Book of Prayers...

Altruistic Motivation - X3

All mother sentiet beings--

Especially those enemies who hate me, and those who create obstacles on my path to liberation and omniscience--may they experience happiness be free from suffering and swiftly will I establish them in the state of unsurpassed, perfect complete and precious Buddhahood.

Bodhisattva Vow - X3

Until I attain the heart of enlightenment, I take refuge in all the Buddhas, I take refuge in the Dharma and likewise in the assembly of the Bodhisattvas. As the previous Buddhas cultivated the enlightened mind and progressed on the Bodhisattva's path, I, too, for the benefit of all sentient beings, give birth to Bodhicitta and apply myself to accomplish the stages of the path.

Short Refuge Prayer-X3

In the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha most excellent, I take refuge until enlightenment is reached. By the merit of generosity and other good deeds, may I attain Buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings.

Four Immeasurables-X3

May all mother sentient beings , boundless as the sky, have happiness and the causes of happiness. May they be liberated from suffering and the causes of suffering. May they never be separated from the happiness that is free from sorrow. May they rest in equanimity, free from attachment and aversion.

Supplicatio to the Lord Jigten Sumgön

Unequaled refuge, ornament of the world: your fame pervades the three thousand worlds. You are the victor, Vajradhara, without a doubt. I bow at the feet of the father, Jigten Sumgön.

Continually, I think of no one but you. Compassionate One, grant your blessings. Dispel the darkness that surrounds my heart. Please bless me so that I realize the unelaborated nature of mind.

Request For Teachings

Please turn the Wheel of Dharma of the two vehicles and their combination according to the disposition and likewise the mental capacites of sentient beings.

Dharma is Dharma,
regardless of nationality, lineage or tradition.

The Tibetan Meditation Center of Gainesville focuses on practices of the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Buddhism (which come from Tibet) while embracing all Dharma and meditation practices that allow us to become better human beings, and ultimately achieve enlightenment for the benefit of others

Khenchen Gyaltshen Rinpoche and H.E.Garchen Rinpoche

(General Remarks Continued ...)

pg2) In the first Turing of the Wheel of Dharma he taught the Four Nobel Truths and this is considered the root of the Buddha-Dharma: suffering, cause, cessation, path. It is necessary to understand suffering. There are three kinds of suffering. The suffering of suffering, the suffering of change, and the pervasive suffering of being conditioned. The suffering of suffering is well-known to everyone. The suffering of change results from the attachment to the so-called happiness in our society. The reason for this suffering is, because happiness in our society is impermanent. The existing happiness is not stable and therefore turns into suffering. The pervasive suffering of being conditioned is very subtle. Nobody is free from suffering, no matter if he or she is rich or poor, well-educated or non-educated, powerful or without power. This is the suffering of propensities or the pervasive suffering of being conditioned.

Not only humans but also animals have methods to relieve themselves from the suffering of suffering. Many religions offer methods to overcome the suffering of change. In general the methods to solve the suffering of change have improved due to the high level of scientific knowledge. For example, if you eat healthy food it is good for your body; if something is bad for the body, you don’t eat it. This is a method to avoid one kind of suffering of change. Gaining stability in calm abiding meditation (zhi gnas) is the method of getting rid completely of the suffering of change. The method to eliminate the pervasive suffering of being conditioned is the unity of calm abiding and insight meditation (lhag mthong). The reason is, because this is the method to eliminate the cause of afflictive emotions of our mind. The cause of this suffering is the origin (the second Noble Truth). There are two origins: The karmic origin and the origin of afflictive emotions. The karmic origin comprises those karmas created through our body (like killing, stealing and so forth), our speech (like lying) and our mind (like attachment, hatred and ignorance). The result of these activities is the suffering of samsara.

When one removes the karmic origin and the origin of afflictive emotions, he or she has reached the cessation (the third Noble Truth). It is called cessation, because the cause of the suffering has been removed from the root. There are two types of cessation: The so-called Shravaka cessation and the Mahayana cessation. In order to reach one of these goals, the path has to be practiced (the fourth Noble Truth). The practice of the path consists of the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment (byang chub kyi phyogs sum cu rtsa bdun). These are:

the four applications of mindfulness (dran pa nye bar bzhag pa bzhi)
the four genuine abandonments (yang dag par spong ba bzhi)
the four bases of miraculous powers (rdzu 'phrul gyi rkang pa bzhi)
the five sense organs (dbang po lnga)
the five powers (stobs lnga)
the seven factors of enlightenment (byang chub kyi yan lag bdun)
the eight limbs of the noble path ('phags lam gyi yan lag brgyad)

Through the practice of the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment the troubles of our mind will be solved. The vehicles leading to the two kinds of cessation are classified into a lower and a higher vehicle through the different strength of motivation. Those with lesser motivation were the founders of the Shravakayana. Those embraced with the mind of enlightenment (bodhicitta) have the strong motivation to free all sentient beings from samsara; they were the founders of the Mahayana.

The basis of Buddhism is interdependent origination, which is explained in detail in Kyobpa Jigten Sumgön’s Gongchig. This view is compatible with modern science. In general the system of Buddhism can be compared with science, because it deals with the uncontrived nature of the phenomena. The abiding nature of matter and the abiding nature of the mind are shown clearly in Buddhism. It is impossible to remove suffering just by analyzing it. In order to remove the cause of suffering one has to practice. There are two kinds of obscurations: The gross obscuration and the subtle obscuration. By eliminating these two obscurations one will be liberated from suffering. Therefore the Shedra (bshad grwa, philosophical school) and the Drubdra (sgrub grwa, retreat center) are two very important institutions in our Dharma activity. In the philosophical school you analyze and ascertain, in the retreat center you practice. Kyobpa Jigten Sumgön has explained profoundly and clearly the importance of these two methods. During his lifetime he liberated 300.000 of his students from suffering and they attained nirvana. Nowadays this tradition slowly disappears. Lamas cannot teach properly and students cannot practice properly. It is very important to preserve and to promote this tradition. Every responsible person should know that this is a crucial point. Only if we are successful in fulfilling this task can we pass on the Dharma to future generations.

Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen

We practice and study on good ground and with wise directionas we move into the new year.

Book of Prayers :

Dedication

Glorious Holy, venerable, precious, kind root and lineage lamas, divine assembly of yidams and assemblies of buddhas, bodhisattvas, yogins, yoginis, dakinis dwelling in the ten directions: Please hear my prayer!

May the virtues collected in the three times by myself and all sentient beings in samsara and nirvana and the innare root of virtue not result in the eight worldly concerns, the four causes of samsara, or rebirth as a shravaka or pratyebuddha.

May all mother sentient beings, especially those enemies who hate me and mine, obstructors who harm, misleading maras, and the hordes of demons experience happiness, be separated from suffering, and swiftly attain unsurpassed, perfect, complete, and precious buddhahood.

By the power of this vast root of virtue, may I benefit all beings through my body, speech, and mind.

May the affictions of desire, hatred, ignorance, arrogance,and jealousy not arise in my mind.

May attachment to fame, reputation, wealth, honor, and concern for this life not arise for even a moment.

May my mind stream be moistened by loving-kindness, compassion, and bodhicitta and, through that, may I become a spritual master with good qualities equal to the infinity of space. May I gain the supreme attainment of Mahamudra in this very life. May the torment of suffering not arise even at the time of my death.

May I die joyfully and happily in the great lunimosity of mind-as-such and the pervading clarity of dharmata. May I, in any case, gain the supreme attainment of Mahamudra at the time of death or in the bardo.

Dakhorma:

By the Virtues collected in the three times by myself and all beings in samsara and nirvana and by the innate root of virtue, may I an all sentient beings quickly attain unsurpassed, perfect, complete, precious Enlightenment.

May the teachings of the Great Drikungpa, Ratnashri, who is omniscient, Lord of the Dharma, Master of Interdependence, continue and increase through study, practice, contemplation and meditation until the end of samsara.

EMAHO!