Archive Result

22

Soundfile 20000820GRNL3

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location Netherlands

Topic Prayer

Transcriber Kay Pierce

Date

(Translated to and from Dutch)

0:00:00 Rimpoche Good morning. I hope everybody had a nice evening and fresh in the morning. So I should say good morning to everybody. So yesterday we spend time mostly sort of thinking whether you have any questions to talk about it. So we did spend little time but we thought today it might be better if we the little time that we have we spend going over some important points such as the prayer that you say actually, like the very short [0:1:10 Tibetan] prayer we say. I think it begin with a, take a refuge to Buddha, dharma, sangha is it? How does it begin? What do you begin with it? Does it have English in it? Can somebody correct the time? Ten. So Maryanne told me when you look at it, it says clean the room, clean the mind, make offering, etc. Cleaning room is important. We talked yesterday about, did we talk yesterday? I don’t think so, I talk something else. I don’t know whether I talked or not. I didn’t remember. Huh? Not at this place yesterday. Okay. So anyway, ah, I try to remember what did I talk? But during the Buddha’s, oh thank you, thank you so much. During the Buddha was in life there was a very wealthy family, benefactor, very wealthy family who cannot maintain their children. Somehow their children dies all the time. It is, you know, earlier time, people do that, happens all the time. Thank you for doing that. You know why, I forget. You better come in. So nowadays we have a lot things, you know scientifically that you can have the children to survive but 2,500 years ago it was difficult. The same situation I came through from Tibet, you know I had quite a number of brothers between me and my, I’m the eldest, between me and the younger brother who was below me, next to me, in between that I think my mother lost. My mother lost, that’s not my mother lost, but I think we lost I don’t know, four, five, six kids in between. So there’s a gap between me and my brother is ten years. So within ten years she lost like four, five, six children. I don’t know the exact number, somebody told me ten is not possible. I don’t know exactly, but lost quite a lot.

0:05:56 So sometimes during the Buddha period they lost a lot of children. So one of those sadhus said I have method to keep your child alive. So they said, okay, what is it? So said when you give birth let someone take that little kid in the roadside and ask everybody pray for it. So after the sunset if the child is still alive, bring it back. So the solution is only by praying by different people. That was the thing they can do, it was only rely to praying. Praying is also important and it also depends who prays. I think it’s interesting. I don’t know whether I should say it or not, but might as well say it. Everybody who prays not necessarily works well, works that way. But people who have perfect ethics, morality, when they pray where and how they pray is different than like you and me pray. When you and I pray we simply pray the second or the third power, whatever they are, the second power to intervene, to do something, to make it right, to make it function, that’s what we do. And those who have perfect ethics and they say, they don’t pray here to do something, but they say my morality is perfect. If that’s true they should be immediately materialized by the truth of that, they should materialize. It is a big difference. People who can pray in that way it almost looks like, alright here, here’s my checkbook and I’m going to use this much money. Just write a check. And when you and I pray it looks like we go to the banks, would you mind loaning this much money? (laughter) Will my application go through or not go through? That looks like that. I’m just giving you the metaphor whether it exactly works or not, but that’s what it is.

0:10:36 So a great many sages including Buddha have passed through that road and the maid who been hired for that day asked them pray and so each and every one of them pray this child will have a long life and become extremely intelligent, join in my order and be a perfect master. Everybody prayed that way. So the child was alive, it exactly worked as the prayer so they named the child as Big Street because they went in big street. Then the second one, younger brother was born so they did the same thing. The maid they hired that day happened to be lazy one. So she instead of going to the big street she just went to a small lane in the back somewhere (laughs) and nobody came by. By the evening Buddha knew, Buddha just walked by and Buddha prayed for that kid and said may he join in my order. So the kid survived so they call it Small Street. So the Big Street boy was extremely intelligent, joined so many different orders, he not satisfied, started going to another one, another one, another one and become most learned of each group wherever he went, each order, and finally joined with the Buddha. Younger brother followed the same road but everywhere, every school instead of he’s becoming great, good, intelligent he was kicked out by everybody because he’s very stupid. He didn’t learn anything so they have no alternative but to kick him out, kick him out, kick him out. Then what happened is the younger brother went to the elder brother and seek his help. Couldn’t learn anything. So the elder brother thought is it better that I treat him nice, kindly, or should I treat him like a little rough? So he came to know it’s better for this boy treated rough. So the elder brother hit the ceiling. Hit the ceiling is American slang, right? (laughs) Anyway so beat him up badly saying you’re the most stupid person I ever know. Picked him up and throwed him physically out of [0:16:14 inaudible]. So he was sitting outside the courtyard of the ashram crying there and Buddha walked by. And told the Buddha, Buddha said why you crying for? He said well nobody wants me, everybody kick me out so I’m crying. I have no place to go, I learn nothing. So Buddha said don’t cry, I’ll take you in. He said no, no, no you’re going to kick me out. My own brother beat me up and kicked me out and literally throw me out here.

0:17:27 So he said will go if you take me but first you have to promise you’re not kick me at all and then after only then I’ll come. So then Buddha said no I won’t throw out, I give you my word I will not throw you out. There’s more conversation on that. Buddha said you’re brother’s only arhat, I’m a Buddha and what I know he doesn’t know, all sorts of things but, so it came to the conclusion. Then he said if you take me what you want me to do? I can learn nothing. And then Buddha said I want you to clean, sweep. He said, that, I may be able to do it. So that’s how he got in. So the Buddha made him sweep first for just two words: he would never learn. But what the Buddha meant is everybody who ever sees that he’s sweeping just repeat these two words: clear the dust, clear the dirt. So finally he learned that, I don’t know whether months or years later, whatever. When finally he learned that Buddha said now you don’t have to sweep. You go and clean the shoes of every meditator. So the traditional Indian culture they leave their shoe outside like we do now. I don’t know why we do that. That’s not Western culture is it, taking the shoe outside? No. In some southeast Asian culture it happened. In Tibet we don’t take off shoes except teaching, to do the teachings because you not supposed to teach somebody who’s wearing shoes. That’s why they take it off but otherwise every prayer meeting, everywhere nobody take shoes off in Tibet. But here it seems everybody take their shoes off, here in the West everywhere anyway. Where it’s coming from I have no idea. But it help to keep the carpet clean. (laughs)

0:21:29 Are you comfortable there, Ellie? Huh? Okay, great. So what else? So the meditators are instructed by Buddha whenever this guy shows up near your door you keep on saying it again, clean the dust, clear the dust, whatever it is. Suddenly he realized and said, here what am I saying clear the dust? Then he said I’m not clearing just the dust of the dust, I’m clearing the dust of attachment.

0:22:25 Translator. I’m sorry, didn’t hear you…?

0:22:27 Rimpoche. I’m not clearing just the dust of the dust, but I’m clearing the dust of attachment. Hatred, jealousy, etc., you know. It is something that happens to the person. Cleaning actually cuts down the obstacle, the negativity which blocks to understand and to be able to do it, capability. And understanding and capability both has been cleared by the cleaning. So it is important, important for ourself, for me to clear my ignorance, to purify my negative karma, to clear my obstacles and to make my mind to be able to materialize whatever I’ve been meditating and practice. When some of us have the opportunity to clean our own place one should always appreciate and take the opportunity to clear the, to cut down the block to the development. And also cleansing part of it, it also providing a good atmosphere. So you know good atmosphere is very important to have a good meditation. That’s why you have those cleaning [0:25:52 unclear], whatever they say on little piece of paper. Then comes [0:26:05 Rimpoche chants] That is the Sanskrit language though normally when you take refuge you take refuge to the Buddha, dharma, sangha, but in the Vajrayana you take refuge to guru, Buddha, dharma and sangha. So that’s why you have [0:26:29 Rimpoche chants]. So when you have [0:26:53 Rimpoche chant] there are four of them so this called a four round refuge. Sometimes on top of that you have some specific [0:27:20 unclear] or sometimes you have all the [0:27:29 unclear], all of them together. So whatever it is, there are five round refuge as well. For example I think with the White Feather crowd you do have taking refuge to Dalai Lama as well so that is the five round thing. So anyway the refuge is, that’s simply saying a word or simple nice little tune, is not enough. What is important here is whom you’re taking refuge, why you’re taking refuge, and what are you doing? These are the most important. Whom you are taking refuge is the Buddha, dharma and sangha or guru, buddha, dharma and sangha. Why? What makes them qualified to be able to take a refuge from me?

0:29:20 Take Buddha, for example. Why Buddha is qualified? Because Buddha managed to be able to clear all his fears plus he also knows how to help others. The years that he had spent in his life try to find a way how one can free oneself from the sufferings, and he did find so he had experience. In other words he’s an expert so he knows what he’s doing. Plus he knows what to do with others to help. (a lot of weird beeping; laughter). Anyway, then why guru? Guru is no separation than that of a Buddha, that’s why it is, and also no direct contact than that of some historical king or future potential or whatever. For dharma is the spiritual development within those enlightened beings or even our own, whatever we have. You know if you really think very carefully Buddhism is really strange. This is the beginning, right? Right at the beginning they even you hey it’s you, you’re responsible. Nobody else because this dharma business is your own spiritual development. Really, that’s very strange but nice and on the point actually, really. Then next is sangha, we talked yesterday. Anyway so that also, you can think of sangha within you, your own good qualities. Sangha quality is also not only your good quality, your good quality maybe to make others comfortable. If you have good quality but your quality doesn’t make others comfortable it’s not good sangha quality (laughs) because you make others miserable.

0:34:12 Okay so anyway, if you just visualize Buddha in Shakyamuni form, I mean whatever you can visualize, clear picture of a Buddha, great, otherwise just a little yellow lump will do. I said funny thing, just a yellow lump, don’t make mistake. That’s okay. (laughter) Just a yellow lump can be anything so just don’t make mistake. A Buddha is separable that of a guru with all their spiritual development and capability. And then hear myself and all sentients beings around me taking opportunity to be able to put ourselves to the care of a Buddha, guru, dharma, sangha. With that visualization we may like to chant a couple of times.

(everyone chanting)

0:37:43 So you think, I and all sentient beings have now together reached to Buddha, dharma, and sangha, the Guru, Buddha, dharma and sangha and they have accepted my refuge. So taking refuge alone is not enough. There are positive advices, there are negative advices as well. Negative advice in the sense, oh I shouldn't do this or I shouldn’t do this, and the positive sense, oh I should do this, should do this. That’s what is. So you should be able to understand those and try to follow it in your daily life as much as possible. To be Buddhist one has to be very relaxed in manner, not try to be very tight, strict, you know. The reason is it is important to contribute to myself, in other words important to help me. The best way to help me is the relaxed way, not by screwy way. Screw yourself (laughs) It was another American slang. (laughter)

0:40.17 Translator. I got the message.

0:40.19 You got the message (laughter). Actually it is. If you try to be very rigid, I can’t do this, I can’t do this, you know we’re naturally normal human beings bound to make mistakes. It’s going to happen in our lifetime at least 300 times a day you’re going to do it. And if you’re going to be worried about that too much and try to be so rigid about that you’re really screwing yourself. So just don’t throw away, pick up, learn and keep on adapting as much as you could every day a little bit of extra, a little bit of extra, a little bit of extra. And that’s how you get it in. We are dealing with the addictions and if you just try to cut like this in one day these withdrawal symptoms going to kill you. Think if you are addicted to cigarette. And if you are just going to cut smoking right now and from now on like that, you’re lucky. You’re lucky. The chances almost 90% people going to get killed by the withdrawal symptoms. Suffer tremendously. (laughter) So we know that, right? We know that, yes we do. I have seen with my own eyes people having withdrawal symptoms. It’s terrible. And I used to smoke a lot. I used to smoke a terrible Indian cheap cigarette called [name]. It means Breathe. I was lucky but I’m smoking… you know I have a fantasy to the Western culture so I don’t want to smoke Breathe, I want to smoke that paper rolled cigarette. So I used to smoke the Indian cigarette called [0:43:39 name], it’s like two, it sometimes could be three packets with just 20 in there, for 13 years. The day when I have to leave I left it that day. Somebody said just finish this packet. I said no, I have to cut it, I have to cut now. Not even finishing the cigarette itself, that’s the Middle Way, kapow! And I was lucky I did not have withdrawal symptoms. I had to go to Ladakh. Ladakh is considered in that area Buddhist area. If you smoking cigarette they think you killing somebody, you know really, they look down that much.

0:45:15 So I left it there and I know nothing about withdrawal symptoms that time. I remember I had headaches and funny things and I put that to the high altitude, I thought it due to the high altitude. (laughter) I might have taken a couple of aspirins, that’s about it. So then my brother came to visit me to America and he want to cut cigarettes. And I said oh yes, very good, cut them right now (laughs). And I said that’s the way it is. You know what I did is really, so I cut it and you wanted smoke because you really said no and so you always want it, you know. So I said no, no, no, ten minutes I said no. So I don’t want to waste my ten minutes, then it’s half an hour. I don’t want to waste my half hour of resisting. I don’t want to waste my one hour resisting. I don’t want to waste three hours resisting. I don’t want to waste half day resisting just for (sound of inhale/exhale), what is that, you know? I don’t want to waste my one day, I don’t want to waste my two day, I don’t want to waste my week. That’s how I managed. So try to push him in that way. Poor guy got terribly sick and said I’m going to go crazy. I said I have no idea why you going to go crazy, what’s wrong? (laughter) So then people around me, they knew it’s called withdrawal symptoms or something and they bring some packs, put it over here, some pills to eat and all this, you know. So that’s what I see it, that’s what withdrawal symptoms does. So it’s the same thing. This is a physical addiction, addiction of whatever, you know. Two decades or whatever it is, couple of years or whatever it is. And this is the mental addiction of life after life. So straightway I don’t like this, you have big problem, so must know gradually how to do it. Unfortunately there’s no patch to put over your shoulder.

0:49:33 So you know this is the beginning, the first step in Buddhism. And from this moment until you totally become enlightened we are the, it is the cutting the negative addictions. It is sort of our job to begin here. It is a continuation thereafter. So we have to be very careful right from the beginning not to be so rigid, because I’m not going to talk to you every point. But then you going to fail, you going to fail, it doesn’t matter. The most important thing is don’t give up. It’s like the children learning how to walk. You follow the walker [0:50:53 unclear]. You know they have these walkers these days so they don’t fall. So you learn to stand up and push, walk. But you fell down 300 times a day but you get up 300 times a day, you learn to walk just like that. So if you give up then you’re gone. It’s like learning how to ride a horse. We have to ride a horse in Tibet, that’s only the available transportation. And when the horse throw you, you must ride again. You have to, otherwise the next time you see horse you’ll be scared to death. So it throw you have to ride again. So if you don’t you’re defeated. It is same thing here. You will make mistakes, no doubt. I make mistakes all the time but I should not submit to the mistakes. It doesn’t matter whenever I realize, better late than never. When I realize, I have to do it again. So that’s the way, how we grow in Buddhism and not, you don’t expect every human beings are super human beings make no mistakes. Anyway, that’s good enough. Then what is next you have?

0:53:30 Four Immeasurables. Well simply it is wishing form. So whatever, what come first?

0:53:45 Translator. May all beings find happiness and causes of happiness…

0:53:49. Rimpoche. Yeah. May all beings find happiness and causes, may all beings be free from the suffering and causes, may all beings…

0:54:00 Translator. …may find the joy of liberation. I don’t have the rest.

0:54:06 Rimpoche. May all beings have joy and causes of joy, and may all beings have what?

0:54:14 Translator. Equanimity.

0:54:15 Rimpoche. Equanimity and causes...

0:54:18 Translator. ...without attachment and aversion.

0:54:20 Okay, you have the longer version. Anyway, so each and every time when you’re wishing those and you simply wish to the Buddha right in front of you and sort of, you demand your request. That’s what you’re going to do. And you also have to think that you are the I in here, I am the leader of all sentient beings along with me, and I am wishing those and it may be materialized with that mind. Can we say it?

(chanting the Four Immeasurables)

0:56:10 Rimpoche. Equanimity is free of attachment and hatred. Anyway I did give detail equanimity, different layers, last year, right? So you can read all those, you know it. You have the information behind your brain locked somewhere, and find wherever that memory chip is and click on it and it comes out. So think about that. What you have next?

0:57:19 Translator. The Field of Merit in the form of your teacher as Buddha Shakyamuni. So you invite the Wisdom Beings and then you do the [0:57:32 Tibetan?] prayer.

0:57:34 Rimpoche. Okay so you want to have a Buddha right in front of you and it is in the Buddha form, and if you want to go in the guru form what happens is you have to dissolve that Buddha form and dissolve in the form of light, and dissolve in between the two eyebrows and dissolve to yourself. In this case we should have done before the Four Immeasurables but I thought we will continue. So to dissolve to yourself you become a Buddha. Then you raise a light from Buddha’s body and the light touches every sentient being and make them free of suffering and cause of suffering, make them remain with the joy and cause of joy. Wish them never be separated from the joy that never knows suffering . Wish them remain free of attachment and hatred in the level of equanimity. That’s one section, that’s [59:48 unclear]. Then you may generate again supreme Field of Merit right in front of you. In reality it is your own spiritual master in the form of a Buddha or Lama Tsongkhapa…

1:00:07 Translator. Buddha Shakyamuni.

1:00:08 Rimpoche. Buddha Shakyamuni. Then you have Empty invocation? How does it go?

1:00:15 Translator. Yes, Invocation of the Wisdom Beings.

1:00:18 Rimpoche. How does it go?

1:00:21 Translator. Oh Protector of all beings…

1:00:23 Rimpoche. Okay, good. So now you just visualize Buddha in front of you. That is your mental production. In reality that’s good enough. However, to satisfy our rational mind we ritualize the invocation. In other words we’re calling to the Buddha who is the leader and the protector of all sentient beings, who is the destroyer of all evil forces and one who knows all. Great Buddha and your retinue may be here. So in others words I would like to satisfy myself my simple mental production is not enough, I must have the wisdom invoked. And then say these words and you think the Wisdom Beings came and dissolved in that mental produced image and not only become oneness, they become with life.

(chanting Invocation of the Wisdom Beings)

1:03:02 Rimpoche. What do we have next?

1:03:03 Translator. [1:03:04 inaudible] Prayer.

1:03:06 Rimpoche. Good. So what comes first?

1:03:09 Translator. I bow down with body, spirit and mind…

1:03:12 Rimpoche. Okay. So now you have the Wisdom Buddha invited in front of you so what are you going to do with it? The best thing is to do the seven activities. These are the most important, effective for accumulation of merit, purification. So let’s take the opportunity, and first is Who here I really see, that wonderful Buddha, my supreme protector, my supreme field of merit here I see you, your quality of body, your quality of mind, mind of all-knowing everything, [unclear 1:04:26] all the time yet not going crazy. The quality of the body, the most wonderful body ever can achieve, the result of all fortuitous karma, meditated concentrated effect. Just by seeing alone makes life worthwhile. Just by hearing your sound clears all ignorance. Just by touch at your heart alone makes me whole, knowing everything. Such a quality I admire and I seek. With this mind can you say one line?

(chanting)

1:06:38 To you the great one I would like to offer, offer the offerings that I have actually [0:06:46 unclear] and imaginatively created of all external beauty and internal efforts of cutting down negativities, accumulation of merit, correction of negative addictions. So I offer everything of my past deeds, good deeds, present good deeds, and future good deeds that I will indulge. I offer everything to you for the benefit of all beings. Please to accept. One verse.

(chanting)

1:08:22 And we thank the Buddha had accepted all our offerings. I also like to take the opportunity hear to purify all the wrong things I have done which I remember and those which I do not remember. What I remember I don’t like it, but I have done it. So that my only way to clearing that is to purify. I like to regret very strongly. Judging from the things that I have done which I don't like it, I’m sure those I don’t know what I’ve done I will also not like it either if I knew it. So I will regret very strongly all those negative activities I have indulged in my life after life, particularly this life, particularly this year, this week, this day, I strongly regret. And I would like to restrain for the rest of my life after life, and the rest of this life, this year, this month, this week, and particularly today. Can you say one verse here?

(chanting)

1:11:07 So with this four powers, the power of abase which I already have here, and my regret and my restraining and my antidote action, I’m doing this for others, I become pure. I also like to have a quick accumulation of good merit so I rejoice the activity of you, the great Buddha, throughout the times that ever existed, and that of great Bodhisattvas, that of all sentient beings, and particularly my own good deeds, I rejoice. May have one verse?

(chanting)

1:12:50 I been able to purify and accumulate a lot of merit but I would like to have safeguarding so I like to dedicate this. For the benefit of all beings I would like to become a Buddha. This is next dedication, am I wrong?

1:13:25 Translator. Ah, request to remain.

1:13:30 Rimpoche. Okay. Let’s do the dedication first anyway, I’m halfway through. So I would like to dedicate all my positive karma that I’ve accumulated here and all of them for the benefit of all beings. I and all sentient beings should become a fully enlightened Buddha, are sort of earmarked for that.

(chanting)

1:14:18 And then what I skipped by mistake is the request to remain. So I like to request you to be with me all the time. And anything else left?

1:14:42 Translator. Guide us with your wisdom and compassion…

1:14:49 Oh, teaching! Okay, thank you. So I like to request you to remain and give the teachings whenever, whatever I need it.

(chanting)

1:15:22 That’s it, right? Now [1:15:23 Tibetan]. Did I miss anything? Okay. You know, that shows you how I do it. (laughs) No request to teach, no request to remain, and that’s the rest of those things. Anyway in the [1:15:52 Tibetan?], you know, they [1:15:54 inaudible] of all this, actually. If you’re reading [1:58:58 Tibetan?] in the beginning they don’t have those. Somehow they came up and become seven. So anyway, what else now? Then comes what? Oh, mantra of Buddha Shakyamuni. Om Muni Muni Maha Muni Soha. I don’t think I have to explain the meaning of those. There are explanations, right? Do I have books about them or what?

1:16:34 Translator. It’s in the Lamrim I think. Surely you’ll read yourself...

1:16:38 It’s a valuable.... please read it. Do your homework. Muni Muni Maha Muni. So then what else we have?

1:16:54 Translator. Then it’s the prayer to the lineage which is short, very, very much shortened. One line each like Shakyamuni Buddha, Atisha, Tsongkhapa...

1:17:04 Okay. So that’s the lineage prayer is a, if you’re meditating a Lamrim and then doing the lineage prayer is very important because lineage is your support. Like the backboard here you can lean it if this one’s here. If this one’s not here if you lean it you fall. So that’s why backboard support, lineage, is necessary. And traditionally when there is time we have a very elaborate lineage, you know. [Person’s name] has drawn all them of this tradition, that tradition, all of them, you know five, six different, all of them there. And when we were a kid and I learned how to meditate Lamrim when I was like three or four, four or five, that time, but I did not learn that elaborate lineage then, you know. I went went through the guru devotion, very brief [1:18:13 Tibetan?] guru devotion because there was an older teacher of mine who also has two other students. One is very famous teacher later, the other is a former business man and I was a little kid between these two old guys, in the evening, you know. So they get the teaching from [1:18:38 name] Rimpoche during the daytime I believe, and I don’t remember them... maybe they doesn’t talk [inaudible], not really a teaching style, but I saw them talking but I don’t see them sitting down and learning. But anyway whatever they learned during the daytime they made them meditate in the evening. So I was put in between so I could never move. So look at the right side that famous, the Indian Geshe and he was sitting like this. And I look the left side, the former business man, then you know I thought I sat there hours and hours and hours. May not have been but I kept on thinking oh my god I got to sit there now hours. So looks like half night, might not been that long, who knows at that time. Anyway that’s what happened in my life.

1:21:03 That Geshe, later His Holiness is taking a lot of teaching from that Geshe in Dharamasala. Yes, I think so, too. So in one way I was fortunate, on the other hand for hours and hours I sat there and I didn’t know what to think. And they’re meditating and I’m sort of sitting there looking around (laughter) and no one moves and besides that, that Geshe is from a [1:22:10 Sanskrit or Hindi?] in Northern India and had tremendous body odor, you know. (laughter) So you can almost tell quite far away before you hear his footstep or anything, you can smell if the wind direction is right. In those days there’s no this thing, deodorant, you know? No deodorant, no perfume, nothing, so naturally you can... plus they won’t take bath so that help a lot. (laughter) I suppose, I think we have to take a coffee break. Thank you. So I understand there’s a couple of questions in there so I like to entertain that first. I’m not even sure that I have the answer because many of you think very carefully and so.

1:25:00 Translation of question: The question is, it’s a question I’ve also been having for a long period already. We talked about it before. The question is about karma and freedom, basically, because on the one hand you can say because of the karmic processes you’re sort of in the middle of a web of karmic processes which are already going on and which limit your freedom in a way. On the other hand you have room, you have freedom to change your habitual patterns and to play with the conditions that make certain karmic imprints materialize. So the question is what is this freedom? To what extent do we have this freedom? And in a way where is this freedom because you could also argue that these karmic processes are so present and so dominant that there’s hardly any room left to choose and to change. The conditions also depend on karma.

1:26:31 So there’s like several questions within the one question (laughter) So let me first deal with the freedom business. Okay, so you remember those questions, okay? Questions within questions. First let me deal with the freedom business. You know when I was in India, compared with in Tibet it is a very free country. Absolutely free. The other day I was talking with somebody in Italy, and one day I was driving my little old Fiat in Delhi, there’s a little shop and there’s a market, a big colonial, sort of colony called [1:27:56 name]. Behind the [name] there’s a road which is quite easy for me to go. I was driving through this and the policeman came and stopped me. So this is India you know, so when the policeman stopped me, it’s a poor little Indian policeman you know, so I stopped my car and I called the police and said Do you know who I am? Why did you stop me? So you normally get away with that in India. (laughter) And I did get away with that day, too. He said there’s no place to go, but go ahead. So I drove up about a block or so and there’s literally no place to go, the street is packed with human beings at that time. So I pulled my car to the side, get out of the car, put my two hands like this and say what’s going on here? And everybody’s chanting something, chanting. It is the Sai Baba, Sathya Sai Baba, visiting. So when I stopped there and it is almost time Sathya Sai Baba appeared on top of the roof of the other building over there. Two blocks actually, two buildings above, and he was sort of blessing people in all the directions. Then he saw me and he told me come in. (laughter) So when he told me come in the whole crowd opens like this and says come in, come in. Everybody says come in. So took me to his living room and then he came down, there a lot of people, even in the living room it’s packed and everybody touching his feet and all that. There’s a sick children, a child who’s sort of completely crooked right in front of me. There he performed that Sai Baba miracle, ash miracle, if you know about Sai Baba. He does like this and ash comes out and sticks up. I saw it. And then put it on the head, the forehead of the child and see this ash going like this. Then he look at me and shook hand and say I see you again, see you again. That’s it! That is all about it.

1:32:16 But see in India you have the police, you can bully the police and do whatever you want to do. You can’t do that in Holland. You cannot do that in America. You have to address the police guy “Officer” (laughs). Yes, Officer! No, Officer! You can’t say, hey, what you think! (laughter) So do you have more freedom in the West or more freedom in India? You certainly do have more freedom in the West, but the freedom with the discipline. That’s exactly how karma works. Freedom with the discipline, otherwise it’s a mess. Everybody will bully the police in India, poor police will get what? When I was there, now ten years ago, police would probably get what, 5 or 600 rupees a month, probably means what, 5 or 6 dollars a month? Everybody makes more than police so anybody can bully the police. There are a number of people, like a daily custom, the police will block you and you take out 50 rupee note and the police will say, oh where’s your permit to go inside the custom control area? And you take out 50 rupees and say here’s my permit. So you can go in. Yes, sir. So it’s become mess. So freedom with the discipline works, same with karma. Okay? Now what is the other question? Within that a couple more questions we going take.

1:35:48 Translator. To what extent conditions are also determined by karma? Because conditions make....

1:35:59 Rimpoche. This is very interesting, very interesting. Yes. Karma is the original cause and conditions are conditions, and conditions make it work. However, the conditions also have karmic consequences but it is sort of immediate karmic consequences so you may have a lot of room to play. You got to, otherwise you have to wait til karma materialize and don’t do anything else, wait for the karmic materialization. It’s not going to work. So I think it is a sort of, you can do and undo things here until karmic consequences been materialized, you can do and undo things. Once they started materializing you cannot. So that’s what it is. Then there’s more questions within that.

1:38:34 Translator. The question remains the fact that I try to change something now, that I try to change a habitual pattern, for instance, might that also be considered a karmic result from the past? My effort now to change a certain negative habit, for instance, do I have to see that as a karmic result of something from the past or is that really something I choose for now in a certain freedom?

1:39:09 Rimpoche. I think it’s both. You choose now as you chose in freedom, but it also links up with some kind of karma that you... I think we have a tremendous amount of karma in storage, both positive and negative, and it is a matter of linkage. So you’re choosing as a [39:32 unclear] karmic linkage both. I really think that’s the truth, but it sounds a little strange, but I think it’s both. It is strange but if you don’t put the efforts we don’t link with the karma. That’s what you really want is to link and if you put efforts it helps to link to that particular karma. So it is karmic consequences as well as putting choice, freedom, putting efforts, both.

1:41:11 Translator. But then I still have one thing remaining. If you would like to explain this freedom could you say it is simply a quality of mind, that you have this capacity to become aware of your patterns and by becoming aware of them make an effort to change them? Is that one thing?

1:41:44 Rimpoche. Did you say is a quality of mind? Yes it is quality of mind for sure.

1:41:47 Translator. But that’s the explanation then? That on the one hand mind is sort of subject to these determining karmic processes and on the other hand you still have the quality to become aware of these processes, and by becoming aware of them sort of develop the freedom to change them? Is that it?

1:42:06 Rimpoche. I don’t know. I don’t get you. Mind’s way of... I need help.

1:42:17 Translator. As long as you’re not aware of these karmic processes going on, of how you sort of are constantly pushed forward by habitual patterns and negative emotions, then you’re simply being pushed forward. So then you don’t have the freedom to change them.

1:42:33 Rimpoche. That’s right, that’s right. Whether you have the freedom to change or not, but you don’t change it. You don’t use it. But you’re aware of it and you try to struggle with the usual habit and that’s where the freedom comes in.

1:42:49 Translator. So becoming aware is one particular, specific fantastic thing of mind. So that’s why we can do this. That’s the explanation then.

1:43:02 Rimpoche. Whether it’s the explanation or not, that’s what it is. (laughter)

1:43:07 Translator. That’ll do. Thank you.

1:43:08 Rimpoche. When you say explanation I don’t get it. Explaining what?

1:43:13 Translator. It’s not explanation in the practical sense, how to do it, but it’s more explanation in the sense of why it’s possible to do it.

1:43:29 Rimpoche. Maybe, but unless you have the awareness you’re not going to indulge in that. That’s for sure. When you have awareness you can do it and undo it. Then you become choice. When you don’t have the awareness you don’t have the awareness, you just do it. It’s a normal, routine, whatever you do. That’s what it is. 8 o’clock in, 5 o’clock out, or 8 to 5 or 8 to 4, 8 o’clock in. One minute, Maryanne. But otherwise when you’re aware of it then you say well, 8 o’clock in, 9 o’clock out, 10 in or 11 and a half, whatever you can do all this. For that’s awareness makes the difference. Is that okay?

1:44:29 Translator. I think that’s okay.

1:44:30 Rimpoche. Are we talking the same language?

1:44:31 Translator. We’re talking the same language.

1:44:32 Rimpoche. Oh good. Oh, I’m sorry. She has to talk another language now.

1:44:35 Translator. I have to talk another language now. (laughter)

1:45:50 Question (asked in English). When you have the awareness, then this discipline business is coming up and the responsibility?

1:46:02 Rimpoche That’s right. Thank you. Yes, lady over...

1:46:26 Translator. The question is becoming aware of your habitual patterns, becoming aware of the way you’re functioning, isn’t that also a karmic result?

1:46:37 Rimpoche. Could be, too. Yes.

1:46:42 Question. So where is freedom?

1:46:44 Rimpoche. Freedom is because you can choose whatever you want to do. You can choose whatever you want to do. Let it go like a normal 5 to, what is it? 8 to 5 or whatever it is, or you want change but unless there is awareness we will not make another choice.

1:47:04 Translator. But it seems that freedom and karmic results seem mutually exclusive. They’re contradictory, you can’t have both.

1:47:12 Rimpoche. They don’t contradict. They don’t contradict.

1:47:14 Translator. But that’s what I don’t understand!

1:47:15 Rimpoche. But I’m telling you how it doesn’t contradict.

1:47:19 Translator. Because when it’s a karmic result it happens and I can’t do anything about it. No, I can’t!

1:47:25 Rimpoche. No, that’s wrong! That’s just wrong!

1:47:28 Translator. I don’t get it. I’m sorry.

1:47:30 Question. (unclear)..mistakes.

1:47:32 Rimpoche So... Yes, it is the karmic result. The conditions comes in because of your karmic results. But you made it also possible to come the conditions in by linking up one of the karma that you have which you can make the conditions right. Which is your doing it. It’s not that, you don’t think of the karmic result is just like a stream running in one direction and you can do nothing about it. It’s not. You can manage in between, and that’s the way it is.

(conversation in Dutch; laughter)

1:48:54 Rimpoche. Now Helen. Better speak in Netherlands.

1:49:55 Translator. The question is, she explains she has a great resistance against meditating, she’d rather spend all her day practicing love compassion. she takes refuge and dedicates the merit but simply to sit down and meditate has such a great resistance. She would like to know how to deal with that.

1:50:17 Rimpoche. Don’t worry. Just do whatever you’re doing. Love compassion’s a good enough.

1:50:33 Translator. It feels as if she fails, as if she fails to do what’s necessary.

1:50:35 Rimpoche. No you did not. Meditation is one of the techniques. So you know it has to be effect the individual person, and whether your through meditation or not through sit down, doesn’t matter. You probably see me very strange fellow who says it doesn’t matter if you meditate or not meditate, but it’s the reality. Please forgive me, Maryanne because..(laughs) Maryanne meditation [1:50:32 unclear]. It’s true. It has to be effective to the individual, whichever way it effects doesn’t matter. Really, doesn’t matter. Whatever works, through meditation, not through meditation, through reading, through analyzing, through saying mantra, through prayer, doesn’t matter. Why does that make difference? Whether you’re coming from east or whether you’re coming from west, whether you’re coming from wherever you come as long as you get to the Netherland it’s okay. Whatever direction you come, really true. That’s what I feel. But if you don’t see the boats are coming in next week in Amsterdam then purpose of being Netherland has been defeated. (laugher) I’m just joking.

1:53:04 Translator. She doesn’t have this feeling of guilt anymore now, so thank you.

1:53:08 Rimpoche. Good, thank you. Just throw it away, it really doesn’t matter. But if you have a commitment, then it’s different. You don’t have a commitment, then it’s fine. So any other questions? Anybody? You better speak to her or you want to speak in English you can, rather than Netherlands, that’s fine.

1:53:43 Question. I don’t really understand the difference between reincarnation or manifestation, or maybe I should say does it have anything in common at all? And also you said yesterday there’s not been reincarnation discovered of Lama Tsongkhapa, for example...

1:54:04 Rimpoche. No, it doesn't discovered but there’s a lot of people claims to be Tsongkhapa’s reincarnation, but there is no such a one called Tsongkhapa Rimpoche. No really, there are continuing little kids claiming to be Tsongkhapa Rimpoche. That’s guru thing, that’s what I was saying.

1:54:23 Question (cont’d) So if Tsongkhapa reincarnates is there still something of him left? Something of the old original Tsongkhapa left?

1:55:04 Rimpoche. It’s very hard for me to answer because I don’t know. We can think about it, we can analyze it and we can try to understand. You know manifestation is manifestation, just sort of produced like a, it’s almost, to me what I understand of manifestation is almost like a magician takes bird out of hat or something, you know. That’s what I see as manifestation. Reincarnation I see as some kind of continuing, continuation. It’s a little bit more tight than the manifestation. Manifestation you manifested in certain appearance is all. So the reincarnation is supposed to be never ending. The continuation never ends. It may be an ordinary level, then become extraordinary level, then become enlightened level, but somehow does not disappear. Manifestations may disappear, may choose to continue, because it’s different on manifestations. So its very touchy, very hard to know exactly what it is. That’s my understanding of the difference. But at the same time the manifestation may, can it create another reincarnation? This is another question I don’t know. Maybe not, but you never know. There are things that you don’t know. One thing I like to emphasize, everybody, there’s nothing wrong for us to say I don’t know when you don’t know. A lot of people, especially those of you who are going to be teachers or who are teaching, when you don’t know you must say I don’t know. That’s not going to be your disqualification. You must say no, I don’t know, because you will not mislead other people if you try to guess and think about it. I think that is more important.

1:59:30 On some occasions even you have this objection but when you have a very important purpose you may be able to do a little bit because I just pop up story in my head. There was a guy called [1:59:47 Dupa name], founder of [Dupa name] tradition, he’s little sort of crazy guy, [Dupa name] and founder of [Dupa name] tradition, and when he was going in the Lhasa street the dog chase him because he’s a funny person. And he’s carrying book of religious scripture on his shoulder saying the object of refuge, refuge in dharma. So what he did is he said [chanting] He said the objections very strong but the purposes more important so I’m here to hit the book down. (laughter) So auspicious on the head of the dog. So sometimes the objections are, normally objections are more important because more risk. But sometimes when there is a purpose you have to be able to relax. And that is depend on individual, there is no blanket guideline for it. So don’t say how do I know?

2:02:05 Rimpoche. Are you happy with your questions? But did you attach everything? I think there’s a couple more left I thought.

2:02:25 Question (hard to hear). ... next questions are....think about it.

2:02:26 Rimpoche. Good. That’s good. Maryanne?

2:02:32 Question (in English, then in Dutch). Back to the karma business and the business of yesterday.

2:03:50 Translator. Again about karma and also what we talked about yesterday, that you can have sort of knowledge or wisdom in the information form on the one hand, and in the wisdom form in which it really becomes part and parcel of your being on the other hand. And then it’s important that you don’t leave things in the information form, that you work to make them become in the wisdom form so that they will become part of yourself. Now let’s say you become aware of the fact that lying is not a good habit, then you apply discipline and you stop lying to such an extent that it becomes a habit for you not to lie, so that becomes part of you. So the question is when you die what is left of this little development, the development that you don’t lie anymore? Does that continue after death? Is that spiritual development continued or is it lost when you die?

2:05:00 Rimpoche. I don’t believe it lost at all. I believe it continue. I believe it continue from the next life, then you automatically not lying, it becomes that way. Yet you can still change if you have bad influence at that level because some negative karma that makes you to lie is not completely irradicated. For that matter, I think every negative karmas are like that until you really see to the part of seeing, until you really get the, what you call it? When you encounter the emptiness directly, until then. You’re born in better way but however the condition can play with you, go up or down. I think that’s what it is. So the basis gone so it doesn’t develop again, and I think that’s how it works. You change your life but you don’t change habits, nothing. Yes sir?

2:07:39 Translator. To what extent can others influence you karmically, for instance when you die and people perform certain rituals, to what extent can that influence you?

2:08:03 Rimpoche. Good question. They do to some extent. I don’t think it’s as good as the first person doing it. And then also people who have a relationship with you, it works better. Let’s say one of us dies. If the Jewel Heart does the ritual and we are connected, we have a connection, it helps, rather than somebody else somewhere else doing it, even though it is a huge big monastery or something. Mostly people are connected, that makes difference. You yourself are the best, then second just people who are connected with you, and third is your sangha. Then the fourth, fifth is people who you give money to pray or something, some connections try to build but by distributing belongings, money, things like that. And if there’s no connection at all then just a little bit of prayer said, that’s about it. That’s how the system works, at least way I was taught. (laughs) I haven’t seen it.

2:10:30 Well, I would like to say thank you very much, and I’m glad it’s you because you had couple of times to raise questions. I mean it’s some new ones, I can’t say you know... so thank you very much, I’m very happy to see you all, and all the best. Enjoy your holiday, summer and winter and then I’ll see you in the spring.

(chanting)

end