Archive Result

Soundfile 20080510GRTOPBWIS

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location Toledo

Topic Engaging Wisdom and Compassion

Transcriber Lena Reeves

Date 2024-05-26

0:00:00.0 Host: Hello everyone. Welcome and thank you very much for comimg out today to this beautiful place. Today's talk, "Engaging Wisdom and Compassion", is part of a Midwest Multi-city Speaking tour. Rimpoche is offering this Midwest tour to continue the positive effect experienced from His Holiness's recent visit and teachings in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is wonderful to have Rimpoche continue this positive effect. Our speaker tonight, Galek Rimpoche, for those of you who may not be familiar with him, was born and raised in old Tibet, that is the Tibet that was not yet occupied by the Communist Chinese. The title, Rinpoche, is given to those who are recognized as reincarnations of previous teachers. Rinpoche began his monastic training at the age of four, and was tutored by many of the greatest masters of that time. After leaving Tibet in 1959, he became a refugee in India, and in the early 80's he met Aura Glasser and Sandy Finkle from Ann Arbor, who requested him to teach here,which eventually led Rimpoche to moving here, and a few years later in founding Jewel Heart. Since that time Rimpoche has been teaching at Jewel Heart Centers throughout America and internationally practically non-stop as well as many other venues. He is the author of numerous teachings and transcripts and two books including the national bestseller "Good Life, Good Death" and "The Tara Box: Protection and Healing from the Female Buddha" which are available right back there at that table afterwards. Rimpoche brings an authentic Tibetan Buddhist tradition with him to the West. and because he has actualized the essence of Buddhist practice, which includes kindness, compassion, insight and generosity, this rich tradition becomes accessible to all of us by his example. So please join me in welcoming Galek Rimpoche.

0:02:10.3 Rimpoche: Well thank you so much for the beautiful introduction, and I try to bring the blessings and good wishes and kind messages of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, but I don't have the capacity like His Hioliness does to bring the joy and happiness. As many of you know whenever you're in the presence of His Holiness always does a tremendous joy and to give you happy joyness because I don't have the capacity and He does have the capacity and He did that. At least in message of the kindness, love, compassion, and wisdom we try to bring and whatever He shared with us. Although He always give teachings, although He is always true embodiment of compassion and wisdom. Imagine me not actualized phenomenon is some very kind putting in the introduction or not and that is the difference. If I am actually actualized compassion, I should have brought joy and happiness to [?]. And so, but His Holiness does that. And also the message that His Holiness brings allm the time, although, and this is the beauty part of His Holiness, although He is the embodiment of compassion, although He is the embodiment of wisdom, however to make teachings authentic, what He does is He always uses a traditional textbooks. Either it is from the origianal Sanskrit, as an Indian language early, or earlier Tibetan. So He always uses a textbook. It's not that He doesn't know what He wants to talk about it or but you know try to show the authenticity. Whatever He's talking, He's talking the authenticity.

0:05:26.4 Authenticity is important, particularly today in the United States. We all, such as yourself, we all have great interest in the spiritual path. We know enough, the material developments that really are our needs today. They do to a certain extent because if you don't have it you get into trouble, so that's why we know. But they don't really fully answer our needs, and we do know that. So when people are really looking for, for truly some kind of a very authentic, uhhhhhh I'm not sure whether people are looking for authentic or not, but people are looking for something which really delivers the goods and the right thing to do. But it doesn't matter whether it comes from Judeo-Christian tradition or Eastern tradition, or wherever it comes, it doesn't matter. That is the reality, truly. People are [?] angry about spiritual path. You know I've been, actually, very proud that I've been able to spend twenty years in the United States, and I've become a citizen, and I'm really very proud of it. But at the same time I've also learned, whoever, wherever you look, whoever you look, whatever, wherever you might be, you know, you look at people in any part of life, well let's put it nice way, um say plan therapist, that's not say business person okay?

Plan therapist, or artists, whether they be support, or musicians, or Hollywood people, or whoever, they're all truly looking for some [genuine?] thing which makes difference in our life. When you are looking in the distance, more you have interest, you have much more variety of things happening. And a variety of things happening, maybe you're not hearing what I say, maybe I don't want to say it very clearly.

0:08:25.2 What I really meant is thaere are a numberr of different people who claims to be, you know, this great guru, this great teacher, this great thing, their part is great and wonderful. and all of those. Some of them really are, but not all of them. The reason why His Holiness always tries to take a book in hand, because it shows that whoever composed that book, the author is proved to be one of the outstanding, accepted by all great teachers earlier, and even their words been tested and debated logically, tested by practitioners that practice, proved to be giving the result. So He's using the textbook in hand, so He wanted to make sure this is authentic, this comes from this person, this is that person, that's their experience, and that's what He does. So He did the same thing in Ann Arbor using two outstanding and commonly known, very commonly known tests, one based on compassion, talking about compassion, and the other is wisdom. So but still, the text that he uses [?], and so if He started reading one by one, it's not going to get anywhere. So what He did is His personal experience telling now look in this verse and look in that verse, look in this verse, look in that verse, so you're looking up and down, and up and down, and finally seeing everything in all. Athough He did not read from the first page to the last page, He delivered comprehensive message on compassion and message on wisdom for individual who is capable of doing by him- or herself can manage both, that's what He did. So out of all this, you know since I thought we will bring this sort of His message and energy round and reminding us again, the compassion and wisdon and all that.

0:11:23.7 But even my thoughts becoming even shiorter than His, His Holiness at least give two days in Ann Arbor, Saturday and Sunday, mine's become a one hour here and there. So rather than bring a text book, then I know I'm not going to get anywhere, number one, and number two, I even forgot today. So anyway, the essence of the message is really boils down to compassion and wisdom. So the question now rises, what is the compassion His Holiness is talking about? You know, every great tradition, whether it's Judeo-Christian tradition or Hindu-Buddhist tradition, every great traditions do talk about compassion. Love, compassion is something that all the great religions always share and talk to encourage people, and people always, people always indulge in that. Some of us thought, "Oh, compassion is something unique with Buddhism". I used to think that too, but that is my stupidity. And every great tradition really does use compassion and love. Even [?] me, being stupid, honestly. When I became a refugee from Tibet, when I was age 20, that's talking back 1959-60, about a time when I'm running away from the Communist Chinese control. Simply running away, not because I have great political agenda. I'm not aware of Communism as bad and terrible, or knowing whereof Democracy is great and wonderful. No I'm not. I'm simply running away because there is a gun shooting behind me or [not bad] so I'm running away from that honestly. So that is how I move away from monestery to a one mountain and cross because I can't stay there, still continuing and so cross another mountain, cross another mountain, cross another mountain, from [?] India. I did not come out to make Tibet independent and argument and all this, so little we do claim. But the whole idea really when originally [?] because there's a gun behind my back so I will run. That is how easily I came, so.

0:14:44.5 Because when somebody tries to kill you, you run. What else can you do? You know you have a power to fight back, or you just run. So I chose the second one, started running. So came to India. So that's really what happened. And um then when you're running for your life, you don't carry anything. Absolutely penniless refugee, beggar coming through India. But the person that you need is the kindness of the people in the West with their aid, the pills they give you to protect from the heat, the temperature, the malaria or whatever. And then there's vitamins and something to wear or whatever it may be. Maybe it is a blue pajama or something, which I really got, some very funny blue pajama doesn't fit me at all. So anyway, that's what I be wearing and running around. But they were great help because when you have nothing they're helpful. And that is the love and the kindness that people in the West do, show to us, show to those who don't have it, and try to share whatever they have. So maybe it is a huge pajama for someone, for six-foot person to wear, but for me, you know like five-foot six, you know that doesn't really fit, but it's okay, you can roll the sleeves, you can roll the fitting everything up, you can walk around, so it's extremely helpful. So it is a kindness and compassion and love is not only Tibetan Buddhism's speacial thing. It is really a great tradition everybody does share. They have it.

0:17:19.0 But understanding compassion itself, it's subtly different. That is the most important point I like to bring here today. Normally when we talk about compassion with our own understanding, when we see people who are suffering, we feel it. We feel it and I look and each and every one of us think about it today, what's happening in [0:17:51.9]. Hundred, over hundred thousand people are dead. Millions of them are become homeless, shelterless. Yet a dictator, the brutal dictator doesn't let the people who are helping them, they don't want them come in. And they're more interested to maintain power and referendum over their own whatever that is, you know, some kind of confirmation of their constitution or something and they are running around today, rather than using the millions of people who died, they're saying nothin in their own television. And they're showing how the referendum is working and this is absolutely crazy. And when you look at those things we feel it. Our heart-felt pains we experience. We see the dead bodies lying in the river and people throwing the bodies in the river, all of those we see and we feel. And that is our compssion too. No doubt about it, no one will challenge that is not compassion, it is great compassion for that we all feel. But when you're talking about this engaging wisdom and compssion, and this particular compassion, we were needing little more than that. Little this is compassion, nothing's wrong with this. This is how we preserved, promoted, and encouraged. And that make us kind person, caring person, no doubt we should go. But still, little more than that we needed. This what the Dalai Lama shared with us or the Buddha shared with us is that is the compassion focusing on ourself is also necessary.

0:20:17.5 Because, you know, we are so sometimes used to it looking for the other people, and look at them say ah poor little thing, looking almost down on them. We do sometimes. We do it with tremendous feeling [0:20:36.8 unintelligible] yet we feel it, however, however I am better than them, and sort of my job to help them, and if I don't I'll be a bad person. We do this all that. In a way it's true. I'm not criticizing that, in a way it's true. However, however we need compassion on ourself too. If we don't have compassion on ourself, then things doesn't work so well. Compassion for ourself. That is looking at ourself, looking at ourself, seeing what am I going to do? And we do with ourself also do at tremendous suffering, we are likely by chance not in dharma today. By chance. Could be I was almost caught in that tsunami thing. Somehow you know a friend of mine in Malaysia wanted to take me for holiday in [0:22:09.3 unintelligible] over there and right that particular big hotel we are going through and have a reservation in that But luckily a girlfriend of mine here, she's supposed to go, she didn't go. She said she wouldn't make it. So I told her I'm not going to go to Thailand this time. So instead of going to Thailand from Malaysia, I came back to the United States. While I'm in the plane that thing would happen. Had I gone there I would have been gone in the tsunami. So by chance. Anything happens. And each and everyone of the people that we lost in 9-11 happens to be by chance happens to be at that place, at that time. What we call it, wrong place at the wrong time. Happens to be. And there's a few who skipped. Happens to be.

0:23:22.8 That is the human beings, that's who we are. That's what we are. That's what we are. So when we look in ourself we have every, not only the tendency of being at the wrong place at the wrong time, but also we have a tremendous amount of torturing done by ourself, for ourself, through our mental, I don't mean you people are crazy, okay don't think about it hehe. But you know mental, emotional, physical pains that we experience day after day, week after week, month after month. We try to show up mind full of fears, maybe even have nice makeups. But in between the crack we see the sufferings that we're going through all the time. So we go through this and this is our own suffering there. We must have to understand it. No matter whatever we do, we do have that suffering unfortunately. We do. And but we have to understand that. And looking at ourself, understanding that, acknowledging that. And generating our care, love, compassion for ourself. And this is a very important one. And the Buddha sat there for six years with only a grain a day they say. I'm not sure whether you can really survive on a grain a day for six years, who knows. When you're talking looking at any you know two thousand something documents or whatever, documents or stories or whatever, we're looking, we have all different things. Every biblical stories will tell you very similar whether you're looking at the Eastern religion or the Western religion, they tell you the same thing. I'm not sure whether you can eat one grain and live for six years, I'm not sure. But, however they said that, right?

0:26:19.8 Buddha sits there looking at the suffering and meditating for six years could not affect much until he sees suffering within himself. Not the physical suffering, not because he isn't eating the food, but the mental, emotional sufferings that self is going through. And that make a difference. That makes the individual in touch with yourself, if you're in touch with your own suffering, you're in touch with your own pain, you're in touch with your own compassion, so you understand the other's difficulty and pain far better than when you're looking at it. It is very common in our culture. Our children will look at us and say ah you didn't get it did you? Right? They didn't get it. Not only the children, but even the spouses look at you, you're not getting it are you? You're not getting it, right? So you're not getting it because you're not in touch. You're out of touch. When you're out of touch, then it becomes lip service. Sometimes even, sometime even worse, condescending. And then they will tell you thank you but no thank you. We don't want your sympathy, nor I want your advice. So all this because of they're out of touch. No personal involvment, no personal heartfelt, what the Dalai Lama call this heartfelt. It's coming from the bottom of your heart, and you're feeling it, and you're looking at it. You're dealing with it and then you find it, solutions. And that is where the compassion really begins. Little more than looking at others suffering, saying "poor thing what can I do for you? How can I help you?" Rather than that, here you feel personally, seeing this is it, I have that experience, I did this, this is way you do it. Heartfelt, in touch.

0:29:18.6 And that is perhaps Tibetan Buddhist gift. Perhaps. Perhaps not. One never know, one can never clear. But could be. And when you're feeling that, and then you definitely, you definitely feel the same thing with the others. I'm not claiming anything, you know but, when His Holiness was visiting here, and there's a group of people who would like to do a demonstration against His Holiness, not necessarily against His Holiness, but a pro-olympic thing invasion, it is. And when they told me, the University of Michigan informed me and say there's going to be a little demonstration. And I go fine. At first they thought there be a few people. And then later they said, well then there couple more media hundreds or more and I said it's welcome. So they're surprised, welcome, what you mean welcome? Aren't you worried about it? I said no. The freedom of speech. We want freedom of speech, they want freedom of speech. You can't say I want freedom of speech, you can't have any, shut up. How you going to say that? I don't know. Definitely. So because we know when you felt yourself, you have the feeling so you know what they feel, you have to accommodate them. Whether it's politically correct or not correct, I have no idea. I'm not a politician. But you know and if you want to speak, you have to allow that person to speak too. Right? I guess maybe you have to shut up, it doesn't become freedom of speech. So the personal touch. And probably perhaps all of those are come from when you have a heartfelt, personal touch. You understand better. And it brings you better relationship, even with your own family. Especially with your mother-in-law. Kidding.

0:32:11.0 So the compassion begins at your own level at your heart level. So that good old Americaqn saying, charity begins at home, is a very very genuine statement. Another genuine statement what American culture have: I love you as you are. Or what you are, which one is correct? I love you as you're both, okay thank you,so whichever. But you know, and that is the true love. True love. But love is nothing more than wishing that person well. And compassion is nothing more than separating the suffering and the pain of the person, whether it's yourself or whoever it may be. It is one mind with two different aspects. Love wishes well. Compassion wishes them free from pain that bothers them. So when you say "I love you as you are", or "what you are", and that is the genuine, true love. The moment you say "I love you and you're great, however it'd be nice if you change the color of your hair and make your hair a little shorter and longer, and a little bit in back and a little bit in front", That means there's a control issue comes in. Honestly. And love is such a thing that you know it is a true love and a control, but are mixed so easily, so easily, it's very hard to make distinction between the true love and attachment. And you know attachment is attachment. It has a, it has a sticky stuff. Pure love doesn't. So when you observe yourself, if you are meditating, meditate on your own love, and see what kind of aspect that love really wants you.

0:35:02.9 If that love really wants you appreciated, let's say a person, or many people, whatever. The Buddha always says every living beings, see as mother beings and have that compassion. It is very long short for us anyway. So by then, even a person or whatever, and then look at your own love that you are sharing, what does that love really is. Is it appreciation of the person? Or you want something out of it? And if it's appreciation, appreciate. Great. Try to make it better. But if you want something, you have a problem. But don't tell that other person, keep it to yourself [0:36:05.7 unintelligible], okay? Hehehe. Yeah. That is true. That is the, that is the love because love and attachment is very close. We cannot make distinction easily. And similarly, compassion and condescending ideas are also very close. And one has to watch oneself. That is the reason why we say compassion, Buddha says, not we, Buddha says, or Dalai Lama says, compassion must begin with yourself. So when you have a pure compassion, when you add a pure love, everything within the you becomes pure. Anyone who deals with you becomes more happier. Give the other person a joy, not a mysery. A joy. And you yourself become source of joy for your, at least for your companion, and for your family. For your county, city, state, country, and for all human beings. And that is how one individual improves oneself.

0:37:56.7 This is the message that what His Holiness brought. From the Buddha, it is twenty-six hundred years old wisdom, compassion. But it absolutely relevant in each and every one of our lives today. Compassion aspect of it. Now the wisdom aspect of it works all over this. When the compassion becomes a

[0:38:35.9 ineligible] a stable or storm, [0:38:38.8 inelligible]doesn't matter whether we develope wisdom before and come back to later, and the compassion before and wisdom later, doesn't matter. Whatever the way convenient to the individual, it can. Wisdom does nothing but cut me, me, me business. Always we're at me, me, me, remember that word, me, me, me. What'll happen to me, what'll happen me? If this or that happen, what'll happen me? Me, me, me business. And that is actually unwise. Always creating a trouble. Always we're brought the [0:39:22.1 unintelegible] because me is most important for me. But doesn't mean ignore me either. Whatever people think, oh I'm compassionate, I don't care about myself, and I care, some of them genuinely meant, many people just saying it for the sake of saying it. And that's not really right. But ultimately me is the most important. If someone comes and tries to bring, you know, [0:40:05.8unintelligible] wonderful time here, but even if we're in Bagdad or somewhere and some terrorist walked in the room with a gun, everybody would like to try and hide behind the other person because me, I'm important. And we know that and that's time. Otherwise, we're okay. We're kind person, compassionate. Great Tibetan teachers, earlier used to say, when your stomach's filled up, and good sunshine, you're warm, and then you become a good spiritual person. When there;s a little difficulties and you'll become worse than anybody else. And that's not a spiritual person because me takes over.

0:41:00.5 Me and my. Any one aware, me and my, if I don't care for me, and if I don't do for my things, who else will do? It's true. And we always think the wrong way. The real wrong way. We are ready to protect ourself under any circumstances. We behave ourselves like [0:41:32.5 unint] ready to shoot. And that is how we look into me. So these are the problems in everywhere. Spiritually, socially, even in politics. Politics is trying to say I'm your servant. right? Politicians tell you that. Hehehe. But you tell them but this and they say well yeah but I think I know a little better than you. And no matter who they may be. Democrats or Republicans. Or Hillary or Obama, whoever they may be. They may say I'm your servant, but you tell them what to do then they I mean I know a little better than that. Anyway, I'm just joking. But all this and that is a me is a big problem. And knowing that itself is a great deal. Great wisdom. Where does that me come from? Who is that me? What does that me do? How is that happens? All of those are the wisdom aspects of it. Anyway, as I said earlier, i can't just go on repeating that all the time. I do but the time doesn't allow me to do that. So just wanted to remind you, those of you who have come to see His Holiness, just to remind you what He has said. And those of you who just could not make it there, we just give you His message. And try to make use of it for yourself. And whole purpose of it is to ease our pain little bit.

0:44:04.9 And don't think we don't have pain, we do. Mental, emotional, of course and physical too. So we have all of those. And to ease that a little bit out of this. And way and how we look into our live. And how and way we function. And how and way we treat ourself little better. Because it's interesting and many people tells me that this is the, you're supposed to be Tibetan Buddhism, you're thinking about all living beings, and not about yourself. Many people tells me that. And I said I've been sixty-eight years had opportunity to learn Tibetan Buddhism. Everywhere I look, any text I read, at the beginning it says I and all sentient beings do this and do that and do that, take, you know whether you take refuge, or generating compassion, or whatever, I and all sentient beings, it always say I and all sentient beings. It never says all sentient beings will do except me. So we'll never kick ourself out. And especially, if you don't do it, who else going to do it? And it's true, true, and who else can help ourself other than ourself? No-one. Honestly. So don't want to go in that another [0:46:03.5 hole] in that, because then it comes to the another wisdom saying you yourself is your own leader, and who else can be your leader? The Buddha's verses. So don't want to go in there, but just wanted to leave you that. And what I want you to take home is thinking of think that compassion begins ourself. Begins with ourself. When you develope compassion within yourself, then your extending to others, it is genuine and meaningful. Compassion is not just feeling bad or drawing your attention. Drawing attention, feeling bad is not enough to be compassion. Compassion must have helped.

0:47:05.5 That doesn't mean you have to experience the suffering. But one has to go through with one's own, and so that one knows how to handle that. And that a person wised, and had a personal touch. And then whatever you do it become worthwhile. Even it is hurt something little bit But even then it's becomes completely worthwhile. When Indian Buddhist teacher said kala neva dida van der what the rendra ninda la du che. Even you hurt and hung even then it brings joy and happiness to all beings. So that is the beauty of the compassion when you have the compassion heartfelt. So I don't want talk so long and I should but I keep on saying that I should be cutting it out, I should be cutting it out. So that's where I'd like to cutting it here and if you have any questions I'll be happy to say what I can do about it. Yes sir.

0:48:35.2 Audience: What is wisdom?

0:48:37.7 Rimpoche: Wisdom - cutting me. Cutting me.

0:48:49.9 Audience: I don't get it.

0:48:51.2 Rimpoche: Yeah me, me, me. Saying it might not be that important. Do not entertain our own ego. I'm sorry I've been talking like a, like a saying to death hehehe. Basicly wisdom is knowledge, no doubt about it. Knowledge is wisdom. But when the Buddha talks about it, speacial wisdom here. But he's really talking about it, what is the most important intriguing misunderstandings that we get dealing with the reality. So what therefore when I say "cut me", we think "I am the me, the most important one". Whatever it may be, I am the most important one. We think it but we will never say it unless you're crazy. But all our actions, all our thinkings will be everything meant for me, to protect me. And I might, for me for my welfare, it's okay, i can sacrifice anybody else. I don't want to but if I have to I have to. What else I can do? So the lack of understanding of that is called lack of wisdom. Me, yes. But me, there is nothing called solid me. So me is me that comes up here dependently. Interdependent existance. The way and how we exist. This is what I'm trying to avoid because now because I'm not sure where I'm going to you know, where what we're going to communicate. But where and how we exist is we exist interdependently.

0:51:36.0 Not independently, interdependently. I depend on my existence with my cause conditions and you do similarly. But in our understanding we don't think about cause condition. We think "I exist because I exist, because I am here". As though I'm here independently. And no one's here independently. Everyone's here interdependently. Am I getting it? Good let me go again. Let's take the flower. Beautiful flower here. Why is it beautiful? A. Because it had original cause of a beautiful Bachelor Button whatever it is. Is it Crysanthemum or Marigold, whatever it is. It is original cause and conditions because there's soil, there's water, it grows nicely and decorated beautifully. So that's why very attractive beautifulness is there is as dependently it's there, not independently. That's what I mean "cut me". We still didn't communicate, right?

0:53:27.4 Audience member: I agree with you about compassion, but not wisdom.

0:53:30.8 Rimpoche: I understand that. I understand that. And when you're allowing me little more time talk about it. And forget it, you can talk about it and within some period you will get it because I'm very intelligent person obviously. Honestly.

0:53:51.3 Audience member: You don't have wisdom.

Rimpoche: Who?

Audience member: You.

Rimpoche: Yeah but true. Lack of wisdom is because I can't explain exactly as you want it. That's a fact. Nothing's wrong with that. It could be difficult point. It could be lack of understanding. It could definitely be lack of wisdom. Let me put it this way. Now this is very strange. I don't know how I'm going to do this. When you say, when yoiu raise a question "Who am I?", who is me? And you say, well "I am John". John, john, who is John? The John the diver. Don't we say that? We do. We identify ourself with a name. And the name will be shipped to the profession. Professional name will be shipped back and forth and back and forth. We cannot really say who's John. All the way around and John, son of John la you know blah, blah, block. All the way around. So each one of them when you identify ourself we always need to get something else to identify me. So that itself tells us.

0:55:54.4 Earlier in India, they have a lot of those things goes on. And they say "Hi Me. I am an indivisible entity." Independent indivisible entity. Many of us say "It is me. But look at my face. It's me it's me it's me." So you're pointing your finger on your own face. Your own face is not you. I could have some problem tomorrow and cut my face at half way around and something welse happened. I'll still be there. So sure my face is not me. So that is the real, these are deeper spiritual political problem. Spiritual political problem. Are you spiritual political...problem? So when you're really searching the me and it is comes a dependent arise. Dependent. My physicsl body, my name, me be as a person all comboned together. So that's why interdependent and natural of existence is the true wisdom that Buddha share with us. Since it is interdependent and natural, not single entity. So me become the most important becomes untrue. So my my my me me me becomes untrue. That's what it is. So I think I'd just like to change a little bit because the old winter is stuck in here hehehe. Any other questions anybody? Yes sir?

0:58:26.8 Audience member: Do you believe that the Chinese are sincere in opening a dialog with the Dalai Lama?

0:58:31.5 Rimpoche: Who knows?

0:58:33.8 Audience member: And if they're proven to be insincere do you think the government of Tibetans will oppose the kindness militarily do you think?

0:58:44.5 Rimpoche: Younger Tibetans, some of them are already opposing Chinese with their fist. And you know they have nuclear weapons and we want to challenge them with a fist. I'm not sure where it's going to get it. But the Dalai Lama is always committed, honestly committed to being non-violence. This guy hates violence. I have the opportunity to be able to meet or have audience with His Holiness since I am almost 80 years old, 7, 8 onwards. So seen him so many times. He's always laughing and you know then. And this time he was visibly shaking. Visibly shanking because of the violence. Violence in Iraq. Violence in Darfour. And then especially the Tibetan issue. He's visibly shaking. Because of the violence. I know the violence non-violence struggle is extremely difficult. But this guy in India did non-violence struggle for fifty years. And world didn't pay that much attention. And this time there's little violence again for in Tibet and followed by other areas and everybody's paying attention. So it is not good for him because violence brings attention which makes you know younger generations of people who call for violence because no matter whatever it is if let in a little violence it gives you [?] or something whether you're going to give it a [?] or not. So he's physically shaking visibly. Honestly. Because non-violence is something that you work so thst you don't hurt anybody. You don't hurt anybody. You don't want to hurt anybody. And if you engage in violence what is the dfifference who created violence?

1:01:46.2 Whether it is Chinese created or we created or whoever creates it, violence is violence. Violence doesn't make a difference because of who did it. Violence is violence whoever did it. It hurts people. And it brings. Violence brings violence. Violence brings anger, brings hatred. It brings more hatred, more anger. Look at our own human history. Look in the last century at how many wars we fought. And many of them on the basis of religion unfortunately. It is supposed to be the solution which is supposed to be helping, but we made it, we made that into a a a a hurting people. On the basis of religion. So bad. So bad. But it's on the other hand those of us who likes to look at non-violence, it doesn't mean that non-violence doesn't give you result. It's hard but truth does give you result. Look at what Ghandi achieved against huge British Imperial. Those of my age, I do remember some said sun never set on the crown of England because they had control throughout the world. In one place the sun goes down another place the sun raise up. But you know Ghandi, one person with little sorrow, little goat and challenged that great empire with non-violence and India becomes independent, although not fully as he wanted. But it was achieved. A Dr King, the South African Missionary Mandala, and they all thought to achieve. Theresa is a great example of non-violence of non-violence. But Theresa did achieve whatever she wanted to do helping people. She does. She did.

1:04:35.8 So it is difficult. But you know how you going to fight with a fist and nuclear weapons? I don't see it but they would love to. Some of them do. Honestly. Some younger Tibetan people many times told us directly "You and Buddhism is the problem". Because we are very violent people and wanted heroes and this and that, but Buddhism came and made us all cowards and lost the country because of Buddhism". Some people feel that way. Again they have a right to say whatever they want to say. Freedom of speech. But way I know is not true reality. And we all know fist cannot fight gun, forget about nuclear weapons. So what to do? Were they being genuine? Probably not. Probably not. Actually too if they are genuine person, for them it's better settle that problem. Honestly. If they're going to settle that with this Dalai Lama, this present Dalai Lama, somehow people respect him. Ninty percent of Tibetans totally respect him. At least 40, 50, 60% of the world will respect him. So his word carry word carries value. Let's say there's a new Dalai Lama and he or she, whoever that may be has to prove he's okay to his own people first. That's going to take twenty, thirty years of a individual person's behavior. So everybody Tibetans will not just accept because if we pick up a boy and call Dalai Lama. And everyone is "Yes,nice nice nice nice, so let him prove that he's the right person". And when they did people will have respect. It is interesting, Tibetan incarnate system. Somebody pick up a boy said "Here you are the reincarnation of this and that monster. That's what I have named he introduced as a Rinpoche right? Do I know my previous life? No I don't. But is it culture custom that give you that so you can't say "I'm not". Even you say I'm not, nobody will pay attention to you. Maybe just become that way.

1:07:43.6 But will they become nice to you? Yes, they will treat you well. But will they respect you? No. Until you prove who you are, what you are. What your thoughts are how what you are capable of it. And then they will give you trust. And even you Dalai Lama comes, that's going to take bliss. Because a one boy who just signed piece of paper, that doesn't become that way anyway. So for China it is better. If they want to settle it they better settle with this Dalai Lama because he enjoys tremendous respect. If they're thinking nicely, if they really want to settle it. If they don't want to settle it, probably, probably why? Would they simply wait for the Dalai Lama to go away and then that's the end of it. That's what they think anyway. Right? So most likely they're not genuine. But could be genuine. Who knows? Human mind is human mind. Right so I think I better ouch I better call it a day. And because it's just I think it looks like 8:15. So we went slightly over. I'm sory. And at end of this what I'm trying to do is I'm trying to do a siminar on the compassion and wisdom. And in the June. Thank you. June 27 through July 16 Ann Arbor. So if anyone of you come you're welcome. And also you know that little booklets over there. What is book of mine. It's okay. But those transcripts over there One of them says Gom, which is the meditation. And one of them says Sem, right? Is it Gom and Sem or what? Sem. Sem is about mind. And before we look about wisdom it better look at mind a little bit. It may be helpful if any of you are interested. And this is transcripts, not book. Meaning I've been completely lazy. Don't edit it, don't make it into book form. So if anyone criticize I say "Oh that's transcript". I don't have to defend. I'm just joking. So that's that. So maybe helpful. Thank you.