Archive Result

Soundfile 20021121GRNYOTF

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location New York

Topic Odyssey to Freedom

Transcriber Glenn Powers

Date 2021-07-05

Welcome here tonight. And I like to review what I talked week. Last Thursday, we really counted these eleven steps of developing bodhimind. Those of you who are either listening on the internet, first time, or you’re here first time, you may have a little difficultly to catch up. Because, we’re using such a terminology like bodhimind and developing bodhimind, which most people don’t have difficulties, but many do. Many think what is this all about it? But, we are talking about a very special mind, the ultimate, unlimited, unconditioned love-compassion. There’s a technical Mahayana Buddhist language, it’s called bodhimind or mind of the bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas are roughly explained the other day. The chosen ones. Those who chose to become buddha. Chose by yourself, not somebody else. The chosen ones. How does one become the chosen ones? By developing bodhimind. That’s called bodhimind. How does it developed? There are number of ways, not so many, sort of in the Buddhist, this is Buddhist, very Buddhist, very Buddhist tradition. So, in here, they talk about two different ways for developing bodhimind. One is called seven step. There are seven of them. Seven steps. The other is called exchange. Both are coming from Buddha. But, it went the lineage differs from Buddha, then it went to disciples who emphasized more on wisdom, they have a system, one system. And the disciples of the Buddha who are emphasize more compassion, they have another system. So, that’s why two system of seven step or exchange way of developing bodhimind. Okay? 0:03:24.0

I hope it’s clear. I don’t want spend lot of time explaining that. So, the exchange went through like Manjusrhi, Shantideva and those type of people, went through them. These seven steps come from Maitriya, Asanga and that lineage, from those people it came. So, both of them came to Tibet from India. You know, you may be thinking, what we talking about it? Some people may think what are you talking about it? What is talking about is Buddhism is very funny thing. You know, there’s tremendous philosophy, idea, thoughts, way of developing, but each one of them also carried through a lineage, unbroken lineage. What lineage means from one teacher to another student, another student becomes a teacher, and becomes another student. That is the lineage we are talking about it. What happened is if the lineage is broken, it doesn’t work. So, really it doesn’t work. What happens is not only the information, not only the understanding, not only the idea, not only the analyzing, doesn’t work. It needs more than that. That is number one what need is tremendous dedication, devotion and perfect motivation. Number two, you need all the information and all of those. Number three, you need unbroken lineage. Unbroken lineage is important because if you don’t have it, don’t have it, then it just become some interesting thought and it is almost like become scientific discovery or something like that. It is good. But, it doesn’t work for the purpose of developing such a precious mind or developing individual to the level of becoming a buddha. To the level that individual becoming Mahayana practitioner. That won’t work. That is simply doesn’t work. Because, there is no lineage. When there’s no lineage behind, there’s no force. When there’s no force, then it is very hard. It is not absolutely impossible, but you may say how did Buddha came? You know, you may think that way. Buddha also has lot of great masters behind him, anyway. But, we don’t see them. 0:06:58.4

So, yes, we have to be real, reality, grounded and very grounded and all this. Yet, you cannot completely ignore the other side of the lineage and all of those. You really need both. Because, you know, without one, it doesn’t work. So, that’s why I’m talking about the lineage here. You’re probably wondering what he’s talking about it. Wherever it comes through, whom, what it doesn’t matter. But, just give me the gist. That what I need it. So, yeah, it won’t work. That’s exactly what it is. It won’t work it. You may know how to do, what to do with it, even then it won’t work. So, that’s why lineage is important to know about it. So, the seven steps they take, step one, step two, step three, step four, step five, step six, step seven at bodhimind, it’s called seven step development or seven stages they call it. But, seven different things to do, one after another. Ones leads to another. And I’m not talking that. So, I’m not going to talk about it. I talked number of times. Then there’s another one called exchange. And, I’m also not talking that, because I talk that two years ago to lojong over hear, for months and months and months. That’s why I’m not talking about it. Today I’m talking about eleven step. This is the combination of seven and exchange together, combined together. It is from Buddha. But, the combination was made by Tsongkhapa. It is special Tsongkhapa’s technique to develop quicker and easier and stronger. So, there are certain special things. So, Tsongkhapa’s special way of developing this, which is the combination of the both lineage together. He put them together and eleven. I counted the other day, the first is equanimity. I’m going to repeat again. 0:09:53.0

Recognizing all sentient being as mother being is number two. Number three, remembering their kindness and special rememberings, two of them put together. That will be three. Then, repaying their kindness. In other words, they been very kind to me, I have that special kindness they have. So, I have to pay whatever they did to me, I have to repay. Making decision, that will be forth one. Then, again the equanimity specially emphasized between me and others. Then, seeing the faults of self-cherishing. Then, the quality of cherishing others. Then, actual exchange. Specially emphasize on compassion and then taking. Actual exchange with special emphasize on compassion and taking as one. Then, love and wishing all being be happy. We just said may all beings be happy, we said that. Wishing, emphasize the love and wishing and giving. Giving and taking, tonglen, you have heard that many times. But, that is important. Somebody called me today and said I do not know how to do about tonglen business. Tonglen is very, very basic Buddhist practice. Very, very basic Buddhist practice. It is simply giving all the positiveness, positive karma, positive everything, what I have is given to all beings. And taking is by giving that, you take all their sufferings back. So, sufferings back, that is tonglen. Taking sufferings in, and then people get scared, people get afraid, but then, you know, I talked long time on that last time. And, you know, using those taking in is for destruction of ego rather than taken by self and all this. I did have nine bullets of disturbing ego, which even in that little book, Good Life Good Death, also have those those nine bullets. But, nine bullets change into five. 0:14:01.3

Made there five there. It’s even in there, too. So, this tonglen is very different level of people can do different tonglens. Certain level of people can do, like ourself, simply a wishing level and praying level. Then, when the practice becomes real, you may be able to do little bit better. Some people can literally do it. Literally can do it. And all of those are very, very interesting things. Particularly if you look into the great traditional Tibetan healers. And the spiritual healers. And most most of those healers do their practice through tonglen. Most of them do through tonglen only. There are people who say some mantras, who just blow on mantra, just blow. They are very helpful, some of them. Some of them make no difference. Some of them blow their mantra on water and make you drink water. Helpful, some of them are, doesn’t work. It really depends on it’s not what mantra you say, not number what you say, not even the visualization what you do, it doesn’t work that way. When you come to that level, it works to some people, it doesn’t work to some people. They do the same thing, but doesn’t work. To some people do, to some people don’t work. There’s another one, it’s called definition. We call it MO in Tibetan. If some people does MO and it really tell you the truth, absolutely correct. Some people do it, it doesn’t work. It just give you the wrong message. So, all of those are, you know it’s not everybody will know how to throw dice, everybody will know how to say a mantra, everybody will know how to pray, and to get dice is not difficult. You can get anyway, in the junkyard, somewhere around here, you can pick up those dice. And can do all that. It doesn’t really work that way. There’s different things are involved. 0:17:07.6

Specially, this healing business. In Tibet, where I was there, it is about pre-1959, there’s not so much scientific development. There’s no medical science available. There’s almost nobody can operate anybody, anything. So, most of them depend on the healers. Whatever has to be cut and removed in the West, whatever is operatable, every illness has to be depend on the healers to heal. The medicine, taking in your mouth, it can heal other things. There are limitations there. After certain things, those medicals don’t help. I always joke with the Tibetan doctors, they say you have to take this medicine, that medicine. I say yeah, yeah we have to take that until we die. They just give you the medicine, you keep on taking until you die. That’s what it is. That because, you know, there’s certain level where the helping of the medicine is sort of cease to it, take a very long time to work. But, you know, when you cut it, and then remove it, it is easier. But, don’t have that in Tibet. So, it depends on the healers. If there’s good healers, they can heal it. If there not good healers, they can’t heal. A lot of people die with that, lot of them die. So, the healers. My father was great healer. Not only a great definition giver, but also really, really a great healer. It is little funny, if I share. It’s a little funny. He’s a very nice, jolly person. And always like to be, what should I say, he’s not, he doesn’t behave like a holy person. He’s not there sitting, praying, which is very rare you see. Sitting, mediating or praying or something, which is very rare for him. It’s really funny. He’s always busy doing something. Taking apart of those expensive watches, like Rolex and Omega and all of them, he has to take apart and put every little piece, you know when it’s new one, he has to take apart and put everything somewhere else and then he fit them back. Then, he had spent lot of time working or not working. It working, he’s happy. Then, he will measure whether they are keeping the time right or wrong. Spend lot of time on this. And motorcycles. And Jeeps. He will take them all apart in the courtyard. There’s huge bed sheets brought, put it down, take each and every part out. Then, sometimes he can’t fix them. But, he doesn’t read English. There’s no books to follow, nothing. But, he picks out everything and put them back. That’s what he spends lot of time. Or, my mother loved to play mahjong, my father enjoys playing that, too. He doesn’t like losing. When he loses, he gets, he doesn’t like it. And then, one time, there was a year no rain at all. No rain at all. Tibet agriculture is totally depend on the rain. There’s no irrigation system at all. So, no rain at all. So, the Tibet government asked him make sure there is rain and not hail. That was his responsibility for certain period of time. 0:22:27.5

He was playing mahjong all the time. Nothing else. And then the government wrote to him, if did not rain within seven days, we will prosecute you by law. It is old Tibet. They do all that. They do all that. They do all that. The 13th Dali Lama did that for Pabonka, if there’s no rain tomorrow, we will prosecute you by law and special messenger delivered. Pabonka, during the teaching, received that letter and there’s a thousand people attending the teaching and, you know, the Tibetan government has a lot of power in those days. So, the messenger come through the teaching no matter whatever, they just deliver. So, it is old system, he has to get up on the throne and prostrate the letter because it comes from 13th Dali Lama, prostrate and open it on your head. You can’t open here, by law it’s not allowed. So, you have to open on your head or something. So, then he read it through, with everybody is, and he said if it didn’t rain tomorrow, you’ll be prosecuted by law. And then Pabonka said that’s what we received. He read it. Then, he keep on giving teaching and at end of the teaching, it happened to be Lama Chopa teaching, at the end of the teaching, Pabonka said before we stop today, let us visualize the clouds coming out of Lama Tsongkhapa’s heart and covering all the areas and rainfall. And did rain that night. So, Pabonka time. My father again received the same letter. You know, saying if it doesn’t rain tomorrow, you will be prosecuted. So, he’s not in public, he’s playing mahjong. So, he said, oh, yeah, okay, put it over there. Put it over there and kept on playing mahjong. And just sort of mumbling a little bit. But, keep on playing mahjong. And then, suddenly, there’s huge wind blowing, storm, he said, oh, damn it, get a piece of bread from somewhere. So, he got little biscuits on the plate, near the mahjong table, he put the plate inside. Playing mahjong and going vroom. 0:25:22.2 Alright, that bread out. Playing mahjoong and going vroom, vroom. So, he said, alright take that bread out. So, all this wind gods, they’re hungry, so give them that. And then, he keep on playing mahjong. But, the wind stopped, rained. So, it’s okay. Those people can do that. And also, the present 14th Dali Lama’s eldest sister was sick, extremely sick, sort of urgent illnesses. So, then the Dali Lama told his family go and get my father to help him. So, he was invited. He went over there. And he sat near her. She’s screaming and yelling and finally couldn’t even speak any more and no more yelling. So, we can go. He sat there for a little while. After a little while, he asked, how you feeling? She got up, she said I’m feeling fine. Thank you. So, you if she didn’t get healed, you get prosecuted. So, she got okay. 0:26:47.5

Then, there’s another minister who was also very sick and almost died. The family, this time there’s no threat of prosecution or anything, because it’s minister level. So, he was requested to come and he just said that little prayer and call his name and say how are you? He got up, he said, “I’m fine thank you. When did you come here?” So, things like that the healers could do. These are the great healers I have seen in my life. Where does they get their quality? This one? Tonglen is the one. The real source of this quality comes from this tonglen business. That is how it works. These are necessary to do because there is no surgeon or surgical activities. Here, we do have those available. When those available, the healers should not pop up and don’t do it. Because, there are other ways available. This is the last resort. There’s other ways available. Of course, it’s easier, no doubt. You have to go to hospital, you don’t have to cut it, you don’t have to remove anything. You don’t have to healer, danger of dying on the table and all that are not there. But, easier. But, should not be. Anyway, so there are all this things have come up because of this tonglen business. And specially taking. Taking the suffering of the individual. Literally removing. Remember, if you read the Milarepa’s biography, there was very funny. There’s one geshe who’s challenging Milarepa all the time. Try to debate and argue. Either geshe did it or geshe’s niece or auntie or somebody did it, put poison in the yogurt and presented to Milarepa and Milarepa was very sick with that poisoned yogurt. So, geshe felt bad and went to apologize Milarepa and he said he apologized because I oppose you and challenge and his niece or, if I can take it, I’ll take it from you. But, I can’t take it. That’s what geshe told Milarepa. I’m sure it’s in the translation of Milarepa’s biography. And so, Milarepa said, yeah, you could. But, I assure you, you won’t be able to bear it, what I have it. I will show you, he says. I’ll show you, I’ll transfer all this pain on the door and he transferred the pain on the door and door going creak, creak, creak. 0:30:10.2

Door almost falling into pieces. I give you a little bit out of that, to you. And so, he went like this and like this. So, geshe got huge pain, he said please take it away, I don’t want anymore. Please give back to the door. This are the when you’ve done very well with tonglen, you could do all this sort of things. And then, Tibet is another one, another place where there’s so many spirit and so many, every corner, every tree, everywhere, there’s some kind of spirit. When you go near them, they will catch you, make you sick and terrible, they have all that. But, I don’t know what happened when the Chinese came, they all disappeared. Now, this is the 13th Dali Lama’s family. Which is my father also related to that. They have some kind of huge tree. They would like to build another building there. And they tried a number of times, whoever goes near that tree, everybody get sick or do something. They couldn’t remove whatever that spirit on that tree. They couldn’t build the building in one summer at all. So, the next summer they determined to build and they ask my father, if you could remove that spirit in there. So, it was so funny. He said, yeah, yeah, I will remove it. I have to come to your house and you have cook nice dinner and not less than sixteen dishes. I hear this very recently from that Prime Minister’s notes. They have released in Chinese, Chinese have released it. Some of them have published, so from there. He said not less than sixteen dishes of all different variety of meat, vegetables, must have pork, you must have chicken, you must have beef, you must have fish. He said must, must, must, lot of them. And then we will do. He said he’s expecting some monks will come and make some ritual cakes and going to say prayers. No, my father came late, little late and came and had all the dinners and then he said, now what what this tree? Oh yeah, tree. I forgot. So, where is your official ornament, your official dress? So they have a funny hat to wear, he was 13th Dali Lama’s nephew, prime minister, funny hat to wear. And funny brocade dress. He said, bring it. My father put on that hat and put on his brocade robe and got a little stick with rubbed with the five colored thing and then said, you dress exactly like I did. So, the prime minister also dress the same way. He said, now you walk exactly where I walk. So, he went like this, ding. Walking one step and doing all this. When they near the tree, went around the tree three times, and doing the same thing and went to another tree and put that stick in that tree. He said, okay, now you cut the tree. Now, this fellow’s moved and you cut the tree. He’s sort of playing game, you know. He does that. It’s all because of this mind. Again, it all goes to this, nothing else. Not saying the wrathful mantra, no ritual, nothing, just simply it looks like kids playing. Dressed up like bing! And bang! Circling round, that’s end of it. People do that sort of thing. 0:35:27.2

It works. Do I have any scientific explanation for this? None whatsoever. You know. But, it’s the reality, too. So, they all because of this mind. Particularly this love-compassion. And particularly emphasize compassion with taking and love with giving. So, that is, number comes here, I don’t know, I lost the number. [..] Nine and ten, thank you. And then, when the 10th comes you think everybody is free, everybody is wonderful, you wish everybody be a buddha. And then you begin to realize, oh my god, that’s simply my wish only. It did not become reality. So, whatever I wish it, whatever I visualize, whatever I projected. I must make that reality. So, in order to make that reality, I have to be fully enlightened. If that becomes, I can do it. Otherwise, I won’t be able to do it. That becomes number eleven. So, thus bodhimind completes wishing yourself to become fully enlightened, totally dedicated for all beings. That’s what it is. With this, I’m going to give you simple little visualization, too. Because that is called bodhimind practicing in result level. It has to be followed, all this eleven steps and at the end of that, you visualize yourself in the form of buddha. You become a buddha. 0:38:04.4

Those of you know about the Lama Chopa, you know the first verse in the Lama Chopa will tell you that. I know in Tibetan, I don’t know in English. Do you remember? Very first verse. [..] Can you say it a little louder so everyone can hear?

Audience: From great bliss I arise as a lama-yidam, my body radiates light, transforming all existence, everything becomes pure.

Rimpoche: Yeah, that is the verse. Very similar to that, but instead you don’t rise from bliss-void, because you don’t have bliss-void there. The moment we talk bliss-void it becomes pure Vajrayana. So, don’t have that. But, you yourself by this time become a buddha. Sort of suddenly transform and become a buddha. You have to think you are buddha, you become buddha, yellow. Make sure you’re not sick with jaundice. The extra head, those growth here and with all this are, you know today we can look at them and make joke, actually by making joke maybe creating negativities too. But, you can make joke, it’s funny looking. But, this are extraordinary qualities of the Buddha’s body. You know, the long ear, joined hands and all of those, there’s like 32 major and 80 minor extraordinary physical signs. So, even you don’t know all this 32 and 80, but you think your truly become a buddha. So, you yourself becoming buddha. Perhaps buddha doesn’t wear so many clothes. So, we don’t have to think about it being naked something. Maybe you can think the sweater wearing buddha or jacket wearing buddha or whatever or shawl, doesn’t matter, whatever. You yourself become a buddha, radiating light from your body. Radiating tremendous amount of light. Light. This light are in nature, it is joy light, light that coming out of love and compassion and joyful nature, made out of love and compassion. It is the joy nature. Just by touch of the light, it will become pure, able to transform, whether it is environment or inhabitants. So, everything becomes just the touch of the light, wherever it goes. Goes throughout. Don’t limit to room, city, or state or country or universe, just go beyond. Wherever there is space is, the light goes. Everywhere, unlimited, sort of unimaginable end, you can’t even imagine. Sort really endless, completely open, everywhere, just the touch of the light becomes every environment pure and every inhabitants become pure. 0:42:58.8

That much you can visualize. When you become buddha, at the result level, just radiating light alone can do all this. So, we’re not capable of doing that, but we take it in now, try to do it. Why doing this? Doing this, you probably try to function as though you’re already in that result level. It may not work right now. May not work right now, but it has lot of advantage. A tremendous positive wish could also bring lot of positive nature. It brings lot of karma. It is great way of accumulation of merit to the individual. So, every inhabitants not only become pure, they all become a buddha. You have to believe it yourself for second, that has happened. And then sort of let it go and sit on it and meditate and sit on it. Then, you take new breath and they start looking, well that has been my wish, but it really didn’t work yet. So, I will take total responsibility of materializing that. That’s called special mind. I will personally take total responsibility. That is beyond love, beyond compassion. Theravadan tradition, Theravadan level, they don’t have that. That is the difference between Mahayana and Theravadanyana. I will do it. That’s different. Wishing love-compassion is everywhere, Theravadan level, Mahayana level, everywhere. The Mahayana will give that special commitment. No matter whatever it may be, I will take total responsibility. I will do it. It is my job. I take responsibility. So, that’s called special mind. Special mind can bring bodhimind, no others. Because, special mind says now, what should I do? What can I do? Yeah, I should try to become fully enlightened. Then, I will be able to do it with a stroke of light, throwing. So, that’s how this eleven has to be developed. I’m sort of thinking that I should talk to you a little more the stage number two. That is recognizing all sentient beings as mother being. I did talk to you last time, also. 0:46:38.6

But, the important thing, the mother is considered the ultimate friend in our life. So, no matter how angry we may be, but we turn to our mother for help and we try to help her. That is normal, good human beings do it. That doesn’t mean those who are angry with your mother are not good human beings. But, I’m not saying that. There is different feeling, no matter how harsh, how horrible, how terrible it might have been, it is slightly different than any other enemy. So, that is one point. Another point is, specially when you’re kids, when you’re extremely young, when you couldn’t figure out whether it is something edible or throwable. When we don’t know that time, the mother has protected, helped, nurtured, so many times. When we don’t know how to figure out what it is, when you run round, put the finger into the electrical socket and at that sort of level. How many times the mother had saved our life not to get electrocuted or fall from something, all those. There are so many things the mothers have done to child. Each of them, each one of these points you can verify if you are mother, would you do that to your child? Would you protect your child from that manner. And most of the good people are good people. Most people are good. There may be exception of one or two. But, most of you mothers will do that for your children. 0:49:32.0

So, it is special relationship between child and mother. A very special relationship. Today, we don’t remember. That’s fine. That doesn’t mean it did not happen. Maybe some exceptional cases where mom been mean and bad and never took care of, never did that. You know, sort of thing. We’ve seen that, too. But, that is very exceptional cases. But, mostly, they did take care of that. Because of that, sort of nature bound love, the children will have to mother, and mother have to children. There’s natural bond. Love. So, now what is the bodhisattvas try to do is try to develop that nature bond love with the mother and children have it, try to have that with all sentient beings. That is the reason why. They try to have that bond with all sentient beings, with everybody. That’s the reason why they’ll go through. Even that person is not your mom in this life, but it has been your mom before. Not only once, but many times. And that’s the reason why they say there is not a single sentient beings who have not been your mom. Can you show one? So, that’s what they do. What they really needed is that special bond. They try to develop that with all sentient beings. Right now, we have very limited one, very special bond with very special people. Then, different. Then, different. Then, different. You know, there’s inner circle, outer circle, outer circle and all of those, even within the family. You have all of those. So, with the idea of equanimity, idea of everybody been mother, that is the reason why they try to establish. So, how do you know everybody been mother of everybody? The only thing they can prove this is reincarnation. Reincarnation is the only reason that can give prove this, logical reason. It is reincarnation. If you look in the subject wise, here we are not talking about reincarnation, here we are not talking about the death. Here we are not talking about it. Here we are talking about the love and compassion. But, the major reason of developing special love to all beings is that special bond. That is between the children and the mother. Specially mother. So, that is the reincarnation proves, yeah, this time your mom happens to be this one. But, who is your mom your earlier life? Before that, before that, before that. There is no end for us, saying this is my beginning. It is big questionable. Yes, people have doubts, people have to think, people have to do all that. I’m not saying you have to believe it. But, the continuation is really something very interesting. It is the continuation. Continuation of me. In this way and that way. Forward and backward. I will continue. I have been continuously coming. Time wise, today’s me is the continuation of yesterday’s me. Tomorrow’s me will be continuation of today’s me. You can’t say tomorrow, because tomorrow never comes. So, let’s say 27th me, is the continuation of 26th me, 26th me is continuation of 25th me. Right? That we all know. There is no mystery. It’s not secret, straightforward. Likewise, 2001, 2000. 1999. 1969, 1953, 44, 39 so and forth. It is continuation. Now, where do we get the problem? It also have to think. When we are just born, that mind, that person is the continuation of a baby about to born. That baby about to born is continuation of the baby that developing within the mother’s womb. That baby developing within the mother’s womb is the continuation of the consciousness that just entered in the physical identity. That seed. The combination of egg and semen. It continuation of that. Here, scientifically, I have nothing to prove it. But, without consciousness, without mind, no matter how great that egg and semen might be, there won’t be baby. 0:58:07.0

Even mixed very well, whatever. There won’t be baby, because there’s no consciousness, there’s no occupier. The occupants has to come from somewhere. It doesn’t come from the genetic tradition. It come from the side wise. The consciousness meets with the suitable condition, wherever you enter that in, it’s called life. I keep on thinking, those endless note, out of those Tibetan eight lucky signs. It really represents a chart of consciousness movement. It’s endless continuation, endless. If you superimpose that on those, what you call it, homography chart. 0:59:30.2 That genetic chart. If you superimpose that, they will cross, naturally, when it cross, I think it is the beginning of developing a life, called this life. When it separates, it’s called end of the life. Because, it is the separation of that genetic and that mental things separated. But, doesn’t end there, it will continuously go. The genetic thing, we know, it goes from the parents to the children and so and forth. Nobody doubts about that. But, the conscious movement, there is no physical proof. So, everybody couldn’t accept. But, it continue. It has to continue. Otherwise, what happens to it? And, if you say it’s totally going to be disappeared, no more, just gone and blank, then you have to wipe off every memory, every habitual pattern, even every addiction, you have to wipe out. You cannot. We see it. We see so many times. Kids bring their memories. And we see the habitual habit patterns been repeating. We see the addictions coming back. All of those, we see it. We cannot wipe out. Otherwise, everything has to depend on learning only and if learn together in one school, with one teacher, you have to have equal knowledge. It doesn’t work that way. They have the natural grown knowledge and learned knowledge. Both of those come together. All of those will indicate us, tells us, it just doesn’t begin here. Just doesn’t end here, it is continuation. Continuation. Now, there’s another point. When the conditions are right, does another consciousness be born? Yes, the conditions right, a consciousness will be born, but that’s not new consciousness. According to the Buddha, there is no new consciousness at all. No new consciousness at all. Another words, normal Christian language, all souls are good old souls. Very similar to that, there’s no new consciousness. That’s the reason why when Buddha asked where it begin, is there end of beginning and end of end. So, Buddhist scholars make that big deal. Buddha didn’t answer, kept silent. Because he kept silent people know he’s great and blah blah blah. But, that is the scholars add up. The reason why he really didn’t answer is because it doesn’t make sense to lot of people. Couldn’t figure out. He said very clearly these is no new consciousness. Every consciousness are old consciousness. That’s why we have different character, different addictions, different affections, different loves, all different things, so called personality. 1:04:03.4

What we call personality is really based on the individual person’s character. Even it’s twins, born together, and separated and they will have separate character. When they just bound together, they have to agree so many things because they have to move their body together. But, the moment you separate, you see the individualness of those people. Where does that come from? Yes, I said in my book, that’s my culture, I’m not to sell my culture. But, this is different. This here is teaching based on this particular text, the recognition of mother beings. All sentient beings mother beings. It depends on, really depends on this. If there’s no reincarnation, I know one mom, she’s gone, dead. She’s not there. So, what are you taking about it. So, it’s not. I believe this thing needs meditation. And all of those needs meditation. You have to meditate. You have to meditate, not simply telling all beings are your mothers, because Buddha said so. That is the most stupid. The most stupid thing. All beings, you know, because continuation, because we don’t know yet, is there new consciousness or not. That’s that Buddha said, but we don’t know yet. We have neither there’s new consciousness nor we have proved there’s no new consciousness. But, judging from the people’s mind and people’s way of thinking and people’s character and people’s knowledge and experience and we sort of know the newly born are not really new. They have memories, they recall what had happened before. They recall conversations, some of them. Some of them recall their own old clothes, dresses, schoolbooks, bangles 1:07:23.7 so many of them. So, this are fact, not made up story. So, at least raises doubt. So, the conclusion to this point is if there has been so many lives, each life had a mother, that mother had protected, helped and bond what we have has been every life. Everywhere. So, you cannot leave a single being out. Saying, I have never depend on my life on that person, never, ever. You cannot say. At least your, our mind, at that level, moving to the right direction. Finally, if you could really find ourself, that’s why this is extremely difficult to develop. The most hardest way of developing love and compassion, ultimate, great love and compassion, this is the most hardest one, out of eleven steps. This is the struggle point. Always, the first is struggle anyway. This is the most difficult point. Idea is if we finally establish, finally we are convinced that every being has been mother one time or another. Why don’t I cherish their kindness? They been kind to me. They saved my life a number of times a day. They brought me up. The nurtured me. All this. They guided me to the right direction, so that I been educated, been able to pay my bill. All of those. 1:10:08.3

If you trace it, it will go to that level. So, when you’re remembering the kindness, it’s actually shifting little bit. Remembering. And then I said here there’s special. The special here is not only all sentient beings are kind to me when they are being mother, but they also specially kind to me when their not being mother. Why? They have provide for us base to generate compassion, they have provide us to develop equanimity. Some of them performs as enemy. Some of them performing as friend. Some of them doing all this to us. And we begin to see all this horrifying, all these things. Yet, they have provided basis of compassion. They have provided me basis of, you know, everything. If you really think very carefully, every comfort we enjoy, each and every one of them has been created, developed, and given to us by people. I wear suit. The wool comes from an animal. A sheep has given the hair. Given it or taking it, it is the hair. Made into a cloth by people, though it may be machine need, but always there’s people who did it. Traditionally, there is no machine. Somebody hand did it. Right? Now, we have machine. But, everybody did it. Don’t think they did it because they been paid for it. Yeah, it’s true. But, even they paid for it, they don’t do it, you’re not going to get it. If they go on strike, how much difficulties we have. So, it is the kindness of the people. They provided this. The kindness of the tailor who made it fit. Right? I may said I paid my money, my plastic money. But, there’s so many kindness been involved in it. Even the house, somebody built it. The heat, people worked in. Remember when they don’t work, cool doesn’t come. Remember? When Johnathan not aware of broken air conditioner, we don’t have air condition, remember? It is like that. Each and everything, even food. Those of us who are eating meat, eating somebody’s flesh. Those of you who are not eating meat, but somebody worked with labor, worked on the ground. Specially, organic ones, worked very hard. And there’s insects involved, too. Don’t forget. So, the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the hose we live, the people who you talk to, even one who gives you the company, one you can talk to. Every gadget that we use make our life comfortable is the contribution of the people. It is the kindness of the people. Specially providing basis for us to develop enlightened stage. 1:14:43.7

If there’s no people, where are you going to mediate compassion? Where’s the compassion going to be?There won’t be buddha without compassion. So, that’s exactly. Even their not mother, they have been so kind. That is the special. I guess I should stop. Before I close here, I have to say, next Thursday is Thanksgiving, so therefore I will not be here, but the next will be the 5th December and I will be here. I’m afraid that’s going to be last Thursday for this year, because December 5th is going to be last Thursday. However, today, Ribur Rimpoche called me and saying he’s going to come to Ann Arbor. He’s going to drive from California and he said I don’t know how long it’s going to take. Some people said four days, some people says five days. So, he’s coming, he said. So, if he comes, and he will be Ann Arbor, he will give two or three more Thursdays from Ann Arbor to here. Through web or telephone or whatever is working, I have no idea. He will do the Tuesday teachings as well. So, that’s what I like to inform. Do I have anything else to say? [..]

[announcements]

[dedication]

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