Archive Result

Name of transcript: 20050505GRNL3P01

Transcriber’s name: Sally Boyer

Start date: 03-06-2020

Finish date: 04-22-2020

So first of all I’d like to congratulate you and thank you and like really job well done and it’s a beautiful place and very happy to be here together all of you and thank you. And now second or may be… and second, I have to apologize that I could not do that earlier that workshop, the whole day workshop. Perhaps you know the reason, most probably you know I was not keeping well for a while and I really wanted to be here and that people who are looking after me did not want me to go and including people here with hesitation, they said, “If you are not well you’d better not travel.” Very kind, thank you but you know you people worked so hard and making this possible and if I don’t make it that’s not right, so I try my best to push through and so the doctors did not give me final okay to travel till Friday and that’s why I couldn’t make it here on that, on your Sunday workshop. But Hartmut and teachers over here have done a great job I have no doubt though I have not heard anything. And the most importantly because all the courses you teach over here and that has been helpful for the people and you people have put a lot of effort and service and that is a great thing and I’d really like to thank you for all of you who are involved. The program you run throughout the year is the real service to the people and it’s a wonderful building and every work is to facilitate and that service and it’s great. And the facilities are made available by so many people by putting whatever they could, those who can put down, those who can put can money, those who put labor, those who can put their hour and everybody worked together and we have here and the essence of this is now keeping the delivering the message and the wisdom of 2,600 years of Buddha’s message and that’s what is supposed to do here to the service of people. And Buddha’s teachings or Buddha’s message or Buddha’s contribution or gift to the society is you know that’s the traditional way of talking this is there’s a huge bundle of this and that and you know and this sort of measurement, old traditional measurements, the measurements are old ones based on how much an elephant can carry you know, these are the old style of counting the Buddha’s message, teachings however in reality the essence whatever known in the world is the collected teachings of the Buddha or rather the Buddha’s logic, Buddha’s canon whether it is over 100 volumes in Tibetan, 100 there are some extra volumes in the Chinese and Mongolian collections but whatever it may be whether it is thousands of volumes or hundreds of volumes or whatever it may be the real essence boils down to one point, the point is that one individual to reach the maximum the highest effort possible from the spiritual point of view what can one individual achieve and so every single thing whatever Buddha’s laws, laws, laws or elephants or whatever all of them boil down to one point. That you can sort of divide into two categories, category of sutra and tantra. And a lot of people think these are two separate things, my understanding is that it’s not separate. The sutra teachings are the foundations and tantra teachings are the spring that bumps you up and when there is no foundation spring will not bump up and when there’s no spring then you can keep on walking all the time but don’t reach that far. So both of those, sutra and tantra have one important goal or purpose and that is to achieve the best what you can achieve which is total enlightenment. That is the goal and the path what you use, what you use to reach your goal is compassion and wisdom. And then based on the foundation on which we work is the two truths. So basically the foundation on which we work is the two truths, method which we apply is wisdom and compassion and the result which we hope to get is what we call kayas which is the physical aspect and the mental aspect of total enlightenment and thus any spiritual practitioner who practices and must have foundation of base, path and result and on that basis we have to function if we do this and then we become authentic and we are well on the ground but not fly. Basically the base of two truths we have it we don’t have to search….may be we don’t recognize absolute truth but we do have it, the physical aspect and mental aspect of what we are is the relative truth, it’s actually what traditionally they say that’s based on the five aggregates so but that we have it and what we don’t have is the way, the wisdom and compassion and that’s what we seek for and when we have that the result of the physical and mental aspects of the enlightenment is automatic because you know when you have the cause you are bound to have the result. So out of these three, that’s our base and what we do and what we hope to get so out of this what we have to do is get through the struggle of the second point of wisdom and compassion, that’s what it is, total spiritual path, Buddha’s teaching, Buddhism, whatever you call it, Hinduism or any whether it is great, any great tradition they will be only sharing and teaching the people is only how to achieve the goal and whether you are looking at the Eastern tradition or Western tradition, in the Buddhist tradition or Judeo-Christian tradition or whatever wherever you look the real authentic ones and they will be giving the compassion and wisdom, that’s about it and other than that anything else it becomes questionable to me if the path doesn’t give you that. I’m sorry it’s a blunt statement but that’s what it is. Any spiritual path which is not really based on the compassion, love and the caring then it is becomes questionable. Buddha himself had stated… (Tibetan quote) he said, “My followers do not harm anyone and whoever teaches violence and hurting other or self I do not consider that as a spiritual path”. That was Buddha’s statement. So this path of non-violence which is really Buddha’s gift for the humanitarian which of course followed by Mahatma Gandhi and today even HH the Dalai Lama and everybody who is picking that up is actually what Buddha taught us 2,600 years ago and that is exactly...I mean there are so many others, not Mahatma Gandhi and His Holiness alone there are so many great leaders whether it is spiritual or political, whatever it is we can see with our own eyes who have led the path of non-violence achieved something and served humanitarian who choose to go in violence has difficulties, it doesn’t last, doesn’t achieve result and so that we can even we can see clearly even today, even today we can clearly so there is no mystery about it. You know what happened very simple what George Bush did, you know a few years ago we just sort of unilaterally gone shoot them and that’s what we did and as the consequence of this happening in Iraq today, you know hundreds and hundreds, billions and billions of dollars plus the lives of Iraqis and allies as well as Americans you know so…and we are still nowhere just trying to make it while watching things trying to pull out, it’s why Washington trying to pull out so you can just get out right away…but still it is having those difficulty. So today’s lesson, the past lesson and all this say that non-violence it something which is really fantastic, it achieves its purposes and it helps people, it hurts no one. So the real essence of the Buddha’s teaching is non-violence and that’s why compassion and love become so important. And love and compassion alone again might not be enough and that’s why we have wisdom. Well, to make a long story short, all the Buddha’s teachings whether you talk about Hinayana, Mahayana, Vajrayana whatever you talk about it will boil down to two things which is love and compassion. Wisdom is almost the same, the division between Hinayana, Mahayana is based on compassion and love what we call it methods but not divided by the wisdom but divided by the methods. So the idea of maha the big is not the teaching itself is profound and vast but it is really idea is on what you want to focus, your focal point that is vast and that is big because you know the essence of Mahayana will tell us is to look at all sentient beings as like your own most beloved one and they give the idea of mother sentient beings. They give you this idea because you are the last person to hurt your own mother so that’s why they give you the idea of mother sentient beings, you are not going to hurt anybody including yourself and the vastness that’s the difference between the Hinayana and Mahayana. So that wonderful idea, the romantic idea of I’ll help all living beings and I liberate those who are not liberated I will let them breathe those who cannot breathe and all of those are based on this. In order to be able to do that for others you have to be able to help yourself, if you can’t help yourself you cannot help others and that’s why the principles of the teachings of Buddha will boil down to three most important points. Point 1: helping yourself, point 2: helping others, point 3: the wisdom. This assessment of the Buddha’s teaching into those three points are none other than Manjushri himself. Manjushri shared this as essence of Buddha’s teaching to Tsongkhapa. So Je Tsonghkapa wrote this in the form of a letter to one of his important disciples and benefactor. So it’s known as Three Principles Path, you know like ...everywhere now honestly Three Principle Path, it becomes Three Principle Path. And there are a number of different commentaries on that Tsongkhapa’s letter, people doing all kinds of things even we have done, I have done a number of teachings on this and mostly I sort of pick up the commentary here and there and there’s a commentary by Pabongkha which is also available in English I think Geshe Losang Tharchin, late Geshe Losang Tharchin his own decision to translate that I think and that’s available and today I thought of reading on the basis of one of the Panchen Lamas, not the first I think it’s the second or third, I have the book here. I forgot, I think it is Panchen Panden Yeshe or or Losang Panden Yeshe whether the second or third, one of them and whether the book says or not I don’t remember. I think it’s the second or third or whatever, anywhere I thought of reading because on that basis. So before we go into this, basically I’d like to have some kind of outline has to be kept, if we have outline kept and then it will be simpler. Basically it says seven outlines, the first one is praise, and second one will be giving commitment of presentation and third one will be drawing the attention of those who are eligible I should say those who are fortunate ones and that is third, right? And the fourth one will be traditionally what we call it renunciation and then we went here and there and try to find word like seeking freedom and this and that all kinds of things but traditionally the word really what we use is renouncing, what we have to renounce and next one that probably will be…fifth one will be the ultimate love compassion what is known as bodhimind. Bodhi is Sanskrit word and we can almost say Buddha’s mind. And that should be the sixth one, right? And then the sixth one will be the wisdom and the seventh one will be after here, after the sixth one is information and then the seventh one will be what to do. So basically like a seven point here so this is not seven point mind-training, don’t make mistake with that. When it become seven you know people say ha seven point mind-training, no don’t, it is not. It is basically seven point, it happens to be, all right? Okay. So this will be the basic outline of this particular teaching with the seven point and this also three principles is the real essence of, you know essence we use so much the word the essence begin to lose its value you know really the fundamental important teachings and the practices coming out of either Lamrim or what we have Odyssey to Freedom or all of them is the three principles, This is the real, whatever you call it, the real stock you know that when you make soup in northern Europe you always make soup, in Netherland you always have soup, the essence of the real soup what you really make of whether it is Lamrim or whatever it’s the three principle aspect of it. And why did I say that? Because in Lamrim basically in all of Tsongkhapa’s way of presenting first he will say this is authentic because it was said by so and so by saying the quality of the where the teachings come from, by giving the reasons and quality of the teacher so the teachings, whatever it is becomes authentic because the teacher whoever shared where the message came from is authentic and that’s why it is always they talk about the quality where the teachings come from those of you who know the Lamrim you know huge amount of the time was spent to talking about the teachers, the real ultlimate teacher in Buddhist tradition is Buddha so they are talking about the quality of the teachers and all of those is in order to convince people, you know it’s like you say this is good because it is made in Netherland, you know really, it is not made in China or Korea or something you know, it is not cheap stuff but it is real authentic stuff and that’s why what Tsongkhapa’s sytem of talking is the quality of the teacher, quality of the teachings and how to practice and you know all these. So basically before we say the praise and it is may not before but in connection with the praise we talk about the quality of the teachers a little bit otherwise that spot will be blank if you don’t say that yet. So Buddha’s life story is available everywhere, quite a lot but so much but it is available in the English and French languages and even the teaching is sort of quite long and if you are going to talk on that it’s going to take a lot of time so you can read or this thing is available. But I’d like to talk to you a little about Je Tsongkhapa , Je Rinpoche, we normally know as Je Rinpoche among the Tibetan, Je means leader and Rinpoche means precious, precious leader we are talking about Je Tsongkhapa. Je Tsongkhapa is you know is 1357 to 1419 and born in pretty remote village sort of Chinese Tibetan border and so where known as Amdo area, Je Rinpoche was Amdo area and it is a son of a poor farmer and literally walked his way to Central Tibet to study and finally become Tsongkhapa, the founder of Ganden Kagyu tradition even today so we all pray to Tsongkhapa as Guru yoga whether you look to the Ganden Lha Gyema or to Lama Chopa, the Sakyu system or Asamnyingyu system or whatever so that Tsongkhapa is and that’s what we look for is there, I think. But what I’d like to share with you is a little bit of previous life story where Tsongkhapa really came from. And before I don’t have how many year and all that but it is based on the traditional system of taught teaching in the Tibetan documents so it was a Buddha known as Ombu Dot, it is the jewel of a Ombube like eye consciousness, ear consciousness, these are known as ombu, so the jewel of consciousness , Buddha of Jewel of consciousness at that time you know like official here is Buddha Shakyamuni’s time for us so this is what that Buddha’s period and Tsongkhapa was a disciple with Manjushri and Manjushri was disciple at that time. So you see the millions or eons of relationship goes you know between Manjushri and Tsongkhapa. So at that time Tsongkhapa prayed, saying, “May I be someone who can even sacrifice my life and the physical body and mind and life all together to serve people to help and to share the path through which people can be liberated.” So that’s what he prayed at that time. Specially may I be instrumental in helping people today onwards to be born in area where are no teachings available and impure, rough area difficult times so not only I may be born there but I will bring the perfect combination of wisdom and compassion and Vajrayana teachings so that people could be liberated as quickly as possible. So the Buddha at that time praised this bodhisattva and labeled him as great and vey brave hero you know very brave and also he was given the confirmation that you will be in future official Buddha known as Lion’s Roar, Buddha Lion’s Roar in wonderful Pure Land in Tibetan it’s called MORDZE MI CHUNG NMURBE SINGUM, so it is wonderful Pure Land and you become Lion’s Roar Buddha which happens to be the 11th Buddha in the eon without buddhas you know. So at the same during the official Buddha of the Buddha Shakyamuni Je Tsongkhapa was the young guy who picked out a crystal mala and offered to the Buddha and prayed again to the Buddha and what he prayed is, “I may be able to bring the combination of compassion and wisdom together and especially wisdom aspect of it.” That’s what he prayed. Are you keeping the time for me? Okay, let me just finish this one. So at that time and after that Buddha looked at Ananda, so Buddha told Ananda, “Ananda, the young man who gave me this mala now,” he said, “andwho has generated bodhimind by presenting this mala and later this fellow will be born in the area where the boundary of Dri and Den that’s in Tibetan, it is the boundary where Drukung area is. You know Drekung area it is related in tradition and it has a certain area in Tibet. In other words, Buddha had confirmed at that moment to Ananda, “This guy will be born in Tibet in this area where there is this local village of Drekung will probably be ending in that area and he will build a monastery with a initial name Ge. It’s Ganden, Gelug and all of them come out of that. And his name will start will Losang, which is good mind, which his wisdom and he will have millions of followers and he will continue my teaching, he will also build temples and he will also look after the images of the Buddha’s and he will also offer to the image of the Buddha a jewel crown and his teachings will continue for a thousand years and after he will be become the Buddha of the Lion’s Roar.” So which means not only that Buddha, even this Buddha during this period even Buddha himself has confirmed Tsongkhapa who is going to be, what his name is, where he is going to be born and what kind of teaching system he will establish and even Buddha mentioned that he is going to put his crown on the image of the Buddha which has become controversial among the Buddhists become Buddha is not supposed to be decorated with jewels and things like that simple but Tsongkhapa chose to give that crown which was also prophesied by the Buddha in the text in the canon which is still available in Pali, in Sanskrit, in Chinese, in Tibetan and in Manchu everywhere available even we can read today as part of the collective work so that is how Buddha gave you know who Tsongkhapa is going to be. And I think I gave you one misinformation right this moment and I said that it is area between Dri and Den. It is not where he was born, I think I said he was born. He was born in Amdo area so it can’t be there so this is you know this is the area where the monastery Ganden was build so please correct that, it is not where he was born but it was also given the prophesy where the monastery would be built which was the Ganden Monastery. The problem was the placing where Tsongkhapa come, Tsongkhapa was there at that moment what was facing in Tibet is more the wisdom problem than compassion problem. Wisdom is of course you know is known as emptiness, let’s forget about emptiness, just be empty. So empty means empty so people understood it’s empty it is all imagination, nothing reality so there is nothing. So people understood that way and then they were going too extreme saying there is nothing, there is not me not you, no liberation, no refuge, no karma, no cause, no result, nothing. So some people said, “Oh, that is too drastic, it is not really right.” So then they will say, ”Well neither it is there nor it is here. You know the idea is it is not existing but it is not really not existing either.” So they said, “Well, it is you can feel it , you can understand but you cannot express.” So Tsongkhapa revolutionized in Tibet the true idea of wisdom which does not contradict the actual existence, true idea of empty which does not contradict actual existence. So Tsongkhapa’s contribution to the Buddha’s teaching is more profound in the wisdom aspect of it. So to make it short, what did Tsongkhapa really introduced here is the essence of the empty is interdependent nature of existence. The real meaning of interdependent nature is based on the lack of true existence. (Tibetan quote) When you look in the empty you see the interdependence, when you look in interdependent-ness, you see the lack of true existence. And you know one brings the other instead of contradicting and yet just the mere acknowledgement, mere understand and you can have all functioning perfectly well the relative what we call it in other words everyday sitting, going, walking, thinking, every other thing that we do. It is simply just though there is no intrinsic reality of existence but simply becoming combination of terms and conditions it functions perfectly. I believe this is the real essence of what it means the emptiness brings the interdependent-ness and interdependent-ness brings emptiness, really what they are talking about this and this was misunderstood in Tibet for all. Originally it was stated during the Guru Padmasambhava’s period and all of those and they were perfect and then the misinformation popped up, misguided and all kinds of things had happened for a couple of hundred of years, may be hundreds of years and what Tsongkhapa really revolutionized and developed is this and that’s why it becomes important and that’s also the reason why the Ganden Kagyu tradition does not accept idea of existing not existing, yet not existing; not existing yet existing and not presentable by word and you can feel it. In other words Tsongkhapa said,” It’s bullshit.” Sorry about it. Okay, I believe we have to take this is the about Tsongkhapa and his prophesy and we can talk much more of Tsongkhapa prophesy thing but for the time being we may have to stop here otherwise we won’t get coffee.