The mahāyāna teaches that we should see all beings as our parents and we should always care from them with love, compassion, and the precious bodhicitta. Moreover, it teaches that the attainment of liberation and enlightenment cannot be attained except through meditation on love for all beings.
It is evident that within Buddhism there are those who say one can eat meat and those who say that one should not.
At this time, we have obtained a human body that has a human existence in this world. When we have the pleasant and unpleasant experiences of human beings we express different states of happiness and unhappiness. We are like children who wander through happiness and unhappiness, laughing and smiling one moment and crying the next.
To recite the mantra is not enough and we have to develop Bodhicitta. One has to do that not only for oneself but also for others. Bodhicitta is a kind of motivation. “Bodhi” means “enlightened” and “cita” is “heart”. “Bodhicitta” is “enlightened heart”. What is “enlightened heart”?
Once you transfer your consciousness as syllable SHRI into Amitabha’s heart, Amitabha’s mind, then you dissolve into Amitabha’s heart, you are not here anymore.
At the same time, when you meditate on Guru Rinpoche, or Guru Yoga, “yoga” also means “practice” or “meditation”. So “Guru Yoga” is meditation on Guru. It’s high meditation.
You can say more specifically: “I take refuge in Guru, I take refuge in Yidam, I take refuge in Dakini.” And “Buddha” does not mean only “Buddha Shakyamuni”, but there are many Buddhas. Guru Rinpoche, for example, is also a Buddha.
In a very general way when we say “Take refuge” then [the question is] “Take refuge in which?” We take refuge in the Three Jewels.
What can Dharma do? To make our mind better. Why does our mind need to be better due to Dharma as remedy. As I said earlier, our mind is not perfect. It has impurity. So, it has much chance to mistake.
Kẻ làm trò, điều quan trọng nhất là phải lắng nghe (văn) và tư duy quán chiếu (tư). Phải hết lòng trân quý những gì nghe được và đưa vào áp dụng trong cuộc sống hàng ngày (tu). Lấy đó làm phương thuốc quý chữa lành phiền não trong tâm. Đó là điều trọng yếu.
