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Soundfile 20020429GRNLLRMyurLam05

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location Nijmegen

Topic Myur Lam

Transcriber Marein Köönings

Date 18 January 2021

Transcriber note: uncertainties are indicated by [maybe this?] or [??].

0:00:00.0

[Dutch]

0:00:14.1

[En dan ?] every individual would like to become a Buddha. For that, I would like to listen to this teaching and learn, practise, and to make the best use of this special life that we have. Of [etcetera?], whatever the normal [prescriptions?] are giving in the Lamrim teaching traditions to constantly generate that.

The teaching what you're going to listen to is the method of leading the fortunate people to enlightenment. It is the essence of great fore-runners like Nagarjuna and Asanga. Tested and proved method. And then the great Atisha and the great Tsongkhapa practised this, their essence practise. And that is known as Lamrim.

That also [audience coughing ?] basically to prove the authenticity of this teaching, we talk about the lives of the other, meaning from Buddha onwards. In order to gain trust and respect to the teachings, we talk about the quality of teaching. And as such a quality of teachings, how do we teach and how do we listen. And the actual method of leading the individual on the points.

0:03:30.5

So basically we have covered first two and the third one I forgot to [touch?] on. This morning I was having my breakfast, and I said, oh my [?] I skipped a whole one outline completely. So that is the teachers how to teach and disciples how to listen. That part I forgot completely. There's nothing to meditate on this, it is only knowledge and information.

So, let's first talk about the teachers. Actually, in the teaching itself, how to listen will come first, but let's talk first about who talks. Okay, this is a spiritual path that comes from ancient tradition and that also comes from India, as you all know. Now, Buddha himself has discovered this. The difference between the, you know, what we are normally used to it, and the difference between the - and the Buddha, you know, I am not qualified to say anything in the Judeo-Christian tradition, however, what I know little it says Jesus is son of God.

0:06:29.0

In Buddhism, Buddha is not considered to be a son of God or somebody who has develop already. Now, Mahayana Hinayana differs, but forget about that for the time being. But truly, Buddhism don't consider Buddha as somebody who has already gained something. Just an ordinary human being, just like you and me. With all our problems, all our neuroses and all our everything. And he discovered that he has that as [a window?] and the kids they don't know they're having the neurosis and they came up to the age of beginning of the teenages then they begin to discover they have a neurosis.

All this same thing, Buddha discovered he has a terrible neurosis. And the most importantly, he noticed that he had a problem of anger, hatred, attachment, obsession, and fear, ignorance, confusion. So he doesn't know what to do. And he was searching for it, for how to handle this. And on top of that, he found those sufferings, which we will come at [??] at the medium level, so I won't talk here.

0:08:59.3

So, he found a way how to deal with this. He saw the end of those. Yeah really, if you imagine, it looks like that he himself is, you know, very well-treated as a prince and all that, however so much of emotional problem looks like he is hot [into a pit] of something, really a big [ore], when you tell the, you know, there's a tradition of water wells, looks like he was stuck underneath the well of the water.

And he begin to see the lights where the opening of the wall is. And that's the reason why he ran away from the palace. And made all the sacrifices, tremendous amount of sacrifices. Number one: giving up the palace, family, kingdom. A big deal. This is an [early?] Indian story too, because the family knew he was going to run away, so everything everywhere they try their best to keep him, so much so that he had countless queens. Maybe it is 2500 years ago, but the number are unbelievable: there's 500. But only one of them had a son. So anyway, he left all of them, and he knew, one of his wifes was pregnant, but he left. He not only left but you know, he give up all this king's dresses, horses, even cut his hair, and sent the hair back to the palace, and all this he did.

0:12:26.9

And [remain?] meditated, for six long years, only no food. Just enough to sustain your life. Then he said, [Tibetan]. He said, "I have found nectar like Dharma. And whoever I talk to, no-one will understand. So I am going to keep my mouth shut, and maintain silence in the forest." Then he was pursuaded not to do that, because the whole purpose of this work will be defeated if he does that. So he shared Dharma. Then, Dharma begin with the Four Noble Truths, and the Four Noble Truths is repeated three times. So it's called the Twelve Circles of Teaching. So this is the fundamental basis of Buddhism. So that is also, you know, a human discovery. Human discovery for spiritually how to handle our problems.

0:14:57.3

So however is sharing that Buddha's discovery, talking to people, first and foremost the person must know what are you talking about. If you don't know what you are talking about, how can you talk? Then you have no alternative except like, you know, to pick up the book and say "Hey, this is a book, this is the cover page, this is the back page, there's so many pages, and there's so many lines." That will come to that, if you're honest. And if you're not honest, "Hey this is very holy book, brought by the gods, way before medieval period they hand it over, so and so, it is coming out of a treasure, hidden and this and that." And you'd lead to that level, because you don't know what you're talking about. I mean, I don't say, all of them are [audience coughing ?], but that will come to that.

And whoever is sharing Dharma teachings, they're acting like a guide. And also it's a complicated guide, the guide that takes people through a unknown road. So if you are a tourist guide, and taking the tourists, and if you have map, it's known, you've been before. The best is if you've been before, not only once but a number of times. Having contact with the local people, you know exactly how far you have to go, where you can have a break and where you can sleep. I'm not thinking like a city guide, I'm thinking like a tourist that takes you to the mountain passes. That is the best tourist guide.

0:18:51.0

Even if you not been there before, at least you have a map and you know you have knowledge, and that's even better than not having anything. And if you have nothing, no knowledge, no experience, no information nothing, if you are still leading the tour group, then there's a possibility that you can get into trouble. I know a story in the Buddha's life story, and there's a very nice dancer, a woman named [Suvika?]. And she performed this dance, she is very interesting.

The story goes there is a group of monkey and this monkeys have a leader. The leader is not so intelligent. So the monkey leader, let's call it the king of monkeys, walks around, and one day walks over by a big lake. So he saw the reflection of the moon in the lake. So he realised, "Wow! I'm the king of the monkeys, and I've discovered that the moon is falling into a lake. So it is our duty to pick up, this is a special job for us, to pick up the moon out of the lake and put it back where the moon belong. This will be great establishment and contribution from the monkey society, to the society in all."

0:22:25.9

So he took that as a big assignment for him. And he called all the monkeys together, and said "Let us pick up the moon." So what he tried to do is, he tried to hold the monkeys to each other, and then one monkey will go and pick up the moon, that was his plan. So all the monkeys went on a big branch of a big old tree. So you go there, you can't reach, you go deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper. So many monkeys [??] [laughs]. So the branch breaks. All monkeys in the water. This story is funny, it continues, anyway.

So this is the example, if you don't know you're leading, not only you are going to fall in the water, but you're going to fall everybody in the water. I should end the story there, but that story leads something very funny too. Then a rabbit heard the big noise of falling the branch in the lake. So rabbit wondered what happened. So he ran and looked. And he saw what happened. He realised, he said "I have to kill this lion, so this is best way I can kill the lion."

0:25:25.8

So he ran for lion, and he told the lion that there is a terrifying, huge animal, just look like you, but maybe more fearful than you, and that's known as "Ya!". When the tree falls, "Ya!", the water. So lion said, I'm the most important king of all animals, how can there be somebody like me, or even more stronger than me? I must have destroy it. Lion pride [race?].

So then lion says "Where is it?" And the rabbit says "I'll show you." And he made sure all monkeys are gone out of lake and then took lion there. And he say "It's in there." And lion looked down and just like lion shows up. And he goes [growl]. And that one does [growl]. And lion jump, trying to get that person. So not only you can mislead individual, you can mislead the people, and the people make it twisted and they get destroyed, even lion.

0:27:54.7

So the first thing is you must know what you're doing. Don't guess. Don't pretend. It has to be right. And how can we get right? That's the reason why we're trying to show you the whole lineage thing in-between. Because the continuation of the development of the individual is the really test why it's right. So we rely on the reliable books. Don't rely on every book because it's printed form.

And also you have to have some experience of yourself. You have to practise. You have to meditate. You have to help yourself. Helping yourself get away from the addictions. Addictions of anger, hatred. Addictions of attachment, obsession. And addictions of fear, ignore, confusion. Something you must have it. And when you have that, then you begin to share that with people. That is the good guide. And that is sort of, you know, quality of a teacher.

0:30:53.9

And then some teacher try to be very literal. Some try to be very conservative. Some try to be very liberal. They're all fine, but the wise teacher should be able to see the mind, connect with the mind, of those students, and be able to lead them accordingly. Be able to help them. Because if you try to be very liberal, some people may not like it. You try to be very conservative, some people may not like it. And if you try to be very literal, almost everybody won't like it. So the purpose of teacher's teaching is to help the other individual, on the basis of your own experience of knowledge. So whatever is suitable for that individual. This is the basic quality of teachers.

Traditionally, they will say, you must have total development. Total development is a very long shot. But whatever we have, we should be able to share that. And then if you don't have a perfect, but you do have some direction. Then you try to make it impressive, by bringing from there, by bringing here, and making it mixture. That might not be useful. Or maybe, I don't know. But so far, for the last two decades or so, what has happened in New Age, is good, but it doesn't really help individual that much way of seeing it.

0:34:31.1

So, traditionally, mixing will be very strongly objected. Because that means water down. But now there's, you know, we have to watch very carefully, something bound to happen. The time has changed. It is no longer two thousand five hundred or six hundred years ago. we're in 19, no not 19, 2002. That tells us we are the 19th century fellow. Except for a few young ones, we are all 19th century guys, fellows. [correction by Dutch interpreter: 20th century]

So since we're in this age, we have to be a little adjusting here. But where you cannot compromise is the purpurse. The purpose is leading the individual to a proper path. So at least those great religions such as Judeo-Christian tradition, Hindu-Buddhist tradition, these great religions have proved whatever their strength and [weakness?] is. No matter whatever we talked about the Catholic church today, but Catholic church also has done tremendous benefit to a lot of people. Catholic church also [led?] so many people into the sainthood. And they have a lot of achievements as well. Of course there is a lot of corruption, scandals, and all of them there, but equally there is good things too.

0:37:51.3

And the same as Christians, right? And the same as Judaism. And the same as Hinduism. Same as Buddhism. All these great traditions have, you know, relying on them will not going to let us down. And then rely on somebody else's some new thing, is very risky, because we have only one life. And how much time we can waste, how much time we cannot afford to waste, we have to calculate on that point.

So anyway, these are the qualities, the 'must' qualities, and then of course there are much more, there are much more, much more. The teachers are also the, and also this becomes a role model, somehow, especially spiritual teachers becomes a role model. A role model means that people will watch how you handle. And that you're the example. And if you establish bad example, then there's another problem. But you cannot be perfect, we are not Buddha yet, we are Buddhist. So don't be so uptight, people. Never going to be perfect, unless you become Buddha. For the most important: be what you are. Don't try to be somebody. Keep your thousand commitments. And that automatically make you good example.

0:41:08.9

Think I shouldn't take too much time here, so that's good enough. And you know, it becomes two quality: quality of being fit to be a role model, and a quality you know what you're teaching. So the quality of the personality and the quality of the knowledge. And I think it's a must, without which you won't be able to do well.

Okay now, how to listen. So the most, the purpose of listening to the spiritual teaching is to help yourself. So idea of finding fault on teacher, finding fault on, looking for the faults, not looking for anything good to be learned, only searching for faults. There are people who do that, you know. I used to be like that, too. But actually, it has a lot of good qualities afterwards if you know how to switch it. If you cannot switch it, then you become a critic for the rest of your life, and you get nothing for yourself.

And don't try to listen with a prefabricated agenda. Prefabricated agenda means, you know something, you want something to be said. And when that teacher talks about that, then you like it and acknowledge, and when you goes against that, then you - that is prefabricated idea. And with prefabricated idea, if you listen, it don't help.

0:44:00.7

And then the spiritual path, particularly to [mount?] modern one, is respect. Actually, even the society demands, but the spiritual path particularly demands respect to the teaching and the teacher both. And then there's like three faults. It's a very, very ancient story, you know. It becomes like, you become like a vessel, listening. You come from here, goes out from there, means there's a whole on the bucket. Means, no matter how much water you put in, goes out. This is useless. If your cup is upside down, no matter how much you pour it, it will nothing go inside. That means your body may be there, but you're not listening, your mind if completely busy, whether doing this, doing that, [audience coughs] this person, talking to this person, has to clean up this thing left, that laundry has to be done, and this thing has to be bought, and maybe you make a long list of what you have to buy, and what you have to do, and that is the cup upside down.

0:46:27.9

And then, if the cup is dirty, no matter whatever you put in there may not be able to drink. That is, ideas such as, you are controlled by anger. Your mind is controlled by anger. Your mind is controlled by obsession. Your mind is controlled by doubt. Your mind is - again, when I say 'doubt', doesn't [letter?] interesting. In general, the doubt is good. But endless doubt, doubt that never ends, everything becomes critical and doubt never ends. And that is one of the most important points where you will waste your life. You know why, usually mean doubtful of everything. Everything, whatever comes on your way. You become doubtful of intention of people. You become doubtful of any east or west traditions. And you become doubtful of, you know, everything is doubtful, doubtful, doubtful for ever. Never isn't doubt. Which means, the death comes before the doubt goes away. That also not very helpful.

0:48:56.7

Okay, so, but doubt is necessary, you should not accept it blindly. Especially if the speaker has a very good charisma, they can take you easily, which is not good. And the result of that, what we have seen so far, is the incident of the Jim Jones. You know the Jim Jones story in the center, America, hundreds of people committed suicide in a short [span?] of time, all that, incident of Jim Jones And then, quite recently, like five, six years ago, we had that incident of Heaven's Gate in California. You know like, how many people, 30, 40 people, all dressed in black and white, and clean shoes, three-piece suit, all commited suicide because they think they're going somewhere and the gates opened, but there's a vehicle, the vehicle could not reach to them because there is [helvate?], the, what you call that, shooting star, comets. So they said vehicle is parked behind that. So they have to go there by committing suicide. So the whole thing, like 30, 40 people, everybody dressed in black and white. So then, if I remember correctly, but again, two years ago, something happened in northern France or southern Switzerland or something else, as I remember seeing all these bodies digging out of some caves, or some muddies area.

0:51:53.8

So if you just buy everything by anybody who says, and particularly those teachers who have a good charisma, that's where you can mislead to. So never ever ignore your own intuition, intelligence intuition. Never ever ignore your own - not intuition, I'm sorry, I completely missed, it's wrong - don't follow your intuition, but never ever ignore your common sense. Never ever ignore your educational background, especially in the west, this is very correct education, really made it correct of the people.

You know, I come from 18th century, back in Tibet, honestly true. I'm lucky it was 18th century, maybe even 17th century, who knows. The live in Tibet before [1550s? 1950s?] is almost like the cowboy times. Just like that, it is somewhere back in 1800s or 1700s. When I've been kicked out by the Chinese in 1959, it looks I've been lifted out of this century by helicopter, carried over to the Himalaya, dropped down in the 20th century, really, that's experience what I have.

0:54:55.2

So with this knowledge and background, when I'm looking, the education is fantastic. People without education, I can tell them, look at them and tell them, this snow mountain is yellow. And then they will say "Nah nah nah." No I say 'yellow', then they say "I see is white. So with the, there's a fault in your eyes, let's get us somebody else." And you get some three, four people who are are sick with jaundice, and ask them how that snow mountain look like, they all tell you 'yellow'. That is how you can convince.

And this, I say this, there's a traditional story in the Hindu-Buddhist tradition. The tradition is this. You know these Indian Brahma's, you know those Indian Brahmins. Brahmins never like dog, they cannot touch dog. They like goat, because they can milk the goat and all that, that's why they like the goat. So one Brahmin bought a goat, and there are three thieves. [laughs] It looks like I'm going to tell you about the story about the forty thieves. But there are three thieves. The three thieves who want to get the goat and kill and have the meat.

0:57:33.0

So they thought, we have to get this goat back from the Brahmin, because the Brahmin bought before the thieves, so they said, "We have to go get that back from him. So how do we do it? So we have to convince the Brahmin this is dog." So, they decided, all three of them going to sit three different places, collect couple of more friends.

Then the first person saw the Brahmin walking with the goat, he said "What a funny, look over there." The other said "What's there so funny about it?". "Look, there's a Brahmin, taking a dog." The Brahmin thought, "What a stupid person, he couldn't even figure out the difference between dog and goat and he went away.

After a little while, another group of people say, "Hey look, look, what funny, this Brahmin is taking the dog." So the Brahmin thought, "What a funny, maybe..." So he looked back to the goat once again, and touched it, and make sure that it is goat. And he say that, "Yeah, it is goat. What's the matter with these people? Or is there something wrong with me?"

Then the third group of people, said "Oh look, look, there's funny Brahmin taking the dog." So the Brahmin thought maybe he was cheated. Maybe due to black magic he see the dog as goat, or something. He decided to chase the goat away, kick the goat away.

1:00:29.0

So the thieves caught the goat, and the saying becomes in Buddhist tradition: if three people manages, even the goat can become a dog. In India.

So if you know, so that's why, if you are educated you don't have those problems. These are just a few examples I give you. But if you ignore your education, and you ignore your common sense, then you can develop twisted beliefs. Remember those September 11th hijackers. At moment they die, the heaven is open for them? And the seventy virgins are waiting for them. And we all know it's not true. But they been confused and twisted their mind, because you know, this is what happens.

So one should never ignore, no matter how holy, how profound, or even you may becoming Buddha at this moment, whatever, even then, never ignore your education, your common sense. So you remember Buddha himself even says, "Don't buy the gold until you're convinced it's gold."

So every listening is for your consideration. Every information you pick out of a book, tapes, any media that pick up, is for your consideration. And you can test that. And if you like it, take it. If you don't like it, throw it away.

1:03:49.7

So whatever you do, you have to do something. If you decided to take it seriously, don't do it half-heartedly. If you decide to throw away, throw it away. Don't do it half-heartedly. So this is the wisdom that you apply for your learning. So these are the qualities of when you're studying, that's what you needing. So to the faults of if you don't check, see the faults of over-doubt. You know, all this. Under-doubt is a problem, over-doubt is a problem. Reasonably, you have to make decisions.

Following example, like Tibetan Buddhism. And if you're not decided, you can go and study Lamrim, you can do all this, there's no commitment. By the time when you decided to get into Vajrayana, and then there's not so much room to move. Because after that you're supposed to have made up your mind. But again, some people get a problem because when you get halfway through you begin to understand halfway through, so! But they are unavoidable. But basically, to help yourself, it is the really at the Lamrim level, and every Sutra level, you be open. And then when you're convinced, then you begin to take refuge, and so forth. You can do the Lamrim study completely. Don't take the refuge, you study refuge, you be academic. Talk about the refuge, don't be part of it. That is the objective.

1:07:10.0

The objectiveness of the academy [shows?]: you study, you talk about it, [??]. So you should, you can do that for a while. And after a little while, you have to make your mind, yes or no, you know. There's a bad example here, say, either you shit it out, or get off the pot. So, I think that covers - and then of course, here we tell you every morning, for the benefit of all beings, I like to listen this, and learning this, for practise, not for curiosity, not for this and that. This is the traditional part of that, that also the part of the listening system.

And whatever you do, if you're going to guide people, you're going to listen, you're going to participate in meeting, whatever you do, do it with the good motivation of helping yourself and helping others. Even a single one individual person, each and every one of them, with that motivation you come, you do read, you do study, you participate in study a guru, you participate in pray, you participate in teaching, you do everything, whatever you do, with that motivation, you will see tremendous help. You really see that yourself, right? If you come with that motivation, if you maintain that motivation, you really see the difference.

1:10:03.5

I guess that covers that a missing subject, that missing points, that I think that is more informational point than the meditative. So I think we covered that. And though it is ten minutes early, and we take the [prayer?] now. [Which?] one thing I can't do is fast reading, but I may have to do it.

1:10:53.4

[Tibetan chanting/prayer]

1:12:14.0

We take a break now, thank you.

1:12:17.8

Okay, now we also don't have much time, but we should do a [bit?] briefly about this little meditation. Remember yesterday we have those, this field of merit, and particularly those [divinations?] of the guru, like the lineages of transcendental teachings, lineages of the profound teachings, lineages of the practise blessing teachings, lineage of the direct teachings, like five of them, right? So remember the light goes from the heart of the lama-buddha and collects all the field merit and they all dissolve to the group of those profound and transcendental teachings. They also goes dissolve from the lower part of those teachers to finally Manjushri and Maitreya. So you have a Buddha, you have a Maitreya and you have a Manjushri. And then all these practise blessing lamas will all dissolve to the buddha Vajradhara and then this Manjushri [plas?], Maitreya [plas?], buddha Vajradhara, becomes three. And then all the different teachers from whom you have taken teaching are all [together?] there, they all dissolve to the root guru.

1:16:13.2

So you have Buddha in the middle, Maitreya and Manjushri right and left, Dorjéé Chang at the back, and the root guru in the front, so you have five. Finally, all [three/tree?], all collections become five. So the Manjushri and the Maitreya dissolves from the right and left of the Buddha, and it goes inside that. And the root guru dissolves to the heart of the Buddha. And Vajradhara comes from the head of the Buddha, and dissolves into the Buddha. And that is called [Tupuang?] Dorjéé Chang, means Buddha Vajradhara.

So that is now becomes [Tupuang?] Dorjéé Chang, right? So [Tupuang?] Dorjéé Chang really means, in Sanskrit, it means Buddha Vajradhara. So the name of the Buddha Vajradhara came because, to me, I mean, that means he's in every one of us, that Vajradhara dissolved into the Buddha, has become Buddha Vajradhara. So you focus that for long time, means meditate on that long time. Okay. Then that buddha also dissolves to the root guru that you are visualizing on your crown now.

1:19:03.4

So now [this?] is the basis or the witness or, yeah it's just a witness, it is the guide, it is the basis of total meditation. So from now on, you going to hear it: the lama-buddha on your crown. So the lama-buddha will be this one now. [likely pointing to an image] So in below any subject you meditate, you're going to hear while thinking the lama-buddha on your crown. So now this is the lama-buddha we introduced.

And that also will [say?] collection of all refuges. Because you saw you meditated one dissolve into the other, one dissolve into the other, and everybody dissolve into five, five dissolve into one, and that becomes [Tupuang?] Dorjéé Chang, that dissolve into one, it really becomes collection of all refuges. And this is your personal guru, personal buddha, and it is personal, individual, personal. And this is your object of purification. This is your object where you can accumulate merit. This is everything, whatever you do.

1:21:57.4

Okay, that very one is in reality your own root master, in the form of a buddha in collection of all refuge, is the, also the nature of four kā?yas. So that's why we say [Tibetan]: the nature of the four kā?yas, the great lama-god. lama special god. So don't think of God with a big G God. But it's just Buddhist culture, that is small g god, which is the normally Saṃ?sā?ric gods, but in this case, that's why we say 'special god', not god within the six realm, [god?] realm.

So anyway, so this is the base in which you pray, you say 'om muni muni maha muniye soha', you everything you do. Now the actual meditation will be, while you are having your [lama-la?] on your crown, and I and all sentient beings, until now, we have constantly [quenching?] news, taking countless number of rū?pa. Yet we never end it.

1:24:56.9

One of the reasons why is not ended, because the lack of guru-yoga. So, I and other sentient beings, would like practise the guru-yoga perfectly. That also through the thought and through the action. So I may be blessed to be able to do that. So prayer very strongly. Then the light and liquid comes from the body of lama-la and reach me and all sentient beings, not only our body, but reach to our mind as well. Purify negativity in general, particularly that of obstacle to have perfect guru-yoga, all cleared. Your life, luck, fortunate, quality, knowledge all developed. Especially the development of perfect guru-yoga through thought and action both - you really don't get the development but you get the potential to be able to develop it perfectly. So potential here is possibility, or the seed.

1:27:49.0

Okay, so, that is the preparation level. Now, actual. There are going to be four. Four. It's going to be the benefits, disadvantages, yoga through mental activity, and yoga through physical. Okay, so that they say [live?] four. So the first now: benefits. So from the heart of the lamala light comes out in front of you. And at the end of each light there's all your spiritual teachers. And you look at them and then check, what benefit do I have? Then you're going to find - I'm going to go briefly, because you do this - you don't do that very much in the study groups, right? So since you don't have - okay. So I don't go so [brit?] then. Alright, so let's do this way. So what benefit do I have, by having those gurus?

1:30:08.0

Because of this, I become closer to enlightenment. Makes enlightened being's happy. And I have good sources of information. I may be protected from falling into the lower realms. I may have some protection that my negative karma and negative emotions may not be able to take over easily. It reminds me of the activity of the bodhisattvas. And because of that, I may accumulate tremendous merit. I may be able to accomplish my goal of short-term liberation and the long term goal: total enlightenment.

Okay so briefly, you have how many, eight I think, eight is it? Good. So each of them have reasons now you have to think about. These reasons are only good because the study groups who should give you those reasons, and the readings in the transcripts as well as readings of the liberation in the palm of your hand as well as this lamrim chenmo. And that any authentic lamrim that you could get hand on that should give you all this benefits.

1:33:14.3

Alright? So that's meditation you have to do, an analytical meditation. Now for example, you say: hey, they told me: because of this I become closer to enlightenment. How come? Or is it their propaganda? Or is it brainwash? What is it? So you give you some reasons it may be their propaganda. Or maybe their brainwash. Okay so if it's brainwash, what do they get? For what are they trying to sell me? You can look at the commercials, the commercials will try to brainwash you, commercial will try to do this, there is a reason why because they want to sell you their products. And here who want to sell what? For who? Nobody. At least for me, I don't have to tell you anything. I'll be much happier if I can sleep [laughs]. Really true, you know, don't have to run around like a chicken without head. I can write a book and make enough money. Now honestly speaking, any one of those good spiritual teachers - I'm not claiming I'm good one in the [place?] - but really no-one wants to do it and [then somehow you are?] really forced to do it. Do you think the Dalai Lama is happy running around everywhere and even he is sick he is going around talking to three hundred thousand people? No.

1:36:20.7

He himself has said a number of times: if I can lie down, read a newspaper, listen to BBC, I am happy. But I don't think he can listen to BBC or read the newspapers, probably he'll be briefed by people and being pushed around all the time. It's unlike politicians. The politicians want their job. This one is one who doesn't want their job, but can't give up. So really there is no propaganda to sell anything. And then you may think, ah! Jewel Heart is selling. Jewel Heart is a new organisation. This one comes from thousand years. So there's no propaganda motivation here.

And you may think it's a brainwashing. Again, brainwashing for what? No one wants to set up any cult set-up. No-one wants to gain anything out of this, except enlightenment. Enlightenment does not become any monetary goal for anybody. Maybe they gain benefit for everybody, maybe. So if you keep on thinking those, this is your analytical meditation. Alright, is there truth in that? Or is it just bla-bla?

1:39:18.8

Mostly you think, oh, it may be bla-bla. Then you think, all these people who make drawings up there, and it's almost putting in the place of worship, how did they there? It may be new in the west, but it is millions of people have followed for thousands of years. So it's just cannot be made-up story, doesn't last that long. Alright? Then you say, bring me closer to enlightenment - how? [Nagarjuna, one of the forerunners?] said, [Tibetan] - you know, it is one good advantage when I'm reading the book, I can tell you what's in the book, you know. If I have to talk to you openly, I'm never going to say that to you or it's not even easy for me to say it. So it is in the book, so [Tibetan].

Nagarjuna said: give up every offerings, but give offerings to the lama and guru. [If that?] is happy, all buddhas will be happy. If that is happy, you're going to get the wisdom of the Buddha. That is Nagarjuna's word. So if I tell you this, looks like, give me your money. Sounds like. And then you can even translate that. Though I'm the person who can't give any money, many of you know.

1:42:39.8

Two year ago, I bought a watch here in Nijmegen. It was on sale. And I went to India and give that watch to a woman who I was married, she sick. So I saw a very similar watch two days ago. And I was buying it. And then they tried to give me the box. And I said, oh, I don't need the box. So Mr. [Hoebermans?] says, that watch is meant to be gift. So I said, that not for gift, I'm wearing. He said, not yet [laughs]. So anyway, so that's that.

So I think that is the first reason. And there are many other reasons. And there are many other reasons why it's become closer. Because of keeping the path. A path that you never heard about, you never even know about, you never think about. You only used to think - only pray, and that's about it. Only pray, and only pray, and submission. Never even think that you can do something useful. And seeing, it's not that something new you can pick up, but it's all solutions ourselves also. It's a matter of introducing it.

For example, certain matters if you take it, you cut your negative emotions. When you introduce it, it becomes true reality. If it's not introduced, and then you don't get it - even you have it: you have impatience, we have anger, but we do not realize that patience can take over the anger, and hide it [??]. We do have hatred, we do recognize there is terrible consequences of hatred, but if you don't put them together, you won't know. It is the hatred of somebody - some Abdullah - is going to happen to something else to somebody else. So it is over there, we don't see here.

1:47:13.5

So by introducing that, it helps, you can all know. By reducing this negative emotions we become better. And that itself shows you, you bring closer to enlightenment. So you're not fool, you're educated person. So you see yourself, you draw your conclusions. So this is how the first point you can proof. Once you've been able to proof, then your analytical meditation was done on that. Then you shift to the concentrated meditation. The concentrated meditation will now acknowledge your conclusion. And then you keep on focusing on that. And then it becomes a part of your life. And it becomes part of your habit. It becomes your culture. And then it becomes your development. This is how you move in every point. So if you ignore the analytical meditation, then it's a simple belief. And then it's at the most, you say "Buddha said so, so-and-so said so". And that is a simple belief, it's not necessarily that good. Naturally, that system was given in Tibet. Those people who never learned how to read - how to write is not an issue in old Tibet - but how to read is big issue, and those people who are uneducated, illiterate, they don't have any capacity to do anything. So for them, then you taught: okay, believe it in that way, believe it in that way. But if you have the capacity to think and then it's analytical meditation, [that's the thing?].

1:50:51.5

The point three, which I've already mentioned, your negative emotions and it is antidote: applying will see improvement within [yourself?] and that is cross-check. You cannot have a cross-check like in the court of law, but this is a cross-check within yourself. So the point's been proved again and again. Yes, you can get a person like George Bush, the American president, come up and say "Hey! Love, compassion, is useless. Forget! And this is the terrorists, so we have to attack it. And we have to attack it and destroy!" That's possible. But at the same time, with the open mind, open thinking, when you look at it within you, you see the hatred hurts. You see the patience works. You see the patience reduces. You see that compassion and love prevails. This is cross-check. It is the point two.

[audience asks question, incomprehensible]

There's a logical reason for that. The logical - the question what she raise is, how do you know that enlightened beings are happy? [translator adds: How do you know enlightened beings are happy when you follow their teaching?] There's a logical reason is, enlightened beings see that you are doing something good. That's their goal. So you see the person is [hitting on the point?]. They'll be happy.

1:53:27.5

Just like a mother who tried to have a child who have alcohol addition and who have joint addiction, coffeeshop addiction, let's not go deep, you know. So that mother goes on and talking to him, talking to him, talking to him, yeah, he's not good, don't do it, I even did it at your age, and bla-bla-bla, but he's still, you know, it's not necessarily good. The first [audience coughing ?], saying "alcohol is no problem for me, drinking is no problem for me". And then, okay, okay. So, but then you can see it, you can smell it, you can know it, you can see it - physical handshake, physical everything - it's [wrong?]. So you don't want argue with him, say "okay, okay, okay", and yet you be still talking, talking talking, and one day he said, "I realize this is a problem, and I'm going to cut it down", so how happy the mother will be.

And that's [minimal?]. So perhaps you can come up [??]. I think I'm quite already late. Right, we'll leave for half an hour or more? So [I was able to start with one?], right? Okay, we're late by half an hour, I'm sorry for your lunch, but -