Archive Result

Soundfile 19850702GR3P (07)

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location

Topic Three Principles

Transcriber Glenn Powers

Date 2020-12-09

This morning we have done the reverence to the holy gurus. We have done the explaination, briefly, and meditation on that. Now, the next... I think I even give the sign of the development of the guru devotion also. Though, normally in the teachings the Buddha had emphasized very much that you don’t believe because what I said so. You always check with yourself. It’s always the Buddha’s method. Always he says [Tibetan] 0:01:46.3. So, he has given the example of the gold and all this, saying that... it’s familiar, you have heard. So, I’m not going to repeat. So, checking is very important. Buddha had so much emphasize on that. However, Buddha also emphasized it is necessary to develop faith, also. Buddha never wanted person to develop blind faith. But always, he wanted to develop intelligent faith, faith which is come out of perfect understanding and good wisdom. You know, understanding wisdom, I mentioned to you three different wisdoms.One of those, faith which followed by one of those wisdom, that what Buddha emphasized. It is necessary because [Tibetan] 0:02:46.4 This intelligent faith is necessary that given example like mother, mother who gives birth to all the child, different childs. So similarly, the faith will be like mother. All the benefits and knowledge and developments will be giving , protected and will grow. Similarly, in the Kungetalila 0:03:18.4 sutra whey have said [Tibetan] When the people could not build up any faith at all, at all, then he cannot bring any development. Example is when you have burned the seed and then you try to get crop, you know burn the seed, seed was burned and then you put it down and hope to get crop out of it, you can never get it. [Tibetan] As the seed is already burned, you can never hope to get crop out of it. So, just like that. This is important. Always interesting way, Buddha had emphasized that nobody should believe him because he said so. But, poeple should develop faith after understanding, after with intelligent understanding, then you don’t have to much emphasize, you automaitcally you will develop. But, some people will say, well, I’m developing some kind of funny faith, so BUddhism never wanted to have faith and that I don’t wanted, I want throw that out. So, that’s why I’m saying this. It’s not to be throw out,it’s needed at base again. Like I giving you, it is like mother and when you don’t have it, it is like seed which is burned. So, that’s it. That’s why, even this guru devotion development is also the root of which you develop faith and then remember the kindness and then develop devotion. This is how the first step has to be taken, as mentioned earlier. Now, I do not know whether you have understood or not. 0:05:08.8

Now, the second and third, still at the preliminary level, but here there’s no meditation, these two lines, two verses, you don’t have to meditate anything. But, you need to know what the verses are talking. [Tibetan] 0:05:31.4 Can you read that?

Audience: I will explain best I can the central import of all the Victor’s teachings. The path praised by all the holy bodhisattvas, best entrance for those forunates who seek freedom.

Rimpoche: One things I have forgot to tell you, I have told you the benefits for the guru devotion, but I never told you, I forgot to tell you, the disadvantages. I said there is disadvantage, I never mention to you. Disadvantages are necessary to mention. Just to know about it. [Tibetan] 0:06:18.1 In the Kalachakra tantra, Buddha himself had said, [Tibetan] 0:06:35.7 IF you get angry over a spiritual master, number of time, number of minute or period, whatever, you have got angry, you will be burning that much virtuous which you have collected during the different eons. Suppose you are angry for ten minutes, the result is you are burning the virtues that you have collected for ten eons. [Tibetan] 0:07:29.8 Similarly, that much eons you will be suffering a strong suffering of suffering in hell realm, etc. So, it is very heavy one. Very heavy one. Buddha himself had told whatever is the heaviest non-virtuous action, there are five limitless non-virtuous actions Buddha has given, five limitless. [Tibetan] 0:08:04.5 Killing the father, killing the mother, killing enlightened person and all this. There are five limitless non-virtuous, limitless, most heaviest. But, when they ask about this mistake in the guru devotion and Buddha said it is much more heavier than this and I cannot speak. Buddha sort of pretend to be scared to speak about non-virtuous accumulated out of which. So, that’s it. 0:08:47.0

Even in Hinayana system, in the Mahayana system, even much more and much longer, there are more difficulties been found. So, that’s why I think this referred as root of all development. Root of all development. Now, that should be enough. Now, the second is [Tibetan] 0:09:15.8 The essence of the teachings of the Buddha, okay, no matter how much teachings are may be. Or, if you included, it will always can be included into the essence of the teaching that is either dealing with morality or either dealing with wisdom or paramita activities. Paramita activities means transcendent activities. Okay? There cannot be third one. There cannot be third one. So, it was included in it. So, the most important, most important discipline are moral activity is the transcendental renunciation and the most important teaching on the widsom is perfect view and most important teachings on the metaphysics are the bodhicitta. So therefore, it is the essence of the teachings of the Buddha. Now, there is something more than that. Another way is all the teachings of the Buddha, whatever the Buddha had taught, number of different volumes. But, everything, whatever he taught, he taught it to a people to be able to develop within perfect path, to be able to come to the standard of the Buddha, to be able to become a buddha. In other words, there is not a single teaching which is not ment for one person, let that be me to be able to develop to enlightenment. There is no such teaching of the Buddha. If you read it, all this, it is always directed to one person to obtain enlightenment. When I say one person, you think it may be one person, whoever come before, no. That one person can be me. Wherever, whatever level you problem, if you consult it, if you read it in there, There’s always solution and ways and methods been given. Therefore, all the teachings, no matter however vast it may be, it is all ment for one individual to obtain enlightenment from this level to ultimate. You understand? 0:11:42.2

So, to be able to understand that, it is necessary all this path to be able to line up, if you are unable to line up the paths, which should follow what and how to develop what. If the paths are unable to follow it, then there is no hope. There is no way. You must know the first step, then you must know the second step, then you must know third step and paths must know. Right? To be able to go on that, we have to know it. So, all the paths are put one after another, lined up, first is this, second is this, third is this, fourth is this, lined up. That is called the lamrim, as I told you, the way of the road, earlier. That’s called lamrim. Though, the name of the lamrim had only come after Atisha and Tsonkgapa and all this, but the teaching system is from the Buddha onwards it has been developed. Some people say the lamrim is only the Gelupa system. No. There is no other way. No matter whatever the system you may be following, you actually following step-by-step development. So, that’s why it’s essecne of the teachings of the Buddha. [Tibetan] 0:13:30.4 All the teachings of the Buddha, whether it is the relative teaching or absolute teaching, it is important to know, it is ment for one individual to obtain enlightenment and it is not contradicting to each other. It is not contradicting to each other. To be able to know this is very important. If you able to know this, you’ll be able to stop all your different and bad behaviors. That’s it. And, people do misunderstand a lot, always. In other words, you understand now. The teachings of the Buddha is all ment for one individual to obtain enlightenment. Which means, in some portion they are talking something else which is ment for me. In another portion they are talking something else, which is also ment for me. When you look in the sutra path, then they are talking about sutra activities, which is ment to me. When you read the vinaya paths, then they talk about discipline, the body discipline, the mind disciple, the monk’s root, etc., etc., etc. is also ment to me. When you read another tantra, they’re talking about tantra, which is also ment to me. Now, if you take them paths separately, sutra is the... vinaya rules ment for the monks and nuns and all different people, let them go that way. That is separate. Then you have the Mahayana and all this, this is ment for so-and-so. Now you pick the tantra, oh, that is ment for me. Okay. You pick up that. So, you get nothing. Because you have incomplete. So, in one portion your doing it and you don’t know what to do with this, this portion will tell you to do this, this, this. Because they are talking about concern on that level only. So, you are not talking. So, you are unable to understand the stage-by-stage which you have to go and how you have to follow. When you fail to understand that and then you get nothing out of it. Nothing out of it because you try here, it won’t work, you try there, it won’t work. Just because it is not in order. If you have a lot of screws together and put up some sort of stand, lamp or something. You release them all screws separately put it there and you take on portion and try to make it long and try to make it something, it won’t work... fit them back together. Like a jigsaw puzzle, the children pay the jigsaw puzzles and you have to fit them all together and become a house or horse or whatever it may be. At the end you have left nothing, no pieces left, it become a full house. Just like that. 0:16:44.5

So, you cannot take a portion out and say, hey, this is Buddhism, that’s what I should do. No. Has to have whole, complete path. Otherwise, it won’t work. As I told you early morning, without base, if you say mantras and then I told you how it ghost become and all this. That is all this reason. Okay. 0:17:12.9

Tsongkhapa wrote a letter to Lama Umaba, this teacher, and he had mentioned [Tibetan] 0:17:55.5 Tsongkhapa has returned to one of his teacher, Lama Umaba, from Sakya tradition. So, Tsongkhapa wrote to him and saying, look I have found the Atisha’s system of the lamrim teaching of the sutra and tantra, they are both, there are sutra lamrim and and tantra lamrim also. Tnatra, they don’t call it lamrim, it’s called nyurlim, because tanra is known as nga and sutra is know as path, so lamrim and nyurlim. So, Tsongkhpapa said, I found the system of the Atisha’s lamrim and nyurlim were quite an interesting and quite interesting. So, I do practice myself and given teachings and try to develop the students only through this path only, he said. He also said if you read this carefully and if you understand it nicely, it includes all the teachings of the buddhas are together to develop one person from here to the ultimate level. If anybody who knows how to talk about and anybody who knows how to listen about this and if you do it, this teaching it is not a small, it includes all the different teachings of the Buddha into it. So therefore, I will not emphasize so many different variety of the teaching, but I emphasize only this procedure. That is what Tsongkhapa has written to his master. So, he said he doesn’t want to have so many different teachings of this and this and this and that, doesn’t want, doesn’t do it. They say only emphasized people, he emphasized to do this properly and that’s what it is. That’s why I also mentioned to you some other time, also. Tsongkhapa also does not emphasize for any nundros at all. He does not emphasize nundros at all. He emphasized this particular path. Because, when you have the lamrim development, then you have the all completed path within that. That’s why he doesn’t emphasize on nundro, also, this is the reason why as he mentioned to Lama Umaba. So, the Sakya tradition also does not have the nundro system before. Now, they’re doing it. I do not know why. Okay. Now, let’s go down. Doesn’t matter. 0:20:47.3

[Tibetan] Because of this, Tsongkhapa have mentioned to his lamrim, or even three principle path, [Tibetan] 0:21:11.4 The essence which has been collected by the teachings of the Buddha, he refered to lamrim or three principles as the collection of the essence of the teaching of the Buddha. [Tibetan] 0:21:29.8 This, even you say once, or even you teach once, or even you listen once, it accumulates a tremendous amount of virtue and tremendous amount of merit and give a tremendous result and you get the benefit of the reading of all the collected works of the Buddha, you have the benefit of the meditating all the collected of the buddhas also in this. That’s why [Tibetan] 0:22:00.5 Not only Tsongkhapa said this, but Atisha’s student Dom has said [Tibetan] 0:22:23.7 He said the interesting teachings of the buddhas are the three higher teachings or three basket teachings and that is nothing but the three levels of the different teachings, that level of common with the lower level, common with the medium level and the higher level teachings. Now, this is different terminology for lamrim. Common with the lower level, common with the medium level... Common with the lower level means in three principle, it’s called renunciation. That is common with the lower level. Why it’s called common with the lower level, instead of saying lower level teaching rather than saying common with? Because, we are, as I told you this morning, the path is not that they wanted you to develop in the lower level and then come up to the higher level. No. It was aimed directly going through the higher level even today via tantra practice into the ultimate enlightenment. So therefore, absolute necessary, necessary at the lower level has to be done so that’s why it called common with the lower level, even you going to the higher level, you have to use this. So, it’s common with the lower level. Okay? So, [Tibetan] 0:23:39.4 These are the most interesting teachings of the Buddha that common with the lower level, common with the medium level is bodhicitta and wisdom. Then, there are higher trainings also. That’s it. That is [Tibetan] 0:23:58.9 referred as golden mala. [Tibetan] 0:24:02.0 Whoever used this golden mala, it will have tremendous benefit and fulfill their essence of the life. Than’s what Dompa was said. In short, now, in short, in short, this very teaching of the lamrim or three principle had tremendous amount of extraordinary qualities. Qualities, the essence of all, okay, now, make it short, there are... actually, the qualities, whatever you have find in the lamrim teaching and three principles teachings, you will even not find such a high teaching like Guhyasamaja or Vajrayogini or Heurka, they don’t have those extraordinary qualities. Extraordinary qualities it has here, four. [..] 0:25:09.4

I remember two. One is [Tibetan] 0:25:54.6 By doing it, by doing this, by following this, all delusions and wrong behaviors will automatically be able to stop. Delusions and wrong behaviors automatically be able to stop. [..] Your path and your bohmi and your spiritual development will be developed one after another. Better day by day or month by month or year after year, you have developments coming up. That is the true. Now, two I don’t remember. Taking always granted, don’t have to count it. That’s why it is happening. [..] Well, I just don’t remember. I’m sorry. Whenever I remember, I will say afterwords if I do remember. 0:27:06.9

So, anyway, in short, in such an important extraordinary qualities are even not available with the higher tantra teaching at all. Higher tantra teachings, what they give you, they will teach you in the level how to generate this, how to dissolve this, how to do this, how to do that, how to meditate on this and how to go through based on the sadhanas and completion stage, that’s all. They will not teach you really how to control your mind, how to develop your mind. [..] So, higher teachings like Guhyasamaja and all this will have no benefit of stopping delusions and wrong behaviors and it will not make automatic develop, can’t say automatic, but stage by stage development like this one does. So, it is more beneficial, more important than even that of very high tantra teachings. They have so much qualities that they don’t even have. In short, in short now, in short, extraordinary quality here, he said this will find when you have it, when you develop the understand the teachings of the lamrim or three principle path, I don’t find here. Three principle path, it gives one benefit to you, which is like having a key. If you have a master key, then you be able to open all the different locks and different doors. Okay? So similarly, when you understand the lamrim or three principle teachings, then you will be able to open wherever it is difficult, you can open the doors and you will be able to enter in it. You understand? Okay, from the... if you have like become a key. It also like a pot. A pot where you are collected all the essence, if you keep on saving the different medicine in one pot. Then, it will work like that. It works because it has all the essence of the teachings been included. So, that’s why it can be work as key. Because, when you have the basic principle idea of everything has been given, so whenever you read something, whenever you see something, whenever you know something and you will be able to put to your practice whatever the level may be. That’s why it says included essence of all the teachings of the Buddha. Okay. Now, to develop this, to gain and develop, as I mentioned to you earlier, to gain development is, first you have to listen, second whatever you have listen on this, you have to think about it, think, thinking, by thinking then third, you have to have very often thinking, quite often thinking. By thinking, then you will have,an object will be introduced. When object was introduced, you keep that as main object and try to reach a conclusion to wars this goal. Are you understanding me? I hope. Try to reach as to the goal as this. Use different arguments, counterarguments, reasons and quite a convincing up to that much you have to go. Quite a convincing. Once you have that, then that you have to pass sort of resolution on it, saying this is it. Once you have that resolution past, then you have to concentrated on it. You understand? Concentrated on it. After concentrating, after some time, you sort of gain realization, as I told you earlier you’ll gain the... when you look at the spiritual masters, you seeing them as mixing like all the enlightened beings and themselves sort of mixed, you’ll see. That is the sign of gaining the realization on that particular point. Similarly, there are different levels, every level will be introduced. When you introduce you have to concentrate aim toward this and then, until you gain realizations, you have to concentrated on it. Once you gain realization, then you move to the next. This is how it works. 0:32:55.8

So, that realization is only carrying get out of analytical meditation. I cannot say only. But, analytical meditation is important point. Unfortunately, among the Tibetan traditions, Tsongkhapa is probably the only who accepted analytical meditation as meditation. Most of them say meditation has to be concentrated meditation and analytical meditation is not meditation. But, Tsongkhapa insist analytical meditation is the most important meditation. Because, without analytical meditation, if you try to force your mind, this, this, this, this, it will be simply suggesting and forcing and blind push. So, blind push will be almost like that of, what you call it, hypnotizing. Very much similar to hypnotizing, which gives no reult for whatsoever. So therefore, it is important to have the analytical meditation. But, others will not accept analytical meditation as meditation. But,the will accept analytical meditation as thinking process. Just don’t use the name of meditation. But, it has to be done. Because, it doesn’ matter whether it become think process or meditation process. But, you are thnking on it. So, if you don’t think on it, you cannot convince yourself. Suppose I told you all your spiritual masters are enlightened beings. Okay. He said so, I take it. Maybe, maybe not. Alright, let it take, let it take, let it take. It doesn’t work. But, then you give the reasons, the Buddha Vajradara said he will be here and doing it. He said he’ll be becoming personally and doing this and that. Who is it now? Or, did he give me up? And, he didn’t say, he will appear for everybody except me. He didn’t say that. So, I’m here, I’m getting the opportunity, that’s why I have opportunity. So, he should be here. But, which one is it? So when you give, you cannot say Buddha Vajradara is lying. Right? So, thinking about it, when you keep on thinking about it, ultimately you get convinced. That is the analytical meditation, actually. Analytical meditation does not really mean just look and sit. No. Thinking process. You have goal. To what is this goal? You give reasons. Maybe you go completely different direction. Maybe, you get completely different direction. I say everything is impermanent, you say everything is permanent. How can it be impermanent? So, then you go and think thing, thinking process, that is actual analytical. You will have your reasons, very convincing reasons. After all, we are not stupid. So, very convincing reasons, then you have to go with that reasons and have the counterargument. You may call it, it is not meditation, thinking person say okay, doesn’t matter, whatever name you may give, doesn’t matter.The tihinking must be done it. If you don’t do the thinking, you try to tell yourself, hey, everything is impermanent, everything is impermanent, everything impermanent, everything impermanent, everything impermanent, tell yourself 100 times, 20 times, 1,000 times. Sort of not convincing. But, forceably hypnotized, believe you developed, which is no value. No realization will come. The realization will come only by intelligent thoughts and drawing conclusion and then concentrated and then, as I told you, you get this sign like mixing up all together. You really see it, the spiritual master as their face, yet under their skin it’s totally a buddha. You’ll see it with your own eyes like this. And that sort of comes and then it’s really time... and that’s not for one person but to each one of them, without exception, without higher or lowre, makes no difference. Just like that. Anyway, now this is beyond point. 0:37:21.6

Now, it’s interesting. Excuse me, I’m using bad example. But, when you are in love with somebody, you always remember the person and the face and actions and behavior, way of talking, way of thinking, very often. Right? You do, because you’re in love. That sort of often thinking and you say, well, she’s ugly, no. She’s not, because she’s not ugly, she’s beautiful because blah, blah, blah. All sorts of reasons you have, right? So, these are the real analytical meditations. Just like... we are used to it. On this. So, we know it. If you are in love with someone, you think the person very often. Even you sitting here and talking, you probably thinking of the same person. Yeah, really. Yeah, thinking the same person and say well, no he’s beautiful, no he’s not because blah, blah, blah, give various reasons. At the end you say a-ha yes she is. And, also your attachment is built a little farther, stronger than before. It have quite a strong, then you have no matter whatever may happen, you have a strong saying that, you know, yes she is beautiful. Sort of, really, not convinced by, you know, anything. But, you knew yourself for sure that it is. That sort of thing is called realization. Okay. Now, you get it. Very often, thinking on those lines are analytical meditation. Then, you pass resolution and you hold it on it and that’s concentrated meditation. By doing this combination is very important. By doing this, you really knew, you really know by you it is true. No one call tell you, no one can tell you it is wrong. No one can tell you it is wrong. That is when you get realization. That’s what happens. Okay. Giving you the bad example. But, sorry. Not bad, but funny example. But, we understand better that way. 0:39:50.6

[break in audio]

That’s enough now, I think. That should be enough. Now, I do not tell you this first word is showing the three principle path of this and that and this and that, because I told you the other day. So, today, I”m trying to tell you the things which I have not told the other day, unless it some important. Okay. Now, what is next? 0:40:32.0

[Tibetan] 0:40:41.4 The third one is out of the first preliminary, prostrations to the venerable... reverence to holy gurus. Then you have promising to write, then asking people to listen properly. Okay. Asking the fortunate person to listen properly. Can you read that line?

Audience: Listen with clear mind, you lucky people inspire to the path that pleases buddhas to work to give meaning to leisure and opportunity, who are not addicted to the pleasures of cyclic life.

Rimpoche: The translation is funny, you know. In Tibetan, we have the first word, [Tibetan] 0:41:40.1 who are not addicted to the pleasures of cyclic life. The second word is “who worked to give meaning to the leisure and opportunity.” The third word what we have is “who aspire to the path that pleases buddhas.” Last word is, “listen with clear mind you lucky people.” In the translation it is all just opposite like that. Always. I do not know why. It always does that. Maybe some reasons. Always. That is the asking fortunate people to listen. Each word has to deal with everything, but I don’t think I will talk that. Because that will really not do much to hear. 0:42:33.2

Alright. Now the most important thing. The most important thing is that of, with this, you know, well I told you the three faults of listening and six mindful of listening. Six mindful is [Tibetan] 0:43:01.2 Most important thing is you have to mindful here, whenever you listen to the spiritual teachings, you have to listen mindfulness. Mindful such a way we are the persons who are having a problem and sufferings and who are having the pains. Teachings should be treated as medicine. The teacher should be treated as doctor. Then, one addition to this is to remain with the teaching for a long time and another is [Tibetan] 0:43:41.2 treat the buddha, or whoever the highest authority may be as extaordinary person, with this six mindfulness you have to listen. This is normal system. But, I just mentioned very briefly. It’s not so important. Okay. 0:43:57.4

Now, what is most important is actual essence teaching now. Actual teaching. Actual teaching has, again, I mentioned to you preliminary, actual and conclusion. On the preliminary what you have to meditate is the guru devotion only. Then, two lines we jump up. Then, in actual teaching we go. In actual teaching you have to have three. Dealing with the transcendental renunciation, dealing with the bodhicitta, dealing with the perfect view. Oh, four. After understanding, then one has to meditate and concentrate on it. Four outlines. Out of four, the first is dealing with renunciation. That also has three. The reasons why renunciation is necessary. How to develop renunciation. What is the sign of gaining the renunciation of transcendental renunciation. Okay? 0:45:04.9

Now, the first one. [Tibetan] 0:45:21.6 So, that’s it. Would like to read the next?

Audience: Lust for existence chains all corporeal beings, addiction to the pleasures of the life cycle is only cured by transcendent renunciation. So, seek transcendence first of all.

Rimpoche: That’s it. The reason why renunciation is needed, it’s very short, very important. If you don’t have renunciation, if you don’t have the influence of the renunciation, whatever you do, all your good virtuous will not go for the cause of liberation. It will go for the cause of gaining a good life within the samsara, will be lucky virtuous, fortunate virtuous, unshakable virtuous. If you have unshakable virtuous karma, then the result is you will have form and formless god. If you have fortunate virtuous, the result is you have smsaric gods and human beings. If you have unfortunate virtues, it will give you the lower realms, like that of hell realm, hungry ghost and animal realms. Nothing else will gain. That’s why renunciation is important. As long as you have no renuncation, as long as you have no influence of renunciation, I should not say renunciation, I should say influence of renunciation. What does influence makes? Influence makes change the motivation. The motivation change the nature of karma and work. You understand? Every karma, whatever you do, whatever you doing it, it change the direction on motivation. When we have the motivation, in proper way, when you have the motivation which have the influence of the renunciation, it go against samsara. The moment it go against samsara, even you’re feeding a dog, with piece of food, even then, that will go direct opponent for samsara, it will go for liberation. Otherwise, you may give a multimillion dollar for all the poor people, even then it will not go for the samsaric against at all. So, it will only gain good, rich samsaric life again. That’s all.So, in order to make it going for liberation, it is absolutely necessary to have the influence of renunciation. You understand? And, if person who would like to gain some meaning out of the important life whatever we have, imporant life whatever we have. If person who would like to gain some meaning out of this important life, whatever we have. Then, it is necessary to go for renunciation, that’s why the reason is given. Here also, no meditation. Okay? 0:48:56.3

Now, the next is actual renunciation. Okay. That also had two. Renouncing this life and renouncing future life. Okay, the first word [Tibetan] 0:49:17.3 Whether it’s first two lines or last two lines, I’m not sure.

Audience: Leisure and opportunity are hard to get and there is no time to life. Keep thinking on this. When you turn off your interest in this life.

Rimpoche: Leisuure and opportunity are hard to get. Okay. Now, here you have lot of meditations. Now, you have to think very carefully. Leisure and opportunity are hard to get. Now, here we have lot of concentrations. Next, immediately after the guru devotion development, then next step what you have to take is the importnatness of the person’s life. That is the second step. You got it? Second step. after the guu devotion development, the step is the importantness of the present life. Importantness of the present human life. Now, that has three divisions. To know the opporunity, to know the leisure and to know the imporantness. And, fourth one, also to know how difficult to find it. Under this word, you have to know all this. Leisure and opporuntinity is rare to get, hard to get. Under that, you have to know this. First, you have to know the life of whatever we’re having it. Okay. Human life, we all know that. Before we know human life, it is necessary to know a little bit of the system, how samsara works. 0:51:28.5

Samsara has six different realms, within the circle of samsara, the Tibetan tradition. The Chinese tradition have ten. Anyway, they have some additional divisions. Anyway, the Tibetan tradition, which is from the Sanskit tradition, I think Sankrit tradition which is give the six different realms. Out of six, three good realms and three bad realms. Three good realms are the samsaric gods realm, when you read in Hindu sutra, or Hindu tantra, you will find Indrabrahma and all this sort of things. Indrabrahma, everything, is included in samsaric god level. Indra is the most importnant king of the god here in the samsaric god level here. This highest is the is samsaric gods level. Then, below the samsaric gods and human beings, there was gap between, that’s called non-gods level. Non-gods level above the human level. They have more power and much more that thing with the human, above better than human being. Much better than human beings, not like the gods, but little better than that. Okay. One. Two. Third, is human beings level. Third realm is human beings. (There are drawings on it. Do you have any? You don’t? Okay.) Sometimes you find a drawing of the circle of existance. When you find it, you look at it. There’s been all different drawings on it. Samsaric gods and below that non-samsaric gods, below that is they have much more power but they have tremendous suffering and problem. They always have to fight with gods. Gods think they’re great and they think they’re great. So, they always fight inbetween that. They have a tree, particularily to fight. The tree grows from that level and reach up to the samsaric gods level. Gods will claim it’s their tree and they will claim it’s their tree, becuase roots with them. So, they fight all the time on that. There are wars there, big wars between them. 0:54:00.9

Then comes the human beings level. Below the human beings, then the animal realms,then comes the hungry ghost realm and then comes the hell realm. Okay. Drawings are made like this, but it is not necessary. Hell is lower and the others are higher, not by stage wise, but definately there is different areas totally. If you talk about sufferings in hell realms are tremendous. Suffering in hell realm is another one just like guru yoga, people are not talking again. Because, people don’t like to hear it. Just because they don’t like to hear it. The listerners would not like to listen about it. Yeah, we know. Hot hell is hot and cold hell is cold. That’s all. Okay. But, how deep it is, how many it is, what different, there are 18 different hell realms. 18 different. Out of 18, 16 is deep hell and two hells are available on the human land. Two hells are available on the human land. So, each one of them have tremendous amounts of pains and suffereings and miseries they have. We don’t have to say, you know better than I do. Maybe. Yeah, really, peopel don’t hear it. Breifly, I tell you what. The hell realms are so hot, the hot hell realms are so hot, I believe the ground is totally burning iron and when you look round, the hills and everywhere, you see nothing but the fire. People are boiled after boiled afte boiled after boiled, you don’t die because of your karma. Just don’t die. They boil up to the bones. But, even then, they take it out and put it outside and you regain all your felsh straight away again. So, all these sort of funny things happening, because that is the karmic law. Sometime it looks fantasy, almost like. So, anyway. That’s it. 0:56:20.4

Cold hell realms are too cold. [Tibetan] 0:56:29.5 People get sort of crack open their flesh just like a lotus flower and greater crack like greater lotus flower and all this different levels are again, there are 8 different levels. Whatever it may be, I believe their life there is not good. I’m quite sure it’s full of pains and miseries. Either too hot or too cold and all this suffereings are there. 0:56:54.9

Hungry ghost, some of them are very rich with lot of money. Yet, they cannot eat. They cannot get food. There are problem for them to eat. Some are so poor, they could get nothing. Some are so rich, yet they could not use it at all. [Tibetan] 0:57:17.8 They said their stomach is just like mountain and their legs and arms are like a tiny little [..] like this, really. [Tibetan] 0:57:41.6 The throat was locked. Throat was locked. Throat was locked. And so, nothing can go in. Some, they go food through, but when you reach to the stomach, it burns up and fire comes out. That’s their karma, they have to remain hungry all the time. So, it’s called hungry ghost. That’s their karma. What to do? It’s funny. The karma is very funny. If person is looking here, the glass of water here, we look, find find it’s a glass of water. For us, then you use this, it is glass of water. It is water we are using. We are using this as water. This serve the purpose of the water. We get beneft of the water. It is water. For a hungry ghost, this is blood. He can’t drink it. The moment he see, he will not see as water, he or she will see as blood, cannot take it. If he take it, it works just like drinking blood. Nothing else. For a samsaric god, this is nectar. Their karma. This is nectar. They use it, it uses like nectar, it serve the purpose of nectar for them. Truly. [Tibetan] 0:59:07.8

Chandrakitti has said, very clearly, Nagajuna’s student, very clear [Tibetan] 0:59:17.8, when you look a glass of water by a man, by a god, by a hungry ghost, three togehter sees three different things and serve the purpose of three different things. And, if you ask me if there’s three different glasses, no, there’s only one single glass. Probably, the samsaric gods are not short of it. There are plenty of it. They don’t use it. The human beings are the one probably get used to it. Most probably, we use this as water and finished off. The hungry ghost will be watching and they will see as blood and can’t do it, anything, watching there and suddenly we used it. That’s end of it. That is how it works with them. So, why even one glass of water, why three different feelings has to come? In reality, it works like that. It all karmic power. That’s why karmic power is so powerful. Why we say karmic power is so powerful. Why the hungry ghost always has to be hungry? Because they can go anywhere, there is plenty of food in America. But, just htey cannot eat it. Because of their karmic power. Okay? So, that’s what it is. 1:00:26.6

Out which, all these lives, samsaric gods are maybe good, non-samsaric gods are better than human beings, supposed to be, in reality, no. They are not better. The samaric gods enjoy so much, they have tremendous pleasure, so they cannot think of suffering, like Americans. They don’t want to hear that sufferings. Samsaric gods don’t want to think about problems at all. They enjoy tremendous pleasure and harmony there. Until the time comes for them to die. So, it is not good. I tell you what happened during the Buddha’s lifetime, one of the best disciple is Shariputra, I mentioned to you the other night also. I told you Shariputra’s story, the fathter, the mother, the fish and all this. The same person. He has disciple, a bvery close disciple and they are very close relation. That disciple, whenever he sees Shariputra from a distance, even he is on elephant, he will jump down and come to see Shariputra, running to him. Shariputra also liked him and, you know, they are very close relation. Suddenly, this fellow died. Shariputra, taking his own sort of power, putting together and see where he is. And then he sees, helped him, pushed him and he was reborn as samsaric god. The samsaric gods are know as three timers. Because, they know their past, just like what we know we did yesterday. They know their future also, if they think what they going to be the next. They know their present. So, they always think, again their karma, they always think their previous life and and they always enjoy their present life. Nothing else. So, Shariputra, by knowing that, by being samaric god, he will recognize Shariputra, he will go want want to talk to him. He goes up and try to talk to him. He was playing with different samsaric gods together and when he sees Shariputra, Shariputra expecting that he will run coming to him like before. For them, samsaric gods, they will know their previous lives just like yesterday. They don’t really forget anything. So, he was expectiong that he will come running to him. He won’t. He’s enjoying the play. When he sees Shariputra, he raises his finger just like that. He won’t come at all. So, Shariputra went many times, try to continue whatever the teaching he giving, he want to finish that. So, even many times, whenever he raise finer. After some time, he try to avoid Shariputra also. So, Shariputra went to Buddha and say, I am having this trouble, what to do? Buddha says, it’s your mistake. You should not have helped him to push rebirth into the samsaric god level and you should push him to able to take rebirth in the human land, things would have been much better. Anyway, now it was done. So, cannot be helped for some time. That’s what Buddha said. Because, that’s what happoens. Even you know it, as samsaric gods, they will never be able to... since you cannot think about sufferings and problems there is no way they can gain transcendental renunciation. Therefore, it is out. Non-samsaric gods, they’re so busy to be trying to challenge the best way, whatever they could against the samsaric gods. Samsaric gods are very powerful gods, very powerful god. And, when they have a war with the non-samsaric godsm they just have to say, well there’s war. Indra will inform certain people, this people has to go to the war and they just drag them down. There is nothing for them, it’s so easy with fight with Asuras, non-samsaric gods, Asuras, they just fight with them. They throw something and they’re finished. For them, it was prepared so many years, all preparation and this and that and then get big preparation andgo up and attack smasaric gods. They just loose within a couple of minutes. So, they’re always in preparation for the war and all this. So therefore, there is no opporttunity and time at all. So, that’s why they’re cut. 1:05:02.0

So you know down at the three lower realms, there is no opportunity. The hells are either too cold or too hot. You can’t do anything. And, the hungry ghost it too hungry. You can do nothing. And, animal realm is so stupid, you cannot understand anything. So, it is only human realm which is valuable. So that’s why human beings have so much opportunity. And, we have time. We do have tremendous time. No matter whatever we say, we’re so busy. We say, and particularily today, we say we are very busy. But, we have time for everything, including swimming and including everything, we have time. We have time for everything. WE have time to sleep, we have time to eat, we have time to read, we have time for leisure, we have time to swim, we have time to everything. So, we do have time. We pretend to be busy. But, we do have time. If you organize it properly, we do have defintately tremendous time. Some people will have more time, some people will have less time. That’s a different matter. But, we do have time. 1:06:10.1

Opportunity. Not only that, the teachings are available, the path’s available. The path which is very common, very often the paths will not be available. [..] So now, that means I have to cut short. Opportunity. The teachings are available. Not only the teachings available, but there are guides avaiable, spiritual friends available. There are eight leisures and ten endowments. All of them are available with us. All of them available with us. We have tremendous leisure and we have tremendous time, we have tremendous opportunity. This is very diffiecult to find. We have found it by shear luck, by shear chance, by chance definately. Becuase we’ll never find it. It’s very difficult to find. What did they say? Importantness and difficult to find. Leisuire, opportunity, means refering to our life. As I have introduced you, the life is leisure and opportunity. The leisure, if you’re born as a ghost, etc. you don’t have time. When you are born as a human being, you do have time. Opportunities available, the teachings is available, the guides available, the practice is available. And not only ordinary teaching, but trantra teaching is available. There is opportunity if you are capable, there is opportunity to obtain full enlightenment even within three years period. It’s all available there. So therefore, it is leisure and opportunity. It is hard to get, very hard to get. By chance we got it. Otherwise, impossible to get it. Impossible to get it. Impossible to get it. To get it, why? Because it requires tremendous amount of cause. There is cause and effects is the law of the nature. The cause what you need is prefect morality, on top of that, six activity of going beyond, like generousity, etc. Six activity and conjunction of pure prayer. We don’t have perfect morality. Our moral is very poor. Always. Always poor. Therefore, it is very hard to get it. Very hard to get it. So, opportunity is rare and hard. When you say this word, you have to think three outlines. One, recognizing the present life. It has the eight leisure, which is eight opponent. If you are born as hell realm, there is no time to do anything. So therefore, I have time. If I’m born as animal realm, I’ve been so stupid, I will have no time, no opportunity to do anything. So, I’m not, I’m a human being, so I have the opportunity. Like that, you have to recognize eight times. Opportunities as I mentioned, the teachings available, everything available, all this. So, in short, such an opportunity, such a timing, is next to impossible. Okay. Next to impossible. Because, the cause is not there. How can you expect the result? So, to recognize this as important is the first step. Recognize this life is very important life. Then, that is step. And you say my life is very important. Probably, you have lot of counter arguement on this will come. How can you say your life is very important? You are the most stupid person. You’re helpless. Someone else has to help you. What can you do? You are the stupid. You are dumb. You’re this thing, you’re that thing. So, everywhere you can say I’m very important because I have this opportunity. I have this capabilty. I have this, more over, I born as a human of the Southern Countinent. That is this universe. This universe because I have four elements and plus six different semen systems within my body. Because of this, I have very good opportunity to practice tantra. Even the samsaric gods will not have. They’re not based on elements at all. So, I am far better than this. So, you can counter argue and ultimately, you will find your life is very important and you pass own resolution and have to hold on this. The first is recognizing the imporance of this life. There are a lot of reasons why you have to do this behind. Second, difficult to find, hard to find. Hard to find, three ways you have to think. By nature, by cause, by example. Naturally, the opportunities are mentioned to you. Even when you reborn in samsara, you have to cut five out and get one of the six. Even out of this last one, you have to cut off so many. You have to cut off so many. So many and you really have to find right opportunity at the right place and all this are very, very difficult, very difficult. So to be able to put that in the proper direction is real difficult. Even you born in Ann Arbor today, even you are there in Ann Arbor. We’re talking here how many peopel have the opportunity to hear and understand. Nobody. Not even 99% of Ann Arbor population, we have no opportunity right now. So, how can we have? It’s so rare, so difficult, so important and forunate. So, it is we realize this. To be able to get on this point is how difficult is it? Out of samsara, such a huge, you have to cut five. Get a human being. Out of human beings, who has opportunity, who doesn’t have opportunity, 99% will have not opportunity. And, out of that, you have to choose particular one. How difficult is it? From it’s own nature? From the cause, I told you, perfect morality. Where do we have that? Do we have perfect moral? You look up what we did yesterday, day before yesterday, last week, week before that. So, the moral is very poor with us. So, from the cause point of view, it’s difficult to find. From the example point of view, I told the example what Buddha said, 500 years, a blind tortous comes up once 500 years, try to caught his neck into the yoke. Once 500 years coming up. That is the example. So, from three point, from the cause point of view, from the nature point of view, from the example point of view. So, each one of them, you have to concentrate, meditate and past resolution and then hold it and you gain realization on it. Okay. After doing that, then what happens? [Tibetan] 1:14:51.3 Not only that, now you realize the importantness and difficult to find. Yet, you have to realize impermanent. Impermance is very important. If you don’t realize impermanent, you get nowhere at all. Okay, it’s alright, we have important life, difficult to find, I understand, fine, goodbye. Okay. I recognize that. I appreciate it. I look after it. Okay. That won’t do any good, any good. So, not only that, this important and difficult to find one, the rare and important one is not permanent. We must go on that, impermanent. Impermanent, now what is next word? 1:15:46.7

There’s no time to life. Alright. There’s no time to life. You have to think four outlines. [Tibetan] Three will do. Death is definate. No certainity when it’s going to come. Nothing can help, except virtuous work, at time of death. Three root outlines on this. Are you remembering all this? I hope. If I’m going too much, then I’ll stop. This is really what you have to do. You have to think, you have to meditate and you have to do this. If you do this, you gain something. If you don’t do it, you get nothing. I talk, you listen and then go back and forget about it. It is with hole, you know, there’s a hole, put water, it goes out. Okay. That’s what it is. [Tibetan] 1:16:53.8 Okay. Death is definate. Why? Nobody lives. (Now, I’m not going detail otherwise no time.) Spiritually high, fully developed person like Buddha, who had every control, everything. Even then, they didn’t stay here today. They’ve gone. So, who am I to live forever? Rich person, militarily wealthy person, the kings, queens, whatever, all of them have gone. Nobody is ever remained. So, who am I have the opportunity to remin forever? No. I have to die. Death is definate for us. Powerful, physical power, physical powerful like elephant, lion, etc. Even then, they cannot fight with death. When the lion meets with the death, all this claws of the lions are shrinked and die. When elephant meets with death, the legs of the elephant cannot be lifted up, their trunks are immovable. They cannot catch the death and throw away. Yeah, really. So, no matter whatever you have physical power, political, military power, spiritual power, money power, whatever the power you may have, they could not stop the death. There is no place where you can escape the death. If you go under the ocean, you will die. IF you go behind the mountain, you will die. If you going into the space, even then, you will die. There is no place to escape. So, the power cannot stop, money cannot stop, place cannot stop, time cannot stop, nothing can stop it. So, it is definate that you have to die. This is not difficult. Everybody will acknowledge that. To gain realization, you have to think about this. Think about it. And, there are many details, every point, when there is time, we can talk to you. But, now there’s not much time. So therefore, you have to think this outlines. Okay? So, then you haveto say I am definately subject for dying. So, I have to die. Okay, this is easy to gain realization on it. But, then the next question is when. The moment I asked when, my mind will tell me, what answer my mind will give me, my mind will tell me who knows. However, but not so soon. Okay. Probably the mind will you not now, not sure. But, deeply it tell you not for long...

[end of audio]