Kathok Rigzin Chenpo Rinpoche
Every practitioner on the Bodhisattva path will certainly meet with
obstacles. This is normal because we
have accumulated much non-virtue in the past.
These non-virtues have to be allowed to ripen and be purified on our path.
During this process, obstacles and hardships are to be expected.
When we meet with obstacles, we need methods to transform these obstacles into
practice. Every practitioner has to understand this and learn these methods.
If you have the right understanding, every obstacle has its good qualities. If you use
the view of emptiness to face this obstacle, then the obstacle becomes an
appearance of mind and dissolves into emptiness.
If you use loving-kindness and compassion as an antidote, then you feel that
you are willing to endure every obstacle on the behalf of sentient beings for
their purification. This type of feeling
will arise spontaneously.
If you look at the obstacle from the perspective of cause-and-effect, you see
that it is the result of previous non-virtue you have created yourself and so
you must take up the responsibility and bear it through.
Thus, when obstacles come, we need to know the various skilful means to
transform these obstacles and raise the level of our practice. If we do not
know these methods, our minds are unable to manage these obstacles even if we
wish to use them as a practice.
Should our view be unstable, we may even lose our faith. When our meditative ability is not strong
enough, even though we may wish to utilise these obstacles on the path, it
doesn’t work out. Therefore, we need to
know these skilful methods (and train in them beforehand).
In the Sutra on the Great Vast Skilful Means, the five sensory pleasures are
transformed into the Dharma path with various skilful methods. Skilful methods are methods of relative
truth. They are a manifestation of the
Buddha’s wisdom. If we utilize these skilful methods, many obstacles can be
removed and wisdom increased.
Recitation of mantras, Buddhas’ names, praying to Buddhas etc are skilful
methods. In particular, the methods of
removing obstacles are skilful methods.
If we have not developed unshakable certainty in the view, if our practice is
inconsistent, if our meditative ability is weak and unsteady, for such
situations, we need to use methods of interdependence (tendrel) or skilful
means.
We need to depend on the power of the aspirations of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas,
the power of the truth in mantras and so on to dissolve the obstacles, increase
our wisdom and perfect the accumulations for the path.
For most people, between the methods for relative truth and the methods for
ultimate truth, which is more effective? From the perspective of Dharma, it is
the ultimate truth that is more powerful.
But in terms of effectiveness for most people, it is the relative truth
methods which are more powerful.
Our five sense-organs of eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body are very real to
us. And the five sense-objects which
these five sense-organs contact (such as visual sight, sounds, smell, taste and
tactile sensations) also feels very real to us.
When we see any object with our eyes, even though your intellectual
understanding is that it is emptiness and non-arising, but when our visual
consciousness interacts with this visual object (ie, when we are aware of
seeing this object), it affects our mind.
Through the influence of relative truth, our minds are so affected that what we
see can make us regress on the Dharma path, or equally, it can inspire us so
much that we advance further on the path and develop deeper wisdom.
Therefore, our five senses can pose an obstacle to our practice if you do not
know how to utilise them. If you know how to use them skilfully, they become a
favourable condition that increases our wisdom.
On the Dharma path, we need to know these skilful means. Therefore, the Buddhas
and Bodhisattvas created limitless numbers of skilful means for us. There are methods like making offerings,
giving charity, recitation of mantras and Buddhas’ names, mandalas, blessed
substances, etc. These are all methods based on interdependence (or
dependent-arising, tendrel).
Although we have seen, heard of and know these skilful methods, but if we do
not know how to utilise them properly, it is no different from dying of
starvation in a pantry. It is next to
impossible to die of hunger in a pantry filled with all kinds of food, but if
you do not know how to use these foods, then you will still die despite being
surrounded by food.
These methods are given for ordinary beings. Bodhisattvas on the eighth bhumi
and above are able to dispel any obstacle by the power of their meditation,
they have no need of most of these skilful means. These skilful means are mainly for ordinary
beings.
These methods are very effective for ordinary beings like us. We should be
clear about where we are on the Dharma path. This is very important. A Dharma
method may be very advanced or exalted, but if it does not correspond to your
capacity or your stage on the path, it will not merge with your mind and
becomes useless to you.
We can’t judge people. Maybe many of us here are great Bodhisattvas and
Mahasiddhas. Maybe there are many
emanations of great masters here. No matter how a person appears, it is entirely possible that they are such precious emanations.
But if that is not the case, and if we are just ordinary beings, then we need
to start from the path of accumulation.
First, we need to enter the five paths (in the Mahayana system) and then
start from the lower section of the path of accumulation (path of accumulation
is sub-divided into lower, middling and higher).
On the lower path of accumulation, the most important factor is faith. Cultivating faith is the most urgent matter
for practitioners like us. That is your
main job or responsibility on the lower path of accumulation. That is what you need to emphasize on most.
For the other parts of Dharma, if you are unable to comprehend them or put them
into practice, it does not really matter.
For us who are on the lower path of accumulation, our main task is to
increase and stabilise our faith.
At the same time, we should watch our mind.
The four mindfulness are the main practice on the lower path of
accumulation. Thus, we need to settle
our minds, understand our own minds and know how to use our minds. This is the most important point.
At this stage, to cultivate faith, we need to read the sutras extensively. We need to read the biographies and stories
of many Bodhisattvas or great practitioners.
We need to understand the enlightened qualities of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
When you have a deep understanding of their qualities and develop a deep
enduring faith, then your homework is complete (for this part of the path).
