His Eminence Beru Khyentse Rinpoche
© Marpa Activities 1998
There are four types of Birth :
1) Womb-birth, as experienced by humans, animals and hungry ghosts.
2) Egg-birth, as found mainly in the animal realm.
3) Moisture-birth, like that of some insects.
4) Miraculous-birth like that of Guru Rinpoche, who was born from a lotus
in Milk Lake.
There are two types of Miraculous-birth. There is the birth into a Pure Land,
and a lesser
kind which occurs when one enters the intermediate state.
All four types of birth involve a dissolution of the elements. The earth
element is present in
all of these. The water element holds the other elements together, and their
temperature is
represented in the fire element. Respiration, which functions to keep a balance,
is
represented by the air element. There is a strong inter-relationship between
external and
internal elements and the combination of both elements and consciousness is
what
constitutes a living being. Due to the coming together of these factors, sooner
or later they
are bound to fall apart. This is the Bardo of Experience. The type of bardo
to be
experienced is determined by one's own karma and also one's timing. Just as
time
constantly passes, so does one's life. Lama Chime Patrul Rinpoche once said,
"From the
moment we are born our life is getting shorter.
It is like the action of the sun which rises and then sets." The duration
of one's life
depends on one's individual karma. The length of one's life is indefinite and
the means of
losing it are limitless. Due to these factors it is important to practise dharma
and make
good use of our life - not just in theory, but in practice. We have got to realise
our body is
a changeable object. Even though most people believe the world exists as it
appears, it
doesn't. It changes constantly. Unfortunately we take our deception as our reality.
Life
really is no more than a reflection of memories. If things truly existed as
they appeared
they would stay that way forever. A few weeks ago when we were in Australia
I met up
with a close friend of mine, Jigsay Rinpoche. He is younger than I am and I
have known
him for many years but last night we heard the sad news he had just passed away.
Through the practice of meditation you come to realise that the experience of
the dream
state is not so different from the waking state.
Preparation for our death must start now before it happens, while we are
still alive. If you
realise how indefinite time is you make the best use of it. A meaningful life
means a useful
life but it's entirely in your own hands how soon you practise. Among the six
realms of
existence, rebirth in the human realm is the result of an accumulation of incredibly
good
fortune. As such we should not squander it. On the basis of this good fortune
we should
strive to reduce our negative actions as much as possible, step by step. One
should not
be careless; actions are like a spark in a haystack or an accumulation of drops
that
eventually becomes an ocean. There are ten wholesome actions which are to be
cultivated
as an antidote to the ten unwholesome actions, but you can only practise them
effectively
if you have as the basis the enlightened attitude. When you commit unwholesome
actions
there is no positive result.
Passion, aggression and ignorance are the three root poisons. Passion is
a positive
action, aggression a negative action and ignorance a mental action. Passion,
due to the
influence of our confused mind, brings about a type of temporary benefit, but
it is subject
to change and eventually causes yet more suffering. Milarepa, in one of his
songs, likened
passion to a wish-granting gem. Having got the object of our dreams it doesn't
take long
before we realise just how dependent we become on it and the problems it causes.
Eventually we have to separate from that object, whatever it may be. It is like
a bee that
collects pollen to make honey which in turn is taken and used by someone else.
The root
of passion is desire-attachment and like the two other poisons its nature is
suffering.
Passion is like an itch. The more you scratch, the worse it becomes. The best
solution is
not to scratch, but to let the itch go by itself. The idea is not to cling too
much to
samsaric activity. This particular bardo - the Bardo between Birth and Death
- is the only
one within which we can make a determined change.
It is important to recognise what makes a mind deluded and to recognise
its nature. When
we visualise the form of a deity, the idea is to exchange our ordinary deluded
mind with an
enlightened one. This is the technique of Tantra. In Chenrezig practice we not
only
visualise ourself as Chenrezig but all living beings as Chenrezig. We also visualise
the
universe resounding with the Chenrezig mantra, and transform our thoughts into
the nature
of thoughts - Dharmakaya.