Instructions Tsa-Lung — Part 3

Inner refuge

Tsa (Channel)
RANG LÜ GYAL WE KYIL KHOR Ü
YÖN TEN MA LÜ JUNG WE NE
TSA SUM KHOR LO NGA YI LONG
TONG PE KU LA KYAP SU CHI

 

First refuge: Body
The center of the victorious mandala, one's own body,
The source of all positive qualities without exception,
Is the expanse within the three channels and the five chakras.
I take refuge in this body of emptiness. (30 sec)

 

 

Lung (Wind)
DUK NGEL PUNG PÖ TREN TSOK KÜN
YE SHE LUNG GI RAP SEL TE
MA CHÖ KA DAK NAM KHE LONG
Ö KYI KU LA KYAP SU CHI

 

Second refuge: Speech
All the gathered clouds of suffering and misery
Are completely cleared by the wisdom wind,
Revealing the unelaborated, primordially pure expanse of the sky.
I take refuge in this body of light. (30 sec)

 

 

Tigle (Sphere of light)
YE SHE Ö NGE GUR KHANG NE
NYI ME TIG LE Ö ZER TRÖ
MA RIK MÜN PE DRA WA SANG
DE CHEN KU LA KYAP SU CHI

 

Third refuge: Mind
From the pavilion of the five wisdom lights,
Rays of non-dual spheres of light emanate,
Clearing the webs of the darkness of ignorance.
I take refuge in this body of great bliss. (30 sec)

 

 

When we let go in the Nine-fold Purification Breathings, it is important to narrow all the manifold possibilities to the Three Root Poisons, because the Three Root Poisons are very easy to understand. We are more into the details of the Three Root Poisons gone on three different levels of experience, either reactive or physical or active or not or very subtle. A lack of confidence or self-doubt, desire or loneliness, excitement or anger - you notice various things that you can instantly be aware of, which you can grasp in yourself and work with in practice. For those who have not reflected on it, it is always important that you remember to be aware of your current situation, the nature of anger, both subtle and coarse, and to be aware of it in your body, the breath and the mind.

 

Work with it until it becomes an everyday habit. That's important and that's why I'm repeating it. Some details, such as knowledge of the Nagas or male powers, or the karmic cleansing of past lives, are important, but perhaps not now. It may be possible to wait, but to reflect on the three roots poisons and to take them in your own experience and to clean them in practice, that should not wait. That is necessary. It is not optional.

 

Let's take a look at the five Tsa Lung Exercises this morning. In the table of the nine Pranas I would like to elaborate on the points thoughts, Karma, emotions and illness - four, five, six and seven.

 

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Somehow, the following table does not seem to suit, but it does give some clue to what this is about.

 

 

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We're actually dealing with seven, six, five and four. Take a look into yourself and your experiences, and as we begin the first Tsa Lung Exercise, think about these levels. Illness. Is there anything in your throat? Are you unable to swallow or speak? Do you have a voice or physical, energetic or emotional problem with any aspect of the throat chakra? Yesterday we thought about the ability to speak or not speak. For some people it was definitely the area that needed their focus, for others it was not like that. Let us all think about it for a moment. What is the active use of the throat, its function? Look at the table – breathe, swallow. Look at weakness, want and excess - number nine. Look at power through meditation and what our practice supports, number eight. Look at the level of the throat. Take that easely up. Now put your table away. Consider in a general sense which matters belong to the throat. Limit this in a very simple way, either physically, emotionally, mentally. The emotional includes the area of breath. Think about these three things.

 

We limit ourselves to these four Pranas: illness, emotion, Karma and thoughts, in that order. If there is no illness or physical problem, do not worry about it. Also, any sensation of tension, jamming or pain that you notice when you turn your attention to the throat is part of the physical level. Pay attention to the physical level. We can not really say anything about emotional awareness and Karma, just think, if there is something karmic, then there is something karmic about it. As you exhale at the end of the exercise, divide the exhalation into four levels. The first one is more connected to the body, so look at it more physically. The second level, when the body releases something, it also solves some aspects of emotion, imagine that as the emotional aspect. Then, thirdly, when the emotions are released, remember that the karmic conditions and tracks are released, and then when that is released, the mind is more open and clear. Then, on the mind level, the thoughts, the patterns, the concepts are let go, and as a result, you find more feeling for the clear space. This can be the result of a single exercise. You get this sensation of clear space in this special area, called Throat Chakra. There is the notion that Tigle, wisdom and bliss are being cultivated in this space - let's not go into that now, but let us remember that there is a possibility across these four levels.

 

When I have been teaching the Tsa Lung exercises in the past, I have given the instruction to let go physically, to pay attention to this experience and to maintain it while it lasts. That's how I guided them in the past, I did not go into the details, but there are those details. Now we go into these very precise details. So, if you've gone through the four levels, released the blockages, found the space, and felt it, what are you going to do? Rest without changing anything and without developing anything in this space. It is like recognizing the Divine at the place where there was an obstacle. Where pain has been, you may now find a sense of bliss. Where negative emotions were, you now feel qualities, peaceful qualities. Instead of conceptual thoughts, you now feel the quality of ease. As you let go of these four different things, something comes back to you from everyone. How clear that is depends on your level, but it is there. I do not gloss over it and the only way to experience these things is to be more sensitive and to connect more and be more aware.

 

As you try to become more familiar with space, you will see more of the quality of light, liveliness, or aliveness in the space in your throat. Likewise, in this space, which you discover in the throat, try to discover the quality that is there. Usually we say that there is peaceful quality instead of the obstacle of pride. Not only do you feel kind of clear, but you feel peace. Peace is the result of the discovery of this space. Peace is the living aspect of the divine space that you discover in the throat. It is peace, nothing else. That's very accurate. For this reason, in the practice of Six Lokas Peace is the antidote in the throat chakra. When you go to the throat, this seems to tame your ego; you feel more in yourself, more complete, more a sense of perfection. All this comes from the feeling of very peaceful quality.

 

The concept of the next, Karma, is more difficult to determine, but trust the idea that the discovery of space and the experience of peace will purify Karma and cleanse it even if you are not clear aware of it. Trust that seeds and karmic traces have been cleansed. You notice that to a certain degree tension, stress and effort are resolved, perhaps that is a sign that Karma has been released.

 

When you look at the mind, the thoughts, Number Four, what do you see in that mind? The quality of this mind is the effortlessness. There are no conceptual struggles and no search. The initial conceptual thinking no longer exists in the same shape, form, or energy because it is clear, peaceful, and perfect, and you experience effortless quality. In the end, the effort should be resolved because the main energetic problem of concepts, besides creating a lot of problems, is effort. The more thoughts you have, the less peaceful you live. It may not be so much about less or more, it has more to do with whether you allow thoughts or grab your thoughts. The more you reach for what you think, the less peace you have. The more you allow your thoughts, the more peace you have, because they come and go. You only have no peace when they come and you reach for them. Some people are so clever that they reach for it before the thought comes! Specializing in problems.

 

So we have the process of dissolution and the process of cultivation in a single exercise..

 

We combine the five Tsa Lung Exercises with four of the Nine Pranas. Let's do the upward-moving Tsa Lung exercise seven times with focus on the throat. Take your time for it.

 

Realize the physical conditions, the emotion of pride and everything that is connected with pride; for example, Karma, stress, tension and hopelessness associated with it, and thoughts and certain thought patterns that one is aware of or trying to be aware of. So we have this sequence: body, emotion, Karma and thoughts. Think about it.

 

Be aware and put your attention clearly on the throat and let's start.

 

 

Practice of the Upward Moving Tsa Lung Exercise

As you exhale, try to be as sensitive as possible to the sequence of physical, emotional, karmic and conceptual letting go when you can. If not, just do what you are aware of in this sequence. (2 min)

 

Let us repeat this. Remember the points and remember how they are purified in a progressive sequence. As you let go, you are aware of releasing physically for a minute or thirty seconds. Take your time. (1 min)

 

Imagine and feel the release of pride connected with emotion. (30 sec)

 

As a result, you sense that Karma in conjunction with the throat is being cleansed. Recognize that the effort of the conceptual mind is diminished. (30 sec)

 

Rest without thoughts in this chakra. Recognize as a result: physically, you feel more relaxed, emotionally clearer, karmic, you are more purified, conceptually there is less effort, and you experience peace in the throat chakra. (1 min)

 

Let us repeat this in the same way, with the same idea and the same feeling, the level of purification and the level of connection with the qualities and the perfection. (2 min)

 

Continue to feel that the same thing happens in the Crown Chakra as in the Throat Chakra. Related to the four levels, you think of the physical sensation of headache or the emotions associated with the Crown Chakra, all of which are in balance: the laziness, the lethargic pleasure, lost in well-being, the need to wake up, whatever you feel or perceive, consider this in the Crown Chakra. When you release that, you feel that you are letting go of the Karma and the thoughts that relate to it. As you breathe out, feel the energy open your throat and it moves up into the brain and distributes the flow of energy in the brain. Feel that life and energy are being brought to the brain, helping to cleanse headache and dullness of the senses, as well as thoughts and experiences. Pay attention to the Crown Chakra as we continue. (2 min)

 

[Bell]

 

Rest continually in the two chakras. (30 sec)

 

Experience the opening and openness of both chakras. (30 sec)

 

Consider the difference between opening and openness. As you experience openness, keep your attention in the throat. Feel great openness. Feel openness in the crown. Feel clear, strong, sharp, lively, vital openness, like a desert sky that is not only clear, but also bright. First, make the clear experience and then assure yourself of the experience of the luminous aspect of this space. (30 sec)

 

Experience the quality of peacemaking in the throat and compassion in the crown through the sensation of luminescence and liveliness. Feel at least for the moment peacefulness in the throat. Feel the aspect of calmness and ease of this peaceful quality. There are no thoughts here, just from a very deep place a pure experience of peaceableness. (2 min)

 

[Bell]

 

 

If you do that, think of all the useful features in the table or think about the meditative basis, gom zhi, and how this supports your practice.

 

Number four in the table shows how your practice is supported. How this supports your health [number three]. The functioning means more health. The salutary qualities of this practice are in number six. When you look at each individual number you can see how in terms of health, spiritual development, personal development and in terms of inner qualities, how supportive all these points are when you cleanse them. All these qualities are the result of opening, opening is the first; the quality or the result appears on the basis of this openness.

 

Mostly, when we think about the Tsa-Lung exercises, we clearly think of the physical movements and then we exhale and conclude, «I'm done with the upward-moving Prana». No. The upward moving Prana begins after you exhale. It's over in your mind, so turn that thinking around. As you make the move, you think you are just preparing. It's true, you just prepare. You clean something. The cleaning is like cleaning the house for a guest. The party does not start while you clean the house. When you say «done», guests come in tuxedos and beautiful dresses. This is where the vision begins. Everyone is very nice with nice gestures. But that is not our normal reality. We do not always behave like that. If someone knocks on the door, say, «Who's there?» If someone enters, we have a rifle in case we need it. In Houston, a man who knocked on someone's door was shot dead; an Englishman was shot.

 

So change this view: when we do the practice and finish the exercise, you think «Now the practice begins». Usually we think she stops, and she stops because we think so. Everything magical happens in this space in between. You can see the potential in it as we have done now.

 

In the Tibetan tradition we have all these images of the peaceful deities, about 45 peaceful deities, and about 80 wrathful deities. There are always more wrathful than peaceful deities. That makes sense. The existence and the multitude of gods is a reflection of the world in which we live. Someone has perceived them that way, so they have that look. There are all these peaceful deities endowed with the peaceful qualities like Sherab Chamma and Tukje Kallröl. To truly embody it, you need its quality of inner peace. If you do not have them and you just imagine turning into them, that does not change anything. Maybe it brings some blessing, but it makes no difference.

 

In the first exercise of the Upward-Moving Prana, in which you cleanse the throat, whatever is there, and connect with the space and its quality, which is truly peaceful, avoiding and restoring the restlessness of the thoughts then you have a piece of that quality, if you arrive this peaceful place and turn into that. The peaceful quality is just there. On the other hand, if she is not there, and you sing MA - it's easy to say MA, which can do even a cow. Does that change the condition of the cow? As a result of the practice, something should change internally and only something inside can change, because there is a seed and there is a quality that we just need to awaken with the sound. If there is nothing there, it will be difficult with the vibration of the sound something to awaken. Vibration and sound are very subtle.

 

Opening and openness on a physical, emotional, karmic and mental level. Breathing is about three minutes, which can have different levels. The first is very external and then you begin to lose that sensation; then there is the inner level and you begin to lose that sensation; and then you arrive at the place of sacred, restful quality. When you get there, as a result of the first Tsa Lung Exercise, you gain a sense of resting of conceptual thoughts. For us, the result of the first Tsa Lung exercise will be to purify the pride and related things on the physical level and the Karma associated with it, the effort, the pride and the ego to maintain, to purify, and internally a peaceful quality without effort to feel. Without effort means in the state of contemplation, the quality of this contemplation, is peaceful. When you achieve this, that's what it's all about. What I want to say here is that you should set yourself some goals. First, try changing your view: [Rinpoche exhales] «Finished». Change this view. Think: «Now it starts» and spend some time in this place.

 

Question: I would like to comment on my practice. I worked on my shyness and my fear to speak. When I talked and was embarrassed and people laughed at me, I saw it as negative pride and my Karma from the past. Then I realized that negative pride was in the energy needed to sustain it. I cleaned that; it was very peaceful and I felt the access to a higher Lung.

 

TWR: Good. Imagine peace as the gateway to the luminous space within yourself. Peacefulness is the quality and qualities are usually the doors to wisdom or, in other words, qualities are the ornaments of wisdom. When you are beautiful and you dress beautifully, your beauty is like wisdom and your clothes are like the qualities. Inwardly you are beautiful and outwardly you appear as beautiful by your clothes.

 

 

Dedication

(ngo mön)
GO SUM DAK PE GE WA GANG GYI PA
KHAM SUM SEM CHEN NAM KYI DÖN DU NGO
DUK SUM SAK PE LE DRIP KÜN JANG NE
KU SUM DZOK PE SANG GYE NYUR TOP SHOK

 

All pure virtue done through the Three Doors,
I dedicate to the welfare of all sentient beings of the Three Realms.
Having purified all afflictions and obscurations of the Three Poisons,
May we swiftly achieve the complete Buddhahood of the Three Bodies.

 

 

Dedication prayer

(ngo wa)
KYAP NE SUM LA DING CHEN TOP PAR SHOK
GO SUM NYAM TOK YE SHE GYE PAR SHOK
DUK SUM DAK NE KU SUM TOP PAR SHOK
RANG GYÜ DRÖL NE ZHEN LA PEN PAR SHOK

 

May I gain great confidence in the Three Refuges.
May my experiences and my realization of wisdom of the Three Doors increase.
By purifying the Three Poisons, may I receive the Three Bodies.
By liberating myself in my own being, may I benefit others.

 

 

Explanation of the terms in the dedication:
Three Doors — Body, Speech, Mind
Three Realms — desirable, shape, shapeless
Three Poisons — Aversion, Desire, Ignorance Three Bodies (or dimensions) —

 

bön ku or Dharmakaya;
dzok ku, long ku, or Sambhogakaya; and
trül ku or Nirmanakaya