A brief teaching on
The merits of engaging in Shingdrub Practice (Accomplishment Practice of Pure Realms) and reciting the De Mon (Prayer to be born in Sukhavati Pure Realm) Aspiration Prayer

Having once attained human rebirth with the freedoms and endowments, we have in our hands the freedom to either “migrate upwards” by taking birth in pure realms or “migrate downwards” by being born in lower realms such as the hells.  The present time is the dividing line for going up or falling down.  We should therefore definitely practice dharma.  To do this, beings of supreme intellect require at least ten years to attain the pure realms of the irreversible state through the path of view, meditation and conduct, which is not an easy task for all.  The most meritorious and simplest way for practitioners of different levels of intellect – inferior, mediocre and superior – and whether one is a man, woman, lama, monk or nun, to accomplish a pure realm in their next lives, is to recite the De Mon aspiration prayer and carry out the Shingdrub practice.  One who wants to be born in pure realms other than Sukhavati (Dewachen), either should be a monk with pure morality or should perfect the view, meditation and conduct, a difficult for ordinary beings to accomplish.

The simplest means is to visualize the universe in which we live as the pure realm of Sukhavati and the inhabitants living in the world as Guru Amitabha with Avalokitesvara to his right and Vajrapani to his left.  Hundreds of thousands and millions of fully ordained monks encircle Amitabha.  With golden complexions they are all adorned with the major and minor marks and they wear the yellow three dharma robes.  Their bodies are majestic, their speech melodious like Lord Brahma’s and their resplendent minds of compassion and wisdom gaze affectionately at us all.

Imagine that one directly sees, hears and has contact with them.  With this such an approach, make aspirations while reciting the Shingdrub practice manual and the De Mon Aspiration Prayer composed by Chagme Raga Asye.  This ensures that one will not be born in the three lower realms in the next life but will be born in the Sukhavati Pure Realm as a handsome son of god and will attain Buddhahood after becoming a Bodhisattva.