Concise Summary of the Method for Disciplining Destructive Emotions by means of Rejection, Transforming, and Recognizing in Connection with the Four Seals of Dharma
All conditioned things are impermanent in nature.
All afflicted things are definitely suffering.
All things are empty of essence and devoid of a self.
Nirvāṇa alone is peace and happiness.
Since the root of all phenomena is the mind,
From the outset, you should strive at disciplining your own mind.
With an undisciplined mind might be proficient in listening, contemplation, and meditation,
attaining enlightenment is extremely difficult.
In short, a disciplined mind can discipline the whole host of destructive emotions.
The method for disciplining destructive emotions in sūtra and tantra
is included in the three of (1) rejecting, (2) transforming, and (3) recognizing.
Rejecting destructive emotions is the common path of sūtra.
Reject objects that give rise to desire by meditating on the repulsiveness of a skeleton.
When hatred arises, reject it by meditating on love.
As an antidote for delusion, reject it by meditating on the presentation of cause and effect
and illusory, dream-like dependent origination.
Transforming destructive emotions is unique to the path of Secret Mantra.
When desire arises, in response to that, meditate on yourself as
Amitabhā who has purified desire,
or meditate on Heruka in union.
Transform thoughts of desire into the yidam deity.
Proceed likewise with the other kinds of destructive emotions,
meditating on hatred as being in essence Avalokiteśvara,
and meditating on delusion as Mañjuśrī.
When other mental afflictions arise, meditate by transforming them.
Recognizing destructive emotions as in essence the wisdom of emptiness
is the path superior to the other two methods, rejecting and transforming.
When thoughts of desire arise in your mindstream,
look directly at their essence,
whereupon they will dissolve just where they are,
and the Mahāmudrā of indivisible bliss and emptiness
will clearly dawn without obstruction.
In short, desire is referred to as the wisdom of discernment,
which is primordially without anything to be rejected, adopted, or transformed.
Thus, all phenomena are included within the mind.
By resting on the fact that all afflicted thoughts
are the uncontrived mind itself, they will dawn as the play of the mind.
Written by H.E. 12 th Zurmang Gharwang Rinpoche on April 1, 2021