The Vajra Bridge of the Great Perfection Q&A 

Q&A by Rigzin Chenpo Rinpoche（20241124 Padma Ati Edition）

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👉点击音频收听宝上师大圆满耳传金刚桥问答（20241124阿谛学院版）

Q&A by Khenpo Huiguang（20241104 US edition）

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Common Questions About Vajra Bridge Practice

Vajra Bridge Speech Blessing

Q1: Could you explain how the Diamond Bridge terma was discovered? In which incarnation was it discovered? I read in the book that it was passed down from the founder of Kathog Monastery, and that the liturgy was written by the teacher in a previous life, but the book cover states it was a terma discovered by the teacher. Does this mean that for the Diamond Bridge, the teacher combines both distant and close transmission? #terma #lineage #liturgy

A: Regarding your first question about the Kathog Monastery founder and the Diamond Bridge, we're referring to the hearing lineage portion of the Great Perfection Diamond Bridge. At the time of the Kathog Monastery founder, the Great Perfection Diamond Bridge combined the three sections - mind section, space section, and oral instruction section - into one. However, the liturgy used for its practice was a terma discovered by the second Rinchen Tsewang Norbu. The full name of the liturgy is actually "The Essential Drop of Common and Supreme Accomplishment", which is described in detail at the beginning of our first volume. So while this liturgy was discovered by the second incarnation, it's distinct from the Great Perfection teaching itself. The Great Perfection teaching had already existed as a unified threefold system during the time of the Kathog Monastery founder.

Since this practice requires certain foundations, practitioners generally rely on the liturgy we call "The Essential Drop of Common and Supreme Accomplishment", which was discovered as a terma by the second incarnation. Regarding the present precious teacher, the common portions of his distant transmission are included in the Great Treasure. About 70% of the second Rinchen Tsewang Norbu's complete works are included in the Great Treasure. However, some later portions were not included in the Great Treasure and were scattered among the general population. When Nyoshul Khenpo was practising at Yangleshö in Nepal, he invited Lama Mende Rinpoche (who is mentioned in our book) to transmit these teachings at Guru Rinpoche's sacred site in Nepal. The precious teacher received these teachings then, and later also separately requested the complete transmission from this teacher.

So from this perspective, the present precious teacher has this transmission. In our third volume, the transmission section is divided into two parts: the common transmission from the Great Treasure, and a rarer transmission from Lama Mende Rinpoche.

Q2: Regarding the final supplication text that begins "The supreme view of other-emptiness of the Middle Way...", was its author Karma Chagling a Kagyü lineage master? #supplication #lineage_master

A: Yes, Karma Chagling was an important master in the Kagyü lineage. Since Rinchen Tsewang Norbu was a proponent of the Rimé movement, he had many teachers from different traditions - Kagyü, Jonang, Sakya, and Nyingma. Similarly, his disciples came from various traditions. The author of this supplication praising Rinchen's lineage was primarily a practitioner of the Kagyü tradition.

Vajra Bridge Preliminary Practices

Nine-Cycle Breathing

Q3: Is it normal for the body to sweat during the nine-cycle breathing practice? #nine_cycle_breathing #practice_reactions

A: Yes, that's normal.

Q4: Khenpo, is there a video tutorial available for the nine-cycle breathing practice? #nine_cycle_breathing #tutorial

A: The video tutorial for nine-cycle breathing is available in the shared cloud folder. You'll find demonstrations by both the precious teacher and the Khenpo.

Q5: Thank you, Khenpo. Regarding the 3-left, 3-right, 3 sequence in the nine-cycle breathing, I notice the precious teacher moves his hand along the channel, inhaling and exhaling three times in one go. Does this count as three cycles or one? #nine_cycle_breathing #practice_details

A: It counts as three cycles.

Q6: Khenpo, I have two questions: 1. During the sustaining phase, do we need to do the nine-cycle breathing, or do we start directly with the Seven-Line Prayer? 2. Currently when practising, I can sit comfortably for one hour with good experience, and time passes quickly. But during a two-hour session, most of the second hour feels like endurance, and I can't concentrate on meditation. In this situation, should I do one hour in the morning and evening, or persist with two-hour sessions? #sustaining_practice #meditation_duration

A: For the sustaining phase, you don't need to do the nine-cycle breathing; start directly with the Seven-Line Prayer.

Regarding duration, if time permits, we recommend maintaining two-hour sessions, as this will need to be developed gradually. Later practices are generally counted by sessions, though there's no such requirement at this stage.

If you're struggling in the second hour, as I mentioned when teaching before, try to break free from discursive thoughts and drowsiness. During the process, you can expel stale air - it doesn't need to be nine times, three times is fine - or remain in non-conceptual meditation for a minute or two.

As we've discussed, when you notice an unfavourable state, you need to break free from it. With practice over time, you'll find these difficult states improving. This can be gradually adjusted.

Q7: Khenpo, regarding the nine-cycle breathing, in the teacher's video, one inhales, pauses briefly, then pushes outward with the back of the hand while exhaling. However, the text describes drawing breath into the belly, pressing down, lifting up, pressing down again, lifting again, and only pushing outward with the right hand when one can no longer hold the breath. Could you clarify this? #nine_cycle_breathing #practice_variations

A: There are simplified and complete versions of the nine-cycle breathing practice.

The complete version is actually one of the illusory wheels of the completion stage - specifically, a preliminary illusory wheel, not the main practice. As one of the five preliminary illusory wheels, it has higher requirements, similar to vase breathing where upper air is pressed down, settling in the lower belly, then lower air is drawn up like a pelvic floor lift. Without exhaling, one adds another breath, presses down, and lifts again. The vase breath requires unifying upper and lower winds at the navel centre, then performing the movement only when one can no longer hold the breath, while simultaneously visualising the expulsion of air. This is the complete version.

However, this version takes considerable time - when I do it, it takes about 15-20 minutes just for the nine-cycle breathing. Since some practitioners can't maintain this duration, the teacher instructs a direct expulsion method with three cleansing breaths. The teacher says that if you can't do the nine-cycle breathing, even deep breathing is acceptable. Hence the two different approaches.

Currently, both methods are acceptable, depending on your circumstances and available time. If you're pressed for time, say you only have 30 minutes and need to quickly enter the main practice, you needn't be so strict with the preliminary nine-cycle breathing. That's why there are these variations.

As for specific details, we'll be conducting an eight-day practice session starting this afternoon where we'll demonstrate this. You can join if you have time, or watch the recording later.

Sitting Posture

Q8: When sitting in full lotus, my legs start hurting after about 20 minutes, and I need to take several breaks during a two-hour session. The leg pain affects my concentration. Should I persist with full lotus to train my legs, or prioritise concentration by using half-lotus or simple cross-legged position? #sitting_posture #physical_discomfort

A: In the early stages, focus on cultivating the mind rather than forcing the full lotus position. Tibetans naturally sit on the ground in their daily lives, so they don't necessarily start with full lotus. Through habitually sitting on the ground, whether cross-legged or in half-lotus, the tendons gradually become flexible enough for extended periods in full lotus. So for now, there's no need to deliberately train for full lotus - focus on mind training. If you can't maintain the position after 20 minutes, feel free to switch to half-lotus or cross-legged position.

Q9: When sitting cross-legged, I notice one of my knees is higher than the other. Is this normal? #sitting_posture #body_alignment

A: Having one side higher is common, particularly in half-lotus where one foot is on top of the other leg - you'll naturally notice one side lifting. For half-lotus, it's recommended to alternate legs occasionally, as habitually sitting in one position might lead to uneven posture, potentially affecting the tailbone area. With full lotus or cross-legged positions, having one side higher is also normal, as everyone has different muscle and tendon flexibility. Some people are more flexible on the right, tighter on the left. When the tighter side is forced into position, it tends to lift higher. This is due to muscle and tendon tension, which will improve with practice and gradually loosen up.

Q10: When sitting, I find it difficult to keep my back straight. I end up slouching. How can I improve this? #sitting_posture #back_alignment

A: Slouching during meditation is quite normal. This happens because our back muscles lack strength. Modern lifestyles differ significantly from the past when people engaged in physical labour that built muscle. Today, we mostly sit or lie down, leading to muscle deterioration. With weakened muscles, maintaining an upright position becomes tiring, and we naturally revert to more comfortable compensatory postures, using stronger muscles while letting others slack.

One solution would be to exercise, particularly focusing on back and core muscle groups. When these muscles are stronger, you can maintain proper posture more easily. However, since we're focusing on mind-turning practices now, and many people don't have time for such physical training, don't be too concerned about this. Simply remain aware - check your posture every 10-15 minutes, then again after half an hour or so. Due to habitual patterns, your shoulders might gradually hunch or you might lean to one side. Just maintaining awareness and making adjustments will lead to gradual improvement.

Vajra Bridge Speech Blessing

Q11: Honoured Khenpo, I have a question: In our lineage's uncommon preliminary practice of speech blessing - the speechless instruction section's lord of speech, which we briefly practise daily before our main practice. If one wishes to specialise in this deity practice, could it replace the Speech Lion aspect of Manjushri practice? #speech_blessing #practice_selection

A: For speech blessing, we practise the Lotus Speech Lord. The benefits of speech blessing, as mentioned, primarily focus on removing speech obstacles - such as when someone has cast spells restricting speech, causing muteness or speech impediments, or other specific speech-related obstacles.

While from one perspective, all buddhas and bodhisattvas share equal qualities - you could pray to Medicine Buddha for wealth, or to Amitabha for health and long life - their qualities are indeed the same. However, they differ in their aspirations. Some made 18 great vows, Medicine Buddha made 12 great vows, and so on, each with distinctive emphases. While all buddhas and bodhisattvas share common aspirations for beings to be free from suffering and achieve enlightenment, they each have unique connections. Before achieving buddhahood, they made specific aspirations, which is why we often turn to White Tara or Medicine Buddha for longevity and health.

From the perspective of aspirations, Manjushri's vows differ from those of the Lotus Speech Lord we currently practise. Although Manjushri has many forms in Tibetan Buddhism - including the Five Aspects of Manjushri and Speech Lion Manjushri, particularly favoured in Buddhist academies for debate where eloquence is required - Manjushri's primary function is awakening wisdom. This isn't ordinary cleverness or winning debates, but rather the great wisdom that helps us understand the true nature of reality. His aspirational power focuses on this aspect, which differs from the Lotus Speech Lord's aspirations.

Therefore, considering the buddhas' and bodhisattvas' aspirational power, I wouldn't recommend replacing Manjushri practice for wisdom with Speech Lord practice just because you're already doing the latter daily. Their aspirational powers differ. Of course, if you regard the Speech Lord as your main deity and pray to them for everything - wealth, health, longevity, wisdom, eloquence - then from that perspective of a single main deity, there's no difference.

So it depends on your approach to the practice and your motivation and mindset in practising it.

Q12: Regarding the speech blessing, what is the correct orientation of the vajra that supports the HUM syllable on the tongue? #speech_blessing #visualization_details

A: The vajra supporting the HUM syllable is actually the sword's hilt - the handle portion. Using the sword as an example, it's vertical, parallel to the tongue. Specifically, the tongue root becomes the sword hilt. Note that this doesn't mean there's a separate vajra external to the sword; rather, the sword hilt itself takes the form of a vajra. Therefore, it forms a single unit parallel to the tongue.

Vajra Bridge Recitation

Q13: In our practice, for the Seven-Line Prayer's cloud of blessings, should we visualize the blue-coloured Guru Padmasambhava as the Ocean of Wisdom, or can we visualize the Guru Vajrasattva from the Diamond Bridge refuge field? The precious teacher mentioned there's a brief explanation of the Seven-Line Prayer's cloud of blessings - where can we find this? #seven_line_prayer #visualization_details

A: After the Guru's Seven-Line Prayer, that section with the cloud of blessings recites the mantra of Guru Skull Garland Power (in Tibetan: Pema Tötreng Tsal). Therefore, according to the visualization, we should visualize Guru Skull Garland Power, which is the Ocean of Wisdom form of Guru Rinpoche. We normally visualize the Ocean of Wisdom form because we're reciting his mantra: "TÖTRENG TSAL VAJRA SAMAYA DZA DZA SARVA SIDDHI PHALA HUNG AH." However, if you don't want to make the visualization so complex, it's also acceptable to directly visualize Guru Vajrasattva while practising the Diamond Bridge.

We haven't introduced the visualization of Guru Skull Garland Power earlier because the detailed introduction to this practice and visualization comes during the Guru Yoga stage of the Diamond Bridge. Therefore, we generally don't want beginners to handle such complex visualizations initially. I believe I've seen the precious teacher's explanation of this part, but I can't find it at hand. If I find it, I'll share it with everyone.

Vajra Bridge Recitation

[Continuing with the translation, using "Vajra Bridge" instead]

Q14: Regarding the prayers before sitting practice, can we recite the lineage supplication or the thirteen... vajra commitments before the Seven-Line Prayer? If so, should this time be counted separately (i.e., not included in the meditation duration)? #practice_sequence #practice_timing

A: When practising the four mind-turnings, since the focus is on contemplative meditation, you may recite additional prayers to the teachers or lineage masters before sitting (during the pre-session phase). In the four mind-turnings section, this isn't strictly regulated. Since we count by time, it doesn't need to be counted separately - it's all included within the two-hour duration.

Q15: When dissolving the mantra garland into HUM, does it also go clockwise from inside out? #visualization_details #practice_technique

A: No, this is dissolution, so it goes from outside inward, not from inside outward.

If you're only visualizing the hundred-syllable mantra and the central HUM, then the hundred-syllable mantra dissolves into HUM.

If doing the three-layer visualization, the outermost layer is the hundred-syllable mantra, the middle layer is Vajrasattva's heart mantra "OM VAJRA SATTVA", and the innermost is HUM. During dissolution, the hundred-syllable mantra dissolves into "OM", "OM" dissolves into "VAJRA", "VAJRA" dissolves into "SA", "SA" dissolves into "TTVA", and "TTVA" dissolves into "HUM".

Vajra Bridge Practice Theory

Q16: Khenpo, I have a question about the section on infallible karma. There's an example of a monk who called other monks 'birds' and consequently was reborn as a bird for many lifetimes. I've also read a similar karmic story about a nun who, in anger, cursed the sangha calling them 'dogs'. Though she later recognised her mistake and practised with repentance, her negative karma ripened at death, leading to a hundred lives as a dog before finally being reborn human and taking refuge with the Buddha. My question is, since they recognised their mistakes and generated positive aspirations, why couldn't they completely purify their karma? #karma #repentance #karmic_consequences

A: The workings of karma are extremely subtle and difficult to explain fully. We know that certain karmic actions, particularly those directed towards the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha - including both noble sangha who have realised emptiness, such as those who have attained grounds or arhatship, and ordinary sangha groups of four or more monks), carry especially powerful consequences. With such powerful objects, whether repentance can completely purify the karma depends on the intensity of one's regret, the power of the antidotes applied, and whether one practises with the same level of determination as Milarepa, who was willing to sacrifice his life in repentance.

Repentance certainly has some effect, but the extent of purification and whether it can completely cleanse the karma is difficult to determine. It depends on each being's karmic circumstances and their inner resolve - their determination never to repeat such actions, the strength of their applied antidotes, and their dedication to intensive practice based on such motivation. We can only say that karma is inconceivable.

In the "Hundred Karma Stories", even many arhats had to experience karmic results after attaining arhatship. This doesn't mean they experienced suffering when the results manifested, because they had realised emptiness. Buddhism teaches that suffering comes not from circumstances themselves but from attachment.

Therefore, we should focus on two aspects: minimising negative actions while practising, and realising emptiness as soon as possible to cut suffering at its root.

Even though you can't eliminate karmic appearances - enlightened beings, bodhisattvas, and even Shakyamuni Buddha himself demonstrated experiencing headaches or foot injuries - arhats similarly show such appearances. However, we don't consider them to be suffering because they've eliminated attachment to the conventional five aggregates. Generally speaking, one needs to progress on two fronts: accumulating merit and purifying obscurations on one side, and cultivating the wisdom realising emptiness on the other.

Q17: Thank you, Khenpo. Leaving aside the numbers, how can we gauge whether our practice of the four mind-turnings is stable enough to move on to the next stage? #four_mind_turnings #practice_progress

A: Have we truly developed the four mind-turnings? In the short term, we might think we have, but looking at the long term, it may not be so stable. Setting aside numbers and session counts, many great masters including Patrul Rinpoche in "Words of My Perfect Teacher" provide verses summarizing their experience as standards. But in simple terms, I would say it's when you begin to distance yourself from the eight worldly concerns and lose interest in all worldly matters.

Practising the four mind-turnings and developing renunciation doesn't mean becoming world-weary; rather, it creates a sense of urgency and determination to pursue liberation and meaningful dharmic activities.

In life, we naturally prioritize various activities - sleep, food, earning money, business, work, or entertainment like movies, novels, or mobile phones. Without conscious thought, we tend to put certain activities first, reflecting what we consider important or preferable. However, when true renunciation develops, none of these matters anymore. Any free time is dedicated to dharma-related activities.

Let me clarify – dharma-related activities don't necessarily mean just reciting texts or sitting in meditation, or performing Buddhist rituals. What I mean is that you develop an awareness where everything you do is directed towards liberation and dharma practice; nothing else seems important.

Why do we call it "turning the mind towards dharma"? Because currently, our minds are completely oriented towards worldly concerns and samsara, including various pleasures like fine food, beautiful scenery, or short videos. But our mindset undergoes a significant transformation – you begin to see all these things as opportunities for liberation.

In the beginning, some might think this means completely abandoning food, drink, mobile phones, and spending all day meditating and reciting prayers. While this might happen initially, it's important to understand that this represents people's current understanding of what liberation-related activities look like. Later, you'll discover that it's not necessarily about formal practices – some people might appear to be praying and prostrating while their minds are filled with worldly concerns.

My point is that your practice becomes purer, free from mixed motivations, focused solely on liberation and freedom from suffering.

Q18: Khenpo, we know that self-grasping is the root of samsara, and initially, we view it as a real enemy to be defeated through practice. But as you've explained before, this "unfindable yet functioning thing" is self-grasping, and we suddenly realize this supposed enemy doesn't truly exist. Like a sword cannot cut space, facing this "unfindable enemy," our previous motivation and intention seem ineffective. Please guide us on how to adjust our motivation and approach to dealing with this "unfindable yet functioning" enemy. #self_grasping #practice_method

A: While theoretically we understand that its nature is empty - by empty, I mean it has no true, inherent existence.

However, knowing this is one thing, but it still functions. It functions because we have been feeding these habitual patterns since beginningless time, believing them to be truly existent. These patterns have become so deeply ingrained that we cannot overcome them simply through intellectual understanding. As people often say, "I know, but I can't do it." This is why we need to practice, why the Buddha taught 84,000 methods to counter it.

Moreover, the antidotes often require the three trainings of discipline, concentration, and wisdom. The only true antidote to self-grasping is the wisdom realizing emptiness. This wisdom isn't mere intellectual understanding but rather the wisdom that emerges when we truly master our mind.

Therefore, we first need discipline, which helps strengthen and stabilize our mind. Once we can master our mind, we can develop... after achieving shamatha (calm abiding), we can develop vipashyana (special insight). You'll find that all practices need to reach this stage.

Any method can work. Some people practice through guru yoga - when their devotion to the teacher becomes so intense that they weep uncontrollably and even faint, this represents a kind of concentration. It's not objectless concentration but rather intense one-pointedness, and in such a state of deep concentration, wisdom can dawn. This applies to generation stage practices, completion stage practices, Great Perfection practices, and even exoteric practices. Even with buddha-name recitation, we aim for one-pointed concentration.

So while we understand this intellectually, we truly need to practice. This practice isn't necessarily physical but rather about taming our mind and purifying our thoughts. Eventually, everything becomes dharma, and you see everything as buddha.

Therefore, beyond encouraging study and contemplation, we especially encourage practice - actually applying the teachings and taming our afflictions. Since afflictions arise from an agitated mind, taming them means allowing the mind to settle. When the mind becomes sufficiently settled and pure through concentration, original wisdom naturally emerges, and only then can it break through the layer of self-grasping.

Q19: Khenpo, besides practising the Vajra Bridge, I also recite other mantras, but sometimes I unconsciously develop discriminating thoughts. When pressed for time, I suddenly don't know which buddha or bodhisattva to pray to. Should I reduce these discriminating thoughts? If we consider the Vajra Bridge as our main practice, can we view all other practices as manifestations of Guru Padmasambhava? Can we recite the Guru's mantra single-mindedly, like in Pure Land practice?

Initially, I would pray to different buddhas and bodhisattvas according to specific needs, and feeling that the more deities I practiced with, the more confidence I had. But after starting serious practice, I found my discriminating mind increasing, unconsciously comparing different buddhas and bodhisattvas, unable to develop complete faith in the guru. Although I intellectually understand that the guru embodies all Three Jewels and possesses all qualities, I can't seem to generate this experience internally. I don't know how to correct these thoughts and develop single-pointed focus. #discriminating_mind #practice_choice #guru_devotion

A: Many practitioners initially approach practice with specific aims, treating buddhas and bodhisattvas like doctors - seeking White Tara or Medicine Buddha for health, Manjushri for wisdom, and so on, as if each deity has their own specialty. This is actually our ordinary discriminating mind at work. Any buddha, once enlightened, possesses equal qualities of great compassion, wisdom, and power. The only difference lies in their connection to us and thus our level of harmony with them.

Therefore, for most practitioners who feel equally connected to various buddhas and bodhisattvas but struggle with too many discriminating thoughts, we generally recommend first choosing one teacher with whom you feel a connection. Then, through guru yoga practice, realize that all buddhas and bodhisattvas are actually manifestations of the guru's skillful means.

In the Nyingma tradition, if you don't currently have a living teacher, Guru Rinpoche serves as the universal teacher. Since he brought Buddhism to Tibet, Tibetan Buddhism feels a particularly deep connection with him, so we can view all buddhas and bodhisattvas as his different manifestations for benefiting beings.

Therefore, we recommend focusing primarily on Guru Rinpoche practice, directing all prayers - whether for health, wealth, wisdom, or activities - to him. This can help reduce our discrimination regarding different buddhas and bodhisattvas.

Q20: Khenpo, I have a question about karma. Some teachers have mentioned that when one realizes emptiness, all karmic obscurations are purified. If so, why do some arhats and bodhisattvas demonstrate experiencing karmic results before passing away? As accomplished beings, they must have realized emptiness, so shouldn't their karmic obscurations be purified? Without karmic obscurations, what causes these experiences? #emptiness #karmic_obscurations #manifestation

A: Regarding emptiness, when bodhisattvas of the first ground or higher enter meditative equipoise, they're in a state of emptiness where they understand both positive and negative karma as dream-like illusions. They're not bound by karmic appearances because they lack attachment. However, in post-meditation, they're like ordinary beings, still experiencing these dream-like appearances. Their actions still carry the influence of previous afflictive and cognitive obscurations, so from the first to seventh grounds (the impure grounds), they still need to purify past habitual patterns, afflictive and cognitive obscurations. Only at the three pure grounds - eighth, ninth, and tenth - where there's no distinction between meditation and post-meditation, are afflictive obscurations completely eliminated, leaving only cognitive obscurations to purify.

Can bodhisattvas from first to seventh grounds regress? Yes, though not back to samsara. Even a sixth-ground bodhisattva might regress to first ground due to post-meditation habits or defilements, but they won't fall back into samsara because they understand karma's dream-like nature in meditation. The stories you find in Buddhist accounts always describe their post-meditation states, not their meditative equipoise, as they experience karmic effects due to past karma's shadows.

However, these experiences don't involve suffering. Even arhats who've realized selflessness and the emptiness of the five aggregates might experience karmic appearances but don't experience them as suffering. A truly realized being, even an arhat, would remain equal-minded if someone were praising and massaging their left hand while another were cursing and cutting their right hand, because they've transcended attachment to the five aggregates. Without such attachment, there's no suffering.

Thus, suffering comes from attachment, not from appearances themselves. Although Nagarjuna demonstrated passing away from a blade of kusha grass, and Maudgalyayana was beaten by heretics, these were just appearances - they experienced no suffering, having eliminated attachment.

This is why upon genuinely realizing emptiness, whether of personal selflessness or phenomenal selflessness, one never returns to samsara.

However, this doesn't mean karma is completely purified - one still experiences karmic results, but experiencing results doesn't equal suffering. These karmic appearances manifest because while in meditation they're in the ultimate state, in post-meditation they're in the conventional state, where the laws of interdependence and karma must be followed, so karmic appearances still manifest.