Padmasambhava Yidam Practice
Gyalwai Nyugu’s teaching during morning practice session on 5th December 2012
Tashi Delek! Hello everyone!
Today, after our meditation, we will do the Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) yidam practice by visualising Padmasambhava. Some people have other deity practices. We can dissolve all the other deities into Guru Rinpoche and practise them together (ie, Guru Rinpoche practice is the equivalent of practising all the other deities)
I am very thankful to all who had sent me WeChat messages with respect to the teachings on disasters. This teaching had helped many people. I am very pleased to know this. I wish that everyone around us may become more and more happy.
Yesterday, a disciple asked me about following a Root Guru. Currently, many people, including some of the students who have just taken refuge, are hoping to find their Root Guru.
We need a teacher’s guidance and we need to complete our preliminary practices. During this stage, the outer and inner preliminary practices are more important than (looking for) our Root Guru.
Therefore, it is more reliable to choose a teacher based on the level of your own practice and experience. The teacher is very important, but one’s own diligence, courage and faith is even more important.
After having found one’s Root Guru, there is no need to follow him night and day. The best way to follow the Guru is to complete the practices he has given us, little bit by little bit.
What we need is his wisdom and compassion. Just like the sun. Everyone can bask in the sun, but the sun does not belong to anyone. It is preferable not to idolise or pursue your Guru as if he or she were a celebrity. The way in which we follow our Guru may affect the propagation of the Dharma to others. Our behaviour sets an example for future practitioners.
For the devotees who have only recently come into contact with the Buddhadharma, it is better not to rush into making offerings or performing charitable deeds. First, make appropriate plans with respect to your family life and or your work. Clearly understand the Dharma, the methods of liberation. Once you have sufficient wisdom, then gladly make offerings or perform charitable deeds according to what is appropriate to your family and work situation. In this way, you will avoid many future obstacles that may arise while practising the Dharma.
Today, we watched a video on the slaughter of animals for beef, mutton, goose liver and animal fur and different people will react differently.
People with true compassion will not think that they do not dare to watch the video or be unable to continue watching. When they watch, those who have not truly generated compassion will feel an element of fear. In some people it will generate an irreversible renunciation and will bring about great courage from which they will find ways to help these beings.
Although we are cannot bear watching the animals constantly undergoing immense suffering in the video, when watching it, we should make a resolute decision to contemplate how precious and rare our human life is and that cause and effect is infallible .
Therefore, practicing the Dharma is so vitally important. If we do not practise, we will become just like these animals, submerged in the endless sufferings of samsara. They provide us with a compelling motivation for us to cultivate compassion. Not only should we watch this video, but we should also pass it on for others to watch, forming ties and similar connections with others.
Everyone all together, please sing the Vajra Guru mantra out aloud, close your eyes and visualise Guru Rinpoche.
