Archive Result

Soundfile 20071123GRJHNWSW (08)

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location Ann Arbor

Topic Wheel of Sharp Weapons

Transcriber Robin Trimarchi

Date July 30, 2022

0:00:00.0

65. ta wa tho la chö pa khyi lä ngän

yön tän mang la shi ma lung la shor

phung je tog pai … (go la chem se chem)

(dra dag she mai nying la ma ray a)

[GR doesn’t read completely]

[TIBETAN] So, ‘ta wa tho la chö pa khyi lä ngän,’ the, this, um, I don’t know what the translation say. What number is it, anyway? [student responds. long pause] “Though my view may be lofty, my deeds are worse than dogs.” So, huh. So, this, erm, there is two ways of looking on this. One way of looking is, my views are great. They are, this may be, you know, these are the, actually, in one way, scolding, in another way, it is pointing out the faults. And this is a very, very, early text. And early, you know, in, we’re talking about eleventh century text. So, at that time some people may, it is, some people may have, you know, think my understanding of wisdom is so great so that everything is whatever I do is wise. Nothing to be worried about it. So, you can do everything. Eh, which continue, which, which is continuing, not only in the, in Tibet, and uh, thereafter, even today, people continuously do that. There a number of the people who think, ‘my understanding of emptiness is so great, and so whatever I do is fine.’ And people do that. And uh, that’s one way of looking at it. And there are a number of people who don’t have to, to, I mean we are included, many times. Ourself, we don’t, don’t look outside. Look within ourself. We are included in this, number of times. We ourself always. We have that problem always.

0:03:03.1 [DUTCH TRANSLATION] Ah, this, we also from the practical point of view, not necessarily view as wisdom, but erm, but you’re view of yourself that ‘I do great, I know everything. Maybe not everything, I know better than all of you.’ [DUTCH TRANSLATION] I keep on losing this, what is it? ‘ta wat ho la …’ right? (long pause). ‘yön tän mang la shi ma lung la shor.’ Um, you know, ‘I know everything. I’m much more learned, much more, um, more well-informed than anybody else. Maybe I’m not learned, but eh, but I read much more. I had more opportunity. So, I know better than anybody else.’

0:06:00.3 We think that way. And we behave, uh, as we say, as this book says, worse than dog. There is we been able to attack other people. You know, what will they know. Knows nothing. It is, it is me, I know everything. And uh, you know, in this book says that. That book says this. That’s what we do, number of times. And it links up to the second verse. So, we have a lot of, uh, this, the word yön tän,’ I don’t know the translated. This is sixty-what? Five or what? [translator responds. Sixty-five] Hmmm. Though my view may be [?]. Though my qualities may be numerous, the fundamental ones are lost to the winds. So, this word ‘yön tän,’ has been translated as ‘quality.’ But eh, way we are talking here now, as information. You have more, I have much more information here and there, but no quality. No quality. All information remains as information, no quality. And if it’s hurting you, it’s helping you. If it’s not hurting, not affecting you. If you think I’m talking about somebody else, and I’m talking about each and every one of us. I’m included, honestly. I’m included. ‘ta wat ho la chö pa khyi lä ngän,.’ You know, think I’m great, but behave worse than dogs. (chuckles) [DUTCH TRANSLATION]

0:09:13.7 (long pause). And then we lost the, you know, everything becomes information, and then nothing, nothing effects within the individual. And this is problem, so I don’t want to spend lot of time here, and better go down here. [DUTCH TRANSLATION] In this (long pause). Sometimes, um, you know, the traditional Tibetan teachings will aways have some kind of sarcastic remark. Sarcastic remark is eh, is eh, advice. Advices are given sometimes sarcastic remark way. And in Tibet it is so much so, people don’t have to encourage to go into Vajrayana. I mean, right from the beginning as a kid, they’re decision. The moment you enter into Buddha, interest your Buddhism, your interest is nothing other than Vajrayana. There is no question whether, you know, uh, there’s no need to be, you know, encouraging to join in Vajrayana is not an issue. [Can’t catch this?] everybody straight away. The only the sarcastic and uh, advice they have to give is warning, entering into the Vajrayana without prerequisite. That was the biggest problem in Tibet. Not like here. Just completely opposite. So, here in this level, the traditional teachings will tell, tell one claims that your view is Vajrayana view, but you have no quality of prerequisite Lamrim at all.

0:12:16.1 And um, and uh, so, if you do that, it is like riding an untrained elephant, or untrained elephant. And so, that is another way of explaining that. [DUTCH TRANSLATION] Another, another one here is, ‘yes, I am Vajrayana practitioners, and therefore, I can ignore, ignore the self-liberations vows.’ Particularly vows. Bodhisattva vows, and uh, and monks vows, and if you’re not monk, you’re not monk, you don’t have to worry about monk vow. But if you’re not monk or nun, but still, if you’re monk and nun and still think ‘I am a Vajrayana practitioner, and therefore, therefore, you know, so I can ignore.’ This is also they’re talking about that, too. [DUTCH TRANSLATION] Okay. Maybe that is, eh, maybe that is, eh, enough.

66. she dö tham chä rang gi phug su shug

gyor kor tham chä dön me shän la je

(first two lines)

0:15:11.1 [DUTCH TRANSLATION]

Um, if we are doing true dharma practice, we have to give every benefit and profit to the others. Take all the suffering and pain and defeat for ourself, but we do the other way around. [DUTCH TRANSLATION] What does this translation say? [GR: ‘67?’ Translator: ‘66’] “I harbor all myself a centered desire deep within. For all my disputes I blame others for no reason.” Okay. [GR whispers to himself. Long pause. Tibetan] That’s, that’s it exactly. That’s what we do. Uh, we do very often. We always wanted benefit for ourself. Anything wrong, it is not my fault, somebody’s fault. Some people would like to do that in positive way, make everything right, you know, nothing is wrong. Everything has a reason why it has to do it, justification. Um, some people will do that other way around. It is not justified, but it is the other person’s fault. [DUTCH TRANSLATION] And when you do that, what happens, it helps self-cherishing and doesn’t help, eh, doesn’t help really, um, much to ourself. [DUTCH TRANSLATION]

0:18:21.2 The next

67. ngur mig gyön nä sung kyob dre la shu

dom pa lang nä chö lam dü dang tün

phung je tog pai go la chem se chem

dra dag she mai nying la ma ra ya

[DUTCH TRANSLATION]

What we do, we take vows, refuge vows, like taking refuge, which vow we says, we rely on Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, um, until enlightenment, from Mahayana. But what we do, and we put that aside and then, well not so much in the West, but it’s much in the East if there is a powerful local deity or something who makes you, you know, sick or better, or something, so we run to that with nonstop. [DUTCH TRANSLATION] And also, we take vows of, vows of refuge, bodhisattva vows, Vajrayana vows, but then instead of keeping commitment of according to the vows, we try to keeping commitment of self-cherishing and ego-grasping. [DUTCH TRANSLATION] Who make me do this? It is nothing but self-cherishing and ego-grasping, so we ask the yidam to destroy that. [DUTCH TRANSLATION]

0:28:00

68. de kyi lha yi jin nä dug dre chö

dren pa chö kyi jä nä kön chog lu

phung je tog pai go la chem se chem

dra dag she mai nying la ma ray a

[Uh, isn’t it, did I miss one verse? Translator responds: no, this is okay. This is right.]

[DUTCH TRANSLATION]

Next is

69. täg tu gön par dä nä yeng wä khyer

dam chö tsug la shü nä mo bhön kyong

phung je tog pai go la chem se chem

dra dag she mai nying la ma ra ya

[DUTCH TRANSLATION]

So, this is erm, um, um, this is what we do all the time. [DUTCH TRANSLATION] We like to be retreat, in the retreat. [DUTCH TRANSLATION] And we claim ourself in the retreat [DUTCH TRANSLATION] But what we supposed to retreat is retreating from negative emotions and retreating from the wandering. But we don’t do that, instead of that, we retreat from the absolute, eh, requirements and helping ourself. We do that, and we, sort of, you know, we may sit ourself locked in, in the room, but our mind is always wandering nonstop everywhere, and that is what this one is talking about it. [DUTCH TRANSLATION]

0:24:35.0 Like learning great dharma, like Lamrim or, or the lojong, or the sadhanas, or the development and completion stages, uh, but then we don’t put our efforts on that, we put our efforts something else. And that’s what this one is also talking about it. [DUTCH TRANSLATION] Then the next is, um,

70. tsül thrim thar lam bhor nä pha khyim dzin

de kyi chu la pho nä dug la nyag

(first two lines)

[DUTCH TRANSLATION]

That’s me. [DUTCH TRANSLATION] I was monk. [DUTCH TRANSLATION] And um, now what I am, and that’s what this one is talking about it. [DUTCH TRANSLATION] Okay, I’m example here, but then that you have to understand. [DUTCH TRANSLATION] Uh, next is, what is it

71. thar pai jug ngog bhor nä sa tha drim

mi lü rin chen nye nä nyäl kham drub

(first two lines)

[DUTCH TRANSLATION]

(long pause) What we have? ‘mi lü rin chen nye nä nyäl kham drub …’ [don’t understand some of this] Right? (Long pause)

0:27:32.6 This refers to many of us, and me, all of us. Everything refers to me. But many of us will do, because you know, we meet with the great dharma and method of helping ourself, sometimes our priorities are not the right one. And when we have the wrong priority, and sometimes, sometimes with a great life here, instead of really achieving great purpose, maybe we’re achieving hell realm and all that. And that is caused by this ego-grasping and self-cherishing. [DUTCH TRANSLATION] Um, next is

72. chö kyi gyur khyä shag nä tsong khe drub

la mai chö dra shag nä drong yül drim

(first two lines)

And I think it is, uh, it is understandable anyway, so. What number we are one? [Translator: ‘verse 72’] Verse 72. 72.

[DUTCH TRANSLATION]

I mean, it’s quite explanatory, you know, uh, putting aside spiritual development and um, I prefer the profits of trade, leaving my teacher’s classroom behind, I roam through the town and places. So, these are quite explanatory. And what is meant, what does that mean, to ask. It means wrong priority, again, wrong priority. [DUTCH TRANSLATION]

0:30:22.5 Okay, then uh, then next is

73. rang git so wa shag nä du go throg

rang gi pha sä shag nä shän la ku

Right? [repeats a line] These are self-explanatory, quite an interesting.

[DUTCH TRANSLATION]

Um, 73? [Translator: ‘That’s right, yes’] Rob others of their resource. Um, this is something interesting [?] Okay.

74. e ma gom sän chung la ngön she no

lam na ma sin dön me kang pa gyog

phung je tog pai go la chem se chem

dra dag she mai nying la ma ra ya

Um, these are ourself, honestly.

[DUTCH TRANSLATION]

I saying, in order to reach, like a side effect of spiritual development reading others’ mind is taking long time. But we don’t, we don’t have that willingness. Maybe year, maybe month, maybe even a week we wanted to have, have effect. Effect. And we know we don’t get it. When we don’t get it, after a little while we pretend that we have it. Which is, which is cheating. We pretend. And you know, in the West it’s so funny. Sometimes spiritual person who has been in the spiritual practice a long time is almost saying, they can’t say, ‘I don’t know.’ They have to pretend they know everything. Some healers can’t even say, ‘I can’t heal myself.’

0:33:24.0 They pretend that I’m healing. Even you’re dying, you pretend to be healing. We saw that a number of times. And this is what this one’s talking about it. You know, specially, you know, short efforts. You know, we get tired, we didn’t get it, we get fed up and run away, come back again, start a little bit, run away, come back. That’s okay, not good, but it’s okay. But pretend to be, even you don’t know anything, pretend to be knowing, it is absolutely cheat. So, one shouldn’t do that. This is this one is talking about it. [DUTCH TRANSLATION] Next is

75. phän par lab n dang sem dra ru dzin

go kor lu na nying me drin du so

(first two lines)

[DUTCH TRANSLATION]

So, you know, uh, actually if good friend should be able to point it out faults, [DUTCH TRANSLATION] and they pointed out the faults such a way that you don’t get hurt.

0:36:24.2 [DUTCH TRANSLATION] But, even you get hurt, it should be helpful to that person. So, either way, you know. [DUTCH TRANSLATION] But if you can’t point it out the faults, and there’s no point of being a friend. [DUTCH TRANSLATION] But what we do when someone tells you nicely for helpful, and then we started getting angry to that person. And we will accuse that person of accusing you, or you know, accusing us, and um, instead of you pointed my fault, thank you. Instead of saying, ‘thank you,’ but you say, say you know, you accusing of me, and this and that, that is I think, ‘phän par lab na dang sem dra ru dzin/go kor lu na nying me drin du so,’ So, so, this is exactly pointing out. When someone points out the faults to you, not mind of accusing you, but mind of correcting. But someone who like to take advantage of you, and talking lot of nice things, and you know, and buttering you. And so, we think, ‘ha, that is good person. Kind person. Good friend.’ And that’s ultimately hurting ourself, and that’s also the fault of, fault of our ego and self-cherishing mind. Specially, dharma. Dharma should really point it out, ‘this is your fault. That is your fault.’ And so, and so, then if we look that as enemy, then true helping becomes enemy. That’s what this one says. [DUTCH TRANSLATION]

0:39:40.9 Um, is it 76? Okay, so, um,

76. nang mir ten na nying tam dra la chä

pheb par drog na threl me lo nying ku

(Long pause) And, so, I mean that is quite a simple one. When someone gives [?], when someone treats me as their family, so, I reveal their secret to the, the enemy. Who someone befriend me, I betrayed their trust with no punch of consciousness. That is, sometimes people do that, and that’s eh, when you behaving such a bad way, that behavior coming from nobody else except self-cherishing. [DUTCH TRANSLATION] Next is,

77. ko long dam la nam tog su wä rag

drog par ka’ la shi ngän gyün du long

phung je tog pai go la chem se chem

dra dag she mai nying la ma ra ya

Is this understandable by itself? [Translator: ‘Not in Tibetan’ GR: ‘Is it 70what?’ Translator: ‘77’]

[DUTCH TRANSLATION]

Um, (long pause)

0:42:41.4 ‘ko long dam la nam tog su wä rag/drog par ka’ la shi ngän gyän du long.’ This is, eh, um, quite understandable. But erm, but, you know, our own behavior, when we show it, our behavior, we show the all cold shoulder of our side to the other people. Um, and um, always self-cherishing, and ego-grasping, and that made us show the cold shoulder. And that makes people difficult to be with you. And um, when whoever comes in near you, you’ll show, again, your anger and bad behavior, dissatisfaction, specially dissatisfaction we show all the time. Instead of showing good nature of human beings, kindness, compassion and caring, but we will show dissatisfaction. Yes, there will be dissatisfaction because our desire is so much and always something is wrong. But that doesn’t mean we have to share that with everybody else all the time, but we do that. That why we do that? That because our ego. That because of our self-cherishing. This one, if we are really looking carefully, every behavior of ours are projected in here. Way, if we live, how live our life, how we function our life, all are very well projected here. Honestly. And each one of them are, ‘why do we do that?’ Because of our self-cherishing, ego-grasping. So, so, not only recognizing the sources of pain, but since it is this, and captured, so we now destroy it by the, the, you know, by the, you know, this two last verse which will be repeating dance on the head or whatever that verses are. And uh, and strike at the heart of the dance on the head, and strike one [heart/hard?], all of them are that’s, that is, that’s the one.

0:45:51.6 [DUTCH TRANSLATION] Next verse

78. chöl na mi nyän kog n nö p kyel

tün na mi dü gyng tsöp tsöl

That is verse number what? [Translator: ‘78, I think’] 78. Erm, again, this is quite interesting. The translation goes, ‘When someone asks for favor, I ignore him, yet covert cause him harm. When someone respect my wishes, I don’t concur, but seek dispute from afar.’ Right? So, that is one way of looking it. Another way of looking in this, and that’s what, that’s what we do. ‘chöl na mi nyän kog na nö pa kyel.’ When we talk to a person or individual, say let’s say, let’s do this that way, would you do this this way? You know, in our practice the teachers, spiritual masters, and books, teachings, will tell you, let us do this and this way, so, we disagree. We won’t listen. We will ignore. If someone talks to you, ‘shall we do this and that way,’ we disagree. We don’t want listen. And then, you don’t stop there. You go out somewhere and try to create harm, try to say, well, try to criticize and try to do all this and that. And this is what ‘chöl na mi nyän kog na nö pa kyel/tün na mi dü gyang na tsö pa tsöl.’

0:49:01.6 This is exactly what, ah, we do that. This is, again, our, uh, it looks like it’s impossible, but we do it. We do it because we’re addicted to it. We’re addicted to it when someone asks us to do something. Even you agree, even you agree, and you will hesitate because it’s not my idea. And so, but, when you’re fully convinced it’s my idea, my way it’s doing it, we will agree. When it’s not, we will not agree. And then, even you agree, you don’t do it, and then we create some kind of problem where, you know, where you can criticize, write about it, and uh, you know, and do all that. And specially traditional religions, I think it’s almost true to everywhere, that one criticize the other writing, and you know, writing books about it and expressing, and all that happens. [DUTCH TRANSLATION] And the next is also very similar, very similar, um,

79. ka’ lo mi de trag par drog par ka’

phog thug mang la tag tu dzin p dam

(first two lines)

Um. Um, it is almost like, eh, searching for the fault of others. Um, searching for the faults of others. You know, giving traditional teachings will give you example that you are almost like sitting on the, you know, rocky area, because wherever you sit there’s no smooth.

0:52:07.3 And always rocky, and like that, you’ll be searching for all faults of others, and um, and uh, and uh, also, like sitting on the rocky area, without any reason, whenever somebody does something, and then you have to criticize that because it’s not my idea. Because it’s not me who made this. And that happens with so many times. Where does that come from is nothing but self-cherishing and ego-grasping. And that’s why we do that. [DUTCH TRANSLATION] And next verse it says

80. tho män che shing dam pa dra ru dzin

dö chag che wä shön nu dang du len

So, the first word says, um, you have so much feeling, anyone else giving say, you know, have a spiritual practice, development, or, or, or learning, or teaching, or anything else, and you see nothing but fault. And we have disrespect for all the others even no matter how great they are. You, yourself, the second word we don’t have to explain. What eh, what, this 78, right? [conversation with translator] Ah, this like advice of I’m always difficult to with it. I’m easily offended, and my gut’s always strong. And then it goes through.

0:55:04.7 I crave high status of regard, [???], because of my lust is strong I engage, I pursue the young one, it’s 80, you’re right. [Translator: ‘I eagerly’ GR: huh? Tr: ‘I eagerly pursue …’ GR: ‘eagerly pursue,’ yeah]. So, what happens here it, uh, ‘I crave high status and regard, um, sublime being as a few.’ [NOTE: The 2010 WSW book has, ‘sublime beings as foes;’] So, this is the one which we’ve been talking about it now. [verse 80] This is here, looks like English verse 79 and 80 works together here.

[DUTCH TRANSLATION]

And anybody else who does anything which is not right, because it’s not my idea, we have that very strong, with, all of us. Always, here and there it will repeat. [DUTCH TRANSLATION] And it’s difficult to see as a fault. [DUTCH TRANSLATION] And when we this as a fault, then where it’s coming from it is ego and self-cherishing. [DUTCH TRANSLATION] Okay, so I think we have to stop here tonight. And I don’t know how far we have gone, and how much we have to go more. Not so much. [DUTCH TRANSLATION] Not so much, and uh, when we will be able to finish that, then we’ll be able to talk little more important points. That’s what I intend to do. [DUTCH TRANSLATION] Thank you. [DUTCH TRANSLATION]

0:57:43.9 CLOSING PRAYERS