*   The Six Transcendent Practices of a Bodhisattva  *
 * Part Four: Transcendent Diligence *

by Tulku Jigme Rinpoche  
 

"Oh, but how could I become enlightened?"
Don't excuse yourself with such despondency!
The buddhas, who declare the truth,
Have spoken and indeed proclaimed,
 
That if they bring forth strength of diligence,
The very bees and flies and stinging gnats
Or grubs will find with ease
Enlightenment so hard to find!
 
Able to distinguish good from ill,
If I, by birth and lineage of human kind,
Devote myself to bodhisattva training,
Why should I not gain the state of buddhahood?    
 
Shantideva

Dear Friends,
 
I am blessed to have received teachings from Rinpoche this past month, and as such I am late in writing you. But we shall continue with our teachings on the Six Transcendent Wisdoms. We have already studied Transcendent Generosity, Discipline and Patience, each coupled with the transcendent wisdom of emptiness. This month, we shall focus on Transcendent Diligence.
 
Why should we be diligent? Without diligence, the virtues of the two accumulations (merit and wisdom) are impossible to achieve. Without these virtues you cannot achieve Enlightenment. Thus, if you have diligence -- if you make effort --  you can achieve Enlightenment through the two accumulations. There are three kinds of diligence:
 
Armor-like diligence
Diligence in action, and
Diligence that cannot be stopped
 
Armor-like Diligence subdues our four demons: attachment to comfort, negative emotions, physical sickness, and death. Because we are all students of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, we must follow in their footsteps, no matter how hard the task. This is why we need armor-like diligence. Our effort protects us from the four demons and gives us the strength to apply the correct antidotes. For instance,
 
-- If you are attached to comforts, you are controlled by the eight worldly concerns -- fame and obscurity; pleasure and pain; gain and loss; and finally, praise and blame. If you are attached to worldly comforts, you cannot benefit in this and your next life. The antidote for attachment to comforts is to contemplate on calm abiding, a meditative state free from distractions and capable of abiding one-pointedly and joyously on any object.
 
-- When your mind is unsteady, it is controlled by the three negative emotions -- hatred, attachment and ignorance -- and you must call upon your armor-like diligence to overcome these three poisons. The antidote for hatred is contemplating on patience. The antidote for attachment is to contemplate on the disgusting, ugly and nasty physical nature and appearance of man.
 
-- Physical sickness sprouts from our desire to cling to the five aggregates, namely form, feelings, discrimination, formation and consciousness, and being powered by happiness and suffering. The antidote for physical sickness is to contemplate on selflessness.
 
-- When we contemplate on our human fate -- death -- we think, "I need to practice.", but laziness produces many obstacles before we die. The antidote for death is to attain Enlightenment. For this, we must have armor-like diligence and put effort into our practice.
 
Diligence in Action is to go the path of the ten levels of a Bodhisattva. At each level the Bodhisattva gains greater virtue and overcomes more defilements on the way to Enlightenment.
 
Finally, there is the Diligence that cannot be stopped. When you face hardships that can benefit other sentient beings, no matter how hard the task, you should never avoid this duty. Take all the hardships that can benefit other beings. You should never stop benefiting others and you should benefit others from lifetime to lifetime without ever having the thought of benefiting oneself. To have such dedication, such resilience, that is diligence that cannot be stopped.
 
So again, we must be diligent in our practice in order to achieve the two accumulations -- merit and wisdom -- and attain Enlightenment. This is not always so easy, but the essence of Transcendent Diligence is to take joy in doing positive actions.
 
At Nyingmapa Wishfulfilling Center we will soon begin preparations for a most auspicious Saga Dawa, preparing the tormas for the 100,000 tsok. Elevate your practice during this time and focus on the Transcendent Wisdoms that we have studied this year.
 
Please write with any questions. As always, we welcome your thoughts.
 
Until next time, I remain,
 
Yours in the Dharma.
 
Tulku Jigme Rinpoche
 
Students of the Venerable Khetsun Sangpo Rinpoche and Tulku Jigme Rinpoche are invited to ask questions at dudjom_institute@yahoo.com.

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