Archive Result

20100129GRNYNL1

001608

Beginning Dedication

Rimpoche: Do kindly generate motivation if possible according to the teaching tradition of Bodhimind if that is not possible at least do kindly think that I am going to listen to this in order to achieve total enlightenment total knowledge in order to become Buddha I would like to listen to this because if I become Buddha I can help myself I can help others without any difficulty otherwise there’’ll be always difficulty so I would like to become Buddha so I would like to listen to this and try to practice and achieve my goal so that much do kindly generate that much motivation and teaching what you’’re listening is the Lam Rim teaching there are a number of different Lam Rims but this one is New Lim or the Swift Path by the Penchen Lama the book was wrote by Penchen Lama and on that basis we will be teaching so basically this is a continuation of what we have been doing for a while so without going much at the background basically when you look at the Lam Rim there is a pre-requisite aspects of it then you have common with the lower aspects of it then you have common with the medium aspects of it 000329

then you have Mahayana aspects of it so prerequisites are necessary creation of positive karmic deeds actually like generating a field of merit taking refuge dissolving the refuge tree and all that and seven lamp offerings Mandala offerings and all of those are the pre-requisite aspects you know and the actual aspects of it is also root of development guru devotional practice aspects of it and embracing human life impermanent suffering in the samsara and taking refuge up to that level it is common with the lower and then common with the medium level understanding samsara in general and how did one enter to samsara and how does one reverse samsara either on the basis of the 12 links of interdependent system or four Noble truths of Buddha’’s teaching or both is common with the medium level and all of them we have already passed for the last year we did all that and now what we have left is the Mahayana how did we reach to that level of the Mahayana up to this level our goal is to free ourselves from suffering and that is suffering in general as a human beings or any living beings or particularly in the lower realms and that of hell realms hungry ghost animal realm if we take birth, birth in there so and the way and how we get free of this is actually practicing three higher training mind and that is the teachings on morality teachings on concentration or focusing concentration meditation teachings on wisdom all these three are the key to overcome those sufferings and if you have overcome the sufferings by this though you have achieved some purpose of self but the purpose of other are not really achieved and so every individual enter through the spiritual path are entitled to achieve the ultimate in this case it is total knowledge Buddha level or in other words to become Buddha everybody can become Buddha so until then it is not completed that I’’m talking about from a Buddhist point of view Buddha’’s teachings point of view and so the Mahayana path is Maha is Sanskrit word as big and Yana vehicle the bigger vehicle supposed to be is really dealing with the compassion, love and ultimate altruistic aspects of it so this will be the subject that we will be talking this weekend 001327

tonight it will be very brief but tomorrow although originally it has been announced by Jewel Heart as meaningful praise but I realize we are not finished with this and when you’’re not finished this and then another thing doesn’’t make any sense to me so I really wanted to finish this and so that’’s why I excused even then though it is announced already but most of you here in this room tonight and those of you who are listening or watching through whatever that is Skype videocast thank you so you’’re mostly wanted to help yourself wanted to improve so better have that done rather than somehow up here half there so I thought we had better finish this first and then also I do know I have not finished chapter 9 of Bodhisattvachayaravaya too 001636

and that needs to be finished too because I have done up to chapter 1, 2,3,4,5,6,7,8 right up to 8 we have done so nine and 10 I haven’’t done so we need to finish that and then also the great view of Hlam don Chenmo we need to be... make attempt to read I don’’t know whether we are going to finish it or not but attempt to read and then finish this part and then the meaningful also has to be completed because in Garrison we started that and realized the time was so short and didn’’t we... I mean you can just finish it for the sake of finishing but we did that but not detail done so I am sort of taking try to finish this first rather than meaningful and I didn’’t realize when I am talking with (Coreen?) sometime back and he said hey you have a meaningful coming here because this is not finished how can we go into the meaningful to behold so then I began to look into it and then it is you’’re right now (?) but I’’d rather be right so (Rimpoche laughs) I am kidding just joking so we would like to do this for this weekend so I hope you don’’t mind 002018

that is one thing and also tonight as I said we are going to be very brief but tomorrow we are starting at 10 and then 10 to 12 right (they discuss times for a moment) so anyway now it is going to be the Mahayana path so on the basis of the Penchen Lama’’s work here this is done with the meditation as well as explanation together 002211

so first a little explanation here this one says I think I already said it anyway this one says due to by practicing common with the lower and the medium path and three higher trainings of the mind one be able to free oneself from the samsara and you may be able to obtain the liberation that very liberation neither completed self goal nor completed others helping others not only that if you become liberated Arhat then the Buddhas and bodhisattvas after a little while will ask you do not remain in the Nirvana peace so long 002435

and they will urge you to join them to serve and help other living beings so according to the Mahayana everybody has to enter through the Mahayana path now the philosophical point of view and the Buddhist understanding is two one school of thought and even practitioners experienced person who are following the principle of those schools they say ultimate people can achieve living beings can achieve three different layers three different stages the technical name from the Sanskrit point of view it is called no more learning it is not learning does not necessarily mean learning in the school type of thing but learning here refers to gaining quality within the individual achievement spiritual achievement so the one school a group of schools will say ultimately you can become three different levels of (ultimatum?) you have some are just free of samsara and they even call it Arhats in the Sanskrit name Arhats Tibetan they call it Dah chow bah the Chinese call it Lowang right so that sort of level and so according to those schools if you achieve one of them it is good enough that’’s it that is the end of your journey but the Mahayana schools there are two of them both of them say no that’’s not the end of the journey that is somehow sometimes the looks like a little condescending even so not so intelligent people go through with this 002949

so you have achieved to that level but you still have to go beyond because you have not completed your purposes and how can you completely help others because you have not done you find a lot of limitations so you are not achieved any purpose you have not completed your purpose you have not completed purpose of serving others so therefore ultimately you have to become fully enlightened which technically equals to Buddha according to the Buddhism Buddha level Buddha does not have to be one person but any individual who gets that level of the Buddha whether you call it Buddha was that extra lump here or there but when you reach to that level they are all called Buddha whether it is Shakymuni Buddha or Amitaba Buddha or Maitreya Buddha or (Amitayous?) Or whatever when you reach to that level you call it Buddha so you have to reach to that if you don’’t if you don’’t reach to that they say you have not completed your purpose you have not completed your purposes you have not achieved your goal that is the Mahayana point of view 003245

so Tibetan Buddhism are mostly Vajrayana Buddhism and so it is Mahayana Buddhism Vajrayana Buddhism is Mahayana Buddhism Mahayana is divided into two categories Sutra aspects of the Mahayana Tantra aspects of the Mahayana but truly but in the West commonly known three yanas 003345

The actual three Yanas

They say Hinayana Mahayana Vajrayana they will say and that’’s not wrong there’’s no point in correcting it because from the individual practitioner’’s point of view it is correct but from the Scripture point of view or from the actual literal Buddhist philosophical point of view they are wrong three yana really means Sharvakayana Parchicayana and Buddhayana that is really what it is Sharvakayana okay well I don’’t know whether that may not serve purpose here because you are not here to learn technicality of Buddhist thoughts, but on the other hand if you don’’t know you don’’t know what your goal is on the other hand it is better you know your goal too so so anyway both the Sharvaka and the Parchikah are the Hinayana part of it Buddhayana is the Mahayana part of it because Mahayana is the only one who tells you you can become Buddha among them among the Buddhists all the schools Mahayana schools are the only one that says you can become Buddha no others, others they give you ultimate goal is Arhat and therefore if you look in the.... I don’’t know very well but my understanding is if you look in the Thai Buddhism or the Burmese Buddhism or you look into Sri Lankans or all this almost all Southeast Asia those thing Buddhist they will introduce you Arhat as a total achievement total goal and all practices geared towards individual becomes Arhat and then if you they use the texts also three (Peticals?) and the language also Pali more more sort of they considered more Pali is more reliable than Sanskrit Pali and that is how I think it works then the Chinese Tibetan northern Indian Buddhists are other Mahayana Buddhists and they authenticate Sanskrit texts more authentic politics are interpretable. 004021

Why cut the river twice?

some of them the total goal is fully enlightened to become Buddha and even you become Arhat and that is not good enough Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will urge you to move more so then they say ultimately you will become Buddha so why you do twice why don’’t you do right from the beginning they said the Tibetan example of why are you cutting (crossing?) a river twice because you know during those thousand years ago it is not easy cutting rivers not like this day... they did not have a bridge so what they do is they walk through the river either on horseback or and the human beings and goes the river up to here in that cold weather you have to cut across and then you come back and then go again so why do it twice that is the example they give so right from the beginning enter through Mahayana path and also the other Hinayana aspect of it I call it common with the lower common with the medium because necessary things out of lower level teachings you must have it that is why it is called common (they pick up?) It is not really looking down and the condescending the other teachings but still that’’s how they taught 1000 years ago (Rimpoche laughs) so the way and how this particular book does is I don’’t give you much reasoning... give you quotation the quotes from the Buddha’’s words they says I mean I’’m just going to make it very brief here it says there’’s no point of spending so much time to engage two different Yanas better to do it with the Yana of compassion and thinking of helping others as a very important goal so that will be wise indirectly referring to the Mahayana as the Yana of compassion because Mahayana is based on greater compassion not just compassion greater compassion continuously quotes from the earlier Tibetan teacher this is same thing Rap geh jih...

Saying don’’t cut across the river twice right from the beginning one direction and go so that is why they are recommending practice yourself training your mind within the path of the Mahayana path so all right let’’s say I’’m going to train myself within the Mahayana path... what do I do? two outlines the most important or the doorway to the Mahayana path is developing Bodhimind we call it Bodhimind... mind that is seeking the Buddhahood which is ultimate unconditioned unlimited love and compassion

so two outlines so you have to develop that first and after developing that mind then how are you supposed to function what are you supposed to do two points so developing Bodhimind that also has two the first is actual development of Bodhimind the second developing vows through ritual 004959

Two, actual developing Bodhimind actual developing Bodhimind and that is actual developing Bodhimind has again two seven stage of development of Bodhimind and equanimity and exchange stage of development equality and exchange actually it is self and other equality equalizing and developing Bodhimind through exchange so you get it two types of how can you develop this mind? Two ways first way is called seven stage 1234567, seven steps you develop second one is equalize self and individual others self the individual and others then exchange 005252

So two ways did you get that clear? Right that is no problem here do we? You do? What?

Audience: Exchanging self with others is the second way?

Rimpoche: yes I mean it is called exchange and I am not reached there to explain yet..we will explain that later and also not only explain we mediitate and how to go with this

So actually both either you do seven stage or exchange which ever you do you get the result you develop Bodhimind no problem but both also needs something called equanimity equanimity is very (they discuss for a moment) equanimity is a funny word right what does that mean? if you watch our mind right now if you watch our mind for me I am very important

very important you, you are important nice (audience laughs) but not like me I am much more important because it is me right and that is our perception we have that so as long as we have that I have that superior feeling of me and others in my own view I may admit may not but inferior we are not equal I am more important because it is me you are important no doubt but you are less important than me because you are you, you are not me (audience laughs) so is that truth? no you know I know we all know is not truth but if you turn around and you change yourself to the other side sit other side and you look back to your self and you are less important because it’’s you I am more important because I’’m me 005849

I am me it is there so that shows you it is not true but somehow that we perceive all the time that is a big problem honestly all our difficulties dissatisfactions everything it is somehow created through that mind through that particular perception because that is not good for me that is not my way I am better than that more intelligent than that more educated than that it’’s almost like ego almost like ego but always understanding giving that I am more than you so try to (obtain?) that understanding and you are a human being I’’m a human being we all are human beings you’’re a citizen I’’m a citizen we all are citizens you are a citizen who try to make a good living I am a citizen who tries to make a good living there is no inherent superior thing for me I may be more educated than you you may be more educated than me I may have more money than you you may have more money than me but it is not basic right nature (thing?) but we always perceive that so lets change that perception let’’s observe this particular mind what does that do to me what does that do to you so lets think about it

That equanimity that's what they're talking about this it's not but equality is an American principle right but here it is equanimity that means my perception of me and my perception of you somehow we have to bring level together equal level can we do it? Yes you can that you are sure you can do is it a good thing to do or not good thing to do it is for you to think as an educated people such as yourself when you look at you, you are definitely going to say that's not really good, right because it is superiority complex and inferiority complex all of those we bring in 010627

Is it something good? No we know that it's not good but knowing it is not good is not good enough you have to recognize remember that's not good enough that is not good sometimes our culture does that like racial defenses racist defenses for years we did that now we know it's not good we say it even they pass a law back law do all that so we know it's not good and not that is an example here we are not talking on the basis of race here we are talking about you and me you and me we are not talking about black and white or yellow and white we are talking about just you and me 010916

I would like my father to win

both may be white both may be black both may be yellow or may be one white one yellow may be one black one yellow whatever so you and me that is sort of not like racial level the African-Americans and the white Americans Caucasian Americans but it is bringing down to just a single person me and others who ever that you may be or may be all of you so my own perception how my mind perceives me because that is the basic principle in which you're going to have compassion or jealousy caring or challenge love or hatred all of them belong based on this so this is the one piece of mind thought you have to spend a long time thinking about it first even observe automatically we get with or without realizing I have to be better I have to be more than you because it is me or even you don't think that I have to be better because otherwise I'll be left out I will be left out and that goes between everybody there was a story Tibetan old Tibetan child a little bit childish like children's story they said when my father was fighting with anybody I like my father to win 011419

because he's my father but when I'm fighting with my father I like me to win because it's me that is the example but who is the truth who is right is not the issue the issue is who wins when my father is fighting with anybody I want my father to win when I'm fighting with my father I want me to win that is how we perceive when they talk about equanimity equality equanimity in this text at that level meditative level that is what they're talking about it in other words bad way of saying it what makes you superior who are you what makes you superior... (and?) you give yourself reason I'm superior because me and that reason that reasoning becomes valid reason to you but if you use that reason to anybody else it is an invalid reason you got to be crazy right but in your mind it is a very valid reason and that's why that's where we go wrong honestly that is basic (root?) where we go wrong so so the basis of the seven stage of developing Bodhimind basis of the exchange way of developing Bodhimind is this traditional examples are.... examples sometimes are funny they said if you want to make a drawings on the wall and the wall must be smooth if the wall is not smooth no matter whatever nice drawings you put it will be not so nice smooth right so you have to be smooth your mind in order to make it nice that is traditional example so in reality as long as you are thinking you are more important than anybody else that is a problem.. 011851

And that you know it’’s not true but we always perceive that way we have to change that by suggesting to yourself by reasoning by arguing with yourself and somehow you have to draw a conclusion that was wrong and you really think carefully people have no difficulty to draw that conclusion though we will hesitate we will hesitate honestly saying I’’ve been looking down on me I have been degrading me and if I don’’t take care of who else going to take care of I use that argument, on the common with the lower-level, but (on the?) Mahayana level that argument becomes a little funny 012154

but you know so anyway we use all this but the heart of heart we are all educated person we know and we know it’’s wrong so how am I going to change my perception that is not a racial issue that’’s not black and white issue that’’s not anything that was me and other’’s issue so that’’s a point one as we always say this Lam Rim you not remember Gyem ney kum.....

so we focus to Tuwang Dorje Chang you remember where the Tuwang Dorje Chang was born you do at the refuge level you have those refuge trees right and that is your own spiritual root master but in Buddha form Lama Tubeh Om Lama Tuwang Lama Buddha and then you have compassion lineage with the Maitreya Buddha you have Manjushri with the wisdom lineage then you have Buddha Vajradhara with the Siddhi or the blessing lineage and all other lineages finally dissolved to each group dissolves to all these five people the Maitreya Buddha the Manjushri the Buddha Vajradhara and the root master they all dissolve to Lama Buddha and then lastly Lama Buddha Vajradhara the blessing lineage enter through the Crown of Lama Buddha and then becomes Tuwang Dorje Chang Lama Buddha Buddha Vajradhara that is where Lama Buddha Buddha Vajradhara was born remember? so all that.

so here now easy way (?) in here you always have always Gyem ney kun.... ultimate object of refuge it is always there so making requests to bless that I be able to change that perception of mine and then the light and liquid coming from the physical body of Lama Gyem neh.... purifying negativity in general 012903

and particularly reducing that thoughts within me within me and that all goes out of my system with the physical shape of undesirable liquid sort of dirty laundry liquid form goes out of my system completely I develop that pure stage and I can perceive always sort of equality (between?) me and others so that is through the meditative way and through analyzing reasoning convincing yourself in the Tibetan tradition we use the word pride pride but I think we use the word Nahgyeh... that translates as pride I mean

language wise it is correct but practical wise I don’’t think it’’s correct I don’’t think you are washing the pride you are washing the superior feeling superiority complex you call it right that you’’re washing it away and that really is a big obstacle for developing our self as a kid when I was in the monastery as a kid sometimes some of my teachers will take me to a picnic here and there and then they will ask you questions looking at those peak of mountains and they will say oh do that peak of a mountain become green first or the lower field here at the plateau the lower-level which one’’s going to have which one becomes green first the peak is not going to become green right the lower-level is going to become green first because it has heat and that up there 11,500 feet high on the peak of the mountains is not going to become green so and then sometimes they say Nah geh keng.....

So when you have so much superioric pride here it’’s like a sharp peak of a mountain 013525

Which part of the mountain turns green first

it is not going to maintain any water or even ice or nothing going to maintain it is all going to water sometimes they say when you are taking you to the field and you know those stalks with the wheat when they have a lot of wheat the stalks are down and when there’’s not so much wheat the stalks are standing up and then they say which one do you like better the standing one or the bowing down so naturally the kids would like to have the straight standing and then they say alright take it out and say how many wheats are in here and then they take one of the those big ones say how many wheats so that sort of tells us that type of feeling will not maintain the quality of the individual when you have a quality you will not be standing like that either

Stalks of wheat

like those lesser wheat stalks will stand high a lot of wheat will bend down so this is (equality?) now I am going to count those seven stages recognizing every living being as a mother being that is a very famous Buddhist thing right remembering their kindness reciprocating their kindness developing love developing compassion and because of the love and the compassion a special resolution and that special resolution will bring the individual to the point of developing Bodhimind 014008

so seventh will be the result equality or equanimity will be prerequisite and then recognizing as a mother remembering acknowledging their kindness reciprocating love compassion resolution sixth will transfer the individual to the seventh Bodhi stage that is seventh stage of development of Bodhimind I think that we will do that tomorrow tomorrow we will do that and hopefully we’’ll be able to do the exchange too on Sunday Sunday again 1030 right I have to finish at 1230 or something Sunday so I am going to tell you the latest Sunday 1230 I have to finish 12 or 1230 so that is how we are going to do and tonight we didn’’t do much meditation but tomorrow day after tomorrow a little reasoning meditation that’’s is how we are going to do this one any questions anybody 014334

And this is the first time we are broadcasting from New York right first day first time right?

audience: the difficulty I am not sure to how to resolve the difficulty of exchanging myself not being superior when a literal superior like a boss is not treating you well how do you respond with understanding that they are just like you and that they need whatever they need but they are being greedy or whatever or asking something that is wrong of you

Rimpoche: I think there are two things I’’m not talking about you particularly some people think the boss has been very mean terrible it may be true but some people the (problem may lie with yourself?)may not be so much the fault of boss too so

a) we must give open mind open mindedness 014650

Make sure that you are not faulty

it’’s not necessarily that you have to correct the boss it is necessary that I don’’t have the faults I am not here to correct my boss I’’m here to make sure I’’m not faulty does that make sense I’’m not talking about you as an individual don’’t take it personally please but generally when there’’s a problem one hand doesn’’t make noise you have to have two there is a fault of boss but there is fault of self both so important to be open minded open minded and then correcting my boss is not my job not my responsibility otherwise I should be his boss I’’m kidding but it’’s not my job but you can correct wonderful if you cannot you don’’t want to push it important for me not to have faults on me even then if he still beats you I don’’t mean literally or physically but beats you - you can’’t take it then you can’’t take it. good you have choice right if you are under communist control communists say you can’’t quit they beat you beat you still have to be there they beat you you have to be the same you know and that is the beauty here you can quit - yes 015104

Audience: Rimpoche when you say that you can quit I could also apply the situation to say family members that you have to deal with and you really can’’t quit them or if you do it causes a lot of trouble and

Rimpoche: and that is a little more problem a little more problem

Audience: They beat you and beat you but you still have to take it because....

Rimpoche: Well unless you are stupid I don’’t mean you again unless you are stupid you don’’t really have to take it you can find a lot of ways and means of handling that again make sure it is not your fault and then there are a lot of ways and means of dealing with it honestly believe me what we don’’t want is we don’’t want to hurt them not only family members but anybody nor you won’’t get yourself hurt either so that is where you draw the line think about it sometimes sometimes then you say I’’m a loser what do you lose honestly not so much

Every loss and every gain are temporary truly speaking that there is nothing reality but if you lose the love or affection then it’’s a loss all other things are any other questions I’’m sorry yes

audience: in equanimity we put people into categories and sometimes I find the person that you consider close to you can be in the category of the person that you also hate so like family members and so and it can be very strong sometimes so how do you equalize in such a situation 015656

Rimpoche: love and hate love and hatred comes closer particularly they almost come together if you don’’t love you don’’t hate isn’’t it, it comes very close you don’’t know how to handle that situation you know all lack of not understanding there is some kind of misunderstanding some kind of lack of understanding there all of those lack of understanding something so you have to get that part quite clear right from the beginning I keep on saying make sure it is not your fault, Colleen’’s question keep on saying make sure it is not your fault. I have reasons to say that because sometimes it is very foggy my fault your fault everybody’’s fault together 015952

and then it becomes worse confusion right confused then fear all of them comes together so if there is no confusion then the fear will be less there will be less misunderstanding less misunderstanding there all some confusion there I need to talk to you later remember I guess there’’s no more questions right

Audience: so Rimpoche what can you do with friends of yours who just happen to be control freaks

Rimpoche: you try to be control freak too and see who wins.(audience laughs)

Audience: but I mean sometimes it seems that it is easier to actually do nothing sometimes it seems that it is easier to do nothing and just kind of try to let them recognize slowly by slowly but if they keep on doing it like over the years and like not only hurt themselves but also kind of hurt people who are around them because sometimes being control freaks it is almost like bullying them it is almost like bullying people around. I mean not that they don’’t do good work 020421

Audience: they do do good work but at the same time they can hurt a lot of people’’s feelings I mean my instinct is always to kind of like just let it go and you know let it resolve by itself but I don’’t know whether that works I mean sometimes it does not work because it keeps on happening but what can you do these are your friends.

Rimpoche: the control freak issue is not only a human being’’s problem even the dogs have that right

Audience: Yes I have been regularly bullied by my dog.

Rimpoche: so what do you do

Audience: you just got to be patient I guess

Rimpoche: So you ask the question and you answer yourself

Audience: Well it works with the dog but is it going to work with the human beings.

Rimpoche: if it works with the dogs why does it not work with the human beings

Audience: I don’’t know maybe they are a little bit more devious.

Rimpoche: yes true, I don’’t know tonight I can’’t say anything so we will come (to?) That tomorrow again so....lets talk about it tomorrow good thank you so then no questions and those of you who would like to come back tomorrow at 10:30... in the morning thank you. (They finish with prayers).