"Taking teachings" as a Buddhist

 

#Buddhism #Tibet #vajrayana #DoubleDorje #Nyingma

Approximate script, with some variations and possible errors:

Hello everybody, thank you for being here and welcome, or welcome back, to the Double Dorje podcast. I’m Alex Wilding, and recently I went to take teachings from my teacher, Ngagpa Karma Lhundup.

I might quite easily make that rather innocuous statement to almost anybody, and I know from experience that while a few people might say something like, “Oh, well, where was that? What teaching did he give?”, an awful lot of people would nod, hoping to look wise. But I would have seen in their eyes that they wonder what on earth that is. Probably they don’t ask in case I launch into a one hour lecture trying to tell them.

At the same time I know there are plenty of newish people who do perhaps have an idea of what is involved, but are worried that there is some kind of etiquette that they need to follow in order not to look a fool. I could say - with a smirk - that not worrying about whether you look like a fool or not is the best solution, but all the same I’m going to give a few tips further down this episode.

To start, let’s look at what these so-called “teachings” are that Buddhist students go for. And well, yes, of course, it turns out not to be just one thing that I could summarise in a single phrase. So let’s start at the very beginning-y-est beginning. At your local library (I’m making the wild assumption here that your government still cares enough about the well-being of its people to fund libraries), or perhaps in the shop window of your local health food store, you may see a poster advertising a talk by somebody you’ve never heard of with a title like “Introduction to Buddhism”, “Buddhism in Everyday Life” or “Ancient Buddhist Wisdom in the Modern World”. This may be okay if you really are a complete beginner. It all depends, obviously, on the background, knowledge and communication skills of the person you’ve never heard of. You can expect a sermon. Whoever it is you’ve never heard of may also light a candle, tell you to breathe, preferably breathing in the same number of times that you breathe out, and, if you are lucky, gently and mindfully strike a brass cooking pot of the type that they call a “Tibetan Gong”. Great stuff!

You can probably tell that while there is plenty of benefit to be had from these kind of teachings, especially for beginners, I do feel they can become a bit much. Your preacher’s homily may tell you that it’s important to be nice to your spouse, nice to your family and so on. That’s dead right – of course. But let’s imagine you are still not being nice to your spouse or family, or at least not as nice as you could be, is it really going to help when you listen to this advice for the 40^th time?

Anyway, that’s the lowest level, it’s good for what it is, but be warned that if you’re not looking for simply an uplifting and possibly entertaining talk, you may want to move on.

At the next level, there are actual explanations of basic Buddhist principles. This kind of teaching should be sold for what it is, state it clearly: it may, for example, talk about the Buddha’s enlightenment, about the four Noble truths and the eightfold path. The four noble truths, as you may well know, are that all conditioned existence is suffering, that the root cause of suffering is ignorant grasping and aversion, that there IS a way to find peace from this, known as Nirvana, and the fourth truth is the way to do that which is the eightfold Path. Again, as you may know, these are usually cited as right view, right intention, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right meditative absorption. You may also be taught about the “four immeasurables”. Verses for these are very often recited at an early stage in Sadhana practices: lovingkindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity. If the context leans more towards the Mahayana, or Great Vehicle, you may get the six so-called perfections: generosity, ethics, patience, diligence, meditation, and wisdom.

At a similar level, but in a more Tibetan context, you may well come across the initial formation of a good attitude in terms of the “four thoughts to turn the mind”: firstly, precious human birth which is, by the way, not the common idea that any human birth is precious. That may be so, but it’s not what is meant here. Secondly impermanence and death, thirdly the inevitability of karma, or “cause and fruit”, and fourthly the ubiquity of suffering.

There is quite a lot to learn about what these things actually mean, but as I have made clear it is not my intention in this podcast to provide a “course in Buddhism”. There are plenty out there, and some of them are good. Mine would not be better. And there is nothing here that you cannot also get from the many books that are available, some of them good.

There is a little bit more to get your teeth into here, and presentations from a good speaker can be worthwhile. I remember, for instance, after my first teacher, who could speak quite entertainingly, had visited Hamburg to give teachings. The next Saturday I was strolling down Grindelalle with a Walkman and headphones on listening to his talk about the four immeasurables. But teaching of this sort  are all, if I may put it this way “soft” teachings. As happened in the many weekends I went to, not just in Hamburg but to cities such as Berlin, Regensburg and more, they can be happy occasions, especially if you are involved in the social scene, they plough the soil of the mind and spread the compost, but at a certain point we actually have to start planting. We have to “take teachings” (there’s that phrase) and be introduced to specific practices or cycles of practices that we will take away and perform, not just in everyday life, but sat down, probably on a cushion, in front of our shrine, our picture of the Buddha, or whatever simple or elaborate thing we have as a focus point at home. These are the teachings where we might learn, instance, how to focus on Chenrezi or, as I was doing recently in Bratislava, on the Konchog Chidu practices, or on any one of literally hundreds, and in fact I can safely say thousands, of other particular practices. It’s worth remembering how many there are because that makes it easy to realise that we should not - and cannot - attempt them all.

Perhaps we have been visiting our favourite Dharma Centre, and, as we sit in the tearoom, hear whispers that “Lama so-and-so” will be giving, let’s say, an Amitabha empowerment. Now we are interested, our ears prick up, and we wonder what is involved in THAT kind of teaching. What does it involve, and how do you prepare for it?

One of the first things to check, is the extent to which the particular case involves heavy duty commitments. In cases like Chenrezi or Tara, you are on fairly safe ground. You will be expected to realise that you are being given access to a sacred level of teaching, and you will be expected to respect not only that teaching but the Lama from whom you received it, and to do so from that day on. You may notice, in passing, that this can create a problem if the said Lama turns out to be dud at some stage in the future. That is a real problem, but not one I want to talk about today except to say that if you have any doubts, best keep away. You may be told that it will be good to recite the mantra, preferably often, and preferably every day, although the precise commitment will depend on what the teacher gives at the time. And at this level you’re not going to have something sprung on you such as “from now on for the rest of your life you must not cut your hair again EVAH”. I may or may not be joking when I mentioned that example.

You’d think it would make sense to ask about such commitments in advance, and there’s no harm in that, but be prepared to receive only a vague answer. In the case of more serious empowerments, which you are perhaps less likely to hear of advertised publicly, it is important to realise that you should be setting up a deep and, at least in theory, lifelong relationship with the teacher, so it is even more important that if you have any doubts or uncertainties about the Lama: DON’T GO! You may feel that you’re missing out on something interesting, which may be true, but it will make your life much simpler if you steer clear of those complications and wait for the right time. This is not the sort of case that you might find in the University, where people might say “Prof Smith is a really unpleasant guy, and tries to get off with all the pretty students, but hey, his lectures on isotope migration in quasi-permeable membranes are the bees’ knees.” It’s really not like that.

So the real kind of “going to receive teachings” means going to be introduced to some practice and learning how to do it. In the vast majority of cases this will be learning about some deity, such as Chenrezi, Tara, the Konchog Chidu practices related to Guru Rinpoche or any one of thousands and thousands of others.

As mentioned, it will include empowerment. Some people say “initiation”, but this is not a good choice of word. Why not? That is a topic for another time.

In addition to empowerment it may well include a textual transmission, or reading-over of the text concerned, and an explanation of the visualisations, meditations and so on. These three – the empowerment, the textual transmission and the explanation – are all essential for a proper introduction to practice. Sometimes just the empowerment is given with the intention that it is simply a blessing for the recipients rather than an introduction to practice. There are those who say this is not a good idea, but that’s an argument that rather above my pay grade.

You may also be given demonstrations of the various ritual activities, but this can be very complicated, and if you’re going to a few days teaching that is reaching up to this level you will want a good notebook.

So if all this has happened, you can now go away and practice! You might do this intensively for a while, you might even go into retreat in order to “accomplish” the deity, and you may very well continue on a regular basis. Now THAT is what I call taking a teaching!

On a much more practical level, it’s time for some hints and tips on how not to be awkward.

No decent person minds a beginner unless they pretend to be experienced. So when in doubt, ask. Follow the cues of what other people more experienced are doing.

Be well-dressed. There is no need to be formally posh – that might even be out of place – but not overly casual either. For example no short shorts, no baseball hats even if they’re on the right way round. Actually there are no hats in any case. This is just common sense. If you dress as you should for your old aunt, you’ll be fine. If, for example, you would typically wear jewellery at Sunday lunch, then please do - there is no need to be Calvinistically dull any more than you need to be devastatingly glamorous.

Be ready to take your shoes off at the shrine room door, so for purely practical reasons choose shoes that go on and off easily. It’s very unlikely that they’ll be stolen, and if they are, it’s a great blessing. At least, that’s what I told myself when my best walking boots disappeared from outside the main hall of the temple that overlooks the Boudha stupa, and the only pair remaining where a worn out pair of trainers two or three sizes smaller than I could possibly get onto my foot.

At some stage, usually at the end of the empowerment or of the whole proceedings, you will need two things. One is a long white scarf known as a katag. If this is one of your first times, and you don’t have one for this purpose, it is quite possible that the organising centre will be selling them as a little side hustle. It is held in both hands, in a way that you will see other people doing, and at the same time you have the second thing just mentioned, which is an envelope with money in it. Giving money without an envelope is really bad form. If the organisation has a lot of Chinese influence the envelopes will be red, but usually any standard envelope such as we all used before everything went digital will be perfect. Check the back of your cupboard! As to how much money you put in it, I’m afraid you’re on your own. Somebody with a lot of training and experience has just spent hours or even days giving you something that, if your karma is right, will bring you to liberation. How much is that worth? What else is the Lama supporting with the money that is raised in this way, after travel and other expenses have been paid for? There have been those for whom it is mainly beer money, so I’d suggest about one euro, or maybe five so that it’s not obvious that your envelope has only got a coin in. Others support Dharma centres, study institutions, medical institutes or do charitable work for the poor, for stray animals and all sorts of other good works. How much is that worth?

The scarf and the money are now tucked away safely, and are likely to come into play later. Now everybody is standing in the room and finally the Lama comes in. Do what everyone else does, which is almost certainly prostrating. Folded hands at your crown, your throat, your heart, then down onto your knees and touch your head onto the ground. Don’t worry, you will not look silly. Or maybe you will, but not half as silly as if you stand there looking all embarrassed. This process can be a bit of a jostle in a crowded room, but we do our best.

Then you sit on the floor (usually) but in any event, however you sit, you do not stretch your feet towards the Lama or the shrine. The whole business will involve a lot of taking your cue from other people, but provided you don’t make a nuisance of yourself most experienced people will be only too delighted to help a beginner. (And as an aside, if not, that’s their problem.)

At the end, a queue will probably form for presenting the scarves and the envelopes. The scarf will almost certainly be given back to you, being placed around the neck by the Lama for you to wear for the next few minutes and treasure for as long as you like afterwards. The money you drop onto the table at the time will also be given back to you, but only in the form of future good karma.

Along with a few other points of politeness – you stand when the Lama stands, you sit when he or she says so, you behave with quiet respect, take your cue from the more experienced - and the whole experience will be lovely. Maybe we’ll be next to each other – wouldn’t that be cool?

So that’s it for today. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, tell your friends and do whatever it is to support this podcast on whatever channel watching it on! And always remember to keep the faith! If you really can’t, give it back properly.

Words or phrases you might want to look up – not much this episode:

• Amitabha
• Tara
• Chenrezi
• Konchog Chidu