The essence of Buddhist meditation - Dhyana (1/3)

The essence of Buddhist meditation. 

The practice of mental concentration leads ultimately, through a succession of stages, to the final goal of spiritual freedom, nirvana. Meditation occupies a central place in Buddhism and, in its highest stages, combines the discipline of progressively increased introversion with the insight brought about by wisdom, or prajna.

What's Prajna? 

Prajna is a Buddhist term often translated as "wisdom," "insight," "intelligence," or "understanding." It is described in Buddhist texts as the understanding of the true nature of phenomena. 

In the context of Buddhist meditation, it is the ability to understand the three characteristics of all things: 

1) Anicca (impermanence)

2) Dukkha (suffering) 

3) Anatta (nonself or egolessness). 

Mahayana texts describe it as the understanding of sunyata ("emptiness"). It is part of the Threefold Training in Buddhism, and is one of the ten paramis of Theravada Buddhism and one of the six Mahayana paramitas. 

Dhyana, in Indian philosophy, is a stage in the process of meditation leading to Nirvana.

In the oldest texts of Buddhism, Dhyana (Sanskrit) or jhana (Pali) is a component of the training of the mind (bhavana), commonly translated as meditation, to withdraw the mind from the automatic responses to sense-impressions, "burn up" the defilements, and lead to a "state of perfect equanimity and awareness (upekkha-sati-parisuddhi). 

Dhyana may have been the core practice of pre-sectarian Buddhism, in combination with several related practices that together led to perfected mindfulness and detachment. 

Dhyana in Vajrayana Buddhism 

Dhyana (in Tibetan: bsam gtan) (lit. “mental absorption”). Mental absorption is one of a series of increasingly concentrated states attained in placement meditation. 

On the basis of the attainment of tranquil abiding, one may pass through four form-world absorptions and four formless absorptions, with the meditative equipoise of cessation sometimes added as a ninth. 

Mental absorptions may result in various yogic achievements, but they do not assure liberation unless combined with superior insight into the nature of reality. 

Dhyana (meditation) refers to one of the six limbs of yoga to be employed in Uttamasev (excellent worship), according to the Guhyasamaja chapter 18. 

The Guhyasamaja chapter 18. Dhyana (meditation) is explained as the conception of the five desired objects through the five Dhyāni Buddhas, namely, Vairocana, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha, Amoghasiddhi, and Akṣobhya.

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Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development? 

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in 2008, we have been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 16 years. 

We have exceptionally constrained support and do not receive subsidies or funding from people in general.

Please help us develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you but all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us enhance our work and accomplish more for a better and brighter future.

Thank you for reading. May you find peace and great bliss. With your support, it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turn the Dharma wheels in the world.

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease.

But increase further and further. 

Dedication of Merit
By this merit, may we then obtain omniscience then.
Having defeated the enemies wrongdoings
May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.
With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright on the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and/or studios The picture(s) are intended for editorial use only.

Ushnishavijaya Dharani in Sanskrit/梵文佛頂尊勝陀羅尼經

The benefits of reciting the Ushnishavijaya Dharani / 梵文佛頂尊勝陀羅尼經,不空譯版

The purpose of this sutra is said to be to help sentient beings in a troubled and tumultuous world. According to this sutra, beings will leave suffering and obtain happiness, increasing in their prosperity and longevity, remove karmic obstacles, eliminate disasters and calamities, remove enmity and hatred, fulfill all wishes, and quickly be led into the Buddha's way.

It is held by some that when the Dharani is heard, it can imbue the Alaya consciousness with pure seeds that will help to lead one to Buddhahood. This mantra is also linked to Green Tara. 

According to the text, major applications of this Dharaṇi include:

1) Destroy calamities and rescue those in difficulties

2) Eliminate offenses and create good deeds

3) Purify all karmic obstructions

4) Increase blessings and lengthen lifespan

5) Attain anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi

6) Relieve beings in the ghost realm

7) Benefit birds, animals and all crawling creatures

8) Increase wisdom

9) Revert the fixed karma

10) Eliminate various illness

11) Ensure the safety of the households, and having children to inherit the family pride

12) Harmonise husbands and wives

13) Be able to reborn in Sukhavati or other pure lands

14) Heal sickness inflicted by pretas

15) Request for rain

16) Destroy hells

If someone hears this Dharani even just for a moment, he will not undergo karmic retribution from evil karma and severe hindrances accumulated from thousands of kalpas ago, that would otherwise cause him to revolve in the cycles of birth and death - in all kinds of life forms in the evil paths. 

Hell, hungry ghost, animal, realm of King Yama, Asuras, ferocious animals, crawling creatures and even ants and other life forms...he will be reborn in the Buddhalands, together with all the Buddhas and Ekajati-pratibadda Bodhisattvas, or in a distinguished Brahmin or Ksatriya family, or in some other wealthy and reputable families.

Ushnishavijaya Dharani in Sanskrit:

Namo bhagavate trailokya prativiśiṣṭaya buddhāya bhagavate.

Tadyathā, om, viśodhaya viśodhaya, samâsama

Samantāvabhāsa-spharaṇa gati gahana svabhāva viśuddhe,

Abhiṣiñcatu mām. sugata vara vacana amṛtâbhiṣekai.

Ahara āhara āyuḥ saṃ-dhāraṇi. śodhaya śodhaya gagana viśuddhe.

Uṣṇīṣa vijaya viśuddhe sahasra-raśmi sam-codite.

Sarva tathāgatâdhiṣṭhānādhiṣṭhita mahā-mudre.

Vajra kāya sam-hatana viśuddhe.

Sarvāvaraṇâpāyanagati pariviśuddhe, prati-nivartaya āyuḥ śuddhe.

Samayâdhiṣṭhite. maṇi maṇi mahāmaṇi.

Tathatā bhūta-koṭi pariśuddhe. visphuṭa buddhi śuddhe.

Jaya jaya, vijaya vijaya. smara smara, sarva buddhâdhiṣṭhita śuddhe,

Vajri vajra garbhe vajram bhavatu mama śarīram.

Sarva sattvānām ca kāya pariviśuddhe. sarva gati pariśuddhe.

Sarva tathāgata samāśvāsâdhiṣṭhite.

Budhya budhya, bodhaya bodhaya, śuddhe.

Sarva tathāgatâdhiṣṭhānādhiṣṭhita mahā-mudre svāhā.

Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?  

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in the year 2008, we had been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 10 years.  We have exceptionally constrained supports and do not receive subsidized or funding from people in general. 

Please help us and to develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you, but to all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us to enhance our work and to accomplish for a better and brighter prospect to come. 

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning the Dharma wheels in the world.

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease

But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit

By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright of the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and or studios.

Picture(s) is/are intended for editorial use only.

Prayer To Lord King Gesar 格薩爾王祈禱文

Prayer To Lord King Gesar / 格薩爾王祈禱文

RIK SUM KUNDU PEMA TOTRENG GI

Embodiment of the three Buddha families

TUKJE OZER DZAMLING PAL DU SHAR

Through the compassionate light rays of Pema Totreng

KYECHOK SENGCHEN NORBU DRADUL LA

Supreme being, Great Lion, Norbu Dradul, to you we pray

SOLWA DEB SO CHOKTUN NGODRUB TSOL

Grant us supreme and ordinary siddhis

OM AH HUNG BENZA MAHA GURU MANI RADZA SARVA SIDDHI PALA HUNG

OM AH HUNG BENZA MAHA GURU MANI RADZA SARVA SIDDHI PALA HUNG

OM AH HUNG BENZA MAHA GURU MANI RADZA SARVA SIDDHI PALA HUNG

OM AH HUNG BENZA MAHA GURU MANI RADZA SARVA SIDDHI PALA HUNG

OM AH HUNG BENZA MAHA GURU MANI RADZA SARVA SIDDHI PALA HUNG

OM AH HUNG BENZA MAHA GURU MANI RADZA SARVA SIDDHI PALA HUNG

OM AH HUNG BENZA MAHA GURU MANI RADZA SARVA SIDDHI PALA HUNG

Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?  

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in the year 2008, we had been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 10 years.  We have exceptionally constrained supports and do not receive subsidized or funding from people in general. 

Please help us and to develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you, but to all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us to enhance our work and to accomplish for a better and brighter prospect to come. 

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning the Dharma wheels in the world.

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease

But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit

By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright of the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and or studios.

Picture(s) is/are intended for editorial use only.

The Six Realms of Existence 六道輪廻

Rebirth in Buddhism refers to its teaching that the actions of a person lead to a new existence after death, in endless cycles called saṃsāra. This cycle is considered to be dhukkha, unsatisfactory and painful. The cycle stops only if liberation is achieved by insight and the extinguishing of desire. Rebirth is one of the foundational doctrines of Buddhism, along with Karma, nirvana.

The rebirth doctrine in Buddhism, sometimes referred to as reincarnation or metempsychosis, asserts that rebirth does not necessarily take place as another human being, but as an existence in one of the six Gati (realms) called Bhava chakra. The six realms of rebirth include  God (heavenly), Asura (Demigod), Manusya (Human), Tiryak (Animals), Preta (Ghosts), and Naraka (Resident of hell).

The Six Karmic Realm of Rebirth. 

These are the fundamental factors that are determined by karma and connecting us to the six Gati or  “realms” :-

1 )  The God realm / 天道 - The suffering of the gods arises from foreseeing one’s fall from the god’s realm and these sufferings come from pride, arrogance and egotism. 

2) Asura The Demigod realm /  阿修羅道 - The suffering of Asura the Demigod is constant fighting and these sufferings come from jealously, resentment, and envy.  

3) The Human realm / 人道 - The sufferings of humans are birth, sickness, old age and death and these sufferings come from desire and attachment.

4) The Animals realm /  畜生道 - The sufferings of animals are being preyed upon one another, or being killed for meat, skin etc. These sufferings come from ignorance. 

5) The Hungry ghost realm /  餓鬼道 - The sufferings of hungry ghost is hunger and thirst and these sufferings come from greed.

6) The Hell realm / 地獄道 - The suffering of hell is hot and cold and these sufferings come from hatred and angers.  

This rebirth, state Buddhism traditions, is determined by karma, with good realms favored by Kushala (good karma), while a rebirth in evil realms is a consequence of Akushala (bad karma). While Nirvana is the ultimate goal of Buddhist teaching, much of traditional Buddhist practice has been centered on gaining merit and merit transfer, whereby one gains rebirth in the good realms and avoids rebirth in the evil realms.

The rebirth doctrine has been a subject of scholarly studies within Buddhism since ancient times, particularly in reconciling the rebirth doctrine with its Anatman (no self, no soul) doctrine. Some Buddhist traditions assert that "no self" doctrine means that there is no per during self, but there is inexpressible self which migrates from one life to another.

The majority of Buddhist traditions, in contrast, asserts that Vijnana (a person's consciousness) though evolving, exists as a continuum and is the mechanistic basis of what undergoes rebirth, becoming and death. Some traditions assert that the rebirth occurs immediately, while others, such as the Tibetan Buddhism posits an “Bardo” interim state wherein as many of 49 days pass between death and rebirth and this belief drives the local funerary rituals.

Tibetan Buddhism holds that there are two ways that someone can take rebirth after death. The first is to be reborn involuntarily, under the sway of ‘karma’, drawn back to life by destructive emotions and desires. 

This is the fate of most of us, but there are a few, select others, through the power of compassion and prayer to benefit others, are believed to be able to choose their place and time of birth as well as their parents. The process of identifying these reincarnate beings is e called “Rinpoches, the precious one” or "tulkus" as we are known, is a unique mixture of magic and politics.

In a monastic society, where celibacy was the rule, it served for more than 900 years not only to affirm the Buddhist teachings of a realized soul choosing the circumstances of their rebirth for the benefit of mankind; it also ensured a continuity of spiritual and political hierarchy.

His Holiness Karmapas, who introduced the system of identifiable reincarnation in the 11th century, are unique in leaving a letter of prediction before their death, specifying where their next incarnation will be found. In other lineages, identification will usually involve a mixture of dreams, divinations and the consulting of oracles. It is an inexact science, practiced in different ways across the four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning the Dharma wheels in the world.

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease

But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit

By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright of the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and or studios.

Picture(s) is/are intended for editorial use only.

Nurturing compassion - Releasing and saving lives

Actually, you are the Buddha. Not such an effective Buddha, perhaps, but... a Buddha, a small Buddha... We need to nurture our inner Buddha, our child Buddha.” 

Nurturing Compassion Book - His Holiness The 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje

It is said that in the past in India, there lived a king named Trichen, who enjoyed eating meat so fresh that the blood was still warm, and he has killed ten thousand animals for his craved.  Through the karmic ripening of these actions, the king Trichen was reborn in Vajra Hell, one of the eighteen hell realms, where the extent of his sufferings such that the King died a hundred times and each time he fell back into hell as he revived.

The venerable Ananda saw the sufferings of him and asked the Buddha about it. The Buddha replied, This is the karmic ripening of a man who enjoyed killing and eating fresh meat and who enjoyed killing animals. Ananda asked the Buddha Shakyamuni , is there any way to liberate the "king" ? Buddha replied, "if you want to liberate this man from hell, save the lives  of animals in the worldly realms and he will be freed, so, Ananda saved many lives for the king's benefit, and the king was liberated from Vajra Hell. 

What is lives releasing ?
Generally, there is no difference in the size or species of any animals to be saved. However, buying and liberating animals that were certainly destined to be killed by butchers in a slaughterhouse naturally brings the greatest benefits.

Life release is a Buddhist tradition of saving lives of animals that are destined to be killed. Although every life is precious, the fact of being alive inevitably causes taking lives of other beings. We cannot completely prevent this situation because as long as we walk, breath, eat, and so forth, we cause the deaths of many creatures. However,  we can cultivate mindfulness, and try to reduce taking lives to the best of our ability. We can also offer a gift of life and protection through the practice of life release.

No matter what our lifestyle, we can do this practice. It benefits those who offer the gift of life as well as those who receive it. Regardless of what religion, we practice, its result will be strengthened if the practice is concluded with an aspiration that all beings without exception enjoy happiness and a life free from any harm.

If we are Buddhists, we dedicate the merit from the practice of life release for the benefit of all beings, to the long life of Buddhist teachers and to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and His Holiness 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje in particular, we dedicate the practice to His Holiness long life, and to the flourishing of his activity in the world.

His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje said that the meaning of life release is broad, that the practice can be done in a variety of ways, and that we should use our intelligence in deciding what way is most suitable in our particular circumstance. His Holiness has also encouraged His students to engage in saving lives through abstaining (at least periodically) from eating meat and in his address about protecting the environment, His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa encouraged the Sangha to engage in planting trees as a form of activity that accords with the spirit of life release.

How to do the practice? The practice has two aspects:-
1. The act of saving lives, 
2. The blessing of the prayers that accompany life release. 

When releasing animals such as animals, fish, bait fish, insects, earthworms, please make sure that the species you are releasing the native to your locations. Invasive species are plants or animals that do not belong where humans have intentionally or accidentally brought them and the effects are immense, insidious, irreversible.

IUCN, the World Conservation Union, states that the impacts of alien invasive species are immense, insidious, and usually irreversible. They may be as damaging to native species and ecosystems on a global scale as the loss and degradation of habitats. Hundreds of extinctions have been caused by invasive alien species. The ecological cost is the irretrievable loss of native species and ecosystems.

At the time of saving a life, Lamas or Rinpoches and so forth will cleanse the animals by wafting the smoke of burning incense over them and burning juniper, throw charmed mustard seeds and so on in order to expel obstructing spirits, and perform ablution rituals. The Lamas will then recite the ritual chant such as the Long Life Amitayus Buddha's sutra or Dharani and aspire that the animals may enjoy long lives. They will then remove the halters from their heads, the saddles from their back and so on, and vow never again to make use of these animals, and then send them off.

When is the right time to save "lives" ?
Every day should be a good and meaningful day for practising and saving lives. If according to the Tibetan traditions,  the main days of the Tibetan lunar calendar for releasing animals are (-)

1. 8th  ( Medicine Buddha and Arya Taras day ) 
2. 10th ( Guru Rinpoche day )
3. 15th ( Amitabha Buddha and full moon day )
4. 25th ( Dakini day )
5. 29th ( Dharmapala day )
6. 30th and 1st ( Shakyamuni day )
7. The Four Great Miracle Buddha's Days 
8. Any Buddhist festivals

This is because if one free animals on these days, the resulting virtue is hundred, thousand, ten millions times greater  than other days. If one who is unable to attend for releasing lives on such auspicious days, it is advised that you should have observed or practised for  a full vegetarian diet - including no onion, garlic, egg

His Holiness The 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje himself a pure vegetarian, then turned to his own life as an example. “When I spoke about this, I was primarily thinking about the way I lead my own life. I can’t really do anything about how other people lead their lives, but in terms of thinking about myself there are some reasons for this.” 

He then explained two key reasons that he personally does not eat meat. The first reason is the intense suffering that the animals who are killed go through. Every single day millions of animals are killed to feed us, and many are subjected to terrible conditions to provide us with food. Just a few days previously the Gyalwang Karmapa had shared a story of how, as a child in Tibet, when animals were killed for his family’s food he felt unbearable, pure compassion for them.

The second reason he doesn’t eat meat, the Gyalwang Karmapa continued, is because of his Mahayana training in seeing all sentient beings as his mothers. “We say I am going to do everything I can free sentient beings from suffering. We say I am going to do this. We make the commitment. We take the vow. Once we have taken this vow, if then, without thinking anything about it, we just go ahead and eat meat, then that is not right It is something that we need to think about very carefully.” 

Benefits of Releasing Lives.
The benefits obtained by releasing the lives of animals are similar to the benefits obtained by holding full monastic vows. By freeing a single life, a single rebirth in the lower realms is purified. Even if one has committed the harmful actions in this world, the act of saving lives  can purify  those harmful actions and obscurations.

If one releases life on behalf of someone, whose life is coming to an end, their life will be extended. At the same time, in the sutras, it is said that killing  a single liberated animal ( i.e , an animal that has been released ) is equal to killing  one hundred animals, and that such an action brings countless other negative karmic consequences. 

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning the Dharma wheels in the world.

Aspiration For Bodhichitta
For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen
May it arise and not decrease
But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit
By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.
Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.
May we liberate migrators from the ocean of existence.
With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

*Note
I do not own or infringe any copyright of these pictures.
Pictures courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and or studios.
Pictures are intended for editorial use only.

The Great Perfection - Body Of Light ( Chapter 2 )

The way of true happiness is when we can free ourselves from all odds and to be able to liberate ourselves and others from the existence of birth, old age, sickness and death.  

Rainbow Body is a mysterious phenomenon of Tibetan Buddhism. A Lama who has acquired the highest forms of accomplishment can manifest what is called "the rainbow body" or "body of light". It is said that the physical body of those who studied Buddhism very deeply will turn into a rainbow.

The ultimate fruition of the practices is a body of pure light, called a rainbow body.  Rainbow body is a level of realization and a phenomenon that when the person died, his body is transformed partially, or totally into five pure lights.  

This means either the physical body become much smaller than before, and the skin quality become as freshness as a newborn baby, or even left nothing behind. This phenomenon is hard to understand according to modern science, but it has been well documented in the history of Tibet Buddhism. 

Lama Karma Rinpoche  

A Yogi or Lama who has acquired the highest forms of accomplishment can manifest "the rainbow body" or the body of light". It is a body made not of flesh but of pure light. The culmination of one’s life into the rainbow body is widely recognised as a sign of extreme sanctity. The process described in these traditions is generally considered to take approximately seven days, during which time the body progressively shrinks in size. This shrinking is proportional and may stop at approximately small child size.

Lama Karma Rinpoche rainbow body shrink into 20cm in size

The process described in these traditions is generally considered to take approximately seven days, during which time the body progressively shrinks in size. This shrinking is proportional and may stop at approximately small child size. The Body of Light is light without shadow; it is awareness without obscurations; it is omniscience; it is pure space. It is the ultimate fruit of spiritual cultivation. 

The Body of Light represents a complete, total, and radical transformation of one’s status of being, a rediscovery of what was primordially present, and this condition is permanent. It is Awareness itself and is dependent on nothing else.

A fully enlightened person who has the ability to liberate their body into light. There are 3 different levels or stages of transforming into the Rainbow body:

A brief introduction only

1) The normal rainbow body [Trekcho practise]

2) Rainbow body of light [Togal practise]

3) A rainbow body of great transference [Ja Lu Phowa Chenpo practise]

 

1: The normal Rainbow body that occurs only after body death There are no physical signs indicating the start of the process before death, and once physical death occurs, it takes on average 7 days for the body to shrink and dissolve into light. Most of the time, a small child-size body remains behind, and in more advanced yogis, only hair and nails remain. 

The process described in these traditions is generally considered to take approximately seven days, during which time the body progressively shrinks in size. This shrinking is proportional and may stop at approximately small child size. The Body of Light is light without shadow; it is awareness without obscurations; it is omniscience; it is pure space. It is the ultimate fruit of spiritual cultivation. 

The Body of Light represents a complete, total, and radical transformation of one’s status of being, a rediscovery of what was primordially present, and this condition is permanent. It is Awareness itself and is dependent on nothing else.

 Tasha Lhamo, the mother of Lokgar Rinpoche

Tasha Lhamo, rainbow body shrink into 40cm in size.

2 - The advanced level is known as the Rainbow body, in this level all the signs are showing up while the yogi or Lama is still alive. To dissolving into light might go really fast ,but in most cases it takes month to years to complete, all while remaining fully functional. It is also possible that the yogi or Lama who is in the middle of this process slows it down or is unable to continue the process and dies before the completion of the Rainbow body.  If the process is continued the body will start to shrink and shine real light over time until it reaches the size of a baby and then as a flash of bright rainbow light will disappear into emptiness forever. 

3 -The most advanced and extremely rare level is the attainment of the Rainbow body of great transference. In this level the yogi or Lama not only dissolves the body completely into light but remains functional and visible as light.

In Tibetan Buddhism it can be realized in three ways; through the practices of Anuttara tantra, the special practices of the Kalachakra Tantra , or through Dzogchen. When Guru Rinpoche, Padmasambhava left at the end of his time in physical form he dissolved his body completely back to their natural elements leaving nothing behind. This was the start of what has become the Nyingma tradition and is the foundation of Tibetan Buddhism as we have come to know it. At the heart of the Nyingma tradition is the practice of Dzogchen otherwise called Ati Yoga or the Great Perfection. 

The great Yogi Milarepa (1050–1123) dissolved entirely into light, leaving no relics behind at all. The culmination of one’s life into the rainbow body is widely recognised as a sign of extreme sanctity. The practise found In the Kagyu tradition, this is known as the Mahamudra. The Dzogchen from the Nyingma tradition and the Mahamudra from the Kagyu tradition are both identical in essence. You may follow one or the other; however, each has its own unique instructions. In each system, Mahamudra and Dzogchen, various methods are used to reveal the nature of bare awareness itself.

 Mahamudra in Sanskrit literally means "The Great Seal." The Tibetan word for mahamudra is "Chakgya Chenpo," which is often looked upon as the highest practise of meditation and most definitive path to enlightenment. This is a unique feature of the Tibetan Kagyu lineage. According to the Dzogchen of the Nyinma tradition, it is the natural, primordial state or natural condition of a human being, and the practise of Dzogchen is a body of teachings and meditations aimed at realising that condition. According to Dzogchen literature, Dzogchen is the highest and most definitive path to enlightenment. 

* Footnote 

For those who have received the empowerment of this Tantric practise, you are reminded not to intentionally or unintentionally disclose the mantra to the public or anyone who may not have the empowerment or permission to practise, and disclosing the mantra intentionally or unintentionally is a form of breaking your Tantric Samaya vows to the lineage masters and Dharma protectors.

 

Please consult your Guru or a qualified lineage master for Vajrayana practise! Should a devotee even want to start studying and contemplating the Vajrayana practise, then it is truly necessary to first have completed the preliminaries and to be certain that Bodhicitta has arisen and developed in one’s mind.

 

Vajrayana features countless skillful and powerful methods that, if practised in the proper way, can make the process of accumulation and purification incredibly swift and direct. It is absolutely necessary to have pure motivation and to know that Vajrayana practise is not carried out to increase one’s own ego, power, or self-interest.

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Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease.

But increase further and further.

 

Dedication of Merit

By this merit, may we then obtain omniscience?

Having defeated the enemies wrongdoings

May we liberate migrants from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

 

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