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Sound file:19910512GRLR1

Speaker:Gelek Rimpoche

Location:Ann Arbor

Topic:Lam Rim

Transcriber:Jayapushpa

Date: 16th February,2024

..need a white person to know. I mean really . We have the intent in the West tradition . I mean if there is some white person been there, you said it is record, it is documented, and known. But if it is not known to the white person, doesn’t know at all. So, we have that intention ..not intention, tendency to pick up that. But I don’t believe in Buddhism that goes that way. If it is known to somebody, then it is known. If it is known to somebody, it is not beyond knowing because somebody knows. So if it is beyond knowing of enlightenment being, it doesn’t exist. It maybe a fundamental difference of way of looking within Buddhism. Could be. But I think what Tsongkhapa emphasized. Anyway, to come to the point…because I don’t to get lot of people confused too. To come to the point of Dharma, something changeable to hold. I need better than all phenomena. (Audience: What about the teachings, specifically Lam Rim?) Ya, I cannot deny that but that’s …that is relative Dharma. What is absolute Dharma? We say, “We are all here to seek help to do something. What do you have to do is the true refuge. True refuge is the Dharma because Dharma is the only one which helps; not the Buddha , not the Sangha. It is only Dharma the only one helps. So we need the true Dharma. The teaching is teaching. It is words, it will help for sure. Or, it is written in some book form or whatever it is. But need more than that. We also say Dharma is antidote of non virtuous. So, … what about Chicago people think (Audience: ‘Protection”? I think Dharma is a protection against ..as you said…non virtuous or…) Protection. How do you protect. Like wearing amours like old style, wearing something on your head and some little thing on your chest. Or, is it a Star War? What is the protection? (Audience: It is inside you. Isn’t it inside you ..that’s what makes you..)Inside you? How it looks like? (Audience: Protects you from anger, ignorance, ..) Protect you from anger and ignorance. Okay, it sound a little better. What is that? What protects you from anger, ..(Audience: Your practice ;teaching for your life; your practice now) Ya. What about you Jeff? ( Jeff: practising mindfulness..) Practising what? (Jeff: mindfulness) Ya, mindfulness protects, no question. Okay, it protects. .(Jeff: it would be…) whether that is Dharma or not, I am not sure (Jeff: it would be putting the Dharma into practise …) I have no argument with that. I fully agree with you. But still you don’t tell me this is the…real Dharma. (Audience: As I understand it, the real Dharma is understanding of our sufferings from the series of cause and effect..If we understand this series of cause and effects, we can put in action mindfulness . We can begin to shape our action so that our effects will be better. That’s what I understand) Hm, hm. Chris? (Chris: What exactly is..) What is Dharma? (Audience: …the way we integrate teachings into our life …*unclear) Everybody saying the same thing with slightly different wording , isn’t it? Is that right? Integrating teaching is what she been talking, knowing Dharma, understanding it, following it, shifting your attitude. That is integration of teachings. Is there some thing else? Integrating ..knowing…*Unclear. That’s what she says, “Knowing and making use of it”. So, I think it is integrating Dharma. I don’t think we can argue with that at all. It is integrating Dharma.But whether itself is Dharma or not? Becoming a little technical I mean. Anyway, I am sorry for that. Integrating is Dharma practise. But , is this Dharma? Is this Buddha Dharma , Dharma? (Audience: *unclear) Now let me switch that. What about you? (Audience: As far as Dharma we take refuge to, ..*unclear…ultimate truth as perceived…by Buddha and *Unclear..ultimate level , understanding that I have ….*Unclear) Are you using word ‘understanding’ too much in that. What is the point of using ‘understanding’ here? (Audience: The point is …my mind..) I think everybody is giving great answers ;I don’t think there is argument. But the point is you have to learn two things. There is relative Dharma and there is absolute Dharma. The relative Dharma is the teachings, and knowing of it, teachings itself, integrating with life,practise,…all of them are relative Dharma. The absolute Dharma here will be by doing that the spiritual development you gain within yourself. Those particular spiritual developments that you get is the absolute Dharma. Is that clear to you now? Chris? (Chris: Absolute Dharma is…) Spiritual development (Chris: *Unclear) No, no, no,no. You know what spiritual development is? You think so, you are not sure. (Chris: Well, yes, spiritual development..) What is it? (Laughter) No, no, this is important point. Not ..it is not a making joke or something. It is very important. When you put efforts in that, we are looking for spiritual development. So, we need to know what that is, you know. So easy for me to say, “spiritual development” and for you to say, “spiritual development”. Ya, but..what is it? What is it? This is important. (Audience: Actually acquiring is it understanding or is it like..) Ya, you are getting to it, but..I think there is a problem, still. Tim? (Tim: I think I am following here is absolute Dharma when I am presented with a situation, that will cause me grief in the past, or I see somebody which I normally would have an aversion to, it is a spontaneous arising of kindness or more feel towards the person really wishing them well, without me having to think, “Oh, I am going to wish that person well”. It sort of come) “Oh, I am going to wish that person well”, it is probably to me Dharma practice, rather than Dharma. Are you with me, Sir? Okay. Is everybody with me? Jane, you are sitting that far there, I want to make sure you are in.(Jane: I am really 8unclear) Ya, I mean it is. It is, because you have to make division, otherwise Dharma work, Dharma practise to me is almost close. But the real Dharma is the spiritual development.We are sort of shifting our guess between the words like you know ‘dharma, spiritual development, the unfathomable wisdom, reality, truth” All sort of things we are shifting our guess in between that. Actually we are not pin pointing. Jeff? (Jeff: Okay, the question I now have it if you are doing your spiritual practice , that’s not spiritual development?) I doubt it. (Jeff: No?) That is relative but I don’t think it is. Spiritual development is something you have to gain. The practice is contemplating it. In order to gain that. (Jeff: So practise is what we are doing in …) Yes, that’s what my understanding. (Jeff: Absolute , result? ) Spiritual development is result, doesn’t have to be ultimate. Ultimate is very far away till you become a Buddha. Ultimate is too far away. Every little point you do, you gain something. What did Matthew said? (Matthew: You talked about difference between understanding and development) You use a lot of word “understanding’ . I have a little observation for that. I am afraid if you over go on ‘understanding’ ..if you go over.., you know what I mean? If you go too much of ‘understanding’, then you will lose the grip of it , absolute reality. But if you go under understanding, understanding becomes not so important. Then you overpower by ignorance. You have to be able to balance that. So, I was looking listening at you , in your sentence you use ‘understanding’ more than six times in that short sentence. So, I am a little bit worried about it. That’s why. (Matthew:I need to know what you mean by ‘understanding’ and ‘development’. ) ‘Understanding’ to me is knowing the things. ‘Knowing’ as in knowledge. , ‘information’, okay? (Matthew: okay) So, integrating means information is not left in the information level. But it becomes the principle of guiding of your daily life. Way of thinking, functioning. Like King says, “I have to say, “I have to generate bodhimind. I have to gnerate compassion. …” Some thing like that, he kept on saying that, whether it is artificially made, or automatically come. Practise is till it becomes automatic to the individual, you put efforts in. And after some time with less efforts, it will become. After some time effortlessly it will become part of your life. And then it becomes integrated. That’s mine understanding. I am not trying to be language teacher, please. (Laughter) because I am little worried about when you use so much ‘understanding’ word. When you use word ‘understanding. I don’t want you to become sort of intellectually looking at , or over intellectually emphasizing. That is the biggest problem in the Gelugpa tradition anyway. We go so detail , so microscope. Others will say, “Oh, they are totally intellectual’ But it is not. You really have to know what you are doing. So, if youmover emphasized, then you have problem. But you need to know. 0:14:43.7So, now you see the difference between dharma practise and Dharma itself? Okay, give me one big example. One easy example of Dharma. One easy example, very easy example. Who will like to? Caroline, please? (Caroline: One easy example, absolute Dharma? )Yes, example. I don’t need definition or anything, okay. That becomes more difficult. You know one example of Dharma. (Audience: I think one exaple is one effortlessly respond…)No, no, no, just give me one example of Dharma you have. I am sure you have a lot. How many years you put in? Ya, give me one example. (Audience: I know…*Unclear) Now, how do I make it clear? Give me one exaple of Dharma. I mean, how do I say better that way? I need some exaple, “This is Dharma”I need something to catch like this (Rimpoche catches some thing) you know. To hold. Supa, you have..(Supa: Is it something like ..before and after myself..like before I would realize certain things I ..)Excuse me, I am not asking the difference before or after. I am asking one simple example of Dharma. Just one. Jane? (Jane:I might be wrong. Would it be like the teacher knowing the disciple how to present the idea so that students understand it. And why student understand different because of our nature of our experience ..so teacher have to know (*very noisy),…without intellectualizing …) That maybe (?) too. So..I can’t say that’s not Dharma. But I need something…”I did this , and I have that “. That’s what I wanted. (*recording interrupted) ( Audience: ..I am angry and the next time …*noisy*) Would that be Dharma? Ya. That’s good. I really think so. Yes,Sir..(Audience:think..*noisy*..positive…*noisy) That is taking away from the addictions , negative addictions. I am not very sure whether taking away from the negative addictions is actual Dharma or not. But you probably say it is. But Chris has just given the example. Preventing..when I did some thing positive, particularly when I have the opportunity to be negative. And I prevented myself being negative and when you take away, shift away from the negative, and you gain certain positivity. This is your spiritual development.To start with it, I don’t mean it is big spiritual development. But that is begin with. 0:19:11.5

When I have opportunity to kill insects or something, I thought about it, decided not to kill. Whether it is the reason or me or that one. I will not kill that insects because of compassion to the insects or because I am going to have non -virtuous. So, there are two different things. I mean not killing is enough. Enough to be Dharma. But there are two reasons. One, they don’t kill it because of compassionate reason .Another one not kill it because afraid of non-virtuous karma. Or, the third person is because of both. Right? So whatever it is, when you don’t kill it, and you have build up a karma …positive karma of not killing, which is also your development. One, this development builds up on top of another. So, you get other things, other symptoms. You know other symptoms. That’s why we began to pick up from the people and saying, “Oh, these people have developments” The symptoms are showing it. Right? When you eat the wrong food, you begin to build up the seeds of illnesses. And on top of that you keep on doing the wrong things, you get sick. When you sick, the symptoms shown outside. You get aches here, pain there, headache here or something. And we begin to know, “Hey, that person is sick “ or “I am sick”. Right? Because of the symptoms. So positive spiritual way too, the same thing. When you build up these positivities, you build the seed. The seed grows up bigger and bigger, then began to show the symptoms. Love, compassion, different attitude, different way of looking and even go beyond seeing the enlightened beings, talking with them, chatting with them. All sorts of things, you know.It goes up and down. Don’t miisunderstand hearing somebody talking in the air, not necessarily enlightened being talking. I mean you know these things come up and gradually. These are the symptoms. The symptoms become possible because the individual has development. And development begins at the level of correcting non-virtuous, how good you are. I am sure you did lots of (?) wisdom. But when I say “Point me out, one “ And you have difficulty because that is lack of understanding. Okay? And when he uses six words of ‘understanding’, I am sure it is over emphasized. And here is under emphasizing.(Audience: I guess I am confused. I don’t understand the difference between spiritual development and Dharma. The example that was used you have the opportunity to become angry and you do not become angry. Seems like what you saying spiritual development was but you are saying it is Dharma) This is Dharma too. (Audience: Okay) The spiritual development equals to absolute Dharma. Okay? Spiritual development equals to absolute Dharma. Absolute Dharma equals to spiritual development. Not relative Dharma. Or contemplative teaching , preaching..whatsoever, reading book, follow..whatever. Whatever effort putting in is relative Dharma. Because of that, you gain tangible result within the individual. That is absolute Dharma. That is spiritual development . To me is equal. To some people it may not be. But depends on individual understanding. I hope. Jeff? (Jeff: isn’t it if you have opportunity to get angry, and you don’t? ..Isn’t that integrating the spiritual practice.? ) Both, sure. (Jeff: But in one case we say, “It is relative Dharma ” and now we are saying it is ‘that’s (?) “. Still there is difference. You have opportunity of getting angry and you prevent it. Okay? That is the contemplative.y preventing it, you gain positivity within you. It will leave imprint on your consciousness. Good karma equals to Dharma equals to spirutal development, came out of contemplating. Just by not doing it , without any spiritual efforts, if you do indulge in bad things, that will simply be good karma.Not necessarily equals to spiritual development or Dharma. (Audience: Right. Do we *unclear….compassion….*unclear) Ya, I don’t feel like getting angry , so I won’t. That only be good karma; that’s it. And why I don’t want to get angry because anger is bad, it is a delusion and all these. I should not be indulging it. Or, you say, “I take refuge to Buddha, Dharma, Sangha , therefore I should not be getting angry. All these will become spiritual. Because there is contemplating has been worked and is the result of that. Okay? (Audience: Okay, that…) Good. So, there have to make that clear. So, now we have a better understanding of when we say “Dharma”. So, not holding on the teachings of the books alone. Jan, you have been raising hands both right left.like this. (Jan: I have a question about what to do when one is developing spiritual path. …was angry with this person in the past . Is it better to avoid the person while one develops more equanimity, patience with anger or is it …..might become angry at this person …I could avoid this person but eventually will happen but maybe give myself a test….. ) You know when you talk about meditation, beginning level they emphasize so much you have to go to quiet place ; there is no disturbance and all these and that. We emphasize very much. And later one, don’t emphasize that and we even recommend the person to meditate in downtown Detroit. (Laughs) …in the middle of downtown Detroit. Maybe we strongly recommend to be in the city and meditate later. Simple reason. Beginning level, there is no way you can be…you can overcome all these obstacles . so, it is better you avoid all obstacles as much as possible. And when you can overcome the obstacles, then it ‘ll be more helpful to be within obstacles. So that obstacles will not become obstacles and instead become service. It becomes helping. So, it goes the same way. If you are angry with somebody, or if you are attached to somebody, you have strong lust on somebody, or if you are jealous of somebody. And if you cannot handle that, you have to avoid. You will be better of. If you can handle it, go with that. It has its advantage .So, as simple as that.0:28:51.3

Okay, now we have Dharma , at least. Dharma equals spiritual development, equals to good positive karma. Actually it is not equal. I am really giving you like that. If I have to technically debate with another person who knows detailed background, I have to withdraw good karma out. Because within individual there is no physical form . There is nothing tangible , no colour, shape, physical form. So therefore it is very hard when you are not familiar with those terminologies. It is almost like , you say, nice little word over there and when you try to dig it down, there is nothing underneath. Don’t misunderstand that is emptiness, okay. If you think that is emptiness, you are totally wrong. Emptiness is not equals to nothingness. Really, that is totally wrong. So, lots of people say that, “You can’t dig down, because it is emptiness. So, let it be over there with that little nice beautiful word and just remain there and hopefully you flow with that” I don’t think that is good enough. You have to have something to hold on. I mean at least , we are not talking about very high level or anything. We are simply talking about the first word , “Take refuge to the Buddha Dharma”. That is the second step. I don’t think there is anything mysterious about it. So, let’s look back, relative Dharma, absolute Dharma. Anyway, this will come during the ‘Refuge’ period as well. That much is enough.

And then the other half word is not been solved yet.’ I take refuge to Buddha, dharma and Sangha.’ Sangye cho dang cho kyi cho nam la; jang chub bardu kyab su chi …’. ‘Jang chub bar du..until I become enlightened,right? Okay that is indicating Mahayana refuge. Slightly different than ordinary refuge. Ordinary refuge is seeking help …”I need help for this, particularly for this”And that’s your seeking help. I don’t know whether it is refuge or not. But, it is seeking help. Here you say, “I don’t need another, I only need help now but I need help till I obtain enlightenment “. ‘Till I obtain enlightenment.” “Till I become a buddha, I don’t need any help”Till then and that is Mahayana refuge. And till become a buddha, and Mahayana refuge will also need compassion oriented. Why ‘compassion oriented’? because ‘till I obtain enlightenment’. What’s need for you to obtain enlightenment? Why? If I am simply seeking freedom from suffering, I don’t have to become a buddha . Right? So, I need to become a buddha because I have to help,other beings. So, I need the capability, the achievement. So the buddha is the best achievement, so therefore I like to become a buddha to help other beings . so becoming a buddha is my goal. Automatically you are switching to Mahayana. The moment you say, “Until I become enlightened being”and if you going to be enlightened being, the way you do is the six …what is it?The other words say, “perfections’? or something..(Audience:paramita..) Paramita is…you won’t understand the word ‘paramita’, to tell you the truth. You don’t. (Audience: Perfections) Ya. To tell you the truth, those Sanskrit tibetan words, nice mystical to talk about it, interesting, romantic. But you don’t get it. But what is ‘paramita’? What is it? ‘Simple, gone beyond’. What does that mean? (Audience: Gone beyond?) Ya, what does that mean? ‘Tathagatas…pramitas…’ is all gone beyond. (Audience: Maybe someone doing foundation) Maybe. (Audience: But that’s perfection) Maybe. Do you know? You think so. (Audience: I hope so) Not Gloria. Not playing with the words. I am telling you the truth, you are playing with the words. Try to be solidly grounded. Don’t try to be on the air. Don’t try to float. Try to control. Really. I don’t mean to be hard on you. Don’t misunderstand, okay. (*Interruption) 0:34:54.8

So, ‘tathagata, paramita’…all these are interesting words. ‘Gate gate paragate …’..all of them. Gone gone gone beyond.Right? That’s what translation. is. Right? So, way to become a buddha is by practising generosity…’ All these six things we talked, ya. They are also becoming like a way of doing it. So, by doing those be able to achieve. Right? Good. (*interruption) The second word what you get is ‘dag gi jin sog gyi pai so nam kyi / dro la pen chir sang gye drub par shog’. So, what did the translation say? What did the translation say, Kathy? (Kathy: By practising generosity and other perfections, may I be able to obtain…) Now, what is the problem with that ‘dag gi jin sog gyi pai so name kyi’…Be a luck…maybe ‘luck’ maybe a wrong word..By doing this positiveness,the positivity I gain out of this, which is ‘sonam’, the word in tibetan. In tibetan you have the word ‘sonam’, right? ‘Dag gi jin sog gyi pai..sonam …’. ‘Jin sog’is giving,etc. ‘Sog’, is etc. ‘Sonam’ if translated like (Rimpoche laughs)…Sonam is translated like ‘luck’, ‘fortune, positivity, all of them. Anyway, it is activity , not including wisdom. And out of six paramitas, five are non wisdom , the sixth is Wisdom. So, ‘sonam’ and ‘yeshe’ are the two words. ‘yeshe’ is Wisdom and ‘sonam’ is non wisdom activities. Okay.or, it can be translated as ‘fortune’; it can be translated as…(*interruption). Sometimes it is interesting to observe all these words and particularly I receive tremendous complain from new York friends, saying that the translation of this is so bad; extremely bad, they are really saying. For example, ‘I take refuge to Buddha, dharma, Sangha’ and they say, “What kind of English is this?”So, I said, am not a native speaker , so needed a translator. That’s soimple, my answer. I think they are really valid reason.because everybody said that’s wrong. Even we say that everyday, and that’s wrong. Then why do we say it? Unless we simply correct it. It is one good thing somebody raised the question. And they want to redo all the translation of that completely.And word by word tibetan into English. And what is it then…And what they say each equivalent of these tibetan words meaning, and then Allen will put them together. Yet another (?) of English, they say. Is this not readable English? (*interruption) (*noisy) Sonam is what? Merit? (Audience:reading from book) positive energy..(Audience: positive karma synonymous with positive activities) Okay. So, there you go. Dag gi jin sog gyi pai so nam kyi, means here because of those positive karma, positive energy, positive what..? (Audience: positive karma, positive activity) . Now, from that angle if you asked me, if that karma, that positiveness, is this Dharma? Anyway, I am not to get myself into trouble again. (Laughs) There is a problem, but still…Anyway, that’s brief idea. ..dag gi jin sog gyi pai so nam kyi’..’Droa pen chir’…in order to help other beings, may I be able to achieve buddhahood. Which is generating bodhimind, generating altruistic mind, and generating Love Compassion. So, any questions on that? Nothing. So, when you say in the morning, when you get up every morning, what we do here is a patent that you’ll be able to take in your home and you’ll be able to do that practice everyday. Okay. That’sy we are doing so microscope down. Saying what is ‘refuge’. what is Buddha? What is Dharma? Taking refuge and what is generating bodhimind . All of them we go a little bit detail. Because when you say the words, in the morning in your home, you have certain way to think rather than reading it. It should be different from reading newspaper. Newspaper you just read and said, ‘Okay, that’s what’s happening’. Here it is not that. Here you read the words but you have internal thing coming out and corresponding to that word , rather than picking information from there and observing in. Right? Do you get what I am saying? 0:44:53.6

(Audience: My question shouldn’t attaining enlightenment…your reason for attaining enlightenment be for the benefit of all sentient beings?) Right. I tell you why. (Audience: That’s my problem, my reason , my motivation for attaining enlightenment when I look at myself, is not going to benefit all sentient beings) Then for what? (Audience: The reason why I want to attain enlightenment is because I want to know the Truth). Why you want to know the Truth? (Audience: because I don’t know it now. I mean…) Then, what is the need of knowing Truth? (Audience: Curious) Okay, curiosity is the reason, right? (Audience: Yes) That is straight honest answer) True, ya, it is true. But I believe….There are two reasons. I can’t say what I want to say because (?) To become enlighten….0:46:55.6(* pause…) ..truth, probably you can , by curiosity alone. Because then it is ordinary truth, not enlightenment. Like understanding of emptiness. When you understand emptiness, then you know the Truth. Understanding of emptiness can come out of curiosity too. For that, you may not need to become enlightened. You know what I mean? (Audience: No, I don’t. What is beyond, knowing Truth) Enlightenment is a stage beyond that. Truth, there is different levels of understanding emptiness. Understanding of emptiness can come out followed by the words that you hear, the study that you do. And which can be further developed by thinking,analyzing. Which can be further become better by meditating and become absolutely clear to you. Which can still go beyond that …it is almost like face to face you are looking., like person to person. There’s lots of degree of understanding. So, that’s why beginning of knowing , seeing emptiness is knowing Truth, not doubt. But there are levels. You getting me? (Audience: taking with..) You better..(Laughs) It is true. I can’t say it is true, but…So, really that’s what it is. So enlightenment becomes way behind that…way behind that. And the Mahayana way of practising it because they introduced goal of enlightenment as the goal. You made two statements, “I am interested to become a buddha but I am interested to know the truth. Because I am curious about it”. That’s true statement. It is honest and it is great. And that will pay. Anyway, let’s go.

Since we are in the Mahayana pretenders, let me do that. (Laughs) So, once you have the Mahayana ultimate goal of the buddha state, as you go, so, you begin to put all your energy towards that direction. And that will be …knowing through will be by passed. Not by pass inside , you don’t go over., like the highway by pass city. So, you don’t go in to the city. It is not like that. You will know it. Completely you get the picture , sort of thing. You can fly over, look over whatever . There is no good example I can find. Huh?You have better example? (Audience: I want to ask you …) ..waste better time(?), better not.

Thank you. So, that’s why ‘by practising generosity, etc may I become able to become enlightened ‘. …what is it..because I don’t know the English properly. (Audience: By practising generosity and other perfections may I obtain enlightenment ..) That is the generating .0:51:49.7

Taking refuge is giving a buddhist flavour, right? The special..you put in the food.(Audience: Flavour) Taking refuge is giving the buddhist flavour. And generating bodhimind is giving the Mahayana flavour for your motivation. This is more correcting your motivation. The purpose why you are doing ; is motivation. Taking refuge and doing the buddhist flavour in your food; and generating bodhimind is the Mahayana flavour. (*interruption) 0:53:25.5

So now the next is Ganden Lha Gyema begins . So, now you remember, you have a meditation for that. Before you say the word ‘Ganden Lha Gyema’, what do you meditate? You forgotten? (Audience: I visualize before a white cloud and on top of that a lion throne…) Sorry, Sir. (Audience: I visualize…) You are looking att he words. (*noisy…) But you are missing the pureland of Tushita completely. (*Unclear) You are right, I didn’t give you the chance to say. Go ahead.. I am a little bit…what do you call it? Skeptical today..(Audience: I visualize in the space directly before me a white cloud. And on top of that thrones upheld by lions . On top of that lotus and on top of that moon cushion. And then I visualize not very clearly Gyaltshab Je, Khedrup Je..sitting on either side of the throne. And I started with visualizing Tsongkhapa body with robes. His hands teaching mudra face..yellow hat Over his left shoulder general impression of the whole thing. I think of his body made of light …clear, hollow…container form…And I visualize beyond the desire realm, the land of Ganden In the sky above that Maitreya Buddha seated giving teachings in pureland, very happy . On his right is Atisha ,on his left Tsongkhapa . At his heart is endless knot. And he looks down and sees me visualization. From his heart Tsongkhapa and then Ganden Lha Gyema requesting Tsongkhapa to come ….) The one thing what is not needed first is what you not need is the cloud. Just the space before me. Okay. The cloud is come from there. So that is the reason why I jumped on you. Because cloud is not from the beginning. Now, if you realize what Mike Mikelelo is describing here, you have tremendous object of meditation here. I do not know you people realize or not. So, just visualizing Tsongkhapa alone, is going to be hell of problem for meditation. For us to say, ‘visualize’ is very simple, in one word. And practically if you try to do that, it is going to be hell of problem. You probably going to have Tsongkhapa headless, feetless. All sort of things you have. So, why? Because you are not used to it , meditating on it. So, here also you have to do the analytical meditation and concentrated meditation, both. Analytical producing the object of meditation.Even before inviting Tsongkhapa and all these. Just try to produce a little bit. For daily practise you may just produced and you may get some kind of image, whatever it is. You may get image. You may satisfy that for daily practise, you know. So, you may. But if you want to do a deeper meditation, you can meditate on that. And try to build that up completely. Instead of counting breadth…one go, two go..three go, four go..Air in, air out, zing zong, zing…zing zong. ..in that, rather than have concentration on that. That is also good. Again I said zing zong …I don’t mean insulting the breathing, okay. This is much more valuable for the individual than that of counting breadth. More valuable. 0:59:10.0

So, now ..before we go to that, I have a question. Why all these? What is the need of this? What is the necessary? What is the need? (Audience: I am not sure the reason I go over the point of going over the body of Tsongkhapa visualizing all these different things…certain blessings….) Hold there! What is the need of Tsongkhapa even. Why is all these needed? (Audience:it is a form of teaching…) Em…why you need it then? I don’t get the answer. We get the path which is teaching. Beginning, why not Buddha. Can be Buddha, can be Tsongkhapa. But what is the need of it. What do you say? (Audience: To release yourself …to renounce…) To release our suffering over there. So, you need a handy handkerchief….to wipe your hands off. (Rimpoche laughs) (Audience: To release over here) Over here..what is your need of that? (Audience: To know there is another way..) That sounds a little better. (Audience: Understand it, to be aware of that my way is a habit. That is why I started off by saying I want to turn my mind away. The daily activities that I have to something else) Good idea but not satisfactory. I am not professor. I wish I can mark you (Laughs). You are the professor. You say it. (Audience: Mind training..is it mind training) Mind training…normally if you graduate students, what kind of mark you give for ..mind training. What should I give you? You see? C or B? That’s what I am going to give you. Okay. I need more that that. That’s one point, sure. I need more than that. Okay. Greg? Maybe you have gift from Chicago. (Greg: Aren’t you asking enlightened beings to come and help you?

Aren’t you asking them to have Compassion on you? Aren’t you asking them visit you and help you? That’s what enlightened beings do?) (They do these things, do their job) Do their job, right? Ya, it is it, in a way. But do they need constant reminder what to do? (Audience: We need to request) Anyway, that is true. What id you say, Matthew? Try to say something or not? Oh, Caroline Hastings? Why all these needed? What is that called? I give you a hint. What is that called? (Audience: What is that motivation called?) These objects which you visualizing is known as what? (Audience: Refuge) Because for me is because I want to build up a pattern for me …a way to Tsongkhapa. And I want to do it faith before me . I build up a distress on me. Please be effortlessly there for me). Okay, all these are very valid answer, but you give two three different answers in that. The question here is …probably you are right, why you need it. Probably that’s what it is. The answer what I am looking for…maybe I didn’t put question right. The answer I am looking for is the field of merit. ‘Field of merit’ and we need to develop merit. So, in order to develop merit, you need good field, like you grow good crop, you need good field. So, that’s why we are doing all these, just to develop ground., to grow the merit. You doing the ground. To grow merit. Problem with that? (Audience: I am okay). That is why it is needed. Because we need merit. If you don’t have merit, you are not going to see Truth also. Truth …to see Truth, you need tremendous luck, (luxury..lucky fellow) . One has to be very lucky to be able to see Truth. If you are not lucky, you are not going to see it for sure. So the merit is necessary to build the luck. The positive luck. Again the ‘sonam’, what is the translation? (Audience: *noisy)) Everybody has written down, what is it? (Audience: ‘merits, positive energy, positive karma synonymous with virtuous activities) So we need the merit.

So, in order to build merit,..because we have very little effort to put in, you know. You know if you look in our activities, we are interested in Dharma, but the time what we put in is very limited. We have what we called it, ‘mundane world’ ..(Audience voice:..mundane..) …you know ‘mundane world’, lots of mundane activities which is not Dharma. And if you divide our times, 24 hours you have. In the 24 hour period, you don’t have extra time. Straightaway you take 8 hours out, right. First you take 8 hours out for what? To sleep. Another 8 hours for work. That’s gone 16 hours out of 24 , right? (Audience: 4 hours to sleep, 12 hours to work…) whatever it is. Let’s talk to the normal people. So 8 , 8 plus..becomes 16, plus you take out 4 hours for gossip (laughter)..for idle gossiping which include reading newspaper, watching television, work, swimming, exercise, listening to music..whatever, all of them. So now you left…I think 4 hours too little taken out for that. I think so (Rimpoche laughs) (Audience: I think 7and a half..) There you go a lot. Anyway, out of 24 hours what we really put in is very little. I am not sure anybody puts 2 hours or not. It is questionable. So that says very limited time we have put in. So, you really need big trick whatever we can play, apply. Otherwise we don’t have whole the time. Time is very much limited. So out of 24 hours you put 2, do we? Hardly;we don’t. So, it is really. So we need a very good merit, a very good field to be able to grow this like ..to have the crops like 12 times a year or something. We need that much. It is not going to be enough like 3 times a year or 4 times a year. It is not going to be enough. But anyway, in Michigan you only get one time, right? One time or 2 times? (Audience: *unclear) Okay, probably needed. So you need a good field, right? So you can build tremendous better merit. So, there is no better field than represented enlightened beings that we connect. And that’s why the whole thing is need to be. The whole things need to be. So the need of the whole business is that. 1:09:46.2

So not only you generate by yourself without cloud over there and then you invite the Wisdom to satisfy our rational mind. It is not only mind projection but there was an invocation that was done, So there is a real being who has come from a pureland. Through the cloud of your… own. Since they used the word.Through the cloud of your own , there merged in what I have projected . Visualization to me is nothing but a mental picture. Mental picture, mental picture. Picture drawn by mind. Right? Picture we hang around in this will help. But if you look at that, you only train your eyes , you are not going to train your mind. So in order tot train your mind to have purpose, you have mental picture. So, in order to make it clear, it is going to take hell of a time. So, do a little bit, don’t wait till it becomes absolutely clear. Keep on building it up, keep on building it up. Keep on improving, day by day. So that one day you will have a clear Tsongkhapa picture. And if you get a clear picture of Tsongkhapa one day, you have taken the first step of meditation actually. First step of shamatha. Shamatha; ‘zhine’, is called ‘zhine’. What? (Audience: *unclear) Why you are laughing? (Audience: *mumbling..)What? What? (Audience: Because earlier you said..) Earlier what I say ..(Audience: You said don’t use tibetan…) Ya, I know but I don’t know what is it? (Audience: *mumbling) Ya, you are right but I can’t use. I don’t have anything to use. There is no communication . I need something to hear, something to say. Right? So, I don’t have it. It is helpless. Ah? Another words it is sort of concentrated meditation . The first step, when it becomes clear. The first step. The true meditation begins then. Until then, we pretend to be. It gives you tremendous relaxation, gives you lots of a… Actually I might as well share that with you. It is called it ‘zhi’ ‘ne’. What does ‘zhi’means. You got the dictionary. (Audience: intense?) ..Sha kyi…there is no prefix..Just the ‘sha’ the head. The last..not the ‘sha’ but ‘zha’ (Audience: *muffled) Em? (Audience: Did you say ‘sha’ and then goes another ‘zhah’? ) (Audience: well it sounds like over time you might want…) Em? (Audience: (Spells) SHINYE) No, that becomes ‘shi’. It should ne ‘ZH” Zhinye , ya. (Audience: (Spells) Zhinye?) Zhinye..should be ‘zh’or ‘z’ with a stroke over it. (Audience: They don’t have zhi separately’. ..)Ah? (Audience: they don’t have ‘z’ separately;they only have zhi (?)) Okay, zhinye , what we need. (Audience: ‘zhinye is samatha, mental quintessence meditation.) mental what? (Audience ‘mental quintescence meditation; calm abiding meditation; singlepointed meditative concentration developed into techniques (*muffled) …) Hm ,hm, that’s it. So, the word ‘zhi’ ‘nye’ , there are two words, right? ‘zhi’ is (?) right? ‘z h i’;’nye’ is ‘to na sa ne’, okay? It is to na sa ne’, that is how you spell it. Okay the first word is ‘zhi’ means peaceful , pacifying. If you take ‘zhi’ alone. Do you see the ‘zhi’ alone by itself? (Audience: zhi ta is ‘endlessly’) No , no, no. That is ;ta’…because of ‘ta’ is end. Okay, ‘zhi’ is peacify , peaceful or something. What have you pacify? You peacified within your mind all these…Ah? (Audiences: Pacify) Okay, ‘pacify’, thank you. Pacify within your mind all delusions, particularly gross delusions. So, that is ‘zhi’. You solved your internal struggle problems that you have. So, you pacify within your mind. That is ‘zhi’. Today is my turn to make mediation sounded more important then the other day, Tuesday, I sort of press it down. So, today I have to put it up a little bit. So, it is pacify within the mind those delusions. By pacifying those delusions, either not letting it come round, or at least not making your subject to their control. Then you develop a great joy pleasure within mind as well as body. Once that’s happening, you’ll be able to remain on that point of meditation. 1:17:01.6

So, the next word, second word, the other part, ‘ne’. ‘Ne’ is remaining, ground, base, stable, be there. All those are word of ‘ne’. ‘Zhine’ remaining in the state of pacify. That is the real word what we are using, ‘zhine’, ‘samatha’ , bla, bla, bla..And this fellow says what. ‘tranquility’ or something. (Audience: mental quintessence meditation …) Mental creation what? (Audience: mental quintessence meditation , calm abiding meditation) Calm abiding .. all of them not just by thinking alone does not..it helps little bit calm down. But when you really fully stay on the focus on that, so all the delusions ..anger, attachment, hatred ,emotional all of them will pacify within you. By pacifying, by staying on one object. That object can be anything. By pacifying, by staying on that object you develop pleasure , both mental and body. It is definitely better pleasure than you get out of ordinary sex. Okay?(Rimpoche laughs), to tell you the truth. Really. Okay, so ..who said what? (Audience: I say astral body(?) , what do you think?) That’s a different story, that’s a different story altogether. So, that’s what it is , okay? So, ‘zhine’, the word ‘zhine’ you understand, right? So, that is the meditative state what you can get. So, here you can meditate on Tsongkhapa. Analytical way of doing it..bringing all the parts of the body, putting them together, try to make it clear. Try to…don’t over spent time. Then, it will be problem. So, if you keep on doing here and all the rest , say about 3 or 4 years you maybe able to develop base.If you keep on bringing the base in two three months, forget it. You’ll going to be tired and fed and nothing going to happen and all these sorts of things. Because your goal is so short. So, over the years you maybe able to develop the base. And then be able to stay on that and see how much you can stay on that. And the longer you can stay, the better it is to develop the pleasures. So that’s it. 1:20:21.2

So, let’s move the first word. (Group reading: From the heart of the Protector of hundred deities of the land of joy, comes a cloud that resembles a mass of fresh white curd. Omniscient Lozang Drakpa, King of Dharma together with your sons, I request you to come here on its tip) Oh, oh, stop.You come up here. You missed the meditation just now. You praised the meditation up in the sky because Tuesday(?) I put down to the ground. And today I raised up high in the sky. What does zhine mean to you? You just missed it. Come up here. Tell me. Don’t sit near to the air condition. Just sit here. What does zhine mean to you? (Audience: Overall, it is concentrated meditation, single pointed…) You just list explanation of zhine. I will just ask somebody who can relay that. Who will? Who will like to relay that? Volunteer? You want to relate what I say? Colleen, you want to relate just now what I say about zhine? (Colleen:oh…) I thought you are raising hand for that. (Colleen: ..nothing) Oh, ok, then you don’t have to volunteer. I thought you are asking…You want to raise..(Audience: No, I am not asking …we need another set of Jewel Heart Prayers back here..)(Audience: ..here’s one set) Ok. You want volunteer? (Audience: Ya..) Go ahead, go ahead. (Audience: Well, Rimpoche just told us was that, after breaking down zhine into two separate sounds, in defining, told us each one means remain in the state of grounding and in order to pacify delusions.) Eh, eh, you distorted my explanation orally. (Audience: ..sorry) Didn’t she? ‘In order to pacify” , I didn’t say that. So…(Audience: working as..…definition from a book is’ peaceful and pacifying’not related to …)Did the book say ‘pacify’? No, I am sorry.(Audience: Ah, ok) Neither is says ‘peaceful’ nor is ‘pacifying’ . (Audience: Rimpoche said, “Peaceful and pacifying”. You said that there is no particular ..(?) delusions…. Pacifying gross delusions may …(?) remain stable , being grounded. By pacifying delusions , you mentioned either by cutting them out ..) Did I say that? (Audience: Yes. You said “either by not cutting it ….(?) by not letting…(Audience: *interuption..) .) Kathy, you claim to be the best note taker and I …(Audience:…either by not letting it come around or by … (?) such control, suppress delusions then you can develop pleasure of body and mind and then you can remain …peaceful and stable…) “Zhi” , the word ‘zhi’ is ‘zhiwa’..zhiwa is peace mind, right? (*some interruptions in background) (Audience: Peace) Pacify with what? Pacify with the delusions and internal struggles and emotions .Pacifying that, settling. I did not use the word, ‘cutting it out” I did not use the word , “Getting rid of it” I did use the word, “Not letting under their control” So pacify it sort of temporarily you can disappear that within you. I used the word, ‘temporary’ because it is not absolute solution . It is aspirin. It is not a treatment. It is aspirin. It is aspirin. Ibuprofen, it is. So, zhine. So along with that there is lhatong. The lhatong cuts that out completely..lhatong de korwa.. Anyway, that’s okay now.

So, that’s why when you raised the Tsongkhapa up in your mind, the object..Here you are given ample opportunity to meditate, if you do. If you don’t , then that’s it. You can either just choose the words and then just run or just say the words and drive along with that, or you can sit and meditate. The choice is yours. Sit and drive, drive and sit together, is better than not saying it. But since you are putting two hours out of 24 towards that, it is better to have that in at least an hour , where there is peaceful environment, where nobody knocks you, your door; where no telephone rang, or something you can put it there. It is useful. If not daily, at least once a week. And the other six days you may drive around, and say your commitments or something. But at least once a week if you do that, that will also go a long way. Okay.

So, now, we are reaching towards the next …now we begin with the..what? Eh? We begin with the Seven Limbs. The first of the limb is what? (Audience: Invocation) We did that already. ‘Invocation’ is not the first limb either. (Audience:Request remain) ‘Request to remain’. Now that’s very simple. When you invite somebody, you say, “Please come in and sit down” Maybe it is American system, you stand outside the door and talk and let the person go. But it is not Asian style anyway. You invite them in and sit down and have something to eat and drink, and then relax and then talk. Right? Since it comes from Asia, let’s Asian style, ask them to come in and sit down.That’s makes better. You also visualize that wisdom beings came and now you are really requesting them to remain as long as you needed. Kathy please. (Kathy leads group: O Venerable Gurus with wide smiles of delight, Seated on lion thrones, lotus and moon in the space before me, request you to remain for hundreds of eons in order to spread the teachings, And be the supreme field of merit for my mind of faith ). ‘Supreme field of merit for my mind of faith’, I am not even sure if those translations is correct or not. Do you have Ganden Lha Gyema tibetan with you? I found one in Cleveland. (Audience: I have downloaded but I haven’t got with me . I know it by heart..) I am sure you know by heart. Okay, next is ‘Praise’. When you have some guests come up , not only you want ask them to come in and sit down, but then you say , “Oh, you are doing great ..” and this and that. You praise them a little bit. You don’t want to say, “You look horrible! Get out of here!”. You don’t want to say that, right? (Laughs) So, you want to praise little bit. So, the next is ‘Praise’. And remember by praising it , there’s two ways. One, not only praising and then also asking the qualities that you have .We praise the body through the qualities ; we praise the mind with quality; we praise the speech with quality. And then we also admire the quality and express “I like to have that quality”. Right? It is like that. We know what to do with that. We are quite expert on it, aren’t we? You know what I mean? Ya, that’s what it is. (Kathy leads group: Your minds have the intellect that comprehends the full extent of what can be know, Your speech with its excellent explanations becomes the ear ornament for those of good fortune, Your bodies are radiantly handsome with glory renowned, I prostrate to you whom to behold, hear or recall is worthwhile) I am not going to do the teaching because I already done. So you know the background. So you have to think. The word ‘handsome’ doesn’t mean ‘looks like handsome’. The word ‘handsome’ here means you have the quality of the thirty two major and eighty minor marks on your body , which indicates you are enlightened being. And ‘your speech is fortunate ear ornament’. ‘Ear ornament’ doesn’t mean ear rings. It means this speech can relay a fortunate person like me. Why we call ‘fortunate’ here? Because we generate bodhimind. So we are fortunate beings. That’s very often everywhere. In Tibetan Buddhism, wherever you look, “I am fortunate one”; “I am this one “; “I am that one”. “Fortunate” always refer to the bodhisattvas. So I am fortunate one to be able to develop that.(*Interruption)

Next is ‘Offering’.There you guest in, you say few nice things, and then you offer something. You visualize at this moment the offerings have generated completely multiplied, filled up whole space and offer. Go.(Kathy leads group: Pleasing water offerings, various flowers, fragrant incense, light and scented water, This ocean of such cloud-like offerings, both actually arranged and mentally created, I present to you, O Supreme Field of Merit) So, you make all these multiply and make offerings. Not only you make offerings, you have to visualize they gladly accept the offerings you give. And you also think they enjoyed it. You have to think that. It builds up extra merit. Extra merit, extra tricks you apply. The word ‘trick’may not right terminology but it is the skilful means, if you want better word. ‘Skilful means’ of doing it, if you want bad word, it is ‘trick’ you apply. Alright.

So the next is ‘purification’ . Rememebr ‘Four Powers’ application, okay. (Kathy leads group: Whatever non-virtues of body, speech and mind, I have …(*end of recording)1:34:12.2