Archive Result

Soundfile 19961003GRBH3P

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location Bloomfield Hills

Topic Three Principles of the Path

Transcriber Jill Neuwirth

Date 3/18/2021

Good evening everybody. Sorry my apologies, we’re late. It is whatever the reason may be, whatever the excuse may be. Sorry about it. And now as you all know, this is the second part of the introduction to the Tibetan Buddhism. The first portion was we did before the summer I think, right? I think before the summer, right? So now this is we’re doing the second part and it is tradition of the Tibetan tradition is always we follow certain kind of text so that we leave it doesn’t miss anything of important points so that’s why we follow certain text. So text what we are following here is The Foundation of All Perfections so that’s what you have got and everybody has that little piece of paper. I think we should have some extra copies available. Do we have still? Okay. And those who don’t have it please pick up a copy. And those of you who have been regularly coming please bring it back next week because we won’t have new ones all the time, so. We will not going to get through completely anyway, so. (Speaks to audience about copies of prayer) [0:02:00.3] So we just simply follow the text so that reason why we are following text is number of reasons.

[0:02:24.6] It is also show you true to the tradition and also, and also makes that we don’t miss a very important steps. And let me go over once again, during the preliminary, the first introduction we introduced the three most important points. The first point is it determine that individual to be free. Free from the negatives neurosis. Negative karma, suffering, pain, all this are the first point. And second point is to love compassion, and third point is the wisdom. That we have introduced in the first introduction, so the second introduction here it will be little liberated. Liberated in the sense first point. Point number one what we always call Buddhist 101 is the seeking freedom for yourself. Let me get that point once again absolutely clear to you, seeking freedom it is a most important point. And you may think, we’re all free, we’re Americans, we’re free. You know as much as we all know. We’re not really free. We’re free to choose who’s going to be the next President of The United States if there is such a choice. But if not, if not, then that’s different.

[0:04:43.7] I don’t think we’re really talking about the political freedom as such, but we are talking really or no we are talking about economic freedom, but we’re talking the emotional freedom. Freedom from the neurosis. That’s the really the main point. So free from the neurosis meaning free from attachment. Free from attachment meaning we do have a tremendous of attachment. Attachment to fantasies of life. What should be. How do I- what I want it to be in life. So most of our fantasies are unfortunately due to the lack of perfect example we always our fantasies are always material, economical, or power whether it is political, economic, military, whatever you know? So very strange aims we have. The fantasies that we build for our life what do I want to be? So because of lack of proper information in the spiritual path, or even the truly lack of role model, so we choose, we have a some different fantasy. And then we build attachment to that fantasy and we work to achieve that fantasy and we make our self like a slave to work whatever, sixteen, eighteen, twenty hours per day and making us work to achieve that meaningless goal.

[0:07:00.8] Sometimes I will very say it meaningless. I’m actually mean from the spiritual point of view, I’m not talking about the material point of view. Spiritual point of view, meaningless. However, however, we will not see it is meaningless and we see this is so important and we hold on, hang on, have attachment, we cannot let it go. That is our problem one. Problem two is little more subtle than that. It’s alright materially, I couldn’t care less, not that much it’s okay, as long as I can pay my bills it’s okay sort of thing. However, however, I have a some kind of very important- now I have to be careful what I’m saying here. So the, so I have something very important to do and that is to be a better in my future lives. Better than what we are today. Better than this is something extraordinary beyond this level and something fantastic, maybe a close encounter with a third kind or something of that sort. We will have another, another mystical goal and we will hang on that too.

[0:08:56.0] And also we go on hanging on saying I want to be better future life, future life should be something like this and like that. Again, the same old same projection what we have in this life bringing the, that’s what we normally do. Many of us will do. Just think to yourself this is a spiritual practice. Think to yourself, what do you mean by a good life? I want to be to have good life for this and future. What do you mean by good life? You count the qualities. And quality number one many people may have healthy. That’s okay. The quality number two, the many people will have wealthy. Health or wealth. Wealth and then you may say well, not necessarily wealth as some kind of wealthy rich, but something enough. Or, you know, one doesn’t have to worry about it. Or all this type of materialistic qualities we will attach. And even we attach spiritual but we have very limited number, very limited knowledge of spiritual point what we wanted to.

[0:10:28.5] Excuse me I’m saying this, but you may think it is very strange, but check with your own mind. You don’t have to say it. Check with your own mind what quality are you looking for. And make a note to yourself and then you will see it what is your fantasy of this life or future life. Doesn’t matter whether it’s this life or whether it is future life. We have same fantasy. We repeat life after life. This is our character, characteristic. Are you with me? Make note to yourself, you don’t have to show to anybody. Just make, just started keeping what you want putting on a list and then read it. Then read it you have surprise there. You’ll be surprised there. Say quality of life. Under the quality what you want it, you will see all the material requirements that you say I’m not interested, I don’t care, will be there.

[0:12:01.4] So, so the principle one, the freedom- can you hear, you can’t hear me there? Alright. They don’t hear me. (Speaks to audience about volume) [0:12:15.5] So what I’m saying is the quality of life what you want it, if you make a note to yourself you have a surprise in there. Normally things that you say, I don’t care, I don’t want it, I’m not concerned is all you’re going to find in that quality what you want it in the, in your list. Different form under different name, different pretext. Why? Because we have a strong attachment to our life or lives. The attachment is to our fantasy not to anything else, only the fantasy. That fantasy when you look at that fantasy carefully again it is the materialistic fantasy. Even we think, even we put the spiritual color in there it is materialistic fantasy we have and that is the one we have to seek freedom from there. Because these is the result of the neurosis that we have- attachment, anger, hatred, jealousy they builds up those fantasies. So seeking freedom really is from them.

[0:14:10.3] So how to cut that fantasy attachment? To in order to cut the attachment to the fantasy, one, we have to appreciate embrace our life. The life what you have, what we have now. What you and I we have now is totally more than the fantasy what we build. We may have less money, but the life has all this capability and qualities. Are you hearing me okay now? Is it okay? Okay. So that’s there. So that’s why we the word here, what we’re reading here, it precious human life. The reason why they call it precious because it’s can fulfill any desire that you have, materialistic or spiritual, whatever you have desire the life itself capable of giving you. From the life point of view, not from our point of view, but from the life point of view. Life what we have, that point of view it is capable of giving. I talked that last week so I don’t want really talk over there because we’re not going to go down much. So that’s why I wanted, I want cut short. However, I wanted once again remind you the life what we have is a really precious from not only the material point of view, spiritual point of view because the life what the Buddha had is no different than what you and I’m having today.

[0:16:15.8] Even we have better life than what Buddha had before. Buddha never had hot and cold air. Air condition, they don’t have it. They may had more pure water than what we do to drink, but no control of air, air condition there’s not there, cold or hot. And that way we have much more comfort thing here. It’s also achievement of the human capacity, human beings been able to achieve that. Hot and cold is nothing, but every technological achievement what we have today it is human achievement. It is the human beings’ achievement. And that is the human capability in the material point of view. Spiritual point of view those of the earlier masters like that of the Buddha to achieve that level is also human achievement. So you and I have the same capability from the life point of view to be able to deliver that. Whether we can do it or not, it is depends on the individual, how lazy we will be. How much interested we will have, it’s all depends on that. If we have a great interest and if I’m not so lazy we can achieve what those earlier great masters have achieved and that’s why it is precious human life. Gained but once.

[0:18:09.2] Did we talk that last week? I think we did. Gained but once because I talked to you according to the Buddha the cause of the precious life, what makes us to get that precious life. Remember, Buddha accept reincarnation so I do believe in reincarnation. That’s my background. And there are a number of you who accepts reincarnation, but number of you who have no objection like to know about it. Very curiosity about it, and a number of you might have fantasy with the reincarnation as well. Okay, I’m not going to say raise your hand, it’s going to be funny here. But, but 90% of the people here will not reject the idea of reincarnation, you’re going to hold it. At least the benefit of doubt you may not accept, but you have a benefit of doubt. Benefit of doubt you say, right? Yeah, no, maybe, maybe not, people talk about it I don’t mind having it because I just really don’t want to die and get away with it, get lost completely so I like to come back and see it. That’s what we have. Sher se ma (Quotes in Tibetan) [0:19:58.8] Everybody has a hope of returning and looking back even after death so that’s why they build things up here, like you know the many people builds up, you know, temples and schools and monasteries and monuments and memorial this and memorial that and all this are the actually hope of looking back even after you’re gone.

[0:20:29.4] So we have that desire we don’t let that go so the reincarnation is great. I like to come back and watch how’s my memorial thing is going on here. From that angle we like it. So, so let us deny our self that opportunity. Let us keep our self with the opportunity of come back and look our memorial whatever it is. Anyway. So, so, so let’s say how does reincarnation really work? It is important you know, it is important to talk and important not to talk. Truly. Important to talk, because say, you will be bombarded with idea of reincarnation and you have no idea what is really it is all about it. At that’s- from that point of view it is important to talk. From another point of view it’s not important to talk, we get unnecessarily confused and cannot get a very clear, clean picture because that’s not even possible. So that’s why it is both important to talk and also important not to talk. So but we what we do so we do have enough in between.

[0:22:12.7] So if you just do a little bit of re- little bit of reincarnation let’s, let’s talk a little bit of it. I mean really, who is the person who reincarnates? No question it’s me. When my reincarnation it’s no question it is me. But do I know it is me? Do I carry my memories and recognitions and so and forth? Do I carry? Yes, you do and no you don’t. Yes you do, because during the childhood you have a lot of recollections. Lot of recollections. You remember this, you remember that. We remember childhood. You do have lot of recollection, and you- I don’t know, one great quality in America because of tremendous amount of freedom for the children and people do take care of whatever the children says do something, you don’t bother. And for us for me, like me, who was brought up in Tibet, traditional old style brought up, anything you try to talk something about past life they will tell you shut up and you get pinch, or pinch, or beat or something simply because that society which I was belong to and that society is the society which accept reincarnation there is no problem and nothing unusual about it.

[0:24:03.9] But if the child is going to keep up talking so much about reincarnation and previous life and then they think this child is showing off. Showing off. You know what I mean showing off? Blowing his own trumpet. So that’s why they say shut up and that’s what they do. And I have a friend who’s also reincarnation of some well-known lama in India. I came in India 1959 from Tibet and that old lama who was there was there in India in 1959, ‘60. ‘62, ‘63, ‘64 or something like that and then he died and his reincarnation came. His reincarnation’s a young nice young Himalayan, northern Indian Himalayan type, type you call it, right? They have caste, they have caste system so they’re like travel people that type. The nice young boy. And he was recognized as reincarnation of that lama and his teacher was a student of mine. So then in a ‘68, no in the ‘80, in 80’s I saw that in early ‘80 I saw that student of mine who is the teacher of that lama and he’s telling me this young boy is talking so much what had happened during his previous lifetime in the same area and who stolen and who stole his wealth and who took his money and what happened to it and all this funny things he keeps on talking all the time.

[0:26:07.4] And beside that, also you know this Indian, that was the northern India Himalaya so Indian lot of Indian military people are there. The lot of military officers comes to see him as little boy and ask him, “Do you think I’m going to get my promotion?” And the boy sits there and look at it. “Yes, yes! You’re going to get it but in your file so and so wrote this, this, this, this, this, this and all this confidential files whatever you know, the people wrote and so and so wrote and said this, this, this signed by name of this and that.” And the boy keeps on telling all this people. So the teacher he said he has no alternative and tell this boy shut up. And he said he still didn’t shut up, so he said he beat him up by not shutting (Laughing) And I said “What did you do that?” He said “They all did that same to all of us.” Said we all had. I didn’t know, but I do remember and think people telling me shut up and all this. Don’t remember very well you know, but he tells me that. So somehow the society would like to have the kids shut up because they don’t want to talk about it, you know, what they see.

[0:27:36.2] And by about age 6 or 7 around about that then you get confused. Completely confused and doesn’t even know what’s going on whether it’s happened yesterday or whether it’s happened while ago and what had happened, you get more confused. And by about 9 or 10 then you know nothing about it. You become totally stupid. And that’s why you know nothing about previous life. However, sometimes, sometimes occasionally you get some kind of flashback memory. Some incident you say, “Oh yeah, I’ve seen this somewhere before. Where? Where did I see this?” And then it happens to be looks like is half dream, looks like it had really taken place before and then you see oh so and so, some this person said something something and you watch little while and that person will say the same thing. The same thing that you thought they had said already about number of years ago. That person will started saying the same thing. Then you begin to hardly like begin to think what had happened next. Then you get blank.

[0:28:50.8] So this sort of thing and the reincarnation happens. So that’s why, who is reincarnated, no question this fellow, to our self pointing each one of us, pointing our own finger to our own nose. We are reincarnated. But do we know? No we don’t. We are totally confused. We don’t know. We don’t know anything. So really, what happened is the reincarnated person is definitely continuation of the previous person. Mark my word. Continuation. Continuation. But with different sense. Different awareness. Different understanding. Different attitude. Even a different character. So it is not like, what I understand reincarnation is not like going to bathroom and having nice shower and change the clothes and comes back and takes same old seat. I don’t think it is. Are you with me? That’s what it is. So it almost point of a separate person. Almost, but not separate, continue, but almost separate because of lack of memory. Because we don’t know. We don’t know. Lack of memory that’s why, that’s what happens. We know like people who are suffering with what you call it Parkinson’s Disease. We know it is the same person. But from the memory point of view, from the recognition point of view, even from the behavior point of view, it’s almost look like different person right? We know that. But now over here, it changes even more than that, the identification what we- the face and the body is also changed. Are you with me? So therefore it is much more different than what you really think it’s going to be. So that’s what it is.

[0:31:16.2] So I should talk limited and I should, I should not confuse you, but I should give you some idea. So that’s is about reincarnation is all about it. Anyway, precious human life we’re all reincarnated. We are all reincarnation of our previous life. Whatever it might be, whoever it might be. It could be much- basically looking to our self, looking to our own condition we have been extremely important beings before, and if you are not been so important beings before, we won’t have such a life today. We could have been cockroaches. The other day I told you remember? The cockroaches. Okay. That’s that. But what makes us to gain such a precious identity and life? It is the, the- according to the Buddha the perfect morality is the fundamental basis what we gain this precious life. Perfect morality. Perfect morality. In addition to that, generosity, patience, concentration, wisdom, enthusiasm, each one of them adds up something. For example, generosity make you a wealthy materially. At least have enough, more than enough. That is the direct result of being generosity.

[0:33:10.7] I was in the United States in 1964 for short period. About eight months or so. I don’t know English, I don’t speak English. But somehow universal language is such a thing you begin to understand what the people talking about it and what the television saying. Those days there’s no, not so much color television, it’s all black and white and Johnson comes on the television all the time, President at that time. So Lyndon Johnson so comes on the television and he says the economic is in difficult and spend more money. That’s what I understood anyway. So I thought wow, he understand this really Buddhist philosophy. (Laughing) That’s my path. So the generosity brings the wealth so, so that’s why I said the fundamental principle is perfect morality then you have lot of generosity and that will make you have needed material available for you.

[0:34:31.0] I mean every human being has its own sort of capacity to be able to, to manage to be able- there is, I’m sorry to say, I’m not denying, okay? I’m not denying there is poor, there is homeless, there is all of them I’m not denying. But from the capacity point of view, two hands we have be definitely be able to feed one mouth. We have that capacity. It is built in, in the human capacity it’s built in. But in case you have if you become a difficulty with that, there’s always basically that what it is. So the generosity really brings the wealth is the direct result of generosity according to the Buddha. Min um de wa (Quotes in Tibetan) [0:35:29.7] The even the Buddha recommended bodhisattvas the first action is generosity because joy of human beings are depend on wealth, and the wealth depends on the cause of wealth which is generosity. So the generosity adds up on the top of the perfect morality. Patience. Patience makes the beauty. Not really beauty in that sense, but even the physical attraction whatever the beautiful shape that you dreamed of it, it is the result of patience. If you lose temper that makes you ugly. If- I’m sorry. The temper makes you ugly. Even in the point time where you’re getting angry you look like monkey’s backwards. And not only that, not only that, they continuation of that makes you ugly.

[0:36:35.1] So the beauty or handsomeness is- you call handsomeness? Or handsome is the direct result of patience that you can you can become, a you can have good patience you’re going to be beautiful. You can- there’s no doubt you will become a Miss America sometime. In your future lifes of course. So, so that’s- and laziness, cutting down on the laziness is the enthusiasm and that’s makes the efficiency of the people. I’m not even talking directly, but indirectly future lifes. Some people are very productive. Some people they work hard but they’re not so productive. We all know that right? We normally say a person is organized and that that person’s not so organized but it’s a direct result of how much enthusiasm they have done in their previous life. That’s how at least it’s been shaped right from the beginning. And then of course there’s everything have two qualities, born with it, and learn. That is the human quality. One you’re born with it, it’s which you normally say gifted, right? So but afterwards then you can learn too. So two of them comes in qualities, two ways. So all this born with qualities are builds up of the previous life that how it works. And on top of that, you can learn and that makes even better and bringing perfection. That’s how you work.

[0:38:27.8] If you have to learn right from the beginning you never have knowledge before it’s extremely hard. Extremely hard. Yeah anyway I’m not going to go in that. So, so, so to have a, so that’s why gained but once. It is by chance, by chance we have such a wonderful life which is capable of delivering the spiritual and the material goal whatever we want it. As I mentioned last week, I think I mentioned here on Thursday or Tuesday in Ann Arbor I forgot, but I mentioned even today’s American life is much more endowed with more quality than that of even our forefather’s period. Believe it or not, from the material point of view, from the spiritual point of view. Even from the intellectual point of view, knowledge point of view, information point of view, from everything our life today is far better than that of Thomas Jefferson’s or George Washington’s life, that period. Though George Washington is the first President of the United States, right? Even then I think our life has better quality than that. Spiritually, economically, or even intellectually. Or all this we have better endowment.

[0:40:09.2] Not only this, if you compare with any other people in the world, the American life is fantastic. You have no idea how great you are. Really true. If you are like me, born in Tibet I was not bad I born in a gold spoon in mouth, really, in Tibet. Not bad family. Good family. My family has- I had four cars in Tibet. The whole country may have handful you know maybe you can count, 7, 8, 9, that’s it. So I got four. So I have a British made Range Rover. And I also have Italian (?) Ferraro [0:41:08.6] engine with the Fiat body. Doors open the other side and this is 1950’s, early 50’s, 40’s. I have a truck, a huge truck. I also have a station wagon. So I got four of them. So that way I’m not bad in the life in Tibet. But still what I’m trying to say, but still the quality is in what I was- but this is better spiritual quality, no doubt about that. Better spiritual quality, no doubt about that. I’ve been very fortunate from the material point of view, and very fortunate from the spiritual point of view to be able to have best teachers available at time at that period. And that’s way I’m very fortunate. But on the other hand, on the other hand, the value of that life and the valued of the American life is totally different. Different. Big different.

[0:42:26.2] And people of the Americans, if you go outside the United States if you’ve been to Asia, if you go to India, if you go to Nepal, if you go to Africa, if you go to Afghanistan, or if you go to China, and then you begin to appreciate what value of the being a citizenship of the United States. It’s a fantastic value it has. So I’ve been very proud of becoming citizen of the United States much more appreciated than perhaps maybe all of you. But anyway. But still, but still, but still, you’re not free yet. The freedom from the neurosis you have not gained. Many of you. I mean, I can’t say all of you but many of you have not gained. And that will be your mission of your life to gain that. Because this life if you cannot make it, chances of making in future is very rare. This time you have, you have that precious life, you have that great mind. You have that great identity. The physical body what we have today is nobody else have it. Nobody else. Any other living creatures- the dogs don’t have it, the cats don’t have it, the horses don’t have it, the birds don’t have it, fishes don’t- the fish don’t have it. Doesn’t have that, see? That’s what it is.

[0:44:16.5] You look from other angle, you don’t say, keep on sitting there and say “My life is great.” It’s not right. But if you compare it if you are not this and if you’re that what will happened? So luckily, fortunately you’re not. So we do have a great life but once. Great potential but easily lost. That should be my subject today. Easily lost. Our life is very impermanent. Let us not have misunderstanding on that. Life is great. I give you that funny little tale that I do the other day. We say a million dollar is a great value but if you have to change our life with a million dollar we won’t change it, right? We will not change it. Somebody will say, “So alright let me kill you I’ll give you a million dollar.” Who’s going to agree unless you are little bit, lot of screws are loosed. So you don’t do that, right? So this is like a childish like story but still it gives you a understanding how valuable it is. It is valued more than- cannot measure in terms of money at all. This life. Value of this life to me. To each and our self. So we have to have proper understanding of that. And appreciate life rather than reject.

[0:46:11.3] Number of people will say “My life, so what. What a big deal?” Yes it is a big deal. It is a big deal. So I want you to remember that. It is big deal in materially, it is big deal in spiritually because the capacity, nothing else, capacity. So we have to make best use of this capacity and make a difference not only to our life but to our lives. And that is our mission. (Audio cuts) [0:46:55.8] And I hope you read this books that I have recommended last week to read to corresponding this level in the Essential Nectar by Geshe Rabten and, and, what is called? Audience: Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism? Rimpoche: Yeah Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism might not be really give you corresponding to this points but Essential Nectar will give you. Cutting Through the Spiritual Material life is to give you a idea and that you don’t fly in the air. Because spiritual materialism makes you fly in the air not to grounded because it is even in the name of spiritual we go for materialistic. Lot of people do that. And that not doing anything bad, but they’re losing the opportunity. And that’s why Cutting Though Spiritual Materialism should be able to plug some holes in our life.

[0:48:19.3] But these corresponds, should correspond with the Essential Nec- problem with me is I don’t read English. I’ve been lucky enough to be able to pronounce this properly because I never learned the language. So I have to talk to people so I be able to speak, but if I didn’t read I have always somebody please read that for me. So that’s why I have a big problem with reading English, I don’t read. However, the knowing the main point of the Tibetan book called Essential Nectar so when that comes as teaching or, or as translated or teaching whatever it comes, should correspond with this so you should be able to have point in there. And if you still have opportunity to read through The Liberation in Palms of your Hand, or it? Palms of your Hand and they definitely correspond with this. Okay? I’m not throwing my- I’m not recommending read the script of lamrim that which I did for the last couple of years here. But they still correspond there too. Okay, what did you say? Somebody raise something. Audience: I had wanted you to repeat the first reading recommendation. Rimpoche: I said Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism by Chogyam Trungpa, I think they spell it T-r-u-n-g-p-a isn’t it? Audience: Yes. Rimpoche: And then Essential Nectar by Geshe Rabten. Rabten is spell it R-a-b-t-e-n. Geshe Rabten. And then Liberation In Palm of Your Hand by Pabongka. P-a or P-h-a-b-o-n-g-k-a whatever. It’s a big huge book, so. So I used to know how to spell it in English the Tibetan names. Now I’m totally confused. I don’t know how to. Because way I we used to used to write in India the Tibetan names in English phonetics is totally different than here. And when I came over here and there’s a, there’s a gentleman here who speaks Tibetan. Everything whatever I write he say “Oh no, no, you are wrong.” So that’s that. So now I’m totally confused. Anyway. Anyway that’s that.

[0:51:23.6] So now let us go to the subject of today. That is impermanence. I’d like to link up, if you’re looking at this, this sort of what you call a second verse. Second line, and it says “but is easily lost” right? You can see that, right? Ok now I want you to skip the “empower me to remember this constantly and to think day and night, day and night of taking its essence.” So, don’t skip it, that’s right. I thought we jumping. Don’t skip it. You know what they’re telling you is by doing this what you do you should have you should recognize mission of your life. You should get benefit out of this wonderful, beautiful, precious life and think about getting benefit out of this to yourself and to others. You have to think that day and night. Lot of people think Buddhist practice or doing something in Buddhism, so you may think what do I do, how do I do, do I sit down, do I stand up, what do I do? Sort of you like to know somebody will tell you first thing what you do is sit on here and then cross your leg and think like this and that’s what you don’t need it. You don’t need it. What you do need it, you want think, you want think about your life. I want you to think to get benefit, to fulfill your missions of your life, to benefit, to make difference not only this life but lives that come after. This is the point where you’re going to go up or going to go down. This is the up point. Here we have come by chance all of us together by chance. This is by chance. Totally by chance. We could have been a little cat going around here and saying meow. Could have, but by chance our consciousness connected with physical identity of this life. So that’s why it is so important. This is my chance, could have connected with a cat, too. With a cat’s life too I mean could easily. There’s nothing blocking, nothing blocking. When we go out from here tomorrow we can be cat as I told you the other day, tomorrow we can be cockroaches. We can spray on. They will spray on us, you know? All this. That’s it.

[0:54:41.1] But now if we can make a difference this is the best opportunity to make difference. And to cut the laziness we now introduce you meditation or understanding of impermanence. Whatever we’re talking here we give you, you’re giving you a material to meditate. Okay? I try to tell you all the time this is not an entertainment. Though we try to make best jokes possible. But I’m not capable. This is not an entertainment. This is we try to make a difference to our life. So you, it requires not only you listen here, but think about it. Think about it, and have effect on your thoughts. And once you have effect on your thoughts, it will have effect on your behavior. Once you have effect on your behavior, you’re cutting down the negativities. That is how it’s working. I want you to remember that very clearly. Even you don’t sit down with a cross legged, doesn’t matter, as long as you think. Think. It is extremely important. Don’t walk like a zombie. Think. It’s important. Think. Think bigger prospect. Think the life after life’s prospect, don’t think only the prospect from the birth to death your views are limited. Expand it have a big open view of life after life’s effects. That is important.

[0:56:40.1] You may not believe it, the life after life, but you have no proof that there is no life after life. On the contrary, you have number of incidents that tell you this thing happened, that thing happened. That person is telling that story, that person is getting that message. These people has meeting that, that people have this thing. All of them are too many incidents there to be able to deny that, if you are intelligent and if you’re truthful to yourself. You don’t have to say it. You don’t have to. Sometimes better not even say it because you never know what the other fellow’s going to think about you. But think about yourself. Think within, within yourself there is too many incidents to deny that, truthfully deny that. Yet, yet we don’t understand what it is. What it is all about read(?) true. [0:57:53.4] Why? Not because it is not there because we have we don’t have the capacity to be able to perceive that. Are you with me? Our capacity is- you know, human beings have tremendous capacity. We have eye, we have ear, we have nose, all of them can understand things, right? But we have limitations. Even our eye have limitations so we have glasses. See it better. Clear. Going beyond glasses, there are more machines, right? There’s more technically, technologically produced machines can see even better than what we our ordinary eye can see it. Are you with me? See this is the very important however we have limitations. Limitations.

[0:59:07.7] I was talking with a friend this morning. I may share that with you, I’m not sure whether it’s going to be, to be something you understand, I mean you’ll get it or I don’t know. But anyway, I’m going to share that with you. Few of you definitely understand. Buddha’s, one of the most important teachings of the Buddha is interdependent relationship. Interdependent relationship between every existence. Not only between human beings, but between human beings and environment, between the environment and inhabitants and each and every inhabitants everywhere it’s so much dependent relationship that we have. We truly exist on totally on interdependent relationship. Are you- do you get me? So Buddhism presents something called emptiness. In the nature of reality they call it emptiness. That’s very famous among Buddhists. They will say there’s a thing called Heart Sutra they go and say there is no eye, no nose, no ear, no tongue, no this, no this bung, bung, bung, bung, bung they will go on that you know. So the main point why they saying what they’re doing what does this mean the in reality, in absolute reality there is no truth of existence. There is no true existence. So what does that mean? So they call that emptiness. Empty of true existence. So what does that mean there’s no true existence, don’t we exist? They say, yes, you do exist but you only exist collectively, dependently. Are you with me? Dependently.

[1:01:25.0] So much so that Buddha said, there is no such a thing where you will have point reached saying this is it. If you divide our physical, the physical existence, keep on divide, go up to as tiny as possible like atom or something, right? Even then the Buddha said there is no point where you will reach saying there is no more collection. Are you with me? The major point what the Buddha says is no matter how subtle the thing may become like neutron or whatever you know, keep on dividing it, as long as the east of that article does not become west. No matter- the east of that will never become west. As soon as that east merged with west, the object does no longer exist because it’s been touched(?) it’s no more there. [1:02:49.4] Because east side of that touched the west side of it, there’s no more. So until it’s becomes no more there will always divide it. So there is no single point called this is it. This is Buddhist wisdom, anyway. So that was limited to a people to understand earlier, because we don’t see it by our eyes. Then these big machines came, and the people with the- even the scientists will go up to the level where they say atoms and then that’s that. This is it. Then comes better machines that discover oh, there’s neutron there, there’s- you can divide that again.

[1:03:33.1] So things like that we have a limited capacity, that’s what I mean. We have thing, we have limited capacity when our capacity becomes better, then we can see it and understand and that’s why Buddha level is called total knowledge, awakened state, total knowledge because there’s no limitations. Are you with me? This is a very important point. I do not know whether you get it or not, that’s it is. So, what’s happening is the death and dying state and what’s happening within the individual thereafter is also we have a limited understanding. We don’t have the capacity to be able to see it, neither we developed machines to look through, nor we developed spiritual telescope to see it. So we have limited understanding. Are you with me? So when you have a limited understanding of such a thing, we rely on the person who have experience. Right? As we don’t understand anything we rely on scientist. They will tell you this, this, this because they have seen it, they have experience, they have experimented, they knew they have a name, they have some way of explaining, so we rely on them. Likewise, the spiritual points or death dying thereafter is also we have, we have limited so we rely on person like Buddha what they experienced, what they have seen it. And that’s what we share with us.

[1:05:20.6] That’s what the same thing what Buddha had seen it, same thing will happen to us. And we have been happening and will continuously been happening. Are you with me? You have problem with that sir? Do you? Yeah. Everybody. You’re not alone. Everybody will have problem with that. When you seriously think you have a problem. When you superficially think it is nice, okay, because we don’t have to die. So anyway, so, so to what happens thereafter is not in anybody’s decision, it is in our hand. It is our self which make difference to our future lives. It is in our hand. And that’s why Buddha’s, one of the important point is that we are responsible to our self, nobody else. Are you with me? We are responsible. I am responsible for my own future, you are responsible for your own future. You cannot blame anybody else. And nobody makes your future except you. It is your own deed, good or bad. If it’s good, you deserve it, you earned it. If it’s bad, bad luck, it is your own deed. That’s what it is.

[1:07:04.5] So that’s why what’s going to happen in future is in your hand. So that’s why here you have opportunity to make difference to your lives. That’s what I mean, it is the point, it is your mission. Are you with me? Alright. So when you should do it? Right now you should do it. That’s what it is. Why? Because the time is limited. It is almost unbelievable it is October. We thought it’s January was some yesterday or something. Then came the summer, gone. Right? The leaves are becoming yellow, the winds are blowing. Soon we’ll seeing the snow. How fast it’s gone. Year. Gone like this. And not so many years you have to count in our life. Sixty, seventy, eighty at the most. Maybe couple of people ninety. That’s what it is. One of the great Tibetan master, somebody had asked him to write his autobiography and the people insist, “Oh you’re great teacher, you’re great master, you’re this and that, please write your autobiography.” He said what would you do with my autobiography? They said oh this will be our inspiration and blah blah blah. And he said “Alright I will. I don’t have to write, I will tell you right now.” He said. In the group he said “I will tell you right now.” He said “I passed twenty years thinking I’m youth, and youth, and youth, and young, and young, and young. For twenty years. The next twenty years, I have passed I said I will do something difference to my life I will make it, I will make it, I will do it, I will do it, so within that do it, do it business I passed twenty years.” Then he said thereafter “Another twenty years I say ‘Oh it’s too late, it’s too late, too late, too late, too late, too late.’ So passed twenty years and that’s how I blow it my life. That’s my biography.” That’s what he said. Important. He didn’t blow his life, but he’s telling us don’t do it that way.

[1:09:53.9] Number of us, yeah, many of us, in last- for beginning of twenty years we not even open our eyes. We not even aware of all this. And thanks to what had happened in the sixties which really help us open lot of eyes. Don’t tell that to the Governor Engler. But truth is open our eyes. Sixties made difference to the eighties and nineties. Why so many of you here today interested in your spiritual path? Maybe all of you are joining me in the L words “liberal.” That is joking, you know? But thing is that you’re interested in your life and lives and spiritual path it’s all lot of contributions are made by what had happened in sixties. It is like lightning in the long dark night it opened up a lot of people. Something extra beyond that material fantasy life, something more than that. People begin to see it, people begin to feel it, and that’s why it made openings. So the twenty years are gone without knowing anything, so now many of you in that next twenty years want to do something, want to do something, wanted to do something. So please make sure you don’t follow the next twenty years too late, too late, too late, okay? So that’s what you should do. And that different you should make right this moment. Right this moment. Right this moment you have to make difference. Difference is nothing more you have to make strong commitment to yourself that you are going to look inside your life and try to make difference to your lifes. If you don’t do it, who’s going to do it? Nobody else can do it for you. Remember that. No one can do. Not your mother, not your father, not your son, not your daughter, not your boyfriend, not our girlfriend. It’s only you. And you are the one.

[1:12:38.0] Je na che (Quotes in Tibetan) [1:12:42.7] When we’re born, we’re born alone. When we die, we’ll go alone. The Tibetans give example like pulling the hair out of butter. You may not get that. If you been to Tibet, you get it. The butter in Tibet are dirty. Dirty because there’s not hygiene at all so the butter you’ll find lot of hair the people who worked with the butter in the process you find lot of hair in the butter. So if you pull hair out of the butter, the only the hair going to go not the butter going to go, right? Right? If you pull the hair. Likewise, when we die we’ll be pull out of hair out of butter, all the butters will remain, we go. So that means we are responsible to our self. I make difference to me, you make difference to you. And that’s how we do. What does life do? Get us together, talk about it, understand, think and make difference to our self. Opportunity was provided by life. Opportunity has been provided to you, to me, by life, by Buddha, by our organization, by Jewel Heart. And that is all about it. So we have to make use of that and make a difference. The difference is you make commitment to yourself- am I talking too long? I think so. To make commitment to yourself. Do you wanted to make difference to your life now? That’s what it is. Whether you can or you cannot you have to say now. Because you never know whether tomorrow’s going to be there or not.

[1:14:48.7] Sa ba chi de (Quotes in Tibetan) Who knows? Tomorrow’s going to come first or the so-called next life? Who knows? How many people die while talking, while driving, while drinking, while smoking, while sleeping? Why not us? By chance we’re still alive. It is very fortunate to be able to woke up realize you’re still in life. If you think detailed that is the true situation. How many people get heart attack in sleep? They don’t get up? There is no such a thing that is called death is going to come that’s not so much pre-warning. Apparently, we do have a what you call those disease that you cannot cure- fatal disease or whatever? Fatal disease. And we say, well, somebody have that disease, say, oh, somebody someday they’re going to die. Two things I see it. One a great opportunity if you look from the positive point of view, great opportunity because you have some kind of warning there. Sooner or later we all go through that warning or no warning we all go through, whether we have diagnosis of fatal disease or not, we’re going to go through that death. With or without fatal disease. Whatever it may be, we all go through. But these people have a warning. It’s great. We don’t. If you look from that angle. But whether whatever it may be all we all go. I mean next hundred years, do you think all of us will be here? No. Probably none of us will be here next hundred years. We’re all gone. That’s what it is. That’s our condition.

[1:17:02.0] And most important thing, when we go, we never know. We never know. That’s why whatever we do, do it now. First you need commitment from yourself to yourself, not to me, not to the organization, no. To yourself to make difference to your lifes. Okay? And that will be the step two here. To take the essence, to fulfill your missions, and to make difference to your life you need a strong commitment by yourself. Just don’t force it. Read it. Think about it. Is it worth to making it or not worth to making it? Would you like to make difference to your life or you don’t want to make difference to your life. Choice is yours. Nobody can force you on in anything. You have to choose. Okay? That’s it. I’m going to stop here unless you have questions. Yes, please. Audience: A question on the reincarnation? You have a sense that you know a person even though you’ve never met them before, there’s a sense that you have known them before. Is that by chance? Rimpoche: The question is when you met somebody although you never met it before, you never met the person before, but you have a sense that you know that person for a long time. Is that- what did you say? Audience: Is it by chance? Rimpoche: Is that by chance? This is by chance. This is reality. Definitely you met before. That’s what it is. Somehow some kind of subliminal mind try to pick up the previous link. Whether that’s going to pick up, or not going to pick up, who knows. That is what it is.

[1:19:30.9] Yes lady? Audience: I have two questions. One is, do we choose where we will be in the next life or is that chance? And my second question is, in the second stanza of the Foundation of All Perfections where it says “precious human life gained but once.” I don’t understand the “gained but once” if we come back many times. (Inaudible) [1:20:05.2] Rimpoche: The first question is do we choose our future life? I wish we could. And that is our goal to make difference to our life is we can make a choice. We should build the capability to be able to make a choice. That will be our goal. Audience: That’s our goal of this life? Rimpoche: Yes. One of the goals, secondary goals actually. But most important. And second question then why “gained but once.” I’ve been saying that we could be cockroaches tomorrow, so, so that’s why the quality of such a life is difficult to gain because of the foundation of perfect morality, generosity, enthusiasm, patience. All of them has to be combined together. I’m trying to tell you every existence is collectively existent, dependently existence so such a life for me is to depend to have a perfect morality and good patience and wonderful enthusiasm and lot of concentration and lot of wisdom. So if I have all of them, it’s not about once but many times. But if I’m lacking on that, it is but once. That’s what it meant. Thank you.

[1:21:59.4] I guess we have to close here tonight and thank you so much for coming all- you have question? Okay. Going and I believe next week we’re going to meet back to the church. Unitarian church on the Lone Pine and Woodward. (Discusses times for next week) [1:22:25.3] Read, think, and then if you have some questions don’t hesitate to ask. Doesn’t matter, this is a spiritual group. Even you make fool of yourself, doesn’t matter. Normally they tell you don’t ask questions which you do not know the answer but here you should ask questions that you do not know the answer. If you know the answer, you’re wasting others’ time. Thank you. Small dedication which we should dedicate all our positive karmas to benefit all beings because this is spiritual meeting, we gain lot of merit. (Karla sings dedication)