Awakening the Buddha Within _ Eight Steps to Enlightenment - Lama Surya Das [72]
Then and there, Geshe Chékawa committed himself to finding the teacher who had written such inspiring lines, but when he inquired, no one in the village knew where these lines came from. So Geshe Chékawa set out on a spiritual quest. And, as he walked, asking everyone he met, he came upon a leper who told him with authority that Atisha, the master who had written this saying, had died. Master Atisha, however, had a disciple, named Layman Drom who could be found; Geshe Chékawa, determined to learn everything he could about these wonderful teachings, trudged on.
When Geshe Chékawa finally met Atisha’s disciple, he immediately asked him how important these two lines were. According to our oral teaching tradition, Geshe Chékawa was told, “Whether you believe this or not, whether you like it or not, you have to practice this teaching if you want to attain enlightenment.” This statement astonished Geshe Chékawa, and yet its truth resonated in his heart. He stayed with Atisha’s disciple, Layman Drom, for twelve years, apprenticing himself to the master and studying and practicing all the mind-training teachings.
At first Geshe Chékawa kept these teachings close to his chest. Then some mendicant lepers came to him, and Geshe Chékawa, who felt he owed a karmic debt of gratitude to the leper who had helped him, began to teach them. Soon rumors began to circulate that these lepers were being healed in body and spirit. People began joking that Geshe Chékawa’s place seemed like an infirmary.
And another amazing thing happened. Geshe Chékawa’s cynical older brother, who had been extremely skeptical and never practiced Dharma, had a change of heart. Chékawa’s brother couldn’t help but notice the transformation among the lepers, a transformation he sought for himself. He was too proud to request teachings, so he hid outside an open window where he too could learn about Lo-jong mind-training. Secretly he began to practice what his monk brother taught. As he did so, his recalcitrant character began to noticeably change and soften. Seeing the change in his brother astonished Geshe Chékawa. If it could work for his brother, it could work for anyone!
This inspired Geshe Chékawa to begin writing down all the Lo-jong teachings. As he continued to practice and teach, he codified, structured, and wrote down what Layman Drom had remembered and passed on of the wisdom Atisha had taught, in the form of fifty-nine wise slogans or aphorisms. This became renowned in Tibet as Atisha’s “Seven Points of Mind-Training.” This training has always been transmitted in the form of short pithy slogans. They are amazingly contemporary and to the point. These essential teachings form the core of the Tibetan Buddhist mind-training practice to cultivate bodhicitta, altruism, and compassion.
Geshe Chékawa was so sincerely committed to the practice of bodhicitta that as his death approached, he prayed to be reborn in the hell realms so he could take on the suffering of beings tormented by heavy negative karma. As the story goes, Chékawa had several blessed clear light dreams as he was dying, indicating that he would be reborn in Buddha Fields, but that his prayers would emanate like bright light rays as blessings even into the depths of hell. I remember Dilgo Khyentse saying, “It is rare to find spiritual masters today who have such incredible compassion.” Geshe Chékawa will always be remembered in Tibet as the monk who made certain that Atisha’s methods for cultivating loving-kindness would be available for us all. The Dalai Lama has often said, “My religion is loving-kindness.”
THINKING ABOUT OTHERS FIRST
What a unique concept! It’s not something we are accustomed to doing. That’s why we need ongoing training and practice. It’s like learning to be a dancer, gymnast, or pianist: You begin with basic stretches, stances, and finger exercises. Training the mind in