简说如何修持金刚乘

During a short visit to the Netherlands, Rinpoche was invited to teach one evening on the Vajrayana tradition, specifically—what are the unique qualities of this path? how does it relate to the other Buddhist vehicles? and who is it intended for? This is an edited transcript of what he said that evening.

短访荷兰期间，仁波切受邀在一个晚上讲解金刚乘传统，具体谈这条道路有哪些独特品质、与其他佛教乘有何关系，以及适合什么人。以下是当晚开示的编辑讲稿。

It’s been many years since I was last here at the Rigpa centre in Amsterdam and I’m very happy to be back. I’ve been told that I need to talk tonight about the Secret Mantrayana tradition, at least that’s what they said to me earlier. It’s a little strange to ask me to do that, I must say, but I will try.

距离上次来到阿姆斯特丹 本觉会 中心，已有许多年，很高兴回来。有人告诉我，今晚需要谈秘密真言乘传统，至少先前是这样对我说的。必须说，请我讲这个有点奇怪，但我会试试。

Before hearing about the Secret Mantrayana, however, it’s important that you first have a grounding in the general Buddhist teachings. If you don’t have such a basis, listening to teachings about the view, meditation and conduct of the Vajrayana will only lead to a strange result. This is how some people end up becoming quite weird.

不过，听闻秘密真言乘之前，先具备一般佛法基础很重要。若没有这样的基础，听金刚乘的见、修、行，只会产生奇怪的结果。有些人就是这样变得相当古怪的。

As Lama Mipham said:

如米滂上师所说：

With your great compassion, you embraced this turbulent and degenerate world
And made five hundred mighty aspirations.
You are as exalted as the white lotus; whoever hears your name shall never return to samsara—
Most compassionate teacher, to you I pay homage!^[1]

您以大悲摄持此动荡衰败世界，
发下五百广大誓愿；
您尊胜如白莲，闻您名者永不复入轮回，
最具悲心的导师，我向您顶礼！^[1]

So that is the root. Explanations of these few words are actually very extensive but we don’t have time to go into them now. In short, for the sake of all sentient beings living in these turbulent times of the five degenerations, our teacher, the Buddha, first gave rise to the precious mind of enlightenment and for three countless aeons perfected the accumulations of merit and wisdom, eliminating all obscurations and reaching the state of complete and perfect buddhahood at the Vajra Seat.

这就是根本。这几句话的解释实际上非常广大，但现在没时间详谈。简言之，为利益五浊动荡时代的一切众生，我们的导师佛陀，首先生起珍贵觉悟心，历经三个无数劫，圆满福德智慧资粮，断除一切障碍，于金刚座证得圆满正等觉。

The time that we are living in now is called the ‘Age of Strife’ or ‘Kaliyuga’, the time of the five degenerations^[2]

我们如今所处的时代，称为“争斗时代”或“争诤时”，即五浊时代^[2]。

. This is something that not only Buddhists speak about, but also Hindus, though their explanation differs. The way that we, the Buddhists, understand this concept comes from our teacher, the compassionate Buddha; you won’t find this explanation in any other religious tradition.

不仅佛教徒谈论这一点，印度教徒也谈，只是解释不同。我们佛教徒对这一概念的理解，来自悲悯的导师佛陀；其他宗教传统找不到这种解释。

During the Kaliyuga it is almost impossible for a great being like the Buddha to manifest and even if one does, it’s very difficult for them to actually help sentient beings because of the five degenerations that are prevalent in these times. However, our teacher, Buddha Shakyamuni, due to his compassion and the power of his vast aspirations, and the blessings of all the buddhas that were directed towards him, was able to appear during this turbulent age in order to help sentient beings.

在争斗时代，像佛陀这样的伟大圣者，几乎不可能出现；即使出现，由于当时五浊盛行，也很难实际帮助众生。然而，我们的导师释迦牟尼佛，由悲心、广大愿力及一切诸佛向其汇集的加持，能够在动荡时代出现，以帮助众生。

That’s why the prayer mentions that in the Age of Strife, the time of the five degenerations, when the lifespan of people is one hundred years, the Buddha was able to manifest as Shakyamuni and help beings in this troubled period thank to first having generated the mind of enlightenment and then made five hundred great aspirations.

所以祈请文说，争斗时代、五浊之时，人寿百岁，佛陀能够显为释迦牟尼，帮助这动荡时期的众生，是由于先发觉悟心，再立五百大愿。

In what way how did the great kindness of the Buddha manifest itself? By turning the Wheel of Dharma on three occasions—at Sarnath near Varanasi, at the Vulture Peak mountain, and in the Akanishtha realm. These are not mere stories or legends, they are historical facts that cannot be disputed.

佛陀的大恩德如何显现？就是三次转法轮：在瓦拉纳西附近的鹿野苑、灵鹫山，以及色究竟境界。这些并不只是故事或传说，而是无可争辩的历史事实。

Many buddhas came to our world; the story of Buddha Shakyamuni is something that everyone knows and is perfectly true. It really happened that way. Everybody knows that the Buddha Gautama came into this world, no one says otherwise. He not only came into the world, he turned the Wheel of Dharma, and that is also true. And many people have been able to reach the state of enlightenment by practising those teachings of the different turnings of the Wheel of Dharma.

许多佛来到我们的世界；释迦牟尼佛的事迹，人人皆知，完全真实，确实如此发生。人人都知道乔达摩佛降临此世，无人否认。他不仅来到世间，也转了法轮，这同样真实。许多人通过修持不同次第转法轮的教法，已经达到觉悟境界。

It is important that you know the distinguishing characteristics of each of the three turnings of the Wheel of Dharma. If you don’t know that background, you are really missing something, and it is difficult to consider yourself a Buddhist. The second turning is more profound than the first, and the third is even more profound than the second; it is known as the “inconceivable wheel of dharma.”

了解三转法轮各自的特点，很重要。若不知道这些背景，确实有所欠缺，也很难称自己为佛教徒。第二转比第一转更深，第三转又比第二转更深，称为“不可思议法轮”。

So this is what I’ve been asked to talk about tonight. During an inconceivable number of kalpas, an inconceivable number of buddhas appear. During the present kalpa in which we live, 1002 buddhas will appear. And it said that during the time of “the fourth guide of the Fortunate Aeon”, Buddha Shakyamuni, the Secret Mantrayana teachings will be taught. It is also said, however, that even though these teachings will be made available, they will not remain for very long because of the diminished merit of sentient beings.

这就是今晚请我谈的内容。不可思议的劫中，有不可思议数目的佛出现。我们所处的这个劫，将有一千零二尊佛出现。据说，在“贤劫第四导师”释迦牟尼佛的时代，将传授秘密真言乘教法。不过也说，虽然这些教法会出现，由于众生福德衰减，住世不会很久。

The Secret Mantrayana teachings that take the fruition as the path is like the root, the essence, the result of all the teachings. Just to hear the name of these teachings is said to carry great power.

秘密真言乘教法以果为道，犹如一切教法的根本、精髓与结果。据说，仅仅听闻这些教法的名称，就具有大力。

In the First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma, the Buddha spoke about the vows of refuge that we need to adopt. Once we have taken refuge, if we then train in the two aspects of bodhicitta (bodhichitta of aspiration and action), carried by the mind of renunciation, we have become Buddhists. The basis of the vows of refuge and the bodhisattva path, the way to practise them, and the results that will be obtained, have been explained in great detail in the teachings. This foundation is absolutely necessary before entering the Secret Mantrayana. If you don’t have that basis, you cannot receive Vajrayana teachings. You need to commit yourself to the trainings of the bodhisattva path beforehand. Just taking the vows is not enough, you need to abide by those precepts and to maintain them. If you have just simply taken the refuge and bodhisattva vows but not really familiarized yourself with them nor committed yourself to their training, it will be almost impossible for you to follow the Vajrayana path.

初转法轮中，佛陀讲述了应受持的皈依戒。皈依之后，若以出离心摄持，修习愿、行两种菩提心，就成为佛教徒。皈依戒与菩萨道的基础、如何修持、将得何果，教法中都有详细解释。进入秘密真言乘之前，这个基础绝不可少。若没有，就不能领受金刚乘教法。必须先投入菩萨道的训练；只受戒不够，还须遵守、护持戒条。若只是受了皈依戒、菩萨戒，却未真正熟悉，也未投入相应训练，要追随金刚乘之道，就几乎不可能。

The basis for receiving the samaya precepts of the Vajrayana is the ground of buddha nature which is present in all of us, completely pure, free of any kinds of stain. Unless you know about this buddha nature, how it is utterly pure and free of any kind of obscuration, present within all of us, and the basis that enables us to reach enlightenment, it is impossible for you to receive a Vajrayana empowerment. If you have some understanding of the buddha nature and some awareness of it, then you can receive an empowerment in the proper way.

领受金刚乘三昧耶戒的基础，是人人具有的佛性之基，全然清净，毫无染污。若不了解这佛性，不知它何等清净无障、存在于每个人内心、是我们成就觉悟的基础，就不可能领受金刚乘灌顶。若对佛性有所理解、有所觉知，就能够如法领受灌顶。

To receive an empowerment, therefore, you need to know about the buddha nature and how it is present in each one of us. This buddha nature is completely pure and devoid of any obscuration. It is also endowed with all the enlightened qualities of a fully enlightened buddha that are naturally present. This is the ultimate teaching of the sutras. There are many sutra teachings that explain about buddha nature and you really need to know them before you attempt to follow the Vajrayana path.

因此，领受灌顶，需要了解佛性，以及它如何存在于每个人心中。佛性完全清净，毫无障碍，也天然具足圆满觉悟佛陀的一切功德。这是经教的究竟教法。有许多经教解释佛性，在尝试追随金刚乘之道之前，确实需要了解。

The Sutras and the Tantras are different sets of teachings but what brings them together and acts as a bridge, is the Uttaratantra Shastra (The Sublime Continuum). What this shastra teaches in essence is buddha nature. You need this as a basis, a ground. We need to have the greatest respect for ourself since we have this buddha nature; we value all sentient beings but equally recognize our own quality.

经与续是不同的教法体系，连接两者、作为桥梁的，是《宝性论》。此论所教的核心，就是佛性。需要以此为基础、为根基。既然具有佛性，我们就应极为尊重自己；珍视一切众生，也同样认识自身的功德。

When we say you need to value yourself, we don’t mean that you value your body which is made of flesh and blood, nor your name, which is merely a temporary delusion. What we mean is that you value your mind. Some say that you should value its emptiness while others say you should value its clarity. There are these two approaches. However to consider the empty aspect of mind to be of greatest importance would not be the right approach, nor would emphasizing the clarity aspect alone. The correct way to relate to the mind is as being the unity of emptiness and clarity­, the clear light nature of mind. This is the root of the Secret Mantrayana teachings.

说应珍视自己，不是指珍视血肉构成的身体，也不是名字，那只是暂时的迷妄。我们的意思是珍视心。有些人说，应珍视心的空性；另一些说，应珍视其明性，有这两种途径。然而，将心的空性面视为最重要，并非正确方法；只强调明性也不对。正确对待心的方式，是视其为空明双运，即心的光明本性。这是秘密真言乘教法的根本。

To meditate upon a deity, you need to receive the empowerment. There are four categories of empowerments: the vase empowerment, secret empowerment, wisdom empowerment, and word empowerment of primordial purity. Once you receive those empowerments, you become a ngakpa, or mantrika, basically a practitioner of the Secret Mantra.

观修本尊，须先领受灌顶。灌顶有四类：宝瓶灌顶、秘密灌顶、智慧灌顶，以及本初清净的句义灌顶。领受这些灌顶后，便成为密咒士，也就是秘密真言的修持者。

To receive the vase empowerment, you rely upon a mandala that can be made from coloured sand, or painted, or composed of heaps of grain. There’s also the mandala of the vajra body of the master, and so on. We need a mandala to receive an empowerment from.

领受宝瓶灌顶，需要依靠坛城，可以用彩沙做、绘制，或以谷物堆成。也有上师金刚身坛城等。我们需要通过坛城领受灌顶。

You might, however, have the most elaborate and beautifully made mandala, but if the master who gives the empowerment is not fully qualified, it will not bring much benefit. The person who gives the empowerment needs to have all the qualities of a vajra master and whether we talk of ten qualities, a hundred qualities, or a thousand qualities, in essence he or she needs to be realized. Unless the master is realized, they will not be able to transmit the vase empowerment. Nowadays there are many lamas who give empowerments. They’re ready to give you whatever empowerment you want, and they don’t seem to mind how many they give.

不过，即使拥有最精细、最美的坛城，若传灌顶的上师不完全具格，也不会带来多少利益。灌顶者必须具足金刚上师的一切功德。无论谈十种、百种还是千种功德，归根到底，他或她必须有证悟。没有证悟，就无法传授宝瓶灌顶。如今传灌顶的上师很多；你想要什么灌顶，他们都愿意给，似乎也不在意给多少。

When we receive an empowerment, we need to have complete confidence in the fact that we have the ground continuum of buddha nature. Even though we have the buddha nature endowed with all its qualities, it is temporarily veiled by the two types of obscuration and the habitual tendencies related to them. Since these obscurations are adventitious and merely temporary, they can be purified and eliminated. Basically the purpose of the vase empowerment is to wash away the impurities, but unless the master is realized, the empowerment will not have much effect. Even if you spend ten years in a special, purposely-made machine, you won’t be able to remove those obscurations that way. A realized master is, however, able to clear away those obscurations through the empowerment. This is a special feature of the Vajrayana teachings. Even if the empowerment doesn’t remove all your obscurations and their associated habitual tendencies when you receive it, at least some of them will be purified. You can see for yourself that your obscurations have been purified to some extent.

领受灌顶时，必须完全确信自己具有佛性这一基续。虽然佛性具足一切功德，却暂被二障及相关习气遮蔽。既然这些障碍是客尘、只是暂时的，就能够净除。基本上，宝瓶灌顶的目的，是洗去不净；但若上师没有证悟，灌顶就不会有多少效力。即使在一台专门制造的特殊机器里待十年，也不能靠那种方式去除障碍。然而，有证悟的上师，能够通过灌顶清除这些障碍。这是金刚乘教法的独特之处。即使受灌顶时未去除全部障碍与相关习气，至少也会净除一部分。你自己就能看出，障碍已得到某种程度的清净。

Once you have received the vase empowerment, you are qualified to practise the stages of the generation phase, to visualize yourself as the deity and to meditate upon that. In that way, you will be able to eliminate what remains of the two obscurations and their related habitual tendencies. There are cases of practitioners who have been fully purified of defilements through empowerment. After receiving empowerment and purifying all their obscurations, some students see the entire mandala of the deity in the sky before them. This has happened. Still, they need to practise. Indeed, during the empowerment we pledge that, even at the risk of our life, we will continue to uphold the practice.

领受宝瓶灌顶后，便有资格修习生起次第的各阶段，观自己为本尊并加以修持。由此，能净除残余二障及相关习气。有些修行者，通过灌顶便完全净除了垢染。有些弟子受灌顶、净除一切障碍后，在面前虚空亲见本尊完整坛城。这确实发生过。但仍然须修持。实际上，灌顶时，我们立誓，即使冒生命危险，也将继续坚持修持。

Whether you can purify all the habitual tendencies through practice depends on you, the individual practitioner. There’s no one who cannot purify their obscurations and habitual tendencies through practice. It’s not possible. If you study the life stories of practitioners from the past, you won’t find any who said that they practised their yidam but were unable to accomplish it. If you start the practice and stop in the middle, that’s a different story. But if you do the practice properly, you will accomplish it.

能否通过修持净除一切习气，取决于你这位修行者本人。没有人不能通过修持净除障碍习气，那是不可能的。若读往昔修行者传记，找不到谁说，修了本尊却无法成就。开始修，途中停下，那是另一回事。但若如法修持，就会成就。

There are many different ways to practise kyerim, many different mandalas, deities, mantras, mudras, and based on that, many different types of samadhi. In any case, after having received the vase empowerment, the way you then take that as your path is through the practice of kyerim. 

生起次第有许多不同修法，许多坛城、本尊、咒语、手印，以及由此而有的各种三摩地。无论如何，领受宝瓶灌顶后，将其作为道的方法，就是修生起次第。

You begin by meditating on the single mudra, the main deity alone, who embodies all the others. Then once you’re familiar with that, you meditate on, for example, the five main deities, the hundred deities, and so on until you can meditate on the complete mandala. It’s possible to do that.

最初观修单尊印，也就是唯独主尊，主尊总集一切其余本尊。熟悉之后，再观修例如五位主尊、百尊等，直到能观修完整坛城。这是可以做到的。

More profound than the vase empowerment is the next, secret empowerment. The secret empowerment is conferred on the basis of the mandala of the vajra body of the guru in union. Nowadays, however, this empowerment has become like a mere reflection of what it once was. I’ve never heard of or seen a lama who has given the secret empowerment as originally instructed in the texts. It’s given on a symbolic level. Some people say that this empowerment is still given in that original way in India, but it happens in secret, so we don’t hear about it.

比宝瓶灌顶更深的是接下来的秘密灌顶。秘密灌顶依上师双运金刚身坛城而授。不过，如今这一灌顶已如过去灌顶的影子。我从未听说或见过哪位上师，完全依文本最初的指示传秘密灌顶；都是象征性地传。有些人说，印度仍以原来方式传，但秘密进行，所以我们听不到。

The practice of the secret empowerment is basically the practice of enlightened speech—recitation of the mantra of the deity. The nectar of bodhicitta flows from the secret place of the master and consort; this is then placed on your tongue and fills and purifies all the channels of your body. The vajra body then becomes manifest and within its channels all the different syllables of the Ali Kali (Sanskrit alphabet) appear. This then becomes the basis for your recitation of the mantra.

秘密灌顶的修持，基本上是觉悟语的修持，即持诵本尊咒语。菩提心甘露从上师与佛母密处流出，放在你的舌上，充满并净化全身一切脉。金刚身由此显露，脉中出现阿里嘎里，即梵文字母的各种字音，继而成为持咒基础。

There are many different ways to recite the mantra. As is said in the texts, the best way to recite the mantra is:

持咒方法有许多种。如论典所说，最好的持咒方式是：

The vajra recitation in which body, speech and mind are indivisibly united is supreme. 

身、语、意不可分离地融为一体的金刚诵，最为殊胜。

The benefit of practising in this way is explained at great length in the teachings.

如此修持的利益，教法中有极详尽的解释。

The practice related to the vase empowerment emphasizes meditation on the body of the deity, while in the secret empowerment, the emphasis is on the practice of the enlightened speech, i.e. recitation of the mantra. I cannot go into any more details now as the Tantra teachings are simply too vast.

宝瓶灌顶相关修持，强调观修本尊身；秘密灌顶则强调觉悟语，即持咒。密续教法太广大，现在无法再详说。

Even more profound than the vase and secret empowerment is the wisdom empowerment. The benefit of receiving the wisdom empowerment and accomplishing the practice related to it is the realization of emptiness. Based on example, what is called the ‘illustrative wisdom’, we are able to realize the ‘actual wisdom’, through the great equality, without cause and result, as the teachings say.

比宝瓶、秘密灌顶更深的是智慧灌顶。领受智慧灌顶、成就相关修持的利益，是证悟空性。以譬喻，也就是所谓“喻智慧”为基础，便能如教法所说，通过无因无果的大平等，证悟“真实智慧”。

These teachings are very profound and unique to the Secret Mantra. Actually, it is said that the main practices of Secret Mantrayana are to take union and liberation as the path. When we say that the Vajrayana has extremely powerful skilful means, this is what we are referring to. Its fruition is also exceptional and unique. The Vajrayana has the power to bring about the fruition much more quickly than other paths.

这些教法极深，为秘密真言所独有。实际上，据说秘密真言乘的主要修持，是以双运与解脱为道。说金刚乘具有极强大的善巧方便，指的就是这一点。其果也卓越独特，有力使人比其他道路快得多地证得果位。

Related to this empowerment, there are many instructions that are given, such as practices related to one’s own body, or practices related to the body of another person. This constitutes the third empowerment.

与此灌顶相关，有许多教授，例如依自身而修，或依他人身体而修。这些构成第三灌顶。

The fourth empowerment is the ultimate empowerment, the introduction to the actual nature of mind (rigpa). 

第四灌顶是究竟灌顶，直指真实心性，即觉性。

The practice of the vase empowerment is meditation upon the deity. The way you meditate upon the deity is by using your mind; it’s your mind that meditates on the deity. And that mind which meditates is empty. The light-like expression of that emptiness is the deity.

宝瓶灌顶的修持，是观修本尊。观修本尊的方法，是运用自心；是心在观本尊。而这能观修的心，是空的。本尊就是那空性如光一般的显现。

The practice of the secret empowerment is mantra recitation. Through recitation of the mantra, the practitioner is then able to perceive the deity. You, the practitioner, and the deity, then become close. Ultimately, you become the same. That’s how you are taught, right?

秘密灌顶的修持，是持咒。通过持咒，修行者便能见到本尊。你这位修行者与本尊，继而亲近，最终成为相同。教法是这样教的，对吧？

For the wisdom empowerment, based on the illustrative great bliss wisdom, you are able to recognize the actual wisdom which is very similar, almost identical. The actual wisdom does not lie in the domain of the ordinary mind; it cannot be conceived of or arrived at by thinking, it is beyond, words, thoughts and description. It is likened to experiencing the taste of sweetness—you can experience it, but you can’t describe it. So here, the illustrative wisdom is the main emphasis of the practice.

智慧灌顶中，依于大乐喻智慧，能够认出与之极为相似、几乎相同的真实智慧。真实智慧不在凡心范围内，不能构想，也无法通过思考达到；它超越言语、思维与描述。譬如尝到甜味，能够体验，却不能形容。因此，这里修持主要着重于喻智慧。

During the word empowerment, you are shown the wisdom directly, exactly as it is, through the symbol of a crystal or a mirror. From that perspective, the Dzogchen empowerments are similar to the wisdom empowerment – the Great Perfection tradition talks about four symbolic empowerments.

句义灌顶中，通过水晶或镜子的象征，直接向你指出如其本然的智慧。从这一角度看，大圆满灌顶与智慧灌顶相似；大圆满传统讲到四种象征灌顶。

If you put the four empowerments mentioned above into practice, you then become a tantrika or mantrika—a practitioner of the Secret Mantra.

将上述四灌顶付诸修持，就成为 密续或密咒修行者，即秘密真言的修行者。

When we receive the vase empowerment, the instruction is to meditate upon the deity. When we receive the secret empowerment, the instruction is to recite the mantra. At the time of the wisdom empowerment, the practice is focussed on using the skilful means of one’s own body or the body of another person. Finally, in the fourth empowerment, the practice is basically that of meditation. If you complete all these steps, then you are following the path of Secret Mantrayana. The result is something we don’t need to talk about since you will see it for yourself, if you do the practices.

领受宝瓶灌顶，教授是观修本尊；领受秘密灌顶，教授是持咒；智慧灌顶时，修法着重运用自身或他人身体的善巧方便；最后，第四灌顶的修持，基本上就是禅修。完成所有这些步骤，就在行秘密真言乘之道。果不必多说，因为只要修持，就会自己看见。

To practice Vajrayana, to accomplish all these methods, is not at all easy. To meditate on the deity, recite the mantra, meditate on the enlightened mind that is bliss, clarity and absence of thoughts… that’s not easy. If, on the other hand, you are able to do all these practices properly, just one session can have a very powerful effect. What are the benefits? The teachings speak about the ability to accomplish the four activities—pacifying, enriching, magnetizing and subjugating—as well as attainment of the ordinary siddhis and the supreme accomplishment, which is the ‘great Perfection’ (dzogchen) or the ‘great seal’ (mahamudra). These teachings are easy to listen to, but much more difficult to practise. They don’t speak about the need to perfect the accumulations and eliminate the obscurations for three countless aeons before we reach enlightenment, as in the ‘Causal Vehicle of Characteristics’, the sutra path.

修持金刚乘、成就所有这些方法，一点也不容易。观本尊、持咒、观修乐、明、无念的觉悟心，并不容易。另一方面，若能如法完成这些修持，只一座就可能有极强效果。有什么利益？教法谈到，能够成办息、增、怀、诛四事业，得到共同悉地与殊胜成就，即“大圆满”或“大手印”。这些教法听起来容易，修起来困难得多。它们不像显教的“因相乘”那样，说要在三个无数劫中圆满资粮、净除障碍，才达到觉悟。

In any case, practice is a very individual matter – we need to do it ourselves. Even if Buddha Shakyamuni were to come to us in person, or the dharmakaya Vajradhara, we won’t be able to receive any blessings from them if we don’t practise. If you have read the historical accounts you will know that when Guru Rinpoche came to Tibet and conferred empowerments on the ‘lord and his subjects’, his main students, who each practised one-pointedly for seven years on the empowerment they’d just received. As a result, they all reached accomplishment and became siddhas. If you don’t practise so much as one session, how can you expect to reach accomplishment or gain any benefit?

无论如何，修持是极个人的事，必须自己做。若不修，即使释迦牟尼佛亲自来到面前，或法身金刚持来到，也无法从他们得到任何加持。读过历史记述，就会知道，莲花生大师来到西藏，为主要弟子“君臣”授灌顶后，他们每人都依刚领受的灌顶，专一修持七年。因此，人人达到成就，成为悉地者。若连一座都不修，怎么能期待成就或得到利益？

Again, the result is something very easy to talk about, but here we don’t see anyone who shows those kinds of signs. If you had those signs, you’d be able to show us. Well, that’s how it is. There’s not much point therefore in talking about the fruition or the result. If we master our mind and reach realization, we’ll be able to bring within our realization and under our power the entire outer world and everything within it. It’s simple, in a way, but we don’t seem to see anyone like that. Nowadays we only see a pale reflection of what the Vajrayana truly is.

再说，谈结果很容易，但这里看不到谁显现那类征相。若具有这些征相，就能展示给我们。嗯，情况就是如此。因此，谈果位或结果没有多大意义。若调伏自心、达到证悟，就能将整个外在世界及其中一切，摄入自身证悟与掌控之中。从某种意义说很简单，但似乎见不到这样的人。如今所见，只是真正金刚乘的一道淡影。

So, you asked me to talk about the Vajrayana, and that’s what I’ve done.

所以，你们请我谈金刚乘，我已经谈了。

Generally speaking, this is not a subject to talk about. According to the original Indian tradition, the master first confers the vase empowerment and the student then goes away and practises that for many years. Then, either with the same teacher or a different one, the student receives the secret empowerment and practices that for many years. It’s the same procedure then for the wisdom empowerment and finally the word empowerment. Then they reach accomplishment.

一般来说，这不是拿来谈论的题目。依印度原初传统，上师先传宝瓶灌顶，弟子再离开，修许多年。然后，从同一位或另一位老师领受秘密灌顶，再修许多年。智慧灌顶，以及最后的句义灌顶，也按同样过程，继而达到成就。

The crucial point is that the guru from whom you receive empowerment must themselves have mastered that practice. Otherwise, how can that they transmit anything?

关键是，为你传灌顶的上师，自己必须已掌握该修法。否则，如何能传授任何东西？

Based on what I’ve just explained, Guru Rinpoche shared a special set of instructions on the practice of tantra in Tibet, the essence of which is to pray to the guru. If you can pray to the guru with complete and heartfelt devotion, with absolute faith and trust, even if you’re not able to complete each one of the practices associated with the four empowerments, just by receiving the blessing of the guru, you can still reach accomplishment.

基于刚才所说，莲花生大师在西藏传下一组特殊密续修持教言，其精髓是祈请上师。若能以全然、至诚的虔敬，绝对的信心与信赖祈请上师，即使无法完成与四灌顶相关的每一种修持，也仍能仅由获得上师加持而成就。

If you study the original terma of the Seven-line Prayer, it even says to forget about meditating on kyerim and dzogrim, making offerings, offering praise, and such like—it says to forget about all those practices! Instead, it tells to “simply let devotion flood your body, speech and mind, and pray, pray with these seven lines:”^[3] . If you can do that, Guru Rinpoche will definitely appear to you and bless you. This is a very special instruction of the Nyingma tradition. So basically, my advice to all of you is to recite the Seven-line Prayer and the Vajra Guru mantra.

若研读《七句祈请文》的原伏藏，甚至会发现，它说应放下生起、圆满次第的观修，供养、赞颂等，说把那些修持都放下！而是教导：“只须让虔敬遍满身、语、意，并祈请，以此七句祈请。”^[3]若能这样做，莲花生大师必定向你显现，赐予加持。这是宁玛传统极特殊的教言。因此，基本上，我对大家的建议，就是念《七句祈请文》与金刚上师咒。

If you practise like this, when you die, you will be reborn on the Copper-coloured mountain and will meet Guru Rinpoche face-to-face. The moment you meet him, all illnesses, harmful influences, negative actions and defilements, the two obscurations and all their associated habitual tendencies, will be completely purified, i.e. you will become enlightened. You will then manifest again as a nirmanakaya and truly be able to benefit sentient beings.

如此修持，死后将生铜色山，亲见莲花生大师。相见的那一刻，一切疾病、损害、恶业、垢染，二障与全部相关习气，都会完全清净，也就是觉悟。然后，再以化身显现，真正能够利益众生。

So that is by far the easiest approach. If you’re searching for a path that is very powerful and effective, this is it. This is what I usually tell people. I tell them to familiarize themselves with the original terma of the Seven-line Prayer^[4] and to meditate upon its meaning. Then to recite the Seven-line Prayer a minimum of one hundred thousand times. I tell them to then check and see whether there are any special signs or not. I’ve been sharing this instruction with people for several years now and everyone I’ve told to do this has reported some kind of special sign after they practice. Not one person has said nothing happened.

所以，这是最为容易的方法。若寻求非常有力、有效的道路，就是它。我通常这样告诉人们：熟悉《七句祈请文》原伏藏^[4]，观修其义，然后至少念十万遍《七句祈请文》，再检查有没有特殊征相。这几年，我一直向人们分享这个教言；凡告诉他们这样修的，都说修后有某种特殊征相，没有一个人说什么都没发生。

You all like to investigate and check, right? It only takes 21 days to recite a hundred thousand Seven-line Prayers. The related sadhana in the original terma is only one page. Many translations have been made which you can easily find. So that’s my advice to you.

大家喜欢研究、检查，对吧？念十万遍《七句祈请文》，只需二十一天。原伏藏中的相关仪轨，只有一页；已有许多译本，很容易找到。这就是我的建议。

Even in the Sutrayana, it is said that if you pray to the Protector Amitabha, you will be reborn in Sukhavati, the Land of Great Bliss. This happens simply as a result of praying to him. So in the Sutra teachings too, this is taught as the short path, the shortcut.

即使显教，也说祈请怙主阿弥陀佛，就会往生极乐世界。仅仅祈请，便有这样的结果。因此，显教也将此教授为短道、捷径。

Since the topic of this evening is the Secret Mantra Vajrayana, the special instruction of the Nyingma tradition, the shortcut, is the one I have just explained to you which comes from Guru Rinpoche. Phowa is also a swift path. As far as all of you are concerned, I think following this instruction is the best thing you can do.

既然今晚的题目是秘密真言金刚乘，宁玛传统的特殊教言、捷径，就是刚向你们解释、来自莲花生大师的这一教言。颇瓦法也是迅速之道。对大家而言，我想，依此教言行持，是你们能做的最好的事。