Thanh Tri – the 3rd Mind Dharma: THE PRACTICE OF UNINTERRUPTED OFFERING – Part 3: WHERE DOES A GURU STAND IN THE PRACTICE OF MAKING OFFERINGS BY DONORS AND DISCIPLES? (ĐẠO SƯ THUỘC ĐỐI TƯỢNG NÀO TRONG SỰ CÚNG DƯỜNG TỪ THÍ CHỦ & ĐỆ TỬ?)

Thanh Tri – the 3rd Mind Dharma: THE PRACTICE OF UNINTERRUPTED OFFERING – Part 3: WHERE DOES A GURU STAND IN THE PRACTICE OF MAKING OFFERINGS BY DONORS AND DISCIPLES?

Through parts 1 and 2, you’ve known that there are thirteen subjects, of which 12 (persons) are worth of making offerings with reverent attitude and one (animal) worth of giving alms only. Although “making offerings” and “giving alms” are alike in action but totally different the real meaning. Why? Because reverent spiritual elders are definitely different from the destitute. From another angle, “giving alms” is merely one of six paramitas that shows compassion to those in misery whilst “making offerings” is a practice or skillful means which is included in the Ten Great Vows and Conducts of the Samantabhadra. “Giving alms” can be seen in many religions but not all paths have the practice of making offerings like Buddhism does, given a lack of subjects deserved offerings (a total of 12 including Buddha, Pratyeka-Buddha, Sravaka, bhikkhu, jhana attainer).

Now I will give you explanation of some terms: “religion” is the community or a group of believers who worship demon, atula or god (devas)”. “Dharma path” is the way of practice that are also found in other religions like Catholicism with “pray and admire”, Caodaism with “accumulation of merits and virtues”, Islam with “five pillars: only praise and worship one creator (Allah), daily prayer, pilgrimage, fasting and alms-giving”. However, their ways of practice are merely limited to spiritual activities rather than a methodical way or path like the practice of making offerings in Buddhism.

The largest difference between Buddhism and other religions is that in Buddhism, only humans with eight freedoms and ten endowments are spiritually suitable and able to practice Dharma. That’s why the subject worth of making offerings is also human who becomes the kalyanamitra (see Article: “Who Is Called Kalyanamitra?”). In parts 1 and 2, you may wonder where the Guru stands among 12 persons reserved holly offerings because there is no word of “Guru” at all. You might think you’ve made a big mistake in making offerings to me (your Guru), haven’t you?

Absolutely not! In Vajrayana, apart from a skillful means of “taking the result as the path”, there exists another extraordinary form of practice which is called “Guru Yoga”, meaning taking the Guru as the central point of all spiritual activities and practices. This is also included in Thanh Tri Yoga of Song Nguyen Tantra House. The standard practice of Ngondro (preliminary practices) is four sets of 100,000 repetitions of practice (four times 100,000), including“visualization of the Guru” or “Guru Yoga”. From these points on, the Guru or the Tantric Master is a kalyanamitra who is worth of making offerings. From seven stories in Part 2, you can realize that all subjects of making offerings were masters or kalyanamitras, don’t you?

Besides, the merits and virtues of a Tantric Master are also recognized in the first two verses in Tantras:

1. Bowing down to the lotus feet of my Guru
   

   Padmashuri reverently requested for Dharma in Song Nguyen Tantra House

Who bestows upon me the boundless field of blessings

And is the cause for me to attain enlightenment in this life

How unconceivable merits he holds

That have been told in holy Tantra texts

I shall briefly explain principle aspects

Then listen with due veneration

2. All the Buddhas of the three times and ten directions

Pay their homage to the Tantric Masters

From whom they’ve received the highest initiation

Like the door of liberation we are stepping in

****

Also in his work, Avagosha asserts:

To Guru, always keep your words of honor

And make abundant offerings with your whole heart

For he is the same as all Buddhas

The Tantric text named “Precious Incarnation” also says: “Visualizing your Guru in some moments is better than thousands of kalpas of visualizing the Yidam”. So now you can have a panoramic view of the role and position of the Tantric Master! It’s not by chance that both practitioners and holy saints believe that the Guru (Master) is the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, or representing the Three Jewels, thus he is undoubtedly one of 12 subjects worth of making offerings. I am not the Buddha, Bodhisattva, holy monks or Jhana attainer but I have completed my role as a Master (Guru) over the past years thanks to your trust and confidence in me. I give you my special six spiritual inventions introduced on October 9, 2016, for these are my treasures to you as an expression of my thankfulness in the sense of the Buddha’s teachings on “three kinds of person hard to be met” and “Four great commitments of gratitude”.

At the time when I wrote these lines, frankly speaking, my merits and virtues, as a Thanh Tri Master, are definitely connected with your strong belief, based on which I am able to fulfill the role of Tathagata’s messenger. Together we need highlight the example of being “the third kind of person hard to be met”for a sustainable development of Song Nguyen Tantra House and a wide propagation of Thanh Tri Dharma in the sense of “serving sentient beings is to make offerings to all Buddhas”.

I would end this part with a following verse:

In spring permeates the fragrance of Dharma flowers 

Through every direction Bodhicitta spreading far and wide

Then Song Nguyen Tantra House sets sail

across the ocean of Dharma to the land of true eternity

A rainy afternoon on the peak of Phu Van Mountain, March 12, 2019

Thinley- Nguyen Thanh

Translated by Mat Hue Phap