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Soundfile 20031023GRNYOTF

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location New York

Topic Six Paramitas - Odyssey to Freedom( concentration + Wisdom + JH organizational developments)

Transcriber Steven Krichbaum

Date 3/10/2021

Good evening everybody. I have to apologize that last Thurs I couldn’t be here personally because my leg has been bothering me. I have those sciatica thing. so couldn’t make it. sorry about it, but I talked to you through phone so hope it was ok.

those of you who have come to the retreat up in Garrison - you have known it has gone on quite well I think. retreat was quite beneficiary for everybody. beneficiary in the sense when we have those spiritual things come up. and we say it was very nice, wonderful, enjoy it. I don’t think that is the aim of the spiritual retreat like this. Also it has been helpful - that is also not the theme of those retreat. when I say I hope it has been benefiicary. i hope we all have brought some complete overview of the stages that we would like to meditate, that we have to follow. we have to get some idea from here where we are going. and how. what are the involved. not up to enlightenment, but up to the level of the Vajrayana. I hope that was - those who have no idea what this is for - they get some ideas. those who have ideas what it is all about it - they get a little more sort of see a little more map where you are traveling from where to where and how. what is involved in that. and those who have already seen the map, they make the route smoother and the travel a little easier. and to 0:03:02.5

and to some people should have been a diving board to some people. I hope that is how it served. then it was good. because you feel good, not good enough. went smooth, it was good, one feels good. that isn’t the spiritual purpose. we feel good from lots of things. I better stop there (laughter). that is not the purpose and so that is why I was hoping in was useful for everybody.

we have been talking here a shorter version and sort of one weekend went through, and whatever we have been talking here we’ve reached to the 5th paramita. meditation parmita. as I already announced it, I would like to do this meditation in quite detail as much as possible. more than usual. usually when we reach to the end of it, it will be like a few verses. when this Lam Rim teaching of mine is a thick book, the transcirpt is thick, odyssey to freedom, marrianne souters in Holland who try to organize them - showed me - she laughed and showed me the last paramitas that just have 1 or 2 sentences and she sort of giggled a little bit. that is really wha thappens when you have those things done. so because of that I intend to do in detail the 5th paramita that is concentration and boils down to meditation. so we’ll talk to you and try to present in detail.0:06:15.0

So then the next one to this is wisdom and I’d also like to do that in detail. because the wisdom is the most important. actually it is interesting - like Trungpa Rimpoche presented everything as warriors - in that form. in a way it is true, because now it has come to the point of struggle and battle between the ignorance, ego oriented emotions and wisdom oriented emotions. that is the real struggle that is coming up. that is what the spiritual practice is all about it. on the other hand, some poeple may think spiritual practice is sit nice, beach, wonderful, kind, everything is beautiful. if you look in certain traditions you have to sit gentle, move everything like this and that and everywhere. Tibetan 0:08:02.4

so everything will be just laughing and even if the temple is catching on fire you’ll smile and sit. and even if your offering eaten by dogs and cats you smile and sitting like that. it is not necessarily a really good spiritual practice at all. the real spiritfual practice is a struggle. absolutely struggle. the struggle between our old habit and our old addictions. and the new wisdom oriented going opposite that. and then you have to struggle that. and see who is going to win, what is going to happen. that struggle is real spiritual practice. that is not crisis, that is struggle. 0:09:10.3

that makes you work, that makes you perfect. if you don’t have that then it just simply everything nice, wonderful. in one way everything is gentle, sweetness, beautifully, gestures is one thing. then along with that we come in love and light. wonderful beautiful (sound effects). will never let you free from sufering. it will be temporarily little hallelujah we have. that is not really going to help teh individual at all. that is the problem. it has to be real sgtruggle. that struggle comes in. now the 5th and 6th paramita come in. the real tools. the 5th paramita is like a horse. the old time warriors have a horse and a weapon and they fight. so the horse like making stable is the 5th paramita. because of that Tsong Khapa has said, 0:10:44.6 Tibetan - so the Tsong Khapa really presented in such beautiful way here. Sam den is the concentration. the meditattive concentration. Shamata. or even Samadhi. 0:11:38.9s Tibetan - Tsong Khapa said that is the king that had control over my mind. it is the kind of my mind. so you know we talked the mind. we talked mind so much and I spent whole summer retreat talking about mind. so by now you do have a lot of understanding of mind. so now, who can guide and do and lead the old time. the wisdom’s over 2000 years. they only talked about the kinds and queens and all that. so when they are talking about it. 0:12:32.1(tib). the Samadhi or the shamata is the king who controls the mind. 0:12:45.3 (Tib) if you leave it somewhere. will not shake like a huge mountain. the Mt Everestt brough over here and put it. so no one can shake or move or do anything. 0:13:06.4 (tib) when you focused, you will be able to put your focus and be able to leave it there. should be able to hold it. like as though Mt Everest is sitting there. 0:13:28.2 (tib) if you let it run, it should be able to follow every positive, virtuous Mig Pa (focusing). should be able to focus any virtuous level wherever you sent it. the mind becomes such a wonderful thing, if you leave and you focus and leave it at one it will sit like Mt Everest. if you let it follow, it will follow everywhere, wherever you sent it. and focus won’t miss it. it just follows it. and where do they follow, what we taught during the retreat and what we taught here during the last year and half. from the beginning of hte guru devotional practice as the root of all development to the wisdom. these are the focal points where we can send the mind. where the midn can focus. 0:14:57.7 (tib) it is not only will it sit solid or if you send it, it will follow without missing any point. but it also brings tremendous joy and harmony. not only in mind, but also body as well. both body and mind experience tremendous joy. this is not the bliss/void we are talking about it. this is, no comparison with that. but this is joy, the experience this.

0:15:51.9 (tib) what does the do. it will destroy the enemy of wandering mind and sinking mind. and alertness, awareness, focusing, is always remain with the individual. so that is the shamata or samadhi we are talking about. so if you are asking, you are saying shamata, what kind of it, that is the thing that has to be developed within us. that is true meditation. rest of the all we are just simply copying, you know what is other person doing, keep your backbone straight and all of those type of things. just imitating whoever can meditate. and we are doing it. little bit of training, counting the breath, and try to focus and you realize it is lost and bring it back. and if you are falling asleep, try to wake up. you know this is waht it is. sinking mind is sort of going down and wandering mind is wandering mind. lost focus completely. you maybe saying your prayers and at the middle of that suddenly you realize you are dancing 0:17:49.6 in nightclub of something. all of a sudden. this are the wandering mind does that. so right now we are bringing them trynig to focus, we are taking steps. but when it is all done, how should the concentration look, that is what Tsong Khapa says should look like. 0:18:26.2 (tib) it should have conquered enemy of wandering and sinking and concentration remains always. that is how I the yogi who have practiced that way, you the practitioner should follow. that is exactly the verse of lines of experience says that. that will be just to fill the gap of 5th paramita today. because we are going through, because I would liek to come back. I don’t think this year I’ll be able to do it. as you already knew, I intend to take a little break by the middle of November to the Winter Retreat.

0:19:39.4 Thanksgiving happens to be 27th of Novemember, the last 3-4 years it was middle of NOvemeber, but this year they purposely moved because I wanted to take (laughter). I’m just jolking. Between Middle Nov and now it will be too short a time for me to do that. so I intend to do next year. that is also very funny, over here we can to the paramita of concentration. In Michigan, while I am teaching the Bodhisattvacaryavata on Tuesdays that also came exactly to the concentration chapter. the next year so I’ll be talking in both place the same subject. But Michigan going to be detailed because Bodhisaatvacaryavatara has something like 200 verses. biggest chapter happens to be that. so going to be much longer in Michigan. but going to be very nice, detail here. going to be talking here. so I would like to also do this in the form of courses. just like so far we’ve been doing in both places. not only here, but in MI too. Also going to make that course in MI, 8 week courses of 3-4-5 whatever happens until the chapter. over here I intend to at least do 2 8 week courses for 5th paramita. the concentration. so that is what I like to.

(Question from audience about which chapter in bodhisattvacaryavatara) should be 8th chapter isn’t it. should be. 9th chapter shoudl be wisdom, so must be 8th chapter. when I started teaching bodhisaatvacaryavatara in MI for years. and also I began to realize this is not an old Tibet. this is America - you need to begin, you need to end it. otherwise it is no ending, no beginning, running around, not very nice. so you know everybody get tired so. so that is my thought of changing it to courses rather dramming like this. it will also be not just open. we will have the courses, the courses will be set-up. actually I really wanted to have some kind of, few things to talk to you, because they need to. before I do antying else i would like to say, everywhere in Jewel Heart. whether it is Indian, MI, Chicago, Cleveland, Nebraska, New York, everywhere, everybody has been so wonderful and so dedicated and very good. particularly here in NY for all these years, everyone has been so kind. helping cooperating. all of those. also - particularly Diana has helped us tremendously to - giving us this building. not paying anything. having all of those. and a number of other people are constantly supporting this, physical time, everything. I really wanted to thank you for everybody. and just yesterday I heard some kind of interesting, misunderstanding, that somehow me particularly not being so appreciative of the coordinators work. and that is absolutely not true. absolutely ridiculous. and everybody over here. all the coordinators and volunteers, helpers, constantly day in day out. work so hard and everything thank you. John has been soo long with us. you’ve probably be the number 2 after Phillip right now? If you have seniority list of Jewel Heart. And Louis eis there. Louise is still in touch and day times she comes if there is some activity when she feels good. So good, everything thank you. I am very grateful to everybody for their time, energy, professional knowledge, everybody has contributed. when I come in the door it looks great. thank you so much. everything so good. thank you. and Frank has been doing so much for Jewel Heart. Puts so much efforts - sometimes he gets nothing done - but he never gets frustrated. (laughter). Frank can you do something else? yeah, ok. everybody even if I don’t mention it, done so well, thank you.0:27:47.6

And now you know I have to make - I asked Mark if he could begin some program of teaching here. Like to begin with Good Life, Good Death. The programs are going, for years we have no programs in Jewel Heart. really I am the only one who is teaching that’s it. not years, decades. at least 1 decade we have no program, expect teachings. summer, winter retreat, done completely without any appropriate plan. Even our board members say waht you need now is program. Diana said Rimpohce wha tyou really need is program. now we do have program. quite a number of programs running in Ann Arbor. Number of programs running almost every day something is going on. like last Thursday when I couldn’t come here. I have to use the meetingplace. 0:29:39.7

Announcement/organizational related comments until 0:37:00.9

Bodhisaatvacaryavatara has been I don’t know how many years. 5-6 years took it. took so long. although it took so long and if you look at the commentaries, you are not going to find any other commentary in English as detailed as much as available as those commentaries on the Bodhisaatvacaryavatara. I’m talking about the transcripts, so far there is nothing on Bodhisaatvacaryavatara. the best thing that is avaialb is Geshe kelsang Gyatso’s meaningful to behold. then his holiness’ lightning in the dark night or something. 0:38:09.6. Flash of lightning in the dark nights. at least the transcripts came out so far. but each chapter is 2x more than each of those books. it really deals with word by word, every word went through. so 15-20 translaters will sit together and translate all the commengaries on Bodhisaatvacaryavatara might be more detailed than that, otherwise it is quite good. even though we took so long for so many years. day in, day out. I’m not very sure it has really effected to the large people who have been attending there. In Tuesdays, 80-100, 150 every Tuesday something like that comes in. I don’t know how much it has really effected, except for senior people, who are constantly, almost always there, almost every time. they I’m sure have been effected, felt. the rest, I’m not really sure what has happened. Then you get all kinds of people in too. so that also I’m going to change into the course. then if we cut it out completely, this open teaching not ok. so I’m hoping ot have, bringing some kind of public talk, at least 3 or 4 in a year. In areas wherever we do. then the courses. I think that maybe my way of doing for the next 2 years or so. If I don’t die.0:40:38.8

You never know, impermanence. we are here today, not here tomorrow, that is everybody’s reality. we all go through the same thing. though we think we live for a few years. so who knows, but that is what it is. that is what i intend to do. so public talks. You need to. 0:41:51.9. More announcements/organizational related comments until…This is not educational course. This is a spiritual course with the lineage behing it. 0:42:17.7. with the spiritual practice continually coming through Buddha til my late masters. unbroken lineage. we try to support that, bring that in. not only the information. if it is only the information, then no more lineage, no more traditional value, continuation. if that is not necessary than Buddhism will become just a educational matter. that is what I don’t want to happen. and if it happens it will give you fantastic ideas, wonderful things, but it will not effect the individual too much. there is not improvement of the individual. there is no spiritual solid, solid spiritual development will not be there. it will not help us to reduce negative emotions. will not help us to purify our negative deeds. that will not enhance our merit. wisdom and just merit, merit. it will not increase it. it doesn’t do it, then what Nagarjuna says, 0:43:55.2 (tib) - all the efforts of we put in the spiritual path is in order to develop the merit and the wisdom merit and because of from these two you get the body and mind of total enlightenment. so all of them will not work. it will simply be education. educational a lot of people can run better than I do. because you go through with very specific education. isn’t there something called educational training, degrees, become PhD in education and all that. and they can do much better than I do. But that is why I am saying we must be on one page. it is there, it is straight, it is coming, I know, I support that, I set my mind, I do my prayers, I do even meditate, you know the supreme field of merit, covering all of those. 0:45:22.1

Also not only that, back in the monasteries, In Drepung Loseling, Nirkhamse, particularly we do constantly touch with every practitioner that comes through this. there is backbone support. and all of them are not going to be, so it will be just educational thing. just 1 page, goes round here and there. and then that becomes Buddha says at the end of the Buddhist teaching, and then there will be a chapter called dressmark - if you are dressed up something different then you become subject of refuge. then you value the dress and nothing else. that is called the 0:46:25.2 (tib) only left Buddhism is left to the dress. so that is what is going to happen. if that happens the Ameican buddhism is going to be something else. then the real, true Buddhism. At least that is what I am thinking. I am sorry. that is why I struggle and always do the wrong thing, then what I am supposed to do. so that is my reason.

so anyway, instead of giving dharma talk I did some funny thing today. my apologies. honestly, but we need to do that and I hope you people will get together and say what you are going to do. tell me and I’ll think about it and support that way. without that spiritual strong support, if that goes off, then it is just another piece of paper flying you know. It is no longer there. 0:47:59.3

Although Buddhism is supposed to be more individualized. As you know a Kadampa lama one of his disciples talked to him it is so sad, degenerated age, this and that. and he replied 0:48:25.0 (tib) - the general Buddha teachings we don’t have it. but we have our own individual Buddhism and Buddha’s teaching and development. we should not lose this. in general it may be degenerated age, but for us it is most exciting time. so we shouldn’t lose. that is what one of the Kadampa lamas did give advice which means it is sort of really the individual counts. And in reality it is true. and many good individuals such as yourself, get together, become society. society is nothing more than collection of individuals. it is really true. you think about it right? even the nations. it is the collection of the people that make nations. society. George Bush doesn’t own the United States. Honestly. You know he doesn’t. No one does. so it is the collection of the individuals. you know last Sunday I must say, I went to the Renaissance Unity to do the Sunday service. I think there is about 2,500 people. if you look at it, makes me think there is tremendous hunger for a good spiritual path. yet those people are not ready to say, not ready to come in Jewel Heart because there are some frightening Thangkas are here and it is called Buddhist center. and all of them. when it is a church, it is a very safe environment. so normal Sunday services they have 300-500 people. Mary Williamson giving a lecture there for 5,000 comes in. when I was there - this was my 3rd, 4th one already. 3,000 people come in they really want to know and do something. But they are not ready to do something like go into Jewel Heart. people are so scared honestly 0:51:47.3

very scared, yet there is tremendous hunger. so we need to help them and support them and reach to them. Preferably environment where they feel safe. really. so I am really strongly thinking those for the last 2-3 years. I don’t like promotions, I don’t like all of those. personally i don’t, but when you look at those things. there is a need too because you are not going to…lot of people are going to miss the boat honestly. Anyway this is for your considerations and I just want to bring it up. Before I close I would like to say I will be here next Thursday right? Oct 30th - go over the wisdom part. Odyssey to Freedom completes here. 0:54:18.8 announcements/schedule