Archive Result

Soundfile 20060501GRNLGenerosity

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location Netherlands

Topic Six Paramitas

Transcriber L. Pritchard

Date January 2021

Thank you so much for having me here tonight. And thank you for coming everyone. This is not my first time here. I have been here a number of times, so good to see you again. I see new and old faces, so hello to all of you. Thank you thank you thank you….

DT 0:02:44.4 My talk here was based on six different Paramitas and five different talks. So which one was kicked out? (R: laughing. Moderator Answer: The last one, combined Concentrated Meditation.) R: Alright. Five talks, six paramitas. The word “paramita” - I don’t know is it Greek or Latin? (Moderator Answer: Sanskrit) Oh. Ok. Paramita is Sanskrit. (Joking continues…) We are joking….

0:04:04.8 The word “paramita” means “going beyond.” It means sort of perfect. Tonight we are talking about Generosity, so it means the (most) excellent example of generosity. The perfect, faultless, stainless example of generosity. Really, the true meaning of generosity, “gone beyond perfection” means the real, true example of the best it could be. As you know, this is coming out of Buddhist background and that of Mahayana Buddhist background. If you are not aware of Mahayana Buddhist within Buddhism, it looks like two different traditions such as whether you are looking at Catholic traditions or Protestant traditions or something like that. Similar. There is tremendous interlink. Not only just interlink, but sort of based on that which the other one builds up. So, sort of from one angle you look and it is the one that seems to be the foundation and the other seems to be the house on top of it. That is one way of looking. Yet, still Mahayana and Hinayana, there is sort of tradition that you see in the 0:06:09.6 ???? 0:06:15.4 …specially named in the ??? and the ….for a certain extent ???? 0:06:31.5

All these areas are more oriented with the Hinayana traditions. The traditions of Buddhists that you see in China, Mongolia, Tibet and northern India. More sort of Mahayana oriented. I am trying to tell you this to avoid confusion. I’m saying there are two separate ones called Mahayana and Hinayana. The Hinayana is practiced more in Southeast Asia. The Mahayana is taught more in the northern India and that area. That is why I am saying that. I want to be clear so that people don’t misunderstand. The division, as I said earlier, I repeat again. When you look at it - Hinayana and Mahayana - it looks like two separate ones. Some people say it is separate. But, from the Mahayana point of view, the Hinayana is the base and the Mahayana is the house on top. The Hinayana is the foundation and the Mahayana is the house. 0:08:19.8 Anyway, the idea of six paramitas is out of Mahayana and Mahayana is the only one that says everyone can become Buddha. The Hinayana doesn’t say everyone can become Buddha. The Hinayana ultimate level - what the Hinayana practitioners want and hope to get as their result or goal - is what they call “arhat.” Which means “going beyond sufferings.” Not only freedom from suffering, but cessation of suffering and that is the Hinayana goal and the goal ends there.

0:09:21.2 The Mahayana’s goal is different. Beyond that, the Mahayana goal is for everybody to become a Buddha. As you have different goals, you have different ways of working. So the Mahayana method of working is based on those six paramitas in order to ? 0:09:53.4 ? or in order make perfect your mind. They utilize these six paramitas to make your mind perfect. All these six activities are recommended for everybody to use. Whether you are a lay people or a celebrity or celibacy or ordinary or whatever you may be. That is what is recommended to do in every day in our lives. 0:10:38.3 I have a question to you people. I remembered it as well as I have been taught. I was here last year. My subject was the same thing. Generosity here, same place, same talk in two years. I wonder how many of you were here last year? Please raise your hand. So that it is not so redundant. There are not so many (hands), so it may not be that redundant. 0:11:10.9

Anyway. The first paramita happens to be Generosity so let’s talk about generosity. We all know in our good old Judaic tradition, we know that generosity is great and a wonderful thing to do. Noone will think twice about it - whether it is the right thing or the wrong thing to do. Everybody will be happy to be generous. But here, normally when you talk about generosity, we always think of giving. Giving is fine. But (this is) giving some kind of material for the other people. Particularly the poor people. It is wonderful that we share our material with those who need it the most. Particularly the people who are suffering in Africa (for example), which is somehow more or less neglected because of whatever, political or economic reasons. Whatever it may be (it is) badly neglected. As an individual person, particularly in the West, they have a very good heart. Each and everyone of you has a very wonderful heart, that you will be happy to share everything with others. It is not necessary that you accumulate whatever it is for me and me and me alone. You do not want to be accumulating so much, (and) you are willing to share. In other words, you are not going to be like Madame Marcos who had 25 thousand pairs of shoes. (laughing.) 0:13:57.4 I don’t know how many people remember the Marcos’ story. That was 10 or 15 years ago. Looks like my age and maybe a few younger ones are the only ones who remember (laughing) 0:14:17.0

0:14:13.3 So the sharing is the extremely important. I personally have experience of the other end - end of the receiving end - the receiving of the things you people share from the West. When I was a refugee from Tibet and came to India for the first time, I was wearing the same old monk’s robe for months together. Walking in the mud, in the river, sometimes half the body sinks in the swamp and walk through and suddenly you see - although you know, completely oversized pajamas. Still it was wonderful to have a change. When you are on the receiving end, it is great satisfaction. You always remain grateful for that no matter whatever changes may take place in one’s lifetime. That means something. To me. That is generosity - what it is all about. That is the material generosity. 0:15:55.7 So even today, no matter how it is when there, you know, the great many things are happening in the world, whenever there is need and you have a little extra, it is not that you are going to go beyond your limit. But whatever you can afford to give, you should always give to the good organizations such as the Red Cross, the Salvation Army. All these types of good organizations. Whatever you can give. It not only benefits those who are going to receive, it also benefits yourself too. 0:16:50.0

We, as Jewel Heart last year, when there was a problem in America with the hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, there was a huge number of people (who were suffering). Particularly the poor and the African Americans who really had no place to go. You have seen that on the TV. So as Jewel Heart, we tried to raise funds along with the Salvation Army. And our goal, while not very high, was made in 24 hours. It was very good. Not only you have the satisfaction of giving, they have the satisfaction of receiving, and those of us who are participating to organize and to work with that as an organization, also enjoy satisfaction. It is a really wonderful thing to do. And opportunities are going to be popping up here and there again and again. So whenever you have opportunity, you should give generously and you should also rejoice what you have already given, again and again, because spiritually it is very beneficial for ourselves. 0:18:37.9

Not only giving of material alone, but also (to) those people who are sick, who have a lot of problems. You know we have a lot of problems in our society today. There a lot of people who are sick, who need help, who need support. There are also people like battered women, who are beaten by their husbands and run away from house. And children who need help. So very generously supporting and giving help is the part of generosity and IS the part of our duty. We should always participate. It doesn’t matter who does it. Whether (through) an organization like Jewel Heart, it doesn’t matter who participates - in order to have an effect on the cause. That is another kind of generosity that we should always be involved in. Also there is a lot of disease. There is AIDS disease. There is tremendous need. When it comes close to family you will remember, you will know. But when it is not too close, like “over there,” there is tremendous stigma and denial. Those denials are really the number one obstacle to being able to help. You know, all these are very difficult things. Somehow bringing the message home to the heart of the people through whatever way you can help, that is also an act of generosity. 0:21:08.5 For example, take AIDS, the people don’t have to die today. There is cure. There is help. But then the cures and helps are not always accessible (to everyone). (Maybe) in the developed nations such as United Sates or Western European countries. It is available. But when you look in places like India, China, Africa, it is not accessible at all. The cure is maybe a glass of water, as an example. But that glass of water cannot reach to those areas. (If one can) help them bring (the cure) to meet the need, that is an act of generosity. As a matter of fact, it is a duty and a very good way of getting one individual to a spiritual path. Something we can easily do. One person is not necessarily responsible, but joining forces together and trying to deliver help, that is a great way of being (involved) in generosity activities. 0:22:39.4

These are the material aspects of generosity that we should be able to do. Particularly, I strongly say one thing. In our understanding, some of us, we think we are spiritual practitioners. We think we have to sit ourselves down, close the door, meditate and try to be very holy. Try to say a number of mantras. It is going to be a great way of practicing. But we completely ignore the world and (what) the people’s needs are today. It is very questionable. Which is a good spiritual practice? Is it better for you to close door and meditate and say mantras or is it better for you and everybody to be participating in one of those other activities? Putting your energy to what Americans say: ”Put your money where your mouth is.“ (Laughter.) The most important thing today is that there are a tremendous amount of killing fields. Not only just Iraq. But almost everywhere. Look at Darfur. Look at Kashmir today. A tremendous amount of human land is today becoming killing fields. So trying to save lives is the gift of giving life and it is the best generosity one can ever do. These are the external generosities that one can engage in. 0:24:52.9

Now let us look inside ourselves and look at internal generosity. Perhaps you never even think about internal generosity. Because the moment you talk about generosity it is about giving. The giving is TO somebody. You may be thinking that way. But put yourself at the receiving end. Make yourself the giver. What is our need? Can I give (to myself) what my needs are? When you begin to look at what our needs are, let’s take myself as one human being, look at yourself, I call it “ME” so take yourself / me as an example. Look at myself and see what is the need of mine? What is the desire of me? What do I want? I want happiness. I want calm, quiet, wonderful peaceful harmony, joy of my mind, my body, my emotions. And of course, I want money too. because I have to pay bills. So these are my needs. Can I be generous to my self? Can I give what I want? Let us say, that I cannot. Then, who can? So the question is, if I cannot take care of myself, who else will? We are spoiled people. We always look for government to take care of us. The Dutch have been lucky up to now. Honestly, you have one of the greatest social services up to now. Maybe not better than Sweden, but close to it. The rest of the world does not enjoy that. The answer to the question is I have to give to myself. Noone else will give. I have to be very generous to myself, to give to my needs. 0:27:44.6

If you are to be very miserly to yourself, who suffers? You should not be following the George Bush system of the conservative compassionate one to yourself. You should be very generous on the compassion to yourself. You have to give generous compassion to yourself. It is not giving sympathy. Especially when you give to yourself. You must fulfill what your promises are. If you cannot fulfill what your promises are, if you cannot fulfill them, they are just empty promises. You don’t want empty promises to yourself. (Compassion) is giving joy to yourself. Giving happiness to yourself, giving cessation to your pains - mental, physical, emotional. (When) we see for ourselves that we are physically sick, we see our pain, in a horrible situation, we run to a hospital and do everything to give ourselves the physical well-being. We go to the hospital and do everything we (can). What you don’t know is that you can also give to yourself the emotional and the mental joy and peace and harmony. That is the spiritual part in general, Buddhism in particular and especially what Mahayana Buddhism is all about. The purpose of the religion - whether it is eastern or western - the purpose of religion is to bring happiness to yourself and to mankind. Happiness and joy means free of pain and sorrow and sufferings. 0:30:09.5

Yes, we can pray to the God. Or Buddha. Or whatever, Allah or Yahweh or whatever you choose to pray. There is nothing wrong (with that.) But, we cannot guarantee it will get answered. I am sorry to say this in a church. I hope the priests here won’t mind it. At least we can try to give ourselves the gift of joy and happiness - mental, physical and emotional, all. Especially our suffering. Our problem today, what we face IS the emotional problem. What we face IS our mental problem. How difficult do we make (it for) ourselves so much so that we get tied up, so much so hung up that even our physical condition becomes critical. If you are not going to help yourself to relax, to reduce and to get yourself out of those tortures, who else is going to be able to help you? 0:31:33.7

Are you totally going to rely on somebody else to the job for God or somebody else? Are you going to behave like a little infant who can do nothing, who cannot even get up and who cannot walk. Are you going to behave in that way? Or are you going to be a human being who can think and walk and eat and shit? So, that is exactly as we do in our normal life. We have to think of spiritual life in the same way. There is no difference between our normal life and the spiritual life. People are happy to make a spiritual life such a mystical thing. And somehow you think the mystical thing will circle round and you will get out of it. Its not going to happen! This is not a smoking (??? 0:32:39.0 dope / dove ??) Honestly. You can (be) smoking (dope), you can go up to high up there and zoom down. Or zoom down and “dzup zup” whatever. Though you can smoke dope in Holland but in a coffee, with a “c.” That sort we call it “grounding” your spiritual path. Number One: generosity to yourself has to be grounded by yourself, for you. So, number one, I would like you to have a resolution, saying that I am going to be generous for myself, for my needs of spiritual mental happiness, mental joy. That is Number One. We need it today, to talk about your generosity, up to yourself. 0:33:36.7 DT 0:33:40.1 And then, you will talk from there how to go, but first you may want to have a cup of coffee - with a “c.” 0:33:47.3

Welcome back, everybody. I hope you heard what I have been talking about. (I don’t know about this sound here. But you can’t do much about it, sorry.) Well, I hope you have not forgotten what we talked about before we went for coffee. I hope you didn’t drink it (away) with the coffee. That is the commitment of helping yourself, giving yourself the gift of liberation. Because we need to liberate ourselves from the pains that we experience. Mental physical, emotional. Especially the mental and emotional. Mental and emotional pains that we experience, where do they come from? It is from our own ego, that gives us all our mental, emotional, even physical pains. We had a weekend, not a weekend sorry - we had a workshop - on the Queen’s Day - I keep on saying Ann Arbor, I mean in Nijmegen. 0:35:21.0 (A couple of times already today, I keep on saying Ann Arbor. I mean Nijmegen!) 0:35:27.1 That (workshop) was called the “Three Poisons, Three Objects and Three Solutions.” The Poisons are: Ego - One; Obsession -Two; Hatred - Three. Why Ego - One? Because Ego is the one who gives you all this. What (it) gives you is the Obsession and the hatred. What does Obsession do? It makes you completely obsessed. Whether you get it or are not going to get it and go for it, and in not a good way. But a really bad way. And what does Hatred do? It brings you hate. Hatred brings hate. (DT 0:36:19.2) That brings violence. That violence brings violence. That’s why, and how it comes in. 0:36:33.1

So when you give yourself a gift of peace, harmony and joy, you have to give yourself the “pings” that goes against hatred. You must give the gift of love to yourself. You must give compassion to yourself. So your compassion and your love for yourself as well as for the others and caring for yourself as well as for others, brings joy and happiness to you. We have a misunderstanding. We have confusion. The confusion is this, as follows: If I begin to get involved in some miserable, terrible things, i am going to suffer, so I must cut myself out and let those suffering and poor things be separated. I am superior. They are inferior. That is the misunderstanding. That is the confusion. Ego gives you that. I think you cannot isolate yourself. You cannot live in a bubble by yourself. You know this. Especially in the Netherlands here. People are very open-minded. Supposed to be the most liberal people in the world. Supposed to be. (laughter) Liberals do not cut off the compassion. The conservatives cut off the compassion. They have to be conservative on the compassion. Honestly speaking, you cannot run away. You cannot wrap yourself in a bubble. You have to be very brave. You have to choose love. Not choose isolation. Some people think they are superior. They cannot talk about it and so you don’t get it. Like a condition, or disease or something. 0:39:00.4

I had a friend in 1967, in Texas. A millionaire. So I was talking with him about the suffering in India. Particularly about the Tibetans in India. And I’m trying to get him interested so that he will help Tibetan refugees in India. And then he says “NO! NO! I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t want to think about it. Its too much suffering. I don’t have time for it and no, I won’t advertise for it. No, I don’t want to get that much suffering for myself.” So, this is how some people think they can isolate themselves from the suffering, so that they can be free. Which is the total confusion that ego gives. The opposite effect - love and compassion and helping yourself and helping others IS the gateway to bring peace and happiness to ourselves. THAT is the Buddha’s wisdom that he shared with us 2600 years ago. (0:40:11.5) And that has been proving itself again and again and again right throughout our life’s history. Throughout our 2600 years history, we can see it. We don’t have to look very far. We can look into Mahatma Ghandi. We can look into Mother Teresa. We can look into the Dalai Lama. You can even look at Nelson Mandela. All these people who have been going out and opting for love and affection have helped people. And have helped themselves. And that’s what (was) achieved. The opposite of that is - look at Hitler. And look at the Chairman Mao of the Chinese. Or even Saddam Hussein of Iraq. That is exactly what we see. What we see is what we know. So that is true for those.

Why not its true for us? 0:41:32.3

Until today we have no scientific proof. Love and compassion brings happiness and joy to us. Today the scientists are beginning to look into this. The scientists from Harvard and MIT - the Massachusetts Technology (Institute.) All these people and a huge amount of scientists are involved in - whatever they call it - the mind-life activities. They begin to see the scientific evidence how meditating on compassion brings the brain cortex toward - pushes toward the happy side. And meditating on selfish thoughts brings it, turns it the other way around. Even scientifically, physically, we can see. Not (just) by the psychologists. The moment I say scientific, you may think psychologists. These (however) are the hard-core physicists. Of course, its (still in) the very early stages of scientific development. When it is all well-accepted by every scientist, when they establish it, when we begin to have even scientific proof - not only spiritual, but even scientific proof - that love and compassion brings happiness to the person who is meditating. Not to WHOM you are meditating ON, but (that) the person WHO is meditating brings joy and happiness to him or herself by this act. Which (is what) Buddha told us 2600 years ago. (0:43:32.9)

Ladies and gentlemen, that very love, that very compassion that Buddha shared with us is still alive and is a living tradition right in front of your nose today. Better take advantage. Better take this opportunity, because the opportunities are very rare. This is a living tradition. It is not just mere book knowledge or scientific knowledge. It is a living tradition. That is valuable in the Netherlands and Jewel Heart is providing that for you. The mission of Jewel Heart is bringing that ancient wisdom into the contemporary life today. That is what we are trying to do. 0:44:35.3 It is living. It is not dead knowledge. It is living. And that living tradition makes the individual person much easier to develop, much easier to come in with you. We are not talking what had happened in the 16th century in Sussex, England. We are really talking about what’s happening here in 0:45:04.6 (??”Tillbot” ?) today. So. That’s it ladies and gentlemen. That’s all I have to say.

0:45:11.7 And one thing I’ll also tell you about: I’m going to talk about all the six paramitas in five lectures. If you have time to come around, you can build up something for yourself. If you are not able to attend the lectures, we do provide courses from Jewel Heart. And we do have wonderful teachers. Each and everyone of them has spent a number of years studying with me, as well as with earlier, senior teachers like the late Helen and all this. We have really wonderful teachers, I hear. 0:46:00.1 (Particularly…. (Names many…. Hans, Pieter….) Each and every one of them are good, qualified teachers. 0:46:18.4 (Jokes with audience.) In addition to that, I come myself twice a year to Holland and provide retreats in order to enhance your spiritual development, if you are interested. On top of that, we also provide online live teachings twice a week. I’m talking to you about this opportunity you have and these are the services that we can provide to you. But YOU have to do the work. You can’t hire the Jewel Heart people to do the work for you. You can’t 0:47:05.1 If you do it, they will have the Jewel Heart people but not you! So it is the simple requirement of simple meditation which you can do. Ok before I go into simple meditation, do we have any questions? I see no hands…either good or bad. No questions…

0:47:31.1 Lady has a question:

Q: Did I understand it well - that if you yourself meditate on love and compassion, does the other one feel it too? Did I understand that well? 0:47:50.7

A; Sometimes they do. But I have been emphasizing, you have to do it yourself. (Like) I was telling you earlier, when they use meditators, seasoned meditators, as a guinea pig by the scientists. Put them in an MRI machine for 5-6 hours, when they are meditating on compassion and love, the brain effect is moving in the positive directions. And when you try to meditate on something opposite of it, the brain effects go to the other side. Maybe that is the confusion you’ve been having? I don’t know. Is that the idea? So that is an indication, if you meditate on compassion and love it brings joy and happiness to us. Even scientifically, people begin to see that. They publish these findings a lot in the scientific magazines. You see them (there.) 0:49:24.9

When they are meditating on compassion and love, the brain activity moves in a positive direction. When you meditate on other. it moves to the other side. Does that your question? When you do meditate on love and compassion, it brings ….they published those findings

Q: Is generosity, the first paramita, also called the “Dana Paramita?”

A: Yes, dana is giving, yes. Dana is giving. Dana may be restricted a little bit, by the word “dana” maybe not just general like giving. May be restricted a little bit. I don’t know Sanskrit or Pali, both. But when you use the word “dana” it is probably material. It is very specifically restricted to material (things). For example, food or cloth or something like that. May be very specific. I’m not so sure. But the idea is a part of giving. Dana is a part of generosity, for sure. 0:50:22.9

Q: ….I recognize that from Indonesia, and when you are also in Thailand for instance, they give the monks food.

A: Right. That’s what I said. Dana may be restricted. Over here, when you say “give,” the number one gift is the protection from fear. Or, giving of love against fear. And generosity of a spiritual path. Generosity of material. Of all kinds of (things). If you have the detail of time, there is a tremendous amount of generosity. Its not just a simple thing like that, its very detailed. Every moment that we have, we can use that as the perfection of a gift. Its all valuable. But then I cannot tell you that in 5 or15 minutes. The earlier part, I already talked about it. Helping the people, the victims of natural disaster and disease and illnesses. These are also part of giving, of saving a life, as a gift. That’s part of that. I did not talk about that (being) unconnected. I didn’t speak about that part of it. 0:52:01.3

Q: I am a bit confused about….?… the ego as one of the three poisons. If you say that we have to give ourselves more compassion or generosity, is it part of getting bigger because of that ….a contributing thing? (??)

A: A very good question, my dear lady. I said a gift to yourself. I did not say give love to ego. If you are your ego, then we are in big trouble. My ego is not my “me.” Your ego is not you. If me and you and if we all are our ego, then we are in trouble. Big trouble. When you to come the the sixth paramita, the paramita of Wisdom, we will talk about it. What ego is all about and how do we negate - the word is “negate” - how do we negate the “impossible being?” And how do we make ourselves be pure? Away from that clutch and control of ego? So. I will say, I am not my ego. You are not your ego. You are you. I am me. And we are different than our ego. Ego is the object of negation. Our “self” is the object that has to build its self-esteem. Although, you said you don’t know about Buddhism or anything, but your question is really hitting the hammer on the head. It shows how wonderful and how thoughtful you are. (Laughing) 0:54:51.0

Yes sir, I’m afraid you have to be the last one….

Q: 0:54:57.4 ??? …Thinking about this as ego …..???

A: The word “ego” has two usages. Actually the word was created by psychologists for a purpose. But the people use that differently. People use that (saying) “…alright, that’s your ego getting in the way….” This is your ego, this and that. We look down on it. That is the ego terminology we are using to identify and (it brings) all sorts of our troubles. But traditionally, in the tradition its called “ignorance” which is not very suitable in the terms of translation between the original Tibetan language into English. Its not suitable. So therefore we use the word “ego”. We are not using the word “ego” in the (same) sense as the psychologists usage. If you are thinking along those lines. Psychologists use this (for helping) people who are deeply depressed. To build their self-esteem for themselves. We are not using “ego” in that sense at all. As a matter of fact, “egoless-ness” gives you the most powerful sense of self. 0:56:41.8

And thank you. That’s why all this series of lectures are called “Choose Love.“ But somehow we got that into a (?? 0:56:54.5) life. But that’s really what it is. Don’t be afraid. Be fearless. Choose love. That’s the whole idea behind it. 0:57:05.7

Thank you so much for being here today. We conclude with a little meditation. 0:57:13.1

This time we simply wish our self and all living beings joy happiness and love. Our wishes become wonderful thoughts of compassion. Our wishes all become the wonderful idea of love in the form of light radiating from our heart. Fill up the room wishing everyone to be happy filled with joy and the love and the light dissolves to your body and you make yourself happy, joyful and filled with love. 0:58:30.3 Also, light comes from my heart and reaches to all of you and that light makes you free from suffering and the causes of suffering. All of our hearts are radiating light…..

1:01:09.2 (Meditation ends.)