Archive Result

Soundfile 20011206GRNYOTF.mp3

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location Jewel Heart, New York City

Topic Lam Rim

Transcriber Todd Denton

Date 5 December 2020

[0:00:00]

[chanting, prayers]

0:09:41.3

[discussion of scheduling, event logistics]

0:15:58.5

When I first taught the Lam Rim in Ann Arbor it went to six years, and still we didn't do the two last sections at all detail. Six years and we do every weekend, one weekend every month, right? People from Cleveland and people from Chicago and Indiana people, they all like a religious, every weekend. So that took six years. So you're talking about slow.

[comments from Tony & audience]

0:18:46.3

You were not here so you don't know the six root delusions. I don't know you as personal but we all have it anyway. It's a matter of recognizing it. OK so in that case let me spend a little time tonight talking to you how important the teachings of the four noble truths really is, and going that level, you remember? We begin with the six preliminaries, and then through various points. This is very interesting. I'm not sure how you people took it. But if you look at each thos points, and each one of those points are a point of meditation. Really truly a point of meditation, meaning get the subject. There's an outline there but get the real essence of a total statement, a sort of state, what it is. Now for example, what is recognize suffering called? What is it? Recognize suffering. So now take, if you think recognize suffering, yeah I know. That won't do any good for you. Look at this point of saying recognize suffering. Yes, if I got a pinch I know I got a pinch. I feel it, I recognize. If I get sick I've got pain, I recognize that you know. That's not we're talking about it. Here, recognize suffering, it is- first you have to spend time, what are you talking about? It's really talking about looking in our life very carefully.

0:21:31.6

Look in our life from the childhood to today's level, and from today's life trace back up to the childhood level. Look from the morning til evening and the evening til morning and see how good it have been, what pain did I have. You know, mental, physical, emotional pain. See them very clearly and see the connection between the suffering and out life. See the period that we don't have any suffering, how much we really have. Perhaps zero, even though the best of our happiest joyest moment, even then we have suffering and pain. Seeing that and then looking into the life and it is a relationship between the sufferings. That's what they're talking about it, rather than recognize suffering. Yeah, yeah, I got a pinch here, I've got pain here, but we're not talking about that. And you know why you're doing this? Because one you really need deeply get into this, the reality of life.

0:23:46.7

Two, here we are now talking about the difference between samsara and nirvana. We are beginning to that level. The statement from the Buddha says all samsara are suffering, all nirvana is peace. This is the Buddha's statement. He did not make that statement for no reasons. He made that statement with his personal experience, so it is a point for us to be able to see that. We will not be able to see it right from the beginning, no matter whatever you do. We're not going to that because we have this tremendous addictions to our "samsaric picnic spots" as well as those six root delusions and 20 secondary delusions. So since we have those and we're addicted to those, that's why we won't see it. But what we're giving is we're opening ourself to these and sort of really educating ourself in absolute reality what our life really is. Then that's how you bring it.

0:25:44.6

When you say recognize suffering, so this is suffering, that is suffering, we're not talking about that. That is external thing. We are looking outwardly, pointing a finger, you know like the museum guide. We come and say this is that and this is that and this is the painting of [Den Haag? 0:26:20.1], and this is Rembrandt and this and that. We're not pointing that out. We're doing this internally. What has that to do with me how it is. That's thing. That is a true process. And when Buddha gave teachings, Buddha did not give teaching just like we do in Lam Rim here. Did not. The Buddha's first teaching is four noble truth. It is such a beautiful teaching. Really it is beautiful because it is relevant for us even today, 2,500 years later. Whatever we are - rich, poor, educated, lesser educated, young, old, man, woman, children, whatever we are - it is absolutely relevant with our life. That's why I say it is one of the most beautiful teachings, and it s deep and profound, yet very simple. And the more you go into it, it becomes deeper and deeper. This is something really beautiful, and that's how our life really is. That's the four noble truth.

0:28:25.4

Two negative points, two positive points. Two negative points are the truth of suffering and the truth of cause of suffering. Two positive points are the cessation and the cause of cessation which we call that path anyway. So it is very simply divided, very simple and very relevant in our life, and we can handle it as simple as 11 years old child could easily handle, or a very profound professor, sort of internal professor. The real true internal professor can spend his or her life to get this straight, and that's beautiful. I really think it's very, very beautiful. Never seen any beautiful teachings like this. There are a lot of teachings - this is profound and this is secret and it is the completion stage and it is Vajrayana and it is the widsom and it is the Dzogchen and it is this, it's that. Nothing really can get close to the four noble truths. Such a beautiful thing and it is so relevant for our life. No rituals, no gimmicks, nothing. It is simple, straightforward, doesn't even need to be worship, doesn't need even saying a prayer. That's simple, a wonderful thing.

0:30:56.6

How is that works with us? Its two negative points tells us how we lock ourself in samsara and its two positive points tell us how we can get out of that, and that's very simple. That also, the first point - you know, you get taught this four noble truth is a very traditional way, you say oh there is suffering, there's three kind of suffering, eight kind of suffering, 16 kind of suffering or 100 kind of suffering, 84,000 kinds of suffering, that multiply, you can do all that - doesn't mean much. When you really look at this it is so simple and interesting. It's really telling us what you don't like it with our experience and without things happening in our life what we don't like it. And what we don't like it these are all packaged together and called suffering. Those who don't like it, simple, don't want it. So don't come near me, leave me alone, but whatever you do, they're there, right in front, and that's why it's suffering. Really true. That's all these categories called sufferings. And then you say well, why do I have it? Why can't I get rid of it? And then comes because you have the cause, and that's why you have the result. Right? It's like me, why my sugar is so high all the time? Because I'm diabetic. So that's exactly, because I'm diabetic so my sugar is high, or low, top-down, you know? Just like that, why I have suffering because I have the cause of suffering.

0:33:49.1

I say I don't want the exact sugar and I don't want the low sugar attack, or I don't want this high sugar, may cause some trouble. I have to get rid of the diabetics. It's as simple as that, and this also goes to if I don't like those pains, suffering that I have. So, what do I do? I have to get rid of this. Where is it coming from? Are you with me? This is very simple and nice and wonderful really. We may think I have suffering there because somebody give me the suffering or God decided to punish me, or whatever. People have all kinds of ideas but, or I've been unfortunate. People give you all kinds of reasons, but Buddha really phrased that. Why do I have this particular pain? Because I have become to cause that pain. That's why this suffering is caused by the cause of suffering, which is divided into two categories. One actually action category, what really caused, what is the act that really caused. And why do I have that? Why did I involve in that action? Action what I have, that is labeled as karma. That is nothing more than that because whatever I did, it's sort of become to call that karma. That's what it becomes karma, right? It is, I mean really. Sometimes we think karma is something else. Somebody [beyond? 0:36:11.7] ourself, a big shot or [beyond? 0:36:14.6], you know. A lot of people think it is like a Catholic tradition you have God and here the Buddhist you have karma. People try to compare them together and all this. It's not right. Karma is nothing but our own deeds. Good or bad, that's what it is. Nothing more, nothing less. Very simple.

0:36:53.1

The real cause, what really makes it happen is karma and the condition. If the condition's not right, no matter whatever happen, no matter how much, how heavy and what karma you may have it, it will not materialize. The karma depends on condition. Karma is dependent arise, not independent rise. That's why I say it's not like God. It is dependent. Karma depends on condition. When the condition's right it materialized. A number of people asked me what is the karma of the people who lost their life at the ground zero level here, World Trade Center on September 11. Is it their fault? Many people thought it's their fault, it's their karma. There is maybe their karma, but it's not their fault because they did not create this condition. It really happens to be the wrong place at the wrong time. When the condition's right you caught there, and then you know when you die you die this time karma materialized because conditions bring the karma. They're dependent.

0:39:13.4

The Buddha found a key for us to get out of the suffering is working how we got in the suffering, and the functioning within that key and letting it out. It is the karma depends on the condition. Condition that's right, karma arrives. Conditions not right, karma did not arrive. When there's no karma at all, then no matter whatever the conditions are right but it cannot materialize because- The example given here is when you have those grains you grow. And you have the grain and you put the grain on the ground where the ground is right and there will be- The moisture is correct. The temperature's right and then the grain will grow. If the moisture is not right, no matter whatever you do the grain will not grow, no matter how many seeds you have.

0:40:44.7

I remember when I was teaching the first Lam Rim in the first group. The Lam Rim when I was teaching there I bought, you know those days I have a lot of time and I bought a lot of grass seed. I used to live in Ann Arbor, there's a terrible grass on that, so I'm trying to grow those nice green grass on that little lawn I have. I bought a lot of seeds, and somehow I couldn't put the seeds down during that period for a while. I don't know whether you were there or not, Tony, but some of those who are listening tonight like people in the Ann Arbor they probably remember. [talks about chairs, seating] Those grass seeds I have in the garage, and I was teaching above the garage, there's a little place above the garage. I have those seeds down there. I'm saying well I have seeds down there and I don't know why they're not growing at all. Because simply they're in the seed bag and put on the cement floor, and did not put it down. When there's no seed down there it cannot grow. Then we put the seeds down and then the winter came, right? No grass is growing again because the temperature's not right. Only Spring they started coming up. Just like that I've been saying go down there and look those bags. Somebody went down, they came up say it's there in the bag. The condition's not right. Seed has to have the right ground, right moisture and the right temperature. Because when during the snow and the ice it didn't grow, though there's moisture, though there's dirt, but the temperature's not right, didn't grow. It's really dependent rise, that's what it is.

0:43:39.6

Karma is like seed. When there's no seed, no matter how good the condition is, grass is not going to grow. Lot of weeds going to grow, and those weeds are useless you going to smoke them or something. Otherwise it's useless, right? So that's exactly what it is. When you see the suffering it is grown out of this seed and the right conditions. When you get better from the suffering it also comes out of it. the seed and the conditions. And when you don't get better, it also because of the seed and the conditions. This is how the circle is running. Cause, result, cause, result, cause, result, the conditions, cause, conditions, result, cause, conditions, result, cause, conditions, result. How to stop this is removing the seed. If you remove the seed, then it won't grow. My that garden in the Cherry street is again example. There's a lot of weeds growing. We try to pick up the weed all the time. There's no end. It always growing there, no matter whatever you do it's grows so much. Did you pick up my weed? You did some. Everybody comes there and pick up the weed, and still a lot of those weeds growing, so I have two choice: pick up the whole thing over there and throw it out and restart, or keep on continuously throwing the seeds of good grass and they begin to choke those weeds and becomes quite nice.

0:46:42.4

We did that. Keep on throwing the good seed all the time continuously. The good grass it did choke the bad weeds, the weeds we don't want. Likewise here, when you look with the first and second noble truth and getting rid of the seed is either you recognize emptiness and certainly looks like a big [? 0:47:22.2] camp and pick up all this thing and throw it out and lay in new ground and hopefully it grow well. Or, keep on working hard, keep on throwing the good seed over and over and over again, gradually it chokes the bad weeds. A valley and the same thing, that's what we do. Most of us do this because we do some purification some days, some days some daily practices, some day we keep on doing it. What we're doing we're trying to choke those weeds. It's like throwing good seed all the time and hoping to choke those weeds. That's what we do. That little piece now is John Madison's garden. That little piece of garden is good example for us during those Lam Rim teachings, and sometimes you found people digging the weed all the time. Somebody even lost a wedding ring in there and could never found it.

0:48:43.5

Do you remember that? Everybody looking for [unclear] digging the weed or digging the ground or something. Perhaps his attachment has gone in there. Who knows, whatever. Not attachment to companion but attachment to the ring, probably it's gone in there.

0:49:27.7

How to turn the table round is you're going to choke the weeds or going to get a big bulldozer and throw everything. We'd like to do that but we can't afford it because we don't have enough money to pay for the bulldozer. We don't have enough virtue to develop wisdom from that category yet. That's what I mean, we can't afford to buy that. So the choice becomes a daily practice. Keep on adding it, try to choke the weeds and the grass really grow very well. When you walk over it does this little, it bounce you up, sort of take really nice green grass really grow. Before I moved out of that house anyway it was there. That's exactly how we work. Sometimes people wonder why do I do this daily practice. Nothing happens to me. And I really thought why do we keep on throwing those seeds all the time. You deliver mechanical thing that we drive around and turn it around and seed goes out everywhere, used to do that. Sort of with one wheel and there's a basket kind of thing turn around and seed comes out. Keep on doing that for years, we did two, three years really. When you see it, doesn't look anything happening. But gradually, few years later it becomes beautiful green grass growing beautiful pasture. That exactly how we do.

0:52:09.4

Recognize suffering because we are talking about that. We're also talking about what is next to that, the cause of suffering. I told you there's a karmic cause which is action. Why do I act all the time? Why do I do that all the time? Because I'm addicted, right? The cigarette smoker, person who's addicted to the cigarette smoking, no matter how sick you are, you are coughing and choking and still you have to keep on smoking. you know it you cough. You know it you're choking. You know it you have to get out in the cold with standing in the snow with shivering, and still you have to sit there and smoke. Why? Because you are addicted to it. Exactly same thing here. We are addicted to those cause of sufferings so we keep on repeating it, repeating it because we are addicted. What do you do when you tell the secret smoker don't smoke, it's not good for you. Will that really stop the person smoking? No, you know it better so you really have to work very hard. Number one, you have to make decision that I am not going to smoke, and I'm going to act right now. Never thing I'm going to do it later. Never think I'm going to do it tomorrow because tomorrow never comes. Don't think when I finish this packet then I will stop, because this packet will never exhaust. Another packet will be opened and that becomes this packet.

0:55:00.7

Particularly when you are finished this one, whatever you're smoking that particular cigarette, when you finish this you're going to stop, don't do it. This one never finishes. You have to stop right at that moment. Even it is the beginning of the cigarette you just have to put it down and make will power apply on it. If you have withdrawal symptoms, whatever you have to do, homeopathic remedy or chewing gums or whatever, all of those you do. What did they sometime now advertise? One called patch or something. Whatever you have to do and do it, but you have to do it right now. Just like that when you're fighting with the negative emotions, when you're fighting with the six root cause of suffering. Each and every one of them you have to stop right there. the moment you realize the moment you want it, give yourself chance and stop right there no matter whatever the consequences may be. You have to train yourself to be able to do that. You have to meditate. You have to visualize. You have to imagine I am going to stop anger or attachment or hatred. What are the six root causes? Ignorance, you can't stop ignorance there, no. Pride, doubt and wrong view. There are some philosophical issues, like wrong view is a religious issue, but anger, attachment, pride, ignorance. These four are the most important thing. then doubt is also important - I'll tell you why later - and then wrong view is very religious issue, very religious question. Particularly from the Buddhist point of view it is sort of Buddhist doctrine, wrong view.

0:58:20.7

Out of those six, four are sort of really the deepest [cut?] who creating the most trouble. That's exactly when you have the addiction, when you wanted to stop, even then you keep on smoking or doing the wrong thing, or keep on drinking or whatever, keep on eating sweet, Hagen Dasz or something, that's the addiction. The addiction make it not let it go. It holds on. So what you're really working is you're not really working against anger but you're really working against the addiction of the anger. You're really working against addiction of attachment. You're really working against addiction of pride. This pride is not the pride what the psychologists talking about it to be built, [self-restraint? 0:59:52.8], it's not that pride. this pride what we are talking about I am most important superior, the most guy, you know, completely I am the most superior being ever. It's really deeply talking about ego. Even those names what we really use, it's slightly different meanings. Normally when you say pride with a normal American language we think what's wrong with pride? The [extreme? strength? 1:00:39.8] nothing wrong with it. But if I think I am the most superior person, I can control the whole world play of my fingertip just like Bin Laden thinks, and there you get what you get now. That’s what the pride does. Talking about Bin Laden I hope the war is ending. It sounded like they're going to end any minute but I really hope so.

1:01:21.4

That's the four noble truth. You don't really work against the symptoms and you work against the cause. You can give insulin and try to adjust your sugar level; it is a temporary adjustment. It doesn't do any good for long time. It doesn't do anything, I mean it does but to really make it sure you have to get rid of diabetics. And just like that if you lose temper and you could able to control it little bit, you do a little bit, you lose a little bit. It's like applying insulin. If you really deeply work against the cause of the addiction of the anger, then what happens is even anger is there when you don't have the addiction and you are not to be the subject of that anger effect or that hatred effect or that effect of that attachment. I believe that is the real spiritual practice. Sitting down, meditating, saying matras, doing circumambulations, doing this, doing that - all of them are sort of a tool. It's all tool to be able to achieve what you try to achieve. The real purpose is this, nothing more, nothing less. A lot of people think spiritual development is something holy that comes out from the sky and enters in my body like coming into the transe or something. It's not, very definitely no. It doesn't work that way. It is internal development is also nothing something like you know the lotus growing in there and open pops, no it doesn't. It very slightly changing the addiction, slowly and slowly, and finally there will be no addiction time comes. That is the time when these good grass seeds have choked those weeds. Then it becomes nice whatever you do, a nice garden or whatever it is. That's how it works.

1:04:54.3

That's very simply these four noble truth. First, what you don't like it. Second, where it comes from, and third, how do I get rid of it, and fourth, the beautiful garden. Though officially it is the other way around, the beautiful garden and how do I get it. So that's why two positive side and two negative side. Two negative side and two positive side. It is so beautiful, and it're really that so simple. People don't have much opportunity or chance to do something. Simply these four, to understand these and utilize these as a point of meditation or point of praying, point of your practice, or if it make your daily chores or whatever you do and you really achieve great result.

1:06:10.4

Remember during Atisha's visit in Tibet, 18 years or something. Atisha had a lot of Tibetan disciples around. I'm sure many of you have read that. It is in the Liberation [in the] Palm of Your Hand has it. There's quite a lot of disciples are, they came, that have a time, they can meditate and they can do a lot of things. One of them is even called [speaks Tibetan] means great yogi the great meditator. Then there's another one who's [Drom Rimpoche?] who's a translator, who translates Atisha and also he or she behaved like a personal attendant of Atisha all the time, personally taking care of all [old?] Atisha's needs. Everything, 24 hours a day. Then there's a cook. He's busy cooking three meals a day for Atisha and the people who comes around, so is absolutely busy. One day the great meditator thought well, these two may have more information than I do because they attended each and every teaching that Atisha gave, especially [Drom Rimpoche?] because he had to translate. And [Amé?] since he's serving food and he's around so he heard everything. But they're so busy and they did not have any time or opportunity to meditate. I had all the opportunity and chance to meditate, so as far as the development concerned I must be better than all of those, both of those. So that's what he thought about it and he draw conclusion and he believes he's the better and he also got this title of great yogi meditator.

1:09:03.8

So Atisha one day said oh [might have?] some competition, and let us play some games. Let's have some competitions. They say ok, what competitions? Say well, competition between three of you, Atisha said the cook and the translator-attendant and the yogi. And then he said on what? He say on meditation subject, on developments. OK, you go ahead first, what level you are, how you do it, what how does your understanding, how much you gain. So when they are talking about it the great meditator forget about the [Drom Rimpoche?] but even the cook, he couldn't even catch where the cook is. The cook is far better than him, development. You know what that is? In modern American language we call this smart working. Some people work very hard, how many hours a day, 12, 13, 14 hours and you get two dollars an hour. Some people work very hard, work very smart, so not so many hours but you may make two thousand dollar an hour. That's the difference. Are you with me? You know what makes the difference is this understanding. If you don't understand and you keep on doing it, I have to purify, [recites mantras] yes we're great, wonderful, you can say all these [mantra] business. But you say 24 hours [mantra] what you really get is very little, two dollars. If you deeply understand this and apply and you say one [mantra] you get two thousand dollars. It is so important when you meditate, meditate very smart way. Practice. Do it very smart way and that is understanding.

1:12:00.9

What makes you be able to do this? The Lam Rim. Nothing else. Believe me, nothing else will do this. It is only the Lam Rim will make difference. That's why this four noble truth is so beautiful, so important. The deepest point of Lam Rim if you go deeply down. the deepest point of any Buddhist practice wherever you go down is really the four noble truth, nothing else. When you get these nicely everything very leisure, relax, wonderful. Beautifully you achieve tremendous. And when you don't get this, work very hard. Run here, run there, do this, do that, all of those and get two dollars. Key life to this four noble truth. I simply talk to you this four noble truth is one layer of working. You also have to know the purpose of the four noble truth. The first one is to understand suffering. Second one to get rid of it. Third one to [opt in? 1:13:57.1]. Fourth one you have it. That is the second round. Then the third round comes the wisdom. Yes, you have to recognize the suffering but there is nothing to be recognized. You have to get rid of the cause of suffering but there is nothing to get rid of it. Yes you have to opt into cessation but there is nothing to opt in. And which one are left? Yes you have to develop the path; there's nothing to be developed. That's the third layer I just mentioned, that's the wisdom part of it. Buddha when shared this four noble truth teaching he repeated three times. Yes, the path he says you meditate but there's nothing to meditate. When you cycle within these four noble truths alone, this is good enough. Almost you need nothing else to help ourself.

1:16:20.3

Tsongkhapa mentioned this. [speaks Tibetan] The first noble truth if you don't recognize the suffering and if you don't meditate and if you cannot turn yourself to look this very carefully and there's no reason why you would like to have nirvana at all. That is one of our biggest problems. Biggest problem. You remember one of those three principal paths translation done by Professor Thurman. And one of the word if I remember correctly he says turn off your interest for this life. Everybody hated that translation. So why we hated that because, you know, we would like to make Buddhism, particularly Tibetan Buddhism, to build our material life rather than to take interest to the other side. Lot of people have that interest. When you're at this level of the Lam Rim then the questions very seriously we have to raise within our head. Do I want the spiritual path to really help me and to help others, or do I want the spiritual path. that's for showbiz or make it more comfortable in the samsara. It's some kind of patchwork, you know where things are broken you like to join a little bit, you know, super glue when you break your cup and you try to join them together, looks like nice, and for that purpose, or you really want help ourself deeply and this is question. We always try to avoid even preachers like me - let me call myself a preacher - we try to avoid talking to you because thinking you want like, and you people will also try to avoid seeing it because you like to make ease beautiful.

1:19:54.5

In the Lojong remember if everything goes for the purpose of this life you have defeated your purpose, and that's what they're talking about. They're not talking about how to fix my toothache, how to fix my cut on my ear. It's not talking about the icing on the cake business. It's talking about very very serious matter. The seriousness has been introduced at this level of the first noble truth. That's the real. That's why we say suffering. We know it's suffering and we know what we don't accept. We know it. We go through it. We even accept the live suffering and all this, but what we don't accept is this is not good. Suffering's not good is no problem. Life is not good, we don't accept that at all. We like to say life's beautiful, this is wonderful, it's also true. There's a commercial two days ago I saw on television. Looks like two old, grown-up, mature, wealthy CEOs sitting on the beach somewhere, and one of them shows a little piece of paper to the other one and the other one reads it through and he closes the thing, and so you have these two different points here and you would like to know who's telling truth. then he says the difficult point is both are telling the truth. That's what it is. Life is wonderful, great. It has tremendous purpose and you can make a very great out of this and also not good, full of suffering. Both are true. We don't want to see the other truth. We'll have to see the beautiful one. We don't want to see the bad one. We know, all sufferings we acknowledge. We don't like it we acknowledge, but we don't want draw any conclusions. That's it. Thank you.

1:23:28.3

[discussion of Loseling monks logistics]

1:27:38.8

[question about the cause of addiction]

When you get addicted to alcohol, where does that come from? Drink once, OK. Drink second time, hmm, not bad. Drink third time, feel good. Drink fourth time, well it makes me a little tipsy. And drink fourth time, I'd like to go again visit that, and that's how. That's why it has come from. If you drink once or twice, or one pack or two packs, not every day but it's not going to cause you any trouble at all. But when you can't stop, then that's cause you trouble. That's why it goes wrong, simple. Ask yourself. That's why it's called addiction.

1:29:13.6

[question about doubt]

Doubts are two things. Doubts are actually good at the beginning. If you don't have any doubts and if you don't use your common sense, if you don't use your education and if you don't use all this you get a lot of troubles. All this Jim Jones and Heaven's Gate and all of those are because you don't think about it, and that's why it happened. But if you sometimes, you have to ask the question all the time, the doubt all the time, and then it never ends and you never have anything to do because you've been doubting everything all the time. That's where the doubt goes wrong too. Because you never give yourself any opportunity. you've been doubting everything, even you're dying you'll be doubting, so that's what happens.

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