Why practice Tummo?

The purpose of the Tummo teachings is how we can step by step free ourselves from this ocean of suffering.

Why do we need this teaching? Is it merely because it’s interesting? We need to ask ourselves this question and reflect deeply.

People often say that others make them angry or cause them to suffer. But that is not true. If we train and learn to take control of our own mind, consciousness, and emotions then nobody can ever cause you suffering. You become the boss – the king. So if you want to be free of suffering – even sickness, old age, death, and rebirth which are the effects of our negative action – we need to uncover how to be free from these four sufferings of birth, old age, sickness, and death. These are the subjects we aspire to understand and learn. Through proper understanding of suffering and proper understanding of how to reduce these suffering there are many methods such as sutra method, tantra method, and dzogchen method. Special to this teaching is the tummo method to understand and reduce our suffering. How to use our channels, our breath/wind, and the essence of the Buddhas/spheres in ways to reduce our suffering. We then we can put it into practice step by step. In the tantra view, our body is the temple of the yidam. This is not just a beautiful phrase. It is real. Our body is the temple of the Buddhas. But before we can realize that essence, we may need to go step-by-step learning how we have five senses, how we have five consciousnesses, how we have five inner organs, how we have five elements, how we have five limbs, etc. Why are these only five? How can we speak or think? How did we get this body? Yes we can learn this through science, but it’s important to learn these things from enlightened teachers. 

The main point of all of this is that we need to understand ourselves. We need to know the causes and conditions that bring together all of what we call ourselves. The causes that bring benefit and the causes that bring suffering. All of these teachings help us to gain a little bit more understanding of what it means to be human. Through this way, these teachings were given to give us a foundation and base of understanding. And without a foundation of base, the higher teachings even if we hear them may not be understood. They may not make sense. Because they have no foundation to build upon and for our wisdom to grow. 

So we need to reflect, why do I need to practice? If you are thinking about yourself only, that is the lowest level of motivation. That level is not pure motivation. The second level of motivation is the wish to not be born in the lower three realms, and to be born in the upper three realms. This is the middle motivation and also not pure motivation of the Buddha. The pure motivation of the Buddhas is the third level motivated by all sentient beings, all of your family. Not just your family in this life, but in every past life and future life. The family that extends in all directions without borders including all sentient beings. Humans, insects, animals, hungry ghosts, and all other beings are all our families. Every being has been our family – our mothers, fathers, and siblings. We practice for all sentient beings. And this family of all beings also includes ourselves, so we don’t have to worry about our own well-being as we are included in the great family of all. The responsibility as a son or daughter is ours. We have a good fortunate life, we have received the teachings, we have people showing us the way now. And now we have the pure and proper motivation. Feel you are very important and let that generate responsibility and motivation. 

The teachings starts with a homage – “I prostrate to the vastness of self-originated nature of the mind.” And right from the very beginning Shardza Rinpoche orients us to the view that this teaching is about realizing our own self-originated mind nature. This homage sets the aim, intention, and aspiration for engaging this practice – to realize our very own nature of who and what we really are. Shardza Rinpoche also mentions this teaching is from the tantra path, or the secret path. Who is it a secret from? This path is a secret to our intellect and ego-self. If we try to use our intellect here, the nature of mind will always be a secret to that part of us. 

Benefit of the Practice of the Wind

In general, the techniques of Tummo practice help us to understand in a deeper way the relationships between the body and mind and the capacities of our minds. It helps us to respond to stress in a healthier way and enhances our immune system. It also helps us to improve channels, winds, and spheres in our body, which enables us to regulate the functioning of the body’s organs and clear the channels. Regular inhalation and exhalation of Tummo has many benefits, such as increasing physical stability and strength, reducing the risk of injury and muscle cramps, and so on.

In particular, by relying on the practice of Tummo and penetrating the vital points of the channels, winds and spheres/drops, the bliss-warmth of wisdom that is naturally present in oneself naturally blazes.

Whatever meditation practice you do in dependence upon the practice of Tummo, the obstacles to meditation such as dullness and agitation will naturally be eliminated, your awareness will be clear and lucid, and your mind will be very stable. Therefore, the power of your practice will be very great. Also, at all times, the mind is free from the influence of improper thoughts, fear, and mental illness, and the mind is peaceful and at ease.

The five internal organs, the heart, lungs, liver, and spleen are restored to their normal functions. It restores the digestive heat, improves digestion, increases the immune system, and prevents all infectious diseases such as a cold.

Furthermore, all outer, inner, and secret obstacles and harms can be liberated by the force of the wisdom fire of inner fire, and so forth. All the happiness of this life and the next life comes down to this vital point.

The most important thing is to understand the reality of who and what we really are.