How Buddhahood Is Attained
in Pemako
Q: You say your sangha members have attained buddhahood. Simply, how?
Kim: Hello
Rinzin. Nice to hear of you and I'm glad you asked :)
To
answer your question properly we should spend few hours in discussion
and simultaneously do short sessions of our core practices to give
you a feel how we practice yoga and tantra. So, answering in written
form in just half an hour or so, is insufficient, but I'll try
anyway.
All yogic and tantric practices of the world's various
religions and traditions are based on the same universal principles
but the way how the principles are applied, is what I have
synthesized to form a method that we know as Pemako. It really is
insufficient to adress your question like this but I'll give a short
list of examples that gives you some idea how we practice.
In
Pemako practice,
- Teacher and students spend lots of time
practicing tantra (maha and anuyoga) and atiyoga together. Practices
are taught during practice sessions and the teacher points out
various observations and correct way of practice, according to the
level of the student. It makes a world of different for the student
to be taught from "inside out", and to share an experience
with the teacher.
- We use short and simple (easy to remember
and to apply) empowerment mantras that contain many both peaceful and
wrathful deities at once.
-Especially in the yoga of centers
and channels (anuyoga) we apply the mantras on our energybodies in a
very precise manner. We infuse mantric energy to over 40 energy
centers within the physical body with practices such as "tapping".
We also use a practice called "combing" to infuse the
mantras of many deities into the whole energybody/aura around the
physical body. As self-based delusion is nowhere else except in the
body of centers and channels, we simply infuse the whole energy body
in a straightforward manner that covers all of it. As a result, there
is no place or area that is left unmarked.
- In tantric guru
yoga and deity practices, from the point of view of time spent in
practice, we generate (external aspect of tantra) the guru or deity
as little as possible but enough to create a strong felt energy.
Then, we spend lots of time feeling it, recognising it, noticing the
qualities of it, taking it into the subtle and physical bodies,
marinating in it (internal aspect of tantra). In this way, I could
say there is lots of emphasis on relaxation and surrender towards the
mahasiddha gurus, main ones being Guru Rinpoche and Yeshe Tsogyal, as
well as peaceful, wrathful, healing and passionate buddha-deities.
This takes one very effectively to secret aspect of tantra which is
the basic state revealed.
-We apply the previously mentioned
"feeling it, recognising it, noticing the qualities of it,
taking it into the subtle and physical bodies, marinating in it"
to all practices that we do, including basic prayers such as
Bodhisattva Vows, Refuge Prayers, Bodhicitta Prayers and Dedication
of Merit. In general, there is lots of emphasis on feeling energetic
charges and their qualities with one's body because it is easy and
rewarding for all levels of practitioners. When you feel something,
the deity or the guru, it starts filling one's belly, in other words,
you have an experience.
-Another very important aspect of our
method is the use of grounds or bhumis. We use a path map called 13
Bhumi Model. The first 10 bhumis are stages of purification (two-fold
emptiness, 1-6 arhat, 7-10 phenomena), 11th is dharmakaya, 12th and
13th sambhogakaya. All of these bhumis are directly related to the
previously mentioned centers and channels of inside the body, aura
and the vertical pillar of energy centers that extends 6 meters above
and below the body. It is sort of like a measuring stick where you
know and feel exactly what stage or bhumi you're working on. Because
of this practitioners can focus exactly on the energetic area that
they're working on the get purified. Because of this, advancement is
fast. What is also very encouraging, inspiring and empowering to
students is that with the help of the 13 bhumi model they know where
they are on the map, meaning what is their present position in
relation to unawakened state or buddhahood. From the spoken and
written accounts given by teachers and other students (we speak
openly about spiritual experiences and awakenings in our sangha)
other students know what to look for and can adjust their approach
accordingly.
-Dynamic practices. As I'm sure you know in
various lineages of Tibetan varayana, there are practices where you
shout loudly. Ha! Ho! Phet! Phet! Phet! We do shouts, or "dynamic
concentration" a lot. We might do 100-300 loud concentrated Hung
Phets in a row. We have many youtube videos of this. The reason why
we do shouts with syllables such as Hung Phet, guru mantras (Na! Mo!
Gu! Ru! Rin! Po! Che!) or deity mantras, is because this dynamic,
that is, stronger power of concentration makes a momentarily hole
into the energybody and its samsaric habit-patterns, and
consequentially there not being any gross, subtle or very subtle
self-based patterns going on, the kayas of the natural state can be
very easily recognised. Doing lots of shouts or Physical Dynamic
Concentration where the tantric elements of mantra, visualization and
breathwork are combined with tensing the muscles of the whole body
physically, is extremely effective and beneficial because for a
moment the whole karmic body subsides.
-I already mentioned
the so called "pragmatic dharma" when I said that we speak
openly about spiritual experiences in our community. We speak about
all these things and it is very beneficial to all members of the
sangha. It is sharing of practical knowledge. The basis of proper
learning as can be seen in secular education is that information is
shared without reservations. Learning about other member's hardships,
we can encourage them and learning about their successes we can
rejoice together and congratulate them. This creates positive energy
and gives meaning.
I hope this gives you some idea how. Thank
you for asking. I was actually just about to send you a message :)
KR, 27.2.2022
