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We are very fortunate to have Kyabje Gelek Rimpoche as our distinguished speaker tonight, he has been a very good friend of mine and a very good friend of our Buddhist library. I can say, I don’t know he doesn’t mind for this, I hope he doesn’t mind for saying this, today we lost something very precious and found again. He was a regular speaker of Buddhist Library in 1980ies, but later he became very busy with activities in Western Countries, he could not come regularly to our Buddhist library, but Buddhist library members, who used to attain, his talks that time still have very happy memories about him. It’s a very natural thing because he’s always a very happy person, very good to make other people happy. Everybody remembers his very pleasant …smile. I should not take so much time to introduce him. I think all you know about him, but I’d like to say a few things: he has written many articles, then books, but most important thing I can say is that he’s edited Tibetan Manuscripts and published them. We all know that Tibetan manuscripts are very precious, those who want to study Buddhism they are very precious, very important, so he has done such a great work by editing Tibetan manuscripts, not many scholars, not many teachers can do. Then we know him as a preacher, popular preacher but generally popular preachers are not scholars. Scholars have difficulties to become popular preachers and popular preachers have difficulties to become scholars. Anyway, the wonderful thing about him is that he is a popular preacher as well as a scholar. He’s really a scholar with very profound knowledge on Tibetan scriptures, Tibetan Buddhism or Vajrayana Buddhism. Then I know him as a very good writer, then the most important thing or popular thing about him are the interviews. People like to interview him and when they are going to interview him, they don’t know what he is going to say next moment, ah? Very openly he talks about any controversial matters, if you interview him, he will tell, he will answer very directly what he has to say. But many Buddhist teachers are quite reluctant to say certain things on controversial matters, but he is not, he is very direct. Talks about things very openly, so his open approach is always appreciated by people. So, he is a very popular Dharma teacher in Western countries, specially in the United States. He’s doing great service and he has his own center so there so when we think of all these things, we are very fortunate to have him to give a talk tonight. Without taking much time I’d like to invite him to deliver his speech. Do you have any other things before that? (Audience applauding).

I think we need little bit more volume for this.

Lady singing: may all beings have happiness, may …..

Rimpoche speaking: Thank you and first of all I would like to thank you Bandy, and Bandy made me such a great thing, I wish it’s true, but it is not. It’s true that I was here and that I was a friend of Buddhist society near the Bandy and that I’ve have given a number a talks and we also had a common friend, an Austrian, not Australian, but Austrian monk, we all him “Gelola”, Gelola used to have a yellow monk robe with a Tibetan cloth design and worked round in this part of the world; both Malaysia and Singapore as well as in Thailand and he was a wonderful person and had connected so many of us together through his efforts and unfortunately or fortunately when he wanted to go, his first visit to the United States after he’d become monk that many years, ahm, he was a punk before and then became a Buddhist monk. That’s very interesting, he told me one time that he was very heavy within the metals wearing in the Munich transcendation and he said Dalai Lama passing through. So, he sort of looked at all his dress and looked at Dalai lama’s dress and he felt funny, he said and that was the first sign and then gradually he became a Buddhist monk and helped so many people. Anyway, I think it looks like he wanted, so when he first came after that in the United States and attended a retreat, that was a winter retreat in Michigan and he had a little cold, become sort of pneumonia, and passed away one day. Just like that. I think he had been telling a lot though; said: I came in here easily. Journey back to Malesia it is going to take a long time, or something, right? It’s a long journey, he said, something like that. Anyway, so he passed away, and of course we miss him but he sort of, really, chose to go away, he wanted to go and we dedicate our virtues to fulfill his wishes although it’s many years, but always we can dedicate. And ahm, that’s perhaps one of the reasons why I didn’t get in touch with the Buddhist Library for many years, and so, so, normally inaudible………0:11.35) We are here today, anyway.

So, now the subject what we are supposed to talk tonight is Buddhism in 21st century, oh, that’s interesting. Buddha came 6000 years before, ah no, sorry, hahaha, 26hundred sorry, I came to America this morning so I still have a jet lag, if I say something funny, forgive me, ok? So, 26 hundred years ago, and it’s really amazing, looking at the teachings of the Buddha and still, really and wonderfully helping and supporting and ahm giving a pot? (0:12:42) to the enlightenment and the way and how an individual can bring themselves free from the sufferings of the Samsara and leading themselves into the peace of Nirvana and all these and some to some simply just fulfill their wishes and give some hope and all different levels, different ways Buddhism works and it worked all this 26 hundred years, throughout different areas, at a different time, different cultures, different languages, it’s wonderful when you look back. And I’m very confident, I’m sure no matter whatever, whoever says or thinks Buddhism will continue for at least couple of thousands of years in future for mankind, to benefit mankind. Although number of people will say and even the teaching tradition will say, the task, the text books will say this is Kali yoga, the degenerated age, and Buddhism is going, going or something all the time they say, but however I really feel it will be here for another, if not 26 hundred, but you know, should be very close, should be here to be serving people, to be helping and different level of the people to whom it serves differently. It’s very interesting, Buddhism solves? Extremely well, within the system of discipline, within the system of …..(0:15:24) rules, or within the system of very strict discipline function extremely well. Also Buddhism serves very well for those of us, like me, ex-monk, who was a monk and became an ex-monk who cannot …. (0:15.59) discipline, but yet very strong, not only a devotion, but practice of Buddhism and it serves, works extremely well. As well as Buddhism works for those highly developed individuals and the main…(0:16:26), it really leads people to the total enlightenment, total enlightenment is total knowledge, total knowledge is the ultimate level that an individual can achieve, which we call it Buddhahood, sometimes we don’t call it Buddhahood but we call it enlightenment, I don’t’ know why. Enlightenment, Buddhahood, all of those are same, and Buddha observes very extremely well, to bring people to that level and Buddhism also serves tremendously to the scholars, and no matter, however, you know me, I’m not a scholar. The Bundy made me a scholar, but, it’s fine. I had the opportunity to study Buddhism for over 60 years and so, but I don’t call myself a scholar, but perhaps maybe, you know, when you look at other people, listen to something, sometimes, maybe I had a lot of years to study, lot of information collected, maybe, I don’t know. But those words intellectual people of Buddhism serves tremendously and it’s very, very, very intellectual relation, extremely. Particularly the wisdom aspects of Buddhism and it works extremely a very, very intellectual knowledge without which quite difficult to comprehend the true aspects of the wisdom, as you know, in Buddhism, two things have to work together, that is the wisdom and the compassion. Earlier great Indian saints and scholars such as ………..(0:19:00) and all of them, all these great Indian teachers, from Nalanda to ……all of them worked, ….presented tremendously both aspects of the wisdom as well as the compassion. If you separate compassion and wisdom you are missing one of them and I think the …..has given an example of a bird who has only one wing cannot cross the ocean of Samsara because it will be circling like the Australian Boomerang if you throw it, it comes back. And so doesn’t cut cross. So, both wisdom and compassion are absolutely necessary and the subtle aspects of the wisdom are extremely intellectual knowledge. And it needs a very careful analyzing. And we call it meditation, but it’s analytical meditation and analytical meditation that brings the wisdom and concentrated meditation alone cannot bring wisdom at all. So that’s the Buddha himself as well as great Indian teachers as well as the Tibetan masters and even the Chinese, great old Chinese masters, when you read them, when you listen to their talks, when you listen to their teachings, and you can very well see without wisdom, without intellectual capacity and it cannot be really find the true, subtle, the deep subtle wisdom that really kicks the bat? off, sorry for my funny language, so you know to really kick off the bat of ego and I call ego but originally Buddhist language is ignorance, they call it, ignorance, but then you have to say it’s not just ignorance of not knowing but ignorance of wrong knowing and bla, bla, bla and you have the add the fear aspects of it and then you have to add confusion aspects of it and which is really like to borrow the terminology called ego, that’s although it was created by the psychologist for different purposes than what we are using, however public seems to use the ego as something you don’t like, if your ego you are talking about it? and it’s your ego talking so people sort of turn down. So, I like to borrow that language and that terminology and use it as introduce of what they traditionally call ignorance. Which is the root of all our sufferings and all our difficulties, where is really comes from, so that’s the ignorance and ego. And to really kick that ego out of our system completely we do need that wisdom without which you cannot, without which you really cannot so the wisdom is a must aspect of the Buddhist way as well as the compassion. Without compassion you know you will get nowhere, nowhere, without compassion you will go nowhere, and then when I use the word compassion in normal English as well as people’s understanding, you will think of compassion to somebody, who are poor, difficulty, suffering, very poor state of life and we may be thinking that. But on the other hand, we should not forget ourself, so though it’s not a correct use of language but I think we must have compassion for ourself. Which is really lacking for lot of people, we don’t have compassion for ourself, we pretend to have a compassion or we build up some kind of compassion which might not even be compassion, may be some kind of looking down on the poor and suffering, you know, sort of a pity feelings of, you know, somebody who is in difficult situation and we may identify compassion with that, there is a lot of confusion. But the true compassion begins with the compassion for ourself, thinking on our own situation, our own reality and then raising a question: how can I help myself. And if I don’t’ help me, by me, who else will? And these are the very important questions, to build the compassion for ourself and when we know how to build compassion for ourself, then building compassion for others and then it will be quite easy. But if you don’t know how to build compassion for ourselves, we try to build compassion for others, it’s difficult. That compassion of ourself will becomes pity feeling, looking down, all these problems that we face in our life are still there instead of..(0:26:53) of solving a problem, it becomes another problem. So, it’s not right. So true genuine compassion, his holiness, the Dalai Lama calls it genuine compassion, or sometime maybe he calls warm heart, a man to man feeling, I don’t exclude the women, you know, man in terms of human beings, human to human feelings. And that sort of compassion, important compassion without which we are not going to get anywhere within the Buddha’s teaching. So, it’s really too most important part of it. Essence of the buddha’s teaching, four noble truths and if you put the four noble truth it has to have this wisdom and compassion, otherwise where, how it’s going to be a four noble truth even? And particularly first noble truth; truth pf suffering. Truth of suffering itself is not outlooking, looking outside, looking at that animal which has been run over by a car down in the street, that’s the wrong way of looking at it, but what about me, the individual? Individual who has a lot of difficulties and sufferings, you must look in that way and bring the compassion combined with four noble truths, truth of suffering is not only the suffering of others, but most important suffering of ourselves. The self-individual looking in that and developing compassion is the way we have to work. So, get back to the point, because of these two keys, the keys of compassion and the key of the wisdom, specially the wisdom aspects of it. It becomes so important in these days. Particularly in these days and why? I tell you why. Because today the scientists are looking into very carefully, because the purposes of the scientists are to bring, to solve the human problems and human suffering is a human problem and so they are looking for solving the suffering. I mean why should they spend time, money, everything and bringing comfort to the human beings, that’s what scientists do, that’s what doctors do and medical people make the pills and try to relieve the pains of the people, now they are thinking very carefully, in the last ten years or so. There is a tremendous interest by the great scientists, not the psychologists, when I say scientists, you probably think psychologist, yeah, yeah, no! They are mostly physicists, and they are extremely interested in Buddhism and particularly meditation and that of the analytical meditation, not just meditation. They are extremely interested, and they are doing tremendous research and they are really, all of them are very much attracted in that because of the wisdom aspects of it. Wisdom and that also the interdependent nature of how it is existing. Interdependent nature of how it is existing. And these are the talks and teachings that this guy named Buddha gives 26 hundred years ago. And it is today, the scientists are picking up and really seeing it is the reality, it is the truth, there is the way how we can work, not only how we can work but how it can be helpful, that’s what’s happening. 26 hundred years ago this guy told us: if you are developing compassion and helping others and that is a way of helping yourself. And we don’t know, I mean many through the generations great teachers I’m sure they knew, right? but person like me don’t’ know anything but sort of believed it in and followed the words of earlier masters and maybe it is and we do and now the scientists are using the ….(0:33.15) meditators as a Guinee pig and bring them into MIA for 5 hours or you know all this, and at the end of it, you know, it’s really amazing when you work with this, you know, I did not work with them directly on anything but we have had conferences of both, the physics as well as the medical doctors, anyway so when you work with them, they are so extremely intelligence people, they are really and they are really looking very carefully and now you can no longer fool? them by saying meditation. You know the word meditation means one thing, used to be, sit down, calm quiet, your mind, breath in, breath out, count them in, count them out, say where you go, what you think, what are you watching, let it go, let it go, let it go….(audience laughing). So that’s what we do, right? But now you can no longer do that, with those doctors and with those professors and with those scientists. And they will immediately begin to tell the …(0:34:46) meditate on this and meditate on that, meditate on compassion, meditate on this and that, meditate on absolute compassion, meditate on related compassions so put them in the five, six hours and then they find the different result. So you can no longer say meditations and …….(0:35:11) but they extremely do so much. And you know for me it’s so exciting as a Buddhist and that follow who told us 26 hundred years ago if you meditate on compassion, it brings happiness. Now the scientists say: oh, if you meditate on compassion, something, something brain….., something moved on this side and if you meditate on that something moves on that side and it’s going to the happy skull-side, and it’ going to the sad skull side and that’s how they do research, that’s how they do normally, how they do. And they don’t believe sit there nicely and thinking all kind of different things, don’t move the body and they don’t buy that anymore. You are completely connected with all electrical things and MIA machine for 5 hours and then you know, you’ll see, and they know exactly what’s going on. So anyway it is very exciting, it’s really exciting whatever 26 hundred years ago they said we will be just solod?(0:36:43) as much as we could and so now there is a sort of scientific, I still use to say sort of, there are so many, but it’s not a commonly accepted by every scientists like everybody says Aspirin helps you to cure your headache. Not in that way they accepted yet, but however it’s quite close in that so I think it’s really, really exciting. So, the wisdom aspects of the Buddhist teaching are reasoning and interdependent ness of it and like of intrinsic existence and the dependent rise and all of those are the natural of the reality as Buddha said. Right? I mean it’s very familiar in this part of the world, it’s Heart Sutra and when you are reading Heart Sutra it says no form, no nose, no tongue, no ear, no this, no that, so, no, no, no, but we still kept a big nose, but and you know in Asia we don’t have big noses and Americans have very big noses (hahaha). And you know, I mean you do have Elephant ear and all those, you can still say no nose, no ear, no tongue, no this, no that. And that has a meaning behind. Particularly the form is empty, emptiness is a form, form is no other than emptiness, emptiness is no other than form, you said that right, in the Heart Sutra? Whatever the language you use so they have the same thing. So really tells us the reality of the true reality of the nature of existence is interdependent nature although we call it emptiness is Buddhism wisdom, but essence of the emptiness is the interdependentness. Interdependentness means interdependent rise cause and conditions and terms, sounds like a lawyer, but really the cause, conditions and terms and according to that existing and that is so powerful and it really touches the reality of everything, so those great scientists, each one of them that open that big mouth and ….really goes in. You know ……(0:39:39), ….. had that been not the Einstein, never came up and Buddhist idea of emptiness can never be presented easily in public today. Today we can because of Einstein, what you call it? Einstein’s theory of relativity we show to that?? And when you say something like that, someone in a lecture told me, asked me: do you think Einstein is Buddha? I don’t know, I don’t know whether Einstein is Buddha or not, hahaha, great intelligence person, but he came up from the path of the scientific system: the facts following the facts. And really wherever the facts lead you, he followed and discovered and Buddhist and like us, as I’ve been saying, whether we know it or not know it, we sort of bought it. Whether you like it or not, it’s sort of faith based, and you know the faith base and the fact will be separated, years ago, back years ago they separated and now it’s turning round and bring them together and that really shows how great Buddha is, how great Buddha was, you know. No matter whatever you say, Prince of India and whatever you may say probably a guy who has little dote or the thorough in his thing and walking around almost bare footed, walking round and someone had such a brilliant idea of, do you know, the scientist had to work for 26 hundred years and begin to see what he is talking about makes sense. And that is the great quality of the Buddha. That is the total reality of nature, and our problem is not knowing the true reality, no matter whatever one may say, it is not enough faith, not enough praying, not enough saying mantra, whatever they may say, true reality is why we are struggling? Because we don’t realize the reality what it is. Once you know, once you break through where the truth is, and then there is no problem. Honestly, that’s where the mankind is stuck, spiritually or even otherwise. So, this guy of here broke through that and he shared the idea and many of us heard about it, don’t know what he’s talking about. Many of us or believe it, believe it but then now it turns out to be true reality of the natural of existence. What is life all about it. What we used to call mystery of life. So that is the great quality of Buddhism and that is the 21 century Buddhism. It’s not a new, it’s old truth, yet, you know persons like you, educated people, intelligent people, you should take a little step beyond faith, alone. Faith is great, no doubt about it. Let that be great, we don’t have to learn about it, we all know. But Buddhism doesn’t stuck at faith, it is a way beyond that. Way beyond that. Traditionally in Tibet, when I was a kid in Tibet, we were taught that faith is important but there are three types of faith: intelligence faith, faith faith, faith that wanted to achieve total enlightenment. So, three types of faith we were taught about it. But blind faith is not even counted. (laughters). And we do a lot of blind faith, blind faith, and if you put, invested so much in blind faith and that’s one of our own problem, too. Blind faith can give you all kind of results, not necessarily great ones. Well, if let’s say if you are worst of worse, and you know, I mean, you are not intelligent, you don’t know what to do, you can’t read it, we do have a lot of them in Tibet, too. Every Tibetan is not necessarily a great either spiritually or intellectually or whatever, sometimes they do think that, but it’s not. We do have a lot of those people, who cannot read, who cannot think, you cannot even say: u manni…….(0:46:52) properly, if you did know: u manni….it takes long time for them to learn, there are a lot of them there and for them blind faith is the only solution and when they are guided properly, then it’s ok, nothing is wrong with it. No other. But person like you people who are intelligent and educated and they will know much more than that, have to take a little more, don’t rely on faith only. Only the more intelligent. Use your common sense, if you don’t you know you have a lot of problems. If you look in the United States, you have a lot of problems. Had been lot of problems. I’m sure you all know the story of Jim Jones. That’s a few years ago now, Jim Jones. I don’t know whether you people here know or not, Jim Jones and recently, a few years ago, Heaven’s Gate. And all of them are problem. Don’t let me say what it is, anyway, if you pick up litter ……….(0:48:21) no. Jim Jones had a huge bunch of people committed suicide by drinking some kind of poison or something, whatever and then Heaven’s Gate also did almost the same thing, grew up people, that’s not very long ago, only a few years ago. Jim Jones might have been decades ago or something, or almost. And all these are blind faith released in that problems. Even ourself, even ourself, blind faith leads you, all kind of show business, a Dharma becomes showbiz and then you know it becomes, you know, Dharma has all this, has the quality of …(0:49:24) and doing this and that and everything, everything is valuable within the Dharma and then the emphasis was shifted from the true understanding, the true Dharma that helps the individual to understand better and uplift, sort of really, sort of shining within yourself into shining on the stage. And that becomes sort of showbiz, you know of number of people do this and that and does music and you know, call it secret dance, secret mill and all kinds of things are doing, Dharma is doing service however because the emphasized is becoming based on the faith and then is ….sure, it’s also be helpful. What’s really doing is pushing, of course you needed that too, I don’t mean it’s not needed, but also picks up internally, understanding, you know you are not stupid unless you say I’m stupid, in Asia people do, anyway, hahah, they don’t mind to call yourself most stupid person or something, but it doesn’t matter, you are not. You know it in your reality, culturally you say, try to be humble, you may say it, but in your heart of heart you are not going to think it in that way, for sure. So, it’s just a culture law, right? Haha, so it’s a culture law, culture, so you said that way, but so, since you are not, you must think a little bit more, honestly. Think and understand, intellectual knowing is extremely important. I don’t mean you have to become a scholar, I don’t try to urge you or become professors, no, but at least you know what you are doing, intellectually knowing, at least. If you say I take refuge in Buddha, so what do you mean? What is the Buddha? How do you take refuge in Buddha and why? What is the reason? What’s the purpose? Why? And that you should know, and whether it can help us or not if so, how, if not, then what for. And that might you have to think about. It’s nice to say …o manni….(0:52:38) or whatever …….., whatever you say. Or whatever …….so all this, what are you talking about? That much, little bit you need to know. And sort of that’s number 1, and number 2, why? All of this, why, why do we do this, why? This is very important. Why am I interested in Buddhism? Because my mother was Buddhist, and my generation was Buddhist and that’s not good enough reason for you to be Buddhist. I am also, I don’t know, I think I did some service in this part of the world, Malaysia and Singapore, in early, not early, in late 70ies and 80ies and then few years, for few decades I did not show up at all, ahm but I did and what I did, I really linked up, I was taken by the young Buddhism Association in Malaysia, I was not busy at all so I spent months here together, go from place to place, talked to the young people, young Buddhist Association, talked to them and tried to link up you know why my mother puts the fruit and ..(54:42) stick in front of the image and goes and shakes a couple of times and we call them Buddhism, right? It’s almost at birth, I think I did a little service, why you do this, what is this for, and what is and so I really did a little bit in that term and when I looked back decades that I didn’t come and I looked back I was happy I’ve been able, did something to link up because at that time most of the people they think Buddhism is to put in the jaw? stick there and few ching ching chings and that’s it. That’s not Buddhism at all. A Buddhist related culture, not even a Buddhist at all. Essence of the Buddhism is, Buddha himself said: avoid negativities. Build up positive as much as you can, most important, watch your mind, watch your mind or some people may say: train your mind. Even if you say watch your mind it doesn’t mean watch your thinking, no. It doesn’t. Watch your mind: where, what. What is it, all about it? Mind, mind is the bases on which we really work. Everything. What we do, Buddhism, it’s the mind is the most important. And what do we know about mind? I tell you the scientists know much more than we do, honestly, that’s a little surprising but really, they know much more than we do. We’ve been like generations Buddhist and no idea what mind is, all about it. What is the relationship between the mind and body? Is body is mind or mind is separate than body. What is it? A number of people will think yeah yeah yeah, body is mind, mind is body, well body means not really mind but it is together, sort of thing we say. But we don’t blame, I don’t’ blame you. Because number 1 we’ve never even thought about it. Number 2 even though you tried to think about it, you never had the, I don’t know what to say, you never had the role model, or no, it not in culture to think but really, we have to think about a little bit. Even mind is the body or if the body is the mind, then there is a huge problem. After we die the body is still here, mind is not there, right? When you go to a dead body, please, there is a dead body, and that dead body is body but there is no mind. So, it clearly shows you it’s two different things. And then on the other hand there is a completely crazy person, not crazy just mad, but physically extremely strong and healthy person. And that shows it’s different. So anyway, these things are important to know. Where it comes from, what it is, is it something brand new or is it old? So, all these questions so I have to say something here otherwise there will be a raising here, questions, questions, questions. And nothing else for you to take home. So, when you raise these questions: is it new? Or the life itself, is it new or is it something old? The question was asked to Buddha by the non-Buddhist people, they asked Buddha at that time the Buddha did not even answer, did not reply. (in Tibetan:……..(1:00) Indian Buddhist professors make great deal out of those. You know once I was in Delhi and the head of the Buddhist Department of Delhi University was giving a lecture, very nice, great Professor, giving a very good lecture and he’s saying Buddha was asked: is there a beginning of existence? And he go: “Buddha -- kept – silence.” (audience laughing) Really, sort of very, ahm? What? (It’s almost time) What time, I’m sorry, ok, alright. Anyway, so Buddha kept the silence and by keeping the silence and great intelligent people knew Buddha is total knowledge. That’s what the tradition text says. But the idea really is, what Buddha says is the consciousness, all kind, we call it consciousness, Buddhist way, Christians call it soul, but you know Buddhist say there is no soul, I don’t know why. Because the soul has to be sort of a single, solid, permanent and maybe, that never exists in the Buddhist, it’s impermanent, natural, so but according to the Buddha, you know, is there a beginning of the consciousness, existence and the reason why the Buddha kept silent is way beyond people’s comprehension. Way beyond people’s comprehension, so it’s no. The reality answer is no. You know sometimes Christians tell you all souls are all souls, so very similar to that. There is no renewable, according to the Buddha, no new consciousness, every consciousness is old consciousness. Yet this consciousness is travelling by its own. I had always a funny idea, you know, that is these Tibetan eight lucky signs, those of you know, it’s called, something called Endless knot, endless knot it’s not endless like everywhere, it is almost like a chart for the consciousness travelling, all kind of things. And then you have the Jin charts that goes through and so when they overlap them and cut cross, the consciousness occupies the body and there life begins. When the consciousness separates from the body, life ended. Yet, that’s not mean that this charge/chart/ is gone, this chart is goes vertically this way, this life charts goes that way. So, when it’s overlapping it’s taking birth and that’s why we all become responsible for ourself. Not somebody else is responsible. In other words, Buddha has never said that we are all created by Buddha (haha), really true and we are all responsible for ourself. Good and bad, whatever we do, we are responsible, whether in this life or future lives and that is the basic principle of the Karma, that’s what is all about it. It is very interesting in Buddhism, if you look carefully into Karma we all know Karma, right? Cause and effect we say, but it’s more than that. More than that. In order to really see how Karma works we really need to know the reincarnation, it’s really interlinked, extremely interlinked, without knowing the reincarnation you are talking about Karma and we are only looking at the beginning of the conceptions till that. Our views are narrowed this much, you must have panoramic view of life. Responsible. That Karma makes us responsible. That responsibility to give us when we do something good it help us to bring happiness and good life. And when you do something bad, something bad is hurting someone, when you hurt someone, the result of that is that you are going to be hurt, when you do something good, as the result of that, we bring happiness and is good for us. Even true to a certain extent when we try to help someone, saving a life or something. Saving a human life, you’ve been able to do it and we are very happy with this. It does bring happiness to us, don’t’ we, we experience that. Likewise, everywhere helping brings happiness and joy. Hurting brings sadness and sorrow and miserable. Violence brings pain, violence brings violence, violence continuously creates pain, suffering and misery. Compassion brings happiness, peace, and joy. Violence brings pain, we don’t have to talk, we can see it what’s happening in the middles east and what’s happening with this. This is a bigger picture of a nation to nation but the same thing; violence brings unhappiness within the family, even within ourselves. Compassion brings peace, joy, happiness, in the bigger picture. And we know even in the family, love, compassion brings the happiness and that’s true not only for the family but even for the single individual, within yourself. So, the Buddha’s message of wisdom and compassion, whether it’s biggest scale of great wisdom and emptiness, whatever or small scale of simply knowing the violence brings violence, compassion brings happiness. And the compassion itself, compassion for ourselves and family member. That is within just with you, 24 hours a day, with your family, your children, your parents, your spouse, expanding. So that is the essence Buddha tell us in our life. Number one: have a very good motivation, motivation for compassion for ourselves and others. Number two: the action whatever we take: nonviolence, not even hurt a fly, nonviolence. Number three: be happy. So, what you take home tonight, whatever I talked tonight, whatever it is, the real essence of the Buddha’s message is these two: wisdom and compassion. And don’t think of very big, you know, thing, but think of small group of family and how to adjust. Ok? So I should give you the opportunity to question and answer and all that, I did not even realize it’s already nine, so therefore (….Inaudible). No I have other schedules, so sorry. So that’s what it is and if you have time to come over tomorrow or the other tomorrow you are welcome, white Dara or not Dara, but we will be talking about Buddhism and in similar manner (audience laughing). Dara or not Dara, honestly speaking, you know, Dara is one aspect of the Buddha, female aspect of the Buddha, the teachings will be the same thing, so there will be no difference, so if you have time, you’ll be welcome. Otherwise, I wish you all the best and thank you so much for coming and thank you Bundy for having me here and giving me the wonderful facility here, you are great doing and thank you people, the Jewel Heart people who made the arrangement here and you people have something to say?

I’d like to take the opportunity here to thank the Buddhist Library, Bunty and the Buddhist Library people for hosting Rimpoche for this evening talk. I hope all of you enjoyed the talk, if you enjoyed please clap. (people claping) and I’d like to give a small talk of appreciation to Buddhist library. (someone in audiene talking: inaudible…hahah) Rimpoche? I have no question here.

Maybe we could give 10 minutes for 1 or 2 questions, otherwise. Ok

So does anyone of you have any question? Rimpoche: Bundy said at least 1 or 2 question I should … so lady please:

Lady: I’m actually based in US and of course you are familiar with people’s schedules there, it’s always difficult to fit everything in although ideally one would like to as a person, and I always find it a struggle between some of the ritual of daily practice and the study of going to teachings and I tend to give more emphasis to going to the teachings because I have to learn a lot still, would you like to make a comment on that at all? In the 21 century, do you think you know what is your opinion, maybe what is more important?

Well: 21st or 26 hundred years ago, Buddha made a system for us to do and that is first is learning, then analyzing and then meditating. If you don’t’ know what you do, you know this sort of watching watching, watching, sitting and letting go, letting go business comes in because the lack of knowing what to do and that’s really the problem. So, what you are supposed to do, the first is learning, so much emphasized by Buddha himself. (in Tibetan…….) Buddha really compared learning as like a light, that clears the darkness of ignorance and confusion. And it’s also compared like the wealth that will never let you down when you are down, and it’s also the wealth that no thieves or robbers or the politicians can take it away from you. So, it’s tremendously emphasized what’s learning, and then …(1:16:24) is the one aspects of this. You know, one tiny little aspect of meditation. But people seems to be emphasizing so much now, some people are totally devoted to rejewl?, nothing else which is really a tiny aspect of practice which is supposed to be followed by utter learning, utter analyzing and then doing, so that’s the thing. Well, you have to little balance, I should say. If you don’t balance, you keep on and learn and learn and learn and have no time to do anything then it’s almost like very academic learning and that might not be correct. But if you try to do something not knowing what you are doing, it will not help anything, so sort of balance everything and then, do the best you can, honestly, that’s what it is. Thank you.

Where do you stay in the States? Minneapolis. (Inaudible), oh you are lucky.

So, one last question, thank you.

(question inaudible….people laughing) you never know, honestly, sometimes I feel very strange, you know, the scientist may discover the wisdom way before the meditators discover. You never know, you never know, you can never say never, even James Bond tells us. (people laughing)Never say never, right? So I don’t’ know. I really feel if there is really a scientific confirmation of what Buddha taught us 26 hundred years ago, they will complement each other, the teachings of the Buddha and scientifical finding of it, will complement each other, it will really open lot of things for the individuals. That is the exiting part of it. I’m not sure whether it’s going to be express or supersonic jet or whatever it is. It is enlightenment. I presume that’s what you said, right? Ok. Thank you.

People clapping, Thank you so much.

We’d like to show again our appreciation, (people clapping) thank you.

Speaker: Ok. So, thank you everybody for joining the talk.

So, we will let sister ….to lead us in a simple dedication

Singing in Tibetan: …from (1:21-1:22.27)

Speaker giving some informations….. thank you everybody, good night.