Phowa Talk (Dec 23, 2024)

Without understanding the meaning of phowa, it is difficult to have confidence in this practice. However, if you understand the meaning of the ground, the buddha nature, and seal it with the path of bodhicitta, performing phowa becomes truly beneficial.

All sentient beings are fundamentally buddhas. This means that all sentient beings of the six classes of beings possess the cause of buddhahood. But what is a buddha? A buddha is someone who has realized the basic nature of the mind, the buddha nature that pervades all sentient beings. As the Buddha himself said, “All sentient beings are buddhas but are obscured by adventitious stains.” In other words, sentient beings are inherently buddhas. Yet, due to the temporary stains of self-grasping and dualistic perception of self and others, they have become like ice blocks floating on the surface of an ocean. When self-grasping is eliminated by bodhicitta, these ice blocks melt back into the water, and authentic phowa is achieved. Simply put, we need to warm the ocean by practicing phowa. That is all that is required.

Even scientists who are good at analyzing things will recognize phowa as authentic. If you discuss it with them, they will accept it. Then, you can also quote from the scriptures. The Single Intention states, “If something is not contained in the fundamental nature, that does not change no matter how one looks at it.” Therefore, if sentient beings did not have the potential for buddhahood in their mindstreams, phowa could not help transform them into buddhas. In fact, it would be impossible to perform phowa. If buddha nature did not abide in sentient beings, phowa alone could not benefit them. However, since the basic nature of sentient beings is buddha nature, and they are thus fundamentally buddhas, they are only temporarily obscured by self-grasping and dualistic perception. When bodhicitta “warms” the ocean, the ice blocks of self-grasping melt in the water. This is how you should understand phowa.

Just thinking of your deceased friend or relative is not enough. Because you naturally feel great love for them, if you instead focus on Buddha Amitabha, it immediately becomes phowa. How does that benefit them? When they were still alive, they had great love and affection for us. Therefore, when we think of them with love, those close to us will be guided by the power of the love and affection they had for us and by the blessing of the Buddha. When we are able to guide the deceased in this way, with immeasurable love, they will benefit immediately.

I often tell people that the roots of virtue for the deceased should be performed by all those who love them. The same applies to rituals for the sick. If we ask monks in a monastery to perform rituals, for example, these rituals are beneficial because of the great love the monks naturally have. If they lacked love, the benefit would be much less. For the practice to be effective, there must always be a connection of love.

Tibetan – English translation by Katrin Querl

Rainbow Talk (Dec 17, 2024)

Painting a proper rainbow is very difficult because the colors must gradually become brighter and clearer. While this is not easy, it is a true quality if one can achieve it. This is because the rainbow symbolizes the mind. But how does the mind come to resemble a rainbow?

Although all beings possess buddha nature, they are temporarily obscured by self-grasping and afflictions. At this stage of an ordinary being, the mind has only two aspects: white and black. The white aspect is the love we feel for our loved ones such as our children and partners. But this love is limited and can fade or be lost. We also lack discriminative knowledge. The black aspect is the self-grasping and all the afflictions that arise from it. In the beginning, this black aspect is stronger than the white.

However, when we cultivate bodhicitta and train in it, the white aspect gradually grows stronger and eventually prevails. At the same time, the black aspect diminishes. When we realize ultimate bodhicitta, the white aspect becomes completely clear, like a crystal. In this crystal-clear mind, the five rainbow colors begin to emerge. The afflictions gradually ripen into primordial wisdom, and the pure buddha realms can manifest.

As we purify our self-grasping, the purity of our mind increases. When the mind becomes pure, its qualities naturally emerge: first, great compassion arises and then the beings of the three realms appear as deities. The purer our mind becomes, the purer the appearances become. For instance, in the practice of Thögal, visions of rainbow light appear as a sign of the purification of the mind. Even when meditating on immeasurable love, a rainbow can appear. At that point, the mind recognizes itself. It’s important to understand that what one sees in these visions is the natural luminosity of one’s mind, an expression of the purity of one’s mind. One must not confuse it with an external rainbow.

It is said that in Thögal practice, there is a danger of mistakenly thinking that what appears is an outer rainbow, in which deities appear. But in truth, all of this is the natural luminosity of one’s mind. As the Thirty-Seven Practices say, “The way things appear is one’s own mind.” Therefore, when the mind itself has become free from elaborations, it becomes really pure, and one can see all the deities and buddha fields. This is also taught in the Golden Temple Prayer (Serkhangma) and all the prayers for rebirth in Sukhavati. All appearances become buddha fields and the three lower realms are nowhere to be seen. To understand this is very precious.

Tibetan-English translation by Katrin

We rejoice that you aspire to deepen your path by taking these vows online. How wonderful!

H.E. Garchen Rinpoche has said that it is extremely beneficial to take vows online, as it really shows you have a strong aspiration to receive them! Rinpoche explains that the reason we are truly able to receive vows online, is due to the ultimate nature of the Three Jewels — the Buddha, the Dharma (teachings), and the Sangha (spiritual community). Their ultimate nature is actually love, which is all-pervasive like space. So if we have the heart and intention of love, we receive the vows whether or not we are physically present for the ceremony.

To take your vows, go to the Taking Vows Online Page to select the type of Vow.

May all beings benefit!

Click here to view the read The Lama of Many Lifetimes – The Early Years (1937-1958) Book 1 which is about the life of H.E. Garchen Rinpoche. This volume is currently out of print but can be read online. Book 2 is available for purchase in our online store.

H.E. Garchen Rinpoche’s birthday wish is for everyone to accumulate two very important prayers.

Shantideva’s Four Lines for the relief of disease and sickness, especially during the pandemic.

For those who have received Bodhisattva vows, you must recite the Homage to Bodhicitta three times in the morning and three times in the evening.

From the text–   “To take the 8 Mahayana Precepts, Imagine all mother sentient beings, limitless as the sky, are gathered here.  Think I am taking the 8 Mahayana precepts for the sake of all mother sentient beings, boundless as the sky. Then take the 8 vows.  If you take just one of the vows for one day or for however long you can take it, it has great benefit. The Moon Lamp Sutra says – In this age of degeneration, if you just keep one vow for one day or night – this is more merit than offering to thousands of Buddhas in the past when the dharma widely flourished.  In this life, the benefits are immense. Mother sentient beings are liberated from the lower realms. It purifies greed, disease, and karmic results of all negativities.  Finally it will liberate you from samsara.  As Guru Rinpoche said  “ These precepts are for purifying non virtues and to increase virtues.”  The Mantra of Pure Discipline is the essence of the six perfections and when you recite this mantra, you will receive the same benefit of the Buddhas of the three times.   It will purify all your broken vows and samayas and will help you to keep your vows purely in the future.  Buddha Maitreya recited the Dharani mantra three times in the day and three times in the night, accumulating merit equal to many eons.  H.E. Garchen Rinpoche:   “ You should dedicate the merit because it’s possible anger and other afflictive emotions can arise that could destroy your merit.”  “Recite Gelongma Palmo’s praise, because it has such great benefit. Gelongma Palmo had leprosy and recited the praise and was cured of leprosy.”

NEW TEACHING VIDEOS by H.E. Garchen Rinpoche.

Made available by the Garchen Dharma Institute in Taiwan