Aspiration Prayer for Cutting the Attachment of This Life

Aspiration Prayer for Cutting the Attachment of This Life

It has two subdivisions:

1. Receiving Limitless Light’s blessing from your belief and trust

2. Cutting the attachment of this life

1: Receiving Limitless Light’s Blessing From Your Belief and Trust

I only rely on you,

Focusing on you all the time,

Please bestow your blessing,

That my mind becomes virtuous.

This is very clear and simple. In this prayer, we say, I do not rely on anyone other than the Limitless Light Buddha. I focus on you all of the time. Please bestow your blessing on us that our mind becomes completely virtuous. If you pray with trust and belief from the depth of your heart, there is no doubt that you will be connected to the blessing of the Limitless Light Buddha.

2: Cutting the Attachment of This Life

It has two subdivisions:

1. Disenchantment from suffering

2. Cutting the attachment

1: Disenchantment from Suffering

Here in this negative situation of cyclic existence,

Although I experience suffering again and again,

I feel it is happiness, not realizing it is suffering.

From now on may I be disenchanted!

The negative situation of cyclic existence is like a prison. We circle again and again without becoming free, experiencing countless various sufferings. Although we experience various suffering in any of the six realms, we still do not realize that suffering is suffering. We think suffering is happiness. We think that making friends, marriage, parenting, grand parenting, etc. that all this is happiness. If we think this way, this is the most serious form of ignorance. So, from now on, may I recognize the suffering of suffering and become disgusted, disenchanted, and feel sick and sad with tears in my eyes and my body shaking whenever I fail to recognize suffering as suffering. How serious of a mistake are we making in this life when we mistake suffering for happiness?

2: Cutting the Attachment

It has two subdivisions:

1. Cutting attachment

2. Making the Mind Suitable

1: Cutting Attachment

It has three subdivisions:

1. Cutting attachment to parents/relatives & friends

2. Cutting attachment to food and wealth

3. Cutting attachment to notoriety and fame

1: Cutting Attachment to Parents/Relatives & Friends

This life’s parents,

And children, nieces, nephews, spouse, friends, and relatives,

May I not be attached to any of them,

And stay alone in solitude

Having too much attachment to this life’s parents and family - if we stay with them, it’s like keeping the company of demons. Our parents are especially great obstacles to our liberation. For example, Shardza Rinpoche said “the family home is like the butcher house of hell. Family wealth is like a demon's weapon. Family food is like poisonous food. Parents' affection is like the shackles of hell. Parents advice is like deceptive words of demons.”

Why does Shardza Rinpoche say this? They all teach us how to defeat enemies, how to take care of family, how to manage finances, how to engage in business, how to get possessions – the root of suffering, how to accumulate wealth, and so forth. From all of their advice on how to live in this world properly, happily, and taking care of family all of the time, we are never free from cyclic existence. In the same way, we use our own life for all of our family and friends, despite any kind of problems, exhausting ourselves, without concentration on our own condition, taking any kind of suffering upon ourselves. No matter how much we do that, their hopes and wishes will never be fulfilled. They will never be satisfied. All of your effort is making suffering for yourself. You only end up losing the meaning of our life. By not generating attachment or afflictive affection for these people, you may turn and reflect inwardly and do something meaningful in your life. You need to find meaning and actions in this world which will lead to the Enlightened Mind,

2: Cutting Attachment to Food and Wealth

Food, wealth, possessions, village, house,

Clothes, jewelry, all of this,

Correctly knowing that they are like illusions,

May I abandon them without attachment.

All of these impermanent things are the basis of our delusion, which can be called the seat of hell, the source of suffering, or the root of evil. Many difficulties are encountered when trying to accumulate food, wealth, possessions, villages, houses, clothes, jewelry and others. From morning until we sleep, we go after these things. It’s like watching little insects. Finally, when we die, all of these things are used by other people. None of these things benefit us in the next life. What use was all the time and energy spent collecting them? In fact, it’s not only simply useless but attachment to wealth and possessions will send you to hell. You must come to understand that all of these things are like illusions. Look at all phenomena as if they are dreams or illusions. Then let them go like last night’s dream. May they be abandoned without attachment.

3: Cutting Attachment to Notoriety and Fame

Notoriety, fame, reputation,

Being praised and respected by others,

Not pursuing any of these,

May I always be modest.

This prayer says that being attached to notoriety, fame, reputation, and respect is like a bird caught in a net or a deer in a trap. If we are seeking after these things, it’s like making a weapon or trap to kill yourself. Therefore, all of these are mistaken goals. If our aim in life is to be free like a bird flying through the sky not leaving a trace, then we need to stop making snares, nets, and traps to entangle and bind us. So, you should always be modest, keeping a low profile.

2: Making the Mind Suitable

It has three subdivisions:

1. Appropriate attitude

2. Appropriate behavior

3. Taking adversity on the path of practice

1: Appropriate Attitude

Business, agriculture, hoarding

Deceit, and hypocrisy,

Not generating all these afflictive mental states,

May my attitude be appropriate.

This prayer says that all of these, including being attached to objects, generating hatred, pride, envy should not be states that are generated. What is the motivation of all of these things? Think about all of the advertising we see. Think about social media and the internet and how it’s used. Think about workplace business culture and what that cultivates. How much is just cheating ourselves or others? Taking advantage of people? How much killing does agriculture cause? What is the intention behind all of it?

2: Appropriate Behavior

Distractions, laziness, worldly activities,

From abandoning all distraction,

Exerting in always engaging in the teachings,

May all activities become virtuous.

This prayer says that worldly activities such as distractions, laziness, ignorance, undetermined actions, farming/commerce, unreasonable profit, conquering enemies, taking care of relatives, etc. are cyclic existence. If you enjoy worldly activities, then there is increased distraction. When distractions increase, you will have less time to meditate, pray, and practice. All distractions are hindrances of virtues. Because distraction by definition distract us from out true heart aspiration and aim of enlightenment in this life. If you don’t want to be blocked from your liberation, then abandon all of these worldly activities, which are distractions. Always continue connecting yourself to practice. May you and all of your activities then become virtuous.

3: Taking Adversity on the Path of Practice

Others who harm me,

Condemn and speak harshly,

Not becoming angry or vicious with them,

May I return this with love.

This prayer says that when others harm us - robbing, beating, speaking ill, etc - do not become angry. Do not wish negativities upon them as all sentient beings are your relatives. Instead, return any mistreatment with love.

There was once a rich man with a lot of business, a beautiful wife, and was very serious about his job. He focused only on his work and getting a beautiful wife. He has a beautiful car and a driver. He does a difficult job but has lots of money. Then, he becomes sick and dies in his 40s. After he dies, his wife marries the driver. One time, the driver said to her, “I think I made a mistake. Before I thought he was collecting all of this money for himself. Now, I recognize he was collecting the money for me and his wife for me!” This is samsara. We feel that we need to collect all of this and are still very unsatisfied. That’s why this prayer mentions to us these dangers. It doesn’t mean you don’t do anything, but you do it with the wisdom of knowing reality and the reality of who and what we really are. Maybe tomorrow is our time? Think about this seriously. Do you know when you will die? Might it be tomorrow? This does not mean you abandon all hopes and inspiration, but instead you think about the big picture, an aspiration beyond this life. We don’t just focus on this one body, but the spacious mind, which will have countless lives. We should not use this body only for this life.

Acting out of love is being a real human being!