Sleep, the Three Kayas and the Four Activities

Sleep, the Three Kayas and the Four Activities

GarTul Chimi Dorjee Rinpoche | 2018.09.15

Falling Asleep and Waking Up: Arranging the Day's Practice with the Three Kayas and the Four Activities

Before Sleep: Thank the Body and Let Everything Go

"Thank you, my eyes, you worked very hard. Thank you, my eyes, my ears, you worked very hard. Thank you, my hands, oh! You also worked very well." (Deep breathing)

Now just think, just be aware of this moment: "I am about to sleep, I have to sleep, I must make sure I rest." When the mind is still connected to things here and there, we are unable to sleep, so make sure: "I have to sleep." That is why, whatever things are related, now my body... Scan your body: "Okay, thank you, everything. Thank you, you are so great, you are so great."

Now just feel your body lighter, lighter and lighter, and your mind activity also... Okay, now think, "I get it," very light; you can engage in that. Only be aware of this moment, for example the breathing. You are aware of this moment, and your mind is not flickering, not looking here and there. During that time, you automatically feel something different. If the mind goes beyond that, you won't be able to feel it, because your mind is over there, not here.

So this is part of meditation. We also call it mindfulness, or it is related to awareness, related to many things, and a little peace is also there. Right now, completely...

The Ultimate Is Not Far Away: The Dharmakaya, Pure by Nature

We have a wrong concept about what we call the ultimate level of meditation and the ultimate level of enlightenment. That is why we are unable to link it with common experience, unable to improve within common experience, unable to be clear, and unable to deal with all the common challenges.

A student said: When you say "ultimate," we always think it is something beyond.

Something beyond our reach. Now, the ultimate, based on your experiential level right now, like the dharmakaya, is beyond my physical and mental approach, beyond cognitive reach, just like naked awareness, which means physical and mental activities shut down. And at the deepest level, I am stainless, I am vajra-like, I am pure by nature.

Waking in the Morning: Reminding Ourselves of Our Perfection with the Three Kayas

Through the concept of the three kayas of the deity, the perfection of the three kayas, you also remind yourself: "Okay, I am pure by nature, I am pure by nature. I am beyond, I am like space, unstainable like what we call the dharmakaya. I am unstained!" That reminds you of your dharmakaya nature.

Then remind yourself of your sambhogakaya nature, then of your nirmanakaya nature. It is so encouraging. In the morning, when you do the sadhana, everything is here. I think that at the beginning of the day, if we calm our mind, if we find that, then everything becomes better.

That is why we say that at night, if you change your motivation, your sleep will be good. And if we are disappointed at the beginning of the morning, then everything will be a disappointment.

So at the beginning of the morning, do your regular practices, and make sure these things are working in you. Find it, bring it inside, based on your own situation.

It is just a reminder of your outer activities: the outer, inner and innermost aspects. Allow that part, that kind of sensation, to happen in yourself. During that time, don't doubt it, even though you don't know the meaning.

The Power of Repetition: Speak Positive Words to Yourself

Just feel: "I am relaxed, I am relaxed." You see, you don't have to do anything. You just lie down and say: "My body has become lighter, lighter. Oh! Lighter, even lighter, even lighter." You will feel different. We don't have to find the meaning. If you can repeat a few words like this, you will definitely feel deeper and deeper, and you will sleep very differently.

Something like "I don't know the meaning": that repetition is actually discouraging. "I don't know what that is. What is that? What is that? These things are complicated. Oh! These things are complicated." It actually repeats within the subconscious; you repeat it subconsciously, and that repetition is a negative force on your growth. So if you say, "Oh! So great, it's just so great," it will be positive energy, and positive energy comes. You simply lie down and say: "Okay, my entire body has become lighter, lighter, lighter than a cloud, lighter than anything. Oh! Even lighter. Oh! (Deep breathing) So good, so great. Oh my god!" Something like that. (Laughter)

You just allow it, see things going like this, allow it, and you will feel something different, right?

Letting Go and Blessing: Changing How We See Things

If you go to sleep like this: "Aiyo, tomorrow, I don't... I would really like to sleep for two days, three days." And when you wake up: "Aiyo..." Such things happen to us, don't they? Then realization will never be possible. Because of our internal karma, our internal connections, that is, cause and condition: we are creating, and we are experiencing the consequences of whatever we create. What we are experiencing is what I accept; what we are experiencing is what I allow; what we are experiencing is what I let happen, what we believe and hold on to. If we let it go, everything is different.

Through that, if we can find this concept slowly, slowly, let it be absorbed: "Okay, things are like that. Okay, now everything is blessed." Now in every particle there is a Thousand-Armed Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), like this, and that is trillions of combinations of atoms. The closer we look, the more we find that every combination of atoms is actually blessed. "Oh! So great, how wonderful, isn't it?" Make yourself excited. Make yourself say something. Make sure we have that kind of different perspective, that kind of different approach.

If we have that kind of approach, people may say, "Ah!" They will say it based on their own belief, their own learning and their own capacity, but it doesn't matter. Such a person may never change his attitude because of what other people say. He knows the importance of his life, and he knows that misery, difficulties and challenges actually arise from himself. He also knows that not everything is driven by him or under his control. He is a hundred percent loyal to himself, that's all. He never allows fear to go along with him, and never allows disappointment to grow within him. He is very sure: "I never get disappointed. Today I never get disappointed."

"Okay, this is my challenge. When I go to work, I never put myself into disappointment. This is my challenge. Okay, let's see how tough you are now." Something like that.

Then, whatever the challenge is, say, "Hey, hey!" You can say, "Hey, hey!" Something like that.

"You see, I did it! You see, I did it!" Something like that. If we can bring some changes to our own perspective, through that we are supporting ourselves; through that we are able to see some changes, in everything and in ourselves. And that change is actually everything we are looking for.

The Pacifying and Increasing Activities: From Morning into the Day

The concept of the three kayas, that perfection: we need to remind ourselves that I also have that kind of perfection, but sadly, I am not able to experience it. "Okay! This time, for a short moment during the morning, one hour or an hour and a half or so... I'll let it happen, I'll try to feel it." After that, do some exercise, or go to work, or do whatever you have to do in the morning.

The first is the pacifying part. The second one is: "Now I'm ready to deal with things." This is the increasing part, which is actually the activity part, now the external activity. During that time I don't ignore anything, and I don't follow whether I have to do it or not. I just deal with whatever I come into contact with... just trying to do it within the day. And never doubt yourself, because you should never expect yourself to be perfect, never.

Based on your capacity, you can do something, but most importantly, never discourage yourself, and fully support what you have to do. If you don't know anything, it's okay; tomorrow you may possibly know. Because today and tomorrow, we are always in new situations. We shouldn't expect everything to be perfect. Try to do it in terms of your own satisfaction, in terms of your own approach. You can do it.

And if people don't like it, you just... It's okay. If he likes it, good; if he doesn't, it doesn't matter. All I have to do is...

A student asked: Support myself?

Just do it. Based on my own understanding and capabilities, that's all I can do.

We can also say: "That's all I can do. I can't do more than that, but tomorrow it's possible, I can do better. But today, whatever I do, this is actually all I can do." Isn't it? Something like that, to make it easier. So a little bit of encouragement: now we are in the process of that, right?

The Magnetizing Activity: Appreciating What You Accomplished Today

Now the empowering part, the extra motivation: "Okay, you did it so great!" Extra motivation through appreciating whatever you have accomplished, whatever progress you have made.

"Okay, you did great! Tomorrow I'll do more. Okay, be happy, be content." Something like that.

At Night: Rest Early, and Don't Look at the Clock When You Wake

And at night, make sure you sleep a little bit earlier. Whatever you have to do, try to adjust your time and get it finished, so that by then everything is already done. Night is very important, because once we shake that routine, every day will collapse. That is why, before 11 or 11:30, if you have something to complete, you can do it. And at that time: "Okay, now it's rest time."

Take a deep breath. Now, restfulness of body and mind is very important. So don't think about what you still have to do; tomorrow I'll do it, today I make sure I sleep. Now the body becomes lighter and lighter, and your mind also becomes very clear, so clear that it completely dissolves into a state of nothingness.

And when you get up, make sure you don't let yourself be disturbed: "Oh, so great! Okay!" Something like that. You just... don't let yourself be disturbed by things: "Okay, beautiful, beautiful, it's another chance! Oh, it's another chance, it's another time." Something like that. Okay, now do meditation and practice.

If you can, no problem. Sometimes I don't look at the time when I go to sleep, and I don't look at the time when I wake up. Because when I look at the time: "Oh! One a.m. Oh, so late." And when I go to sleep at that time, I am already exhausted. Because we believe: "Oh, I slept at 1 a.m. and woke up at 3 a.m. Oh! So early. Oh, 5 a.m., so early! I actually only slept three hours. Oh! It feels like two hours! Oh, I need to sleep!" Sometimes we actually don't need it. That's why it's better to feel comfortable and not know the time... My awareness is actually still very strong. It has happened to me so many times. But of course, set some alarms, make sure... (Laughter) Before the alarm, let it happen. You feel: "Okay, this is good enough." Definitely enough sleep, something like that.

Every Day Is Practice: In Session and Between Sessions

If you feel good, then do some meditation; that is the routine. During the meditation, the practice of the deity, always try to remind yourself of this. There is a process of the four kayas or three kayas. So with the three kayas, we have to enhance those perfections: our dharmakaya, nirmanakaya and sambhogakaya. Do a little bit of chanting, or whatever practice you have, and make it fully satisfying, complete. Give yourself time, have time for yourself.

Then, when you go outside, it is actually part of the bodhicitta activities. Okay, during that time, whatever you accomplish is post-meditation, which is also the conduct part of meditation. For example: "Now I'm doing an activity. Okay, Chenrezig, you see." Something like that, and it is very beautiful. Every day becomes practice, doesn't it? If we can bring this into our life, it's easy. Otherwise, if we don't make that kind of routine, we struggle, because we keep thinking, thinking, thinking unnecessarily. That's why making a routine means that the thinking part has had enough thinking. Now we take a break from thinking and doubting.

Questions and Answers: The Magnetizing and Subjugating Activities

A student asked: Rinpoche, so we start from pacifying, pacifying our own thoughts during meditation; then the increasing part is the daytime; and the third one, the evening, is magnetizing?

Magnetizing: sometimes we also say "empowering." What does magnetizing mean?

A student said: Magnetizing is like a magnet; you attract things to you.

Empowering is like: "Okay, everything I did now gathers here." Like an extra motivation: "Oh, you already did great." Or: "Today I accomplished a lot. Tomorrow I will keep putting myself in this routine." Something like that: "I'll never disturb my routine." Make it happen, just rest yourself, flow in the simplest way possible.

A student asked: How about the fourth one?

The fourth one is subjugating. It is like a power, like wrath, like a decision, a strong decision.

"Okay, now, sleep!" Abandon everything.

"Okay, it's time to rest, let it... It's time to rest, now!" Complete relaxation, like a complete withdrawal from activities.

A student asked: Withdrawal from activities?

From those thoughts, those expectations, and some... And always be mindful and be aware.

Your body becomes lighter, like this: "Thank you, my eyes. Oh! Thank you, my mouth. And thank you, my stomach. All day you worked very hard for me. I'm really thankful and grateful! Whatever my mind likes to do, you are there to serve me!" Make sure you have that kind of positive connection. Actually, there are so many different techniques. So my body becomes: "Oh, stress free! Oh, light!"

It becomes full of light, and it becomes lighter in weight, lighter, lighter, even lighter, even lighter. It's just like a feather, just like a cloud. Oh, now, inexpressible, something like that.

And the mind becomes clear, clarified, just like light itself, like the sky itself, no longer here and there, completely dissolved into infinite space or something like that. For a while I completely take a break from every engagement, and sleep. Oh! (Laughter)

Questions and Answers: Guided Imagery and My Mother's Sleep

A student said: Wow, you are such a good mesmerizer, drawing people in, into that situation. (Laughter) We call it guided imagery, guiding people into images.

This is actually the personal experience all of us need. I have to work in that field, and you have to feel it too.

If you feel it, if you can feel it now while we are sharing it, it means you are able to do it right now. You have at least gotten some of the way through, not theoretically, but somehow you hypnotized yourself, or... (Laughter) Something like that, isn't it?

A student said: Yes.

Very powerful. I shared something in meditation with my mother, and we both... This time, when we went to Ladakh, we spent a little bit of time together.

Within two minutes she fell asleep (snoring), and slowly woke up after a few minutes. I said: "Mother! You meditated and fell asleep?" "Oh! Yes, yes, yes. Is there any difference?" she said. Such deep sleep, oh, very comfortable. It's not like ordinary sleep; it is something very satisfying. I feel like I'm regenerated, very fresh, really, very comfortable, like this.

We also need that kind of relaxation, because we are dealing with very stressful activities. That's why sometimes in meditation we are unable to focus. That's why we feel... because we have no idea what meditation itself is, do we? So that's why... At first I taught her meditation like this, and I saw that sitting was a little bit difficult for her and she was not clear. I felt she might be a little bit tired, so I told her to lie down; she wanted to sleep. I also wanted to sleep at that time.

During the day, the pressure is actually within our mind. She asked... People are living in a very comfortable time, but actually, with the thoughts we are carrying, if we are not skillful with what we are thinking, we will struggle. We'll feel stressed; we stress ourselves. (Laughter)

Tonight, at sleeping time, try it, and just try to organize the four activities.

A student said: I have mesmerized myself like that before, because I learned some yoga, but I forgot... When I applied it, it was really powerful.

I think this process is really important for you.

A student said: Yes, especially now, when I really need it.

Treasure Yourself: Only by Enjoying the Journey Do We Arrive

And always be supportive of yourself, always listen to yourself. Make sure we support ourselves and treat ourselves well. It is very important. If we don't... Right now we blame people for not treating us like this, but we treat ourselves even worse, don't we? It is very important to treasure ourselves. Like... in deity practice, treasuring ourselves, making offerings...

A student said: Rinpoche, I forget whether this is from you or from Tsoknyi Rinpoche, but there is a very beautiful metaphor. When you go traveling, even though you see beautiful things, the place where you can really rest is your home. So when you get home, you feel so relaxed. I think it is the same for us. Because we are always not with our mind, with our nature of mind, we always feel stressed. When we arrive at the nature of mind, when we go back home, that is total relaxation. I forget whether this is from you or from Tsoknyi Rinpoche.

I have shared this kind of concept with a few people, but I'm not quite sure I shared it with you.

A student said: Because both of you came, it got mixed together. They are... at the same...

But in the spiritual journey... In a moving journey, a physical journey, there is a road and there is a destination. Even if we don't enjoy the journey itself, we will enjoy the destination. But in the spiritual process, I later found, if you don't enjoy the journey itself, you will never reach the destination. That's why the three processes are very important: external perfection, internal perfection. This one is based on this, and this one is based on this.

Without the dharmakaya, there is no sambhogakaya; without the sambhogakaya, there is no nirmanakaya. Everything is based on, and perfected by, each other.

Empowerment and the Three Kayas: Making the Inner Perfection Clear

That's why during an empowerment, first, the water empowerment is actually the dharmakaya... Then the crown empowerment comes; in the abhisheka, our crown comes.

First the water, second the crown, and the crown is actually the sambhogakaya. Through that, now the nirmanakaya: body, speech and mind, these are all nirmanakaya, and now we receive the nirmanakaya. So first, the water is actually completely washing away our stains. That is part of the dharmakaya, very important, very important. Everything is designed for ourselves. That's why, when you see the deity, if you remind yourself that seeing the deity is seeing the three kayas, the four kayas, you just remind yourself: "Oh, my innermost quality, the dharmakaya, is the state of my mind." Just remind yourself of your internal perfection, purity and perfection. Right now we are unable to make it clear, so it is my duty to sustain it and to make it clearer through myself.

Note: (In the first of the four levels of tantric empowerment, there are five empowerments: the water empowerment, the crown empowerment, the vajra empowerment, the bell empowerment and the name empowerment.)

Making it clear through ourselves is a gift, a blessing. If it is made clear through others, there is no guarantee; it may encourage them, or it may never bring any change within. So what we are doing is making it clear through yourself, now allowing yourself to treat yourself well, to treat yourself in the best way, something like that. You see, if you encourage yourself and someone else doesn't care, it doesn't matter, does it? In the end, whatever people say, I accept it. That's why things happen...

Building a Routine: Let Others Witness Your Change

I also treat it the same way: I am allowing it. In the end, "I" dislike it; that's why I hate them so much.

If "I" don't hate it and make it fun, things become fun, funny, don't they? That's why, when "I" make these things happen, things happen. It's very important.

Make it a routine, push yourself, make sure you go through it. And don't... my own entanglement, my own fixation, my own... bring some change in that area: my own conflict, my own contradiction, my own undervaluing of myself, my own beliefs. You will feel something different. Keep doing it, keep doing it, and share it with no one. They will see. Let them see what kind of progress I am making; let them witness it. Along the way, be aware, be aware.

Money cannot fool you. Money is important, a job is important, everything is important, but if you treat yourself that way, then money alone cannot do anything, can it? A single thing cannot... If we learn how to do this, then everything is under our control. Money is beneficial, food is beneficial, a house is beneficial, wealth is beneficial, everything is beneficial.