Archive Result

Soundfile 19951209GRJHNLWE 5

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location

Topic

Transcriber Xin Yan

Date 02.11.2020

Recording starts at 0:00:02.9

Its needs lots of pre-preparation for the individual. It is not going to be ready-made TV dinner. Or instant TV dinner. So it needs lot of work to do before you really get what it is. That’s why it is hard to talk right now. So what you really need to know in this, what you really need to do in this is deeply looking into the mind. Urhmmm earlier so far what we talk to you is we only talk to you how the emotions grow, how its function, how you can handle. Now, what I’m telling you to look deeply in that is meaning - who is that mind? Who is that mind, which is that mind which is really affecting by those negative emotions. So when you begin to look in that, you’ll start losing there’s some single point where you can really point this out - this is the one. So seen that, recognizing that and every events that functioning out of that is the manifestation of that particular mind. It’s the emptiness of the anyway…mind only school thoughts of emptiness?? (please recheck) [0:02:44.9 to 0:02:53.3] [0:03:00.9]

So whether that is true emptiness or not, but that is will be very very helpful for us. Because every single thing what we are functioning, every single thing what we are functioning is functioning with crucial insight. And it is really finding its something else. You know when you watch these movie, the television series, I’m not sure whether its here, I’m sure its here. This Star Trek movies and then they go in some different places try to discover something. Very often, right? And they landed in some area where some kind of some another elements controlling every environment in certain areas. You find that very often in Star Trek, right? And then finally Captain Cup goes up there and find out its some kind of electronic machine which is controlling for another for hundred years or something and you find that all the time right? In Star Trek? And just like that, just like that. The engineers will discover there is no Queen Ant but it’s simply combination of certain things together being functioning. Okay. So that combination of functioning is real thing. And that combination of functioning is overwhelming. Whether it is fate, whether its love whether its affection whatever or anger – it functions perfectly within the individual. [0:06:14.3]

People get positive effect, very strong, almost you cannot control it. You almost cry, you (unclear) , you do all these [0:06:31.8 to 0:06:36.1] You also get negative anger effect, so much some people get so angry, they will shake their body completely as though you’re getting into fits or trance or something. And all of them are functioning on the combination. Combination of the traditional (not traditional, sorry), combination of the long-standing karmic and the condition – the condition which will spark on the original karma so you have those urhmm positive or the negative ‘fits’. And it’s not necessarily bad, not necessarily good. You know what I mean? Those emotional fits are not necessarily negative, not necessarily positive and its love, compassion-oriented, natural - then it’s positive. And if it’s originated by anger, jealousy, hatred - then it’s negative. ‘Fits’ itself is not positive or negative. It depends on the mind itself. [0:08:41.2]

Then somebody asked me earlier, is it the mind what you are talking is the same as Buddha nature? No. Buddha nature is something different. Buddha nature is the free of those negative emotions. And it is the, it might not be free of positive emotions, but it’s also free of the ‘fits’ of the positive emotions. *Rimpoche chuckles* Buddha nature is mind which is growing mind. We too have that, but we have not fully developed. If it’s fully developed, we should not have problem. That very fact we face the problem is indication of that Buddha nature is not fully grown. So as karma, I think you have a question. Would you mind repeat your question?

Audience: Question was….how far can we…deal with emotions stem from previous life? (too soft, audio unclear) [from 0:10:22.3 to 0:10:38.3]

Rimpoche: No, he’s not from Holland (Rimpoche told the translator). But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t speak Dutch. *Rimpoche and audience laughs* Anyway, urhmm…some of those emotions are so powerful, so powerful as I’m telling you, whether it’s positive or negative and one of those Bodhisattvas does have very strong, powerful positive emotions. [0:11:46.7]

And that positive emotions are not something you have to get rid of. On the contrary, it should be further developed and it should be grown within the individual. Urhm…I forgot now the word. One of the signs of the Bodhisattva who are eligible to develop the absolute Bodhimind which is the wisdom oriented – wisdom oriented compassion. The sign of that is shedding tears, shaking bodies and the emotional level is so strong you can’t even cope with it. I don’t remember the word exactly but these are the indications that you are eligible to develop absolute and relative Bodhimind within you. And you don’t have to worry bout it. And these emotions are not on the way. But the negative emotions on the contrary, when it’s powerful, its’ on the way! So that is something you have to get rid of. And no matter how big, how powerful, how strong it might be, you can definitely get rid of. [0:14:24.4]

Buddha managed. Many the person who follow the Buddha up to the my late masters, they all have managed. And there are other people to manages, lots. And why not me? Point the finger on your own nose, ‘I’m not that bad person, I’m not that mean person. Why can’t I do it?’ There is no reason. You can underestimate yourself, you can deprive yourself the opportunity. But is it worth? Definitely not. Your life, what you have is precious, capable. You have no idea the value of this life, to tell you the truth. You may underestimate yourself, you will do, you do underestimate yourself all the time! “Oh, I didn’t do it. I finished it. I blew it. I’m the worst, I’m terrible. I’m miserable. I’m bad person.” - We always do that. You know what you doing? You’re giving the shelter to the Queen Ant. It is the Queen Ant who doesn’t want you to do something better. It is the Queen Ant who like to have all the protection of the different negative emotions. It is the Queen Ant who had completely put you under her control, under her palm. So would you still like to do that? Haven’t we had enough? I’m sure we had enough. Better give ourself opportunity now. Because you do have opportunity right under your own nose. [0:17:25.6 ]

You have a very capable human life. The human life which been able to deliver the Buddhahood to Buddha. The human life which been able to deliver enlightenment to all other great masters in this world. The human life which has been capable of achieving scientific development is also the same life what we have. Einstein does not have double brain, don’t believe so. And same thing what we have. It is matter how you use it. If you make best use of it, we have that. We have spiritual path. We have intelligency which will be able to handle that. We do that friends who can guide and share with us. Hence this is the opportunity. If you want it slip under your nose, go ahead! Its not mine, its yours! *Rimpoche laughs* True! Really true! Think about it. And the time when you have to do, is do now! Because it changes. It changes. It change within individual, it changes within the environment. So when environment has right time, when you have good opportunity, if you don’t take advantage, you going to be loser, I tell you. [0:20:08.0]

So for Buddhist, what we do? When we don’t achieve anything yet, when you have its danger of it?? (please recheck) [0:20:20.2] We take refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. I;m not asking you to become a Buddhist, that’s the things like that within the Buddhism. Taking refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, you really truly look down. It’s actually taking refuge to your own ultimate achievement. .

I’d like to emphasize this. Because in the west, the moment I use word ‘taking refuge to Buddha’, you think probably you have to stand in front of the Buddha image and bow 3 times and say ‘I’m here to submit to you’. It’s not. Taking refuge to Buddha means your own baby Buddha try to mature that. Making that stall??, the making the positive eye, the good eye, making its stall? (pls recheck this) [0:21:51.9 to 0:22:12.7] It’s really taking refuge with Buddha. Taking refuge through dharma does not mean you have to bow down to the monks or the nuns for that matter. Building a positive emotions, cutting down negative emotions and birthing positive nasal within you? (unsure of this, please recheck) [0:22:46.1] It is the truly taking refuge through dharma. Taking refuge through sangha is also same thing - through using the sangha friend to benefit yourself. These are basically what really taking refuge is all about, if you rip off the religion cloth off, that’s what you really get at. [0:23:39.8]

So then the first and foremost thing what you do is - seek freedom. Freedom from the negativities, freedom from the sufferings. That is the main essence of Buddhist practice. We call it Buddhist practice, but it is the really through the human practice. Just take off the word “Buddhist” and then that’s human beings do that. You know what Americans say? “The freedom is the goal and freedom is the whatever it is”. Anyway. So you know there’s freedom, liberty and reason that it’s the big thing they put on their mouth, right? Right? Equality and liberty and democracy and freedom and all these. And that is because …??? We know we want that. (unclear) [0:24:59.4 to 0:25:01.5] And the same thing with spiritual. Spiritually we also need freedom. Free of negative emotions, free of sufferings, equal achievement, like whatever the Buddha achieved, we want achieve that, we are looking for equality! So it is democracy. *Rimpoche laughs* Freedom, democracy and equality is this spiritual quality we also need it. So that’s what we call it. [0:26:09.8]

Basic practice. There is something call the Lam Rim. And first step in the Lam Rim is these are the steps. And the making the individual to realize we are not absolutely yet. Making the individual to find out we can become free, making the individual to recognize how can we become more free. This is the second level, commonly the medium level we call it. We talked Four Noble Truth, this is essence how you can get freedom. Once you get the freedom of that, and then what about other people? The caring, the love, the compassion – those are the subject to raise. So this is the, and when you raised those subject, I don’t think I’m going to talk much on that you know. Because then I’m carried away. So better stop.

So anyway. These are the subject. These are the points you have to deal with yourself, you have to deal with others, as much as you seeking freedom, they all seeking freedom. And your dearest, the person you love the most, they all seeking same thing. Same condition, same situation. So that’s why you need love and compassion. Without love and compassion, you are hard person. There is no good human being who doesn’t have compassion. Ya, the compassion is very much part of our life. We only need to develop that a little bit, which we can. And if you do so, you going to achieve tremendously. [0:29:49.1]

So, this is the Lam Rim. And the Lam Rim is deemed as the solution to be able your negative emotions. Okay? If you take Lam Rim as a solution, that’s how it works. If you take Lam Rim as some kind of text, you follow the text and try to see these, and then it doesn’t work. Then it’s become a philosophy. We don’t need it. Let philosophers worry bout it. But what we need is take that Lam Rim practice as a solution for our problem. Okay, to held rules ??? (unclear) [0:30:54.3], pick up anything useful and apply to yourself. Okay? If you do that, you’re helping yourself. Okay.

Now it’s the real commercial time. The commercial is – Jewel Heart is here. (what is it now? What do you say?) Jewel Heart is here provides Lam Rim practice! Ya! We do! And we do in such a way it is become a more applicable to the individual emotional problems rather than following traditional texts and going to go according to that manner. [0:31:59.2]

And way and how we do is also to make it free to everybody to raise question, to raise your own problem and to find solution way that. If you don’t do that, then you going to in some kind of restricted structure which is going to be philosophical or some difficult problem. Thus so far, what we’ve done in Jewel Heart, whether it is in Netherland or United States or whether its Asia, wherever it is. We have made that big open to deal with your own emotional negative problems. What we have done, what we’ve been doing is true to the Tibetan tradition, yet are total freedomship to deal with your own personal negative problems what we have at that moment. Picking solutions out of the traditional way and apply in today’s problem. And that has been our stronghold so far. So it’s been helpful to the people. Okay. Is this good commercial? *Audience laughs* I guess I’m almost finishing to say whatever I have to say. Coming to the end. [0:34:57.8]

Rimpoche: What did you say?

Audience: (inaudible) [0:34:57.8 to 0:35:10.6]

Rimpoche: That’s a good one. *Rimpoche laughs* You know what that means? That commercial’s not good. *Rimpoche laughs* Anyway, so the according to the traditional Tibetan teachings, according to the Buddha’s message, the steps and the things been given in Lam Rim is really the solution how you can work with it. And that’s why we can able to speak the negative emotions without having Buddhist quote. And Buddhist quote is not important, the quote, is not important. Effect to the individual, help to the individual, that is important. Okay. So whether you have short hair or long hair doesn’t matter. Or even if don’t have hair that’s also okay. *Rimpoche laughs* but you can’t go without having hair ?? (please recheck this) [0:36:46.8] So that’s what it is. Any questions? You know. [0:36:54.5]

(unclear audio) [0:36:59.0 to 0:37:04.4]

Audience: Rimpoche, could you explain once more the connection between wisdom and emptiness? He finds it rather contradictory because wisdom always need ?? (didn’t get the last word) [0:37:29.9]

Rimpoche: In Buddhist terminology, the emptiness, understanding of emptiness is called wisdom. Urhmm… the reason is empty of what ignorance think is there, which we call Queen Ant. Once you recognize that the big dictator is not there, that is called wisdom, so that is called empty. That’s the void, the void of loss of big Queen Ant. That’s emptiness as well as wisdom. And once you have that actually, where and how you look and approach to all things are totally different. You find the lesser attachment, you find the lesser stinginess, you find the lesser angry. And its almost you find the life is meaningless. And then you have to learn it again, opposite - How the meaningful the life is, how important the compassion is and then afterwards that wisdom basically oriented compassion as origin, compassion as origin of that wisdom. And once you get that and you altogether. Thankyou. [0:40:27.0] Yes lady?

Audience: Why do we keep thinking there is Queen Ant?

Rimpoche: Because we are all habitual. We cannot accept there is no Queen Ant, actually. We are working for it. We are protecting that. Anything comes on that, we have to behave like a porcupine. This is our addiction. You know people who are addicted to smoking and drinking? They know it’s bad but they can’t stop because you’re addicted. And we don’t even know the Queen Ant is not there. Simply I told you today, I introduced you Queen Ant and then I told you there’s no Queen Ant. But you don’t know! Right? Once you know it, even you know it, you will not be able to accept that way. Because you’re addicted. And it’s easy for me to introduce you because we function in that way. And simply I said it’s not there but you didn’t really know it. Because the addiction is standing there. And to get out of that addiction, you need efforts, you need merit, you need accumulation of positive karma and you need purification – all works together. And that’s why praying, meditating, saying mantras and thinking analyzing, studying all works together. Okay? Thankyou. [0:43:22.3] Yes, lady over here.

Audience: Then is this Queen Ant our conditioning because which we put all sorts of demands on ourselves, because we don’t feel comfortable otherwise?

Rimpoche: I’m sorry I didn’t get you.

Translator attempts to explain: Well, her question is, this Queen Ant is that our conditioning, our conditioning because we put all sorts of demands on ourselves just to feel comfortable.

Rimpoche: Yes, in one way. And also on other hand we also feel that we are protecting ourself. Go ahead.

Audience: Protecting against these demands we put on ourselves?

Rimpoche: We put all these demands to ourselves, thinking we are protecting from somebody. The Queen Ant will never think you’re protecting from yourself, you always think you’re protecting from somebody. “I’ve been looked down, I’ve been….meaningless, I’ve been dismissed.” You know all sorts of “I, I, I” we come up because that’s what it is. Watch that little carefully how this negative emotions raised. We talked earlier, if you observe it, its going to be very helpful for you. at the beginning, one may not be able to observe the Queen Ant carefully but you can observe how other negative mental faculties are functioning. [0:46:18.2]

(No audio) [0:46:20.5 to 0:46:45.1]

(Dutch translation audible) [0:46:45.1 to 0:46:48.0]

Rimpoche: Otherwise all the negative emotions will come and block you. This is true. The way and how its being stuck out within individual, it is big war between the positive and negative side. And that yourself is at stake. That’s how it is. (Rimpoche said a phrase in Tibetan starting with Tri Gem Tu BA??) or one of those great Tibetan teacher who have been American ??, wisdom guide (please recheck this whole sentence) [0:47:27.1 to 0:47:35.9] Urhm has put up a sort of thing call worry as this and worry at that and its sort of elaborated manner in which how the negative and the positive emotions strangled each other. He put up like a Shambala war and Shambala warrior and all this. It is a little over-exaggerated way of presenting but very helpful. He was very good old friend of mine. But I learnt a lot urhmm….from his deeds after he passed away. The reason is because when you dealing with the western mind, you begin to realize ‘Oh! That’s why he did this.’ And understanding lot of them. “Oh yea, that’s why he did this! Why he’s doing this’. When he’s alive, I keep on thinking ‘what is he doing, why he acting so crazy bla bla bla..’ but then afterwards you begins to realize why he did this because begin to see the western mind. And when you really see the western mind and emotions, how it functions - it make a hell lot sense what he did. [0:49:29.9]

I only wish we had talked then when he’s alive. *Rimpoche chuckles* We don’t have to …???, I don’t have to go through…?? (unclear audio) [0:50:07.9 to 0:50:11.5] *Rimpoche laughs* So that’s what it is. Any other question? Yes, sir.

Audience: (there is a Dutch translation of the question but the question in English is inaudible) [0:50:21.7 to 0:50:55.9]

Rimpoche: I’m very happy with that. You know the psychologist, psychotherapist I said yesterday we have a problem. And only one problem. And that is getting to the bottom of the source of the problem, blaming the bearded uncle or the bearded father. Remember that? If you can go back to the past life, and if you can go back there. You taking blame this life and your problem is getting, the source of the problem you’re getting much deeper. That will be helpful. Just simply remembering past life isn’t wonderful trip. No so much effective on individual but good thing to do. That’s my opinion. I’m sorry. Robert?

Audience: (response/question inaudible) [0:52:44.7 to 0:52:54.7]

Rimpoche: I don’t think so.

Audience: (someone said something but inaudible) [0:52:57.2 to 0:53:00.9]

Rimpoche: I don’t think so. I don’t think so. The reason simply I don’t think so it’s because finding source what happened last month and finding source what had happened at childhood make difference. Its taking one more step behind that to make more difference. Barbara? [0:53:41.9]

Audience: This morning we talked about someone raised a question if it’s possible to work with Buddhism when you don’t believe in reincarnation and it turned out that for you Rimpoche, and probably for another people in this room, it’s the matter of course that reincarnation is reality. Now question is if reincarnation is not a nature of course for you, if you do not accept that reality, if its not a nature of course, is it still possible to involve with Buddhism?

Rimpoche: Oh sure. Why not? Definitely. The whole thing what I talked to you this morning and last night, dealing with our negative emotions and all these - is totally Buddhism to me. That’s only I know. So that’s totally Buddhism. I didn’t talk about reincarnation. It came only after that question. Sure. Maybe I’m not good Buddhist. Because you know when I look in Buddhism, I don’t look at very conventional way. I look very positive way. I look Buddhism as some kind of solution for the problem of the people, how to handle the people’s problem. I don’t look Buddhism as worshipping. True. So maybe I’m not good Buddhist. I don’t know. Hopefully not. But I look in that way. So thank you. Anyway. There’s one more question. Okay. [0:56:50.4]

Audience: Is fear also an emotion or why don’t we talk about that?

Rimpoche: Fear. We talk lot. We went from the temporary fear to the vampire fear. Remember? *Rimpoche chuckles* We did talk lot, really. But what we did not talk is the normal conventional western fear. You know, somebody suddenly come out of your closet. *Audience laughs* we didn’t talk about that. Well, I guess I would like to say I’m very happy to be here. The time what you’ve spent last night and today have some help to you and the solutions problems what we discussed. We have some different look for your life, where and how you look in your life. I hope you will find something slightly different than you always used to. And if that’s happening, it worked. There’s some work. If that’s not happening, we wasted time. I’m sorry. As far as I’m concerned, I did try to share with you based on my personal knowledge whatever I have, experience, without using philosophical or Buddhist quote and colour. And I can simply pray now for you all to have a good, positive, long, nice life. Even though you might not be good Buddhist, but you can still pray. *Rimpoche laughs* [1:00:23.0] Okay,

I’m sure you have some announcement to make? No No, first we have some announcement to make. Can you please pass the mic to her so she doesn’t have to get up. That’s all I can understand. (someone said something in Dutch)

Then I would like to say thank you so much and very happy to spend time with you and would like to thank you for the organizers of the Jewel heart, the sangha members who had been working very hard and try to help themselves and help others. I’m deeply grateful to all of them. And I’m also grateful to the senior people who try to share their personal way of learning with those who are coming again and try to learn more. And above all, I would like to thank you for everybody who been coming here, taking interest to helping yourself. This is the key. Helping yourself is the key. You can only help yourself. No one else can help you. You can only make difference in your life. Don’t miss opportunity. You can do it. You are the only person who can help you. You can get help, assistance from here and there, you can get assistance from Jewel Heart, you can get assistant from me, you can get that but you are the only one who will make difference to your life. So when you come here and spend time and listening, it shows you have interest. I’m grateful for that. Thank you. And I like to encourage that. I also like to thank ….(I didn’t get the name of the translator) for [1:02:33.1] translating and all of you organizing, everybody. Thank you so much. [1:02:40.0]

Okay that’s it. Lets pray together. That works too. [1:03:44.4]

(start of a prayer which I don’t recognize) [1:03:49.3 to 1:04:46.2]