Archive Result

20120909GRAATB36

00:00

Good morning and welcome to “Tibetan Buddhism” with me. I am Gelek Rimpoche. We have been continuously talking on the basis of the Four Noble Truths, particularly the Fourth Truth, the Truth of the Path. Here we talked about two different known paths. Actually, we have a basic path as explained at this level as well as practical points. We chose to go in the practical points, because when we call it “path” it means actually what you are supposed to do to practice Tibetan Buddhism. I would like to very much emphasize that Buddha’s teaching, whether it is Tibetan Buddhism or any other Buddhism, we are simply labeling them Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan, Thai, Sri Lankan, Indian and maybe American Buddhism now, but they are not basically different. If there is a basic difference then there is a big problem. For us, the person who teaches, is Buddha, whether whatever it is, the teacher is the Buddha, the teaching that Buddha gave, is based on his development, his own personal experience and the way and how he dealt with the negativities and the way and how he built positivities and the way and how he forwarded himself on the journey. That is Buddhism, actually. So if there is a difference here it is a very big problem. It is one teacher, one teaching and the path is one. It is only avoiding negativities and building positivities. That is really what one is supposed to do. There is no change, whether it is Thai, Chinese, Indian, Mongolian, Tibetan or Japanese or whatever Buddhism it it.

But what is different is the linages through which it has come. Buddhism is really a very simple, straight forward mental activity, a little bit physical, but not so much. So it picks up its culture wherever it goes. Traditionally, in India, it picked up Indian culture. You see that in the platform thrones and the teaching style. The culture in India 2600 ago was picked up. Then it changed according to time and developed as Indian Buddhism. Then the Buddhism that travelled from India to China picked up Chinese culture. The Chinese thrones, decorations and banners were picked up and adapted from the Chinese culture, suitable for the mental level of the Chinese society, varying from place to place. Similarly, the Tibetans did the same thing. They picked up the Buddhism that came from India and the Tibetan indigenous culture adapted to that along with customs from China and costumes from Mongolia. All that was incorporated and developed as Tibetan Buddhism.

0:05

The bottom line is that really it is one Buddhism, one Buddha, one teacher, one teaching and the principle is to avoid negativities and build positive deeds. That’s why it becomes non-violent. Violence hurts and non-violence is peace. That’s what really Buddhism is all about in principle. Buddha taught in India and the great Indian teachers, saints, scholars and pundits have practiced themselves and then later the Tibetan sages have adopted the Indian experience, knowledge and information and added up their own personal experience and that’s how it is.

When we talk about the path, the Fourth Noble Truth, that really refers to what the individual is supposed to do. Let’s say someone asks, “I would like to try your Tibetan Buddhism, so what am I supposed to do now?” What I am supposed to do is the path. Basically, keeping the traditional culture in mind, we talked about the Theravada path and the Mahayana path. Tibetan Buddhism really is part of the Mahayana path. The doorway, whether one is in the Mahayana or not is the very precious mind, technically known as bodhimind. Actually, it is total altruistic dedication and yet the individual is seeking total enlightenment, because “I would like to liberate all. I have a huge responsibility, so I need the best tool every possible, to help me and others.” The best tool available is the stage of a buddha, because there is no limitation of capability. There is no limitation of knowledge and information, no limitation of kind compassion and caring. There is no limitation on wisdom. That’s why it is the best tool. When you are talking about becoming Buddha – obtaining total enlightenment – actually that’s what we are looking for. That is the result of our practice. The practice we are doing should be capable to delivering these goods.

0:11

Technically that is what some people call the Mahayana path. Path means road or way. That’s the traditional, technical name. The real major thing in that is love and compassion. That also not just love and not just compassion, but ultimate, unlimited, unconditional love and compassion. When you talk about bodhimind, something like that is what we are looking for. That’s what it really is. That is something which we can develop. We all have love, we all have compassion. Our compassion and love are now limited and conditioned. It is nothing unusual, when we say, “What’s in there for me?” I am the one who I am concerned with. Why should I do that? What’s in there for me? That is very usual in our culture, very normal. But it is not normal or usual in the Mahayana Buddhist culture. As a matter of fact, it is counter-culture. Instead of saying, “What’s in there for me?” I am turning my baseball cap around. I am rebelling. That is counter-culture.

Truly speaking, that is the principle of the path we are looking for. That unlimited love, unlimited compassion and unlimited caring is something the individual can develop, on the basis of our usual love, on the basis of our usual compassion, on the basis of our usual care, because we are human beings. We do care, we do have love, we do have compassion. It is just a matter of advancing them, making them better and then that’s what is called bodhimind. First we really learn by wishing, wishing everybody to be happy, free of suffering. We are not only learning as informational learning, but actually doing it: wishing everybody well and to be happy. Some people say, first wish yourself happiness, then the person right to you, then left to you. That’s a little exercise many will do that, just like many pick up a raisin and taste the raisin as an awareness exercise. That’s very common in the west. Many Buddhist teacher utilize these in the early stages of Buddhist teachings. That may be exercises, but that’s our theme. You not only have to wish them well, but also wish them perfection.

0:16

Simply wishing alone is not good enough. Learning how to express, not from thought alone, not from the voice alone, not from physical expression alone, but from the bottom of the heart, wishing. Then make sure that this is not made up, not just show biz, but what you really mean and think and that’s what you really say and you have to be able to do that from the bottom of your heart. That is the learning I am talking about. It is not just saying, “May I wish you happiness.” Anybody can do that, right? Somebody has to show us even that. Otherwise we don’t do it, unless you are a politician who want to give a political speech and get yourself closer to people. You may say that as a political tool, but it doesn’t mean it comes from the heart. We are not political drama producers. Therefore, whatever we wish, we really have to wish from the bottom of our heart. It can’t only be words. It can’t only be as made-up mind in the sense that you create a thought and try to follow it. You may have to begin with this, but then it becomes reality. It becomes your own deep wish. Then you have learnt. When we say learning, it is not just picking up information, but really becoming that. That’s called learning. Whatever you have learnt, try to make that part of your life, your practice, try to push yourself through that and not only once or twice, but ten times and so many times per day, every day, so that it becomes part of your character. It becomes a piece of your mind, a piece of your desire. When that happens, the practice is incorporated within your life. Then you will get the results.

Otherwise, you can simply learn the information and project it and repeat it a couple of times and think, “Ha, I am doing it.” That way you can wait for 30, 40 years and nothing happens. It is because of that reason. It has not really being engraved in our consciousness. That has to be the practice.

Out of those practices, you advance and move forward and “go beyond”, as it is technically called.

0:20

The other day we talked about generosity and last Sunday we talked about morality. So today we are talking about patience. What little time I spent talking today, these 20 minutes, that is what you have to think every day, whatever your Buddhist practice is that you want to engage in. You have to have that, because that is the fundamental message. This is the fundamental way. Otherwise it becomes superficial. That becomes show biz. That is not reality, people just make that up. Every day, whatever practice you do, you have got to pick up what I talked in the first 10-20 minutes today. Pick that up, think about that and try to incorporate that within you, try to make that part of your character. That is applicable to even saying OM MANI PADME HUM or taking refuge or meditating, or even just saying OM or OM AH HUM. Whatever you do, have them with that motivation. That is the real vehicle you utilize. Without that it will become meaningless.

0:23

Today we are talking about patience. Last Sunday I told you that morality is a mental activity. Remember? It is protecting yourself from wrong doing. It is very similar here. Patience is again a mental activity, protecting you from wrong doing in general and in particular, from hatred and the emotions that fire up hatred, such as anger, even temper tantrums and all of those. These are the direct opposite of patience. Last week we identified immorality as the opposite of morality, here anger, hatred and so on are the direct opposites of patience. Patience is protecting yourself from harming devices such as hatred, anger and all of those. Patience is the only one – honestly – to protect you. If you have good patience you will be willing not to give it up to those emotions, which threaten you. If you don’t have patience, in the middle of everything your mind will just switch and go “brreeewwww”. You try to work and suddenly you lose patience and your mind goes way off. Once you take the step out already it is very difficult to correct. You have to get your mind to “recalculate” – in the language of the GPS devices. When you take a wrong turn the GPS has to recalculate. Similarly, the lack of patience will make you turn the wrong way, because you are unwilling to continue, bored with continuing, bored with being careful. The impulse of anger will push you. Sometimes that impulse is so strong that anger or hatred takes over.

0:26

You have no idea what has happened. There are people who get so angry that anger completely overpowers them and they have no idea what they have done. People get killed because of anger. The killer may not have had the plan to kill, but it really happens. We have seen that in so many places. I am not talking about crazy people who shoot others, like what happened a few weeks ago at the Wisconsin Sikh temple. I am not talking about that. I am talking about people being overtaken by anger, hatred, and they have no idea, like they are completely drunk or under the control of chemicals. You have no idea what you have done. By the time you realize you have already hurt others and maybe even killed. Then it is a done deal and you only realize that the next day by the time you wake up. That’s what I am talking about. Patience helps the individual not to be overpowered by these emotions. If you drink beer or whiskey, if you keep on drinking and drinking, you are going to lose control and you are going to get drunk and will be unable to manage yourself. But if you just drink a sip of alcohol with a glass of water together, then the water will dilute the alcohol and you will have a better chance of not being overpowered by the alcohol. Just like that, patience will dilute those strong emotions. If you don’t submit yourself to the impulses of impatience it is better.

0:30

I have to tell you one story. There was a gentleman, a real Tibetan genuine monk, who was the vajra master of HH Holiness’ personal monastery, the Namgyal Dratsang. He was left behind in Tibet, when we escaped to India. He was arrested and was put in the category of being part of an uprising, followed by the culture revolution. He was okay and later came to India and spent the rest of his life in India. He said he was okay and said that he was in danger only a couple of times. The person he told that thought he might have been in danger for his life or in danger of being hurt or beaten. He said, “No, no, I was in danger of losing my patience and anger or hatred taking over. I couple of times I came very close. “That is really admirable. That individual could really apply patience, no matter whatever happened. It was the culture revolution and the country was going crazy, but he somehow was able to maintain his peace and patience, without those impulses taking over. When that happens it is really a very good standard of patience. We won’t be able to do that. In my case, if I am caught in that situation, not only hatred and anger, but even fear alone would torture me. I will be probably extremely impulsive and submit to all kinds of impulsiveness, right, left, east, west, up, down and everywhere. I will do that, because fear alone can drive you, the fear of torture, of physical and mental and emotional punishment. All that will drive you. That’s why patience is really important.

Patience is very difficult. Buddha said, “There is no such hardship like patience. There is no such negativity like hatred.” We are dealing with the strongest and most powerful difficult emotion.

0:35

That’s why this particular work is extremely important. Basically, when we are talking about patience, there are three different ways or types. One is that whoever, whatever is hurting us, we are not letting it hurt us, by protecting ourselves, by not letting it hurt us. If someone is trying to harm you, whatever actions they are taking against you to hurt you, ignore that, not paying attention. That is not playing dumb or playing possum. That is also not passive aggression. I am not talking about that. As a matter of fact if you become passive-aggressive that is negative. It is anger, it is an activity of hatred. It is not that. Simply do not let it bother you. Do not notice, do not pay attention. If you act passive-aggressively the other person has nothing else to do but get more angry. I don’t mean it that way. Just don’t pay attention. Sometimes, people who are very kind or kids who just don’t want to be bothered can play that very well. Maybe they play it or they are like that by their nature. Very recently, a friend who had come from far away, people started talking to her and if things didn’t work they had no alternative but shaking her physically and then she began to say, “Oh, what happened?” – as though nothing had happened. I don’t know whether that is dharma practice or not, but it is definitely not entertaining any aggressiveness by anybody. That is also patience.

Another one is when our enemies get some reward or something successful happens to them we get very unhappy. We say, “How does that stupid fellow deserve that? How did he get that?” We do that very often. That is another example of losing patience.

0:40

Hatred, anger or jealousy, something has taken over the individual. When I say you shouldn’t bother, I mean it both ways. If something positive happens to the individual or something negative action that individual is taking against you, don’t bother. Sometimes you can welcome a little inconvenience. People do that very often, particularly good people like yourself. Being kind, the utmost you say it is that is a “good learning experience.” Sometimes, if there is some hardship one is willing to engage in that. People may say, “That is our culture”, but actually instead of you I am willing to take that hardship.” The third kind of patience is truly understanding the nature of the mental stage of agony or impatience of impulsive submitting oneself to the nature of that emotion, dragging yourself into negative activities. These are basically the three divisions of patience.

Again, patience is protecting us, particularly our mind, from negative emotions such as hatred or anger or even obsession – all of those. This is truly patience. I always say this: if you have been dumped by your girlfriend and she suddenly calls you and say, “Meet me in the middle of nowhere tomorrow at 12.30 pm” you will be very happy to go to the middle of nowhere in the desert area even at 10 in the morning and wait till 5 pm. You may call that patience. But to me that is stupidity, not patience at all. As a matter of fact, that is not even virtuous. It is sort of non-virtuous. You are making yourself sort of enduring negative activities. Here it is attachment. That attachment is driving you to wait in the middle of the desert for hours. You are happy to do that, but that is not patience and not virtuous. As a matter of fact it is a little negative, part of attachment activities. Simply being able to endure does not necessarily mean it is patience. Again, patience is protecting ourselves, our own mind, from the negative thoughts and emotions. Thank you. 0:45:45