At the end of January Lama Jampa gave the first of this year’s teachings for Dechen at Sakya Buddhist Centre Bristol. Defying the storms and rain, over 100 people gathered to receive transformative teachings on mind training and the Vajrayana initiation of White Tara.
In the morning, Lama Jampa gave teachings on the ‘Mind Training of Birwapa’. Birwapa was one of the 84 great realised Vajrayana masters of India, who flourished in between the 8th and 11th centuries. He is also known for being the source of the ‘Path and its Fruit’, a system of teachings central to the Sakya tradition.
In just two paragraphs, he explains how to train in both the compassionate and wisdom aspects of the thought of enlightenment (bodhichitta) in a direct and practical way that brings even the greatest difficulties into our Buddhist practice to overcome the real enemy – privileging self.
Birwapa points out that those who harm us are their own worst enemy, the architects of their future suffering. Not only that, but this same person who now harms us has shown us the kindness of a mother time and again, going to the ends of the earth for us. Remembering this, we train to wish them to be completely free of suffering, finally extending this wish to all beings, whether near and far, known or unknown. As Lama Jampa remarked, we begin with the particular and then extend out so our practice is sincere.
In the words of Birwapa:
“Consider with compassion all the kind ones who protected one with love from beginningless time. Although this one may now be harmful, previously they were my mother countless times and thus achieved by benefit.”
In the practice we then go further, wishing to take on the sufferings of others, particularly when we are experiencing such difficulties as illness or mental distress, and offering all virtue and happiness to others, finally resting in the wisdom of how things really are.
Lama Jampa pointed out that even these powerful mind training practices, whilst leading to our becoming a Buddha, belong to the common Mahayana. This path is radically transformative, yet takes a long time. However, when joined with the skilful practices of the Vajrayana, including meditation on such deities as Chenrezik, the result can be achieved much more swiftly; even in this very life for very skilled practitioners. Yet, without the support of such mind training teachings, both the common and uncommon (Vajrayana) Mahayana practices will no longer be motivated by the wish to benefit others, instead at best focused only on our own freedom from suffering.
In the afternoon, Lama Jampa gave the Vajrayana initiation of White Tara from the lineage of Shakya Shribhadra. Her practice leads to the increase of both wisdom, making it easier to recognise the true nature of reality, and long life to enable us to accomplish more study and practice, taking us further along the path to enlightenment.
Lama Jampa will be back in Bristol on 6 June.