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77

20140518GRAAETB48

Good morning and welcome everybody. So I came back from Europe the day before yesterday, in the evening. Jewel Heart in Europe is doing well, extremely well, I think, unlike many other Buddhist centers. They are doing very well. Also, His Holiness visited Holland and Tibetan Buddhist dharma centers sponsored the teaching on Sunday, May 11 and I believe, Jewel Heart Holland was the leader of the effort among all these Tibetan Buddhist centers hosting His Holiness [in the Netherlands]. He came to Rotterdam and we are based out of Nijmegen.

0:02:07.9

Due to circumstances – I was not very well and it was raining and it’s a little far away – I couldn’t make it to attend. But almost everybody from Jewel Heart went. Also the Jewel Heart members such as Nicole as well as the President Hans op den Buijsch, accompanied His Holiness on the stage and did very well. They are all very happy and we are very happy and it is great.

0:02:52.4

So then, what I did there was the teaching on the bodhisattvacharyavatara. I did the 4th chapter on conscientiousness and the 5th chapter on alertness. Somehow Holland wanted that teaching. Over here we did it over many years and from that you have now nine volumes of transcripts available. In Holland I am doing a little shorter version and now chapter 4 and 5 are done. Both are well covered.

0:04:19.9

It is interesting. While we were reading those two chapters, they talk about how the bodhisattvas behave, how bodhisattvas function. One of them is very strange, saying that when you are talking to people, don’t point your finger at them, saying “Do this, do that.” They say, “Show your flat hand and say, “please do this, do that” or “would you like to do this or do that?” In our normal character, it is simple for us to point a finger and even I am in the habit of talking with pointed finger. So when I was reading that teaching, I noticed that I was actually having both my fingers up while reading “don’t point the finger, use your flat hand.”

0:06:01.3

The bodhisattvas’ way of functioning is nothing stranger than a good, normal character of respectable human beings. They will do the same thing. I was caught with both my fingers in the air. So that was a little interesting. I was teaching the subject of alertness and conscientiousness and without that I was going on with both fingers. Suddenly I am reading that you are not supposed to do that. So that was an interesting point of reference for me. They say, “Practice what you preach”, so that’s the point.

0:07:30.4

So then we talked about compassion and bodhimind and about bodhisattva activities and all that, but talking tough is not necessarily very effective. But doing it right is so important. The conscientiousness – and alertness chapters tell us that a lot of our faults come from not being conscientious and aware of what we are doing. That’s rather unfortunate, but we have to be aware of that. It happens every day, every time, to whatever we do.

0:08:59.4

Then the subject we are talking here is also the Bodhisattva’s Way, though the last 3 Sundays I was not able to record especially for these Sunday talks. So we utilized a talk that I gave in Chicago and repeated it for you people for the last 3 Sundays. There are two things on that point: for one thing I apologize that I did not record separately, because I went to Holland there so much rush and also I can normally broadcast from Holland, but everybody was busy with preparing for His Holiness’ visit, particularly all the tech people, so we couldn’t manage. So I do owe you an apology.

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Another point I would like to point out, when something is important, then it is not bad to repeat that once or twice. Not only is it not bad, it is good. There is this good old Tibetan saying, “When it is important, be very careful and repeat it and make sure. When it is dharma, repeat it a hundred times.” That’s how it is. But the most important thing is the effect on the individual. That was the most important point, in the sense that our thinking and functioning, our way of life, has to be slightly influenced and as I pointed out with me pointing with the finger, even if it is a little too late, but you catch it and have a realization of it and then you can correct it. That is what I call “effective”.

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Normally, we have no awareness. We do all kinds of things, but still we don’t know what we did. We often say, “What did I do? I did nothing wrong.” The other person will say, “You still don’t get it!” That’s exactly how it is. Well, if you have a little difficulty and challenges in the normal functioning of life, then it is a different story. Other than that, our thoughts should really be used to watch ourselves and anything we are doing wrong, we should be able to catch it, even if it is later. Even then: better late than never. That’s the good old American saying. So even then you should be really be aware. You know why? Your life doesn’t end today. Our functioning doesn’t end today, so it’s not the end, but almost like the beginning. So every time you catch yourself, even when it is late, it is always a point of reference for not repeating that.

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Actually, all our past history is guidance for our future life. Our future should be shaped according to the mistakes in the past. So with corrections, our future should be brought in. That’s the whole reason why we pay attention to history. It’s not only to appreciate it, but also as guidance for the future. Some people will never have that. They will be repeating the same old thing they did wrong before, again and again and again, particularly in politics, particularly in the semi-military, political, sort of mind-controlling activities.

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They keep on repeating whatever the mistakes that were done before. If a little kid does that you will probably say, “This kid never pays any attention and never thinks and always remains 11 years old.” You may think that and say that and even scold the kid and ground it. But as they get older you can’t do that. So that’s why our mind is really the one that guides us. How can we guide ourselves? With the knowledge of our history. The past is the guidance for the future. Whatever mistakes we made previously, we have to make sure we don’t repeat them. That’s how we are supposed to move.

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But our addictions will interrupt our knowledge and information. That happens to all of us and all of us, those here and those listening, are intelligent persons, not stupid. Honestly. Not a single one of us are stupid. Some may think, “I am not that intelligent.” You are underestimating yourself. Your intelligent is so great, so wonderful, so much so that you really know very well, but you also have a very stubborn nature, plus your addictions will always prevent you from going in the right direction. We talk about the bodhisattva way. We talk about the Mahayana way. We are talking about it, but talking is not doing. We can talk loud and big, but it doesn’t mean anything.

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What we talk and think we should also do. But what we are doing differs from what we think we should do. This is not because we are stupid or not educated, not because we do not know. We do know, we are not stupid, however, it is our addictions and stubbornness. Also there is something called semi-hope and laziness. We don’t want to face a challenge and all that makes difficulties for us. Many times we say, “We can pray.” That’s one thing. That’s fine. Nothing wrong with praying. Actually, it’s great. Prayers may not get answered immediately, but they contribute something in the whole process and these contributions become big they will affect. So there is an effect, even by praying alone. So do not look down on praying. Some people do. I used to do that very much, because I was brought up in the monastery, where they do a lot of dialectical training.

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In one way that makes you very sharp and intelligent and good and your wisdom will grow like crazy. But at the same time it will make you a skeptical person too. You won’t believe anything, you won’t trust anybody. There is always a balance. You will only know that when you become older. When you are younger, you will be very skeptical. I was more skeptical than bare, naked science. I belonged to a religious faith tradition – at least that’s supposed to be my profession, if there is such a thing called “profession” in this case. I don’t know. We all like to be professional and be “pro’s”. But is there really something called “professional”? So the funny thing is when you know a little bit of something then you become “professional”. If you know a little more than that you become “expert”. Unfortunately, I am really thinking that is true. If you analyze properly, think logically, you see that even if they are good, almost 50% of the experts are lay-people, beginning to get into their subject.

0:23:36.4

That’s why when people are called “professional” that’s very questionable to me. On the other hand that is how society goes and functions. So we have to accept that. That’s another point. If society accepts something and you don’t accept it, then you become a twisted person. You may say, “I am honest, I am telling the truth and if you don’t like it, too bad”. Maybe that is honest. Nobody argues with that, but it is also a twisted personality, which is not very nice.

Jigten trak pei kun dzob ma la chig… - even in the Buddhist tenets they say whatever society accepts you have to accept that. You can’t lose that, even if it is wrong, honestly. Because that is relative truth. At the beginning of this year’s Sunday talks I told you about the two truths, relative truth and absolute truth. If you lose the relative truth you become crazy. If you lose the absolute truth you become dull. So you need both truths. There are two: relative and absolute. In our normal thinking we say, “If it is truth it has to be one, either this or that. You can’t in between.” We cut it black and white that way.

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But the sutras say

Jig ten kyen pai zhen la ma sem pa

Den pa de nyi chen dom par dze

Gang zhi kun tsob de chen don dam de

Den pa sum pa nam yang ma che sung (????)

Total knowledge knows two truths:

absolute and relative.

There is no third truth.

So either it is absolute or relative. There is no other truth. When we talk about knowledge, quality, development, the base on which we are looking for that is the two truths. When we are doing spiritual practice we are basing ourselves in these two truths. What we use is wisdom and compassion’s way to achieve our goal and the result or fruit level of that is the mental state of total knowledge and the physical state of total knowledge. These are the three most important skeleton [outlines] of our practice. What are we basing ourselves one? The two truths, relative and absolute. They are the ground on which we stand, on which we function, on which we are managing. How do we do it? With wisdom and compassion. We are talking here about the Mahayana path.

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This year’s Sunday talk are supposed to be based on Mahayana Buddhism. I might have mentioned it before, however, it is important. So relative truth and absolute truth are interesting. If 1000 people say, “This is right” and there is one person who says, “This is wrong”, you can’t say that one person is totally wrong. Mostly probably yes. 999 people being wrong and one right is a little difficult to swallow. But it does happen. You can’t deny that either. But more or less that’s what it is. Temporarily, if you don’t accept you are just another crazy, eccentric person and some may even look at you as fit to be institutionalized or something. You could be genius, you could be. But in the normal way of functioning, generally, that’s what it is: managing the relative and absolute truths is so important in our life.

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If you overdo it on one of them – particularly very intelligent people – you go to the “other side”. If you hold back too much your progress will be held back. So that’s very difficult. That problem is only there for a few people, not the majority. But then everybody would like to be one of those few people, right? Everybody would like to be a mahasiddha, nobody would like to be a common person. But common people have fewer problems and more advantages too. If you are up there all by yourself you have a little danger too. But to be always hidden under the common thing is very good, as long as you don’t get rotten under the skin, being hidden under is always better. And that is the way the bodhisattvas will go.

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Now I thought of something very funny, but I am not going to say it. I like to conclude today’s talk by saying: the most important thing is the mind, particularly the motivation and here also the bodhimind. That means always thinking of helping and serving others. It is very important to think of helping the poor, downtrodden and weak. But that should not be a reason to go against the rich, upper or higher level people. In this society we have all kinds of variety. Some people, in order to protect the weaker people, go against the higher, richer people. But that is also wrong.

Honestly, very wrong. Following and buttering the higher or richer people, wagging your tail, and ignoring the difficulties of the poor, is also absolutely wrong.

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Whenever you say, “I like to be helpful” there is a very important point of equality. No wonder why Buddha emphasized equanimity or equality so much. I don’t think it is my place to say it, but I think all are equal, all are equal, rich, poor, wise, not so wise, everybody is really equal. Our mind is such that we will support one and immediately go against the other, without realizing. And with that we are losing the basis of equanimity. We see that very often. That is not bodhimind. That doesn’t become compassion. It becomes something else, even though is for the sake of the poor and weak, or for the sake of the rich and powerful, but the moment we are taking sides we are losing the equality. A-l-l mother sentient beings – that’s lost then. This type of thing happens in our life all the time. So alertness and awareness, conscientiousness, all must focus on that.

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That’s how we have to function at the motivation level. Then the rest is compassion and love as background fabric. It is like weaving something with fabric. The thread or line goes in. That should be compassion and love. Then helping, generosity, morality and all these, that’s the fabric that goes side-wise. That’s how you weave the fabric of your spiritual life in accordance with Buddha’s Mahayana teaching. Since we are talking this year about Mahayana, I say it today but thereafter I am not going to repeat much, otherwise if I keep saying “Mahayana, Mahayana” it sounds a little funny in some people’s ears.

0:40:16.4

That’s what we have to be aware of every day. Your basis is the two truths, your way is wisdom and compassion and your result is the mental and physical state of enlightenment. That’s what we are looking for. How do you do that? With bodhimind and equanimity and equality as basis of that. If you lose the equality that is a problem. Even in our society, people always want to be right. I am thinking about where I come from. Of course, I come from a very old society, thousands of years of background. I don’t know, whether it was dictatorial or feudal or whatever, we had a funny system where the poor had nothing to say and the rich had a lot of power and the poor were being misused. Then of course came the revolution and the communists came in. Then of course, the rich and upper classes became the targets and the poor were the objects for which the changes were made. The whole thing was reversed and the pendulum swung the other way.

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Again, that created just another suffering society. This time the higher, richer people suffered more. So again the balance was lost. All this will keep on going back and forth. The pendulum will keep on swinging to the right and left all the time, because the equality and equanimity is not being found. If that is found, you can establish a stable ground. [because that’s not there] most of our struggles and issues are on that basis. Peace and war is on that basis. That’s what we have to know and be aware of. Buddha talks about motivation and it is so important. When you begin to look in detail, that is what you see.

0:43:49.8

On top of that you need love – equanimity-based love. If it is not equanimity-based, it becomes attachment. It becomes obsession. It becomes sticky. So it is always good to have love for all and kindness for all. You always want everybody to be great, no matter who, the rich, higher or poorer or lower, sick or healthy. That is really help. On the other hand you may think, “I need to help others, but I need help too.” But the way I help myself is by helping you. On the one hand it looks like selfless, dedicated altruism, but on the other hand it is also very selfish, very much self-service. The way you help yourself is by helping others. This is the only way to help yourself, the only way. Anything else you try to do will have a problem.

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This is the only way. So helping others is helping yourself too. These are the two purposes: of self and others. You will completely be able to fulfill them by one action of yours. Compassion/love is that way. What you hope to get and what you will get is total enlightenment. Total enlightenment is nothing but total knowledge, when there is nothing more to learn. Either it is quality or knowledge. Knowledge produces quality, if you are intelligent enough. If you are not intelligent enough, knowledge produces information, huge amounts of information, huge data bases. What good will that do? It will remain in the box. There is no point. If you are intelligent, make that into qualities of yours. Then it becomes interpersonally effective. That becomes part of you. This is what spiritual practice is, my friends. Honestly. That’s really what it is.

0:47:42.9

Thank you and I think next Sunday I will be in Garrison. Many of us will be in Garrison. One part of the Sunday morning in Garrison will turn into this. That’s it. Then the Sunday after that I will be here. That’s June 1st. See you then, those of you who are not coming to Garrison.

Nikki Appino, one of our Jewel Heart members, made a film called “American Rimpoche” on the basis of my life. From her eyes and her direction, she interviewed me a number of time about two years ago. Now the film is ready and I believe it will be shown in New York. It was already shown in Dharamsala, in India, at a film festival. Those who saw it told us that it was good. I haven’t seen the full film yet. I have seen bits here and there, but not the whole thing complete. Particularly the last editions. Apparently it is 58 minutes long, just under an hour. It will be shown at the Rubin Museum on June 7th. I am not sure, but I was informed that the Rubin museum wrote to Jewel Heart, saying that nobody was buying tickets. So if anybody there is watching, particularly in the New York area, that’s on June 7 at the Rubin museum. I don’t think the hall is very big, 80 – 100. They said that no tickets were sold, except those that Colleen and I and Carole bought. Somehow, whatever the reason is, maybe people didn’t know. So I thought I mention it today.

Another sad news I have to share with you. One of our members, a woman named Kayin, in Hongkong, passed away the day before yesterday, in the afternoon American time, but she lived in Hongkong. She suffered from cancer for a little while. Luckily she didn’t suffer much. When she was diagnosed early enough she was determined not to have western medical treatment. She went with the old Chinese medical system. Some guy in Hongkong told her, “Don’t ever go to doctors, because they will play with your body, nothing else.”

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So she was really determined not to go, no matter how many times she called me and I tried to convey to her that maybe she should go. But I was not going to quarrel with her, saying that she must go to a doctor. I can’t do that. That is people’s choice. Sometimes I regret that but I never do it. People have their own choice. If they don’t want to……….So she was determined not to go until it was really too late. She landed in hospital, but way way too late. So she passed away, so please pray. That’s what I wanted to share with you.

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I guess I said enough. And I should just say thank you. 0:54:45.5