Archive Result

Soundfile 20130525GRGRTB03

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location Garrison N.Y.

Topic Tibetan Buddhism

Section 03

Transcriber Helen Breault

Date June 10, 2013

So, to continue what we've been talking about earlier. I'm talking about the functioning of our life within the day or within twenty-four hours. Probably we talked about it, when we say we want to obtain Buddhahood, what we're really looking at it, to attain it, is it possible, and this, very briefly we touched everywhere. Without avoiding any detailed explanation or without trying to avoid criticism. Simply thinking straightforward, barebones, down, individual, what does practice mean? How do you live your life? How you function. What is your goal. And how you try to achieve. So I think all this we have established the goal.

You know it is only Tibetan Buddhism or Vajrayana Buddhism which says Buddhahood, to become Buddha is goal. Other Buddhism doesn't say goal is to become Buddha. They don't say that. Simply, you know, how they introduce, how they lead the individual, is to introduce suffering first, which we don't have to introduce, it is there. But sort of pointing it out, this is here, that's your suffering, so do you like it? So then naturally the answer is, "No, I don't. I don't want it." So, if you don't want suffering, what is the alternative? The alternative is nirvana. By the way, I'd like to mention that to you also. So, therefore, the expression of "Samsara is suffering. And, nirvana is peace." We have that, right? This is one of those Buddhist slogans. There are four of them, known as sign of [3:44 Tib] Tawa kad… So two of them are: Samsara is suffering and nirvana is peace. So that is the meaning, I don't know whether other than Buddhists who say that "samsara is suffering," or other than Buddhists who say "nirvana is peace" or not. This is sort of sign of being Buddhist, following Buddha's footstep. Or pursuing our life the way the Buddha did. So there are sort of four signs. Whether they call if Buddhist logos or Buddhist slogans or Buddhist seals or all kinds of names people call it, but the whole idea is accepting samsara is suffering, nirvana is peace. So that's why when you look at the Four Noble Truths, they introduce suffering first, and then also three kinds of suffering: suffering of suffering, changing, pervasive. So everywhere, whenever you look, whatever we're using it is suffering nature because of all of this; either changing, or whether it is all of those. So that's why samsara, wherever that circle existed. I'm quite sure you all know samsara. If you don't, talk about it in your discussions or something. If the terminology is not familiar, talk about it with your next person. So you will know. That is very widely used. So basically, the life without control managing, repeating one after another, repeating again and again, is called Samsara.

I also want to mention to you, the true samsara is ourself, not something outside. And also, you know, as I said earlier, true enlightenment, total knowledge is within ourself. Just like true samsara is also within ourself, it is nothing outside to search. So that's why wherever we're born, whatever we do, whatever we touch becomes the samsaric thing because of that. So then, general conclusion is all samaras are suffering, nirvana is peace. So it is like transit. The goal becomes transiting yourself from the samsara nature into a nirvana nature. So sort of getting away from the suffering and then remaining in peace. So that is the goal. No need of becoming Buddha. No mention of Buddha at all. It is the Buddha as goal of our spiritual purposes because of the greater compassion. Because of the greater love, greater compassion. And that's why it is only within the Mahayana. And the Vajrayana is part of the Mahayana. So that is why it is only that level talks about becoming Buddha as goal. So here what I covered now is also out of those four slogans or four logos: samsara is suffering, nirvana is peace. So the goal becomes move yourself, your nature, from the suffering nature into a peace nature. So that is the purpose and that is goal. That is your job, that is your challenge. And when we don't talk about enlightenment. So the teachings, practices within that sphere of work does not mention Buddhahood, does not talk about it. That is the simple reason. Maybe that's enough.

And also the idea of Mahayana and traditionally called Hinayana, and later we called it Theravaden. It is not that one is superior and one is less superior. But it is the goal, and it is the purpose, and it is basic framework. That is basically what it is.

While I'm mentioning two of these four signs, the other two left… 10:38 [Tib] Anything that, whether you said the basics of the samsara is suffering, it is a created thing that we live. We talk about it: dependent origination, interdependent origination, dependent-ness. Really the reality of how we are, what we are, that's really what it is. So it is impermanent nature. Dujay. It is created. It is not a single, solid. But it is also collectively, because of the conditions right it functions. And every conditions dependent on each other. The true reality of life , what we truly see today, is what we call "createdness." Createdness is the true life what we see. And all of those createdness are impermanent. Impermanent. Because it is dependent origination, therefore dependent basis will change. When that changes everything changes. I'm simply talking like we're kids. That is all about it. Dependent origination. Because of this that happened, this that happened, this that happened. So when things are sort of really that way and then it happens. That is what is the bottom-line, straightforward, bare bones of dependent origination, my understanding. And that's really what it is. It totally depends on the things that's happening. And that's why we can do, change, undo, better do, worse, do. All this we can do because of this dependent-ness. So the word what we use in Tibetan in dujay. Totally when you talk about deejay, they will say dujay is impermanent and that sort of thing. Don't look at it in that manner. Look in the manner dujay means collecting and functioning. So what we have collected: the conditions have become right and then it becomes. So therefore it is definitely impermanent because the conditions are going to change. We are going to get older, everything, die, all of this happens. There's no way we can skip it because of this. So that's why it is all important. Since it is created in that way, it is all impermanent. And that's why we say it is suffering. Definitely. Because it is change. People like change. Change is joy, change is suffering.

Also, everything contaminated. [1:15 Tib] Everything contaminated is suffering. Not only impermanent, but it is also suffering because it's contaminated. This is what I'm talking about, what does being Buddhist mean. I do remember years ago, there used to be little things on the tricycle saying, "What does Buddhist mean for you?" And people used to talk about it. So, but here this is really what it is. Contaminated are all are suffering. And everything, whatever we've touched, it's supposed to be, from the Buddhist point of view, it is supposed to be contaminated. Why? Because we don't see the reality. That's why we say "ignorance, and confused" blah, blah, blah, all of them are coming out of this. Because we don't see true reality. True reality is emptiness. We don't see that. We see something existing. We see something solid, somehow. It looks like it. It feels like it. It takes you like a solid way for years, even life. But it is not. That is what confusion is all about. This is where we get confused. And that's why it becomes contaminated.

I've totally avoided philosophical basis of definition of contamination and all this. But very practically thinking. (And I've been insisting to Jonas not to broadcast this, because somebody who's listening somewhere says, "What nonsense are you talking about?" To avoid that, one reason, and many other.)

So really that's about it.

[18:33 Tib] If contaminated things are suffering then what is the really one which is not confused and then the third one comes. Every phenomena is nature of emptiness. Selfless. Nature of emptiness. And then the fourth one is, again, nirvana is peace. So though normally we say, "What does being Buddhist mean?" We say taking refuge. We do say that. It is. Or accepting buddha, dharma, sangha as pure object of refuge and all that. But if you look very carefully, these four points are the point that you are convinced and you are taking that point. And these points are becoming basic principle in your life functioning. Then it is really how the Buddhists look. Doesn't look as some kind of theory that a group of people take it and call it Buddhist view. But your own acceptance of reality, whether there's anything contradicting or going with it, that's how you see.

Though, as I said earlier already, taking refuge in buddha, dharma, and sangha is doorway to be Buddhism not Buddhist. But really in deep reality these four points are, you may call it, Buddhist viewpoint. Or we look at the reality and see what is really all about it. And so if you are getting along with that, and you are tallying your thoughts with us, and you're going through with that, and then you, whether you call yourself Buddhist or not, then you are. And if you're not, your thoughts are not going with this, then whatever you do, wear double triple yellow red robe, whatever you do, you're not even a Buddhist truly. And that's how I see it. This is why I call it "Buddhist life."

[22:17:6]

So now, that is why samsara is contaminated and therefore it is suffering. And let's not talk about what's suffering, we know. Six types of suffering, eight types of suffering. But that's a way of talking. But we've really got tremendous pain; mental, emotional, physical. These are real within us. Whether they are really a hell realm or hungry ghost or whatever it is. But this mental, physical, emotional suffering is real and we don't want it. And then, when you get out of that it automatically becomes nirvana. It's not something, some boundary you go and drive and then you get into the territory of nirvana and there's this immigration and all that. You don't have that. It's sort of naturally shifted the nature of the individual. That is what nirvana is all about. And nirvana is Sanskrit language and simple freedom from pains and suffering. That's about it. Not a total knowledge. Not total enlightenment. Although, in their own vehicle, in their own yana, that level is called "no more learning." No more learning in the sense that your goal is totally fulfilled. So it is the same name as Buddhahood, "no more learning" in the Mahayana vehicle. And in the Theravaden vehicle, arhats are "no more learning." I don't want to go into too much detail, but "no more learning" that also has with the leftover, within leftover, and all of that. With leftover is because of our physical. Is the first Noble Truth. And since you have that, and you have that with the leftover. Without the leftover becomes like a candlelight finishes its wax, so when the wax is gone the candlelight automatically goes. No more left. So that's even not necessary for me to bring it today here. That's how my thought went in.

The purpose for that is freedom from suffering. And that's why arhat is enough. But when you pick up not only me, what about my loved ones, my companions, my family, and then it's extended. And it's extended, extended, extended of this life, of previous life, of everything. When it's getting more and more then everyone is interconnected. And when we say "interconnected" we are willing to accept, we will agree, yes, we're interconnected.

Ultimately, it will come out to there is no one that we are not been dependent our life. Mother was just an example. As I said this morning, perhaps they couldn't find better ultimate closest friend than mother as example. But the reality all. So therefore the greater compassion, not just compassion. Well let me say compassion first. The compassion is, what is a compassion? Compassion is really two aspects of mind. One, you focus on. Two, what you wanted to do. Sort of aspects of focusing, aspects of desire, what you wanted to do. The compassion is focusing on anyone desiring to be free from the pain and suffering, is basically compassion. Whether it's one person or two persons or a group of persons. But then looking at our own understanding, when it's a group of persons suffering and we get more shock, we get more disgust, we don't like it when it's the larger the number, the larger the group. We will say, "How come it hurts so many human beings?" Our feeling of one person hurt or killed and ten, twenty, thirty, forty, hundreds of people killed is a big difference. Think straight in our normal life. Because the number of the people who suffered is much more so we think it is more stronger, more whatever it is, crime or whatever it is, more close and more greater.

Similarly, the compassion is the same thing. Whether you have compassion for one person or compassion for ten people. Compassion for ten is more greater than compassion to one. So a hundred is more greater than ten. Likewise, thousands is more greater than hundreds. So to the extent there will be no more people left, so we call them "all beings, all human beings, all living beings." The bigger that you can think the greater it is. The greater compassion focused on limitless people.

Now there's also the feeling of the aspect, the action and the feeling is the same thing. However, the question is a genuine question we rise within us. It is, "If you're going to think that much, your feeling will be meaningless. It's very much watered-down feeling." Almost becomes artificial. It's also true. And it's also not true. And when we see people suffering, whether we know through news or through media or everywhere, the more you see, we get much more stronger feeling. Which indicates to us it's getting watered down. It's not true. Practically when you look at it it's very much possible your compassion becomes watered-down compassion. So maybe that is the challenge. Maybe that's the challenge. The more the number goes, more the thing goes and it becomes weaker the compassion. That may be our challenge. So that is the compassion aspects of it.

And I said to you earlier, such a compassion depends on the love. When there's no love, watered down is very much possible. When there is love, there's no watered down because love will hold that up. So it is very interesting and very tricky.

And that brings you want to remove the suffering as quickly as possible. And that's what it is. And then becomes hate, "I can't do it. I'm very handicapped. So what do I do?" And if you have total knowledge, you will know what to do. So it necessary. The moment you have a desire, genuine desire to develop total knowledge influenced, strongly pushed by the love and the compassion, greater compassion, then it becomes a thing called "Boddhimind."

We're just now talking. It's only the words. But you take a time for yourself. Most of you are taking time. Most of you are spending time. But you're spending time on something else other than this. You're spending time on something, saying prayers, practically working to improve life, that's great. Nothing's wrong with this, though I'm talking like criticizing. I'm not criticizing. But I'm trying to make this point pushed in. Yes, you do need practical work. Yes, you do need to pray, you need to say your prayers. But you have to push this mind too. Without this mind it all becomes artificial, it's not genuine. Not genuine Boddhimind. Yes, it is true genuine Boddhimind doing nothing is also artificial. But the genuineness, heartfelt movement within yourself and that's what's you need. And when you get that, then things function quite a lot by itself. By itself means it's not effortless, but you have put a little efforts you get a better result, huge result. Though the teachings will tell you "effortlessly" happening. There is no such a thing called "effortless." The teachings will tell you Buddhas will do things effortlessly. Buddha can't do effortlessly. Otherwise why are we suffering today? Honestly, all these are there you have to think. So that is basically Boddhimind is all about it.

[38:09]

And when you say, "I'm practicing Mahayana Buddhism, I'm practicing Vajrayana Buddhism, I'm practicing Tibetan Buddhism," and that's your basic requirement. You have that or you don't have that. When you don't have that, practically, but you're wishing, so you're Wishing Tibetan Buddhist practitioner. [Laughs]. Nobody used that terminology, but it is. You're at the wishing level. Not actually in action level. So the moment you think you are Buddhist practitioner or you are true, genuine spiritual practitioner that's what it's all about it. And you talk about compassion, that's what it's all about it. Then, on top of that, what makes you to

achieve your goal is two things, only two things: accumulation of positive deeds, good karma, and getting rid of negative karma. So in Tibetan language we say

[39.59 Tib]. Blocking things have been removed, accumulate merit. That's only two things. Simply after this genuine motivation, then these two. Purifying and accumulation of merit. And that's about it.

The essence all of those, how do I do this? Basic, simply those Seven Limbs practice what we have. Seven Limbs is the one, honestly. And if you look at the Jewel Heart Prayer that you say in the morning, then you have the Seven Limbs in there. Very, very short way. Or look into, like, you know, the detail performance of, like, King of Prayers or something, it is Seven Limb. Or you look in the Lama Chopa, it is Seven Limbs. When you look in the Ghanden La Ghyama it is Seven Limbs. When you look in the sadhanas, Seven Limbs changes its name, call it Seven Purities. A little change of color. Other than that, it's the same thing. Basically, whether you do it in one word or whether you do it in hundreds of verses, saying part. But mental aspects is the more important than saying part. Particularly, we are extremely busy people. Or extremely lazy people. So that's why this Seven Limbs we made into such a short, one line each. So that prayer, I can talk on that because it's easiest way to do. If you look in the Jewel Heart Prayer, we do have it. First taking refuge. Then there's Gate Gate Paragate but let's not talk about that. Refuge, which we already talked about. Then the object on whom you practice Seven Limb, so the Invocation. Invocation you have. Slightly different translation, other than that originally in Tibetan [Tib 44:29]. So that particular verse, there's hundreds of different translations. So, we have this one. But it's the same thing. Every translator will translate different way. But it's okay. Because they have their understanding, they know what they're doing and that's why they're translating. But it is the Invocation. Inviting subject on whom we can practice Seven Limbs. That's the Invocation.

Originally when you say [Tib 45:32] it is with the Magata Sanggo [?45:46] the princess of central Indian kingdom who was married to very far in south. We're talking about 2600 years. Sort of Indian estate where there is not even a mention of great early Indian practice and teachings. So she invited Buddha. And Buddha traveled with the retinues who had magical power. Magically been able to go there physically when they went. And her husband the King said, "If you're so sad, then invite Buddha here." She said, "I could, I should, and I could." So there's way of inviting. So she went on the rooftop and looked towards the center of India and prayed this particular verse, which translated in a million different ways. It's original, all of those classical circle [47:30?] texts and story. So the Buddha happens to be in somewhere where he normally is, it was the Bihar and U.P. area. A couple of different kingdoms at that time. So the Buddha said, "Ask those retinues --Buddha's followers-- who have the magical powers to be able to go. So ask them to pick up the stick." They had this old system of whether you have the going or not going choice, they give you a stick. So, the question says, "Are you going?" So you pick up the stick, that means you're going. "Are you not going?" [47:43inaud-laughs]. So they pick up the stick and in the early morning they all went. And they all went flying. And that's why you've seen these drawings where the Buddha's flying, even this horse cart flying in the air, and some monks are flying with these robes, and some have fire and some have water and all that. So these drawings we see very often. And that's on this particular story.

When I was a kid, I had a cave. In that cave I had these drawings against the wall. It was a funny cave I had. It was a cave with a couple of rooms, a couple of bedrooms, a living room. [Laughs] And running water, and all that funny thing. Sort of a pocket where I enjoyed my life. Now you think about it, it was running water. Very funny. It was a simple idea. It was up in the mountain and there's a water spring up there somewhere. And they built a little bit of water storage and try to move pipes up and the water comes to the cave. And then they put a faucet so that when you turn on the water it will come. So running water. And then there's a kitchen and then with the kitchen then there's a little living room. That living room had a built-in living room and that living room had a wall and on the wall had a painting of this flying thing. Flying monks and all that. That's why the Reubens Museum has an exhibition of flying-something which Glenn Mullen arranged. Whether it's flying monk or siddhis or something. That's where it is coming from. That is the famous story. That is the basic invocation words which are used in almost every Tibetan Buddhist text. Whatever the tradition is, Sakya, Nyingma, Geluk, whatever it is doesn't matter. That's how it is. That's what they use.

So then it's been re-composed and reworded a million times. But basically it's the same old thing. That's the Invocation. Basically inviting the field of merit in general, and particularly Buddha. And leader of all and one who defeat evil forces. One who knows all and you, the leader and the retinue, I invited. Sort of paraphrasing. That's exactly what it is.

Whether you invite Buddha, very practical word here, whether you're inviting Guru, whether you're inviting yidam, it is one thing. Just one. No difference. Teachings and practice are guided, either basis of Guru or yidam, whatever, but it is only one thing, no difference. The moment you divide, separation within them, then we're defeating our purposes, honestly. The Guru, the Buddha, the yidams, dhammapalas, dakas, dakinis, arhats, boddhisattvas, there is internal division, internal categories, but for all practical purposes for us it is one. Do not try to separate. Let's say if you're engaging in the Tara practice, the whole field is Tara. That's fine. But that's also Buddha. That's also dharma. That's also sangha. That's also Guru. That's also Buddha. In the moment you separate, we have a problem. So you may say, "Hey, that's Buddha. I'm Yamantaka and that's not Yamantaka." But there will be no Yamantaka without Buddha. While I'm practicing Tara there's not really much about Buddha. There will be no Tara without Buddha. Well, I'm Guru practitioner. There will be no Guru without Buddha. And also, most important Guru of all is Buddha. Honestly. People fail to understand that. The most important Guru of all is Buddha.

Guru is what? What is the meaning of "Guru"? What is the definition of "guru"? One who is very heavy with the qualities, one who's loaded with the quality which is total knowledge, total enlightenment, which is Buddha. So this is very important. Whether you invite one or whether you invite zillions, it is one. One is zillions, zillions is one. Once you're invited, these are mental activities too. And that doesn't mean that reality is not happening. Reality is also happening, though we don't see it.

The story of Asanga, not seeing Maitreya Buddha for twelve years. All of those are the reality. Maitreya Buddha said, "I've been with you there the day when you set in, but you simply don't see it. Finally you've been able to see, and that also a very wounded witch." Nothing but totally physical body is covered with wounds and worms. So simply because I didn't see it, it doesn't mean it's not there. Doesn't mean it's not happening. It does happen. It is working. Because if there is something called enlightened beings, and then if it's really there, then they have their own commitments. One of their commitments is to help us. And whenever we're giving them opportunity to help and they're there. If they're not there, they're failing their own commitment which they said is their own commitment.

So they're failing on that. So we know they don't fail. It's there. Somehow we don't see it. Someday we may see it, but we don't.

So anyway, Invocation. The moment you have invited, the moment it's there, what you do is getting business.

I'm sorry I don't know the English--order must be first prayers. Prostration. First, it's something very strange language, honestly. The language itself is very strange. Actually what it is: admiring the quality and giving the respect. Honoring the quality, along with we're seeking the quality. That is the first one. Whether you're physically doing prostration or folded hand or whatever, these are gesture, physical gestures. Physically if you're doing the standing prostration, it's also good exercise. Very good exercise combination with the purification and accumulation of merit together. But, the reality really is admiring the quality. Honor the quality, giving respect, along with that seeking. So that is first what we call it "prostration." Whether that word does any justification or not. And that you look anywhere, any Tibetan Buddhist practice, anywhere you look you have them. Either in the different name or different purpose or different ways or something, but basically you have that. Whether there's seven they do together, maybe three or four comes in. Not only Tibetan Buddhism but in the Chinese. The Chinese, what do they call it, Incense Offering, right? Incense offering. Incense offering they have the same thing there. And Chinese Buddhist takes it very seriously. They change their dress, they beat their cymbals and they line up. Zen, too, take it very seriously. When you look around, they'll go straight. And Tibetan Buddhism, "wah wah wah" everywhere. But honestly, the same thing you do. So the first thing is what we call "Prostration."

Second is Offering. Offering is act of generosity. Generosity is, you know, it is great thing to do. Somehow in the West you don't have to put efforts of talking about generosity because somehow your culture will have a much greater generosity than anything else. That's very admirable, wonderful. And Western way of doing the generosity is also great. They see the needs and they will make sure the hungry gets food, sick gets medicine, and the homeless get shelter. But when you look at the Eastern generosity, whether it's Indian, Chinese, you know it's sometimes the monks, lamas, and rimpoches gets huge and the needy people out there don't get it. So that's the problem there. But in the West, generosity is great. Somehow that's we're very rich with it. And also, Offering. You can offer anything you want. Anything. Outer, Inner, Secret, Suchness, all of them. What does the words say? "Actually arranged and mentally created." So that's the words we use.

But generosity is the mental activity, actually. The purpose of the generosity is cut stinginess. The stinginess comes out because you want to serve ego. Stinginess is ultimately, if you boil down to it, will get to the ego. I will be needing it. I can't give it away. When do you need it? Maybe once in ten years. So that's why we collect all our junk. We will not throw them. "Well, probably we need it!" When? Probably one time in ten years. So stinginess is one of those ego's manifestations and ego's agent. This is when we say we're confused. What is the cause of being rich and wealthy? Generosity. What do we do? We entertain stinginess. We're comfortable entertaining the stinginess. We're not comfortable entertaining the generosity. Yes, we want to be generous. Yes, we would like to have the name of being generous. But we're not really comfortable with generosity. Why? Because of ego. I will be needing it. I'll be left without. And not only "me," "my" will be left without.

So maybe I should cut that there. If we're going that way, I will have no end.

So one of the examples of generosity is Offering. Offering is giving away. We are in habit of saying if it's offered to Buddha, dharma and sangha, or something, or all those teachers and rimpoches and all that, we call them "Offering." And if you're giving it to a people you don't call it Offering you call them give-away or something. Throwaway or something. This is again our culture. You know one important thing Shantideva always argues, and we will appreciate and respect Buddha so much. And why? Because he helps me, guides me, this and that. And we don't respect people not so much because, you know, because it's people. They're not Buddha it is people. But if you really look at the reason, it is the people who help us, the people who give us opportunity to meditate even compassion. People suffer so we recognize suffering, we meditate compassion. People give everything. They give you liver, they give you sweat, they do all things. We have a beautiful house to live in, people built. We have a beautiful running water, people connected. We have beautiful heating and cooling system because people made it. We may say, "Oh yeah. They made it, I paid for it." True. But without their making it, you can't even pay for it. So honestly.

So that's why Shantideva argues the kindness given to us by Buddha and by people are equal. But we respect Buddha so much, we don't respect people. Why not? So I just wanted to mention to you because that's when you do daily functioning you have to really almost think equal. Sort of one is object of worship and one is subject of compassion and one look up, one look down. That normally happens but that may not be right. That might not be right. I raised this, just raised the question. Okay.

So again generosity is a mental activities. Mentally be able to let it go, which is really important. We can't let it go. You know why we collect all this dirts and dust and all this stuff, what you call it, things, articles, old food, cans, broken utensils, all of them, old shirts, all of them, are clear sign we cannot let it go. It is the signal that is saying, "I cannot let it go." So when you see a broken utensil, you can't throw it, "Ah, I cannot let it go." This is a sign. So truly generosity is letting it go. I claiming on it, I'm putting my claw on it. I'm holding it. So letting that go. The major generosity is that. And whatever's the hardest for us to let it go, we should be able to let it go.

Next is Purifying. It is funny. Purifying. The question is can anybody purify anything? If so, why? And how? I don't have much time to talk and think about. But when you're doing it, purifiable yes. Can we undo? No. There's a big difference. What you're purifying is negativities that we accumulated because of certain action. And that negativity you can purify, you can do the negativity go away. You can wash the negativity. But you cannot undo the deeds because whatever harm it has done, it's done. That's why if you killed someone, purification will not bring that person back. Purification cannot do that. Purification doesn't have the capacity or power to be able to do that. Nor we have the power, nor does anyone have the power to do that. But the negativities we accumulated which will bring negative result, so before the negative result is materialized, it is changeable. So the purification is that change. If it's very heavy one, make it lighter. If it's a lighter one, make it disappear. Make it disappear. Which you can do. People does change, even legally. The lawyers will know how to change it. And make sure it goes away from your record, with some different names they put in. It is practically in our life every day, it's happening.

1:18:12

Same way, spiritually it can happen. Sometimes we have this idea, the world that we're in is corrupt world. The spiritual, whatever it is, it is pure. We can't go and change it. We have a saying in Tibet [1:18:30 Tib]. Whether you're a god, or whether you're a human, or whether you're a ghost, you have the same character. So the material world, spiritual world, have a similar function. Very similar function. So that's why you cannot bring the person who you killed back, but you can make your punishment lesser. Or even nothing. Though it is not nothing for this Judy's thing two days ago. We saw the hung jury. So it can happen. Whether it's not happened permanently, but it's happened for that day. It's a reality in that day. It may change the next day, but it is. So all things can change because it's impermanent. Because it's dependent arise, the conditions will change. When the conditions will change the result will be different. That's really what it is.

So things are purifiable. Level of intenseness that one needs to engage, that's what we have to look in. So how do we purify? What do we do? I talked so many times. Four powers and all those, many times, many where. I'm just going to talk today things are purifiable because it's impermanent. Because it's changeable. You can change because you can change the conditions. When the conditions change, it becomes different, because it's dependent arise. Because it's impermanent. So there is not such a heaviest negativities that one cannot purify.

Remember the angulimala story. Remember? There was a guy who would like to liberate himself. He got a bad teacher. The teacher said, "You kill 1,000 people and cut their thumbs and put all on the string and wear it. When it becomes 1,000 I'll liberate you." So such a person who has committed such a crime also can be purified, if you look in that story. There's a little bit of love to the story. Little bit of love to the mother and that's why he's hesitating to kill the mother. So then there's the opportunity for the Buddha to appear. So that the angulimala can become arhat. So does the very dull ignorance, that guy who can't remember two words together. When you remember the "dust" you forget the "dirt." When he learned about the "dirt" he forgot the "dust." Such a person could become arhat because it's impermanent. Because it's dependent origination.

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