Archive Result

12

Soundfile 198603GRJHNLTLL (2)

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location The Netherlands

Topic Tara

Transcriber Lay Tin Ng Elsie

Date 5 January 2022

0:00:08.1

Rimpoche: What I look for. That conjunction mind of the form is also a result of a continued mind, because you cannot have another one. If you have another one, the result will be another. So, therefore, it has to be continually, that’s the logical point of view. Even that it can be proved. I didn’t go into details but this is how it works.

Translator: (In Dutch)

0:02:57.8

Rimpoche: So, that is it. I mean, if there is a previous continuation then there also has to be future continuation. You don’t have any reason you say previous is yes, no future, you can never say that. If there is previous, then there should be future too. If there is no previous, then there cannot be future. Right? And actually, the past, present and future is inter-related, inter-connected, inter-dependent. Really. Truly speaking. So, if there is present, there have a past, there should be a future too. They are inter-connected. Present is based on the past and the future. If there is no past and future, how can there be present. Not possible. Inter-related.

Anyway, so, since there is a past sort of you cannot deny there is a past, reality, very safely, you can never deny now. So, there will definitely be future too. So, that the question of the future will rise, what the kind? That is how it is important. And that is really beginning to, getting into your life. You know, the life as I told you is very important. Why it is important? Because it is the point where you going to shape all your future. So, that’s why it is important. That’s why it is valuable because you can do anything you want to. Whichever the direction you want to be shaped you can shape. So, it is become important. You getting my point? So, because there is a past and there should be a future. And if there is a future, where does the future come from? The future doesn’t come from out of blue moon. Nor it is come from the rock or earth or sea or mountain. But it is actually continuation of the present. So, what is going to be good or bad is totally depend on this moment. That’s why you become important. That’s why you become valuable.

Translator: (In Dutch)

0:06:53.6

Rimpoche: That’s why you have a very important life and you have very important decision to make. You have a very important preparation to do. Okay. If you have something, some decision which you depend on total your life, okay, so you consider it is very, very, important. Don’t you? So, here, you have more than that, not only your total life but you have lot of your future lives, which make the present life is a small little matter. So, that decision you have. And you are capable of taking the decision. You are capable of shaping your future in better way. So, that’s a very important point one has to notice to yourself. And that’s in your own hand. Nobody else can do that, except yourself.

Translator: (In Dutch)

0:08:53.4

Rimpoche: If we have to buy a second-hand car today, what do we do? We started engine, listen, drive, make sure the gas are working, make sure the tires are right, make sure the body are not falling into part. Right? So, you see everything. Almost turn the car inside out if you can. You almost like to open engine and have a look inside almost, but you can’t, right? So, you do up to that much. If you make mistake on that, so what? I mean, it is, sort of hardly one-or-two years vehicle, it is matter of few ??? here and there. Really. That is it. But when you have to make a decision which totally depend on your future lives, you have no, no checking, nothing. Nothing. Just a simply, blindly, you know, doesn’t even consider. So, I think it is something very much wrong in that. So, what, if you get a old car, so what, so, you get, at the most, you get trouble in about a month that’s all. Right? So, after that, you can do something, whether you can change, or repair, do something. But you consider so much, not only you look, you go and ask expert, what do they think. Not only you trust one expert, you ask a second expert, and all sort of thing you do. But when you really have to make so many future lives, totally depending on this, doesn’t seem to be bother at all. That is very strange to me. Really. So, something is wrong somewhere. So, you have to find out where what was wrong.

Translator: (In Dutch)

0:12:33.2

Rimpoche: So, that is it. So, if you cannot make your decision properly, if you cannot shape your life properly, in this life where you have a better understanding, where you have a better capability, then the question remains what will happen to you, to me, better be me, not you, what will happen to me. If I cannot shape my own future, if I cannot prepare myself, then, somebody else will prepare for me. That somebody else is not a third person or second person but myself. But myself without any control, without any planning, without anything. So, therefore, it will be a blind mistake that I will make. It will be a totally sort of under the control of my karma which I shape, with no preparation for whatsoever and I will make a mess out of it. When I make a mess out of it, what will happen to me, I will suffer. Nobody else. Nobody else will suffer except me because my fault. When I have the opportunity, I am unable to handle it. When I am unable to handle, I get into mess, when I get into mess, I get suffer. It is nature every work that you get mess up you suffer. Similarly the same thing, same ???

Translator: (In Dutch)

0:16:15.5

Rimpoche: Another question is, you say, oh yes, that is important, I know. But I been, I been too old now, or I been too sick now and I been too fat now, I been too thin now, whatever the reason you may have, saying that I am unable to do it. Ya, because of various excuses you give, unable to do it, because I am intelligent, I am stupid, I am over-intelligent, I am under-stupid. I am this thing I am that thing. So, the various reasons, you say, I am unable to do it. However, do I get another chance to do it. How does that sound to you? How does that sound to you? Which make the funny, to me, it looks funny. Whenever you have the opportunity in your own hand, and in your ??? but still you don’t use it, because various excuses, you throw it away and looking for another opportunity. It’s like a beggar, who has been beggar throughout their life, and suddenly found a big fat wallet on the street, and he throw that money out and another, hope of getting another one. How does that sound? That is exactly like sound to me, same way.

Every excuse that you use it, are un-valid reason. Anything, un-valid reason. If you think you are too old, that’s also un-valid reason. Because if you have a life to live one week, you should be able to do something. If you have a life to live one month, you should be able to do something more. If you have a life, to live one year, you should be able to achieve something which is possible. So, I am old is un-valid reason. I am sick is another un-valid reason unless you are mentally sick. If you are crazy, then, I am sorry about it. Right? Otherwise, no matter how much problem you may have, you are capable of doing, shaping for your future. Doesn’t matter, whatever the problem you may have.

If you can’t walk, doesn’t matter. You don’t have to walk for your future. It will go. Really. You have think and you have to shape it, and you can do it. Really. So, no matter whatever, whatever, except if your mind is disturbed, then it is bad. You are capable of doing everything. If possible, you definitely need a very, very, healthy body too. Healthy is very important. The mind, mental health and body health it’s been sort of inter-connected, very much inter-connected. So, both healthy are absolutely necessary, I mean, is are necessary and good thing to have it and one should try to have it. But even, in case you don’t have it, that doesn’t mean you are deprived of the opportunity. Definitely no. You can do it. So, it is not a word, for let this go and wait for something else which as I told you, the beggar’s wallet. Just remember that. (Why don’t you come here, it’s easier. You sure?)

Translator: (In Dutch)

0:23:17.0

Rimpoche: So, as I told you, the physical health and the mental health are inter-related. So, in order to do something to be able to shape your future, it is also necessary for you to have a longevity and healthy life. Both, mentally and physically. So, that’s why we have choosing the subject of doing a longevity ceremony through Tara. I didn’t even introduce Tara, right? So, through Tara, today we do it. That’s the reason. Actually, in the normal line of teaching here is now we have to talk about impermanence. However, when you do a longevity ceremony, it is for omen’s sake we do not talk about this impermanence for that day. So, we are not going to talk today either.

And, so, we have to do this longevity through Tara. Because when you have a long life, the longer that you have, the better it is. Is it right or wrong? It is. And also, that of the healthier is better so therefore, we have this. So, the next thing, is we are going to do this thing. However, my preliminary talk is also very much half way through. As well as the preparations are also, also, not yet started. So, therefore, we do have a bit, bit longer lunch break. And we started, we decided to have a lunch break from 1 to 2.30, ya, 1 to 2.30. What I am thinking is, is immediately after that, I may not be able to start. So, what I can do is you can make the lunch break up to from 1 to say about 2 or 2.15 and we make all preparations ready, and I continually to introduce Tara and talk more. Then, you have another coffee break and then at the end of that, I can do the initiation. Maybe, otherwise, within 12, 2.30 I may not be ready at all. We have to eat lunch, make the tormas, and then preparation, probably 3.30 or something. So, better not. So, we do the torma business first. So, can we say we take a break now, for lunch break until 2.15 or something.

Translator: (In Dutch)

0:28:37.0

Rimpoche: But I could not finish the torma making at all. We just came and rush back, immediately when the torma finish. And I also must say thank you for your patience.

Translator: (In Dutch)

0:29:12.1

Rimpoche: Since, okay. Now, where did we stop? We stopped at,

Translator: We stopped at importance of having a long-life initiation.

Rimpoche: Might not be important having some long-life initiation but importance having some long life ???, isn’t?

Audience: Laughing.

Rimpoche: As I have saying whole morning that you can do this and you can do this and that, your life is important and you can plan it on your future, and program it, and this and that. But the whole question comes. How? Whole question comes how? Just by sitting idle, doesn’t work. Just saying mantras alone will not work. Just having a meditation alone, it won’t work. So, then, question comes, how? What shall we do? How do we plan? And that’s the major question. So, answer to that, is very simple. Yet it is difficult.

Simple in the sense, really true. Simple in the sense, sense, you can understand whole thing and you can work virtuous action and work accordingly. That is the simple. But when you have to do it, then it becomes difficult. Whole Buddhist teaching has been focused on that. Buddha does not believe the persons who are aiming to a development within the lifetime. In other words, I don’t mean within lifetime, mean, I don’t mean the spiritual development but benefits what we look as comfort etc, etc, etc, of certain benefits within life, if you are looking that purposes. Buddha doesn’t believe that person is interested in spiritual at all. I do not know for you what do you understand when I say spiritual development.

Last year, from here, I went to America. And the first night, when I was in New York, I was supposed to be talking to a Japanese fellow. That was the program, right? So, they told me a Japanese spiritual master and he is very popular, very important and very expensive. Ya, really. So, but he is cutting an evening out for some discussions. And what he teach, is how to walk on the fire. And, ya, that’s really. I am not joking. No, I am not joking. True. He teach people in the retreat the whole day. And I do not know he talk to you, talk to people, I really have no idea. I didn’t go. But in the evening, they prepare you in such a way, and that you walk across the fire, really charcoal fire, they put on the road, I mean really, right in the middle of the 42 street, down there, corner somewhere, make you walk from there to here. Quite a far way. And you do walk. And you pay $100 for that. (Audience laughing) I said is very expensive. Really. $100 And that’s also called spiritual. But I do not see any spiritual in it. Except you are walking on the fire. Once you walked across, that’s it. It’s finished. So, what do you gain out of it? Some bruises on the leg. That’s all. They get it. Really. That’s also they called spiritual. Nowadays, the spiritual become too cheap. I am sorry. I mean, to me, it is not at all spiritual. Not at all spiritual.

I mean, spiritual should be something little more than that. Little more than that. I do not know what he does, really. Really, what he does. But he talks to people. And some people are not ready to walk. When they are not ready, he realized, and he said hey you are not ready, you are not thinking properly or something like that. And certainly, people get burned. That’s true. When it is ready and he looks up somehow, I don’t know, what he tells you is, just think that you are walking on sort of ice block, or something like that. Always make you believe in it almost and walk across. And some people do get across without getting any bruises. Some people get burned. So, both sort of react. So, that’s what they do. Really. That’s is called spiritual and thereafter if there is nothing, I mean, nothing you have thereafter, you walk across and that’s it. I mean, you get a name that you walked across. And you do get witness ourself, walked across. But what else do you get, nothing. I don’t really think that is spiritual at all.

So, what else then? That is a big question. The whole business, the whole trip of the spiritual is a big question. Really. What is it all about it? Is there any clear, clear definition what is a spiritual and what is not a spiritual, is there anything? These are the main thing which bother me a lot. Really. But according to the Buddha, he does have clear definition. Buddha declare, Buddha says as long as the person is working and try to gain something the material or even otherwise of the benefits, before you die within the lifetime, is not a spiritual, he has clearly declared. So, he emphasizes on the spiritual is, is further development of a future benefit, either future life or future lives to come. Including, he has giving, the best aim for a spiritual person is total enlightenment.

It is total enlightenment. Medium level is total liberation. Total enlightenment and total liberation, they are different, okay. Total liberation. Ultimate, the lowest, the last, the third class, the worst category, category, is the comfortable future life. These are the aims of the spiritual benefit one should hope to get it. That’s what Buddha has clearly ‘definited’. So, if you are following that, then there is some kind of definition what you called spiritual. Otherwise, I do not know really, as I told you walking across the fire. And I am sure tomorrow somebody will teach you how to walk on the water. That also not so difficult at all. So, no, no, no, it is not difficult at all. And libertation, the other day I was in Switzerland. And somebody was talking to me about libertation, I mean, as though it is something fantastic, no it is not. So, I mean, all these are very simple by-products. Very simple by-products. So, so, I mean, that also become spiritual tomorrow. So, that’s not right. That’s not right. So, spiritual really mean something which you really have to gain out of it. And which has no fall back, if possible. That’s what really you need it. The whole question of spiritual, to me, that’s what I say it. If you think I am wrong. Please do say so. Please do correct me. But I am sure, I am not. I let you say something otherwise it is too long.

Audience: Laughing.

Translator: (In Dutch)

0:43:59.3

Rimpoche: Learning is something different. And development is another thing. So, you can learned, learned, learned and become very well versed, shall we say a professor or something. Yet, you get no development at all, which is what we called it, a dry knowledge. Dry knowledge is also a knowledge, no doubt. But it is dry knowledge, it doesn’t give any result. I mean, you can be learned, you can be scholar, you can be living dictionary, you can be a living encyclopedia, you can be anything. However, your purpose is to cut ??? And that is not sufficient for us, for our precious human rebirth.

For our precious human life, we have. What we can do is we can do beyond that. Beyond that. Even though you may not be very learned, like a living encyclopedia. However, you should learn something that from this level to ultimate enlightenment, how to go about it? What’re the way? How many obstacle? What will be there? What’re the signs of the development? What are the signs of the obstacle? How to overcome? And this much you learn it and whatever you learn, you put in your mind, you soak your mind within that knowledge of whatever you have learned it. And let it influence your behavior, let it influence your thought. Then you are achieving something. Then you are not a dry living encyclopedia.

Translator: (In Dutch)

0:47:42.7

Rimpoche: Thank you. When I say dry knowledge, I do not mean that professors are bad. I am not saying anything bad about professor, please do not misunderstand, okay. Otherwise, some people say oh, he is accusing professor. So, I am not accusing professor. I am simply, professor is professor, that being scholar of the work, that different matter altogether. But as a spiritual working, that is not the situation. And even that knowledge whatever the professor needed, it may not be necessary for a person who fully developed. Professor, as a professor has to learn different viewpoints, different theories, and who follow who and what follow what, who wrote what and all this sort of thing. And oh why their view like this, what are they making, what are the quotations, what are the reasons, all they have to learn it. For a practitioner, you may not need to learn that much even.

But what you really need is the passage as I mentioned to you, from this level to the ultimate enlightenment passage. What to really go. And where are the obstacles you will find. What are the obstacles. The signs of the obstacle, sign of development. These things you have to learn it and you have to practice. Also, if you don’t learn it, sign of obstacle and the sign of development, then people get mix up between obstacles and development. Sometimes, they get totally mixed up. Even you have development, you don’t know you have development. Sometimes, they get mix up, you have big obstacle but you do think it is your great achievement. So, you get confused in between totally, so, rough knowledge of what is what is absolutely necessary. If you don’t have that, you just try to sit, just try to meditate, just try to think, you can think nothing. And nothingness is not emptiness, nothingness is stupid. So, therefore, I don’t think you need it.

Translator: (In Dutch)

0:51:54.2

Rinpoche: Okay. So, that much brief thing you needed. And you further go on and saying the question, what sort of a passage really you have to pick it up. From the Buddhist point of view, you pick up nothing more than the Three Principles Path of it. Three Principles Path of it will lead you from this level to the ultimate enlightenment. We will make it details, we called it Lamrim from Gelugpa point of view. Sakyapas called it Lamdre, Kagyupa called it Dengrim. They have different names. But actually, is a passage from here to there. So, what are the roads, how to go and what are they. So, that much, you have to build up something within you. And then concentrate and let it, most important, let it influence all your actions. Your actions and your thoughts are counted much more than how you sit, what you wear, how you say, or how you look like. Your actions and your thoughts are much more counted. So that’s why, sometimes people do even say Buddhism is not even a religion. It is a way of life. So, I intend to agree with this.

Because in principle here, what they really try, Buddhist suggest is, try to influence your way of thinking, way of living and your action. That’s really what is count for. It is not that how much it doesn’t count, how much mantra you say. Is not that, doesn’t count how much you sit down in the temple. I mean, that count something but not that much. But what is really count, how you thought about it, what you did and what did you act. That really counts much more. So, therefore, whatever you do, whatever you learn the virtue, whatever may be, whether it is Three Principles, whatever it may be. Let it influence your own action. Let it influence your own thought. Let it change your way of thinking. Let it change your way of living. If that happens, you are taking a step forward. If that does not happen, no matter how much you learn it, remember, the professor type, doesn’t do anything good as spiritual.

Translator: (In Dutch)

0:56:22.6

Rimpoche: Okay. Out of this Three Principles Path, which is the first one which deal with the principle of the Hinayana, oh I am sorry, the Theravadin practice, the essence of the Theravadin deal with the first principle of the path which will lead you to a liberation, what we called in Sanskrit is Arhat, the person is free from the circle of existence, which was drive by the karma forces, you go round circle, but you are going it, you are pushed by your karma. Though you make your own karma, but you have no control over it. The karma controls you. You understand.

Sometimes, you know, sometimes you can see, okay, now I don’t have much time, so that’s why I am not talking details. So, you be able to cut that and liberate yourself, is the first part of the principle. The second part of the principle will lead you to a Mahayana level which is the altruistic mind, what we will talking love and compassion, blah blah blah, all these, will lead you to that best possible by the second principle of the path. And the third principle of the path, is the real weapon which cut the total root of all miseries and problems and including the circle of life, etc, cut that is through wisdom part of it. So, these three are the major practice you needed. If you get it that, you are okay. You are okay. But otherwise, it is difficult. Even then, it takes very, very, very, long eons not years, lives but eons. Okay.

Translator: (In Dutch)

1:00:42.5

Translator: She says that the two aspect of the Three Principles Path is wisdom and if I understood correctly this morning, that is thought of the reincarnation the wisdom you already have inside you, only it has to be awaken.

1:01:01.4

Rimpoche: I do not know about that.

Translator: (In Dutch)

1:01:13.0

Rimpoche: There are people who say the wisdom already inside and you have to waken. There are people who say wisdom seed is there have to be developed. So, I do not know what is what, and what is really right.

Translator: (In Dutch)

1:01:51.2

Rimpoche: And, okay, now I am doing the lecture, okay. So, that is it. Even if you practice those Three Principles of the Path, even then, it takes long, long, long, time to develop. But, fortunately or unfortunately whatever you may say it, during this period of the Buddha Shakyamuni period, we have a very special method which is called Vajrayana, which is supposed to be very quick, effective, important and dangerous method as I mentioned in the morning.

Translator: (In Dutch)

1:03:02.7

Rimpoche: Okay. When I say the Tantrayana, so a lot of people do have immediately a lot of misunderstanding. Particularly if I say Tantrayana in South East Asia, people will understand as black magic, including India. And I am quite sure, if I say Tantrayana, here you will think is something to do with sexual religion. Do you? (Rimpoche and audience laughing.) And that is misunderstanding totally. Particularly nowadays, there are a lot books been published, where they have a lot of different deities and gods, this and that, and pictures have been published. And a lot of the pictures have the consort and this thing and that thing altogether. And people further go on, say, look I told you, it is like this, like this, right? They further go on and do say that. These are the total misunderstanding. The figures what you see are more symbolic. There are reasons behind this. There are many more. So, Vajrayana is not a simple sex religion at all. It is a very, very, important and very effective and very dangerous.

Very effective in the sense, the things that within the Sutrayana alone, if you, the things which you have to wait for 100 of years, can even be developed with Vajrayana practice over a matter of seconds. So, that’s why it is very effective. In Sutrayana alone, no person can ever obtain enlightenment within the life, or lives, it takes a number of eons. There are a number of countless three eons to develop merit. And then number of eons to purify, and ultimately you are able to obtain enlightenment, according to Sutrayana. But according to the Vajrayana practice, you will be able to obtain enlightenment within the short span of our lifetime. And that is possible, there is benefit. Not only within short span of lifetime, if everything is perfect, if the spiritual master is prefect, if the practitioner is perfect, if they practice perfect, enlightenment can be produced, like artist produce the sculpture there, within three years, you can produce and which is done, and which, people have obtained, and which will be able to obtain.

So, that’s why it is important. But if something goes wrong, it is danger too. It is more dangerous than that of Sutrayana. Because why it is important point, you break something, it is more dangerous. However, you should not be frightened of the dangerous. If you keep on frighten of dangerous, you and you cannot take advantage of it, it is bad luck for you. It is bad luck in the sense, because opportunity is available, everything is available with you, in front of you, and will come only once, not very often, only once. And if you cannot take that, it is bad luck. Suppose if you have chronic disease, and there is a medicine provided for it, okay, you take that medicine, and it is sure, there are chance, there are definitely you going to be cured. However, the medicine is tremendously sour, and you are afraid of the sourness and don’t take that medicine. Okay. Would you consider that as intelligent or stupid? It is same as this.

Translator (In Dutch)

1:11:59.6

Rimpoche: That is it. So, Vajrayana is very important. Without Vajrayana, there is no hope of getting enlightenment within lifetime for whatsoever. That’s full stop. Even the Vajrayana, there are a lot of division within itself but Maha-anuyogatantra practice is absolutely necessary. Anyway, that is just to introduce you up to this level. And today, we are going have the, now we have to do this Tara longevity thing. And Tara is a very special female which is the embodiment of the activity of all enlightened beings, to help all sentient beings. Tara chose to develop her bodhicitta beginning as the female body. Tara chose to develop, accumulate merit in her female body. Tara chose to obtain ultimate enlightenment, the total Buddhahood also in female body. So, therefore, it is a very special goddess. And also, special for activity. Activities, such as peaceful, prosperity, power, wrathful and other multi-activities.

Translator: (In Dutch)

1:14:26.2

Translator: Could you please repeat the last, the last benefits of Tara.

Rimpoche: Peaceful, wrathful, multi-activities.

Translator: (In Dutch)

1:14:56.8

Rimpoche: So, and she is a very special deity. And not only popular among the Tibetans and the Mongolians and Indians. But also popular among the Chinese Buddhists and the Japanese too. In Chinese, the Avalokitesvara, the male part of, as a matter of fact, the picture across over there, that thousand arm, thousand eye Avalokitesvara which is in Chinese, they called it ‘Qian Shuo Qian Yan Guan Shi Yin Pu Sha’ (Transcriber’s note: Rimpoche speaks in Chinese, the name of thousand arms, thousand eyes Avalokitesvara.) And Japanese, they called it Canon. And the female Tara on the other side, side, the face to face, the picture is Buddha ??? I do not know why. (Rimpoche laughs.) So, anyway, these two combinations are not been divided in the Chinese tradition and the Japanese tradition. But in the Sanskrit tradition and the Tibetan and Mongolian tradition, they have the division. The males divided and the females divided. In the Chinese and Japanese tradition, the male and female both sort of put together. Maybe it is culture, due to culture, I do not know why. So, that is it.

Translator: (In Dutch)

1:17:45.9

Rimpoche: Okay. Whatever it may be, whether there is a division of male, female, or no division. It is the same thing. So, through which Tara, many activities, whatever you do, it is quick, effective, very, very, good and especially it is one of the best, these two, both are the best, one of the world’s best healing, for healing purposes. It is one of the best deity to be use. The idea of deity, the word deity is definitely wrong. But since we don’t have no other word in English to use it. So, we borrow it. However, it is wrong. Wrong in the sense, because this type of what we called it deity, actually we should have called yidam. Because that is really wrong word. Deity is totally wrong word. The yidam you should have use it. Is the actually, I mean, if you raise the question, where it really comes from. It is the manifestation of total enlightened beings no matter whoever it may be, that include Buddha, Jesus Christ and so and forth. All of them because every one of those enlightened persons, what their wishes is to help, to help the people as much as they can. So, through which direction, can we help, what a better way, how is the best way to do, so they find a lot of manifestations.

Each one of those manifestations are called, though totally enlightened being in the form of different, wrathful, peaceful, all sort of things are called it yidams. Actually, they using the word deity is wrong. Wrong, why? Because, okay, doesn’t matter. Okay. Thank you. Okay. Wrong because Taoist tradition, they use this word, they use this word for oracle, people who that come into the trance and all this. And the level of people who come into the trances and the level of this ??? and beings are two different things. So that’s why it is definitely wrong.

Translator: (In Dutch)

1:21:41.7

Rimpoche: Okay. Now for example, for Tara there are lot of activities, there are a lot of practices and a lot of things in there. And if you are, if you have time, if you are intelligent and then you learn them and you practice them, and they are very helpful. But even if you don’t have time, even if you don’t, even if you are not that intelligent, but if you are concentrately on Tara, praying thing and it does work. It does work with my own experience. And it does work with many other experiences. It is definitely. It very much depends on the individual, how much people can really put their thoughts in. And how much you can really rely on them. So, it also works.

It is a funny thing. The Vajrayana is a funny thing. It also, so funny. It works in between too. It works on two levels. Perfect knowledge, perfect function, perfect everything will work perfect. If you don’t have (Rimpoche speaks Tibetan) otherwise, stupid, bit of stupid, you will be sort of, sort of rely on it, and you are sort of, you know, with wholeheartedly doing, that will also work. So, in between you know, in between neither you know perfectly nor you don’t have a perfect mind and you have some doubts, some questions, sort of half raw, half cook, half educated, half uneducated in between that, you get nothing. That’s the how Vajrayana really works.

Translator: (In Dutch)

1:24:58.1

Rimpoche: That is it. So, now, I don’t want to talk too long because everybody has been sitting since early morning. I am sure everyone of you deadly tired, because I could see, some people are hungry, started yawning, some people are started moving. And I don’t blame you because I have been talking since morning all rubbish to you. And, and now, I think I have to give you a break here, because in between the lunchtime, I have been just able to make dough some tormas. Now I have to give you a little break so that I can prepare this Tara ceremony, longevity ceremony. Okay, now, what we are going to do, normally in the form of longevity initiation, you don’t understand that as initiation. That is sort of longevity ceremony. Yet you have to have some kind of certain concentration and certain meditation are needed.

Certain ritual I have to say and you do have some concentration and meditation. I will tell you on what level what to do and what not to do. And it also works as initiation. Those who had initiation before, they take it that as initiation. Those who did not have initiation before, before, they don’t have to take that as initiation, they just take it as ceremony. Both will work, either way. So, what else? So, that is it. That is it. I will stop here and you have to give me at least an hour or so. So, take a walk. I am sorry, because of this preparation, doesn’t work. Take a long walk and a good cup of coffee somewhere.

Audience: Talking among themselves.

1:27:45.2

Translator: He said, well, you either as a ceremony, or if you have had initiation, you can consider it to be a initiation. Then after that you said, according to the man, in both case it will have influence, anyway. Now the lady asks whether the influence is the same whether it is ceremony or initiation.

1:28:14.1

Rimpoche: That is a big question and difficult question. It works in both way but I mean, as a initiation I think it works better. I think so. I am not sure. But I think so. Really. I think so, because, there are people who say mantra, people do act, and do thing like that. And it always effects. As a ceremony, as ceremony, ceremony is done, ceremony is done. And during the ceremony whatever benefits you get, you get it. That is it. I think so, because I don’t think there is any more energy that either you nor me.

Translator: (In Dutch)

Transcriber’s note: Teaching is over. In the background, people talking.

Rimpoche started chanting.

1:32:40.5

1:33:26.3

(Sound ended)