Archive Result

Soundfile 20080507GRCHPBWIS

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location

Topic

Transcriber Xin Yan

Date 26.12.2021

Moderator: Good evening everyone. We like to welcome you to the Theosophical Society in America’s headquarters for tonight’s programme. Just a word about the philosophical society and a couple of brief announcement before we get to Rimpoche’s talk this evening. The Theosophical Society in 1875 was formed with the idea – the basis of unity of all life. Expressed as form of a nucleus of the universal brotherhood of humanity. So in that direction, what we have tried to do over the years has been to promote an understanding of that unity through the perspective of science to the perspective of religion and of philosophy. With the aim in mind to awaken within ourselves, those in the resources, the powers which generally lies latent in all of us. The true powers of kindness, compassion, generosity – all of those genuine sort of inner capacities. So tonight’s programme is keeping with that. What I’d like to do first, is just make aware a couple of brief announcements. One of it is which the Theosophical Society is sponsoring a trip to Tibet in October. There are pamphlets which you might be interested in which are downstairs – Blavatsky’s Tibet, Lhasa, Everest and beyond. Also to let you know, that one of the founders of the Theosophical Society - Helena Blavatsky; tomorrow May 8th is the day that celebrates her passing. Much as in the Buddha’s tradition where the passing of the Buddha is the really important time. There will be a programme here tomorrow evening for those of you who might be interested in something like that. [0:02:17.4]

As for tonight, I have to say I feel distinctly honored to be able to introduce Gelek Rimpoche to those of you who perhaps are not acquaint with him already. Although Rimpoche likes his introductions to be short and I will keep with that. It’s a little bit hard to be too short with Rimpoche. But he is here tonight and he’s gonna be talking on the subject of engaging wisdom and compassion as part of a multi city tour that he’s making which is orchestrated really to enhance the benefits of the recent visit from His Holiness the Dalai Lama – who a little bit over 2 weeks ago was in Ann Arbor doing 2 days of teachings and talks at the invitation of Rimpoche and the Jewel Heart. They invited His Holiness, they organized the activities and talks which made it possible for over 15,000 people to experience the message and the presence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Rimpoche himself is one of that last generations of people, Lamas, monks who were born and trained in old Tibet. Which is to say Tibet prior to the Chinese occupation. He was since the age of 4, he was recognized as an incarnation of a passed Great teacher. In fact, the name Rimpoche is not a name, so much it is a title which means exactly that – someone who is a recognized incarnation. So, during his time in Tibet, he was trained and he was tutored by some of the greatest of the great masters of that time. In 1959 upon leaving Tibet, he became a refugee in India before coming to Ann Arbor, Michigan where he makes his home to this day. In the early 80s, he came to Ann Arbor and founded the Jewel Heart – Tibetan Buddhist organization which is very active in the United States and has a Chicago chapter in fact which I tell you about at the end of this talk. Rimpoche is someone who has embodied the teachings and we have the great fortune of having the unadulterated Tibetan teachings here in, not only in United States but in the Midwest. Just a brief little story to say something about some of the qualities of Rimpoche. We can talk about great things and I would use up all of Rimpoche’s time talking about those things. But just a simple little thing.

Many years ago, I had known Rimpoche for a short time and we had what was called at that time, the miserable winter retreat, 7 days of retreat up in cold, cold Michigan. And immediately following that retreat, there was a group of us who were gonna meet in Ann Arbor. Rimpoche was kind enough to invite me to spend the night at his place. Upon going to bed that night, Rimpoche is a man who has students and people from all over the world who tend to call him at all hours. And so this happened to the phone in the room where I was sleeping. So just as I was drifting off to sleep, it rings. I had to get back to sleep again, just as I’m going to sleep again, it rings again. And this went on for a while till I had the idea of turning the phone over and find the little button that turns off the ringer, to find that there wasn’t one. My solution was to unplug the phone. Stop the ring. Got to sleep. Everything was fine until the next morning when speaking with Rimpoche, he tells me how the strangest thing happened last night. He was on the phone talking to someone in Singapore I believe it was, and all of the sudden the whole phone line went dead and didn’t come back on until the morning, when I had plug it back in again. When I realized what I had done, obviously I was very embarrassed but I told him. His reaction was something that I remembered till this day. His reaction was to rub his head, say ‘Oh’ and then just erupted in the most joyful laugh. It’s a small thing but I just mentioned it because so many great things we focused on but just to give an example as someone who has actualized these teachings in the great and the small things. The joyfulness, the kindness, the compassion, the tip of ice, the practice of Tibetan Buddhism. So anyway, enough of me, again its my great pleasure to introduce you – Gelek Rimpoche. [0:07:58.5]

Rimpoche: Thank you. I completely forgot about the telephone. Well, thank you for that introduction and what you did not say bout the bad things. Its not always the good things happen in my life, bad things also and I was fortunate enough to be monk in the monastery. One of the best monastery at that time is Drepung monastery. That time about 10000 some around monks at that time so 10000 something, maybe 12, maybe 13 I don’t know, round about that time, that much monk and it was real sources of the great Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Almost like a great Nalanda in India at that level, that was such a wonderful period and I was fortunate enough to be part of that thing and monk. And of cause, 1959, the Chinese communist has liberated as and kicked out of Tibet and I liberated to be monk so become none monk. So, these are my bad part of it because I’m no longer monk. So that’s bad part of it. Anyway, I also you know, tis not so simple in life when I was looking back in 1959. After 1959, and that’s about the 19 years old my age as Tim mentioned I was recognized as incarnate Lama round at about 4, 5 and then somehow the culture make you such that you are sort of hooked in one of those great traditions and get tremendous opportunity to learn and although you don’t want to learn but you have no other choice. So I mean the opportunities there, you’re just pushed in, you don’t have that much interest or learning or doing anything but circumstances push you and you go through and for long run, it happens to be a golden opportunity. Honestly. But then, almost looking for rebellion and in my heart, why should I have to? Why should I have? Why can’t I do this? Why can I do that? And everything always look for some kind of you know rebellion against. I don’t have a cap, if I have one, I would have wore it around to resist my way of displeasure. So the moments you are out of the monastery rule, so you be started looking for something else. And something else other than what you know, what you’re taught about it. So you know, like to go experiment drinking or like to go and smoke cigarettes. I was telling someone today you know, I used to in India, I sort of force myself to learn how to smoke cigarettes and used to smoke 3 packets in 2 days. And you know, for 13 years and still for something you know, not getting it. And I’m looking for all kinds of things you know and in the 60s, whatever happened here and I was a little bit late behind but behind that I’m still trying, tried everything, didn’t work. And finally turned around and the only thing what you can get help is the true spiritual path which will make some difference in your life, ease you pain little bit better and little bit of caring and kindness and the sharing the difficulties what people faced. [0:13:57.6]

And now embodiment of compassion and all that. These are not my qualification at all but little bit of you know engaging. I …….?? could not leave these day?? the thing helps other than nothing else, you know it really does. *please recheck this sentence* [0:14:11.6 to 0:14:17.3] one day I don’t know if you have lot of money, that’s I couldn’t experiment. I never had lt of money so I don’t know if that does anything above everything, answer’s no. sort of by looking at it, you know. Other than that, anything else doesn’t do any good. Anyway, so you try them. Marijuana? It doesn’t do any good. Just temporarily whatever you feel or don’t feel or if it works well, everything getting more clear, you know. Sounds a little better, you’re sitting in the room and somebody else flashing the toilet, it sounds like the toilet is inside my ear you know. Its so clear. Ha Ha Ha. That sort of clarity but that’s temporary, doesn’t do anything else good. Anything else more than that. When its not that, then you start throwing up. These are my experience. So Ha Ha Ha. So, nothing good. So anything you look in this world, I think I can say because I’m 68 years old and I had lot of opportunity for all kinds of things and as a young being forced to be a monk, I don’t know if I was a real good monk or not but pretend to be a good one. And that because forced to it. And then if you don’t do it, you get beat up. Everybody beat you up quite badly. You know the incarnate lamas looks very nice, they are all up there and they attendants will come and bow to you and all that but you know underneath that vow, they give you pinch and beat you up. And if you don’t pay attention. And its true all that. So that’s what it is. That doesn’t do any that great but ultimately mind and that make difference to you. its your own mind and yourself and that will make difference. That also, mind is very interesting, mind is you know, I sort of its a little funny. [0:17:20.1]

I was thinking one time how to talk about this mind. And I thought I got very good discovery about explaining mind. So I thought mind has no tangibility, no colour, nothing. It is clean, clear, crystal lampshade. And then the emotions are like you know, like negative and positive emotions. Positive emotions such as faith, kindness, love, compassion or patience, generosity and enthusiasm. Negative emotions such as anger, hatred, obsession, jealousy all of them, they are all look like light or bulbs – the red light bulb, the yellow light bulb, pink light bulb and green, blue – all kinds of things. And because of the effect of the light bulb, the light and then this lampshade look like yellow lampshade, red lampshade and green lampshade and its sounds very nice. Very good, nice in my head. And I’ve been using that. And all of a suddenly, another colleague, a little senior to me, called Geshe Rabten in Switzerland. So Geshe Rabten has teachings done and his teachings are printed out and when I saw it, Geshe Rabten used the same, same lampshade, lamp and all these and I say, ‘What the heck.’ I thought I found very good point but that’s sort of what happened. And I’m quite sure Geshe Rabten did not know what I was thinking and heard bout it. I’m certainly didn’t hear what Geshe Rabten said or anything. It sort of happened in that way. You see, in a way, in a case, this is how the emotions make the mind different. And that’s why, in order to make the individual person good or bad person, its really depends on the mind of the individual, how that mind going to be. And that mind how its going to be, how you’re going to handle your emotions and that’s where the negative and the positive effect of the individual is not only making difference to the individuals themselves but also to all other people who come in contact with all these all the people. [0:20:37.2]

So that’s why the 2600 years ago the Buddha says, ‘Compassion and love are so important and so much so that this is the way one individual can help yourself. Having compassion helps yourself although the compassion is as such your caring for others and looks like dedicated doing service to the others.’ It is very true but while doing that, it is affecting the individual. So that’s why this compassion becomes so important in our life. Without compassion, its almost purposeless for us, us as a human being. If you don’t have compassion, that’s huge purpose of our life is completely being defeated. That’s why it is so important. Yes, its is true and it is important if you have compassion and that’s good. But if you don’t have wisdom, what will compassion do? Compassion can almost sit there and say, ‘Hey. What can I do for you? How I can help you? What can I do?’ So its almost you get to the point because the wisdom is the one who then pops up and say, ‘If you care, if you love then you do this, and do that.’ And that is the way the wisdom works with the compassion.

When you’re looking at His Holiness, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, all his life and this is true individual who is in embodiment of compassion and wisdom together. Together. Compassion because his caring for others in beyond our imagination. Particularly His Holiness you know, I mean really on that reason, he totally committed to be in none violence. I had the opportunity to be able to have audience with his Holiness since probably when I was 7 or 8 back I Tibet. Number of times. Actually this time His Holiness thought when we came to Jewel Heart, he said, ‘I think Rimpoche and I, we are almost same age. That’s not right. How old are you?’ And I said, ‘I’m 68.’ ‘Oh you’re younger.’ So, that you know, almost same age. By the time when I was 8 or 9, I’ve been able to have audience to His Holiness for couple of times, quite a number of times. And always His Holiness makes you happy and just being at his presence makes you forget your own worries and sufferings and sort of give you joy ride. And that is the true sign of embodiment of compassion and love. [0:24:54.0]

And he is always been that. But this time, one hand its true. On the other hand, tis visible, tis really visibly he is little disturb. There is something, not that he is upset or angry or anything, but little sort of disturbed because of the violence that’s not only happening in the world in general, particularly in Tibet and what’s happening in Tibet and what’s going on. So literally you can see, though he won’t say it, you can literally see he is so visibly little disturbed. And that’s why because he cares and he cares bout the people and their life and so difficulties, violence and difficulties are not only disturbing but destruction of the lives of the people in general and particularly in Tibet. That sort of visibly you see he’s a little disturbed. Yet another hand, he also have the wisdom behind that. Wisdom behind that and so he is the one who been able to combine the wisdom and the compassion together and making difference to the lives of the people. So we invite him this time, very fortunate to able to have him come to Michigan and had 2 full day teaching as Tim has mentioned earlier, over 15,000 people sort of over 2 days completely. And yet compassion and wisdom is one of the deepest subject. One of the simplest and one the deepest, one of the most easiest and one of most difficult to really grounded and get it subject of Buddhist teaching. [0:27:41.3]

So the idea of what we call that multi-city tour in the Midwest is the message, the idea that Buddha shared which His Holiness shared with us is again try to repeat, I don’t have the capacity that what His Holiness has to make everybody happy and giving joy ride. However, the message is message to remind us how important the kindness and compassion and how they can play in our life and that’s what I’m trying to again remind to the people so that energy and blessing and kindness that His Holiness brought is not just sort of disappeared and sort of go away so that’s what were trying to do these and I’m here to try to talk to you little bit bout it. But that also, His Holiness taught, His Holiness shared compassion itself on the basis of the Buddha’s teaching of Four Noble Truth as well.

So the question really rises to us, what is compassion? What is love? How does one individual embodies love and compassion. So this is an important point and this is not only His Holiness’ message, but this is Tibetan Buddhist tradition. All the Buddhist tradition that come through Tibet, not only Buddhist. Compassion and love is nt only a Tibetan Buddhism or Buddhism in general, and all great traditions does share, does talk about this love and compassion a lot as you all know. I know nothing bout the Judiac Christian tradition but even you look at Judiac Christian tradition, and by just looking at it, you know how important the love is, how important the compassion really is. And that is the something which universally every great tradition has. Not only embrace but carried through the founding tradition and every practitioners been throughout the practice in their life and every preacher talks to all as he or she practices as he or she experience, even it is throughout its tradition. Specially in the Tibetan tradition, what we really had this compassion and the wisdom. This is one thing, you know one very interesting thing – when you’re looking at the Dalai Lama, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and he is embodiment of wisdom and compassion, no doubt about it. And still e doesn’t do like what I’m standing here. He just reads through traditional teaching text like in the case of this time in Michigan, what he did compassion is he read Nargajuna – great early Indian master and then all those, huge book but he went into the important points and he read through. So that you know, so that it is authentic, it comes from the Buddha, it is authentic. Traditionally, Tibetans have saying, ‘if you really want to drink a pure, great water, you make sure the water comes from the glacier. From the snow mountains.’ That’s old Tibetan saying. Likewise, if you want great wisdom and compassion come from Buddha, make sure it comes from Buddha. And that’s why even though person like His Holiness embodiment, however he started reading ancient text, word by word but you know and he sort of goes this number, this verse, this prayer, this verse number, that verse number so that’s why he tried to show how authentic whatever he taught. And as far as the wisdom is concern, and he based on that Great Tibetan scholar and founder of the Gelugpa tradition, or the Yellow Hat tradition – Tsongkhapa 14th century. Great scholar. 1357 1419, is the Tsongkhapa’s date. Tsongkhapa praise to Buddha, Tsongkhapa’s praise to Buddha on these 2 basis, and He taught 2 days. *please recheck the context of this sentence* [0:33:11.0 to 0:33:45.7] [0:33:45.7]

And the essence of what he taught out of Nargajuna’s as Nargajuna’s compassion is not simply compassion as we understood. What we understood, is our way of understanding is sometimes when we see people or a living being who is suffering, who is suffering and we feel it. We understand and we feel it and that is and you know our way of expressing our compassion sometimes. Like today, look at Burma, the situation in Burma is such a horrible. I mean can you imagine the latest, just before I came here, I heard there is over 100 thousand people got killed, over 100 thousand people got killed by the cyclone and whatever flood and all that. Over 100 thousand people got killed. And there are sort of unimaginable and how many people been wounded, how many people become homeless, how much suffering is there and yet he believe it, those generals who are not allowing the workers. The world is trying to give them help and ready to bring the food and medicine, they’re not giving them permit! They say, ‘Oh you’re going to disturb our political system.’ I mean this is just beyond imagination. And if you really want to have pre-emptive help, you should help them. Who cares the few generals. Honestly. And there is hundreds and thousands of people dying and you know home become homeless, and no water to drink and there’s a threat in losing their life. Why don’t you just go there, I mean rather than walking in Iraq whatever you know. Iran or whatever. There’s a danger but the hundred thousand people there are not dying, hundred thousand are not killing there but over here. That’s is. It’s a diplomatic moment, this and that. That’s fine. That’s their business but compassion should be really there and we should be moving. We should give them whatever, medicine, food, shelter, whatever. And we’re not there going to walk by them. You can go in there to serve them, help them. Anyway. This sort of compassion is our compassion. And its great compassion that’s all about it? Is it compassion? No doubt about it. But then the Nargajuna and what the Buddha told him about, is even more than that. And that is not only the compassion looking outside where the people are suffering, but also looking inside ourself and our own sufferings and pains that we go through. And we have to develop compassion for ourself and this is become the most important. there are many times great compassion people feel about it but then it will becomes a little bit of looking down on people and sort of poor thing, poor guy, poor person, what can I do for you and that sort of. When you come to compassion at that level and it will be looking down on the people rather than true compassion. [0:38:24.6]

That happens very often with us. I do remember as its only last year, maybe about a year ago, may its about 2006? And there was a conference in New York, again, His Holiness was there and so what he was doing, something. Anyway, and there was a brief conference of philanthropists and their activities of generosity. And they’re talking about it. And before they talk to His Holiness, before that, tomorrow morning as the conference, tonight there was a dinner, not so many people, bout 10 or 11. There was a dinner and at the dinner, they were talking bout what questions they would like to ask His Holiness, what would they like to learn – that’s what they talked. And I was invited and all that. And all these people are very very very wonderful people, the Rockefeller was there and Larry who was the Google CEO, he was there, a number of those philanthropist these people are there. So each one of them really wanted to know how can I give it? How should I give it? What should my motivation be? Some of the motivation they learn it, what kind of motivation should I have, how I give it, what I do. And all these are wonderful, wonderful thinkings they have. So then everybody talked bout it, everybody asked and at the end of it, at anymore questions, they turned around and I said, ‘What bout the receiving people?’ He said, ‘what do you mean bout the receiving people?’ The idea is ‘What should we give? How much should we give? What will we give? How will give.’ So I said, ‘How do they receive?’ ‘Receiving people do have respect to those people who receive. Or we just matter of giving it? Just give it. Well, they need it, then they will throw it out, here to give it back. Or you think. So they thought bout it. They really thought about it. They need little more explanation what I’m talking about. And I said, ‘You just matter of giving it whether they want it or they don’t want it or how would you have respect for these people or what?’ And so everybody sort of sat back for a while, and then they came back with ideas of ‘yes, how do we respect them? How do we give them?’ [0:41:38.4]

I gave this idea – the Buddha during the Buddha’s lifetime, there’s one big, rich, huge Indian king and he said, ‘I would like to give lot of gifts to the people. How can I be very generous and give it to people?’ And Buddha said, ‘Oh great idea! If you want to give it, go and build a tent at the end of the market, these like open air market. Go and build a tent in the market and then you, yourself and your queen and your princess go in there and each one of them give whatever you want to give, give by your own hand with respect to those beggars.’ So the king said, ‘What? They are my subject, I’m not allowing them to take it. Why should I, the King has to go there and pick my own hand and give it then. With bowing down, with respect.’ Then Buddha said, ‘If you want generate your good karma, good merit, that’s what you do. If you don’t want your generate your good merit, then throw them out. They’ll take it.’ So with that idea, so everybody thought about it. When the next, when the actual conference came, every question is – is it necessary for ourself to go there and give it or any agent giving is fine and all kinds of those question whatever they had prepare. Some of them have higher person to prepare the question and all that. And all of them have been changed tomorrow morning. Everything is – should I go there personally or is it just my agent sending is good enough, our branch somewhere else can carry all that in that region. Will that be good enough? All that were changed. So it becomes a personalization is very important in the case of generosity. Just like that in the case of compassion. It has to be personalized. In order to personalized your own compassion. Through these and these and that in the people in Burma today. But in order to have that personalized, we must take experience of developing compassion for ourselves on the bases of our own suffering and on the basis of how I can help myself to get rid of my suffering. On that basis, that experience, with that feeling and with that touch when you go and look for the people in Burma and looking at that, that compassion becomes true compassion from the heart – what His Holiness the Dalai Lama calls one from the heart, heart to heart, person to person. That becomes real, true compassion rather than lip service or looking down or sometimes even some of the compassion becomes condescending. Condescending is the right word I’m using, right. Looking down. [0:45:27.8]

So, you know how to have that personal touch? Its to have the personal experience. This is the really what you need. There may not be necessary, may not even be possible for those big, corporation owners like Rockefeller, not necessary, not even possible even to go there personally, carry a bag of rice and going into Burma and try to give in the hand, but the feeling and the motivation, not just motivation alone, the feeling with the personal touch – when that has it, becomes meaningful, it doesn’t become looking down, it doesn’t become condescending, it doesn’t become ‘poor you, what can I do’ doesn’t become anymore. Just really become genuine, genuine compassion. This is one example I’m giving. So similarly, everything in our life, spiritual path, these are the spiritual path – whether you’re following Buddhist path or Judiac Christian path, compassion is compassion. Its spiritual path. Whichever way you find, following, following that through from your heart. Heartfelt. When we have the heartfelt compassion, when that goes and that gives you a much better result, not only from the spiritual point of you, not only from the karmic point of view, even person to person point of view. You know today, we have sometimes there are love, there are compassion, there are feelings between these parents and children but where and how we translate our compassion, our love to the children sometimes children rejects because becomes condescending. Because it has become ‘my way or the highway.’ Because all of those reasons why people doesn’t know personal touch. So Buddha’s gift over here is not simply just compassion, but heartfelt, genuine compassion from the heart. And that makes difference than just simple, bare compassion. [0:48:19.0]

And once we have that compassion, then the wisdom must be part of it. Wisdom. If you don’t have wisdom, even you have tremendous diligent, efforts you put in, not so much helpful. Not so much helpful. You need the wisdom. The wisdom is where is the suffering, where is the pain coming from? Each and every one of us, no matter how much we pretend to be good, to be happy, no matter how much we put up illusions on our face try to hide our wrinkles, and the ladies will out on makeup everywhere else, right? But within the crack of the makeup, we see the pain and the suffering. Each and every one of us, no matter how much we pretend to be look good, nice colour combination, nice tie, nice shirt, nice everything, look better – all this we do! We’re good at show biz. Because we want hide, what do we want to hide we want to hide our suffering, pains. Physical, mental, emotional pains that torturing and tormenting us – we want hide that. We hide that under our robe, we hide that under our suit, we hide that under our skirt – whatever. Shawls. Everything. We do. Because we don’t want other people to see it. Because you know, its bothering me. You know I don’t want my colleagues, my boss to know its bothering me. But tis there. No matter how much you deny, its there. [0:51:24.9]

Buddha said it is natural. It is there. Its natural. That doesn’t mean you can do nothing. You can do something. Something. Find out where it is coming from. You have to really cut from the source where it is coming from, rather than. This is not a temporary symptom. It is a something else wrong within us. And that’s why its happening. Just like when you have some physical problem and you go and see a doctor, and doctor will do all kinds of check up and finally say, ‘Hey, you have a problem, you problem is you’re diabetic.’ In my case, he always tell me, ‘Its your diabetic.’ Every single darn thing wrong is me is something to do with my diabetic. Honestly, whether it was blood pressure or high sugar or eye problem or kidney problem or whether it is your heart problem – everything boils down to diabetics. Do nothing but control your sugar, control your sugar, control your sugar. That’s what they tell me. And similarly to the others, they got different things. So Buddha does same thing. Say, ‘Hey, where did that come from? Find out.’ Did someone else impose that on you? Or did we make it? If I make it, how did I make it? Can I redo it? Can I change it? And the 99.9% Buddha says you can change it. The simple reason because its impermanent, its changing, it is dependent rising. This is something fantastic - dependent arising. [0:53:44.9]

The wisdom that Dalai Lama give teaching on by the Tsongkhapa, the first word itself says, ‘Khen Tsyi…….???’ *didn’t get this phrase Rimpoche said in Tibetan* [0:53:53.2 to 0:53:56.4], means one would just see it and understand it and when you expressed. That’s why you why you are equivalent lee teacher?? *unsure about this sentence, please check. Thank you* [0:53:56.4 to 0:54:07.9] So its everything is dependent. It depends on the cause and the conditions. Not ‘Why did I became diabetic?’ because I had too much sugar. As a kid, I used to chew hard candy, raw candy all the time in my mouth in the morning I wake up with my blanket stuck in my head and face. Yes, I did. And when I got to the United States, I keep on eating the Amy Joy donuts, doesn’t have to be on time, that’s how I become fat, that’s how I become diabetic. That’s cause. Conditions are provided because I don’t exercise, I become couch potato. Honestly. So just like these terms and conditions, cause. So the Buddha says, look into the cause. And avoid it. Try to reverse. Or by not eating any Joy’s donuts, now I don’t know if I would become none diabetic. However, my sugar doesn’t go up as much as it does go. So, the wisdom over here is actually looking at the terms, sounds like lawyer. I’m sorry but actually really the conditions and cause and how it worked. And becomes extremely important in the Buddhism in general, particularly Tibetan Buddhism. [0:56:15.1]

On this very basis today, there are number of scientist around the country, even today His Holiness had visit in Michigan, a bunch of those scientists, you know they’re following Him everywhere he go. So they came to Michigan too, and try to spend 2, 3, 4 hours with his Holiness, try to find out whether it is this in mind, sometimes it is tedious and following his sleep and all that. However, I mean there’s so much they’re paying attention because it is the conditions that making totally different on everything and these are the, I’m not talking bout psychologist, I’m talking bout physicist, physics people. And they’re the one who are really looking at these so much, thinking that every happiness and misery, whatever the people are facing today, it is somehow depends on the conditions and cause. And its almost looking like every matter, you know like old times saying, the plate is not plate, it is collection of all kinds of particles and then the particles move around and things change – that’s what they’re looking at today. Not only mind, but almost every single darn thing happening in our life. And these really is totally leading to the Buddha’s wisdom of dependent arise. [0:58:12.1]

Term, conditions and cause. And how one can reverse one’s suffering and problem. Buddha become a Buddha because was able to reverse. The bottom-line is Buddha become Buddha because he’s been able to reverse. Buddha didn’t do scientifically, Buddha didn’t experiment scientifically with chemicals and laboratories but through meditation. And today, we not have through meditation and laboratories adds up on top of it and see what’s happening. Using the seasoned meditators as guinea pig, finding. And the finding matches almost, they almost can loudly and say it, proudly they saying it – meditation on compassion brings happiness in individual. They can prove it through a physiological differences, putting a seasoned meditator in MRI for 5 hours with all kinds of things going on, its this and that going on and then they taking pictures and try to show you how its really helping. So you know, in one way, this Buddha’s wisdom is in, I’m not only talking about the Buddhism, I’m talking about the reality and actual reality – the love compassion is the real reality in our life. And that is what we’ve been able to hear from His Holiness and just try to repeat few words as to what he said here. And at end of this tour, I’m hoping we can have little sort of bigger seminar type of, what do we call as, not the miserable retreat, but joyful retreat. We used to have 2 kinds of retreat, one is winter its called miserable and the other is called summer, the joyful. Because in summer Michigan is nice. And so we at the end of this, we’re gonna have about a week long summer retreat, sort of seminar type, look through the subject and as well as looking through His Holiness’ words, and going over. That’s what we hope to do and that probably is on June 27th through July 6th and if any one of you would like to come, you’re welcome. And early booking is recommended because we don’t have so much room available too. [1:01:43.4]

So, that’s all. If you have any questions. I didn’t realize its after 8. No questions, we go home.

*audience laughs*

Rimpoche: Yes, sir.

Audience: Hello Rimpoche. Could you say something about how is that meditation can we, those of us who this gap between ourselves and others and meeting others where they are. How is it that meditation can help us to realize our suffering deeply in order to feel a relation to others?

Rimpoche: Well, thank you for the question. The moment you said meditation, I’m always funny, where and how we know in this country, today, we know meditation and what I hear when you say meditation is 2 different things. Its always 2 different things. In this country when we say meditation, most of us thinks all the focusing, concentrating, thinking, focus. That’s why meditation teachers will tell you how to sit, how to sit straight, how to take breath, breath in, out, count and all of them is nothing but teaching us how to focus. But the purpose of the Buddha’s meditation, is focusing bringing calmness, quietness, wonderfulness within individual is a goal. But that’s not only the goal. There are something beyond that. Once you learn how to focus, once you learn how to concentrate, once you learn you’ll not be distracted, but then what do you think? What do you do? You don’t count anymore breath in or out, but then you begin to do analyzing. Analyzing our own cause, effects, karmic consequences – all of that. And that type of meditation, combination of the focusing plus analyzing together, delivers goals that brings and close the gap in between you and me. Us and them. That analyzation brings us together. That analyzation and that is major, major change, major wisdom creating meditation is analytical meditation. Major learning focus is sitting straight and counting and keep on focusing, result of that is stabilizing our mind on a subject. And the wisdom will analyze, penetrate through the subject and give deeper insight. Yes, when you say meditation deliver good but what meditation you’re looking and that is the most important. For like last 2 or 3 decades in this country, a number 1, we don’t even think about meditation. Before 60s, we don’t about meditation at all. Because of the 60s, we’ve been able to talk about meditation. So 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s – when we talk about meditation, we’re talking about simple, focusing or sitting only. The true meditation according to the Buddha, is on the basis of stabilized your mind then analyzing on the subject, penetrating through, you know really sharp wisdom, like laser-liked, penetrating through and that is the one who really deliver the good. And that’s what I say when you say, when we normally say meditation, different people will hear different things. Thank you. Well, I think I will close the shop. Thank you so much. [1:08:15.8]