Archive Result

66

20101110GRGRMB7

Transcriber Hartmut

00:00 recitation of 8 Medicine Buddha Service

(mostly reading, not chanting)

00:39 chanting of Medicine Buddha mantra

00:47 Padmasattvasamaya, concluding verses

00:54 Long Life Prayer

1:03

Thank you very much. Now you have a small Medicine Buddha practice. I think there is one Buddha doubled or missing. That has to be corrected and the corrected practice can be sent to you, as we have your e mail address from registration.

Occasionally, whenever you feel like it, you can do this for the benefit of yourself and friends and family and others, because the truth of those buddhas’ commitments, the truth of dharma and the truth of absolute reality all combined make a difference to our lives and future lives. That’s what you have come here for and we have it and now you have something to take home, physically, mentally and verbally. You have a mantra, prayers to say and meditations to do.

Now one thing I have left to do is talk about the 3rd Principle.

1:06

I talked to you yesterday about the 1st and 2nd Principle, but not yet the 3rd Principle. I am going to make it very simple. Sometimes, if you make it too simple, it becomes silly, almost naïve. Hopefully, this wont’ be a disservice to you. The 3rd Principle is normally known as wisdom. Actually, it is the realization of the nature of reality, the famous Buddhist “emptiness”, as it is commonly known. But this emptiness is not empty. In Sanskrit it is called sunyatta. In English it is empti-ness. Some try to argue that it is empty-ness and not empty, but still, the moment you think about emptiness, you probably think nothing. But another very well known slogan in Buddhism is:

Form is empty, emptiness is form. Form is no other than emptiness, emptiness is no other than form.

So when you are having a dialogue about that, you will ask: what is the emptiness of physical form? Show me an example. So there is nothing else to show but form itself. That’s why form is emptiness and emptiness is form. So form is form, and at the same time the emptiness of the form. Form itself is no other than emptiness of form and emptiness of form is no other than form itself. In other words, you don’t have to search for something called “emptiness”. Whatever we have is empty. It is empty in the sense that there is no independent, self standing true reality. There is none. Then the question comes: then it is just not there. But that’s not the case. You may say, “No eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no head, no tail, etc” but there is a nose. You can pinch it and it will hurt. It is definitely there. But it is not an independent ear, self standing nose or something called nose which is separately from my nose. It is just the combination, the collection of parts and particles of my nose. Maybe “cells” is a better term. That becomes the ear. If any of the parts are missing, the ear won’t be there. It is the combination of not only cause and effect, but also parts and parcels – all combined together.

When we see emptiness we will see the absolutely reliable cause and effect. That’s where many people go wrong. They think, “Emptiness is here and so we are beyond cause and result.” That’s very wrong. Pabongka, in his Liberation in the Palm of your Hands says, “Some people think that they have gone beyond karmic control and can do anything and think they can put the prajnaparamita texts under their bed and sit on top of it. That’s a misunderstanding.”

The true emptiness should not destroy the facts of cause and result – in other words, karma.

1:14

The moment emptiness destroys the reality, it is not true emptiness. Yet, cause and effect – the relative matters - should remain completely intact. On top of that, somewhere deep in our mind is saying “Me”. It is “me” who is doing everything, managing, manipulating, controlling, creating, destroying. The goal is to destroy that very focal point of something solid, yet leave the relative cause and effect completely intact.

We always say the mantra mig me tse wai ter chen chen re sig….

The first two words mig me are about emptiness. The first word mig is that focal point of “me” and me is a negative particle and means that that very focal point does not exist. Destroy that focal point. That’s the right one. If you do that, the relative truth remains intact.

Jamgön Lama Tsongkhapa says in the Three Principles of the Path:

GANG ZHIK KOR DE CHÖ NAM TAM CHE KYI

GYÜ DRE NAM YANG LU WA ME TONG ZHING

MIK PAI TE SO GANG YIN KÜN ZHIK PA

DE NI SANG GYE GYE PAI LAM LA ZHUK

Whoever sees that cause and effect

can never fail in samsara or beyond

and destroys all objectivity

has entered the path that Buddha enjoys.

One who sees the relative world, cause and effect, totally intact, yet totally destroys the focal point of ego, is entering the path that pleases the buddhas. The translation of the verse says “objectivity”. What is meant is the focal point of ego. Ego thinks that “me” – empty of that – that is emptiness. And that doesn’t destroy relative reality.

NANG WA TEN DREL LU WA ME PA DANG

TONG PA KE LEN TREL WAI GO WA NYI

JI SI SO SOR NANG WA DE SI DU

DA DUNG TUB PAI GONG PA TOK PA ME

Interdependent appearance—infallible.

Emptiness—inexpressible reality.

As long as these two seem separate

Buddha’s insight in not understood.

If you are separating karma from an emptiness that can’t point out anything, then you haven’t understood what Buddha is talking about.

NAM ZHIK RE JOG ME PAR CHIK CHAR DU

TEN DREL MI LUR TONG WA TSAM NYI NE

NGE SHE YÜL GYI DZIN TANG KÜN JIK NA

DE TSE TA WAI CHE PA DZOG PA LAK

Perceived simultaneously without alternation,

seeing infallible interdependence

destroys objective identity.

With this, the analysis of wisdom is complete.

There will be a time where you will be able to combine these two together, without separating them and see them simultaneously. The moment you see cause and effect you also simultaneously see the non-existence of the focal point of objectivity – ego. When you get to that level you have reached Buddha’s understanding of wisdom. Jamgön Lama Tsongkhapa says that this is the measurement whether you have been analyzing the emptiness to the point. That is the point of reference. Absolutely empty, relatively existing - one cannot destroy the other. By looking into emptiness, you see the relative truth is existent. By looking to the relative truth – how one exists – you see emptiness. When that happens you are getting to the wisdom.

ZHEN YANG NANG WAI YO TAR SEL WA DANG

TONG PAI ME TAR SEL ZHING TONG PA NYI

GYÜ TANG DRE BUR CHAR WAI TSÜL SHE NA

TAR DZIN TA WAI DROK PAR MI GYUR RO

Further, appearance eliminates the extreme of existance.

Emptiness eliminates non-existence.

Emptiness itself is cause and effect.

Understanding this protects from these extremes

The appearance will destroy the extreme existentialism [eternalism]. Empty destroys nihilism.

In other words, ‘you are not there, because I saw you.’ That’s the opposite of common sense. But it is telling you, “I saw you as conditional existence, I saw you as dependently existing, I saw you as dependent origination and therefore you are not truly existent.” This is one of the 8 qualities of the prasangika view that Buddhapalita found. There are 8 qualities on the one hand and 8 difficulties on the other hand. These 16 points make the prasangika view different from the other early Indian Buddhist points of views on emptiness.

Truly speaking, when someone is sitting there blank, saying “empty, empty, empty”, it means absolutely nothing. We can all do that. Monkeys can do that. Honestly, that’s not emptiness. Wisdom has to have two points: establish relative truth and destroy the objectivity – the focal point that is opposite to the absolute truth. The opposite of absolute truth is ignorance. Ignorance’s focal point has to be destroyed while establishing relative truth. Seeing nothing different between them is the meaning of “Form is emptiness. Emptiness if form. Form is no other than emptiness. Emptiness is no other than form.” That is true wisdom, true emptiness.

Not only it is true wisdom, but just by looking at that alone, our samsara is torn into pieces. Samsara will tremble. That’s why it is also called “King of Reasonings” by Buddha himself.

1:25

That is wisdom. Some of you may be hearing it for the first time. Many have heard it before and many have studied, gone through courses, discussions and so on. While that is good and provides a base, it is not enough. You have to keep on thinking and analyzing. You have to gain some understanding, true insight. That is true vipasyana. That is the 3rd Principle.

So now you have the ritual points, the mantra point and you have the solid dharma of the Three Principles. So when you go back home, your suitcase is really full. You probably need an extra car to put it all in. Just joking.

1:27

Now I still have a little business matter that I have to talk to you about. When we are looking at Jewel Heart, you are Jewel Heart, I am Jewel Heart, we are all Jewel Heart. What did we do in the last 20 years? I have tried to share whatever I little I know of Tibetan Buddhism and try to benefit you people and our future generations, safeguarding the longevity of Buddha’s teaching, thereby every living being may have some joy and benefit.

First, 20 years ago I did the same lam rim teaching that I hope to do next summer retreat. Then I did it for over a year. After that, I have done so many different teachings and initiations. I tried to open the mandalas for you, tried to let you enter into the mandalas so that this opportunity will be available to you. Some people entered the wrathful mandalas, some the peaceful ones and most of you actually both. All that is the best way to serve you. In the beginning that was easy, not so difficult. It was only a matter of teaching and doing nothing. Maybe ”doing nothing” is not the right word. But then came the organization. That came with the baggage of expenses. Then came the place. A place is necessary. Diana and Jonathan have provided us with a place to meet in New York, luckily. Otherwise we wouldn’t be able to afford anything. We also have a place in Ann Arbor. That is not only for Michigan people. We have our winter retreat there and our summer retreat and all our work is done there. The office and office staff may be small, but even a store is in there. Everything is functioning from there. That house doesn’t come free. It comes with a mortgage and utilities and all other kinds of costs.

To make the story short, Jewel Heart has about a one million dollar budget per year. Sometimes it is $800,000, but give or take, it is $1 Million. Until now, we have never been in the red. It is only been the last 2 years. But we have always been a true non profit. There was never a penny left once the year was over. There is no cushion, nothing. And it was always a struggle to pay the mortgage and all that. And in the last 2 years we have had a shortage. Still we didn’t go into red. Last year we launched the “Ensuring the Future of Jewel Heart” campaign and raised the $100,000 we needed to cover the shortage. All of you very generously donated and somehow we managed last year. The same shortage was repeated this year. Again we appealed and people kindly donated and I think we are half way to what we need.

Everybody has been thinking about a solution. My idea is that Jewel Heart’s budget should be paid for through the membership. We are a membership organization. Our work is nothing else except providing the services and we do have a lot of other projects. We are holding those projects back because we could not pay our own bills. So we can’t touch other projects. Now I am thinking that I am almost 73 years old, if you count the Tibetan way or 70 in western years. If we keep on holding all the projects and try to struggle to pay the bills every year that’s not going to work. One of them is going to suffer. I am not worried about the projects. We can definitely find sponsors for individual projects. But what we are not finding is a way to meet the regular Jewel Heart expenses. My thought is that we need about 2500 members at a membership of $480 a year. That would be $40 a month.

If you look at the FPMT, they have a membership of 100s of thousands. Also rigpa has that many or more. Within the FPMT alone the Lama Yeshe Memorial Fund alone has more members than Jewel Heart altogether. That’s just one little branch of the FPMT. The Lama Yeshe Memorial Fund is run by Dr. Nick Ribush. Nick was asking me about the membership of Jewel Heart and I said we had about 300. He said, “What? Jewel Heart has only 300? You mean 3000, right?” I said, “No, 300.” Then he said, “The Lama Yeshe Memorial Fund has more than that. What are you talking about?”

But that’s the reality. We never emphasized membership before. Once a year we have some little campaign, but otherwise we don’t talk about it. So my thought is this: you have been so kind and generous. I deeply appreciate it. My feeling is that we made a mistake some years ago. When we introduced membership we did so in terms of business. If you become member, you get specific benefits. We ask you this and we give you that. I think that is a mistake, because people want to become members to support the work we do. You become a member because you care for the benefit of yourself and your future generations and mankind and Tibetan Buddhism.

I can tell you that all of you have benefited at least a little bit from Tibetan Buddhism. If not, there is no reason why you are still here, year after year, occasion after occasion. So that is what you are supporting. You are not a member so that you get a $100 discount on the next retreat. It doesn’t work that way, but that’s how we did it. I think we should just ask the membership for general support. It is for our own benefit, our future generations’ benefit – and if you think carefully – humankind’s benefit.

Tibetan Buddhism is actually a dying species. It is dying, not because it is not good, but because it is too good. It has no business approach. It has no entertainment approach. It is simple, straight forward and it is benefiting all of us. That’s why I am making this important request to all of you: Please try to become member of Jewel Heart. You also may have friends who are interested. In one way, $40 a month is a lot of money. On the other hand, people who smoke, puff a few times in the air and $40 are gone. You open a couple of coke cans tsssssssssssssssss – and $40 go. You watch a couple of movies a month, probably just two! – and $40 are gone. So on the one hand it is a lot, but on the other hand, everybody can spend that much. It is a matter of priority.

Some of you are extremely generous – whether or not you have the money. But some of you may think, “If I increase my membership or if I get my friend to come, what do I get?” If you think like that, better go to some kind of dope selling area, rather than coming here. This is dharma work. We talk about “the benefit of all mother sentient beings” every morning here. I just wanted to urge you to please think about that and if you are already a member, thank you so much and if you are not a member yet, please try to join. You can also persuade a couple of your friends to become members. They don’t have to come to teachings, they don’t have to become Buddhists and listen to an old man. But they can support the work we do. That’s the request I have for you.

Our accounts are absolutely clear. We are being audited by two different firms and the board members are great and they are trying their best. We do have an executive board who spend hours and hours trying to sort out previous mistakes and give guidelines for the future.

Normally I don’t talk much about those things. Even this time I left it to the very last minute of the last session. I should have done it yesterday morning, but I didn’t. Asking for money is the worst thing for me. It is very awkward. Fortunately or unfortunately, I was born in a good family and begging is the last thing to do. But sometimes you have to. Here you are and that’s what I would like to request. For those who are interested there are forms at the back of the room. Please try to fill them in and take a couple more for your friends. I would say that each one of you can bring in 10 more members easily. I am sorry, but anyway, thank you so much. You have been very kind.

The clock is ticking and what you need to take home is not the forms, but the Medicine Buddha practice and the understanding of dharma and I always say at the last minute:

Whatever you do, have kindness and compassion in your mind. The principle of your life should be kindness and compassion. If you do that, whatever venture or effort you start will not only be beneficial for you, but for many and your work will be successful. If you don’t have kindness and compassion but something else, then even if you have success, it may not be worth much.

Thank you so much

1:46:30 announcements

1:50 Dedication Verses – Long lam rim dedication and other verses

1:55:15 Thank you, that’s it