Archive Result

Soundfile 19930622GR3P

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location 3P

Topic Bodhimind (Continued from previous Tuesday, 19930615)

Transcriber Bob Marsh

Date 4-15-2021

Rimpoche starts by welcoming some visiting friends from Malaysia, then proceeds…

Rimpoche: To continue with the what we have to talk tonight. Do anyone of you know where did we stop last Tuesday? I would like to ask Rachel. Do you remember where we stopped? [Apparently, Rachel did not.] Doctor? You have master’s degree.

[Steve Kronenberg (“Doctor”) speaks]

0:01:45.9.

Rimpoche: And that comes at what level of the text? If you correspond with the text what we are following.

[A second student speaks, mentioning “the darkness of misknowledge, ignorance.”]

Rimpoche: Darkness of the ignorance. I think you are touching the point, little bit. [Rimpoche asks another student if he/she was there the previous Tuesday, asks “the big fellow” when he got in from California or Florida, then turns to Gloria, who proceeds to read from text.]

0:02:28.2.

Rimpoche: Is there such a thing in that text?

Gloria: “Well, that’s what it says here.”

Rimpoche: Oh, I thought “born again” was that Christian thing. Isn’t that right? Okay… [Rimpoche speaks in Tibetan]

0:03:43.2

You’re right. You’re right, Gloria. Okay? So we are talking about the continuation of life. Basically, we are talking about reincarnation. And I do not know how many people here really believe in reincarnation. I do not know. Me, as far as this fellow’s concerned, with the background of, with my background, born in Tibet - I don’t know whether it’s born again, or not - but born in Tibet, and brought up in the old monastery style of life, ’til about age of 20, then came over to India, and with still dealing with Buddhism even today. So, I have to, you know, with this sort of a background - and I do not question the reincarnation. Have I seen it? No. I have not seen it. Have I been there? I was told I’ve been through. And do I remember? Virtually nothing. But occasionally, you do have certain things appearing here and there. Could have been something or another. So, things like that. So, I don’t question.

0:05:40.4

But, as far as we are concerned, and most of us, probably will, I think everybody will give the benefit of the doubt whether it is there or not. But nobody has really seen it, nobody has really be convinced, either this way or that way. So, I think it will be safe to say that. But whatever it is, according to the Buddha, and according to the experience that Buddha has, and what he’s talking about it, and he’s talking about this, continuation of life after life. The continuation. The death follows the birth, and birth follows death. [Rimpoche speaks in Tibetan]

0:06:35.9

So we’ve been talking about that interesting thing; it’s you’re pulled by, carried by, four different powerful currents, and tie them in the cage, and all this. And not only in the daytime, but not only that, but in the darkness, and all this. And not only is it carrying in one direction, it’s sort of carrying countlessly, totally different directions where you cannot point it out the end. Where you’re going to end here. And that is the most important thing.

When Buddha was alive time, there are a number of scholars during that period. Particularly, many of the anti-Buddhist scholars have asked Buddha, “Is there end of this existence?” And Buddha chose to keep silent. He did not reply. I think I mentioned here to you earlier, the Indian – today, the Indian professors, particularly Indian scholars and professors will make a big deal out of that. And they will, they will make a big way - they will not say Buddha kept silent. And they will keep on go on, you know, they have asked that question to Buddha, and they go on and on and on, and after, when everybody keep silent, they say, that’s what Buddha said. Buddha kept silent. They will throw that way, at the end. And the reason why they did that…[Rimpoche speaks in Tibetan]

0:08:13.6

So that gives one of the reasons why they give Buddha is all-knowing, all-knowing, because he did not answer that. That is what the Indian scholars will tell you today, in the Indian tradition. The reason why they do this: because if Buddha tells you there is end here, so, probably there is no end. And if Buddha said there is no end, and that will be problem to a lot of people. And if Buddha says here is end, that is a problem. So, actually, what really is, is whether there is going to be a totally end of this circle existence. Whether it’s going to be there or not. Theoretically speaking, you have to say it is there. Theoretically, but practically, it is almost impossible. Almost. Practically, it is almost impossible. So, theoretically, you have to say, practically, it is almost impossible. But, the point is, that is not the point, whether there is the end of everything or not. The point is, can we end our rebirth after death after rebirth. Can we end that? The controllessly taking one after the another. So the Buddha says, individually, sure, we can end that. Buddha himself be able to end that, and he been able to obtain that. Obtained cessation, out of that. But so you can definitely do it.

[Brief sequence in Tibetan]

0:10:32.6

So when you come to the, if you read the sutra directly, they say it is not endless, but neither it has end. So, sort of they go in that way. So, what does that really mean? You know, if you know about the sutras, the Buddha’s words they have written down. It’s not Buddha-composed, but, you know, people took note and [unclear word] 0:11:02.7. It always have to be explanation have to be done. So, it says, it’s not the end, but it’s not endless. So, what does that mean? And Buddha definitely, straightforwardly he said, there is no beginning. I mean, we cannot point it out, here we have a begin. There is no beginning. We’re not talking about this very existence of this universe, but actually, true, the life circle. There is no beginning. But, the individual can definitely end. Collectively, as I told you earlier. So that’s why it’s not without end, but there’s a beginning, it is a, there is a end of end. There’s no beginning. So, the word in Tibetan, Tah, 0:11:56.7, is end. Whether is beginning end and end end, both goes. Doesn’t work in English. English you would say beginning and the end. But in the Tibetan and Sanskrit, both, they say end. Can be beginning end and the end end. You know, that is the language part of it. Beginning end and the end end. So, there’s a beginning and there’s no beginning of the end. So, that means there’s no beginning, but there is individual endings there. So, our concern is the individual ending.

0:12:27.6

I’m not going to go very detail in this because we talked quite a long time in this so I’m not going to go back on this. Instead of that, I’m going to follow through the Second Principle. So, the situation, the picture what we have seen, and then the question rises: Who is in this picture? Who is in that condition? Not only in me, but the persons that I care. The persons that I care, my companion, and my partner, the persons I love, and the person I care, are also in that condition. Get that picture. And all of those persons that we care, we love. I mean, when we have it, let’s say if you have fifty people here, and there will be fifty another person that you we care the most, let’s say. And each one of them is in the same condition as we have…[momentary technical interference within audio file, with some of Rimpoche’s words deleted or overridden]

0:13:42.7…plus ourself.

Can somebody read that? Continue with text thereafter?

Student reads: “Born again and again in endless life cycles…”

0:14:07.8

Rimpoche: Can you repeat that sentence? Second, two last verses.

Student reads, including, “Such is the state of all beings.”

Rimpoche: Okay, stop there. “Such is the state of all beings.” That what we mentioned here. We have just said the person that we care, we love, are all in same condition, and same point. And that, if you have fifty people or sixty people - whatever we have here - along with that, each one of us have a special person that you care. Maybe one or two more. Some may have one or two more, but…[laughter] No, no, I’m not thinking about that - I’m thinking about kids, okay? [More laughter] I’m just joking. Anyway, so, they’re all in the same condition. And if you look at that back little bit go beyond that our level, and go beyond our level and look more it is everybody. Actually, everybody is in that same status. No matter, whoever we are, if you are not liberated, everybody is in that condition.

0:15:43.2

And that goes to everybody. Whether you are rich or poor, high in the society or low in the society; whether you’re yuppies or hippies, or whatever you may be. And we are all in the same condition. From the point of problems that we face; from the point of the sufferings that we experience. And each and everybody will have a difficulties. Nobody is free of that. If we, sort of, don’t meet for a long time, and then you meet again, and you started talking, when you started talking, what do you talk? The pains and the problems that we go through, we went through; we share that. We will share very little what we have enjoyed and good things happened to us. There’s a very little to share. But, lot to talk about difficulties [more technical interference, briefly]

0:16:52.2 the pains we go through. We all have that. That is the reason why the samsaric nature is that way.

0:17:01.7

So, that’s why it’s all, everybody is in the same thing. So, there is nothing which you can really look, amount the point of people, some are better and some are worse, but everybody have that problem. Basically, what we try to do is, I’m trying not to use those languages, but I may have to pick up - to try to gain “equanimity.” From within, by us. Equanimity. That is very important point. If we don’t have equanimity in our mind, then we do have a lot of rough thoughts. Equanimity. It is difficult to develop. If you try to develop equanimity to everybody, you say, everybody is same to you. If that, those, everybody, is nameless, faceless dots, that’s fine. That’s no problem. We all meditate nameless, faceless dots, don’t we? When we meditate to all benefit of all sentient beings. How do you meditate? You people do a lot of meditations, right? And you send all this good thoughts, and all your good energies to all sentient beings, and all this. And if you try to find out a single sentient being with a face and a name, you have problem. We have lot of nameless, faceless dots are there. We give them equally love, compassion, and all this. But if you have a face in there, and name there, if they started moving, you get biggest shock. We say, oh, you’re not supposed to do that. We say that, right? So, that is the problem we get. So, that’s why, what you do is, picture the person that you care the most. And found that same condition. As you are, they are. And then you start looking ‘round. One or two more. Then three or four more. Then five or six more. Then like that. That way, when you look at it, there will be time, one day you will be able to generate love and compassion to all beings. That will be one day. Which you definitely need to meditate and practice. Even the nameless, faceless dots are helpful for you to practice. Even you get shock by reaction, by counter-reaction if they do it. And even you get shock, but even then, they’re useful. So, through that way, try to develop compassion. Compassion. Try to project the sufferings they have. Try to develop the compassion on that. Once you develop the compassion, it’s easy to develop compassion people that you care. And once you develop that, then try to get that one top of the one, or two, or three more. Four or five more. Ten more. And that way, and there will be day that you will have it, great compassion to all sentient beings, equal, no matter whatever, whoever they might be.

0:20:42.0

Uh, you can pretend to be, to have that equal compassion just now. And you can pray to have the equal compassion just now. Like Four Immeasurables that we say. “May all sentient beings be happy and cause of happiness. How wonderful it will be. May I be able to do that. I may be blessed to be able to do that.” We say that, don’t we? Equanimities, uh, what is they call it? Immeasurables. And you can do that. In the prayer form. I don’t think you can do it in action form at this moment. It’s not possible. In the prayer form you can do that. Like Four Immeasurables, you can say that. “May all sentient beings be…” - what is the next? - ““may all sentient beings be free from the sufferings and cause of sufferings. How wonderful it will be.” Then what? “Bless me to accomplish that.” And then the next one is?

Kathy Laritz: “The joy that has never known suffering?”

Rimpoche: Is that right? Look at your own book on that first (unclear word)

0:22:11.7

The joy that has never made the sufferings. Never known the sufferings. Or, may all sentient beings be…we do have those written here. So, if you keep on saying those, and keep on meditating, keep on meditating, and, uh, this is interesting, I think we should do that. Aura, can you read that from the beginning? The Four Immeasurables.

[Aura apparently didn’t have it in front of her? So, Kathy continues, reciting from memory:] “May all beings be free from attachment and aversion, being close to some and distant from others. How wonderful this would be. May I be able to do this. Bless me to accomplish this.”

Rimpoche: So, what you really do, you can meditate yourself, and when you’re meditating yourself, and, um, beginning, you take a sort of, even you’re taking refuge or not taking refuge, but you pray to the Buddha, and bodhisattvas, and all the enlightened beings. And pray that. And then, by saying those prayers, then you can generate - you know this normal, new-age type of meditation that you do. The light goes from your heart, which yourself being and all sentient beings around with you, and extend it beyond the room, beyond the town, beyond the state, beyond the city, and beyond the country, and the universe, and all this. You can do that. And by doing, by saying that prayer, and you can do that. And as a Buddhist, Vajrayana Buddhist practitioners, you can do something different than that. Little bit something different than that. If you begin to look at the first verse of the Lama Chopa, it says: [Rimpoche speaks in Tibetan]

0:24:43.6

Kathy then reads the English translation: “Within a state of great bliss, I manifest as a guru yidam. From my transparent, clear body, profusions of light rays radiate forth to the ten directions, blessing the environment and the beings therein. All become most perfectly arrayed, with only excellent qualities, infinitely pure.”

Rimpoche: So, what you do is, you visualize the Buddha in front of you, and you pray to the Buddha, and whatever you, if you know the Seven Limb, and all this, you do it. If you don’t know it, just do prayer. And then dissolve the Buddha to yourself. And within that, then you think you have become a Buddha. Then the light goes from your heart. From that Buddha’s heart. And doing all this, and you keep on saying those Four Immeasurables what Kathy has mentioned. First one is equanimity. Then the second one is…

Kathy: “May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness…”

0:26:14.4

Rimpoche: This is the sharing of the love. And at that time, you try to develop, sort of, love to all the sentient beings. And you also have to say that “I have shared my love all the sentient beings.” And you should also think they also became that way, for short period. It’s not you, the individual, who did it, but the blessings and the powers of Buddhas and bodhisattvas that, in the form of Buddha that you have within you, and then, that have done this. And that has been completed. You have to think that a little bit. It has a result-oriented practice. That’s call it. Result-oriented practice. Likewise, you also do this compassion. The next must be the compassion. And when you do the compassion, you have to project this talks that we have here. We have the situation we described: four powerful currents, and this and that, and all this. Sufferings and problems that we have. And all of them are having it. And you have to generate a little bit of a thought: I wish I could help them, those people, people who are having those difficulities. I wish I could separate their pain and themself. If I can pull them, take them apart, separate them; how wonderful will that be. But, let me use that power of the Buddha within me, and generate the light to them. And think just by the touch of the light to the environment, it becomes a pure, and inhabitants, it becomes pure being. I think if you do that way, little bit, it will be little bit of mental exercise, little meditation, and it is little meditation, little exercise, and get very good result. And that is, actually, you can practice that way. You can practice that way because, you know, we can keep on talking, but if you do not practice, it doesn’t help you. So practice that way. Say those words, and then practice. Then still we left one more.

Kathy: “May all beings have freedom’s true joy…”

0:29:03.8

Rimpoche: So, anyway, so then also you wish them, you wish them all that when you separated from the sufferings, they have a joy and happiness. And they may never be separated from that joy and from that happiness. And then you remember the light went out from your heart, did that work, and dissolved the light to yourself. But don’t bring that happiness and joy and love that you have given them, don’t bring them back. Leave it there. And dissolve the light back. And if you could do that in the morning little bit, and it may be a very good way of practicing love/compassion. To generate. And, particularly, in addition to that, you also think: lama inseparable that of Avalokiteshvara. The Avalokiteshvara is the Buddha of Compassion. The embodiment of the all enlightened beings compassion, taking a physical shape, is called Avalokiteshvara. Those of you who know the Avalokiteshvara, then you can say, “Om Mani Padme Hum,” the famous Tibetan mantra that everybody says, we chant here. And say that, Om Mani Padme Hum. And each one of these words, Om Mani Padme Hum, with understanding of meaning. I’m not going to give Om Mani Padme Hum meaning tonight. You all know, number of times you have heard. But each one of those Om Mani Padme Hum you are saying, the light going from your heart, and doing all this four things: giving equanimity yourself, and giving love, compassion, even you can’t do it, four things, just do it, two of them: giving them love and giving them compassion. And (unclear word)

0:31:27.4 at the end of that then you have to dissolve the Avalokiteshvara to you, and your mind and Avalokiteshvara’s mind become inseparable. In other words, you and Avalokiteshvara become inseparable.

You should think that. If you do this, it will help to develop compassion within the individual. It is very helpful because Avalokiteshvara is known as Buddha of Compassion, or bodhisattva of compassion. So, that way it is very helpful in that way if you do this. But, when you think you have become oneness with Avalokiteshvara, for that moment you think, and then leave it there. And don’t carry that over and keep on saying I am Avalokiteshvara. Don’t go for that extreme. So lot of people say, “I am fully enlightened, I am a Buddha, I am a god.” People say that, right? So, but don’t do that. Just leave it there. And at that moment it serves the purpose, and then one has to know you have to leave it there, and you have to know that you yourself is intelligent human being, or you can think of yourself as a stupid human being. Whatever you want to think, you think that way, you can go and do it yourself. But I will not recommend you to think “stupid.” But think of yourself as an intelligent person. And don’t go beyond that, don’t let yourself god or Avalokiteshvara. And leave it there. And that is the way how you can practice as a form of practice, and then try to develop bodhimind. And way to develop the bodhimind is, basically, according to the Buddha’s tradition - actually, there are, like, two different ways. One is called: Seven Stage of Development, which was the Buddha’s teaching, followed by Maitreya and lot of other great masters in that. That call Seven Steps, Seven Step. And, the seventh one is bodhimind. The six are to cause the bodhimind. And there’s another one: it’s Manjushri and other lineage from Buddha, followed by. It’s called Exchange Stage of Development. There are also seven or eight steps in that.

0:34:19.3

What Tsong Khapa has done is combine them together and made eleven stage. Eleven steps of developing a bodhimind, which is combined all the Seven and Exchange together, called Eleven Stage of Development. All of them you can learn and practice through the Lam Rim teachings. So I’m not going to repeat here. So, you do have a Lam Rim teaching going on. That, uh, Sunday…are you taking break now? Okay, break ’til when. Okay, the Lam Rim teaching, the Sunday, what Aura doing is - and she is taking break until September, but in September, you can start in that, you can go through that. And there may be times that we talk Lam Rim, too. And during that you’ve gotta learn from there, because you got going to bring that on this, then I’m not going to end it in that. Anyway, so, ultimately, you try to develop a bodhimind. The bodhimind is very interesting. Very precious mind. The bodhimind, you know, the bodhisattva. Did you ever - how many people know this term, bodhisattva? Very little people - oh, quite a lot of them know. Bodhisattva is sanskrit language, sort of, particularly, described, sort of, group of people who have totally committed themselves to be helping other beings, and, also, who are totally dedicated to become a Buddha. Totally dedicated to become a Buddha, themselves. And those are called bodhisattvas. Okay? And so the mind of the bodhisattva has two purposes: one point - actually, it’s one mind with two prongs. One prong says, “I must become a Buddha.” The other prong says, “For other beings.” “I have to help all other beings. I need the best tool.” We talked that - even last - one or two Tuesdays ago. We said how difficult to get through to the people. We talked how difficult to get through Governor Engler. You remember that, we talked. So, that’s one person. But if you have to get more of those Republicans [general laughter]….

0:37:01.2

Some of you must be Republicans, too. [More laughter] So, anyway, if you have to get through more of those, those conservative people, or those liberal people - if you have to get through - actually, both liberal and conservatives are very closed-minded people. I’m sorry to say that, because they have a prefabricated idea. We talked the other day, remember? They thought it has to be done in certain way, and if the other suggests, they’re not going to agree. So that’s called closed mind. So, you’re not willing to listen. You have to argue way it is. Even you know you’re wrong, you still insist. Even you know it is east, you still say it could be north. Maybe northeast. Uh, not exactly east. No, no, no, it is south. You know, you go on, all this. In that manner. So, makes it difficult. Makes it difficult. Right, Matthew?

Matthew: That’s right.

Rimpoche: There ya go. [laughter] Makes it difficult. So, to get through. You need to help other persons, right? In order to help them, you have to communicate to them, you have to guide them, you have to show them a way, you have to make through.

0:38:33.2

To make a breakthrough is most difficulty. The most difficult. So way you need the best tool to be able to get through. To be able to get through. The psychiatrists, you know, they spend time with you, day after day, hour after hour, hour after hour, month after month, you go on talking to them. What are they doing? Trying to get through to you, right? That’s only thing. Trying to communicate. Am I right or wrong? [Laughter] I think so. It has to be communicating it. Communicate, break through it. So it is difficult. So that is the first step. So, when you want help them, give them ultimate help, to be able to bring to the Buddha stage, to be able to make them free of all those pains; and so, to be able to introduce them this problem, this is your problem. And then they try to gain the idea of getting rid of the problem. And then show them a way. And then, finally, leading them to. It is absolutely impossible thing, almost, you are talking about. So you need the best tool. The best tool is the ultimate limit, where all-knowing state. Stage of all-knowing. Whatever needs to be done, it’s knowing it to you; so that you don’t have to go to another psychiatrist to get help. So you know it. So the all-knowing, that is the state of the Buddhahood. So all-knowing is become necessary because you need the tool to do your work. You need the tool to do your work. So that’s why you seek the state of Buddha. And, also, you have to have a totally dedicated for others purposes. If you don’t have dedicated-for-other purposes, why you have to seek state of Buddha? You’ll be free from the sufferings. And you can enjoy. You can have long picnic. Yeah. A long holiday. This is the university tower. You should say sabbaticals. Extended sabbatical, you should have it. You can have it. You don’t have to go and work for it. What for? So you need the dedication. The compassion, it makes you to do that. Right? We talked that. We talked. Compassion’s very important for us. Because compassion will make you to do things. Right? If you care for somebody, then you have to do something for that person. When the person is in difficult. There’s a pain, there’s a problem - you have to do whatever you can. You have to do it. Right? Because compassion makes you do this.

0:41:25.0

So, I repeatedly told you, inspiration for us to do, to practice, is compassion. The inspiration for us to care and love others, are the compassion. And that is the best tool for [unclear words] 0:41:47.6 Best inspiration, actually. And, also, powerful. Far better than anger. Far better than anger. Even you have to do, even you have to fight for social injustice, by the power of compassion, if you fight, it is different that that of fighting by the power of anger. Fighting by the power of anger, the result you’ll get: collapse. You don’t go on continuously. After some time, you get burned out. You say, I get burned out. I can’t do it. I have to get it out. I have to withdraw. That is the, somehow, a delusion within the individual has pushing it, and that’s why you say, “I get burned out. I can’t do it. I can’t do it.” [Unclear sequence: might be “we’ll be ripped off.”] 0:42:44.3 You have to drop that.

It is interesting - last night I was try to take a plane from New York to here. And the plane got cancelled. So, I’m stuck at the airport. And there’s a woman there - a couple of them. One of them, and I approach near her, and she probably feels through forty, fifty different people, you know, each one of them have to be explaining all this. By the time when I get to her, she says, “Wait! I’ll explain. Wait! Wait! I can’t do it! I can’t do it! Yes, I can’t do it! I have to get out!” [Laughter] Really, she did that. Said, I can’t do it. And I couldn’t very well understand, you know? If it’s before, I would have thought what’s the matter with that woman, I would really have thought. And, but now, I couldn’t understand what she’s going through. I said, “Why don’t you go out and take a little break?” She said, “I should do that. I should do that.” She went away. [Laughter] Left me standing there. She went away.

So, she was exhausted fuel. Probably she had worked with anger or frustration, or whatever it is. So, you get burned. It is the compassion-oriented one, you don’t get burned. You don’t get burned. Not only you don’t get burned, or you get strained by doing that: you get energy by doing that, by working it. That is the compassion does that. And that is the difference.

0:44:26.7

And when you are experiencing that you get burned by doing that, over doing that, you have to review your motivations, and, also, during the action, what’s really, what kind of thought it has taking over. What is the thought that is going through? It is just for sake of doing it? Or, is it just, with what kind of thought it went through? You can take break, sure, but when you have a break, you have to review it. And if you review it, you’ll see it, some kind of different thought you used it. So, try to change that, try to change that. Use compassion in that. And that will work far better. To achieve your work, to achieve your purpose, to fulfill your wish, or need, or work, whatever it is. If you use the compassion, it always works better. There’s always strength, continuously.

Buddhas and bodhisattvas totally depend on the compassion. If a Buddha doesn’t have compassion, Buddhas will not be working for other sentient beings. No, not at all. [Rimpoche speaks in Tibetan]

0:45:48.6

Teacher, disciple of Nagarjuna, called Chandrakirti, when he praised the compassion, he praised the compassion, he said, compassion’s so important. At the beginning level, it is like a seed. If you don’t have seed, you cannot hope of anything to grow. Right? And food or fruit that you want to grow, you need the seed. Seed like compassion. That’s, compassion’s like a seed. If you don’t have that, you cannot grow anything without seed. In between, when it’s growing level, compassion is like that of the - what you call it - the liquid? “Moisture.” Thank you. That’s it. It’s like moisture, as well as fertilizers, or moist moisture. If you want to grow fast and nice, like Miracle Gro, it has to be, it is the compassion will make it a Miracle Gro. It is the real Miracle Gro, it’s the compassion which makes it grow. And, uh, if you don’t have that, you don’t have inspiration. And that’s why it doesn’t grow very well. Right? Like my little plant that, somehow, left outside, and it looks terrible today. And it is the, so - I think Mike did mention to me, if you leave that outside it’s going to die. Didn’t you tell me that, right?

Mike: It never got moved in?

Rimpoche: Well it did got moved in, but looks terrible…today. [Laughter] Anyway, so, it is the lack of the conditions. And all these conditions are provided by the compassion. So it is so important during the contemplating period, or during the working period. It is so important. It is a source of inspiration, and it’s a source of all the energies that you really work for it, is the compassion.

0:48:23.1

And afterwards, afterwards, at the end, when the fruit is ripened, at that level when you become a Buddha, to make it useful for others is also compassion. So it is compassion without compassion, then Buddhas will go for picnic. They’ll all go to sabbaticals and nobody will teach any classes. So that’s will happened. So, so, that is a…that’s…keep them…eh, you know, the professors here have been kept on by paying. By pay, their salaries. And Buddha’s been kept working by their compassion. So, so, [laughter] that is how it is. So, the compassion is so important.

And once you have the compassion, then you develop the compassion, and that compassion has to be unlimited, unconditioned compassion. Just now, we have conditioned compassion. We have conditioned love. We will like to love somebody, but not all. Some, particularly, to a few people, no. Definitely, no. Big no there, right? [Laughter] And that is the limitation we’re showing. And we are showing the conditioned. “I like this person, I can love this person, because…” blah, blah, blah. “I don’t, I hate that person because…” blah, blah, blah. That is the condition, and the limitation. Condition we are put. Our love is conditioned; our compassion’s conditioned. So, you have to go beyond that. Go beyond that. Cut through that, beyond that. Have an unconditioned, unlimited love. If you have that, you totally you have, bodhimind will come, automatically. You really don’t have to work for bodhimind. Bodhimind will come.

0:50:25.0

And if you get bodhimind, what will happen to you? Okay. Bodhisattvacharyavataras. How many people have read Bodhisattvacharyavatara? Oooo, [Laughter] I got three...four. I’m sorry, that is weak. [Laughter] It’s a weakness in Jewel Heart. That is a weakness. You should read Bodhisattvacharyava…or, how do you say it? [Student gives title in English] Oh, Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life. Have you read it? More, more hands coming now. [Laughter] Okay. The first chapter is totally dedicated for the benefit of the bodhimind. Okay, [Rimpoche speaks in Tibetan]

0:51:21.8

“It’s like the gold solution. If you apply the gold solution in ordinary metal, it becomes gold.” I mean, it’s not like today, you’re gold watch and gilded, and they’re not talking about that. It is a Hindu/Buddhist mythological stories, says there is a certain type of gold solution they provide earlier. And if you just touch it, you don’t have to paint it. If you just touch, every metal will become gold. Every metal will become gold. That is the Hindu/Buddhist mythological. Hindu/Boo mythological stories. It’s becomes, all becomes gold. And, uh, it is mythological, but, on the other hand - and a number of very, very reliable people told me, even in India, they have a continuously, they have that work by few people. One or two people have. And they say, mostly, the Indian Congress, the Gandhiji’s work, are very much [unclear word] 0:52:38.6 through that method. I mean, that was very reliable people, like [unknown name] 0:52:45.3, who was outstanding Indian leader, and Gandhiji’s personal secretary, and who, who was a - what is it? what did he? he become? - he become a United Nations General Assembly President, or something. So, he personally told me, he said that was the, not only mythology. It is not mythology - that practice was done. So India may have that hiding somewhere, but still [lone student lets out a short, audible laugh. In response to Rimpoche’s asking her why, she says she had a visual image of something hiding in the jungle] Rimpoche continues: oh, the middle of the forest there is some kind of artificial antics-making, right? Okay. [Rimpoche and student(s) laugh together.] Anyway, so, so that’s what they’re talking. It is like that. Bodhimind, when it is touched to our ordinary mind, our mind, no matter how rough and how mean, and how unkind our mind might be, just by the touch of that, it will become a gold-like mind. And it becomes immeasurable mind. [Unclear word] 0:54:02.9 mind. Precious mind.

0:54:05.6

Not only that - okay, there’s millions of those benefits. I’m not going to repeat. Read the first chapter of [A Guide to] the Bodhisattva[’s] Way of Life. You will see it. You will get all the inspiration from there.

Okay. That’s it for today. And I’m not taking any questions tonight, because it already went [unclear, possibly “tick, tick, tick”] 0:54:31.4 these couple of times already. So, I’m not, but, next Tuesday, we will have, uh, maybe we should move to the Wisdom part of it. So, we’ll be talking the Wisdom next Tuesday. And thank you.

0:54:47.0