Archive Result

19860406GRJHNLRN1

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location Netherlands

Topic

Transcriber Palma Cady Cairns first 23 min, Hartmut Sagolla, remainder of talk

Date August 2023

(00:00-00:38 Background noises)

Good evening everybody. I must say. Twenty five minutes behind schedule. Somehow or other I’m sort of these days I’m falling behind schedule all the time. I thought only fifteen minutes has been permitted (inaudible) but it happens to be ten minutes extra. I’m sorry about it. And I must say I’m happy to be back here in this Hansford Institute. And I do remember a year ago I have spoken here and I did enjoy speaking here. I hoped that some people have been benefited out the information that I poured out here. 

So tonight I’m again here to speak on you some principle aspects of Buddhism. Before I touch this subject, I would like to, I’m sure most of you do have background of Buddhism. However, to make it clear, I would like to mention a few things. For example, the word Buddhism, the moment you hear the word Buddhism, I do not know what idea you get. Maybe a strange, Eastern religion or maybe… I do not know what impression you are getting on that. 

(02:59)

But I would love to say that Buddhism, in principle it works on a way of living, and a way of thinking, rather than a way of praying, worshiping or any other things. So many of the western professors do say that Buddhism is not even a religion. I intend to agree. It is more or less a way of life, rather than a religion. So do keep that in mind first of all and then we’ll try to deal with the certain principle aspects of Buddhism. And the one thing I still have to make clear to you is the Teachings, as we call it, of the Buddha is the Buddhism and that is based on, mostly, the experience gained by Buddha himself. 

I do not know whether if you are familiar with the Buddhist history or not but Buddha is not such a person that suddenly appeared as a Buddha but he was an ordinary, normal human being born as prince of a certain kingdom of India. With sudden events of life which he sort of encountered and finally decided to leave the kingdom against the will of the parents, the king and the queen and the state and the subject(s). There are people who say…there are people who say Buddha could not imagine himself as a king (inaudible..and found no alternative) and so went into the forest and started (inaudible) apart. And that is totally a wrong statement and it is sad that people would ever (inaudible) that sort of speech or statement have no understood for whatsoever of the 1. The Buddhist history 2. Indian history, thirdly, the northern Indian history and events.

(6:20)

So Buddha as a matter of fact was very successful and very much a wanted person and they wanted to take him to take over the kingship. And they went even to the extent of pleasing him anything that was necessary and tried to avoid him not to see any misery or any problem. And not even the old age or sick or anything. They tried to hide from Buddha. No, they don’t want to see, they don’t want Buddha to see anything which is unpleasant. The father keep him all the time in the music and companion of young beautiful, I don’t know, number of queens. And all this. However, within that sort of field and he left into the forest and went through very hardship, hardship which gives him not even a valuable proper food. He lived over six years just on just the survival of some roots. And finally be able to obtain the highest enlightenment. And when he obtained the enlightenment he (inaudible- language other than English 8:17-8:31) Which means  a perfume (inaudible) like a nectar I had found. However, if I tried to explain to anyone they will not (inaudible). Therefore I choose to remain in silence. 

(08:54)

That's how he kept himself as silent after obtaining enlightenment for number of time, period of time, for a period of time he kept himself silent. The reason why he kept himself silent is that he said what he found is wonderful like a nectar however they will not be able to understand. (Pauses for someone giving Rinpoche tea: “Thank you, I think you found the right thing. The tea for me and the coffee for him.”)

So the reason why he keep himself silent is not because that he did not find anything. He thinks whatever he found may not be able to understand by people. So that’s why. So I want you to remember before I move on to another subject these are the two major things (inaudible) as I mentioned to you. The teaching of the Buddha is based probably on his own experience. It is not something which sort of grow out of something or fall out of something but it is based on his own experience. Thank you. (inaudible). 

(Dutch translation 10:55-15:35)

So before (inaudible) principal aspects of the Buddhist thoughts, I like to mention those things and about keeping that in mind I’ll talk there are certain principal aspects of the Buddhist thoughts. That subject that you came here tonight. And the first and foremost, as I mentioned, what the Buddha experienced and what he found first and foremost. And first and foremost what he found is the value of the human life. Human life, what the Buddha Sakyamuni had 2,500 years before and the human life, what you and I have today, I don’t think they’re any different. It is the same life, what Sakyamuni had 2,500 years before and what we have today. No different, whatsoever. 

However, Sakyamuni, we call him Sakyamuni now, had been able to become Muni, and had become developed and had become a Buddha and to be able to guide and do all sorts of things and today you and I were left as an ordinary person and we were looking up towards Buddha for good direction and guides and spiritual things and like that. And but, was somehow by chance (inaudible- speaking with someone in the room?). So today you and I have been left out as we are and Sakyamuni had become a Buddha (inaudible). So that’s what we’ve found is most important is the value of the human beings life. The human life is a very, very, very highly valuable. It is useful, it is valuable, it’s something worth more millions, and billions, you cannot imagine.

(18:35)

That’s what we have found. Why? Because anything that you wanted to be achieved can be achieved. Anything. Material benefit; (inaudible: spiritual benefit?); or even otherwise. Any other benefit, good or bad, whatever you want it can be achieved on the basis of this (inaudible). You do not (inaudible). 

(Speaks to people in the room about chairs)

So Buddha (inaudible) found (inaudible) very, very valuable. And if it’s true for the Buddha and it is true for us. Also, we must… first and foremost we must know how valuable we are and how important we are. (inaudible)... for you. (Inaudible) It is very valuable and it is very, very important. You can achieve anything you want; anything! Material, spiritual, whatever! So in other words, it is based on all and (inaudible: everywhere/whatever?) you do, whatever you can see. It is the fundamental basis of human life. Life is very valuable, very important. There are people who think life is useless; pointless; but that is wrong. (Inaudible: you think yourself helpless?) (inaudible: and you think) yourself useless. But (Inaudible: you’ll never be?) useless. And you’ll never be helpless. If you think yourself valuable, then you are valuable. You are very valuable; for you as well as the other. For you is the valuable, you can achieve anything you (inaudible: wanted/want it?) (inaudible: believe it?). In the spiritual field and on the ordinary level (inaudible: where/that?) we’re on today, and the ultimate level of (inaudible). What we call enlightenment, whatever you think, can be achieved in this life. 

(21:35)

(Inaudible) And either you want to or not worry about spiritual; you’re worried about the material world or whatever or money-making or whatever! (Inaudible) So you see, how valuable the life is materially, you know better than I do. (Inaudible) Tibet was a backward country. (Inaudible). (Inaudible) You are in a modern society here; all these scientific achievements, you call them scientific achievements, right? (Inaudible) … materially. Spiritually, what I’m telling you there is no value more than your own life. 

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22:52 This very life. I am not telling you every life. Every life is valuable for whatever it’s purpose is no doubt. But we are trying to get the most of out this life and that is different. The Tibetan masters teach that if there is a wish-fulfilling jewel that cannot give you a precious human life. That cannot guarantee you freedom from hell realm, hungry ghost realm, animal realm and anywhere else and it cannot guarantee that you will not fall into any of these realms yourself.

Not only that, a wish-fulfilling jewel cannot give you any spiritual development at all, except maybe a little more money, a little more medicine or a little more healing, that’s all. But your life can give you total enlightenment. It can give you anything, whatever level you want to. It entirely in your own hand. This is what Buddha emphasized: this life is so precious and valuable.

DT: 0:25:05.8

0:27:56.2 Okay so, the value what Buddha found is the same we have. He had found this important value, especially in the spiritual field, because he also found that we, the individuals, are totally responsible for our own future situation, nobody else. Our future is shaped by ourselves, nobody else. Why? There are certain rules that function in nature, which we call the rule of karma. Karma is a Sanskrit word, but is almost internationally adopted language now. I am sure many of you understand when I say karma. It means cause and effect. That is sort of a natural law. Whenever and whatever you produce as causes you do get the results. Whenever you do something bad you get a bad result. That is known by every religion in the world: you get good when you do good, if you do bad you get bad. That is the natural law.

0:29:51.3 Buddha found that. So if you want to be good you have to do good. The cause you have to create has to be good. That’s why it is entirely in your own hand, not in anybody else’s hand. If you shape your future in a better way through good causes, nobody can turn that around and change it, not at all for whatsoever. Likewise, you shape your future into bad, nobody else can turn that around and change it to good either. That’s it. It’s entirely in your own hand.

0:30:39.8 And that makes it more important for your life because it depends on you. Besides that, one most important thing. There are certain things you can do in this life will never be possible in any other life at all. The capabilities of the human mind are unlimited. You can attain liberation and enlightenment. That’s why this life is even more valuable.

However, Buddha also found that this precious, valuable life is also impermanent. It is not everlasting at all. It changes and you will lose it. It doesn’t last at all. Not only it changes, it changes fast and it can go very fast. You won’t even know before the time has gone.

0:31:55.0 With or without realizing the time is gone and you lose this valuable life. There is no certainty for whatsoever when you will lose it. Also, Buddha found that not only you will lose it, but once you lose it, it will be very difficult to find it again. Very difficult to find such a valuable life again. Buddha also found that the life is continuing, in the sense that there are past, present and future lives. That’s not a question of belief at all, I will tell you. Past, present and future lives do exist. They do function and we go through them. Buddha has found that and we also have a lot of evidence. So much clear evidence. It is definitely true. Not only do they exist, but they exist for everybody.

0:33:13.3 We do have past, present and future lives. Therefore, when we lose this very valuable present life, we will have another future life, for sure. Will that future life will be as valuable as the one we have today? No, 99% no, because Buddha found that it is very difficult to find. Why? Because the causes that made this life are very difficult to produce. By chance, by sheer luck we happen to have such a valuable life. It’s not going to happen very often at all. Particularly, opportunities for developing spiritually are very limited, very limited. Even our best friends, the person who shares rooms with you, some of them have the opportunity, but some don’t. They just don’t believe it, or they refuse to accept, or they don’t even bother.

0:34:40.7 They refuse to even think about it. What is happening here? That particular person is cutting off their own opportunity. That’s all. They don’t do it purposely, but they just don’t have the karmic connection to build it up, to find out, at least to bother with that. So that’s it. So even persons who are with you, sitting with you, talking with you, sharing food and room and shelter with you, even then some of them may have the opportunity and some don’t.

0:35:22.4 That is because they don’t have the cause. That’s all. So for us, it’s also very difficult to find such a life again. Number one: just to have any human life is very hard, because the basis of finding a human life is perfect morality. On top of that you need the help of the Six Perfections, the paramita activities. And on top of that you need the conjunction of pure prayer. So if you look back, how much perfect morality do you and I have within 24 hours? Look back and find out how much good morality you have. And that’s the base! And if you don’t even have the base, how can you expect to have other things growing? So that’s it.

0:36:28.6 That is the very reason that it is difficult to find. It is valuable, impermanent and also very difficult to find. That’s what Buddha found. That’s what it is. So what do we do?

You will see, okay, I agree with you, it is very valuable, difficult to find and impermanent, so then what? You have to take your chance and do something. Do something that you can achieve out of it. What can you achieve? First we need to know what our situation is. Second, we need to know if there any way to do something about it.

So first, we need to know the situation. The situation is very difficult for us, actually. If you look carefully, every single human being we see around, most of them, have problems. We are not a problem-free society. We have a tremendous amount of problems. We are suffering, actually. We are in the nature of suffering. Do you know why Buddha wanted to keep silent? Because he found that everybody was suffering. And if he told people that everybody is suffering they would not understand, so he thought: better keep quiet.

0:38:04.8 So people requested Buddha, “please teach, teach”. But the moment he opened his mouth, the first word was “suffering”, because it is our nature. We have tremendous suffering. We think we may have a little problem here and there, but it’s not. That is only the cover up suffering. We have much deeper and much more difficult suffering. The only thing we think does not work in our life is a quarrel here and here, somebody cheated, somebody did this and that, but these are just little troubles, no problem at all.

0:38:58.8 These little problems are actually covering your own big suffering. We have much bigger suffering than that; natural suffering and particular sufferings. We have tremendous, collective suffering and individual suffering. A lot of them. It is difficult to recognize at first.

DT: 0:39:32.3 and short break

0:47:17.2 Basically, if you think about it very carefully, we have a tremendous amount of suffering. The fundamental suffering we have as living beings, as beings in samsara, and specifically as human beings, as I mentioned to you we have collective and individual sufferings. Each one of them are in the nature of pain, sorrow and sadness. No matter whoever it maybe, most of them you will painful, full of sorrow and sadness. A lot of them.

0:48:15.8 There are also moments you find wonderful, beautiful, yes. This is beauty in life, but we cannot feel this much, we are overpowered by the sadness and sorrow of life. In addition to that we create man-made unnecessary problems all the time ourselves. Often there is a small, little problem, really nothing, self-created, out of jealousy, anger, hatred and whatever. These are unnecessary problems we create ourselves additionally. They are not the basic problems, but additional ones.

0:49:10.1 That makes it very difficult for us to live. That is nature. Buddha sees that. That also endless, mind you. If you solve one problem, you get another one. There will be more and more and more and as a matter of fact you don’t solve them at all. You create more and more. So in this life, which is valuable, wonderful, yet we have tremendous pains and sufferings. They will not end, but will continue. So Buddha says these pains are not only with human beings, but all living beings.

0:50:19.2 But he also sees opportunities for us to get rid of these pains now. But human beings will not do that. We think we are solving our problems, yet we are just creating more and more, under the pretext of solving them. This is the basis of our pains and sufferings. Buddha found a solution for that.

0:51:31.8 That’s why we have to do something and he found ways to solve them. Yet we will not follow the advice. We don’t solve the problems, but create more. By doing so we have constant sufferings, not only in one life, but in life after life after life – so much. Buddha found something very interesting: if you think carefully, in all these different lives we have been fighting with people, getting killed. If one could save your bodies killed by enemies or the enemies killed by you it will be bigger than a mountain and that goes for every being. This much pain, this much sorrow, this much suffering we have as a basis and keep on creating more.

0:53:10.9 In addition to that we have tremendous pain of separation. Change is pain. It is not nice. It may be good and wonderful from time to time but in reality it is again pain. If you go back to your school days – you may have beautiful, wonderful memories of school – you will not actually find that. You will find change, tremendous change. The people are not there, everything has changed, so you feel sad, you don’t feel good.

0:54:15.1 You won’t find what you have the picture of, the nice, beautiful image you have, it’s no longer there. It has changed. Everything, the people, the places, wherever you look, it all changed. There is even changes between friends and enemies. The friends you considered so dear to you, the people for whom you would have died and who would have died for you, such dear friends will also change. Sometimes they will change to the extent that they become your most hated enemies. Among friends, people share all their secrets, but after some time they quarrel and even go to court and then the biggest worry is that he or she knows all that and may bring it up.

0:55:38.6 Look at every company, there is trouble. First they are friends, they get together and form a company, they start something. After some time they quarrel over something and become separated, the company breaks up, they go to court and there is all this trouble. That is also change which brings pain. There is uncertainty, unreliability and pain. And most importantly, dying. People are dying. All of them are suffering. In short, we have been through it constantly, and we are still going through and will continue to go through unless we do something to cut it out.

0:56:43.8 This is what Buddha found. Ageing is another one. It is not wonderful, but it is our nature. People don’t like to become old, but they do, from year after year, month after month, day after day, week after week and minute after minute. Everybody, all the time. This is also not nice, but painful. We are lucky that ageing comes slowly. If it came all of a sudden you won’t know how much suffering you go through.

0:57:42.8 Since it happens slowly, we don’t realize it so much. So, whatever you do, in short, in this environment and condition, it is in the cycle of existence, as we Buddhists call it. Whatever you are creating are causes of pain, whatever you are going through, is the experience of pain. So Buddha suggested to recognize that. In short, he introduced the three different sufferings:

The suffering of suffering, the changing suffering and the pervasive suffering.

0:58:49.2 The suffering of suffering is everywhere. Everybody knows. Whatever we have been talking about is the suffering of suffering. The changing sufferings are even more. These are the things we do not consider as pain, but as pleasure. In reality they are pain, because if you have too much of anything you get trouble, you get pain. Things you consider pleasure, each one of them in nature are pain – anything you can think of.

0:59:35.6 If you have too much of it you get into trouble. It is the cause of trouble and not only that, it is in the nature of pain itself. Anything. In addition to that we have pervasive pain, which goes from the samsaric god realms to the hell realms, wherever you maybe. It is available everywhere and by nature it is suffering, though it may not be pain, but it causes pain, like what happens to the samsaric gods.

1:00:24.8 Buddha suggests wherever you look, wherever you can possibly take rebirth, in the human realm, god realm, asura realm, animal realm, hungry ghost realm, hell realm, wherever you look there is nothing but pain. So what are you going to do?

1:01:04.6 DT

1:08:27.9 That’s it. That’s our nature of the pain we have. Now the question is: is there any way we can get rid of those pains? If possible, can we do it within this life time or can we even achieve something within this life? Buddha’s answer is yes, and not only that, there are three different ways to achieve that. Three different levels. If possible, the best of all is to find enlightenment. That means buddhahood, according to Buddhist terminology. That means total knowledge, total seeing, total everything. In the western sense is almost like a semi-god. That’s what a human being can achieve. That is also able to be achieved by every single human being, provided you are stable in your mind. Sorry, sometimes there are questions like that. That’s why.

1:09:59.5 It is possible to achieve that and not only that, we can achieve it within the short span of our life. That is the highest aim of a spiritual person that Buddha introduced. Secondly, if that is not possible to do that much, but at least you can free yourself from the cycle of existence. As long as you are in the circle of existence, although you have created everything, but when the result comes you don’t have control in your hands. Karma controls you. So the second level is that at least you cut that out and gain control in your own hands. That is the second category for spiritual followers that Buddha introduced.

1:11:07.2 The third: even if you can’t get that, at least get some comfortable guarantee that your next immediate life will not end up in the burning fire of the hot hells or in the cold hells or the hungry ghost or animal realms. These are the three levels of aim Buddha introduced for us and for everyone of them are attainable by us. From the conditions of the environment point of view, from the point of view of available methods, from our body point of view, from our mind point of view, from any angle we look it is possible to achieve, it is available to us, it is only up to us, whether we take it or not.

If you are going to take it, how? Buddha had introduced renunciation, the subject for today’s talk, as the first step. The moment I say ‘renunciation’ it is a painful word. People say, How can I renounce? I have my family with me, I have my husband, I have my wife, my children, this thing, that thing, I have my boyfriend, my girlfriend and this and that, how can I renounce?” That is the question that certainly pops up in your mind. This is a total misunderstanding. Renunciation does not mean to give up your life; it does not mean to give up your family or your boyfriend, girlfriends, husband or wife or whatever. No. In addition to that, people would like to make use of the word ‘renunciation’ particularly when they can’t pay their bills.

1:13:53.5 You run away to India, or somewhere in Asia. You can’t pay for your life, so you run away. But you can’t run away anywhere, wherever, because of the suffering, because of the pain. You can escape. The pains and sorrow and suffering will catch you wherever you go, even in India, behind the Himalayas or even on the moon, yeah, really. That’s it. That is not renouncing, for me at least, but trying to escape from life. And you can’t escape life, you must face it with dignity.

1:14:53.8 Every human being has their own dignity. You must keep your own dignity, particularly if you are a spiritually interested person you must maintain your own dignity. You face your life with a spiritual awakening. You don’t have to run away. If you run away from life I am sure you can’t get anything spiritual either. How can it be possible? Not possible. A spiritual person should be able to face life even easier and better than ordinary people, because you are spiritual person and spiritual awakening is there. Spiritual understanding is there. You have to analyze, compartmentalize, and don’t get caught in between. You should be able to face it properly.

1:15:56.0 Every single problem that comes up you should be able to analyze and compartmentalize and wherever it belongs you have to put it in there and handle it rather than running away. Running away from life is definitely not renunciation. You are going far away from renunciation. A lot of people think, “Yes, yes, Buddhist renunciation means to give up life, because they become monks or nuns, shave their heads, wear yellow robes and get fed by the community.” (laughs). They think that way. A lot of people do that in South-East Asia, actually, especially in Thailand and Sri Lanka, but not in India or Nepal.

1:17:00.0 It is different, if you become a monk or nun, if you remain there, if you protect your vows, if you can do that, then it is wonderful. But if you cannot, no use trying. Sometimes it is unfortunate. You see electronic monks – sorry. They are monks in yellow and red robes, still running multi-million corporations. Their business is running and a number of electronic gadgets are available. They set up three, four televisions and radios and tape recorders and anything else, you name it. Yet, they are fed by other people. So I don’t think that’s nice.

1:18:14.9 So no use of becoming that sort of monk. I don’t call that renunciation. You simply change your dress and adopt an easy life style.

1:18:47.4

gang zhi chi me le dang kar ma yö

pa pei gyen la mar pa lo tsa zhin

Even if you remain right in the middle of family life

yet you obtain total liberation.

Like Marpa Lotsawa, there are a great many saints who lived as family people, in functioning family life, yet obtained perfect liberation. That’s what you should look at. Okay, this very verse I quoted for you, says in the next line:

Gye ne ru kye te na pa ma ne

Chi wai ta wa dung de me pa zhin

Some of them may remain in the mountain but get nothing.

For example there is this small animal called mole that remains under the ground in the winter for six months. That’s not called renunciation.

1:20:19.4 DT

1:26:36.7 In addition to that I see another problem in the West, particularly. You create a lot of mental problems for yourself, which is not required at all. You create something, you project it and you perceive it. Then you worry yourself unnecessarily. One particularly is guilt. They carry that tremendously in the West. A number of people, somehow or another they developed guilt. For what reason do you have to carry guilt? I do not know at all.

1:27:27.0 I just do not understand it. Unnecessary guilt and worry. What for? There is not a single human being who has not committed a mistake here or there. There is not a single one, including spiritually highly developed persons like Buddha or even Jesus Christ, and anybody. There no single person who has not committed some sort of trouble here and there at all. How can it be possible? You create trouble, you get into problems, but then you purify them. Why do you have to carry the guilt on your head forever and ever? This is an additional Western problem.

1:28:27.5 There is no reason you have to do that. What for? You purify. The method of purification is given to purify. Once you purify properly it is purified. Nothing can go wrong thereafter. Nothing can go on. I think I mentioned it several times, even yesterday the story of Angulimala in Buddha’s period. He killed 999 human beings in one week. He cut their thumbs and wore them around his neck. And even that person could purify and become pure and even became an arhat.

1:29:37.2 So if that is possible, then I think none of us has killed 999 people in one week. We might not have killed a single human being in our whole life, neither physically, mentally or even by fantasy. So why do we have to worry and carry guilt? No reason, this is an additional Western problem. You have to learn how to purify. According to Buddhism, Buddha gave the four powers to purify everything. You apply them and purify and it is finished. If it is finished then and there then don’t carry it around with you.

1:30:42.2 Unnecessarily people carry it and that is additional problem that you created. Another thing: even for purifying people do talk. They like to say: I did this, I did that.

End of file 1:31:06.7