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Soundfile 20060505GRNLNijmegen 1

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location Nijmegen

Topic 6 Perfections

Transcriber Lesley Pritchard

Date 1-21 Nov 2020

***NOTE: This transcriber has continued to follow Rimpoche’s wording and phrasing very carefully. I have attempted to preserve the intention or meaning as much as possible, however I am also very aware that every altered word or punctuation may alter Rimpoche’s original meaning. Thus, this was particularly challenging and it would be best for official editor(s) to review this transcription closely. ******

Thank you for the introduction and welcome everybody here tonight. 0:00:10.6 DT We are happy tonight because we are able to meet in Jewel Heart itself and the community here, people in Nijmegen and around nearby, are all able to join and spend [this time] in an institution of their own - Jewel Heart. So I am very happy and specially thank you for coming and welcome you in this particular building tonight. 0:01:05.7 DT I’ve been here for a couple of days, as Marianne has announced it, in a couple of cities [and] been talking about what we call Paramitas which is a Sanskrit word. If you translate it, it becomes “to make the individual better” and not only just better but perfect. Perfect in our spiritual life as well as our daily life. That’s how Buddha has told us how to improve ourselves. How to get ourselves more deeper internally, touching with our self. In other words, in normal Judeo-Christian tradition way, how closer we can bring ourselves to God. I’m sorry to use the word. 0:02:56.4 DT 0:03:44.2

I did say last night, in the {?} 0:03:51.3 [?] translated. I’m sorry to use the word “god.” Some people run away froM the Catholic Church and then go into the alternative and then you hear “god” again. 0:04:05.2 DT 0:04:26.2 But the point really is this, because in one way I said it jokingly. But on the other hand, the thing is that we, as human beings, have tremendous difficulty in our lives. Tremendous. I’m not just saying because Buddha said the truth of suffering is the reality with everywhere. But truly looking in our lives, there is so much pain and misery [and] problems with ourselves. Mental, physical, emotional, family, parents, kids. You know how many problems that we really have. Tremendous problems we have with pain. And when we have that much pain., we are looking for help. Wherever the help comes, from any quarter, whether it comes from Judeo-Christian tradition, Hindu-Buddhist tradition, New Age, Old Age, Middle Age, whatever. Wherever it comes [from] it really doesn’t matter. What we need is help. What we don’t need is a huge division. And [we don’t need to] create additional idealogical problems. This is a big problem today with us as you know very well. 0:06:19.2 DT 0:07:08.8

So what we need [to do] is to solve our problems. We need help. Making so much division creates more problems. As I said, it is a logical 0:07:25.4 ? thing, [and it] makes big problem today. Whatever you call it. Terrorist this or that. Extremist. All of them are somehow are based on the religions, although they deny it, everybody denies it; ‘NO, no no, Its not religion. Its the conservatives and the extremist and these and that.’ And that causes a lot of big problems with this and with that. If we look back, its the division that causes a lot of problems as we see. And, not only that, if we look back in the past history. Look back 100 years. Lets say, 1900s and even before that. We had the biggest wars on basis of religion. Idealogical differences. We had all these wars and we still did not learn the lesson. We still tried to make that division. 0:08:33.6 DT 0:09:16.1

When I said it should not be division, I don’t mean everybody should get them mixed up and have another New Age. I don’t meant that. What I really mean is we should not have that strong division that creates another trouble. We don’t need that. This is done in order to somehow control it. You know the things they put in the box and level them as Christian. Level them as Catholic. As Protestant and these and that and Buddhist and Hindus and Muslims and extremist and all that. We put them in the boxes and level them and then we begin to say “Yea, now the situation is under control. They are in their boxes.” 0:10:10.3 DT 0:10:52.4 So, when you look at these Six Paramitas, six different ways helping to make ourselves get deeper, [and make] better improvement, its actually true of everything. The person needed, if you are following Judeo-Christian tradition, if you are following Hindu-Buddhist tradition, everybody needs those six different things to make ourselves better. And that’s why I thought this is a very good thing for people to be able to use in everyday of our lives.0:11:39.6 DT 0:12:10.6

We’ve been talking six things and if I don’t mention it, you’ll be wondering what it is. So we did talk about the first thing. [It} is Generousity, which I don’t need to explain to you. You all know it. It is important. We all need to have it. Second is Morality. Morality is very important and we absolutely all need to have it today. Something we should never ignore. The third thing is Patience. 0:12:53.2 DT 0:13:37.3 Patience is a direct antidote of anger and hatred actually. 0:13:45.5 DT 0:13:53.7 and every one of us, we all face a tremendous problem of anger. Which we all do. I don’t know why but especially in the West, I’ve found people are getting angry. Maybe you are all more straight-forward and 0:14:12.6 ? eastern power and height ? So whatever it may be, there is a tremendous anger which is really, we all get tormented by our own anger. You know that within yourself. 0:14:28.0 DT 0:14:52.8 So we know that. But however, if we said direct antidote of anger is Patience [and] if you go in front of someone who is very angry and try to tell that person “Patience, patience…,” you are not going to get very happy there. 0:15:12.3 DT 0:15:28.7

But there is a ? 0:15:29.4 ? where and how it bridges. You know it really [takes] patience to overcome anger and all. And I did talk in very detail in the ??? 0:15:46.2 [??“boursh”??] 0:15:47.7 I did talk 0:15:50.6 DT 0:16:05.3 And then last night, I talked enthusiasm. 0:16:08.9 DT 0:16:13.6 and how important enthusiasm is in our life. 0:16:20.6 DT 0:16:24.1 Enthusiasm is not just enthusiasm. It is based on the interest. Interest is based on like and love and loving. 0:16:36.6 DT 0:16:48.3 And I may get very [???] as I said last night, but if you have no interest in your job and it is very hard to do your job 0:17:00.3 DT 0:17:14.3 and if you don’t like what you are doing, it is very hard to bring interest in your job. 0:17:24.7 DT 0:17:33.6 And when there is no interest, how can there be enthusiasm? Not possible even. 0:17:38.8 DT0:17:43.7 So I did talk very detailed last night and I’m not going to repeat 0:17:48.4 DT 0:17:54.5 and why I briefly mentioned what I talked earlier, because I understand that Jewel Heart here are probably going to make it valuable for people to have it. I don’t know if they are going to make little booklets or transcripts or maybe ? 0:18:25.7 going to make valuable. So therefore I just mentioned to you, if you are interested, you can pick up from here all this information 0:18:39.6 DT 0:18:52.3

Tonight my subject is Concentration and Wisdom. Now [I’d] better talk. (Laughs) DT 0:19:06.3 Concentration in one word, in one way, meaning meditation. 0:19:12.8 DT 0:19:19.8 So you know when you talk about meditation, people think you talk in a very mystical and very serious something. Some mystical thing. But I am here to de-mystify the mystical. Meditation really means focusing concentration as well as application of wisdom. Two types of meditation. 0:19:53.6 DT 0:20:23.6 So when you hear the [word] meditation, you have to understand two things. Either analytical meditation or focused and concentrated meditation. 0:20:40.2 DT 0:20:53.4 But analytical meditation you know is as simple thing]. Analytical means analyzing the subject or whatever it is analyzing and making sure one knows the right thing. Whatever you know or think it is, make sure it is the right thing. True analytical is called analytical meditation 0:21:18.5 DT 0:21:36.2 But analytical meditation is based on concentrated meditation. You know this is very interesting. You have to know this because I’m saying you are analyzing thing is meditation. However in analytical meditation, you have to have a perfect base of concentration probably otherwise it becomes day-dreaming. 0:22:05.7 DT 0:22:25.7 So the meditation has, as you know, it has so many important things. The most important thing in our life is to be able to focus whatever we do. 0:22:41.7 DT 0:22:52.2

Of those people who have been able to focus on their subject, or whatever their specialization is, they become successful in their life. If you look at a musician or poet or artist, whoever or wherever you look, people who are really focused on, even the scientist or doctors or nurses or whoever, wherever you look, the persons who are really focused are really successful. And [those] who are not focused are not that successful. We can see it in our everyday life. And if you know any of those good or great artists, [or] anyone, if you look at them. [you can see] how much they focus on their subject. From that angle, you will know how important it is. 0:23:59.8 DT 0:24:46.4

Not only this, if you look at all these entertainers, the musicians, good ones, or the poets, whoever, they not only focus, they [are] working on the mental, physical, [and] emotional together. Even physically, how much they jump, how much they push things together. That is the perfect focusing of mental, physical and emotional. And that makes [them] successful. And those who cannot do that and become half hearted, they don’t ‘make it’ [that] much. Many of them carry a guitar around, but they don’t really put [forth] the effort. That makes [them] become self-employed, half-hearted musicians. 0:25:40.9 DT 0:26:29.8

I had the opportunity to be able to see Allen Ginsburg read poetry a number of times, including here in Netherlands. And whenever you look at Allen while he reads the poetry, he is literally moving every physical [part of [his] body, everything, every inch of even his arms of blood all move together and works and that makes his poetry successful. 0:27:02.2 DT 0:27:32.5 [I was] Also able to see Phillip Glass playing his piano. When he is practicing, he is totally focused. He never knows what is happening nearby. He is not going to know even [if] the roof falls in and hits on his head, I don’t think he will know it. That much focus they will put in That makes them successful. The key for them to make success is the focusing point. 0:28:05.4 DT 0:28:31.0 Many other artists may be thinking “How come I didn’t make it? I play very good music.” The problem is, you’re not focused. 0:28:42.6 DT 0:28:53.7 We see this in the art. We even see the absent-minded professors where the ‘absence-ness’ comes because the person is so much focused on the subject, they lose the other side. That is why they are absent-minded professors. 0:29:15.8 DT 0:29:25.8 The ultimate focus is called perfect meditation. 0:29:35.9 DT 0:29:41.5 Which is a mental development. X0:29:45.5 DT0:29:47.7 The moment you sit down and say “I am going to meditate.” yes, it is great effect however you are not going to have a perfect meditation at all. 0:30:03.0 DT 0:30:13.0 Which means you have to turn your mind to be able to focus. 0:30:18.5 DT 0:30:21.7

The terminology - this is very funny and you will laugh - really true. [For the] terminology you use called “meditation,” we have an equivalent word in Tibetan. When I didn’t speak English, I didn’t even know what the word meditation meant. 0:30:48.2 DT 0:31:07.4 I made one healer, a very good healer from Texas [upset?] 0:31:13.3 DT 0:31:18.9 They keep on telling me “..mediation…” [and] I have no idea what he is talking about. (laughs) Probably I say “Yes” and “No” and “Good” and “Bad” and that’s about it, you know. 0:31:30.1 DT 0:31:43.4 After a little while, he got so focused, so fed up, he went outside and brought [back] incense and put it on the table and said “Think, think, think!” (Laughs loudly) 0:32:04.2 DT 0:32:12.1 So he is trying to teach me how to meditate [by] looking at the burning incense. 0:32:19.5 DT 0:32:32.3 In other words, de-mystifying the meditation will be actually focusing and thinking on a subject or object, whatever you choose. 0:32:47.9 DT 0:32:55.1 The moment we sit down, a lot of the - I’m not going to talk a lot about mediation here because a lot of people, I am sure most of you here, meditate - however, the moment you sit down and start using your breath in and out, that, itself, is the beginning of giving a nice direction for yourself, for your mind, internally focusing [on] something peaceful. 0:33:31.3 DT 0:33:57.2

When that peacefulness gets deeper within you, that much mental, physical harmony and joy one individual experiences. 0:34:16.1 DT 0:34:29.1 When I said “focus and get deeper,” it means that much mental quietness and joyness - getting much deeper so that you also develop a tremendous amount of physical-emotional happiness and almost bliss within - one individual should be able to deliver and bring by meditation. 0:35:04.7 DT 0:35:23.7 When you try to meditate, focus right from the beginning, [and] you will feel physically relaxed and a little relief within [your] body, within [your] mind. We experience that. This is the beginning, but it is nothing compared with what you can develop within [yourself]. 0:35:52.8 DT 0:36:18.8 We all have the capability to do be able to do that for our self, no matter whatever normal challenges that we face. I mean physical challenge or whatever we face. We can do that. 0:36:39.8 DT 0:36:51.5

At this moment, what is going to be disturbed to ourself, what is going to bother for our self, is two little mental faculties. DT 0:37:25.9 One is called wandering mind. DT 0:37:33.0 The other is called sinking mind. DT 0:37:41.7 The wandering mind somehow pulls our focal point of whatever we are focusing on, will pull out and try to to lead us into something else one after the other. DT 0:38:10.2 This is our problem number one. DT 0:38:17.4 In order to avoid that we have to maintain alertness. DT 0:38:32.0 That is another mental faculty according to the Buddha. DT 0:38:41.3 Or, sometimes [the Buddha] even says remembrance. DT 0:38:49.5 Whatever you are focusing on, you have to remember that. The moment you forget, you’ve lost your focus. That is why the application of remembrance is [what you need] to overcome wandering mind. DT 0:39:15.1 The second problem is a sinking problem. DT 0:39:24.3 You are focused, you feel comfortable and you begin to sink so much so that the next thing you realize, you will be snoring. DT 0:39:53.5 For that, what you apply is alertness. DT 0:40:08.7 Not letting the mind go down. Not letting the mind sinking down. Sort of uplifting. DT 0:40:24.4 In other words, application of remembrance. You are remembering the subject or the object, whatever you are meditating. Plus, you have alertness together, bringing them together, uplifting as well as remembering, [bringing them] together. DT 0:41:04.0 That is basically Mediation 101. (laughs) DT 0:41:13.8

So, what we can do ourselves, as [well as] whatever I mentioned to you about application of the mental faculties, starting [at] that [point], at whatever point [where] you [begin to] meditate. That’s how we begin. 0:41:43.0 DT 0:41:50.7 Here, what I’m trying to do [is] trying to take you a little bit deeper than simply sitting and focusing on counting the breath. One going out and two coming in, a little more than that. A little bit deeper, but don’t think this is deep [because] remember I said this is Meditation 101. 0:42:16.3 DT 0:42:40.0 When you are able to focus that [way], as we have described, free of wandering mind and free of sinking [mind], clearly remembering the subject with bright “uplift-ness” [and] able to focus for a very long time, that is the beginning of the establishment of Concentrated Meditation. DT 0:43:45.0 The “very long” here is [only] a minute or two. (laughs) DT 0:43:56.2 You know when I said “a very long time,” that is a minute or two. DT 0:44:04.6 If you are not used to it, you start doing “the think” ? 0:44:08.6 and in a couple of seconds your mind is gone. Not focused. At that [time] also, if you try to remember, you don’t have the uplift. If you try to uplift, then you forget the subject and that itself will [cause you to do] a lot juggling when you actually try to do [this] by yourself. [So] its going to take time. Let it take time. Its worth your [effort.] You are not going anywhere anyway. 0:44:38.4 DT 0:45:15.6 When you are able to do that for longer and longer periods, you begin to have a power, by yourself, to be able to focus. [Then] whatever you put your mind on, [you are] able to stay there and work [on] whatever you want. You will be able to do that. You can do it. That capability, each and every one of us has it whether you ? 0:45:45.5 yourself or not. There [is no for] need anything else. We are just really ready to have it, within our self. 0:45:55.0 DT 0:46:19.5

When that is happening with us - they are giving us the text [now] based on Tsongkapa’s teaching, whatever the verse number is, you should have it. It says: [Tibetan - 0:46:43.5] “The concentration is like a king that rules over your mind.” Its like: Your king is ruling over your mind. {Tb: 0:47:07.10) I’m paraphrasing it. You have it in your hand. Marianne will read it. [Tb0:47:17.2 ) It means the meditation that you really [do] have complete control of and power [over is your mind?] Like a king [who] has control over [his] subject. This [mind] is your king. (Although in history, everybody knows…??) So [you have] complete control over [your] mind. If you leave it, make it focus and leave it. It will be like a mountain. No one will be able to move it. Just sit solidly on top like a mountain. If you let it go, it will follow wherever you direct it. It will trace to the end. That is the perfection of meditation, of concentration, of focusing we are talking about. 0:48:22.0 DT 048:51.2 When the seasoned meditator meditates, lets say on the pillar, and [when] that person is mediating on that pillar, he will never be able to lose the focus no matter whatever you do. Totally focused. That means he or [she] is not going to forget the subject is the pillar. 0:49:27.8 DT 0:49:38.7 Not only is [one] not going to forget the pillar, but also going to remember the four directions of the pillar as well as the cardinal directions of the pillar. Totally focused together. 0:49:58.0 DT 0:50:08.4

Not only those directions focused together but the particles inside the pillar are totally focused together, now getting deeper. 0:50:23.1 DT0:50:32.2 Not only just particles but very subtle particles. Even the items that have been included in there, probably be able to focus and concentrate and be remembered. 0:50:50.5 DT 0:51:06.4 And that is just an example of what I am talking about [when] focused on just a simple object like a pillar. 0:51:16.1 DT 0:51:25.0 Take that object in your mind. When you begin to focus on your mind, the mind is a problem here. Why? [With] any other things, you have some physical thing you can imagine. But the mind is not a tangible, physical thing, so therefore you don’t have a focal point like a pillar or a watch or the glass or whatever [to focus on.] It is sort of a very broad, open space-like openness. 0:52:08.4 DT 0:52:30.7 It is almost like the focal point of the mind is open space. It is almost like there is no boundary between your mind and open space. As though there is no scull or skin or anything. It is completely open and merging in the open space. 0:53:03.9 DT0:53:18.8

Not only a merging into open space-like, yet still there is absolute clarity of each and every point and everything. It looks like you merge them together, yet each and every focal point is absolutely clear, like crispy clear. 0:53:50.9 DT 0:54:05.4 Not only is it crispy clear, but every thought that pops up, that comes in and goes out, all of them are absolutely clearly noticed. We notice the paint of the pillar and the wood outside and the concrete [inside]. As we see not only the paint, but the wood. Not only the wood, but the concrete inside. Not only the concrete inside, but each and every particle included in the concrete, in the wood, in the paint. We can see everything together. Likewise in the mind, not only is it merged into open space-like mind, but each and every part of the mind popping up, coming and going, we clearly see it. 0:55:32.6 DT 0:56:05.3

In other words, when you begin with just normal sit down breathing and relaxing and bring ourselves to the level of that much clarity, the question a lot of people ask is: How long should I meditate? How much should I meditate? That is the point where you are supposed to bring it up. Each and every one of us can. We are capable. We have the tools. We have the capability. We can and we should be able to bring it to that point. Not very quickly, but it takes time. 0:56:50.2 DT 0:57:19.6 The whole idea of pillar meditation is not that we are interested in what this pillar is made of, but to give us an idea of clarity [and] how deep it goes. Why? Because when [we] meditate on our mind - our mind and thought, [our] mind and mental faculty, [our] mind and emotion - [we see how] mind and emotions influence our mind. All of them will be able to meditate clearly. 0:57:57.2 DT 0:57:57.8 DT 0:58:28.7 When we are able to meditate clearly we not only recognize our negative emotions, we begin to see how [they] influence our mind and how we can manage [them] ourselves. How we can - not control - but how we manage our negative emotions. How we make sure our negative emotions do not influence our mind. That is the beginning our power, by ourselves, over our mind. That is only found through meditation. 0:59:14.9 DT 0:59:49.0 This is the personal power. It is interpersonal power that the individual can use. 0:59:56.9 DT 1:00:03.8

It is not a scientific power. The scientists cannot use this through science alone. 1:00:13.4 DT (BREAK)

1:00:43.2 (Welcome back.) We briefly talked [about] meditation from today’s level and how an individual can reach up to clarity and a lucid and stable level. 1:01:19.4 DT 1:01:34.4 That doesn’t end there. The tremendous lucidity and clarity just doesn’t end the mediation there. It brings a tremendous physical and mental joy too. Literally joy. Sort of a literally very high level of wonderful [feeling]. I don’t know how to describe it [but] some people talk to me when they use drugs. Sometimes they have the effect of clarity - wonderful and relaxed and movement and everything - because of chemical things. Maybe some of you have more experience than I do. I didn’t have any experience. For me it was “throwing up” business. (Laughs) 1:02:52.0 DT 1:03:23.3 That much you know. Sort of not only a lucid but slow, loose, wonderful thing. Not only the object that you are looking at, but both your mind and your body will feel that joy. 1:03:52.1 DT 1:04:11.0 That joy begins from your crown level and somehow from the crown level it begins to soak your body and your mind completely. At that time for that individual, pain and sorrow and sadness - at that moment it doesn’t exist. Not only when I said from that moment, it may look temporary. Its not that temporary. Its sort of quite a lasting happy joy that one individual develops without having any chemicals. 1:05:08.3 DT 1:05:48.0

That lasts with the individual until the power of meditation remains with you. That one lasts. It doesn’t go away after a couple of hours or days. Its meditative power that lasts long. 1:06:11.1 DT 1:06:24.9 When you develop that, on the basis of that level of mental, physical [??] and joy, begin to analyze [your]self. 1:06:41.9 DT 1:06:56.2 Actually the last word I forgot. That last word on this particular verse is (TB)1:07:05.6 It brings great joy to make our mind and body fit to utilize for that. Paraphrased, it is something like that.1:07:17.3 DT 1:07:33.8 Without wish, if you do a lot of analytical analyzing, it becomes daydreaming. With this basis if you begin to analyze and you are definitely focused on the point, any analyzIng you do will become icing on the cake. 1:08:04.8 DT 1:08:18.3 In this particular verse, that wisdom - in the English [version] it says “wisdom that knows suchness.” In the Dutch [version] I was told it [means] “wisdom that knows emptiness.” 1:08:37.5 DT1:08:46.6

That “-ness” or whatever it is - in other words, analyzing self or whatever you do, once you get that power, you can use it anywhere, in whatever you do. [This is} almost a tool that you can use for whatever the purpose is. That is the point. The point of [this] is what Buddha recommended: [it is] to use that particular tool to analyze “What about me? What is me all about it?” Because [at] every point, whatever you have, this “me” comes up. Me, me, me is always there no matter how much you pretend, its always there. Buddha recommends we analyze what that means. “Who is that person? How does that [person] exist? Why is it so important? What is it? That is what Buddha recommends to use. That is a type of wisdom. There are a lot of other wisdoms such as ‘quick thinking.’ Quickness. It has to be stable and careful together. Just quick quick quick alone doesn’t do. Quickness which is stable [and] careful, yet very quick. And clear. Absolutely clear. Clear in the sense not only that [one] sees the present, but sees the past as where it comes from, [sees] the future as where its going to go and be able to see that. And the profound. Deep. There are so many different wisdoms there. But [it] is generally known that what Buddha recommends is analyzing and looking into the self and what it is all about. That is what this particular verse is all about. 1:11:16.1 DT 1:13:06.9

Why [do] we have to analyze ourselves? Because we are tormented. Tortured by pain and suffering in life after life. In the West what people normally call [this] ”the mystery of life.” I told you right from the beginning, I am here to de-mystify. The mystery of life is confusing us. It becomes a mystery. When you begin to be able to solve that, [you] begin to be able to clear that confusion and the mystery that really torments [us] all the time in our life. [We are tormented] because we are unable to see what the real reality of it is. That is why Buddha recommended that we analyze our own “self.” 1:14:03.0 DT 1:14:50.0

Because of the confusion, we are unable to see our future. Because of the confusion we are unable to see what is going to happen tomorrow. Even [for our own] self. We don’t know what is going to happen to “me” tomorrow. That is because of the confusion. So if you have been able to solve that problem, not only your [own], but everybody else’s. And everybody else’s becomes absolutely clean and clear. That’s what Buddha called total knowledge. 1:15:26.7 DT 1:15:49.3 That is what the purpose and the goal of wisdom is all about: self-analyzed wisdom. 1:15:55.5 DT 1:15:59.5 To cut it short, because of the time - to have to cut it short, I don’t know if the shortcut is going to be a service or a disservice to you - I don’t know, but here we go anyway. 1:16:14.7 DT 1:16:24.2 When we are looking within ourself, [there is] something called “self” inside me that I want to protect. I must help. I must develop. That “something” is really precious and wonderful and important. We would like to become good and better and all of those who are looking inside [for] the deeper [me] inside, it looks like [there is] some hidden person [in] there. 1:16:56.7 DT1:17:09.6

That hidden person is what we really see, that somebody called “me’ - permanently existing at least from birth to death in our mind. 1:17:29.5 DT 1:17:40.4 [Someone] who cannot take any pain at all. Mental, physical or emotional. 1:17:48.4 DT [Someone] who would like to have complete control of our environment, at least [in our] mind. DT 1:18:09.2 [Someone] who is the most precious for me, inside me. For me, that is “me” in there. 1:18:20.1 DT Who is that? Where does “it” come from? What is it made of? All this you begin to see deeply with the power that I mentioned earlier. To be able to see every particle of the pillar. Utilizing that power, when you are really looking deeply in there… 1:18:57.5 DT 1:19:08.8 ..that person that we are looking for is an impossible “me” [to find.] 1:19:19.4 DT Why is it an impossible being? Because everything, whatever is happening within us, it is [only] the terms and conditions, the circumstances and the changes from minute to minute. Not only from time to time, but minute to minute, second to second. It is changing nature. Not only a changing nature. [It] just becomes existing because of terms and conditions. 1:20:01.2 DT 1:20:12.9 It is called the interdependent nature of existence. 1:20:18.5 DT Our existence itself that is so precious when we look at “me,” is really a conditioned dependence and nothing independent [at all], nothing solid [or] permanent. It really [only] comes up when the conditions are right. When it disappears, the conditions are not right. It changes from minute to minute, second to second, moment to moment. 1:20:57.3 DT 1:21:16.9 So much so that the actual me, you and me, we all together [appear] because of the dependent arising and nothing independent arises at all. (Which we think we are. (?)) 1:21:41.1 DT 1:22:00.1

That makes us see some new “me” within us. That is this: what we call “ego” within us. Which is so sensitive, it cannot touch anything. Ready to burst into tears or punch whatever. It becomes very questionable whether [that self] is really there or not. 1:22:35.1 DT 1:22:56.7 When you look into it, your physical, your mental, each and every aspect, when you begin to look a very detailed [way], you cannot find it. 1:23:09.0 DT 1:23:19.5 We begin to raise the doubt of existence of that ego. I also use the word “impossible being” because it is impossible. But we think it is there. This is our confusion. We really want to protect this. We want to drag that person away from the pains and sufferings and miseries and protect everything. We are willing to sacrifice everyone else to protect this one [self]. When we really are looking at our self, it becomes a big question. That is what our confusion is all about. DT 1:24:34.1 [There are] meditators who meditate and are able to see with the power of the detailed, powerful mediation I mentioned earlier. Scientists today - particularly physicists and neurologists (I’m not talking about psychologists, but neurologists and physicists) begin to see this as circumstantial existence. DT 1:25:33.9

I don’t mean that scientists know emptiness. One time I was talking about Einstein and somebody came up and asked me if I thought Einstein was a buddha. No, I didn’t mean that. I didn’t mean that scientists know emptiness. Scientists also have focused capability and they focus and they use all their tools, tremendous tools, beyond our normal eyes and ears. They begin to see this circumstantial existence. 1:26:18.1 DT 1:26:54.9 Unfortunately, scientists are unable to see the past and future life. Honestly. I will say “yet,” they haven’t seen this yet. Don’t rule out they won’t ever see it. They may see it. Today the scientists are able to look into it and see very clearly the nature of the mind. [They] look at the nature of the mind extremely, [in a] very detailed [way]. DT 1:27:44.6 They are not Buddhist, but they really know [how to] look very detailed. Also, [universities] like Massachusetts Technology [Institute], Harvard, Yale, all these top level universities are looking into this. The other day we had one scientist also involved in this, [our own] very well known Ben Shapiro, he was the chief medical research officer of Merc, the pharmaceutical company. DT 1:28:45.9 He [also] spent a lot of time studying wisdom in Jewel Heart. The other day he was telling me, when you are looking at this detail, you can really see how completely you can quiet the ego, completely. There is no problem “whacking” the ego! (Laughs) DT 1:29:23.3 But he said compassion is a big problem. You almost have to believe it. (Laughs) DT 1:29:36.0 For scientists to believe it, it becomes a big problem. (Laughs) DT 1:29:47.9 Its not only the wisdom that a fellow - a guy called Buddha - who came to India 2600 years ago and gave [us] this wisdom, [our] tradition today. 2600 years later the science may be able to agree with this and be able to confirm - not completely - but confirm, in that direction. DT 1:30:30.6 Another point that the scientists found is that when you meditate on compassion, it brings happiness. (Laughs) DT 1:30:53.6 That is the wisdom that Buddha shared with us 2600 years ago, again. DT 1:31:06.7 We had no scientific confirmation until now. Today they begin to see it. Just beginning. They used the seasoned meditators as well as the new ones as guinea pigs. They put the meditator into the MRI for five hours! DT 1:31:45.7

They created all kinds of noises and disturbances and made them begin to meditate on different things. Different things [such as] on the mind or a deity or Buddha. All kinds of different things. But what they found was, when you meditate on compassion, the brain cortex moves to the happy side so much. DT 1:32:42.4 The more the person is experienced on meditating on compassion, that much they move toward some sort of [1:32:52.6 ???} site. They have a way to measure whether the person is happy or sad or crazy or depressed or whatever. That’s what they do. They found that when you meditate specifically on compassion, the [1:33:11.5 ???] really moves. DT 1:33:41.8 They even confirmed [this] to be true. If it is confirmed to be true, this is the first validation that compassion meditation brings happiness - [yet this is something] which Buddha taught us 2600 years ago. DT 1:34:10.9

[What that] really tells us today [is that], the path and method that we have been using to overcome our suffering, is a really valid one. Not only the scientists, but [this is] also the experience of earlier masters as well as every practitioner. In addition to that, they have been having almost scientific confirmation that really shows we are not on the wrong path, DT 1:35:23.6 and that meditation is the tool to overcome our sufferings. Our sufferings, we have to overcome internally. We cannot overcome [suffering] externally. DT 1:35:48.5 It is our heart, our mind. When you really have that, when [we] reach to our heart, when we reach to our mind, that will make difference to our life. And “lives”, where I come from. To where I come from, to “me.” DT 1:36:15.1 To reach and touch our heart is the internal method. That meditation - both focusing and concentration combined - [has to be] applied in our life. DT 1:36:39.6 This is what meditation, and briefly, wisdom, is all about. Just a glimpse. DT 1:36:54.7 If you think it has some use for you, then we do provide here for meditation. We do provide here for sort of instructions for developing compassion. We do provide here instructions for developing wisdom. We have provided them as a service to the community. Thats why Jewel Heart exists. For that reason. DT 1:37:52.7 Every person who is working in Jewel Heart, they are all doing [so on a] completely volunteer basis [which], according to buddhism, is to benefit others. Which means to serve the community. To serve everyone who is interested [and] who may like to use [meditation] for ones own benefit. We provide the opportunity. I’d like to take the opportunity to thank the community here [in Nijmegen?] for supporting us. As well as to thank [all] of the members of Jewel Heart who have been working day after day, month after month, year after year, for the service of humanity. [I’d like to] take this opportunity to thank all of them. DT 1:39:36.4

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