Archive Result

Soundfile: 19930629GR3P

Speaker : Gelek Rimpoche

Location:

Topic: Three Principles of the Path

Transcriber Matt Hannah

Date finished: 10/21/20

0:00:00.0

I'm sorry I was late today, apologies. Ok now, to talk continuously what we have left last time. That was, if you look back at the root text, it says:

Audience: Carried away on the currents of four mighty streams…

Huge streams, all right, so that was the point where we stopped earlier, right? so you have that? So four currents or four rivers or the four anyway, four powerful things which going to sweep you away is the current of desire, the current of ignorance, the current of view, and attachment. So these are the four powerful things happening within the-- if you look into ourselves, that’s happening within us. If you look into the others to generate compassion, then that's happening with others.

At the very simple--if you look from the simple point of view, don't look as a complicated point, just look very simple point of view. What, sort of, desire does to us, to really pull us completely. Even you know your own, we know our own mind, we know better than that; but however we cannot help it. When the desire really carries us, we go to the too extreme level and we have difficult to pull back, which we experience all the time ourselves. That furthermore strengthened by attachment--you have a sort of desire and on top of that, you build an attachment. And then how much the pull is going to be. So it is so difficult to pull back or to shift the focus, or it is very difficulty, we experience ourselves everyday in our life. [0:03:34.6]

On top of that, another problem: the viewpoint of it. View is again: we have how we look at it. We always have a prefabricated mind that we make up. Instead of always encourage people to have open mind, everywhere, wherever you go, try to be open, and this and that, and each of us would like to be open, “ I’m open, this and that.” But we always have a prefabricated idea. We know what we wanted; we exactly know what it should be, and sort of we make up something in our mind, prefabricated thing, and we pull towards that direction.

Even it is a perfect spiritual path, but if it doesn't sort of, doesn’t answer or doesn't come together with what you think it should be, so then our prefabricated views take over and we say "well, something’s wrong with that, it's not right, this is that, this is that" All sorts of things we have.

These are the views that we put out rather than be open minded. I’m not going to go in a deeper Buddhist philosophical way, but generally when you deal with our daily life, these are another powerful thing, a powerful current which will carry you straight away. For if come some kind of prefabricated idea, you move toward the direction and that becomes judgmental, very judgmental, because you have an idea of what should be, how it should be, and when doesn’t suit with that you say: "t’s good, not good, blah blah blah all of them.” So all of those are the point, from there you get it.

And on top of that we have a tremendous, powerful ignorance. We really don't know we really have a problem. We do know something but we have a tremendous confusion. [0:05:57.7]

We are completely confused. Number one we have a problem of not knowing. Number 2 problem of whatever we know a little bit, and that is full of confusion--confused completely. And on top of that, you get all sorts of books; you get all sorts of information. You get all sorts of everything, and which very well contribute to our confusion on top of that. So which makes very difficult for us to gain something, even to be open-minded. Even you know, all this these are the tremendous mental… [0:06:52.9]

What? Oh suffering actually. We may not think we are suffering because there’s no pain. There is pain. Confusion cause a lot of pain, but that is the mental sort of torture we have. We go through with this. If you look very carefully, each one of us have that very strong within us. Pull, push. One day you pull this way, you know if for the best you can't go there, you shouldn't do that way, but you can't pull back. Because the desire plus attachment push is so powerful. It's really like a vaccuum suck you in, you can’t pull it.

On top of that confusion, on top of that we've also made up some mind, some kind of prefabricated idea, we try to suit with that. So that is basically, if you look at the spiritual path, that's what it is. If you look at our daily life, that's what it is. If you look at your partner, that's what it is. You have made up your mind how your partner should be, and it doesn't get in that way you started to grumbling, crying, fighting, all these problems are because of your prefabricated idea you have it. You’re not suited? [inaudible] with this. And the desire, which will make the person should be look like this, acts like this, dress like this, thinks e like this. Prefabricated--you make it there, you want them to be that way. We all do. [0:08:57.3]

And when you have certain points coming near to you, if you're reaching like you know seventy or eighty percent, you like it, excited. And when you’re seeing that as going down to sixty percent, forty percent down, then you dislike it. So actually it is not like and dislike is nothing to do with the individual. But it is almost prefabricated idea, and within that we're functioning. That goes the same thing with the spiritual path. That goes the same thing in our daily life. Everywhere. So these are the four mental, four powerful currents which really torturing us through our mental, through mind. And that's why Tsongkhapa mentioned whatever that word says--four powerful currents tighten or what--carried away. So you are carried away.

So that's why we are carried away. If you are carried away by river, by there’s some kind of big flood or something comes, you are carried away. If I've been carried away, what does that mean? I cannot cut out, I cannot swim freely, I cannot get...right? So loss of freedom. I don't have I can't do anything, I lost control, I can't do anything. So that's what's happening in our daily life, and not only me, if you look inside yourself, but only me, the persons that I care, the person that I love have the same problem.

Right? The couples fight, the husband and wife fights, the lovers fight-- what for? Just because your prefabricated idea's not really matching it, and that's why you keep on fighting. That is always what the problem, most of our life problems, children and their parents, family members, friends, everywhere that's the problem. [0:11:49.3]

So, both of them are carried by the four powerful current, you push this way, and they push that way--it's not going to come through, so that's what the problem is.

Desire is another huge problem. Desire and attachment. If you look at it, I'm not trying to justify, please don't misunderstand. If you look at it, those of few fathers let’s call it, fathers, or uncles who have been sexually abusing their children. I don't think they from the beginning, they had bad motivation of abusing. The attachment and desire's gone beyond control--they've been totally sucked by the vacuum of that attachment and desire, which push them in that direction. You can't pull back.

It’s not only the…thing you know, not only the sexual abuse, but also physically abuse, you know beating up kids or hitting all of them, all of our daily, uh, what sort of what do you call it? The attitude we take, towards person that you care the most or love the most is also because of these two currents that we’re passing through, the desire and the attachment which is making it.

And that problem is common with everybody. So when, well I'm not going to talk too long on that, because we see the pull and push, how much we have within ourselves, and that that very similar exact duplicate pull and push the other person has. The person you care, you love, have the same problem. Same problem. And so, so that's why if you have, if you are a kind person, if you have a kindness, this kindness should be able to remove or relieve that pain of that individual. That's pointed out beginning with the single individual that you like to have to deal with. Whatever it may be, children, parents, lovers. [0:15:04.7]

So the compassion here is the really, the mind of relieving, giving relief to this problem, to the individual, giving relief of this particular problem. Or any other pains, and this gives you very strong reason, it's not the individual have a fault but the problem within the individual is these four powerful current, which give me suffering just like that, all others have it.

In addition to that, normal sufferings of sickness, aging, that is the physical pain and death, and rebirth, or if you believe it, if you don't then that's that. So all of this all of those are there on top of that, so the more you look at the person that you care and you love, and you look at it and you see their problems more and more. And when you see their problems more, and it's not the desire to avoid the problem, or disconnect or cut it out. But then if you care then you have to show more love and more compassion towards them, the desire of helping desire of relieving the pain, giving relief to the pain, the desire to helping them should increase within the individual. Increase rather than: "oh, this person is full of problems, I'm going to walk away."

Right? I'm going to walk away is not the kind action. It is not act of love, it is not kind act of compassion. To me it is a kind of a selfish, ignorant influenced attitude. It is really…it is walking away from what you really needed to help. [0:17:59.1]

When someone really needs you and you're going to walk away from it, just because it doesn’t suit my prefabricated idea of what it should be, it is walking away from compassion. It is walking away from true, genuine love of others. True.

The problem what we have is lack of patience and ignorance. Can you imagine if enlightened beings walk away from the sentient beings because there's so much problems? In normal usual, Christian, American language--if God turns away from the people because people have so much problem. What do you think? Right?

It is not the right act, then that means that person has not enough compassion. So does us. Each and everyone of us--you know the traditional Tibetan Buddhism will tell you: "all mother sentient beings"-- forget it. All mother sentient beings-- at the beginning pick up one individual that you care. Pick out one or two or three, or pickup your family or extended family whatever it is, begin to pick up the first family. Pickup with that and then try to observe with your mind, and your caring, and their difficulties, more the problem you see, and that much desire of helping and removing the suffering should increase.

And the practice of the bodhimind, the practice of love compassion, you can very well do it with your family members. Family members, your companion, or doesn't matter, or your lovers, or whatever. Start with one person. Start with one person. It is much easier than starting with all sentient beings. True. Much easier to start with one person and then see are you're going to walk away because of that problem or that person or are you going to help it? Take the responsibility and share whatever. [0:21:14.2]

The method or burden or facility or whatever it is, consequences. Share, right? And that is where really begins, the sharing and carrying the responsibility, sharing the problem, try to help.

If you can't help one person, you're never going to help; you'll never be capable of helping all sentient beings. It is impossible. If you can't help one, you can't help two. That’s true. You may say that's difficult to deal and switch different one. But you will have similar, you will have similar another problem. So it is the same thing. So if you have a problem with helping one, then you have problem of helping all other sentient beings.

So this is your friend, this is your door, this is your practice, just right in front of you. Person who are irritating you the most is a great friend for you, if you know it. The great Atisha, the 11th century Bengali, Indian saint, scholar who really brought pure Buddhism in Tibet, had some kind of funny guy goes with him, funny Indian. We call, The Tibetans call it acharya, but they use acharya or not, we don't know how to say acharya we say "achara" ? [not sure of spelling] 0:23:09.8 So anyway one acharya they have….

Anyway the acharya teasing Atisha all the time, and fighting him and arguing with him and terrible, so one of the disciples, the Tibetan disciples started really fed up completely. And one day they sort of jointly make a big appeal to Atisha and said: “look, would you send this stupid acharya back to India, and we will give him whatever he wants--gold or silver or anything. Whatever he wants or any amount, we will collect and try to give him and send him back. Please because he is always here, difficulty insulting and all this, and we really cannot stand this.”

So Atisha said: "he is one of my very best friends, where I can practice patience and develop tolerance. So if you send him away, you’ll be depriving me great opportunity.” So Atisha says: “please don’t do that for me.” So that’s what it is--it is your, it is your object of love, it is your object of compassion. It is your sort of thing where you develop patience, where you develop love compassion, even if bodhimind, in order to benefit these beings and other beings, I need the best tool. We went through that—see we went through that last day, either last Tuesday, or the Tuesday before that. [0:24:58.8}

We said in order to get through, in order to help the person, you have to break through communication or understanding, without which you can't help it. Right? If you don’t make communication breakthrough, how can you help? You can' t help it. Right?

You can’t. You need to--we talked about Gov. Engler--in order to get through him we had to have a lot of things. It’s very difficult to get through. Because he had prefabricated ideas-right? He had his own view of “this is the right thing to do,” right?

So he has his own ideas of art--so putting money in the arts is a waste of money, all this type of, anything you have, he had his own view current, which carry him. And when we try to change that we can't break through to him because he has that prefabricated idea. What I told you: the powerful current, one of the currents has pre-made up mind. That's what it is.

Some of the genuine politicians, let me use the word genuine. The genuine politicians do have that idea, that viewpoint because they have certain ways they're thinking. They very have a desire to serve and to help but they think that’s what, they think their way is the best way to do. The genuine politicians.

The others will sit around here and they, it will like a flag—wherever the current, when the wind come from there, the flag will blow this side [makes flapping sound], wind go this way and flag go the other way, [makes flapping sound]. These are not genuine, really true--they are politicians or diplomats or whatever they may be, but they don’t have their own really principles, so they fly this way or that way--where the wind blows they fly. So that shows the principled person have it. That is a good way of putting it. And bad way, even that principle has love compassion-oriented, and good mind and kindness, and compassion-oriented is a great principle. But that principle is influenced oriented by ignorance and prefabricated idea, that view set up, then it is a very difficult one. And that is a difficult problem with we cannot breakthrough with the dialogue, with the understanding, whether it is spiritual or politics, whatever it is. It’s very same way, these things stand there. That’s what it is.

So in order to get through, in order to breakthrough, you need best method. The method is, the enlightened have the best method, so therefore we develop desire to have it, right? So it means you've been sort of totally dedicated for benefit of others—altruistic. Altruistic means dedicated for others right?--that language means that right? I hope so (laughs).

So you know I don't know English, but what I understand is something like that—altruistic. Sort of totally dedicating to help others. So when you talk about bodhimind, and you really have to have dedicated for helping others because they are suffering, because they have these four plus four problems. (Tibetan) [0:29:22.1]

So it is like a man, man...I mean a person, thrown in the river and carried by river. Four different powerful rivers sort of pushing the person here and there and pulling out, they pull together, can't help it--almost in that condition. That's what Tsonghkapa try to give picture--can you read the next word?

Audience: Tied and bound by the near inescapable chains of...

Thank you that's it. So not only they've been carried by those current, but even you are in the current. If you are in the water, no matter how much the water is powerful, but if your hands and legs are free you can move something. Right there’s a possibility of moving and moving something, which we, you are not totally helpless--but unfortunately your hands and legs are tied. That's the second word it says: "tied by evolution of cause and effect" (Tibetan) [0:30:47.7]

It is karma, which is very difficult to reverse. You are tied. You are sort of, you are tied by that unreversible karmic powers. So what's happening is unfortunate incident, when they are taking place, everything goes wrong with everybody. You know that don't you? When something goes wrong everywhere everything fall in parts, it goes wrong. This is karmic reaction. What’s happening is the karma is definite. Once they started functioning that way you cannot reverse--you really have to go through, because the characteristic of karma is definite. Definite means once they started giving the result, you really have to go through. There's no way you can cut in between, you really have to experience. So that's why unreturnable, unchangeable, sort of you cannot free, it's tight. Your hands and legs are tied by the nonvirtuous karmas that we have created. Not only we are carried by the powerful current, four powerful current, our hands and legs are tied.

Even if it's tight and if you are just free out there even if it's tied if you on river you can turn upside down or do something. [0:32:26.1] But not only that, you sort of, you've been locked in some kind of, become some kind of cage--if you read the next word.

Audience: Trapped in a prison in the iron cage of self-concern…

Self concerned. [0:32:52.7] [Tibetan]

So narrow, selfish interest and -- this actually talking about more than narrow selfish interest. This is talking about ignorance. Ignorance of not knowing. The not only the selfish thought, not only a selfish thought, not only a self-cherishing thought, but a self-existing thought. That's what it is. Self-grasping, self...it is self-grasping thoughts. Which is, which sort of the biggest ego idea that we have, ego thoughts, sort of you are not only carried by the current and legs and hands are tied, and you are also caught in a sort of, put in cage which you cannot get out. In cage, cage of ego cage. You are locked in the ego cage. So it's sort of, sort of cage in a way when we put the dogs and the cats and all this, and that type of cage which you cannot break through, your legs and hands are tied and carried with that river.

Even in the day time, even there's a possibility of somebody maybe able to see it if you scream, somebody may be able to hear it, there's a possibility but it is not, it is the darkness--if you read the next word:

Audience: Totally wrapped in the darkness of this knowledge [0:34:50.5]

This knowledge--the interpreters have a lot of ways of putting it. This knowledge here is they tie the river to the ignorance. Mind you according to ego-grasping idea, and covered with ignorance, and darkness, under the darkness of the ignorance. And it's almost hopeless, helpless situation. And that's my situation and that is each one of us situation. So if we do not generate compassion on that, where else are we going to generate compassion?

Because of that, we are running through, we are helplessly constantly running through the endless samsara, one after the another. That’s if you read that word. [0:35:51.4]

Audience: Born and born again and again in endless lifecycles uninterruptedly tormented by the…

Thank you. [Tibetan] [0:36:08.6] That’s right. And that is how we constantly going on. That's why Buddha said, "life is suffering." That's why Buddha said: "samsara is full of shit." Sorry about the language. It is, it is full of because whatever it is, it is you know? So that is the situation, now you have, we have two choice: whether we just simply say "ok, life sucks and we give up and go walk away," or we deal with it.

And if you are intelligent person and if you, if we have you know the whole background that we build up: that life is precious, important, it can achieve tremendous. So these build up before that--it is time to use it here, to use it here and one time or another time we have to deal with this. So whether we like to deal with now or whether we like to deal with it later--so if we are intelligent, the enlightened beings, the buddhas, bodhisattvas will say deal now. Idea is "deal now." Because you have to deal anyway, one time or the another. If you deal now, you have opportunity, you have all the method, you have everything possible--deal now. That is the true situation of ourselves. Generate compassion to ourselves and generate compassion to the person you care most. Because it is the same boat, same condition--right?

And then if you can extend it to the third person, then fourth person, then fifth person, but mind you it is not isolated problem at all. It is the problem that everybody faces--every single person rich, poor, male, female, young, old, professional career person, or happy go lucky guys or whatever. Or whether you are serious person or whether you are love and light, whatever you may be, it is the same situation, same problem. That is why within our life we have all these different ups and downs and all the time we have that because of this. Number of people will tell you it is the problem caused because we are born in here. If we are not born, we don't have a problem. Lot of people say this didn’t you here?

I get a lot of people to say that--since we're born, we have that problem. If we don’t born here we won’t have that problem. That is true, that is even better than somebody else say "if that person didn't do that, I won’t have this problem. Let me do that--it's better than that. But normally we blame somebody else. If so and so did that, then I would not have this problem, right?[0:40:18.7]'

So it's better than that, but still, but still this is the situation. So, if you look in that situation and then we're not asking you to get, what you call it--depression on it. Right, it's not the point. It's not going to help yourself or not going to help others, right? Lot of people would like to shut the door and sit down and start crying, and do that right? Lot of people do that don't they? When they have little problems they think it is huge and terrible, they would like to cry, shut the door and do all this. And what that going to help? Even if it can help you all can come and start cry together, like the Indians do. I don't mean the native American Indians, I’m not talking about that--the Indians in India. There's a certain ? system [0:41:30.2]

When somebody in family member die, they will hire lot of ladies around the friends and the neighbors of course, plus they hire, pay people and they cry there, sit there and cry. They hire for 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, or 24 hours or something. They do that, there's certain customs there. So they hire a person to cry. They don't cry much they go "laaa." I'm seeing it--I went there and look at the crying. (laughing) I did. So they does that, they shout "naaa," and they will say that and sort of push their heads back and forwards, and that's what they paid for. (laughs) So if it's crying help, we all can cry, come and cry together. It's not going to help. Not only help doesn't help, it makes the things worse. Things worse. So, what do you do? What do you do?

Sit down, relax, and face it. Yes, number one: recognize the problem. Number two: acknowledge it is not an isolated problem for me. There are millions of others are having the similar problems. As matter of fact, not only millions of people, as long as you're born here, you'll have the same problem, one time or the another.

So it is everybody have the problem. Buddha had the same problem before. But he dealt with it. He had overcome. If I keep on escaping it, or running away from it, or submitting to it, I will constantly do that one after the another. Every time I will do that, so it is the-- today is my opportunity, it is my time to sit here and make firm, look carefully. You may not or may not be able to handle by yourself alone, but you can get help. You can get help from your friends; you can get help from the therapist. You can get help from the teachers, spiritual teachers. You can get help from the sangha, and most important help you can get from your own wisdom. Nobody else can help you like that of your own wisdom. You have all these tools with you, so whether you walked away or face it, it is your problem, when you look at yourself.

When you look at others, it is again the same thing. That other person that you care, you love, have the same problem. Whether you're going to help, or whether you're going to walk away, that’s your choice. If you're going to walk away, we have a narrow, selfish interest and that's all, period. Nothing more. Sometimes you may have to do that because of circumstances, not necessarily it's bad. But most of the time you can't do it , especially if you can help, you should never do that way. When you can't help it, if yourself is in trouble, then you better put period and walk away. It's not good thing to do, but it may be the circumstances to it. You may not be compassionate person, you may not be a person with love. You may not be, but still you are taking care of yourself. Okay?

So anyway, if we looking about unlimited unconditioned love and compassion, if you are looking to that point, then no matter whatever problem you may face, but you have to help it. And you should have the patience to be able to stand that, you should have strong compassion to be able to go through with this. [Tibetan] [0:46:59.2]

If you're looking at the Lama Chopa, at the end of the Lama Chopa where the generosity, morality, patience. Read loud so that people can hear it:

Audience: Even if we must remain for an ocean of eons in the fiery hells of aviici, even for the sake of each sentient being, we seek your blessings to complete the perfection of joyous effort. To strive with compassion for supreme enlightenment and not be discouraged.

That's right. [Tibetan briefly] 0:47:53.5 Even for the sake of one sentient being, if you have to remain in the hot hell hotel (laughs) for the eons but you should be able to do it. So the power of that, you know where the power of that comes from? That power comes from compassion. If you have strong compassion you'll be to do it. That's true, that power comes from compassion, not from anger, that comes from compassion.

The power produced by anger is like a hot bloom. Baloom. Balloon? Ok. And when the hot air is gone, or the helium air is gone out, power lost, it flops down. But the compassion power if you have strong, it never goes down, never goes down. You'll learn to stay in the hot hell hotel for one year so others, no question arises. And that power comes from compassion. So that's why Buddha said: “compassion is so important at the beginning. Compassion is so important in between, when you are contemplating or accumulating merit, compassion is so important. A lot of us we say "oh I get burned out. I get tired, I burned out. I couldn't blah blah blah, all of that, I have no inspiration. I have nothing this and that." Surely when you don’t have inspiration, you don't have compassion, you don't have inspiration. [0:50:17.0]

When you say, "I don't have inspiration" meaning, I’m telling you, what I hear is "I have no compassion for others, so therefore I have no inspiration.” A lot of inspiration of pushing us to do something for the benefit of others is the compassion, the power of compassion is equivalentless--there's no equivalent, there's nothing equal to the compassion power. Compassion’s even important, even after fully enlightened--when you become fully enlightened, if you don't have compassion you couldn't care less for others. You'll have picnic. Instead of hot hell hotel--you'll probably go joyful, bliss hotel and remain there for hundreds of eons. And you'll be moved out of that by the power of compassion. So the compassion is so important and so powerful, and it is the source of inspiration. It is the source of energy; it is source of strength; it is the backbone of our life. Our good life is compassion.

It is so important. It is beginning, it is like seed. If you don't have seed, you cannot hope to get any crop, any sort of food grow, right? You need a seed, right? And in between it is like moisture, and the ground is like fertilizers. if you have good ground and good fertilizer, not over chemicalized, it grows well. I like that--compassion does that. And finally it is like a fruit, the fruit which people eat and enjoy the taste and the nourishment. Like that. When you are fully enlightened, you'll be able to share your knowledge, your understanding and all this. You know the best help to giving is sharing the knowledge, right? You have to understand that. [Tibetan] [0:53:19.7]

The buddhas have repeatedly told one after the other, the all different buddhas--the buddhas cannot wash away our non-virtuous negative karmas by water or even by abishekas. Nor the buddhas can remove the suffering and pain of the people by hand, like the surgeons do surgical operation and remove. The buddhas can't do that. Mental, physical things, sufferings, particularly suffering of dying, aging and illness. Can't remove by hand. And they cannot transfer their spiritual development to one or the another--if you cannot transfer American Express card to each other, so naturally, this is more important than that. You cannot transfer each other at all.

Only the way is by sharing the experience and by guiding, so that's why, that's why there's a dharmachakra and buddha give teaching and so forth [0:54:54.7] And continuation of information in life today passing through is because of that.

And that's also the compassion, the power of compassion. It is like giving the fruit, sharing with the others, giving the nourishment and all this. So how important compassion is. The choice is whether you walk away from it or take it? We'll talk next Tuesday after that.

I'm sorry I have to say: maybe we'll be extending a couple of Tuesdays more, because this is second principle. I haven't touched the third principle, which is the little wisdom. Ssince it is in the middle of summer with long days, we may be able to talk a little bit on wisdom. I sort of intend to talk a little more. So just think maybe we extend four more in July, so maybe we go up to August or something. So extending the Tuesdays, thank you. [0:56:23.8]