Transcription
Hello everyone, good morning. From here, I would like to welcome all of you and thank you very much for joining this online teaching. I'm very happy to be able to teach all of you the most important teaching: the the the Bodhisattva's Way of Life. Um, as probably you all remember, Shantideva was born in the 8th century in India and became a Buddhist uh philosopher, and he is best known for this influential text, um, Bodhisattva's Way of Life. So this text emphasizes cultivating bodhicitta through practicing the six perfections, six paramitas. That's Shantideva's motivation. Remember, he said, "May I be a protector for those without one, a guide for all uh uh liberation travelers on the way. May I be a bridge and a boat for all who wish to cross the ocean, the river."
So Shantideva emphasized bodhicitta, the altruistic intention to achieve liberation for the benefit of others, and as the foundation of the Bodhisattva path, Mahayana path. So this teaching had a profound influence on Mahayana Buddhism. Uh, so if someone wants to practice bodhicitta, this teaching is, as I mentioned many times, the best because this text provides a detailed step-by-step guide to developing bodhicitta, and it addresses both relative and um ultimate aspects of bodhicitta. The aspiration to benefit all beings through compassionate action is related to bodhicitta, right, and the wisdom of emptiness relies in the true nature of reality is what we call ultimate bodhicitta.
So this teaching is about universal human challenges such as dealing with uh all kinds of negative emotions: anger, attachment, jealousy, and cultivating joy and uh finding purpose. And it addresses real-world challenges with practical advice and makes it easier to embody bodhicitta in daily life. So this teaching is very practical and makes it easier for practitioners to uh integrate bodhicitta into their lives and take them on the Bodhisattva path. So this is how we integrate this teaching into our life effectively. So don't have too many ideas; just focus on this practice, bodhicitta. If we have too many ideas about our practice, it may lead to uncertainty about where to begin, and if you jump from one idea to another, you will not give each one enough time to fully experience in your mind.
So people always like to practice different things, but I think practicing bodhicitta is everything. There is no way to practice Mahayana purely without bodhicitta, dharma purely. So begin by um reading this text, right, slowly, one chapter or a few stanzas at a time. Then you choose a good and clear translation with commentary if you need it, but maybe you don't need it. I am explaining all these stanzas, try to, you know, in your language, in your courtship. Sure. So I hope you understand this text, but if you need commentary, there are a few good commentaries already in English; you can read it. And then you need to reflect on key stanzas that inspire you. For example, for me, I told you many times, um, the uh first chapter, the ED stanza, is the key stanza that inspires me the most and is beneficial when I think about it. So whatever you like and inspires you the most, uh you have to reflect on that over and over again and again.
And then each morning, dedicate your day to cultivating bodhicitta. Say something like, "May I act today in a way that uh benefits others and brings them um happiness, even little happiness." Um, you see this um simple intention really helps shift your focus from self-centered concern to a compassionate mindset. So reflect on the kindness of others, including people you don't know personally, but recognize how um interconnected um your life is with theirs. So we have to make small acts of kindness daily; that's the foundation for bodhicitta. We we don't have to wait, you know, uh do things that you know help others um until we successfully, you know, generate bodhicitta in our mind. We don't have to wait; it's like even like small acts of kindness in daily and in our life; that's that's the foundation; that's how you practice bodhicitta. Take step by step and start with small actions, uh even like your mental action inside, in your mind.
And also you should know that anger is one of the, in Buddhist um viewpoint, the anger is one of the biggest obstacles to bodhicitta. So when someone uh frustrates you, try to sort of remember um Shantideva's instructions and u especially the patience chapter and then reflect on them during, try to, you know, reflect on them during the challenging moments if you can. So the key point is whatever you do, think of it as an opportunity to practice bodhicitta. Think like, "May this action bring comfort, happiness to others." It's a small action, mental action, but it's it's it's the best sort of is is foundation, develop bodhicitta in your mind in daily life. Shantideva himself was a great practitioner, so his teachings are not an intellectual thing, you know. So he's he's a great practitioner; his teachings encourage us to start where we are, where we are, with small but uh consistent steps, transforming ordinary life into a path of compassion and wisdom. And in order to do that, we have to focus on our inner development rather than the outer situation. So we cannot control everything that arises outside, but if we develop inside through practicing bodhicitta, then we control both the inner and outer situation, then we have um um peace of mind, and this peace of mind comes from um our inner practice, bodhicitta.
So the purpose of uh Shantideva's teaching is to benefit us, benefit all um who um are practicing, you know, this text, bodhicitta, uh the way of Bodhisattva. So anyway, if we use this teaching in our practice, it will help us live more um peacefully, uh meaningfully; that is uh what's important. So now I'm going to pick up where I left off last class, which is the 48th stanza. It says, "In the Dharma they have realized in their hearts, which eliminates the fear of samsara, and also to the assembly of Bodhisattvas, I genuinely go for refuge in the same manner as I mentioned before." This teaching addresses perfections, right, and negative karma and the accumulation of merit as preparation for generating bodhicitta. The the the the perfection practice we have is uh remember four powers, and we finished the first power, the power of regret, right, um in the last class. We talked about the power of support, right, which is taking refuge in the three jewels. When we take refuge in the three jewels, um we are not doing it just for a day, but until we eliminate mental afflictions and are free from suffering. That's how we take refuge vows in three jewels.
So in order to follow the right advice, we need to act, not just pray and not just hope. So if we are not able to follow the advice of the Buddha, advice of Bodhisattvas like Shantideva, then there is no such thing as taking refuge in them; there is no such thing as refuge vows. You can uh keep the logical order is this: first recognize the mistakes of our wrong actions, and then we feel and process regret as it can lead to meaningful growth. Use this regret to understand the root cause of the mistakes and root cause of the suffering, and then we look for protection, right, support and guidance. With their instructions, we can move towards improvement for mistakes we made in the past. The Buddha said this right before he passed away: "My dear friends, you should respect each other and follow my teachings, try to control your mind and do not make mistakes that cause you and others suffering." And he also said, "If you neglect my teachings, it means that you have never met me; it means that you are far from me, even if you are actually with me. But if you accept and practice my teachings, then you are very near to me, even though you are far away." He also said that you don't really see me just because you see my body. Only if you accept my teachings and practice them then you truly see me; you are truly with me all the time. So he said, "My dear friends, this is my last moment, but do not forget that death is only the end, is the only the end of the the physical body, but the true Buddha is not in a human body, not in a human body. A human body must need to die, but the wisdom of enlightenment will be there forever in the and and and the truth of the Dharma and and the practice of the Dharma teachings."
So as Buddhist practitioners, we study together, we learn together, practice Dharma teachings together under the three jewels; it is our support, it is our guidance. So we have to follow; we have to do it; we have to act; otherwise, there is no, what do you mean by like taking refuge vows in three years if you don't act, if you don't practice Dharma teaching? There's no such thing as taking refuge vows. So in the in the last class, we talked about teachings on seeking refuge in the Buddha. Remember how many times you recite last stanzas? There we talked that how you you have to study, you have to learn, you have to concentrate, you know, you have to meditate. Now here this stanza is about taking refuge in Dharma, right, and and Bodhisattvas. So we're going to take refuge in them as well. It says, "In the Dharma they have realized in their hearts, which eliminates fear of samsara," all right. So when the Buddha still was on the path of learning, he gathered the accumulations of merit and wisdom, and finally, after he attained liberation, he said, "I have found a nectar-like Dharma, which is profound, which is peace, beautiful, which is luminous," right. So this is the meaning of "In the Dharma they have realized in their hearts." Shantideva here, "In the Dharma they have realized in their hearts, which eliminates fear of samsara," fear of emo, negative emotions; that's why we should take refuge in the Dharma. If we practice Dharma, it eliminates suffering of samsara and fear of samsara. If we practice Dharma, we will experience, we will will have realization of profound, peaceful luminousness as as Buddha himself realized; we're not different. And also from today onward, I genuinely go for refuge to the noble sas, the assembly of Bodhisattvas is my companions. So now um we're talking about this uh power of support. Now the next 49th stanza, uh taking Bodhic um refuge in um uh Buddha, Dharma, Sangha. So it says, "Overwhelmed by fear, I offer myself to Samada and to Manjushri as well. I make an offering of my own body." Okay. So here it says, "Overwhelmed by fear," the fear of death, fear of uh what comes in the intermediate state after death, the fear of falling into the lower realms in the next life, etc. Someone can protect us from these fears by offering wisdom, guidance, and a sense of refuge. So this protection often comes in different ways, depends on your beliefs or your perspective. So fear arises from the unknowing, right, or um misunderstanding. Spiritual teachings can remove the fear of death by practicing and according to here, offering. So in Buddhism, we take refuge in Buddha and Bodhisattvas because this provides a sense of safety and comfort, and it helps reduce our fear of death and uh the fear of lower realms. So here we um offer ourselves to some of the bad in Manjushri; we are asking them to protect us from these fears. And protection doesn't mean eliminating our fear entirely, but empowering us to face it with cre uh trust and understanding. It's a combination of inner transformation and external support. So the most important method for eliminating fear is living with peace and letting go of go of attachment to our body. That's why it says here, mentioned Shantideva mentioned here, offering our body to Bodhisattvas is the great and good method; that's the stanza. And then now the 50th stanza [Music]. It says, "To the protector of whose compassionate activity is without delusion, I I cry out in the depths of um desperation, please grant me your protection, evil as I am." I mentioned before this section is uh the power of support, which is seeking refuge in the three jewels and seeking uh help um in the Bodhisattvas, those who who possess the power of genuine compassion, bodhicitta and love. So here again, take refuge in Avalokiteshvara, the compassionate Bodhisattva whose activities are always unmistakable. But again, it's our responsibility to eliminate fear and unhappiness. So taking refuge and saying the prayers and mantras can be a very very powerful method for eliminating fears and unhappiness, as it often provides comfort and a sense of uh connection, good connection. For some people, prayer brings inner peace and helps them um eliminate their fear and unhappiness. However, it will be difficult to eliminate unhappiness only through prayers without um sort of training our minds through meditation, uh effort. So it's like if you wanted to uh go to the other side of the river, but you don't want to cross the water by walking or you don't want to take a boat or anything else, you just sit and pray. Think about that: is it possible to get to the other side of the river through your prayer alone? Impossible. Prayer will inspire you to get into the boat; that's the benefit of prayers and mantras and all these rituals that we practice. Similarly, if you don't train your mind through meditation and practice, it will be difficult to eliminate negative emotions just by saying some prayers and mantras. I mean, you know, but saying some prayers can inspire you to work with your mind through meditation; that's important to understand as Buddhist practitioners. Okay. Otherwise, some people just sit down and say prayers and mantras um without sort of good um understanding or good uh visualizations, good meditation, just to say prayers, um I mean it's still good, but not not you know, it cannot um eliminate um negative uh emotions and develop bodhicitta in our mind. The best way to practice bodhicitta, and whether you sit down or you are, you know, doing other things, just be mindful and not harm others and understanding what is the purpose of this life. I mean, you know, we all going to, as Buddha said, you know, the physical body must end and die, and then we talk about these things like hundreds, thousands of times. We leave behind everything, so what is the point? What is the point of this life? We have to recognize; we have to understand that um and do something, whatever you think the best, whatever you think what is, whatever you understand the purpose of your life, okay? That's I think very important because we never know in the next whether we have a chance, opportunity to do something or not. So right now we have this great opportunity; we should do something every single day. Now the next uh 51st stanza [Music]. "To Arya Garpa and all the lords of great compassion, seeking refuge, I cry out to you from my heart." Remember, today's the topic, the teaching is about the power of support, right, the four powers. So you all understand that this is so important. So power, the four powers, uh this is the perfection practice, right, so that we can generate bodhicitta; that's the point. So the support, power of support, today we are talking here about the the three jewels, and then the last is we're talking about basically taking refuge in Bodhisattvas. The Buddha, Dharma, Sangha means Bodhisattvas, right? So here it says is take refuge in Akash Garba and Krishna Garba, two Bodhisattvas here. So Krishna Garba is a great Bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism, namkinyangu in Tibetan; it means essence of space, his name uh and symbolizing vastness, wisdom, and infinite compassion. He is particularly associated with uh the fulfillment of wish and potential for spiritual growth, and he is often invoked for perfection. Kabukuer said uh that since we took all different kinds of vows, right, but we have not kept them as purely as we were supposed to, so it is important to rely on Akash Garba practice with prostrations and offerings to purify our broken vows. And as the Buddha said, uh means means Arya is like a walking walking stick for beginner Buddhist practitioners who have committed a downfall. And also here we take uh refuge in um Krishna Garba, and he is another Bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism, and we call him um Saiyang boy in Tibetan; it means um um earth treasury um or the essence of the earth, symbolizing his deep vow to remain in the world until all beings are liberated from suffering. He is famous for his profound vow to delay his own enlightenment until all beings in samsara have been freed. His commitment makes him a figure of immense compassion and selflessness; that's why we call him a great Bodhisattva. Krishna Garba one time told us he had a vision of Krishna Garba, and he said that u this Bodhisattva is protecting us. So it's important that we practice his mantra, his ritual. So since then, he created a ceremony of Krishna Garba for one week every year at Lon Monastery, Lungar, and at that time, um you know, people uh came to Lungar from all over Tibet, and we practiced together uh Krishna Garba's uh ritual and prayers and mantras. According to Kim, he's he considered this so important, we have a connection; he always says that. So we should practice Krishna Garba um purify our you know negative uh karma. And Krishna Garba is also often invoked for protection, especially for children in in and and and and travelers. Uh parents and the people in Asia commonly pray to him for the well-being of their family members and especially their children who have died prematurely. So Krishna Garba especially protects those who act out all kinds of afflictions, so he will protect us from broken vows and the fear of death if we practice him uh and correctly, you know, uh so that's power of support; we taking we take refuge in these Bodhisattvas in order to generate bodhicitta in our mind. Now the next 52nd stanza: "I take refuge in Vajrapani, holder of the vajra, upon the sight of whom all harmful beings such as the messenger of the lord of death scatter in the four directions." So here we again take refuge in Vajrapani; he is a significant figure in Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism, right? So his name is Chagna in Tibetan; it means the holder of Vajra. Um, he represents the power and strength of the Buddha. Vajrapani is considered one of the uh three principal Bodhisattvas; remember Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri, and Vajrapani; they represent compassion, wisdom, and power, which is you know Buddha's qualities: power uh uh compassion, wisdom, and power. Vajrapani symbolizes indistractibility, spiritual power, and the ability to destroy obstacles and break through fear, all these you know different kinds of fears. If you practice Vajrayana because he's he's the he's um he he represents uh the power, you know, he has a power to break through all these fears. If we practice Vajrapani's homat, um he is associated with Vajrayana practice and rituals and embodying the energy required for spiritual transformation. So Vajrayana practitioners invoke him for their strength, courage, and protection on the path to enlightenment. Okay. So here we take refuge in Vajrapani in order uh purify and break through all these fears, unhappiness, and generate bodhicitta. Now the next 53rd [Music] stanza: "In the past I transgressed your teachings, but now seeing such a great teacher, I take you as my refuge. By doing so, swiftly move all my fears." In this section, the power of support, we seek protection and refuge in Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for the sake of all beings and for ourselves. The reason we seek refuge is because we wish to purify our negative karma so that we will not experience the suffering that inevitably happens from it. So we must uh seek refuge in someone who is able to help us. This is similar to when we are, I think, when we are sick, we go to a doctor, and we hope to get better. But the thing is, if we don't follow their advice, we will not get better, just seeing a doctor and having them tell us what to do. If we don't follow their advice, right, that's that's very understandable, right? Likewise, if we take refuge in Buddhas and Bodhisattvas but don't follow their advice, don't follow their teachings, then the connection we have uh sort of can become a uh superficial, or we cannot, meaning you know, if we don't follow their teachings, don't practice basically um there you know we we we can't, there is no protection, there is no refuge. And here again, without practice and their teachings, taking refuge is just uh symbolic rather than effective. We can say like, "Oh, we are Buddhist; I take refuge in three jewels," that's a kind of like symbolic; you can say that, but we are not really Buddhist. So the result of not following their teachings is suffering of samsara will continue; that means since three jewels cannot remove all the fears and suffering we go through if we don't follow and we don't practice their teachings. They guide us towards freedom from negative cycles; that's how we eliminate suffering. So the true or genuine refuge comes from trust and effort to embody those teachings in daily life; that's so important to understand.
So in this stanza, it talks about in the past we um ignored their teachings out of laziness or ignorance. We have up until now acted against their teachings and their wishes, right? The teachings always say, "Don't harm yourself; don't harm others." We do that; that means we sort of in the past we acted against sort of their teachings and their wisdom, their wishes, all that. So we have committed negative actions; we have failed to engage in positive actions; therefore, now we experience unhappiness, suffering, full of negativities, negative emotions. So now we want to take refuge again in them. Good thing is in Buddhism it is never too late to take refuge; whenever we need to take it, even we take refuge in the Buddha, Bodhisattvas at the moment of death, it can still create powerful uh positive mental states and karmic imprints that influence future rebirths and future sort of experiences. So never let, if a person sincerely takes refuge with faith, trust, and genuine wish to connect with them, it can help calm the mind, reduce fear. So in Mahayana Buddhism, for example, it is taught that reciting the name of uh um Amitabha Buddha with sincere devotion at the time of death can lead to rebirth in his pure land, right? Let's say, even if the pure land doesn't exist, but if someone totally believes in it, it is still very powerful because of their faith and intention; their mind would be directed toward virtuous qualities: "Oh, I want to rebirth in a pure land; Buddha, in order to reach there, I need to do this, do this, do that, practice this, practice that," right? A sincere wish to be reborn in a pure land cultivates positive mental states like devotion and aspiration for enlightenment, regardless of whether the pure land is real or not. Such a person would still benefit from their virtuous aspirations and create positive karma. So some Buddhist, you know, schools believe in the pure land as a real place, but some others view it as a metaphor for a purified state of mind or an enlightened state of mind. Whatever you experience is your mind, and the mind is who created everything. So whatever it is, if the pure land does not exist as a physical realm but as a mental state, the person's aspiration to reach it would naturally help their mind, it's because in Buddhist qualities like wisdom, like um compassion, and it would lead them closer to awakening, you know, enlightenment. Therefore, in Buddhism, sincere practice and positive aspiration are very um how do I say, never wasted, even if you don't believe the pure land exists. As a gentle Shantideva, sometimes talk about, "Oh, pure Pure Land exists as a physical realm," and then there was sometimes talk about, "Oh, pure land doesn't exist; everything is in our mind purely. Pure realm is a metaphor for uh purified state of mind, which is an enlightened state of your mind." That's what we call pure land. Does it make sense? If you imagine like if you purified all your negative emotions, attachment, anger, ignorance, there are so many negative emotions, but the the root of all of that is these three: attachment, anger, ignorance. Imagine this: like you purified all of these three negative emotions, and there is no attachment, anger, ignorance. If it's possible, that's what we call enlightenment; that's what we call sometimes called pure Amitabha's. I mean, there are different kinds of pure lands because of your practice. So whether you believe or not, the the effort to cultivate positive mental connections to it still leads to beneficial results, either in this life or in in the future lives. I totally believe that our mental intention, motivation, and effort are what truly matters; it's because that can change our path and can eliminate negative actions and develop positive actions like bodhicitta and can change future experiences; that's for sure; I totally believe. Therefore, whether or not the pure land exists physically outside is not the point; it's not the point. So therefore, everything is generate bodhicitta, practice perfections, you know, all this uh power of support, everything; it's because we have to eliminate um these negative emotions that make us unhappy, brings fear, all kinds of different kinds of, in Shantideva talks here, different kinds of fear, suffering.
Of samsara, so that the bottom line is we have to generate bodhicitta in our mind in this lifetime, not next, not uh, future lives. This life, then doesn't matter; doesn't matter. There's there's future life or not; there is a pure land or not; doesn't matter if we don't, cuz it's clearly we can see how harmful these negative emotions are for ourselves and others. That's the point; that's Buddha's, the essence of his teachings. We have to purify all these negative emotions that make us suffer, others. But the best, for me, like my opinion, the best antidote is generate bodhicitta.
In order to generate bodhicitta, this text, Shant was way of bodhis, is the best; the, you know, if you don't read all the stanzas, you just re-pick of one stanza, sometimes doesn't make it, doesn't make sense to you. So you have to read, you know, all the stanzas. Because the, the all these stanzas are connected to each other, so if you don't understand the last, the first stanza and pick one there, it sometimes confuse you, you know. So it's important how to practice this text. If you know how to practice this text, this is the best uh teaching, generate your bodhic chitta. Okay, I'm going to uh stop here and now going to meditate for a few minutes. Uh, uh, let's meditate on power of support right, which is today or yes, last time the, the main teaching, the topic, the power of sport right, the power of sport.
Meditation helps us um cultivate a sense of um how to uh gratitude and overcoming obstacles on the path uh such as negative habits um so we can replace negative habits with positive ones, right, through um this practice, this power of power of sport, the perfectation practice. And this practice um encourages a deep connection with the source of support in your practice so that you can move forward with strength, with clarity in your mind. That's the point, power of sport, pract, meditate on power of sport. So as usual, you sit comfortably and take a few moments to um focus on your mind and um allowing your mind to settle and become uh present. Um, sometimes it helps if you take, take few breaths, you know, uh focus on it and let your mind and body sort of uh become present and relax. Whatever method, whatever you know, takes you there, just do that um for a few seconds. That's as usual, it's it's a, you know, it's our mind is so fragile, you know, and with this um lot of distractions, it's hard to focus on meditation sometimes, right. So make sure um focus on the mind, the awareness ness and settle your mind and become a become sort of present. Do that as usual and then uh try to, of course, generate bodhicitta, a deep aspiration to become awakened for benefit others. Um, that's a sort of second step when you meditate, um generate bodhic chitta in your mind. So then your meditation, doesn't matter how long, it will be very beneficial. I truly believe that.
And then since we're going to practice power of sport, all their different kinds of uh, when you practice power of sport, um we think about all different kinds of Buddhas, bodhic sattvas, whatever you call deities or you know, but everything when you take refuge in three jewels, everything includes in three jewels. So first you visualize the Buddha um in front of you. He's radiant, uh very compassionate and especially his fearlessness. And you think this is someone who has overcome all suffering, someone who is overcome ignorance, so I take refuge in him is my genuine teacher or great teacher and is my true refuge. That's how you practice power of sport in Buddha, visualize him, think about his qualities. It's not that difficult, he was a human being, is like ourself, but went through all these challenges and overcome all sufferings, eliminated all the mental afflictions. So if he is not your genuine teacher and not your refu refuge, then there is no such Buddha. So you have to visualize him in front of you, really. You have to trust and believe, as I said, Buddha himself said, said, you know, if you follow my teachings, I am there with you. So he's radiant, compassionate, fearlessness, just in front of you. You have to believe it, meditate on him like that, just to focus on him and his qualities and take refuge, through sort of genuinely take refuge in him.
And then now reflect on the dharma teachings and see the dharma teachings as a clear light of wisdom, remove attachment, anger, ignorance. Think this part leads to freedom from suffering of samsara if we follow and practice dharma teachings. So you say, I take refuge in the dharma, is my unmistakening sort of path, is my true refuge. Take refuge literally means, you know, you create, you make a commitment in your mind, I am going to do this, I am believing in this truth and this will bring me happiness, selflessness, this is what I want rest of my life. That's what we call refu, take refuge vow. So dharma teachings and take this path, this refuge leads to freedom from negative emotions, so therefore this is my true refuge. So you take refuge in dharma, make a commitment, and then now reflect on the sana noble sana. You have to think how they support your practice, providing sense of belonging, sharing similar um interest and similar beliefs. I think these [Music] are companions on the path as my genuine spiritual friends. So therefore my true refuge. You can think about all this we talked today, different kinds of bodhic sattvas, mahayana sas, or you can think about bodhichata sangas, the communities that we can help each other, inspired each other, support each other so that you can grow your spiritual practice so that you can reach your goal. That's why this genuine spiritual friends, my true refuge. So let the feeling of trust, sift and aspiration grow in your heart through this power of sport about the three jewels, nothing else, buddha, dharma, sana. Don't bring too many ideas, all different kinds of deities and just everything includes, as I said, these three jewels. So take refuge, genuinely take refuge in them and and then make this uh commitment in your mind. Remember uh Shandanda was said in the past, I ignore the teachings, but now I recognizing the most precious and important thing is practice, practicing dharma until I die. So I take dharma practice as my protection, as my unmistaken path. That's why in one of the Buddhist teachings philosophy it says, dharma is everything, buddha is dharma, sana is dharma. So if you take dharma practice is your protection, dharma is your unmistaken path, dharma is your true refuge, then basically you have three jewels. So I'm going to practice dharma every single day in my life and generate bodhicitta. So you visualize all three jewels and their qualities like that and then at the end you make this commitment and then with that commitment then you just relax right there and let go of all the thoughts and distractions in your mind, just meditate without any thoughts and then just relax there and meditate.