There is the mind lineage of the Buddhas, the symbol lineage of the Vidyadharas, and the oral lineage of individuals – these three groups have their own ways of to teach. Buddhas had their own ways of teaching to each other. And Vidyadharas also have their unique way of teaching. And also, ordinary people like us, we have our own way to receive teachings and to teach to others.
So, this is the meditation of the teaching of Longchen Nyingthig practices. All the Vidyadharas of this lineage are very great, compassionate and have wisdom, and Mahasiddhas, so therefore they called Vidyadharas.
And then Vidyadharas, of course, means the noble ones, the high beings, high masters. So, this is the meditation of the teaching of Longchen Nyingthig practices. All the Vidyadharas of this lineage are very great, compassionate and have wisdom, and Mahasiddhas, so therefore they called Vidyadharas.
It’s a very common for all Buddhist teachings and especially in Vajrayana teachings, that being a Vajrayana master one must have received the words from the guru saying “you do this”, to permit or to give the authority to a student of the Guru, saying: “From now, you’re going to teach this to keep the lineage.”
“Bless me so that delusion on the path will cease!”. When practicing Dharma a lot of Dharma practitioners meet some obstacles and they give up their practice because they just cannot handle the obstacles. For example, nowadays the society is complicated and the whole society probably may be criticizing a dharma person. The whole society can make a pressure on the individual Dharma practitioners.
If I want to practice visualizing Buddha or a Yidam should I receive initiation from a Vajra master? I’ve heard visualizing without receiving initiation may create bad karma. If I want to visualize You, may You give us some ritual, ceremony this time?
But the devotion that is unified with wisdom is even more important. Therefore, believing in real teaching of Buddha is very important. Do not believe in anyone without seeing any reason for one to accept, to believe. Nowadays people do not know something very well but they still somehow put some belief in, so by that people make mistakes.
If you are practicing something from other traditions, if you are practicing ngondro Longchen Nyingthik, you have to have a lot of confidence in your practice in your lineage. Do not hesitate.
To maintain continuity is very difficult. But naturally as human beings it is much easier to continue things of material, regular things – things of this life. It is much harder to continue Dharma activities.
Get up early [for practice] is something nice to do, nice to hear, nice to know. Because not many people are able to do that. Not many people really put efforts into their practice. Even though they may say [they] are but the practicing [is] probably verbal.
