A Short Note

To everyone having a connection with me, whether or not you know me personally:

To begin with, I wish you a happy day on this auspicious day of “Lord Buddha’s Descending from Heaven,” one of the four major festival days in the Buddhist tradition.

The origin of this celebration goes back to the time when the Buddha, in order to repay the kindness of his mother, went to the Heaven of the Thirty-Three to expound the Dharma for her. Thereafter, the Buddha returned to earth, and this festival marks the day of his descending from heaven.

On this auspicious day, the merit of performing any virtuous act will multiply boundless times. Therefore Tibetans often choose to hold pujas during this period; here we are holding the Pure Land Puja. It is an occasion that numerous devotees participate in to pray together to Buddha Amitabha for rebirth in the Pure Land of Great Bliss.

After this assembly, H.H. Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche plans to give the transmission on The Words of My Perfect Teacher. This book, composed by Patrul Rinpoche, teaches the fundamentals of all basic practices, and encompasses all the essential guidelines in sutra or tantra practices. It is the indispensable pith instruction on the unerring spiritual path and is imbued with the supreme blessings of the mind lineage.

At this time of spiritual degeneration, many practitioners are obscured by sectarianism; they attach strongly to their own school and reject other lineages’ teachings and practices. Such conduct only doubles one’s afflictive emotions and estranges oneself from the authentic Dharma. It is also a sign of lacking a true understanding of the Dharma essence.

Here I would sincerely ask that we all let go of the narrow mind of sectarianism, whether we are Tibetan Gelupas or Nyingmapas, whether we are doing the Han Huayan or Pure Land practice. If only we can follow the stages of practice enlisted in this book—beginning by recognizing the preciousness of human existence, the impermanence of life, the defect of samsara, to later on the transference of consciousness—and advance little by little, we will be able to purify obscurations, eradicate three poisons of the mind, and grow in wisdom and bodhichitta. In short, by so doing, we are guaranteed to reap unimaginably bountiful harvests.

Through the immaculate intent of our Guru Wish-fulfilling Jewel to expound this teaching, may the sectarianism concept rising one after another be abolished. May we all develop the right view and right understanding. Marching hand in hand, may we cross the rapids of life and death; may we reach the other shore and enter the fort of liberation.

These days in any major city, there are numerous Buddhist books of which authentic and false doctrines are mixed up, making it extremely difficult for one to discern which is which. Many people, even amid numerous instructions and droves of Khenpos and Tulkus, still lament that they have yet to meet the supreme Dharma and genuine spiritual teachers. To all these people who thirst for authentic teachings, this book undoubtedly will prove to be the priceless Dharma jewel that showers the wonderful Dharma nectar.

Like a bright lamp, it radiates light on our thorny path of spiritual practice.

Like a ship, it carries us to cross the turbulent ocean of samsaric suffering.

Like the sun, it brings limitless warmth to our dark, cold Saha world.

Like a spiritual friend, it imparts to us the immaculate instructions toward liberation.

I earnestly wish that faith will arise in everyone when encountering this book, and by practicing seriously according to its instructions, may all attain rock-solid right understanding and accomplish ultimate enlightenment!

If you do not yet have this precious book, please place an order with us, at a nominal fee of 10 yuan per book. For people with financial difficulties, the book will be offered free if they have generated firm faith in Mantrayana and aspire to read the book at least twice. This is the contact information….

22nd of September, Year of RenWu
October 28, 2002