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At the conclusion of the Tashi Chöling 2011 annual Vajrasattva retreat, following the ten shuk, the Long Life Request practice performed for the Venerable Gyatrul Rinpoche, Rinpoche spoke the following to the gathered sangha: |
As I’ve said many times, most important is to keep harmony and pure samaya. We all have the refuge vows, we need to recall them, and dedicate ourselves to the welfare of sentient beings. That means cultivating the bodhichitta, because without the bodhichitta, without the pure intention, there’s really nothing. So please, everyone, keep this in mind. It’s very nice that everyone is requesting my long life, now that I am 87. I do accept your prayers, but I can’t guarantee that I will live a much longer life. Prayers do help, and of course the kindness of the gurus and the Triple Gem. But today I would like to make a request of you, to all of you. So what is that request? You all already have refuge vows, and you all already have bodhisattva vows. What I am requesting of you, my main request, is that you take a vow, right here and now, to me, that until your enlightenment, and until all sentient beings are enlightened, or liberated—in other words until samsara is empty of sentient beings and suffering—that you will dedicate your body, speech, and mind to the welfare of others, and never give up until all beings are liberated. |
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So that means you will do whatever it takes to think only of others rather than thinking of yourself. That means that you will do whatever you can that is in the direction of virtue and pure dharma. It doesn’t mean just reciting practice and prayers; it includes everything. Of course, it includes practice and prayers, but it also includes things like building temples, erecting statues, and stupas, the supports of enlightened body, speech, and mind, taking care of things that have already been offered. All of this is part of working for the welfare of sentient beings, because all these are symbolic representations of the dharma that are created and left here in the world for sentient beings to relate to.
So, whatever it takes, I request that you think about how you can engage yourself more actively in benefitting others, and this means until enlightenment. In fact, enlightenment actually comes from this kind of vow—which is why this is my main request. This means that it won’t be ok for you to just focus more on the eight worldly concerns from now on, because the eight worldly concerns are concerns for yourself alone. Rather than busying yourself constantly with things that improve your life, you start to focus more on how you can accomplish the state of the Triple Gem and benefit sentient beings. You focus more on thinking how you can do this, and on how to never lose this wish to accomplish the purpose of sentient beings through your body, speech, and mind. And when you are able to do this, accomplish the purpose of sentient beings, what happens is that you will also accomplish your own purpose. So in this way, both purposes are accomplished. This is actually what is meant by the term, “tulku”. “Tulku” refers to an intentional incarnation that comes into the world, appearing in an ordinary sense but dedicated to benefitting others in whatever way necessary. “Tulku” is not just an empty title. Being a tulku doesn’t mean coming into the world to get more to eat, or to have better clothes to wear, or to lie more, or to trick more. It means coming into the world to completely become a servant of sentient beings, to completely dedicate oneself to sentient beings. So I am requesting all of you to please consider what it means to actually think about dedicating your body, speech, and mind to work for the welfare of others. That means everything that you do is dedicated towards benefitting others and not yourself. Try to accustom yourself to that notion. And as you do, what will happen is that your passions and poisons will begin to decrease, because passions and poisons increase when there is self-grasping and selfishness, but they decrease when there is an exchange and you are serving others. Why? Because as a result of benefitting others a person becomes more peaceful, more open, more approachable and easygoing. Consider, for example, Getse Rinpoche, the head of the Kathok lineage, who is here with us. In fact, he is one of the five Golden Throne holders of the Kathok lineage. Does that mean he’s rich, because he has a gold throne? As many of you know, the thrones, and the animals that support them, like the elephants or the lions, represent enlightened qualities. They symbolize the qualities of the state of enlightenment; those who sit upon the thrones embody those qualities—which means a pure tulku, an incarnation who has entered the world intentionally, in full control, to work for the welfare of benefitting sentient beings. We could say he’s a Five Throne holder, or a Nine, or a Ten Throne holder, whatever, it doesn’t matter. Names and numbers don’t matter. What does is that he is an embodiment of the qualities of the state of enlightenment. This is what “tulku” means. “Tulku” doesn’t just mean having a name and an empty status or a piece of paper. A true, genuine tulku is more humble than anyone else, and is softer and more flexible. For example, it really won’t matter to them where they sit or where they sleep—not like me. For them, whatever happens is fine, because they are just simply hoping to be a servant to others. They are not going to be someone who just pops up, the way you Westerners do who learn a little something and right away you think you are then qualified to pop up and teach it. Maybe I don’t know, I never went to Western school, but I have the impression you maybe learned this way in school, that you are supposed to become prideful if you learn a little something. In our tradition it’s just the opposite. So, if you really want me to live a long life, I would request all of you to be kind to me. My wish here today is that you take this vow, that you make this commitment. |
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For example, when I met the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, he told me that I should to go to the West, to join the Tibetans who were being sent there, to Canada, and I said no, I didn’t want to go. I actually refused to go, right in front of him, and he said, “I thought you took the vow to make prayers to work for the welfare of others. So what happened? How can you have this kind of a response?” Then I thought, well yes, that’s true, I did have that vow. He then said something to the effect, “Well, now is the time that you need to use it, because when you go there, to the West, that’s when you will need to know how to use this vow. So don’t say no; you must engage that kind of prayer. That’s the opportunity.”
I realized, of course I had to go, and I couldn’t say no to that because that was an opportunity to work for the welfare of others that he was giving me. From that day, until all beings are enlightened, I became dedicated to work through my three doors for the welfare of others. I promised to do so. Just as he told me to, although I didn’t have any qualities to do that, I decided anyway to try my hardest, to go and just try my best. So, even lacking qualities, I still went out there, into a foreign land, and tried my best to do something to benefit others. But, I came to know that this was difficult, because everything one tries to do is always somehow mixed with personal concerns. Yet, still I persevered in trying to refresh my commitment. |
Then later, years later, one time with Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche in Santa Monica, suddenly one day he said to me, “Come on Gyatrul, let’s go out to the flower garden and have a little walk. Come with me.” So we did, and as we were standing out there he brought up this same subject. “Isn’t this beautiful here?" he asked. Aren’t these flowers lovely?” “Yes." I replied, "This is such a nice environment.” He then said, “Now, in this beautiful place, together let’s make the vow to work for the welfare of sentient beings until samsara is empty.” And he reminded me that that is all I should be thinking about doing, no matter how difficult it might be. Then he laughed, and said, “Everything that you see benefits others, if you think that way. Even if you’re peeing, you’re benefiting others.” So he was laughing, with the thought “Oh, Gyatrul’s peeing and it’s benefitting others!”
And then, at the same time, I remembered the Dalai Lama’s words, and the understanding came very strong in my mind that it was really shameful to ever think about trying to do something in this life that was self motivated when I had made this kind of commitment and promise. So I refreshed my promise and my commitment to persevere, to dedicate myself in whatever way was necessary. But of course, I forget, like a drunken person. Nonetheless, due to the blessings of these great teachers, I have somehow been able to manage to do something, and it’s never been that easy, but still I know that it’s the blessings of the buddhas.
So I pass this information on to you because you may also feel that it’s not that easy in your life, but I can guarantee that if you start focusing on benefitting others more than yourself, things will change, and improve. That’s how it’s been for me. I had made these prayers to benefit others in many places, in Bodh Gaya in India, and earlier in Tibet, prior to these two great masters re-encouraging me. I mentioned to His Holiness that I did have these prayers, and I said “I don’t think they are coming true, because it’s still so hard for me,” and he said, “Yes, they’ll come true. How can you say that? If you have a prayer, it’s going to be accomplished. It will come true. Just be patient. Until samsara is empty, this vow cannot be lost.” So then I asked, “Once it’s empty?” And he said, “Well ok, then.”
And then, at the same time, I remembered the Dalai Lama’s words, and the understanding came very strong in my mind that it was really shameful to ever think about trying to do something in this life that was self motivated when I had made this kind of commitment and promise. So I refreshed my promise and my commitment to persevere, to dedicate myself in whatever way was necessary. But of course, I forget, like a drunken person. Nonetheless, due to the blessings of these great teachers, I have somehow been able to manage to do something, and it’s never been that easy, but still I know that it’s the blessings of the buddhas.
So I pass this information on to you because you may also feel that it’s not that easy in your life, but I can guarantee that if you start focusing on benefitting others more than yourself, things will change, and improve. That’s how it’s been for me. I had made these prayers to benefit others in many places, in Bodh Gaya in India, and earlier in Tibet, prior to these two great masters re-encouraging me. I mentioned to His Holiness that I did have these prayers, and I said “I don’t think they are coming true, because it’s still so hard for me,” and he said, “Yes, they’ll come true. How can you say that? If you have a prayer, it’s going to be accomplished. It will come true. Just be patient. Until samsara is empty, this vow cannot be lost.” So then I asked, “Once it’s empty?” And he said, “Well ok, then.”
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I think that here we can really feel and know the blessings of the lineage masters. What has been accomplished here is because of them: that we have this temple, that we have the three supports, and that we can invite, we have the freedom to invite, lamas to come and join us. It is important to always remember to have the interest to really engage and internalize dharma, by studying dharma, contemplating dharma, and meditating on dharma’s meaning. So having the interest, and then not ignoring that interest but actually doing something, is also important because, as you may well know, if you don’t know dharma how can you contemplate? And if you can’t contemplate, what is there to meditate on? So you will lose the dharma’s path, and then you will be lost back into your own ordinary, little life. And then there is no benefitting others at all, really. You’re just struggling, and circling, trying to benefit yourself.
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To get off that wheel, I request you now, here today, to change things, and to think about studying dharma. It is necessary to know dharma’s meaning, contemplating dharma and then meditating, realizing dharma. Knowing that all the material things in samsara, in this world of ours, are never going to bring you peace or happiness, no matter how you try to pursue them, stop pretending that you don’t see that, or smell that, or feel that. Because that's exactly what the experience of your sensory perceptions is: it is unsatisfactory, it is impermanent. It is based on the law of cause and result.
These are Buddha’s teachings. If you can know samsara’s nature, and at least dedicate yourself to benefit others, to try to help them, to find the path to liberation, and not lose your vow, you will accomplish your own purpose spontaneously, as a matter of course. That means that every single particle that you come in contact with is going to be dedicated to that purpose. That’s why I am asking you today to think about this, and to not lose your promise. Because if you want me to live longer, I was thinking that maybe my time to die is actually approaching, unless my students and friends start changing and start taking this vow more seriously. So that’s why I am requesting: if you want me to live longer, and not to die soon, then please take this commitment, and take it to heart.
And especially the children, the young people, should study. If there’s no study, no learning about dharma, then how can anything be accomplished? Without study, without learning, you’ll end up like me: no Tibetan qualities, no Chinese qualities, no English qualities. If I had any qualities in any of these languages or traditions, that would be something. In Buddhism, one has to study and learn and practice. So you children, you young people, you should engage more in that. And the more that you study and learn, you can see if what I am saying is true or not. What you learn in dharma—does this make sense or not? You are all very smart, very clever, so you can figure it out, and then accept that for yourself and begin to take it from there. But you need to study and learn to move to that point.
So I encourage all the children to try to learn dharma more seriously, and everyone to get along harmoniously. When I die you will need all the more to be harmonious, and that means this commitment to work for the welfare of sentient beings. Things are not going to stop. There’s not going to be a big void; there’s going to be ongoing commitments to continue the work, to benefit sentient beings. We are sentient beings, we know what is necessary, and so we shouldn’t ignore one another but think about how to benefit. The buddhas and bodhisattvas will never lie or cheat us. This is the path we can follow with confidence no matter what.
These are Buddha’s teachings. If you can know samsara’s nature, and at least dedicate yourself to benefit others, to try to help them, to find the path to liberation, and not lose your vow, you will accomplish your own purpose spontaneously, as a matter of course. That means that every single particle that you come in contact with is going to be dedicated to that purpose. That’s why I am asking you today to think about this, and to not lose your promise. Because if you want me to live longer, I was thinking that maybe my time to die is actually approaching, unless my students and friends start changing and start taking this vow more seriously. So that’s why I am requesting: if you want me to live longer, and not to die soon, then please take this commitment, and take it to heart.
And especially the children, the young people, should study. If there’s no study, no learning about dharma, then how can anything be accomplished? Without study, without learning, you’ll end up like me: no Tibetan qualities, no Chinese qualities, no English qualities. If I had any qualities in any of these languages or traditions, that would be something. In Buddhism, one has to study and learn and practice. So you children, you young people, you should engage more in that. And the more that you study and learn, you can see if what I am saying is true or not. What you learn in dharma—does this make sense or not? You are all very smart, very clever, so you can figure it out, and then accept that for yourself and begin to take it from there. But you need to study and learn to move to that point.
So I encourage all the children to try to learn dharma more seriously, and everyone to get along harmoniously. When I die you will need all the more to be harmonious, and that means this commitment to work for the welfare of sentient beings. Things are not going to stop. There’s not going to be a big void; there’s going to be ongoing commitments to continue the work, to benefit sentient beings. We are sentient beings, we know what is necessary, and so we shouldn’t ignore one another but think about how to benefit. The buddhas and bodhisattvas will never lie or cheat us. This is the path we can follow with confidence no matter what.
Photo source: dharmaphotos.zenfolio.com
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When I die, it won’t mean, “Oh now that he’s gone there’s no one to poke us, so we can just go and do our own thing. We don’t need to keep working here, and keep this center going as we have been all this time.” All the more so you will need to keep working here, and keep this center going, to benefit sentient beings. Even one moment of a commitment is something positive.
But, the truth is it takes merit to even have this kind of thought and to actually be here engaging oneself. Without merit, people are not connecting, so that’s why things can never really stop for a practitioner because a practitioner will know that it is necessary to continue accumulating merit and purifying negative karma. The process of accumulating merit and purifying karma is a continuum that needs to be present, no matter what. Then the two purposes are achieved. |
So, rather than this American way of always saying “Oh, I love you, I miss you”, rather than telling lies, saying these kinds of empty words, you should exchange the “I love you” and “I miss you,” exchange your ordinary emotional thoughts, for the aspirational and practical bodhichitta of the path of buddhadharma. Please keep in mind the commitment I have asked of you here today.
I will conclude now by saying thank you all very much for coming. Those of you who have come from far away, those of you who have come from close by, whatever the case, it was wonderful to join together. And also thank you to Lingtrul Rinpoche, but not really. He doesn’t really need a thank you, because he’s a tulku and he is just supposed to be here anyway.
I will conclude now by saying thank you all very much for coming. Those of you who have come from far away, those of you who have come from close by, whatever the case, it was wonderful to join together. And also thank you to Lingtrul Rinpoche, but not really. He doesn’t really need a thank you, because he’s a tulku and he is just supposed to be here anyway.