Q: What should I focus the most in Chenrezig practice?
A: To focus the most in Chenrezig practice, is the HRIH syllable (ཧྲཱིཿ). The HRIH syllable is the first step to focus on.
Like an example, you visualize the HRIH, the letter HRIH, the symbol, syllable of the Avalokiteshvara, whether it’s thousand arms, whether it’s four arms, whether it’s two arms, and then you focus into this small syllable with the beautiful white flower. A beautiful white flower, a very simple beautiful white flower, and then with a carpet moon. With a carpet moon and a beautiful flower, and then the carpet moon on the top, and then on top of that, a pure white radiating white color, radiating white syllable. Thinking that this is the syllable of Avalokiteshvara, whether it’s thousand arms, four arms, two arms, doesn’t matter. So that’s the first step.
Once you can continue without any interruption, if you can continue with sense of clarity in your visualization, and then you move to the next. The most important principle is that when you are visualizing anything, don’t think to yourself “Hey look at me, I have achieved something really great because I managed to maintain for last two minutes” don’t grasp for recognition or achievement. Because looking for achievement within the visualization is wrong.
When you start the deity practice, it is normal to have achievement idea. Like an example, “I need to achieve this deity practice! I need to achieve this Dharma practice! I need to achieve this great quality, with this great realization! So with that great realization, I can benefit others!” The idea of achievement is valid, is exceptional, it is needed, but when you are visualizing in that very moment, don’t bring the idea of achievement.
You can have this expectation when you start with refuge vows, when you make a bodhicitta prayer, when you make a dedication prayer saying that “I want to achieve to reach the enlightenment! I want to practice the Dharma! I want to benefit others! I want to help others! With this great quality that I can discover by recognizing the nature of the mind, so that I can have a limitless compassion, so that I will be no more vulnerable to any criticism nor the praise by other people”.
By that understanding, it is good to have a desire to achieve something out of it, but in the moment of visualizing the deity or the syllable, don’t bring the idea of achievement, just simply focus. And if you are interrupted with the projection of thoughts, then you see the projection of thoughts as it is. You don’t have to say “Oh, I’ve been disturbed, I’ve been interrupted”. Just see the disturbance as it is “Ah, I’ve been distracted, it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter” and then you come back into the visualization of that syllable.
Kalu Rinpoche
Facebook livestream – 15 November 2020
To be continued…
Comments are closed.