The Practice of the Six Paramitas – The Paramita of Patience

Patience — is a state in which there is no painful sensitivity but there is vigilance. Therefore, the paramita of patience — is the perfection of the inner observer, also called the inner Teacher. Reduction of painful sensitivity is achieved through right attitude towards memory, while vigilance is developed thanks to right awareness of the law of actions and their outcomes. (Karma)

Memory

Everything which arises —

Arises from unmanifested tendencies,

Therefore, in the incredible, bottomless world,

You will not find anything

Which does not consist of your memories.

Look at all of manifested existence as

A manifestation of your own memory,

And you will be able to

See the illusory nature of all phenomena.

In an illusion, there is no ground in for dividing the mind into an “I” and a “world”.

Therefore, seeing the illusory nature of existence is truly gracious!

Views of ourselves and the world

Cannot grow uncontrollably once they

Are confined by seeing their illusory nature.

Thanks to this, there is reduction of painful sensitivity.

Karma

Choice of action shapes the consciousness of the doer —

Such is the law of karma.

Wholesome choice leads to rebirth in the higher realms,

Unwholesome — in the realms of delusion.

The highest realms and highest form of birth — are those which allow a being to come into contact with the Teaching and even meet true Teachers.

Such a birth is wholesome,

Even if the being

Was reborn in a place

Ruled by demons.

The lower realms and lower birth

Are those in which beings do not meet the Teaching and Teachers

Who have attained the highest knowledge.

Such lower birth

May be outwardly pleasant,

But inwardly, it is poisonous.

A being which has not acquired a connection with the Teaching

And true Teachers

Might even be misled to

Believe in false teachers

And practice false teachings,

Which lead to long-term suffering.

In such cases,

Even a world full of plenty and good

Is one of the lower realms.

Thinking like this,

You will develop vigilance,

Choosing what should be done and what — should not.

Patience comes from renouncing the quest for impermanent things and turning the mind to the quest for permanent peace and liberation from ignorance.

Patience develops thanks to right mindfulness of the everyday activities of the body, speech and mind. As we observe them, we address belief in their speciality and reduce the excitation from what is happening with them. This practice is presented in depth in Maitreya's Tantra.

Maitreya’s Teaching

Maitreya's Assembly

In the heavens, in a Pure Land, abides Buddha Maitreya, a friend to all beings.

One day, gods and demons came to him with offerings. The gods brought flowers, while the demons — thorns. They wanted to sit on opposite sides of Maitreya, but the Buddha stopped them. Each of you brought your own mind. These gifts — are the best of what you've got, since you identify yourself with them. Therefore, you have all shown your devotion with the means available to you. Sit together.

After listening to Maitreya, the gods and demons sat together at his feet. Thereafter a garden full of beautiful roses blooming on slender thorn-covered stems appeared around their assembly. The gods and demons begged Maitreya to give them a teaching on enlightenment expressed in a single phrase so that they could follow the path without distraction. However, Maitreya shook his head and said: “the teaching cannot be expressed in a single phrase, since even in the ordinary world, in order to go from one place to another, we must use both legs.”

However, the gods and demons did not despair. They began accumulating virtue. The gods supported the existence of those going on the noble path, while the demons protected them from dangers. Having accumulated plenty of good deeds, the gods and demons returned to Maitreya with the same request. This time, he answered them: “I'll tell you a method that is transmitted in a single phrase. Thanks to it, you will behold the essence with the Eye of Wisdom.

All true teachings lead beings to knowledge of their pure nature untainted by ignorance. Therefore, whoever you are, a God, a demon or a human being, once your attention begins to focus on something, once but decisively tell yourself: “REMEMBER YOURSELF!” Do not try to catch the answer, but also do not occupy yourself with repetitive thoughts. Simply accumulate the power of this wish “REMEMBER YOURSELF” and observe the experiences arising in the mind, filtering out the vicious and cultivating the virtuous. Such is all of Dharma in a single phrase.

The Story of Dharmabhadra

The monk Dharmabharda worshiped Buddha Maitreya. Despite all his efforts, he could not grasp the essence of remembering himself. One day, Dharmabhadra found a scroll lying in the cesspool of a latrine. Dharmabhadra was surprised to discover Maitreya’s words in the inscriptions. The disciple wanted to pull out this manuscript but hesitated:

“If it was thrown out into a latrine, then, surely, it is useless.” Then Dharmabhadra thought otherwise: “Is my mind, unable to remember itself instantly like gods and protectors of Dharma do, not like a latrine? Maybe this scroll of Maitreya’s Teaching is a sign of compassion for me, a hidden gem of Dharma?” And Dharmabhadra pulled out the manuscript. In that moment, he realized that the exercise of the instructions “REMEMBER YOURSELF” was very favorable when defecating and urinating, because the stress which interferes with the attainment of peace is distinctly reduced during them.

Then Dharmabhadra went to the river with the scroll — to wash the parchment from impurities. As he began to wash the manuscript, he was noticed by laundresses who started laughing at the monk clumsily messing around with the parchment soiled with impurities. From embarrassment, Dharmabhadra started washing the parchment rapidly and in haste, not only washing away the impurities, but also washing away the text itself. Consequently, the manuscript became illegible. Seeing the fruits of his actions with regret, Dharmabhadra realized that the second favourable situation for remembering yourself was ablution.

Then, laying out the manuscript to dry, Dharmabhadra stood beside and, repenting his haste, began to absentmindedly eat a loaf of bread. Crumbs fell down onto the manuscript, and sparrows swooped down at once. They began to cheerfully and excitedly chirp and fight over for the crumbs. At first, Dharmabhadra tried to shoo them away, but from this, even more crumbs from the bread squeezed in his hand fell down onto the manuscript, and the sparrows gathered in even greater numbers. At the sight of this spectacle, Dharmabhadra realized that the chirping and fussing of the sparrows was a reading of Maitreya's manuscript in the language of the Garudas. Then Dharmabhadra formulated a rule: “remember yourself during dinner.”

The story of the thief

Practicing Maitreya's teaching, Dhamabhadra also taught other beings. One day, a thief got wind of the incredible manuscript kept by Dharmabhadra. He decided to steal this precious relic and began to closely watch Dhamabhadra and his daily routine, trying to determine the most favorable moment to implement his plan. The thief was perplexed by Dharmabhadra's vigilant behavior and his persistent attention towards Maitreya's manuscript. Nevertheless, the thief knew that impatience would never allow him to come close to realizing the objective, and he learned to relaxedly wait for the right moment by destroying the unrest and abruptness in the mind that could give away his plan.

At last, an opportune moment presented itself, and the thief broke into Dharmabhadra’s abode. The manuscript lay in plain sight. The thief stretched out his hand to it in order to take it, but suddenly realized that by stealing from Dharmabhadra, he was stealing from himself. By watching Dharmabhadra's behaviour for a long time, empathetic and compassionate, the thief purified his mind and realized the Presence of the Teacher in his own heart. After this experience, the thief took refuge at the feet of Buddha Dharmabhadra and became his disciple. Skilfully practicing Maitreya’s Teaching, he added three commandments to it: remember yourself when going to bed, remember yourself when waking up, and remember yourself when desire overwhelms you.

The Teacher instructed: “When falling asleep, the mind is kidnapped by the experience of the silence of the mind. Find the wisdom that cannot be stolen! When waking up, the mind is kidnapped by the experience of the clarity of the senses. Establish yourself in the wisdom that cannot be stolen! When the mind is overwhelmed with desire, it is kidnapped by the experience of bliss. Abide in the wisdom that cannot be stolen!

The nature of the Tathagathas, suchness, cannot be kidnapped, because it does not fall into the extremes of 1) appearance and disappearance, inherent to the experience of the silence of the mind 2) growth and decline, inherent to the experience of clarity; 3) existence and non-existence

(Possession of something or loss), inherent to the experience of bliss.

The story of the prostitute

The former thief comprehended the Teaching deeply and transmitted it to other beings. One day, a prostitute came to him and offered him her services. To this, the Teacher replied: “I don't have decent pay for your work”. Then the prostitute objected: “No. You've got the Teaching”. Upon hearing these words, the Teacher began transmitting instructions to her, and she managed to apply them to her life, leaving past suffering. Having become a disciple, she provided for her livelihood with work in the kitchen, and, slowly developing the siddhis of transferring the mind to the higher realms, attained Awakening. Becoming a Preceptress, she added three of her own commandments to the instructions: remember yourself when expecting something, remember yourself when acting subject to the volition of another, and remember yourself when dressing and undressing.

The Precepetress said: “When I expected clients, my mind was overtaken by hope and fear. But I somehow understood that the only client who would come for certain — was death, and I turned to the Teacher. My clients often abused me, hit me and bullied me. However, comprehending the suffering of my own mind, I realized that no villain bullied me, humiliated me and hurt me so much as have the constant tormentors of my own mind — desires. Then I began to practice the Teaching with pleasure. In my line of work, when I was a prostitute, pay was determined by the number of times I undressed and dressed to undress again. One day, I took off the clothes of the sense of “I” and put on the clothes of Recognizing the Emptiness of the Mind. After that, I stopped living in need and fear.”

May there be good!

The path of remembering ourselves

The key question in the practice of remembering — is finding the mind. We can recognize our mind just as we recognize our body of which we say “I”.

However, recognizing the sense of “I” is a dream of ignorance, while recognizing the mind is awakening. In the course of practice, the difference between impermanent notions of our “self” and the permanence of the pure mind is comprehended. The pure mind has no need in a sense of “I” just as a man with healthy legs has no need in using crutches.

At the beginning, remembering ourselves is a simple recollection of how we were in similar situations or performed similar actions in the past. Thanks to this recollection, practitioners begin to better see the differences and similarities in the actions and situations which occur in their lives.

Then there is differentiation of suffering and its causes which manifest themselves in all actions and situations. It becomes clear that absent-mindedness, the excitation of the mind and ignorance give rise to one another. There is development of concentration, purification of the mind and enlightenment. Remembering leads to the awareness that all notion of "I” is associated with suffering. As a result of this awareness, there is extinction of the sense of “I” and rejection of attachment to name and body.

The Ten Turning Points of Practice

1. Maitreya's Rose

Situations of choice between wholesome and unwholesome behavior are the first turning point in the practice of remembering ourselves. Thinking, “Everybody gives the best of what they have currently”, practitioners cease hostility and attachment. Once hostility and attachment cease, choice of behaviour is made based on noble motives and not based on fear and desire. Practitioners think like this: “Disgust is more disgusting than the being or phenomenon which causes it. After all, contact with these phenomena and beings is impermanent and would someday come to an end, but disgust would accompany me from one incarnation to the next. Unpleasant phenomena — are the external thorns. My disgust — is an internal, deeply-seated thorn. I'll use the external thorn to remove the internal!” They also think: “The mind is more pleasant than everything it desires. After all, even a great king who possesses wealth, luxury and power can enjoy them only as long as his mind empowers the senses. How is a corpse in a pigsty different from a corpse in a castle? I'll focus on the bliss, power and clarity of the mind itself without getting distracted by the reflections its light gives rise to in the senses and thoughts”.

A mind undisturbed by attachment or hostility (aversion) takes the form of the central channel — the path all those who are liberated pass. Practitioners reinforce this attainment of the central channel by visualizing Maitreya's Rose.

Maitreya's Rose, passing in the practitioner's body from the perineum to the crown, is covered with thorns in the practitioner's area of the body and neck, and is crowned with delicate petals in the area of the cerebrum. The thorns contain stress and weakness: Stress — in the sharp spines, while weakness — in the wide base. As a result of containment, there is the experience of clarity. The petals transform the confusion of the mind into the experience of bliss. The stem of the rose expresses the experience of the silence of the mind. As a whole, Maitreya’s Rose — is Buddha nature, while its fragrance — is Dharma. All the phenomena of the world — are like dew on the petals of this rose — appearing suddenly and disappearing without a trace.

2. The precious scroll

Defecation and urination — is the second turning point. It is the practice of worshiping the Buddha of our own mind. When we make an offering to the Buddha, we experience joy and relief. However, when we make an offering to a statue or image of the Buddha, we still have uncertainty — are we not deceiving ourselves? How much does our symbolic offering contribute to the accumulation of merit? However, defecation and urination, which are necessary conditions for life, bring genuine relief and joy which have no need for inspection. Those relief and joy are nothing other than the enlightenment of Dharmabhadra who found Maitreya's scroll in the cesspool.

Our body — is Maitreya’s manuscript, which we find in the cesspool of the clouded activity of our own mind. During defecation, urination and perspiration, our bodily winds are most perceptible. That allows us to clearly recognize volition — the power to make and realize decisions. The direction of one’s volition is determined by past actions and leads beings to rebirth in a realm which corresponds to this direction after the dissolution of the body. Therefore, the points of defecation, urination and perspiration are very favourable for engendering wholesome aspiration.

3. The mind and body, the inner and outer, birth and death

Ablution — is the third turning point. Bathing with water cleans the surface of the body. Wholesome instructions wash beings from inside. During ablution, one should perceive that the body — is the outer part of the scroll of Maitreya’s instructions, while the mind — the inner. Dharmabhadra washes the scroll, but damages the text. The disappeared part of the text appears in the laughter of the laundresses. Dharmabhadra is embarrassed, but this embarrassment signifies correct understanding of the preacher of the laundresses (patroness-goddesses), it leads Dharmabhadra’s strong mind to repentance and rejection of vicious qualities. Dharmabhadra repents his haste and eats a piece of bread — a symbol of health and awakening.

Dharmabhadra said: “During ablution, the body is naked like during birth. Similarly, the mind becomes naked during death. Purify this nakedness from delusions!”

4. The prajnaparamita mantra

Eating — is the fourth turning point. The teeth in our mouth are like sparrow beaks. When we taste, chew, or swallow — our mouth recites the Prajnaparamita mantra (the mantra of perfect wisdom) in the language of the Garudas (winged gods of wind). By remembering ourselves while eating, we feed bodily winds (pranas).

Beings are least conscious while eating. They are seized by taste and the other qualities of food. The mind expresses its restlessness, which is like that of a flock of sparrows.

Dharmabhadra said: “See food as the offering of thorns the demons made to Maitreya. Eating thorns makes camels and donkeys the hardiest animals. Attachment to food — is a thorn. Aversion to food — is a thorn. Indifference — is a thorn. Hunger — is a thorn. Overeating, which causes clouding of the consciousness — is a thorn. Remove with the thorn of food the splinter of restless insatiability, and then you will eat as much as needed to maintain the health and strength of the body.”

5. Recognizing Dharmabhadra

Falling asleep — is the fifth turning point. The thief said: “Falling asleep correctly — is watching Dharmabhadra indulging in meditation. As we fall asleep, Dhramabhadra remains watchful in his meditation. He knows the approach of sleep, the point of contact with the state of sleep and resting in sleep. The approach of sleep — is Dharmabhadra’s meditation hall. Contact with the state of sleep — is his calm and steady posture. Resting in sleep — is his eye turned inward. What does Dharmabhadra look like outwardly? Sometimes he is a man, and sometimes — a woman. Sometimes he is an old man, and sometimes — a child. Sometimes he is a God, and sometimes — an animal. Sometimes he walks, sometimes he stands, sometimes he sits, and sometimes — he lies down. He — is the emptiness of your own mind assuming various guises.”

6. The meeting of the mind with itself

Waking up — is the sixth turning point. When we wake up from sleep, a thousand impulses, a thousand voices and a thousand views wake up with us. They wake us up, while we wake them up in our own consciousness. We should see the perceptions that appear when waking up from sleep as rain from the petals of those flowers which were offered to Maitreya. A burdensome mood is overcome like this.

The thief said: “I was very tense while I watched Dharmabhadra. So that the tension did not give away my presence, I had to relax. For that, I focused on the sense of peace emanating from Dharmabhadra. Finally, I discovered Dharmabhadra in my own heart. Our meeting became the meeting of the mind with itself.”

7. The sameness of desire and suffering

Being overcome by desire — is the seventh turning point. It is like a splinter, a thorn embedded in our finger. By seeing the senses as a finger with which the mind touches existence, we do not hastily bring perceptions close to the heart. The rise of the occupation of the senses and their liberation is like a finger pricking on a thorn and jerking away from it.

The thief said: “Being overcome by desire is like lying on a nail-studded bed. It is like chewing sand. It is like a speck that got into the eye. It is like a mosquito that flew into the ear. It is like the smell of a corpse. Unawakened beings consider desire and suffering to be different from one another. Buddhas see their sameness.”

8. Expectation

Expectation — is the eighth turning point. The Buddha in our mind has no one and no reason to expect. Nevertheless, the mind, without noticing the Buddha within itself, expects the realization of desires or fears bad changes. Turning to itself, the mind puts an end to all expectations. That means that a decision is made that good changes in our external life need to come from within, as a result of purifying the mind from vices.

The Perceptress said: A tree which has reached deep, moist layers of soil with its roots ceases to be dependent on rain. The tree — is your mind. The deep, moist layers of soil — are the Immeasurable Feelings, hidden behind the dry and lifeless soil of the sense of “I”. The rain from which independence is gained — is the perceptions of the senses and the events of the external world.

9. Obedience to another's volition

Obedience to another's volition — is the ninth turning point. Circumstances which restrict people are perceived by them as another's volition. Such perception of adversity and hardship reinforces the sense of “I”, which is built from beliefs about our own defeats and victories over an imaginary adversary.

The Perceptress sang:

Did I have my own volition?

The gem for which I suffered,

Desiring freedom from painful circumstances?

No, it never existed.

That last bondage fought another bondage.

I took, for my own volition, the suffering I had time to get used to.

I thought that I knew myself —

but discovered, in my “I”,

Only the warmth of another's breath,

The echo of another's cries and whisper.

I now feel those desires I once kept

only as the

Touch of the icy hands of the dead.

10. Changing clothes

Changing clothes — is the tenth turning point of practice. Changes in behaviour, feelings and thoughts — are inner changes of clothes. Remembering ourselves when changing clothes — means seeing ourselves as being born and dying, recognizing and forgetting, believing in something and becoming disillusioned. So we free ourselves of clinging to the states of the body, senses and consciousness.

The tenth turning point of practice is fundamental in renouncing the thoughts "That is I. This is forever mine” in relation to phenomena, feelings, thoughts, aspirations and states of consciousness. By remembering themselves during external and internal changes of clothes, practitioners of the noble path see that there is nothing either outside or inside that could be called “myself” or “forever mine”.

Taking Refuge in the Triple Gem

The Three keepers of Maitreya’s lineage (Dharmabhadra, the thief and the prostitute) embody, respectively, taking refuge in the triple gem (Buddha nature, the Teaching and Sangha).

The mind is concerned about three things: 1) fear of loss, which comes down to fear of death 2) sensual thirst 3) obscuring emotions, which are mental chewing gum.

From fear of death, we take refuge in our own unborn mind (Buddha). To the unborn mind, death — is a shallow stream it crosses without losing itself. We think of the unborn mind as blissful luminiferous emptiness unperplexed by anything. There are three steps to taking this view: 1) taking refuge in Buddha nature on the basis of authoritative opinions (of the Buddha, other sages and one's own teacher); 2) taking refuge in Buddha nature on the basis of conclusions arising from observations and practice (for example, the experiences which evidence the supremacy of energy over form; expansion of the consciousness; clairvoyance, etc. 3) taking refuge in the Buddha of our own mind as a result of developing supermundane wisdom. The point of all three steps — is remembering that the basis of the mind is permanent and steadfast.

From thirst, we take refuge in the Dharma. When beings unskillfully seek satisfaction in impermanent phenomena, this satisfaction ultimately turns into dissatisfaction. Dharma, however, brings permanent satisfaction resulting from liberation from the triple thirst.

From obscuring emotions (mental chewing gum), we take refuge in the Sangha. Since in the Sangha we develop infinite feelings, which end obscuring states, it is the Sangha which gives us refuge from emotions. Whereas in communication with relatively distant people we often act like camels, spitting our mental chewing gum all over our interlocutor's face, while fencing off from his or her feelings and thoughts, we are unable to carry out said action in the Sangha. Here our chewing gum is already well-known to everyone, and for wholesome communication, we need something greater and more meaningful — openness and care.

May there be good!

Author

Roni