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19980827GRNY 12th May 2022

You probably , one, two, three, four, five, six, seven of them. Talking about this one. There are seven points here. We call these seven limbs. Seven branches. That’s what they are called. Actually the seven most important activities. We are talking about the spiritual path. And we emphasize the spiritual path that Buddha recommends because it is his background of Buddhism. And also Buddha’s recommendation is based on Buddha’s personal experience rather than anything else. Personal experience. Personal experience of what is most beneficial for the individual. Personal experience, but first individual to come over , what difficulties. There is somewhere, once again, I would remind you. The spiritual path that Buddha has recommended is nothing than cutting down our negativities which is caused by the negative emotions. And so the activities can only be cut, the mind which wanted to create that activity. If we can control or cut that, make a difference on that. That will have a difference, that will make a difference for the individual. That’s the way and perhaps the only way to cut down the negative activities. The negative activities that we involve very often cannot be cut down by force. You know, really, you cannot. Maybe discipline for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and all these. I wonder you can break it. I wonder you can break it, break it until you die. And you be absolutely crazy while. I am telling you with my personal experience. That’s what it is.

I was a very well behave, a monk for 24, 25 years. Then when you break, you break. You always looking for something else. What is behind that? What is behind that discipline, what is behind that? Something bothering you? I don’t know. Kind of fantasy or whatever. So that’s what you looking for. Which because you discipline so much. So, it is tradition. People do fine but it is not really the answer. It cannot go on discipline and go on all the time. It doesn’t work. After a little while, for a while, ya. I have a commitment, I di this, I did that. And I shouldn’t do this and that. Some people. But is very hard for a lot of people to continue, go on to doing that. So truly, easy way and wonderful way and effective way, may be the best way, of cutting down the negativities, negative actions is cutting down the negative emotions. (0.04:46.4) When you don’t have those negative emotions , you don’t have those funny little desires, that you wanted do something different. You always, wanted, you know, whatever. That is because when the negative emotions come down, then it is not there, it is not even an issue. Not even a question. That is how, that is the Buddha’s experience of cutting down the negative, negativities. So we are looking at that, and we are try to follow on that way. That is the way, that is the best way to cut down negativities. Cutting down by cutting down negative emotions. Does it make sense? I believe that is called the spiritual path. I am not, spiritual path doesn’t need necessarily need to be something holy act. Doesn’t really have to be. If you look into your life, what’s happening. There is so many activities. Actually what we are doing, we are spending all our time with all our activities. Am I right or wrong? I really believe it because everybody we talk to , look somebody , or look at yourself, look others. They all the time busy, I am doing this , I am doing that, I am doing that. The whole life, that what we have, is engaged with the activities. And that makes us busy, that makes us active. That makes us enjoy life, that makes us suffer. All of them. It is the activity that does this. And of course, the activities, we say, we have to have it. It is true in one way, we have to have it. On the other hand, no, you don’t have to have it. It is. You can plug in and keep on going. Or you can plug off. Really, you don’t really have to be plugged in all the time. But we do. Particularly in the west, we have been taught to be plug in and function in there. Really. We don’t sort of seat down. We don’t really have to plug in all the time. Anway, that’s not my point. The point is if you look into those activities and there are a lot of positivities , a lot of negativities. Probably neutral activities. Neither positive nor it is negative. And that is most of the time it is the least spent on those. Every positive activity is creating positive karma. Every negative activity is creating negative karma. Every positive karma will give us positive action. Result is suppose to be joy and nice things. Every negative activity gives us results which is suffering, problems and this and that. Taking that into consideration, then you are looking at your mind. So, really, the true spiritual point here is making sure the actions that we are immersed in is positive. If possible, totally positive. By that you ensure you have good results. If that is not possible, at least more positive recently. And if that is not possible, it is not so much negative. So I believe that is the really, truly speaking , spiritual path within yourself. (010: 30.9)

To tell you the truth, let’s say I meditate, right? I meditate. Lot of people do. You seat down, cross legged. You seat down and whatever. Whatever you do. All sorts of gestures and things let that and then you seat down and roll your eyes and do whatever. And then we say it is a positive, you do it and break down and all these sort of things and then you said committing. If you really look at it, how much a positivity you have built in. A big question. You never know. Just because you call it meditation. Just because you sat down. Just because you have some kind of different gesture. Just because you take your breathe in and out and counted. Maybe nine times or 27 times or whatever. That not necessarily become a spiritual path. According to the Buddha. If you act in a spiritual way, acting, performing. Really, truly to become a spiritual , building a positive karma, the more you do positive karma. You want it to be a spiritual experience. Because the positive karmic results will be positiveness. The negative karmic results is itself. So , once you make the decision, it’s spiritual or not spiritual is on that level. Whether it is dharma or non dharma is based on that. All these early Indian pandits, scholars keep on arguing , debating and presenting , all of those, is point where which is dharma and which is not dharma, that is the main point. And looks like dharma does not become a dharma. Acts like dharma does not becomes a dharma but much less dharma. Dharma really means making a difference , making an effect. Effective means the true negative actions. Effective means the true negative actions.(0.13:47.1) And then it is really good dharma. If not, it is simply acting. It doesn’t really become positive dharma. Dharma or non dharma. That is the most important point. No matter what you do, you may seat three years and three months and three days in the solitary retreat, meditating. But you may not create a single dharma on your, not create anything. Which is very much problem. So it is all depends on how you set up your thoughts, your motivation and your truly dealing with your mind level. Level with your negative emotions and positive thoughts and how you conduct your life. How you conduct your life. And that is the bottom line whether it is spiritual or not spiritual. On that basis the enlightened beings, the Buddha has recommended seven activities on that. That’s why this is called the seven limbs. It’s everywhere you find. Every Buddhist tradition you look. Whether you are looking into the tradition, wherever you look, you will find it. They may call it seven limbs, they may not even call it. They don’t even call it. If you look at the Chinese traditions, they have those seven limbs. They don’t call seven limbs. What do they call it. Contemplation or something, they said. But if you really in there, they do have the seven limbs, they are doing. Look into the Japanese traditions, they do the same thing. Same thing. Look everywhere. Look in the Theravadian tradition, they have that, but they don’t call that seven limbs as they do. As we do here. (0.16:13.8) That’s what it is. Anyway, these are seven most important activities, making sure every action we have taken has become making, become spiritual. And that’s why Buddha has made these so important.

So, basically, we did the first one the other day. So let me not repeat. The second is the generosity act. The generosity. Generosity can be , you can be generous to the Supreme Field. You can be generous to the people who really need it. You can be generous to anybody. The generosity action is generosity action. So more effective to the individual who like me, practitioner and these may be, I don’t know, these has advantages and disadvantages. I will tell you why. For me, for this person, generosity is extremely important for me. And it can be anywhere. It can be giving anything to anybody. You can give dharma, sharing dharma, like what I am talking to you. I give you information. This is generosity act for me. Additional generosity. But it is more important for me. Let’s say, if I am talking, if I am sharing the path to a thousand people. Thousands people, sharing the path. Which is very important, a generous activity for me. Sure, it is important, it is helpful, no doubt. But if I have to choose between sharing out of my dharma to thousands of people, thousands of people and I can be a good service to my spiritual master or to Buddha, or to a Dharma, I choose that. Because it is more effective for me. It helps me better than sharing dharma to a thousand people. You know what I mean? Okay? If I have a ten dollar to be given, It is okay if there are needy people, I made the right , but if there is a needy people there, and if I have a Supreme Field of Merit, or group of monks or nuns or something , I try to go, I better give to the Supreme Field of Merit. And then the second choice will go to the group of monks or nuns and probably the last will go to the needy ones. This is that one, you know it. It is that, from your point of view. From my point of view, it is helpful for me. Why? It is not whatever the needy people is. That is also helpful, needed. Wonderful. That is one point. For me, the point is my generosity is to build up the good merit for me. Good benefit for me. This is very selfish thought. Very selfish way of talking. But for me it is more beneficial, if I do something for my Supreme Field of Merit rather than a thousand different people. And that’s why even this generosity as offering. I present offering both actually arranged and mentally created . It is in the form of offering to the enlightened beings. Been picked up in these seven rather than as a generosity in general. (0.20:36.9) Because that makes better effort to the individual. And that is the practitioner point of view and that’s how I build my merit. That’s how I make my thing. Are you with me? Okay. Is this good one? I don’t know. It’s good for me. Do they have better consequences? Sure does. Now, I told you the other day. I think I did. I don’t know where I told. But in the Tibetan and in Chinese tradition, also the same thing. Almost all the eastern traditions, even the Indian, Chinese, Tibetan, whenever you look in there. There is a problem how to because of that there is a problem. The problem is when you look at the temples and when you look at the teachers, when you look at the priests, they go out of the way to give everything. And the temples, priests, monasteries and become wealthy even when they throw everything in there. Everybody throw in there. At the same time, the needy poor people are left without anything else. And that is a problem. The problem is because of this. The presentation, the generosity is so much emphasized to benefit the individual rather than benefitting the person who needed. That’s my personal view point. It is not a criticism of the tradition. It is not a criticism because I follow the same thing. But it has that setback too. But on the other hand in the Judea Christian tradition, if you look at it, they have a very beautiful of doing a service. Tremendous wonderful. That’s why I keep on saying all the time. It is not everything in the Judea Christian tradition, not necessarily that bad. No, the eastern alternative, Tibetan, Chinese , eastern tradition, whatever they give you, not necessarily that great. That’s that. And, so, now we are in the 1990’s. and everybody who are educated people. And so, they can make their own choice. They can make their own mind here. But it is important for you to see both points. And then you make up your own mind. That’s how you should move. I saw your hand raising but I am not, going to ask questions right now. Can you hold that for little at end. So, that’s what it is.

For my personal benefit, for me personal, you know why is a difference. It is not problem, again you may think, oh, that is the Lama’s propaganda to collect the money for themselves. That’s not. That, I can assure you is not. Because for personally , why I get benefit if I give things to my spiritual Field of Merit over others because of the object to whom what I give. That’s make a different result for me. And this is a long story. That’s a long story. According to the Buddha it’s best, okay. Anyway, the best Field, best and the worst is not the individual whom you are giving. But the consequences and effect to the individual . These are the methods for how to improve the individual , better than what is generally good for the society. That’s not, this are focus how one individual improves better. That’s why this presenting is there. (0.25:04.3) Presentation. Act of generosity, everything is fine. But most effective to the person is to the people who are connected directly with you on behalf of the enlightened beings are considered the most important for that individual. That is the only reason. So, actually give every effort of offering, forget about it , and do the offering to the Lama , your spiritual master , whatever. The reasons why , they said, all the enlightened beings are in the body of your spiritual master and they accept on the all enlightened beings behalf. There is a lot of those funny little things. That’s one of the reasons why guru yoga has become extremely important for the individual practice. That’s why it is called root of all development is the guru yoga. These are all the same reason why. Why they emphasize that. Both actually event and mentally created. Mentally created is also important because actually all these things are mental development. Even generosity is also a development. Mind, mental development. Mental development that you can cut down. Cut down your stinginess. Your not letting it go and your attachments. (0.27:16.7) Not yours but ours. Ours not letting it go. Everything is needed. Everything needed, right? Even if you have two thousand shoes, you needed. Each and every one of them, they needed. So, all of those, unable to let it go. Unable, sort of, I want it and letting it go. All of those are the negativities that we have. Actually it is also training of how we can let it go. The Bodhisattvas , at the level of Bodhisattvas. You know they are called Bodhisattva Ayurdeva. One eyed guy. I am sorry, I am thinking something very funny. But Bodhisattva Ayurdeva is the one eyed guy. And, cut story short. When travelling, somebody asked his eyeball. And he, without any hesitation , attachment, took out his eyeball and give it. So the Bodhisattva have been able to train , have been training. They able to train their mind, so they have no hesitation to give. To give anything they have been asked. They give. There was a story that came out last Tuesday in Ann Arbor. With the Bodhisattvacahyavatara activities. One story , there is Shariputra, ya, here are the two disciples standing near the Buddha, right? This one is called Shariputra, suppose to be the wisdom guy. And that one is the magical power guy. Shariputra was a Bodhisattva and finally he gave up Bodhisattva mind. The reason why he gave up the Bodhisattva mind was he had a terrible obstacle. The obstacle was when he tried to be very generous and giving everything. And one of those, they called it , according to the traditional called sutra. A devil himself appeared as a human being asked his right arm. And he said, okay. He picked up a chopper and chopped his right arm and gave it to him. And he got offended. He said “ How dare you give me your right arm with your dirty hand”. Left hand. Dirty in the sense, Indian tradition, they don’t use toilet paper. So that’s why it is called dirt hand. Left one. With right one is food, right? So, he got so disappointed. I gave my arm and it is so impossible to satisfy those human beings. So he gave up his Bodhisattva’s vows and said, from now on I am not going to help any being and this and that. So that was the story, come up.

But when the Bodhisattvas and they are able to give right hand, left hand, eyeball, anything without any hesitation. They don’t even have the pain. They could do that. Whether that comes from training themselves to be generous. The generosity training. Not about the money. Not about the wealth. Not about the shirt. Not about the yellow vegetables. Out of your faith. It is part of your body. The physical part. Even then they can give. That is the generosity we are talking about. Even out of all these, it is a selected , presenting offering to the supreme field of merit, is even more important than that. And that’s why it came up in these. It is the most important generosity . To effect, to helpful for the individual. (0.32:43.4) And a number of people will think I have nothing to give. So, how I am going to benefit? You don’t have to worry about it. Actually it is the training of the mind. The mind, the idea of giving, the thought of giving. Maybe go off the attachment. Thought of sharing. Sharing is important, right? So, if you take the sharing, even beyond sharing, just giving away without any hesitation. Doing that. It is extremely helpful and effective to the individual. Our biggest problem is our attachment. It may be very reasonable what we needed, we needed. But yet it is still attachment. It is still attachment, no matter how reasonable it is, but it is still attachment. So the attachment is not necessarily that great. So the Bodhisattva been able to train their mind. More important, generosity is the mind point of view rather than actually what you give. And that’s why even if you don’t have anything, even then, it is not bad. You can give a glass of water. It is always the tradition of, Buddhist tradition, you make offering. You offer incense, you offer , you offer flower, you offer glass of water. If you listen to the traditional teachers, sometimes, they have nothing. They only have one bowl. So what they do? In the morning, they wash their bowl, fill up with water and offer to the enlightened beings. And they know, may I borrow your bowl , take it out and use for yourself. That’s what they used to do. Even if you have nothing, that’s what they do. If you look one of the earlier Tibetan who are, who really created all these beautiful Tibetan incense. The incense what we get today are not that great. To tell the truth, they are not good at all. Each one of the, one is worst than the other. Really, true, it is not good. The real good traditional, good old, is not even available in Tibet today. Even Tibet today, it is not there. They are so good. Only a couple of people have nowadays. Only a couple of people have. Anyway, when I went to Mongolia and I went to the Mongolian Lama Guru Deva , the old Mongolian Lama/ I think I shared this , 89 years old Mongolian Lama. My brother from Tibet brought some good incense. It is quite good. According to him it is the best that is available. It is not very good. So, he said he want to give a couple of them to Guru Deva. A couple of bundles. I said, better not. He said, why is that? I said no, because he will have very good incense because these are the type of people who really have that type of thing, good type. And I walked, we went to his apartment where he lived. And he was on the third floor. And when you came to the second floor taking the second step, you can smelled the incense. And I told my brother, can you smell something. He said, ya. And the it goes up to the second floor. Ya, there must have some incense burning here. I said, I assure you that he must have one incense burning, even this much small, burning in one of his room. Not everywhere, he has seven or eight rooms in that apartment. And one of them, sure enough, in one of the rooms he is burning this much incense. And the smell is on the second floor below. And that sort of good incense they use. And those incense are first made by one good, great teacher. At the beginning he doesn’t have anything. He just grasped any grass he can find outside. Any grass, you know. Not like native Americans, they have nicer grass they burnt, right? Not that. Just anything you can get your hands on. Good or bad, terrible smelling , everything. And he burnt them together and making as a great offering. And later, later part of his life, he began to make those incense and he didn’t said at the beginning I was so poor I could not even get a nice smelling grass but I getting very horrible, anything you can grab from the ground been burning as incense. And now I am putting millions of dollars in the incense and making these incense. This is the consequences of my generosity act of offering those horrible grasses, burning for the incense for the Supreme Field of Merit. That’s, I don’t know why I said that for. I lost the connection. (a) to the Supreme Field (b) it is more mind level than actually what it is. That is (b). And (c), even you don’t have anything but you don’t have to worry about it. Anything you can offer plus any beautiful things wherever they are, you can pick up them, visualize and offer them. Don’t literally, you offer. You get into trouble. You cant pick up somebody’s else garden and say, hey, I offer this to you. You get into trouble. (0.40:04.5) But mentally you can pick up and offer without any hesitation and attachment. Actually it is easy to learn not to have attachment because it is not yours. It is very easy for you, mentally to pick up somebody else’s beautiful garden and I offer without any hesitation, without any attachment. But still when you have that, you pick up this and you goes this way, it is much much easier. Otherwise our normal habit of stinginess is a hope and in between, right? Hope and in between. Even if it is not yours, we have that usual thing. We just can’t help it. You know when I am talking to you, garden, a movie I saw once pop up on my head. Whoopi Goldberg was acting in the movie as a fortune teller. Some ? doing all this killing , all this story you know. So, Whoopi Goldberg who was the medium, fortune teller, medium or whatever. Did I said wrongly? Whoopi Goldberg. Did I said Goofer? Anyway, even in that, and what is it? Some, I don’t know. I forgot whether from beginning, or . She sort of giving to the charity and she couldn’t let it go. Even though it is not yours , you function, that shows us how attachment holds us. Even if it is not yours. You just can’t let it go. So, training your mind, which is not yours and pick it up and giving is much easier for us to cut with our attachment. Actually it is your own hard earned cash which you have to take and give. Not easier to learning that. That’s why the enlightened beings said, pick up every beautiful thing, wherever you are, whatever you see. Pick up by your mind and offer to them. And that’s how you can do it. Even if you have nothing. That’s what you can do. But if you have something and whatever you have, you been hesitating to give and you think I am giving everything, that doesn’t work. The traditional Tibetan teachers will tell you, when you want to act as generosity, do not be generous on the yellow part of the vegetable. And the green part is better. You know what I mean? It is getting bad, better give it away. That is not even a generosity. That is more attachment. Anyway, so. I talked too much.

So the most generosity and among them , most important thing is offering. That’s why offerings. And then, you know, actually what do you offer. Body, mind and speech. Without any hesitation, I offer my body, my mind and my speech to the enlightened beings. To become just like you. For to become just like you. That’s why I would like to offer. No one will take your body. No one will take your mind. No one will take your speech. Where? And don’t have to hesitate. If I am going to give all my body, speech, what am I going to left out? You don’t have to worry about it. Because nobody going to grab it. And that’s how you train your mind. That’s how you let it go. That’s how you lose your attachment. It will go very slowly. It’s very easy to say I cut my attachment. People said that. I cut my attachment. Very difficult. You may cut today, it will be more stronger tomorrow. You cut tomorrow, it will be much more difficult day after tomorrow. And then all sorts of negative comes out together. So we have to deal very, each and everyone of those prayers that Tibetans say has a very important point dealing with our lives. Dealing with our everyday things. That’s what it is. So, offerings. I think that’s good enough. (0.45:45.7) And now I let you ask your questions. Jonathan. You raised your hands.

Audience : The question is if we project the Merit Field on many people or environment or some actually taking the world. You then get the benefit of certain Merit Filed and also doing good.

Rimpoche : Yes and no. Yes, in the sense all sentient beings are considered a Field of Merit. Might not be Supreme Field of Merit. But Field of Merit. In that way , yes. No, on the other hand, I don’t know why it is no. Truly. The enlightened beings keep commitment, keep on saying that. Keep on saying that. Enlightened Beings keep on saying it. When it is giving. When it is given to the spiritual master (0.47: 10.7)??? Now, for example those who have a commitment of Tsoh offerings, 25th, 10th, people. So what’s happening is many times people cannot do the tsoh offerings. Like case of mine. Does that have a commitment of doing tsoh. And I have a commitment of doing monthly this and that and all of those. And all of them and I give money to some times, to Locho Rimpoche, some times to different teachers. So, here is this much money and all those , will you have a very nice , special dinner. So, I always give them ,yearly that way. And so, it works. (0.48:21.8) If I do something else, it may not. So, I don’t know why. That’s what it is. I don’t have a valid reason why it does it. But these actions are important actions and is good. And all sentient beings are considered as Field of Merit. So, that way it works. There is nothing wrong.

Audience : Beyond this Field of Merit, project that…

Rimpoche : That is the problem. You cannot project a non enlightened being as supreme for enlightened beings. It may be simply your own projections. It might have, might not have. That’s what I was trying to say.

Yes, Dimitre. What’s matter with me today. I pronounced all the names wrong.

Audience : Seeing that incense, is it okay to drink it, for meditation?

Rimpoche : Oh sure. Who said you cannot drink it? But before you drink it, better grab it. I am just joking. Okay. So, I like to ask anybody has any question on this.

Audience: Making offerings to Supreme Field, has really strong has really strong self cherishing, do not have bodhicitta, is there still merit for the person?

Rimpoche : Sure. They do. If you have bodhicitta, it becomes better. If you don’t have it, you don’t have it. Still, it is okay.

Audience : Is that expressed on faith? You were talking last week about don’t buy anything. We are educated people and we don’t have to believe anything that we were handed to. Experience.

Rimpoche : You are right. And I think there is a valid reason why. That I don’t have to simply buy with your faith. I think there is a valid reason why. I don’t know whether it is appropriate to share that reason with you right now. So, that is my hesitation. Otherwise there is definitely, very definitely very valid reason there. That is why it is not simply faith. Not simply belief. There is a very definitely valid reason. These are all connect to the guru yoga practice. That’s why. Any other questions?

Okay. Well, this is suppose to be the best pick up as offering. Not all generosity is, everything, wherever it is. Very important. It is one very interesting, good thing in the west. Everybody accept generosity as one of the good actions. Nobody raises questions. I don’t know why but it is great. And I am really happy with that because , whatever the reason may be. That’s great.

Now the next is I purify all, what is it, deluded actions. Okay. Meaning all negativities. Negative, bad karmas. Whatever I have, I purify. This is another extremely important one for us. We may think if we did some negative , something bad. Then we cannot correct. It is done, bad and doomed, bad. We think a lot in that way. I did it, I blow it, I couldn’t do it, I wasted , I failed. This and that. So may people think that way. When you do something bad. I think we are all human beings. We bound to make a lot of mistakes. We bound to make a lot of bad things. We do make it. Why not? We have all these negative emotions, we have. And each one of those emotions will come out. The individual human beings. We do make terrible things, we do all the time. We do it. That because we have these negative emotions. We do it. But that doesn’t end it. That doesn’t end it. We can purify. Even in the Judea Christian . If you look at the Judea Christian tradition, it always have this idea of , what is it, seeking forgiveness and giving forgive. Forgiveness. We hear that, all these talking, we hear that on television these days , particularly, all the time. Right, all the time we hear that. Right? The repentance is not enough. Some said that is the best you can do. Whatever it is. Some said you have to forgive, some said you don’t have to give, blah, blah. Some people said ya, you have to forgive. Forgiveness you have to sort out first. All these and these and you goes on, right? So I have a very funny remarks but it tells you , no matter whatever mistakes we did, and we do make mistakes. But we can purify or whatever mistakes , we may do it. We have to, can purify. There is nothing which we cannot purify. You know, I used to tell the story during the Buddha’s life, a lot of stories. People who killed 999 human beings a week. Even can purify and become pure and become even liberated. There are zillions of those stories if you read in the sutras. So many of them. And that tells us, we make mistakes , every time, we do make mistakes all the time. We repeat all the time too though we promised not to repeat by raising your hand, whatever. (0.56:23.8) But we do repeat all the time because it is a habit. We do it. Habitually we do it. We do make mistakes. We repeat. But no matter whatever we do, we can purify. Purification is there. We can purify. You can become pure. The negativities are like a cloud. There are not like the sky. The clouds comes and goes. The sky will remain. These are the traditional examples. The individuals are like the pebbles, you know, underneath the stream. The brooks, the river goes through. The negativities are like a river. It comes and goes, it stops and continues, discontinues. And the pebbles will remain. The sky will remain. The clouds will go. Comes and goes. Just like that. You can purify. You can become pure. There is nothing which cannot become pure at all. That’s the beautiful part in Buddhism here. Any negativity. Whatever you have to have it. You can purify and you can become pure. Right? This is important and I never heard in Buddhism , the purity depends on punishment. If you have to be punished , why you seeking forgiveness. Who is giving forgiveness? I don’t get it. Maybe Judea Christian tradition, for which I know nothing about it but forgive me. But to me, people seek , people purify. And its you, yourself is responsible. You purify , you get purified. People may or may not forgive. According to Buddhism it is more or less , not even relevant. If you think I am a sinner, I don’t become sinner, if I am pure. If you think I am pure and I am a sinner, I will still remain sinner. Makes no difference. But I purify my negativities and I become pure. It is my business. It is me only. But you don’t want to talk about punishment here. The purification here is to not to get punish. The whole purpose. The punishment is the karma will punish if you purify. Karma will get you. That is the punishment. I am sorry, I can’t help it for not saying it. The other day I was watching Larry King live. The Bill ? came up, Mr Moral? and talks about ? and so and forth and punishment. Forgiveness and punishment. And goes on and tell without giving punishment, you cannot forgive. And I couldn’t believe what I am hearing. You can forgive but you have to have punishment together. I don’t know whether it is Judea Christian tradition. It is? I am sorry. In that case I am sorry. But to me, it is not. To me, I have committed negativities. I purify. And if I don’t purify, I suffer. And who gives me that suffering. My karma. And from the Buddhist point of view, whether you are going to give punishment or not give punishment, it is up to my karma. And not anybody else. My limited understanding of Judea Christian tradition, for me, it seems the punishment that is given is God’s business. Nobody else’s. Who is going to give punishment to whom? Why should I give punishment to you? Why should you give punishment to me? Why? What is that? This is thought. My stupidity. It doesn’t work with me at all. Doesn’t make sense to me. Number one, purification to me is the way and how you can save the punishment. Otherwise why should you purify. You pay the consequences. And then you get over it. You save your punishment and then gone. It is not a permit, it is going to go. Anyway, why purify. After receiving punishment, there is nothing left to purify because the punishment is suppose to be for that purposes. And that doesn’t make sense to me at all. And then it is karma’s job , and not Mr A,B,C, D’s job at all, to me. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have to respect the law, you don’t have to respect the police, you don’t have to respect the society. That doesn’t mean that. That is society’s law. But if you are talking from the spiritual point of view. And then if you don’t think about karma and if you really think about, you know, it’s God’s job. Not anybody else’s job to punish anybody. I am sorry. That’s my stupidity. But according to Buddha, it is nobody else’s job, not even a God’s job. It is your own job. It is me, I am responsible for me. If I did bad action, anything bad come, I must purify and I become pure so that I do not punished myself through my karma. That is the reason why purification. The whole reason of purification is to save the punishment, to me. So it is very important for us to be able to purify when we can. When we are in this level of the human level. When we have this understanding, when we have this opportunity, we should be able to purify all our negativities. No matter whatever it may be. Whether you are caught or not caught. Or somebody else, whatever it may be, you should purify all and everything because your own understanding to yourself is not a secret to yourself. Everything you did bad it will come back to you because you know it. It is not a secret. Nobody cause it but still you knew it. So you have consequences. You have to purify all of them. Once you purify, you making sure you don’t have that punishment. I did not like the word punishment, basically. I am sorry. Personally I don’t like it, when I hear the word punishment. Punish you. Something wrong. I even don’t like to look the prison as a punishment for somebody , to lock them in. It is some sort of safety for the other person. So the funny people is not available in the street. They don’t endanger others. And also it is opportunity for them to learn, to adapt and to become better. Rather than house of punishment. There is some uneasy feeling for me. After seeing Mr Bell Barnard. He take life, all these funny thoughts going on. Hey, what’s the matter? Something’s wrong here. So when the Buddha says purify all deluded actions means skip all the punishments. Really true. And the way and how you can skip all the punishments is by purifying. I am sorry, I am not really going to look. Sending people to jail or person as a punishment. I really like to look that as some kind of safety precaution for others and opportunity for the individual to improve. I mean got to be. You don’t have to, people don’t have to punish people. The karma will punish if you don’t purify. Anyway, I don’t know I am talking nonsense. I am sure number of you disagree with me. You have your rights. That’s your right to disagree. Nothing wrong. Doesn’t create negativity at all. Don’t think about it, okay. By disagreeing you have not create negativity, okay? (1.07:38.8) So I am talking a lot about the purifying business. Basically, we do have the transcripts available in Jewel Heart for purification. All these seven limbs, there are all transcripts available if you read it. Something helpful for you. These are available in detail. There is a transcript called Ganden Lha Gyema, right? Ganden Lha Gyema. In that all the seven limbs had been detailly , I shared thoughts. So you have that available in there. Even you pick up any Lamrim book anywhere, you will find those seven limbs in there. You pick up Bodhicharyavatara, Bodhisattva way of life, you will find the seven limbs in there. You pick up any Buddhist book, more or less, if it is really truly good one. So it is a basic , very fundamental, basic thing for us to do everyday for ourself. Simply, you have the Supreme Field of Merit, whether it is literally there or mentally created. In their presence, you remember all the negativities that you have, knowingly or unknowingly indulge in. Purposely or can’t help it. Whatever it might be. Remember that. Regret. It is important. Regret. By regretting it will help you not to repeat. So, at least commit yourself, I am not going to repeat. At least not for the day. At least for this hour. At least for this minute. That is how you learn. That’s how you train yourself. Not to repeat things. It is very easy for you to say, well I will not to going to repeat for whatsoever. Two hours later you do the same thing. So, I try not to repeat. At least for this day. At least for this hour. At least for this minute I am not going to repeat. And that will help, that will do. One of those things. Power, so call it. And then some antidote action. Whether you going to save live or say mantra, or do meditation or be generous, whatever. Some positive action. And the regret, so you are not going to repeat, combine them together. It’s suppose to purify according to the Buddha. And not only that. Buddha goes on, said, if that doesn’t purify , Buddha is lying to you. Buddha never lies. I don’t know whether Clinton lies or not. Buddha don’t. Very true. That’s what enlightened beings tell you. And looks easy. But yet it is true. But how strong we do and that makes difference how much purification it is. And you keep on repeating it everyday. And that’s how you builds up the purification day after day. (1.11:42.0) You know what I mean? And everyone of us have one or two big ones and a lot of small ones. We have. You might not have lie and all. But we do have a lot of things. So, that’s how you purify. And you going on, doing every day. So, simple. By purifying all deluded actions. By these four powers. Power of remembrance, regret, and object of refuge, and not going to repeat. Non repetitive. Regret, reference, that means remember. But if you don’t remember, it’s also fine, just say it by your mouth. Those a lot of things I remember and a lot of things that I don’t even remember. I purify here, all as long as I have done it. And that’s what the Tibetan tradition is. If you can think about, mind, meditated, mentally you can do it. Do it. If you can’t do it, just say it. And the most powerful thing to do is to visualization. Visualize the Supreme Field of Merit, visualize you are purifying, from the bottom of your heart. Your heart, you do it. You keep on visualizing. Visualization is one of the most effective way to get the message to you. Believe it or not. That’s why visualization is the most important meditation rather than just seating. Even if you look at our normal everyday life. The message is that we read page after page and simple, little picture that we see. Which one works better for us. Oh ya, there you go, really. It is. So, the visualization is so important and that is very strong with the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Almost every mediation is visualization. It is so important. Because what you really get it is important. Individual practice means, training means , you try to get the message. To whatever call it, principle consciousness or the individual person, whatever. That one, try to get it. So the visualization works so well. Purification, you can do that. Maybe I should stop here. I don’t think I want to talk the next one. Because I may do disservice to you. Because I am going to talk very short. Say rejoice all other activities. Don’t have, don’t be jealous of others. But appreciate others. But that may not do a good service for you. I need the time to talk to you. But actually that what it is. Actually, don’t get jealous , somebody else does good. And rejoice, at least appreciate. Appreciate what you did good. And appreciate what others doing good. Appreciation is positive. Jealousy is negative. That’s what I am going to talk next time when I get here. When do I get here next time? September 10, so . But we may have Dagyab Rimpoche that night to talk. Maybe , Dagyab Rimpoche will talk, both that night. September 10, he is here, he come all the way from Denmark to be in this retreat, right? So he will be here, so. Yes please.

Audience : I have a question about offering. I don’t understand who I am giving the glass of water to. I feel silly. I don’t understand it. It is so out of my experience. I don’t understand what that represents.

Rimpoche : I am glad you raised that question. It is important. I don’t know how I can talk to you. Okay, I will try two ways. Okay, in one way, you are not giving to anybody. You are just putting there. Why do you do it? It is my act of generosity. I give pure water. I put there pure water. Pure water. Water that has a lot of qualities. Another way of looking is, You know God’s everywhere business? So we say, enlightened beings are everywhere. So, we offer to them. But every existence does not really have to be a physical existence. And that does not necessarily to be physically there which we can see and touch. The ghosts, what is this Whoopie? Whoopie Goldberg is ghost or not. Acting there it is not. But it is a ghost. Generally there is something call or somebody call ghost. It is reality. Reality. And I like to say it is reality because I have seen it. To tell the truth, I really seen it. Lot’s of ghost, that’s why. Ghost is reality. So does the other pure spirits. We call spirits. The enlightened beings in the form of spirits is also reality. And that’s why we are giving to them. So you don’t have to feel silly about it. Giving them and somebody taking it. That’s in one way. Another way, it is my exercise . My exercise, not the physical, much, But my mental, physical, combine exercise to cut down my attachment. My attachment to have, to not to have discipline. There is a lot of reasons on this. If you really want to talk reasons, there are soi many of them. So many of them. And there is a lot of creation of karma. For example , if you fill, if you overfill, it has a problem. A problem of losing your spiritual practice. If it is too much, too little, it is a problem. The problem of not having enough spiritual practice. So it has to be the right amount. (1.22:37.1) The gap in between. If it is touching, it has a problem. If it is too far away, it has a problem. O the correct gap in between is the size of a barley. The barley can fit inbetween. That’s a Tibetan measurement who eats barley only. So the barley goes inbetween. Even you throw a barley over here , if the barley going out over the edge , that’s too much. If it is a barley , unable to see it is too little. That’s what it is. So, it is all measured by barley. There is a lot of physical, spiritual, mental exercise involved. And each of those exercises are contributed towards purification as well as accumulation of merits, both. I am glad you raised questions. It looks very simple, practical but yet it has a lot of things behind that. That’s the reason why whoever is doing here. Very well done here. Thank you.

Audience : Any questions that should come up, purification. Maybe I understood things that happened usually 24 hours for example one day I was ?, recommends that resolve not to do it again , was unjustified because of impatience. Neither I was saying regret as I recognize all negative, all deluded actions , those I am aware and those I am not aware. The intention was ?

Rimpoche : Specific is very good, within the 24 hours best. Along with that, if you throw a little blanket , it is always helpful. It is helpful. You don’t lose anything . You are doing the same thing. Your benefits just extended a little bit. And that’s why specific very important and the blanket along with that.

Audience : Taking a vow of never repeating. You can break that?

Rimpoche : I don’t know why you have to take a vow. I don’t know you have to take a vow. You said I will not repeat, I try not to repeat. At least, you can take a vow not to repeat. I will not repeat this minute. Or this hour. That’s why the 24 hours are very good. At least you have to protect yourself for 24 hours. But sometimes 24 hours vows , mix up with life long, then it becomes difficult sometimes. After taking that you realize it is a life long vow. Then you get into trouble.

Audience: But then you have to do , regret, breaking your vows .

Rimpoche : Oh ya. Actually a lot of people breaks vows all the time anyway. I don’t think there will be anybody, maybe one or two people, but mostly everybody break their vows . These are human beings we are talking about. And they break vows, true. Otherwise who has the so good qualities of ourselves and we have so bad habits of ourselves, all together. Both within us. So we do all bad things, we do all good things. Really. It is only a matter of how we perceive ourselves very carefully and then follow. That’s why there is always room to improve. We can do it better than anybody else. All of them, they are just human beings. I don’t you really have to take a vow of not to repeating them all the time. If you can, great. Thank you.

You have question? No? Okay. So, well, thank you so much and I am glad a lot of people showed up because it was not scheduled but simply mentioned last Thursday that I will be here, so. A lot of people came. Thank you. And we will be here September 10. ( 1.28: 07.2)