Awakening - Assuming the Center of the Mandala

 

Awakening -

Assuming the Center of the Mandala

Buddhism is a vast collection of teachings and practices. Some teachings are easy to learn and understand, others are complex. Forms vary yet the essence of buddhist practices is the same. Buddhism is a tradition of awakening from existential fantasy to existential reality.

Roughly speaking, buddhist yogas – meditations and yogic practices –can be divided into two categories,

1. primary practices that directly generate awakening from self-based delusion and

2. secondary practices that support the primary practices

This categorisation is oversimplification but at the same time we can easily see which practices and approaches generate instant recognition of wakeful awareness common to all mind phenomena, and which do the same but in a roundabout (long or short) manner.

Guru Rinpoche's Pure Land Buddhism, commonly known as Pemako Buddhism, begins with a primary exercise known as the Two-Part Formula. The two parts or mind modes of the Two-Part Formula (2PF) are selfless state and self-based state. What is unique to 2PF, which is also the reason why it is so effective, is that the self-based mode is purposefully brought back every time it disappears. All thoughts come and go in the mind, and similarly the I- or me-thought comes and goes in impulsive and random fashion. The Two-Part Formula doesn't allow this and the sense of gross I, me, mine-thought is brought back with the affirmation, so that it can be investigated under the microscope of mindful awareness. Because of these two factors together, recognition of selfless awareness and affirmation, the grossest sense of self is put under pressure that it cannot persist. Inevitably sooner or later there will be a shift – awakening - in one's mind.

In our system of training, the technical term for this shift is opening of the 1^st bhumi. From the tantric perspective it can be described as assuming of the center of the enlightened sphere or mandala, which in terms of tantric deities belongs to Amitabha Buddha. According to the categorisation above, the 2PF is a primary practice that's sole purpose is to generate awakening from self-delusion. This is the beginning of not only Pemako buddhist path but the beginning of all buddhist paths. Awakening is universal, there is no doubt about that. See Lion-Faced Guru Podcast episode titled Universal Awakening. 

 

Yourself depicted as Amitabha Buddha radiating as pure light and blessings

As a human being whose existence is marked by painful self-based ignorance, my whole life I have sought for peace and harmony, and I know many who have had the same problem. Acting and reacting from a solid belief in individual self is a world of pain and suffering. This belief, this solidifed, calcified, hardened, crystallised thought causes problems and conflicts in endless ways. This belief, this stubborn belief, is the root cause of our suffering. The good news is that, on the other hand, it is none other than a deeply stuck belief, and as stubborn as it may be it is possible to remove it by investigation. It is as simple as that.

There is no reason whatsoever to think that we wouldn't be ready or fit for awakening, or that awakening should be postponed. Within you, me and everyone else there is a perfectly awake buddha living but she is dormant, as if asleep... Please, wake her up!

Help yourself and come in contact with the reality yourself. I have written extensively about awakening and its implications in Awake-book, that is free of charge.

Namo Amitabha,

- Kim Katami, 12.9.2020

Pemako Buddhism,

www.pemakobuddhism.com

Guru Rinpoche's Pure Land

Guru Rinpoche's Pure Land

Once, in meditation, I had a vision. It was a particular kind of vision and as soon as I saw it, I knew it was a past life memory.

In that life, several hundred years ago, I was a very devoted christian contemplative monk in Western Europe. We would pray to Jesus day and night in our monastery. Very deep practice. It was pure devotion, nothing like I've seen in christianity today.

One day, when there was a resting day at the monastery, all monks were out in the woods, on the hills and other places to have a bit leisure, but I decided to continue working on the roof of the church in our monastery. I was working just above the main door, perhaps 25 meters from the ground, when my foot slipped and I fell directly in front of the main entrance. I could vividly remember how the falling felt like and how the ground kept coming closer until my body hit against it. My body was crushed and died in an instant, there was nothing to be done.

But the moment when my body hit the floor and my mind, or soul ejected out from the body, an immense space opened in front of me, and Jesus Christ himself was standing in front of me, with a joyoys smile inviting me to go with him. There was nothing ”holy” or ”exalted” in this moment, though immense love and closeness between me and him. He appeared on the very instant I died, to come get me and to guide me on.

Painting of Zangdok Palri, Guru Rinpoche's Pure Land.

Now, Open Heart, is a form of Pure Land Buddhism where our main ”deity” is Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava and the pure land is his pure land, Zangdok Palri. Remembering again this past life experience of mine, I felt like tying lifelong devotion and practice to the fact that when we, as Guru Rinpoche's Pure Land practitioners pass away, he will come to get us to his pure land, where we can continue our practice, in the most excellent guidance, in case if we haven't yet attained buddhahood in this body.

Please, don't take this as a matter of belief, for yogis are not believers. Take it as a hypothesis and deepen your devotion and practice. There is no reason, other than rejection, why you couldn't visit Zangdok Palri already in your meditations in this body.

Namo Guru Rinpoche.

-Kim Orgyen Pema, 18.3.2019

Padmasambhava's Pure Land Buddhism

Padmasambhava's Pure Land Buddhism

Pure Land Buddhism exists in various areas and forms. The main idea of Pure Land Buddhism is relying on other power (jap. tariki), usually that of Amitabha Buddha. Relying, being devoted or lovingly surrendering to other power is a cornerstone of tantric buddhism as well, where a samsaric being puts his or her faith to the Guru, his teachings and the Three Jewels: Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

The core of Pemako Buddhism or Padmasambhava's Pure Land Buddhism is the trust that us samsaric beings, practitioners, have for Guru Padmasambhava and his teachings because we can trust that he will help us to realise our own buddhahood. In Pemako Buddhism we combine relying on other power and using self-power (jap. joriki) through extensive tantric practice, meditation and contemplation. Because of this point Pemako Buddhism differs from other schools of Pure Land Buddhism. Pemako Buddhism combines the two principles, wisdom and understanding of the head and devotion of the heart together to make a whole. As ignorant and self-delusional beings we rely on the Guru to receive his guidance and blessings as well as through practice and analysis help ourselves.

Pemako Buddhism and it's different practices can be taken up by anyone who recognises that these teachings carry an important meaning for a samsaric being. Even though we speak of surrender and devotion, the foundation of our practice is our own first hand experience, never belief or blind faith.

As sincere practitioners we commit in our daily practice and Guru devotion, to eradicate our deeply ingrained sense of self. Through thorough mind purification and insights into the selfless nature of our minds, we come to understand who we really are, both existentially as well as human beings.

The real goal of Pemako Buddhism is for us to become fully aware beings, living buddhas. We see the possibility of becoming living buddhas as a realistic option in this body and life because through diligent practice and blessings of the Guru we can see that it actually is not far away. Guru Rinpoche does not have any other wish than for us to attain, what he himself has attained.

May Guru Rinpoche's invitation be heard by those who are willing.

May Pemako Buddhism be received by all those who seek for it.

May all beings be free.

Namo Guru Rinpoche. 

Namo Guru Rinpoche. 

Namo Guru Rinpoche.

- Orgyen Pema, 11.8.2017

Open Heart, www.openheart.fi

Guru Rinpoche's Pure Land

Guru Rinpoche's Pure Land

I would like to start this article by telling of a few recent events.

On an advanced retreat held at our center in January 2017, next happened.

”We had finished our fourth practice session of the fifth day at the retreat and were about to have dinner. Karl, our head chef, brought in our food which was fish. I stood up from the couch and delighted of having a proper meal instead of mere veggies, I joufully announced, "Yes! Eating that is like entering Padmasambhava's Pure Land!". *BANG* At that instant I was hit with a huge blow of energy into my head, the back of my head on the right side. Seen with subtle visions, it looked like a meteor that shot across the sky and landed on my head. It was like getting hit by a boxer. I uttered, "What was that...?" and was stunned. I have gone unconscious many times so I know perfectly well how it feels just before the lights go out. It was exactly like that, hovering on the verge before the lights go out. I felt dazed and sat down on the floor and a few moments later lied down completely. It was like getting punched in the head, just without any pain, of course. At first I didn't know what was going on, and people around me, preparing the dinner were astonished what I was doing, lying there in the middle of the floor, with one hand on the neck measuring my pulse. I didn't pass out but as if having received a heavy blow on the head, I was trying to make sense what just happened. After a few minutes I could sit up. I figured there was a connection to when I loudly mentioned Guru Rinpoche's Pure Land but I was still unsure what was going on. I have never ever lost consciousness, or were close to losing it because of a spiritual charge. I did not even know it was possible.

After about 10 minutes, I was able to eat some. My legs were soft spaghetti and I knew I couldn't stand up or walk. After getting some food, I felt like closing my eyes to find out some facts of what was going on, while people around me were finishing their meals and talking. At this point, perhaps 15-20 minutes after the meteor hit me, the charge spread to my body, descended into the stomach, then to arms and legs.

This was something I had never experienced before. It was like combining very high intensity soft martial art (yiquan) practice with very intense rigpa-energy. It felt like Guru Rinpoche was practicing yiquan in my body. It was something very unusual that I hadn't experienced before in perhaps a few thousand sessions of guru yoga that I had practiced. After about 30 minutes, I told people they could tune into the charge if they wanted but they actually really had no choice because all the surroundings were swept by the power of the blessing. The power of it was really unique. This is hard to convey to others if they weren't there.

The only thing I can compare this is Amma's devi bhava with the exception that Amma's energy is motherly soft while this was intense and wrathful, yet penetrating. Guru Rinpoche's charge swept through the whole group.

As minutes passed the charge became more integrated with my body and my rational mind switched on again. After a few hours it had smoothened out while the reverberations continued for a few days afterwards.”

This happened in January. Now I know that we had visited Guru Rinpoche's Pure Land, Zangdok Palri, The Copper Coloured Mountain.

The same happened twice in February on the last day of another retreat and in a private online session with a sangha friend. It has also happened with less intensity while giving dharma talks, recorded here and here.

Pure Lands

Many buddhas have pure lands, or buddhakshetras. Buddha Amitabha's Pure Land (skt. Sukhavati) is probably most well known through Pure Land Buddhism which is widely practiced in China and Japan, also in the West. There are many other pure lands.

A pure land is actually a vibrational field, sphere or dimension which is governed by a particular buddha or mahasiddha. While none of the pure lands are out of reach of anyone, karmic connections with the governor of the pure realm is a key factor whether one can access it or is allowed to live there.

Pure lands can be briefly visited. For example if we have a sincere wish to visit Amitabha's pure land, it is possible. We only need to tune in with Buddha Amitabha and ask him to take us for a visit there. Then we can feel being transported to Sukhavati. If one has some skills of subtle seeing or hearing one may be able to perceive how it looks like there, who are there and so on. If one wishes to visit a pure land, any of them, sincerity and devotion towards the governor of that pure realm is essential. None of the pure lands can be accessed from the ego.

If we have the desire for it, we can be in tune with the governor of the pure land and the pure land itself. It is possible to live within the pure realm created by Padmasambhava while still in the physical body, living in the Earth-realm, if the connection has been well established.

The moment we leave this body, we are instantly transported to the Copper Coloured Mountain, not having to go through the intermediate states between death and rebirth (tib. bardo). If we had difficulties in subtly seeing and hearing the pure land while in the body, after death we can see everything that goes on in there just like we can see and hear what happens around us in the physical world now.

Guru Rinpoche's Pure Land is a beautiful place, not only aesthetically but also the beings there. Imagine a garden city where everyone has close karmic connections Guru Rinpoche himself, who have strong spiritual inclinations and who practice for the liberation of all beings. Imagine hearing Guru Rinpoche or other mahasiddhas like Yeshe Tsogyal give dharma talks, instructions and transmissions. Imagine meeting Guru Rinpoche in person so that you can see eye to eye. Everyone there is safe and supported with basic necessities, unlike here on Earth. Because of these reasons it is called a ”world of the buddha”.

Pemako – The Hidden Land of Guru Rinpoche

A while ago I was pondering that as Open Heart is the name of our method, what would be the name of our lineage, as methods are passed within certain lineages. As we were sitting in a cafe with Karl talking about this, all of a sudden we were swept by Guru Rinpoche's blessings and the word ”Pemako” popped into my mind. I didn't know what it meant so I googled it and got to know that Pemako is a special area in India and Tibet which is considered very sacred in it's connection to the Guru. Many great lamas and rinpoche's have been born, lived and died there.

”If people die here (Pemako), they do not take

karmic rebirth; they go to the Pure Lands.

I do not tell lies. It is like that. Keep it in mind.

• Guru Rinpoche

So traditionally Pemako refers to a physical area in the East but in this case, referring to our lineage and teachings Pemako refers to hidden realm of Guru Rinpoche, that is, his pure land. This realm is accessed by following the teachings of the Open Heart and by taking refuge.

Taking refuge Guru Rinpoche's Pure Land

For the above mentioned reasons and master's direct instruction, taking refuge in Guru Rinpoche's Pure Land is going to be added to our refuges.

Five Refuges

I take refuge in the Guru

I take refuge in His Pure Land

I take refuge in the Buddha

I take refuge in the Dharma

I take refuge in the Sangha

May all beings be free.

Thank you for reading.

- Kim, 15.5.2017