beginningless samsara we have been attached to things through different
activities, and, like a potter’s wheel after he or she has ceased spinning it, the
wheel of life continues under its own momentum.
At present, during a meditation session, is it possible that our habitual grasping
at objects could be abandoned suddenly? Some students, having met a great guru,
come to know the truth of unreality, and, practicing for months and even years,
receive great benefit in this life. They develop strong faith in the teaching and
completely change their manner of conduct, just like turning their clothes inside
out. Such a yogin or yogini is observed to be more polite, more kindly, in short, to
be a person with many good qualities. There are some people, it is true, who,
though they have received teaching and done meditation and so forth, claim that
they have not been helped in any way. But consider the case of a doctor who
prescribes medicine for HIV/AIDS or TB, with the instruction to take it every day
for several months or years. If the patient takes it for only a few days and then
argues that it was no help, that premature judgment is invalid. If the medicine had
been taken for a sufficient length of time, surely it would have healed the patient.
If we take instruction from a reliable lama, not for the sake of association with
some famous teaching, but in order to train the mind until we attain the final
accomplishment, we should strive in hearing, reflection, and meditation.
1.35 WITH A FULL UNDERSTANDING OF THE INSEPARABILITY OF APPEARANCES AND EMPTINESS,
VISION IS NATURALLY SUFFUSED BY INFINITE PURITY
Once we are certain that all phenomena are unreal mental projections, we no
longer have to venture outside to other places to look for a pure-land realm. The
place that we are in, here and now, appears as a pure-land paradise. During the
Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, Minling Chung Rinpoche was given the duty of
cleaning up excrement around the Barkor. A woman took that duty upon herself to
pay reverence to the Rinpoche, but one day Rinpoche asked the woman to refrain
from doing that work for him, as he could do it for himself. She told Rinpoche that
the smell was obnoxious. Rinpoche said, “To you it may smell bad, but to me it is a
sweet aroma.” In the period leading up to death, realized beings may see impure
things as pure. Just before death, as ordinary appearances vanish into
spaciousness, they see appearances as the Glorious Copper-Colored Mountain pure-
land. When they go beyond, tents of rainbow light and other auspicious signs may
be seen. Those watching may be inspired thereby. There are many stories to be
told in this regard.
Buddhas themselves are visibly saturated with purity, while others, like
Shakyamuni’s disciple Sariputra and fortunate beings with just a little obscuration,
have pure vision. Once when Vimalamitra came to Tibet, he saw king Trisong
Deutsen as Avalokiteshvara seated on a turquoise throne, wearing the crown of the
five buddha-families. Vimalamitra looked up into the sky, uttering OM AH HUNG
SWAHA while snapping his fingers five times. The buddhas of the five families
appeared, and the king and his subjects all saw them clearly and obtained
steadfast faith. All fortunate beings like them enjoy pure vision.