Turning Confusion into Clarity: A Guide to the Foundation Practices of Tibetan Buddhism

388 Pages·2014·13.63 MB·English

by  Yongey Mingyur, Helen Tworkov, Matthieu Ricard

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TURNING
CLARITb I
A G U I D E T O T H E F O U N D A T I O N
P R A C T I C E S OF T I B E T A N B U D D H I S M
Y O NGEY MINGYUR RINPOCHE
with H e l e n T w o r k o v | Foreword by M a t t h i e u R i c a r d
T u r n i n g C o n f u s i o n i n t o C l a r i t y
B o o k s b y Y o n g e y M i n g y u r R i n p o c h e
The Joy o f Living: Unlocking the Secret & Science o f Happiness.
With Eric Swanson. New York: Harmony, 2007.
Joyful Wisdom: Embracing Change and Finding Freedom.
With Eric Swanson. New York: Harmony, 2009.
For further teachings by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, including
audio and video teachings on the foundation practices of Tibetan
Buddhism, visit www.store.tergar.org.
T u r n i n g C o n f u s i o n
i n t o C l a r i t y
A Guide to the Foundation Practices of
Tibetan Buddhism
Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
with Helen Tworkov
Foreword by Matthieu Ricard
Sn o w Lio n
Bo s t o n & L o n d o n
2014
Snow Lion
An imprint of Shambhala Publications, Inc.
Horticultural Hall
300 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02115
www.shambhala.com
© 2014 by Yongey Mingyur
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in
any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
publisher.
9 8 7 6 s 4 3 2 1
First Edition
Printed in the United States of America
©This edition is printed on acid-free paper that meets the
American National Standards Institute Z39.48 Standard.
OThis book is printed on 30% postconsumer recycled paper.
For more information please visit www.shambhala.com.
Distributed in the United States by Random House, Inc.,
and in Canada by Random House of Canada Ltd
Designed by Gopa Sc Ted 2, Inc.
Library o f Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Yongey Mingyur, Rinpoche, 1976- author.
Turning confusion into clarity: a guide to the foundation
practices of Tibetan Buddhism / Yongey Mingyur with Helen
Tworkov; foreword by Matthieu Ricard.—First edition,
pages cm
Includes index.
i s b n 9 7 8 - 1 - 6 1 1 8 0 - 1 2 1 - 7 (p ap e rb ack )
1. Spiritual life—Tantric Buddhism. I. Tworkov, Helen. II. Title.
B Q 8 9 3 8 .Y 66 2 0 1 4
2 9 4 . 3 * 9 2 3 — d c 2 3
2 0 1 3 0 3 0 8 9 8
C o n t e n t s
Foreword by Mattbieu Ricard vii
Acknowledgments xiii
Pa r t O n e : E n t e r i n g t h e Pa t h
1. FirstSteps 3
2. Meditation: The Essential Tool 27
3. Glimpses of My Gurus 57
Pa r t Tw o : T h e F o u r C o m m o n F o u n d a t i o n P r a c t i c e s
4. The First Thought That Turns the Mind:
Precious Human Existence 71
5. The Second Thought That Turns the Mind: Impermanence 93
6. The Third Thought That Turns the Mind: Karma 113
7. The Fourth Thought That Turns the Mind: Suffering 131
Pa r t T h r e e : T h e F o u r U n i q u e F o u n d a t i o n P r a c t i c e s
8. The First Unique Practice: Taking Refuge 163
9. The Second Unique Practice: Purification 229
10. The Third Unique Practice: Mandala:
The Accumulation of Wisdom and Merit 257
vi — C ONTENTS
11. The Fourth Unique Practice: Guru Yoga 289
12. After Ngondro 337
Glossary 345
Recommended Reading 354
Credits 355
Author Biographies 357
About the Tergar Meditation Community 358
Index 359
F o r e w o r d
o n g e y M i n g y u r R i n p o c h e is both one o f m y teachers and the
heart-son of several of my root spiritual masters. So it seems some­
what out of place for me to write a foreword to his profound teaching,
just as it is unnecessary to use a flashlight in midday. In view of this,
what follows is more of an offering to his wisdom and to the lineage
masters,
In The Joy o f Living, Mingyur Rinpoche writes: “One of the main
obstacles we face when we try to examine the mind is a deep-seated
and often unconscious conviction that ‘we’re born the way we are and
nothing we can do can change that.’ I experienced this same sense of
pessimistic futility during my own childhood, and I’ve seen it reflected
again and again in my work with people around the world. Without
even consciously thinking about it, the idea that we can’t alter our mind
blocks our every attempt to t ry ___[However,] during my conversations
with scientists around the world, I’ve been amazed to see that there is
a nearly universal consensus in the scientific community that the brain
is structured in a way that actually does make it possible to effect real
changes in everyday experience.”
This blending of personal testimonies, insight into people’s minds,
and enthusiastic openness to contemporary understanding are some
of the hallmarks of Mingyur Rinpoche’s unique ease in presenting the
deepest teachings of Buddhism along with issues that are relevant to
our modern world. In Turning Confusion into Clarity, Rinpoche applies
these wonderful skills. He gives us comprehensive teachings on the
foundation practices that contain instructions indispensable for under­
taking these practices in a traditional and authentic way. What is very
viii — F O R E W O R D
special, however, is that these traditional instructions are interspersed
with inspiring memories, stories of great masters, and intimate insights
into Rinpoche’s own spiritual path, thus bringing the teachings fully
alive.
It is also significant that in this book Rinpoche has chosen to give
extensive instructions on the foundation practices when so many prac­
titioners today thirst for so-called advanced teachings. Yet as Kyabje
Dudjom Rinpoche (1904-87) wrote, “The birth of understanding in
your mind stream of the meaning of the Great Perfection depends upon
these foundational practices.”
This view echoes those of all the great masters of the past. Drigung
Jigten Gonpo (1143-1217), for example, said, “Other teachings con­
sider the main practice profound, but here it is the preliminary practices
that we consider profound.”
For readers of this book, this sound foundation will make the sub­
sequent practices flow naturally into place. Without the foundation
practices, however magnificent subsequent practices might seem, their
fate is no different than that of a castle built on the surface of a frozen
lake. Just as the castle will undoubtedly sink as soon as the warmth of
spring arrives, the lofty views of those who feel they can dispense with
the foundation practices will collapse as soon as outer circumstances
become challenging. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910-91) often said,
“It is easy to be a good meditator when sitting in the sun with a full
belly. It is when faced with adverse conditions that the meditator is put
to the test.”
Someone once came to visit Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche, Khyentse
Rinpoche’s grandson, to discuss his difficulties. The visitor began by
saying how well his practice of the Great Perfection was going and how
great it was to simply “remain in the view.” Then he added: “But you
know, I can’t stand being at that dharma center. People are so mean and
I can’t get along with them.” When Rabjam Rinpoche suggested that
on such occasions he might try practicing teachings on mind training,
the man replied, “Oh, that is really difficult.” So this person thought
that it was easy to practice the most profound teaching, which is the