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Soundfile 20090726GRAACompassion4

Speaker Gehlek Rimpoche

Location Ann Arbor

Topic Compassion

Section 4

Transcriber John Thornton

Date 8-15-09

TAYATHA, GATE, GATE, PARAGATE, PARASAMGATE, BODHI SOHA. I take refuge in the Guru, I take refuge in the Buddha, I take refuge in the Dharma, I take refuge the Sangha. (opening chanting.).

We have been, and are talking here today about ultimate love and compassion. This is bodhimind. We call this the doorway to the Mahayana (Buddhism) path, the doorway to enlightenment. That point we discussed last night.

I might not have mentioned this yesterday. There is one little point that Tsong Khapa made. That point is if you wanted to be liberating yourself and have freedom from suffering, then it is very important to recognize, focus and develop

(20 min.)

concentration, not to make the mistake of just thinking. I think this is a very important point because a number of people in this country think zhi nay is very important, and it is very important. When you develop zhi nay concentration power no matter how ever long it takes, you are able to focus on a single point without any interruption. But if you think that is the ultimate meditation, then you will get nowhere. So two extreme fears – of samsara and nirvana. Forget about the nirvana, not even samsara can be overcome just by zhi nay. It was not relevant yesterday, but it is important even though it doesn’t fit in what we are talking about in discussing compassion.

In the Lam Rim Chem Mo, there are things like that, little points here, little words there. I think it points it out to you, and I left it out yesterday. In the West if you can meditate and sit for 10 minutes with very solid uninterrupted focusing, it is great. But Tsong Khapa points out that it is important to understand that it is not the ultimate power, or the ultimate meditation. Without concentrated meditation, the wisdom or zhi nay, no matter how much you analyze wisdom, you cannot achieve anything. On the other hand, no matter how strong your single-pointed focusing might be, and when Tsong Khapa talks about strong he is not talking about 10 minutes or an hour, he is talking about days and weeks and even months. No matter how strong such a power of concentration is, it has no capability of cutting the root of samsara. So that is it. No matter how powerful the single pointed concentration is it cannot free one from samsara, and without concentration power, analyzing meditation alone can’t do it either. I think it is in the “Lines of Experience” somewhere, verse 21. So the combination of wisdom and concentration is emphasized at this level.

(30 minutes)

Yesterday we talked about how the doorway is the only bodhimind. So how to develop that very mind. Now the first outline is over and we concluded it by 8 points that I pointed out last night. If you are wondering where I got those 8 pointes, you can look at the Lam Rim Chem Mo, but you may have difficulty to pull it out. If you look at the middle level lamrim it will point this out. Maybe Pabongka’s Liberation may have it, but probably not. The old Tibetan way is if you don’t know it, you don’t say it. It depends on who the teacher is and whatever they want to do it and make it effective to the people. That is how the old Tibetans do it. But the basic outline has to be kept. So now today how to develop? According to lamrim, there are four ways. What causes it to develop? How does the spirit of enlightenment depend on certain causes to arise? There are a lot of words there. Two, the stages of training in enlightenment. Three, the measure of producing the enlightenment. Four, how to adopt enlightenment through its rituals.

For me first it is what causes it to develop? I think by spirit of enlightenment, they mean bodhimind. If you just say, “I want bodhimind?” You cannot simply say, “I want bodhimind,” spiritual enlightenment. You may say it, but just because you say it that doesn’t cause it to develop. So what causes is? It says the development depends on three parts-development of the spirit through four conditions, through four causes and strength.

Conditions

So what are the conditions? Things don’t exist unless they are caused. You know everything is dependent. So it depends on the causes and conditions. Things don’t exist without a cause. Even if there is a cause, if the condition is not right, then it doesn’t materialize. So first the conditions, and they talk about the four conditions. The first condition is the tremendous capability of the power of the buddhahood level. Because of that, one would like to develop and obtain that. Two, although we don’t see the power and capability of enlightenment, but by listening to the teaching, and by reading, by learning one develops a desire to obtain that level of wisdom or that level of development. That is the second point. Third point is such a dharma, such a thing, has been of tremendous benefit to so many people. Therefore within this life I would like to develop the mind. The fourth point is that it is difficult to find. So when I am finding it now, I would really like to have it.

That is about the four conditions, the four points. Maybe we don’t need all the conditions. We may have one, two or three of the conditions, but we may miss the fourth. For example, particularly the first point, seeing the power of the Buddha, is quite difficult for us because we can’t see it. We are a little to late to see that, 2500 years too late. Still we can read and understand what buddhahood is all about. Then sometimes the traditional way, we will say there are these 32 major physical signs on the body and all that and it is great. Sometimes it is like a fairy tale story to some of us, many people. We don’t see it; we talk about it. Even though the artist may draw these, but they are all made by the artists on the basis of the stories they have heard. Then also you have differences from the different countries and different cultures. Physical things are different. So you see the Thai Buddha who is so tall and the Chinese or Central Asian Buddha looks different. Then of course, on top of that you have modern art! So it becomes a little difficult.

But the knowledge and understanding and the idea of the Buddha and his relevance in life, that is the base. That doesn’t mean we can function that way. We cannot function that way because of our negativities. We are pulled this way and that way. We have the attitude that I am right or that I can not give up my way which is important, so it is my way or the highway. That is what we do all because of our negative emotions.

Otherwise, what the Buddha is talking about, that is the best way to function and create harmony in society, ancient or modern. It is the best way to function and bring harmony. No necessarily can we function that way, but at least it indicates the knowledge is not wrong. It indicates that tremendously and clarifies that the knowledge is not only not wrong, but the best way. Through our experience, the scientific experience, now in the 21st century, some Indian guy with a robe on his body walking in the dust of Southern India and talking with a group of people like us, explaining. I am quite sure some of the people at that time were crazy, but they were people like us. Now it has proved to be the best way. People have developed knowledge, understanding, capable to analyze, everything. This indicates total knowledge may be true. Otherwise how would that guy know at that time? So that means personal development is true It also indicates that those of us who are interested on the spiritual path are not so crazy as the educated persons looking at us might believe. We are not so crazy. Well a little crazy, but at least we are not that crazy!

So begin to look at the Buddha in the 21st century and those words, and those things are pointed out. The one thing, the words that Buddha gave us –compassion and love is really the doorway to bringing happiness to ourselves as well as to others. I am not looking for a few crazy scientists to try to say this is true. But I hope for the

(50 min.)

scientific world to accept this as scientifically proven, that that is the way it is. If we had scientific proof of what this person said 2600 years ago, that would be great. We all love love and compassion, but again we are trying here to learn more about what true compassion is all about. That is true compassion versus idiotic compassion, versus pity, or looking down. The point is that Bodhimind is such that it doesn’t grow within the individual without cause and conditions. Right? We were talking about seeds last night and people had questions. The idea of seeds confused some people. You know when you have a group like this some people have questions and that is okay. The whole purpose here is to build up more understanding of love/compassion, and two, not only to understand but to make it right, and three, to make it cause our minds to change in this manner. Our mind can do this. There is no question, but the question is how. Causes and conditions as we have already said.

Now at the end of these four causes, there is how to develop. What I understand Tsong Khapa says, when I see the buddhas say arise enlightenment, or desire to obtain the spirit of enlightenment, these very words identify the bodhimind. In other words, bodhimind is nothing but the desire to obtain enlightenment. Maitreya Buddha says bodhimind is for the benefit of others one desires to obtain enlightenment. So we are looking for ultimate compassion, and what you are going to find out of that is desire to obtain enlightenment. That is the unconditioned,

unlimited love and compassion boils down to that. Because the desire to obtain enlightenment to help yourself and to serve others and to help others. The desire to fulfill your goal, your mission and the desire to maximize your service to others. So two important points-purpose of self and purpose others totally fulfilled. Get it?. One little phrase, the desire to obtain enlightenment encompasses all that.

(60 Min)

Then briefly it says see the beautiful power of Buddha, so one develops desire and second listen to teachings and develops faith. Faith here there are many different faculties, but you can say we don’t know or remember. Not only is it honest, but it is great. People need to be able to say, “I don’t know; I don’t remember.” We are not Buddha; we are not perfect. A lot of people have a difficulty to say, “I don’t know.” Out of these three-appreciation or desire to obtain. So from the dharma teacher you first hear about the quality of the Buddha and you develop interest and inspiration. Then second grows the thought that one would like to obtain it –and third one, is the great teachings, such as this were lost. They are of such benefit that

It is almost like there would be no way to remove the suffering of so many people (as has been accomplished by the teachings.) So the important thing is that the teachings not be lost.

Then the fourth one is it is very rare. We like to have something rare, and buddhahood is very rare. To become a buddha yourself is very rare and very important. So these are the conditions. And if you keep on reading you will find all that in the middle there somewhere. At the end of the four conditions here Tsong Khapa had a sentence: the purpose of bodhimind, for the benefit of all others, for which I would like to have buddhahood. Buddhahood has so much capability.

Helping others alone is not enough. It is not only for helping the others, but even for yourself. Without that it is not right.

With regard to developing complete enlightenment, it is not sufficient to have the desire to obtain buddhahood for others welfare, but it is also for your own benefit.

Furthermore this should not be just for yourself but for others welfare as well. Now this is further developed-the desire to obtain enlightenment for the benefit of

(70 min.)

others is not enough, it also needs to be to complete your own purposes. The Maitreya’s quote does not clearly say it. Maitreya says bodhimind is seeking enlightenment for the benefit of others. But seeking enlightenment is by who? It isby me. We do have such a tendency in the West: for me it doesn’t matter, and people praise that and admire that. That is not bodhimind. Here it clearly says it is not only

for the benefit of others. So what does that tell us? It tells us that the idea of being a door mat is completely wiped out. If you ignore that part you become like the bodhisattva John. I am not saying he is bad. He is very nice, wonderful. At our level if you act crazy, ignoring yourself completely it is not bodhimind. This is what the definition of what bodhimind really is.

Okay, now we have the four conditions and we got the definition of bodhimind istelf. The definition of bodhimind is very important, it defines what it is. The definition such as this is the example. Then any development within the mind is compared with that. If it doesn’t tally with the definition, whoever it is, that means you have to

drop that because something is wrong because that is the measurement. It is not only the measurement, it is the original drawing. So when your work does not match that original, then your work order has not been followed. But as far as making sure this is right, this definition is the measurement to see if you fit that or not. If it doesn’t fit in that measurement, then something is wrong and one has to draw the conclusion: it is not exactly right. Like when you match a key, with the original key. If it doesn’t match, then it won’t open the door no matter what you try. So that is what the definition of bodhimind is all about.

Causes

Now we have the four causes. The first cause is a perfect lineage, sustained by a teacher, compassion for living beings, and not being disheartened by the difficulties of cyclic existence. So the first one is “perfect linieage.” In Tibetan it says a “perfect path,” so they translate it to “perfect lineage!” Interesting to compare!

(80 min.)

Anyway, I was preparing for this—old Indian culture probably shaped this and it

is not relevant for us today. Whether you are Brahmin or not what difference does it make in becoming a bodhisattva? That is traditional India culture and it is a conscious decision. So anyway, I think we should use “perfect path.” Even in the case of Atisha they talk about how he followed the perfect path and developed. The second cause is sustained by a teacher. I think that is relevant and important. Then being compassionate to living beings. Then the fourth is not being disheartened and that is very important. If you are disheartened and burned out, you are not going to become enlightened and you are not being compassionate. That is what it is.

After that you have four powers: power of self, power of others, power of experience and power of the master. Self power is the desire of the self to obtain enlightenment. Then the desire to obtain enlightenment for others. The strength of

being accustomed to teachings. If you have eager desire you will not become burned out because it will overpower becoming burned out. The power of others refers to the compassion and caring and the others have tremendous needs. Then I said “experience”, because you heard about it life after life and it is not wasted, it builds up continuously. Then the fourth power is you become connected the right person,

with the master with the dharma. And you have the desire to remain virtuous.

As a result of these eight-four conditions and four causes-the ground on which you are going to grow whatever and develop is there. Then on top of that if you put in the effort of development there is the chance that you may be able to reach the goal. All is totally dependent arise, so the conditions and causes must be there.

(90 min.)

Tsong Khapa says here, “Once you have understood well the teaching in general,

and the Mahayana teaching in particular, you rely on the teacher and plant the seed of development from the depth of your heart, and not forced by others.” All bodhisattva efforts have to come from within you. No one can force you, and nor should you mindlessly follow others. So both are recommended not to do! No one can force you to do anything you don’t want to do anyway.

Like in old Tibet there is a tradition that everyone has to lie down, it happens. In

Tibet there was a time when you are not allowed to wear a yellow hat, and everybody does even though they don’t know why. Then they were told red hats are not permitted. They had yellow hats with red inside, so when they were forced to wear the right color they turned their hat inside out. That is “being forced.” Being forced is not right. And mindlessly following are not great. We seem to have a lot of mindlessly following in the West. That is not great. Not only is that not great, nothing happens. So that is why all these activities have to go according to that.

Development

Next will be actual development of the bodhimind. It is very interesting. I am sure there are lot of ways of developing bodhimind. But the traditional teachings tell us you develop bodhimind only through two ways. Either you do it through 7 stage of development as Atisha presented, or you do it through exchange stage of development by Shantideva and Nagarjuna. Only through these two will you develop bodhimind – no other way.

Or maybe you put the 7 stage and exchange together, which means you are not getting out of 7 stage or exchange stage, but you are combining them together. If they are combined together, then the development of the bodhimind is even better than either of the two individual ways. I am planning to do Tsong Khapa’s special teach on this in October at Garrison. However, it happens that His Holiness is giving a teaching in Washington, DC on the same day. So maybe it is not right, and I am not canceling the teaching in Garrison. But we may have to…but this particular subject I think is very important.

If I cannot do it in Garrison in the fall, then perhaps I will do it over the spring Memorial Day retreat. We are keeping this subject and a weekend may be too short.

So I just wanted to say it is a possibility, but we are not canceling yet. When you teach 7 stage and exchange stage you do it separately, but when you practice, put them together. That is what you should do according to this teaching. So I am going to stop here. Maybe we can say the food offering.

OM AH HUNG OM AH HUNG OM AH HUNG…