Chapters 1-6 of Lama Zopa Rinpoche's Teachings

(duration: 14 minutes)

Transcript of Video 2: “Sleeping With Bodhichitta”

(You can read the transcript of the video below. Alternatively, you can read the same transcript alongside the video by clicking here to download it or view it in a separate window.)

The lamrim teachings mention the sleeping yoga that Lama Tsongkhapa explained. It is mentioned in the sutras that when you go to bed, you go out and wash your feet and then you come back inside, put your left leg on [top of] your right leg and sleep like a snow lion. That is what is mentioned in the sutras. Sleep like that, in the position of a snow lion lying down. Then hold well the light, the illumination. Your mind should hold that well. Why is that? So that you don’t get a very heavy thick sleep and so it is easy to get up in the early morning. So you are not controlled by thick heavy sleep and you can get up early to practice Dharma. Physically lie down like a snow lion lying down and, with the mind, hold the light, have a virtuous thought, and remember the meditation. One must rely on these three: the light, the virtuous thought, and the remembrance of the meditation. Hold onto that until you fall asleep.

Other than that, when you are about to go to sleep, you must have a very strong thought, strong courage, a strong thought that you will get up without delaying in the morning. His Holiness goes to bed from eight or nine o’clock then gets up at three o’clock in the morning to practice. The attendant gets up at three o’clock to offer tea and do service. So, 3 or 4 or 5 o’clock, to not be late and to have the courage to get up and to not have a very heavy sleep. Of course, in the West completely heavy sleep is the best. Complete total sleep, then, “Last night I had a fantastic sleep, an unbelievable time.” This is another way of looking at it!

As it is mentioned in lamrim, you should have that thought, that courage, to not delay the time of getting up. Then, like an animal with fear… It uses the example of animals like deer who, when they sleep at night, sleep very lightly in the forest or jungle. They have light sleep with their ears up, so when other animals attack it is very easy to wake up and run. Their sleep is very light with their ears up. They sleep like that, so it is easy to run when the enemy comes. They sleep with fear like that. Here, it is with the fear that you might miss the opportunity to practice Dharma, so to not be late for that. Lie down remembering that when the Buddha was passing away into the sorrowless state, showing that holy deed, he was in the position of a snow lion lying down. Then, he showed the holy deed of passing into the sorrowless state. Like that, lie down. If you do that, you remember Buddha when you go to bed. The benefits, by the way, are that even when you are asleep you do not forget the Buddha, you remember the Buddha. And during sleep your mind doesn’t get separated from virtue, so you are taking the essence day and night. The third benefit is that you don’t sleep very heavily like a pig’s sleep. The fourth is that in your dreams you won’t create very heavy negative karma. You won’t dream those things. Those dreams won’t happen, the source of nightmares, because you sleep in the Buddha position. It helps to protect you. Then, even during sleep you are able to practice virtue, even during sleep. That also helps when you die. When you die, you are also able to die in this position of the snow lion lying down and to remember the Buddha. That position even helps to not get reborn in the lower realms.

This is in general. Then, according to the lower tantra, you see yourself as the mandala deity. The guru and the deity are the same. In the presence of the guru, then you sleep with creativity. In non-creativity, then you absorb into the seed syllable, the deity’s mantra. For example, [in the case of] Chenrezig, the HRIH gradually dissolves, then there is no object, and you meditate on emptiness. Then you rise up. When you sleep in non-creativity, then the next morning remember non-creativity and rise as the deity.

In highest yoga tantric practice, meditate on the dharmakaya and fall asleep. Then arise from that, from the dharmakaya. All the dakinis play music and persuade you to rise, and say these words that I mentioned. Absorb whatever syllable and then [meditate on the] dharmakaya.

[End of Video 2: “Sleeping With Bodhichitta”]

When you go to sleep, it is also mentioned to think, “May all sentient beings achieve the dharmakaya.” That is also mentioned. When you wake up, remember that, and when you go to sleep it is the same. Then, if you are practicing highest yoga tantra, meditate on the dharmakaya, with  the mind abiding on ultimate reality, like space. Or see yourself as the deity in the mandala, [remember] the guru with devotion, and go to sleep like that with the generation stage. But, in general, do tong-len meditation or meditate on emptiness, and with that go to sleep; or else generate compassion.

There is a mantra to recite when going to sleep:

OM SIDDHI SIDDHI BUDDHA BUDDHA BODHAYA BODHAYA BALA BALA TISHTHA TISHTHA HRIH KAMPA KAMPA BARA GACHA GACHA BHAGAVATI MA BI LAM BA A LE SVAHA^[1]

Say that seven times and then blow on the right palm. Then put the palm under the right cheek in the snow lion position, and without interruption of another superstitious thought, go to sleep. If the mind meditates on emptiness, if you do that, then you are able to recognize the clear light of sleep. Then you are able to quickly realize the meaning of the Prajnaparamita – emptiness. Due to the Buddha’s kindness, there are various means that help for the quick realization of emptiness.