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Soundfile 20070116AALRDEATH

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location Ann Arbor

Topic The Impact of Death

Transcriber David Lewis

Date 10/26/2021

Number of pages – 12.

[0:00:35.2]

Thank you. And welcome tonight. Last week we talked… actually both Tuesday and Sunday we talk about life and its value, and choosing life… all those. And then, question is, we said, life is precious, is capable, all this we should do the spiritual practice. We should overcome our negative emotions. We should not entertain hatred, we should overcome. We should not entertain obsession. We should develop compassion. Overcome means developing compassion. You just can’t get over it. Just get over it. But you can’t get over it, you know. You have to develop compassion so it… really… sort of supersedes, and make the other negative emotional thoughts made into insignificance…. Could not produce any result.

[0:02:19.3] I think that is how one overcomes. Anyway, if you don’t do it… And today’s subject is impact of death. Well, if you die, you die. What impact you have it? Who have impact anyway? [Laughs]. But the thing is this. It’s amazing. Wherever we look, whatever we do, that is something… definite. I mean it’s going to come to all of us, sooner or later. There’s no question. Nobody escapes from that.

[0:03:29.9] Spiritually developed persons such as Buddha, Jesus, wherever you look. Today we have only name left. Honestly thinking, we have Buddhism, we have Judaism, we have Christian. [inaudible]. But it’s only name. The Buddha is only name, here. Jesus is only name. That’s the reality. Look in the material success. All this… the wealthy, famous, you know. All this… all of them, simply only name left today. If you look it back. All those great powers, both wealth as well as military, political powers. All of them in name only.

[0:04:51.5] We look in the history channel, and maybe we be able to see them. They’re locked in the history channel. You know, all these great… early medieval kings and queens and generals, and all of those. They’re just in the… you see them… you know, the was museum. And Smithsonian. And in history channel. And that’s it.

[0:05:44.2] It’s reality. Hundred years from now, all of us are now in that. All of us. Hundred years from today we’ll be all in that channel or whatever, you know. Maybe if Jewel Heart still exist and they may show little clips here and there, and that’s about it. And all go. I’m going to go. Sooner or later that’s going to happen anyway, to all of us. That doesn’t mean we don’t do anything now. We do lot of things. That is one of the reasons why we have to do lot, and why we have to do right. Because that is the time we see… I don’t know whether there’s such a thing called judgment day, but that is the day in there where somebody make a decision what’s going to happened to me, to you, to ourself in another… whatever… next 80 years, or 60, 70 years, what’s going to happened.

[0:07:42.6] That decision will be made on that day. Who makes that decision? It’s interesting, nowadays, you know… earlier the papers moved through… the bureaucrats play a lot of rules, a lot of games, and someone makes a decision, someone confirms. People can do different. Lately, most of them computer does, unless it’s something very important, mostly computer does, right? So you put in the informations in there and let the computer calculates… do whatever, and give the marks, and whatever they do, computer does.

[0:08:53.8] That is similar to that [?]. We do a lot of… create a lot of karma, good and bad, all kinds of things. And we keep on punching the information in all the time, every time, whatever we did. Think… any thoughts we have. Any actions that followed by thought we take, or we don’t take. And all of them are somehow documented, and put in the computer. And when the day… what we call it… end of life, the day we died, the computer will print out whatever the decision made by the computer. Honestly.

[0:09:52.8] It’s almost similar to that. And fortunately or unfortunately that very computer that we punch all happens to be fault-proof, so no one can really play with it. No hackers can get in. So then the numbers comes out, and it is our time to pick up. If we get a good number, we get a good life, we get a bad number we get a bad life. That’s what going to happen. But it’s not luck. It is based on the facts of our deeds.

[0:11:08.6] So what number se going to get in then? That depends on what we do now. Isn’t that funny. Like the students do a lot of study, homeworks, do all that, and then the exam makes difference to them. And the exam comes, if they get good numbers, As and Bs, whatever. And when they don’t do anything, the Cs and C-minuses, whatever it is, and all of those again. Very similar to that, we get. So whatever we do now makes difference.

[0:11:58.0] And also it’s true, we think we maybe do it at the last minute. Try to do the last minute. It won’t work. It won’t work. In our general idea, when you become old, when you retired, and when you have all the time in our hand, we will do it. I don’t think it’s going to work. Just like a lazy kid would like to do all the homeworks like three days before the exam, final exam, and without sleeping, you know… by swallowing coffee of whatever. And you know that’s what they’re trying to do. And the days won’t work. And just like that, if we behave like little kid and try to say, well, jut before I die, I do everything right, so that everything an be squared up, and settle it, and sort it… it may not work.

[0:13:04.3] It maybe too late. And it may not be able to function. So whatever the number we want to get at that time, I think it really depends on what’s today, because every time whatever we do, or don’t do, a number been punched in. That’s why we call it a karmic imprint. Somehow that number been punched in already. Information is already punched in. And according to that information, that karmic mechanism just make the decision. I mean, just draw the conclusion. It’s not making decision, but just drawing conclusion, on the basis of the factual act that we engage in our lifetime.

[0:14:06.9] Thoughts, ideas, all this. And then one funny thing is cleverness doesn’t play any role in that at all. We try to be clever in our lifetime, and we say this and do this and then change this and that, and as a human being we can manipulate and do all that, and draw sympathy, and threatened, and do all kinds of things, and never works at that time. Never, every works, at that time. And so... in this actually, you know…facts doesn’t work. So the cleverness cannot overtake regular, normal, the faults following the normal rules cannot be sort of manipulated and overtake by cleverness. That’s the difference between the material world and the spiritual world.

[0:15:23.9] The material world we can always do that. And a lot of people are good at it. Lot of us are good at it. In the spiritual world, we cannot, because every deed, whatever you do, every thought, whatever we have, the information is somehow recorded. And when the day of the dead, you know they total, they put a grand total. And that’s how life is all about it, and that’s how life functions.

[0:16:20.4] So, although we say, we like to have a good future life, we like to have this, we like to have this, we pray, we do all that, and that probably helps lot, because it’s inputs, lot of god information in that. But wish and prayer alone cannot balance the negative deeds and negative emotions that we entertain. And even, you know what I say, the cleverness people do, manipulating, do all that. That might not look like negative, when they do the final analysis of the lifelong activities, then these are all going to be negative side. Not going to be at the positive side. It’s all goes on the negative side. Because you’re not being honest, you’re not being straightforward.

[0:17:47.7] So it means no only it doesn’t give room for those cleverness, whatever we play, but it affects wrongly, because it counts… it becomes a part of lie. And it becomes a part of manipulation. It becomes a part of cheating. So it is a negative effect. So, knowing that there’s no room for manipulation, knowing that final analysis of our lifelong activity, that’s doesn’t fail to record any minute of any positive and negative. In terms of normal… All the time. When you are sober, or when you’re high, or drunk, or whatever, that doesn’t affect. And it’s action is action. Thought is thought. Motivation is a motivation. Recorded, past, it is.

[0:19:32.6] Only two things can affect here. The purification and hatred. Purification can purify. Hatred can destroy the virtues. Other than that, we just as it is.

[0:20:04.3] So… so when the Buddha keep on telling us, our life, our future is in our own hand. Our life, our future, whatever going to be, we make a decision. No other person. And I think it’s based on this idea. This very idea is… Actually, not only does it based on this idea, it is actually facts.

[0:21:01.5] I think that is… that is almost… karma is all about. When you talk about karma, we talk about characteristic of karma, and we will say, the definite. One never meets the result if one has not created cause. And one always meet result no matter how long, and whatever interventions [?] it may have. And that is all about that.

[0:21:42.4] So, the key is in our hands. We are the one who are making decisions. But we don’t make the decision at the decision-making time, sort of, with no basis, we say, I like to be this. Doesn’t work. Where and how how we have been making the decisions every [?] that we engage in our life, and we keep on making decisions in our future life. Just like the scientists been discovering things, and that’s making the way, how we live, in our… down the road… twenty years down the road, thirty years, or fifty years down the road. They keep on making the decision now, and it affects them, right?

[0:22:44.6] Just like that, every deed of ours affecting our life, down the road. Sometimes maybe immediately, not luckily. But down the road, years later, that’s exactly what’s going to happen. And when we say years later, it doesn’t seems to be so much urgency, because there’s years later. But years later comes now, sometimes. Or when you goes through the years later, one year goes so fast, so fast. So, down the road, years later, is here now.

[0:23:41.4] So that happens, and that is ourself, nobody else, there’s nothing happening to anybody else. It’s all happening on me, and on you, and on ourself. Each and everybody, things happening on me.

[0:24:06.9] I think this the actual reality or the facts of life. So not knowing that or knowing that and not paying attention, knowing that and ignoring everything, that’s what we do, we always do. I did that too, all the time. All the time I did that. Like for example, I’m diabetic, right? And I know it’s going to affect me down the road, years later, right? And ten years ago, and fifteen years ago, twenty years coming. Years later it’s going to affect, it’s coming down. When you look at back, you can say, oh yeah, I should have done that, could have done that that, should have done that, could have done that. And we look back and we see it, but still do the same thing. Why? Because (a) laziness, (b) addicted in the way of life, an being a couch potato. All that affects you.

[0:25:51.2] There’s no lack of information. Really, every human being that I know tells me everything, you know, everything. So there’s no lack of.. honestly,, there’s no lack of knowledge. But these individual could not implement your knowledge, and your information. And when the consequences comes in, begin to say, oh sorry. Then it’s really sorry you can do nothing, you know reverse anything.

[0:26:40.5] This is example. There is example in the bigger picture, it’s not only the life, but lives thereafter. And that happens. And the body is temporary. It doesn’t matter, what ever happens, it happens. And whatever happens, it happens. It’s temporary. It goes, and then takes another body. But the suffering is not temporary. Physical body pain, all of them are temporary. By the time when you die, you not going to have physical pains and aches, you’re gone. Number one, you’re gone, out of physical completely. So that’s different. Two, you take a new body, and it’s a new body. That’s life is all about. That’s how it goes.

[0:28:00.1] But the pains and sufferings, you can’t change it. That’s what’s temporary… it goes… until you get rid of it, it goes. It always comes and always goes, continue. It’s a huge difference here. When you looking at the physical discomfort, that is temporary. When you look at suffering, it is not so temporary. I can’t say it is permanent, but it is not so temporary, it goes. And that’s why it matters much more. It’s not down the road, it’s always, continue, now!

[0:28:50.9] And all the time, now it’s affecting. And it’s continues. And that’s why life is important. And that’s why… honestly… that’s why life is important. And that’s why we need to do right things right now. Because the facts and actual informations be recorded. Every minute of our life. In one way we are free. You can do whatever we want to do. On the other hand, this is our situation. As a matter of fact, it is the situation of all living ones. Whether you are enlightened, or non-enlightened, or whatever you may be, this is exactly… it is the reality.

[0:30:11.0] So you don’t need somebody, you know, some kind of law force person, people who, sort of, pushes input[?], impose on us to do this and that. They can’t, they can’t even, even they can’t do it. Even they want to, they can’t do it. We the human beings are so … interesting, and os intelligent, and very good at the manipulation. Even you may be the most honest person, but you’re very good at manipulating. We all have that.

[0:31:07.9] That is, I think, how we are making impact in our life. That makes impact in our death. And how death is… how the time of the death… Death itself is not a big problem. It is a problem for a short time. It is changing. It is interesting… it’s funny, right? It is short period one goes through the death, but our memories somehow, somehow gradually it started… you know…wiping[?] off. It removes, you know, wiping off. Really true.

[0:32:14.2 ] It wipes out. He had.. she had forgotten this and that and this and that. And that is… it is interesting name you put… forgot. But actually it is the wipe out of your memory. If you have like memory chip or card or something, it [?] wipe out from there. It become a blank. So the person doesn’t recognize any individuals. Distance[?]. Gradually, closer. And then become even closer… the family members and lifelong partners and children and all… they don’t recognize, you don’t know who they are. Or you do know a little bit, and then you don’t know about it. You do remember a little bit. You don’t remember, and you do know, and then you say, “who are you?”

[0:33:21.0] And I really [?] you forgot your own name. And you don’t remember who you are. We see this in life. We see this, right? We saw that. That is… what we call it… losing memory. But you know… whatever you call it. I mean there’s a technical name, I’m sure there are a lot of them, which I don’t know. But that’s happens. That is normal process. And at the time of the death, and it’s completely wiped out… nothing. I mean it’s almost like a clean slate. You get it.

[0:34:02.0] And then again, you keep on building it. It’s a new computer, a new chip. You get it. So you put in… because you got limited computer. The general... life itself has a large, like a server type of computer that’s records everything. And you got a new computer which has limited information. You keep on building it. That’s how you look in life. At the time of the death, it’s completely wiped out.

[0:34:44.8] But the major information is stored in somewhere else, and it haunts you and it rewards you. This is interesting. Life is in our hand. We’re in control. We make the decision. But when it’s really materialize, we don’t have control, because it’s already taking over by a bigger picture. And then we sort of giving short, little thing. And you keep on playing in that. Keep on playing, run round, chase each other, and hit each other, and like each other, and do all that. It’s just a little playing here, you know. Small playground you’re playing. We all do this.

[0:35:43.6] If you really think that… thing is amazing. Life is amazing. But each and every one of those little pleasure giving... Our seeds are limited. Our informations are limited. It’s so funny. Unless you make, you break through… unless you break through, and sort of you gets only what you need to know, sort of thing. Honestly, that’s why we have a very limited… we have no past life information. We don’t get any future life informations. We don’t.

[0:36:30.1] We do get some, through the media of… something else. But very limited, nothing even sure it’s correct or not correct. If we have the whole picture, things are very different. But then, even we have knowledge, we won’t be able to correct. As I told, my diabetic…just like that. Information’s there. No one can really give me any new information… now… honestly. But… my path is the one who cannot keep up, or whatever, you know.

[0:37:37.0] It’s not that I don’t want it to, but it happens… you know. So just like that in our life, that’s what’s happening. In our life. Although we say we don’t have information of a past life or future life, but we still have the necessary information… important… what affects in future life, what had effect in the past life. Looking at the present life, judging from this situation, and looking back in the past life, it’s all deeds of that past life… we have this.

[0:38:39.7] [long pause] And looking at this, whatever we do now, going to have effect, from tomorrow, tomorrow, I mean from the next second, next minute, onwards… having the effect. If you look in that way, we see how responsible we are for ourself. We see how we make a difference to our life and lives thereafter.

[0:39:37.2] We see how our negative emotions, including manipulating everything, how it works, and what it has effect. And the difference of the material world, and the difference of the real life. [long pause] In the material world, what we call it, real life. And a number of people deals with a number of things, and limited informations… There’s room for people to lie, manipulate, do all this. And all of them are available.

[0:40:40.1] But when overall real life looks in, no, there’s no room for those, at all. You cannot fool anyone. Or truly, even in our daily life you may be able to fool someone little bit here, little but there, but that someone will, sooner or later, will know. And it’s a nice person, put in[?] not to know. Give nice smile and said. If it’s a silly person, the fingers will [?] and keep on saying, way way way way way. Nothing will happen, but that’s the reality.

[0:41:31.5] Nice person will realize, this is how it all functions, and give nice big smile, and pretend… you cheated me. Fine, pretend you don’t know. Honestly. But in reality, no one can do [?]. And especially coming hold[?], you cannot. The consequences… I don’t whether consequence can be used in positive… the positive result, and negative consequences, or whatever it is, that will never change.

[0:42:22.1] And that’s we wanted to be good to ourself, when you wanted to be nice… You know, to be, to be good and nice and kind to other is to be good and kind and nice to self, because of this recording business. [long pause] Why it says it’s good to be honest? Why it says… it good to be kind. It is good to be not mean person, because of this recording business. When you be mean to somebody else, you actually being mean to yourself, because the consequences… you’ll be paying for it.

[0:43:31.7] You be nice to someone, and even that person cheats you, give nice big smile and pretend you know nothing about it. Play dumb. And it’s good for you, because that consequences will affect you better, even though at that minute, that person think, oh I managed to cheat that person or this person. But in reality we have cheated ourself, not that person.

[0:44:13.8] I believe that’s… not only I believe, I should say I know for a fact, that’s the reality. It is hard to take it. It is hard to swallow. That’s how we keep on making decision for our lives, every minute of our life. But we do make mistakes. I don’t think one has to be so afraid of making mistake. And if you so afraid of making mistake, we paralyze ourself. And we don’t.

[0:45:06.0] Do the best you could. And keep the mind in such a way that you don’t let your mind be the slave of hatred, obsession, anger, jealousy, all that. Sometimes they take over. Doesn’t matter. The moment your realize it’s taking over, or infer[?]… You know, we be completely influenced by those negative emotions, perfectly justifiable, perfectly right that you have every right, and you’re very much within your right, and all that. There’s a perfect… And it’s justifiable, we see it. It’s takes long time to get realize it was mistake.

[0:46:10.6] It is always like that. When you realize… when you begin to doubt, it is wrong, when you realize, you have to stop, stop, think, analyze, look back, look forward, ask somebody who you trust. And then move forward. And every time maintain awareness as well as alertness in the life. That will be very good spiritual practice, more than saying millions of mantras, millions of circumambulations, millions of prostrations, giving millions of dollars for charity, all those.

[0:47:24.2] This will be much better, to help individual, to help yourself, to help others.

[0:47:34.4] Oh, I’m glad that you got up, because I thought you are not there. Like you got up [?], I see you. So I saw you.

[0:48:00.2] I guess that’s all I have to tell you about the impact of death. I can talk a lot. You know that is such, you can make it you be very afraid of it. Or you can make it something that you be looking forward. And that is entirely in your hands. Earlier Tibetan teacher, very famous one called Londu[?] Lama… very simple, extremely simple monk, very simple monk, living very simple. Some monks don’t live that simple, especially if you are very well known lama, then you don’t live that simple.

[0:49:21.3] This one is extremely simple, but very very well known. So he… the place where he’s staying… I forgot who… could be third or fourth, maybe fifth Panchen Lama, came through. So he asked… he’s so old and couldn’t get up, so he sent somebody with a gift, and asked the Panchen Lama for definition, whether it’s going to be fulfilled his wishes. And when they ask the definition for the Panchen Lama said, what wishes can he have it, that cannot be fulfilled? I’m quite sure be everything OK. So… he did the definition, he said, “Oh my god, I did not realize this simple monk has such a ambitious thought.”

[0:50:44.6] And he says, “Well…so… as far as I know he is going to make it, he’s going to make it.” So then somebody who is nearby the Panchen Lama, he said, “What… he’s trying to make it.” The biggest little surprise way Panchen Lama expressed, “I did not realize this humble, little monk…” And then they keep on asking Panchen Lama, “What is it?” Panchen Lama [?] “You really want to know? He would like to become king of Shambhala. He would like to become the ruler of Shambhala, and I think he’s going to make it.”

[0:51:35.2] So that sort of person will be looking forward for the death. And he himself said, “The ugly old body of mine will change into young, youthful, handsome in the evening.” So this sort of people be looking forward for death. And a number of people will be ducking out, as much as we can, you know, drug… as much as we can drug, you know… won’t go through that. It’s almost like the animal that has to be butchered, will drag out, and the butcher man will fall in, just like that we do. So we not be looking forward at all.

[0:52:35.8] And then, lot of regrets also, lot of regrets. Lot of regret we will have. You should have done this, could have done that, you know, all sort of regrets. So the purpose of the spiritual practice is, if possible, make yourself looking forward for this death, dying. And if not possible, possible, bringing yourself to the level that you will not hesitate to go through. Not because you be just dumb, because you know what’s going to happen after that. That’s why no hesitation. At least have no regret.

[0:53:43.4] No regret. Well, I should have purified that. I didn’t do it. I should have done this. I didn’t do it, you know. And the last minute, you know, you have to tell something, it’s too late, you don’t hear. Even you try to tell, the other side people won’t hear it.

[0:54:13.6] My own experience is also, you know, when my late wife, Daisy-la is dying, and I told the two kids… because can’t hear very well whatever she is saying. So I told them, “Whatever she says, just say yes”, you know, ok, “Yes, yes, yes.” And so, you know people doesn’t have regret, so [?] thought. And I [?]… she said, “I don’t think you hearing me. Even I ask a question, you all three said, yes, yes, yes.” [Rimpoche and audience laugh] Sometimes that happens, you know.

[0:54:59.6] So why I mention that? Because by the time when you try to say something that late, people don’t hear you. You put the best effort, and you try to say something, and they don’t hear you, and you go with the sadness. And shouldn’t be there.

[0:55:22.1] Another funny joke. Really not really relevant, but it keep on popping on my head, I have to say it. There is a Tibetan family… You know I believe it’s true. And it comes out during the teachings like this… teachings… all the time they will come out. There’s a family. And the father… they’re the shoemaker. They make shoe. You know, there’s no factory or anything Old Tibet, you know, so they make nice, beautiful, hand-made shoes.

[0:56:01.6] So [laughs] there’re a couple of children in the family, some daughters, some sons. The father had told each child a particular trade, you know. One is very good at making the lower part of the shoe. The other is very good at making something else, and something else. He never taught them how to put them together. And he kept the as his own, sort of, what you call it, [audience: trade secret] or more his security, or his [laughs] liberate against control, or whatever. So by the time when he was dying, he said, “Oh, don’t forget to put them together.” [laughs] And one of them said, “Daddy, you can do it.” [laughs; audience laughs]

[0:57:05.3] So [laughs]… So it’s don’t [?] should be that late, you know… should be… one should be… affecting one’s life, whatever you have to affect, it should be doing now, now. I guess that’s it. I already said, number of times, that’s about I’m going to say. Anybody have any question? I’m sure there are a lot of questions on this. Or what I did not do, is how does death comes in. How does one go through. And that I have done so many times during so many teachings. We will have opportunity to talk that too, but… If you need to know, that transcript’s available. Lot of them available, and so you can pick up, if you’re in the different courses, ask your instructor, and hey will show you, guide you on those transcripts, on that. And that is something also one has to know.

[0:58:27.1] I’m not sure whether I have anything else scheduled to talk about the death. Kathy said, no. Not immediately. But will be there later.

[0:58:45.9] Yes, please. [Audience:] I’m figuring, if we forget we’ve been here many lives, we forget that part, how do you clear up that karma that you don’t know about?

[0:59:02.3] [Rimpoche:] This is the funny part of it. Funny part of it. Whatever we have putted in, whatever we have deposited… I keep on saying, the information loaded, whatever we deposited, it maintains. Our memories doesn’t maintain. So, when you want to purify or preserve it, we can’t do much, except you say that I know and remember, and don’t remember if I have done any. That’s how we purify, but… That is… I’m not sure how strong it is, I don’t know. And that’s why the teachings tells you that is the… teachers tells us. But how strong it is, I don’t know. But, when you do purification, like purification. But if you have like developed Bodhi-mind, or developed wisdom, emptiness, understand the wisdom, then they cuts through. Everything cuts through.

[1:00:21.7] That is big difference. So it’s very much in the business… this spiritual work… You know, that’s the expression we say, “It’s not necessary that you have to work hard, but work smart.” It’s really true here. Absolutely! And there are a lot of people who really works hard, tremendously, day in, day out, night in, night out. But if you don’t work smart, no matter whatever you do, how much you can build, how much you can purify, almost impossible. So, smart.

[1:01:15.5] The smartness is only two things: wisdom and compassion. And that makes a huge difference. Thank you.

[1:01:29.4] Jenna? [Jenna:} Rimpoche, how do beings in the lower realms create the positive karma to be reborn in the human realm? [Rimpoche:] Very difficult. But you do have tremendous amount of positive karma also in our stories, for sure. One of them has to be Lingden Click [?] Because at that level… I doubt it… you can create much positive at all. Unfortunately, that’s what the suffering’s all about it. It’s not the pain that you get it, it’s not… but it’s lack of opportunity. And that is really pain, it’s really pain, difficult.

[1:02:41.1] OK, so, yeah? [Audience:] Can I ask a question? [Rimpoche:] Sure. [Audience (Jonas?):] In the Lama Chopa, we’re always wishing to be born in stainless families. Sort of the opposite side question is, you’re dying and you’ve had good relationships, do you wish for good things… those relationships to continue on in future lives, that helped you?

[1:03:05.3] [Rimpoche:] I didn’t get it. What you say? Relationships? What type of relationships? [Audience:] Well, that have helped you, and that are good relationships in the present life. You know.. the opposite side of the coin. You say, don’t have regrets. Do you wish for those relationships to continue in a future life? Like we do in the Lama Chopa, where we say, may we always take birth in stainless families?

[1:03:36.6] [Rimpoche:] Do we say that in Lama Chopa? Stainless? [Audience:] Flawless families. [Rimpoche:] Flawless family. [Rimpoche’s phone ringtone in background] We begin with that, and we going to end with this. [Rimpoche and audience laugh]. I’m sorry, but I should have turned that off [?]. So we begin with that and we ending with that. Anyway, so.

[1:04:02.7] Faultless family. I just don’t remember the verse. Can you… [phone continues ringing]. Can you say the Tibetan at that part. Just read that Tibetan. [Audience recites Tibetan; Rimpoche repeats it]. OK. That is auspicious. Auspicious... auspicious. [recites Tibetan] What they say, born in stainless family. [Audience (Hartmut?):] May we always take birth in faultless families. May our endowments swell like a summer lake. May we spend day and night with Losang’s holy dharma. And [Rimpoche:] Yeah. [Tibetan]. OK, that is, looks like little bit… I mean, faultless, precious life continue.

[1:05:08.0] I did not know it said “stainless family”. [Audience:] Says “faultless family”. I don’t think [?] said “stainless”. [Rimpoche:] OK [Tibetan] It means the faultless, precious human life may continue. That’s what it is, in Tibetan. [Recites slowly in Tibetan]. Maybe we have a little problem with the translation. Probably, probably… probably. I’m glad you raised that. But anyway, what do you mean by “help me”, from what angle you’re looking at? Tell you one thing. If it’s attachment oriented, then it’s not good. And it is positive oriented, it’s good. If it’s pure love, it’s good. If it’s attachment, it’s not good.

[1:06:14.2] [?] he just asked a very general question, help you. If it’s from the attachment angle, it is wrong. And if it’s non-attachment, pure love, it’s great. Because your question is very general, so I just don’t know what to say.

[1:06:45.4] Yes, please. You’ll be the last one, OK. [Audience:] Rimpoche [Audience:] Oh yeah, Jane, hi. [Audience:] Playing of Jenna’s question, is there anything we can do for our pets, to help them have a human rebirth? Or are they just sort of on their own? [Rimpoche:} Well, what we do is, you know.. when you say your prayer or something, you let them hear it. It’s not that you wanted to make noise and bother the other person that you’re with you. But if the pets hear it, and it seems to be they don’t mind it, it may help. But if they get irritated, it’s harm them too.

[1:07:40.6] So, that is immediately what I think you can do. And you can dedicate some positive deeds for the pets, if the pet passed away. And we, Jewel Heart, as most of you know, we do have a program that any one of our family members who are in Jewel Heart, if some, they passed away we do lot of prayers for, not here, but in the monastery in India we do that. But we don’t have that for the pets, yet. We should set up that too, you know. Will be helpful.

[1:08:28.7] OK, thank you, and… I don’t think I’ll be here next Tuesday. But… who’s talking. A yet to be determined person will be talking on The Four Noble Truth, beginning… Because actually I want to do the whole Four Noble Truth, but next Tuesday I have to be… I like to be in… have to be in New York because of the Wednesday, we have a fund-raising for Jewel Heart that’s debate, Between Thurman and me in New York. So, you know… unless you go a day ahead, you never know the weather. Sometimes, you know, you’re snowing, plane doesn’t go. Almost I didn’t get there last year too. And many of the people who are participating in that couldn’t come in at all because of the snow storm.

[1:09:39.3] So that’s why I go… that is Wednesday, but I’m going there on Tuesday so make sure be there, you know. So I won’t be here. But I’ll be in next Tuesday, next one, yeah. To be determined will be substituting me.

[1:10:05.1] [Kathy:] Hi, everybody…