Reciting the Mani Mantra to Realise the Three Kayas’ Nature

by Drubwang Konchok Norbu Rinpoche

The three ‘kayas’ are the various personifications of the Buddha. For instance, Amitabha Buddha is the Dharmakaya, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva is the Sambhogakaya and Guru Padmasambhava is the Nirmanakaya. And these three ‘kayas’ are not foreign to ourselves. In fact, the true nature of our mind has these three ‘kayas’ within it. We are reciting the six-syllable mantra to get rid of all the temporary defilements, so that we can realise the three kayas’ nature of our mind. In order to do so, we need to keep our body, speech and mind absolutely pure by not performing non-virtuous deeds with our body, speech and mind. The mantra should also be recited clearly word for word, and you should make great aspirations when you do the recitation, so that you can purify your obscurations and defilements of yourself and other sentient beings and attain the state of three ‘kayas’.

If you recite in this manner, then your efforts can truly benefit the Buddhadharma and all sentient beings in achieving the true path in this life and in all lives to come, thereby attaining Enlightenment ultimately.

Non-virtuous deeds are meaningless and bring only suffering to one. Therefore, you should at all times avoid committing non-virtuous deeds. Try to make great aspirations during your recitation to purify your body, speech and mind.

WHAT MAKES ONE A BUDDHIST

We are all followers of the Buddhadharma. That’s why we are called Buddhists. What makes us Buddhist is our practice of taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. On top of that, we also generate the awakened mind of Bodhicitta*. When we take refuge in the Triple Gem and generate Bodhicitta, we are actually making a kind of resolution to get rid all non-virtuous deeds, and to pursue all virtuous ones. However, in order to do so, we need to first understand what are virtuous deeds and what are non-virtuous deeds. We need to eradicate all non-virtuous deeds as they are the causes of all suffering and we need to pursue virtuous deeds as they are the causes of happiness.

All sentient beings, including the tiniest insects, have been our parents. And as our parents, there is no distinction between all sentient beings and our present father and mother. One should not have any doubt about that.

When you do the recitation, you should try to have devotion and a good intention. If you recite with this kind of devotion and motivation, you can truly attain Enlightenment. What have kept you as sentient being, stopping you from attaining Enlightenment is your negative karma and afflictive emotions. Therefore, to gain Enlightenment, you have to rid yourself of your afflictive emotions which cause all non-virtuous deeds. To eliminate afflictive emotions and bad karma, we need to rely on the teachings of the Buddha. And the core essence of the entire teachings of the Buddha is the six-syllable mantra. As practitioners of this precious Dharma, we need to eradicate all non-virtuous deeds in general, particularly the consumption of meat, as it has the heaviest negative karma. This is because all the livings beings that we eat are actually our own parents who have been very kind to us in many lifetimes. Eating meat is a non-virtuous act with such heavy misgivings that the Buddha Himself also mentioned that consuming the meat of other sentient beings who have been our parents one lifetime or another is the gravest and most heinous deed to commit.

Over the past few years, we have had the great opportunity to recite the six-syllable mantra in a retreat. You should realise that this opportunity has come to you as a result of your good karma in the past. You should consider yourself very fortunate to have this opportunity. Not only during a retreat, but at all times, you should make the best efforts to accumulate virtuous deeds and refrain from committing non-virtuous ones. And if you can refrain from eating meat at all, that is the most perfect way of not committing non-virtuous deeds. Even if you are not able to give up meat permanently, try to avoid meat consumption during special days of the month, such as the full month days on the 8th and 10th etc, according to the Tibetan calendar.

The human life is extremely precious and is only achieved once in a long while. Thus, it is extremely important that you do not waste this precious human life. Make it as meaningful as possible by following the Dharma and by not committing non-virtuous deeds. Once again, I would like to beseech you to avoid eating meat, as there can be no negative karma heavier than that, for the meat we eat comes from our parents. This is what the Buddha taught and this is what you should remember at all times.

You should also dedicate the merits of your practice for the benefit of all mother sentient beings, even to the tiniest insects, so that they can be freed from the obscurations in their minds and attain complete Enlightenment.

* Bodhicitta : The aspiration to help all beings attain True Happiness by becoming Buddhas, by being Bodhisattvas.