Vajrasattva

In Praise of Glorious Vajrasattva

by Patrul Rinpoche

Homage to glorious Vajrasattva!

Like a mountain of snow, your body is brilliant white,
And your enlightened speech resounds as perfect Dharma,
Profound and expansive, your sky-like mind is twofold wisdom,
Blessed lord, spiritual warrior—to you I pay homage!

Even negative karma and obscurations accumulated over many eons
Are reduced to nothing in an instant merely by recalling your name, Continue reading »

Patrul Rinpoche

by Patrul Rinpoche (1808-1887)

Vajrasattva, sole deity, Master,
You sit on a full-moon lotus-cushion of white light
In the hundred-petalled full bloom of youth.

Think of me, Vajrasattva,
You who remain unmoved within the manifest display
That is Mahamudra, pure bliss-emptiness.

Listen up, old bad-karma Patrul,
You dweller-in-distraction.

For ages now you’ve been
Beguiled, entranced, and fooled by appearances.
Are you aware of that? Are you?
Right this very instant, when you’re
Under the spell of mistaken perception
You’ve got to watch out.
Don’t let yourself get carried away by this fake and empty life. Continue reading »

Patrul Rinpoche: It is said that not fearing the profound meaning of emptiness but feeling inspired by it is the sign of a fortunate being.

Clarifying the Two Truths by Patrul Rinpoche

An Instruction on the View of the Mahayana

For those who wish to attain liberation, there is both (I) the teaching on what is to be realized and (II) the teaching on how to put this into practice.

I. The Teaching On What Is To Be Realized

In this, there are two topics: (1) the natural condition of all knowable phenomena in general and (2) the natural condition of one’s own mind.

(1) The Natural Condition of all Knowable Phenomena

This is also divided into two aspects: (i) the relative and (ii) the absolute. Continue reading »

Patrul Rinpoche

Nine Considerations and Criteria for Benefiting Beings

by Dza Patrul Rinpoche

This concerns the ways in which bodhisattvas act to benefit beings.

Bodhisattvas who genuinely take the bodhisattva vow of ethical discipline do nothing but act for the benefit of beings, either directly or indirectly, but unless one is skilful in benefiting these beings, no matter how much one does, it might not benefit beings, but could actually be a direct or indirect cause of harm. Take account, therefore, of these nine considerations and criteria as you act for others’ benefit:

1. Consideration of the benefit to both oneself and others

• Anything that would be of direct or indirect help and benefit to both yourself and others should be done.

• Anything that would not benefit but harm both you and others, directly or indirectly, should not be done. Continue reading »

Patrul Rinpoche: When the path of no-more-learning is realized, the bodhisattva reaches the eleventh bhumi, ‘Universal Radiance’. (Potala, 1936)

Patrul Rinpoche: A Brief Guide to the Stages and Paths of the Bodhisattvas

I pay homage to my master who is inseparable from Lord Manjughosha!

I will now set out the various stages and paths of the bodhisattvas in a way that is clear and easy to understand. There are five paths and ten stages (or bhumis). The five paths are as follows:

1. The path of accumulation

2. The path of joining

3. The path of seeing

4. The path of meditation

5. The path of no-more-learning Continue reading »

A Brief Biography of Dza Patrul Rinpoche (1808-1887)

by Alak Zenkar Rinpoche

za Palge Tulku or Dzogchen Patrul Rinpoche was born in the Earth Dragon year of the fourteenth calendrical cycle in Getse Dzachukha, in the nomadic area of northern Kham, to a family with the name of Gyaltok. He was recognized by Dodrupchen Jikmé Trinlé Özer as the incarnation of Palgé Samten Phuntsok and was given the name Orgyen Jikmé Chökyi Wangpo.

At an early age, he learned to read and write without any difficulty. He took ordination with Khen Sherab Zangpo. With Dola Jikmé Kalzang, Jikmé Ngotsar, Gyalsé Shenpen Thayé and other teachers, he studied the Trilogy of Finding Comfort and Ease, The Way of the Bodhisattva, Secret Essence Tantra and many other works related to sutra and tantra, as well as the ordinary sciences. Continue reading »

Patrul Rinpoche

Patrul Rinpoche: Advice for Alak Dongak

Before the holy nyagrodha, the very best of trees,
All alone, you tamed the hosts of Māra and his army,
Simply through the force of your loving kindness—
Supreme guide who attained full awakening, care for me!

O Protector, you renounced the kingdom of a universal monarch,
Casting it aside as if it were nothing more than poisoned food,
And, all alone, you departed for the quiet of the forest,
There to accomplish single-pointed meditation—thus we’ve heard.

Therefore, these delightful mountain solitudes,
Are like the family estate to the supreme guide’s heirs,
And, as the best of protectors himself has said,
To rely on solitude is indeed the pinnacle of joys! Continue reading »

The Brightly Shining Sun

by Patrul Rinpoche

With devotion I pay homage to the buddhas gone to bliss, Continue reading »

Patrul Rinpoche: When the teacher is a fully enlightened Buddha, he teaches through his three types of miraculous ability.

Preliminary Points

To be Explained when Teaching the Buddha’s Word or the Treatises

by Patrul Rinpoche

Generally, for any kind of Dharma teaching, there is (I) an explanation of preliminary points that precede the teaching and (II) the actual teaching of the topic to be explained

I. The Preliminary Points to be Explained

In this there are three parts:

1. How the teacher teaches

2. How the students listen Continue reading »

Patrul Rinpoche: If you apply yourself to these practices, then you will never forget the mind of bodhicitta.

An Essential Instruction on Refuge and Bodhicitta

by Patrul Rinpoche

In the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly
I take refuge until I attain enlightenment.
Through the merit of practising generosity and so on,
May I attain buddhahood for the benefit of all beings.

Here I shall explain taking refuge, which is the foundation of the path to liberation, the basis of all vows, the source of all enlightened qualities and the point of differentiation between buddhists and non-buddhists, together with generating the mind of bodhicitta, which is the foundation for accomplishing the level of complete enlightenment and the source of all that is positive in existence and peace. Continue reading »

Patrul Rinpoche’s few personal belongings. Photo by Matthieu Ricard.

Who Was Patrul Rinpoche?

by Matthieu Ricard

Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard provides a glimpse into the life of Patrul Rinpoche, a wandering yogi who became one of the most illustrious masters of Tibetan Buddhism. From the Spring 2018 issue of Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Quarterly.

Patrul Rinpoche, Orgyen Jigme Chökyi Wangpo (1808–1887), a wandering practitioner in the ancient tradition of vagabond renunciants, became one of the most revered spiritual teachers in Tibetan history, widely renowned as a scholar and author while at the same time living a life of utmost simplicity. A strong advocate of the joys of solitude, he always stressed the futility of worldly pursuits and ambitions. The memory of his life’s example is still very much alive today, offering an ever-fresh source of inspiration for practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism. Continue reading »

Patrul Rinpoche

Brief Guide to the Stages of Visualization for the Ngöndro Practice

by Patrul Rinpoche

Namo Samantabhadraye!

When Tibet was shrouded in the darkness of the five degenerations,[1]
With the chariot of your great and immeasurable bodhicitta,[2]
You brought the sunlight of the teachings of secret mantra-
Orgyen, King of Dharma, I keep you forever in my mind!
The enlightened vision of the vajra vehicle of Ancient Translations,
All condensed into its quintessence, like a drop of ḍākinīs’ life-blood;
A treasure arising as the spontaneous expression of reality itself—
O Guru, Lord of Dharma, you who brought us these teachings, protect me! Continue reading »

Patrul Rinpoche: Talk by Vessantara

‘HERE YOU ARE AGAIN, DRIVING YOURSELF CRAZY!’

According to some scientists all human beings, all the billions of us on this planet, are traceable back to a common ancestor in Africa. Just as genetically it seems we can trace our lineage back to that one individual, similarly spiritually we can trace our lineage as Buddhists back to the Buddha Shakyamuni. Whether we are Theravadins, Zen practitioners, Tibetan Buddhists and so forth, we all ultimately draw our spiritual inspiration from his enlightenment experience under the Bodhi-tree. Continue reading »