Archive Result

Soundfile 20071123GRJHNWSW (02)

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location Ann Arbor

Topic Wheel of Sharp Weapons

Transcriber Robin Trimarchi

Date July 30, 2022

0:00:00.0 And um, I’m sorry, I was late. And um, and uh, so, the. You know, my ride has left earlier than me, so, I couldn’t get here (chuckles) [Dutch translation] So, the ride have reached here, and they had to come back and get me. (chuckles) [Dutch translation] So, so, I think we may, if you don’t mind, we maybe skipping the break. [Dutch translation] Okay, before I go, this is the, as you know, the, uh, the Atisha’s teaching of Lama Dharmarakshita’s teaching of um, sorry my jet lag (chuckles), oh wait a minute. Yeah, Lama Dharmarakshita’s teaching of lojong, uh, lojong, known as Wheel of Sharp Weapons. [Dutch translation] Okay, this is continuation of teaching of last year, although we’ll be reading from the beginning. But eh, how many, how many new this year who haven’t had this other half? [Dutch translation] I would like to have (everybody’s) hands. [Nichts] Oh, quite a number of them [Tibetan] Oh, okay, so, what I try to … you know, before we go, do all this, you must remember, uh, the purpose, I mean, the usual generation of bodhimind, and for the benefit of all sentient beings when would like to, to obtain the enlightenment, and for which I would like to listen, etc., normal generation of bodhimind. Plus, uh, you got to get some understanding of what lojong is all about it. [Dutch translation]

0:03:14.2 Uh, lojong is actually, you know, sort of, uh, your own personal mind, eh changing, eh, you know, sort of training your, I hesitated to say mind-training, because you know, then they immediately get idea of like Silva mind-training, this and that thing. Maybe it’s not so much in Europe, if the moment you use mind-training in America the idea of you get Silva mind-training, or, some of those, uh, what you call it, um, uh, those, there’s the one church which does that one all the time. Uh, yeah, Scientology and all this ideas straightaway they get it. That’s why I hesitated to say, use the word training of mind. [Dutch translation] So, but eh, but truly it is training of mind. Mind, what we’re normally using is you use our mind in normal, it is very addicted way. Always addictions, they take our mind here and there, everywhere. That is the, uh, we try to train our mind not to follow the, the negative addictions and change them into, you know, I mean it is like a, a, it is like a, you know, uh, when you race, the horse races, they turn the horses to go in certain directions (can’t catch this), very similar to that. And thinking and training your own mind not to follow the negative addictions, but try to gain some nice, new positive, eh, again, addiction. And try to make that instead of following this old usual addiction, try to get a new addiction here. That’s probably what it is.

0:06:06.5 [Dutch translation] Okay, so, uh, so. And that also, eh, basis of Mahayana, uh, teaching, rather than, you know, like Lamrim. Normally, Lamrim and lojong goes together where it, sort of, uh, sort of, you know, uh, one piece of, uh, what you call it. One piece of path. One, two pea in pod, one pod or whatever [Student: “two peas in a pod]. Yeah. [Dutch translation] And they always interlink, interlink together. [Dutch translation] And um, then there a number of different lojongs, you know, in the Tibetan tradition, there are number of different lojong, by different teachers write on different lojongs. Number of the available. [Dutch translation] This one is happens to be Lama Dharmarakshita. [Dutch translation] Okay, Atisha brought this as sort of, from, from India. [Dutch translation] Okay. So, here, now, I have to go little bit of fast at the beginning because, eh, we, I think we spent time last time, a long time, and then the later part we almost read it. But eh, here still, eh, I try read here and give you little explanation, um, and that’s how I’m going to go.

0:09:04.1 [Dutch translation] And there’s no one who has not come tonight and coming tomorrow? There’s nobody, right? Yes or no. [side talk] Okay, so. More or less, I think started reading it and then maybe it’s okay (chuckles). Okay, let’s see how it goes. Do we have this Dutch translation or how is it? [side talk] So, English translation is available, so those who are reading the English you can read English. I have it, thank you. But erm, and those who have English they can read it. You going to read the Dutch, right, so. So, I think it begins with the [TIBETAN] Did they translate that into English? The title. Oh no, I see. The first, the title, is called “Theg pa chen poi lo jong tsön cha khor lo” [The Wheel of Sharp Weapons: A Lojong Text attributed to Dharmarakshita (from 2010 Ngawang Gelek text: “The Wheel of Sharp Weapons: a Lojong Text.” All verses in Tibetan in this transcription series are from this text] I think you understand, right? [Theg pa chen poi] The Mahayana training of mind. [student responds. Side talk]

0:11:37.4 Okay, so the title is not there. The title says, eh, Mahayana training of mind, known as Wheel of Sharp Weapon, let’s say paraphrasing. [side comment]. [Dutch translation] So, so then, the first thing to know, is eh, Mahayana. [Dutch translation] In one way, Mahayana is a name of a system that developing spiritual development that leading to the Buddha level is in one way, it’s called Mahayana. [Dutch translation] And that is one way of thinking Mahayana, and there’s a name, Mahayana. But another way of thinking Mahayana is the, is the, is, eh, a vehicle that individual uses, uh, to achieve our spiritual goal. It is really connecting [quick tape glitch] just so. What did you say? [question: “So, vehicle is used to, um, develop spiritual goal?”] Yeah. You using as a spiritual vehicle to [unsure here: “to delegate …”] deliver the individual to a level, ultimate level of spiritual goal. [Dutch translation] So, every vehicle within the Buddhism is not necessarily a Mahayana. [Dutch translation] Um, as you know this, always talking about three yanas, their different ways of counting three yana. [Dutch translation]

0:14:44.8 Truly speaking, when you’re talk about three yana, you have to talk about sravakayana, pratyekayana, and buddhayana. So, this is really, truly, three way of counting. [Dutch translation] And sravaka here is those who are, uh, listening to the Buddha’s teaching. And uh, and also practice certain teachings of the Buddha, certain teachings of the Buddha, they attain the teaching, passing on the message rather than practicing for themself. Normally, we see, eh, see those, eh, uh, the earlier, eh, great arhats we see around Buddha are supposed to be the sravakayana, mostly. [Dutch translation] Pratyekayana is what we call it, self-liberators. [Dutch translation] The most of them supposed be appeared in the world in between the two official Buddha’s tenures. [Dutch translation] And these two, we also normally know, sometimes known as Hinayana. [Dutch translation] And then nowadays they would like to be called, uh, what you call it? Theravadan. [Dutch translation] And uh, self-liberating, I think it’s call it. [Dutch translation]

0:17:39.5 And the other yana is, eh, who gives the ultimate goal as Buddha, so it’s called Buddhayana. [Dutch translation] And uh, originally, uh, and then Buddhayana divided into two categories: one is called sutrabuddhayana, or the, Buddhayana or Mahayana; and the other is called tantra. Either sutra, tantra, or causal or result, whatever you call it, that is how basically goes. [Dutch translation] Okay. Each of one of those, no oh, nowadays, nowadays in the West it’s not only the nowadays, but also traditionally also from the point of spiritual development, from the point of practitioner’s point is not completely new, they will now just made up, but eh, traditionally there’s way of counting. But then they call it Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. And then they call that Three Yanas. This is not, um, commonly counted earlier, but nowadays everybody commonly seems to be known and accepted that way. There’s not so much point of arguing with that anyway. [Dutch translation] Okay. Each one of those yanas have a, have a three most important things. [Dutch translation] One is the basis one which they function. [Dutch translation] And one is the method what they use. [Dutch translation] And the other is the result what they hope to gain. [Dutch translation]

0:20:26.4 Uh, base is the, you know, on what ground you work. [Dutch translation] Um, so the, the Hinayana, the base is almost, you know, almost the same, we call it ‘basis is two truth.’ [Dutch translation] When you counting that way, ‘basis is two truth,’ and method is um, wisdom and compassion. [Dutch translation] And the result is ultimate achievement. [Dutch translation] And that way what you look sounds same thing. But, eh, wisdom and compassion is, eh, wisdom is the same, compassion is different. [Dutch translation] In the Hinayana level, compassion, what you use is normal, usual, ordinary compassion. [Dutch translation] In the Mahayana, what you use, the compassion, is greater compassion. [Dutch translation] Okay, result also different. In the Hinayana, what they would like to achieve is nirvana. Just freedom from the samsara, which is the continuation of uh, of uh, life of suffering. [Dutch translation] Where I said it, continuation of the life of suffering, if you commit suicide, there it’s ended. It’ not, it’s not that way at all. [Dutch translation] So, people, there’s a danger of misunderstanding, that’s why I’m saying, repeat it, repeat it, suffering life. We’re coming from the background of reincarnation. Whether you believe it or not, you cannot deny, anyway. [Dutch translation]

0:23:31.9 Our [??] argument will be, no scientist has ever proved. [Dutch translation] And I think no scientist has ever proved there is no reincarnation, either. [Dutch translation] So, the benefit of doubt, one must maintain. [Dutch translation] So, Buddha said, there is reincarnation. [Dutch translation] But, what we are continuing is a suffering-level. [Dutch translation] When we go beyond that, it becomes nirvana. [Dutch translation] And goal of the Theravadan is to reach to nirvana. [Dutch translation] When you translate that into English, sometimes they become enlightenment. Some people translate as enlightenment. And then they call it ordinary enlightenment. I mean, all this are, when you’re changing the language, I don’t know what happens in Dutch, but, when you’re changing the language, it gets more confusions. [Dutch translation] To certain extent it is enlightenment, but eh, but it is limited enlightenment. [Dutch translation] So, the Mahayana now is the goal is totally different. Mahayana is the one who says, ‘hey, you can achieve the Buddhahood. You can become total enlightenment. You can become a Buddha.’ Buddha is not result for anyone special. Buddha is accessible for, not accessible in contact or talking to, but accessible, anyone who can become if they want to.

0:26:33.0 [Dutch translation] So, in the Mahayana, the goal changed from Hinayana to Mahayana, the goal becomes the Buddha. [Dutch translation] And uh, reasons why you want, the reasons why the goal is change, why you want become a Buddha, is not only ‘I am free of suffering and pain and difficulties not enough.’ Because I have a responsibility of helping all, that A-L-L, all living beings to liberate. Totally. I cannot do it under any circumstances unless I become a Buddha. Which is unlimited, which has capacity, unlimited capacity, can do anything unlike everybody else. And that’s why becoming Buddha becomes necessary for me, because of my responsibility. [Dutch translation] Who give you this responsibility? And you know … [Dutch translation] and they may ask you, ‘nobody, I took it.’ I mean that is, I mean, we all, I’m not talking about me alone, we all, the Mahayana people. We all, we took the responsibility. [Dutch translation]

0:29:35.9 Why I took the responsibility? Because, because this is very important, because I have greater compassion. [Dutch translation] And ah, greater compassion here is the mind which focuses all living beings as focal point. And a commitment, or action, or what you, what you see is for all living beings. What you wanted to do is to free them from suffering. So, there is not a single individual left out. That’s why A-L-L business is, because not a single one left out. And so that’s, that is greater compassion. [Dutch translation] This compassion is also not so easy to gain within us. Ordinary compassion, yes, we can gain, we can understand, and we can see it because we are good human beings, respectable human beings, so, we care, and we do have it. But this greater compassion is rather difficult for us to understand because it’s, because, because it is so big, and it’s the, the focusing point is so huge, every living beings. [Dutch translation]

0:32:10.5 That includes insects, too, don’t forget. Those little insects. [Dutch translation] So, it is so huge. [Dutch translation] It is funny that I’m, you know, person who eats meat, and telling you this. Sounds sometimes funny. Many of you are vegetarian. [Dutch translation] But, but that’s what it is. [Dutch translation] Um, sometimes we’re very hypocrite in that way. [Dutch translation] But still, we try to do the best we could. [Dutch translation] So, anyway, this greater compassion is focused to all living beings and liberating them. Not, not just, it’s interesting, not just eh, okay, I won’t say it. Liberating in the sense, from the suffering position or where they are, into transforming them into extraordinary life which is eh, which is eh, which is free of all their sufferings. [Dutch translation] Taking the responsibility personally it becomes a second step after, after greater compassion. [Dutch translation]

0:35:11.6 With that mind, wanting to become a buddha becomes mind of bodhimind. [Dutch translation] So, that bodhimind, it does not develop. Our mind doesn’t become bodhimind unless we think, we meditate, we practice, we train our mind. [Dutch translation] And bodhimind here is desire to become a buddha with total altruistic, totally dedicated, totally for the mend of all living beings. And then, ‘I am the doer, I like to become a buddha, and thereby I serve, develop change,’ that’s how it work. [Dutch translation] Sometimes we call this, um, a wishing mind. [Dutch translation] And wishing in the sense one wishes to become Buddha. [Dutch translation] And, one is totally dedicated for the service of all beings. [Dutch translation] So, sometimes we have two wishes combined together on that mind. [Dutch translation] Not sometimes. This mind has two wishes combined together. [Dutch translation] So, sometimes we call this one is ‘double wishing.’ Double wishing. [Dutch translation]

0:38:18.9 Sometimes we call it ‘two-pronged mind.’ Two-pronged, one-pronged, two-pronged mind. [Dutch translation] Such a mind with a total dedication, and totally desire to become buddha as quickly as possible, and that mind, we won’t get it easily unless we have such a committed responsibility of liberating all beings as, a-s-a-p basis. [Dutch translation] Such a thing, such a responsibility, desire, is possible only if you have greater compassion. [Dutch translation] Greater compassion is only possible if you have love. [Dutch translation] So, the love and the compassion is the real, most important key for us in here. [Dutch translation] And love wishes there be happy and joy. [Dutch translation] Compassion wished them separate from the pain. [Dutch translation] So, such a committed, wishing mind is not possible unless you have strong love. [Dutch translation]

0:41:24.2 For example, in our ordinary life, if you just look at our normal life, ordinary I mean normal life. If you look in normal life, if you have, let’s say, someone you love, you know, your spouse, or your children, or someone when you see they’re having difficulties, how much feeling of desire of helping, desire of supportive, desire of making them well, making them happy, how much we have within our own mind, known by our own experience. [Dutch translation] But, then you see someone else who is not really eh, your, our loved ones. But you know, who’s, but who’s acquaintance with us, who we know, and when you see suffering on them, and your feeling, and your feeling with your family, like if your mother with the kids, or the spouse, or family, if you compare that, there is a difference, is huge difference, we know that. And that is our common, common ex … common knowledge, most that, right? [Dutch translation] And what makes that? [Dutch translation] Nothing but love. [Dutch translation] So, that’s why, how powerful the love is, and how important love is to bring compassion. [Dutch translation]

0:44:28.2 So, when we’re talking about greater love, greater compassion, oh, don’t say greater love, but greater compassion, eh, we’re talking about it at that much love. [Dutch translation] So, you know, when you say love, when you say compassion just by mouth, and it’s nice, and it’s good, you know, what we say, you know, love and light, and sort of, you know, good in that way. But if you really think how powerful the love really is. [Dutch translation] So, Buddha, what he did, he did, he did this, this compassion, and the love we have to all. I mean, no difference with all living beings. All, it is equanimity, equal to all. That is idea of equality, equanimity, because when you talk about equanimity, it is very funny language, it give you funny picture. But, when you look at the Buddha’s love sharing, Buddha’s compassion sharing with all beings, and then that is equal. That is really the idea of equanimity really comes from there. [Dutch translation] One of the earlier, uh, Indian master known Dharmakirti had says, eh, [TIBETAN] So, we call Buddha the free of attachment. What is the meaning of the free of attachment, is his love, his compassion has no different to someone who comes to him and give him a massage of sandalwood, or someone who comes to him and bringing a chisel and started to shaving his body – there will be no difference. And that’s the definition, according to him, definition of free of attachment is because at the buddha level that’s what it is.

0:48:02.2 [Dutch translation] So, whatever, so, I mean, you know, so, this is the love we are talking about. This is the compassion we are talking about. [Dutch translation] In our ordinary mind you may be saying, he might be very stupid person, somebody who’s doing great for him, for you, and somebody who’s been hurting you. You don’t even figure out who’s who. But Buddha’s not stupid. [Dutch translation] So, anyway, this gives you idea of love and idea of compassion. [Dutch translation] That much powerful love is not going to come overnight like this to us. [Dutch translation] Or, even we imagine, we’re pretending to have it, even then it’s not going to happen immediately. [Dutch translation] And it is a gradual process. [Dutch translation] And that is the, lojong is all about it. Bringing our ordinary mind, which is strongly influenced by hatred or obsession, is bringing to that level with a gradual thought, meditative process. [Dutch translation]

0:51:09.9 And that’s why, that’s why big vehicle Mahayana. That’s why Maha. [Dutch translation] More superior than just to wanted to be good. [Dutch translation] Wanted to be spiritual. [Dutch translation] So, moment we’re talking about Mahayana please remember we’re talking such important, powerful compassion and powerful love basis, and desire to become fully enlightened buddha as a goal. So, why we do this, what is it should be answered. Why and what should be answered by this. [Dutch translation] It also send us a message: whatever we do our spiritual practice, we should not do it unless we have a purpose, unless we have a goal. [Dutch translation] Just without purpose, without goal, somebody just doing it, it is, it just doing it, you know. I mean, like eh, eh, eh, almost a, I don’t know whether they say that in English or not, in Hindi they say, the Lord has come, the Lord has gone, you know. Yeah, they say [HINDI] but, you know, [can’t catch this]. [Dutch translation]

0:54:13.7 Another words, I think when you’re taking spiritual practice seriously, that’s what it meant. [Dutch translation] So, now we have talked about lojong. And goal. And what is lojong is all about it. And what we hope to gain, all this we talked about it. [Dutch translation] From the ‘jong’ point of view. But from the ‘lo’ point of view, what is ‘lo?’ We haven’t talked about that at all. [Dutch translation] Lo is mind. [Dutch translation] And see, that’s what I told you. Lo-jong, mind training. It really becomes that way. [Dutch translation] So, what is mind? This is something [?] important for many of us. What is a mind? [Dutch translation] We know the mind is something within our physical body, inside somewhere, something that capable of knowing, seeing. [Dutch translation] We also have some idea the mind is so powerful, and almost like, you know, so powerful, so capable, almost like sky is the limit of capacity. We also have some idea, we’re not very clear on that. [Dutch translation] The definition of the mind in a normal Tibetan Buddhism, normal is not bringing Vajrayana, but normal usual Sutrayana, definition of mind is clear and lucid.

0:57:15.4 [side talk with translator …. Sesha rigpa (?) … Clear and lucid … Clear and knowing … continues … GR: or rigpa if you understood make it ‘knowing.’ That’s fine. Clear and knowing] [Dutch translation] [more side talk]. You know, rigpa is such, the word ‘rigpa’ is such it can be pulled out as ‘knowing,’ ‘understanding,’ ‘touching,’ that’s why it doesn’t matter, you know, so, whatever way. But idea is on the lucid. Clear or lucid, and that is the most important. [Dutch translation] When we talk about clear, you know, it makes sense, it’s clear, like yesterday Marianne Soeters told me ‘it is clear today.’ It’s clear. I said, it is detail, you know, with the Cittamanni, she says, ‘is it clear today.’ Right, you told me. Clear, what does that clear mean. [Dutch translation]

1:00:03.4 We understand ‘clear’ many ways, right? Many ways. And sometimes when you’re in darkness, turn the lights on. Oh, it’s clear, I can see it. Right? Darkness been cleared. [Dutch translation] So, it is capacity of knowing, capacity of seeing, capacity of clearing the obstacles of whatever your goal is, knowledge, or whatever it is. Right? [Dutch translation] And, how does that clarity come in? That clarity come in, some kind of light comes out from somewhere, and uh, whatever here, the dark has been cleared, that cleared it. Right? That is one way of knowing clarity. [Dutch translation] Mind has a natural capacity of, without depending the external light-like affect, it has capacity of, to be able to know deep enough. It’s natural capacity, by its own natural mind. And that’s why we call it [sesha?], salwa, or clear, or lucid, whatever you call it. [Dutch translation] So, how does mind know that. Mind when it encounters, it is almost like a photographic type, you know. You know, when you take a photograph, you look at the object and then you take the, the whatever the object look like, the print you get inside the photograph, you see it, right?

1:03:08.5 Mind is way of knowing is almost like photographic. The, the lens and thing over there, you see that, you click it, certain amount of light you give and it gets, and it gets and it keeps exactly way the mind’s knowing things, in that manner, rather than light coming from outside and the darkness cleared, more the light is the more you see. It’s not that. Mind is knowing, that’s why it’s call it ‘lucid in nature, ‘clear in nature,’ knowing, understanding, all of them. That’s why the definition of mind is this. [Dutch translation] Once you expose mind in that knowledge, and then it’s like storing the, the information, saving in the whatever you save. Chips, or whatever you saving. In that manner, manner, the mental faculty called memory stores that and maintains that, and it has its own system of cataloging moment. You know, it’s not alphabetical necessarily, that’s what we do. But, very similar in that manner it has its own system of cataloging the moment we contact that, memory pops up. That is how our mind is working. [Dutch translation]

1:06:08.3 Simultaneously, simultaneously, five different mental faculties called omnipresence mental factors are functioning together. [Dutch translation] And if one of those omnipresence mental factors are not present, then you get a defect in that clarity, we get a defect in that knowing, and we get a defect in that storage. [Dutch translation] It is, it is also like a complicated mechanical system. It also has another five object-ascertaining mental factors. Object-ascertaining mental factors that also work, not all together, but necessary ones pops up. If not, you [? don’t catch this word] it, think about it, don’t remember, and you know, all this, what we call it, it appears, I have seen it, it is not certain. You know that gray type of thing we get. And that are the matter where the object-ascertaining mental factors are functioning right or wrong. For example, today, when I first come in here, you know, my mental faculties not functioning properly. Half asleep, half jet-lagging, and half not getting here, and uh, half sort of not knowing what subject even I’m talking about it. And that is the point where I see this object-ascertaining mental faculties not functioning. And there you see the person looks like nervous, and doesn’t know what he’s doing, or you know, all that type of thing. [Dutch translation]

1:09:03.0 So, when the mind is, the mind working perfectly with all this, I mean, this eh, there are fifty-one mental faculties, but ten of them working perfectly well. So, mind is, capacity is unlimited. [Dutch translation] When that capacity is unlimited, it is our job to give this mind a, facts, and better, wise way to improve individual. [Dutch translation] Mind received those information, exposes, you know, exposes mind. And it is, if you leave the mind alone, it is automatic, it is nature, it will analyze, mind will analyze. [Dutch translation] This analyzing process will give result of a certain of what it is, you know. [Dutch translation]

1:11:56.4 But, we sometimes, instead of leading the mind alone, or supporting, we try not to analyze, and sort of brainwash, and uh, and you know, so blind faith and all of them is actually limiting the mind to gain whatever, you know, they’re giving, you know. Information, mind, the clarity, it almost like a photo look like part of mind becoming whatever that is, you know, information or whatever. [Dutch translation] So, we need to support the mind to analyze the information. [Dutch translation] Which we do the analytical meditations. [Dutch translation]. And, after analyzation, conclusions will be told. [Dutch translation] And then we focus on that, what we call it concentrated meditation. [Dutch translation] And that changes the mind nature. [Dutch translation] And at the result of that, way and how we function, we think, how and we effect is become different. [Dutch translation] And uh, that is lo, and that is jong (chuckles). [Dutch translation] And when it is trained, this is trained. When it’s trained, then it functions well automatically. [Dutch translation] And way and how you training the mind here is showing the faults of negative emotions, and it is consequences, it is actions, and it’s hurting, and it is consequences, and so you have the karma business, hell realm, and blah blah blah, all of them come to in the part of consequences.

1:15:01.2 [Dutch translation] Vica (sic) versa, the enlightenment, and total knowledge, and good life, and all of this are informed. [Dutch translation] So, this knowledge of the mind, when it’s convinced, it forms addiction or habit within the individual. That is how individual improves. [Dutch translation] Individual thinking changes. [Dutch translation] Caring changed. [Dutch translation] The love changes. [Dutch translation] Compassion changes. [Dutch translation] And all of those are become, you know, huge thing opened up within individual. That’s how it works. [Dutch translation] Anyway, eh, well. I been talking nonsense, but eh, that’s my understanding of lojong is. ‘Lo’ and ‘jong’ is. [Dutch translation] And then from tomorrow onwards, we’ll look into the Dharmakirti’s exposures that we give to the ‘lo,’ which sesha rigpa, and see what it becomes, you know. [Dutch translation] Thank you, and good night.

1:17:37.7 CLOSING PRAYERS