Remembering the Three Jewels: Part 8 English ( Jeanny)

Mipham Rinpoche’s Commentary of the Sutra of Remembering the Three Jewels: Part 8 English
by Jeanny
Lines 1-8 Repetition ( page 1).
The commentary itself has 4 main chapters.
1. chapter is the explanation of the title of the commentary
2. chapter is the explanation of the translator’s homage
3. chapter is the explanation of the main body of the text
4. chapter is the explanation of the conclusion of the text.
In video 7 (we discussed the good qualities of the Buddha/Dharma), now in 8, we are still discussing the good qualities of the Dharma; the extensive explanation of Dealing with the good qualities of the Dharma ; is divided in 2 parts:
1. from the perspective of having no faults 2. the perspective of having developed all the good qualities.
Result: The two qualities of abandonment and realization can only be obtained through following the dharma, which has no interruption because it always provides one with these qualities
Verses (of roottext): “It brings one in”. “This is meaningful to see”. “It is known to the experts through personal self-knowing” (Tib. “rang rig ye she”=wisdom of one’s own awareness). To completely abandon suffering, to get rid of suffering and through that, “it brings one near” to an unstained bliss. Relying on causes and conditions, It leads one to wisdom, to unstained happiness, or, “it brings one in”. Only with unstained wisdom, one can reach the unstained bliss. It is reached by means of hearing, contemplation and meditation. Meaningful the dharma is like a boat, which helps us to cross the ocean of samsara. The wise ones are those who understand the nature of mind and the personal self-knowing is the very ‘rigpa’
Important note: wise individuals who have personal self-knowing”. (Tib “rang rig ye she” 1); (for glosar Jeanny has extra explanation) It means wisdom of one’s own awareness. Having this self-awareness, one can actualize buddhahood by having all the qualities of abandonment and realization developed. Without having self-knowing awareness (Tib; “rang rig ye she”), it is not possible to realize the ultimate meaning. Having this, the nature of reality in itself qualities and experiences through meditation and Meditation is very strongly emphasized here. It is not only about intellectual knowledge, it is about personal experience.
Dharma is the way to remedy all afflictions of the minds of different individual disciples
Now the Summary of part 8
(Lines 8-13) The importance of the holy Dharma, Buddha: a being of valid cognition and taming beings
1.the Dharma is the most supreme and excellent one. Through the dharma one can get rid of suffering, eradicate (beseitigen) it completely, can see the faults of samsara, which is the beginning of the process. (Relying on the holy dharma, one will be liberated from samsara itself). 2. We can truly rely on the Dharma, a definite reliance for mind.
Buddha Bhagavat, knows well the elements, faculties, and thoughts of those beings to be tamed” – (valid cognition’ means that he has completed all the qualities, how they appear and how they are. (What is there and how it is). He is the only one who has such realization, such knowledge. (Valid cognition= Buddha sees all elements, faculties, thoughts & aspirations of every individual being) Therefore, through this wisdom he knows how to act accordingly, that is why he gives different kinds of methods to different kinds of individuals. (Depending on their capacities).
Buddha used the teachings of the two truths according to the necessities and mental predispositions of disciples. First of all, he taught how to get rid of coarse obscurations, then the subtle ones, and then the very subtle obscurations. Like the example of cleaning a wish-fulfilling jewel; Step by step. Ultimate result is taming the afflictions of the mind streams, of those to be tamed. (Important to understand that there are many paths & many vehicles, teachings of shravakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattavas and the Vajrayana; the ultimate result is ultimate enlightenment (L-14)
Lines 16-19 Dharma has been expressed from the point of view of the two truths; Understanding what the relative truth is and what the absolute truth is, is important to understand the dharma: Madhyamaka; especially the view of Shantideva; The ultimate (absolute) is what transcends( hinausgeht, uebersteigt) or goes beyond the intellect, intellectual mind; it is something beyond expression and beyond thought2. Whatever there is in the scope of intellectual mind, the ordinary mind, this is what we call the relative truth. Everything that there is to be known – can be summarized into two truths. Whatever we perceive or see, through our ordinary mind, (Tib. ‘nam tok’ (rnam rtog3) – ‘the analyzing mind’, and ‘lo’ (blo4) – ‘the intellectual mind’ – is the subject of the relative.
From the point of view of ultimate, we use ‘rang rig ye she’ (rang rig ye shes) – ‘the innate self-awareness’. ‘Chö nyi’ (chos nyid)5 – ‘dharmatā’ or ‘suchness’, ‘things how they are’ is the absolute view. ‘Things’ subjectively speaking, pointing at an object (labeling) – this is the relative point of view.
Line 20-21 absolute truth Examine how things really are. If we analyzing this that things do not remain, that they are transitory (vergaenglich) and compounded, than we arrive at the understanding of the emptiness of the table; we start to realize that there is no self-inherent tableness in the table. That is the ultimate truth’s point of view (realize by the noble ones, who have higher wisdom and can perceive the phenomena how they really are) Ordinary individuals, like we are, can not perceive/(see) directly without putting our thought/concepts immediately on top of it. Impossible for us to realize its suchness (now).
rootverse; “The dharma spoken by the bhagavat was well taught for taming”. (Whatever the Buddha taught, it was always in accordance to the capacities of those who were listening. All his teachings were taught in order to tame the beings, taming the afflictions of the mindstreams in order to help them
Line 23-25 verses: the extensive explanation (about Renunciation in itself is a perfect cause; it can be said that this teaching is a single, ultimate vehicle)
Rootverse: “It is renunciation”; using various methods of renunciation, (giving up) Renunciation is the cause of a perfect abandonment, this means abandoning all the obscurations, starting at the coarse level of total afflictions, going to the subtle level of ignorance. Renunciation is the perfect cause for realizing the qualities of abandonment. If one has completely exhausted all the afflictions and obscurations; the perfect abandonment itself is the attainment of the qualities of realization. (This is the cause to go to complete enlightenment – Buddhahood)
The final understanding of great enlightenment: 1. Abandonment of everything, that there is to be abandoned and 2. Realization of everything that there is to be realized. Renunciation is the perfect cause for both abandonment and realization.
Short explanation: by renunciation, one can turn away from samsara; the goal of removing all afflictions – all that is there to be removed, and realization of realizing all that is to be realized. Thus establishing one on the level of Buddhahood
Line 26-29; talking about 4 ultimate vehicles ( shravakas,- ultimate result = shrvakayana, pratyeka buddhas the ultimate result = pratyeka-buddhayana, bodhisattvas ult. result is bodhisattvayana and the Vajrayana). Ultimate vehicle it is called, because it is the cause of one to reach the result, or to attain the ultimate fruition. (Within the Bodhisattvayana there are the vehicle of characteristics (Merkmale) Sutrayana and the Vajrayana (of the bodhisattvas)). They all support each other, like the steps of a staircase. There are so many Dharma’s because of the different kinds of afflictions the beings have!
Verse: “It causes one to go to complete enlightenment”. The holy dharma as one ultimate vehicle causing one ultimately to reach the Buddhahood.
Verse: “It is without disharmony and it has inclusion”. All levels of the B.Dharma, all the stages and paths are all in harmony with each other and inclusion means that all the aspects of virtue are included within it.
What we abandon are the faults of the lower path, not the qualities. All are completed in one key point, and it has inclusion. So it is said: it (dharma) can be included within one point. The only problem we can encounter is our own lack of understanding or realization.
Line 30; (talking about different views about the vehicles; mostly wrong view or inability of peoples mind) Mipham Rinpoche is very precise; we need to understand the ultimate point, the condensed teachings that encompass (umfassen) both methods and wisdom together. Ultimately, we should see it as ONE great vehicle. The wrong view is; to think this vehicle is better than the other (lower) one.(Do not think, now you are a Vajrayana practitioner; you are higher= wrong view)
All the Dharma vehicles are like the steps of a staircase, they all support each other Every path that the Buddha gave, is the path to buddhahood, nothing else. Buddha gave different kinds of teachings and he was showing the perfect path to enlightenment for beings of various capabilities and tendencies.
Vajrayana we talk about the ground, path, and result.
Mipham Rinpoche talks about the 2 truths, the relative and the absolute, in view of unity. On the level of the path: we have 2 kinds of accumulations; accumulation of merit and the accumulation of wisdom. On the level of result we talk about the 2 bodies; the form body and the formless body; Rupakaya and Dharmakaya6
Line 31-33
Verse: It has reliability. From the side of the Dharma, it will never let go, it will never change, it is something stable that we can rely on, trust in it. For instance, if a practitioner has devotion, pure view and a faith in dharma. On Contrary the Phenomena, they are compounded, are stained and changed, transitory (vergaenglich), you can not rely on them, it is not stable.
Reliability, if we lean on the Dharma: 1 Explanation is: stable-rely on – the support given to the one relying on Dharma will never change- going to be stable – we will not fall to the lower states of existence 2 Explanation; Buddha saw the reality how things actually are, directly. The teachings of Buddha came from his realization (based on the truth, he gave the ultimate teachings. Ultimate is reliable, no mistake; Dharma can lead us to liberation (it is: relying on the dharma, results will not just wear of like the results of regular things, like car, house etc.
Concerning the relative level; how much good we are doing, it causes temporary relative happiness, it is not a stable happiness.
Line 34-37: Verse: “It does end the journey” : It can cause us to reach the ultimate liberation, where is no more effort and striving. The Dharma is the destination of which is beyond any worldly classification, any worldly places. It causes us to go beyond cause and result. Once this result has been realized, it will never wear off. Once reached, it puts the end to the journey. (quality of being irreversible). Attaining some kind of realization within the path of the Dharma, it is a permanent thing7.
We really need: making prayers of aspiration for holding to the holy Dharma, they will have a strong effect; only the Dharma can bring us happiness, bliss, results and attainments; Therefore we could say: “May I hold the Dharma in all my future lifetimes”, “ May I never be separated from the Dharma”, “May I meet the Dharma”, those are important aspirations prayers.
Lines 38-42: is about Dharma and practice: How lucky & blessed we are, that we meet the Dharma (very cause for liberation). We have recollected the good qualities of the Dharma, to our own capacity, with the thought, “How joyful I am, that I met this precious Dharma” and thinking of the great result of having accumulated a lot of merit in the past. Taking the Dharma up according to one’s own ability and mind and do practice much.
Maitreya in one text says: Taking up the ten Dharma activities in many different ways, mainly through: mind, body, and speech: (producing, spreading etc. Dharma text line 41) Examples of the ten Dharma activities8: (those activities are virtuous, excellent and beneficial and the purpose is to practice on those ten activities (Tib: chö chö chu), to make this human life meaningful) Generally speaking, the dharma is the very cause for liberation, for omniscience, the state of buddhahood.
This was a summary of the section of the good qualities of the Dharma video 8th