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20120525GRGRHS01

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Good evening everybody and welcome. Welcome here, to get us together this weekend and talk about, to discuss and study one of the most important and very famous Buddha's teachings, known as Heart Sutra. This particular teaching is extremely well known throughout the Buddhist world and very well known in Tibet, no doubt, and a lot of other places. Even in the Collected Works of the Buddha, though I never read the whole thing, I was told that there are several different segments of the Heart Sutra in there.

The Heart Sutra in English we recited today is the late Allen Ginsberg's translation of the Heart Sutra and that may not tally word by word with what we have in Tibetan. Usually what we have in Tibetan is a well-accepted version and it may or may not tally word by word. However this was another different version that was translated originally from Sanskrit to Japanese and Suzuki Roshi gave this very basic version, either in a teaching or the actual words or everything, and then Allen Ginsberg worked with the late Trungpa Rinpoche and finally when he was finishing, I was there, he was consulting me and then it came out. Though Allen didn't speak Tibetan, but you know, he was a very famous American poet, and when he was translating he was making sure how many syllables there were in Japanese, in Tibetan, in Sanskrit and he tried to make it equally equivalent in English. He even translated the usual famous mantra OM SVABHAVA SHUDHHA SARVA DHARMA SVABHAVA SHUDDOH HAM [44:00] and he was counting how many letters of the alphabet were in the mantra, back and forth, and then he brought the English translation to the equivalent number of letters. It was really extremely careful work he did. I just want to mention that because it may not necessarily be the translation of the Tibetan version of Heart Sutra - if people are wondering.

[45:00] So now, tonight what I would like to do, before we talk about this Heart Sutra I want to say that the Heart Sutra is one of the most important Buddha's teaching, and particularly deals with the wisdom aspect. When you think about Buddha's teaching you can always think two, either compassion aspects or wisdom aspects of Buddha's teaching, or a combination. So basically, you will see that every Buddha's teaching is dealing with either of those two subjects, whether there are 100 volumes, or whatever they are. It will be in that manner. The heart sutra is directly talking about wisdom and indirectly talking about compassion. So again, from the direct meaning it is wisdom emptiness, and indirectly it is emphasizing the compassion.

Why? Let's say we are Buddhist. I don't know whether we are or not, but whatever it may be. We like to say we are Buddhist. Some do, some don't. It doesn't really matter, honestly. To me, whether you are Buddhist or you are not Buddhist, you have to be a good person. That makes a hell of a difference. Buddhist and non-Buddhist are labels, but whether that is important or not, remains to be seen. But one has to be a good person. What defines good and what defines bad is really difficult.

However, we have to draw a line somewhere. The line we will draw will be if you are a person that is concerned with the well-being of yourself and others, and cares about self and others, and works for betterment of self and others, that’s about what you can get to be good. And if you are going the opposite direction, if you don’t care about well-being of self and others, don't work for the betterment of self or others, or don't care about anything, that is sort of bad, basically. You know, when you think about emptiness, everything sort of moves around. But that is where you draw the line, and that is where you stand. So when you want to be good, basically, are we a good person? And that is a very important point. Are we a good person? Do you care for yourself? Do you care for others, for anybody else?

[50:00] When I say “others”, some of us may have, in our culture, in our philosophy, in our religious thought, the meaning of “others” as “everybody”. That is what Buddha says, everybody. However, “everybody” doesn't work for us, unless we can see them, right in front of our face. It is the person you are living with, you are dealing with, every day, day in and day out, the whole day, the whole night, all the time, right in front of us. It has to begin from there. As you all know it is great to say and think, "all living beings", but it must begin at home. As good old American saying goes: "Charity must begin at home", right? Or at your backyard, "Charity must begin at home," so that is where it is.

And there are a number of people who are great, who are very concerned with the suffering of the world, this and that, what's happening in Middle East, what's happening in Africa, what's happening everywhere. It's very great. However, they have no concern what’s happening right in your own home, the person who is living with you, face to face, living together. For your spouse, or your children, or the in-laws, there is no concern, and you almost don't care, almost hate them. Yet you are very concerned with the world and what's happening everywhere else. We see that very often with us. And when you see that, I'm not sure whether it is compassion or caring, or something else. Maybe it is something else, you never know. To me if you are you are a kind and compassionate person, I want you to love the ones you are concerned with. You have to begin with this, your family. In other words I am saying that love/compassion I really think begins at at home. Under the pretext of general well-being ignoring your home and your family, is something of concern.

[55:00] I can't say it's totally wrong, but in order to have love and care for those you don't know, personally, you must have love and care for those you do know, who are right in front of you. If you can built that way it will be very, very solid, caring compassion and solid love. Then you expand that. Otherwise, if we think "All living beings, except so and so” of “Except all those that am dealing with” then it becomes a little funny.

Even before family, there is yourself too. A lot of people will ignore themselves. “I'm okay, but oh it doesn't matter, I am not concerned about myself, just others.” Maybe you are making a great sacrifice, I don't know. But you must have compassion and care for yourself.

One of the great Indian masters who brought this compassion teaching to Tibet in the 1100s was the great Jowo je Palden Atisha. Jowo je Atisha said,

Ra de way pon zhen/ dug gnal kyi ngar pai nang to sam pa la/

pa bo yung ku tsam me pa la/ sem zhen shen/ dug ngal kyi ngar wa la/ me sö pai

nying je wong sa me las

[58:00]

When you are thinking of yourself, suffering, lacking joy and happiness, when you are thinking about that, you don't have feelings, your physical hair pores don't move and then you try to think about other people suffering and feel compassion, such a compassion will never grow within that person.

So it really begins with yourself. I'm not sure whether you hear that much in many places. Whenever people talk about teachings everywhere, compassion means concern for others. But how much you are going to feel is if you are dealing with yourself. Thhen you know. So that feeling of concern for yourself, if you don't have that, how can there be great concern for others? [1:00:00] It becomes either superficial or a policy matter.

I'm afraid of compassion that becomes a policy matter, I'm afraid of compassion that becomes strategy. Then it has no personal feeling. And when there is no personal feeling, it is disconnected right at that level. I don't mean, you have to be a narcissist. But you must care about yourself and we do care, automatically. But we care the other way around. Everybody will say, "I want happiness, I want joy, I want to succeed, "That is there. But when you think how you can succeed, how can you better yourself there is no second step. "Somehow, I will get there." Maybe a miracle will work.

Remember, very recently, when those Republicans candidates were fighting for the nomination, Rick Santorium kept on saying," I will be nominated." And then these few journalists kept on squeezing him, "Your numbers are not going to tally, your numbers are not going to add up, how are you going to do it?" And he said at the end, "God knows what he is doing," So sometimes we do that. We think somehow a miracle will happen and God will make it something different there. So sometimes we do that. And that is not compassion to yourself. Anyway, you have to remember, it is very easy to say, "Poor thing." And you know, a lot of Tibetans will say,"ningjay ningjay." That is very good. However, a simple sweet "ningjay" or "I don't want to see it, I don't want to hear it" is not going to be compassion, that's not really 'ningjay'.

Anyway, so the principle of Buddha's teaching really is practicing compassion and wisdom. That’s the real essence teaching. The Heart Sutra as I said earlier, is dealing directly with the wisdom of emptiness, and indirectly dealing with compassion.[1:05:00] So what I'd like to spend a little time here, before I even read the heart sutra, I'd like to talk a little bit about that basic principle. As you have been hearing from very often, "What does Buddhist practice mean to you?" When you say Buddhist practice, what does that mean to you? I think it is a very important question.

Some people will think," Buddhist practice means that I will go and see Buddhist images, I will go and see monasteries, I will go and see monks. I will go and pray to the Buddha image. I will do pujas and shab den, sponsor pujas [1:06:30] We often think about things like that, or, even to a certain extent, including myself sometimes, building an image, building a stupa. All of that becomes Buddhist practice, sometimes. I do remember, a few years ago, we had a project to build a Buddhist image in Drepung Loseling in South India. We were raising funds and a man told me, "Fine, I'll donate some money, but why do you want to make an image, what has that got to do?" Somehow, that stuck with me that time. Hmm, very important question. Why do you want to build an image? Why is that virtue? All of them – I just sort of want to raise that question. Some culture will tell you one thing about what Buddhist practice is – our Tibetan culture. Building an image is actually very definitely important, spiritually important and all that. But is it really becoming true dharma practice? That is the question. That is something very important that we have to think about.

Then what does dharma practice means to us? That is something we always have to think. Simply worshipping doesn't seem to be true, genuine, Buddhist practice. Buddhist practice does not emphasize that the individual has to go to church or synagogue on Sundays or things like that.[1:10:00] Buddhist practice doesn't seem to be very much emphasizing that.

Buddhist practice seems to be emphasizing the individual functioning, individual activities. Every activity that we engage in is a link with our thoughts and our mind. Without our thinking, without our motivation, we don't do things. I mean, there are some people who do everything automatically, who don’t think about what they're doing. You know, it becomes like a chore. You have to get up and wash your face, brush your teeth, and sweep the floor, or whatever. You have to do it. With that you probably don't think that much. But with everything else you do, I mean, even those we recognize or don't recognize, but there is a thought in mind, and every thought pushes the individual and then the individual does something. So whatever you do creates of of our karma, and that determines our future.

The question really is this: why do we have all this differences in our life? Suffering, joy, harmony, disharmony, all this, why we have all this? And some people think, "Well, someone made that decision." Whoever that someone may be. Certain early Hindu teachers say,"It is Ishwa whose thoughts create the whole thing." Certain people think, "Well, it wasn't one person who made it, but one cause made it. A single case, a singular case made it.” And some people think whatever is made is always made as it is, nothing changeable. It is everlasting, solid, and permanent. Buddha keeps on saying," No, it is created by causes, but not one cause, many causes, and conditions.” We have to really begin to think why we have suffering, why we have joy. Why? That goes for every single thing we experience. For Tibetans, why did we lose our country, why do our people suffer so much? [1:15:00] Why do they have to burn themselves? Why?

There are many causes, combined together. Unfortunately, it is materializing this time in our life. It is not one thing we did, it is not two things we did, it is many things we did, and many conditions that we provided. This thing happened, that thing happened, all of them sort of combined one day and that is why we suffer today. That is really what it is. I am giving Tibet as an example. But each and every individual, whether it is family, whether it is individual, physical, mental, all of them are that. So the bottom line really is the individual. And we say, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, so and so did this, so and so did that. " So we suffer.

No, we created it ourselves. Each and every one of us, you and me, and every one of us, contributed to that cause, at some time or another, or always or anytime, or so many, wherever. And that is the result we are getting. And that goes the same way for the individual, the nation, whatever it is. So knowing that, the bottom line then will tell us: finally, we are responsible for ourselves, not God, not somebody else, not this not that, not even karma, but ourselves.

So, how do we create karma? What does that mean to create karma? Do we have to do something huge? No, we don't. Every movement, even every thought we engage in is creating one or the other karma. We are creating it. Another word is we are creating karma all the time. Good, bad, good , bad, everything. Many people will think, "I only create good karma, I'm not creating bad karma. I'm generous, I care. I do this, I do that, I do that.” Yes, very true. I do this, I do that, I do this, I get angry, I get mean, I scold, I shout, I scream. So you balance. So people don't think whatever we do are bad things. And we only think whatever we're doing are good things. What do we want to talk about? We want hide the bad things. We don't want to talk about it. Honestly.

[1:20:00] Even the people who who want to be straight forward will have certain things to hide. Because we don't want to talk about it. Our bad things, we don't want to think about it. Bad is not necessarily bad. Without thinking, we are just letting our addictions run our life. People do things. Suddenly you decide to do something, do all that, right? Each one of them is creating karma, each of them, creates either joy or suffering. So we don't know that. That is the problem. We don't know that.

So we need to pick up something, learn something. The first practice in Buddhism becomes learning. You have to learn something. Learning, honestly. Learning is the first practice of Buddhism. You don't have to be scholar, you don't have to be teacher, you don't have to be master. But you need to know what you are doing, a little bit. Otherwise, you have no idea. So the first practice is learning. At least know what you are doing is right or wrong, positive or negative. Does it create negative karma? Or does it created positive karma? You have to learn a little bit. So if you look at the earlier Tibetan teachers, all of them, all of them, tell you that in their spiritual autobiography.

Tang po ja chir tö pa mang do tser

Bar du zhung lu tam che dam pa sher

Ta ma nyen dze kun tu nyam su lang

[1:23:19] So the first is learning. And then second, whatever you learn, think about it, analyze, and do understand that. Then, finally ta ma nyen dze kun tu nyam su lang - whatever you learn, you do that.

So the first step is really learning. Learning about what? Learning about virtue and non-virtue. Just knowing it. What is non-virtue (Tib: dig pa)? What is virtue (Tib: ge wa)? So learning about it is necessary, and then you will know our actions create karma. And when we know our actions create karma, what kind of karma?

Of course there is virtue, non-virtue, and there something called mi yo we le[1:25:43] It's sort of unshakable, unmovable, they say. So now I'm sure many of you heard this but didn't pay attention. Normally virtuous karma will give you better future live, let's say a better rebirth. Non-virtuous karma will give you a worse rebirth. We know that, we don't have to talk much about it. But then within virtue there is unshakeable karma. When we say that virtuous karma will give you better results, what does that mean? Well we say a human life or a samsaric god’s life. Normally we say dro wei rig dru. That means the six realms of sentient beings. There are the three lower realms and the three higher realms, right? So the three higher realms is humans, demigods, and samsaric gods (Tib: lha, lha ma yin, mi sum) Then there are the three lower realms (Tib: nyal wa, yi dak, tön dru sum). The unshakeable karma (mi yo wai le) brings rebirth in the form and formless samsaric god realms. That very karma doesn't change anywhere. If you are creating the form and formless karma it doesn't change to be a human being, to be a samsaric god. So even they are within virtuous karma they don’t interchange, and that's why it's called unshakeable, immovable, or unchangeable karma. The formless existence is almost like thoughtless.

So through many of the meditations you create good karma, no doubt. But when you don't think about any subject, when you sit there doing something like lizard meditation as the result of that, you will take rebirth in a formless realm. There are four of them: space-like, consciousness-like, nothing existing and the peak of samsara. So whenever we talk about meditation, we always emphasize thinking something rather than nothing. That is the reason behind it from the karmic point of view. And sometimes it is difficult to say. Many of the meditation teachers will teach you to meditate without thinking, sitting there and that will give you good relaxation, no doubt about it. That will reduce your blood pressure, no doubt. I personally know when I go to doctors. [laughs][1:30:00] That really happens, you know. It's like, if its 60 over 80 or something, give me five minutes or two minutes, and then you don't need a doctor to tell you that it is thirty something and 67 and 68, just like that. So this happen, but that is a different matter, you know, not the point. The point is if you sit thoughtless, it will create positive karma, unshakable positive karma, and as the result of that you will be born in a formless realm such as space-like, conscousness-like or tip of samsara [1:31:24]

If the positive karma brings those results it is so important in Tibetan Buddhism to try to take care of all of those by the motivation of bodhimind, the ultimate, unconditioned unlimited love and compassion. That automatically takes care of anything you do. It will divert it to become a cause for you or whoever it may be dedicated to to be from samsara, to be able to obtain total enlightenment. This is very little effort in the right direction, right from beginning. When you go in that direction, whatever effort you put in will not be wasted. And that is important.

So Tibetan Buddhism will tell you two important activities: tong dang nyi la cha wa nyi [1:34:19] one at the beginning and one at the end. The beginning activity is motivation. The end activity is dedication. What does motivation do? Motivation will direct your action in the right direction, it is like showing the path, pointing out where you are going, guiding you towards that. What will dedication do at the end? Dedication will make sure that happens, that it will materialize that way. Otherwise, every good thing will give different types of result, not necessarily give you freedom from suffering, not necessarily helping you to become Buddha. Somewhere else it will goes. So that's why motivation.

So the motivation here this weekend is important for all of us who got together here to read and discuss one of the important teachings of the Buddha, particularly wisdom. So what does wisdom do? Wisdom has to clear the ignorance. Not only not knowing ignorance, but wrong knowing ignorance. For example, I just mentioned, remember? Every positive deed is virtue, but that will not necessarily liberate you from samsara, it just give you better life or human life or samsaric gods or formless and form. So this, you know, we have to try to avoid. All energy and efforts we put in we channelize through one channel for one focus, one purpose, and that is, if that possible, to become Buddha, if not, at least, get freedom from samsara.

I'm suggesting this weekend, that every day you do that in the morning, at least today, if possible the whole week, if possible the whole month, whole year, and my life will be dedicated for that purpose, at least making sure today I will go that way. If you do that every morning, that day, whatever you do, if it's not non virtuous by its nature, then everything will become good and positive. This will be one of the good Buddhist practices actually. You can begin with that, not only this weekend. When you get up tomorrow morning, you think about it, "I'm lucky to be alive and I will not waste my week, weekend, particularly today. Wasting means going for different purposes, all my efforts will put myself and my family and other friends and all living being to lead from samsara to nirvana or, if possible, total enlightenment, the Buddha level."

That sort of motivation you can do in the morning, bringing the compassion with you. Wherever you go, whatever you do when you try to you engage in questionable activities. [1:40:00] The first thing you check, does that hurt anybody? Does that hurt any living beings? Hurt me? Hurt my family? My fellow countrymen and all human beings? If anybody will be hurt, more or less, it is non-virtuous, so avoid it. If it is not going to hurt anybody, will it help? If it is going to help, it is more or less virtuous, at least it is not going to hurt anyone. So it is not going to be so objectionable to engage in that. So if you conduct your life in that manner, that will be very helpful.