Interview with Phakchok Rinpoche:

Sdhan Ritual and the Vajrayana Path.

Rinpoche la, We are now in the 6th year of the Sdhan Ritual Courses and many
people from around the world have attended them. Why did you feel it was
necessary to begin this type of program?

First of all, dharma practice in general and the path of meditation has become very
accessible and particularly books and the study of buddhist philosophy has become very
accessible for the general public. The other aspect of dharma practice such as the
vajrayana path with its development stage practices is widespread and yet they do not
have the same accessibility of how and where to learn and how to practice that path.
Even though many people are practicing they do not actually know how to visualize and
how to go along this path and particularly when they want to go into retreat with these
practices they do not know what to do.

So seeing this and hearing from many practitioners about this kind of situation I thought
that this type of course such as the Sdhan Ritual Courses will be very helpful for
those who have an interest in the vajrayana practices and especially the development
stage. My wish is that people will be able to learn everything in detail and I think this is
possible and this is my wish,this is what I would like to see.

What is a sdhan and what is the meaning of ritual within the vajrayana path?

A sdhan is the essential practice of the vajrayana tantras, it is how to practice the
essence of those tantras. Great masters brought us the tantras of the vajrayana but in
order to really practice them you need to have the practice manual, the sdhan text. In
Tibetan the practice manual or sdhan is called drub thap. To be able to practice a
sdhan you need to have the reading transmission, empowerment and explanation.
Now a days reading transmissions and empowerments have become accessible, though
teachings on the ritual aspect and the specific explanations for these practice texts are
not very widespread.

Ritual is the skillful means from the approach or style of the vajrayana tantras to
enhance our realization, to accumulate merit and purify our obstacles and obscurations
very swiftly. So this aspect of the vajrayana path of how to apply and carry out the
sdhan practice is called ritual or chos ga in Tibetan.It is very important because the
great masters of the past have learned in this way. It was this way in India,Tibet and
other places and I think it is also very important now as well.
So, sdhan is important because it is the essential practice of the vajrayana tantras and
the ritual aspect is important because it is the way to carry out the practice of the
sdhan or practice manuals.

These days many modern practitioners like silent, formless meditation but feel that
development stage and its rituals are unnecessary and irrelevant. Can you please
explain what the relation is of meditative traditions such as mahmudr and
dzogchen to development stage practices and teachings?

All of the teachings of the Buddha are always given in two paths. The first one is the
path of skillful means and the second is the path of wisdom. For example, in the
sutrayna or mahyna you have the six pramits of which the first five are generosity,
discipline, patience, diligence and samadhi. These are the skillful means which allow us
to gain the wisdom of the sixth pramit, the praj-pramit. Similarly you need to
learn amatha (calm abiding) meditation in the mahyna to be able to gain the
realization of vipayan. (great insight or superior seeing).

Likewise, in the vajrayana there are two paths, the path of skillful means called the
development stage and the path of wisdom called the completion stage with its practices
of mahmudr or great perfection. So the path of skillful means is called the
development stage or in Tibetan is called kye rim. This is very important because
without it we will not be able to attain so easily the path of wisdom or also known as the
path of liberation within the vajrayana path.

This is all very important and all of the past great masters in any of their life stories you
will read how they entered the practice of vajrayana. They all have their own yidam
deity practice, male or female and with that tantra, sdhan and development stage
practices are connected. For these reasons, new practitioners who want to enter into and
practice the vajrayana path of mahmudr and great perfection, I recommend that you
do the ngndro preliminary practices and development stage practices. This is very
important, you must do that.

Ngrjuna said, Through the development stage you enter the completion stage.
How do vajrayana practices such as deity visualization, mantra, samadhi, mudr
and substances help us to tame our own mind? How can we integrate these
practice skillfully into our lives with work and family responsibilities?

Any practice of the dharma, of the Buddhas teachings is our responsibility to practice
and bring that path into our daily life. How to bring this into daily life we will discuss
and teach when you come to learn these teachings. We can talk about it at that time. I
dont think it is so necessary to explain here. Though to bring our practice of the
vajrayana path into our daily life is very important and that is a must for any of the
Buddhas teachings.

In each of the tantras they explain different pillars or key points, sometimes seven, nine,
ten or eleven of these pillars that the tantra will explain. This is in order for people to be
able to practice and follow the vajrayana path. This is very important for your path of
vajrayana practice and you must learn these key points. Some of these aspects are based
on the ground, some on the path, some are enhancing and some the fruition. Most
commonly it is ten pillars or key points such as view, empowerment, maala, samaya,
accomplishment, activity, mantra, samadhi, mudr and pj or offering. Sometimes
substances and more are explained as well. These are very important to learn. And until
now millions of practitioners have gained realization through this path and I think it is
worthwhile for modern dharma students and practitioners to practice this path as well.

When you learn meditation you need to learn correctly, completely and fully. Likewise,
if you want to learn vajrayana; learn correctly,completely and fully. Then you will see
the results of practice.
Why are the principals of ripening empowerment, liberating instructions and
supportive reading transmissions important on the vajrayana path? Are these
really necessary?

Empowerment is important because it is the opening of the door to the path and opens
the door to ripen our basic buddha nature and enables us to practice as such. In the same
way, in the mahyna it is very important to take the vow of bodhicitta. Not only to
practice bodhicitta but to take the vow as well because that is the first step of actual
application. Likewise in the vajrayana path, to be able to practice vajrayana you need to
receive empowerment in order to be able to understand and to ripen the buddha nature
of our own ground. This is necessary to be able to practice well.

A very important way to maintain and keep the enlightened lineages of the sdhans is
the reading transmission. And the profound way to remove misunderstanding and
liberate our doubt is the teaching or instructions. Keeping and maintaining the lineages
is through the transmission but to really profoundly understand and liberate our doubts,
wrong views and wrong understanding we need the liberating instructions. This helps to
correct our mistaken conduct and views.

That is why the three aspects of empowerment, transmission and explanation are very
important. But there is no need for all of these questions. It is better to just come and
learn and practice well.

Thank you very much. Sarva Mangalam!