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1Soundfile 19980902GRSR

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location ??

Topic Buddhist Psychology

Transcriber Vicki Cahill

Date June 29, 2021

I’ve said the prayers already earlier. And we can straight away go ahead and say welcome in the evening session. Ok. So, now what? Tell me, Brenda, what to do.

Brenda:….That

Rimpoche: What?

Brenda: That’s, that’s, that’s very sensitive(?)0:00:34.6

Rimpoche: (laughs) Alright. What?

Brenda: The question that you sent, we were discussing the exact feeling

Rimpoche: Oh my god. You, you should come up here and answer that. That was. Actually, that question was directed to you.

Aura: You said you wanted to talk about it later, I thought.

Rimpoche: Ok. What else there? Can you leave that?

Brenda:…I gave Aura another question earlier.

Audience:..

Brenda: Where is that?...

Aura: …..Come up earlier. And yet we didn’t deal with it.

Rimpoche: Ok. That’s. That’s no problem. Ok? Oh. Guilt, guilt, guilt. I’ve been talking a lot about this guilt. Don’t feel guilty. Ok? If you break something. Did you break something there?

Jonas: My tag……

Rimpoche: Ok. Alright. So, don’t feel guilty about it. Ok? Alright. Alright. So, actually this question about this guilt business. But tell me. Who is guilty here?

Audience:….

Rimpoche: Oh, oh, oh. So many of you. Alright. So, all of you are guilty. All of. Listen, guilty fellows. What did you do? You don’t have to tell in public. You tried to, you tried to tell by yourself. So, then I read telepathically. Even while we joke here about this. But at the same time, some people have really miserable feelings about that. I know it. I can see it. And I can even feel it. And so, that’s that. So, the point is, I always emphasize we do make mistakes. [Oh, nice to see you. When did you get in? You. Yes. Huh? What did she say?

Audience: seven o’clock

Rimpoche: Seven o’clock today. Oh. Ok. Did you come all the way from Columbus or? How did you came? Oh, she was here yesterday. Huh? Oh, you went back and pick her. Alright. Well. 0:03:45.5 (?) That’s great. Ok.]

0:03:52.0 So, I always emphasize, people make mistakes. The mistakes can be big or can be small or not. But ok, they’re. If I remember correctly, there’s some kind of psychoanalysis thing to be talked about that, which I will not be able to do it. Unless you’re going to get either Aura or Deb or Anne or somebody comes up and does the psychoanalysis on that. Then, that will be fine. But I will not be able to do it. But I’ll talk to you about what I feel and what I understand. Ok? And people bound to make mistakes. We all make mistakes. Don’t we? Is there anybody who doesn’t make any mistake? Would you like to raise your hand? Is there anybody?

Audience: That would be a mistake.

Rimpoche: That will be a mistake. You’re right. That will be a mistake. Correct. That’s that.

Robert: Henry Ford the first. The guy who made the cars

Rimpoche: Yeah. Right. I know.

Robert: Henry Ford the first said, if you learn from your mistake. It’s no mistake.

Rimpoche: That’s. Robert says. This is Detroit? Remember? Henry Ford says, if you learn, Henry Ford the first says, if you learn from your mistake, it is not mistake.

Robert: Why did he move from New Jersey to come to Michigan….

Rimpoche: There you go. (laughs) Maybe that is the mistake. You know why? You know why? The Michigan has such a beautiful, the open field of God, where you can drive for hours, and there will be. You will not even see a single human being. That’s why he moved. I’m just saying that. Actually, that was his slogan for first making the car, right? He said, every, every American citizen can enjoy. Enjoy the beautiful space of the gods. You can drive and limitless and this and that. It was the Ford’s first idea ad campaign(?)0:06:24.6. If I’m making mistake. I mean, this is Detroit. So. So. So, we have to say something. Right? Right, Sean?

Sean: Absolutely

Rimpoche: Thank you.

0:06:40.9 Anyway. Well, that would be a mistake if anybody raises hand. So, there’ll be not a single human being who will, who does not, or who did not, or who will not make any mistakes. Will there be? Ok. There will not be. So, we’re bound to make a lot of mistakes and we did, countless number of mistakes. Did, I mean, we have done so much. If you really look back, there is a not a single negativity that one can say, “We never, I never did that.” I’m talking with the background of reincarnation. That means taking into the consideration, even killing of a human being. And doing all sorts of things. Damaging everything you can think. And each and every one of us have done that countless, actually, countless times. There will be not a single person. There are a lot of people who never did that in this lifetime. But there will be not a single human being who never did that. None for whatsoever. None for whatsoever. I would like to remind you once again, the story of the Angulimala. Do you remember that? Would you? Would anybody would like to narrate the story here? Anybody? Maybe Doctor King. Where’s he?

Tony: Sure

Rimpoche: Great

Tony: Hello. So. So, I’m on the air. Listening to the cool pleasant sounds of Dr King. So. So, what I remember of Angulimala, is that he was a person who had a sincere wish, if I’m correct, to do some sort of spiritual practice and went with, went to go find a teacher. And. And he found a teacher. But unfortunately, he found a bad teacher. A very bad one, who gave. He had a very strange idea. I don’t know why. And I never heard why he had this idea. But he told him to go. That he could definitely attain liberation in his lifetime. All he had to do was to kill one thousand people and cut off their finger or their thumb? Thumb. He had to cut off their thumb. And then if he then killed a thousand people, cut off their thumb and then made a, fashioned a nice necklace of these thumbs and then comes back to his teacher, then he guaranteed him to get liberation.

0:09:51.7 So, he started doing it. And he started doing it and going around and he’d find a person and he’d sort of sneak up and kill them and chop off their thumb and, you know, I guess he got pretty good at it. Actually, after a while.

Rimpoche: Obvious.

Tony: He got. He got one. Obviously. Yeah.

Rimpoche: Obvious, yes.

Tony: Because he was successful. So, he got, actually, nine hundred and ninety-nine thumbs. But of course, by this time, people started to avoid him a little bit.

Rimpoche: A little bit. Only a little bit. Right?

Tony: Only a little bit.

Rimpoche: Alright.

Tony: Yeah. So he found it somewhat difficult to get, you know, the last thumb. But he really wanted it, because this would, you know, was his whole purpose and he would gain enlightenment, liberation, whatever the teacher promised. So, at that point the only person who would come anywhere around him was his mother. His own mom. And so, he was with his mother and he was sort of thinking to himself, if I can imagine doing a mental calculation, he’s like, “Well, I got nine hundred ninety-nine thumbs and I want to get the last one.” But I think he had to hesitate a little bit because he didn’t want to kill his mother. So, at this point, Buddha, through his clairvoyant vision saw what was going on. I think he had seen it sort of going on up to this point. But at this point, I think he decided, “Well, this is. You know, Angulimala is about to create a really heinous crime. Not only killing nine hundred ninety-nine people, but then also killing his mother.” Which in Buddhism, I believe, is considered one of the five heinous crimes or something. Very, very bad. So, anyway, Buddha showed up and appeared before him. And, so at that point Angulimala said, “Oh great. Here’s a guy that I can. I can kill this guy instead. And I don’t have to kill mom.” So, he started chasing him around. He’s going to kill him. But Buddha was there. Sort of smiled or whatever. I don’t know what he said, or if he said anything. But he’s, sort of walking away. Very slowly. But Angulimala kept chasing him and is running faster and faster. But the faster he ran, sort of seemed like Buddha was walking slower and slower. But he could never catch him. So, he keeps chasing and keeps. So, finally, I think he’s pretty tired out and he’s yelling, “Hey wait.” You know. “Come back here. I want to kill you and get your thumb.”

0:12:08.8 And Buddha’s like saying, “Well, come on. Come get me. Come. Please. Come, come, come.” So, anyway, I guess this went on for a little while. It was sort of like his, his way of, you know, part of the teaching. Sort of wear him down a little bit. And I think eventually, you know, Angulimala just completely tired out and he realized there was something funny about this guy. About Buddha. And I don’t exactly remember everything, but eventually. And what went on with the discourse. But eventually, he said, “Well, there’s something interesting about you.” And Buddha started talking to him. And through the course of that he finally actually became a disciple of Buddha. And gave, you know. But the reason why for this whole long story is because what he then did then, is he engaged in purification practice. As well as other practices. And then, within that lifetime attained a state of an arhat. So, he like, totally, reached nirvana in the same lifetime that he killed nine hundred ninety-nine people. So, I think the point is that, even if you, you know, I guess, what was his name? Dahmer.

Rimpoche: Jeffrey

Tony: Jeffrey Dahmer, anyway

Rimpoche: Yeah

Tony: could potentially. I don’t know if he can, but at least there’s the historical antecedent and precedents for sorry 0:13:22.4 (?) Oh he’s dead. I didn’t know. But anyway, this guy was able to purify nine hundred and ninety-nine human beings being murdered, in one lifetime.

Rimpoche: Thank you. Well, that’s the story. I mean, Tony related to you. So, this fellow, as he says, is not only killed one human being but nine hundred and ninety-nine human beings. It’s not a single human being killed. But nine hundred and ninety-nine. Can you imagine? And even such a person who has done that much. It’s not nine hundred ninety-nine human beings killed by one B2 bomber. Bomber. Bomber or Bomber?

Audience: bomber

Rimpoche: Bomber. They did not throw one bomb and killed nine hundred ninety-nine bombers. But, but it is a, it is a single human being. Can you imagine with the sword in hand? You know the sword that we see Dimitri’s playing around, around here. Just like that type of sword and taking one by one. And killing that much people can purify and become pure. It shows that no one is hopeless. No one has.

0:15:08.9 No one is at end of the rope. No one. No one is hopeless. Nothing. Really true That’s what it is. The simple reason why. Because it’s impermanent. Because it’s impermanent, it is changeable. So. It is changeable, even if it’s a negativity. It is purifiable. Purifiable. And we make a little mistake compared with that. We didn’t kill any human being. Did we? Forget about nine hundred ninety-nine. But not even a single human being. We did not kill. We made some mistakes. We intrude in somebody’s territory. We did, something I should not have done. And should have known better. And why can’t I do it? Why do I repeat that? You’re getting the answers every day here. Why do you repeat? Because you have the imprint and you have the addiction. But you didn’t do that bad. No matter how many times you repeat. No matter whatever it is. You’re never hopeless. Never ever. The question of hopeless never rise. And you’re never doomed forever. I will never buy that. Never ever. Every sentient being according to the Buddha is eligible for enlightenment. And every human being is totally capable of obtaining enlightenment. It is only that we don’t put enough efforts by ourselves. Otherwise, they are there. The capacity there, capability there. Opportunity is there. Everything there. We didn’t do it ourself. This is our problem. For there’s nothing which really doomed us down. Nothing. Nothing. Like in the Buddhism, if you look at. What did you say? Five what?

Tony: Heinous crimes

Rimpoche: Heinous crime. Means immeasurable crime. Limitless crime. So, like killing your own father, or mother, or those who are liberated or what else? Thinking of killing enlightened beings. And

Tony: Drawing blood from the Buddha

Audience: Schism in the sangha

Rimpoche: There you go. Schism in the sangha. And these are, the Buddha said, five limitless. Even person who have committed all five together are eligible. Are capable of liberating. Obtaining enlightenment.

0:18:40.8 And if you look in that story of those, that king, 0:18:47.4(?)sujing nyingpo. I don’t even know what the Sanskrit name for that is. He killed his own father and arhat together. Remember, the story? Can you tell me what page it is? Huh? You forgot? You have it with you? You’re going to find it. That’s it. Alright. What did you say Jonathan?

Jonathan:…..

Rimpoche: Ok. Anyway, doesn’t matter. Huh? You’re going to find it. But it is in the Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand. That story is there. So, if you read it, you can see it. So, the person who even had killed his own father, who happens to be the arhat, reminds you there is a double immeasurable negativities committed. A double. Not a single, but double. Right? And that person had obtained arhat. And even Buddha first came and said, look 0:20:02.6 (Tibetan:…) Said, “The father and mother should be killed.” And this and that. And all that type of, of, of, you know, interpretable teachings have been giving to a; number one. To make him feel not to feel even worse than whatever he is feeling. And then thereafter, thereafter to bring him within the sort of, really embrace him within his own arms. And bring them in. And gradually share things with him. And that, even that type of person has been become capable of obtaining total enlightenment. And what have you and me done? Nothing. Why do we really worry that much? That doesn’t mean we don’t have to feel bad about it. Go ahead and feel bad, as much as you want to. If you want to cry, go ahead. Cry. Remember Gloria used to say that to that, we have another PHD here. Ed Sayer(?)0:21:17.6 . Remember. Go on, cry and cry and cry. Right? Cry if you. So that’s it. So, if you want to, go ahead and do it. But you know, the point really is. The point really is. The point really is.

0:21:36.2 All of them are impermanent. It is changeable. And nothing is static. Everything is impermanent. It’s changeable. There will be no negativity which cannot purify, at all. Does that help? Or doesn’t help at all? Brenda?

Brenda: ….

Rimpoche: Alright. But. But let me, let me just talk this and see. So, but will there be; is there anybody who are not happy? Or do we say, what I said just now? Do you really think there’s a, there’s a something beyond that? Do you really think there’s something not really been addressed? And if you do, please say it. Please raise your hand. Go ahead Dimitri. I didn’t use your sword.

Dimitri: If you did something to someone and you hurt them. Then you purify, this takes care of your own negativity, taking care of your own karmic insurance, That (?)0:22:58.5 completely purify that negativity, but that doesn’t mean that the injury that has been done to that person has gone away. So, I guess my question is: you might still feel guilty. Let’s say when you were younger you really hurt someone. Then you purify it completely. But that doesn’t really address the fact that someone else has been injured.

Rimpoche: You’re absolutely right. When you hurt somebody, by you, you do your best to, what do you call that? Huh? Huh?

Dimitri: Make amends

Rimpoche: To repair. You do your best. But when you’ve done something really bad, you cannot take it back. If you killed somebody, you cannot bring that person back in life. If you, if you break somebody’s leg, you cannot bring back, you cannot give them second leg. You may be able to put artificial leg but. But there are certain things that you cannot really completely bring back where there are is before. It’s absolutely true. It’s absolutely true.

0:24:13.4 And that’s why we should not have that problem. Number one. We should not. It is better not to have all this negativities. It’s always better than having it. But once you have it, so what you can do? You can purify. And that’s the only thing you can do. You cannot bring that person back in life, or compensate. Whatever. As we think. But the negativities that we carry, we can purify. And we can do something, whatever you think possible to that person. And after all, this interdependent relationship of the sentient beings are so deep, that each and every one of us. There’ll be not a single person who did not have anything to do with anybody at different level. Different timing. It could even be a consequences of that same person broke your leg; previous life. And you may be repeating is again now. That possibility you cannot rule out. That doesn’t mean you can go ahead and do it; because you deserve it. Really. Yeah, you can. That doesn’t mean you can go out and do it, because you, that’s what you deserve it. It’s not. So, that’s why we have this compassion generating for all sentient beings. And every positive work that we do, we dedicate for the benefit of all beings. Every. Even you say. Even single little OM MANI PADME HUNG. Or NAMO GURUBYE NAMO BUDDAHYA. Even that much we will say for the benefit of all sentient beings. Why am I concerned with person that I considered not concerned, not my concern? And this is the reason why we are concerned with everybody. You may, you brought very good question. Question way you brought is; simply you said, “Well, I damaged, I cannot help it. But I purify. I did not repair the damage.” But you know, answer what we are getting is, it shows how we are connected. Everywhere. Everybody has connected. So, then maybe number of times we say, “Well, this and this are my friends. This and this are my enemies. So, I have to really care my friends. Well, my enemy, let it be.” Or “these people, I don’t know, so I’m not really concerned.” So, this one tells you, you are definitely concerned with all sentient beings, because one time or the another we broke their leg. So, it is for us to, what do you call? Not reimburse, but to compensate now. And way and how you can compensate is, help them. Bring through kindness; through compassion. Not so, though you may not be able to give extra leg, but that’s what you can do.

0:27:39.0 So, I think it is very much connected. Very much possible to do lot of things. So, don’t think, “I can do nothing.” That’s not true. I might not be able to do it physically, literally at this moment. But I have every opportunity to do things. Anybody else? Anything else? I really think you great, very good question there. Because it looks like, “Yeah, I can purify. I can walk away. What about the other fellow?” And that’s a really good question. I’m so glad you raised that. And I’m also good that I taught this. This is really, this is interconnecting business with the people. This is the really a relationship that we have with everybody, one time or the another. And karmically speaking, you will never break his leg unless he broke yours before. Karmically speaking. And that tells you how we are connected. Yes, Jennifer.

Jennifer: if you break

Rimpoche: If you break what?

Jennifer: If you break someone’s leg and that means you, that they broke your leg before?

Rimpoche: More or less. Sure. More or less. Sure

Jennifer: So, are you continuing the cycle then, by breaking their leg?

Rimpoche: That’s right. That is how. Where do you think where the samsaric things come from? It comes from, because you break my leg, I break your leg and we keep on doing it. We keep on building it up.

Jennifer: How do we stop from doing that?

Rimpoche: Huh?

Jennifer: How do we stop from doing that?

Rimpoche: How do we stop doing that? This is good question. Very good question.

Jennifer: Thank you.

Rimpoche: I don’t break your leg and you don’t break mine. Because that’s how we stop. Right?

Jennifer: Yep.

Rimpoche: That’s it. So, I regret I broke your leg. You regret that you broke my leg. And we promise each other we don’t break our leg. So, that four R’s. Remember? Remembrance. Regret. Resolve. Non repeatable. Non repeatable. Huh?

Audience:….

Rimpoche: Non repeatable. So, the R and R and R. R R and R makes it stops. Remember that. Four R’s. R, R, and R. Remember. And then. Regret.

Audience: Remedy

Rimpoche: Remedy

Audience: Revenge.

Rimpoche; Remedy. Remedy. Remedy. There you go. There you go. Remedy

Audience: Resolve

Rimpoche: Resolve. That’s it.

Audience:…(laughter).

Rimpoche: What’s the matter John?

John: …Jennifer said revenge.

0:31:17.7 Rimpoche: Who said that?

Audience: Jennifer

Rimpoche: Alison. Alison. Yes. Go ahead Alison.

Alison:

Rimpoche: What? What is it? The joke is, somebody said “revenge”. Revenge. Remember? Revenge. Yeah. The revenge. I can’t help it. Except recollecting my memory, but we got two weeks ago, interview on Larry King live. With the Mister Morality. Bill Bennett. Huh?

Audience: …

Rimpoche: 0:32:26.8 (???) Brother of the Bob Bennett. The brother of the Bob Bennett, who is the lawyer for the President Clinton. And Bill Bennett is the Mister Morality of the United States. He wrote the book.

Audience: Book of Virtues

Rimpoche: Book of Virtues. And then wrote a recent one on the Monica business. In ten days, he produced one. Am I right? Yeah. He produced one book and call ten days. It is the Monica virtue. And you know. You know, I can’t help it, but looking you know. I don’t. I don’t say anything to anybody by name. You know that. Though I may make a lot of jokes between the Republicans and Democrats, and conservatives and liberals and so and forth. However, I don’t make by name. And I. And I. To tell you the truth, I do have quite good respect for the other guy. I thought he’s quite good person. Keep on thinking. But what shocked me. And you were the odds(?) 0:33:39.9 during that interview saying, what about. What if he seeking forgiveness, and what about. Are you going to give forgive? Are you going to give forgive or not? And he said, “Yes, yes, yes. We must give forgive, but we must punish him.” So, that’s why, when you said, “Revenge” so I got that idea. And I couldn’t. And I couldn’t. I couldn’t help myself, except drop my jaw in front of the television. Really true. Really true. You know. I mean, I don’t have a Judeo-Christian background and I’m sure I’m making hell of mistake here. And I’m really. I’m sure I’m messing up everything here. But to me, to me, you know somebody’s regretting and seeking forgiveness; if, quote, unquote, if he is. Maybe he’s not. You know, maybe he’s not. If he is, quote unquote, seeking forgiveness and it’s bound to, people have to give him. But the revenge is, I mean, “Who going to punish whom?” Who has the authority to punish? Who? And that’s, I’m sure, Judeo-Christian tradition tells you something else. Which I don’t. I’m not aware of it. So, I’m sure I’m making terrible mistake here. If I am, please forgive me. Because I’m not aware of it. But with my, I’m telling you where I’m come from. Where I’m come from is, come from karma. That’s where I come from and that’s my. That’s my hometown. Karma. That’s my hometown. That’s where I’m come from.

0:35:35.1 So, when you’re looking at the karmic business and it is the karma which has to really punish all or let it go. It is karma’s job. And why you want to take Mister Karma’s job away from Mister Karma. You’re going to make Mister Karma unemployed. Why? That’s what I felt. Ok. My tiny little understanding of the Judeo-Christian background. You told me something. What did you tell me? You give me a cold.

Audience: At this point…0:36:22.3 revenge that actually Christianity does not support...

Rimpoche: Alright. You’re right. But you know, with my little logical understanding, and if you accepted God, it is God’s job to punish or to do whatever. It’s God’s job. And for God’s sake why are you taking God’s job away? Why you’re taking God’s job away from God? Anyway. So, that’s the revenge. I don’t think we need it. And no one need to take any revenge for anybody. At the moment you have idea of taking revenge, then the question that Jennifer raised, “How are we going to stop?” That question will become in life. It will go on. So, that’s it. So, do what we need out of those four R’s. Ok. That’s five R’s. But kick the revenge out. So, we need only four R’s. Ok?

Anne: I think that might apply to guilt too. Because some of the revenge is taken on oneself. To avoid. Punish one’s self before someone else does. Or to avoid a worse punishment. That sort of a thinking, you know, that can contribute to guilt.

Rimpoche: Did you, did you all hear that Anne said, “It might have”. That is Anne Warren. always give 0:38:09.5(?) to Anne. Anne Warren. Yeah. Anne Warren. Ok. She said that must be applying for guilt, because people like to punish themselves before somebody else is punish you. It’s a very, very good point. It is possible. Human mind is such a thing, There is no.

0:38:50.9 There’s no limitation at all. Human mind can think anything. That’s very much possible. People may be punishing themselves before they think somebody else you. I really think it is right. Not only a possibility, but I think it is right. Am I right or wrong? Ask the question to yourself. Just don’t answer. I don’t think you want to answer. But ask the question to yourself. And if you are, according to Buddha, you are wrong. The whole purpose of purification is, because you don’t want to be punished. This is escape. We do that because we don’t want to be punished. We don’t want to experience suffering. We don’t want the result of the negativity. So, before it materialize, we will neutral it. Now, what you call it?

Audience: Neutralize

Rimpoche: Neutralized.

Audience: de materialized

Rimpoche: Might well as neuturated(?)0:40:19.2 it.

Audience:

Rimpoche: Or neutralize before it become active. The whole purpose of purification is not to get those started functioning. Once it is started functioning, you can do nothing. Because. Do you have a problem there? You don’t hear there, or what?

Audience: Around a couple of minutes ago when…(?)

Rimpoche: Ok. We’ll now at there. 0:40:48.0

Audience: …..

Rimpoche: Well, don’t listen to so many. You do whatever you need to be. Ok?

Audience:….

Rimpoche: There’s not a single thing up. There’s not a single sound there, they said.

0:41:07.8 Anyway. What I’m talking? Neuturate. Alright.

Audience: Neutralize

Rimpoche: Yeah, I got that, but I made a mistake at first. So, it works better. Ok. So, that is the point. That’s the point. So, before it started functioning. Before it started giving its consequences. If once it’s started giving the consequences, then karma is definite. You can do nothing. Once it started functioning, you can simply wait the time. That’s why a lot of times. A lot of times, time cure you. That because it is. Because it’s time. You wait for the time. Otherwise, you can do nothing. But the whole idea of purification that Buddha shared. And Buddha give the example. And you’re the circle. Sort of, you know, it can be completely overcast and there can be full of clouds and nothing else, but still there’ll be time, that all the clouds will be moved out. The sun shines. The space will be still there. Right? So, all of those. It is possible, if you can purify. The purification is the reason why you do not want to experience that revenge. I’m saying that jokingly. Ok. Oh God, don’t take literally. It’s not a revenge, but that’s what it is. And that’s why we purify. There is no such thing which you cannot purify. So, never think, “I’m dead, doomed”. Never think, “I’m hopeless and helpless.” There is no such thing called “hopeless” or “helpless”. If you want to make yourself hopeless and helpless, you’re very welcome. Go ahead and do it. But it’s not. You’re not. Nobody is. So, why you want to torture yourself for nothing. You know, we have a saying in Tibetan, (Tibetan:..) 0:43:44.3. (laughs) Unless you know, unless you, unless you don’t enjoy yourself, the others will torture you. So, you have to help yourself and enjoy your life. Ok? That’s it. So, that’s my little thoughts on that. And I did not really. Ok, if you look in those, again, Aura has praised me for something that I don’t deserve today. You saying every single thing you can put it in, because it is needed. That’s not true. That’s not me. But the teaching is. So, you look in the Odyssey to Freedom, the purifications are what number?

Audience: Purify all that is negative. Number seven.

0:45:04.2 Rimpoche: Number seven. Number seven. And also, it should come down, somewhere, in the, near the Four Noble Truths somewhere. In the common with the medium level. It’s number seven. So, every morning here, those of you who come to Tara, “I purify all my.” What do you say? All deluded actions. And that’s four R’s. And do, do remember you must reject the fifth R, which is the revenge. Ok? Alright. So, I. Yes, lady over.

Audience: ..little bit about victims, about

Rimpoche: About what?

Audience: Do you believe in victims?

Rimpoche: Victims

Audience: Yes, that there are victims

Rimpoche: Whether I believe it or I don’t believe it, there are victims. And we all are victim too, in a certain extent. I mean, the question of not believing does not rise. There are victims. Sure. Why not? So, what’s wrong?

Audience: …karma that creates..

Rimpoche: Sure. And somebody makes you a victim and then they’re next and that person become a victim. That’s how it is. Jennifer says, How? What happened, if you break my leg, I break your leg and so on and doing the same thing. Do I believe innocent victim? Maybe not.

Audience: Yeah.

Rimpoche: Maybe not. Maybe not. If you mean innocent victim, in maybe it looked like innocent here. But it might not be, because we don’t see the previous life. And that’s why it look like innocent victim. But might not necessarily be innocent victim at all. The people. People unnecessarily caught in between crossfire somewhere. I don’t mean that seeing in crossfire.

Audience:… What about people like the holocaust or Tibet, or people that.

Rimpoche: Tibet. Yes. Tibet. Tibet. Tibet. Sure. Why not? Sure. Why not? If the Tibetans had not created the negativity karma, they will not suffer, I can guarantee you. We have created common collective negative karma. And that’s why we have this consequence. So does the holocaust. I’m not saying. I’m not saying that’s why I don’t believe a human being can be instrumented for a god to punish. No. And that’s, I don’t want accept Hitler instrumental of the god to punish somebody else. Not somebody else. Huge amount of people. No. It is not, but on the other hand, they’re innocent, definitely. They’ve been punished for no fault of theirs. No question. No question. They were simply punished because they happens to be born as a Jew. That’s true. Absolutely. Yet from the karmic point of view, each and every one of those people have a karmic consequence of such a another negativity which result has to be experienced in that way. And that goes to the Tibetans and the Jews.

0:48:53.3 And not only the Tibetans, Jews, but those Cambodian Khmer Rouge people and what’s happening in Bosnia today. And what’s happening in.

Audience: Albania

Audience 2: Afghanistan

Rimpoche: Yeah. Everywhere. I mean, really truly everywhere. Thank you. All of those. You know? In a one way, what happens. You know, today and there’s one super-power. And you know, the world didn’t go down. And there’s more. Really. If you look at it, how many more wars are fighting? Every part of the world. What’s happening? So, I’m sorry to say that, but

Audience: But in some way, from a rational, from my rational point of view. I’m looking, at what I call gross justice people. (?)0:49:58.7 And I can’t accept this is karma. And say, no, I can’t try to stop this. A suffering and punishing so many innocent people. I have to do something to try to help them. So, then I’m altering their karma.

Rimpoche: No. No. Certainly, you’re intervening to stop the escalation of negative karma. That’s what it is.

Audience: But if a group of people who I don’t even know personally. Their karma to die in the holocaust due to previous experiences. If I try to stop that from happening, aren’t I affecting their karma?

Rimpoche: You try to prevent escalation of the negative karma. It is a good intervention. It is not bad work at all. It is good intervention. And therefore, it is a positive karmic creation. No question. If. One does not say, “Well, that’s their karma. Let them function and I, it’s not, none of my business. I don’t want to intervene in their karmic thing.” That’s not right. That’s what we call “walk away”. That’s what we call it. Walk away. And we don’t want to do that. We don’t want to walk away. That’s what it is. That’s why we emphasize caring, love, compassion. Because you don’t want to walk away.

0:51:36.2 And even if it’s you’re intervening in their karma, what’s wrong? Why can’t you intervene their karma? Why not? Think. Result. Now, let’s say. Let’s say, tomorrow, somebody’s going to bomb somebody. Right? Somebody is going to bomb somebody. And if we can intervene and stop the bombing, what’s happened? Didn’t we intervene somebody’s karma? Sure, we intervened somebody’s karma. Did we do good job? Yes, we did good job, because we also intervened somebody else who creating more karma of killing and saving a life. Is this something, the right thing to do? Sure, it is right thing to do. Then what happens to that karma? The question now rises. Their karma, to be bombed, those people. Ok. What happened to their karma? Their karmic consequences did not take place today. They have opportunity to purify, if they wants to. And they don’t have to take place at all. It’s not that you have created karma, so you have to finish that. And that is the point here. That is the point. And that’s the reason why I’m saying, reject the revenge. That’s the reason why. I’m saying, reject the fifth R. This will be your last. This is the last question. Ok. Oh my god, it’s. My god. That’s four more hands. Ok. Let me go. Stokes. Way out there.

Stokes:

Rimpoche: You have to. You have to scream.

Stokes: Can you intervene to save someone. Would you say that is was their karma to be saved? You’re not really changing my karma at all, because their karma was to be saved. 0:53:52.8 (Hard to hear)

Rimpoche: Did you get it?

Audience: He’s saying if you intervene and you save someone, wouldn’t you be able to then say, it was also their karma to be saved?

Rimpoche: Yeah. There’re zillions of different karma you’re linked to this saving karma. I’m sorry I made simple. Amy, go ahead.

Amy: When you talk about purification, it seems to be about self awareness, I am wondering about people who are paralyzed by self-hatred and can’t even0:54:29.9 …(?)…purify…

Rimpoche: Well, first thing’s to bring awareness and second thing is .What did she say?

Audience: What did she ask?

Rimpoche: Huh?

Audience: She said, people that are, some people are so paralyzed with their own self-hatred that they are not able to recognize what they have. 0:54:51.5 (?)… How can they purify?

Rimpoche: That’s what they teach you how to breath. Right? We have to get Joseph Goldstein here and then he will teach you how to breathe. I think that is first step for those people. And then, then the awareness and then bringing. Well, they said, really looking for liberation of Aura’s eight points and five points. And I’m quite sure it will come in there. Right? Can Nancy? Oh. Excuse me ,I’m sorry. I’m sorry .Elizabeth go ahead.

Elizabeth: This is the last question. When someone dies a violent death, let’s say someone bombs me and lived a good life, who tried to do good things, dies a violent death. What happens to their karma? When you don’t have a chance to practice for death…..next life

Rimpoche: Did everybody hear the question? If somebody died violently. Like violent death. Something like Bosnia. Did not have a chance to die peacefully. What happens then?

0:56:22.4 I like to share a story that Bob Thurman was talking to me yesterday. No, day before yesterday, when we were swimming down in that river down there. He was saying that when Dalai Lama was here, you going to Malaysia and this and that and you miss. And I said, “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” On this and then he said, “Well, you just come back from that violent death of that Tibetan guy who burned himself by pouring the kerosene oil and put himself in the fire.” So, he said he went to the hospital and saw this guy about to die. I mean completely covered with the, what you call? Bandages Completely. And then what His Holiness advice to him at that moment, according to Bob. He said, he told him, “Please don’t die with anger. Don’t die by getting angry against Chinese. Just have compassion for the Chinese and die with compassion. Don’t die with anger.” So, that gives you some idea. But then, violent death, some people die with anger, which is very unfortunate. Some die without knowing anything. That’s also possible even though it’s violence. So, it depends. And if you die with anger, it is miserable. Not very good. If you die with peaceful, it’s great. If you die with mind of positiveness. Actually, dying mind itself. The death itself, is neither positive nor it is negative. It is very subtle. It is too subtle to be positive or negative. But mind immediately before that makes tremendous difference. Because positive brings positive; negative brings negative. So, mind immediately before the death, subtle mind of death itself. If it’s positive, chances of getting a better future life are better. And much more than negative problem. I mean, that happens. So, we try to help whatever we could, to sometimes you can’t help it. They’ll go wrong. That is the frustrations what I believe the bodhisattvas have all the time. (laughs) That is joke. Supposed to be.

0:59:05.0 Ok. Now I have one more person someone somewhere raised hand together. You are the, you are the new one now. After I said no more. And now Jonathan’s the last one now.

Jonathan: Ok.

Rimpoche: Yeah

Jonathan: My question is, what you’ve been implying is, the karma is always coming from previous karma that is always coming from previous karma. So, it raises several questions with this, but also, we’re generating new karma. Way that you trace the karma all the way back to the new life, before life, life and before the earth. So, where did karma all get started from?

Rimpoche: Well, the limitless of the beginning. That is my answer. It’s simple. (laughs) Limitless of the beginning, or beginningless of the beginning.

Jonathan: So, is there? In Buddhism, don’t we also believe in freedom? So, if it all leads back to karma but we also had to go to freely create too. Right?

Rimpoche: I beg your pardon.

Jonathan: Don’t we

Rimpoche: We do believe freedom. We do believe the freedom of the individual. And there’s always an end of the individual’s negative karma. And I don’t know whether it is general it does. I mean, you have to say, there’s a time that all sentient beings will become fully enlightened. That is theoretical. Very, not even theoretical. What is that thing called?

Audience: Hypothetical

Rimpoche: Well, may not be hypothetical, but it’s supposed to be true. Huh? Well, it’s sort of theoretically we have to say that. But the most important thing is end of the negative karma’s available for every individual. And that’s why the individual freedom is so important for us than that of general. You know earlier one of the Kadampa lamas says, (Tibetan:. Chi….)1:00:55.7 Saying that the general Buddhism is not with us. We have to make sure our personal Buddhism did not go down. So, this is the main point. There’re all of them there. And if you really trace and karmic there, there’s no end. You know, this Indian teachers used to say, when Buddha was asked whether there’s an end, he kept silent. The big silent is great wise blah, blah, blah. All of those. That’s because of that. Ok? That’s what it is. So, I’d like to, before I end, it’s getting late. It’s almost like ten to ten. I like to have Robert over here and give his. You know, Robert, you know Robert. He’s not a stranger. Many of you know. And he does beautiful predictions. The predictions are great. And I remember once he was giving prediction that Bush is going to lose election during the Gulph War period. When he’s reading, his job approval ratings are really in nineties. And he was saying that he was going to lose the election. And he said that on J.P, J.P..

Robert: McCarthy

Rimpoche: McCarthy. Right? J P. McCarthy show. And they argued something and they said that.

Robert: …

Rimpoche: Yeah. He said, “If you’re right, I’d give you Rolls Royce.” So. So.

Robert: Two hundred forty thousand dollars

Rimpoche: Two hundred forty thousand dollars what he said. So, anyway, he said, he’d give you a Rolls Royce. And Bush did lose. And then Robert reminded and then he was invited on the show, where they had Rolls Royce limousine to pick him up. And also presented a toy Rolls Royce, I was told. So, I’d like to share. This is some sort of treat tonight to have Robert’s prediction. And I’m going to sit down and the floor is yours Robert. You got like fifteen, twenty minutes. Ok?