A Message To People The World Over [Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's introduction to Buddhism for beginners]

Foremost I would like to tell you that an enlightened essence is present in everyone. It is present in every state, both samsara and nirvana, and in al sentient beings: there is no exception. Experience your buddha nature, make it your constant practice, and you will reach enlightenment. In my lifetime I have known many, many people who attained such an enlightened state, both male and female. Awakening to enlightenment is not an ancient fable. It is not mythology. It actually does happen.Bring the oral instructions into your own practical experience and enlightenment is indeed possible; it is not just a fairy tale.

To realize our buddha nature, we need the support of three principles. First is the precious Buddha, the primal teacher who showed the enlightened essence to others. Next is the precious dharma, the teachings on how to train in experiencing the enlightened essence. Lastly, there is the precious sangha, the people who uphold and spread the teachings. Additionally, there are three roots: there is the guru, the root of blessings; the yidam, the root of accomplishment; and the dakini, the root of activities. They possess all-knowing wakefulness, all-embracing compassion, the activity of deeds for the benefit of beings, and the capacity to protect and save others.

Sometimes we may have doubts and hesitation when relating to the Buddha's teachings, but do not leave it with that. It is very important to validate what is trustworthy and what is not. My teachers mentioned four kinds of validation. First are the words of a perfectly enlightened being, such as the Buddha, whose statements are never unwise. Then there are the teachings by the great masters of the lineage, passed from one to the other until today. Third are the instructions we receive from our own personal teacher. Finally, to decide with certainty, we need the validation of our own intelligence. Do not leave anything to blind faith or convential belief. Examine for yourself what is really the truth.

What is the reason for the misery and pain every living being undergoes? What is the cause of samsara's delusion? It is nothing other than lacking the experience of our enlightened essence. We ignore what is primordially present; we neglect what is continually present within us: our buddha nature. Instead, immersed in confused emotions, we chase illusory aims that endlessly result in more deluded experience. That's called samsara. We have already done that for countless lifetimes, life after life, death following rebirth. Unless you now take this opportunity, while you are stil a human being, to realize what is fully possible, you will continue in the future in the same deluded way.

Please understand that the buddha nature is present within everyone. Nobody lacks this potential, not even a single person in this world. Unless you learn how to bring it into your personal experience, train in that and realize it, you remain deluded. Delusion never disappears by itself. Spinning around on the rim of samsara's vicious wheel, on the twelve links of dependent origination, you will continue life after life. We all die are reborn, and die again, countless times.

But, in this present life, you can learn to experience your enlightened essence, and if you do that, you can, before passing away, attain the perfectly and fully awakened state of a buddha. The method to transform this human body into rainbow light at the moment of death is only through recognizing and realizing our buddha nature; there is no other possible way. The instruction for how to do that is still available. Place your trust in the three jewels: the precious Buddha, dharma and sangha Receive this teaching from someone who holds an unbroken lineage: this lineage is still intact. Otherwise, everyone dies; there is no exception. In the past, everyone who lived in this world died. Right now everyone alive will die. Everyone born in the future will also die. Everything in the world changes; nothing remains the same, nothing is permanent, nothing lasts. If you want to be successful, if you really want to take care of yourself - recognize your enlightened essence.

Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, From: Repeating The Words Of The Buddha (Rangjung Yeshe 2006), translated by Erik Pema Kunsang, edited by Marcia Binder

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