Archive Result

Soundfile 20030313GRNYOTF

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location New York

Topic Odyssey to Freedom

Transcriber Glenn Powers

Date 2021-07-09

So, this is working. Okay. So, [Tibetan] 0:00:29.4 I just said, this will be like a gold solution, sort of made every metal into the gold. I think that’s all I explained, right? Then I might have said it’s not just gold plating, but really changing into gold and blah blah blah. But, when I do this, you know, I’m noticing, I notice that I do a lot of disservice, it’s very funny, you know very funny. Not funny, but I think it is reality here. It is reality here. When we try to give so many important points together, with small little explanation, then it has been noticed, it just been noticed. They said it’s like gold solution. That’s about it. It’s like gold plating, and it change it and that’s all you get. It’s little funny for me. What really helps, it is funny, what really does is, not to this group, this group has been for awhile, mostly I’m noticing in the American, for that matter any Western society, for that matter, even Asians, too, what happens is if you try to give lot of messages, sort of loaded messages, it doesn’t do any good. Somehow, people don’t get it. And if you give a tiny little message, try to talk that into detail, then people did get. They say, it is clear, I got the message, I got the picture, I got the impression, that’s what I’m noticing. So, when I’m sitting here, while you people are saying the prayers, I’m also saying the prayers, but I’m not thinking, my mind, I’m not thinking with OM MANI PADME HUNG and OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA, but I’m thinking what I did last week and what I did with the weekend. So, weekend in Detroit, there’s a church there. It’s called Church of Today, and they change into Renaissance Unity or something. They wanted me to do the Sunday sermon for that. And, I did it. There’s 2,000 people. I did twice. And so, like one time about 900 and the other time was 1,200 or 1,300. Did twice. And I’m in such a habit I can’t give the one talk twice, that would be silliest thing to do for me. So, everybody over there is so used to it, you repeat the same talk. I did first talk on the what is really spiritual. I came out with open mind, whatever I think is right and whatever I thought is wrong. So, I came out with out. Keeping in mind the large audience is sort of more or less, it is all new agey type of people. You know. Keeping that mind. So, I did give what I really think what is spiritual. The second part, when all this music and singing goes, then time for me to speak. I’m thinking, what I’m going to talk. So, I talk about faith. That is faith. Yeah, it is faith I talk about. The message which I give is this much, but I explained it and give examples and everything. It worked extremely well with the people. They’re happy. I was told, even my gesture repeating thereafter by so many people in the different restaurants in that area. I was saying there is hook of compassion by all the enlightened beings throwing, but we will not provide the faith ring, ring of faith. And the hook may be, you know the lasso may be whipping everywhere, but there’s no place to hook. So, that sort of thing gets message across. So, then I’m sitting here and thinking and I give that one verse of Tsongkhapa, such loaded with information, in about 40 minutes or maybe hour, 40 minutes. So, I have done disservice for you. That’s what I really thought. I try to remember the verse. I’m still not getting it. I get half of the verse, but the first word I don’t remember. [..] Does anybody have Lines of Experience with you? [..] Anyway, I said bodhichitta, bodhichitta, or bodhimind. The bodhimind is the most powerful for purification. I said that, right? You people heard that. But, I don’t think you got it. You know, you didn’t get it. Let me try here again today. 0:07:51.2

There is a great Indian master called Asanga. Many of you know who Asanga is. Nagajuna and Asanga are the two outstanding, they call it, forerunners. What does that mean? Somebody who goes before. Somebody who makes the road, somebody who opens the path. So, somebody who runs in front. Is that right? That’s what it is. Nagajuna and Asanga are considered the most outstanding Mahayana masters. Actually, there eight of them. Eight of them. Six of them called six excellents and two of them called two outstanding. Six plus two is equal, plus Buddha, makes nine Thangkas, set of nine. We used to have them here. Now, it’s missing. There’s only one here. Nagajuna is here. Maybe that is Asanga. Others are not here. [..] I got them as gift from Tibet. The guy painted this is class fellow of mine in Tibet. He painted and then they have made this into poster cards and then poster made into thangka. So, it came over here and I left here and now it’s all gone. Maybe they’re outside there. I think one or two I saw in Ann Arobr, even. I don’t know what happens. So, anyway eight are set. Out of those, Asanga. Asanga, you know, the story goes like this, Asanga could not satisfied whatever he had learned. And he was looking for teacher who can teach him better than what he knows. He sort of become, what you call it, he knows his more than his teachers are teaching him. So, he’s not satisfied. He was looking for. He’s looking for prajnaparamita or transcendental teachings. So, he know it is the Maitreya Buddha that he need to contact. HE had to learn from Maitreya Buddha. So, he tried to come closer to Maitreya Buddha, try to talk to him, learn him. So, what he did is retreat. He did retreat for 12 years. 12 years. And every 3rd year he got fed up. At end of every third year, he said that’s enough, I’m going. He leaves. He get one or another incident, he sees. If I remember correctly, one time he was going, he saw an old man having a little piece of cloth, rubbing a big, steel beam. He keep on rubbing it. So, Asanga said what are you doing? He says I”m trying to make needles out of this. Needles out of this. Asanga thought for a minute. This old man, rubbing this huge steel beam with soft cloth, trying to make needles. What did I do? I just spent three and got fed up. No, I’m wrong. I did not have diligent enough. So, I must go back. So, he went back. 0:12:23.9

So, one time he came down, the bird flew flew through a rock and the feather of the bird had cut the rocks quite big. So, he begins to look at it. He said, oh my god, soft feather of bird just touching slightly there and goes up to this big gap cut into the rock. So, my diligent is not enough. So, he went back. Third incident I don’t even remember. He went back three times. At the end of the 12th he’s totally got it now, that’s end of it, no more. He’s getting end of the rope. He leaves and he saw a wounded female dog. The top part of the body is okay. The lower is part is completely wounded, not only wounded, there are worms on her flesh. Yet, she is still up there and barking. So, Asanga thought, felt such a compassion, what to do, how do I save this? Do I save the dog and let the worms die or do I let the worms eat the dog and let the dog die? Or, what should I do? So, he had such a powerful compassion, which forced him to cut piece of flesh from his own thigh and took that and when he tried to pick the worms, and he’s afraid he’s going to smash the worms. So, finally, he had no alternative but he want to pick up the worms by his tongue. So, he closed his eyes and put his tongue out, try to pick up those worms. Has to put on that put on that piece of meat that he cut from his own thigh. Keep on going. He went quite far away. His tongue doesn’t reach the dog or the worm. So, he opened his eyes. The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Maitreya Buddha standing there. No dog. No worms. No wound. Maitreya Buddha standing there. And then first thing what he did was complain, how uncompassionate you are. I spend 12 years doing nothing and praying and doing this and that. Maitreya Buddha says I was there the day when you went in, I was standing in front of you, you even throw the waste on my body and all this. He said you started throwing, what you call those, slivers, and all this on my hand over here. And all that. 0:16:39.1

But, because of your negative karma, your negativities, even I’m standing right in front of you, but even then you could not see me. But, your compassion on this dog, what you saw it and the worms, made to cut your negativities much more than 12 years of your life putting inside this cave. That’s why you be able to see me today. So, this are the historical facts. Not Hindu-Buddhist mythological stories. And that’s where this prajnaparamita or transcendental teachings are coming out in both Hindu and Buddhist traditions, they are coming out from there, Maitreya. The Buddhists have made into Buddhist texts, but that’s what it is. All the transcendental teachings are coming from Maitreya. Asanga is the one who picked it up. And that’s what it ment, how it is perfect purification. Not just because he cut piece of flesh, but because he’s been able to do that. He’s been willing to put his tongue out, pick those worms. And willing to put on piece of his flesh, his own flesh. That much powerful compassion, achieved him more result and that of 12 years sitting in the cave. That is what it meant, it is better purification. So, when I tell you that story, along with that, the message what you get are that’s better purification you get better than I simple say, this is best for purification. So, I’m sitting there, saying I didn’t say that. I did not tell you that message together. There’s a zillion different stories of such I can bring it together, but I just remember Asanga thing. So, that is how the bodhimind or compassion, the ultimate, unlimited, unconditioned compassion makes the difference for purification. This is the why it is better purification than simply sitting in cave, maybe saying one zillion Vajrasattva recitations. Not 100,000, but one zillion Vajrasattva recitations. This is better. That’s why. So, I’m sitting there and I did disservice for you by not sharing that. Simply try to finish whole Tsongkhapa’s line in that day. You know, try to, you touch, touch, touch little bit, fly through. So, it becomes like the flies going through, landed and flew, landed and flew, landed and fly. You make that nice. Landed, give gentle kiss, and move away. But, that may be doing disservice. So, that’s what it means, bodhisattva purify, the bodhimind works as purification. That is what happened to Asanga. And we are perhaps never going to be that level for the time being. At least, we will not be able to cut anything. So, that much compassion weak. 0:21:40.6

Now, the story what I shared to you, you may be having a mind, a second thought. Is it necessary to cut piece flesh out of my own body? Certainly not. As a matter of fact, in Buddhist tradition, by Buddha, all the violence are objected. Buddha never agrees with violence. It’s nonviolence. It is compassion, nonviolence. Compassion can never be a violence unless it is conservative compassion. That case is different. So, that’s what it is. Violence is rejected by [Tibetan] 0:22:47.0 So, when the Buddha gives the wrong teachings, Buddha referred to the wrong teachings, means teaching that makes the individual to burn your five fingers. There are traditions they tell you burn your five fingers. Good candlelight. And today, we’ll make that show off. I burned one finger as offering and we all say how great you are. You got to do it. People do it now. They are. You can’t say you did terrible. Because, the person already lost one finger. Said, I burned by finger for offering or something. There are people who does. I have seen it. I have seen it. I have talked to that person. I said, oh great. What else I can say? What a terrible thing you did? Lost a finger already, not going to get it back. But, I only hope that person will not preach the other burn who burned their fingers too. There are certain traditions today will teach you, you have to poke your fire on all your body parts. That is way how you become some certain vows been taking. In my personal opinion, this is personal, very private, very me, don’t ever blame Buddhism, but it is me, in my personal opinion, that’s not great at all. Not at all. In Buddha’s teaching, wherever you look, whatever you do, wherever you look, there is not a single violence. How can it be to obtain a Buddhist vow where you have to burn here, burn there, burn here. Maybe you burn your ears or fingers. And during the Buddha’s lifetime, there are finger burning business and jumping yourself on this… impaling yourself on that trident. Buddha mentioned clearly these are the violences, and I the gomtopa 0:25:30.4 hereby reject all this. Today, somewhere, some places, it becomes part of Buddhist vow taking. So, I do not know what happens. You know 2,600 anything can happen. So, it’s very nonviolence. But, if you have such a compassion, that compassion is capable of giving up certain parts of your body with your compassion. In that case, it’s different. Because, you remember, the Buddha himself, previous life, he had given the blood to a tiger family. That is because he did because of his compassion. When with compassion you does, you don’t feel the pain. I tell you that. Aryadewa 0:26:41.0 has given one ball of his eye to a person who begging his eyeball, he give without hesitation. So, he poke out one ball of eye, and it away, no regret, nothing. He was bound to be healed, at that time he looked back, what that person doing with my eyeball, the other eye looked. He saw the guy smashing the eyeball in between two stones and he regretted. When he regretted, the person who smashing happens to be Indra or Brahma or one of those Hindu-Buddhist mythological gods, who said I couldn’t heal you because you regretted. That’s too late. No pain, but when he see it wasting, he regret. When he’s giving, there’s no regret. That’s why the bodhisattva’s should not have nay regret. Or, any strings attached. I give you this, but you got to do this and this, that, that. You know, so you make them a puppet, with the string pulling. If that happens, it’s not generosity. 0:28:20.9

So, there are story that look like violence, but that is different. Then, person like you and me simply burning our finger as offering. I have seen a woman who had offered finger as butter lamp in Bodhiguya. She’s very proud of it. I say great, what else I can say. I say, oh, terrible what did you do? What the hell you think you’re doing it? So, he lost a finger already and I don’t wanted add up anything more. But, in my heart of heart, I was thinking what a stupid. What better fool than that be? You know. So, that happens. The violence is not a way of purification. Violence is not way of anything. You do not punish yourself. You don’t. You regret, you purify. You may maintain little hardship that you wanted to. That’s different. Very different than violence. The teachings will tell you do this, your teachers will tell you do this. You read, you want to do it, you feel it better if I sacrifice some piece of my body, it will be better for me. These are the wrong thoughts, wrong views. Wrong understandings. And it’s misleading. If you lead others in that direction, it is misleading, to me. 0:30:32.2

So, [Tibetan] 0:30:37.4 I wish I could remember the backwards. I’m not remembering today. The other day, I did remember. But, [Tibetan] 0:30:59.4 Ah, great. This particular mind, bodhimind, the compassion, the ultimate, unlimited, unconditioned compassion and love is the ground, ground on which the trees grow, ground on which the foods grow, the ground on which, I’m talking about Mahayana food. I’m not talking about genetically oriented remodified foods. I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about Mahayana food. Fruit will grow on that ground. That is the ground of a bodhimind. I said it is base the other day, I didn’t explain it is base again. [Tibetan] 0:31:56.0 Because it ground, without which you don’t grow. How can you grow food if there is no dirt? Yes, of course there is air plant, there’s plant which grows with air. [..] It is very rare cases. Normally, food is grown on the soil, right? It is correct. It is easier, it is better. It is give you more nutrition. It help you digest better. I don’t think brown rice will grow with air. Anyway, so like that, if there’s no bodhimind, there can be no purification of this type. There can be no accumulation of this type, accumulation of merit of this type. So, that’s why it’s ground. It is base. It is life. It is the backbone. It is the, whether you’re in life or you’re dead, it depends on whether you have the consciousness within, I almost said you have soul within, that is the point. Actually, it is soul. Theological point of the soul may different, but it is soul. I was watching, someone brought me a little video cassette, some guy, some Chirstian guy was complaining about Buddhists and Buddhists have no soul or something. So, he keeps on talking about it. It is BBC series of interview coming, it is what they call it, come home, those who left the Christian tradition to Buddhism and come home and that’s what it is all about it. And over there, they saying Buddha is watching inside, not watching outside. So, he doesn’t know what’s going on outside there. Some Christian practitioner been killed right in front of Buddhist mediator, might have happened in Japan or wherever. So, you know, the guy saying he been cut over here and blood is bleeding and Buddhist monk didn’t see it because he’s watching inside and he purposefully did not see it. So, that sort of thing there. It’s not Buddhist doesn’t have soul. 0:34:57.2

If you want to think that, it is soul. When you’re alive, you have soul. Soul is gone out of your body, you die. It is terminology to me. We like to call it consciousness. But, it’s not necessarily mind. The person, the being, yeah, you may not have soul, but you have being. So, if there’s no being inside, you can do nothing. Then, it is empty. It is like a mechanical, what call it, robots. It is mechanical thing. But, there is a person inside. It is the base which experience suffering. It is the person who experience the joy. It is the person who make decision. It is person, it is the base on which you grow, spiritually or physically or mentally or even emotionally. That is the base. When that base is not there, then there is nothing. I did accept and I still do accept the artificial intelligence. I’m sure it can work. But, I’m sure artificial intelligence will work with consciousness and being inside. But, I don’t accept Ray Kazwell 0:36:49.6 says, I’m going to capture the consciousness and locked in my computer and then it will work. I don’t think you will capture any consciousness. So, if you try to capture consciousness, you will be wild goose chasing. That’s what you’re going to be. But, when the conditions right, the consciousness will enter in the right condition. Of course, this is a controversial statement I’m making. Even among the Buddhists. I’m very much aware of what Dharmakitti says. [Tibetan] 0:37:41.4 No consciousness will never a cause of consciousness. I’m aware of that. But still, when the conditions are right, it will materialize. [Tibetan] 0:37:56.1

When the conditions are right, when the time is right, it’s bound to happen. The result is bound to happen when you provide the conditions of a nonhuman being condition. When it is all right, there going to be a consciousness enter in that. There will be artificial intelligence. But, may or may not be artificial. That’s questionable. But, it will be. That’s what I think. Because of Buddha’s word saying, when the conditions are right, it will materialize. Though, it may be, you know, nonconsciousness may not become cause of conscious. But, it’s there. Still, that’s what I think it should be. 0:39:13.1

So, when you have, then you have base in which you can work. We know. It is bodhimind is like that. It provide us the ground. Ground on which it can grow. Otherwise, it be disconnect. It will be groundless. We all say, we like to become a buddha. That’s if you are following Mahayana path. That’s what they say. Why do I have to become buddha, do I know? Why the buddhahood is my goal, why? You know, I still cannot forget when I’m first meeting in New York, she’s around, she still sends pledges to Jewel Heart. That is the African-American lady called Louis. And you know, one day, up in Long Island, she asked, she’s very senior now, so she can’t come in the evening. She said I don’t see it and can’t manage. But, when we’re meeting in daytime, she came here the other day, a few months ago. So, she asked me one day, how is buddhahood look like? That was the beginning, she said. What does buddhahood mean? How it look like? I was walking with her. And then, I said, it is almost like in the Western culture you talk about god. And she thought for a while and walked up with me. She stopped for awhile, walking with me. She said, Rimpoche. I said what. If buddha is god, if god is buddha, I’m not interested to become god. She’s right. Perfectly right. I’m not interested, she said. Why should I become god, why should I become a buddha? It is really important. Because, the aspiration to become a buddha is not relevant for us at all. What is relevant for us is freeing from the suffering. I don’t want pain, I have enough of suffering, how do I get out? That is our goal, that is our purpose, that’s what we are seeking. No matter whatever we try to be. Holy, whatever we do. But, really truly relevant question is what I’m doing all this for? Yeah, you may say, I like to do that for benefit of all beings. Forget it. We do that very often. It is excuse. Somebody telling me today, in the afternoon, somebody said, asked somebody, why you having all these people doing nothing and sitting in your basement. They are working hard for benefit of all beings. 0:43:12.3

Woo, woo, woo, I go away from you for awhile. So, that’s what it is. For the benefit of all beings is very word, very good. But, what do we do to benefit all beings? Nothing but create war. That’s what benefit of all beings we do. So, we really don’t do anything. We just sit there, saying for the benefit of all beings. Even us, among ourself, may all beings have happiness. Some people may be thinking maybe wishing, that’s good enough. But some people may just be saying, may all beings have happiness. So, then it’s nothing. I have different story for happiness, but I won’t share here. Do you remember the story? Steve Kronenburg’s story. [..] Okay. So, we have to be relevant for seeking buddhahood. That ground is provided by the bodhimind. [Tibetan] 0:44:47.9 That’s why it’s ground. That’s why it’s base. That’s why it is foundation. Otherwise, it is not relevant. There’s no reason why I have to become a buddha. For what? Am I seeking some title or some extraordinary stage? It’s not. It is the bodhimind, the ultimate love and compassion and care for people makes you do something. When you find you don’t know what to do, then you need the total knowledge. That’s why it’s necessary. I was talking with another friend in the afternoon. When I encounter with the difficulties with the people and emotional difficulties especially, I love to run away. Definitely, the best thing what I do is run around as fast as I can go. That’s what I like to do. Then, on the other hand, you have to look back to that person, oh my god, what’s he doing, how much suffering. You go back and pat on the head and say you are sunshine, you are rainwater, don’t feel bad. And you go away, and you have to look back, you can’t leave, no reason why, but somehow that’s what happens. That is the ground. That is the bodhimind does that. No reason why. You say have to do it. And it makes you, almost doesn’t care for yourself, but really care for the others. Even a message that you want to deliver, but you really feel like delivering the message, because you carry the message with you and open your heart, deposit in that. That’s what one feels one has to do that. That is provided by basis coming out of bodhimind. With bodhimind, buddhahood is relevant. Without bodhimind, buddhahood is not relevant. My goal will be limited. I am free and I am happy and I have joy, that ends my goal here. [..] 0:47:45.9

So, that’s the first verse. [Tibetan] 0:48:06.9 That’s why it’s ground. Right? Did I do little better service to you than last time. Last time, I went superficially. Then you know, sitting here and thinking those counters. It was loaded message, you know that was. The faith is not loaded message. It just faith and it works. So, that’s what it is. [Tibetan] 0:48:48.5 It is the treasure. You know this Alibaba story, Alibaba with the 40 thiefs, right? So, Alibaba [..] I know the Hindi side. So, thief or not thief, what treasure really means. If you have not a huge accumulation, you don’t call treasure, treasury. If you have ten dollars, you can’t call it my treasury. Can you? Some people may do, but it’s not. It’s nothing. So that’s the, each one of those verses, it carries tremendous message. That message is relevant to the bodhimind. That bodhimind that we wanted, because we want the compassion. We want the love. You know it, you want it. I know it, we all want it. Because we don’t want to be conservative compassion. Did you hear me? We want to be real compassionate person. Human life means something for us. It is not just game for to toss up in the air. It means something. We care. We do. We do want compassion. If I say, is there anybody who don’t want compassion here today, raise your hand. I’m sure I’m not going to see any hand, except somebody may joke. We make jokes. I see a couple of joking hands up. Me too. So, but really it’s not going to be. And if we do seek love and compassion, then we have to seek the best love and best compassion. We’re not going to settle for less then best. That is bodhimind. The feelings of the bodhisattvas are totally different than average people. The feelings, the attitude of the bodhisattvas are totally different than the average person. Bodhisattvas are not crazy. It’s not really, really not crazy. We have one bodhisattva in Ann Arbor. Bodhisattva John, he call himself Bodhisattva John. He is slightly off. 0:52:27.3

Last Tuesday, he came in and there’s lot of people and he wanted to have chair right in front. Someone obliged and put in chair and he sat there and kept on doing things like that. Whatever he is doing. So, that’s what I think bodhimind does. I give you the purification part quite clearly. So, before we really talk about the development of the bodhimind, we need to know, what is bodhimind. That is also very important. How difficult it is. It is very difficult to develop. Honestly. It is easy for me to talk about bodhimind. You can talk about it. You can talk about everything except total enlightenment because we have no knowledge whatsoever, that’s why we can’t talk. We have no idea what is total enlightenment all about it. Except all knowing, everything. Everything is like putting a glass in your palm and you see through glass and everything, relative, absolute, everything together. Doesn’t mean anything. It means blah blah blah. I remember something very funny. Very interesting, you know. Late Lama Yeshe, who up in Dharmasala, having Kaybje Song Rimpoche 0:54:11.7 and giving a teaching in what they call it, enlightenment experience. They been having that for like 30 years from all parts of the, from almost every part of the world, they bring a number of people in Dharmasala, Nepala and all that. They been doing that. Kaybje Song Rimpoche was giving a teaching on the Huerka body mandala and so he’s talking about this mandala dimension. So he’s saying this measurement from here to here, according to the measurement of the deity’s this side, that much, three goes here, ten goes there. Like three or four days, it keeps on going. One day, Lama Yeshe told me, so put one brick here, one brick there. It doesn’t make any sense, what should I do? So, then he had interesting, Lama Yeshe is very different. You know. He had idea, he got group of tantric college monks and he had small little mandala built in the courtyard of Tushita in Dharmasala. So, little bricks, put them together. And then this measurement of Song Rimpoche talking for three days what translated into inches and yards and all that and they put up that. It’s not that nice. But, some idea is there. So, it’s like that. It has to get some idea. Bodhimind is great, so what. What do I have to do with that? But, we need to see the relevant for us. And we also need to see what is all about it. And we need to see how difficult it is. If you know what bodhimind is from the word point of view, if you have the wisdom that understand the bodhimind followed by the explaination of bodhimind, then you will know how difficult it is. Bodhimind is mind that totally, totally, not 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, not 999.9%, but totally, 130% totally dedicated, altruistic, get that picture. Totally, I care for you, totally. You, in the sense, you the all sentient beings. Not you, a person. Not you, couple of family members. But, not you the fellow countrymen, it is all sentient beings. And that, itself, we loose the comprehension. When you say I care for you, it makes sense to us. When we says I care for you all, our projection will be a few family members. Beyond that, it’s very difficult. Not only that, if you twist it around, I care for you tell yourself, no, no, no. I don’t care for that. For me, it’s okay. Everything is fine. So, we don’t. So, the compassion really is totally caring for everybody. With no exception, including ourself. That is almost impossible for us. Almost impossible.

0:58:56.0

I remember a story here, the founder of the Dupa Kagyu 0:59:02.1 tradition, he’s called Dupa Coonlup 0:59:08.3 He’s a little crazy guy. Look like crazy. Coonlup means reach everywhere, gets everywhere, he’s everywhere. So, challenges everybody. He’s great guy. Founder of Dupa Kagyu tradition. For the Kagyu there’s sixteen of them. So, Dupa Coonlup is one of them, founder of Dupa Kagyu. He’s so crazy, you know the great Skaya Pandita, the great Skaya Pandita is also very proud of himself. So, he writes sometimes, he’s great poet. Whenever he goes certain places, he put up some poetry he writes, put it outside, in public. So he wrote that, saying [Tibetan] 1:00:12.6 If I went to the upper part of Tibet, it is only I, the Sakya Pandita, so the Dupa Coonlup came around and he look around. He used one SEPJU, underneath the NGA. So, then you read it, [Tibetan] 1:00:34.0 If you go to the upper part of Tibet, Sakya Pandita cries, if you goes lower part of Tibet, Skaya Pandita cries. So, Dupa Coonlup wnet and put all these u’s underneath. So, that’s Dupa Coonlup. And also, very interesting, very great guy. One woman died, one old woman in Lhasa died, and she had great, very, very good quality turquoise on her head. Just before she died, she took out that from her hair and told her family, give this to Dupa Coonlup, crazy and pray for me. So, the family switched the turquoise and went different turquoise give to Coonlup, he look at it. Is this turquoise? He throw it in the sewage system. Throw it out. And, he says that’s not the one. Give me the other one. So, finally they him the correct turquoise. And he throw the turquoise at the back like that [Tibetan] 1:01:55.4 He said, the small turquoise goes and that little thing he carries at the back, where he put his arrows. The small turquoise goes in there, the old lady will go to liberation. That’s Dupa Coonlup. They are great beings. What do I want to tell the Dupa Coonlup story. [..] Care for everyone, that’s right. Dupa Coonlup does care for everyone, he really does. 1:02:40.4

But, then he behaves in that way. I still don’t remember why I want to talk the Dupa Coonlup story. [..] And now, I lost my thought train. Sorry about it. [..] But, I don’t make it relevant here. Why did I come to the Dupa Coonlup story. [..] I can’t find my thoughts today, they are gone. They are taken away by thief called forgetness. It is thieve that took it. [..] What that was my original. So, how difficult to get the total altruistic mind is how difficult. If we can see from our how much we care for this and that. From that angle, we can see how difficult it is. When there is enough caring, when there is sense enough urgency, when you see that, then there is necessary of total knowledge, which I said earlier. So, the total dedication and seeing the handicap of one cannot do, one doesn’t have enough to do, lack of the method. Lack of the method when it comes. Then, you see the relevant of the buddhahood, because that is total knowledge. So, you have total knowledge. That is how it works. That is bodhimind. [Tibetan] 1:05:05.8 Maitreya Buddha said, bodhimind is seeking buddhahood for the benefit of others. Double pronged mind, seeking bodhimind and total dedication. That is bodhimind. I don’t know, maybe I’m going too fast. But, that’s what it is. That will be the goal for our next couple of Thursdays to talk about it. I guess I got to stop here, unless some people have urgent questions or something. Yeah?

Audience: I think I’m caught in some kind of circular logic. Last time you emphasized for a boddhisattva throwing a scrap to a dog is a more valuable than years of practice of someone who doesn’t have bodhimind. Without that, you’re not really doing Mahayana practice. So, I wonder to myself, am I a Mahayana practitioner? Because, I really don’t have bodhimind. So, I’m caught.

Rimpoche: Well, there’s nothing to caught. If you don’t have bodhimind, you don’t have bodhimind. It’s nothing wrong. Lot of us don’t have it. We think we don’t, but we don’t.

Audience: But, you’re still in the process of trying to develop it.

Rimpoche: Yeah, so what. What’s wrong with it?

Audience: Is your practice still valuable?

Rimpoche: Sure. No question.

Audience: Without the ground?

Rimpoche: That’s right. We try to establish the ground. So that’s why this layers, common with lower level, common with the medium level and Mahayana. We are talking about Mahayana ground here. Okay? That’s what it is. Elizabeth?

Audience: [..]

Rimpoche: Don’t squeeze me here. Because my knowledge is very limited.

Audience: [..] 1:08:05.0

Rimpoche: If it’s full body, yes. If you just use a part, like kidney alone, I would not say that. It will. But, I really think it is.

Audience: [..]

Rimpoche: I’m quite sure it will. There may be retarded or whatever it is, for a while, then you keep on correcting it, and becoming better. That’s what I also think. Always think it’s a little dangerous. If you produce another one, it’s okay. But, if you started harvesting their organs, I think it is very dangerous. And, after little while, if you started producing a perfect, let’s say perfect, human beings. Not completely white. Not completely dark. Sort of nice little mixture. And maybe a couple of drops of Asain blood. Because, tigerwood looks great. 1:09:29.6 About six foot. Not not 5’ 5.5” like me. Or, that, if you produce that perfect, if you produce one, no problem. If you produce 100, no problem. But, if you have a society that have a perfect physical condition, no disease, especially. No diabetic, no cancer, nothing. That sort of special group of society, if you produce, then the human society which really exist will become inferior quality human beings. I’m a very funny person. I think that way. I watch, what you call it, science fiction. Today’s science fiction can become tomorrow’s reality. So, when you watch there, you see a group of nice human beings, with uniform living in some kind huge, nice, beautiful city, town, cottage, palace. And there’s a bunch of people who been hired under the ground, like sheep or a group of people was put under the ground. So, two type of human society. If that comes, it is very unethical. That’s what I think. Maybe I’m crazy. A number of people, I raised that issue with with a number of Tibetan teachers in India this time. Number of them. But, they all today me no, no, no you don’t have to worry about it. And I say why, see the Christian community is so strong and so powerful, they will stop it. That doesn’t answer my question, you know. It’s not my question at all. I think these are very important ethical issues we need to concern. I do worry about that. I don’t mind. I don’t mind if you produced a part of, organs, or something. I don’t think think just a kidney can have a consciousness or just a liver, if you can produce. But, if you produce total combination of the body as what we are, this is what naturally provided, human basis. If you copy it and make it as it is, it will be another person. Maybe retarded. Maybe vegetable. May a daikon radish. But, it will be a human being. That is my feeling. I don’t have proof. Biological thinking tells me that. Yes, 1:13:09.7

Audience: [..]

Rimopche: Very good question. It will be very compassionate to do. But, depends on the individual. The question is when the brain died, when you call it brain death, does the individual die at that time. Does the individual’s consciousness leave the body at that time. My answer for that is not likely. It will take a while to do. You can see it clearly. When Allen died here, you can very clearly see it. He’s still there. So, we been sort of, you know, telling going to move the body at twelve o’clock. The we postponed, 3, 5, 8, 9, and then finally 11, 11:30 at night we see it. When that happens, if you remove the parts of body at that time, I don’t know what happens. On the other hand, it is also funny. I never knew a Tibetan custom this time, when Dasily 1:15:03.4 died in India, I was there. All this astrology things and everything tells Monday morning 7 o’clock is the funeral. On Sunday, I had a feeling, it’s too early. So, I check. There’s no senior rimpoche that I can check. So, I checked with Parkla 1:15:26.5 in Dehli. When I was calling there, talk to his secretary and in about five minutes later they called back and saying, not today, but tomorrow is okay. So, I keep on, beside that there’s arrangement of huge group of monk from the Drepung monastery also coming to the funeral. They’re all there, waiting. 1:15:56.4

When we open it, it looks, when I opened the face, looks like she’s still in there. There’s a guy, local guy who does whatever that type of thing. He turned to me and he said, she’s in meditation. I said, I can see that. Then she told me, she said is she Vajrayogini practitioner? I said no. She said, oh I saw Vajrayogini practitioners do this. Then I said, well. He said, well. It is 7, it’s over, after 7 you have to remove. I said, with this condition? He said, I always do. And he went in there and he shouted. He shouted, huge voice, you are in meditation, please stop. Please come out. It is 7 o’clock. In Tibet. It’s time to burn. Please come out. I’m going to move. So, he caught here and pulled like that, and I saw the body bumped. Whole body bumped. And then suddenly, I saw the things coming out of it. Must be old Tibetan culture. This guy said I do that very often. I never knew you could do that. It’s sort of crazy guy. He started shouting, calling her name, and saying, I know you are in meditation. It’s time for you to go. It is 7 o’clock. It’s time for you to burn. It is burning time, shouting. It is 7 o’clock, three times. I’m going to move you body. Three times and third time he pull from here. So, I have no idea. I couldn’t ask any senior rimpoche who knows that. Maybe that they do all the time, who knows. Maybe in Tibetan villages they do that. Maybe. This is not a monk. But, a nice, crazy, interesting guy. He does the local things there all the time with everybody. So, I had him do whatever he wants to do. He said that’s what we do. For him, doesn’t even bother. 1:18:29.2

I have a little hesitation, but he sort of shouted three times. Even hear outside. Loud. Maybe. But, even then, she died on Saturday night, evening, Saturday evening, and then all Sunday and Monday morning. So, when this consciousness remains there, or in case you go in meditation, then somebody comes and removes your organs. Unless you like Aryadewa, who can throw eyeball without anything. Asagana, who can cut piece of thigh and close eyes and pick up the worms. That’s my reason. Andrea, and then I’m going to end it.

Audience: [..] 1:20:34.8

Rimpoche: Relevant is very much. But, I tell you where we draw the line. We draw the line when you don’t feel it. If you feel it, don’t loose your coat tonight, you’re going to feel it. Really, true. As long as you feel it, they you can’t do. When there’s no feeling, happy to do it, joy rather than pain, then you does. That’s the line is drawn there. That’s where the line drawn. Until then, if you do, then you don’t have compassion for yourself. That’s the way you draw the line. That’s simple. That’s not a problem.

Audience: [..]

Rimpoche: What I told you, two of them yes.

Audience: [..]

Rimpoche: Yes, that is true. Literally true.

Audience: [..]

Rimpoche: People here is not laughing at you. We’re not laughing at you.

Audience: [..]

Rimpoche: I don’t know about other dharma centers.

Audience: [..]

Rimpoche: I can assure you, people here not laughing at you. Thank you. I’m going to close here.

[dedication]

[end of audio]