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0:00:00.0 ah now oh maybe do anybody have any questions? Really of mind and mental faculties. Don’t go outside the subject because I don’t know. If you don’t then we’ll go through these eleven virtues.

0:00:32.4 [Dutch]

0:00:50.4 Marrianne first, and then you.

0:00:58.4 [audience ]

0:01:11.9 i didnt hear you. What did she say?

0:01:16.5 [dutch] [translator] ..whether the mental factors are also can be compared to the five skhandas. Because.

0:01:30.7 Five skhandas. Ohhhh. Ahhh I don’t know. Probably not. Maybe out of the five skhandas, the consciousness. Ahh maybe. Other than that, form, sound, ah huh?

0:02:03.7 [translator: Discrimination. Dushe.]

0:02:04.2 Discrimination. These are the five wisdoms you are talking about, right? Discrimination, mirror like..

0:02:14.9 [translator: like form, discrimination, compositional factors, form, feeling]

0:02:24.6 Yeah, form, feeling, these are the five right? And when they transform they become mirror like or discrimination wisdom, or you know becomes the five wisdoms right? So when we are talking about the five skhandas we’re not talking about mirror like wisdom or discriminating wisdom right?

0:02:50.8 [audience: Is the feeling in the five skhandas the same as ..]

0:02:58.7 Oh I see the same name and you know ahhhh. I don’t know I don’t know probably it is, probably no. You know why? Why I don’t know because ah because out of these eleven virtues, there is something called shing jang and ah shing jang, the other day in America in Locho Rimpoche’s teaching he said that shing jang is not the shing jang in the eleven virtuous. So I don’t know. I really don’t know either. I don’t know.. Sorry. My answer is I don’t know.

0:03:51.0 [dutch]

0:04:52.3 Maybe it is a problem too. Because it is word sorwa, when it goes as feeling then maybe you know in the english language it goes it sort of experiencing it goes feeling then probably the whole idea of ah five wisdoms might have brought in you know. I don’t know. Anyway lets go through yous right? youp.

0:05:33.1 [audience: dutch. translator: volition.They translate it as volition sometimes will, wanting, it is also mental factor]

0:05:53.6 Will. I want to do it. Desire. We had that dunba, merba, the last two of them there.

0:06:07.7 [translator: Maybe will is slightly different. It’s not necessarily desire.]

0:06:17.0 [audience: It’s close to intention but probably the will plays a roll ]

0:06:26.8 I will say it will go either a part of desire or part of conviction. One of those. It will go there. But you know when it becomes the english terminology then it becomes a little issue but I think it will go there. The will is, you know one has the will to do this and that and that is definitely, definitely part of those mental faculty for sure but I think it is more or less part of this dunba, the first of the five ascertaining mental faculties .

0:07:21.5 [dutch]

0:07:46.5 [translator: there was a question in the back also]

0:07:49.6 Who?

0:07:49.6 [translator: in the back]

0:07:49.5 Okay. Go ahead.

0:07:53.9 [audience: dutch. Translator: Yesterday you said that the mind doesn’t give you recipes how to cook you have to find that out for yourself. I have to find that out for yourself. Is this I also part of the mind?

0:08:21.0 That’s what we’ve been talking yesterday, I, ego, mind, self, all of them. And when we begin to think, analyzes, then, seems to be separation, but ah for us, a lay person would have difficulty to separate. And ah you know the me and person or I the doer they all seems to be the same thing. At our level. And when you get used to it, when you’re making those divisions and then probably you will see some differences but the difference are subtle from the point of focus or point of aspects of ah functioning um and at this moment I’ll say yeah, it is it.

0:09:52.3 [dutch]

0:10:32.6 But if I say sem ah some of my friends particularly the buddhist philosophers will laugh at me but ah. The division is very subtle you know.

0:10:50.0 [dutch]

0:11:07.8 Oh yes. That’s what the finger waving here. I didn’t see. There’s a lot of people in front of you right. okay.

0:11:16.6 [audience question] [Translator: Rigpa, touch context could you explain it a little bit more?]

0:11:35.4 Meeting. The mind focus on like say the mind say focus on ‘pink’, and the mind meeting with ‘pink’. That is the rigpa touch. The mind doesn’t go and touch the pink but mind reaches ‘pink’. And ah that’s the rigpa. You want the

0:12:03.3 [Tibetan] the subject I’m sorry the object the subject of the mind and the eye consciousness all three together and ah when they meet and ah to seek acknowledge this ‘pink’ and that is rigpa.

0:12:32.9 [audience question]

0:12:38.2 [Dutch]

0:13:12.1 What are you saying? [audience] A little louder I can’t hear you.

0:13:20.0[audience: …that seems to be the definition for context.]

0:13:20.4 yeah. The definition is the means that’s what it is. Right. Seems to be the definition. Thats what it is.

0:13:31.6 [dutch]

0:13:35.9 okay now lets go to okay what?

0:13:44.5[audience: yesterday..]

0:13:45.2 Little louder

0:13:46.6 [audience: …]

0:13:49.4 You have a microphone in your hand so

0:13:54.1 [audience laughter]

0:13:58.5 Yesterday what?

0:14:00.4 [audience: ?]

0:14:05.7 Are you speaking Dutch? Oh.

0:14:06.5 [audience laughter]

0:14:13.2 [translator: The third one the intention sempa and the fifth one]

0:14:21.5 Intention is what?

0:14:19.6 [translator: sempa]

0:14:23.0 Sempa okay.

0:14:23.0 [translator: and the fifth one attention]

0:14:26.3 Ah ha.

0:14:26.9 [translator: elachepa could you elaborate a little bit more on…]

0:14:32.2 The distinction is distinction is one just draw the attention of the mind for subject. The other is very specific aspects of the subject. I mean you know very specific aspects

0:14:54.6 [Tibetan] ..and one is general looking.

0:14:59.4 [translator: Could you also say that ‘holds’ the object in the attention?]

0:15:04.7 Yeah, just drawing the attention and to hold the object you know keep it in mind don’t forget sort of thing

0:15:13.0 [translator: So the elachepa you could say keeps it in mind?]

0:15:17.2 Yes.

0:15:17.8 [translator: Okay.]

0:15:18.8 Yes.

0:15:18.8 [dutch]

0:15:50.8 I think we talked that yesterday too.

0:15:53.6 [translator: Maybe the last one not so very elaborate.]

0:15:55.4 Oh not so elaborate okay that’s the blah blah alright okay thank you. So now can we go to the eleventh virtuous otherwise we get stuck you know so.

0:16:14.7 [dutch]

0:16:17.2 Okay I’m going to read it here and you can say it.

0:16:23.3 [Tibetan]..Are you looking at the Tibetan?

0:16:30.1 [translator: I’m trying to find it]

0:16:31.8 In that ah in that ah one two three fourth line. Can you see?

0:16:35.4 [translator: yea]

0:16:37.4 Do you have it?

0:16:37.7 [translator; yeah I have it]

0:16:37.7 [Tibetan] That’s it. This is ramp no? It’s really ramp. I used to memorize this and now I don’t don’t have it in memory. And even this tenden durba interdependent and this morning when you people are saying it and many places I get stuck and ah stuck and these I also memorized it as kid but I don’t now know nothing as if I’ve not seen it you know.

0:17:23.5 [dutch]

0:18:05.3 You counted already?

0:18:10.4 [translator: Yes eleven mental factors]

0:18:13.6 Huh?

0:18:14.3 [ translator: I read out the eleven virtuous mental factors]

0:18:18.1 Oh thank you. So

0:18:55.0 So now teba is faith right? Faith so when we say faith in normal western understanding the faith is almost like a belief and ah it is almost like ah blind faith. And I don’t think I don’t think Buddha talks about that at all.

0:19:40.0 [dutch]

0:20:20.7 All of this mind and mental faculty teachings are actually came out of out of metaphysical teachings of the Buddha. And then this metaphysical teachings there are two types one is ah is elaborated by one of the early Indian masters known Asanga. The one of the what do you call it? One out of two the the the buddhist [banahosit?] What do you call it?

0:21:14.4 [audience: ?]

0:21:24.2 No no no. I’m talking about Asanga. Asanga and Nagarjuna are two of them considered as forerunners or something and ah his nephew, Asanga’s nephew the Vaisubhandu is ah not two out not one out of two but ah one out of six the Ornaments of the World. So the uncle the Asanga’s have his own explanation of ah metaphysics called kundu both are mumbas and one is called Kundu, Collection of All, the other Vaisubandu’s are called ah called ahhh Abidharmakosha. So they talk the same thing but the explanation sometimes differs. Sometimes differs so no one makes a decision of who’s right or who’s wrong. So the system is according to to Vaisubahandu this is it, according to Asanga this is it. They explain. However you can’t do that to the teaching like this particularly western you know western short time teaching like this, you can’t. So mostly we following Vaisubhandu teaching system. Otherwise otherwise you may be getting confused you know but in some cases and one or two may pick up Asanga’s.

0:23:24.7 [translator: And is this did they write the Abhidharmakosha and Abhidharmasamuchyha?]

0:23:32.1 Asanga’s ah it is Abhisamaya right? Abhisamayaalankara yeah. Although Asanga wrote Abhisamaya is ah attributed to Maitreya and then Asanga had the five ah books of his own on commenting on them but but still, it is Abhisamaya.

0:24:08.5 [dutch] [translator: Three Excellences and Six Ornaments] [dutch]

0:25:21.3 And then according to Asanga’s ah Amahkundu the question raises by somebody what is faith? The answer is

0:25:34.2 [Tibetan]

0:25:45.5 So the reply is is something you have it. Something is quality. Something is capable. Ah something is admirable. Something you can trust. Something that you wanted to have it. And ah something you wanted to have it. Provide base for dunba. Dunba remember earlier out of five ..no no .. the ascertaining the first one.

0:26:34.5 [audience] [translator: Yes. Desire]

0:26:35.0 The one where the denba [Tibetan]

0:26:38.8 [dutch]

0:27:05.0 Because of that word so when you say what is faith and then we will have a mental faculty that have the aspects of either trust or admiration or desire to obtain. ahhhh and which makes your mind ahhh not just only smooth but makes your mind ahh how do you say sort of become a mind pure.

0:27:59.1 [translator: clear?]

0:28:00.0 Clean pure. It should be really pure you know.

0:28:08.2 [dutch]

0:28:31.5 So that tells us the division of the faith into three. Faith into three. Faith of admiration. Faith of trust. And faith to obtain.

0:29:01.6 [dutch]

0:29:12.2 The example of the first ah first like thinking about Buddha, dharma and sangha. Like object of refuge.

0:29:33.4 [translator: Is this trust or admiration?]

0:29:35.2 The admiration. ah admiration yeah.

0:29:39.9 [dutch]

0:30:04.4 You know why it’s called why it’s called it admiration faith? Because ah it’s also called clear right? It’s called clear. The word is clear. What what does that mean ? Ah it is if you think of the quality of the Buddha, dharma and sangha your mind will become quite pure and all negative negativities will goes down and some kind of a pure admiration and appreciation will rise within the mind. And that that becomes the basis of spiritual development for the people. And that’s why it’s call admiration.

0:31:02.7 [dutch]

0:31:31.5 Then second is the trust right? Trust also is not I trust you, you trust me. Not that trust business. But there is no reasons why. But say like the teachings of dependent origination or karma cause and result etcetera. And ah when you think, analyze, and when you understand and ah and ah it becomes reliable to you and then you are appreciating, admiring and that becomes the faith of trust.

0:32:28.8 [dutch]

0:32:57.1 And then then ah then ah the ah third the desire or wanted to have it wanted to have it is also like teachings of the example if you give teachings of the Buddha like four noble truths and sees the two truth is ah way and how the negative sufferings have developed ah with one individual and ah two next noble truths two last noble truths is reversing that of the first two how to get in samsara is reversing. So knowing that clearly and clearly understand there is liberation and all that and then desire to get liberation is the third ah faith.

0:34:20.4 [dutch]

0:35:02.0 For example the understanding of liberation possibility. The idea of the establishment of liberation right? It is the Dharmakirti’s

0:35:19.1 [Tibetan] This is not permanent because there are obstacles in cause. That is the one line just two words in Dharmakirti’s.

0:35:33.8 [translator: Because obstacles?]

0:35:34.5 There’s obstacles in cause. Cause and conditions, in cause. Yeah.

0:35:45.1 [Tibetan] I think it is chapter two of Dharmakirti’s right? The idea is this the continuation of [uncon….] contaminated identity which we call it samsara right? Samsara. So taking that as basis, contaminated identity of individual. It can not be continued forever because you have a huge obstacle for your cause. Cause and condition makes you function. So what is the obstacle? Is it the wisdom. Because the cause is ignorance, remember? Cause is ignorance. So the ignorance cannot continue because there is wisdom. Wisdom. So that’s that’s the reason. That is how the individual is been logically established the idea of having a ah what you call it? Liberation possible because un-liberated contaminated [entity] identity cannot be continued because you’re going to finish your causes like this running river cannot continue because your water coming sources of the water is diverted. Like that. That’s not the example. The example is very funny example. The example is ah

0:38:05.9[Tibetan]

0:38:18.9 So when there is very cold when there is a huge fire going the cold can not continue. That was the example. But maybe it’s a good example for today but I don’t think it works that well. That example. That sort of idea the logical point which one may be able to understand liberation is not only possible but probable. Not only possible but probable because un-liberated contaminated identity cannot continue forever because you’re best unfolds and you have a huge problem and that is wisdom. Wisdom will see you’re wrong. So therefore your basis is false. The false will burst out so you will be discontinued. So that’s just an example because because this this particular faith says faith to liberation. That’s that’s how it is.

0:39:46.7 [dutch]

0:41:11.8 That is the definition of the third maybe its too complicated definition I gave.

0:41:21.7 [dutch]

0:41:27.6 or maybe we simply say out of the four noble truths first two truths is truth to be discarded and last two truths is truth to be obtained and knowing that and working forwards maybe it is simple example.

0:41:49.3 [dutch]

0:42:19.5 And these are just examples not a definition.

0:42:25.3 [dutch]

0:42:28.3 And then faith and ah faith faith and love. There’s a similarity in that right?

0:42:55.1 [dutch]

0:43:02.3 Or even attachment.

0:43:07.7 [dutch]

0:43:09.0 There’s a very similarity. Ah when you use the word love in the buddhist terminology the love and ah love in the normal terminology. Maybe slightly differs. Isn’t it? Ha Roland’s going like this dum dum dum

0:43:39.9 [dutch]

0:43:57.5 Buddhist terminology love is ah more based on the appreciation appreciation of ah appreciation.

0:44:12.5 [dutch]

0:44:18.3 And ah admiration. Appreciation and admiration.

0:44:22.8 [dutch]

0:44:24.5 The normal language of love is desire.

0:44:31.0 [dutch]

0:44:34.5 So when you go when you talk about the mind and mental faculty I think there is some differences there you have to think about it. I’m just bringing up. I don’t want go.

0:44:52.7 [dutch]

0:45:02.1 But every desire is not faith. Every faith is not desire. Sometimes you know this is this doesn’t work in english. It works in Tibetan.

0:45:16.6 [Tibetan: Teba and gouwa] Not ah not ah not really as ah not really as chompa but gouwa. Likes you know. Likes. And ah and ah teba.

0:45:35.0 [dutch]

0:46:00.7 Person who likes drink. And ah you said that person likes that person has some liking in liking in drink. But I don’t think we can say that person is faith in drink. Can be. Ha ha ha. That’s the difference.

0:46:22.8 [dutch]

0:46:41.4 Then the person who has faith in Buddha and the person likes Buddha then it comes together goes ha ha

0:46:56.0 [dutch]

0:47:22.8 And then there is there is a person who are afraid of samsara and samsara sufferings and ah and that is faith but they don’t like it. Right? No one likes suffering. so ha ha

0:47:43.2 [dutch]

0:47:57.5 [Tibetan] I think it’s that is good enough. And the next is next is [Tibetan] Isn’t it?

0:48:14.6 [dutch]

0:48:15.9 Oh yeah maybe this is important. Maybe emphasize a little more. Ah the faith is very important in Buddhism.

0:48:28.0 [dutch]

0:48:32.9 Ah ahhh. [Tibetan] They consider faith is like a mother. Without a mother you cannot give any birth to child. Likewise without faith any spiritual development cannot grow. So and also same sutra tells

0:49:12.9 [Tibetan] The positive way is like the mother. The negative way they said those who don’t have faith no virtuous quality can grow because if the seed is burned seed has been burned how can there will be crops can grow? That is how the sutra explains this way and that way. Positive way and negative way. So it is important.

0:49:50.1 [dutch]

0:50:15.9 Some people say Buddhism doesn’t need faith doesn’t believe in faith and all that and I think it’s a misunderstanding. They do, but they may not believe in blind faith. That doesn’t mean you don’t believe in faith. The word faith is probably differs. Way the western culture understand faith and how the asian culture understand faith by word. Maybe differs.

0:50:53.8 [dutch]

0:51:36.0 Ok maybe we leave faith there and move to the next because ah. Next is ahhhh using shame. This is funny. In the both second and third is ah I think we can talk together. In the western culture you don’t want to talk about it. You don’t want to deal with it. Right? Embarrassment and ah embarrassment and what?

0:52:22.8 [translator: shame]

0:52:26.8 Yeah. Ok. Ahhh Buddha uses these two mental faculties a lot, tremendously. A lot and it is almost basis to build morality within ourselves.

0:53:11.2 [dutch]

0:53:48.0 Ah to be able to be ashamed is considered a quality ah within the Buddha’s teaching.

0:54:02.9 [dutch]

0:54:06.6 So anything that we are doing wrong even nobody else knows but how can I face myself if I do this? I’ll be ashamed of myself. And that is this particular mental faculty.

0:54:28.8 [dutch]

0:54:42.5 The third one is is ah is if people came to know, how can I face it?

0:54:55.1 [dutch]

0:55:01.2 One is using self as reason for embarrassment. The other is using others as embarrassment. So both are embarrassment but whether you be ashamed of yourself or ashamed of it if others came to know about it. Buddha used these two mental faculties to maintain your own morality.

0:55:35.8 [dutch]

0:55:52.3 Anything that you’re about to do wrong. Anything that you going to do something something whether people knew it or not knew it it is embarrassing so better avoid.

0:56:11.3 [dutch]

0:56:28.1 Say if you wanted to be a mean person. Tell yourself, well how can I be mean I’ll be ashamed of myself even though no one will know I did it. And then if someone else knew about it then I won’t be able to face how can I face it? I won’t be able to face therefore better not do it.

0:56:58.9 [dutch]

0:57:15.3 Anything you know if you wanted to be mean to a cat. The cat comes and you don’t like it and you know you get allergic and you want to hit the cat with a stone. And then you know you’re about to hit and you say how can I hit a cat with a name Rimpoche? Huh? I’ll be ashamed of myself. How can I face don’t hit the cat? And that’s how that’s how you really use.

0:57:48.2 [dutch]

0:58:20.2 I used to hit the you know there’s a wood one with a rubber band. It goes puuuick. I used to hit birds or something you know and then and then you know that’s how you start. Haha

0:58:37.5 [translator: catapult. dutch]

0:58:52.8 This I’m giving you an example of not so embarrassing. ha ha

0:58:57.6 [dutch]

0:59:01. So anyway anyway so all this are like that. So this is how we use. That’s what Buddha recommended us to use a lot.

0:59:14.0 [dutch]

0:59:19.2 Okay so that is the two mental faculties and ah now next will be what?

0:59:32.0 [Tibetan] Isn’t it?

0:59:33.6 [dutch]

0:59:35.9 Oh machampa. Machampa, machampa, machampa. Oooooh [Tibetan]

0:59:58.1 Non-attachment right? Non-attachment no obsession.

1:00:04.2 [dutch]

1:00:07.4 And that goes you know attachment or especially obsession is the really Buddha says very often it is the glue for samsara. We can’t get out of samsara because we get stuck because the attachment and obsession, attachment slash obsession is the glue. You know the glue. Crazy glue. Yeah.

1:00:45.5 [dutch]

1:00:55.6 So any of those attachments really makes us not letting it go.

1:01:05.5 [dutch]

1:01:08.8 Attachments are are are you know born out of attraction. Whether it is physical or quality, look or whatever, whatever. So it is attraction that gone a little more than what it is supposed to go. Then it becomes desire then it is then then one one cannot live without. That’s how it moves right? We don’t have to talk much about it because I think we’re all expert. So so that’s how it goes. So so that makes samsara continue.

1:02:09.2 [dutch]

1:02:38.6And thats why renunciation is considered one of the most important activity of one of the most important activity of common with the lower level practitioners.

1:03:02.6 [dutch]

1:03:15.5 Renouncing is not renouncing your family not renouncing your love your affection but renouncing your attachment renouncing your obsession. That’s really truly that’s what it is.

1:03:41.0 [dutch]

1:03:55.6 And ah probably probably next to the destroying of the root of samsara this is probably the most important thing to do. Important important sacrifices one can do if you want to call it sacrifice.

1:04:28.5 [dutch]

1:04:40.7 Then people get afraid of using the word renunciation. They think you have to shave your head and move into the forrest or something or the caves or something.

1:04:59.4 [dutch]

1:05:11.9 That also you don’t have to do it very big way big way renouncing you know it is really big way it is not even appropriate or suitable to so many people.

1:05:28.4 [dutch]

1:05:39.5 So what you sorry so what you need is what you need is you know let us the stink or the power of that attachment make it weaker to the individual.

1:06:02.7 [dutch]

1:06:08.6 The desires are extremely difficult to get out of our system completely. Know it will be there.

1:06:19.1 [dutch]

1:06:27.6 But don’t let the desire overtake you.

1:06:32.0 [dutch]

1:06:35.5 You may entertain your desire to a certain level.

1:06:41.3 [dutch]

1:06:45.2 And ah you should be able to abstain before you get hurt. ha ha.

1:06:52.9 [dutch] I’m sorry. haha. [dutch continues]

1:07:03.1 Before both. Both of you get hurt.

1:07:08.4 [dutch]

1:07:09.5 So you understand what I am talking about.

1:07:11.6 [translator: No]

1:07:12.6 No?

1:07:14.4 [audience laughs]

1:07:20.4 [dutch. translator and audience]

1:07:37.2 Well if you don’t we better have lunch.

1:07:40.3 [dutch]

1:07:51.6 [end]