Archive Result

Audio file

19950400GRNLFF (10).mp3

Notations:

[…]: inaudible

[???]: not sure what it means

[Tibetan]: Rinpoche was reading Tibetan

(…): response from the audience

Transcript

00:00:00

The double negativity, double limitless negativity.

00:00:13

One king father, two king arhat [???]. So, he was very sad.

00:00:33 Speaker 2

And the King was very worried and finally went to the Buddha and said “what can I do?”

00:00:48 Speaker 2

You know what the buddha told. [Tibetan]

00:01:01 Speaker 2

Yeah, he said probably the father and mother should be killed.

00:01:11 Speaker 2

And the King, if you destroy all your retinue and the country, and you will be liberated.

00:01:26 Speaker 2

So, this sutra is known as Regret Solving Sutra [???] … something, something, whatever their name is.

00:01:44 Speaker 2

Did you hear me? Yeah, the sutra is purposed made to solve the regret of a king, whose name I don't remember.

00:02:00 Speaker 2

So, people consider this as a great method of the Buddha, a very wise way. This is called skillful means.

00:02:25 Speaker 2

So, if the buddha tells this king, oh, you're terrible. You killed your father, you killed your mother, you are terrible. If buddha told him directly, it is not going to help him. It is going to suffer him more.

00:02:52 Speaker 2

So instead of that, the Buddha said the father and mother should be killed.

00:03:00 Speaker 2

So, the king has been thinking.

00:03:03 Speaker 2

Is buddha trying to insult me? What is he talking about? Is it really? Didn’t I do something wrong? Or what is it? This gave him an opportunity to think and to speak, and for him to express, and have a conversation.

00:03:43 Speaker 2

Be if the buddha sat down and said hey, you killed your father and blah blah blah […] it's not going to help at all.

00:04:03 Speaker 2

So, this is not a straightforward sutra. It is one that need to be interpreted.

00:04:19 Speaker 2

However, is this talking with the level [???].

00:04:28 Speaker 2

So, you've been able to communicate.

00:04:32 Speaker 2

So, it is important.

00:04:34 Speaker 2

So that's what I mean. Communication is important. It is not an overhead. This is what it is.

00:04:47 Speaker 2

I know a lot of people have a lot of thoughts and questions, particularly young ones are boiling.

00:04:58 Speaker 2

(Translator reminded the Rinpoche something) Oh yeah, that's true. I forgot, you told me once already [???]

00:05:28 Speaker 2

So ... making requests.

00:05:35 Speaker 2

What is next?

00:05:49 Speaker 2

[Tibetan] then request to remain forever. [Tibetan] then dedication.

00:06:05 Speaker 2

So, basically it is the structure for your basic practice.

00:06:15 Speaker 2

OK, for then now the next thing.

00:06:20 Speaker 2

what is next?

00:06:26 Speaker 2

So, actually you can do those by yourself by saying, by meditating. By doing this, this is the best. Generally offering is number of things. We may think the offering is just bringing some physical gift, whatever it may be, whether it is.

00:06:50 Speaker 2

Whatever it may be, whether that is money or flower, or incense or card or whatever, so you may think that is the only kind of offerings. Probably not.

00:07:17 Speaker 2

All of them are outer, external offerings.

00:07:25 Speaker 2

Then there's inner offering which I don't want to explain.

00:07:33 Speaker 2

And then there is practice offering, which is the best offering.

00:07:42 Speaker 2

You know why? The Buddha has only one desire - To be able to help.

00:07:55 Speaker 2

When you try to do something good in a positive way, start to do a practice or do something. […] they will really appreciate it and very happy with it. So, which is the best offering!

00:08:23 Speaker 2

[Tibetan ...] So, like Milarepa says all the time.

00:08:30 Speaker 2

I have no food or wealth to give, but I pay my kindness to my guru by practice. This is what Milarepa always said [Tibetan …]

00:09:00 Speaker 2

So, when you are offering, you don't have to think incense and flowers alone.

00:09:17 Speaker 2

I've been thinking about a funny story in my head, so I've been laughing. I'm not sure I'm supposed to share that with you or not. Might as well share it. (Audience laughed)

00:09:40 Speaker 2

It is a couple of years ago, maybe about four, five, six years ago. His Holiness came to Europe.

00:09:53 Speaker 2

And there's one Geyshe. Don’t let me name the Geyshe or the country. OK, it is in Europe.

00:10:05 Speaker 2

So, it was the beginning, you know, quite a lot like about 10 years ago maybe. I think 5 or 10 years ago.

00:10:15 Speaker 2

So, some western people came to give scarf and envelope with money in it to His Holiness.

00:10:35 Speaker 2

So, his Holiness looked back to ask the Geyshe “How did they learn this system of giving envelopes here? It is an old Tibetan system or the Chinese system. So, they learned these too, or something like that?” He looked at the Geyshe and asked him.

00:11:03 Speaker 2

So, Geyshe said “no no. It's because your holiness is here. That's why. Otherwise, I usually get Flowers and incense.”

00:11:41 Speaker 2

So not only flowers and incense.

00:11:46 Speaker 2

And not only the material gifts, the best offering is the practice of it.

00:12:06 Speaker 2

[Tibetan …] like the great lake of a perfect morality. [Tibetan …] By great learning and you rooted your views very perfectly.

00:12:58 Speaker 2

And by thinking and analyzing, you then understand the flower is blooming.

00:13:11 Speaker 2

And then you have a perfect understanding so that no other flowers can compete you.

00:13:26 Speaker 2

The principal parts, you know, are like dews on a flower.

00:13:42 Speaker 2

And then it is like 20 or 22 fruits hanging on that tree. [Tibetan …]

00:13:58 Speaker 2

So, such a flower is a great flower to be offered.

00:14:06 Speaker 2

So not only incense and flower, that type of flower is great.

00:14:13 Speaker 2

You get it? So, this is how you make it a practice of offering.

00:14:22 Speaker 2

Yeah, I can also share over here [Tibetan] Oh, maybe not. OK, so forget it. Because of the time and nothing else. This is what you can offer to the buddha, bodhisattavas, and particularly your guru inseparable of Tara as you make these offerings.

00:14:58 Speaker 2

Actually, this is one of the best spiritual exercises that you can do.

00:15:07 Speaker 2

OK, now, dedication, right?

00:15:13 Speaker 2

And dedication is also important. So, it is earmarks. Earmarks your guru, karma, whatever the reason might be.

00:15:32 Speaker 2

OK, so I think that's all. You’d better cut it out, because otherwise I think it won't work. It would go too long.

00:15:47 Speaker 2

Now what else. [Tibetan …] This is offering to the enlightened beings and collecting their blessings.

00:16:08 Speaker 2

I don’t' know what kind of understanding you have about the word “blessings”?

00:16:20 Speaker 2

If it is a meaningless, spiritual, meaningless, feelingless, something acceptable, then you are getting the wrong picture.

00:16:36 Speaker 2

That is true. People do have that, you know, blessing yeah, yeah you don't understand it, but you feel that it is something sort of meaningless, feelingless, something accepted. You know, it's just not right.

00:17:04 Speaker 2

A blessing is nothing but that of basis on which the miracles can work.

00:17:21 Speaker 2

It is a miracle that if we can overcome our anger, attachment or any other negativities. Or, restlessness. So, all of those. That's how the blessing works.

00:17:47 Speaker 2

Blessing also works, as a great miracle, real direct miracle.

00:17:56 Speaker 2

And the second category of blessing is it provides the basis for the miracles to work.

00:18:11 Speaker 2

The third category of blessing is it provides the positiveness to the individual.

00:18:26 Speaker 2

And that is a blessing. It is not a meaningless, feelingless concept or word.

00:18:53 Speaker 2

But what is really collecting is all the enlightened beings, their love, their kindness, their compassion.

00:19:05 Speaker 2

And their capability to be able to make me connect to my positive karma so that result can affect me. The conditions provided within me is really collecting blessing here.

00:19:46 Speaker 2

It is actually providing the missing piece.

00:19:56 Speaker 2

The missing piece of our effort and the materializing the effort. There's some missing piece and that missing piece was provided by the blessing.

00:20:18 Speaker 2

So, sometimes you get a better understanding, better feeling, better effectiveness to life.

00:20:36 Speaker 2

I'm sure it is in the Liberation in the Palms that quoted Tsongkhapa saying that [Tibetan …] when you try to practice, you can do it, you don’t feel like doing it. If you force yourself, nothing happens.

00:21:08 Speaker 2

If you try to remember it, nothing remembers. If you try to listen. You don't understand anything. And if you meditate and nothing is developing. So, then what do you do? The missing piece is the blessing.

00:21:59 Speaker 2

That's the blessing. So, blessings have a purpose, blessing has a meaning and blessing is real.

00:22:13 Speaker 2

Oh, that's why I said it's just a missing piece.

00:22:23 Speaker 2

And then the second purpose is touching every sentiment being, and every environment becomes pure, which is a mental exercise, anyway.

[Conversations with the audience]

00:24:04 Speaker 2

Um, actually, we jumped yesterday because we had to do some actions.

00:24:16 Speaker 2

This is the page 11, like [???]. This is what we were talking about at the page 11.

00:24:35 Speaker 2

That's why, yeah, this is just all back. This is why we're talking, OK? I'm not talking that did. So, you have to remember that.

00:24:48 Speaker 2

So, what I'm what I'm telling you just now is you can visualize, and you can practice. You don't have to read it. You don't have to say it. You don't do it every day. And whenever these are there, so giving you a material to work with that.

00:25:16 Speaker 2

OK, now I don't need to explain much about transforming and becoming Tara. It is just transforming in there. You can visualize like that or whatever you wanted to. That's what it is.

00:25:33 Speaker 2

Oh here.

00:25:35 Speaker 2

And then become Tara. I don't have to explain much about Tara’s body because it's beautiful enough.

00:25:52 Speaker 2

You don't have to think about Tara as an oriental girl or something. It is everywhere, it changes.

00:26:06 Speaker 2

And, I don't know. I forgot over there somebody during the Buddha's life made some drawing of bodhisattavas […] and then they asked Buddha.

00:26:23 Speaker 2

How should I draw, how does it look like? How should I draw? The buddha said to the person “go down to the market and find the most beautiful person you see and draw that face.”

00:26:53 Speaker 2

This is the principle in the Buddhist artists, how they draw the images.

00:27:05 Speaker 2

But then if you go to a Tibetan and then the Tibetan will make a measurement and give you a Tibetan face.

00:27:22 Speaker 2

And if you go to Indian artists, they will have a measurement and give you an Indian face.

00:27:33 Speaker 2

And if you have Chinese artists, they will give you a measurement that looks like a Chinese face. Yeah, true, and I hope a western artist will give a western face.

00:27:52 Speaker 2

They have to.

00:27:55 Speaker 2

That Tara picture that you see here is drawn by a Scandinavian named Maria […]

00:28:36 Speaker 2

It is this idea came and she wanted to draw a Thanka for me. We had a lunch together in New York with Professor Thurman. She wanted to draw a Thanka for me and I said great. I need it. I want a small white Tara, that is very small.

00:28:55 Speaker 2

And she said not small, and then we argued with each other blah blah blah. So, it finally came.

00:29:21 Speaker 2

It's about 8 feet tall, right? You have seen it.

00:29:26 Speaker 2

About 8 feet up.

00:29:36 Speaker 2

And later I came to know she's a mirror [???] painter, right? That's mirror, right? She paints on the wall. She was hired by the Detroit Orchestra to paint the ceiling of their Music Hall.

00:29:57 Speaker 2

So, in that period she printed this Thanka of Tara for me, it took seven days for her just to do that whole thing.

00:30:09 Speaker 2

So, and I insisted to have a western face and the finally she came. She has a Middle Eastern face.

00:30:25 Speaker 1

She looks like one of your students.

00:30:29 Speaker 2

Yeah, I know Gloria or something like that. She's from Middle East and you know her.

00:30:35 Speaker 2

This is from normal instances.

00:30:39 Speaker 2

She came from somewhere near Russia. Armenian or something. Yeah, I think you're right.

00:30:49 Speaker 2

I wanted a western face, you know. So, she finally got with that and she reached out to Armenia.

00:31:27 Speaker 2

So, when you are visualizing, you don't have to search for an oriental phase.

00:31:36 Speaker 2

And so that's what it is, so that's what how you go.

00:31:43 Speaker 2

OK, what else I need to talk about Tara’s body? Nothing else, right?

00:31:52 Speaker 2

The left hand indicates the three jewels giving courage and assurance to those who are dominated by fears. It is the mudra called the protection mudra. And protect him from the fears.

00:32:22 Speaker 2

Like […] on the spiritual practice. That is what it is.

00:32:32 Speaker 2

[Tibetan] What happened to those other books that you took out from the closet? Can I borrow that for a minute? Thank you.

00:33:32 Speaker 2

OK, it says here [Tibetan]

00:33:38 Speaker 2

So, the left hand is representing the three jewels as a giving message to the people, and those particularly suffering by fears and telling them. Don't worry, I'm here to help you, protect you. That's what the left-hand gesture is.

00:34:21 Speaker 2

In here somewhere, what page is it?

00:34:31 Speaker 2

The first if you look at [Tibetan] The right hand is [… holding? ...] a tree branch, like a turquoise tree branch.

00:34:46 Speaker 2

[Tibetan]

00:34:54 Speaker 2

So, actually it is what you call those. This particular thing is ...

00:35:03 Speaker 2

They called it the supreme giving mudra, right?

00:35:17 Speaker 2

If you look at the Tara picture, don't look at my hand.

00:35:20 Speaker 2

Yeah, this mudra is called a supreme giving, supreme gesture. You read that, right?

00:35:33 Speaker 2

Do people know that what I'm talking about? Does anyone have difficulties?

00:35:40 Speaker 2

Normally it is known as the giving mudra, right? You know that, right? So, giving mudra [Tibetan] … the meaning is given here. What that says is [Tibetan]. So, they actually embodying … they called it the learned ones. What do they call it? You want to translate?

00:36:13 Speaker 2

Sages? Normally, sages have been burned.

00:36:21 Speaker 2

It is the nice alm that you can burn, right? For purification. [Laugh]

00:36:29 Speaker 2

The wise, the leaned ones or the fortunate ones. [Tibetan] It is the invitation to those fortunate ones, learned ones, the lucky ones, whatever it is.

00:36:48 Speaker 2

To all of us. If you can accept it, it is an outstanding invitation from Tara to come, and I shared the great quality of the supreme joy.

00:37:23 Speaker 2

Supreme seed, yeah, it's translated here. Normally this mudra they will tell you a giving mudra, right? And what are you giving? Giving the Supreme Achievement. If you look at it the other way around, it is an invitation for you to join, to enjoy the great achievement of the enlightened beings. That's what it is.

00:38:07 Speaker 2

If you want to work with Tara and if you like Tara, if you want her to do things with you, you need to know all this.

00:38:20 Speaker 2

And then the next is about the left hand, which we already talked. And then next versus is [Tibetan]

00:38:36 Speaker 2

Can you read that verse?

00:38:45 Speaker 3

Which she was adored with blue Lotus Flowers. Yeah. […] as those saying, be not attracted to samsaric pleasures […].

00:39:00 Speaker 2

What do they say?

00:39:07 Speaker 2

Inspiring with that. Great way to put it.

00:39:15 Speaker 2

So, this is the utpala flower.

00:39:24 Speaker 2

The utpala flower, if you see it, it is so wonderful.

00:39:34 Speaker 2

And is so wonderful that you cannot let it go.

00:39:43 Speaker 2

So, if you cannot let it go, you’ve got to work.

00:39:49 Speaker 2

So, it's like a whip.

00:39:53 Speaker 2

But instead of hitting with the whip, but it is inspiring, making you work for it.

00:40:06 Speaker 2

It is the whip of enthusiasm. It is not the whip that we whip the horses.

00:40:20 Speaker 2

So, the message over here is what you have some attachment over there is nothing compared with these. Hey, just don't be lazy over there. Don't you see here something else?

00:40:43 Speaker 2

So, then the next verse is, if you read it [Tibetan] it is called Buddha Amitabha, but the quality of Amitayus is explained in the verse.

00:41:42 Speaker 2

So, that's the Buddha Amitayus on the crown of Tara. I said it just doesn't normally mention about Amitayus, but instead it mentions Amitabha, but with the qualities of Amitayus. So, when you're working with the longevity and so forth, Amitabha becomes Amitayus. Amitayus is normally Amitabha. So, it is the same person.

00:42:34 Speaker 2

And as so wonderful, the body is, the next verse will tell you how wonderful it is.

00:42:59 Speaker 2

[Tibetan] so much so, even the jewel ornaments are not ordinary. All the gods’ wealth collected together. Even then they cannot compare it.

00:43:29 Speaker 2

Then the body and it's the next verse. [Tibetan]

00:43:52 Speaker 2

OK, now we don't need two verses thereafter. [Tibetan]

00:44:05 Speaker 2

And the next one if you read it [Tibetan]

00:44:37 Speaker 2

Is that how wonderful she should be? This seems to be the next verse.

00:44:55 Speaker 2

So that's where it shows you the beauty, the quality, the measurement of the beauty. And you said, even those well-known gods like a Hindu, Buddhist, mythological gods even cannot complete. Cannot be even suitable to be your attendant.

00:45:39 Speaker 2

OK, so I think we can stop up to that level in this particular verse and quality of the Tara’s body.

00:45:51 Speaker 2

OK, so now the next thing what I have to do is that what it means that is Tara is in resplendent, exquisite beauty. That's what it meant.

00:46:26 Speaker 2

I don't know what happened. I did remember I explained...

00:46:41 Speaker 2

Older reading universe [???]

00:46:49 Speaker 2

The meaning of Om Tare tuttare … that we have already explained yesterday.

00:46:57 Speaker 2

All right, so now let's do the Tara. This white Tara has a special quality of six realms of light shields.

00:47:27 Speaker 2

Oh my God, what's happening?

00:47:33 Speaker 2

Don't know, oh.

00:47:36 Speaker 2

OK, Oh, yeah, so maybe we will save it for tomorrow then. Wait a minute. We got to do something. OK.

00:47:45 Speaker 2

I'd like to do the one light shield at least.

00:47:52 Speaker 2

Now the visualization here will be. Sort of from the heart of the Tara, inside the heart of the Tara, where the essence of the pure being is. From there a tremendous amount of light, the white light radiates and where and how the white light radiates. It is this … sometimes you see this steams out of an ocean, on the ocean. You see this steam coming out of it. Or maybe the high mountains. There's the steams come out in that manner.

00:48:34 Speaker 2

Beautiful pure clean, wonderful crystal looking. Don't think like you know, even you think cloud you're thinking like a very fresh white clean crystal cloud. Don't think of a half white, half black dirty mix at all. It is the pure clean crystal white light coming out.

00:49:28 Speaker 2

And reach ourselves and inside. Our inside is filled completely by that light. Every part of our body, everywhere, is filled with this great energy.

00:50:04 Speaker 2

You work up this energy inside you is the purify.

00:50:13 Speaker 2

To purify the mistakes that you have, not [???] mistake you did but illnesses and not functioning properly.

00:50:25 Speaker 2

And the blocks of nerves or channels clearing them and unfunctioning, internal organs begin to work and not only that.

00:50:46 Speaker 2

Even in our mind, the negativities which makes this happening are all cleared.

00:51:18 Speaker 2

It works on physical level and a comet level in two different ways. And purifying both ways.

00:51:32 Speaker 2

So, after Purifying as your body is completely filled, this white energy, all your physical and mental problems have been cleared.

00:51:54 Speaker 2

Emotional things go with the mental problems.

00:52:04 Speaker 2

And is a completed every pacify work that you have to do for yourself.

00:52:14 Speaker 2

Also pacifying here is not only bringing you peace, but it is also for clearing all things that need to be pacified [???]. It is a problem with the Tibetan and English here. English might not be able to give everything perfect meaning of Tibetan anyway.

00:52:47 Speaker 2

So, thus you complete your own purpose of clearing obstacles and pacifying everything.

00:53:04 Speaker 2

Not only that, and the light goes out of your body.

00:53:14 Speaker 2

And a continuously pouring Tara's body forward.

00:53:22 Speaker 2

And then it forms a white shield outside your body like a 6 foot away from your body, whole rounds.

00:53:46 Speaker 2

By the formation of this shell, you'll be able to work the same way for the benefit of others.

00:54:05 Speaker 2

So, you think this has happened and focus on that. Either you say a mantra or hold [???]. Both work now.

00:54:25 Speaker 2

The holding area is what I showed you yesterday.

00:54:33 Speaker 2

And as recommended […] is about a 21.

00:54:42 Speaker 2

With the same visualization, we should say Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha without chanting. Let's go here, OK?

00:54:56 Speaker 2

OK, everybody said together: Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha

00:57:12 Speaker 2

OK, now we normally said this: Om padmasattva samaya ..., but it is not necessary for you people who would like to sit by yourself alone. If you don't have that. If you have it, you can say it here because this short version which I put it in English is totally based on the Pabongka’s shortest practice over White Tara. So, that's why whatever is there, I put it in there.

00:58:03 Speaker 2

Those who like to dissolve, you can dissolve. The shell looks like an egg. It is one piece from top to bottom and this is a very, very hard shell. It is not like an eggshell. It's a very strong one.

00:58:30 Speaker 2

And a so strong and so powerful, so much so that even the Hurricanes come, they cannot move.

00:58:43 Speaker 2

And if you want to dissolve, you can dissolve the thing back to you.

00:58:52 Speaker 2

That Tara’s light dissolves in you. That's what you can do.

00:59:00 Speaker 2

And if you just let it be. This is also OK. Pabongka does it that way.

00:59:09 Speaker 2

Om padmasattva samaya ...

00:59:45 Speaker 2

If foreseeing signs of premature death, by consistently practicing the path of Noble Tara, may I become a vessel worthy of receiving the powerful blessings of immortality. By this virtue may I quickly attain the essence of Noble Tara and secure every being without exception in that state.

01:00:12 Speaker 2

And thank you and goodnight. Tomorrow is not Wednesday, right? OK, good, the initiation was on Wednesday morning.

01:00:27 Speaker 2

[…] I mean, it is the longevity […] we are concluding in the form of initiation here.

01:01:01 Speaker 2

Thank you.

[The group started chanting the heart mantra – Tadyata gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha]

01:01:01: Speaker 2

Thank you.

[Chatting with the audience.]

01:06:55: Speaker 2

As we have discussed yesterday, first refuge, and then you visualize white Tara in front of you who is inseparable from guru, buddha, dharma and sangha.

01:07:13: Speaker 2

And also not only you take refuge, but also taking refuge … The difference between Mahayana refuge and the Theravada refuge is whether there is an influence of great compassion or not. That is the difference.

01:07:39: Speaker 2

So, Vajrayana and therefore it is Mahayana. Basically, you hear a lot about those three yanas, don’t you?

01:07:57: Speaker 2

How many people have not heard about the three yanas? Raise your hand. Those who have never heard about the three yanas?

01:08:08: Speaker 2

Not so many. That’s amazing. To know about Buddhism, one does not have to be a Buddhist at all.

01:08:34: Speaker 2

.. I don’t really understand what Buddhist means? What do they really mean? Buddhist means that you have to eat biscuits and … (Laugh)

1:09:13.6: Speaker 2

Is that right? (Laugh) You know what I have is really a question. It is very funny. In the west, you do get some kind of understanding, understanding such a thing like that you become a catholic, or you become a protestant, or you become a [...]. No, Jew is different. You are born as a Jew. If you are a woman, you remain as a Jew no matter whatever you do.

1:10:20.7: Speaker 2

So, Buddhist is not like that. Buddhism does not demand that you have to go to every Sunday church. […] Sometimes, you begin to wonder whether the understanding of religion or Buddhism in the west may be a little strange. Something that we need to think about anyway.

1:11:24.9: Speaker 2

And the principle of Buddhism is avoiding negativity and building positiveness. And always be alert of saving yourself. ‘Saving’ is another heavy word, but watching yourself. Things like that.

1:12:13.7

Even Buddha himself [Tibetan] was avoiding the negativity and building positiveness, and carefully watching your mind. This is Buddhism. This is what Buddha himself said.

1:12:46.8

Actually, it is interesting if you can get that word translated and putting in the frame and hang it somewhere, maybe under a pillow or something.

1:13:03.8

Right, Ron? (Laugh) It looks nice to have a big frame like that. People get the idea. You know, we don’t do that in Tibet, but I think it is the holiness the Dalai Lama had hang […] once I saw it.

1:13:39.9

It would be interesting to have a big, bold letter prominently, rather than a small, little frame, you know.

1:13:57.4

So, people get some idea of what Buddhism is all about. The practice of the Buddhism itself is the four noble truths, which is absolutely the teaching of life and nothing else. Talking about the three Yanas here, basically in the West people talk Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana. They call that ‘the three Yanas’ in the West.

1:14:50.8

I don’t know who introduced that in the West. Maybe Trangpa [???] Rinpoche. It is not wrong. It is OK, but originally in the Tibetan tradition or even the Sanskrit tradition they don’t call that as three Yanas. Normally when they talk about the ‘Three Yanas’, they talk about Úrâvakayâna, Pratyekabuddhayâna and Buddhayana. So, they sort of have Theravadin divided into two categories. Úrâvakayâna means that those who have listened to the Mahayana teachings and attain liberation [???]. It is one category, which is called Úrâvakayâna. The other one is the self-liberating group called Pratyekabuddhayâna.

1:16:38.2

For example, this Pratyekabuddhayâna appeared mostly before Buddha came to the world as the Buddha.

1:17:15.5

Úrâvakas normally listen to the Buddha’s teachings. They heard the Buddha’s teachings and relay [Tibetan] So, When the Buddha taught Mahayana teachings, Úrâvakas heard and relayed the message. They don’t practice. So, it is called hearing and said [???]

1:18:40.9

And both of them are called the Theravadin or to some extent called Hinayana, but they don’t like it.

1:19:04.5

One has to be very careful about that because it is easy that we in the Mahayana tradition call them Hinayana without paying much attention. So, people who are following the Hinayana tradition, like Thais, Burmese, Sri Lankans, even to some extent the Indians, they don’t like it.

1:20:07.3

I believe about 10 years ago there was a Buddhist conference in Ann Arbor I believe. And a large one. Some people without realizing just used the word Hinayana, and a couple of monks at the top got so angry about it and got up and left.

1:20:45.9

So, one has got to be careful about their feelings. So, we call them Theravardin-yana, meaning self-liberating, rather than referring them as small vehicle.

1:21:11.6

Yeah, if you call them that, that goes friendship, you know. And Mahayana sounds like you have a Mercedes, and a Rolls-Royes. (Laugh) … even though it is a broken one that doesn’t go as far as two miles. You can lock them in the garage.

1:22:13.5

Maybe you get a vintage car value sometimes. Anyway, so the principles of Theravadin, no matter it is Úrâvakayâna or Pratyekabuddhayâna is self-liberating. It is not that they don’t have compassion. They too have very strong compassion, but the principal concern is yourself.

1:23:06.4

So, the question remains to them is “How do I get free?” And, that is the purpose. That’s what they stick to. So, that is called self-liberating. And, the Mahayana goes one step beyond, saying that “All right, I know how to perform liberating myself, but what about the persons I care? How can I walk away?”

1:23:56.2

So, that goes to the extent beyond and beyond. Actually, compassion to all beings means first begin with the persons you care, like your own family, your own children, and then extend it to your parents, and on and on to friends, and friends of friends. Ultimately it becomes everybody who are connected in some way. That’s how you develop compassion actually.

1:24:45.7

So, totally dedicated for benefiting others, yet you seek total liberation to yourself for others. So, it is sort of a two-pronged mind. One mind totally dedicates to benefiting everybody. When you are totally dedicating to everybody, then you raise the question “How can I help everybody? What capabilities that I have now to be able to help others?”. I have even problem helping one person and that is myself. Then I have another problem helping the other one, my companion.

1:26:15.8

I even can’t talk to him or her because the message doesn’t go through. There is a tremendous difference that comes from the other side, you know. You know that, right? We do know that. Whenever we want to talk to somebody, it is very hard to get the message through. There are layers and layers of differences from the other side.

1:27:04.5

(a) Stubbornness, (b) pride, (c) they think they know better than you do, no matter whoever might be. There are layers after layers of differences. Even yourself, first you shutdown, you don’t want to hear about it. On the second level, you may open up a little bit, but you have a tremendous amount of doubt.

1:28:04.2

And, third level, the doubt is reduced a little, but it comes with tremendous suspicion. And, then finally, maybe, sort of half open and half shut, then you may be open, but you have an unfocused camera.

1:28:40.9

And, then we need a lot of effort and focus to work, but you are still hesitant to push the shutter button (on a camera). So, since you have hesitated for so long, even if you try to push the shutter button, you shake. So, it didn’t work well.

1:29:34.3

These are the internal layers of steps [???]. And, very similar to other, or maybe even more, such as pride. Even if you think a person is a wonderful symbol and humble, all of a sudden you feel surprises.

1:30:59.5

When you see that to the others, naturally you have yourself the same thing. It is almost like a self-reflection, sometimes. So, it is very hard to get through even a single person.

1:31:26.5

So, you need the best two that you can get. That’s why, they say Buddhahood, because it is all knowing, enlightened. So, if there is something to be known, it is at the best level. That is why Buddhahood is relevant and should be your goal.

1:32:05.6

Though Tibetan Buddhism introduces you that your goal should be to become a buddha, but the relevancy of buddha starts here and now.

1:32:26.0

And, here, the relevance doesn’t really rise. Even the Theravadin tradition, they don’t tell you Buddhahood is your goal. So, their ultimate goal is nirvana.