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A p r i l - J u n e 2 0 1 0A p r i l - J u n e 2 0 1 0

© Losang Dragpa Centre No, 1 Jln 17/21F, 46400 PJ Selangor, MalaysiaE-mail: ldc2u@yahoo.com | Tel: + 603-79683278 | Web: www.fpmt-ldc.org© Losang Dragpa Centre No, 1 Jln 17/21F, 46400 PJ Selangor, MalaysiaE-mail: ldc2u@yahoo.com | Tel: + 603-79683278 | Web: www.fpmt-ldc.org

Newsletter of Losang Dragpa Centre

A p r i l - J u n e 2 0 1 0A p r i l - J u n e 2 0 1 0

© Losang Dragpa Cent re E -ma i l : l dc2u@yahoo.com | Te l : + 603-79683278 | Web: www. fpmt - ldc .o rg© Losang Dragpa Cent re E -ma i l : l dc2u@yahoo.com | Te l : + 603-79683278 | Web: www. fpmt - ldc .o rg

CONTENTS

1. The Lightning Sword-Debate ------------------------------------------------------------------

The continuing tales of the Great Indian Pandits (cont)

– Aryadeva and Asvagosha

2. The Buddhist Approach to Treating Mental Illness -----------------------------------

a University researcher interviews Geshe Tenzin Zopa

3. The Wheel of Sharp Weapons of My Negative Karma When Driving ------------

by the sublime Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche

4. The Benefits of Prayer Wheels ----------------------------------------------------------------

5. “OHH What Do These Buddhist Terms Mean??!!*@!!??” ---------------------------

6. Dharma for Kids – What Honesty Is All About ------------------------------------------

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The Lightning Sword Debate the Pandits Aryadeva and Asvagosha

The Lightning Sword Debate - The continuing tales of the Great Indian Pandits (cont) – Aryadeva and Asvagosha

Aryadeva was lotus born and raised by the King of Singala as his own. As with many great Buddhist sages, he was groomed for royal rule but instead, he renounced and chose ordination. During a pilgrimage journey, he met the illustrious Nagarjuna (see life story of Nagarjuna from Oct-Nov edition of Shabda) and became his devoted student. Brilliant and sharp witted, Aryadeva excelled in his studies and was particularly adept at debate and longed to defeat non-Buddhist philosophers. In those days, whoever lost in a public debate was required to embrace the faith of the victor.

Aryadeva was a bodhisattva sage. Once on his travels, he met a blind, old woman (who was actually a malevolent spirit in disguise) who begged for one of Aryadeva’s eyes. Out of great compassion, he gave one of eyes to her and upon grabbing it in her hands, the old woman smashed the eyeball against a rock and destroyed it. Seeing this,

Aryadeva momentarily despaired, thinking “Oh what a waste!”. When bodhisattvas give away their organs, their level of spiritual cultivation enables them to regenerate the organ. But by Aryadeva expressing regret over his virtue of giving away the eyeball, even though the regret was for only a second, Aryadeva remained blind in one eye.

Asvagosha was a great Hindu logician, whose debating skills were unsurpassed and had never been defeated by anyone. The story was that a Hindu deity named Ishvara granted him his wish to be un-defeated in debate and declared that “No man of woman born will be able to defeat you”. Hence wherever Asvagosha went to debate with philosophers, they would lose and had to convert to his Hindu faith. He then went to the famous Nalanda (Buddhist) University to taunt the scholars there and challenge them to debate. The monks of Nalanda begged Nagarjuna to debate with Asvagosha to put an end to the relentless insults that were being hurled at Nalanda. Nagarjuna was about to accept but Aryadeva desired to go instead. Nagarjuna cautioned Aryadeva that he still needed more training.

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Thus began the rigorous debate-training of Aryadeva by Nagarjuna with Aryadeva taking the Buddhist position and Nagarjuna adopting the Hindu position. The sessions were so intense that at one stage, Aryadeva thought that Nagarjuna must secretly be a Hindu at heart because his arguments were so ferocious and compelling. When Aryadeva was finally able to prevail over Nagarjuna’s arguments, they switched positions, with Aryadeva now adopting the Hindu position. When Aryadeva was able to win even from the Hindu side of the argument Nagarjuna agreed to let him go for the debate with Asvagosha. Buddhists attending that debate had much hope in Aryadeva not only because of his vast knowledge and polished debating skills but because he was not of “woman born” but lotus-born.

Prior to the day of the actual debate, there were already prickly exchanges between Aryadeva and Asvagosha:

One day Asvagosha was performing the ritual of washing himself in the Ganges River to cleanse his sins. Aryadeva upon seeing this, brought a gold pot filled with urine and excrement and started to wash the external part of the pot. Asvagosha asked him “What’s the point of washing the outside of a pot that is filled with dirt?” Aryadeva replied, “Well, your sins are inside your mind, so how do you think you can purify them by washing your body with water from the Ganges River?”. On another occasion, Asvagosha stood in a doorway with one foot in and one foot out and asked Aryadeva, “Am I coming in or going out?” Aryadeva answered, “That depends on your motivation”. Then Asvagosha held a small bird in his hand and asked Aryadeva, “Am I going to kill this bird or not?” and Aryadeva answered, “That depends on your compassion”.

When the day of the debate came, Aryadeva knew that Asvagosha would have the help of the deity Ishvara. So he took measures to ensure that Ishvara was kept away. Knowing that god-realm beings are extremely attached to cleanliness, Aryadeva threw some excrement onto the parasol over Asvagosha, thereby warding off Ishvara.

The debate ensured with both debators engaging in the sharp cut-and-thrust of philosophical arguments. As the debate reached fearsome heights and Asvagosha feeling impending loss, flew into the air and was pursued by Aryadeva where they continued the fierce exchange. Asvagosha taunted and insulted Aryadeva, “O one-eye man, how dare you challenge me in debate?” And Aryadeva retorted, “Your deity with his 3 eyes has not been able to discover the nature of reality; but with my one-eye, I see it very clearly. Why shouldn’t I tame you?”

At the end of this awesome encounter, Aryadeva defeated Asvagosha, captured him and imprisoned him in a library containing numerous Buddhist books. Having no where else to go, Asvagosha took out one of the books and to his shock and amazement, he read in it, Buddha’s prediction of a Hindu logician named Asvagosha who would be defeated in debate, in the very manner as it happened. This generated strong faith in Asvagosha for the Buddhadharma. He subsequently became a great Buddhist master himself, writing various Buddhist texts, one of which is the celebrated “50 Stanzas to Guru Devotion” (available in LDC Library).

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Q: Could you say something about the Tibetan Buddhist approach to treating mental illness?Ans: The Buddhist point of view is that various practitioners have ability to help sick and dying but the fundamental practice is to be of benefit people, to wholeheartedly wish their suffering to be released. Genuinely lending of one’s ear and putting oneself in the other person’s position is a start.Although I cannot see through karma, I believe that there is some benefit in genuinely wishing the other to be well. There is a strong connection between karma and illness. When people having problems consult with me, I try to find the opportunity to explain the fact of karma and see whether there is a solution to purify karma through the objects of refuge.

Q: When you put yourself into the other person’s shoes and you recommend advice, does it come from your intuition?Ans: I keep my mind clear of thoughts and usually an answer comes to mind. Even though the person may be in great pain and the doctor recommends for example an operation but a strong sensing comes that no medicine should be taken but rather take care of daily diet or often, mental transformation is needed i.e. the person needs to cultivate a way of thinking, change the outlook, then some improvements come. It does help for the sick person to learn about karma in relation to that particular situation and then apply the remedy of mind transformation. Through a changed way of thinking and acceptance, anxiety will be reduced. A negative fearful attitude can also create the cause for one to have heavy illnesses like cancer, in the future. Superstition similarly causes people to project their fears onto harmless phenomena and they then become mentally and even physically affected.

Buddhist Approach to Treating Mental Illness

The Buddhist Approach to Treating Mental Illness - a University researcher interviews Geshe Tenzin Zopa

A psychology research student who was preparing a thesis on indigenous approaches to treating mental illness had chosen to explore methods which were based on culture and those based on religion. She requested for an interview with Geshe Tenzin Zopa on the Buddhist approach to treating mental illness. This is an extract of the interview that took place in Feb 2010:

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Q: What is the definition of karma?Ans: Karma is action producing a result (good, bad or neutral) in relation to living beings. The action can be physical, mental or verbal. One is now experiencing results of one’s past karma. When I do consultation, I explain that when the karmic seed caused by prior action ripens, the result will be experienced. There is definite karma and indefinite karma (i.e. when karma hasn’t ripened, it can be purified). If the cause is forceful and purification insufficient, one will definitely experience the result. But even if one experiences the result, by doing purification practices, the duration of the pain can be reduced and the intensity also reduced. It is useful to find out the cause for one’s experience as it can lead to a solution being found. Once the person understands his/her lifestyle and attitude, it will provide clues as to the reasons for one’s illness or difficulties and then a remedy can be provided. For example, previously, you only thought of yourself and your family in a self-centred way. This is negative thinking. We need to avoid negativities so as not to experience negative results. Do virtue, volunteer service to others.

When talking about karma to a person, I do also

explore with the person past events which may have a role in the present situation. I met a lady who displayed serious mental illness. I felt that she had something buried deep in her mind which she didn’t share. I advised her father to talk to the daughter and to encourage her to let go whatever was troubling her. She then broke down in grief and expressed her inner feelings as a dream and whereby at the age of 7 or 8 years old, she was sexually assaulted but she never told her parents. She had so much distress and fear from that incident which gave rise to her mental state. Thereafter, her parents gave her comfort and support and let her feel that she was still cared for by family. This helped her mental condition.With a combination of prayers, meditation, observing the person and applying analysis, one will be able to detect the causes of the problems. By knowing what happened and influencing the person to let go, can help.

Q: For mental illness, the person cannot even think, so how can such a person be supported?Ans: We can help such persons by doing prayers and dedicate with sincerity our good deeds to such a person getting better. Reciting prayers is like transmitting a positive frequency to the person because mantras are words of compassion and purity. If we are feeling mentally down, we can in addition to prayers, do positive visualisation. Mind travels on our inner winds – when we do positive visualisation, it is possible to activate our chakras. Gross chakras relate to the physical body and doing correct visualisations can help. As for the dedications of prayers, how they work is that they help the person gain a greater peace of mind.

Q: Divinations and advice on pujas – how are divinations done and how does one know what pujas to advise?Ans: First one needs to receive the initiations of various aspects of the Buddha. Then one has to do intensive meditation retreats to become

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familiar with that Buddha-aspect and remain connected with the Buddha. To be in oneness with the Buddha. After a certain amount of such intensive retreats and commitments in relation to the practice, one gains confidence in receiving guidance from the Buddha deity. When seeking guidance from the Buddha deity, there are various methods e.g. using the mala (rosary) or special dice. The outcome of these will then be checked as against a text to provide direction to the person’s problems and solutions. 70% is based on textual reference. The rest is where the Lama places himself in the person’s shoes and then go back into oneness with the deity through meditation and a clear answer or advice will emerge.

Q: How do pujas which are done let’s say in monasteries 1000 miles away, work?Ans: Compassionate prayers and dedication that are sincerely done, provide a positive mental frequency that reaches the person and provides comfort and also, it can trigger that

person’s mind (or someone near that person) to find the suitable remedy for the situation. If that person’s karma has not yet ripened (i.e. making the person experience the full unpleasant result), pujas and prayers are hugely beneficial. In the case of deceased persons, if one has the deceased person’s ashes, nail or something belonging to the deceased, prayers can be done over them and this can be very helpful. The giving of a name for prayers and dedication is also beneficial. Although a name is a mere label, the entire universe is make up of labels created by our mind and the fact that someone connected to the person sent the name to the monks to do prayers, a conduit is established for the mind which holds the label to receive the benefit of the prayers and dedication .

Q: Psychology divides the mind between the conscious and subconscious mind. What is the Buddhist view on this?Ans: There is gross and subtle mind. The most gross mind is the one which is purely based on our physical senses, which is the one we use the most of. The subtlest mind is called clear light mind whose nature is a continuum, is luminous, has the ability to know all things and has the potential to become Buddha. Our gross delusions/afflictive emotions (anger, attachment, pride, jealousy, miserliness) are the obstacles to gaining clarity of mind. Our gross afflictive emotions are so strong that sometimes, even when someone is speaking, our negative mind arises. A more subtle affliction/delusion is ignorance, which does not understand the fundamental nature of all existence, which is that all things arise dependently and do not exist independently/inherently. Without knowing this, there is no way to become enlightened. Delusions are just like clouds that obscure the pure mind. We need to work on these to gain clear light mind.

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When you are driving along in your car and suddenly some other car zips in front of your car, you get upset.

Or the next car does something they are not supposed to do in front of you or next to your car.

When this happens, immediately

· Remember that this unfavourable condition is my negative karma created by my selfish mind,

my ego. This is the wheel of sharp weapons, the negative karma that I created when I harmed

others, circling back on me now. Without delaying for even a second, I shall immediately use it to

cut my enemy-ego.

· Rejoice how this interference is the happiest, most wonderful thing in life – using the wheel of

sharp weapons of my negative karma, produced by my ego, to cut off my enemy-ego.

· Feel unbelievably happy!!

So here, first you are accepting the problem (as it is caused by your karma), so by doing this, it pacifies the

negative emotional thoughts, felling upset or angry. The second thing is that you’re looking at the short-

comings of ego, the harm given to you by ego. Third you are using the harm given to ego, to turn back

onto and cut the ego. This means destroying the ego, the self-cherishing thought, so that bodhicitta can

then arise. From that, you can achieve enlightenment. Then you can liberate numberless beings form

the oceans of samsaric sufferings and enlighten them. When that happens, then that’s the ultimate goal

of your life, the very meaning of your life is completed.

WOW!

This is how one must think in daily life. Anything that annoys you, which disturbs you suddently. Think

like this about anything which is difficult to practice patience with. Think that is the wheel of sharp

weapons helping us to eliminate ego.

Advice given my Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Washington DC, USA.

The Wheel of Sharp Weapons of My Negative Karma When Driving

– by the sublime Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche

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The Benefits of Prayer Wheels

As the great master Nagarjuna was predicted by the Great Compassionate One: “In the naga’s country in the palace of the King of Nagas, the bodhisattva possesses one very powerful Dharma wheel. Just by seeing, hearing, touching or remembering the Dharma wheel, you will quickly be liberated form the suffering of the lower realms. With this you will produce extensive works for sentient beings.”

The Limitless Light Buddha Amitabha said: “For the benefit of sentient beings of the degenerate age, I have explained the benefits of the Mani wheel. The one who practice while turning equals the fortune of the thousand Buddhas.”

The Founder Saviour, the unequalled Shakya King said:”It is more beneficial to turn the Dharma wheel one time than to be a meditator of the highest capacity who engages in a one-

year retreat on the essence of the meaning of mantra. It is more beneficial than to be a middle capacity meditator who does retreat for 7 years or a lower capacity meditator who does a 9-year retreat:.

Manjushri said: “The 4 Protectors and the 10 Direction guardians will protect you from all obstacles, from all directions and corners. The negative karma of the lower realms, the five uninterrupted actions and the ten non-virtuous actions are purified. You will travel to all the pure lands of the Buddhas and in the Blissful Pure Land, you will be reborn on the lions throne in the lotus heart oif the Blissful Pureland. You will perform the actions of all the Buddhas in all 10 directions. This great Dharma Wheel protects you from all the harm-givers, devas, spirits, from the nagas down below, from the steno in then middle and from the multitude of yakshas.”

From the scripture The Peerless Wish Granting Jewel Tantra: “The person who turns this wheel which possesses Om Mani Padme Hum will be blessed by all the gurus, the deities will grant realisations, those gone to bliss will pay attention to him or her and the Dharma protectors will eliminate all obstacles”. Wherever you place the Dharma

wheel and turn it, the migrating being in that place will be liberated and it will become similar to the pure land of Chenresig. Therefore without doubt of a two pointed mind in this profound supreme Dharma Wheel, one should cherish it, build the Dharma wheel with perseverance and turn it with an intense wish”.

- Advice from Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche

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Samsara• – cyclic existence – returning again and again to a life of dissatisfaction and suffering.

Nirvana• – liberation – a state where the practitioner is free from gross delusions and samsara.

Enlightenment• – the state of full Buddhahood, freedom from samsara and where all gross and subtle delusions & defilements are eliminated.

Emptiness• – the absence of independent, inherent existence - the true nature of all persons and phenomena – the principle which asserts that persons and phenomena appear to us due to dependent-arising; due to mental-imputations onto the collation of aggregates.

3PrincipleaspectsofthePath• – these are key points of the Buddha’s Mahayana teachings, namely renunciation, bodhicitta (the altruistic mind of great compassion) and wisdom realizing emptiness.

LamRim• – a method of presenting the entire Buddha’s teachings in a sequential manner, showing what is to be learned and what actions to be taken to attain enlightenment.

Tantra• – means protection from impure perceptions by relying on the proper understanding of emptiness ; special meditative practices to attain the clear light mind.

OHHHHH~~~~What DO These terms Mean?

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Puja• – comprehensive set of offering-prayers beginning with homage to the Buddhas and concluding with praises of auspiciousness to benefit of all beings.

Sadhana• – set of prayers in relation to a particular Buddha-deity, which include refuge and bodhicitta prayers, visualisation practices, teachings verses and dedication prayers for the welfare of all beings.

Mantra• – these are Buddhas’ names and powers expressed in syllable form using Sanskrit phonetics.

Initiations/empowerment• – Sacred rites which confer permission on the participant to engage in the meditative practices of a particular Buddha-deity and do the special visualizations of the deity and its mandala/paradise/abode.

Jenang• – commonly used as a short-form, blessing-type of initiation.

BasketsofBuddha’steachings• – Vinaya (moral ethics), Sutra (Discourse) and Abidhammakosha (metaphysics/science).

Afflictions,delusions,defilements• – different texts and masters use these terms differently. For classes at LDC, the meanings ascribed are: Afflictions – negative emotions in general Delusions – the 6 root poisons – ignorance, anger, attachment, pride, doubt and wrong view (example, denial of cuases and effect; belief in inherent existence; obscuration to nirvana/liberation) Defilement – obscuration to enlightenment

What Honesty Is All AboutWhat Honesty Is All About

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What Honesty Is All AboutWhat Honesty Is All About What Honesty Is All AboutWhat Honesty Is All About

What Honesty Is All AboutWhat Honesty Is All AboutWhat Honesty Is All AboutWhat Honesty Is All About What Honesty Is All AboutWhat Honesty Is All About

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What Honesty Is All AboutWhat Honesty Is All About

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What Honesty Is All AboutWhat Honesty Is All About What Honesty Is All AboutWhat Honesty Is All About

What Honesty Is All AboutWhat Honesty Is All AboutWhat Honesty Is All AboutWhat Honesty Is All About What Honesty Is All AboutWhat Honesty Is All About

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What Honesty Is All AboutWhat Honesty Is All About

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