Archive Result

20151213GRAAST44

0:00:00.0 Good morning and welcome everybody. It is nice to be back in Ann Arbor. Meanwhile, for a couple of Sundays I could only play the recordings from Garrison Institute from this summer. Only once I was able to talk to you from Holland. That’s because the timing is such that when 11 in the morning here becomes 5 in the evening in Holland. So by the time it’s 5, I have still been giving whatever teachings I could during the day time. So it was just over by 4 or something. So I couldn’t just continue to talk to you by 5. So my apologies and also my thank you to the people running the webinars from here. Everybody managed this very well. Thank you.

0:01:41.3 When I was in Europe this horrible incident in Paris took place. That affected not only Paris, but also Belgium. I was hoping it wouldn’t affect Holland, like Amsterdam, Utrecht, and so on. Luckily it didn’t. But it was an unfortunate incident. A few of our friends went from here to Holland also went to Brussels. Luckily they were just one day ahead of Belgium shutting down. So we personally did not have any difficulties, none of the people that went from here. We had 27 people from the US coming to the Vajrayogini teachings in Holland and 11 from Malaysia and one from Singapore and one from Beijing, China. So it all went without any incidents.

0:03:48.1 I have a couple of initiations. I began with the 1000 arms-1000 eyes Avalokitesvara initiation for 2 days. It is a sort of introduction to Vajrayana for the Europeans. A large number of people attended. I don’t exactly know the number but it was way over 100. Normally, in Jewel Heart Netherlands we have around 60 people, but this time there were way over 100. So there were a lot of new people. That’s because Jewel Heart Netherlands became to engage on facebook and twitter. In particular, Nicole and another young woman whom I haven’t even met. They did a lot of social media – individually – not as “Jewel Heart”, but individually. That’s what it was very good and a lot of people came and it helps those individuals who open they mind’s eyes and it also helps Jewel Heart to be able to function. So it was very good.

0:06:01.0 Then came two initiations: Avalokitesvara initiation, which I did the same day. Then we had Heruka 5 deities initiation for those who wanted to take the Vajrayogini initiation for the first time. That was tough for me, because the preparation was okay. But after the preparation the actual initiation I would normally do in one day. So it took me 10 hours to do it and then I had 10 hours of therapy. That’s how my 24 hours went: 10 hours of therapy and 10 hours initiation, preparation and actual initiation.

0:07:29.9 So it was tough. That’s why with the winter retreat coming up here we will have the Yamantaka initiation and that will take even more time than the Heruka 5 deity initiation. Therefore, I am sure the program people will inform you, but I am planning – if anyone who is coming is listening – to do the preparation in one day and the actual initiation over 2 days, rather than pushing it through in one day, which would become 12 hours for me. In the long run though I have to do more work: self initiation for 3 days, but maybe that is easier to do it over 3 days rather than trying to do it all in 20 hours. For me it becomes that way. The initiation takes time and the preparation almost takes the double amount of time.

0:09:02.7 So it becomes difficult. So it is becoming like that. So we are eating the time away out of the teaching time, but the teaching will be based on the sadhana teaching, so it will be good. Normally, a number of you people ask me, “On the basis of which commentary are you teaching and who wrote the book and when was it written and which commentary is it?” It is a common question they put to me. But now, that I can’t see, I can’t use any commentaries, so that’s what it is. I did the teaching of Vajrayogini without looking in any book, in all the 8-9 days. That’s what it was supposed to be anyway, but I always like to read a little more for myself and it is always nice to have a book nearby.

0:10:50.4 I do remember when Kyabje Gomo Rinpoche passed away, they asked Lochö Rinpoche, who is also gone now, to give a Vajrayogini teaching to his sangha in Mussorie. So Lochö Rinpoche had the commentary book with him and he gave the teaching without looking, but occasionally, the day when I was there – I could only be there one day – Lochö Rinpoche said, “Better look in the book, rather than just without.” So he did open the book and look. So now I can’t look in the book, so Vajrayogini has the nying gyü tse me zhin de – the four reliabilities of the whispering tradition, plus you add up the lama’s teaching on the basis of personal realization or practice.

0:12:18.0 So if you look in the book it doesn’t become personal practice or realization. Buy if you don’t look in the book, then it’s not only the four reliabilities, but a fifth one is added up. It is considered the important thing in the Genden nyin gyu tradition. That’s the whispered tradition of Genden nying gyu. That is normally done with Vajrayogini and Solitary Hero Yamantaka. So probably this time it has to be, because I don’t see it.

0:13:20.3 So, that’s that and then, what has happened in that period, when I didn’t see you, that horrible thing happened in California, which is really terrible and so sad and very bad. Hopefully, it will not go too much more, as well as hope it doesn’t drive people with fear and the people will not be driven to taking drastic actions. Because of the fear everything like that happens. Remember, after 9-11 we had so much fear that Americans almost totally gave up their freedom of choice and all that. Remember, there were times when John Ashcroft was the attorney general and President George Bush Jn. were clipping all our freedoms and rights. Normally Americans will never accept that, but they were happy to surrender even to be strip searched at the airports and taking their shoes off and pants off. John Dingell had to take his pants off at the airport. Somebody took photos. They made him do it because he had a hip replacement or something and all funny things happened.

0:15:56.0 Senator Kennedy couldn’t fly on commercial planes a number of times, because some terrorist was listed as Edward Kennedy. So when Edward Kennedy showed up at the airport, the TSA people stopped him, because his name was on a terrorist list. All these crazy things we went through. I hope we will not be driven that far.

0:16:44.2 On the other hand it was wonderful what has happened in Burma. Ang Sang Suu Kyi’s party won the election in a democratic election, without war, without picking up guns. The military was willing to step aside and let the civilians manage. That’s a wonderful thing. I was also told that this was not just because of demonstrations and people in the streets, but also as a result of years of negotiations between the military authorities and the free world. It was led by the Singapore government and many others. So with the promise of heavy investment the military was willing to step aside. I don’t know whether I am supposed to say it, but from I understand Burma, now Myanmar, is the poorest country in Asia. It is poorer than Cambodia and Sri Lanka and Bangla Desh. But in South East Asia there is also Laos and all of those. And Burma is the poorest in per capita income. And it is Buddhist. I hope the Buddhist majority will not bully the Muslim minority, because if they do that, then there is no difference. If the followers of Buddha who talks only about love and compassion, act the same way as others, then what good is it to be a follower of the love- compassion principle of Buddha? Then it does no good at all. So I hope they don’t do that, but do well.

0:20:03.2 If that goes well, then it will be wonderful. George Bush hoped to gain a wonderful democracy in the Middle East. He was saying that it would be wonderful if Iraq became a democratic country. But it didn’t materialized. His approach hurt so many people is so many ways. So it is not easy to function that way. But if there is democracy really taking place in Burma it will be great. Most of the South-East Asian countries are supposed to be democratic, but it’s democracy with limitations. The ruling parties and prime ministers are always the same, for 30-40 years, same prime minister and same party. And after a little while, anyone voting against them will be very afraid. So there nobody officially threatening, but it becomes very threatening and almost all the South East Asian democratic countries are demagogues – that’s more or less how they function. Burma is brand new right now, so hopefully they don’t become demagogue 0:22:15.8 but a true democracy.

0:22:15.8 Then, I was very happy with what has happened today in Paris, the agreement on the climate situation between such a large number of nations. I think all the leaders, including President Obama, really deserve congratulations. And President Xi Jinping had no choice. In Beijing you can’t even see across the street. But you know they are the first welcome and all that, but it’s great. However and whatever it is, it’s great.

0:23:11.2 And then personally, in Michigan, Ann Arbor, yesterday there was a climate march which had over 800 people. It is great. I wish, if I could walk, I would have walked, but I really rejoice and it is really wonderful. Ann Arbor is the base on which really democratic principles are kept in life. What I mean is that this is the place where the anti-Vietnam war demonstrations started. That was in the University of Michigan. It was from here that the movement started. Also President Kennedy came all the way here to declare the Peace Corps, here in the University of Michigan. So Michigan is really important from the historical point of view, keeping democracy and freedom and liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is really the basis.

0:24:45.2 But in the last couple of decades Michigan people decided to sit on the backburner for a while (laughs) and Michigan is halfway between a red state and blue state. For me, red or blue, whatever it is, it doesn’t matter, it makes no difference to me, however, freedom, liberty and all this make a big difference to me.

0:25:27.1 I have been kicked out of Tibet and I also ran, because of wanting choice, freedom and liberty. I became very proud to be American citizen I call myself American Tibetan rather than Tibetan American. I am very proud and happy and it is a great honor, but also I did that because of choice and freedom, not because of the green dollar. So that’s very important, in life and everything and even in Buddhism, on the spiritual path, you need freedom and choice. It is based on that. If you really look at Buddha’s teaching, everything is based on the majority’s ideas. There are very, very strongly democratic ideas. Sometimes people can drive over and stage them a little bit into Communism too.

That is not right. Communism, as far as I know, is horrible. There is no choice and no freedom. There is class. People think that Communism has no class. That’s not true. They have a big class. The don’t call it class, but the powerful people, the Polit Bureau members, have been in power for generations, whether you look at the Russian Polit Bureau or the Chinese Polit Bureau. Cuban Communism doesn’t have a Polit Bureau running for generations. Maybe it’s too poor or whatever it is. But if you look in the Chinese society, those people who engaged with Chairman Mao on the long march, [have been in power every since]. During the long march they had great difficulties, because the public rejected them, and fought against them. They didn’t even have food, so they boiled their shoes and ate them. That’s very true. But now, if you look, they have been in power ever since they ousted Chiang Kai-shek to Formosa, now known as Taiwan. Then the long march people became the ruling class. Their children are now known as Princelings.

0:28:48.5 Even Xi Jinping is a member of the Princelings. I met a number of them, 27 or 28 year old girls, no brothers, or 27, 28 year old boys, no sisters. The father died and now a 27 year old boy or girl owns 70, 80 or 100 industries. This is the Princeling class. They have all the economic power and naturally, they also have political power because of their parents. Those who are middle class are struggling to remain in the middle class or go to the lower class and those in the lower class suffer tremendously, tremendously. Communism doesn’t have that, but democracy does. Socialism, I don’t know. Our friend here says “I am a socialist”, that’s Jonas. So that means that everything that belongs to others belongs to him and anything belonging to him is not to be seen. I don’t like that socialism at all. Just joking, kidding. It is a good thing I can tease Jonas.

0:30:43.0 Anyway, if you look at European forms of socialism, truly speaking, they are good. But some claim to be socialist and then everybody’s things belong to everybody and my things are not to be seen. That’s not right and that’s not even socialism. Anyway, I don’t know why I said this.

0:31:17.7 Then one thing I have to say is that the Europeans are going through a little uncertainty and turmoil, because of the terrorist effect. Then the refugee crisis is there. A huge amount of refugees are coming in. Certain leaders of European countries, like Germany, are ready to absorb everybody who comes. When you look at it, their compassion and caring for the suffering of the people is their turn because they came to their door and knocked and they accepted them and it is great, great compassion and care and love. On the other hand, Europe is not like any other country, like the United States or Mexico or Asian countries, like China and India. Those European countries have small populations in small areas. So sometimes the refugee population becomes so high. For example, before I went to Europe, Hartmut told me that the place where his mother lives they have 300 inhabitants and 700 refugees. And that’s one example. But everywhere in Germany that’s what is happening. So the Germans who I have known for a long time are saying that they are happy to accept refugees but that they are very concerned. They spell out their concerns: they think that the European civilization is a little more advanced than the civilization in the Middle East, culturally. One vivid example is the women’s rights and issues. Mostly, Syrians, Iraqis, Afghans, Libyans and so on don’t consider women as effective members of the families. Women are there to do the dirty chores and look after the males, rather than do anything important.

0:35:07.7 I am sorry, but I think that’s their culture. And they see the world is going the other way around and they try to change, but those Europeans estimated that it will take at least 5 generations to change the culture to become equal to European standard. And that’s the No 1 worry. No 2 is the educational status. They say that you can educate the second and third generation, but it is going to take at least two generations to get them to the general level of education. Then they also worry that these people are going to go to the same schools, so the European kids will have to slow down, in order to catch up those kids.

0:36:30.9 That reminds me of Justice Scalia’s remarks. He almost said the same thing: the African Americans can’t go to appropriate schools because we don’t want to slow down Harvard and Yale. But I think the Europeans are worrying because it’s not just one or two or a minority, but it’s almost going to be like up to majority level. So it’s really shifting. And then most of the refugees are really clearly seen, economic refugees. Of course there is tremendous suffering in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. We are not denying that. But most of them are economic refugees. Germany is open and they all say, ”Let’s go” and Syria is going to become empty. You never know. There is that much movement. And now the Africans are coming too. So clearly, they want to go to Germany. That’s what’s happening. So the Europeans feel a little uncertainty. I thought I would share that with you, because that’s what’s happening.

0:38:21.4 We don’t have that much problem. When President Obama accepted a limited number of refugees I thought it was not kind enough. But now when you see all these problems, you have to think. But the United States is a huge country with a huge population. And the whole country is a collection of immigrants, including all you Caucasians, you born again Americans. You are all immigrants. The true Americans are the native Americans, which is why we call them native Americans anyway. So that is very little. So it is huge what they can absorb. But however, if you can afford to do it you can. But you cannot carry out such generosity actions when you cannot afford to at your own expenses [you shouldn’t]. If you can adjust you can adjust, but beyond that one shouldn’t do it. We are still a wonderful country in the world, the best. Whatever is available today in the world, the United States is the top of the top. Really, the cream of the crop.

0:40:18.0 The top of the jewel and we are really happy to be here. Along with this, we have a great opportunity to make our life worthwhile and that’s why you people spend time listening to me every Sunday and every other teaching – to make your life worthwhile. As you know, I will not repeat in detail, life is extremely important. And your life is more precious than that of many of your colleagues. Many of your colleagues are well educated and rich and many of them are a little less educated but very hippy type of people. They are all great and wonderful lives, but yours is slightly different, because of your views, your ideas and your open mind, particularly looking into the life and lives and making a difference to your life and lives in this life time, this time. That’s why your life is much more important and valuable than that of your colleagues, sometimes, though I don’t want to say that; it sounds a little funny. But the reality is that it has nothing to do with who you are, but with what you think in your mind.

0:42:31.5 So your mind is looking into your present life, and back at your past life. Your mind is looking forward to your future life. You may not realize but when you talk about karma, people who have nothing to do with it and are not Buddhist practitioners, even they sometimes say “this is karma”. So when you think about karma you are looking back at your past life. You are looking at your present life and forward to your future life. And that is the first to be established. You don’t have to accept past and future life if you are not ready to accept. But I don’t think you have the right or the capacity to deny it simply because “I have not seen it.” That is not good enough. There are so many things we don’t see but which are happening. Thanks to the television we know what is happening in Beijing. Otherwise, we wouldn’t see it, but still, it is happening, right?

0:44:19.2 If the television wasn’t there we wouldn’t see it. With our ordinary eyes, sitting in Michigan, we don’t see it. You can hear it, maybe and through television you can see it. This is how the human capacity can be extended through the aid of either electronic or scientific or spiritual means. So here you can see scientifically how it is being extended. Spiritually you can equally do it. Now I remember something I have to talk to you about today and that is yes, spiritually you can achieve and do that. But it is an achievement. It is not like a scientific thing where everybody everywhere does the same thing and has the same result. This is not going to show up, because we cannot handle our mind the same way. It is fickle all the time. So you cannot do it that way.

0:46:06.8 Spiritually you can achieve things, but it takes time and it is a struggle. You never know what comes first. There are some people from Ohio, Jewel Heart people, trying to contact me, saying that they have certain difficulties and whether they should take medical advice or go for spiritual healing. I don’t think there is a choice between either medical or spiritual healing. Medically, if it can help, better take it straight away. If you don’t, there will be a time called “too late”. And if that time comes it is difficult. Spiritually, it will materialize or not materialize, you never know. Yes, spiritual healing is there and it helps. But it helps very slowly. I tell you one thing: my late wife’s sister was Bhutanese and married to the Bhutanese prime minister first.

0:47:32.6 The prime minister was assassinated and then she got married to a Tibetan old noble family member. He had gall stones in his gall bladder. There was a Tibetan doctor, the top, top doctor, honestly – not like today’s doctors. There were two of them and they said, “Yes, we can heal it with prayers and pujas and lamas.” Of course, in those days Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche and Kyabje Ling Rinpoche were alive. So you can’t get more heavy weight spiritual people than that. Being Bhutanese, Dilgo Kyentse Rinpoche was there too. Also Dudjom Rinpoche. The guy took their medicine and finally, it almost came to the point where there was no more choice and they had to operate. They operated in Delhi and the funny thing was that it was actually healing. The stones had become very sort. It needed another year or two to heal it and the stones would have gone away. But the pain when there was attacks became so severe that they had to operate. When they took them out physically, even the Indian doctors said, “What happened here?” They never saw stones like that. Normally they are hard and these were soft. So it does heal, but it takes time.

0:49:58.2 So when you have a choice, better take the medical choice straight away, without question. If you are too late it is not good. Not only in the Tibetan tradition, but in the Christian tradition there is faith healing too. But many of the faith healings become too late. So for your own sake, your own personal benefit you should take medical help. There is such a great medical and scientific thing available today. Take total advantage of it. It is your privilege, it is your luck. If you want me to say it: it is your right.

0:50:48.8 It is your human right, your birth right, your citizen’s right. So take all this and then do the faith healing, if you like to do it side by side. Yes, I know, some of the chemical things are quite harmful and difficult. But without side effect we don’t have a perfect healing right now. If you are fully enlightened you may have that, but right now, it is not available for us. Even in my own case, I wish my kidneys could be healed through faith, but I am not going to wait for the faith to heal the kidneys, because my death may come before the kidneys get healed. Also my eyesight. I wish it can be healed, but medically it is not reversible. My blood pressure dropped way below 90 or something. Normally my blood pressure is always 160, 170 and suddenly it dropped below 90. Then there was no moisture at the back of the eye. The other was already taken by diabetes, so I have been having blurry vision or whatever.

0:52:39.3 So I wish it could be healed, but I am not waiting for it. I am not waiting, I am accepting. There is no choice for me but to accept that. And then you enjoy your life. You can hear, and sometimes you can see something. Is that Geoff over there? Good to see you. If you want to accept that, then whatever you see you see. It is a little difficulty with reading. You can’t read the books much. I also rely on my news from the television and that may be a little difficult too and I accept that and there are other ways too. There is the radio and there are people who talk to you and there are situations that you can be happy about.

0:54:03.3 Any situation in you life you do two things. One, think: I have these difficulties and by experiencing these difficulties, may other people, not even a single one, have to experience that. May my experience substitute. That is my main prayer for kidneys, eyes and all that. The other thought is: this is your karma. I might have damaged some people’s kidneys before or damaged some people’s eyes before. As a consequence of that I am experiencing that and I accept and I hope that no other person will have to experience this. So use these two thoughts in any unfortunate incident and be happy about it. That is the good life, honestly. If I get nervous and keep on worrying I will think, “Why is this happening? What am I going to do? Nothing, right? You can do nothing.

0:55:35.3 You can run to the healers and doctors and get a second opinion and third and fourth opinion and even the 25th opinion, but you are not going to reach anywhere. A doctor in Kellog’s told me that this eye condition is irreversible. I accepted that and didn’t take a second opinion. Dagyab Rinpoche scolded me on the telephone last year. He said, “I didn’t expect you to do that. There is a university even in Holland – (I was in Holland at the time) – and they have very good people and they have very scientific things and why don’t you get a second opinion?” I said, “Yes, yes, Rinpoche.” But I didn’t do it, because the Kellog’s people are very good in the six years in the United States and I am quite sure they are better than European ones, that’s No 1, and No 2, that’s your karma. In one way that’s your karma and in another way your punishment. Whatever is it, if is your karma or your punishment, it is fine. I happily enjoy that and the most important thing is to enjoy your life and that’s what I do and that’s what you should do.

0:57:18.9 If you are looking at me, any difficulties you have, if there is something to be corrected you should correct it and if there is nothing to be corrected, like in the case of my eyes or kidneys, then no point being upset about it. Being upset and unhappy is just additional torture and suffering. So don’t entertain that. Whatever you have, be satisfied and happy. One of the best gift of the Buddha to his disciples was: be satisfied with what you have. That is very rich. Even if you have no money and even if you have a lot of debts, if you are satisfied with your life you are rich. You are not poor. If you have zillions of extra dollars and don’t even know what to do with it, but if you are not satisfied with your life, then you are poor, honestly. This is how I think and this is how I live and I hope that will help you people, especially if you have difficulties of which there is no shortage for us.

0:58:59.4 So, handle your difficulties in that way. And then be kind, be gentle. Don’t be gentle on the surface to show you are gentle, but be gentle from the gentle from the bottom of your heart. We Asians show gentleness in the face, but not necessarily from the heart. I was talking with one friend this morning. You know when they tell you, “You are the best”, [what does that mean?] We are all Asians, Chinese, Tibetans, Vietnamese, Koreans, and particularly Japanese took over the American automobile market with the Honda Civic. I was here in the United States in 1977 and it was the first time that three Japanese bowed down to any Americans that came near a Honda Civic and then said, “Get American on Honda Civic.” That is how they sold Honda Civics first. Then, after that, came Toyota and Mitsubishi and Nissan and everything. That’s how they took over. So that is gentleness on the outside, not necessarily inside.

1:00:46.5 But when you try to be gentle, that way, honestly, I think Americans and even Europeans are more straightforward. Asians don’t fight and don’t argue. They will say yes, but not truly yes. That’s what happens. Many negotiations with the Japanese in the 90s, before the economy went down, the Japanese said, “yes, I said yes, because I heard what you said. That’s why I said yes.” So yes doesn’t mean totally yes, unless it is made a solid yes and carved in stone. Until then you don’t know. That’s why when I said, ‘be gentle and kind’, I mean both, the external face and the internal mind together. Being straightforward like Americans. They are an example of being straightforward throughout the world. You people in the United States may not know what jokes people play outside. Maybe I should tell you, it is a dirty joke, I am sorry.

1:02:32.3 The queen of England attended a meeting which was attended by the Secretary of State of the United States, the prime minister of England, the president of France and the chancellor of Germany. That day the queen had a stomach problem and passed on air and made a little noise. The prime minister of England immediately got up and said, “Excuse me, Madame, I am so sorry.” The queen was the one who passed gas, but the prime minister got up and said, “I am so sorry.” The second one came and this time the French got up and said, “I am sorry Madame.” Then the third one came and the German chancellor got up and said, “I am sorry, Madame.” The fourth one came and the Secretary of State said, “I guess that’s my Ma’am.” That’s another example of how the Americans are straightforward. That’s what it is. That straightforwardness is a good quality. It is admirable and wonderful and you say what you mean and that’s really great and the kindness compassion is the same way.

1:04:09.9 You say what you mean. I think I will be here next Sunday, right? No?

Audience: If you would like to come, we will be here!

Rimpoche: What is next Sunday? The 20th. Do we have anything else in between?

Audience: No.

Rimpoche: I will be happy to come back next Sunday, if it’s okay.

Audience: cheers.

Rimpoche: Nothing else is scheduled, right? So I will be here next Sunday. I have not been here for a long time and I thought I would be able to talk to you several times from Holland and I got to talk to you only once, thanks to Kimba. She pushed me that day. Otherwise I would not have done it. Then, during the retreat, the teaching time made it impossible. I got very tired, not like before. My blood pressure drops down and then I can’t lift up my head. So that becomes a problem. So anyway, I will be here next Sunday and hopefully I will see you all that day. How many do we have listening on webinar today?

Audience: 115.

Rimpoche: So thank you so much everybody for listening today and hopeful we will see and hear you next Sunday too. So thank you.

1:06:21.4 May all beings….. 1:07:10.1 end of file