Lake of Lotus (5)-The Wisdom in Directing One's Dharma Practice (5)-The Criterion of Importance-By...

8/13/2019 Lake of Lotus (5)-The Wisdom in Directing One's Dharma Practice (5)-The Criterion of Importance-By Vajra Master P

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By Vajra Acharya Pema Lhadren

Translated by Amy W. F. Chow

Excerpt of Last Issue

The primary condition for success is the settingup of anobjective. In the setting-up of an objective with regards toones preference, capability and ideal, to be supplementedwith the skills in the setting-up of an objective, a blueprintof grandeur for the ideal of ones life has more or less beendrawn up. Then, what is the next step to proceed in order toensure success in achieving the objective?

The nest step is to draw up a detailed and concrete plan,which is also strategic and efficient in nature. To work outa series of plans for the major, medium-term and smallobjectives is like the building up of a network of interconnectedhighways which would eventually lead to success. Indesigning the numerous plans, attention must be paid tothe following items:.

1. Complementarity and the Enhancement of Effectiveness:The links between plans should have compatible,

complementary and interdependent effects.

The Wisdom in DirectingOnes Dharma Practice (5)

The Skills in the Setting-up of Plans (2)

1. A thorough elimination process to decide what to adoptand abandon : Irrespective of working out major,medium-term and small plans, there must be a processto prioritize and eliminate with regards to some designatedelements and conditions.A thorough elimination processto determine what to adopt and abandonshould includethe contents of the plan itself, as to whether the planshould ever exist or whether part of the plan should

be accepted. What are these designated elements andconditions? Are they really so important? The answer isthat if one does not know how to make use of and devisethese designated elements and conditions, though onemay be like the Monkey King (in the Chinese novel of theJourney to the West) with great abilities to make 72 typesof unpredictable changes, the plan that one has madewould only end up to be some kind of confusing illusions.With these, one could hardly escape the fate of failure.It is possible that onemay have some minor successes,which are the results of ones putting in huge amountsof efforts which do not commensurate with the smallachievements (if any) and only by luck.

The Skills in the Setting-up of Plans Designated Elements & Conditions in Determining What to Adopt and Abandon Non-Differentiations on the Order of Priority without the Criterion of Importance Mastering the Practical Situations & Relevant Information Relating to the Plan Avoiding Outcomes Which are Contrary to the Objectives Relying on Logical Analysis & Not to Be Deceived by Illusions or Lies The Three Steps in Searching for an Authentic Guru

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Manjushri

Guru Rinpoche

Designated Elements & Conditionsin Determining What to Adopt and

Abandon:

(1) Importance: To what extent would the plan helpin achieving the objective? To what extent would thisobjective, in which one is preparing to achieve, help inachieving the major objective? If this plan is comparedwith the other plans, what will be its order of priority interms of the overall importance? How much time, effortsand resources would have to be spent on this plan? If thisplan is to be carried out, where will its critical positionbe in order to achieve the objective? If compared with theother plans, how would it stand with regards to the critical

position of the overall situation? If one gives up this plan,what will be the extent of its impact towards achieving theultimate major objective? What will its percentage be?Are there any better and more efficient plans to take itsplace? If this plan is accepted, whether the contents anddetailed steps of this plan are efficient or not, and whetherthey are either redundant or too labour-intensive? Are thosecontents and steps critical? Are they directly linked tothe objective?How much of the contents and steps of thisplan are good enough to achieve the objective, so as todecide on whether this plan should be implemented fully, oronly partially?

Non-Differentiations on the Orderof Priority without the Criterion ofImportance

Over 90% of ordinary people may have toiled for their wholelives, and yet failed to achieve any success though they hadworked hard. Apart from their not being clear about theirobjectives, the most important reason for their failures isthe inability to differenate the order of priority in terms ofimportance. Their fatal blow is their forgetfulness and lackof direction, simply because they are just not clear of whatthey are doing and why they have to do them? They wouldonly work hard to clear away the trivial matters in front ofthem as quickly as possible. For the critical and major issues,either they have forgotten them, or simply could not see theirimportance. The results offocusing on trivial matters whileneglecting the critical ones, ending up in the loss of majorissues for minor ones are that: one would be busy all day,getting mentally and physically exhausted, and finding that itis most inadequate for having only 24 hours per day. Despiteall these, ones achievements will only be very limited, oreven without any achievements at all.

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Why is it like that? This is simply because most people havethe tendency of seeing things that are immediately in front ofthem. As a result of this tendency, when people think andrespond, they will also tend to focus on things right beforethem. One would have normally mistaken urgent issues

to be important ones, and so accord greater priorities indealing with them. Take for example, when the telephonerings, one would habitually answer the phone even thoughone may be dealing with an important issue or is meeting animportant person. One would simply put aside the issue orthe person on hand. When one answers the call, one wouldhave mistakenly thought that one would be able to finishthe call in a very short periodof time, and so the importantissue or person will have to bekept on waiting. This habitualpattern of thinking, as well as

mode of handling matters,would result in having theimportant issues and events tobe either shelved off, playeddown, procrastinated, ceasedor even forgotten.I f one accords greaterpriorities in dealing with dateswith friends, or coming offestivals, or unforeseen oruntoward incidents, this wouldresult in ones plan to beshrunk or ceased. There arenumerous trivial matters to behandled every day, and soif the approach adopted byone is not to differentiate theorder of priority in terms ofimportance but to deal withthem as they come along, orwould only handle the issuesin accordance with onesprevailing preferences, thena large part of the efforts, timeand energy will be wasted on numerous unimportant trivial

matters. Such an approach of handling matters would put allplans in stalemate and render the objectives to becomenon-achievable.

Mastering the Practical Situations &Relevant Information Relating to thePlan

What will happen if such situations are put in the contextof Dharma practice? Take the example of those Dharmapractitioners who are practicing Vajrayana Buddhism, many

of them would have mistakenly believed that the receivingof empowerments are more important than the actualpractices of the various Dharma practices. Whenever andwherever there are transmissions of empowerments, nomatter how busy they are, they will attend them without any

hesitations. While the numbers and types of empowermentsthat they have received are more than they could remember,they would remain greedy and will continue to attend. Theywould only think of the benefits, but would disregard thepossible harms. If one would really want to receive suchan empowerment, one would need to do some planning bytreating the empowerment as one of the plans for achieving

ones objective, while usingits importance as the criterionof assessment. In working outthe detailed contents and stepsfor the plan, one should first

understand or investigate intothe subject in order to masterthe relevant information andpractical situations in relatingto the plan. Repeatedly aska few more questions on thesubject before finalizing thedetails is an important methodfor doing so.

Whether the one who transmitsthe empowerment is aqualified holder of the lineage(that is, is he being authorized)or not? What vows andsamayas (commitments)must one have to keep whilereceiving the empowerment?Whether an empowermentwhich does not require therecipients to observe any vowsand samayas (commitments)is a proper and valid kind of

empowerment? What will be the outcomes if one receivessuch an empowerment which is not properly authorized,

or that it does not require the recipients to keep any vowsand samayas (commitments)? What will be the outcomes ifone has received the vows and samayas (commitments)but then would not keep them? What is the use to receive somany unknown empowerments in which the recipient is notclear about? Would the benefits of these empowermentsbe greater, or whether their harms would be greater? Whatis the relationship between these empowerments andyour own objective? What is the degree and extent of theirimportance?

Vajrasattva

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Whether the person has any credibility, if he only tells youthat the more empowerments the better, but then he doesnot explain in details concerning the different scenarios ofbenefits and harms, as well as the different conditions forreceiving the empowerments? For those who transmitnumerous empowerments, whether the frequency and

proportion of their transmitting empowerments arecomparable to that of their explanations of the Buddhistteachings and other Dharma practices? If someone wouldinform you that the more the empowerments, the morethe accumulation of wealth and offerings, then you willhave to ask yourself as to whether their aim is to help youin your own Dharma practice and the nurturing of thealtruistic enlightened mind (Bodhicitta), or whether it is toaccumulate more wealth? Those people, who do not wantto understand the Buddhist teachings and do not want tolearn the Dharma practices, but only want to receive thevarious empowerments, are either superstitious, or self-

deceiving. Or whether they are pitifully being deceived byothers? Those people who would focus mainly on transmittingempowerments,the frequency and proportion of which aremany times more than that of their preaching of the Buddhistteachings and other Dharma practices, may explain awaytheir acts under the pretext of widely spreading the Buddhistteachings. We can ask these simple questions: are theykilling the hen for the golden eggs, or are they widelyproclaiming superstitious beliefs, or whether they are swiftlystifling the existence of Vajrayana Buddhism due to their

Saraswati

own selfishness? Though these people may have the so-called authorizations, are they not haunting the evil spiritsof fake gurus inside themselves when they have alreadybroken their vows and samayas (commitments) by onlycaring for their own immediate benefits buthave no regards

for the true Buddhist teachings?

Avoiding Outcomes Which are Contraryto the Objectives

If the objectives of your receiving the empowerments arefor the peace of mind, for more blessings, for long life, forwealth, for power, for security, for health, for the well-beingsof children, or for the well-beings of spouses, etc., thenfirst of all you will have to ascertain that these empowermentswould not bring you the opposite effects.

Tibetan Buddhism places great emphasis on the importanceof the Source of the Holy Dharma. From whom has the HolyDharma been passed down? Whether the Holy Dharma hasbeen polluted or distorted by those who transmitted theHoly Dharma (i.e. the so-called preachers) through theirbreaking of vows and samayas (commitments) in betweenthese transmissions? Whether the preacher or the Dharmapractitionerhas truly received the transmission of the lineage(and held the valid authorization)? Whether the preacher,after receiving the empowerment, has also received theSadhana teachings for such an empowerment at thesame time? If yes, then whether he has practiced them or

not, and with any particular results?

In Tibetan Buddhism, if the empowerment is transmittedby the one who does not have a pure authorization, it will lackthe blessings from all the Lineage Masters. Furthermore,it might be rebuked by the Dharma protectors, and sothe empowerment that was transmitted would becomeineffective, and the recipients of the empowerment wouldalso become the victims. This is simply because of the fact thatthe one who has transmitted the empowerment has alreadydeceived others through his broken vows and samayas(commitments), which would thus turn the benefits of theempowermentinto harms, and thus would become directlyopposite to the possible benefits. As a result, one wouldend up in getting the opposites for what one has prayed forafter receiving such kind of an empowerment. Under thesecircumstances, it is similar to the using of a fake diploma orcertificate to cheat on others in this world, as it will soon befound out and will not be recognized or supported. Finally,the person who is using this fake diploma or certificate maybe prosecuted by the relevant authority of the government.Thus, to receive the transmission of an empowerment from

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a fake guru or from a preacher who has broken his vows orsamayas (commitments) is like to have oneself taken a bathin a sewer in which one will become infected with variousgerms and viruses. One will continue to be infected withvarious germs and viruses on ones body even after ones

cleansing of the body.As no one can completely change theLaw of Cause and Effect (karma), and so the cause ofhaving taken a bath in the sewagewill give rise to the effectof onesbody carrying various germs andviruses.

The meaning of a Lineagerepresents the Source of theHoly Dharma, the name list ofall those Gurus who are qualifiedholders of the lineage, as well

as the qualifications of all thoseGurus who have been authorizedto help spread the Holy Dharma.Each and every series of DharmaLineages has its own unique kindof empowerments. To obtainthe authorization in transmittingthe empowerments, one has toobtain permission and authorizationfrom the Main Lineage Holder ofthat particular Dharma Lineage(i.e. the Lineage Master) for theempowerments and teachings ofvarious Dharma practices. Afterwhich, ones has to practice thesevarious Dharma practices up to a certain level. It is only afterone has achieved a certain level of practices that one maythen be granted the authorization for the transmission ofthe empowerments. After all, Tibetan Buddhism is a verysystematic, organized and authoritative school of practice.Thus,if the Guru who transmits the Dharma teachingsis not required to be verifed and authorized, then the

weakening and the degradation of the whole of TibetanBuddhism would happen very quickly.

Nowadays, the spread of Tibetan Buddhism only focuseson the transmissions of empowerments, while the trueBuddhist teachings and its Dharma practices are beingneglected. It is a situation in which the end is beingreversed, or even replaced, by the means. So long as anyTibetan puts on a Dharma robe, dares to call oneself as alama, or a tulku, or a Rinpoche, and then transmitsnumerous empowerments, there is always a market forhim to do so. To most ordinary people, it is unimportant atall as to whether this Tibetan can truly explain the Buddhist

Ushnishavijaya

teachings, and whether he had truly practiced the variousDharma practices of the numerous empowerments beforehis transmissions. For all these so-called gurus, they may noteven be able to utter some ambiguous and general answersto some common and basic questions on Buddhism, then how

could they be able to answer questions that are pertainingto the actual practices of the Holy Dharma? In fact, it would

not be difficult at all to differentiatean authentic Guru from a fakeone. One can easily tell by theways and styles of their spreadingthe Holy Dharma: whether they willmainly focus on the explanationsof the Buddhist teachings and itsDharma practices, or whether theywill purely give the transmissions ofempowerments? It is so simple and

clear! If simply by the transmissionsof empowerments one can savethe sentient beings, then would itbe necessary for the Lord BuddhaShakyamuni to have spent morethan 40 years of explaining the trueBuddhist teachings in the hopethat all sentient beings can come tounderstand the truth of all mattersand will then diligently practice theHoly Dharma in order to be liberatedfrom the cycle of karmic existence(samsara)?

Relying on Logical Analysis & Not to BeDeceived by Illusions or Lies

One has only limited time and energy. If one claims to havepracticed the various Sadhana practices of the numerousempowerments, and basing upon the strengths of variouslevels of realizations (i.e. having experienced certaintypes of accomplishments), one may then have adequatequalifications to transmit these numerous empowerments.In such a case, one has to be like Guru Padmasambhava,who has been living and practicing the Holy Dharma formore than one thousand years in order to have such kinds ofaccomplishments to do so, otherwise the person who claimsto be able to transmit such numerous empowermentsis just a liar.Even if one has been authorized, yet if onedoes not have seriously practiced the Sadhana practicesfor the numerous empowerments with certain levels ofaccomplishments in order to transmit the empowermentslater on, then these empowerments will not be effective

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at all. An authentic Guru, with an adequate level ofaccomplishment, will be able to explain the true Buddhistteachings and its Dharma practiceswith clear, accurate,in-depth and unique viewpoints. As for those who have yet toreach an adequate and acceptable level of accomplishment,

the empowerments transmitted by them would not havebeen effective. Furthermore, if there is an element of deceptionin the whole process of transmission, the effectiveness of theempowerment would have the totally opposite effects.Kyabje Chadral Sangye Dorje Rinpoche, who is recognizedas one of the greatest realized Dzogchen masters of theNyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism,constantly reminded us that: For thosegurus who transmit Dharma teachingsand practices but dont follow the rulesof transmissions, or dont have the

necessary qualities and qualifications asgurus, when they causally transmit theempowerments and teachings, theywill all get into troubles with the differentnegative karmic consequences ofshort life-spans, numerous illnesses,and many obstacles while they arestill alive. These negative karmicconsequences will also be applied tothose who receive their teachings andtransmissions. All the empowermentsshould have all those necessary Vowsand Samayas (commitments) thatgo along with them, and should alsobe kept by both the gurus and thedisciple during the process of theempowerment. Otherwise, they willall get into troubles, that is, all thosenegative karmic consequences!Once the empowerment is granted,the relationship between the guru andthe disciple in the form of Samayaswill be naturally andinstantaneously established, and should not be broken byeither party.

If you can believe,without the support of any evidence,thatthe more empowerments the better, then why cant you takethe heart advice from such a great Masterthat one should bevery careful about the empowerments that one receives!Which are the advices that we should be listening to in orderto bring moreprotectionand benefits to ourselves? If youbelieve that empowerments will bring you the benefits ofincreasing your blessings, then why cant one also believethat improper empowerments will bring you the harms ofreducing your blessings.

Irrespective of your various objectives for receivingempowerments as for the consolation of the mind, for theliberation from life or death, for going to the Buddha fields, forrealizing Buddhahood, you must first of all work out a steadyand secure plan to do so.

The Three Steps in Searching for anAuthentic Guru-First Step in Making Plans: WithImportance as the Basis of the Plan

First of all, you need to consider inwhat ways will empowerments helpin your achieving the objective?Whether these empowerments arecritical or not? Whether these arerecommended and approved by

your Guru? If the answers to thesequestions are negative,then wouldntit be too risky for you to receivethese empowerments? Shouldone just casually receive variousempowerments from any Gurus?Furthermore, if after receiving manyof these casual empowerments fromso many Gurus, then what will be theconsequences for you in having somany casual Gurus?

In the Dharma practices of TibetanBuddhism, the primary objective isto be liberated from life and death

/ to be liberated from the cycle ofkarmic existence (samsara). In orderto achieve this objective, one hasto be very cautious in choosingan authentic Guru (please referto the articles on Authentic versus

Fake Gurus in the 3rd & 4th Issues of the Lake of Lotusfor details). Furthermore, this authentic Guru must have tobe easily reachable, and can freely communicate in order

to facilitate both the questioning by the disciples and theteachings by the Guru. This authentic Guru will be thecritical personas to whether you will be able to achievethe objective or not. If one cannot communicate with onesown Guru, ones beliefs will only have to be built uponsuperstitions, without the support of any explanations ofthe Dharma teachings and its practices. This step is, indeed,the foremost and of paramount importance when makingplans as it will have serious consequences. As such, this isthe first step in making plans.

Buddha Amitabha

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through your own willingness to do so, long before theempowerment. For such an empowerment, which doesnot include a requirement for the observances of vows andsamayas (commitments), is not in line with the true Buddhistteachings, and so it is only an ineffectual ceremony which

would only give rise to more greediness. Though authorized,if these so-called Gurus transmit empowerments that goagainst the Buddhist teachings, they are, in fact, only verygreedy, ignorant and short-sighted Gurus who break theirvows and samayas (commitments). In which case, theyare no different from any other fake gurus simply becausethe results of both of them are totally the same! These so-called Gurus should and must reflect deeply upon theirown behaviours and ask themselves whether they will, infact, make Tibetan Buddhism to becomea religion that issuper-superstitious, if it does not require the observancesof vows and samayas (commitments). In actuality, are they

not practicing some selfish behaviours which would onlybring ruins, and destroy the whole of Tibetan Buddhism atfull speed, in the name of providing a convenient way for thespreading of Buddhism and the benefiting of living beings?Many of those who claimed themselves to be the so-called Dharma practitioners, in receiving numerousempowerments, are in fact indecisive in handling issues,without much mental concentration, nor with the powerof meditation, with poor focus and much confusion on theBuddhist teachings, extremely superstitious, and with poorlogical reasoning of all sorts.They are always chasing afterthe numerous empowerments which will never bring them

any real benefits. Such a style of handling matters, togetherwith their inability to differentiate the order of priority interms of importance, is similar to only focusing on handlingtrivial daily matters while shelving off the important issuesand people. If it is really necessary for one to have someempowerments in order to facilitate and elevate onesDharma practices, ones Guru will naturally inform you ofsuch a necessity. There is no need for one to act like theblind flies bumping onto different things here and thereaimlessly. Hence, the second step in making plans is tohave appropriate communications with your own Guru, togain his confidence on you, and to receive his tailor-made

guidances.

However, one must remember this: if you have alreadymost sincerely and whole-heartedly help to spread the HolyDharma, to follow strictly on the vows without breaking them,and keep your samayas (commitments) pure and cleanwith your Guru for at least a period of six years, and yetyour Guru still does not teach you any teachings in relations

The success and failure in making plans and the pace ofprogress, be it quick or slow, will have to depend upon theskills of teaching and the levels of accomplishments (i.e.realizations)of this authentic Guru. If you are certain thathe is being authorized and is a qualified authentic Guru,

you should listen to the ways that he explains the Buddhistteachings. You can pretty much tell the breadth and depth ofhis levels of accomplishments (i.e. realizations) from the wayof his interpretations, the degree of depth, clarity and ease ofunderstanding through his different explanations. You will findthat his interpretations of the Buddhist teachings will be at thevery focal point of Buddhism, i.e. the training of the mind,and that they are right to the point, relevant and practical. Thisis an illustration of the integration on practical experienceswith wisdom. For an authentic Guru without any levels ofaccomplishments (i.e. realizations), his explanations wouldbe unclear. This is very simple because even he himself does

not understand, and has not yet experienced, the doctrinesof and methods for the Dharma practices, then how can heexplain it to you and make you understand?

Second Step in Making Plans:Mastering the Critical Position

When you have found a responsible authentic Guru, hewill be able to understand your level and, depending uponyour situations, will give you the appropriate and relevantempowerments and Dharma teachings in order to train

your mental concentration, power of meditation andunderstanding of the Buddhist teachings. All these areimportant elements for ones liberation from life and death

/ liberation from the cycle of karmic existence (samsara).Too many empowerments will only confuse the Dharmapractitioners,disturb their practices ofmental concentrationand power of mediation. This will also give rise to moregreediness as one can boost in front of others, thinking thatthe receiving of more empowerments is a symbol of status.All these will not help a bit in ones Dharma practices, but,instead, will only bring more harms than good.

Empowerment is a type of ceremony to be performedby an authentic Guru who is authorized to do so. In sodoing, the authentic Guru will authorize you to practice theparticular empowerment and all those Dharma practicesthat are related to it. If you canstrictly follow some specificrequirements and fulfill the necessary criteria, you will beable to practice them after the ceremony. Hence fora trueempowerment to be effective, you will have to observe allthe relevant vows and samayas (commitments), in whichyou should have been informed of such observances,

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one instead. In this way, he would keep on changing fromvisualizing one Guru to another, and so on; the result will bethat he would continue to be more frightened, more confusedand more helpless.

When the time of ones death comes, if one still does not knowthat the most important keyin saving oneself is whether onehas the mental concentration and the power of meditationto help one practice the Dharma teachings of liberation.These three abilities must supplement each other, and cannotsucceed without either one of them. If only after death thatone starts to realize that the asking of a Rinpoche for thepractice of the death rituals for oneself is only an auxiliaryforce, and not the main force, and that it would at mostonly temporarily stop one from the crisis of falling into thethree lower realms. If one is not careful enough, and if thereis the slightest deviation on the practices, one will still have the

chance to fail, and will then fall into the three lower realms asa result. Furthermore, it might also fail when yourpast karmamatures right there and then. (Please refer to the VCD on theInconceivable Law of Cause and Effect, published by theDudjom Buddhist Association)

To place this most importantturning point of your life in thehands of others, wouldnt it bereversing the end with themeans? Wouldnt it be betterif one can start making planswhile still alive to train onesmain force, and then to becomplemented with the auxiliaryforce when one dies? Wouldntit be having a better chance tosucceed by supplementing thetwo forces together? Hence, thethird step in ones plan is tofollow the instructions of yourGuru, and tofocus on the threekey points of Dharma practices,namely: mental concentration,power of meditation and the

Dharma teachings of liberation,instead of searching endlessly fornumerous empowerments .

At the moment of death, if one still doesnt know the objectiveof empowerment which is to make oneself to become betterthan before, then it is rather sad indeed. One shouldnt forgetalso that the purpose of receiving empowerments is onlya part of the plan. The real objective is to enable one

The Mandala of Buddha Akshobhya

to either mental concentration, or the power of meditation,or the ways to be liberated from the cycle of karmic existence(samsara), or the teachings to be practiced at the moment ofdeath,then you must have to find another Guru who will beable to teach you all these teachings and practices. This might

simply be the fact that this Guru that you have been followingall along does not know these teachings and practices, orelse it might be because you do not live up to his minimumrequirements. Thus, this Guru cannot become your RootGuru, and he can be one of the many general Gurus thatyou should pay due respects to. As ones life does not havetoo many six years to be wasted away, particularly whenones mental concentration, or the power of meditation, willhave to accumulate bit by bit slowly. As for the teachings tobe practiced at the moment of death will also need time topractice in order to reach the expected effects, and so youmust have to make the decisions one way or the other.

Third Step in Making Plans: Avoiding theOutcomes of Non-Differentiations on theOrder of Importance and of Reversingthe End with the Means

Many people have receivednumerous empowerments,have gone to various Dharmacentres, and have numerousGurus to attend to, and yetwithout anyone being responsible

to follow up with their Dharmapractices. The teachings fromeach one of the Gurus willdiffer from each other, but if onedoes not have the necessary andsufficient wisdom to integrate allthese various teachings, then theoutcome for one will be that onedoes not know to whom shouldone visualize as ones Guru inorder to save oneself when onedies. Even if one can pick outone from among the many of hisGurus, due to theinadequaciesofhismentalconcentration andpower of meditation in his dailypractices, one would not be able to visualize anything atall amid his pain and confusion. Given that he has so manyGurus, even if he can visualize one, but then the painand adversity still remained, and so he would think that thisGuru that he has visualized might not be strong enough, andhence he would think of switching into visualizing another

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to be freed from the cycle of karmic existence (samsara)after ones death. One should not wait until the plan hasfailed or becomes irreversible that one starts to know, or stilleven doesnt know, that one has placed wrong emphasison the cornerstone of the plans. One must know that the

importanceis the major factorto be considered when onefirst starts making the plan.

No matter what plans, the criterion of importance must beused as the principle for elimination. Furthermore, the criterionof importance must also be used as the standard fordeciding on the order of priority, and on what to adopt andabandon in deciding on the detailed contents and steps ofones own plans.The trivial matters, as well as irrelevant andunimportant behaviors, should all be dropped. Dont let theattractiveness, illusions and the ignorant recommendations byother people to make you put aside the most important people

and issues. Pleaseremember this: your life, time and energyare extremely precious and very limited, and so we shouldcherish them and make the best use of them as far as possiblewhile we can still have them. This is the most critical mode ofhandling matters in determining their successes or failures,which we must learn.

Even if you have found a responsible Guru, there is stillthe crisis of indiscriminately receiving empowerments tosatisfy the desires of some people. This is another type ofwhat to adopt and abandon that we should pay attentionto. (To be continued)

Non-Differentiations on the Order of Priority

without the Criterion of Importance

Over 90% of ordinary people may have toiled for

their whole lives, and yet failed to achieve any

success though they had worked hard. Apart fromtheir not being clear about their objectives, the

most important reason for their failures is the

inability to differenate the order of importance.

Their fatal blow is their forgetfulness and lack of

direction, simply because they are just not clear

of what they are doing and why they have to do

them? They would only work hard to clear away

the trivial matters in front of them as quickly as

possible. For the critical and major issues, either

they have forgotten them, or simply could not see

their importance. The results of focusing on trivial

matters while neglecting the critical ones, ending

up in the loss of major issues for minor onesarethat: one would be busy all day, getting mentally

and physically exhausted, and nding that it is

most inadequate for having only 24 hours per day.

Despite all these, ones achievements will only be

very limited, or even without any achievements at

Spark of WisdomSpark of Wisdom

Avoiding Outcomes Which are Contrary to the

Objectives

If the objectives of your receiving the

empowerments are for the peace of mind,

for more blessings, for long life, for wealth, for

power, for security, for health, for the well-beings

of children, or for the well-beings of spouses,

etc., then rst of allyou will have to ascertain

that these empowerments would not bring you the

opposite effects.

Thus, to receive the transmission of an

empowerment from a fake guru or from a

preacher who has broken his vows or samayas(commitments) is like to have oneself taken a bath

in a sewer in which one will become infected with

various germs and viruses. One will continue to be

infected with various germs and viruses on ones

body even after ones cleansing of the body.As no

one can completely change the Law of Cause and

Effect (karma), and so the cause of having taken

a bath in the sewage will give rise to the effect of

ones body carrying various germs and viruses.

Buddha Shakyamuni

sue no.5

9



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