Archive Result

Soundfile 19960404GRBH3P

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location Bloomfield Hills

Topic Three Principles of the Path

Transcriber Jill Neuwirth

Date 1/13/2021

Thank you for being here. Okay, so before I go and (Audio cuts out) [0:00:13.0] talking the subject what we’re talking tonight, I would like thank you for, Nick where are you? Oh here. For making the arrangement and it has been very nice, thank you. And according to the cards that we have and, and the, the whatever the people have mentioned here and they say they been very helpful. And the card what we- what’s that card called anyway? Audience: (Inaudible) [0:00:56.6] Rimpoche: Opinion card, so so, so, so which means it had been helpful, and I’m happy, thank you. And thank goes to you it been helpful to people. And also we have to say thank you to the Jewel Heart, whoever the Jewel Heart is. (Laughs) And thank you for arranging that. Okay, so with this then I don’t think we have any other announcement do we? Audience: Rimpoche? Rimpoche: Huh? Audience: I still have, I have a few tickets for tomorrow night (Inaudible) [0:01:36.2] come and see me afterwards.

[0:01:42.3] Rimpoche: Yeah. Allen Ginsberg has been, is also member of Jewel Heart board of directors and has been doing, try to raise some funds for Jewel Heart to be able to function and so that I can go around and share the knowledge and thoughts and also provide a base for the people to study and all this. And that’s, Allen worked very hard for number of years try to do benefit for Jewel Heart and what he can do is by reading poetry and try to sell reasonable ticket and he does everything free for Jewel Heart. And been so kind and even for today he’s, he’s in Europe and he’s flying all the way from Europe and, and then try- also not coming directly to Detroit because his ticket takes him to New York and he sits at airport for a while and then comes down. And Patti Smith also join Allen since last year so they been doing great and good help. And, and if we sell the ticket, it helps Jewel Heart, too. So that’s that. (Asks how many tickets are left) [0:03:24.2[ Anyway that’s that.

[0:03:42.9] So let’s try, let’s go back what we been talking here. The introduction of the Tibetan Buddhism and way and how we introduce the Tibetan Buddhism to you is the real essence of the Tibetan Buddhism, rather than ritualistic point of view or, and- there are empty chairs, why don’t you- are you happy to be on the floor? No? Okay. (Discusses seating) [0:04:16.2] And way and how we introduce the Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism here is not from the ritual point of view, not from the philosophical point of view, and not from the point of historical point of view, but really a practical point of view. So that’s why the, the text begin what we choose is the, the greatest Tibetan master ever came available called Tsong Khapa. 1357 to 1419. I use the word greatest. The meaning, what happened is the Buddhism really came to Tibet in seventh century and then continued. And then it sort of become a big thing by 1100s and that time still Indian teachers come into Tibet and continuously teaching things going on, but then about period of two hundred years there’s no longer Indian teachers coming and those only few teachers who came up earlier than Atisha it is then, there many interested in the magical power and only teaching how magic works and how things functions rather than that really deep down study and making difference to the people’s life is not there.

[0:06:00.6] So Tsong Khapa revolutionized all of those. And brought out together a Buddhism real in essence to make a difference to a people’s life. How people can benefit out of that Buddha’s experience and message, and how easily it can be understood. You know, Tsong Khapa did two thing, one major important point is, one major important point is, point is to show it’s not a simple like that and to satisfy the philosophical people with their philosophical ideas and thoughts. At the same time giving room for those people who simply just would like to do your work and make some practice and make difference and become closer to enlightenment level, bringing themselves to the enlightened level, so to satisfy both of them simplified and that’s why I call it greatest Tibetan teacher. And so, so the Tsong Khapas, the three most important thing which we used here. Seeking freedom for our self. And I talked already long time, I’m not going to go back. But once again, you know, we have saying in Tibetan, du ka (Quotes in Tibetan) [0:07:33.8] So meaning, when it is important and you have to make sure the message get, got through and people remember. And when it is dharma practice, or mantra saying- there are chairs available this side, you can come in, please. (Discusses seating) [0:07:59.5]

[0:08:04.5] Tam be cho la gyat sa, when you say it is something about dharma or, or mantra, or mani or something, then you have to repeat. You repeat a hundred times. So since this is both, it is dharma practice as well as- do you understand when I say dharma practice? Means that spiritual practice is called dharma practice from the Buddhist point of view. I’m talking only from the Buddhist background because that’s only I know. So that’s what it is. So, so it is both spiritual practice, and it’s important so little bit of repetition is also useful. So I’m going to repeat once again. So seeking freedom, actually this, this is silly thing right? We say that there’s no time. But then we don’t say the main thing and we say, why you want repeat the main thing again and takes like five minutes for that, right? This is funny. That’s what I did anyway, so. So, so the main point is, seeking freedom from what? Freedom from negative emotions. We went through this detail now. I’m not going to go back. Seeking freedom from negative emotions. We are not free from the negative emotions. They really catch you, catch us. And cut us down. And as long as we have to remain with the long face and say, I don’t want to talk about it. As long as we have to do this we’re not free from the negative emotions.

[0:09:56.9] And once we’re not free from the negative emotions, the problem is not the emotion itself but the, that negative emotion causes pain. Tremendous amount of pain. And I don’t have to tell you, you know it. So that’s why we need to seek freedom from the negative emotions. That is essence number one. And you may think, this fellow is talking Buddhism. I know of Buddhism called Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Paths and blah, blah, blah. But, if you really look it down at Four Noble Truth, the first truth called truth of suffering that because of that. It’s not the Buddhism emphasizing suffering, or anything else. This is the real thing. In our life what we experience, what we have it, that’s what it is. And that is the suffering what we have it. So Buddha introduced even out of four noble truth, the first truth is called truth of suffering, that’s what it is. Also second truth, is truth of cause of suffering. So what Buddha really did it is, hey, what is in my life? So he said, ah, there’s a lot of pains and miseries and difficulties. Hey, is there way out or do I have to live with this, or it is forever, what is it? So knowing it is impermanent, it is changing, so it changes, so it is not forever. It is never forever.

[0:11:39.2] There’s always way out. That’s what the Buddha found. Always way out. So way and how he tried to find, how I get out of this? And simply looking at it, if I look at the cause of my suffering, and what makes me having those pains, if I know the cause, if I can correct the cause, I’m not going to get the result because I am responsible for my own deeds. That is the basic reasons how Buddha found way out. So work with cause, not with the symptoms. So that’s why cause of suffering and he introduced as second noble truth. And these two, two, both of them, goes into this what we call it Three Principles in the first principle. Principle of seeking freedom from the negative emotions. Finding the negative emotions are the cause of negative action, negative actions make our self responsible for the sufferings we get, and that’s why this is the seeking freedom. That’s how it worked. Now I’m not going to repeat again and that is the, almost end of it, I mean end of the talk anyway, so. (Laughs) So that’s what it is.

[0:13:07.3] So, then the question comes, if there is a way out, and if there is a way out, and how do I work? So we talked all this. And now the second principle is, if I know my own situation in that manner, so what about other persons that I care lot? My companion. (Speaks to audience about seating) [0:13:30.6] My companion, my friend, my dear, the near ones, what should I do? Right? And that’s the question comes. In that question if I am suffering, every one of them have the same problem. It is not unique on me but everybody does have the same problem. So then question of the caring comes up. Caring. And love. And compassion comes up and that becomes second thing. That’s what we talk the other night. And so love and compassion will only work if we have love and compassion to our self. Normally when you sort of- the moment we say love compassion, we sort of look outwardly, you know. That’s what we do. But also Buddha repeatedly told us we also must do inwardly. So it is good old American expression what you call it, charity begins at home. It really works, it’s true. It’s true. That’s what it is.

[0:14:52.0] So the love compassion also begins at home. Love compassion to on our self, and then seeing other people, same condition as we are, and then caring others. So the second principle will follow the first principle, because if the first principle’s not properly got within our self, then the second principle will also be above this. This is Tibetan way of explaining. Means lip service. Only above there, doesn’t mean from down there. Only above here. I’m sorry I get the old Tibetan culture back and particularly since my brother came very recently from Tibet. He’s taking the photo around. So he had the same old, old, old Tibet expressions coming back so I started saying above here. (Laughs) Meaning it’s only lip service and doesn’t really get to it because you don’t have the feeling. You really don’t have the feeling. You know, the feeling of the pains and problems that we have, and feel what other people’s really feeling. And when you don’t have that feeling, the people’s pain, and your love and caring will become- how strong the feeling is, it go according to that. Let it be there. So out of this Three Principle of the Path, love compassion what we’re talking is not an ordinary love compassion he’s talk, no, no. Extraordinary love compassion. Extraordinary.

[0:16:30.2] Extraordinary love compassion here is the, I mean, looking- you know, interesting. Once Ram Dass and I was doing a workshop together with Ram Dass. And Ram Dass look at me and told the audience, hey, he says or the Dalai Lama told him or something he’s use whatever it is. He said, look everybody as a mother beings, on your own mother. That’s what he just said it in that. So what he meant at that period, is when this extraordinary love and compassion is the love and compassion that equals to all sentient beings, all beings. That means not only every human beings and but every living beings. Every living beings. Everybody that living around including ants and cockroaches and all of them what we don’t want it. All of them. That’s what it is. So every living beings. Not only having love and compassion to, not only a caring, caring them with like my own mother.

[0:17:49.3] That is what old expression in the Tibet Buddhism that’s why everybody look like mother you know, love to everybody like mother. So when you talk about the mother, we’re not- you should not be thinking a particularly in America we should not be thinking our self as kid or the children and thinking the mother other side and then try to look love and compassion, no. Because I don’t know whether you’re going to get love and compassion, or you’re going to get something else. And because when you talk to everybody they’ll say, oh it’s my mother you know, all this right. So but if you look from the mother’s point of view, and from the mother’s point of view, now this is wrong for me to say because I’ve never been mother. But those of you who been mother, you know it. From the mother’s point of view, they care for the children. And you really surprised. You say- I mean they will do anything. That’s what it is. So that is the mother’s love to children.

[0:18:53.6] So do not think, you know the moment you say the mothers you know, you don’t think as a, as a yourself here, and the mother you, sort of you, sort of fed up or whatever it is you don’t look in that way. But look in other way. Look in other way. If you’re mother and how much you’re going to care your child. Those of you been mother, they know. And those of us who been, now I can’t include myself. But those of you people who been father they been watching it. And those of us who have girlfriends and things like that we can watch them and see them anyway, so. That’s what it is. So I can include myself in there too. I like to say it clearly. Because many time people think I’m a monk. Because I talk like in that manner and I share people in that manner, and think, they think I’m a monk. And also call it Lama Gehlek Rimpoche whatever it is. So they think I am a monk. I’m not. So that’s what it is. But I’m still Lama. (Laughs) I still claim my title. That’s what it is.

[0:19:58.2] So anyway, love and compassion. How does you care for the people? It is the really the feeling, the deep feeling of caring. That is the love and compassion. How strong it is. How strong it is, it is the, the strongest possible. Like a only a single, one mother who has only one child, how much she cares for that child. And that much feelings we share to all beings. All beings. Not all human beings, but all beings. Every existence. Every living beings. That includes everything that has life. And that is what mean, what it mean extraordinary compassion, okay? Now my subject for today is wisdom. The last principle. The principle of wisdom. So what kind of wisdom are we talking about it? And each and every, actually truly speaking though they, it been divided into three categories, but the real point, the real point is actually, actually, truly, the wisdom is begin right from the beginning. Learned from the hearing, or learning, and understanding, and, and developing feelings, all of those are the real wisdom we’re getting.

[0:21:33.0] The right from the beginning, the you know, way, how it’s functions, what it is, and that is beginning of wisdom. But still, the wisdom is labeled separately. Why? Because it is an extremely important. Without proper wisdom, no matter how much, no matter how much we work hard, we don’t get it. So that’s why the wisdom is extremely important. And what type of wisdom are we talking about it? Just, just every knowledge? Sure. Every knowledge is wisdom. But here, we are also looking extraordinary wisdom. That’s what we’re looking for. Extraordinary wisdom. It is very funny, the wisdom what I wanted to talk to you according to the Buddhist terminology, we call it emptiness. Emptiness. Emptiness. And I’m sure you have heard there’s a famous Buddhist sutra called Heart Sutra. Many of you have heard, many of you don’t have heard. But it is a, it is a quite a popular in the United States. So if you started reading the Heart Sutra, the Heart Sutra says, tang pa ne la (Quotes in Tibetan) [0:23:15.1] You heard that, right? So emptiness has no form, no, no, no sound, no taste, no touch, no this, no this, no eye, no nose, no nothing. All of those.

[0:23:32.2] It actually tell you there’s nothing. So that’s why it’s called emptiness. But it doesn’t really mean there is no nose, no eye, no- I do have nose. Even, no matter how small it might be, how flat it might be. It is nose. It is ear. All this, we do. So what does that mean? I do not know how to present this, I’m having problem tonight. Why? I’m not worried about it, about talk, but I’m worried about it if I give you misinformation, though I will not give you misinformation, but if you misunderstood me it creates difficulty. Tang pa nyi la (Quotes in Tibetan) [0:24:26.4] Is if you look around in the emptiness, it will do disservice rather than, rather than service more. And example they’re giving by the Buddha himself is chi dre (Quotes in Tibetan) [0:24:44.5] If you catch the poison snake wrong way, you get into trouble. Or also use mantra for, for black magic rather than white magic. So it is harmful. Like that word. So emptiness is something very interesting. So having said all this, and, and we present it as a third principle and also all of you here to hear the emptiness wisdom anyway. So what do I do? So I have to say something. (Laughs)

[0:25:29.9] So what does that emptiness really mean by Buddha? And it’s not saying it’s not there. So not there. So what it is? What are they talking about it? They’re talking about something whatever we are perceiving. How we perceive things. And there’s a something wrong in that. That’s what it is. Way and how we perceive things are something wrong with this. Are you with me? What we perceiving things is actually, absolutely, an absolute thing reality. It is something complete, concrete, everlasting, permanent, once it is done it’s a done, and nothing can be changed. You know what I mean? So that is the basically we perceive things, though we know it is impermanent. Though we know everything is going to change. But however, what we’re perceiving is we’re perceiving something complete, concrete, solid, whatever it is, it is. And we don’t think twice what we see. We don’t think twice what we hear. We don’t think twice what we perceive and that is the problem. So Buddha’s wisdom over here, yes, it is true, you have seen it, you have heard, you have felt, it is true. But it might not be an absolute true. You know what I mean? So the Buddha always try to introduce two truth.

[0:27:48.7] Normally we say, whatever it may be, truth has to be one, it is yes, then it’s no is wrong. And if it’s no, it is then yes is wrong. That’s what we perceive, don’t we? Whether OJ Simpson is guilty or not guilty, Can’t be both, right? So that’s what it is. So we say that way. So the Buddha tried to always say, you cannot have black and white in that way. There’s always two truth. The relative truth and absolute truth. Je de (Quotes in Tibetan) [0:28:31.3] So there’s the Buddha’s personal experience is, he says, I found there is two truth. The relative truth and absolute truth, and both are true. This is very non-American, I’m sorry if there’s a problem. (Laughing) Yeah that, that’s what it is. So what do you mean by the relative truth? And what do you mean by the absolute truth? So that question automatically rises. So when you say, what you mean by relative truth? Is the usual truth what we can see, feel, touch, and smell it, hold it, and real thing what, whatever is happening here. Whatever it is, there’s the real thing. Real truth. What we call it real truth. To that level is Buddha labeled them as relative truth. There’s nothing wrong, it is true. It’s happening, it is functioning.

[0:29:54.9] And then simultaneously in absolute reality, in absolute reality, there is nothingness. There is nothingness. Are you with me? So when you do something, when you felt, touch, and all this, it is true. It serve purpose. When you go beyond that level, and try to deep, really deep down inside somewhere and you cannot find and say, this is it. There’s no pinpoint. Am I making any sense at all? Thank you. You know I’m really afraid of, you know, talking completely out of that thing, you know? So, so that’s what it is. So, hi! Here’s Allen. Hey Allen, welcome. Come in, now. Come in. (Audience applauds) Allen. Hey, hey, here. (Speaks to audience about seating) [0:31:09.3] That’s what it is. So then absolute truth, in absolute truth and there is emptiness. There’s empty. It is not really that much. So what’s happening is, even it is done deal over here, in the relative level, so it is still changeable. Still changeable. And so that’s why absolute truth there’s always room for change. Are you with me? So even we did something wrong, terribly wrong, terribly bad thing, it is bad, bad, no doubt. But still not the end of the world. Because you can always, it is always change.

[0:32:07.3] The negativities are not permanent fixture. So it’s changeable. I’m try to remember one word to quote you but, ka la don (Quotes in Tibetan) [0:32:29.4] Nagarjuna. One who can accept emptiness, and that person, and every change is possible. Everything is possible. There’s room for everything. Ka la tu nyi (Quotes in Tibetan) [0:32:50.9] One who, one who cannot take as emptiness in the nature, nothing can be done because it is whatever it is, it is fixed and unchangeable, ever permanent, forever, whatever you call it. So in the Buddha’s true recovery the wisdom, is there is no such a really thing, thing called completely static, unchangeable. Whether it is beings, or material, or whatever. Whatever it is. Anything. Buddha also keep on telling 2,500 years ago, there is a no such a item you can call it, this is it. There is no tiny, tiny subtle, yes complete subtle, item that you cannot divide anymore. He said you never find that.

[0:33:59.6] That is, that is the reason why the Buddha will say there is nothing will come as this is it. That is the real, true wisdom. I’m try to make as simple as possible. But what normally people do, people say, oh, the Buddha’s wisdom is called emptiness so I must go and look for emptiness. And I must look for something empty. So if you try to look in empty zero, in looking into zero you’re going to find zero. You’re not, you’re not going to find anything look in zero you’re going to get zero. So that’s not the point. The point is, the, the real wisdom is you look how you exist. How you exist. So when you keep on looking through the Buddha says, when you, when you keep on looking through how did I exist? You’re going to find you exist only on the dependent. You exist dependently. Only the, you, you’re depend on many things. Meaning you depend on body, you depend on mind, you, you depend on the combination, all of them. You cannot exist independently.

[0:35:39.8] Do you know? We depend. If we lose our body, we lose something. We need a body. Maybe not this body, something else. I’m try to tell you reincarnation. (Laughs) Something else. (Laughing) Yeah, really. Continuation of a body. Continuation of identity. And a mind which remain within that. And, and even the feelings, feelings. Something there’s inside, somebody who feel, and outside something to touch, and then you feel it, feeling comes. You perceive, you get the feeling because on the combination of it. Are you with me? (Speaks to audience) [0:36:34.8] So that’s what it is. You with me? Audience: Yeah. Rimpoche: Thank you. You too? Okay. So the dependent, you know? So, so the empty of independent perceiving, independent feeling, independent of it. So the dependent. So every existence is dependently. We very much depend on everything. From our point of view you may think, I am, I did it everything, it’s me and it’s me only. No. Depend so much condition. The, the time. The work. The helper. The assistant. Everything combined together.

[0:37:46.5] We very much dependently exist. And when you find dependently exist, when you go deeper through that, and then you really think what it means empty of it. I actually taught independent. This is not a perfect Buddha’s emptiness, however that’s where we can understand and that’s how we move from here. And I wanted to always have it some kind of small, little word where really tells you essence of it emptiness, and be keep on, I read, I read a lot of Tibetan books. I read for almost over the last 58 years or whatever. I, I sort of attempted to say last 60 years I been reading it, reading it, reading it. Sometime I notice, sometime I don’t notice. And today I wanted to look the- I found one very, very short commentary on that Three Principles of the Path and by some another author, skim something 17, 1700s. I meant to look at that. And I took the book out of all the collected works and couldn’t look. And while driving down on here I looked, I got a little time because Kathy was kind enough to drive. So I got a little time to put the light on, I read it. And I found one word I would like to share that with you here. When they’re talking about the emptiness wisdom the, ta wa chi (Quotes in Tibetan) [0:39:47.3] This is amazing.

[0:40:06.0] So the question rises, it says, what is the real wisdom? How do I use? Give me one word answer. Say, nang du (Quotes in Tibetan) [0:40:21.3] How what you perceive, and what you see, and what is the reality, the empty at the back. You cannot separate them. If you separate them, then you’re wrong. You go wrong. So the whatever you’re perceiving, you know I told you earlier the relative truth and absolute truth, right? So, so do not separate them. The relative truth is whatever’s happening and what we see and feel it and touch it. That is appearance and perceiving. The real empty in there nothingness is, I shouldn’t look separate or contradicting to each other and find them functioning together on single object such as myself. Such as me. Finding them functioning without contradicting each other. Each other. And when you begin to know this, then it is the beginning of the absolute wisdom which is capable of delivering total enlightenment to the individual, it is begin. That, that’s all I found.

[0:41:52.7] I wanted share that with you because that’s struck to me because and I’ll look everywhere, everything, but this one has so little word. It said, do not make a contradiction between the absolute truth and relative truth. And find way how it works together on one subject like myself, such as myself, meaning everybody to yourself. Once you begin to find this is the real truth of existence, and now the when you, once you discover the real truth of existence is the, then it is the diffusion of the all our mystery of life existence and the whole life itself. You really get into the deep truth. And once you see the truth, this is the on- this is the key which cuts all the ignorance, and dualistic, and all our negative emotions. Each and every one of those negative emotions are perceiving things wrong. Appearing to them it’s wrong. This is the, what you call it, the real troublemaker which makes the individual perceive everything wrong. No, all our (Audio cuts) [0:43:37.5] the wisdom is the light. And it is the ultimate key.

[0:43:46.3] But this wisdom what I talked to you today, it’s not so easy as all our last seven or eight weeks whatever we spent, because that is the we’re dealing with our life, we’re dealing with our love compassion. But the wisdom, this is the real key. And I’m sure it is very hard for you to get, but I think I like to share this much with you. So that you can get some kind of taste, and some kind of understanding, what is really meant a wisdom. What does Buddhist really mean, the emptiness. But again, do not misunderstand, I’m not saying whatever we experience whatever we have difficulties, pains, pleasures, everything, I’m not saying it’s not real. It’s not a real. It’s not true, it’s not real. I’m not saying that. If you misunderstand that, then it’s like catching a poison snake wrongly. So that’s, that’s what the point is. Yet, that is where we have the real, the mystery of a problem of life lies there. A Buddha labeled them as ignorance. That’s why we see you hear it, the ignorance is not absolutely not knowing or wrong knowing and all this ideas. You been hearing people write books and people throw you all this. This much books available by every different professors write.

[0:45:28.0] And there but the real reason why it’s call it ignorance, because that’s the reason why I mentioned perceiving wrong, giving wrong information. And makes you feel that people didn’t like you. Makes you feel that you know, oh, I have this difficulties, I’m incapable. All of those, the fear, the attachment, the anger, the hatred, the jealous, all of them are grown because of this wrong perceiving. Does that make sense at all? At least thank you for shaking your head up and down. So that, that, that is the reality. So we now know, anger, and hatred, et cetera, what we call it negative emotions, we now know this negative emotions, when they overtake our absolute, clear, wonderful, mind when it’s overtaken by those negative emotions then we perceive things wrong. I don’t know whether I talked here or not, but when you really look into the mind, when you look into the mind as a being, the really person deep in there- I always say there’s a nice, wonderful being what we call it being down there. When you look at them, I get there it is a colorless, shapeless. It’s not tangible.

[0:47:08.7] Example what I always give is the clean, clear, crystal lampshade. Right? Clean, clear, crystal lampshade. I have to give you some examples so that you can get, doesn’t look like lampshade, but clean, clear lampshade. And so you say, this has no color, it’s clear, it’s crystal, right? So then we get those negative emotions like red bulb. Bulb. Or green or blue or yellow comes up and you look from distance say, oh, look at that red bulb, red lampshade over there. We will see them as red lampshade. We will perceive them as lampshade. We almost acknowledge, but then you, you will there- with the wisdom will say, hey it’s not red lampshade, it is bulb is lampshade. But however, it made it look like lamp, red. All this. So same thing when these mental faculty of the anger pops up, the total clean, clear, crystal like mind is becoming totally influenced by anger. So anger take over. Or attachment take over. When it becomes completely strong we get those fits that we talked the other day. The attachment fits. Anger fits. I talked to here, I think I did talk here, didn’t I? Yeah.

[0:48:49.7] So, so, so these are the because it is completely too strong and the principle in there has completely cut down, no power. You know what I’m talking about it? Thank you. Yeah, really. And that is how functioning with us. Now how we change that, is the wisdom, application of the wisdom. It’s almost like touching back to the absolute reality once down, and then come up differently. I mean, the, the subject of the empty wisdom is very, very long and deep subject, we cannot expect to talk about in 40 minutes or whatever it is, you know? We don’t. But that’s just to give you that much idea to you. And that’s the wisdom. So the true reality is, is there is emptiness. There’s room. There since there is emptiness, there’s room for change. Since it is impermanent, it always change. You know what I mean? I also very often say, I strongly admire when people has, have some kind of, when we do something wrong, every one of us, if you don’t do wrong anything we has to be faultless. And we’re not going to be faultless. At all.

[0:50:17.3] As long as we born as remain(?) [0:50:18.7] We always make mistake. And every time whenever we make mistake, but whenever we have regret to the mistake, it’s great thing. We, I always admire to have regret. But some of, some people will go beyond regret and I’m hopeless, I’m helpless, I’m stuck in what you call it guilt trip. So I always say I’m non-believer of guilt. No one can play guilt to on me. No one. Truly. Why? Because it’s impermanent. Because it is emptiness. There is no such a thing called stuck, done it, helpless, hopeless, nothing. It’s always way out. There’s always room. There’s always way to function. Allen always say, it’s never too late, never too late to meditate. (Laughter) Right? Allen: Yes. Rimpoche: Thank you. Well, I guess that’s much and I’m cutting little shorter than usual but the subject itself is very funny tonight. Any questions? Yeah. Audience: Do you know yet if you’ll be able to continue speaking (Inaudible) [0:51:37.8]

[0:51:38.0] Rimpoche: Well those feedback cards, what you call it? Opinion cards and I mean, you people, you people are very kind. You really had given me like three or four triple marks and saying thank you, thank you with all those double dots and five, one of them put five dots on it. And all this and so, I’ve been very flattered. That’s the word, right? And so hopefully we’ll work out sometime in by September. In September or something. Yeah? Audience: Okay, so when you talk about nothingness, as Buddhism as a religion that would be nothing too? Rimpoche: Right. Right. When you talk about an absolute reality there is nothing. Nothingness. So you know why? When you understand that, when you get into that, you become very adaptable. You become very adaptable, and you don’t contradict much. You become very adaptable, there’s room for adapting it. Yet you don’t lose your principle. That is the beauty of emptiness. I don’t know whether I’m making sense to you or not, but. Audience: Yes. Rimpoche: Okay, thanks. The, the question doesn’t really have to be on the first princ- the third principle you can go back to first or second or anything you want to. Sir?

[0:53:23.3] Audience: Rimpoche, is there a difference between Zen Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism? Rimpoche: See when there’s nothing, how can there be difference? (Audience laughs) But from the technicality point of view, I think there is slightly. But I don’t know much about Zen Buddhism so I can’t claim, whatever. But what I’ve seen it, technicality way, how they share with people, and Zen seems to me emphasizing lot to the awareness and that’s why they make you sit long time, meditate, sit a long time bringing awareness. Which is absolutely important. And in the Tibetan Buddhism, and they will also bring awareness but we go really more how and we function the way of life. You know why? Because negative and positive is very much depends on you know it is the, we’re talking about action. Action. Whether it is the physical, or mental, or bubble(?) [0:54:48.4] sound. So all of those actions are positive or negative, depends on the motivation. And the motivations are depends on this, I’m sorry you’ve been standing out there too long, there’s chairs available if you want to come in, both of you. (Discusses seating) [0:55:08.7]

[0:55:28.9] So all of them depends on the motivations are depend on the mind. And how your mi- how your mind is really functioning. So that’s why the Tibetan Buddhism, Buddhism at least essence out of that what I’m trying to use is how best way we can handle with our mind, how best way we can bring our self in the positive manner how which we can function. How best way we can avoid negative actions. So if you can do that, and that is the essence of spiritual practice. Dharma practice- dharma is Sanskrit word. It’s called chos in Tibetan. Means making correction, made a correction. Correction of our way of functioning. From the influence of negative emotions. Change it to correct it to the positive action influenced by the positive emotions. That is the essence of Tibetan Buddhism. Really, deeply making it a difference in the people’s life. Then it depends on the person who’s guiding, some people like to do a lot of rituals together, some people like to do lot of mantras together, and you know the way, the method they depend on mantra, or ritual, or whatever, you know. And it’s all fine, but what I like to do is merely focus on our life and thinking and motivation and what am I doing.

[0:57:27.9] And that’s the essence I really look. And what’s happening is, a number of people who are interested in this studies and be this make difference in their life, it’s becomes American Buddhism. And what we don’t want in American Buddhism is lot of quote unquote, the rituals and, and thrones and trumpets and all this. So I’m very happy to be able to wear suit and tie. I don’t have suit. And, yeah really. And talk with people and share their difficulties and if I can help, sometimes I can’t help at all, (Laughs) so if I can help I try to share with that. And at least you can listen. And that’s the essence of Tibetan Buddhism and that’s type of Buddhism I would like to see develop here whether as Tibetan Buddhism or not, but what, what, what will happen is make a difference to the people’s life. Any help we can get it, we need it. The difficulties what we experience right now is very little, compare with the life after life experience. Sir?

[0:58:53.9] Audience: This goes back to the, with the wisdom? I always had a problem with anger before when I was younger and part of overcoming that was always taking a step back and looking at the motivation behind what made me angry and I would find usually that it wasn’t some great force, cosmic thing that causes purposely ruin my life and like, and I’m trying to relate this to what you said about the nothingness was that, I found it just happened it wasn’t like it was purposely done, there was nothing behind that, there was no reason why that happened purposely to me. Is that, go to that, like what you’re saying of wisdom the absolute truth behind the relative truth? Rimpoche: Before I answer that, but, but, okay, should answer first. But if you, you are on the right direction for sure. But before- having said that, I like to ask you back, have that been helpful to you? Huh? Audience: By being able to see that, yes. Rimpoche: That been helpful right? Audience: So now I can see- Rimpoche: So when you- yeah, now when you go that, even deeper. Even deeper in that. Even deeper in that. And then you will begin to find nothingness of the other person’s anger. And that’s the way how you look in. Thank you. Robert?

[1:00:25.6] Audience: I always find that the emptiness thing, the recent view of emptiness is a lot easier to understand when there’s, you kind of see it in a kind of American way we lot of people I think see it but kind of unconscious, is that wisdom or emptiness is wholeness, selflessness and then you have this relative, ultimate view in the sense of how can we relate to the wholeness (Inaudible) [1:00:48.8] the whole of our life, one disappears on a separate level and on the other hand, how can holiness or wholeness come into our everyday lives? (Inaudible) [1:01:00.8] I find that wholeness is what a lot of people use, but then it’s so easy to say wholeness and then one just kind of disappears. There’s a problem there. So then I get it from you (Inaudible) [1:01:13.3] specific way of emptiness by seeing yourself through the experience, my organs, my kidney it’s totally empty, I don’t even notice it (Inaudible) [1:01:26.9] our body parts have incredible wisdom of emptiness (Inaudible) [1:01:32.4] The wholeness itself is what most people use or the spirit. The Christian, the Christian teaching is who knows where the spirit cometh and who knows where it goeth, and it’s mysterious (Inaudible) [1:01:58.9] (Pause and Audience laughing) [1:02:08.6] Rimpoche: No, don’t laugh, don’t laugh. It’s interesting I was just listening to you. It’s really interesting. Selflessness is the word people use a lot. Selflessness. And people have understanding, I think people do have different varieties of understanding. Some people will say selflessness means no self interest, and so they goes on love compassion sort of thing. And certain people will say selflessness means I’m not here. So I’m hiding, I’m gone or whatever it is.

[1:03:00.0] And then there’s also thing called middle path. The Dalai Lama always talked about middle path, middle path. Even his political theory with the China is also call it middle path. But, but, the, the in the middle, in between that, the selfless not really referring to- a particularly in the subject of the emptiness selfless when you talk about you’re not really referring to not having a selfish interest. And no, I don’t really believe it that you don’t have body, and so what really happening is again, when you- there’s no such a thing when you go, when you go deep down in take aparts everything, every single thing take parts and you’re not really going to find some single little point where you call it, this is it. And that’s I really think it is what it means selflessness. At the same time, when you cannot point your finger on this is it, and that is the whole thing. It is the absolute truth of wholeness, it is in that. Once we begin to balance that and seeing that in our life, our problems are halfway gone, if not totally gone. That’s what really is. But so it’s thank you. Yes. Lady? One more question, I’m sorry. Yeah. Yeah, go ahead.

[1:04:43.4] Audience: So if we have a veil of perception that keeps us from observing the two truths, and the Buddha said, you can’t stop dividing so there’s an infinity to the inward looking? Is that what you’re saying? Once you lift the veil of perception and, and, you see the absolute truth and the relative truth- Rimpoche: Together. Audience: Together. Rimpoche: Then? Audience: Can’t divide that? Or you can, you can stop dividing? Rimpoche: Both. The thing is, a really true. (Audience laughing) Really true, because that, that, that’s really what it is. You cannot dividing because it functions together. You cannot stop dividing because always there’s a pair functioning. Audience: So it makes me feel like a hamster in a cage. Rimpoche: (Laughs) I don’t know what to say there- no, I’m not. (Laughing) Audience: An animal in a circle in a wheel going round and round. Rimpoche: Yeah. It’s not. Because- actually by knowing this, this is key for freedom, really. It is the supposed to be the key for freedom. Sir?

[1:06:11.8 ] Audience: I’m wondering if there’s a Buddhist theory as you were talking about, the love and the, of all things of plants and animals and people and in this particular universe that there’s a great harshness and that animals have to eat each other in order to survive, even or if they’re vegetarian have to eat plants whether they have nerves or not, they’re still living things, and there’s suffering in that and why this is the case if there’s a theory, a Buddhist theory about that or understanding of what that’s about? Rimpoche: That’s why it’s called first noble truth, truth of suffering. Whatever you do, there is a problem. And so, so that’s what it is. Truth of suffering. And I’m glad you mention that. The animals do eat each other, for sure. But they also care for each other as well. Audience: (Inaudible) [ 1:07:22.3] Rimpoche: Well, you can if you don’t eat animals you have to eat plant, plants. Sir? Audience: Yeah I just want to say that I very much appreciate what you said about extraordinary compassion towards all sentient beings and I just also want to say that I used to teach Allen’s work when I was a teaching in college, and on behalf of like millions of people throughout the world, we really honor your uncompromising vision and truth-telling, so I feel graced to be in this kind of environment, you know. (Audience applauds) Rimpoche: Thank you.

[1:08:03.8 ] Allen: Can the indivisibility or the simultaneous existence of reality and emptiness or form and emptiness, be understood more normally as the everyday experience of growing old, seeing yourself change, and finding that you’re not the same person you were at seven, or thirty, or fifty, and finally noticing that you’re beginning to lose your marbles. It’s an- isn’t that an everyday example of the transitoriness, or continuous change, that gives insight into the fact that there’s no permanent self, or no permanent reality, or permanent cell of reality? Rimpoche: You’re right. It absolutely shows you and there is a permanent solid reality you don’t grow old, you don’t change anything, nothing changes. So that’s why earlier I said, one who can accept or understand, one, the emptiness, there’s room for everything. Once you don’t have that, nothing can change. Sir? I think this should be the last question. Yeah.

[1:09:37.9] Audience: I’d like to know if I could make an analogy to something to try to better understand some of these, to me, pretty difficult concepts. By listening to people, and reading the books, and having this idea that there was such a thing as the back of my head, but I could never see it because there’s no such thing as a mirror. Mirrors didn’t exist in the world. How could I learn through wisdom and, and really trust that there is such a thing as the back of my head that I have never seen? Rimpoche: I don’t know, but I like to say one thing. When you look in the mirror, you should use the mirror, whether mirror does exist or not, but whether you, when you look in the mirror you’ll see the reflection of our self, right? We do. But if you try to catch the, the, the reflection and there’s nothing to catch. It is here, what you’re seeing there. Are you with me? Audience: Yes and no. (Audience laughing) Rimpoche: That’s right. That’s right. That’s right, yes and no, that’s right.

[1:11:11.4 ] So what happen is, your reflection’s there, and we perceive it’s there. I don’t perceive me here, I perceive me in there. And that me in there is the only appearance that’s my illusion. I’m not in there. I’m not getting in there, I’m not coming out. You know, what I get over this I’m not getting inside the mirror and looking out, and then I came out and looking back, and I’m there, I’m not doing that. (Audience laughing) That’s what it is. Simultaneously, if there’s a hundred mirrors, you’ll see hundred. And all of them goes together. So the back your head, whatever you have that, then don’t look down. There is truth in there. And that’s why number of people, even in the sixties and seventies with help of chemicals or whatever it is, people had glimpse of different things, and true whatever we have here, but glimpse out of there. And that is a clear indication there’s something more than what we perceive and what we experience. People get a glimpse of that. But we cannot hold it lasting there because this glimpse can, from some due to some different conditions together, but the conditions are not enough for everlasting. So what does the true wisdom, and particularly Vajrayana, does is make that condition everlasting. So whatever you visualize, meditate, and promote, and it’s becomes actualized. It’s really become reality. That’s, that’s the real thing. So whatever is back here, the glimpse out there, whatever it is. It is the clear indication, there is thing there. And that is the real truth. Anyway, thank you so much for- (Audience applauds) (Speaks to audience about donation box) [1:14:10.6] Thank you.