality of the Three Jewels and of relativity free from extremes,
And through the powerful truth of the unwavering causality of karma, good or bad,
May these aims that I have prayed for with a good heart
Come to pass right now without any hindrance.

by Geshe Tsulga

[Translated by John Dunne.]

new cell phone number

sherabzangpo — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:55:59 +0000

993-274-8322

Indian number, so dial the Indian country code first, 011+91

tell all sentient beings, especially the ones that know me and want to talk to me, and can afford to call India in order to make me happy, and thus all other lovely mother conscious wanderers

my translation of ‘The Intricate Knot of Indestructible Vajra Prayer’

sherabzangpo — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 14:32:20 +0000

The Intricate Knot of Indestructible Vajra Prayer

by Terdag Lingpa, Minling Terchen Rigdzin Gyurme Dorje

Hosts of Gurus, Yidams, and Deities — think of me!

From this moment onwards, all virtue accomplished through diligence,

And all virtue that has been accumulated throughout the three times — all virtue that exists –

Bringing it all together, I dedicate all this towards unsurpassable, unexcelled, complete and perfect awakening.

From this moment until I reach the heart of enlightenment,

With noble lineage, a clear intellect, free from pride,

With immense compassion, and endowed with devotion towards the Guru,

May I authentically abide within the resplendent Vajra Vehicle!

Ripened through empowerments, and endowed with the precepts of samaya commitment,

Perfecting the two stages of the path, those of Approach and Accomplishment,

Without difficulty, may I reach the level of a rigdzin holder of intrinsic awareness!

May I accomplish the two kinds of spiritual attainments with ease!

Whatever appearances there are, these are perfected within the ongoing spherical web of magical illusion.

All sounds are the sound of mantra, beyond ordinary speech and expression.

The fleeting moment-to-moment arisings within the mind do not aggregate within self-cognizing awareness.

May I actualize supreme bliss, free from union and separation!

May transgressions, ordinary concepts, and obscurations be purified in their own place, without having to abandon them!

May the outer, inner, and secret realizations of inseparability be consummated!

All is self-liberated within the panoramic spaciousness of Kuntuzangpo’s expanse.

May the depths of the lower realms be churned, and may samsaric conditioned existence and the nirvanic state of ultimate peace be pacified and equanimized!

May the kayas and purelands be manifestly completed within the supreme heart-drop sphere!

Not separating from the supreme samaya commitments, and the outer signs of acceptance and rejection,

May the knot of hope and fear be freed within vast and infinite pervasiveness!

May the Dharmakaya of the Great Perfection, Dzogpachenpo, be actualized!

May the blessings of the Three Lineages enter my heart!

May the secret path of the web of magical illusion be perfected within my mind!

Through awakened activity, pacification, and spontaneous accomplishment,

May the limitless beings be liberated!

Through the peaceful and wrathful emanations’ cycle of transmission and revelation;

Through the dakinis who protect us like children;

And through the dispelling of obstacles by the Dharma protectors and guardians,

May the countless aspirations I hold in my mind be accomplished!

May the teachings of the Victorious Ones spread and flourish,

And may the brilliant aims of the holders of the Teachings be accomplished!

Pacifying, without exception, all manner of adverse circumstances that may arise,

May limitless abundance and excellence be accomplished without effort!

This was the noble speech of Rigdzin Gyurme Dorje, and it is endowed with blessings.

Translated by Erick Sherab Zangpo.

my translation of the conclusion to the Heart Sutra

sherabzangpo — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 06:31:02 +0000

This is the final part of the standard Tibetan version of the Heart Sutra, which includes instructions on practicing the sutra and an averting ritual. I have also added it to the previous Heart Sutra post (see “Translations” on the right-hand side).

The Conclusion to the Heart-Essence of the Far-Reaching Perfection of Sublime Gnosis Sutra

If you want to practice this sutra, visualize that in the space in front of you is the Thus Gone One, the Tathagata, Shakyamuni Buddha. He is displaying the mudra of “Subduing Mara”, and is surrounded by Avalokiteshvara and Shariputra, who are exchanging questions and answers, etc., and a retinue of the Mahayana and Hinayana sanghas.

While contemplating the meaning of emptiness in your mind, recite the profound sutra up to seven times, or as many times as you like, and recite the gnostic mantra as many times as is appropriate.

Finally, to turn back the maras:

I pay homage to the Buddha!

I pay homage to the Dharma!

I pay homage to the Sangha!

I pay homage to the Great Mother, the Far-Reaching Perfection of Sublime Gnosis!

May my words of truth be accomplished!

Just as, in the past, the powerful lord of the gods, Indra, reflected upon the profound meaning of the Far-Reaching Perfection of Sublime Gnosis in his mind, recited these words aloud, and through this turned back the maras, destructive forces, all other negativity and disharmony in all directions, in that same way, may I, through reflecting upon the profound meaning of the Far-Reaching Perfection of Sublime Gnosis and reciting these words aloud, turn back the maras, destructive forces, and all other negativity and disharmony in all directions.

May they be obliterated!

May the be pacified!

May they be entirely pacified!

And in conclusion:

Whatever arises through interdependent connection

Is unceasing and unborn,

Is uninterrupted, yet is not permanent,

Does not come, and does not go,

Is not separate, yet is not identical.

This is the complete pacification of elaborations.

This pacification is revealed by the noble speech of perfect and complete buddhas, and to this sacred truth, I pay homage!

And with this, recite dedications and auspicious aspirations.

Translated by Erick Sherab Zangpo.

my translation of ‘For the Benefit of Beings Pervading Space: A Meditation-Recitation on the Vastly Compassionate One’

sherabzangpo — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 05:36:18 +0000

For the Benefit of Beings Pervading Space: A Meditation-Recitation on the Vastly Compassionate One

by Thangthong Gyalpo

Being with going for Refuge:

I and all beings equal to the limits of the sky itself, all sentient beings, at this time, from this moment forward, until the heart of awakening is reached:

Go for refuge in the sacred and resplendent Gurus.

We go for refuge in the hosts of Yidams and Mandala Deities.

We go for refuge in the Buddhas, the Transcendent and Accomplished Conquerors.

We go for refuge in the sacred Dharma.

We go for refuge in all of the noble Sangha.

We go for refuge in the Dakas, Dakinis, Dharma Guardians, and Protectors who Possess the Eye of Primordial Wisdom.

Having gone for Refuge, engage in the meditation on Chenrezig.

In the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Supreme Assemblies of Sangha,

I go for Refuge until complete awakening.

Through the merit of my practice of generosity and the other far-reaching perfections,

May I accomplish buddhahood in order to benefit beings.

Generating the Deity:

On the crown of my head and those of all other sentient beings pervading space

there rests a white lotus and moon seat.

From the HRIH on the lotus and moon seat appears the Supremely Noble Chenrezig:

white, clear and luminous, and radiating five-colored light rays.

Smiling charmingly, he gazes with eyes of great compassion.

He has four arms: the first pair are joined together,

the second, lower pair hold a crystal rosary and a white lotus.

He is adorned with ornaments of silk and precious jewels.

He wears the skin of a wild deer, which covers his upper part.

Amitabha adorns his head.

His two noble legs and feet rest in the vajra-asana posture.

His back is supported by a stainless moon.

He is the essence in which all sources of Refuge converge.

Thinking that oneself and all sentient beings are supplicating in a single voice, recite as follows:

Noble Master, Protector whose exalted body is not clothed by fault,

Whose head is adorned with a perfect buddha

Who gazes on beings with eyes of great compassion

I prostrate and pay homage to Chenrezig!

Accumulate as many repetitions of this homage as you are able.

The Seven-Branch Prayer:

To the Noble Chenrezig, the Powerful One;

to all the Victorious Ones and their bodhisattva heirs

abiding throughout the ten directions and three times:

To all of you, I prostrate with faith.

Flowers, incense, butter lamps, scents,

Food, music, and many other offerings:

I entreat the hosts of Noble Ones to accept them.

I confess all negativity accumulated from beginninglessness until the present moment:

the ten non-virtuous actions, the five grave misdeeds of limitless consequence,

and all actions committed under the power of the disturbing emotions in my mind –

I confess all of my destructive actions.

I rejoice in all of the virtue accumulated throughout the three times

by shravakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas,

each and every ordinary being, and all beings:

In all of their merit, I rejoice!

In accordance with the wishes,

intellects and individualities of sentient beings,

Please turn the Dharma Wheel

of the Great, Lesser, and common vehicles.

For as long as samsara is not emptied,

out of your great compassion, do not pass into nirvana,

but rather please look after sentient beings

drowning in the ocean of suffering.

May whatever merit I have accumulated

become the cause for the complete awakening of all;

For the the endless succession of beings

May I become a splendid leader!

If you are inclined, do the Supplication to Chenrezig, which was Bhikshu Padma Karpo’s daily practice commitment.

I supplicate you, Guru Chenrezig.

I supplicate you, Yidam Chenrezig.

I supplicate you, Supremely Noble Chenrezig.

I supplicate you, Lord Protector Chenrezig.

I supplicate you, Lord of Love Chenrezig.

Hold us with your great compassion, Victorious One of Vast Compassion.

In limitless samsara, uncountable ones are wandering:

Without respite, these beings are experiencing suffering.

Protector, other than you they have no other refuge.

Please bestow your blessings that we may attain omniscient buddhahood!