The golden minute with Vajrasattva

We need to practice  Dharma all the time, even when we are not ‘doing anything’. Vajrasattva practice can remind a person that they are practicing more than what their concept of practicing means. We look at practice in a 2d way not and not in a multi-dimensional way.

In our mind, Bodhichitta, for example, provides an infinite fruit. An image of this could be likened to an endless field of fruit trees (blissful fruit). That as much as you take, it never depleets. But we never see our virtue like this.

Our actions continue into infinity. Both our previous selves and future selves are equally empty. Our past is full of virtue and good deeds, as is our future, this is how karma will play out. Our Dharma practice is evident in every part of our human existence regardless if we ‘see it’ or not and will also be evident in the future when we die (at some point in time, this is inevitable because of karma).

What is the golden minute?

A reminder that your mental continuum is scattered with endless momentary selves practicing Dharma. We think ‘I’ am practicing Dharma, singular. Yet there is noone. And mutually supporting this understanding, there are countless ‘I’s also. We usually think, ‘I am lazy’ or ‘I try my best’ or ‘I could do more’ yet we are doing more than we could ever, ever possibly imagine.

When you reach the Dharma continuum, you will actually remember all the previous teachings you have received. This understanding will illuminate your mental continuum into blissful wisdom. This practice is another way of ripening the Dharma continuum.

As for the practice, you do this in the same mental place, at the same time, everyday, regardless. In your own self-generated mandala. Here’s the simple practice (Inspired by Vajrasattva):

Environment

You are sat within a white stupa as your purest self, made of light. Inside this stupa is Vajrasattva’s mandala. You are sat in the centre of the stupa facing toward one side. On the wall is a golden clock and a door frame appears several feet in front of this, but it is just a door frame standing in space, upright from the floor. These together symbolise appreciating cause and effect, the doorway to realizing emptiness. Walking through the door to liberation.

The practice

In 60 seconds, you recall all of your virtue, your great intentions and your good deeds that are peppered all along your entire mental continuum. You disappear into it. You once had miracle powers, attained tranquil abiding, could walk through walls, could fly and remain with the mind of compassion for days. You taught and expounded Dharma for an endless time. These minds you have generated and the kindness and help you have given to other living beings are present in the past and will ripen in the present of the future. You generate supreme great joy at your endless Dharma practice and great deeds. This whole continuum completely empty and all leading you to this, what is your last life before your enlightenment.

After you do this you look at the clock and the hands are spinning around and around really fast. You stand up and walk through the door of emptiness and fully believe your entire mental continuum is empty and full of virtue. The only appearances that can arise from now on are pure minds of Dharma that you know are ‘waiting’ to arise.

The purpose of this extremely short practice is to have joy in ones practice, to have faith in ones practice, to understand ones practice is bigger than oneself reaching infinity and acts as a antidote to using the Dharma as a weapon to beat oneself about how lazy one is, the discouragement and procrastination.

One moment of the practice of pure Dharma fills an eternity with virtue. I rejoice.

So even if you do not practice much ‘today’ you can know that you have practiced for lifetimes and be happy that it’s not about quantity because you have endless virtue on your continuum, it’s about quality and enjoying it. We do however have only a certain amount of time before the karma of this life exhausts but there is never a time when we should not feel joy about our pratice. Using Dharma to ‘tell ourselves off’ is pointless and painful.

Laziness is an ugly concept. Dorje Shugdan can make it so that your whole life you have been practicing Dharma. Even without having ‘practiced’ formally. This is a subtle understanding but worth thinking about.