Archive Result

Soundfile 20020427GRNLLRMyurLam11

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location Nijmegen

Topic Nyur Lam

Transcriber Caroline Vossen

Date 26-8-2021

00:00:00

Kindly generate a pure motivation as normally taught within the lamrim tradition, and with that motivation n do kindly listen to this teaching. The teaching you are listening to is the essence of all buddha’s teachings, which teaching has been tested and comes by the great forerunners like Nagarjuna and Asanga. I mean this is the essence practice of Atisha and Jamgon Tsongkhapa, which is known as Changchub Lam Rim Pa (?name 00:01:32 ). That also has basically four outlines. In order to show the continuation of the teaching that comes from buddha, I talked briefly about the lineage masters. In order to gain respect to this very practice we talk about the qualities of the teaching itself. Such a quality teachings how to teach how to listen, and actual practice. The first three are over. For actual practice also has root of all development, guruyoga. Within that practice of the guruyoga, how to develop beyond. The first is over, the second has two: urging the individual to fulfill the mission of your life and how. The first is over, the second also has three. Common with the lower level, which we call the fundamental basis, common with the medium level, and the mahayana level. The first two are over, today we are at the mahayana level. Okay, that brought us up to whatever we have been doing, those very simple, basic outlines within which you can have the whole lamrim practice. This could even be simpler than the Odyssee to Freedom outline.

00:05:50

Okay. So, for today the mahayana level. It is important for us to remember that there is no mahayana without those pre-mahayana things we talked about the last couple of days. In the principles of the common with the lower level, or we try to call it ultimate basis, what we really did learn is the capability of life, nature of life and its relationship to the existent and possibility of reincarnating anyway within the samsara. Somehow it sort of looks easier to take rebirth in the lower realms than the higher realms, the suffering realms than the joy realms. And also what we are taught in here, what we have presented and what we are learning, practicing and meditating and to try to see: how much responsibility do I have for myself? And is it my wellbeing is the responsibility of somebody else? Without mentioning we have covered that quite carefully because of the karma. Karma tells you exactly we are responsible for our deeds, good or bad, whatever it might be.

00:10:14

In the tradition in Tibet, this question was, should not say never raised, but not commonly raised. But when you think about you yourself being responsible for you, that made it possible to take rebirth in the lower realm, joy realm, suffering realm or even joy realm and what happens and all of those. That touches a lot of fundamental issues. And I would like to raise this much and leave it there. And we try to… I don’t know whether we need to pursue this question beyond, probably not. And then, since you are responsible for yourself , the real method over here, …..so over there what we have really done is: so my future depends on me. Not only future life, even this life. Even this life, how you live, how you live your life and how you maintain your connections, how you connect with the society and all of them. And even our own life, how it is going to shape, totally depends on ourselves. In a way we see it, in our everyday life, our education, our work, from every angle, we see that in one way.

00:14:00

On the other hand, we don’t acknowledge, recognize it is ourselves who did it and ourselves who are getting the result. It is very strange to me. It seems it is Buddhist traditions and all of them try to put this force of karma in between. So, you did it, you created the karma and now you are getting the result, you are enjoying or suffering or whatever. So, it looks like putting the force in the hands of karma, if there is a person called karma. There is no person called karma. In some of the Western traditions I believe it is put in the hands of God. So, I don’t know, but to me karma or no karma, God or no God, whatever I do, it makes a difference to me. I am sorry, I am making blind statements, but… it may make you people think. And since I am the one who makes a difference to me, so that is the reason why we have to be good. And by being myself good, it helps me. It helps me to have a better life while you are in life, ease our suffering a little bit. That we see, we know it. Then what we do not know, I mean we know it, if you kill someone, there is a danger of losing your life. You get killed either through revenge or through a court of law or through whatever, you know. That we do see.

00:18:11

We also see it when you work hard, when you do something, somehow your life improves, there is better living. All of those we see. But what we don’t see it how does this karma business work in between. But we are told, karma is something that you make an imprint, it looks like you left an ‘I owe you note’. It left the responsibility of either you have to pay it or you have to enjoy it. So that, according that, the heavy negative karmas have a heavier result, medium negative karmas have a medium result and lighter than that have a lighter result. And vice versa, both positive karmas and negative karmas, we have that too. I mean that is how that came to be.

00:20:26

Taking that for granted and then we have identified those ten non-virtuous actions, and the opposite of it is ten virtuous. And if we look at those negative ones you can’t do that, if you do it. … no, you can do it if you want to, but if you do it, then you get that result, this result. And then you look the ten virtuous actions: you should do it because you get this result, that result. It looks like they have given us a choice in life what to do. Whether they have given, or provided the choice here, or we have the choice. Then we are looking into the time we have and what we do here or what we don’t do here. And most of the time we neither do this nor we do this. We are just busy ourselves, minding our own business. Not necessarily we are doing this, not necessarily we are doing that.

00:22:42

So, then the question came: how do we make best use of those times, what do we do? Then the negative forces say: do nothing. The positive forces say: take a vow, take a commitment. Why? Because this doing nothing time becomes positive. Because you have a commitment. So even if you do nothing you are honoring your commitment. So, this is a very profitable thing. And that is why the refuge business comes in. Although it looks like, it is presented like there is a threat coming in, you need help, we need help, raising help. Though it looks like they have presented it in that way, the reality is: try to save our time. That is why these negative advices and positive advices after taking refuge. And that way we gain some kind of guarantee for ourselves of at least not falling in the lower realms in the next immediate life. Do you see the link here now? You do or you don’t? Praying, saying is one thing. The actual how it really works, is another thing. So, if we can see how it works, then prayer and meditations become icing on the cake. And if we don’t have those things, then you have a lot of icing but you are going to put it on what? Then you can only eat cream. You can lick all this cream, but you have nothing to eat. It gives you a sweet taste no doubt, but there is no substance you can chew. It only gives you fat, there is no protein, or not even carbohydrates. So that is my thoughts about this basis, or common with the lower level. Then the common with the medium level becomes alright.

00:27:30

If I do this way, then I now know that I will be okay in my next life. But what is going to happen in my next life? Judging from the karmic point of view, we have a very good chance to be a yuppie of that time wherever we are taking birth. Or we really have a very good chance of being a fashionable of that society at that time, whichever, a hundred years from now or two hundred years from now, you really have a good chance of being that one. Of course, wealthy. Most probably healthy too. But then, what happens thereafter? Then whatever we have done here, we have probably reached to that level, they will probably provide the next one, and then beyond that, the car will not go that far. The petrol will get exhausted. There is no more petrol to refill. I saw a movie; I see a lot of funny movies, but I never remember their names. In one of those some kind of crazy little guy jumped into something and drove his car back in the eighteenth century in the desert somewhere. Have you seen it?

Audience: Back to the future

Rimpoche: Back to the future, whatever you call it.

00:31:09

He was driving in the dust, the dust was completely over the car, it looks like you are driving in Changthang. But he still had the music and everything, the dust was over, but then the petrol was exhausted. And when the petrol was exhausted, that’s it. That was the end of everything. So, then what to do? The same condition. I mean, you have really come back to where you started. And at that time, there might not be that opportunity, as well as the capability we have today. So, let’s not be satisfied with that level, go beyond and see: is there something I can do for me once and for all? So comes the common with this medium level. And they introduce to you what was the fault, why we are stuck here. Then the fault is because of our aim, our goal. The only truly the goal what we really have in life, what we really see with us… if you really think and sit and really think, you are not going to find any good goal in there, it really gives you a pain in your nose. The ‘pain in the nose’ I think is a Tibetan expression, but the Western expression is pain somewhere else.

00:34:24

I mean you are really not going to find it, you look anywhere, wherever you look. We look in the society, we look at these wealthy people, they are not that great. I mean we really look everywhere, and we are not really going to find a good thing. Then we look at Mother Theresa or the Dalai Lama, and then we say: “Oh, that is beyond our reach” . If you watch in our mind, that is what we do. It is sort of untouchable, it is way out there, that is not, I can’t get there”. So, we don’t have a good aim. And then many people will settle their aim is some happy, healthy, wealthy something. And those of us who claim to be spiritualist, sometimes don’t even have an aim at all, saying: “Whatever happens is going to happen”. Though in the spiritual field it tells us ‘hey, liberation, liberation’. You know, this neon light liberation is flashing her and there, here and there, but we ignore them. We see them, but we ignore them and say: ‘yeah, yeah we know they are there, it looks like Migdalos (??term 00:37:14). When we see those neon light signs we ignore them. We have seen so many things, and we have heard this liberation everywhere. And we don’t get it, we don’t connect. It becomes one of those commercial neon lights flashing.

00:38:20

And especially we don’t reject it, and we really don’t want to look in there. Because they are boring, and there is no vivid example. So that is the reason why we ignore them. But if you search, go around, we see all the neon lights on the Plein 1944, and then they all are the same, and also we don’t …. I mean we can search around Plein 1944 until the cows come home, you are not going to get anything. So, that is our problem. So the common with the.. that is, remember, why you have this lama-lha on your head, saying: “I and all mother sentient beings may we develop this interest for the liberation” and all of that. Always we seek with the prayer to backup with the lineage to support, and I think that is what is happening. So, when you look into the liberation, then the liberation says until you take interest in the liberation, I can do nothing. When you take interest to the liberation, I mean we can ask the liberation: How do I take interest in the liberation? Then they tell you: “You know your good deeds give you good and your bad deeds give you bad”. And we say: “Yes, I know that”. But then they say: “Your good deeds are done to get something better within Plein 1944”. And you never focused on going beyond that. So, you have to make your mind wanting to go beyond that. There are other good things too in Nijmegen. For example this one. Or a beautiful church, that is within the center, not within the Plein 1944 but..

00:43:07

So, anyway, this idea of going beyond, that means you focal point has to be taken out. You know why I say that? We had dinner last night on Plein 1944 so I see all the neon lights around. So, these lights draw your attention to this one, that one. That will keep on going until you leave. So that’s it. So, we have to move beyond. So, the attraction of your eyes should not be drawn by those lights. So, your mind takes over and guides and says: “let’s go”. So, the moment you have interest in going beyond, so every energy you put is for going beyond. So, work in there, common with the medium level is not keep running around in circles. Because there is nothing good in there. There may be a nightclub or a karaoke bar maybe there. But that will entertain you only a couple of hours. But after that, if you come out it may be raining, it may be dark. It may be anything, so don’t waste your energy and time here, get out. Put all your energy to move in that direction.

00:46:29

And then, by the way what makes me to sit here and run around in circles? It is my attraction. This attraction will draw you and will draw you back and will draw you back. And that is why the Buddhist teaching says: attachment is the glue to samsara. That I exactly what I think it is. And then within that attraction you also get angry. Right? If you are young you try to go there, try to get a drink and they won’t give you. So, you get angry. So, all kind of things: anger and hatred work together there. And they will even reinforce the attachment. And the attachment reinforces the anger/hatred. And if you look in your life, that is what is really happening with us. Every one of us in every level attachment draws our attention, pulls ourselves in that direction and we couldn’t get satisfaction, we get angry, we hate it, even if you get it. And what you think is there, is not there. And then you get dissatisfaction, anger again. So, this is how we go around, really. So, why are we doing this, what makes us even knowingly, do this? Because of the confusion, because of the addiction, because of the fear, because of the pride, all of them combined together. So that is the root. So, when you are seeking liberation, they introduce you this is the root, get rid of it. Alright, common with the medium level, we are supposed to know how to get rid of that.

00:51:01

Yesterday evening I did talk to you quite briefly about how this confusion comes in, how this ego-ignorance combination functions. We started saying: first I came, then my came, then my friend came, then my attachment came, I came, my came, my enemy came, the hatred came, so all of them you trace back, you trace back to the real culprit we have mentioned earlier. Actually, we say: “Get rid of it”, but actually there is nothing to get rid of either. What really you have to do is to bust it out, catch it red-handed and see it is not there. I think that is what it is. So, people will say: “Get rid of it, get rid of it” , but there is nothing really to get rid of. You really see it where I was confused, what is it.? And you really see it, that it is totally based on false perception. That is what I said yesterday: it is the perception, that is the object of negation, not what you perceive. I did a two day’s work on that in Chicago very recently. One day I spent just bla-bla-ing. The second day the day when it was supposed to finish, I did some work.

00:55:00

And I thought it was quite an easy way I did it, I really thought it was quite simple and easy. And I got the transcripts, I asked for transcripts, it came through Marianne, and I read to Carel and mr Houpperman, then to my own surprise it was so complicated, isn’t it? Don’t you think it is complicated? You know, when I was talking, it is so simple and easy, and when you read the transcripts it is very complicated. But it’s still not bad. Maybe you want some copies available with you, right? So that may help you, because I am trying to cover both the six paramitas and this together here. Okay. So, that is about up to the common with the medium level. If you really look in your life yourself, I hope you will see this. That will really make a difference in our lives. The rest won’t make that much difference: prayer will help, meditation will help, everything, generosity will help, dedication will help, morality will help, patience will help, enthusiasm will help, but there is nothing really to bite. This one should give you something to bite. And then you read on top of that, study everything, on top of this. So that will make a difference in your life. Making a difference in your life again is if you are shifting your interest and your goal. And that is making the difference. Not so much when you get up early, or when you get to bed early, or get to bed late, that doesn’t make that much difference. I am talking from the spiritual point of view. I guess that’s it.

00:59:20

Let’s put it this way: in the teachings of Buddha and the Buddha’s disciples traditions, there is two different points: there are a group of people, great scholars, great teachers, a group of them think that ultimately what a person can reach, you call it ultimate yana, ultimate vehicle, but it is not the yana or the vehicle, but they are looking at the ultimate level you can get, what can you achieve? And there are two different groups. One thinks there are three different levels of ultimate level. So, according to those, every yana, whether it is mahayana, prateykayana or sravakayana, whatever the three yanas wherever, they say each and every one of those yanas has five paths: the path of accumulation, the path of action, the path of seeing, the path of meditation and the path of no more learning.

01:02:17

You know that on the path of accumulation your major focus is to collect merit and to purify. So that also they divide in small, medium and big. That is from the accomplishment point of view. And then the path of action: the path of action is divided into four categories. I am not going to go into that detail, because it is going to take time, it is measured on the basis of… the example or metaphor they use is collecting heat from the wooden sticks. In a very old time, they made fire out of wood, they made these wooden sticks get together and rub them, so how much heat you can collect. You get first heat and then peak and then patience and then best of Dharma. Anyway, these are the four categories. The metaphor is: rub the sticks and see how much heat you can get. The first heat is heat, the then it becomes more heat, peak, and then you get much more heat, patience, and then you keep on doing it, and then you get the best of Dharma, the best fire you can get. That makes four levels. That is how you keep your hands warm.

01:05:32

Then the next is called the path of seeing. So what you are really seeing is you are seeing the true reality, the wisdom, which also has three. The preliminary, the actual direct seeing and the aftermath. So these are called path of seeing. Since you see, you become an extraordinary being, above that they are called aryas. Then the next path is called the path of meditation. You meditate. The path of meditation has nine stages, but it is also simple: big, small and medium. Small has three, big-small, medium-small and small-small Also, medium has three, it is very simple and the big one has small-big, medium-big and big-big. So that is the nine. Those are the layers of the spiritual levels. This is the same thing in sravakyana, prateykayana and buddhayana. They are all the same: the same name, the same division, they are all the same. So, in the mahayana, or the buddhayana, to confuse more, there is a thing called ten bhumis. Bhumis really means landlords one who owns the land

01:09:22

They begin at the middle of the path of seeing, the middle of the path of seeing and the first bhumi is equal and the same. Then it goes up one two, three four five six seven, eight, nine, ten it goes up to here. The ten bhumis cover the nine stages of meditation that come below the level of no more learning. And then the last path is no more learning, there is nothing to learn now, no more learning. It is the same for all three yanas. So that is why some people say: every no more learning is the ultimate you get: that’s it. So, no more learning also they divide into two categories: category one is with leftover and category two is without leftover. So with leftover means, when you become no more learning, on which body, like this body, this body is leftover of samsara. And when you have no more leftover, when you leave the body, then it becomes no leftover at all.

01:12:06

So now it is interesting to hear, I don’t know whether I should mention it. I can mention it. What happens is according to those who accept all yanas are the ultimate yana, the same. When you ask: “What happens when you leave this body?” They give you this big annihilation, you are no more there, completely gone. They give you the example of candlelight: when the wax is finished, then you have burnt out completely. They say ‘kan da lu..’(citation 01:13:29) By that time you completely dismantle your form, and when you dismantle your form then you dismantle your feeling, acknowledgement, recognition, mind, so thus you completely dismantle you five skandhas. So if I look at this, that is really what a lot of people are afraid of: annihilation. So, that is one of the reasons why the mahayana is different, and even greater. Because according to the Mahayana, ultimately every sentient being will become buddha. So don’t think of a sectarian stye of Buddhism and buddha, but here the idea of Buddha is total enlightenment, it is not that it has to be Buddhist buddha. They might not even call it buddha at all, who knows what it is called, but the level of that individual to that level.

01:15:55

So according to those mahayana, these theravadin level of the ultimate, then they say: “They think they have gone to annihilation, but no, they have not gone to annihilation, they have gone to picknick”. Then they say: “It is the job of buddhas and the bodhisattvas to disturb them, wake them up, call them and drag them out from the picknick spots and bring them back in life”. So it reminds me: you had heavy, quite heavy dope and you are asleep, and then you friends will come and wake you up, make a phone call, put you under a shower and bring you out of that. Don’t you do that? I presume they do. I never had the experience, I am sure many of you do.I suppose that is my presumption. Anyway, that is what they bring to the mahayana level. So ultimately they become a buddha. And when they come from this no more learning to the mahayana, you don’t start from here, but you go into the third path of seeing, that is how it goes. And then they go through again through these ten stages. When you come to the eleventh stage, then it is the buddha stage of the no more learning in mahayana that is buddha.

01:19:18

So, by developing the important points common with the lower and common with the medium level, we have accomplished some of our personal needs, but not yet completed. You have to take that ship from here, from that no more learning, from this picknick spot, you land over here, in this number three. So the advice they give us, the suggestion they give us, saying that: let’s not cut a river twice. You know, if you go to the hinayana path then you cut the river that way, ultimately you have to come to the mahayana level, you have to cut that river twice, so let’s not do that. So right from the beginning we focus towards the mahayana path. Right from the beginning we focus towards enlightenment. And that is why we call it common with the medium, common with the lower, common means you have to share, not share but, share is funny language, but it is necessary steps within that you a. Common with the lower is hinanyana, you have to have it, even if you go to the Mahayana, you have to have it. Like the American say: if you come to us, have to take. It is their territory, it is common with the hinayana territory, common with the lower is hinayana territory. If you talk about territory it is hinayana territory but you have to have it, even if you go to mahayana you have to have it and that is why you call it common.

01:23;32

So that is why they recommend it to right from the beginning go towards that. So we are now ready to go. Why? Because we are supposed to have established our purposes a little bit here. Now we got a new task. The task is: you cannot just walk away because you managed in your life, what about your friends,, the family, your spouse? The companions, all of them. So you got to bring them together, you just can’t go all by yourself, so it is important things you have to generate: bodhimind. So in mahayana level basically you have two outlines: how to develop bodhimind, actually you should say: development of the bodhimind, and after obtaining bodhimind, how you maintain it. Now first developing of the bodhimind. I would like to do slightly different today than usually what we do. Normal things they tell you: 7 stages of development and the exchange stage of development, that is normally how they present. So I would like to have it different, as point 1. I would like to have equanimity. Maybe let’s count that first. 2. Second is recognizing every living being as important to us as mother-being, and remembering the kindness, acknowledging the kindness. 3. And that is a separate one: especially acknowledging their kindness. 4.Then comes: special equality between me and others. 5.Then comes seeing the faults of self-cherishing, benefits of cherishing the other’s needs. Or maybe you see the quality of seeing other’s needs. 6. The next will be a little complicated. Actual exchanging, especially focused with compassion, and taking the sufferings of others. Okay. 7. The next one is giving specially focused with the love, wishing joy. 8. Then special mind of commitment. 9.Then actual development of seeking buddhahood. So, let’s see: how many steps do we have? Eleven. Without the equanimity.

01:34:20

Marion: Equanimity is also counted as one step?

Rimpoche: Yes. That is eleven, right? Normally we will do the teaching on 7 stages or exchange stage or 7 stages and exchange stage together, but we always say this is Tsongkhapa’s special way of developing in eleven stages. Which is the essence of ..now you know, those of you being for a number of years in studying this may have a little easier to pick this up, and those of you who are new will have a little difficulty picking this up. But I would like you to pick this up. So now the first come: equanimity. There are a number of different equanimities. Two days ago we said even the word equanimity is a very strange word in English, in Dutch you don’t have that problem, I was told that. Maybe the Dutch is more connected to the Latin, is it? But there are, when you say “I wish all sentient beings remain in equanimity”, in equality, whatever words you use, but actually you have to look, there are four different layers of equanimity.

01:37:53

Actually, not only for the equanimity, for all of those I would like you to very carefully read the transcripts of Lojong, for which I did a teaching in New York for quite a long time actually. Each of these points has been very carefully dealt with. So the 7 points of Lojong New York transcripts I would like you to read carefully.

01:40:03

Here truly generating bodhimind with a combination of 7 stages and exchange. So I have been making jokes for a while about seven-eleven, open 24 hours. You may be thinking Seven-eleven, the shop, but it is not, it is this seven, eleven (stages), it is open 24 hours. You don’t have to earmark time separately to meditate them. And you think about that every day, every time. Every part of your life, when you are talking, joking, watching movies, television, listening to the news, teaching, listening to the teaching, alle these will be go with this. That is why 7-11, open 24 hours. Okay, so even if you look at those transcripts I would say: out of the four immeasurables, when you say may everyone be equal, that is that layer of equanimity, when you say 7 stage development of bodhimind, when you talk about equanimity, they talk about this equanimity, when you say exchange stage, you are talking about this type of equanimity, like that is there in these transcripts. Just read it, a couple of times, that portion only, and sort of apprehend it, know exactly what is in there. Then think about it, that means it is meditation, don’t forget lama lha up there. That is the one focus of the equanimity.

01:44:17

Then recognizing mother beings, there is not that much difference. Between the general and this specific thing there is not so much difference. Mother becomes important subject in our relationship. It is not that our mothers irritate us, there is something we cannot replace with anyone. That is: carrying ourselves in her our own body for months and months, and treating us as the most precious thing that ever existed for years. And the love that a mother gives to the children for years, thereafter and the years to go. This cannot be replaced by anyone, the father, the girlfriend, the boyfriend, no one can replace that. I tried to do that, honestly because a lot of people don’t like their mother. But there is something they cannot do, that is A. the carrying in herself, and B. the love she gives. And even when the mother is angry with you, she won’t talk to you, but her love to her children, if we look from the mother’s window, it is a big difference. If we look from our window, if we look up to the mother, and then: who cares. But if you are a mother, and you look down to your children, no matter whatever that child does, I don’t care, or he/she is the naughtiest person in the world.

01:49:08

As you can hear in here, Osama Bin Laden’s mother refuse to give her DNA sample and she prevents any of the siblings to give it. So it shows you, even if your son is Osama Bin Laden, even then the mother’s love and care has not changed. And we have one American Taliban guy, a crazy guy, John Walker. Even his mother would not give him up, you know that. He has been acting crazy and he has been found in Afghanistan. It is funny, his parents happen to be quite wealthy ones. The mother had lawyers flying to Afghanistan and to the army base camps in the ocean, it is almost like O.J. Simpsons, they have lawyers set up now. She even forced Bush to say he consents that American citizens are tried in a civil court, not in a military court.

01:51:53

So this is the mother’s love to the children. This is the example. And the small if you look: if you find your kid is suffering somewhere, you do everything, you don’t mind, even if you crash or die, go and protect my child. That is only the mothers know, we don’t. You and I will never know. I know about it a little bit. You know a little bit? Yes you see it, you feel it, but you never know, because that is something the mothers carry, I really looked in there. Perhaps Naomi can tell you more, kidding. Okay, because you know the mother was.. the subject of the mother business is a little difficult. A big difference when you look as a mother at your kids, or if you look as yourself to your mother. It is not that fathers don’t care, they do care. They do a lot. They do almost everything they can. Carel thinks it is is because of the biological connection, but I don’t think the mothers alone have produced the kids. Maybe a special mother alone produces… anyway, that is there, that is really something, whether it is biological or whatever it is. It is not attachment. It is really caring. One of the Kadampa lamas was doing some sort of circumambulation around a stupa. And one woman approached him: “How does this bodhimind feel? And he replied: “However you feel about Toloco (that is her son’s name), bodhimind feels that way to all”.