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19980226GRNY 26th September 2021

Here I am going to say, take shoes off. Actually, taking off the shoes is in India and South East Asia and Tibet, we don’t take off shoes. Because if you take off shoes, it is too dirty. And cold and dirty, both, plus if you go to Monastery there will be a lot of butter tea, flow over there. So, right? Foot will get stuck. Too much butter tea.

As we have doing , whatever the work we have been doing here is , basically when you are looking at. You know, we talked to that very often . Somehow I couldn’t get over it. Basically, when you look at spiritual path. A lot of people normally begin to look , some kind of interesting thing will happen . Suddenly pop up and something open. I know what people expects. But , one day I found out. There is no such thing called instant happenings. When you read the books. When you read the traditional teachings. When you read the biographies of those great Mahasiddhas and all these. It always like instant , something happened. Instantly something happened. And it never really works that way at all. I am sorry to tell you the truth. Sorry to disappoint. But that’s what it is. If you are looking for something, instantly something happen , it will never happen. And it is very systematic, I cannot say it is scientific because I don’t know head and tail out of what scientific is. But it is very systematic and if you work very carefully, you get the result what you aiming for. And that is I look as solid. If you something that you worked on constantly, put your efforts and you get the results , way and how you wanted. And that is solid spiritual practice. And the number of us would like to have spiritual practice, we are very excited because I am not materialistic, I am spiritualistic. However I don’t know what I wanted. However I don’t know where I am going to get involved. How do I be in there. What am I suppose to do. We do not know anything about it. So anybody can come in and tell you that’s what you should do. Even the Jim Jones can come and tell you, follow me. Do exactly what I tell you. But these things we get difficulties at the end. On the other hand , look at Mahatma Gandhi. Very politically active. Not so much as spiritual if you really look the nature of the work, Mahatma Gandhi did. Tremendous human service but it is fighting for the Indian independence against British. And yet, when you really look at it. It is a really a solid spiritual path that he is leading. So, there is so many of that in the spiritual path. And so, I think it is important for us, what can we follow and what I cannot follow. I don’t think there is any other judge better than yourself for your own path. Whatever I am doing, am I doing spiritual work or what I am doing. Am I following Buddha’s path. Let’s talk about Buddha , anyway. Am I following Buddha’s path. Am I doing the right thing. I think you yourself the only judge for your own path. Because if you are not convinced what you are doing is good for you and good for others. Then you are not going to be stable. So it is yourself , nobody else. I always tell to the friends here or any where I go. If anybody try to claim over you. I am your Guru, you run away five hundred miles without looking back. That is very important. Even Guru, you choose your Guru. No Guru choose you. Guru has no right to choose you. Guru has right to reject you but doesn’t have right to choose you. I mean true. True. It is absolutely true. Has right to reject you but don’t have right to choose you. You choose your Guru. He or she may accept you , may not accept you. That’s their right. But they cannot choose. In the United States, there are a number of organizations , who say , well you take refuge here. You took refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha here. You belongs to me , belong to us, or whatever. That may be an organizational politics. But it is nothing spiritual on that. (0.07:09.0)

I don’t know what saying it. Anyway. The main point is, it is the you who is responsible for yourself. So you are responsible to choose your Guru, to choose your path. And you are responsible to do everything. And that also at the mind level, not at the physical so much. It is more the mind. I was watching the television , four or five nights ago. Maybe four and in the evening there was Tina Turner’s biography showing. There she was. I am sure you people know more than I know because that was the first time I saw it. Nobody’s there. So, having terrible life and all these. And at the end she became independent and all these and she said , it is Buddhism that helps me. And I was listening to that and she describes the Buddhism. And by the time when I realized, what a great statement, and I lost the words what she said. Because a good thing she’s saying. And when that thought pops up a lot , her exact words. But what did she said, she said is Buddhism is so nice and simple. For me , she said, I go on collecting whether she said positivity or virtues or good karma or goodness. So, I got completely confused. When I am thinking the second time, it is already gone off from television. So I don’t remember. So, anyway, something like goodness, gone , keep on collecting goodness and thereafter you go. I thought it was a wonderful statement and one short sentence. Absolutely true to the Buddha’s teachings. Absolutely true, what really the message Buddha gives. Yet, it is so simple and anybody, whether you are blue colored, mid western or whoever may be , able to pick up , there is no confusion, straight forward . I thought it was a wonderful statement , she gave that. For that short brief and it is absolutely true. In Buddhism , you don’t be encouraged to worship, you don’t really do all this. You simply, do, carry on your karma. You sort of made good karma, cut down the negative karma . That is the total message of the Buddha. Way and how you can improve is by building up good karma, by cutting down bad karma. Bottom line, that’s it. From that angle when you look at it, Tina Turner one word in there, I think made a lot of sense. So, I thought I share that with you. And so, Buddhism , it should not make it complicated. It is so simple. Actually, building of the, making of the goodness of the individual. Bringing the individual to the goodness as much as you can. That is the real essence of the Buddhism.

If you look , zillions of Mahasiddhas and this and that, great masters and this and that. All of them , if you look, essence of what they did. Cut down the negative karma and build the positive karma. So, if you keep on building the positive karma after awhile, there will be no negative karma left. And then that’s the end of it. (0.11:44.0) And also like to share another interesting thing happened with me, in between that period. So, one morning I slept late. I was late. A was sleeping. Maybe could be 10.30, I don’t know, or somewhere around there. I am asleep. And telephone rang and I picked up. Hello. And that’s old friend from Chicago, still very much with Jewel Heart. Been Jewel Heart for over 10 years and very strong, very nice , very devoted person. She said, I have that question. I feel so embarrassed to ask the question. But I got to ask. I said, don’t feel embarrassed , just ask. What is it? I am half asleep. Well, I am embarrassing what I am saying here. I said, don’t get embarrassed. Just say it. Can you find some place for you to, I am sorry. Don’t get embarrassed. Just say it. So, she said “ Well , I have been working for so long here. Working for enlightenment. But, I do not know is there really enlightenment. How do I know there is enlightenment? “ And I never thought that question before, you know. I was born in Tibet and brought up guaranteed , you all know. Whether it is valid or invalid, who knows. But sort, I never had that question before. And here I am half asleep and somebody very serious person, will very serious commitment and practice and asking very serious question. And I thought myself , what do I say? So what is it? So, I thought a little while , I said “ No, we don’t know. It is true. How do I know? There is enlightenment. I don’t know. And I said “ No, I don’t know” And then she said” Then, what are we doing?” Naturally. And that is true. And I thought. What are we doing? So, when you started looking, what are we doing. So, we are improving ourselves. We are I improving ourselves. We try to make ourselves as good as possible. Goodness. And separating ourselves from the negative emotions. And bringing ourselves to the close to the goodness as much as possible. And we see the improvement within ourselves all the time. All the time. But if have done like two days work, if you want improvement, I don’t know. But if you are constantly working, if you constantly aware of whet you are doing, constantly 4putting efforts, and if you really see the improvement within yourself. From the spiritual point of view. We seek the improvement within ourselves. From the dharma point of view, if you want to. And that improvement is bringing to us. We did not reach to the end of that improvement. We still going on and on and on to that improvement and one day we are going to reach to the end of all , total improvement. I believe that’s called enlightenment. You know what I mean? Are you with me? Huh? So, it is really true. When you try to think Is there enlightenment? How do I know. I really don’t know. But we still seeing the improvement within the individual. We will see the practice and the learning. Particularly the Lamrim or Odyssey to Freedom. Points here is really giving us the force. How we can really function in our life. How impermanent it is. How temporary it is. How good it is. How bad it is. All of those really brings out and how much interconnected relationship. How much is one person depends on the other. That is so much it brings here. It really gives you a basic structure of actually, it is sort of blue print how you live. It sort blue print how you function. So, each of those are contributing , it sort of , lifting you from one level to another level. That is the improvement . And that is the goodness I am talking about. And when reach to the end of that and that is labelled as enlightenment. And since we are going , getting better and better , we sure it is going to be more better. And it sure there is an end to that too. And that is enlightenment. From that angle , we can understand. (0.17:56.1) what are we doing. But we do not. Otherwise we don’t understand there is enlightenment. So, I thought I share that with you because we all looking for , quote and unquote “ enlightenment “ . Suppose to be. Maybe not but suppose to be.

Then coming back on the point that we are suppose to talk. I believe, last time when I was here , I request to you people to do a little investigation on death. And , what else do I cover. You were there last week? What numbers are. 19, 20, 21 and 22. Okay. So, did anybody did analyzing and you would like to discuss, anything? You, go ahead. Alan, right?

Alan : This past weekend I went out to see a friend who is dying of cancer. He is a practitioner . And this person has got cancer and decided to have hameroid doses which means the parts swells. Organs swells. The lungs fill with fluid. The external organs swells. They have tremendous sores in their armpits which are opened and exposed and don’t heal. And their lungs are filled with so much fluid and had to be punctured and drained. And, I was in the hospital with this person. Just gave him my thoughts. That’s how it goes. This is your life. We born, we die and rebirth. And yet, he was a Zen practitioner. There is a moment where we were just ? practicing He realized that he is reincarnate . He said a mantra. How do you maintain the life of which he is doing. In the midst of it they were injecting morphine in between practicing and asleep. And the he come out of it and start practicing and then go out again, the morphine. And I have never seen anything like this. And the inevitability of death . And so, so clear that I almost lost consciousness. .

Rimpoche : A number of people have a number of incidences that I have talked individually. So that’s really what it is. The point, what I left it here is death definite. So the answer really comes out , it is definite. We all going to die. Whatever it may be . At the same time , it is not the point that we are going directly and say what can you do, when you are dying. What can you do. That is another question. It is very important question. (0.22:58.8) I don’t know whether I talked to you here or not. Maybe not. I had a interesting experience very recently. There was a woman . There is a woman. A woman in Jewel Heart in Ann Arbor. And her mother was dying. And she is the hospice care. She really wanted me to meet her mother. And I was hesitating a little bit because you never know, you know. Whether my meeting her will be going to be a service for her or going to be disservice. You never know. Because you know, all of a sudden , I am in Mid west, right? All of a sudden , sort of a lady who is dying and living daughter behind, and thinking that this daughter following Buddhist. It is , sort of little , I don’t know how she is going to take it. I sort of delaying a few days. I said, I come, I come. But I didn’t really go. And then, suddenly, her friend called and saying that , well, you better come. She is going to die. I said, I was really planning to go the next day. And truly. Alright, then I will come. I went like an hour later and meet them. And when I went, I sort of I presumed , a very nice lady there. I sort of presumed that whatever I am going to talk there , she wont, either she will not hear or understand my accent or whatever, you know. So I walked in and I started to talking to the daughter. And saying, you know, this is natural reality and natural, we all go through. But you have to provide as peaceful as possible and all this and that. Then daughter looked at the mother and said , saying, sort of trying to tell more clearly in louder voice, and she turn to me and say I understand what you are saying. So it was a surprise. Then I talked to her directly. Now, last minute, I don’t want her introduced to Buddhism. Because it was last minute. There is no point of introducing Buddhism at that moment. Nor is a point for me . Introducing to Buddhism may have a point. But you know, I don’t know her mind and all these. Nor I don’t see much of a point of saying mantras or doing something which I have experience when Timothy Leary was dying and the telephone call, I suppose to talk to him. And the last minute. I am not even sure whether he understand what I am talking or not. I started saying couple of Om Mani Mani Maha Mani Ye Soha. And naturally he got up and say “ Why and why not”. So, I don’t want to repeat the mantra there. So, it is a interesting experience. And yet on the other hand, I must be helpful to her. And whatever I could help. I , sort of told her , you have done a lot good work through out your lifetime . You have had not done very mean and harmful to anyone. And she said “ No, I have not done anything bad that I can , vividly remember and I have help as much as I could done. And I have been honest and all these. “ Great thing that you have spent your life in very positive and very , in the nature of goodness. Now is the time , you have to go. It is unavoidable. Everybody is going. And you , yourself. It is the time for you to go. Of course it is death. It is separation. It is , you going to travel to unknown place. However, however, you have relied on God. Whole of your life, you have been good. And the place you are going is beautiful, open , God space. Beautiful pure land. Open, God space. Think that. Do not think what is going to happen to my daughter or family, or children or that , they will definitely be able to manage and they will figure out. And you will go in that manner. And that came out. And I think that is the best I could do. And when it becomes on my personal experience. And that will help her to connect her positive karma because the person been good person and had build tremendous positive karma . It is the Buddhist who have good karma and not others, right. So, to have great karma, great, good karma and so it can definitely link with the positive thought. And if she could go that way. She did go that way, like five , six days later. After that I told her, she is not going anywhere for a few days. It is really true. She stayed there about a week, I think. So, after she had a very smooth way of transiting her life. And this sort of things, we have to remember. Because we are not going a person who had a great, control over our lives. Great control over our death and dying. Great control over our rebirth. We not going to be that. Whoever maybe. With exception, of maybe a couple of people. One or two. Most of us, and that including myself. Most of us are going to be in that manner. So, when don’t have the control over of anything. So what do we do is prepare the best way we could. Prepare for the best way we could. Death is such a thing we cannot avoid. Nobody can do anything. Nobody . When death comes, the apartment , the rented apartment has collapsed. Remember the rented apartment. I always used our body as a rented apartment. Ourself inside the body is the tenant. So, when the roof is collapsed, heat is not there, is no running water . When the air is dead. You have to get out. Nothing can be done. Buddha used to say that. Medicine Buddha comes down and be your doctor and give the treatment. And Manjushri, the Buddha of wisdom , gives you all best ideas. And Vajrapani who can protects all obstacles. And protecting, even then you die. Even then you die. That is absolutely true when the time that is called death. No one can hold anybody. You can make yourself suffering by not going . By hanging on. Like days, and months, weeks and all these we can do, But that, to me , if you know more or less for sure . If you know more or less for sure, you are not going to be recovered from whatever the illness might be. And you almost sure you are going to go. And for me, the sooner that you go is better. Rather than making everybody suffer. Rather than making you, yourself suffer and every friend, and everybody suffer. It is not that much worth. But at the same time, by means of using chemicals or anything, is again, heavy negativity in there. So, you have to have , it is a natural process. Let the natural process take the place and let the person go , than usual. I don’t want anybody, I don’t want doctor Kobukin. Kobukin , his name, right? (0.33:14.2) I don’t want to Doctor Kobukin to intervention here . However it is no pint on hanging on that. It is interesting. It is like about seven years ago, I went to Colombo. That is the state in Northern India. And there is a Rimpoche called Dhardo Rimpochea. Dhardo Rimpoche, he is the teacher of Sangharakshita. You know ,Sangharakshita, it is western Buddhist Order, if you ever heard from London. There is a man called Sangharakshita. He is Sangarakshita’s teacher. I saw Dhardo Rimpoche after , I saw him in 1959. And after that, I didn’t see him. It is about what, 30 or 40 years, something, long gap. So, I was talking to Dhardo Rimpoche and suddenly he said “ Well, to tell you the truth to you” He said to tell you the truth, I had a stroke or heart attack. I don’t he knows exactly what it is. He said, I had a heart attack or stroke, 2 years ago. He said I was talking to some Indian police officer, I don’t know, who come to consult him. Three members of the family were seating there. And he said, suddenly I felt. He used the Tibetan language which can be translated as stroke or heart attack, whatever it is. And so, I had that. I wanted to make sure he don’t know that I am having the problem. He said, I keep on conversing with them, at the same time I keep on seeing Tsongkapa’s mantra.

migmé tsewé terchen chenrezig

dremé khyenpé wangpo jampal yang

gangchen khepé tsukgyen tsongkhapa

lozang drakpé shabla solwa deb

He said, I keep on seeing that. And making sure even if I am paralyzed but I should be , will be able to speak. And then he said, these people wont leave. They keep on seating , 45 minutes more. And said, he keep on doing that. And after that, he said he took one those precious pill. The Tibetan have something called precious pill. And you get them from Dharamsala medical centre. But be careful there is a lot of mercury in there. I am sorry. It is really true. There is a lot of mercury in there. And they suppose to control the mercury by heat. But however, the level of the fire, what they do have, in Tibet and tradition , and they do in India, they had high added, low added, make a big difference. So, there is mercury in there. So, you should have only limited. I said that because some friend who had a problem with that., That’s why. So, anyway, he took some precious pill and all these. And he was okay. That was a couple of years after. And he said , don’t you think, if you unable to speak, you better die soon, rather than living. Maybe. I didn’t, sort of, I paid the normal respect of his statement and didn’t affect me much. And then , two years later, Gheshe Rimpoche went to Colombo and came back and called me. He said Dhardo Rimpoche passed away. (0.37:31.3) I said “ Dhardo Rimpoche passed away recently, yes. What happened is sort of a stroke or something. He couldn’t speak for two days and the doctor says he is okay and the next morning he is gone” So, that is the example , you know, he made up his mind a long time ago. If I unable to speak, I better die, rather than living. And that’s what happening. So, things like that. Death is unavoidable. So the only thing that we have do is we should do in the goodness nature. Don’t try to do something that we cannot really figure out what it is. You know, there may be people who say while you are dying , you have to meditate on emptiness. And we know, the individual person knows nothing. Know head and tail of emptiness. So, if you try to meditate it will be not good. So, it is very important to bite what you can chew. So, kindness, compassion, love and even that beautiful God’s place . All of those, that’s really have to avoid is irritating . Strong attachment, clinging on, not to be able to let it go. All of those, you don’t need it. And you should not have it. And if you are friend and associates, family dying, that’s what we should be able to provide. Of course, it is sad indeed. And people will cry. Cant help it. But still remember, you are still alive and that fellow is going. So you really, you have no right to disturb that person by crying, blaming, don’t die on me, you know what I mean. So poor fellow is really dying. Not willingly. Nobody wants to die. Everybody would like to live. But cant help it. And debating, upset on the same guy , not die on me. It is not right. You really don’t have the right to do that and provide conducive atmosphere, right. Peaceful and you prepare that for yourself. Tell people , don’t cry. I have to go. You cant hold me. If you can hold me, you can hire a hundred people and hold with hands. I think everybody could do that. But that doesn’t help. So, knowing it. Once you know it. You know what makes you not be able to go is attachment. Nothing else. Attachment. Worst than anger. The anger is terrible . No doubt about it. But it still, anger will not make you unable to let it go. Sometimes, anger may push you out. I am angry, I don’t want to talk about it. Don’t want to see it. You are letting it go, temporarily. But attachment is the one , who really holds you back. So, everybody has a hope of looking back. Looking back, right? There was a teacher Ganden Chopel in the early nineteen century teacher. Early twentieth century teacher. Nineteen hundred. (0.41:58.2) Ganden Chopel wrote a beautiful poetry said.” Everybody like to hope to look back even after you died. They will put something . Some people will leave the children behind. Some will leave disciples behind. Some people will leave temples behind. Some people will leave Institutions behind. And some people, I mean , he goes on and on and on . So it is really true . We all hope of looking back. That hope of looking back is the strong influence of attachment. Strong influence of attachment. Attachment is the problem at that moment more than any negativities at all. So, the attachment itself is , you know, is such a thing that you experience in pain that you would like to separate. You sort of , there is a fear in there. There is a fear of unknown and there is attachment of not letting it go. And it is really struggling and that leads you bad in future life. So, you have to make sure that will not happen. For ourselves and help others not to have that. If you have that sort of clinging, upsetting and all that mind. Actual death period, I talked , other the other day. Did I talk the other day how the procedures go. I did talk. So actual death period is a very subtle mind, extremely subtle , lucid, subtle . But incapable of making good nature or bad nature. So subtle. So the mind immediately before that, is the guiding mind for the death, actual death period. So mind immediate before that is something goodness. They will connect the whole death period as a good , positive nature which will lead to good one in future. If it is a bad one, it will connect to bad one. So, it is so important . There are historical points that enlightened beings is. There are people who have been extremely bad person. Extremely bad person whose last minute some help came and connected in a little better future life than expected.

I just remembered one incident but . I think I shared that somewhere in July, earlier , once or twice at the most. So, I would like to share here today. I was in Dehli . I am sure that now, is many years ago. Fifteen, twenty maybe. I was in Dehli and I was a naughty boy in Dehli. There was a Rimpoche called Bakula Rimpoche. Number of you have met Bakula Rimpoche. He is the head lama of Ladakh. And he is still the Indian ambassador to Mongolia. Bakula Rimpoche. So, Bakula Rimpoche has a benefactor. And this benefactor , I am sure it is for political reasons as far as I am concern. But his benefactor, to Bakula Rimpoche , the guy , sort of half Tibetan, half Nepalian person who does a terrible anti smuggling business out of Nepal. Who sells images out of temples. And he makes deals and then steals them and delivers them in Hongkong. Some people, he does that. And he was caught and he was in jail. And then he decides to use Bakula Rimpoche whose political influence, try to get him out of Nepal jail. That’s my perception of it. So but whatever it may be, he was sick and he was dying. Dying in hospital in Dehli. Usually, in the Tibetan custom, if somebody is dying, will bring the picture of Buddha in front of the person. Try to show the Buddha image or try to says Buddha mantra or Om Mani Padme Hum or something like that. So that the mind of the individual may be connected on the concentration on Buddha. Or concentrating on that. That’s what we trying to do. That almost becomes a Tibetan culture. It is from the Buddhist tradition because here you are connecting with the Buddha. So they always bring a Buddha image or something, Tangka, or painting or something. This fellow, been a sort of image smuggler has shortage of good quality Buddha image. So they brought one big Buddha image and put near his bed side. And he was having a hallucination and that Buddha jumped on him and he can’t breathe. And on top of that all different images that he had stolen from various temples jumping out of walls and building on him, can’t breathe. (0.49:07.2) So Bakula Rimpoche wrote me a note with a $ 50/- in it. And saying please pray for this person an he is dying and he is having those hallucinations. He sent somebody , sort of urgently to deliver to my place. He was dying there. So I wrote back to Bakula Rimpoche. I said $50/- was too cheap for that. I said is too heavier, I can’t pull. $50/- . That is a joke, of course. But I wrote him a joke. That sort of things , sometimes happens. And I actually, probably, he will be paying a terrible price in his future life but because of the Bakula Rimpoche being there and all these, so the experience of all different Buddhas and Hindu deities jumping out of the wall and can’t breathe for days is actually might have purified tremendous amount of his negativities. So, these things does happened. He was a lucky guy because of Bakula happens to be there. So, I don’t know why I am talking that. And so that’s why you are a Buddhist or something and then you can remember Buddha. You can remember your own spiritual master or your can remember your own Yidam. And all these. They are like eleven different ways of going. Very simple ways. Eleven different ways of going. So I did that workshop once in open centre. And so, and if you can remember, there are eleven different thoughts you can take. And you can go. In that way. So, one of our main goal is. The ultimate goal is to become enlighten in this life, if possible. Otherwise within next couple of lives. But the immediate task what we have is to make sure next future life is right, a perfect one. So if you have power in your own hands like I mentioned Dhardo Rimpoche . Dhardo Rimpoche. If you have power in your own hands like Dhardo Rimpoche who doesn’t want , who decided not to remain and go in two days later when he can’t speak. That’s okay. No question arise for that. If not, we have to prepare ourselves to move in positive way. With no distraction, no attachment . Don’t worry about your savings. Don’t worry about your will. Don’t worry who is going to get your life insurance. Anyway, some lawyers will get it. Carole is here tonight. So, don’t worry about it. Don’t think those. It is late for you to consider those. If you prepare, make your will long before, fine. Great. It is done, Don’t have to worry about it. If you try to do last minute this and that. It is difficult. And don’t think about it. It doesn’t matter if you leave money behind, if leave mess behind. Doesn’t matter. Doesn’t matter. What does matter , it is important time for individual. Have to go. Go, sort of you really have to go well. Is that the word? Is that a word? Go well. (0.53: 34.2) You have to go well. That is the that part of it.

And then the time of the death, it is absolutely uncertain. You never know. When it happens. People go the middle of everyday. Middle of , when I was a, I have a friend who was the Tibetan welfare officer in Sikkhim, and he is a very very nice person. One day I received telephone call from Sikkhim saying that he died. I said, when? Half an hour ago. How did he died? He said he went out for lunch, had lunch and then had a coffee and then smoked cigarette . And half the cigarette is gone. Then he got the ash here, holding. Taking the thing and tried to push the ash in the ash tray. He leaned like this and before he reached to the ashtray, collapsed. And dead. Dead, that point. So there is no certainty at all. This is an example, happened for him. As far as I know. And many of us will have very similar incidence, in our life. Within the family, within the friends, within the society circle , we have that. What is that telling us? They are telling us we never know. We never know. We never know. It is absolutely uncertain. So, if it comes to me, before I am prepared, I really cut. Sorry here. I will be sorry. That’s what we have to avoid. Too much talking here about death and dying is not to be bring fear of dying to you. It is not. That is not the purpose at all. It’s purpose is to cut our laziness. Our laziness of postponing. Today I have this important meeting to go. And I have this important decision to make. Tomorrow, I will do something to benefit myself. We do that all the time. All the time. And tomorrow never comes. So much priority for tomorrow. One of the laziness is when you really, when you don’t divide your time and when you don’t earmark your time. When you don’t have the, what you call that, schedule, ya. When you don’t have a proper schedule , then you don’t have priority and whatever comes that will take over you, right? (0.57:24.8) In our normal everyday function that happens ,right? That’s what it is . So, especially if you don’t have a schedule for do something for your own benefit and for your own future, then that laziness takes over and everything becomes for tomorrow. Even person like Bakula Rimpoche, when he came to visit Jewel Heart, two years ago? Is it two years, three years ago? Two or three years ago, right? So, anyway, one day he was talking to me , he said “ Today I didn’t prepare anything” Something like that. Anyway, whatever the preparation he said “ Oh, I am talking about my future life’s benefit. I did not pack my back bag. “So mean here, he hasn’t said he is practicing, meditating death” I said, “ Back bag for what?” He said “ Oh, future” He used the word lamja. Tibet hasn’t got hotels or motels, old time. So everybody carries their own food and beer, and cloth and all this and that when you are travelling. So that’s called the lamja. He said “ I haven’t pack my lamja today” So, the person at that level also thinks that way. So, naturally we have to prepare ourselves. If you don’t prepare and get death comes before. That will be a terrible thing. Such a important life. Such a precious life, capable of doing anything. And then that was the time we wasted and lost. Not to be at that level, we will have to be prepared. That doesn’t mean you give every responsibility and shave your hair and go to Himalayas. That will not necessarily help us. If you look the mules. The moles, who seats under the ground for six months or more, right? And then you see whether the ground hog sees their shadow or not. Anyway. So, they remains under the ground for long time. They goes in as a big fat mole and comes out as a thin, skinny mole , that’s all the difference. The same old mole that went in. So just going in doesn’t do any good at all. Really true. (1.00:53.7)

It said . there is a proper liberation in home. The example was like Marpa, the founder of Kagyu tradition as student Naropa, the Great. And Marpa who founded Kagyu tradition , that is the example. And remaining in the home, within the family, within that, you can obtain the highest possible achievement. There is no helicopter ride. It is the nature moving. Really that is the truth. That’s why I would like to say, there is a liberation while remaining in Mahantan. You don’t have to go to the Hudson river side. Just joking. But it is. It is only matter how you perceive, how you make your motivation. And what is aim for your life. How do you motivate action. This is so important. If you could do that. Every action, every moment, including your daily chores doing laundry , waiting at the grocer check out lane, waiting at the parking lot, driving and every single thing you doing can become positive and goodness and even a dharmic activity. Unless it is by nature, if is a slaughter, slaughtering or whatever, cheating, lying , if your job is like that. Then that is not good livelihood. That is wrong livelihood. If you are slaughter, you better change your job, you know what I mean. If you are a butcher who sells the meat, you are not butchering anything, it is okay. Really. Because if you are really slaughter person, then it is not okay. Everything , whatever you are doing is harming somebody. So the positive thought, and if possible bodhimind, at least compassion orientated. And the caring orientated , motivation . And if you do, and if your action are influenced by that. Every action can become a positive karma. (1.03:47.3) And we take advantage of that. Otherwise, we not going to be like those people who shaved their hair, changed their robes, seat under the tree or over the tree or whatever. We are not going to happen, that. Even then, the deed, not necessarily that great. As I told you, the more goes in, the more comes out. Same thing. Lot of people , we see, we have a lot of friends who have done three years retreat, six years retreat, and went in as a Mister normal and comes out , reverend, the holy aura. Reverend holy aura. A number of them . So what is the use? Nothing. The purpose of the dharma and the purpose of the spiritual practice bring goodness with you. Cutting down your negativities , anger, hatred, jealousy. Bringing kindness, compassion, love. If that is happening, your practice is working. If that is not happening, your practice is not working. Better go and have a drink. At least you have kick. So what you do. We said you have to do, do, do. I didn’t tell you what to do. Did I? What to do. Follow the Odyssey to Freedom. Especially number 13, below. And today’s level. You know the four laws of the Buddhism. Four seals of Buddhism. They called it, the first was every phenomena is impermanent. Am I right? These are four laws or seals or what do you say. Hallmarks? So every phenomena is impermanent. That is one statement of Buddha. That includes everything. Even what we considered as permanent structures. That we have those loco motor monsters. All of them are impermanent, including those. (1.06:55.5) Sunflower as well. Is also impermanent. Sort of reminded , Allen’s point that sunflower and loco motor. You remember that? It is hided in jukebox. So, everything is impermanent, even those monster structures. Organizations, government, institutions , the big families, like Rockefella, Kennedys, and all of that type. Everything. The last time of 15 or 20 generations. They will go. Whole world, whole existence will go one day. So, that’s every phenomena, whatever we come impermanent nature. There is nothing permanent in that. And that is our true reality. So we have to see how much is worth for that, to put our energy and time. On the other hand, one of those seals is called , which means nirvana is peace. Each nirvana is peace, we should get it. Why not? And last , two weeks ago, last, when I was here. I requested you to investigate death as definite and there is no definite timing. And what will help you at the time of death. Did I talked that at all. Perhaps, didn’t get to that level. I got to that when and the what. And what can help you at that moment. That is a big question. Big question. No one, no body can really help you except yourself. Like the Tibetan tradition, will immediately go to some well known Lama and said , please pray. Yes, they will pray. We all do. Will pray and try to do that all the time. And all these. However, it is the second person , try to help through a second person. It is not you, yourself. But you can help yourself, now. (1.10:25.6) So that you don’t have to depend on second or third person. Any second an third person will help you , it will be butter over bread. But you do have your own bread. You don’t have to depend on. And that’s what we want to achieve. That’s why we present this Odyssey to Freedom. Each point you go over and try to understand, investigate, and internalize. Do not accept anything if you have not investigated. That’s called blind faith.

The Buddhism that I know. The Buddha’s teachings that has been taught. In general and particularly among the Tibetan Buddhism and particularly Tsongkapa’s tradition , is based on your personal investigation. What do you think. Why we have such a big thing called debate. In this great monasteries, the Drepung, Ganden and Sera. They have a huge big debate. Every day they are debating. Why do they have debate? They have a debate so that we can investigate and understand better. That is the main reason why the Gelugpa monasteries have big strong debate. Debate is investigation. When you investigate a subject on which you are going to meditate and internalize, you know the subject well. You know the pros and cons. And you know the misunderstandings and actual, truly what it is. I don’t mean you have to learn debate. But everybody here is educated , intelligent. You have a wonderful mind. If you make use of your mind, you can help yourself by investigating, analyzing. If I tell you we all going to die, you think, ya, ya, ya, we all going to die. But if you really investigate that and your way of understanding death is much stronger and powerful than you just , on ya, everyone going to die. It is a big difference. You will feel it. And that feeling will cut down on your laziness. That’s how it works. (1.13:27.7)

And what do you work? Actually, our own situation. Where we are , what we are doing. What is it. That is extremely important. I was saying the other day, I don’t know whether I said here or not. I really don’t care who am I. I do care, what I am going to do. You know, last year the tricycles, change your mind there. I was going up there and Carole was with me and she say , “ Rimpoche, what are you going to talk tonight?” “ I don’t know”. “ Rimpoche , what are you going to talk tonight?” When I was going “ I don’t know. I really didn’t know” And I said “ I am going up there and listen to whoever speaking and I will pick up from there” And I went up there, a number of people came to see me and I couldn’t listen to the person. You were there. Remember? And you were there too, right. And then the last word, what I heard, somebody said, we spent the whole day here trying to find out who am I. Oh no, I don’t care who am I. Can I say that? And I saw Joseph Goldstar walking in front of me. And I said, oh let me ask Joseph. So I try to get up, I cant get up straight. It takes time and Joseph is tall and he was walking so fast. And I tried to run after him. He’s a tall , skinny and began walking. Caucasian walking. And I am here, short, fat. Try to catch up. I couldn’t catch him. After that either you or Helen, one of them said, “ Our next speaker is running outside there” So, I have to go back. I couldn’t ask him. So, I don’t want to offend anybody, so I didn’t say “ I don’t care who am I” at that moment. But truly I don’t care who am I. A lot of people think about it. A lot of people say “ who I am” So what. You are somebody. Nobody can say who you are because we will change our identity. Our face, our name will change. We identify with basis of that identity. That changes all the time. (1.16:10.9).

So, who really cares? Nothing. But what do we care what we should really care is what we are doing. What I am going to get next. That’s what we care. So , making sure both the long term goal and the short time goal getting perfect future life. And that’s what we have to do. How? As Tina Turner said, keep on collecting the goodness karma. Try to be kind, everywhere. Try to be compassionate . Try not to attached. Try not to get angry. Try not to get jealous. Let it go. Let it go. Whatever it might be. Let it go. That doesn’t mean you cannot have it. You can have it. I was talking to Johnathan in the afternoon. Jonathan Diana and Johnathan analyses if you get a Mercedes. Drive it. So, you don’t have it, go by bus. Fine. Adaptable, let it go. So if you cannot let it go, you suffer. If you can let it go, you don’t have pain.Key is perception. Did I make sense. That’s it. So, to conclude. Oops, sorry. To conclude, first thing in the morning, the moment you wake up , correct your motivation. Correct your motivation. I have my life in general and particularly today, I am not it going to control by the negative emotions. I will be kind, I will be compassionate to everybody. I try to do my best, helping all the people I can , I can contact. With that motivation, everything, whatever you do during the day, try to be honest , try to be straight forward. Do not the manipulation games. Cut them out. Don’t forget , caring for all people, including yourself. Throughout the day. Whatever you do. Even if you want to go to bar and have a , what do you get? Glass of beer? Or even if you go to the bar and have vodka, which I had yesterday and whole day I am going like that. In the morning. At the airport in the North Western Club and mistake, some function going on there . Normally they carrying around. And I had one tomato juice which happens to be vodka. I, sort of , glup. The whole day I went like that. Anyway, so whatever, you know. Have that compassion really govern your life and caring . That doesn’t mean you don’t have to spend time for your responsibility. You do have to spend time on your responsibility because that is your responsibility . That’s because of your commitment. That’s , you know, the key thing , the perfect commitment is the basic , fundamental cause to bring a future positive life. So your job and your responsibility is your committed to help. Whether it is the organization or company, or business unless you are making big Obama or something. So all of them are in the positive nature so you can all have the advantage of that. So, one setting of your mind , positive, two, whatever action that you are doing it, try to make sure it is goodness in nature. And third, every thing that we do like daily chore , everything is motivated from the compassion nature. So, everything, whatever you do is becoming positive. That’s how we collect goodness.

And on top of that, if you meditate. Fine. On top of that , if you say your sadhanas , fine. On top of that, if you say your Guru Yoga, fine. If on top of that if you say your mantras, fine. If you don’t , fine. Naturally, the bottom is karma. Bottom line is goodness in nature. That is the Buddhism, what I know. (1.22.02.1) And I share with you. And I would like to give you time to question and things like that. But I realized it is already 9.30 , so , we know a number of people have to go because there are baby sitters, maybe not. All of those. So, I better let you go. Okay, I will be allowed to say, I will be here again next week, right? At the open centre, on next Friday, I believe. Friday night and Saturday, whole day. Friday night, I suppose to talk, I think “ Buddhism in everyday life”. That’s the purpose that Thurman gives me very often. And Saturday we are suppose to talk, Three Principles” which is the most important three points in Buddhism, which I did teachings here , years ago. The essence this is in Odyssey to Freedom, the three principles. So, if you are interested, you are welcomed. It is summer in Open Centre and I believe there is ticket too. Just to be aware of this. ( 1.24:12.2)