Nyungne Closing Teaching: Purifying the "Bubble" World of the Mind
Nyungne Closing Teaching: Purifying the "Bubble" World of the Mind
GarTul Chimi Dorjee Rinpoche | Zhiguang Chan Monastery | 2026.01.04
I. Motivation: Practicing on Behalf of All Beings
In this retreat, we purify the body through physical movement and the ritual. But besides the body, we also have a mind.
In the retreat, we purify the mind like this: whatever good experience you have in the practice, try to share it, dedicating it to all sentient beings.
When you face difficulties, tiredness or challenges, instead of grasping them as "my problem," immediately think: "I am doing this for the benefit of all sentient beings."
For example, when I have to chant loudly, I sometimes feel tired or have negative thoughts. But I promise myself that I am doing this on behalf of all the participants and all sentient beings. That thought really boosts my energy and transforms the mind.
II. The "Bubble" of Perception and Conception
The idea of "the benefit of all sentient beings" might feel disconnected from our ego at first. But consider this: you and your friend look at the same object, yet you each have your own version of it. We each live in our own "bubble." Like a fish in water, you have your own version of the world.
You must recognize that your version belongs to you, and others have theirs. We often have problems with our vision of the outside world and of ourselves. During practice, we have the chance to see that everything exists within our own "bubble," and to start purifying it.
III. Offering the Sense Pleasures and Purifying the Senses
In the ancient Indian tradition, when a respected guest visits, you offer two kinds of water: Argham, drinking water, and Padyam, water to wash the feet. The remaining five offerings correspond to the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.
These beautiful objects are offered to please the deity, but they are also tools to purify our own senses. We are exercising our mind to see everything in a pure way, to see that everything is essentially pure by nature.
IV. The Artist's View: Extracting Beauty
I really love the idea of looking at practice in an artistic way. If you have an artistic view, you find the beauty in everything. Think of a photographer with a camera. Even in a dirty place, they focus, zoom and extract the beauty.
When you have this willingness and openness to find beauty, real purification happens.
V. The Potential of the Human Body and the Importance of Posture
With this human body, we have the potential to cut the cycle of rebirth. But first we must care for the body. The mind is like furniture, and the body is the house. Even if you exercise, without good posture, pain and sickness will come.
Fasting is excellent; it starts the body's cleaning system. But after fasting, you must still choose healthy food. If the body is in pain, it clouds your emotions and thoughts. Deep practices like Lung (wind energy) can help, but the mind must also be disciplined.
VI. The Five Considerations: The Dharma as Medicine, the Teacher as Doctor
There is a famous teaching on the five considerations:
- Take yourself as a sick person;
- Take the teaching as medicine;
- Take the teacher as a doctor;
- Take the practice as the way to cure the disease;
- Take your Dharma friends as the nurses who care for you.
If you forget this central point, you just pick up random medicines without knowing what they do.
VII. Final Blessing
I wish you all the blessings. Since we have started this year by practicing our body, speech and mind as the body, speech and mind of Chenrezig, I wish everyone such a lovely and holy year, blessed by the deity.
Especially regarding your mind, the "version of the world" you carry: try to crystallize it. Try to let it come back to you as closely as possible.
Once that happens, you will have very clear details about which way to go and whatever you do.
May the blessings of Chenrezig and the effects of our practice last for a long, long time.