Creating the Cause for Our Liberation

by Drubwang Konchok Norbu Rinpoche

Each person who participates in this retreat will have the benefit of having recited 100 million mani mantras. This means each participant achieves the merit and benefit of having recited the mantra for 100 million times. Therefore, everyone should try to attend all sessions, and not miss any of them. If you miss a session, you won’t have the benefit and accomplish the merit of having accumulated the mantra for 100 million times. It is a great opportunity to accumulate such extensive merits because individually, it is almost impossible to recite the mantra 100 million times. We should understand this and try to have the courage and the perseverance to attend the sessions regularly.

Attending the sessions to do the recitation is beneficial to us not just in this lifetime but in all lifetimes to come. Reciting the mantra is beneficial for the liberation of all mother sentient beings from the lower realms of existences – animals, hungry ghosts, hells. Through such recitation, it is possible for us to attain liberation from samsara. It is said in the text, whether one is liberated or not is completely dependent on oneself. It means if we want to attain liberation, we have to create the cause which brings about liberation, and the cause is, as just explained, reciting the mantra out of great intention, loving- kindness and compassion. If we truly realise the nature of our mind, then in itself, we see the Buddha. If we recite the mantra and free that Buddha-nature from the defilements, then that is called attaining Enlightenment.

The three ‘kayas’ are spontaneously accomplished when the defilements are removed from the mind because the three ‘kayas’ have primordially been the nature of our minds. During the recitation, we should try to keep our mind free from afflictive emotions like attachment, anger, ignorance, pride and jealousy, and the three poisonous thoughts of attachment, anger and ignorance. When we free our mind from these poisonous thoughts, our mind becomes absolutely pure. With that pure mind, we will also have pure speech and pure body, for we would abstain from the non-virtuous deeds from our speech and body. If we recite the mantra with such discipline, the power of the recitation will be tremendous, and our precious human life becomes absolutely meaningful.

On the other hand, if the recitation is not done properly, it won’t bring much benefit. During the recitation, all words of the mantra should be clearly enunciated. From time to time during the recitation, always make supplications silently, that all the negative karma, non-virtuous deeds and defilements we have committed so far are totally dispelled and purified. It is very important to know that our Buddha-nature is temporarily obscured by discursive thoughts and defilements. Hence, during the recitation, we should pray that these obscurations be removed from the mind. In brief, we have to continually make supplications during our recitation, so that all the obscurations we have accumulated since beginningless lives be purified.

During the recitation, we should regard all sentient beings as our own mother and recite the mantra out of the wish for their defilements to be purified and eradicated from the root. We should, thus, dedicate the merits of our recitation in this way. Through the power of our dedication, those defilements can be purified and eliminated from the root. When the minds of sentient beings are free from defilements, they manifest as enlightened beings. Hence, if you have pure motivation and dedicate your practice for the benefit of all mother sentient beings, then that is a very extraordinary and perfect kind of practice.

The six-syllable mantra is the core essence of an entire range of Buddhadharma, and it’s a practice very suitable for samsaric beings like ourselves. This practice can purify all karma and we can achieve the results at the moment of our death. If practised well, one can see the benefits even before death. However, to achieve that, one has to always recite the mantra with a very pure heart and dedicated mind – one that is always mindful and free from non-virtuous discursive thoughts.

DEDICATION CRUCIAL FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL BEINGS

When you recite the six-syllable mantra, it is very important to have a very pure state of mind. During the recitation, your mind should not be disturbed by discursive thoughts. If you do your recitation when your mind is occupied by different kinds of thoughts, your recitation is not very meaningful. Therefore, you should always be mindful of your body, speech and mind when you do your recitation. You should keep it absolutely pure by getting rid of non-virtuous deeds.

When you do the recitation, you should repeatedly make supplications so that the obscurations, defilements, non-virtuous deeds and downfalls of yourself and others can be purified through the recitation.

Now, to have achieved such a precious human life gives us a rare opportunity to practise the Dharma. And this may be the only opportunity in which we can make the attempt to meet the Buddha within ourselves face-to-face.

The six-syllable mantra should be viewed as the Buddha Himself in the form of mantra. Getting the opportunity to recite this mantra is extremely fortunate. If you do the recitation with pure motivation, great supplication and all-embracing love and affection for all sentient beings, then your effort can truly benefit the flourishing of the Buddha’s teachings, all mother sentient beings, and yourself in this life and all the lives to come. The six-syllable mantra is the essence of the entire teachings of the Buddha and its recitation is an extremely powerful antidote that can help us remove all the defilements in our mind.

When you do the recitation, you should dedicate the practice for the benefit of all mother sentient beings in the six realms. In other words, dedicate to all sentient beings in the infinity of space who have been our parents in our former lives. I always pray to the three ‘kayas’ and all the former great victorious masters for your purification, that your practice of the mantra recitation can truly remove the obscurations from your mind. If my prayer is supported by your effort, your great motivation and mindfulness, then truly this mantra recitation retreat will become very, very meaningful.