Innate Happiness: Realizing Compassion-Emptiness

316 Pages·2014·1.87 MB·English

by  Khenpo Drimed Dawa

IN N ATE H A P P IN E S S

R e a l i z i n g
C o mp a s s i o n - E mp t i n e s s

K h e n p o D r i me d D a wa
The Innate Happiness of Compassion and Wisdom
© 2013 Khenpo Drimed Dawa
All Rights Reserved
This book is dedicated to all beings.

May you experience lovingkindness and compassion for all.
May you experience the deep inner peace of transcendent wisdom.
May you experience the innate happiness of compassion and wisdom
for all … always and all ways!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents
Preface
Part 1 – Introduction
Chapter 1: Introduction
Part 2 – Background
Chapter 2: A Concise Historical Background
Chapter 3: Trainings & Paths
Chapter 4: The Teacher & Devotion
Part 3 – The Path of Individual Liberation
Chapter 5: The First Training on the Path of Individual Liberation: Ethics
Chapter 6: The Second Training on the Path of Individual Liberation: Meditation
Chapter 7: The Third Training on the Path of Individual Liberation: Wisdom
Part 4 – The Path of Altruism
Chapter 8: The First Training on the Path of Altruism: Ethics
Chapter 9: The Second Training on the Path of Altruism: Meditation
Chapter 10: The Third Training on the Path of Altruism: Wisdom
Part 5 – The Path of Tantra
Chapter 11: The First Training on the Path of Tantra: Ethics
Chapter 12: The Second Training on the Path of Tantra: Meditation—the Preliminary
Practices
Chapter 13: The Second Training on the Path of Tantra: Meditation—the “Outer” Deity
Yogas
Chapter 14: The Second Training on the Path of Tantra: Meditation—the “Inner” Deity
Yogas Highest Yoga Tantra – Generation Stage
Chapter 15: The Second Training of the Path of Tantra: Meditation—the “Inner” Deity
Yogas Highest Yoga Tantra – Completion Stage
Chapter 16: The Third Training on the Path of Tantra: Wisdom
Part 6 – The Path of Great Perfection
Chapter 17: The First Training on the Path of Great Perfection: Ethics
Chapter 18: The Second Training on the Path of Great Perfection: Meditation
Chapter 19: The Third Training on the Path of Great Perfection: Wisdom
Part 7 – Innate Happiness
Chapter 20: Enlightenment in This Lifetime
Part 8 – Appendices
Appendix A: The Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva
Appendix B: The Sadhana of the White Dakini
Appendix C: The Sadhana of the Red Dakini
Appendix D: Sadhanas of Long-Life
Appendix E: Sadhana of the Blue Dakini
Endnotes
Preface
REASONS FOR WRITING THIS BOOK

The Western householder faces a very different experience and set of challenges than the
monks and nuns living in a monastic community in Tibet, India, Nepal and so forth. While some lamas
have made an effort to adopt their teachings to the West, most have largely approached teaching here
in the same way as in the East as if for the same audience, and often with the same expectations.
In contrast, other lamas have learned to speak English and use Western stories and metaphors
to supplement traditional ones. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has said that Western students tend to be
very intelligent and learn dharma very quickly. Still, few lamas have learned Western pedagogical
methods and scientifically-researched techniques that may expedite the learning and the process of
realization, particularly using these methods to adapt the teachings and practices to the Western
householder lifestyle. While teaching in the West, many persist in attempting to fit students into a
traditional mold. Too often we hear, “If you really want to achieve enlightenment in this lifetime, you
need to ___.” Fill in the blank: complete a three-year retreat, practice in a cave for many years or
even for your lifetime, etc. Really? Why then are there stories of householders (and rather
unremarkable or even lesser lamas for that matter) who did achieve enlightenment outside or in spite
of the establishment? What’s really possible here? The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche adds,
It’s like saying to our ourselves, “Yes, you’re a buddha too. You have the same enlightened
potential. You can wake up any minute, just like Shakyamuni Buddha and many others.” …
We’re trying to see how all of these teachings exist in our everyday life: taking piano lessons,
driving our kids to school, walking home from the bar, or locking ourselves up in a three-year
retreat – they’re all the same.
In discussions with students, lamas, and others, I have found two predominant views of
dharma in the West. One view is that of maintaining the tradition in a fairly rigorous manner, even
though much of it is focused on monk and nun practitioners living in monasteries. The other view is
the secularization of the tradition, removing the “cultural” and “mythical” elements down to the
essence of the teachings, but at the same time stripping it of the rich and vibrant character and, most
importantly, their benefits for helping us achieve realization.
When the Buddha first taught the Middle Way, he emphasized the middle between asceticism
and indulgence. When he next taught the Middle Way, he emphasized the middle between the extremes
of permanence and nothingness. In this text I have approached the tradition with a focus on a middle
way between the monastic tradition taught in the East and the attempts to secularize that tradition in
the West. My position is that while the West has much to offer the tradition, particularly through our
scientific and inquiring minds, we must be careful not to exorcise too much of the character that
makes the actual process of training the mind effective.
For example, we have no deity tradition in the West and it can be very tempting to consider
all the deity practices as nothing more than mythical stories of an ancient civilization that are no
longer relevant in the modern world. But as tools for training the mind, these practices have been
shown for centuries to be highly effective. Furthermore, I would argue from experience, as well as the
instruction of my teachers, that there is a great value in the rich and varied wealth of material in the
dharma, even that which seems beyond credibility to the modern Western mind when viewed from a
very literal interpretation and presentation, as often happens.
Thus, I have taken somewhat different approach that seeks to include a balance between the
two extremes, while also focusing on the heart of the path with a comprehensive series of trainings
appropriate for the Western householder with limited time for “formal” training and practice. At the
same time, I have selected those practices that are consistent with the scientific support for efficiency
and effectiveness towards achieving the traditional goal of enlightenment in this lifetime.
In this context, it is important to understand that Buddhism as a practice is largely a matter of
training the mind, although there is ample opportunity for elaborate ritual and other elements of
religion that may also appeal to practitioners. Mind training is not unlike that of an athlete or a
musician. It takes hours and hours of practice. Some techniques are more effective than others, but
there is no shortcut. Some say that one needs at least 10,000 hours of meditation to achieve a
significant level of realization. If you only practice 20 minutes a day, that will take 30,000 days or
about 82 years (with no vacations). On the other hand, if you sit in a 3-year retreat with 10 hours per
day of actual practice, you will achieve that goal before the end of the retreat.
Lest you be discouraged by this, reframe the “problem.” We each have 24 hours per day,
whether we are lamas in retreat or busy Western professionals. Twenty-four hours! You, me,
Rinpoche, all of us. So how do we take advantage of this opportunity? You make everything practice.
Instead of focusing only on what you do on the cushion, as most Western practitioners tend to do, you
expand your view of practice to literally everything you do. Thich Nhat Hanh (pronounced “tik not
hon”), for example, teaches this through numerous little prayers and sayings that apply to dozens of
activities we all do every day.
That is one approach. My approach, however, comes directly from the teachings in the
Tibetan tradition. It takes a while to master, so it is not like you can start doing it from day one, but it
is a very realistic accomplishment. And doing so levels the playing field for Western practitioners,
many of whom are very intelligent and deeply committed to this goal, a significant advantage. At 24
hours per day, 10,000 hours can take as little as 416 days! Just over one year. And you can do this all
without giving up your job, your family, or moving to Tibet or India.
One of the reasons that I have chosen to follow the teachings of Padmasambhava in this text is
that he recommends doing nearly all of the practices for a period of three days. I have extended this in
light of the fact that we may only be doing the practices for shorter periods of time than for a full day.
Nevertheless, it does become possible, if not advantageous, to do a very good job of completing these
practices and achieving the signs of realization for each incremental practice within one to three
weeks.
Now, before you get too excited – or critical – keep in mind that this requires a level of
focused attention that takes time to develop. So in reality it is likely to take longer. It took the Buddha
himself 6 years after having already mastered the teachings of two other gurus. And most of the great
Mahasiddhas took at least 12 years, often after considerable previous training. So unless you consider
yourself to have skills beyond the best of the best, a little humility and patience are warranted.
As I said, it takes some effort and practice to achieve that level of experience. So we still
need patience and persistence, the hallmarks of training the mind and two of the Six Perfections. My
hope is that this book can help you expedite the process. The faster you can get there, the sooner you
can potentially achieve enlightenment. We have the advantage of hundreds of years of experience and
recent scientific inquiry. Nevertheless, we still need patience and persistence regardless of our
capabilities.
So whether you have zero experience or several decades, it is within this context that I invite
you to participate in this marvelous experience we call Buddhism. You may do so as a religious or
secular practitioner. That, as His Holiness the Dalai Lama frequently points out, is of little
consequence. What does matter is how this experience can help you and others benefit in the quality
of your life in this world and the next, whatever that might be.
Buddhism has been very good to me. So much so, that I agreed to share what little expertise I
have developed in my study and practice. It began when my teacher, Tulku Khenchen Paljea Dorjee
Rinpoche, asked me to teach. I began teaching and developing courses for Dharmakirti College and
eCollege (now the Awam Tibetan Buddhist Institute). After a while, I was named President, and two
years later I was given the title Khenpo, as nearly as we can tell, the first American to receive that
title in the United States. Rinpoche has continued to ask that I teach more, as well as begin to write.
My students, too, asked that I write to benefit them in their studies and understanding. Thus, I humbly
dedicate this text to all sentient beings. May it be of some small benefit.