Greetings to all of our sangha around the world! As you will discover in this issue of the Wind Horse, the activity of our precious teacher H.E. Chagdud Rinpoche is still growing throughout North and South America; we can truly rejoice in the richness of the communities and projects that he inspired. And it is with great happiness that I can tell you how Rinpoche’s legacy continues to flourish in Tibet and Nepal.
Chagdud Gonpa in eastern Tibet is currently home to 125 active monks. The senior master, Lama Anjang, has been remodeling the Guru Rinpoche shrine since the old lhakhang (temple) housing the precious Guru Rinpoche statue started leaking. Some ways away, at the birthplace of Sherab Gyaltsen, the first Chagdud incarnation, the stupa commemorating him has been completed under the direction of Tulku Doga, one of Chagdud Rinpoche’s closest disciples. The central channel and mantras to be placed in the stupa were consecrated during a six month retreat undertaken by Tulku Doga. Soaring 40 feet high, the stupa also holds relics of our own Chagdud Rinpoche.
At Tromge Gonpa, the shedra (philosophy school) is up and running with about 25 students, and year round studies are directed by the capable young khenpo in residence. Tulku Trinlé Özer built a new lhakhang for the monks, as well as secluded cabins for retreatants. The drupdra (retreat facility) still includes 21 committed practitioners in fulltime retreat.
At Tenpel Gonpa, where Chagdud Rinpoche received much of his early training, the head lama, Tenpel Kyangmo Rinpoche, is overseeing the construction of a large stupa modeled on the Great Stupa in Boudha, Nepal. Khandro Trinlé Wangmo, Chagdud Rinpoche’s sister, is in good health and remains active in her role as a senior lama at the monastery.
Despite a number of difficulties, the five year retreat at Katok Ritrö in Pharping, Nepal, continued uninterrupted, and in December of 2006, it came to a conclusion. By all accounts, the retreat was a success, and after the retreat quarters have been remodeled to give each practitioner greater seclusion, a new group will begin a three year retreat.
What is it that enables so many dharma projects around the world to manifest? How do we as human beings with our confusion and limitations inspire or carry out such work? One of the most important factors is faith. We speak of four kinds of faith: three are based, respectively, on awe, on the desire to emulate the object of faith, and on conviction; the fourth, irreversible faith, is what I would like to write about in this letter.
Irreversible faith is both the key to and fruit of genuine practice, an infallible foundation for deity yoga practice and the Great Perfection. The other three kinds of faith are based on outside factors: what we see, aspire to, have confidence in. They can be influenced by many conditions, such as our health, our mental state, or our actions, and so are somewhat erratic. But irreversible faith is immutable: once it is established, then whether you are happy or sad, crazy or stable, your mind remains with the dharma, unconditionally. Irreversible faith arises when you have diligently applied and practiced the teachings; you come to a point where you truly taste the meaning of the teachings, the enlightened qualities they embody. It is no longer simply an intellectual exercise, but a direct experiential understanding. You are not relying on hearsay; you are experiencing for yourself what you have been taught. This powerful proof gives rise to irreversible faith, which is crucial for a practitioner.
How can we attain irreversible faith? We move along the path as the enlightened ones showed us, step by step, precisely and thoroughly. A foundation in shamatha and vipassana alongside contemplation of the four thoughts sharpens our understanding of the nature of phenomena, animate and inanimate. Repeatedly reflecting on impermanence destroys our rigid belief in things being real and permanent; we observe how all phenomena, at every level, are subject to impermanence, how everything eventually exhausts itself and dissolves. Breaking through our self-clinging and attachments, recognizing the illusory nature of phenomena, we become more receptive to the teachings on the nature of mind and emptiness.
Yet we neglect to practice properly some of the things we are taught, and so remain stuck in our dualistic patterns and limited faith. For example, many of us have done the preliminary practices, or ngondro. The hundred thousand repetitions each of refuge and bodhichitta, as well as the refuge and bodhicitta prayers we recite in our daily practice, are supposed to leave an imprint. But although our hands come together nicely in prayer and we sing beautifully, where is our mind? Are we engaging fully in the practice, or have the mudras become an automatic reflex while our minds remain distracted? It is important to reflect honestly on this because we have a strong tendency toward duality, and if we are not vigilant, our habits kick in and obstruct our practice. If we do not make an effort, the Tara or Guru Rinpoche whom we visualize in front of us becomes an exalted object, and we stay as ordinary as can be. There is nothing we can achieve from this kind of approach. We have to remember that there are relative and ultimate refuge and bodhichitta; on the relative level, we have a mandala in front of us, but on the absolute level, the mandala of the deity is none other than our own true nature.
Thus under the guidance of a master, we develop a suitable foundation and maintain ongoing awareness of our practice; only this allows us to approach the place where irreversible faith can arise. We can have glimpses of the nature of mind, but glimpses will not make us free; when the experience evaporates, we are back to being ordinary. What is required is constant practice, renewing, integrating. At first, we perceive something or other, then fall into the trap of judgment and reaction; perhaps five minutes later, we recognize how we’ve strayed, re apply the teachings, and allow whatever has distracted us to dissolve. This can be a lengthy procedure, but the more we apply the teachings and practice, the faster we will recognize our straying, avoid the traps, and dissolve our clinging, until we reach the point where the moment something arises it is liberated. Remember, it is not that realized masters do not see or hear anything. They see and hear as much as we do; the only difference is that there is no attachment or aversion. This is because they understand the true nature of whatever arises. We should realize that every experience has to become a practice. The practice of absolute truth or emptiness encompasses every imaginable experience. Nothing need be abandoned or rejected. Certainty about the lack of inherent truth of phenomena, trust in the teachings, and boundless gratitude to the masters of the lineage deepen our faith.
Even people who never met our beloved Chagdud Rinpoche have been inspired to set out on the path of dharma after simply seeing his picture, listening to his singing, or reading his words. All those who make a connection with him can build on those initial stages of faith and apply the teachings so that they too can develop the irreversible faith that will keep them steady on the path to enlightenment.
Greetings to all of our sangha around the world! As you will discover in this issue of the Wind Horse, the activity of our precious teacher H.E. Chagdud Rinpoche is still growing throughout North and South America; we can truly rejoice in the richness of the communities and projects that he inspired. And it is with great happiness that I can tell you how Rinpoche’s legacy continues to flourish in Tibet and Nepal.
Chagdud Gonpa in eastern Tibet is currently home to 125 active monks. The senior master, Lama Anjang, has been remodeling the Guru Rinpoche shrine since the old lhakhang (temple) housing the precious Guru Rinpoche statue started leaking. Some ways away, at the birthplace of Sherab Gyaltsen, the first Chagdud incarnation, the stupa commemorating him has been completed under the direction of Tulku Doga, one of Chagdud Rinpoche’s closest disciples. The central channel and mantras to be placed in the stupa were consecrated during a six month retreat undertaken by Tulku Doga. Soaring 40 feet high, the stupa also holds relics of our own Chagdud Rinpoche.
At Tromge Gonpa, the shedra (philosophy school) is up and running with about 25 students, and year round studies are directed by the capable young khenpo in residence. Tulku Trinlé Özer built a new lhakhang for the monks, as well as secluded cabins for retreatants. The drupdra (retreat facility) still includes 21 committed practitioners in fulltime retreat.
At Tenpel Gonpa, where Chagdud Rinpoche received much of his early training, the head lama, Tenpel Kyangmo Rinpoche, is overseeing the construction of a large stupa modeled on the Great Stupa in Boudha, Nepal. Khandro Trinlé Wangmo, Chagdud Rinpoche’s sister, is in good health and remains active in her role as a senior lama at the monastery.
Despite a number of difficulties, the five year retreat at Katok Ritrö in Pharping, Nepal, continued uninterrupted, and in December of 2006, it came to a conclusion. By all accounts, the retreat was a success, and after the retreat quarters have been remodeled to give each practitioner greater seclusion, a new group will begin a three year retreat.
What is it that enables so many dharma projects around the world to manifest? How do we as human beings with our confusion and limitations inspire or carry out such work? One of the most important factors is faith. We speak of four kinds of faith: three are based, respectively, on awe, on the desire to emulate the object of faith, and on conviction; the fourth, irreversible faith, is what I would like to write about in this letter.
Irreversible faith is both the key to and fruit of genuine practice, an infallible foundation for deity yoga practice and the Great Perfection. The other three kinds of faith are based on outside factors: what we see, aspire to, have confidence in. They can be influenced by many conditions, such as our health, our mental state, or our actions, and so are somewhat erratic. But irreversible faith is immutable: once it is established, then whether you are happy or sad, crazy or stable, your mind remains with the dharma, unconditionally. Irreversible faith arises when you have diligently applied and practiced the teachings; you come to a point where you truly taste the meaning of the teachings, the enlightened qualities they embody. It is no longer simply an intellectual exercise, but a direct experiential understanding. You are not relying on hearsay; you are experiencing for yourself what you have been taught. This powerful proof gives rise to irreversible faith, which is crucial for a practitioner.
How can we attain irreversible faith? We move along the path as the enlightened ones showed us, step by step, precisely and thoroughly. A foundation in shamatha and vipassana alongside contemplation of the four thoughts sharpens our understanding of the nature of phenomena, animate and inanimate. Repeatedly reflecting on impermanence destroys our rigid belief in things being real and permanent; we observe how all phenomena, at every level, are subject to impermanence, how everything eventually exhausts itself and dissolves. Breaking through our self-clinging and attachments, recognizing the illusory nature of phenomena, we become more receptive to the teachings on the nature of mind and emptiness.
Yet we neglect to practice properly some of the things we are taught, and so remain stuck in our dualistic patterns and limited faith. For example, many of us have done the preliminary practices, or ngondro. The hundred thousand repetitions each of refuge and bodhichitta, as well as the refuge and bodhicitta prayers we recite in our daily practice, are supposed to leave an imprint. But although our hands come together nicely in prayer and we sing beautifully, where is our mind? Are we engaging fully in the practice, or have the mudras become an automatic reflex while our minds remain distracted? It is important to reflect honestly on this because we have a strong tendency toward duality, and if we are not vigilant, our habits kick in and obstruct our practice. If we do not make an effort, the Tara or Guru Rinpoche whom we visualize in front of us becomes an exalted object, and we stay as ordinary as can be. There is nothing we can achieve from this kind of approach. We have to remember that there are relative and ultimate refuge and bodhichitta; on the relative level, we have a mandala in front of us, but on the absolute level, the mandala of the deity is none other than our own true nature.
Thus under the guidance of a master, we develop a suitable foundation and maintain ongoing awareness of our practice; only this allows us to approach the place where irreversible faith can arise. We can have glimpses of the nature of mind, but glimpses will not make us free; when the experience evaporates, we are back to being ordinary. What is required is constant practice, renewing, integrating. At first, we perceive something or other, then fall into the trap of judgment and reaction; perhaps five minutes later, we recognize how we’ve strayed, re apply the teachings, and allow whatever has distracted us to dissolve. This can be a lengthy procedure, but the more we apply the teachings and practice, the faster we will recognize our straying, avoid the traps, and dissolve our clinging, until we reach the point where the moment something arises it is liberated. Remember, it is not that realized masters do not see or hear anything. They see and hear as much as we do; the only difference is that there is no attachment or aversion. This is because they understand the true nature of whatever arises. We should realize that every experience has to become a practice. The practice of absolute truth or emptiness encompasses every imaginable experience. Nothing need be abandoned or rejected. Certainty about the lack of inherent truth of phenomena, trust in the teachings, and boundless gratitude to the masters of the lineage deepen our faith.
Even people who never met our beloved Chagdud Rinpoche have been inspired to set out on the path of dharma after simply seeing his picture, listening to his singing, or reading his words. All those who make a connection with him can build on those initial stages of faith and apply the teachings so that they too can develop the irreversible faith that will keep them steady on the path to enlightenment.
Greetings to all of our sangha around the world! As you will discover in this issue of the Wind Horse, the activity of our precious teacher H.E. Chagdud Rinpoche is still growing throughout North and South America; we can truly rejoice in the richness of the communities and projects that he inspired. And it is with great happiness that I can tell you how Rinpoche’s legacy continues to flourish in Tibet and Nepal.
Chagdud Gonpa in eastern Tibet is currently home to 125 active monks. The senior master, Lama Anjang, has been remodeling the Guru Rinpoche shrine since the old lhakhang (temple) housing the precious Guru Rinpoche statue started leaking. Some ways away, at the birthplace of Sherab Gyaltsen, the first Chagdud incarnation, the stupa commemorating him has been completed under the direction of Tulku Doga, one of Chagdud Rinpoche’s closest disciples. The central channel and mantras to be placed in the stupa were consecrated during a six month retreat undertaken by Tulku Doga. Soaring 40 feet high, the stupa also holds relics of our own Chagdud Rinpoche.
At Tromge Gonpa, the shedra (philosophy school) is up and running with about 25 students, and year round studies are directed by the capable young khenpo in residence. Tulku Trinlé Özer built a new lhakhang for the monks, as well as secluded cabins for retreatants. The drupdra (retreat facility) still includes 21 committed practitioners in fulltime retreat.
At Tenpel Gonpa, where Chagdud Rinpoche received much of his early training, the head lama, Tenpel Kyangmo Rinpoche, is overseeing the construction of a large stupa modeled on the Great Stupa in Boudha, Nepal. Khandro Trinlé Wangmo, Chagdud Rinpoche’s sister, is in good health and remains active in her role as a senior lama at the monastery.
Despite a number of difficulties, the five year retreat at Katok Ritrö in Pharping, Nepal, continued uninterrupted, and in December of 2006, it came to a conclusion. By all accounts, the retreat was a success, and after the retreat quarters have been remodeled to give each practitioner greater seclusion, a new group will begin a three year retreat.
What is it that enables so many dharma projects around the world to manifest? How do we as human beings with our confusion and limitations inspire or carry out such work? One of the most important factors is faith. We speak of four kinds of faith: three are based, respectively, on awe, on the desire to emulate the object of faith, and on conviction; the fourth, irreversible faith, is what I would like to write about in this letter.
Irreversible faith is both the key to and fruit of genuine practice, an infallible foundation for deity yoga practice and the Great Perfection. The other three kinds of faith are based on outside factors: what we see, aspire to, have confidence in. They can be influenced by many conditions, such as our health, our mental state, or our actions, and so are somewhat erratic. But irreversible faith is immutable: once it is established, then whether you are happy or sad, crazy or stable, your mind remains with the dharma, unconditionally. Irreversible faith arises when you have diligently applied and practiced the teachings; you come to a point where you truly taste the meaning of the teachings, the enlightened qualities they embody. It is no longer simply an intellectual exercise, but a direct experiential understanding. You are not relying on hearsay; you are experiencing for yourself what you have been taught. This powerful proof gives rise to irreversible faith, which is crucial for a practitioner.
How can we attain irreversible faith? We move along the path as the enlightened ones showed us, step by step, precisely and thoroughly. A foundation in shamatha and vipassana alongside contemplation of the four thoughts sharpens our understanding of the nature of phenomena, animate and inanimate. Repeatedly reflecting on impermanence destroys our rigid belief in things being real and permanent; we observe how all phenomena, at every level, are subject to impermanence, how everything eventually exhausts itself and dissolves. Breaking through our self-clinging and attachments, recognizing the illusory nature of phenomena, we become more receptive to the teachings on the nature of mind and emptiness.
Yet we neglect to practice properly some of the things we are taught, and so remain stuck in our dualistic patterns and limited faith. For example, many of us have done the preliminary practices, or ngondro. The hundred thousand repetitions each of refuge and bodhichitta, as well as the refuge and bodhicitta prayers we recite in our daily practice, are supposed to leave an imprint. But although our hands come together nicely in prayer and we sing beautifully, where is our mind? Are we engaging fully in the practice, or have the mudras become an automatic reflex while our minds remain distracted? It is important to reflect honestly on this because we have a strong tendency toward duality, and if we are not vigilant, our habits kick in and obstruct our practice. If we do not make an effort, the Tara or Guru Rinpoche whom we visualize in front of us becomes an exalted object, and we stay as ordinary as can be. There is nothing we can achieve from this kind of approach. We have to remember that there are relative and ultimate refuge and bodhichitta; on the relative level, we have a mandala in front of us, but on the absolute level, the mandala of the deity is none other than our own true nature.
Thus under the guidance of a master, we develop a suitable foundation and maintain ongoing awareness of our practice; only this allows us to approach the place where irreversible faith can arise. We can have glimpses of the nature of mind, but glimpses will not make us free; when the experience evaporates, we are back to being ordinary. What is required is constant practice, renewing, integrating. At first, we perceive something or other, then fall into the trap of judgment and reaction; perhaps five minutes later, we recognize how we’ve strayed, re apply the teachings, and allow whatever has distracted us to dissolve. This can be a lengthy procedure, but the more we apply the teachings and practice, the faster we will recognize our straying, avoid the traps, and dissolve our clinging, until we reach the point where the moment something arises it is liberated. Remember, it is not that realized masters do not see or hear anything. They see and hear as much as we do; the only difference is that there is no attachment or aversion. This is because they understand the true nature of whatever arises. We should realize that every experience has to become a practice. The practice of absolute truth or emptiness encompasses every imaginable experience. Nothing need be abandoned or rejected. Certainty about the lack of inherent truth of phenomena, trust in the teachings, and boundless gratitude to the masters of the lineage deepen our faith.
Even people who never met our beloved Chagdud Rinpoche have been inspired to set out on the path of dharma after simply seeing his picture, listening to his singing, or reading his words. All those who make a connection with him can build on those initial stages of faith and apply the teachings so that they too can develop the irreversible faith that will keep them steady on the path to enlightenment.
Greetings to all of our sangha around the world! As you will discover in this issue of the Wind Horse, the activity of our precious teacher H.E. Chagdud Rinpoche is still growing throughout North and South America; we can truly rejoice in the richness of the communities and projects that he inspired. And it is with great happiness that I can tell you how Rinpoche’s legacy continues to flourish in Tibet and Nepal.
Chagdud Gonpa in eastern Tibet is currently home to 125 active monks. The senior master, Lama Anjang, has been remodeling the Guru Rinpoche shrine since the old lhakhang (temple) housing the precious Guru Rinpoche statue started leaking. Some ways away, at the birthplace of Sherab Gyaltsen, the first Chagdud incarnation, the stupa commemorating him has been completed under the direction of Tulku Doga, one of Chagdud Rinpoche’s closest disciples. The central channel and mantras to be placed in the stupa were consecrated during a six month retreat undertaken by Tulku Doga. Soaring 40 feet high, the stupa also holds relics of our own Chagdud Rinpoche.
At Tromge Gonpa, the shedra (philosophy school) is up and running with about 25 students, and year round studies are directed by the capable young khenpo in residence. Tulku Trinlé Özer built a new lhakhang for the monks, as well as secluded cabins for retreatants. The drupdra (retreat facility) still includes 21 committed practitioners in fulltime retreat.
At Tenpel Gonpa, where Chagdud Rinpoche received much of his early training, the head lama, Tenpel Kyangmo Rinpoche, is overseeing the construction of a large stupa modeled on the Great Stupa in Boudha, Nepal. Khandro Trinlé Wangmo, Chagdud Rinpoche’s sister, is in good health and remains active in her role as a senior lama at the monastery.
Despite a number of difficulties, the five year retreat at Katok Ritrö in Pharping, Nepal, continued uninterrupted, and in December of 2006, it came to a conclusion. By all accounts, the retreat was a success, and after the retreat quarters have been remodeled to give each practitioner greater seclusion, a new group will begin a three year retreat.
What is it that enables so many dharma projects around the world to manifest? How do we as human beings with our confusion and limitations inspire or carry out such work? One of the most important factors is faith. We speak of four kinds of faith: three are based, respectively, on awe, on the desire to emulate the object of faith, and on conviction; the fourth, irreversible faith, is what I would like to write about in this letter.
Irreversible faith is both the key to and fruit of genuine practice, an infallible foundation for deity yoga practice and the Great Perfection. The other three kinds of faith are based on outside factors: what we see, aspire to, have confidence in. They can be influenced by many conditions, such as our health, our mental state, or our actions, and so are somewhat erratic. But irreversible faith is immutable: once it is established, then whether you are happy or sad, crazy or stable, your mind remains with the dharma, unconditionally. Irreversible faith arises when you have diligently applied and practiced the teachings; you come to a point where you truly taste the meaning of the teachings, the enlightened qualities they embody. It is no longer simply an intellectual exercise, but a direct experiential understanding. You are not relying on hearsay; you are experiencing for yourself what you have been taught. This powerful proof gives rise to irreversible faith, which is crucial for a practitioner.
How can we attain irreversible faith? We move along the path as the enlightened ones showed us, step by step, precisely and thoroughly. A foundation in shamatha and vipassana alongside contemplation of the four thoughts sharpens our understanding of the nature of phenomena, animate and inanimate. Repeatedly reflecting on impermanence destroys our rigid belief in things being real and permanent; we observe how all phenomena, at every level, are subject to impermanence, how everything eventually exhausts itself and dissolves. Breaking through our self-clinging and attachments, recognizing the illusory nature of phenomena, we become more receptive to the teachings on the nature of mind and emptiness.
Yet we neglect to practice properly some of the things we are taught, and so remain stuck in our dualistic patterns and limited faith. For example, many of us have done the preliminary practices, or ngondro. The hundred thousand repetitions each of refuge and bodhichitta, as well as the refuge and bodhicitta prayers we recite in our daily practice, are supposed to leave an imprint. But although our hands come together nicely in prayer and we sing beautifully, where is our mind? Are we engaging fully in the practice, or have the mudras become an automatic reflex while our minds remain distracted? It is important to reflect honestly on this because we have a strong tendency toward duality, and if we are not vigilant, our habits kick in and obstruct our practice. If we do not make an effort, the Tara or Guru Rinpoche whom we visualize in front of us becomes an exalted object, and we stay as ordinary as can be. There is nothing we can achieve from this kind of approach. We have to remember that there are relative and ultimate refuge and bodhichitta; on the relative level, we have a mandala in front of us, but on the absolute level, the mandala of the deity is none other than our own true nature.
Thus under the guidance of a master, we develop a suitable foundation and maintain ongoing awareness of our practice; only this allows us to approach the place where irreversible faith can arise. We can have glimpses of the nature of mind, but glimpses will not make us free; when the experience evaporates, we are back to being ordinary. What is required is constant practice, renewing, integrating. At first, we perceive something or other, then fall into the trap of judgment and reaction; perhaps five minutes later, we recognize how we’ve strayed, re apply the teachings, and allow whatever has distracted us to dissolve. This can be a lengthy procedure, but the more we apply the teachings and practice, the faster we will recognize our straying, avoid the traps, and dissolve our clinging, until we reach the point where the moment something arises it is liberated. Remember, it is not that realized masters do not see or hear anything. They see and hear as much as we do; the only difference is that there is no attachment or aversion. This is because they understand the true nature of whatever arises. We should realize that every experience has to become a practice. The practice of absolute truth or emptiness encompasses every imaginable experience. Nothing need be abandoned or rejected. Certainty about the lack of inherent truth of phenomena, trust in the teachings, and boundless gratitude to the masters of the lineage deepen our faith.
Even people who never met our beloved Chagdud Rinpoche have been inspired to set out on the path of dharma after simply seeing his picture, listening to his singing, or reading his words. All those who make a connection with him can build on those initial stages of faith and apply the teachings so that they too can develop the irreversible faith that will keep them steady on the path to enlightenment.
Greetings to all of our sangha around the world! As you will discover in this issue of the Wind Horse, the activity of our precious teacher H.E. Chagdud Rinpoche is still growing throughout North and South America; we can truly rejoice in the richness of the communities and projects that he inspired. And it is with great happiness that I can tell you how Rinpoche’s legacy continues to flourish in Tibet and Nepal.
Chagdud Gonpa in eastern Tibet is currently home to 125 active monks. The senior master, Lama Anjang, has been remodeling the Guru Rinpoche shrine since the old lhakhang (temple) housing the precious Guru Rinpoche statue started leaking. Some ways away, at the birthplace of Sherab Gyaltsen, the first Chagdud incarnation, the stupa commemorating him has been completed under the direction of Tulku Doga, one of Chagdud Rinpoche’s closest disciples. The central channel and mantras to be placed in the stupa were consecrated during a six month retreat undertaken by Tulku Doga. Soaring 40 feet high, the stupa also holds relics of our own Chagdud Rinpoche.
At Tromge Gonpa, the shedra (philosophy school) is up and running with about 25 students, and year round studies are directed by the capable young khenpo in residence. Tulku Trinlé Özer built a new lhakhang for the monks, as well as secluded cabins for retreatants. The drupdra (retreat facility) still includes 21 committed practitioners in fulltime retreat.
At Tenpel Gonpa, where Chagdud Rinpoche received much of his early training, the head lama, Tenpel Kyangmo Rinpoche, is overseeing the construction of a large stupa modeled on the Great Stupa in Boudha, Nepal. Khandro Trinlé Wangmo, Chagdud Rinpoche’s sister, is in good health and remains active in her role as a senior lama at the monastery.
Despite a number of difficulties, the five year retreat at Katok Ritrö in Pharping, Nepal, continued uninterrupted, and in December of 2006, it came to a conclusion. By all accounts, the retreat was a success, and after the retreat quarters have been remodeled to give each practitioner greater seclusion, a new group will begin a three year retreat.
What is it that enables so many dharma projects around the world to manifest? How do we as human beings with our confusion and limitations inspire or carry out such work? One of the most important factors is faith. We speak of four kinds of faith: three are based, respectively, on awe, on the desire to emulate the object of faith, and on conviction; the fourth, irreversible faith, is what I would like to write about in this letter.
Irreversible faith is both the key to and fruit of genuine practice, an infallible foundation for deity yoga practice and the Great Perfection. The other three kinds of faith are based on outside factors: what we see, aspire to, have confidence in. They can be influenced by many conditions, such as our health, our mental state, or our actions, and so are somewhat erratic. But irreversible faith is immutable: once it is established, then whether you are happy or sad, crazy or stable, your mind remains with the dharma, unconditionally. Irreversible faith arises when you have diligently applied and practiced the teachings; you come to a point where you truly taste the meaning of the teachings, the enlightened qualities they embody. It is no longer simply an intellectual exercise, but a direct experiential understanding. You are not relying on hearsay; you are experiencing for yourself what you have been taught. This powerful proof gives rise to irreversible faith, which is crucial for a practitioner.
How can we attain irreversible faith? We move along the path as the enlightened ones showed us, step by step, precisely and thoroughly. A foundation in shamatha and vipassana alongside contemplation of the four thoughts sharpens our understanding of the nature of phenomena, animate and inanimate. Repeatedly reflecting on impermanence destroys our rigid belief in things being real and permanent; we observe how all phenomena, at every level, are subject to impermanence, how everything eventually exhausts itself and dissolves. Breaking through our self-clinging and attachments, recognizing the illusory nature of phenomena, we become more receptive to the teachings on the nature of mind and emptiness.
Yet we neglect to practice properly some of the things we are taught, and so remain stuck in our dualistic patterns and limited faith. For example, many of us have done the preliminary practices, or ngondro. The hundred thousand repetitions each of refuge and bodhichitta, as well as the refuge and bodhicitta prayers we recite in our daily practice, are supposed to leave an imprint. But although our hands come together nicely in prayer and we sing beautifully, where is our mind? Are we engaging fully in the practice, or have the mudras become an automatic reflex while our minds remain distracted? It is important to reflect honestly on this because we have a strong tendency toward duality, and if we are not vigilant, our habits kick in and obstruct our practice. If we do not make an effort, the Tara or Guru Rinpoche whom we visualize in front of us becomes an exalted object, and we stay as ordinary as can be. There is nothing we can achieve from this kind of approach. We have to remember that there are relative and ultimate refuge and bodhichitta; on the relative level, we have a mandala in front of us, but on the absolute level, the mandala of the deity is none other than our own true nature.
Thus under the guidance of a master, we develop a suitable foundation and maintain ongoing awareness of our practice; only this allows us to approach the place where irreversible faith can arise. We can have glimpses of the nature of mind, but glimpses will not make us free; when the experience evaporates, we are back to being ordinary. What is required is constant practice, renewing, integrating. At first, we perceive something or other, then fall into the trap of judgment and reaction; perhaps five minutes later, we recognize how we’ve strayed, re apply the teachings, and allow whatever has distracted us to dissolve. This can be a lengthy procedure, but the more we apply the teachings and practice, the faster we will recognize our straying, avoid the traps, and dissolve our clinging, until we reach the point where the moment something arises it is liberated. Remember, it is not that realized masters do not see or hear anything. They see and hear as much as we do; the only difference is that there is no attachment or aversion. This is because they understand the true nature of whatever arises. We should realize that every experience has to become a practice. The practice of absolute truth or emptiness encompasses every imaginable experience. Nothing need be abandoned or rejected. Certainty about the lack of inherent truth of phenomena, trust in the teachings, and boundless gratitude to the masters of the lineage deepen our faith.
Even people who never met our beloved Chagdud Rinpoche have been inspired to set out on the path of dharma after simply seeing his picture, listening to his singing, or reading his words. All those who make a connection with him can build on those initial stages of faith and apply the teachings so that they too can develop the irreversible faith that will keep them steady on the path to enlightenment.
