Archive Result

Soundfile 19901104GRLR3

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location Ann Arbor

Topic Lam Rim

Transcriber Robin Trimarchi

Date

0:00:00.0 … from the Buddhist point of view, I’m talking about from the Buddha’s teaching, which is not been given and taught by Buddha. Which is not been available in teachings of the Buddha, whether it is the sutra or tantra. And that’s uh, that is the major point I’m try to make it. In other words, we’re try to look for some kind of secret, or secrecy, and major path, major way you get into it, you sort, somehow, ignore, not only ignore, but sort of, you depart, depart, you go away from the path which you really leading to a better way. And somehow you hold on some kind of branch of certain little, uh, thing which you considered as secret or something, I don’t know, whatever it is. So, in that. If you over carried that, probably individual will have more, um, you lose. You have lot of more disservice than benefit. That’s what I’m thinking in those lines. Particularly, when you’re really not sure what you’re doing, practice, how and what, whenever there’s suddenly something comes and, uh, talks to you, some strange thing. And all of a sudden there. And, uh, and try to be holding it to it may not be that great. And that’s what the main point here. [Aura Glaser: Sounds like there’s kind of two points that are coming up in this one point. Is that what, is that what you’re intending?] Yeah, go ahead. [AG continues: Well, there’s two, first of all, there’s II.A.2 is different than the second of the four outlines that you’ve given us in the original lamrim teaching, that you gave. But then, just based on this one, II.A.2, which is you’ll be made aware that all scriptural texts are to be taken as sound advice.] Okay, that’s what I’m talking about. [AG continues: Right. That seems to be veritaing to what you’re talking about right now in terms of viewing all the texts as being equally sacred and, and equal. You know, seeing the value of all these things and not just looking for the obscure or whatever. But the other pull of the piece you talked about, preceding that, about having the ability to discriminate the value of the teaching. Whether it’s leading you. Is that part of that, also part of this?] Under this, yeah, under this I’m try to cover it up. Under this. Because, yeah, you have to take everything as a practice. Definitely important. But also, you have to have the wisdom and capability of see, um, whether everything is, eh, something what you’re going to do it or not. And that is the, I mean, one should have the wisdom to be able to discriminate, discriminate.

0:03:02.5 And uh, that’s what. Nothing to be criticize any teaching or any practice, but what is the meant for you, what you can do, what is relevant for. That is very, very important. Uh, and also, over here, I’m going to mention it, whatever it might be. So, number of us, people, friends here, have, maybe not here, but many people are very enthusiastic about taking initiations. Even without knowing what it is. And without knowing what deity are you getting initiated, what practice are you getting it, and who is this lama who is giving the initiation? What is the background of that person. All of them, without just knowing, maybe there’s a small, small little advertising or pamphlet or somewhere and people, people want to take so much initiations. And um, one of the friend who are in this group here, not in today, uh, I had to spend time with him the other time, when I was sick, try to go through what he can do, what he cannot do. This fellow had taken so much initiations and have so much commitment of saying sadhanas, and if he has to do all the sadhanas, it’ll take not less than four hours a day. Not less than, if he has to do that. So, there’s no way the person could do it. No way. So, this much bundle of file, and have it, and uh, so, these things happens. So, it’s not very nice. Uh, it’s great you can take those initiations. Wonderful. Great. But then why you take the initiation? Its purpose to practice. So, then you can’t do the commitment. Right? So, what is the use? It will only make, not serve not only oneself to go into the vajra hell, but also to make the, the person who gives you the initiation also in trouble. So, that’s what it is. So, the Vajrayana is very dangerous, too. So, that’s why it is important to know what should be done, what should not be done. So, simply way to judge, as I’m try to give you little simple way, simple way to judge. Is it going to help me to bring me closer to the enlightenment level, and manageable? Each one of those initiations great, but you’re not been managing it all.

0:06:07.3 So, that’s what happens. So, when we hear people say, ‘well, I been practicing for fourteen years, I wanted to come in, in your highest group. That’s what we get, some telephone call will say, ‘I been practicing fourteen years. I want to be the highest group whatever you have.’ I heard there some highest group and lower group. It’s higher and lower. It’s not, nobody’s higher, nobody’s lower. But eh, how much you’ve done, how much you have studied and how much familiar, how much not familiar. That’s what it’s counting. And that’s very simple, right? It’s not as, nobody’s higher, nobody’s lower. That’s what it is. So, I mean, I got a telephone call saying that, ‘I been practicing Buddhism for fourteen years, I want to be in the highest group, not in the lower group.’ (Chuckles) So, I mean, people like that does that, you know. So, anyway, so, I begin to worry, fourteen years, how many commitments you have. (chuckles) How would you do? You never know, so. So, some of those, they say it advice, secret advice. So, you take them and then see. If doesn’t help you to get comprehends in those great teachings, it doesn’t help, it means definitely something wrong with that. It’s not, it’s not necessarily to be great. And uh, that’s what it is. That’s how you, if you have to discriminate, that’s how you do. I’m talking from the Buddhist background, Buddhist point of view. So, that’s why I’m talking about Buddha. So, that’s similarly Hindu’s will have the same way of judging. And uh, same does all other great teachers have given there. I’m sure they have their same way of judging. But it’s also important to have little discrimination, too. Otherwise, otherwise everything is, eh, gray, and uh, maybe not, eh, maybe not, maybe not best if everything’s gray. Here what we are talking here is, eh, some people think the great practice is something very secretly taught and somewhere else. And then major Buddha’s work and Buddha’s teachings have nothing to do. And all this great Indian sons and Tibetan masters have nothing to do. No relevant. Okay?

0:09:01.2 So, some people say, ‘why, it’s very good for, uh, for teaching and explanation and debating, is very good. Not for meditation and practice.’ They say, ‘some are very good, they say. Or this is very good for meditation but may not be so great as teaching and [?] and debate and uh, and uh, explanation. But great for meditation.’ But eh, that maybe great for teaching, talking, and explanation but nothing good for meditation. And that’s the, again, wrong point. That’s wrong point because if you can present well, there’s something to talk and present and discuss, that means there is some substance. If there is, if there is something great secret and great to be meditate but it cannot stand on the point of discussion, then there’s something wrong. Did you get me? Okay? So, [TIBETAN] This is the, this is the very important point. By learning and thinking, all misunderstandings has to be cut out. So, the way to cut out is, if the, if your presentation is pure, and pure, then it should be able to stand against contradictions and against anything that brings you wrong. You know, should be able to stand out. If you’re right, you should be able to stand and prove to be right. And if you cannot stand for that, if you have to hide under some kind of, yeah. Just meditate in that manner. Don’t talk too much. Don’t think too much. Um, don’t discuss too much. If you have to hide under that, it probably has no, something wrong. So, something wrong. And that’s, I’m not talking, this is here, this book here. Tsonghkapa’s Lamrim Chenmo has said that. It is saying that, great lamrim saying that. So, that is the point. And uh, you may be able to see and discriminate whether, judge yourself. That’s what I mean. Judge yourself. It is not that, I’m not try to say what we are doing is the best. No, I’m not. I’m try to say how we can discriminate ourself with the limited the knowledge of the background. How we can do. So, this is the point I’m try to bring it up. Okay?

0:12:03.2 Very simply, people do that, lot of people do that. But on the other hand, people who are not that, sort of, uh, bright, intellectual, but certain points where you say, okay, just do this, just do that, just do that. So, then people follow it. And that’s nothing wrong with that. That’s perfect. But that also, if it’s brought to subject of great discussion and debate, and also try to prove its authenticity, should be able to stand it. Right? If you cannot stand on that way, and then it’s great secret business might not necessarily be right. I can tell you, go down there, sit in, sit in the rain and naked, and bring, eh, pick up three pebbles and go around ten times and you’ll be liberated. But don’t tell to anybody else. It is secret. So what? How do you know? That’s not right. First you may think I’m joking. If I’ve can, if I’ve been, if I’ve been able to convince you, then convinced that I no more joking, you may probably do it. Some may not do it. Some may do it. Right? Uh, some may try, that’s right. (laughter) So, to make sure, so, what you do, okay, what you do, okay, now you try to think. Sitting naked in the rain out there in city during the daylight isn’t something right to do. Okay. Just forget about the social things even. Spiritually, all I want to benefit, I get. Think about it. So, don’t think blindly, think about it. And practically nothing except embarrassment. Or you may think, oh, this embarrassment is meant for me, purification. This is, always we have that type of mind, mental attitude comes up to support. Ah, that may be more my purification. Or that may be, ah, I read in the, some sort of biography of some siddhi who did this and that. Maybe something like that. So, so, then naturally some may try. But if I’m told to do that, I probably think, what do benefit I get. What is that meant for? Or me, that love of mine has gone crazy, so, I’d rather not do it. Okay? I’ll draw the conclusion that way. I will not do it. Because that doesn’t benefit me. I don’t see any benefit. You may ask, what benefit do I have? If I have something to be able to tell you, I’ll say, alright, that this and this and this benefits there. Then you think.

0:15:02.4 If I’m not be able to tell you any this, well, you’ll learn later. Or, or what do, what should I say? Oh, that’s secret. If I tell that secrecy, you’ll lose the value. Okay. What, what that makes you think more? Right? So. So, how can you discriminate that? Buddha never said you do that. Buddha never said, ‘stand naked in the public and sit on the rain. I never said that.’ Buddha said, [TIBETAN] You cannot wash away your non-virtuous actions by water. On the contrary. Buddha doesn’t say you can wash it. Vajrayana initiations, you have water initiation which purify. That’s not water in the public in rain. But it’s special water. Right? So, to, to be able to discriminate that. It is become very important. I think it is time to America, Buddhist practitioners to be able to wake up now. It is important. [student comment: seems to me, like to a certain extent, um, first, when you’re first beginning your practice, ah, I mean, a lot of people, I mean I know from my own experience, you have such a huge amount of ego in the way, that you just can’t tell what’s going to be good for you to a certain extent, you know. And at some point you have to, sort of, go on the faith of your teacher’s experience and just, you might say, man, this is not helping me at all. It might something you have to do for a period of a year where it’s, it seems like you’re just suffering, and some, one day, take the point, you look back and you say, wow, that’s why I was doing that. I mean, that’s really made me patient. That’s really helped me develop my stability or my perseverance or whatever. So, I mean, you have to, sort of, I think it’s not so cut and dry that you have to just, sort of, look at it, like, in your mind, sit down for five minutes, well, that’s not going to help me, you know. I think sometimes you have to, sort of, go through this thing for a period of time. Maybe a year or two years, and then you see the benefit of it. And that’s where I think you have to at some point really have faith in your teacher and it’s critical.] [student #2: but that’s because you see the results that your teacher has obtained from those things. And that’s what inspires you to do it. It’s not that you don’t see any results, yet] Uh, not only that. Certain purifications, things like that, uh, what you have to do, it probably doesn’t go against the advice of the Buddhas. Doesn’t go. And just, clearly, it’s not taking the individual away from the progress and practice. So, what, we, I’m throwing two thing here. One, going against advice. Two, taking the individual away from the practice.

0:18:04.4 From improvement. So, these are the, uh, two basic points may able to discriminate a little bit. I think it is time, really, to be able to wake up little bit, too. Uh, there are certain people who are really, I mean, especially in our, uh, sangha in here, I don’t think there’s not so much blind faith. I hope. Uh, really, not so much. And yet, on the other hand, since a devotion you developed, that’s great. That’s different than blind faith. But uh, eh, blindly people taking it, it’s also it’s time to wake up. Otherwise, you will lose lot. That’s what, eh, I’m afraid of it. So, so, non-contradictory. That’s not non-contradictory, what’s that? (chuckles) Huh? Taking the, whatever that is, whatever that say, advices or something. Hm mmm. Specially, when you come to listen to the lamrim teachings, okay? All of this long, long talk, boring, boring, boring talk, all of them you’re going to hear lot. And all of them, they definitely try to present you the practice in that. Okay? So, you say, ‘well, I’m going to attend lamrim teaching, and uh, so, well, I don’t have a practice, but I go there and listen to lamrim.’ Alright? If you say that, again, the same thing’s happening. Okay? Same thing happening. Okay. ‘I listen to lamrim, but I have no practice.’ The practice means I have to go and some whisper somewhere else. Okay. That means the open path, we leave the open path, you, sort of, you, you don’t go on highway, but specially you’re searching some kind of small little, uh, passage where you can, with the bumpy road where you can jump. Maybe you can get, maybe you cannot get through. Who knows. Uh, sort of thing you’re looking for. That’s what happens. So, this is the major point I wanted, I been old earlier, talking to you about it, the main Buddha’s teaching. The main Buddha’s teaching has been combined, either, and all of those traditions, they have different ways of presenting it. I’m not saying only lamrim is the great way, no. All of those traditions of different teachings. And all this teachings are try to throw you out a practice to you.

0:21:03.8 Out of this, what you have to pick up is, eh, what you’re taking note. When you’re taking note, you don’t have to take a note every word I say. It doesn’t mean anything. If you find anything useful in that, anything that helps you, anything that brings your mind-level up, anything that hits your, hits your ego, anything that hits your anger, anything that you don’t like to hear it. Things that you want to hide, and it has to be taking it out, poking the nose inside, poking my dirty nose in your secret corner, wherever you have kept it, picking up that. These are the points really help you. It is, it is the pinpointing. And this is the practice you’re getting out of this. And that’s you have to understand. You know, we sort of, sort of we talk a lot, we give you lot of books to read. Lot of things. And all, these are the, ‘I read about it. And what is it say? Well, I did read, but eh, I mean, for a couple of days ago, I forgot about it. Or I think that’s something, something else.’ So, that’s, if that happens, the efforts you put in to learn, and practice what you do, is gone separate. If that happens, not going to help you. The efforts, whatever you learn, it’s just simply become only learning purposes. And that also, if you forget within, uh, half an hour, and then, uh, that’s it. All efforts been wasted. So, that is the, another second point. I been earlier talking for the text, this and that. And the main point, uh, practical point is that. Here it also goes on, [TIBETAN]. Okay, now, I think maybe I’m talking too much. So, anyway, checking all the teachings as perfect advice does not necessarily mean, eh, you know a small little sadhana here, small little mantra there …

0:24:01.8 … small little this thing there, small little Ganden Lla Gyema here, it doesn’t mean you have taken the actual essence of teaching of Buddha as, uh, practice or perfect advice. Perfect advice means, whatever you can hear, hear, seen, heard about it, be able to take the essence out of it, and be able to put in the pinpointed in the practice. So, those essence you’re going to find, where there more detail, more profound, more detail, and much more there, you going to find much more, rather than something whispering, some corner somewhere, some secrecy, is not necessarily going to reach you any better. And also, but some secrecies, some things have sometimes some special qualities as (name) did mention. But to figure out that is, eh, how to discriminate that I mentioned earlier. To say how much that helping you. And bring you closer to your goal, that is enlightenment. Is it going against experience that shared by Buddha. If so, best thing is to say goodbye. Otherwise, you can waste tremendous, I mean, you get caught into it, tremendous amount of time and energy. And after some time, you’ll find yourself same old mole, that goes under the ground. Huh? Mole, yeah. The moles will go under the ground for six months in winter. Right? So, the same old mole will come out in same old manner, uh, after six months. So, that’s what happens, okay? So, if you have a different development as (name) said, you look it back after some time, you find different within you. And then you’re reaching somewhere, you’re moving. And if you’re the same old mole goes in, same old mole comes out, nothing to be surprise. Wasted time, that’s what it is. So, I think with this I have to stop because some people has to leave at five, so. Um, so, what did we do today? We did, eh, we did two outlines, one outline which you already did before. And will pick up, say. There are some people which are taking note …

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