Archive Result

Soundfile 20030403GRNYOTF

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location New York

Topic Odyssey to Freedom

Transcriber Glenn Powers

Date 2021-07-22

Thank you for being here tonight. [..] So, before we go to the subject what we should be talking tonight, I would like to say that tonight is the last Thursday before I go to Europe, travel to Europe and Asia. So, what are we going to do when I’m not here. What we do in usually in Ann Arbor and other places we do have different persons coming and talking and teaching and mostly the different person, the senior students. They do that in Ann Arbor. So, I made some arrangements, maybe it’s not been talked to those who are concerned, all of them yet. I did the same thing for Ann Arbor last Tuesday. So, here the original plan in the Jewel Heart New York was every other Thursday I’m supposed to be here. That’s what original plan. Put, since I’m never going to be here that much regular. So, whenever I can, I go continuously, every Thursday. When I’m missing, that’s how it’s been functioned. So, I would like to go back to the same system. I’ll be away for a few weeks. Almost up to the Sprint Retreat. So, you know Michelle has been so kind here, leading the meditation here. Both shamata and she’s changing the shamata into vipassana, real, true vipassana style. The subject what we’ve been talking, she’s getting in there. So, I haven’t talked to Michelle yet. I don’t think so. Unless Kathleen talked to her. But, I was hoping she will do that. And every other Thursday, which I think next will be April 10th, right. April 10th, Michelle will be here and she will do the mediation both ways she been doing. And then I have April 17th Mark McGill will be presenting on his own experience in his spiritual journal and particularly here in Jewel Heart. Then, next comes [..] John Hurley going to talk, presenting to her, she been long time, she been very long time, almost right from the beginning of New York thing. So, she going to share her experience. And then I have, next is May 1st, I think it is meditation, then comes May 8th, and I have Frank going to carry on the discussion. 0:05:15.9

Then, comes the presenting and discussion. Then, May 15th, is the meditation by Michelle. May 22nd Marty. Marty is going to talk exotic Tibetan Buddhism. Right? So, this is the, then comes the Spring Retreat. So, that is how me made plan. But, here in New York, a little bit better, I had Kathy contact a few people before I announce. In Ann Arbor, I had all brand new people, Tuesday, announce them every week. No one knew, just straight away made it. And I hope nobody will say I’m busy or I’m too, I don’t know what to say, or I have nothing to say, that type of normal, usual, rooting excuses. So, that’s how I plan to do that while I’m away. And also, each and everyone of you, I’m going to make this, your presentations we will 15-20 minutes. Not more than 20 minutes. And then, the reset of them are question and discussion. Question and discussion on your own practice. Doesn’t matter whatever you are doing. And don’t feel intimidated. Don’t feel I’m not going to get the answer, because the wisdom is with the sangha. And wisdom is not with me. Wisdom is with sangha. The sangha really have wisdom. You be big surprise how many people can share what wonderful things to contributions. So, I really want to make sure while Rimpoche is not here and what this other person going to say. I know better than that person. So, each and everyone of us will think that. But, that’s not true. There’s a wonderful, the of the quality. Maybe some are are not great, few of them might not be great speakers, but they share their own practice and they share their own developments. And there’s improvement or going backwards. Or, all of those. And then, the others, sangha, will share their wisdom. So, it will be very, very good and help you a lot on your journey. Journey what we call it, spiritual journey. Though, I’m supposed to talk, continue with the bodhimind, the other week did I say I will continue to talk or something? What did I say? [..] That’s it. Anyway. Okay. So, spiritual journey. So, that is interesting word. 0:09:13.6

Sometimes, I’m sure people wonder what is the spiritual journey. Who’s going where and what is it. And think it’s sometimes interesting to think that. A lot of people talk about the spiritual and specially New York City is a wonderful place, you have every different spiritual path. Wherever. Traditionally, if you look it in, traditionally look in Tilopa and Naropa and how much Naropa worked hard to find Tilopa. Tremendous struggle and all that. And then, Naropa found Tilopa, these are the earlier, earlier, earlier, Indian mahasiddhas. When Naropa found Tilopa, Tilopa did not come with credentials and recommendations and there’s no news, no articles, there’s no radio announcements, there’s no thing. Naropa found Tilopa some kind of crazy, old, man who are with saron standing on the bank of river, picking up the living fish from the river and shaking it and putting it in the mouth and eating, small ones, the bigger ones, bring them in and roasted on tiny little fire they make. Naropa couldn’t find Tilopa. He’s looking for Tilopa. When he said are Tilopa, he said yes, yes, yes. Are you not Tilopa, he said no, no, no, no. In that manner and found with great deal of difficulties and did not find that way, easy way. Likewise, when Marpa went to look for Naropa, those Naropa biography and Marpa’s biography all in English available, so you you people will know. So, it’s not that easy that way. Today is big different in New York City, you find all kind of spiritual teachings, centers, everything, you can pick and choose, it is advertised, you can just look in the Yellow Page and you’re going to find everything. So, it is in a way it is great thing. On the other hand, I don’t know whether that does good contribution to the individual or whatever it is. So, whatever it is, that’s what we are. But, the question really what I like to talk tonight is what is this thing called spiritual journey and who is the person who’s going and going where and what is over there and how do, what is my vehicle. How do I get over there? Do I have to walk, hitchhike, take a taxi, or whatever, what is the vehicle available. What it is. So, traditionally we call this she lam day. 0:13:46.9 It’s really she, base, fundamental foundation. Lam, path, methods, what do you do. Day stand for Daypo, which means result and what you’re going to get. What’s there. 0:14:13.0

So, those of you who speak Tibetan, you should know she lam day som. She, base. Lam, path. Day po, the result. So, when you’re looking at the spiritual path, you really have to look, what is the foundation? Foundation on which you are working, not the foundation of the spiritual path. So, always great path have great foundations. But, foundation on what you’re working, method on what you are going to apply and what is your hope of getting. These three things are, I think it’s fundamental importance. Otherwise, everything becomes superficial. Superficial because there’s nothing. Nothing really grounding ourself. What are you standing on? What is the foundation? So, in the Buddha’s teaching, the Buddha says [Tibetan] 0:15:41.9 So, the foundation is truth. We are standing on two truth. Right? Let me just go through a little bit. And the method what we apply is two, compassion and wisdom. The result, what we hoping to get, is two kayas, the Sanskrit word Rupakaya and Dharmakaya. Thank you, I forget. Rupakaya and dharmakaya. Meaning rupakaya is the physical aspects of the total enlightenment, dharamakaya means mental aspects of the total enlightenment. SO, that is where you are, where you’re going, through what means you going, and how you’re going to reach from here to there. That’s exactly what is it. When you have that foundation on which you’re standing and reasonable method, what you’re going to apply, and the result what you going to hope to gain and the method what you’re using is capable of delivering the goods. These are the basic, fundamental thing we always do. It is very good for us to say, hey I’m practicing lamrim, I’m practicing lojong, I’m practicing Dzogchen, I’m practicing what, mindfulness, vipassana, what is the other one, shamata, or I’m practicing compassion, or I’m practicing wisdom, to say this is very easy. But, if we don’t have totality of the whole thing, then we will, it might not be the path that Buddha recommends. Of course, you can be specialized on anything. But, then the specialization has to be connected to the totality of the practice because it is not just a single one. It is the total knowledge, total enlightenment is the result we are looking for the physical aspects of the total enlightenment and the mental aspects of the total enlightenment. 0:19:11.2

And how does this, you know this is very interesting, why we call it two truth is base. That’s what we have, we are and what we have is the relative truth and absolute truth. That’s what we are. We are there. Do we know it? Probably we know the relative truth. We may not know the absolute truth. But, that’s what we are. Absolute truth is also with us. Nothing other than ourself. Relative truth is us. That’s what we have. By using wisdom and compassion, you try to make this relative truth path is into a, well not exactly, but, almost into a rupakaya or the physical aspects of the total enlightenment and absolute truth is through the wisdom, into a mental aspects of total enlightenment. That’s where we are. We are changing for this through this two ways. That’s basically total Buddha’s teaching is based on that. And when that is not completed or it is not focused or it is not our theme or aim. Then, from the Buddhist point of view, then that particular path whatever we are talking becomes questionable because base, path and result. These are the really sort of Buddhism 101. Even practitioners, we say I’m practicing. What are you practicing? What are you trying to do? Try to make my present situation status, whatever we have, basis of this two truth. It’s changing them into a result level thing. Dharmakaya and rupakaya or the physical aspects and mental aspects of total enlightenment. That’s what we’re practicing. We are not practicing how to say prayers, we are not practicing how to say mantras, we are not even practicing how to concentrate and focus and meditate. Really, true practice is changing this present. Now, I make a little sophisticated in this. The present level of the truth what we are exposed is, is the relative truth and that is contaminated relative truth. And changing that contaminated relative truth into uncontaminated truth, into that. When you get to the level of the total result level, it is totally uncontaminated. 0:23:11.6

And, when we are here, this is contaminated. Am I making you more confused then clarifying? I hope not. Could be. Could very well be. You know. [..] Yeah, it’s really. What makes contaminated and uncontaminated? There’s a lot of things. But, according to this [Tibetan] 0:24:05.1 Okay, forget it. So, I don’t want to bring Barsu Bundu’s 0:24:11.6 metaphysical texts here. So, what really contaminated and uncontaminated is really lies on, it is when it’s totally influenced by attachment and obsession, then it is contaminated and when you get free of it, it is uncontaminated. You can take it that, temporarily for your own personal use and practice. If you’re going to write it, you’re wrong. If you’re going to teach it, you’re wrong. Theoretically, this is not right. But, for your own understanding, that’s what it is. Okay? Theoretically, it’s not right. I have to say it because I turned it that way. If I’m not turned in that way, I won’t even say it, you just go through. So, when there is attachment, obsession influence, then it becomes sticky stuff. I used to say the difference between attachment and pure love is sticky or non-sticky. The sticky stuff, it really means it’s contaminated. So, what does the spiritual practitioner hope to get is that two, from the Buddhist point of view, totally, from the Mahayana point of view, that also Mahayana only. Because, in Theravadan level, they will not talk this. Though, it’s same principle. Even arhats have physical aspects of the arhat and mental aspects of the arhat. The physical aspects of the arhat is with and without leftover. With and without, two. So, looks like I’m talking philosophy tonight. Anyway, with and without leftover. With means arhat with body. The body is part of first noble truth. And that’s why it’s suffering. So, the first level of the arhat is with body. We call lachen naday 0:26:45.3 with leftover. Without leftover, when they leave the body and then it becomes langmen naday, 0:26:57.9 without leftoever. These are the Theravadan principles. [Tibetan] 0:27:16.3 They said it’s just like the candle light gone, with wax is gone, the candle light is gone. So, when that level becomes, it almost talking the person disappeared. There’s no leftover arhat. So, that is the Theravadan level. Though, it is same principle. We’re not talking at the Theravadan level. We are talking Mahayana point. In Mahayana point, the result is total enlightenment. It’s total enlightenement. Please remember total enlightenment. Total enlightenment is total knowledge, not a total nothing. I think there’s a big difference between not completely disappeared, dismantled, that becomes total nothing. Total enlightenement is total knowledge, total awareness, total alertness. Knowing everything simultaneously, it’s unimaginable, unthinkable for our level. Total knowledge of past, present and future. 0:28:46.5

Even the future may change, the changing should know and changing is seeing it and final result is seeing with total enlightenment. That’s why buddhahood is not an easy stuff. It is unimaginable stuff. Really. That is the aim for a, what Buddha introduced, spiritual path. That is the result the Buddha give. Not only knowledge on mind, sometimes people thinks total knowledge is when you think about it, you will know, when you don’t think about it, you don’t know. That is wrong. Total knowledge is whether you think or you don’t think, it is the totally knowing, everything at all times. Traditional example given is so funny. I’m sorry to say so funny now. Nowadays, it becomes funny. You know, the traditional example given is this transparent fruit, when you put on your palm, when you look through, you will see the fruit and you will see your palm writings. Writings on your palm. That’s they give as example, which obviously, there’s no glasses. At that time, they may not have glasses. If there’s glass, you can put the glass over here, you can simply say, just like you’re putting glass on your forehead and you will see through the glass all the readings. Right? So, why they have to go and say transparent fruit which is so difficult. Makes even more confusing. Anyway, the idea is like looking through a glass. When you look through the glasses and you will have the glasses and you will see whatever you’re reading and total knowledge is like that. For that person, all the time, all the time. It’s not single, simple picked it up, and on and off switch around, no. That shows the capacity of mind. Capacity of mind. The mind does not really limit, it’s limitless. The mind can known that much. The know is the thing. I’m not trying to make you scholar, but known is the thing. If you don’t know, then you don’t know what to do with it. Anything you deal with, you have to know first. You don’t have to be scholar, but you have to know. 0:32:11.8

If you do something which you don’t know what you’re doing, then you’re fool. Really true. Really true. There are, I was talking with my bother, who came from Tibet, you know, just few weeks ago. HE was saying people who are teaching there and so-and-so was teaching great, but then somebody else wanted to teach something else and they changed it and that guy started teaching and using sophisticated language and he himself getting round and round and round and can’t even get through. And then he’s sharing room with that person and person said, how did my teaching go? He said, to tell you the truth, you are caught in your own spider web. So, he said he felt so bad and next day he run away, he didn’t attend class. Nobody is teaching the next day. So, that’s what happens. When you don’t know what you’re doing, then you hide under words, you hide under unexplainable and all this and all that type of thing, that’s what it is. So, no one should ever do, if you don’t know what you’re doing. That goes for your practice, that goes for your meditation, that goes for your teaching, that goes for everything. You can learn and go together. If you learn, if you know more than person your teaching, you’re learning together. That is acceptable. But, if you don’t know anything, if you don’t know what you’re doing, and you’re teaching, it won’t work. Just like that, everything. So, the total knowledge is total knowledge. Totally knowing everything all the time. That shows the mind’s capacity. The mind has no limit. You know this, many of you practice Ghaden Lhagayma, [Tibetan] 0:34:37.9 What do we say in our translation, said your intellect mind that measured in something to be known or something. In our Ghaden Lhagayma, do you have it by heart? Elizabeth Horwitz? [..] You don’t have that by heart, good. Nothings wrong if you don’t have by heart, thank you, good. I didn’t say good. But, that’s good thing. Dianna, you have by heart? [..] What can be known. That means if you have a mind, if it’s a measurement, you take your mind and what to be known, it’s going to be equal. So, nothing is left out. No single thing is left out, your knowledge. That is total knowledge. That is my mental capability, mind can do that. That is the mind. In buddha level, not only the mind, but body does the same thing. What happens is the frequencies on which the body functions and mind functions becomes, I don’t know whether frequency is right or wrong. But, becomes same thing. It becomes the union of body and mind. Whatever is mind is body and whatever body is mind. And that’s why in buddha level not only the mind is total knowledge, but even body is. That is because, you know normally we talk about air and mind functions same way, air is the horse, mind is the rider and this and that. But, here it’s the same thing, body mind becomes union that means becomes oneness. Which means, whatever the mind knows, the body knowns. Which means, you are become a pervasive. You become a total pervasive because your mind, whatever your mind know, you’re there. Wherever your mind know, you’re there. Wherever your mind is, your body is there. That’s why enlightenment is totally pervasive. There is no place where there is no enlightened being is. That’s who it works. When you say the result is rupakaya and dharmakaya means that. Normal, good old American, or Western saying, god is everywhere. I still remember this. There was some function in, I think it Udu 0:38:44.1 or something in the St. John’s with the Grateful Dead and all that and so I was told to speak something and I did explain that a little bit. The moment I came out, from the step down, big, huge, African-American minister came up and gave me big, fat kiss on my lips. Told me you’re so good. You are just like Southern Methodist priest. And I said, is this a compliment? 0:39:32.1

What it is. So, he explained to me, we talk god is everywhere. But, nobody says why it’s everywhere. Whether there’s a Christian explanation or not. But, this total enlightenment means that. So, if you don’t know simultaneously, you know only when you think, and you don’t know when you don’t think, that means not total enlightenment. So, we may think if it’s total enlightenment, I’ll go absolutely crazy. So, you don’t. Why? Because you’re beyond craziness. GATE GATE PARAGATE gone beyond. That’s what it is. We don’t have to worry about being crazy, because you gone beyond. So, how do I get to that level? I get to that level because of my practice on compassion and wisdom, together. If there’s no compassion, there will be bodyless buddha. If there is no wisdom, there will be mindless buddha. It may be image then. Things like what we put it up here. Oh, there’s another new buddha up there. So, anyway. So, then it becomes like this, mindless buddha. You know, I’m contradicting myself, did you notice? I said it’s everywhere then I said mindless. If everywhere, it should be in that image, too. In that image, there should be a mind, too. Right? You can’t say mindless. That is how you reason. That’s how you convince yourself. Whatever you practice, you have to convince yourself with reasons. If you’re wrong, you have to contradict yourself, exactly like I said just now. So, your practice become perfect. The true vipassana is also this. Take one subject, you say NAMO GURUBYE, we say guru is buddha, buddha is guru. So, I’ll sit down, and say how can my guru be buddha? He’s too fat. He’s too thin. He’s too old. He’s this. He’s too much angry. He’s horror. He’s holy horror. He lies. He cheats. He does this. He does this. And how can it be fully enlightened? So, then you have to find your counter argument on the basis of true reality. You just don’t pick up the preset arguments. If you pick up the preset arguments, it may not work for you. For example, preset argument will say whatever I know, it may not be necessarily be truth. Nor, it is truth because I seen it. I seen it, doesn’t mean it’s absolutely right because when I’m sick with jaundice I will see the snow yellow. It’s snow yellow. It has to be yellow because I seen it. So, because I seen it, it does not become valid reason. These are the preset arguments. But, preset arguments may not work for each and every individual, particularly very sophisticated, intellectual minds that we have. I always say, when we are sharing and teaching with this sort of intelligent, educated group of people in Western and I’m talking with Tibetans, if I’m talking to the Tibetans, I have to, this are the level where the geshes learn. Because that’s the mind, exactly that way it works. Most of the public teachings in Tibet, you have to be very kind and pray and things will work out. That’s what you have to close, because the other mind won’t pick up. So, when the other mind won’t pick up, even someone else, the speaker, can speak lot, doesn’t mean anything. Doesn’t do any good for anyone. 0:44:49.0

So, it’s better to have built up some almost like a blind faith type of thing and have OM MANI PADME HUNG to say it. Do some circulambulations and prostrations and let it be. They have some purification and accumulation of merit and some mantra to say, some deity to think, it is sort of simple little practice worked out. But, at the intellect level, that’s how you use your mind to reasoning each and every point that meditate. And then, whatever you’re saying, whatever you’re finding, you found with reason. When somebody else says, hey, you’re wrong, that’s not. You’re not going to say, oh, am I wrong? Really? I may be wrong because so-and-so said so. That becomes wrong reason. You cannot change your mind. You know, I normally, I talk very often, sometimes I give you example of flag. If you are like a flag, the wind comes from the west, the flag will go right extreme and go patapatapata, makes big noise, wind shifts and you go to the left extreme and make patapatapata, that big noise. That means you can’t stand of your own. Naturally, because you’re not convinced by your own thoughts, by your own understanding. So, therefore anybody can change you. So, if that happens, not only anybody can change, it is one thing, but your own personal situation will change you. Your own personal situation how it change, what I’m thinking is if everything is okay, you become spiritual practitioner, you become holy and nice, great person. But, some little difficult comes up and then certainly you’re worse than anybody else. So, you know this is not new I’m saying. [..] [Tibetan] 0:47:24.9 When you have food in your stomach, and sunshine, you’re warm and then you’re great spiritual practitioner. But, when you have difficulties, and you are worse than the most terrible person you can think. George Bush or Saddam Huessain. Anyway. So, that is because you’re not convinced. You didn’t think. That’s how you analyze. That’s how you meditate. That’s how you convince yourself. Once you convince yourself, then you have to focus. If you don’t focus, if you don’t have the shamata, to focus, it will not become part of your life. If it doesn’t become part of your life, then it is with effort it comes in. Spiritual practice should come effortlessly. So, how does it come effortlessly? It becomes part of your life. So, you don’t have to put any efforts to bring in that way. Are you with me? The is the result. And what you are putting efforts on, wisdom and compassion. That’s really, it is. Though, we don’t say in Tibetan, wisdom and compassion, we say LAMTAP SHENE 0:49:00.7 TAP, method, and SHE wisdom, method means compassion here and all related things are method. 0:49:11.2

For example, it is compassion is fine, because like generosity, morality, is our compassion oriented generosity, compassion oriented morality. So, that’s why it is compassion. The greatest compassion is bodhimind. That’s why bodhimind is so important, so valuable, and so much. It really makes you, whether you’re going to go to the buddha line or you’re not going to go. It is the junction in which route you going to go. It’s like you’re coming to 96 and whether you’re going to take east or west. Is that 96 around here? 95, okay. Is it east/west or north/south? [..] Okay. When you get to the junction of the 95, whether you going to take north or you’re going to go south. So, the bodhimind makes you to turn towards the buddha level. And without bodhimind, takes you to south. That’s buddhahood north. So, that is where it makes different. And, that’s why it’s so important. And then we talk about benefits, tremendous amount of benefits, we really talked. Talked lot. I even urge you once more, the bodhimind benefits are totally decribed in the Bodhisattvacharyaavatara first chapter. We have a wonderful transcripts. I don’t think there’s anything more detailed than our transcripts, in English. I don’t think so. I don’t think so. You look for anybody’s. We are up to the chapter 7, and the transcripts are so detailed. I don’t think you’re going to find anywhere. It’s not easy to read because of my broken English. Not only broken English, but terrible English. So, it’s not easy to get it. Those of you who are used to it, you get it. If you read the first chapter of the Bodhisattvacharyaavatara it really tell you what benefits are there. The benefits are sometimes necessary to think and remember because when you’re feeling, when you’re not so enthusiastic, when you’re feeling tired, when you do that, I used to give the example dead tired donkey driving uphill with a heavy load. Don’t drag yourself to that level. But, try to read the benefit chapter. It will inspire you. When you say there’s no inspiration, chapter 1 of the Bodhisattvacharyaavatara is really inspiration. Not only chapter 1 of Bodhisattvacharyaavatara, even this preciousness of human life and all this, even in that. That is tremendous inspiration. And, refuge. There’s countless, there are so many of them. 0:53:26.7

So, that’s are the essence of the wisdom is the bodhimind. So, we mentioned a number of times how to develop bodhimind, either through seven stage, which Buddha and Maitreya Buddha and Asanga and all this, or exchange stage, Maitreya Buddha and Shantideva and all of those. Either one of them, which ever you follow, it’s capable of delivering the goods. Easiest ones, Tsongkhapa’s combination of 7 stage development and exchange stage development combined together, making 11 stage. So, I always make joke 7-11 opens 24 hours. That is joke I make. But, why I make this funny joke, because you’ll remember. 7-11 open 24 hours. If you don’t remember, you drive through, 7-11 and you remember it. Seven and exchange state combined together makes 11 stage, which makes easier than simply following seven stage or exchange stage. But, both of them are perfect. So, one is not better than the other. It is individual whoever is, depends on the person. So, that’s what it is. Then, the wisdom part. The wisdom is equal to absolute truth. Absolute truth, we have. We don’t recognize, we don’t know. It’s our base, base on which we stand. But, we don’t recognize, we don’t know. So, what does the wisdom do? Wisdom suppose to introduce us and tell us this is absolute truth, here you go. Knowing that is called wisdom. Absolute truth is with us, we don’t recognize. It’s part of my finger. I don’t recognize. So, the practice, the wisdom, does tells us this is it. Whether it is done on self or person or articles. Though, the teaching tradition will tell you, I forgot. [Tibetan] 0:56:46.2

I wish I remembered the word above that. Chandrakitti’s [Tibetan] 0:57:08.1 This is to liberate every sentient beings, they divided into self others, not self and others, persons and articles. That is in person and person or something. There’s a normal English usage, which I’m bad. [..] Self and phenomenon, alright. So, whatever. Animated and inanimate. Yeah, okay. So, anyway. But, whatever it is, though they say one is easier than the other. One comes before. One comes after. Whatever it is, if you see in nature of reality in one thing, then you will see on the others. Everything. [Tibetan] 0:58:15.5 One who sees the truth in one thing, they will see all others accordingly. If you break through once, in anything, you will break through with everything. So, though they will tell you one is easier, one comes first, one comes later, doesn’t matter. That is the wisdom. For us, we don’t have emptiness, truly we don’t know. Except with exception of few, some persons who knows. For us, we don’t. So, what do we substitute for this? We will substitute the subtle impermanent. Subtle impermanent is not emptiness, but subtle impermanent helps us to understand emptiness better. Gross impermanent everybody knows. I was young, now I’m old. It is gross impermanent. I’m alive, I’m dead. Or, I was dead, I was born. So, it’s gross impermanent. But, subtle impermanent is changing very subtle, minute, not even a minute, but like many times in a minute, in a second. That helps not a really solid, unshakable thing, you know what we think something. Me, my, my life, my being, all of those. Sort unshakable, solid, huge thing we think. And that will change by subtle impermanent. 1:00:13.9

That helps. Using these two together and bringing the lamrim points, stages, or the Odyssey to Freedom stages, using these two, wisdom and compassion, these two and training your mind, looking into each one of them is your major practice. That’s called true practice. Then, of course, good motivation and dedication and seven limb and all of them are icing on cake. So, I thought I share that with you. So that everybody, otherwise you will pick up single little thing and then run. If you do run, you’re going to fall and collapse. So, remember total enlightenment is total knowledge. Total knowledge cannot come out as result of single efforts.Very basic Buddhist logic will tell you nothing grows out of single. So, anyway. So, all of those. So, it is spiritual practice, what I know, you people are learning. It’s complicated. And, if you make it complicated, it’s very complicated. But, if you make it easy, it is simple. But, it has to be very comprehensive, otherwise the result itself is unimaginable result. It’s not easy to get it. Nor, the negatives that we have to overcome is tremendous sophisticated, like ego itself has tremendous amount of faces. You know, like the Yamarama stories, you know when one arrow hit, take one head off, another head comes, take another head, nine or ten. The ego doesn’t end nine or ten. It goes way beyond, hundreds and thousands of different faces. Ego has it. We all have it. If you observe ourself, we don’t do anything, we just watch it and get some incident where you’re hurt, when you don’t like it, you’re hurt, when you don’t like it, you’re hurt, you push your buttons. And then you will see how much tricks you apply by you. You see yourself. You do all this, this way, that way, that way, change this and this and that, like lawyers do. Just kidding. So, anyway. So, it shows how sophisticated, complicated it is. So, the method has to very comprehensive to deal with it. It’s not to make to make it difficult for individual. 1:04:04.1

But, that complicated, sophisticated can be combined so small, just basic framework of a motivation when you wake up for the rest of your life and particularly the day. And, seven limb practice. Out of seven limb, more important is purification and accumulation of merit. Rejoice is accumulation of merit. So, these are two more important than out of seven. And then, whatever you do, if you do those seven limbs, with focus, when you have the focus, you do have shamata. When you don’t have the focus, you don’t have shamata. Focusing with reasons why you do this. Then, you have vipassana together. When you don’t have it, reasons, you simply doing because it’s in that booklet. So, then you don’t have vipassana, you just have shamata. Even you don’t have the focus, you don’t have the reason, both, you just did it practice and you did not do with or without shamata or vipassana. Anyway, if you do this together, that helps, that builds up. And now, on top of that, when you have guru yoga as foundation. Short, small, doesn’t matter as foundation. That builds root of all development. Above that, along with that, you have four immeasurables and generating bodhimind, it is all building up of your compassion. And then you have sadhana, comes out. First OM SVABA SHUBDA SARA DHARMA SVABA SHUBDA HUM like natural empty, everything is pure. Naturally pure. That’s what I am. So, when you come to that level, you having the wisdom comes. So, you have the combination of all of them together. That’s your practice. That’s what we call it, practice. It’s really a very comprehensive, nice, easy to do, beautiful, which is bound to give to result. Because method, what you apply here, is wisdom and compassion combined. We don’t realize that. 1:07:23.9

We don’t. We say, oh yeah, I’m doing this sadhana, but here they’re talking about compassion and I’m here doing sadhana and though you may be saying by your own mouth, saying I take refuge to Buddha, dharma and sangha until I become fully enlightened. By practicing generosity and the other perfections may I be… So, that’s what you’re really actually bringing the compassion there and we don’t think about it. That’s not the compassion for us. We have to look compassion for somewhere else. And then you say, OM SVABA SARA DHARMA SVABA SHUBDA HUM, but that’s not the wisdom, but I have to look for wisdom somewhere else. So, that’s what we call it, you have big leg at your back and you’re still digging sand and try to get some water out of it. But, you just left big leg behind you.

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