Dear friends near and far

I hope today’s message finds you all happy and healthy. I am in the car at the moment on the way from New York City to Martha’s Vineyard. There are four points I would like to remind you of on this Guru Rinpoche Day.

1. Bodhicitta

Bodhicitta, the mind of enlightenment. This is so important, and I have talked about this many times already. The motivation of bodhicitta is indispensable.

2. Reminding oneself

Secondly, it is very important that we remind ourselves regularly, because most of us are very lazy. So we need to remind ourselves. Of what? Of the dharma, to practice and apply the dharma, impermanence, bodhicitta. Remind yourself again and again of these things.

3. Knowing how to practice

Thirdly, we need to know how to practice the dharma. It is not just enough to do dharma; we each need to know how to practice correctly. Knowing that, our dharma practice will become truly effective and beneficial. On the other hand, if you practice without knowing how, the practice itself can become a basis for pride, jealousy, showing off, and all sort of things. So in addition to cultivating the motivation of bodhicitta and reminding yourself of the crucial points, you really need to know how to practice the dharma. Knowing how to practice includes knowing how to apply and integrate the dharma throughout all your activities, whether you are talking to people, eating, lying down, moving about, whatever you are doing. The dharma is so important, so please keep this in mind.

4. Don’t be discouraged or proud

Fourthly, you need to be able to look at and see your own good qualities and likewise your faults. But don’t get discouraged when you see your faults and think that they make you a lousy person. And don’t get proud when you see your good qualities. If you react like this it will become an obstacle for practice. And in fact getting proud when seeing your good qualities and getting discouraged when seeing your faults shows that you don’t know how to correctly practice the dharma. So all of you, please keep this in mind when you see your faults and good qualities; do not react by getting discouraged or proud. Please remember this.

These four points are what I would like to share today. In this month of the calendar, over the past years many sacred masters have passed away and we are now approaching their anniversaries. For example, the late Kyabjé Trulshik Rinpoche. As a result of these great beings passing away from this world, many people are suffering with grief and loss. During such times it is especially beneficial to practice the sublime dharma.
 
This being so, please recite the Vajra Guru mantra and the Düsum Sangye supplication as much as you can. This supplication was revealed by the great treasure revealer Chokgyur Lingpa and is one of the most precious and important prayers for this present time, the degenerate age.

The Vajra Guru mantra

om ah hung bendza guru pema siddhi hung

The Düsum Sangye (Buddha of the Three Times) Supplication

dü sum sangye guru rinpoché
Buddha of the three times, Guru Rinpoche,
ngödrub kün dak dewa chenpö shyab
Lord of all siddhis, Great Bliss,
barché kün sel düdül drakpo tsal
Dispeller of all obstacles, Wrathful Tamer of Māra.
solwa deb so jin gyi lab tu sol
I supplicate you, bestow your blessings.
chi nang sangwé barché shyiwa dang
Pacify the outer, inner, and secret obstacles
sampa lhün gyi drubpar jin gyi lob
And spontaneously fulfill all wishes.

With constant prayers.

Sarva Mangalam,

Phakchok Rinpoche