Archive Result

Soundfile 19910210GRAALR1_01

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location Ann Arbor

Topic Lam Rim

Transcriber Robin Trimarchi

Date

0:00:00.0 … correcting the motivation as normally explained in the lamrim tradition or by the great masters. So, may kindly generate pure thoughts so that whatever we do, uh, may become Mahayana, perfect dharma which you will be able to give result of enlightenment stage. And through which you’ll listen, and this, the thing which you are, what we going to talk today is the, the Mahayana dharma system which leads the fortunate beings to the ultimate Buddha stage. The stage which is very clearly clarified by the great Indian saint and scholars, and eh, it is the essence of the practice of the great Atisha and Tsonghkapa. It also contains the essence of the old teachings of the Buddha made it possible to one individual to achieve the highest spiritual achievement. And that is called the, uh, the stage of development. So, very short way, we’re going to explain it for next couple of sessions. So, I would like you to remember, ah, in order to do this properly, there are certain outlines are absolutely necessary. Number one, it is necessary what, ah, points that you have to go. You have to understand the points. And it is divisions. And it is the, uh, systematic orders. And uh, so each outlines, you have to think, you have to understand properly the points, explanations, quotations, and the resolutions.

0:03:05.9 Otherwise, eh, it will not be, it will be disorganized. So, so, do kindly, uh, try to have some kind of outline points. And the lamrim outlines, they’re number, I mean, there are so many different outlines are there. So, but to make it short and precise, and nothing is missing, so, we do have certain outlines been worked out. And uh, not sure whether you people have the copy of, this group have the copy of the outlines, or no. [side talk about the outlines] Alright. This is rather detail, but um. It’s okay. So, what I’ll do [long pause, side talk continues] Just read it. We may not be able to follow this outline, If you try to follow this outline, it’s going to go couple of years, so. So, best thing’s, just read it and maybe, maybe not be able to follow. But the group, earlier group they have follow, we have followed that outline more or less. And uh, they have. So, let’s, uh, I think this outline, if you look, it try to prove the authenticity of the teaching. They will talk to you the background and life stories of the teachers from Buddha onwards. And uh, and uh, all this, sort of, real long way.

0:06:01.0 And so, we, um, ah, have to, probably, um. So, let’s be, let us be like four important outlines in order to prove the authenticity of this teaching. Authenticity, or in order to prove it works. So, looking back to the historically, ah, how Buddha did, and all this and that, and how the great disciples do. Sometimes, uh, we talk. Sometimes we jump. Ah, we do this. We did that before. And um, I find advantage and disadvantage both. Find advantage because we can cover in the actual teaching much more than, ah, than, than spend a lot time on talking the historical facts. And biography stuff. And uh, and uh, disadvantage is when you go through, ah, to find, very difficult to find role models, as well as some kind of, ah, I don’t remember word today. I don’t know what’s happening but. Some inspiration sources. They are, um, we will find very shortage of inspiration, and so, this are the disadvantages of not spending on time on this. Advantages, we can in shorter time we can cover much more. But eh, since this “Liberation in the”, what you call? “Liberation in Palms?” Huh. “Liberation in Your Hands.” Since that books are available, so, if you read in that, they cover, they cover quite good. Particularly they cover the Atisha’s biography quite good and um, I don’t, I don’t know if that covers Tsonghkapa’s biography or not. But it covers Atisha’s biography quite good. So, so, let’s refer to that, and um, and let’s not spend much time on that. Then the second is the quality of the dharma what you’re supposed to practice. And that is, uh, well, let’s finish. Quality of the dharma is the second. And uh, then the third one is how to listen and how to teach. And fourth one is the actual teaching practice.

0:09:03.4 So, that’s about it. And that is the four basic outlines, out of which the first one is, we just referred to this “Liberation in Palms,” so, so, that’s about it. Then the quality of the teaching, well, I think we should say little bit, otherwise, eh, we’ll be missing it. But eh, what qualities, whether it is really, um, material here. But, ah, the quality is to understand whole the teachings of the Buddha is, um, they say non-contradictory manner. Uh, there reasons for this. And all the, every part of the teachings there something beneficiary and meant for us to pick up something. And it also helps to understand, eh, when I say ‘to understand,’ actually it meant, what it really meant is to ground individual far better in this [?], this spiritual practice path. And that definitely helps. We have seen it. Then it also helps the, uh, helps the, all, um, undesirable, non-virtuous karmics will, it helps to stop. These are the basic four qualities. And non-contradictory manner and all this and this, is, there was very problem in Tibet earlier. That’s why I think they’ve put that in. The problem what Tibetans faced earlier, um, is about between, uh, around about nine and tenth century. When the Buddhism first came over Tibet it came in very nice and pure nature of the Buddhism. And uh, then what had happened is, Tibetans are much more fascinated to find a, a more attractive, like a clairvoyance or some magical power here and there, and uh, try to getting messages.

0:12:08.3 I mean as we have in the United State. Um, like, eh, very much like the, the voice tells you what to do. The light guides you this and that. And um, and uh, the coincidental signs try to be reading here and there. And uh, all this, ah, sort of, uh, all this type of, um. I’m not, I’m not against all of them. However, if you want try to lead one’s life, uh, try to … This is big problem to tell you the truth. I try to say, ah, things are very gentle for number of, sort of, long time to a lot of people. So, we are, if you look in our life, we are very much confused. Completely. We are totally confused, eh, in everyday life. And every day our behavior, everyday functioning we are quite confused. And in addition to confusion, and we add up too many, eh, too many spiritual paths. And which is sort of called ‘spiritual path,’ and um, we do all sorts of things. Number one? Because lack of information. And number two, ah, two, two, two, lot of people are very hungry at the spiritual path because you really don’t find anything reliable, solid, ah, something very effective. So, they need it. And so very hungry. And number three, there lot of people who show you all sorts of things, and all of them together we add up so many things. And uh, adds up to our confusion. In addition to that, the spiritual path is some completely, sort of, really, eh, very little we know. Particularly in the West. We know very little. And every experience people, people who really had good experience, they will not share it. Uh, they will not. And they will not blow their own trumpet, they will keep it very quiet. And uh, even we look among the Tibetan, I mean, I know because I’m not saying only the Tibetans have. But eh, there number of people.

0:15:00.1 But I’m on the Tibetans. If you look it, at many of the great developed person will completely behave as though they know not a single word. I mean, they just know not a single word. They behave totally, completely innocent, naïve style, and say no word and just rather keep it very quiet for themselves. And very, many of them. And out of which you pick up few and try to share things here and there. So, they also say very limited things. So, which will also adds up to, uh, thing. And then, um, on top of those spiritual material, special materialism, what do you call it? Spiritual materialism, yeah. Which is become very attractive to lot of people. And uh, then you just do it. Anything, you know, I mean anything, really. So, so, anything. And uh, number one, you know, when you looking at this, and people have blindly, people put lot of faith on lot of things. And uh, I was watching this morning, I asked (name) if he pick up this vase water and offer everybody. And I was watching, and everybody without questioning drinking the drop of water without even asking what it is and what for. I mean, anyway, it’s may, you may be very polite. Uh, anyway, and that itself shows you, uh, it’s a, it’s a, people puts lot of faith on, um, on things. So, if it’s poison, what then? (chuckles) Luckily, it’s not. (chuckles) And so, this sort of thing. So, it is, uh, very important. And also have a, uh, an intelligence, uh, we as a human being, we have got very good brain. And uh, I think this, you have to use it. And um, there’s no question we use our brain to development of the material, uh, whatever the way. I mean, we really use tremendously best. And why can’t we use that also to our spiritual path? And what we, what we want is to achieve spiritual development, if that’s so, you have to use, uh, spiritual, your intelligent on the spiritual path.

0:18:05.8 And so, what happens is in earlier, in Tibet, this is the point. And uh, way our people, people started living the solid spiritual development aside, rather than they’re carried away by all sort of this, eh, uh, spiritual materialism. Um, some uh, passing messages or guiding by lights, voice, and dreams, and uh, visions, and uh, all sorts of things. And uh, try to make big deal out of it. And as a result, what is a tremendous amount of the people will put the tremendous amount of energy to a result which probably nothing for benefit of that individual. And also, very little benefit to the, to the large amount of other people. I mean, it has its certain usefulness in those. But eh, but eh, in reality it waste tremendous of time. And so, what happens is it begin to pick up contradiction between the simple, pure, Buddhist based on the Buddha’s experience practice. And uh, those spiritual materialistic activities. They’re finding big contradiction. Followed by, it picked it up and, uh, this spiritual materialistic activities begin to find, take refuge under Vajrayana. And because Vajrayana has a lot of rituals and lot of other activities, and a lot of extraordinary qualities, so then everybody try to take shelter in Tibet under the Vajrayana. And then begin to pick up misunderstanding within the Vajrayana itself. And uh, pure sutrayana. So, it almost become a contradicting to each other. Like a, like that of hot and cold. Or sort of become a big gap. So, then it is become tremendous disadvantage for lot of future people. So, it is become unnecessary during that, those period of the great teachers to make it non-contradictory …

0:21:03.0 … to explaining it properly, and to see what is the really, eh, spiritual materialism and what is really, eh, eh, eh, achievement of a proper spiritual achievement. And uh, spiritual materialism also makes confusion on this. Tremendous amount of confusion because the powers that people get through that is mostly, it is karmic power. Ah, many of them are not in the karmic power but also mantra power. And many of them are simple activity of certain spirits around. Lot of spirit like that of nagas, and hungry ghost, and all of them have a tremendous amount of power, uh, compare with our individual as a human being. They can read, uh, people’s past and the future, little bit here and there. And all this sort of thing, and, have tremendous problem. For example, I give you little example. What happened is, there was one guy who used to take the animals, the domestic animals to a mountainside, uh, for grazing. And one fellow, follow, will go because to protect from other wild animals to harm them. So, like, uh, you know, cows and things like that, the domestic milk-giving animals, they take to the mountains for grazing. And there was a little spring water source, this one place, there’s little spring source. And the guy who used to go to animals and uh, near the spring side there’s a very nice, smooth feeling. You know, the feeling of smoothness, calmness, because, number one, it is nice place and all sort of things. Number one, there certain spirits around there, that also help people to feel calmness and this type of thing. So, this, eh, what you all it? Looking after those animals. Shepherds. Okay, that fellow [side comments], doesn’t matter, whatever. So anyway, that human being with those animals, (chuckles), like that place a lot, and uh, so, as a result what he, I don’t even know whether he or she, used to do is milk one of the animals, and pick up little milk, and he always make that as offering to that spring.

0:24:06.4 Always. So, that’s what I think become like a ritual for him. Like the Western language, it become his religion. And he does that every day. So, one day, that naga, is a non-human spirit living over there, and uh, he said he really like, he was really grateful that he does this every day, and uh, he would like to give help him, whatever he could do something. So, so, as a result, this naga started, uh, gradually started overtaking that human being completely. And uh, sort of, remaining within that. And uh, gives, uh, gives lot of, lot of that stuff. And uh, what they used to do, and he used to sit, you know, one little grass. One little long, like a straw or something, and a straw. And that’s one little straw. I mean, used to sit cross-leg on that little grass. You know, one single, little grass. Huh? One blade of grass. And long one. And sit cross-leg on that and then started talking. So, lot of people got attracted because he’s sitting a single blade of grass. So, people got very much attracted, and um, at that same, there was one very great person who’s been practicing lot. And he begin to wonder what this fellow’s saying and what’s going on? So, he went over there and to listen. And uh, it’s nothing but, uh, total spiritual rubbish. So, so, he said, ‘well, it is necessary for me to do something. I do not know what to do. How to stop, I don’t know.’ Anyway, he decided to do three prostrations to this fellow. So, he picked it up and say, ‘I prostrate to Buddha,’ and he did one prostration. And that, blip, went like this slightly. And he did a second time, ‘I prostrate to Dharma,’ and the fellow fall off of that. Fall off that grass. And when he did a third time, ‘I prostrate to Sangha,’ and he’s become real human being again. And so, so, that’s how, that been gone. And then he, sort of, these people, spiritually developed people, there group of them, reviewed what this fellow has done for the last, probably, couple of years, I believe, went on. So, so, reviewed, and they found over hundreds of volumes of this done …

0:27:02.9 … and all sorts of funny things. Except a few are useful for sick people, specially sick with naga problems. So, sort of, some healing power. A few of them, they selected and kept it and rest of them they burned off. So, things like that. And that is becoming, uh, then people begin to see the contradiction. Sort of, picking up contradiction. So, it is become necessary to those, uh, people at that time to say all the teachings, or all true teachings of the Buddhas are non-contradictory manner. And so, when you have to talk about the quality, it becomes a part of the baggage. It become, because of that problem during that period. This is one example I’m giving you. There lots of them. Lot of them. So. Many of those, um, are the, the, what we look, whether we look a spiritual, whether it is spiritual materialism or actual spiritual. And that is becomes big question. And the question is, I don’t think anybody have very easy answer for it. But normal, normally, what I understand, where you look as a spiritual materialism, is, eh, actually, uh, it depends the goal of the individual. If the goal of the individual is to have some kind of power, and to be able to impress upon the other people through various ways of reading their mind, reading their, um, past, present and future, or reading their aura, reading their guiding lights, or listening to their voice, or listening, reading the, what do some people call it? Akashic record. And anyway, whatever it might be, the purpose if the individual’s desire is, uh, is limited benefit. Mark my word. Limited benefit, I tell you, in America today, people who are interested in spiritual path will, do not normally have not so much selfish interest. They always have desire to help others, and helping, servicing, and uh, very stubbornly carry out righteous viewpoint. This is not right! This is right!

0:30:03.1 And this and that. And, uh, so, sort of, you know, they have it, that tendency of helping is most, ninety percent if not ninety-nine percent, but ninety percent have the tendency of helping of others. That does not cover not to be a spiritual materialist. But eh, eh, the helping is limited. It can help as well as, you know, ‘I’m good at it. I’m good at reading their future. I’m good at all this and this.’ That sort of interest and that sort of mind. And having, eh, living a tremendous benefit of getting oneself grounded. Oneself established spiritual foundation within ones, uh, oneself. And liberating oneself completely out of sufferings. Helping others are eliminating their total suffering. And when you don’t have those, sort of, aim, but individually picked it up, few things, I intend to count in the pound of the spiritual materialism. But I’m, but on the other hand, I’m saying, you know, people who (dive?), through astrological work, through readings on all this. I’m not objecting that at all. Ah, I’m simply saying that with the limited capable that what we have, and with our confusion on ourself as we know we have, yet we still sit there and say, ‘well, I feel blah, blah, blah.’ And this sort of things are sometimes it’s useful. I don’t have objection for those people who are doing it. Their perfectly alright. Their very much within their right. They can do it. We can pick up useful information out of it. I have no objection. However, if we spend our lifelong efforts to achieve something and leaving a great opportunity at the side, maybe a tremendous waste in our life. And that is what I read. And I’m sorry if I offended anybody. I don’t mean anybody, any individual in mind, but it’s become as part of my duty. If I don’t say it, it might not be right. I don’t want people to mislead, as well as misunderstand.

0:33:00.3 So therefore, it is become necessary to this point. But the lamrim definitely avoid those spiritual materialistic activity. And I think very difficult for any individual to judge whether that individual is spiritual materialistic, or it is really pure, sincere spiritual development. I don’t think we, we are able to judge the other person. Buddha himself repeatedly told [TIBETAN]. He said, in order to judge other people, it had to be either like me, that’s what Buddha said. So, person should be able to be Buddha stage to be able to judge others. So, but that doesn’t mean you cannot judge your own future. For when you try to practice yourself, so, you have to make sure you don’t do that. So, your mind is not, eh, hiding to you. It is known to you. So, that’s why you know it. You know your own capacity. You know your own limit. You know you own motivation. So, you make your judge, yourself, according to that. And then it will not become spiritual materialism, what is it, spiritual materialism to yourself. And so, if you, when you be able to do that, you’re not cheating yourself. You’re not misguiding yourself. And that’s important. There we have to judge. Not judge other. When you judging spiritual material, don’t judge other. Whatever they do. They fly in the air, go under the ground, sitting under the water, or, or what? Jump from the roof. Whatever it is. So, don’t judge other. Judge yourself. And uh, the purpose is to help ourself, individual, rather than making, passing judgment on the others. Remember, Buddha recommended not to judge others unless you are Buddha. So, that is the first quality. (chuckles) It is important. Important for ourself.

0:36:00.2 What do we practice? Where do we spend energy and time? This is important. Because we don’t have much. How difficult times that we can get. And for you to get one Sunday aside in a month to do this, it’s difficult because of our life structure. And truly speaking, that is, uh, two hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon. So, it is really five hours. Ah, putting five hours aside, plus maybe one hour in the Tuesday or something, so, it’s becomes problem. It is clear sign that we don’t have much time to waste or play with it. So therefore, so, whatever the time we can put it, we should put it in something solid. Something makes me, the individual, grounded. Something which me, individual, too be able to grab something solid which will definitely benefit me at the time of my death. Okay. All this spiritual materialistic things will not be able to benefit anything in, at the time when you die. Nothing. You may think, ‘I have helped tremendous amount of people.’ Yes, you have contributed tremendous amount of people. At the same time, people have convinced on that, too, through various ways and means. So, if you think you have something to carry, I really be caution. So, they keep that in mind. And then what? So, don’t judge others, judge yourself. This is so important. Please don’t judge others, judge yourself. And that also, by yourself. Okay? So, I tell you, I tell you one more thing. One more thing. Ah, when you’re judging yourself, and this almost the fourth quality is almost the same. Find out the practice what you do, what does that practice do to you. It’s make your head bigger? Or make your head smaller? You know what I mean? Make you head bigger. I am somebody, wow!

0:39:00.4 Or I’m nobody, I know nothing. I’m very limited. I wanted to be something good. And judge on that. If it’s making your head bigger, it’s going in the wrong direction. Number one sign. Number two, what does that do? It cuts your delusions down or it increases your delusions. If it’s cutting down, you’re going in the right direction. If it’s increasing, you’re going in the wrong direction. For example, take anger. If it makes you more angry to other people or to yourself, then it’s going wrong direction. If it’s making you less angry, then it’s going right direction. But by knowing that, by knowing that, remember, by knowing that, say, ‘oh, getting more angry is bad. I should not.’ And then try to catch yourself at the time, and even you angry inside try not to show outside. It becomes more worse to you. So, these are the signs you can observe for yourself. You know what I mean? You say, ‘hey, oh, I’m showing temper. Well, that’s not right. It’s wrong. And I am spiritual person. If I’m showing the temper, people misunderstand. Ooooh, no, no, no, no, no.’ So, immediately change your tones and change your, whatever you have to change. Doing that, it becomes worse. So, these are the few signs you can use within yourself. But if you sincerely wanted to catch you own mistake and change it, it’s different. It is different. And just by sake of not showing, you know what I mean? By sake of giving a good image of myself, so, I caught my wrong behavior within me, within individually, and I change it immediately, the purpose of changing is not because the anger is bad, but because it hurts my image. You see the difference? If that is so, then it becomes materialistic.

0:42:04.7 If you just caught anger because anger is bad, ‘I’m so sorry, really, I got so angry. That’s terrible.’ If it is really deepest regret, yeah really, I mean it from the bottom of heart, then it’s good thing. The good thing and the bad thing is very close. Very close. So, it’s only known to yourself, not to other people. Only you know. So, only you can help yourself. That’s what it meant. You can help yourself, not others. So, your mind is, your motivation, everything is only known to you. Nobody else. So, that makes only you can help yourself. I think I have said enough for that. So, what lamrim, if you do very nicely, carefully, it helps you to, I mean, this is non-contradictory, went rather far away. Anyway. Uh, so, that’s that part of it. [long pause] Uh, second quality. [TIBETAN] Well. All the teachings that Buddha, and disciples of the Buddha, and the lineage masters, and all the teachings have something or another to contribute. I mean, it always have some purpose. And uh, it carries some very important message. And uh, to get that message straight, it becomes difficult. When we say we have obstacles, blocks, and all this, what, what the first thing they block, they block to get the real message.

0:45:02.4 The spiritual thing, development, is mental development. Though we communicate to appear to other person through the words of your inner quality to the others. However, the words have a limited capacity to be able to convey that real message. And specially when it’s translated in the different languages, pulled right up, down, up, down, with translator’s favor. They put a favor on it. Flavor, I mean, flavor. So, uh, it becomes more difficult. More difficult. What happens is, originally it was in the different languages, the Sanskrit, Pali, and [Pishatsi?], and all this different, and the local languages wherever there’s buddhas and all this. And they been translated into either, in Tibetan, Chinese, whatever. And at that time, when that first translation going on, it’s already diluted quite a lot. It’s already diluted quite a lot. Then the second translation came from Tibetan into English, or Sanskrit into English, [audio cuts out and quickly resumes] then if you do the word by word translation, even the words have different meanings. And beside that, if you do word by word translation, it just doesn’t work. You know that very well. So, that’s way a lot of scholars complain, um, if you really translate, it doesn’t make any sense. So, the, all books are saying, become blah, blah, blah. That is because it is true problem. So, to make it sense, the, the translator try to observe as much as possible the message, and within the capacity of that translator’s capacity, it will absorb that in. Right? And then express it in the different language. So, whatever the absorption that he got it, and then it’s manifested out. He or she got it.

0:48:00.0 So, the number one, the absorption is very limited. So, this Buddhist texts are, specially the Buddhist texts, lamrim is little easy. When you go to other Buddhist texts it’s very complicated. You read thirty different times, you probably have thirty different understandings, you have. You go to thirty different teachers they will give you thirty different explanations. You read thirty different commentaries they will give you thirty different points. I mean really, it is very, very difficult to absorb within that language. The person who speaks the mother tongue of that language, who been brought up, educated, and spend whole lifelong in that, will have problem. Of scholar of that language will have problem. So, forget it. Another person who spend like a couple of years, ten, fifteen years, try to absorb it, it is very limited. You get ten percent out of it. Or fifteen percent out of it. Very limited. So, then you express that once again, basis on that information, whatever you been able to absorb. So, that’s why, how it’s get, it’s very hard to get the real message. So, what happens is, if you been, if individual been able to build quite good basic, solid, basis, then you read it. Sometimes you get more information that the translator itself. You get more, you go beyond that. And that depends on the individual. How solidly that individual been able to build up, one. Two, it also need little bit of purifications as well as little, uh, little good luck is also necessary. So, combination of it, be able to go beyond that. And that’s the, unlike other, unlike other texts, textbooks or something. It’s unlike other textbooks because the depth of the spiritual is such a thing, when the translators picks up certain words, even the translators may be limited, and individuals may be able to go.

0:51:03.9 These foundations been able to build up by this lamrim. And that’s the second quality. To be able to find the, the, oh, oh, sorry, this is third quality. To be able to find the real, uh, message. Did I talk second quality? I mean, second and third is almost the same thing anyway. Uh, so, the, any, anything which doesn’t make sense, when you have, which doesn’t make sense, will definitely have lot of meaning behind, and try to look very carefully. One will be able to find that, and that is the, really the second quality. And third quality is, there’s a lot of message which is not really expressed by words. And also, so you can get it, so the lamrim helps that. And uh, and fourth one. At least begin to understand what is problem and what is not problem. And uh, so, if you don’t leave the, the information on your notebook or in the tape, ah, then it helps the individual in daily life. When your daily functioning, and certain things, ‘well, this is not, I should not be doing it. It creates not, it creates funny karma. Different type of karma which I don’t want it.’ Without overtaking by righteousness. So. So, these are the very briefly the qualities that one can look for by looking by the, benefits one can look for by lamrim. And we did notice this benefits and its effect to a number of people. Ah, number of people, we find, it is very effective. Not to all, but a lot of people we find it’s very effective. Uh, find it’s very effective to lot of people. It’s almost to the point, okay, now, it may, may, may be very difficult to help. Okay, it may be, now, it may be little, it may be out of it.

0:54:00.2 You may go to that point and, but still you find, you notice difference to the, those individuals. So, which really is eh, something very important. Even our retreat, those last winter retreat, and number of people told me, as well as they acknowledge among themselves, there’s a tremendous amount of improvement to lot of people. So, which makes me feel little bit of happy, so that whatever the efforts we put for the last couple of years which not totally been wasted. So, but that benefit is the individual benefit. And it’s only the individuals know. And individuals contribute. Otherwise ,we can’t do much. So anyway, these are the briefly, the qualities of the, qualities of the teaching. In addition to that, some people see the contradiction between Mahayana and Hinayana. Some people see the contradiction between the, um, uh, between what? Sutra and tantra. Ah, some people see the contradiction between the solid meditation and uh, scholarly learning. And some people see contra, I mean, lot of those contradictions, and which people try to, to manifested by various different reasons. Some people will say, well, if you wanted to be really a scholar, and then you may do this, and uh, but you’re not going to be great practitioner or meditator or something. Ah, some say, oh, if you really want to be great meditator, you can’t be scholar. I mean all sorts of things, you know. All sorts of things. Which is total bullshit. And there is no contradiction between the scholarship and practice. There’s none for whatsoever. As matter of fact, it is very much, ah, complements. And if you do not know, if you don’t have the scholarship of knowing what you are doing, what you’re supposed to do, what you’re doing, then practically it is very much handicapped for the practitioner, rather than disadvantage.

0:57:04.0 It’s becomes handicap because you’re, you don’t have information. And if you read the “Liberation in the,” what is it? Hands or something, that book, if you read. And in that I’m quite sure it mentions. Some people do have that problem. Some people will only learn. Learn, learn, learn, learn, learn, learn, the learning becomes only information and cannot take it to the individual. Then it’s a problem. Possible it becomes problem. It’s only left for information, that’s why from the beginning I said if you don’t leave it information in the notebooks or the tapes, then if you leave it in notebooks and tapes, then it’s a problem. When you really need it, you need notebook. And if you miss, and uh, and uh, and the, and if you misplace notebook, which I do very often, so I cannot find anything what I need to find. So, so, so, then that’s that. You’re finished. Or if you, if left on the tape, it does not tape recorder, or there’s no electricity, or no battery, then you’re finished. So, so, that won’t do. So, as long you put within you, absorb, you don’t have to remember every single damn thing it said it there or not. Every single thing. But the basic structure, basic thing, you do need. When you have that, and then the scholarship, and uh, practice is definitely complementing each other. Okay. Do not misunderstand that. Ah, limited, ah, that information is a limited practice. Okay? Limited information is limited practice. But on the other hand, if you don’t have much information, if you’re not, in order to become spiritual practitioner, you don’t have to become scholar. It’s not. You don’t have to. But if you are, it’s better. So, this important to know. Ah, some people give you idea and say, ‘well, if you wanted to be, a, a, a learned scholar, then you read this, this, this. And if you just want to be practitioner you don’t have to. Just sit down and meditate, and that’s enough.’ Ah, people say that. The question rises, if you do not know what to meditate on, so then, it is equally bad.

1:00:07.3 Just sitting down and meditate. On what? So, then everybody meditates on their job. Ah, everybody meditates on, uh, on their, on their, on their duty whatever it is. So, meditation, to me, it is a technique that you apply for a purpose of whatever it might be. If you want to make use the meditation for just to have calm, quiet, relax life, you can definitely do. It’s very good technique. If you use meditation to become a brilliant computer operator or programmer, you can do that. It is very good technique. If you use the meditation, um, to gain a concentrated power, samadhi, very strong concentration power, you can even be able to, to bend iron beam and that also you can do. It is very good technique. And if you want use the meditation for a spiritual achievement, you can do that. If you want use the meditation to cut your delusions, you can do that. If you want use meditation to achieve liberation out of samsara and eliminate suffering, you can do that. It is like a picnic. It is like Apple computer. (chuckles) Anybody can use for any purposes, okay. So, that is that. So, if you don’t have the information to apply on, so, then you have the, the technique. So, then what you do, you will use it on your, sort of, personal, whatever you think is right. You know what I mean? Which might not be beneficial. So therefore, for information it is very important. And that also, correct information. And the correct information is also has to be cross-checked.

1:03:02.9 And don’t believe it because somebody told you. Don’t believe it because Rinpoche told you. Don’t. Use your own brain and check. And that’s very important. If you do believe it, even Buddha said, okay, [TIBETAN] I forgotten, getting forget. Buddha said, don’t buy because Buddha said so. If you want to buy gold, what do you normally do? That’s what Buddha said. Cut, burn, rub, rub with some other stone, when you’re satisfied it is pure 24-carat gold, then buy. Otherwise, don’t. Very similar to this. Spiritual path you have to do the same thing. You have to. Just because somebody told you. Specially somebody with a big name, big title told you. So, you say, ‘oh, yeah, this has to be right because it was said by so-and-so, so-and-so, dot dot dot quote,’ you know. And that’s, that’s not right. So, use your intelligent. And lamrim tells you to use your intelligent in your, in your spiritual path. Because this is the important point. This is the, this is the method, which is you’re gambling, at least thinks you’re gambling for couple of lifetimes. If you have to buy a car, what do we do today? Right? We, we check the, we check the car, we look, look, look, look, look, argue, and finally you find somewhere. Take the car, take it to another garage person which we believe to be expert, whether the expert concentrates or doesn’t concentrate, you don’t know. However, however, we’ll take it to that person and ask his opinion, and try to put it up on some kind of, that thing, what you call that thing what goes up? Huh? Whatever that, put it up and let the expert look and you look, and you don’t have the expert but yet you want look, if you don’t know and you have expert to look, and you see, you see and you do all this. Right? You do all this. And uh, then finally we buy. Right? Especially if the secondhand one (chuckles), finally we sort of pay a limited amount of money …

1:06:05.8 … which may be very big, but maybe limited, on the other hand. In one hand, it’s huge. On the other hand, probably nothing. Compared with one’s life. Anyway. So, anyway that’s what we do. Right? For a couple of hundred dollars, maybe. (chuckles) That’s what we do. Yet, on the other hand, this is big gambling. Spiritual path is big gambling. If you go the wrong spiritual path, you’ll gamble a number of lives. If you get the right spiritual path, you’ll be benefitted, maybe forever. Maybe a number of lifetimes. So, we have very little check on that. We don’t take that to the garage. Of course, you have to like it. If you don’t like it, then never work. You have to like it. But on the other hand, uh, you have to like it, but your liking is not that important, either. Mostly, the, the major beneficial for the individuals, individuals normally don’t like much. It is become boring, dry, it is. Why? Because it benefits individual. So therefore, it is, eh, you don’t like it. Because our karma is such that the dislike has to obstruct. Has to. No question. It has to obstruct. Lot of obstacles will come up for spiritual, really benefit ones. Really. It has to come up. Why? Because we have tremendous amount of bad karma in our storage. And number two, whether you believe it or not, some people say evil is not there, it is only me. But it’s definitely there. Whether it’s me or somebody else. But it’s there. It obstruct as much as possible. It manifested in our karmic of forms. So, the number one easiest way to manifest to us is disliking that. Boring. Difficulty. Cannot manage. No reason. It manifest in any possible way. Negative form. Negative way of approaching. Obstacle. Even to the extent of cold and so and forth and all that type of thing.

1:09:04.5 Anyway. So, all this are the bound to be. If it’s not there, then something’s wrong with that path. Definitely. Because then it might not be that beneficial to the individual. So, because then, sort of, what will happen, as I very often tell you, it is struggle between the negative and positive forces. The gambling on you, on the individual, whether you’re going to be moved from this angle and going to go from that side. Or you’re going to be moved from that side and going to go on that side. It is not that black and white side here and there. I’m just simply exaggerating or what do you call it? Sort of, try to show the picture. There is. I have a friend, eh, a Rinpoche whose name is Tarab who’s in Denmark, and uh, he used to come, I believe, sometimes to the Esalen Institute in California, does some workshops sometime. Not so many in the United States. Anyway. So, he had number of dreams that he shared with me. One time he had a very funny dream. That dream says, ah, it is a big struggle. I mean, he was in the middle, it’s big huge house, there’s a steps, there’s something very strange, sort of, looking here and another strange looking here. And there’s sort of seeing that he has to be there, he has be, they say no, he’s there, he’s not there, he’s not there. And after some time he noticed they of sort of struggle so much, at the end one side said that is, he belongs there now. So, he was watching and he says, that little sort of, uh, little, some kind of lamp, piece of [?] lamp or something, you know. But very fragile, if drops or something, will break. Something like that. They throw off, and the other side picks up. And he that sort of funny dreams. So, which in other words, and you are the subject, and it is a struggle between the positive and the negative. The negative side will definitely not let you go at all under any circumstances. They have to hold you back. That’s their job.

1:12:05.5 That’s their job, they’re good at it. The positive side is, uh, will pick up provided if all the conditions right. They do not pick up if the conditions not right. So, that’s what they do. So, it is our, we have that big struggle that we have to do. [side comment] So, so, the conditions have to be right. So, it’s sort of, all sort of big obstacles will be there. I do not know, where did I came from that? Where did I come? [talks with student] That’s right. Called, sort of, finding to know what you’re doing. It is important. Though you have very limited information. Limited way of judging. Ah, but very limited way of judging. That’s why the historical facts becomes important. So, anyway. So, so, you have to judge little bit. Just don’t buy because so and so said so. Even Buddha said, don’t buy because Buddha said so. So, then you can’t go beyond. No matter who so, whosoever may say it. If Buddha said don’t judge because I said so, so, then doesn’t matter whosoever says so. Doesn’t matter. So, you have to use your intelligent little bit and try to check up. Sometimes, don’t over check up. Sometimes you over check up, then becomes difficult. When this earlier, one of the Sakya lamas called, eh, called, eh, [Tibetan name], was invited by the Chinese emperor, ah, to be his personal guru. So, invited to China, that’s what Tibetan documents tell you anyway. So, China’s documents tell you something else. Anyway, so. So, anyway. So, invited him to be the guru, and when he reached to the palace, the emperor’s palace, the emperor told him, ‘I need to check you,’ so, so, he was kept there for twelve years without any single teaching or anything.

1:15:01.1 So, twelve years. So, after twelve years, the emperor said, ‘well, I checked, and I’m satisfied with you. It’s fine. Now you are fit to be a guru of emperor of China.’ So, then he turns around, he said, ‘well, you have checked me twelve years. I have to check you now, whether you’re fit to be a, a disciple or not.’ So, he said, ‘I need twelve years to check.’ So, anyway, in between that he died. And so, so, that also happens. You, so, don’t over check. But you also don’t under check. So, that’s what you do. So, I think this much about the quality, and uh, [audio pauses, resumes]. … um, and of course, I didn’t go anything deeper in the, the qualities. And uh, so. Um, most important thing is practice what you do, is something which has to be a perfect one. Um, sort of, sort of, lamrim normally says it is perfect. Why? Because the result what you want achieve out of this is Buddhahood. Okay, now. This is big question. If I go in there, I still would like to make very clear. Uh, this sort of things are very good for those of us, a Tibetan, who have been a generations as, uh, unquestionably accepting the Buddhahood is ultimately something to achieve and that is the only thing which you can work for, worth for working and doing this and that. For us, when you say, well, your aim is Buddhahood, in order to achieve Buddhahood you have to perfect path, otherwise, you will not get result. But for the Western dharma friends like you, and uh, when you say Buddhahood is the, your aim, it’s great. So, you say, well, so what. And uh, so, then if I will say, well that’s your aim, so, how do I know? Why should I, why should I have, why should I have to become a Buddha? And uh, I’m, if it’s, specially if Buddha’s god, I’m not particularly interested to become a god. I have a friend who told me, oh, very good actually, and a number of times looking back in the last two years or before, so, so, one day she told me, I was giving a talk somewhere, and um, I try to make, eh, Buddha’s not so much different than God, and sort of, you know.

1:18:09.7 When the, the normal understanding of almighty God, so, try to make it, uh, Buddha in there, sort of thing, making, I mean, for Buddhists, but there’s God. Right? Not necessarily Shakya [Tibetan], but. I mean, that’s the general Buddha, is not. So, I was talking to that, and um, she asked me a little later, ‘well, what you, since you, what I heard you say today, but if you, if Buddha is God, I’m not particularly interested to become a god.’ People do that, you know. So, it is really doesn’t mean. Unless we really worked out, and carefully, so, it is worth to spend time on this. Sometimes, I said you’re aim is to blah, blah. Um, if somebody tried to do little very careful lamrim practice and study all this, not only study but practice, lamrim practice on this, I think it has to be very clear to that person why you need to practice lamrim. And what for. What the, the why, why don’t you have a spiritual materialism rather than spiritual-spiritual, quote unquote. And that just has to be very clear to the individual. So, it is only possible to make it clear if the individual’s willing to cooperate. And if the individual’s not willing to cooperate, it’s not that’s really going to be clear. If I just say, well, to be, to become a Buddha is ultimate aim, you probably accept that. And then, and you will say, well the Tibetan Buddhism tells you the Buddha, who is the, your aim. Probably you will sort of put first stuff over there. Or you will persevere little more, anyway, that’s what it is. So, if you leave it there, the Tibetan Buddhism says, uh, the aim of the Tibetan Buddhism is, eh, they say, is to become a Buddha. So, sometimes you may hesitate to tell another person the aim is to become a Buddha, so you will reduce your sound a little bit lower so then, sort of, it may be not right. So, all this sort of thing is possible to go with the individuals. So, it is very clear. It has to make clear to the individual here. What do we want it?

1:21:00.2 What do we want? The unquestionable answering to everybody, what they have, is I don’t want sufferings. To be free from the suffering is answer acceptable to all. Provided if you know what suffering is. Lot of people will say suffering, they will immediately disassociate yourself from the suffering, and the moment you look at suffering you begin to look some kind of, eh, painful event that has taken place to the individual. Or, or you know, I mean, the moment I say suffering, what picture do you get in your head? Immediately do you look for homeless, or, I mean, this country mostly people can see that much. The homeless or child abuse, or abuses whether child or not child, you know. Um, the, the woman abuses, whatever. Uh, all that, any kind of abuses, you get that sort of picture, and uh, you get disassociate yourself from the suffering. Then, I mean, the disassociate in the sense, okay, now I’m begin to get a picture. Disassociate itself meaning, I’m getting some picture, meaning that’s not me. (chuckles) I’m learning something. That’s not me. Okay. It’s not necessarily it’s me, but not disassociate yourself. Now, now I begin to get picture. You know what I’m talking about it, (name). Yeah, I begin to see it now. It a dis … you know, people get the idea of, okay, now I get the picture. People get disassociate yourself from that category, or that, uh, what you call it? I mean, that is there, over there it is happening, not me. And I wanted, I’m the helper, I’m there to help, I want to help. Okay, that’s not a problem. You can help. But disassociating is a problem, I think. Definitely. Because, eh, I mean, I didn’t get see this. When some people try to tell me, that’s me, that’s me, I keep on saying it’s not you, not you. But eh, the, the, the main thing is, is disassociating yourself away from that. And sort of, you are the better person coming over there helping …

1:24:02.7 … and you’re the not one who are suffering but they’re the one who are suffering. And maybe black, maybe whatever it is, you know. And it’s, sort of, looking over there and, sort of, disassociating ourself. And that is a problem. And then that is, eh, that is, we’re not recognizing suffering. We call it ‘not recognizing suffering.’ And I’m try to, sort of, leave it there normally, but eh, the problem really rises, you know. Um, a lot of people in the mind, when I look carefully, uh, always, everybody want (to) help. Everybody’s there ready to help. Helper. But no one is there, uh, no one associate yourself with that. Sort of, you make it, lot of people make, eh, superior yourself and, uh, I don’t know, whether you’re making superior or not, but definitely you disassociate and you take the position of helper or problem solver. You call it ‘solver?’ Or troubleshooter. (chuckles) That’s the wrong language, isn’t it? (chuckles) Ah, you get that. So, what you do is watch your mind. And suffering. It’s very hard for, on us, we accept that unless we’re sick. The sick is, sickness is something easy to accept on us. Sort of, we can associate with that. All other sufferings we begin to disassociate. And that might be our problem. So, that’s what I call ‘we don’t recognize suffering.’ Maybe the suffering is too strong a word for American society. Maybe you need some different, uh, sort of, lukewarm, uh, lukewarm words which may be able to put your feet down in it. But you’re already in it. We’re already in that. I mean, we are, we are much more than that. More, much more than that for sure. More than that for sure. I mean, we’re sure for that. And I’m really, there’s no question. Even you look at abuses. Every one of us been subject of abuse.

1:27:02.8 Though physically somebody has not abused us. Uh, mentally, lot of other people have abused us. And ourself. Every time, I notice with everybody, they abuse themselves. All the time. Ah, under any, sort of, protects (pretext?), the protects (pretext?) of righteous, the protects (pretext?) of, um, whatever it is. I mean, people do abuse a lot to yourself. And, uh, keep on thinking all the time, and making you sick, and not, unable to sleep. And all this are, there very few people who can really comfortably sleep. (chuckles) [side comment from student. Laughter] I mean really, truly, and these are the, I mean, these are the excessiveness of the pain on the mind. Which normally created by you, ourself. In other words, I can call that, ‘we abuse ourself.’ Really do. I mean, I’m sorry, I’m not psychologist or anything, but we do it. Whether you like it or not, you really do it. It’s a so, sometimes, some people give self-punishment. And I was very surprised, but people try to give punish to yourself, you know. I mean, this one needs punishments, so they make it, make it yourself, punish. Yeah, really people do that. People’s mind is such a crazy thing. Who knows who is what, going to do what. You never know. So, under the protects (pretext?) of purification, under the protects (pretext?) of, um, working out with karma. These are the language we use, right? Under the protects (pretext?) of, um, uh, anything. Rather extreme sacrifices and all sorts of things. So, we do that to ourself. So, we are subject to be, as abused. And every day we do that to ourself. We are suffering. Not only that. And we, we really, if you really look in ourself, in anything, anything. I mean, our body is such a thing it’s, you know, such a delicate thing. It’s covered with a little skin and any moment anything can break.

1:30:03.7 Or give up. Such a really delicate thing. And uh, it looks nice when it is, sort of, polish it outside and then it looks nice. But eh, inside it is filthy. Totally. Really true. Um, really true. And uh, it is totally thing that we have. So, we don’t have to look when you say suffering, something, you know, it’s over there in the street of New York or something. Ah, you really don’t. Sometimes, it maybe those poor, dirty, homeless person sitting in the middle, sleeping in the middle of the park, uh, is maybe more happier than, ah, the person in the Park Avenue apartment. Or something, you know. Really. And uh, and they are suffering. They are difficult, no doubt. But then they also, they have, they quite enjoy life actually. Allen (Ginsberg) took me to near his house, there’s homeless people living in big public park over there. And when we go near there, all they, they will not let you go in. And they say, ‘hey, you don’t go in there. Hey! Out!’ And Allen shouts back, ‘this is Allen Ginsberg, I’m going to see somebody.’ ‘Oh, are you sure you’re the right person?’ They come and look at you. ‘Okay, go.’ (chuckles) ‘Okay, go.’ So, then you go inside, and they have the bonfires. There they’re drinking or smoking and sitting there talking, chitting chatting, yelling, all this sort of thing. Ah, it’s not that bad. (laughs) And, and cold, but a number of blankets on that, you know, sitting there. There’s chairs around and everything’s there. But eh, sort of, mentally, some of them are not that upset at all. I mean, not that, really. And, uh, and then they’re talking about the war, they’re talking about it, whether they’re going to be draft or, draft or something. Everybody has to go in soldiers or something. And whether that’s going to be, or whether Bush is right or wrong, or Saddam Hussein is right or wrong. They all have the same conversation, even over there with the fire going on. Bonfire type going on and talking there and sitting there. And then, then there’s something, something happened and somebody’s something in the city today which is not fair to them. Blah, blah, blah. And all this regular type of usual life is there again.

1:33:00.0 Ah, slightly different condition. But that’s not the worst. I have seen much worse than that. Much worse than that. As a refuge (refugee), I myself been worse than that. And I’ve seen people worse than that. And the, the coolies in India, the coolies, we’ll call it coolies, the porters who, who carry a huge amount, you have no idea. If you have two or three boxes, like I say, twenty-five to thirty kilos in that, they will take it on head. One, two, three, some of them carry on the top, each one of them. And they walk with you. I mean, they run with you. And uh, there’s no problem for them. They really run, they’re faster than you, sometimes. So, you have to chase them, keep them up in the public otherwise they will disappear, you lost all your boxes. So, you have problem to chase them even. So, they’re sort of used to it, on that sort of thing. And um, they live on, like what? Ten rupees per day, maybe. And that’s about a dollar, or maybe fifty cents a day they live on. And that’s all they have, uh, little tents and things like that. They sleep on the road.

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