Renunciation in the Three Yanas by the 12th Chamgon Tai Situ Rinpoche

I was requested to talk about renunciation. Renunciation and abandonment comes up quite often. One of my old, old friends used to tell mewe used to have arguments over the fireplacethat Buddha was not a very nice person because he abandoned his whole family, including his son and wife. I used to try to talk to him, but as you know, some people can't hear what you are sayingthey just hear themselves talking through your mouth. So we agreed to disagree and we moved from the fireplace to the dining table and talked about other things, which is better. But it is such a simple thing and I don't understand why people don't understandrenunciation means you renounce yourself, your attachment and everything dear to you, for the benefit of everyone. That is renunciation. Abandonment is abandoning others for your enjoyment, your freedom and your desire.

So renunciation and abandonment are two totally different thingsyou renounce you for them, or you renounce them for you. It is quite easy to understand, but it has to be said in this manner to understand. Renunciation is a must, we must renounce. Otherwise, without renunciation of something we get nowhere. For example, if you want to keep your potatoes uncooked you would never get mashed potatoesyou have to renounce fresh potatoes in order to get mashed potatoes. Also if you want beautiful roses on your dining table then you have to renounce them from your gardencut them and de-thorn them, present them nicely in a vase and put them on your dining room table. You cant have them in your garden as well as on your table. Renunciation is just a way of saying this. Abandonment is also another way of saying thisif you have a bad habit you abandon it. If you have, lets say a strong attachment for smoking, drinking, taking drugs, or gambling, you abandon that, that is the right thing. You can use the word abandonment there.

By defining that I hope I got the issue across and now you have a basic understanding of what renunciation is and what abandonment is. I also hope my very old friend who is still alive but not here will also hear thishe will hear this in his dream or somewhere and stop arguing with me that Buddha was a bad person. Prince Siddhartha was a bad person! The exact word he used was irresponsible, can you believe that? IrresponsibleBuddha left his child and wife, and the next morning he was gone.

Now the next thing that you have to know is: what is renunciation? Abandonment we all know,

but what is renunciation? What makes us continue to be ineffective, not to mention doing something for others, but even in doing something for ourselves. What makes us inefficient at all of this? There are so many things, but it really boils down to two things:

attachment/clinging, and anger/rejection. And both of these boil down to one thing, ignorance. Nobody wants to do something that is bad for themselves, but we all donot knowingly but unknowingly. We think we are doing something good but we end up doing the wrong thing and that is ignorance.

Ignorance has so many levels. There is a very simple definition of ignorance and a very deep definition of ignorance, but the basic definition of ignorance is that we are not able to foresee the outcome of our actions, although our intentions might be right. Some people say the end is justified by the means and some people say the means justify the end. I disagree with both of them and I agree with both of them, it depends.

In this way then, renunciation of whatever makes our ignorance continue, whatever makes our greed, attachment and clinging continue, and whatever makes our anger, rejection and fear continue, we abandon. We disengage ourselves from those things. That is renunciation. At first there is a little bit of selfishness because we cannot honestly say that right from the beginning we are doing everything for everyone more than we are doing it for ourselves. Therefore at the beginning a little bit of selfishness is there. That is where, in the beginning of Lord Buddhas teachings of the Four Noble Truths, he talked about the truth of suffering, the cause and conditions of suffering, the cessation of suffering and the path to that cessation.

First we have to be free in order to free others. For example, if you try to free people whose hands and feet are tied behind their back, who are bound, if you have any chance, first you have to free your hands or your mouth so that you can undo the knots and then you can help others and free them. In the same way, in order to free others we have to be freesome aspect of us has to be free so that we can free others by using that freedom and that ability.

In this way we are working on ourselves first, and that is where you can say there is some selfishness involved there to begin with. Therefore you can say everything starts from our home, from us. We don't expect everyone to do everything and then we do the last thing, we have to do whatever we can first and then we help each and everyone else, one by one. From this point of view the first step of the first teaching of Lord Buddha is the Theravada, in which you look at samsara as the home of suffering, and you have to be out of the home of suffering. Samsara is a pit, a dungeon, a most unbecoming place, and you have to be out of it, then you can lead everyone else out of it, one by one.

So that is the first step of understanding, where the basic definition of renunciation comes first. But once we have made that first step then the second step is the Mahayana step. The

Mahayana step does not look at samsara as being like a dungeonsamsara is not a most unbecoming and terrible place, but samsara is where suffering begins and continues; suffering does not end in samsara, suffering continues and is cultivated in samsara. Therefore in Mahayana, instead of renouncing samsara, we get into samsara and suffer with others, we become an example for them to overcome the suffering that they are in. So we become one of them. We don't step away from it, but we get into it and we become one of them and suffer together and overcome the suffering ourselves so that we become an example. We become irrelevant, we are not just worshipped but we travel the path together.

In the first step it is not, you are out of samsara and others worship you so that they get out of samsara. You can only do that when you are sure that you will not be stuck in samsara. It is like a doctor who is treating leprosy; the doctor has to be immunized first so that they are not going to become a leprosy patient. Then the doctor can go into a leper colony and clean the wounds of each patient, dress them and treat them. They can also eat with them, cook with them, touch them, and do whatever has to be done to help each one of them. But without the first step, which is very strongly emphasized in the Theravada aspect of the dharma, then it is like me, who is not immunized, going into a leper colony to try to help them. I might be able to help them for six months, but then I will lose my fingers, my nose, my toes, etc and then I will have to be helped.

So that is the difference between the first and second stage. One cannot say that the Theravada is less than the Mahayana, because for a first step person the Theravada is more important than the Mahayana. If I go into a leper colony and try to treat them, it is okay, but I am being stupid because my efficiency will only be for a very short timemy ability to help people will only be for a very small number. Then what kind of a nuisance will I become? Instead of helping the community I will be one more leper instead of one more doctor. In this way the Theravada aspect of renunciation is more important for the Theravada level people, and the Mahayana aspect is more important for the Mahayana level of people; but we cannot say that one is better than the other.

Now when you go into the Mahayana, renunciation takes a totally, not different definition, but a different practical application. In Theravada, renunciation means you renounce being a samsaric person both physically and mentally. But in Mahayana, you renounce being a samsaric person mentally but not physically. But mentally Mahayana does not mean that you can have attachment, anger, jealousy, and all of that; you are supposed to be free from all of that. When you are free from all of that, then what is supposed to make you jealous? What is supposed to make you angry? What is supposed to make you attached? That is all irrelevant to you! When they are irrelevant to you, then it doesn't matter about being in the environment of all of that because you are immunized. For example, if you are sure that you will not steal anything then you can go into a treasure room without somebody watching over your shoulder

and without a security camera, because you know that everybody knows that you have no desire to steal anything.

In this way, renunciation in Mahayana means that you are renouncing everything that is involved with selfishness so that you are doing everything for others. Bodhichitta is not just mere compassion. Compassion is a good thing, but compassion is not necessarily bodhisattva compassion; compassion can be very worldly. For example, if you have compassion for the poor and you are angry at the rich; that is not bodhisattva compassion. It is compassion, but not bodhisattva compassion. Also having compassion for the uneducated but being angry at the educated, that is not bodhisattva compassion. It is compassion alright, but not bodhisattva compassion. Also having compassion for the sick but not for the healthy is not bodhisattva compassion. Bodhisattva compassion is for all, regardless of whether they are underprivileged, over privileged or just okay.

The ultimate goal of bodhisattva compassion is for all sentient beings to reach Buddhahood, therefore it is called bodhichitta. Otherwise where does bodhichitta ever come? You just say a compassionate person, a compassionate heart, a person who has pity and a person who is not ruthless. Anyway, that is the definition of renunciation in Mahayana.

Then in Vajrayana renunciation has a different meaning. But before talking about that I want to point out very clearly that of course I am a Vajrayana practitioner, but am I a one hundred percent Vajrayana practitioner? Absolutely not. I am a Vajrayana practitioner who is practicing Mahayana as well as Theravada, altogether. If I was a one hundred percent Vajrayana practitioner then I would have to live like Tilopa, Naropa and Maitripa etc., and I would not be wearing these robes. So I am Theravada, I am Mahayana, and I am Vajrayana. I am not one hundred percent Vajrayana, not one hundred percent Theravada, and not one hundred percent a Mahayana bodhisattva; but all mixed, which is what Vajrayana Buddhism of Tibet is.

If you don't understand this I will give you a very simple example. When Naropa was ready to practice tantra it was very difficult for him to leave his most honorable and most venerable monastic duty. So what did he do? He threw an eight thousand shloka Prajnaparamita text into a river so that everybody would say he was a really bad monk and throw him out of the monastery. What a terrible thing!

I just went to the Ganges river and everybody was crazy about itin the freezing cold, hundreds of thousands of people were dipping themselves in it, which most people dare not even touch it. They dip in it and they even drink it, so what is the difference between an altar and the river?

So at Naropa's level, what is the difference between a river and an altar? For him, at his level,

maybe the river is cleaner than the altar, maybe better than the altar.

But of course, you and I, we can't do that. We can't even throw one page of sacred dharma into a river. We have to put dharma texts on the altar and wrap it up with lots of beautiful cloth, one on top of the other. If we can afford it we should cover it with diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds with gold and silver threads woven into it, in the most beautiful way possible. We put that underneath and on top of it, have an umbrella on top and even a seat underneath it. That is our level, right? But for Naropa, at his level, there is no difference between an emerald and a piece of rock. Therefore he managed to practice the Vajrayana, tantra, totally. I don't know about you, but I am not ready for it, I am not at that level. Therefore I am very happy to be in this wonderful sacred cocoon of Mahayana and Theravada and be able to practice Vajrayana, tantra, in a most safe and guaranteed wayI take no risks, I am not a gambler.

In this way then, we understand the definition of true tantra and true Vajrayana. In true Vajrayana there is only one thing that is crucial and that is samayabased on samaya you have to function. You renounce everything for samaya; you keep samaya. In order to keep samaya, renounce everything. How much do we have to renounce? There is no number, we have to renounce everything. Everybody is a deity, everything is a mandala, every sound is mantra, every thought is wisdom, samadhi, and you have to keep this samaya. I cant. For example, I like mineral water, but I can't drink from the Ganges today, but in pure tantric samaya we can do that. In my mind Buddha is up there, I am down here and other sentient beings are way belowthere is somebody above me, somebody below me, and somebody at the same level. But in pure tantra you can't do that, all are the same. But unless you have truly reached that level, you can't comprehend it. Even if you try and pretend to comprehend it, I guarantee you, the first thing that will happen is that you will end up behind bars!

In Tibetan Buddhism we hear a lot about miracles. But sometimes people dont want to talk about miracles. I understand why they don't want to talk about miracles, but I want to talk about miracles. Why? Because in order to practice tantra, truly, as a true Vajrayana practitioner, you have to have miracles. For example, if you are a true tantric practitioner nobody can put you behind barsthey dont exist for you. If people put you inside, behind bars, you will appear everywhere. If people go to America you will be there, if they go to Russia you will be there, if they go to Sri Lanka you will be there, if they go to the moon you will be there, if they go to Mars you will be there. You are everywhere! So you have to have that kind of level of liberation in order to practice that level of tantra.

In this way, renunciation in tantra is renunciation of anything that is dualisticdualism, the self, others, limitations, all have to be renounced. In fact, the only way to renounce them is to be free from them. Then for you, earth, air, fire, water, space, all will be equal. That is why we

can talk about Milarepa flying in the sky and the miracles of the three Khampas.

The three Khampasthe first Karmapa Dusum Khyenpa, Phagmo Drupa and Saltong Shogomeven before they went to see Gampopa to receive transmission they had done a lot of miracles. The three of them came from different places and met together in one place. They tried to make tea but they didn't have a pot, they just had a net. So one of them said okay, I will bring the water, and he went to the river and bought water in the net. They didn't have any rope to bundle twigs, so one of them said I will make the twigs walk and made the twigs walk to the fire. In Tibet we don't have any matches but we have iron, stone and flowers, so with those three things we make fire. Every person has a pouch with metal at the end, and inside the pouch there is a small stone and a handful of dried flowers. They are special flowers, we call them tawa, and we make fire from this. But the three Khampas didn't have any of that. Also every person has in their saddle bags a kind of hose that when you press makes air; so a small fire becomes a big fire. But the three Khampas didnt have that either. So one of them said okay, I will make a fire, and he put his fingers out and from his fingers came air which made the fire big. The three Khampas then boiled their tea in a net. So even before they met Gampopa they were able to do that. That's for real.

A miracle is proof that somebody is a tantric practitioner. Of course someone can pretend this way and that way. I think you understand what I mean. But if theyre pretending that way and there is no miracle shown, that means there is no miracle.

You can test me very easily as to whether I am a one hundred percent tantric practitioner or not. For example, when I go out of this room, how do I go back home? I hop in my jeep and somebody drives it and I get there. That means I am not able to perform a miracle. Otherwise I would be sitting here and then just disappear. That means I would be a true tantric practitioner. But as long as I cant do that, then I don't pretend this way or that way. Therefore I am not qualified to say I am a one hundred percent tantric practitioner like Tilopa, Naropa, Marpa or Milarepa. But I am their follower, of course.

Now you can see the definition of renunciation in Theravada, Mahayana and tantra-Vajrayana. Renunciation has different meanings and different depths and different levels, and I can guarantee you, I promise you, when I can perform miracles, then I will show you. Then when you invite me to Europe, or America or wherever, I will not waste your money on buying a plane ticket. I will just appear there. You just arrange my throne and then there I am! That will mean that I am a true one hundred percent tantric practitioner, not Mahayana or Theravada, but a pure tantric practitioner. Until then I am all three in one; practicing all three in one.

Tibetan Buddhism has a term for that, sumden dorje zinpa. Sum means three; den is having, so having the three; and dorje means vajra, zinpa means you hold the Vajrayana lineage as

practicing all three together. You follow the Theravada so that you have basic discipline and don't fall into samsara. You have basic discipline as a monk, a nun or as an upasakalay people also take vows and we call them upasaka. There are all kinds of levels, a full upasaka or just one, two or three vows. Then we take the bodhisattva vow so that we can take care of our motivation and don't become free just for ourselves, we want to be free for everyone. Then we also take Vajrayana tantric initiations, empowerments and transmissions so that we don't look at sentient beings like they are sentient beings foreversentient beings are Buddha in the making. The essence and primordial nature and potential of each sentient being is Buddha, therefore we should be able to respect them in this way.

So all three together, then we have lots of mantras, lots of rituals, lots of meditations and all of them are tantric, but we don't do them as one hundred percent tantra. For example, we make blessed offering out of cake, and we bless nectarwe have a small cup of whiskey and put some juice in it, some blessing substance in it, and everybody has a small drop. That is how we practice tantra. Sometimes we even replace that with milk or have only juice, but that I feel is going a little bit too far. There should be one or two drops of the real thing (alcohol) therethe unbecoming thingso that there is something to be transformed. Milk is wonderful, but at the same time, scientifically speaking, milk is white bloodthe glands turn it into white but it is the same material.

Anyway, there are different levels of renunciation and different levels of abandonment, but ultimately there is no difference. Ultimately there is no difference between good and bad. Is there a difference between one side of my hand and the other? Ultimately there isn't. But relatively, between one side of my hand and the other side of my hand, there is a very big difference. For example, you might not mind too much whether the back of my hand is that clean or not, but definitely you want the palm side of my hand to be very clean if I give you food! So good and bad, renunciation and abandonment, positive and negative, virtue and nonvirtue, ultimately there is no difference but relatively there is a very big difference.

So relatively differences are there, but knowing that ultimately there are no differences, we don't cling to these differences in a neurotic kind of manner. Therefore, we observe and follow good conduct and manners, and follow it doing our best. That is how we can relate to renunciation and abandonment, and good and bad.

Now I hope that this subject, which seems to be quite complicated for lots of people, I have managed to clear up something. Although I have spoken about it in quite a lot of detail, I am sure your feedback and questions will help to clarify it. So now instead of just me talking I will let you talk and ask your questions.

Questions

Question: In talking about Vajrayana, in India there is the concept of siddhas. Regardless of whether a person has travelled any path of renunciation or not, whether Theravada or Mahayana, I mean physical and mental, they give a kind of direct transmission of kundalini, and when it moves up it automatically transforms that person. If that is true, then what is the difference between this sort of siddha and this direct transmission in Vajrayana? Rinpoche: I dont know a hundred percent because I think you are talking more about a pure Hindu concept. But I am talking in a Buddhist concept. But because Buddha was from a Hindu family, how much difference is there I really don't know. I am not trying to be diplomatic. I am not a diplomatic person. Anyway, the direct transmission of such a thing is possible if the master has the ability to see the disciples mind, their karma, their level, and their maturity, clearly. Because a person might not have gone through all of the Theravada levels in this life, but they may have gone through that in many, many past lives, therefore they don't have to repeat the whole thing again.

I have seen the kundalini; we have something like kundalini in Buddhism, but it is not exactly a hundred percent the same. That energy is very easy to unleash, but it is very, very dangerous, because if it is unleashed once it will work by itself, so as soon as you try to meditate and calm down, it will be active. For example, if you have not been through all the stages and all the steps then it is like putting a fire under a glass, it will break. But if you put the same fire under a metal pot it will only boil the water inside. Also lighting a candle is very easy, but then what happens afterwards?

This is just an example. But tantra is not just about the kundalini, there are so many things, that is just one of the most simple things, a physical thing. It hasn't even gone beyond this physical body, it is very simple. I will give you a bad example. If a person is hit in the middle of their body it is very difficult to fix, but if a person is hit in their arms or legs, it is easier for the doctor to fix them. Kundalini is about that. So anybody who has a body has kundalini; it is a physical thing, and you can unlock it if you know the method. The method is not that difficult to know or learn. So if a master is willing to teach you the method then anybody can do it, with a little bit of a stable mind of course. You have to be stable to do anything. But if you unleash the kundalini of somebody, then will that person be a tantric practitioner? No. First you unleash the kundalini and then the next thing is you might send that person to a mental hospital instead of enlightenment!

Question: Rinpoche, what do you consider the most effective practices to promote renunciation? Rinpoche: I think as a Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhist, one who practices all three things together, I think the most important thing is bodhichitta. When you have true bodhichitta,

then it covers everything from the highest tantra to the most basic Vinaya, it covers the whole area. Then there is no difficulty to practice any of these so-called renunciations, or whatever you call them.

I will give you an example. When for you there is no difference between a piece of gold and a piece of aluminum, then just to make people feel good, and so they have no problem, you sit and teach on a gold throne. Youre not attached to it, but people somehow feel more devoted and that it is more precious when there is a gold throne on which you are sitting and teaching the dharma. The dharma has more value then than if you had an aluminum throneit would have less inspiration. In that way, when you have true bodhichitta, then whatever will benefit others is the first thing. This way bodhichitta is the most important.

Bodhichitta means: I wish to attain Buddhahood for all sentient beings to attain Buddhahood. So out of loving kindness, joy and impartiality, then you perform activity. That is what I can say right now as an answer to your question. But of course there must be other ways also, but this is what I can think of.

Question: What would be the initial steps for a beginner to start progressing on renunciation in a big city like Delhi? Rinpoche: Lets say any ridiculous habit that you haveall of us have some ridiculous habits. A ridiculous habit is something that is no good for your health, no good for your mind, no good for your friends; it is no good for anybody. Those kinds of ridiculous habits that each one of us has, we renounce those first, which I think is good for us and for everybody around us. After that then we see the next ridiculous thing. For example, if you have a family, lets say you have a husband or wife, children, the whole thing, first all of you see something that is ridiculousall of you are able to say this is ridiculousthen you give that up, you all agree. Then after that there will be more clarity and you will see something else that is ridiculous. So step by step.

It is like peeling an onionyou peel each layer, one by onefirst you have to find what is the most ridiculous thing, as a habit, that you have in your life and around you and you give that up. Then the next thing will be very clear.

Question: Rinpoche, my main ridiculous mental thing is that I have a lot of jealousy, which manifests on a lot of occasions. When you say as a daily practice, just keep trying to give it up, can you please explain how to give it up? Its not that easy. Just give it up means what? Rinpoche: For some people it is very simple and for others it is difficult. The more intellectual you are the more difficult it is. It is like when somebody asks me, How are you? If I try to define the meaning of how are you, it is very difficult and I cannot answer, so I give up. It is ridiculous, so I give that up and I say, I am fine, how are you? So you have to do something

like that.

Actually, because you are able to say that in front of all of us, that means you don't have that much jealousy. If you had strong jealousy, very, very deep jealousy, then you would not be able to say that it in front of all of us here. So you don't have that much jealousy, sometimes you dosometimes you have a little something but it is not a big deal.

But I think you have to make a first step, like me saying I am fine, how are you? Try something like that but don't try to go really deep into each little thing. Otherwise, with me, I took a vow not to lie, but first thing in the morning I lie. Somebody says How are you? Then I say I am fine how are you? When they say Im fine Ive also made somebody else lie! Nobody is fine in this world, everybody has problems. But I would be there talking to that person for a week if I answered their question about how I am without lying.

So you do that and then the second step will be that you will see things a little more clearly.

Question: Rinpoche, the dependent existence of mind and body, that is refuted in analytical meditation, like for example when searching for the I, so how are mind and body related? Rinpoche: I will ask someone to pinch you, then you will know how mind and body are related!

Mind and body are related in so many ways. Even one hundred volumes with eight hundred pages could not cover it. For example, how you came into this body and you happen to be here now in this body in Delhi goes back for trillions and trillions of lifetimes, and it goes back to limitless space. Also, how come we, the human beings of this planet Earth have hair on our heads and not somewhere else, why? It has everything to do with every star in the sky, every planet, every universe, the basic elements (fire, water, earth, air, space), all of this, combinations of all of this. Then what we have done in countless lifetimes in our past lives, what our fathers have done, what our mothers have done, and what their fathers and mothers have done, it has everything to do with all of that. It is an impossible riddle that we try to solve. It is like sorting that out a riddle, what is as small as a microscopic square and as big as from here to somewhere one million light years away. It is impossible.

But it is so simpleyou are in your body already and you feel how you feel. You have your family, you look the way you look, you sound the way you sound, you think the way you think, you feel the way you feel, so it is very simple. You are like the essence of all of those things that happened in the pastthe fingerprint of the countless lifetimes of yours and everybody elses. In that way you are connected in your body, also in that way you will be separated from that body, and you will have your next body which will definitely not look like your current one, it will be very different.

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So everything is inter-related. When you talk about inter-relatedness, good astrologers manage to predict people's future because everything is inter-related. If they know even one percent or half a percent of what everything is, then they are somehow able to figure it out. Also why doctors are able to cure your sickness through medicine and diagnose is because they have just minus one percent of what there is to know. They are able to use that knowledge and that information and that kind of inter-related truth, relative truth. This is the proof of interdependence.

Then a simple thing is, for example, if somebody here says a nasty thing then all of us will feel bad, and if somebody here says a nice thing then all of us will feel good. That is one very simple example of interdependence.

Another thing is, if we go a little bit further, if somebody cuts down too many trees in Brazil then we will have no rain here. Then there will be no drinkable water except in bottles. Actually we have already come to the stage where in most parts of the world you cannot drink any flowing water; you have to have it in a bottle. Of course it is very good for the business people who bottle the water, for a short time, but in the long term it is very bad because after some time we will not even be able to bottle the water. We will have to add such powerful chemicals to make it drinkable that it is not really drinkable any more.

So in this way, interdependence on that level is like that. Then every sentient being is interdependentevery one of us has been the father, the mother, the brother, the sister, the husband, the wife, everything to everyone; countless times. That way we are all connected, for countless lifetimes. I am not saying that I know, but it has to be that way, otherwise nothing makes sense. In the entire universe whatever amount of sentient beings there are, they have all been everything for each one of us countless times, not just one once but countless times. That is how we are inter-related.

But I don't understand your question with renunciation, but maybe you are not connecting this. Same Student: I was not connecting it. Rinpoche: Okay, than that makes my job easier.

Question: How can we renounce attachment? Rinpoche: Attachment is the most common defilement of human beings, we are the realm of desire. Again, there are so many levels of attachment; some attachments we have to keep and some attachments we have to develop.

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For further teachings by Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa, see Palpung Zhyisil Chokyi Ghatsal Publications: http://www.greatliberation.org/shop

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