The
Five Pillars of Open Heart
by
Lama Karl Eikrem
Whenever
the teachings of the Lotus-Born are manifested in this world, and a
new lineage born, a basic structure takes form. This structure
consists of five pillars, each of which has three layers of meaning:
outer, inner and absolute.
The
five pillars are the Guru, His Pure Land, Buddha, Dharma and Sangha,
and their levels of meaning are as follows:
The
outer meaning of Guru refers to the revealer of the teachings,
the head of the lineage. The inner meaning of Guru refers to the
energetic presence and blessings of Guru Rinpoche, the master. The
absolute meaning of Guru refers to Self-Arising Awareness itself.
The
outer meaning of His Pure Land refers to the center of teaching, or
temple. The inner meaning of His Pure Land refers to the vibratory
field of the Copper-Coloured Mountain. The absolute meaning of His
Pure Land refers to Self-Arising Awareness itself.
The
outer meaning of Buddha refers to the Shakyamuni Buddha, who laid
the foundation. The inner meaning of Buddha refers to
Bodhicitta, the key to enlightenment. The absolute meaning of Buddha
refers to Self-Arising Awareness itself.
The
outer meaning of Dharma refers to the teachings of sutra. The inner
meaning of Dharma refers to the teachings of tantra. The absolute
meaning of Dharma refers to Self-Arising Awareness itself.
The
outer meaning of Sangha refers to the community of practitioners. The
inner sangha refers to the community of all sentient beings. The
absolute meaning of Sangha refers to Self-Arising Awareness itself.
May
all beings be free!
All beings are free!
All beings are free!
