The Path of Wisdom #1
by Lama Jigme Rinpoche

Lectures given at Dhagpo Kagyu Ling in October 1997

In general, the Path of Wisdom consists of taking refuge, the practice of prayer, the engendering of bodhicitta, Guru Yoga and meditation. For each of these practices, it is necessary that we gradually develop, and attune our minds little by little, to the actual meaning of each practice.

The Meaning of Taking Refuge:
What does it mean to take refuge? It means that from this particular moment onward and until we become enlightened, we seek refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Why do we need these three objects of refuge? In the Buddha, we establish a link to the qualities that have been attained by Buddha Shakyamuni. The Dharma is the Buddha's teachings that show us the way to connect to those qualities, so we take refuge in the Dharma. We need someone to teach us the Dharma, someone who is realized himself, meaning that he has successfully obtained the results of the path through his own practice. Such an individual person is then a qualified teacher. We therefore rely on these qualified teachers who are the extraordinary Sangha to impart their knowledge and methods to us.
There are generally two kinds of Sangha: the ordinary and the extraordinary Sangha. It is essential for us to understand that it is the extraordinary Sangha in whom we seek refuge. The word Sangha means gathering. The extraordinary Sangha are the spiritual masters who have themselves achieved certain realizations through dharma practice as taught by the Buddha. They may not have the complete realization of a Buddha. But they have achieved certain qualities that they can now transmit to others. Historically, the extraordinary Sangha are the Bodhisattvas. On the other hand, the ordinary Sangha can refer to any community of spiritual teachers from whom we can obtain teachings. A gathering of Dharma practitioners can also be referred to as the Sangha.
What does refuge mean? It means protection - protection from the wrong path, protection from the wrong ideas, and protection from committing negative actions. We start with this basic meaning of protection. Then later on, we will progressively acquire a broader and deeper understanding of refuge.

The Meaning of Engendering Bodhicitta :
Having taken refuge, it is good to avoid always thinking only of ourselves to the exclusion of others. Instead, we adopt Bodhicitta, an altruistic motivation in all that we think, speak, and do. We are genuinely concerned for the suffering of all living beings and we wish only that they be liberated. Bodhicitta is not just an idea but it is very profound in and of itself. We begin by being slightly more open to others. Having an open mind will enable us to first think more for others, then to share more with others, and then to be more beneficial to others. This is a process that is learnt. When we can act with Bodhicitta, it means our practice is improving. We are improving and we find it easier to share everything beneficial with everyone.
All Buddhist teachings emphasize this one essential point, to generate the Bodhicitta attitude, to have a more open mind. It does not matter that our mind is not completely open or that we cannot do everything for others. The key is to start with ourselves right here and now, and we try to connect with our own inner capacity whatever its current level. We do what is within our reach as much as possible. This is important. For example, when we open ourselves a little bit, then there is a basic quality in us that we can expand and improve. At the moment, due to our ignorance, we have pride, greed, and other negative emotions. Under their influence, we tend to want only to do the "big" things. But then, we realize that we cannot and so we start to lose confidence in ourselves. It is therefore important to understand that we are not required to be at a certain level already. Rather, we do as much as we can according to our own capability. This is what generating Bodhicitta means.

The Meaning of Vajrayana :
Guru Yoga is an effective Vajrayana practice. What does Vajrayana mean? In Buddhism, we talk of the three yanas: Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. This does not mean that there are actually three separate categories of practices. Rather, the distinctions are more reflective of the practitioner's personal attitude and individual capacity. Vajrayana means actually the understanding of the mind. It is not a course or a subject that you study in school for instance. There are no grades to pass. There is no beginning and there is no end. Some people can practise Vajrayana yet others find it difficult to understand. It depends on the individual capacity, propensity and personality. For those who are not inclined towards Vajrayana thinking that it does not suit them, it does not mean that their capacity is blocked. It just means that they may practise Vajrayana later on.

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