Guru Yoga                                                                       

For the benefits of all creatures in the unlimited universe, today I shall devote myself to the Grand Master's Law of Association with my mind full of the aspiration for enlightenment. There are four mental conversion rules - perfection is a rare experience, death occurs unexpectedly, life transmigrates without ending, and the power of karma. We should think about these rules seriously. Understanding the four mental conversion rules, our minds will be free from the transmigration. Therefore, we have to study the rules devotedly. No one can study Buddhism with a purified mind if his mind is dominated by transmigration. Therefore, we need to study the four conversion rules devotedly. It is a great fortune for us to acquire human bodies in our present lives. We have suffered from tremendous pains and engaged in all kinds of immoralities throughout the transmigration. It is, therefore, a great fortune for us to acquire human bodies in our present lives. We have been converted to hells for countless generations. We have also been converted to the ghost land and animal land for many, many times. Similarly, we have been converted to the god land and human land for so many times and suffered tremendously in each land. We keep changing in the transmigration. Our minds are full of all kinds of joys and feelings.

I had a car long time ago when I was new in India. The car broke. I asked a repairman to fix my car. I sat and relaxed for a while when they were fixing my car. Two lamas were traveling with me. I let them go away and walk around in the city. As I was watching the repairman fixing my car, I saw a friend. I walked around and chatted with him. We were walking on a slope. It was raining. I fell down and my back hit the ground. I felt dizzy after falling down. I couldn't stand up. An Indian came and helped me to get up. He took me to my car. I stayed in the car and rested for a while. I felt a bit dizzy at that time. The repairman gave me a tea. I was still unconscious when I was drinking tea. I couldn't remember what happened. I only remembered that I was in a repair shop, bet I had no idea about what happened to me. It was like a dream. I tried to pick up my memory and gradually remembered why I was here. My car was broken. I was here to have my car repaired. I stared to remember. My body was injured. Then, I lost my consciousness and couldn't remember what happened. Yes, that's what happened to me.

Now I know, transmigration is like a body injury and my memory is erased then I transmigrated from one life to another. Ever since the beginning of transmigration, I have gone through countless conversion and have experienced many, many joys and pains in each and every life. If we had known what would happen to us in our lives, we would sit quietly at this time and nothing would have happened at all. Why? If we had know the pain involved in transmigration, we would do our best to eliminate the pain associated with transmigration and, eventually, we wouldn't want to transmigrate from one life to another. If you still remember how you suffered from the eight coldness and heat un the hell, the hunger in the ghost land, and the overtiredness caused by hard working in the animal land, you will not sit back and relax at all. You have completely forgotten how you suffered in your previous lives. That's why you indulge yourself in enjoyment now. You always think about your enjoyments. If you can think about the pains associated with transmigration seriously, you will not indulge yourself in enjoyment at all, not even a minute or a second.

Fortunately, transmigration helps us erase the painful memories. No one would care for his life if he still remembers the pains he went through in the previous lives. We have gone through transmigration ceaselessly and experienced countless joys and pains. Fortunately, we have acquired not only human bodies, but also Buddhism in our present lives. Therefore, we need to know how important our bodies are and must not waste the precious lives. Do not pursuit wealth. Do not pursuit frame. We should get rid of all these things and pursuit enlightenment though Buddhism. That is the foremost task for us. When does transmigration end? No one knows. Transmigration never ends. If there is no ending, you will always look for more and are never satisfied even if you have acquired the wealth of a continent. A house can be filled up with stuff now matter how big this house is. But, you are never "satisfied" no matter how much you have acquired. It's because you do not understand the nature of emptiness inside your mind. So is trouble. Troubles are created one after another in your mind. Needless to say, you will never have enough troubles. You lose your mind constantly. You live day after day and then you pass away. You have no choice for passing away. You cannot do anything with your wealth and fame when your life ends.