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Lady introducing Gelek Rimpoche in dutch………..

Welcome Rimpoche, I hope you’re ok, we have an elevator, he did not know so he used the stairs, so ok? Welcome, we have a seat for you, I’ve done it already.

Rimpoche speaking: thank you for waiting for me, it’s very nice and beautiful, lot of people I know, beautiful faces I know, and new ones and it’s really nice to see you all, thank you for coming tonight and also thank you people who have been arranging, making this possible, Jewel Heart people and others who are involved and thank you for translating, I better thank you before, so you’ll translate well, otherwise, hahahah. (translation in dutch*)

I was told the subject, what I was asked to speak about to you tonight is the generosity. * And generosity is something that you know very well, and you do not need much of the eastern contribution to the wonderful personality and wonderfulness of the kind compassion nature of the western people, because it’s very much within your culture, within your life, and the way and how they create western traditions, Jewish- Christian traditions, particularly the Christian and Catholic tradition have done a wonderful work to outer world, you know that. And I as person came from Tibet, and when I was coming out of Tibet, the circumstances in which I was kicked out my country were the communism effects which you know very well. What we are celebrating or we are mourning whatever may be, the 60 years that denies the activities, and immediately what had followed the communist thing, you know, Russian and Chinese communism, what they continued, a terrible human tragedy and immediately after what had happened with Hitler, they started that in the East, you know very well, and I don’t have to tell you. I was a kicked out my country under that circumstance, almost like a penniless, no food, no clothes, no shelter. And when I received help from the kind, passionate people in the West from their generosity and I’m receiving at that end and especially when you have nothing to eat and nothing to wear it’s so wonderful to receive those huge pajamas, night gowns, you know of people size of the biking people here and when I got that and wearing the pajamas and the shirts it was almost touching my toes and running and that was a great help, tremendous, because I had nothing else to wear and when you are receiving and of the generosity you have a better understanding than the giving it. Giving it also you have a satisfaction, happiness and all those but receiving is far better. Ok. * Thank you. Generosity: it is really something wonderful that we all can enjoy and it’s very helpful, it’s not only helpful to the, thank you, it’s not only helpful, as I said earlier, to the person receiving it and I must to say this again, not only the pajamas, but when you have no food for days, and it’s really very, very way of surviving little things and all over suddenly you get this wonderful Dutch and Swiss cheeses, it’s fantastic. Hahaha, it’s something beyond the world. And then the medicines, on the top of that medicines. And so, sort of vitamins, everything what you get here is fantastic, so whenever you people think here and giving something, what you don’t know is how helpful at the end, when the actual tremendously suffering, suffering is torturing people. That’s really something which you may not know. I’m telling you because I’ve had this personal experience. So when you give, give very generously because that’s sharing and it’s a wonderful thing.*

And not only the material gift and also the educations, educations that give. Receiving education is fantastic, what I really saw, the catholic nuns and how they go out of the way to help and to educate people, particularly those who are, who have not received education, who have no education, who are suffering tremendously in the third world nations when in these days you do not much hear of third world nations anywhere. There are third world nations. Throughout, not only in Asia but also Afrika and everywhere else and there teaches are meant to be rejoiced and it’s wonderful, it’s not only just cheese and pajamas, but it’s something that you leave in your life and make your living and you can earn and that’s what the gift of education really does and it’s fantastic. *

And it’s not only the catholic nuns, there are a tremendous amount of volunteer organizations through which lots of volunteer people work through, even from America. You have this President Kennedy who set up that peace call and these are really great contributions, and that’s generosity of sharing your time, education knowledge and this is a fantastic help not only to the givers but also those, specially to those receiving. And also the gift of life. You see all the volunteer hospitals, the doctors without border and all of them, how wonderful they do the job and give off life. Really, they are saving the life and then of course, quite a lot of doctors go around, opening the, you know, eye doctors, going around opening the size and there is a tremendous amount of generosity is going on from the western tradition particularly in all these needed areas. This are really the point to rejoice and appreciate and be really grateful for that. * And without mentioning the most outstanding example as far as I know in my life is Madre Theresa. * And this are all great gifts they give. * And there is the gift of independence and freedom, an example is the Mahatma Gandhi. * Mahatma Gandhi has to struggle, has to struggle against British Empire, this great old British Empire, hahah. * And but one thing you have to really realize, not matter how much Mahatma Gandhi has to struggle, Mahatma Gandhi has really gifted freedom, he’s never indulted in the violence. All the struggles are done in the principle of nonviolence, nonviolence and fighting not for himself, but fighting for the freedom and rights of the people of India and Pakistan, both though Gandhi could not manage at the end and you know it was lost however but what he was really fighting was the start to fighting, you remember? Started with South Africa and continue for the fighting for the freedom of the Indians and the Pakistanis, any way the Indian Continent, which has sort of really ruled by quite a dictator of the British Empire and it’s so powerful and those of you, when I was in Tibet I didn’t know anything about what was happening in the world, till the late 1960ies but what I learned that is was so a powerful empire that the sun never sat of the crown of a British. Those of you who are older, you know this. Kind of struggle against that, in principle of nonviolence, not a single violence, man violence and that’s a gift of freedom, a gift of love and today we can see, I mean, there is just no room in this world for violence. What’s happening in Irak, it’s exactly the opposite what Gandhi did. * The beautiful democracy, the wonderful human right, the beautiful freedom, all of them are brought through the people, it’s great but brought through the principles of nonviolence, that’s the beauty and not on the bombs and guns and then say yes now have democracy, it that nice? I don’t think so. * Chinese communist did the same thing to the Tibetans saying hey, you have Tibetan culture, you have Buddhism, your everything is dirty, filthy, old fashioned, terrible and all your great spiritual masters and your great artists and your great culture people and they are all bad and they are all against people and we have to kill them all and then you’ll have democracy. That’s what it is. Really, the communist type of democracy, they call it democracy even though they are communist. They have their set election, they have a number of people who can elect whom and they are also told whom they have to elect, and they call that democracy. * Don’t forget cultural revolution, what had happened in China, years go by and people forget, they called it cultural revolution, right? And what they really did is revolution against freedom and art expression and free choice and spiritual path. And all of them, anything antique, anything old is bad, it’s a cultural revolution, really, that’s what they did. * At the end they said Tibetan people are free. * And you know how free it is. * But such a freedom, even if you get some kind of economic lawlessness, economic freedom lawlessness and all those even you get something but at what expenses? * Although there is no freedom, but they still claim to be free. * And there is lawlessness, yes, for sure, you can gamble, you can do whatever you want to do, you can drink, whatever you want to do and you know, there is a tremendous amount of alcohol and gambling was specially introduced in Tibet so that people keep their mouth shut and get drunk. * And it doesn’t happen to be surprised too, you know in the West they did it too, you know these Americans did the same thing to the Native Americans, what they call the Reservations today and they are brought in some like worst areas wherever they can, where nothing grows, and put them there and give them plenty of alcohol, give them some money and struggle them and that’s what they did.* And you know what happened, out of those lands, they are getting oil now. Hahah, now they won back? * And those are not generosity. * So, what I really talked to you is two points here. One point; how wonderful the gift of freedom by Gandhi, based on nonviolence, service by what the Mother Theresa did. And the terrible thing what the communist, Chinese did towards Tibet and what’s happening in Irak today. It’s counters, though you say democracy, you know, Bush is running around and saying ha democracy, who doesn’t like democracy. Yeah democracy has all this ……..(0:26:50) so I give you two examples what is right gift, real generosity and what’s wrong. * And these are demanding, normal, everyday life what we see, what we know about generosity. * Now I’ll give you the spiritual point of view. * And that is also the one of Buddhas, that’s what I know. And the Buddha’s wisdom of generosity , as you know 26 hundred years of generosity, and 26 hundred years of wisdom, sorry. * Now this is mind business. Give is everything, whatever we do normally, material gifts, life, medicines all of those are the same thing. Now in addition to that, what the Buddha emphasizes is the mind and the mind activity, and how mind functions, how mind overmatters how it works and what that makes as a difference and also some kind of kharming consequences as well. * And number one, the number one almost you can say Buddhas meditation, spiritual practice is 1:1 is motivation. * Says: generosity is fantastic, it’s wonderful but why are you doing it? * During Buddha’s lifetime there were some Indian kingdoms during that Indian principality period, so there were a lot of ministers, kingdoms, all over, I’m talking about 26hundred years of story here now. * And one of those Indian kings had put up a camp outside the capital in the main stood and giving a gift to the people who haven’t passed through, you know the food and fruit and so one and giving a gift and the king himself is watching and giving the gift. And everybody said how wonderful this king is, our king is giving everything away.* And the Buddha passed by and said: what’s going on? * And oh Buddha you came, and you see here I’m giving all things away and being generous and that’s what I’m doing and Buddha said: why are you doing it? * And he said: you, Buddha said, if I be generous I’ll become rich, that’s what why I’m doing it. hahah* And Buddha said: oh poor you, you wasted everything. * Yes, one thing I’ll tell you here, the gift of generosity is the direct cause from the kharming point of view to make you wealthy.* So the wealth is a result of being generosity.* In our world today some people are very wealthy, others ok, some not wealthy and even though you do same king of struggle.* We call this: working hard is not enough, you have to work smart.* And the Buddha calls this you are not been so generous before therefore you do not have the Kharma of becoming wealthy. * And according to the Buddha’s principle, if you don’t’ have the cause you are not going to get the result. * And that’s the explanation of some people work so hard and cannot make it and some people don’t do much, but yet become quite successful and that is kharming consequences of generosity. * But it’s again the motivation, even if the motivation is: I’d like to become wealthy so therefore I like to be generous, fine, good but however not good enough.* The wonderful ness in the human being and human life and human have that beautiful thing called love and compassion. * If your generosity doesn’t have love and compassion effects, it has just dry giving. * Even the King gives all his wealth through the streets, however it’s just dry giving.* It’s like a bread which doesn’t have butter on it, forget the cheese. * It could be healthy cake, you know those health food people, they make those dry, heavy dough cakes. * And they have no cream over, there is no icing at all. * So, the generosity yes, but the generosity must be with the moisture. * I’m sorry, hahah, but it needs the moisture. And that’s the love and the compassion. * And the love and the compassion, if you have it, and what does that do, that makes a difference to the person. Even if you are generous, your generousness become far more better, far more wonderful, more effective, more helpful than just be generous.* It’s not just giving your extra pajama away. * It is that you feel the pain of the person suffering and you care, and you love and you have compassion and with that when you give it has a different value, different message, different purposes. * We have a saying in the Tibetan by the Tibetan spiritual teachers, it says: generosity is wonderful, we must give, but not the yellow part of the vegetable and blue part of the butter. * You know what I mean, you know it’s just getting bad so just throw it away. * Actually, if it’s not going to be useful to you, it’s not going to be useful to the other whom you give, honestly, by the way it’s in effect garbage, at least it will become compost. * The difference is, when you give away useful thing, give something hard to you to give, then it shows you care. And when you are giving away the extra tall old shirt, it doesn’t show that. * And then the worst thing to do is obligated to give, you know, he’s giving, she’s giving, I mean you know, when the head comes in the Sunday church through and he’s giving, she’s giving, so I have to give something and that’s obligated gift, a totally waste in my opinion, I’m sorry. * And specially if you want to give 20 Euros and you want to make sure that nobody sees it, fold it and give it and that’s even totally a waste. * When I said totally waste, I don’t mean you don’t have kharma of giving, but that kharma is not strong and not rich enough because you did not give with the love, with the compassion, with dedication. * I tell sometimes my friends in America, sometimes we don’t want to pay taxes, we all don’t want to pay taxes, number 1 we …….(0:42:19), number 2 particularly when the taxes go for a purpose like what happened in Irak and all that, and there is a valid reason really why I don’t want to give it, but however my suggestion to my friend was, alright consider this as a generosity gift, we do not do this for the war, we do earmark this for the health in the world, the poor nations, what they needed so the tsunami, what’s happening in the south east Asia, what’s happening in Afrika, really happening today in Afghanistan today. What’s really happening in Irak, actually tremendous amount of suffering, you talk about that beautiful painting of democracy, and bring democracy in the world, Saddam is better off in Jail than in his office. That may be true, but that doesn’t mean that people in Irak have to suffer and to die, and bomb after bomb, day in day out, week in week out, month in month out for the sake of oil. That’s not generosity, gift of democracy and we don’t want to spend to money for the tax for that. But however, if we consider that as a generosity contribution to whatever, Tsunami help or whatever, we don’t …( 0:44:04) much, let them do their dirty job if they want to ……our money, someone else let them do, let the …… do it. * So, the knowing from the 26 hundred years of Buddha’s wisdom motivation makes difference. Giving is also a gift, great, wonderful but giving with a motivation, with compassion, with love makes icing on the cake. * Is this nine o’clock. I’m supposed to stop at nine, so hopefully we get some nice cake with the icing downstairs. (Audience laughing). *

And welcome back and thank you for coming back, I was told once when you don’t lose half audience after the half time that means they are not so bored. * So anyway, so far, we talked about the generosity, the generosity what’s really affecting in our today’s world, it may seem more political point, but that’s the life reality and where we are today. And now the other half I’d like to focus on the personal. * Personally the Buddha’s teaching, the Buddha’s message and really what is again, I can’t have that but without emphasizing it’s the compassion and love and the care that you develop within you. And if you don’t develop the care and then it’s going to be very difficult, and also the compassion. The compassion and care and love you have not only developed it for others, you also must develop for yourself. What’s happening in the world today, when we talk about compassion, when we talk about love, people have tendency, not necessarily, but tendency to look for others forgetting yourselves and looking others. What I learned out of this 26 hundred years of wisdom, one very important thing is: if you don’t know how to help yourself hoping of helping others are little difficult. The key for us to help others is at the level of how can I help myself. * In the West sometimes people has to write a book, how can I help. The author of this book is a good friend of mine. * Actually that question is right, I know the author very well, ……(0:50:34) is used to be known as Doctor Richard Alpert who can actually sacrifice himself as a well established society, Harvard Professor for developing a some kind of extraordinary quick way of helping for the people, he sacrifices himself and it’s a great guy. I’m sure, no doubt, he knows but he wrote the book called: How can I help, because the people don’t help themselves. When you don’t help yourself, when you want to help others, you don’t know. * In case if you don’t know, the younger ones, that’s where the LSD comes from. Hahaha. * And a collegue of Timothy …. You know there is a music song saying where are you Timothy, hahaha. These are the stories of the 60ies. * Anyway, helping others is the key of helping yourself. * And helping yourself is the first goal recognized that yourself need help. * Because we deny. * The denial is our biggest problem. * I don’t’ say here that we all need help, we have to go to a Psychiatrist, I’m not trying to promote the Psychiatrist business here, I’m not. Neither I am a psychiatrist nor am I a Psychologist, either. * But I don’t mind promoting to get a massage, because my friend gives massages. * Really the idea first of all is to recognize your difficulties. * Each and every one of us has difficulties, mental, physical, emotional difficulties and that’s nothing to be ashamed of it. If you don’t’ have it, you should be ashamed, you are not a human being. * Or either you are too young or too immature. * Really, truly we all have a problem, really, so recognizing the problem is important. * If you don’t recognize the problem, even if you want to do something good, even if you wanted to do something good, you don’t get it. The experience we the experience between husband and wife, between children and ourselves, somehow we want to help, we wanted to be the best, but we just don’t get it. * Your spouse, your children will tell you, you didn’t get it still. * It’s true, because you don’t acknowledge our personal difficulties. * If you don’t, it’s all everybody else’s fault except yours. * And it’s a truth to you, you still think I did all my best but it did not work. * It’s like you try to pin point something but you are not going straight, you are going here, you are going there, you are going here, you are going there. I have a bad joke in Tibetan in that I’m not going to say, it’s a dirty joke. (laughter in audience) * I’m going to leave in your imagination, hahaha. * Yeah, now the subject of my talk today is generosity. Now for example you wanted to be generous, you want help your children, you want help your spouse, but you really don’t get it what they need, because you think you know the best how to give them help. * To a certain extend that may be the truth, there is always truth in both sides. * But actually, you want to help, so it’s the person who you are helping and what they needed is the most, they know, rather than you do, I’m sorry. You know this is not going to well with some people. But that’s reality. * The generosity being is it must have a worth, meaning and value. * And then some people have a silly way of saying I have to be generous, I have to be service and I can’t help it and if I don’t do it I’m not good and bla bla bla and make yourself like people’s doormat. * And that’s not right. * And if you don’t help yourself who else can help you? * So, here I’m going to give you a nonspiritual advise. * The thing is: first take care of yourself and then take care of the things loved ones that you need to take care of. * It’s a nonspiritual advice, I’m sorry. * Sometimes the spiritual advises make the people do something little crazy. * The truth is the wisdom; a lack of wisdom that makes it very difficult. * It’s our common problem, we face that problem. * Now for example if a beggar comes into the street you have to give it because our compassion, our mind will impel us to give it. * And I myself was a beggar, almost, I didn’t begg in the streets but I almost like a beggar when I’d become a refuge. But when I see the beggars in the Indian streets, I have to give everything I have, I give. * When I worked in Delhi, wherever I walked, wherever I’ve go in the road there is a young kid whose hands are twisted, whose legs are twisted wherever the cast he comes and I always give, whatever I have, like one Rupee or two, I always give and one evening, quite late evening, I passed through and he goes in taxi, hahaha, the beggar goes home in taxi.* From tomorrow I’m not giving him, hahaha * But then I learned there are group of people who capture those kids, twist their arms, twist their legs and just make their job as beggars and these are terrible things. * And that made us stupid. * And you know with the mind of compassion and love we sort of give, but it’s a way how they bully us. * And it encourages them to pick more kids and twist their arms. * Not their own kids, but you know, kids in the street they pick up, no matter who it is, if someone come to pick them, otherwise they twist their arms and make them professional beggars. * And giving that is not right. * So this is example I’m throwing at you, but what you really need is the wisdom. * The wisdom that judges where to give and when to give and how helpful it is, also important.* Yes we don’t want to give money to those drug addicted, if you give the money, they will waste the money, you know they have no food, nothing, but if you give the money, next day you’ll see they bought cigarette or alcohol or whatever they are addicted to for it. * However, those who are heaved with those syndromes we must give them, otherwise they die. * So that’s the way, even your personal level, where to give, what to give is: you need the wisdom. * And also, the generosity must have discipline. * That’s the morality of the generosity. * Because what you do is, you make it, like if you are feeding a bird or feeding an animal or something, they depend, their life, on your thing. Whatever you did, you maybe threw some little crumbs of bread or whatever, but that’s also generosity and they depend on it and if you don’t have the discipline and then it’s very difficult. * I have one example: in my house in Epson Indy, in America, Michigan, America, and there are lots of animals coming around and I used to feed them and there was a raccoon coming in, and the racoon is terrible, but it’s cute, hahaha, and you know, and they will come to my window and scratch and asking for food, you know? And then you throw a little food every time and they sort really depend on it. I don’t know whether they really depend on it. So, I’m sort of stuck, I mean, the racoon gets so mad and comes every time and does his business on my port, even this year too you know. * This is just an example, but you know, whatever you give in generosity and that must have a discipline and that is what we call morality. * And also enthusiasm is needed. * And I (murmuring 1:07:47) that won’t work and must be done, everything must be done with enthusiasm. * Which tells us you cannot go beyond what you manage. * See, if you sacrifice yourself and you try to be enthusiast you can’t be enthusiast because you are going to false shot in a one side and you are going to have difficulties. * In addition to that Buddha has an advice, that called concentrate. * And that even generosity, you have to be concentrated, you just can’t be casually done or yeah, that’s not right. * And, also give with the wisdom. * So, this generosity is also important, it’s done with the discipline, patience, enthusiasm and focused and wisdom, then it is perfect. * And the perfect for yourself and the perfect for the other whom you give. * And that’s what we call a wonderful life. * And to make that wonderful life to continue, even in your future and future lives if you believe in reincarnation, * and the Buddha has given us that wisdom, how to handle this. * And these messages and this information we try to present to the people in Netherland here, through the Netherland Jewel Heart, its programs, its study groups and through the lectures and the retreats and that’s what we try to present to you. * And this is my simple way of thinking, through the kindness and compassions that I received when I came as a a refuge, from these long pajamas and the wonderful cheeses and vitamins and all, simple way of presenting little gifts of old spiritual Tibet to the new world today which needed it badly, terribly needed it. * We also had a dedicated to people who are helping us, who are giving the teachings, who are running the programs, and who are running things, they are not turned over a night, I’ve been here almost 20 years. And 20 years, constantly, continuously these people worked and with their experience they are giving, sharing that message to you people, to help yourself and to help your future generations and that is what Jewel Heart is all about. * I run out of it, nothing more to say. Run out of it. * Is there any gas station here? I have to put the moped off. Hahah, I’m joking. So if you have any questions I’ll be happy to answer one or two. * Over there, the gentleman, hi, how are you, anyway good to see you, thank you. “I have a question about generosity or the gift of life, the precious life, and about children and the dilemma, in this way, it is precious to have children, to give precious life but also there is the problem, big problem, there are so many people and ….inaudible, I saw this was well visiting India, what is the right way of looking at …..inaudible” That’s an interesting thought, when I was saying gift of life I was thinking of the doctors who save lives and that was in my mind at that moment and I was not thinking of producing children. I don’t know, I don’t know, one thing you have to remember: I’m not catholic, (laughers in the audience). * That’s similar to a joke. * I really don’t know about that, I’m sorry. Yeah, you have different type of question? Ok, go ahead. I’m not very sure whether I’ve already talked about that, any way. “It’s about the question of giving and receiving. As I understand ….inaudible….I was told you shouldn’t judge what a person should do with your gift, just the intention of giving ………inaudible…… True, very good, thank you. * It is absolutely true, the person who gives generosity should not be judging, as a matter of fact, no one should judge anyone except yourself, nobody is a judge. Except judges but that’s a different story, right? Hahaha, if there is some judge, then well I’m judging, hahah, but that’s a different story, but actually no one should judge except ourself. Me personally, I never believe in judgment. I repeated this and this and I’m going to say it, that’s my believe and I don’t even buy this justice business, that George Bush talks about it, you know: I bring them to justice, I bring the justice to them. I’m not saying this here because I’m saying: here, I’m not saying that, but I personally did not believe that way, at all. And I do like to see the prisons are corrections, not judgment, prisoners are kept there to safeguard themselves as well as safeguard the others and I really hope and pray it will become an educational correction center rather than punishment to rotted people there, that’s my believe. And it’s also true you don’t judge at all, however, you don’t’ want to give for the sake of gift and nuclear weapon are to the crazy people as Rumsfeld did to Saddam Hussein. And that’s why there are so sure there are weapons? (1:20:07) they give it away, by themselves, two years ago. So, it’s sure, they are there and when they are not there, you know they are there, so I give it, hahaha, so that as a gift is wrong. So, Buddha was right, the generosity must have six effects, generosity of generosity, morality, patience, enthusiasm, concentration, and wisdom. Thank you, Sir, that’s my believe anyway. * Well, if there are no other questions, and I like to thank you again, I’m not going to thank you individually because I thanked earlier and that’s it and with all the best to you and I hope to see you soon, round here and there, I have a few more days, maybe a week in Netherlands to stay, I mean in this time and will be back in November, hopefully and planning to and so I’ll see you around and I do hope our service, that we are giving through Jewel Heart to your benefit and to the benefit of your future generations, I hope you’ll look at it and take interest and join us to help and make our nation, make our community, make our human society better than what we are today. Thank you. *

Lady speaking: Rimpoche, I’d like to thank you on behalf of all, very much for your inspirational talk and we hope to see you again, back, maybe next year, whenever and we wish you a good trip back. I’d like to thank also Carol *