Verse 11

The meaning is correct, but maybe this way of translating is better:

“To me, unfortunate wretched me who is abandoned by all the buddhas, thinking how the unmistaken pure path is shown reminds me of …”

In the Fortunate Eon Sutra it talks about the thousand names, with their names, names of their father and mother, maybe where they are born and how many disciples they liberate. It talks about how many sentient beings are liberated by each buddha. Even though Shaktor liberates numberless sentient beings one didn’t have the karma directly to be guided and enlightened by Shaktor. Then Setuk the second buddha descended to this world—it’s not talking about buddhas in general, just the thousand who descend to this world in this fortunate eon and enact the Twelve Deeds, The Buddha—but one didn’t have the karma to be guided, liberated and enlightened by Setuk. Then Buddha Kashyapa, the third Buddha, one didn’t have the karma to receive teachings from and be liberated and enlightened by Buddha Kashyapa. Then Guru Shakyamuni Buddha happened and again, liberated and enlightened numberless sentient beings but one didn’t have the karma during that time to be guided by Buddha, liberated and enlightened.

Then Maitreya and Manjushri; even though they liberated and enlightened numberless sentient beings one didn’t have the karma. Then Nagarjuna, Asanga and all the pandits who wrote the scriptures; one didn’t have the karma to be directly guided, liberated and enlightened by them. Then Lama Serlingpa, Lama Atisha and the old Kadampa tradition happened but one didn’t have the karma to be directly guided, liberated and enlightened by them even though they liberated numerous sentient beings. Then the new Kadampa tradition of Lama Tsongkhapa and Lama Tsongkhapa’s disciples who became enlightened in one life, each one taught Dharma and liberated and enlightened so many sentient beings but one didn’t have the karma to receive teachings and directly be guided, liberated and enlightened by them.

Not only that, but Padmasambhava brought many sentient beings to enlightenment, benefited many sentient beings, but didn’t have the karma to be directly guided, liberated and enlightened by him. Then all the four Tibetan traditions: Sakya Pandita, the five Sakyas, those great enlightened beings; also Milarepa and the Nyingmapas, those great enlightened beings one didn’t have the karma to be liberated and enlightened by them. So there is only this present guru, in an ordinary aspect.

One has been left out, unable to be guided directly by all those past buddhas, the first buddha of the 1000, like a child, a baby left in a hot desert, nobody to take care and nobody around in whom to take refuge, to scream out to; or being in the dark forest surrounded by many wild animals, feeling great fear—being guideless like that. So the guru looks at me and guides me with love and compassion, so it reminds me of the guru’s kindness. Not just remembering the guru, the reason it reminds one of the guru is kindness.

Then as I mentioned the first stanza, of Calling The Guru From Afar…

So this is another reason, why the guru is kinder than all the buddhas and bodhisattvas, including all the lineage lamas, as I have just mentioned. Even though there are numberless buddhas in sambhogakaya and nirmanakaya aspects, the deities of the four classes of tantra, but from our side we don’t have pure karma, we don’t have the merit or the pure mind to be able to see all those in the aspect of buddha and receive guidance and teachings directly; due to very thick impure karmic obscurations cannot see them in the aspect of buddha, so they cannot guide us directly. So without these gurus in the aspect of showing mistakes, having delusions and suffering of body and mind, having samsaric true suffering of the aggregates, mistaken actions and so forth, which fits exactly according to my impure karma, only this way do I have a chance to see, to meet directly and receive guidance, teachings and advice, whatever method that fits my mind, directly. Only they can guide me directly, liberate me from the lower realms and lead me to the state of the happy migratory being, bring me to the liberation that is free forever from the oceans of samsaric suffering and its causes, and bring me to enlightenment by ceasing the subtle defilements.

This is the second reason, second division, that the guru is kinder than all the buddhas. The guru is showing ordinary aspect which enables me to receive direct guidance so is the most precious one in my life, kinder than all the buddhas and bodhisattvas. So this second reason reminds me of the kindness of the guru.

The third, not just revealing the teachings that will enable to achieve liberation from samsara, revealing the Mahayana and paramitayana teachings that enable one to achieve enlightenment, revealing tantric teachings which enable one to achieve enlightenment in one lifetime, not only that but highest tantra, which enables one to achieve enlightenment in a brief lifetime in degenerate times. Not only that kindness, but especially revealing Lama Tsongkhapa teachings, the unmistaken, excellent pure path, unified sutra and tantra, that which is the clearest explanation of what was taught by Buddha. Then meditation, calm abiding, where great famous meditators made mistakes in the past in the past, Lama Tsongkhapa gives the clearest explanation of those subtle points; many of the famous meditators could not recognize the subtle sinking thought, they thought it was the perfect meditation, so they could never achieve perfect fully characterized shamatha, calm-abiding. You can’t really have perfect meditation without recognizing the subtle sinking thought; if you think that stage is perfect meditation, you can’t have perfect meditation in reality. Your meditation always has mistakes so can’t achieve fully characterized shamatha.

The biggest confusion of many great meditators in Tibet was emptiness, the inability to realize the Madhyamika Prasangika school view, the middle way view, devoid of the two extremes of nihilism and eternalism, the unification of dependant arising and emptiness: while it is empty it is dependant arising, while it is dependant arising it is empty—the subtle dependant arising. Unable to realize the Madhyamika Prasangika school view of emptiness and so because of that unable to realize the extremely subtle dependant arising, that things exist in name merely labeled by mind. Without realizing that cannot cut the root of samsara.

How important it is, is that without realizing the unmistaken Prasangika school view no matter how much one believes or whatever realization one has, whatever other experience one has cannot cut the root of samsara. Even one has realized the view of emptiness of the four schools of Buddhist philosophy, those purest ones, with that alone cannot cut the root of samsara, cannot cease the delusions and karma that bind to samsara, can’t achieve liberation, freedom from ever from the oceans of samsaric suffering. That means one has to experience suffering in samsara endlessly.

Then Lama Tsongkhapa gave the clearest explanation on tantra, how to achieve the illusory body.

Those are the main ones, there are other secondary ones, the clearest explanations of how to practice, going step by step closer to enlightenment. By this unmistaken pure path, particularly relating to Lama Tsongkhapa’s pure teachings, makes so easy to have realizations, correct listening, correct reflecting, correct meditation and realization of the path, able to achieve enlightenment quickly, then able to liberate numberless sentient beings quickly from the oceans of samsaric suffering.

By thinking this that one has received…reminds of the guru. Not just reminds of the guru but reminds of the kindness of the guru. Here “reminds of the guru” means, much of it is the kindness of the guru, some of it, the various solution is to remember the guru….Also some of it can be remembering the kindness of the guru...and also one has this opportunity. Even in the case of the lower realms, one doesn’t have to suffer that, through dharma practice and the kindness of the guru; also during the time of death and even in the lower realms if one remembers the guru immediately one is able to be liberated from those sufferings.

In Tibetan it doesn’t say “the kindness of” it just says “I remember the guru” or “reminds me of the guru.” “The guru” is more related to the root guru, that is the one we are meditating on, one aspect. One can relate to other gurus but more one-pointedly keeping the mind on the root guru. The aspect is that and the reality means same. Otherwise you could say “gurus.”

Verse 18

Talking about the suffering of the lower realms means there is no other object of refuge for me, so taking refuge in the guru. Even though there are numberless buddhas and bodhisattvas the most effective, most powerful, the best refuge is the guru; it can also have that meaning. Because that is from where all the buddhas came, all the Dharma and Sangha came, as I mentioned before, the originator of all the other objects of refuge; the main object of refuge.

The other thing I think is that when one is born in the lower realms one is already suffering, so asking the guru, “May I be able to receive experience of all the hell beings, hungry ghosts and animals’ suffering.” Remembering the guru and requesting to make me practice that, so using the suffering of rebirth in the lower realms to practice bodhicitta, using it on the path to achieve enlightenment to be able to liberate numberless sentient beings from their suffering and bring them to enlightenment.

Verse 19

Reflecting on delusions and karma, causes of suffering, particularly the lower realms suffering, collected since beginningless rebirth, every day with the motivation of anger or attachment clinging to this life…this meditation… did not become Dharma, and then all the rest of the activities, so like that, negative karma collected from beginningless rebirth. So there is all this most unbearable suffering result to be experienced. Numberless causes created so the result suffering is to be experienced, which is most terrible and most unbearable when one reflects or meditates. But that could happen even now, not just today but even after one hour or one minute, even after a few seconds it could happen, to fall down into the lower realms and experience that suffering, even within this minute it can happen, breathe out, and there is no breathing in. Suddenly the…appears to the mind.

So there is no other object of refuge but to take refuge in the guru. The ultimate object of refuge is the guru, the description of the guru that appears in the first stanza, the dharmakaya, all the buddhas’ holy minds become one with it, like all the water that flows from different parts of the world into the ocean.

So thinking of that meaning it is the ultimate object of refuge because it is the originator of all the numberless past, present and future buddhas of the three times, the Dharma and the Sangha.

Verse 20

During those times if one thinks of the guru all that suffering stops, one doesn’t have to experience rebirth in the lower realms, it immediately protects from that, one doesn’t have to be afraid or worried. Remembering the guru liberates from that suffering.

Choden Rinpoche said during the refuge teaching that the best practitioners’ way of dying, the middle practitioners’ way of dying… the best lower practitioners’ way of dying is at the time of death if you remember Buddha, Dharma and Sangha you don’t have to be afraid of the lower realms.

So I think the same applies here, of remembering the ultimate object of refuge, the guru; you don’t need to be afraid. The methods to not be born in the lower realms is to protect karma and abandon gross and subtle negative karma and to practice gross and even subtle small good karma. Doing this is the method. How to do this depends on the guru giving teachings to you. By practicing the guru’s advice, the teachings, you are able to protect. You purify the causes of the lower realms that were already collected before and you don’t create any more. So here, it depends on the guru, it emphasizes following the guru’s teaching and advice and practicing accordingly.

Verse 21

…the four noble truths…dependant on the guru revealing the four noble truths is the way to get out of samsara. So this also relates to the kindness of the guru, the same, how the guru is important by revealing the four noble truths and only then you can get out of samsara, so I think the guru is important, to practice the teachings and also the kindness.

Verse 22

Remember the mother and the four ways of being kind, numberless times having been mother, being kind in having given the life, because of which one is able to practice Dharma and specially attain not only temporary happiness but…Protected the life from hundreds of dangers each day, giving education in the ways of the world; and suffered so many hardships for my wellbeing, physical and mentally; then created so much negative karma on my behalf. They suffered so much and numberless times, not only suffered numberless times in samsara but again they are creating so much more suffering in samsara as a result of the karma created by actions done for my well being.

So, they are kind in four ways numberless times and they are suffering now in hell realms, as hungry ghosts, animals, humans, suras, asuras and intermediate state beings.

Remember the basic outlines then elaborate: how unbearable it is. It is not just one mother sentient being suffering, in each of the six realms there are numberless sufferings, the six realms one after another, not only died, reborn, died, the six realms—how it is most unbearable, the cause of suffering, because of ignorance and the other hallucinated minds creating negative karma, most unbearable. Then the resultant suffering they are facing without choice, how most unbearable it is but can’t do anything until their karma finishes, not matter how many eons they have to go through. That becomes a source of inspiration.

Then from one’s side what one should do is, one should develop compassion, the special attitude, bodhicitta, to quickly achieve enlightenment. It’s not enough to achieve enlightenment, one needs to actualize the three principals of the path and the two stages, which come next; the three principals of the path, the Paramitayana, then the two stages of tantra, all that, as a method, as a means to help sentient beings, to liberate sentient beings from the ocean of samsaric suffering and bring them to enlightenment. One is requesting very strongly to grant this.

Guru enters into your heart; the lotus, sun and moon disc, the petals, absorbed to the heart chakra, that’s the main cause, and the cooperative cause…Then, there is the indestructible seed upper part white lower part red, upper part white received from the father. The sun and moon disc at…that indestructible seed upper part white lower part red is the main cause and the other one is the cooperative cause, then becomes sun and moon. The red drop sun and white drop moon, indestructible, the extremely subtle wind and mind, indestructible for ever, inseparable for ever. The other one is inseparable until death, until the continuity leaves the body, at the heart. So the guru, absolute guru, all the buddhas, so reminds the dharmakaya…the indestructible, extremely subtle wind and mind, like, in the color of the life wind, white, extremely tiny one, becomes oneness with that, the guru becomes oneness.

The extremely subtle mind is the principal cause, the guru’s holy mind dharmakaya is the cooperative; then the extremely subtle wind becomes cause, the body, the wind. The five beams, the expression of the wind, the five beams, expression of the wind, the five beams, is the principal cause; the cooperative cause is the guru’s holy speech—become one. So one’s own body, speech and mind become non-dual with the guru’s vajra holy body, holy speech and holy mind. This leads, visualizing that leads to, after completing the guru devotion, the three principal paths, two stages… after achieving path of unification then one achieves this. After completing the path of unification, then… no-more learning, then that time become one, actually one. One’s body, speech and mind become oneness with Vajradhara’s vajra holy body, holy speech and holy mind.

Lama Khyen
Lama Khyen
Lama Khyen

Then do the prayer to become only like you…

Palden Lama chigu chen dar wa….

Then to not arise heresy.

“May I never arise heresy even for a second
In the actions of the glorious guru.
May I regard whatever actions are done as pure.
[With this devotion] may I receive the blessings of the guru in my heart.”

Palden lamai lambar tal wa la….
??Chi dze leg par tong wä mo go kyi
La mäi jin lab sem la jug par shog.

This prayer means success up to becoming oneness, one’s own body speech and mind inseparable oneness with the secret vajra holy body, secret vajra holy speech and secret vajra holy mind. With that, all that…path of unification, clear light and illusory body, isolation of body and isolation of speech, the generation stage…complete the path, the root is guru devotion. The realizations, all that success depends on correctly devoting to one’s friend in thought and action, without heresy or anger, all this. So correctly devoting to one’s virtuous friend in thought is not there, looking…then correctly devoting with action doesn’t happen. Then cannot actualise the path, cannot achieve [this sentence unclear, interference in recording] the path of unification, the no-more learning, unification of holy body and holy mind, achieve that. That means one can’t do perfect work for sentient beings, one cannot liberate numberless sentient beings and bring them to enlightenment without the slightest mistake. To be able to do perfect work for sentient beings, liberating them from the oceans of samsaric suffering and bring them to enlightenment—that is the ultimate goal of life. Not just only oneself to achieve highest happiness; the main thing is to be able to perfect work for sentient beings¬. If that doesn’t happen then it is the greatest loss. Then unable to liberate countless sentient beings, unable to repay the kindness of sentient beings, only living the life with concern to benefit oneself.

Then generate into the deity. We can do the Vajrayogini sadhana.

Becoming oneness with the guru—that one is like flour, can manifest as a bread, can manifest as a cake, can manifest in various shapes, various forms and various names. So when one’s own body, speech and mind become the guru, it can manifest in any deity.