3rd Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche (1954-1992)
“Many unskilled practitioners think they can jump into higher practices and engage in Yidam and Mahamudra practices without having perfected the preliminaries, but this will be very detrimental to achieving fruition. Should one meditate on the nature of one’s mind without having perfected the preliminaries, all efforts are in vain. One needs sincere faith, confidence, and certainty of karma, and one needs perfect renunciation in order to meditate Mahamudra correctly. Of course, one can receive many teachings on Mahamudra, but it would only be like changing old clothes as long as one has failed to prepare the ground properly. It’s necessary to actually integrate all teachings in one’s life and to know that they are only presented in order to help one transform one’s delusive apprehensions into peace and supreme insight. This can only happen if one relies on and is dedicated to one’s Root Lama, if one has unwavering love and compassion, if one has ethics and engages in virtuous activities, and if one practices the methods correctly. Methods are only effective if long-standing habitual patterns have been overcome and if merit has been accumulated. And so, the preliminaries are indispensable for advanced practices.”
From the 3rd Jamgon Kongtrul‘s instructions based on “Pointing Out the Dharmakaya” composed by the Ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje. Full text here.
Follow
