Archive Result

44

20130310GRAAETB01

00:00

Welcome to this talk. Today is the 10th of March. That collects my memory back to 54 years ago. This is the day that I was kicked out of Tibet, my home country. So that was the Tibetan uprising day. It is where we did not agree with the idea of communism. We were unsophisticated, you could almost say a people without modern education, but we knew what freedom is and what choice is all about. We may not have been educated on politics and on economic calculations, but nobody ever came and told us “you can do this, but you cannot do that”, except in Buddha’s teaching which says you can’t hurt people. We were very much aware of that, but other than that, when the communist rule came in and told us to do this and not do that, we could not tolerate it. That’s why the uprising began. That finally cost so many lives. As far as I am concerned, we were simply fighting for being able to live our life with our own choice and when somebody comes and says that you can’t do that, then the fighting came. But the fight was between fists and modern weapon systems. It was not going to get us anywhere. But that’s how it was. Unfortunately that struggle is still continuing and so many people have suffered in their lives. I am talking about myself and the Tibetans.

0:05

That sort of sums up what has been happening for the last 50, 60 years. But it is not only the Tibetans, but it is everywhere in the world. Everybody is suffering tremendously, in the middle east, Africa and everywhere in the world. People here in the United States or western Europe are supposed to be free and happy, but you know how much happiness you really have. That is better known to you than anybody else. You know your life better than anybody else. Each and every individual is struggling for their life. Nobody else knows the personal suffering that we go through. Knowing your own suffering, you may like or dislike it. Many people seem to enjoy suffering. It is very funny, honestly. We presume they don’t like suffering, but they do enjoy it! It was amazing when I first encountered how some people torture themselves in their own body and their mind and especially through their emotions. It is really amazing how much people miss suffering. Sorry to say, but a lot of people do. Maybe it’s because we don’t know anything else except suffering. If we have that, then instead of suffering it becomes lukewarm water. So nothing extra is there. I think that’s called suffering of equanimity.

If you have pain of pain, like what’s happening in Syria today, that is a suffering we know as suffering. We have tremendous amounts of suffering that we know. Plus if nothing is happening, then that’s another suffering. It’s amazing. I have been wondering. In Tibetan Buddhism, which is part of Mahayana Buddhism, which also includes Zen and Chinese Mahayana. Mahayana Buddhism says that not only suffering is suffering, but that there is also the suffering of peace. I was always wondering why. The suffering of equanimity is when nothing is happening.

0:10

So in Mahayana there is not only the suffering of suffering, but the lack of suffering becomes suffering too. This is really amazing. In Mahayana you not only try to renounce suffering but you identify even nirvana, which is known as peace in the teaching, as suffering. You therefore not only renounce suffering, but even that. Sometimes we feel so much on that.

In short, everywhere, whatever we do in our life, it is somehow suffering – even peace. So then, what is really the truth? What is really true joy? It is the joy that has never known suffering. Perhaps that is our goal. So the challenge to us becomes: is there is really something that is a joy that has never known suffering? Based on our personal experience, that’s probably not there. Listening to those who have developed earlier, it does exist – whether it is Buddha, or other great masters who had come through the Hindu tradition and many other great traditions in India, Tibet and also in the West. Really, so many great beings throughout, everywhere, have found it.

It doesn’t even have to be a religious person. There are many great beings without religion who have done so many great things. It is true. Religion is supposed to provide you with a vehicle that allows you to reach the place called “Never known suffering”. It is supposed to, but sometimes it creates much more suffering rather than providing the joy that has never known suffering. Look back in our history, just in the last hundred years, how many wars have been fought on the basis of religion. This is totally unacceptable.

0:15

Religion is supposed to be only a vehicle to the joy that has never known suffering, but often it causes so much suffering itself, fighting between religions on religious principles. It is everywhere the case, in east and west. That’s misuse of religion, not only for creating war but also torture. It is also bullying. That’s true in east and west. I am sorry to say, but it’s true.

Now is the time for us to have something pure, totally pure, in the principle of love and compassion, with the commitment of helping and serving. If it is true it will be slightly disorganized. The moment you try to organize and make it function properly, which we call “professional”, then all these other things come as part of it, in the name of religion, of helping, of service. Maybe we have to go back to the hippie – age. But they had their own problems too, sometimes even worse. So somehow we have to balance this. That’s very important. Really true. It is the same thing in our everyday life. We call it an organized path or goal, organized in the way that will serve and help so many people, but also very similar to your own personal life, it is the same thing. It is a matter of one being bigger and one smaller. One has more people involved, the other fewer. But then it is yourself, your own life.

Many of you lead very good lives. Looking at you and how you function, you say: hey it hurts people and you just can’t do that. Most of you, particularly in the west, people do that. Whether it is due to education, general knowledge or due to society or your individual person, it is very admirable that people do that. It is very important to keep that as principle. But having said that you can never do anything perfect. It is true. Everybody wants to do the right thing. But you can’t be too righteous. It won’t work.

0:20

It has to be less harmful for so many people and yourself too. You and your own family is your own personal responsibility right under your own nose. That’s the first priority. If you don’t do it, who else is going to do it? Nobody. That’s just everyday life. I am not talking about anything mystical or mysterious. So I am responsible to me and my family. As a spiritual person you are supposed to be responsible to all living beings. That’s what Buddha said. True, but the direct responsibility is my own life and the people who are connected with me. That’s my priority. Likewise, even on the spiritual path, those of who come and listen to me and those who listen through the webcast and those who try to experiment and try to improve on the basis of what I have said, not because of what I have said, but because of my background. My background is that of a Tibetan incarnate lama, who has been teaching in the west. That’s how you look at me. Then I talk this bla, bla, bla, which is supposed to be a message from Buddha. How do I know? It’s 2600 years ago.

Since it is Tibetan uprising day, let me tell you one thing: Tibetans have sacrificed so much for this tradition, this religion. Honestly. Today there are political games and issues, but I am talking about generations over a thousand years. First, Tibetans didn’t get proper Buddhist teachings and suffered for 500 or more years, sacrificing the lives of their rulers and teachers, in order to get the great Indian treasure of Buddhism. It is the one what helps and sees no difference between people, the one what cares for all, the one who is supposed to have the proof of something better. That’s why Tibetans suffered for generations to get that. It’s because of geographical reasons. Tibet is cold and up there in the Himalayas and when you go to India you get into the heat and you can die. Indian masters won’t come up to Tibet much, even though the Tibetans begged them. One or two great Indian teachers did come. But unwanted people would come, those who came as half religious – and half business people. So many of them came in Tibetan history. It’s just like what they are doing today. Different Chinese and Indians come in under the title of this master and that master. That happens today. And the same thing was done before to the Tibetans 1500 years ago.

0:25

After that it became a pure Buddhist teaching and began to establish itself after hundreds of years of struggle. Then later, Tibetan sacrificed modern development completely in order to save this great tradition. They did that with choice. They knew it. They thought that the snow mountains would keep foreigners out. But no, they forgot there is something called airplanes. Actually, they knew there was modern development. We knew it very well. When I was a kid I knew that. But Tibetans chose not to have that just to preserve the pure teaching. Fortunately or unfortunately, in 1959 it all came apart. Everybody was crawling out and whoever was left got tortured or killed. His Holiness came out and was followed by so many. And that’s how this teaching is available today – as a dying culture, an endangered species. At the same time it helps a lot of people too. It doesn’t only help Indians and Tibetans, but so many people. So that’s why it is here. With so much sacrifice of so many people, over so many generations, that’s why it is here today.

Now, what is the easy way to grasp its essence? Do I have to be worshipping Buddha? Do I have to attend to Buddhist temples? The answer is very definitely no. In order to get the benefit out of this you don’t have to be Buddhist or a Buddha worshipper. The subject of worship itself is very questionable in Tibetan Buddhism.

0:30

It is true there are monasteries, temples and images and people do circumambulations and give feasts at monasteries. Everything is there. However, it depends on the individual. In Tibetan Buddhism there is tremendous philosophy and theological ideas. Also it is very simple and very easy. At the bottom line it will boil down to yourself and your own thoughts. It is simply what you want. We know we don’t want any misery and we know that even the lack of misery becomes misery. So all of those we don’t want. What we do want is really, truly happiness and joy. That is the bottom line. It is from our side. The theory, philosophy, idea and this experience that Buddha gained, what does that offer in that context? Very simple. It boils down to that it depends on ourselves, not on anything else. So the first and foremost is that we want to be happy. We want to be helpful to ourselves, our family and everybody and to anyone who even comes in the slightest contact with you, either through personal dealings or through reading or hearing the message.

Where does help begin? With good thoughts. What is a good thought? The idea of helping, of not harming, not hurting. We always have it in our blood that “I want to have the gain, no matter what the cost, to the expense of whoever it may be.” We are willing to sacrifice anybody else for our own personal joy and happiness. That is the wrong thought. This is the thought to be negated, to be removed from our mind completely. Then it should be substituted with helping myself as well as others. So remove the thought “I want to gain, I want to gain” and replace that with “I want to gain and help”. That’s not difficult, particularly for people like yourself, with education, with good character, good nature. It is not only not impossible, but it is definitely possible. You can do it and you will do it. That will cost you nothing and give you joy and happiness. The seed is laid with you. You have it in your nature. You have it from your own background.

0:35

I don’t know if it is from your parents, your own nature, from your society and whatever it is. You do have that. Keeping that and developing that is the beginning. In a simple way, that’s when we talk about changing our motivation. It doesn’t have to be sitting down and meditating and saying prayers alone. That is for all the time, everything you do. It is one thought at the beginning for 24 hours. When that thought becomes weaker after a few hours or even after half an hour, then remind yourself and keep that thought, from morning to evening, so that the principle of your life is right. We have got to start somewhere and this is where we start.

Those of you who have the background of a great tradition, you are doing great, congratulations, keep it up and make it better. Those, especially the younger ones who really like to do something, this will cost you no money, it will cost you nothing, but will bring you a lot of joy and happiness. And that’s what we do, where we begin. Then changing the thought or motivation alone will not do. Keep that influence functioning throughout the day. Then in the evening look back and you will find that your day has been okay, not that bad.

I guess that’s all I wanted to say. Thank you for coming and I will be here next Sunday too.

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Four Immeasurables – 0:40 end