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19860511GRKMMotherWisdom01

Welcome to this talk or workshop or seminar or whatever it may be. I’ve been informed that today is Mother’s Day. Also, we should talk about love and compassion, which are based on the recognition of mother beings. So, we intend to do that today.

In the form of a seminar or workshop, sometimes it becomes very important for people to know themselves and to know each other, and to talk about their interests. We do that very often during seminars and workshops. I don’t know whether we will do that today. We have one and a half hours in the morning and one and a half hours in the afternoon. Altogether we have three hours. Normally, we go from one person to another. They introduce themselves and talk about why they are here, and about their interests and what they are looking for. That’s what we do. But, I don’t know. Do we have enough time to do that? [00:02:32.16]

Are there any particular things or problems you have in mind that you’d like to be discussed and solved? Or at least to find some solutions? Actually, that’s what workshops and seminars are for. I’ve always been saying that. Americans in particular have a lot of unnecessary problems. In addition to that, we do have the tremendous problem of our life. In general. I can simply tell you that whatever you want, you’ll never get it. Whatever you don’t want, you’ll get it. For sure. Really, this is happening. This will happen, it has happened and it’s happening, and it will happen. Whatever it may be. It is because it is the nature of life. [00:03:50.28]

It is just like gambling. When you win, it’s very nice, particularly if you know Chinese Mah Jongg, or gin rummy. When you win, it’s very nice, wonderful, you get a lot of money. You are happy, you enjoy. But if you look at most of the time, you’re working for it, you’re working for it, you’re bound to win, there’s a big chance, big hope, but you never win. Instead, somebody else wins, and the time is over. That’s what happens, right? When you play? Do you play? No? Oh, that’s too bad. Everybody gambles. [00:04:48.18]

So now, this is the example you look at. Then you look at your life, from birth to death. Sometimes, you win. But most of the time, you have great hope, great hope, and one more day you get through, but you never get it through [win]. That is the nature of life. Nothing surprising. Nothing bad that you did. It is not bad luck. You may say it’s bad karma; it may be, it may not be. It is the nature of samsara. That is the problem we have. We don’t look at that. Instead, we have man-made problems in between the additional problems. A tremendous number of additional problems. The other day I mentioned guilt. Guilt is another one that everybody carries in the west.

There are a lot of other man-made problems that you can really easily solve by compartmentalizing, by utilizing the proper method, by streamlining within your mind, which will make no trouble for you whatsoever; yet, you’re [having these problems]. This sort of seminar should really help you to sort that out, if you are willing to discuss it or take care of it. Otherwise, I can go ahead and talk. That’s easy for me. [00:06:38.09]

Anyway, we do deal with this. That has become very important. And Buddhism, particularly Tibetan Buddhism has tremendous technique to help. There are a lot of antidotes. It is practical. Above all, the most important thing is the question of the spiritual. That is very important, because in the west, the definition of spirituality is not really certain. To some people, as long as you are not dealing with electronics or mechanical things, it becomes spiritual. That’s not right. A lot of material things have come up as though they were spiritual. People claim to be spiritual, the practitioners also think, ‘I am doing something spiritual.’ That question you have to ask yourself, you have to ask your friends, you have to ask everybody. What is spiritual?

You must think about this, because every funny little thing has become spiritual. That’s not right. You really have to make a big distinction between the spiritual and the non-spiritual. Very important. Really, because people knew. People had the background. People had the understanding that material benefits are not enough, and not really the answer to our problems. Don’t pretend that you don’t have problems. You do. Every one of us has tremendous problems. We really don’t know how to deal with it. [00:09:12.24]

I’m not talking about man-made problems. Those are small, little problems. I’m talking about the [?] problem, which we don’t even recognize yet. We really have tremendous problems. The symptom, which I mentioned to you, is that whatever you want, you don’t get. Whatever you want, you don’t get. Then, you have aging, illnesses, changing; all these are the symptoms of the deep problem that we have. We really have to handle that, work it out. That is something that we call “spiritual.” [00:09:58.15]

How we work that out has to be spiritual. Materially, you cannot solve that at all; even physically, no. Physically, you can cure some of the symptoms, but nothing more than that. Take yoga, for example. Yoga is very important. Everybody knows it is spiritual practice, right? Yes? No? Yoga generally is a great, spiritual practice. Particularly, when you have a very important yoga, this is one of the most important methods of spiritual practice. Hatha yoga, however, deals with the symptoms, rather than with the actual deeper problem inside.

So, you really have to know what is spiritual. A lot of people have been carried away by the word, “spiritual,” and by the fantasy [based on] what you feel and you think, and you’re carried away, number one. Number two, the [crook?] people like me get a better chance to twist you around in the name of spirituality, because you know nothing about it. So when you really don’t know about spirituality, anyone can come up and say, “Hey, this is a great spiritual thing blah blah blah.” So, this is a very important thing to watch by yourself, for others to watch because not knowing what is spiritual and doing all sorts of funny things, may not give you much result. Especially when you do a spiritual shopping trip. [00:12:26.21]

People do that very often. I don’t blame you, because you don’t have the background, number one. Maybe it is the first or second generation of the “Instant Spirituality.” I’m sure there must be some [genuine] western spirituality. Don’t laugh. I’m sure. Leave it to the Native Americans; that belongs to the “Instant Spiritual.” It’s not the western tradition, I’m sorry. There are spiritual things, definitely; however, you don’t have the background and number two, you really don’t know what happens. What is really the thing? What is it? What does “spiritual” mean? What did they do? What is the purpose? How do I know whether this is right or wrong?

These things are not evident to a large number of people in the west. Therefore, any Tom, Dick or Harry can come up with different methods that are very impressive, nice, and that hide a lot of guru trips that we had in the sixties and seventies. All of this comes because you don’t know what happens in the spiritual [realm]. That’s why everybody can come up. Every Dhobi (?) [00:14:12.01] in India can come up with a dhoti on; you know what I mean, dhobi and dhoti. So, they can have a big guru trip here. But, that’s not spiritual. Not really.

People go for that. Then, you go for years. OK, first one year, OK. Two years, OK. Three years, OK. Four, five years; six, seven…people may go to eight, nine, even ten years. When you look back, what did you gain? Spiritual development. When you look back, what did you gain? In your mind? Mental development. When you have nothing. Mind you, when you have nothing. Mantras? You may learn them by mouth. You may be able to say it. A few pujas, a few singings, a few dancings, things you may be able to do, because they are physically taught. A few words you may be able to repeat, because they’ve been taught to you.

If your gain is only this much, then something’s wrong. Definitely wrong. Because you’re not getting anywhere. The words — you can learn them. Nothing to be surprised at. A few pujas, a few words, a few songs, a few dances — you can teach to a parrot. The parrot will definitely say the same words. Maybe even faster than you do. Yeah, that is possible. If your gain is limited to that; something to do physically, something to say by mouth, and no solid gain within your mind, then your spiritual path is wrong. Ten years is good enough.

I can’t say your path is wrong, totally. The way you are doing may be wrong. What has gone wrong, you have to change. You must review, and you must preview, if possible every year, whatever you are doing. If you see from the last year to this year, that you gained something, gained some development; development comes from within the person. Not from the outside. When I say “development,” don’t expect that suddenly you’ll read somebody else’s mind, suddenly you’ll be able to see what’s going to happen in the future, suddenly you can see what’s behind this wall. No, I don’t mean that. [00:17:14.16]

A solid foundation of spiritual basis and levels comes up. If that is happening with you, then you are doing right. You are doing well. If that is not happening to you, then you are doing wrong. It is time for you to check with whomever it may be, and find out what you’ve done wrong. Where did you go wrong? What was the fault? That is for the people who have been practicing.

Those who have not been practicing much, who don’t really have much time to devote to dharma practice, but who have a few minutes or a few hours to say a few pujas here and there, you can’t expect [much] development. But those who are really deeply practicing, if there is nothing gaining, then something is wrong. It’s for you to check.

The spiritual path is an unknown path for all of us. It is the path that really, truly takes you to the ultimate perfection. It’s very easy, however, for it to go wrong. You may think you’re driving to the east, but in fact you’re going to the west. You keep on driving. If you don’t check, and you go go go go, you’ll reach nowhere. You’ll go farther and farther to the east. When you realize you’ve gone thousands of miles away from where you wanted to go, then what? You can only regret. You’ve wasted a tremendous amount of time, you’ve wasted a tremendous amount of energy, which you could easily have devoted to a proper path and direction. You could have gotten at least half of the way there. It’s very important to avoid that. [00:19:56.29]

Your development, your level, your gain will only be known to you. If you don’t know what you’ve gained, if you don’t know your development, that means you don’t have it. You can take that for granted. Some people may think, “I don’t know, but I may have something.” No. If you don’t know, you don’t have it. Full stop. Really. When you have it, you know it. If you don’t have it, you don’t know. If you have ten dollars in your pocket, you know it, right? If you don’t know, you don’t have it. You don’t have it, that’s all! So then, no question arises.

(Rimpoche has an exchange with the audience.) If you are uncomfortable, you get up, or whatever, OK? You are welcome. Or you may like to sit near some wall and lean on it. OK, just move. Feel free. Or anybody else, if you have a problem with sitting cross-legged, you don’t have to sit cross-legged. Except during meditation. Don’t get up. Otherwise, you get disordered. You can stretch your legs, or anything, whatever. [00:21:19.20]

So, that’s what I always tell people who are on the spiritual path. You know, for the last couple of years, particularly Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism, God knows; whatever. All of them have come to the United States and taught, taught, taught. In the case of Tibetan Buddhism, I know very well, right? It came to the United States. People keep on talking, talking, talking all the time. They talk, talk, talk. Now is the time to ask questions. Did you gain anything out of that? Yap yap yap, for years. Did you have any development at all? If you do, wonderful. Go ahead. Continue. If not, it is very important to [change].

Otherwise, you waste your whole life. Ten years is a long time. And then you go twenty years. Thirty years. Forty years. Whatever. Your whole life will go by. You’ll be at the same level as where you started at the beginning. You may gain a little knowledge and information here and there. Somebody may say, “Oh yes. I know that, I know that. I heard that. I heard that. That is nothing more than pouring (?) the information. That is not spiritual development. So, you have to really know what is spiritual development. How does one gain it? This is important.

We’d better get back on the subject of today. Today we have to go on the recognition of mother sentient beings, just because of Mother’s Day, right? Recognition of mother sentient beings is one of the very important basic foundations of the Mahayana mind. In Buddhism, of course you know there are a lot of categories, such as Hinayana. The Hinayana people don’t like to be called Hinayana, so we’ll call them Theravadayana, OK? That is Sanskrit terminology. Theravada, Hinayana, all this. It actually means the smaller vehicle, which you take, like a car. [00:24:12.11]

Why is it called smaller? Because it is slightly narrow, and [based on] more selfish interest, rather than the altruistic mind. So, it is labeled as the smaller vehicle, according to Mahayana people. Theravada people don’t call it the smaller vehicle. They just call it vehicle. A simple vehicle to obtain self-liberation. That’s why they call it Theravada. Then, we do have, even at the Mahayana level, you do have the pure sutra part of Mahayana, pure tantra part of — no, sutra and tantra combined Mahayana. All these are there.

These are the different methods to obtain better spiritual development. In addition to that, you also have Zen, the Tao, and there are so many different branches of Buddhism. If you look at the Japanese, you have Zen, and there’s a Pure Land, also. Pure Land is just one sutra. Only one sutra. There are hundreds of different sutras. Sutra is real, non-tantric teachings of the Buddha. They are called sutras. One of the sutras mentioned the Pure Land business. One single group of Japanese picked it up and followed it. For them, it is the only sutra that exists; nothing else exists. [00:26:25.25]

For the Theravadan or Hinayana people, only the self-liberation path exists. Nothing else exists. They only see this much as the pure teaching of the Buddha. Beyond that, they may not see. When you look from the Mahayana view, what we call the higher vehicle, Mahayana is such a funny thing. It is what we are going to talk about today; the altruistic mind, and all this. As a preliminary, you must include all the Hinayana path in it. Otherwise there’s no way you can get up here. When you look from the Vajrayana angle, you have to have as a preliminary, this Mahayana, this sutra, you have to have that sutra, and then you also have to have this Hinayana. It’s sort of all in order.

Actually, what happened, I’m not saying this because I am Buddhist, but Buddha was somehow a very great master. One of the [most] profound teachers that we have ever had, that mankind ever had. He can talk very nicely with the Sanskrit terminology and make something very big. But, he didn’t do it. He always tried to reach people at their level. He never talked over their heads. He always talked with people where they can understand, where [what he has conveyed] is feasible to practice, where they can use it. That’s what he emphasized. [00:28:45.15]

For certain people, he could only reach them at this level, of the Theravadin, at the level of discipline and taking vows. You can eat this, you cannot eat that. You can only do it up in a certain time, and down in a certain time, you can look this way, you cannot look that way. All this sort of big, strict discipline. This is this category, this is that category. Here you are, you’re like this and you belong to here, you respect this, you don’t respect here…sort of very strict discipline.

When Buddha found more open people, people who could take much more than that, he gave the Mahayana teachings, which are much bigger, much broader. Based on that, he had much broader activities. He taught to that level of the people. Based on that, then he went up to another level of teaching. When he found very intelligent people, the tantric practitioners, he started to talk tantra. He never talked about tantra to people who were at the Theravadin level. He only taught tantra to the very intelligent group who would be able to practice tantra. not those who were at the Mahayana sutra level. [00:30:55.08]

And then, to some people who could not take the whole of it, he gave one branch here, one branch there. That’s why you have the Pure Land branch, the drum beating branch; that’s also a [sutra-based] one. If you trace that sutra, you can find in Sanskrit, and you can find in Tibetan. The Namu Myoho Renge Kyo people, that’s all they say. They keep on beating a drum. That’s also in a sutra. You can trace it back. If you are stupid, if you are not intelligent at all, you just repeat these words with utmost [consciousness?] and you’ll be liberated. That’s why they picked that up, and with the drum sounds they can concentrate.

That’s why, when you look from the broad angle of Vajrayana level, you start looking through, you really find every different teaching of the Buddha lined up. This is the base, on top of that this applies, on top of that, that applies. It really goes up perfectly without contradicting each other, for one individual to obtain his or her goal, you can practice all this. That’s what you can find. It’s really interesting.

If you don’t look from the top, you start looking from the bottom. You see only a certain path. Beyond that, you say, “I don’t know.” Beyond that, people talk nonsense. “It doesn’t mention in my sutra.” The question really arises whether it’s really Buddhism or not. That’s exactly what has happened in Buddhist practice today. If you go to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) or Thailand, you find all these yellow monks around. All of them. They think the arhat level is the ultimate level. The method of getting to the arhat level is only by becoming monks and nuns and having strict discipline. That’s what they think.[00:34:09.18]

When they begin to see another method coming, yet it’s Buddhism. For example, Zen comes in. Zen is high Mahayana, and it has a little bit of tantric practice; not all. Some techniques, here and there. They begin to question, “What is this funny thing? I never heard this before.” The teachers never heard, the great masters never heard, so it may not be Buddhism. It may be something else. That’s why they reject [things]. It becomes narrow-minded. That’s why you find a lot of different things. But if you really properly look, if you look one stage higher up, from the Mahayana, any Mahayana now; Chinese, Tibetan, Mongolian, Indian, or any other Mahayana, the moment you look, without any difficulty, you can see perfectly the strictness of the Hinayana practice.

It is definitely part of the Buddhism. In addition to that, whatever you’re doing has to be based on this principle. You’ll see it without any contradiction. You get my point? That’s it — that’s what’s happening.

The higher you go in Buddhist teaching, the better it is, because you can see everything, and [the teachings] don’t contradict each other. And they work perfectly for one person to obtain enlightenment. One doesn’t mean not for the others. When I say, “one person,” it means, let it be me. All the teachings of the Buddha are focussed for me to obtain enlightenment. If I can use this method, I can do this. If I can’t use this method, if it doesn’t work, I can do [that]. When you really seek a higher, higher, higher, quick, important method, you really have to have the essence of all of them as the foundation. [00:36:38.07]

For example, today we have to talk about Bodhicitta, the altruistic mind. OK? Altruisitc mind means a very important mind is the fundamental basis, whether you are going to be a Mahayana or not Mahayana, or whether you have altruistic mind or not altruistic mind. That is the level. It is like a door. If you open that door and you step in, you are in [you have that mind], and if you have not stepped in, you are outside. If you develop altruistic mind, you become a Mahayana [practitioner] automatically. [00:37:14.23]

It is a mind that seeks total enlightenment. This mind has a desire. You may say, “Hey, desire is bad.” Maybe some desires are bad, but not all desires are bad. The bodhisattvas, the persons who have this altruistic mind, have a tremendous desire. They have a desire to obtain enlightenment. It is part of their mind. Their mind is double-action. Even the enlightened beings have a desire; the desire to help others. So, do not misunderstand; [desire is not limited to] the desire for certain narrow sexual activities or attachment. Desire is very open, OK?

So, this bodhisattva, this mind, has a desire, desire to obtain ultimate liberation, ultimate total enlightenment. It also has another piece of it. Sort of a double-faced mind. The other face says, “Yes, I would like to obtain that total enlightenment, not much for me, but when I need to help, when I need to render service to others, I need certain capabilities. I need a certain power so that I can just think and things will appear like magic. Really. And that is valuable.

Actually, magic is valuable. A miracle is possible. A miracle is valuable. But it is only available to a person who is totally enlightened. Those persons who are totally enlightened can perform a true miracle. They can really do it, because for all their activities, whatever they want to do, they need not put in much effort. The purpose of total enlightenment is so that everything can be right at your fingertips. Whatever wishes develop, whatever thoughts they put in, things will function automatically. Almost. [00:40:43.16]

[Bodhisattvas] really don’t have to put in much hard labor and efforts that you and I have to put in, because they have accumulated a tremendous amount of merit. These merits can manifest in any form, anywhere, at any level, at any time, for these and those purposes. You’re getting there. Therefore, total enlightenment is important. No limitations. Everything is known, every single minute, whatever is happening, not only in this universe, but millions of other universes at the same. At the level of the hell realms, at the level of the gods, every single minute, every sentient being is in their thoughts. They are seen, just as you see a glass of water here.

Just like that. That is the total enlightenment, from the top to the bottom. Everything can be seen in a single instant. Everything that functions can function in a single instant. Everything can be done at a single level, without effort. Therefore, Bodhisattvas who are totally dedicated to rendering service to others have a desire to obtain that. When you have that power, you can really help, you can do a lot. You can do a lot more than when you’re here, where you work hard, and sweat, and doing this and that. [As a Bodhisattva] you can sit there and do everything. So, naturally, if you don’t have the desire to obtain that, then what? So therefore, have very, very strong desire to obtain enlightenment. Enlightenment, in other words, where you have the western understanding of God, the supernatural time of God, the power, level, everything, we can almost [say that is it] — that is the enlightened level. [00:43:18.22]

Except, the difference is, in western tradition, or understanding, they have said that God is God. [He] is just up there, and has come on His own. Right? Here, in the eastern tradition, the individual person has developed. An individual, just like you and me; ordinary, nothing special, stupid; has developed after years and years and reached that level. So we call it, enlightened person, rather than Almighty God.

So the Christian tradition, I don’t believe, has taught you how to become a God. Instead of that, if you try to become a God, you may be punished. Am I right or wrong? So what happens is, if you look in the Theravada Buddhist teachings, they will never teach you how to become a Buddha. They will never teach you how to become totally enlightened. Indeed, if you try to become totally enlightened, you go sane (?) [00:44:47.18]

So now, today, we are in 1986. You have to compare. You cannot take everything at face value. In those days, Buddha came from the east and Christianity came from the west. To me, in truth, I don’t see much difference between Jesus Christ and Buddha. They both have to talk to people at the level where they can understand, digest it, and where it can help. When people are impressed by magical powers of various things, they have to show the magical powers. That cannot last long. Buddha didn’t have [such magical powers]. They had to be constantly there to do all the magical things.

So, they had to go on and teach. Actually, the whole focus is to bring about a better and higher level. If you look at the Theravada or Hinayana level, they never teach you how to become totally enlightened. It’s not feasible to become totally enlightened. I mean, they don’t say it’s not feasible. It is feasible. But, if you try, you go [insane]. You go crazy. They only go to the ordinary enlightenment level, let’s call it the arhat level. They leave it there. [00:46:35.24]

Actually, therefore, when you really look carefully at all this, all sentient beings are eligible for total enlightenment. It is available to all sentient beings. I can’t say all sentient beings because at the human level, you can do it. At other levels you cannot do it. In order to become a totally enlightened person, you have to become a human being. At other levels, it’s not feasible. If you are in the samsaric gods level (that is not a capital G god). People are born there, people die there. People become human beings and go up and down, they won’t change. So, at the samsaric gods level, you cannot do it, even though it may be higher and better than the human level. But you cannot achieve total enlightenment. There’s not as much physical pain and physical sorrow as human beings have. Therefore, they have a problem with giving up attachment to their life. Therefore, it does not become feasible at that level.

In the structure, the total structure of society, I’m talking about the bigger society, not human society. There are a lot of different levels of life. For example, we have the animal level, where you can see the cats and dogs and horses and donkeys and all. That’s one level of society. They are all beings. You go below that. There’s a hell realm, like the Christians taught. It’s the same thing. It’s true. Christians are not bad, don’t think Christians are bad, OK? A lot of people do think, because you’re born into it. No, it’s true. [00:49:31.14]

They have the hell realm, too. That is another society that you have. There are people suffering, hot and cold and whatever it is. In between those, there’s another realm called the hungry ghost level. There are a lot of people; some of them very rich, some of them so rich but so hungry. They can’t eat. Don’t laugh. They can’t eat. The moment they put food in their mouth, it burns. The food transforms into something like molten iron. It burns the mouth out, causing tremendous suffering. It is due to their karma. What to do? People are [stuck in that situation]. Some of them, the moment they eat something, it turns into fire. All this happens. If three different beings, samsaric god, ordinary human being or hungry ghost, look at a glass of water, they will see it differently. A samsaric god will see it as a glass of nectar.They will use that glass of nectar. It will serve the purpose of a glass of nectar for them. An ordinary human being will see this as water. He/she will use it as water, it will serve the purpose of water. It is water. [00:51:48.26]

To the hungry ghost, it is blood and pus. They’ll see it as blood, they’ll see it as pus. They see it as some sort of dirty thing they cannot touch and they cannot drink. That is real karma. Karma, if you talk in a beautiful way, is romantic. Nice and beautiful. On the other hand, it will (?) [00:52:20.10] That’s what happens. So, that society, this hungry ghost level, has another atmosphere that is totally different. We humans have another different level. The samsaric gods, small “g” gods have another level. Beautiful, pleasure, wonderful, they really enjoy their life.

But all these levels are not permanent. They have ups and downs. Not the level, and not the atmosphere, but the person who is in the atmosphere sometimes goes up and sometimes goes down. It’s changing. That’s why we call it samsara, the circle of existence. That’s what a circle really is. When you talk about samsara, it is a romantic type of thing. You know the word, “Samsara, I know the word, it means ‘circle of existence.’” That’s not enough. What is really happening is these ups and downs.

How does one come to be up and down? Nobody but you yourself created it. But still, you have no control. The control lies with somebody else. Don’t think it’s God. God doesn’t send you to hell, I can guarantee you that. Somebody else has to have control. Some mean one has control. They always try to find the bad things and push you down. Always. But, nobody did it. You, yourself did it. But you don’t have the control. You totally lost control. So many things happening, over such a long period. Don’t think we are new here. We’ve been here so many times. We’ve accumulated so many good things, so many bad things. We have no control. Therefore, the control lies in the hands of karma. Karma controls you. [00:55:21.12]

Christians tell you that God controls you. Right? Buddha said that karma controls you. It doesn’t matter whether it’s karma or God. Somebody else is in control, definitely. It’s not you. so, you have this change, going up and down. It’s very interesting, if you really look carefully. What do Christians tell you? If you please God, He will send you up. How do you please God? If you are good. Buddhists will tell you if you are good you will accumulate good karma, so you’ll go up. It boils down to the same thing. When you go to higher, deeper teachings, they may be different, I don’t know, but at our ordinary level, it’s almost the same teaching. In almost any religion you look at.

I can guarantee you that Buddha had no conference with Jesus Christ from the East to the West, but they talk about the same thing. It’s very interesting, really. The human level is the same, how you help is the same. There is only one method. So that’s what’s really happening. Different names, different ways, but it really boils down to the same point: to get better. Why do we have to get better? I told you; because we have tremendous problems.

We are really stuck in that little circle. You have no idea how many years you and I have been in that circle. Nobody knows. Even Buddha refused to say. “I don’t know.” He says there’s no beginning. Every one of them says there’s no beginning. We’ve been there for years and years and years and aeons and aeons. Up down, up down, up down, up down.

Now, what happens today is at the human being level, it’s different. It’s not like the samsaric gods, not like a hell realm. Hell realms are so bad, that you have no way to do and think. If you don’t believe it, look at dogs and cats, and try to teach them about spirituality. Try to teach a dog how to meditate. Can you do it? Not possible. If you try to teach a cat how to meditate, is it possible? No. That’s why, telling the truth, human life is really the one. If you are so good, if you are too good, like the samsaric gods, again, you won’t do it, because you enjoy so much. You don’t feel any problem. [00:58:31.20] Like a wild, rich person who doesn’t understand the problem [of poverty]. Just like that, the samsaric gods are wild. Because of their karma, which is funny, whenever you do something good, every time you do something good, you accumulate karma called “lucky karma.” When you do something bad, you accumulate bad karma. Lucky karma will pay you; pay you happiness.

Therefore, when you’ve accumulated a lot of lucky karma, you get up there; like going to a picnic. You enjoy a few days up there, just like that, out of this life, they send you up to that level, just until you exhaust all your lucky karma. Until you spend all your money, go and sit in a five-star hotel and have a good holiday. Just like that, they do it. They send you up there until you finish your lucky karma. The moment you exhaust it, then you go down. You get the bill, you pay, and then you have to go. You can’t stay there any more. [01:00:17.11]

Really, that’s exactly how [it goes]. Life is short, you can see it. The broader life is another matter. What’s really happening is we’re circling in it. Even if you do something good, no matter how well you do it, you may give your body — I mean, as in the Jataka Tales, where the Buddha finds a tiger with cubs and all of them are very tired, with no food, dying, and the mother has no strength whatsoever. The babies are going to die. The Buddha gave his body to the tiger. When he threw himself to the tiger, the tiger can’t eat. So, he starts cutting his own flesh, giving the tiger his blood. Gradually the tiger builds up a little strength and is able to take a bite. That’s what [the Buddha] did with one of his lives.

Like that, even then, you are simply collecting lucky karma. Why? As long as you have lucky karma, that gives you a good thing to be paid. But, it gets you nowhere. You’re circling again. Why? Simply because you do not have one mind, that is the desire to leave this circle, seeing the fault of the circle and seeing the advantage of getting outside the circle. The moment you see the advantage of being outside the circle, and you acknowledge the fault of being in the circle, every good work you do will not become a lucky karma. It will become a cause for liberation. Did you get me? Very important. [01:03:06.00]

If you don’t have that, no matter how much, or whatever you do, you will only have the accumulation of lucky karma. Don’t forget that. And there, some people will teach you how to get into the circle. Really. I’m sorry, I have the Buddhism, and I’ll teach you how to get outside the circle. So, getting into the circle is no problem. You are already in it. You are really functioning inside. You are spinning like a wheel on your finger. That’s what we are. So, our only problem is how to get out. Getting out is only through good work. Make sure your good work does not become lucky karma, but instead becomes a cause of getting outside the circle.

This is only possible — that’s why the Buddha talked about the importance of the renunciation business. It becomes one of the principles. Then, you see the fault within the circle, you see the benefit outside, so every effort goes on that. In order to see the fault inside, you have to know every single happening in there. Though we know, you don’t acknowledge it. So, we have to acknowledge your problems inside. It’s not my subject today, but you have to do this.

Without that, there’s never, never, never a way to develop love and compassion. No way. Because love and compassion are becoming Mahayana, and has to be the foundation (?) [01:05:06.15] and has to be the essence of the Hinayana level, which you see in the form of the samsara. Love, or great compassion, or great love is based on living sentient beings. OK? All living sentient beings. The action, the desire is to make them happy, or to separate them from pain. That is the action of it. In order to gain that, all living sentient beings, first you have to get on yourself. When you know, when you are told that you have a lot of problems, you are suffering in this circle, you are deprived of happiness, and you are suffering and in pain, you don’t feel anything. You don’t feel it. When I am told I’ve been suffering, I ask, “How?” Really! Therefore, there’s no way I can recognize how other people are suffering. If I can’t feel anything with myself, I can’t feel anything with others.[01:06:35.03]

In order to feel with others, you have to feel with yourself. In order to develop love and compassion toward others, you have to develop love and compassion for yourself. Without that, you can never do it. If I talk straightaway about love and compassion, you’ll get nothing. I can give you a little, a few words, nicely, and I can say, “Sit down and meditate.” You can sit down and meditate, and the time will go. But, you’ll get nothing. In order to get something, I’ve been telling you all this. When I talk to you, please remember, I’m giving you material on which to meditate. Never think it is a talk show.

If it’s a talk show, you can look at it, and I can say a few jokes, you can laugh at it, be happy, and clap and go home.OK. That’s a talk show. No. Right or wrong? Here, we are talking about spiritual development. This is not a talk show. Whatever I say, listen to every single word, if you can. Otherwise, get the gist of it. With the example, you must think. Not now. Now, also, you think, but when you have leisure time, you have to think. And think, and think, and think. And see the every day action of yours. Try to compare it with what I am saying. See what’s happening. When it begins to fit together, you’ll begin to get to the spiritual direction. Otherwise, no. Especially when I say, faults, here. The actual spiritual method, the best method, is to always try to point out the faults. The faults you have.

The faults you have with your mind. You wanted height. You don’t want anybody else to know about it. You wanted height, from every direction. And it’s getting pin-pointed on that. It’s really a good method. It is difficult, but it is a good method. That’s what we call nathog mengye [01:09:24.16], which is the antidote on the point. The point where you really want to hide. You don’t want anybody else to know I’m doing this, you know? That’s the way you really hit it. That’s a really good spiritual teaching.

When you think about that, meditate on it, concentrate on it, it will change your way of thinking. It will change your way of action. You know, the way you think. You will act because of the way you think. You get good and bad karmas because you act. Every action you take is influenced by your thought. This thinking, talking to you, if you concentrate on it, it will influence your thought. When it influences your thought, your thought will influence your actions. Your actions will [set] your karma. That is how you benefit. Really. This is actually how it works. [01:10:34.13]

Everything is dependent. Like a watch. One wheel goes and pushes another wheel and another wheel and you look at the front, you’ll see them going. Actually, there are three or four wheels inside, pushing each other. Just like that, we have the same thing. The action, the thought, the influence, and the karma (?) [01:11:00.27] This is what all life is about. When you want benefit in life, when you want to get it done better, this is how you have to twist it.

I may be talking too much. OK, give me five minutes to conclude. We talked briefly about the whole setup of life and society. We also talked about the faults and the problems of life, such as not getting what you want and getting things that you don’t want. Changing. Aging. Illnesses. All these are miserable things we do get. These are the symptoms that we see; symptoms of our true problem, the deeper problem we have. It’s like illnesses; when you are ill, you go to a doctor. You know you are ill, because you get pain here. You get hurt here. That is the symptom.

Actually, there’s something wrong somewhere else. The deeper illness is something more than that. Your hurting is only a symptom. What you’re getting here is only a symptom. You have to go deeper inside. That problem is curable; it is not incurable cancer. There are methods. You can totally cure it. Until you cure that, it will give tremendous problems. It causes tremendous pain. It has taken so many of our lives. If you can put all these dead corpses in one place, [the pile] will be bigger than a mountain. Definitely bigger than a mountain. [01:13:48.10]

This has done so much harm to us, yet we still don’t recognize it; we still don’t see the fault. Because we have that fault, we’ll never be liberated. We’ll never gain spiritual benefit, just because of not seeing those faults. Today, we have the opportunity to see them, to look more deeply in that. We must do it. If you look deeply inside and see what the faults are, how they function, then you can really do something well. This is your meditation. You have to meditate on that. You have to think on this, and if you do it, it will help. OK? [01:14:44.08]

Now, basically I mentioned the problems that we faced about ourselves. Similarly, as much as we are facing, and that much every sentient being, every living being has the same problem. No matter who you look at, you may see a very high person politically, economically, rich, high, powerful, you look at them; they are having the same struggle that you and I have. Our mind is funny. Our mind tells ourself that money is everything. Definitely. You may deny it. If I say that money is everything, you may say, “No, no, no.” I know that. Still, you may deny it, but deeply, you accept that money is everything. [01:17:29.20]

I don’t know why. How do I know? One simple reason. You say, “He (or she) is lucky. They have money. They can do anything they want.” You make that statement. Behind that statement, what do I see? You have profound faith that money is everything, because you’re giving that as an argument and a reason, they can do anything they want because they have a lot of money. You may deny, but money is not everything. Because you and I never have money, so you don’t know it. Unfortunately, I had it before, but I don’t know; I was too young. If you look at the people with money, they are having the same struggle as those who have no money. They do everything.

As a matter of fact, they have more problems, more trouble, they are seeking more, they have more worry. Really, look at them. They have to worry about how to protect. Somebody may cheat them. Somebody may take it away, somebody may rob them. How to multiply [their wealth], how to cheat the government by not paying taxes, and how to do all this. All this, you have to do. They have to think, worry, and, I’m quite sure, they have to bear more sleepless nights, much more than you and I endure. We complain if we can’t sleep half the night. But these people, some of them, most of them cannot sleep. They have to think, think, think. In all this, they have problems. [01:19:37.10]

You look at poor people. They are struggling with the same things, again. Just because they don’t have to worry about what to do with that, but they simply have to worry how to get [what they need], what to wear, where to live, what to do? Where to sleep? Where to get shelter? How to pay the bills? They worry about that. You have to do the same struggling. They are all struggling for happiness, what we consider to be happiness, but in reality, it is not. We think it is. The same thing; the little insects outside — they are running up and down, struggling for happiness.

The animals. The birds. Everybody is struggling for that. It is common. So, as much as we face, I face, everybody is struggling. That much of a problem everybody has, including insects, including animals. That’s what we can see. Beyond what we cannot see, the hell realms, the hungry ghosts, everybody is also [struggling]. In reality, it is not happiness. We all know; it is a vicious cycle. We can see. When you don’t have money, you struggle for money. You think that [will bring] happiness. When you have money, you struggle with how to develop it, and blah blah blah. All this. It is a vicious circle. That’s what people go into. Can’t you see it? It’s clear, in front of our eyes clear. [01:21:30.26]

That’s what we do. That’s what everybody does. Everybody is suffering and creating problems. As much as I have (?), and the persons that I care about the most, the persons that I love, they are all struggling with the same things. They want something that they don’t get. They’re working for it. They are getting something that they don’t want. They are working to try to avoid that. They are really trying, doing everything just to adjust themselves to [satisfy] their wishes. This problem is common to you, to me, to the person that I love, to the person that I care about. We are all in the same boat. On the other hand, those people who are in the same boat have no opportunity to do anything. Many of them are in the animal realm. Many more of them, more and more are worse than that.

So what can they do? They can do nothing. They just have to watch, and wait. But we, you and I, today, by chance, mark my words; it’s very important, by chance, we happen to be human beings. By chance. Also, human beings with the capacity to understand the nature of the problem that every living being faces. Also, a human being who has the method available to us. Like a ready-made TV dinner. It is available, ready to cook, ready to eat. It’s available, provided on your table, by the great spiritual masters who gained, who experienced, who developed, who overcame these problems, simply showing the path that is available to us, by chance. [01:24:06.14]

This is very rare. We can never get it again. So, today, if we do not take the chance and try to do something, when can we do it? The persons for whom I care the most are suffering, including myself. I have the method. I have the opportunity. I have the capability. If I don’t do it now, when can I do it? There’s no way that I can’t do it. So today, I have to take the opportunity. I must do it. Then also, when I want to help, not only the person I care for is suffering, but the person I don’t care for is equally suffering. Not only the person for whom I don’t care, but the person who I hate is also in the same boat. Suffering. The same thing.

We have a bad misunderstanding. We pinch things on people. We paint certain people black. We paint certain people white. We paint certain people pink. Really. We paint them, and we call them “black. Dirty. Filthy.” I don’t mean black skin. Dirty, filthy, horrible. Enemy. And certain people will say, “Nice. Beautiful. Wonderful. Loving friend.” It’s only a way of painting. The color. Really, we have painted. I’ll tell you how we have painted. In reality, truly, deeply you look, whoever it may be; there is no difference. I tell you the truth.

Enemy and friend, no certainty. Young, childhood friend who cannot be separated for even a single minute can become the very, very strongest enemy. Persons that trust each other; they are ready to die for each other, form a company together; they know themselves so well. They fight, and become the worst enemies. We see it every day, don’t we? That’s how people form their companies together, do business, over a little piece of money, they quarrel, the company even dissolves. One tries to block the other, that one tries to block the other, and even in the court, when they fight, it is the worst fight, because each one knows the other too well. [01:27:13.15]

That is the uncertainty of the enemy and friend. In short, yesterday’s enemy can be today’s best friend. Today’s best friend can make some little movement; a way of looking with the eye, way of moving lips, or way of a little bit of action, you feel, wow, you really have to kill it, or something. That shows how uncertain the [status] can be between the [former] friend and enemy. It is only our mind’s projection, by which you can make things really black and white. In reality, there’s really not much [there].

What really happens is that every one of us — we don’t have control over our mind. This is the problem. We don’t. Even if you don’t want to, you do something that you know is not right, but you just do it. You can’t help it, because you are angry, or because you hate, or because you are under lust or hate, and you do something funny that you’re not supposed to do. You just do it. And then it’s over, and you are in trouble. You realize you’re too late.

It’s true. Everybody does that. That is because it is not my fault. It’s not your fault. It is our mind which has been conquered by the evil power of anger and attachment. These are the two really basically we are ignorant. It becomes very easy for these two to shape things here and there. It is as though someone is sitting in the car and it’s easy for the driver to take you anywhere you want. Just like that, it happens. If you don’t believe me, we’ll leave aside the professional killers. Otherwise, most of the people who kill somebody are caught and are punished. If you ask each one of them, they really have no desire to kill anybody. [01:29:53.15]

Nobody wants to kill. Who wants to kill? But, something happens. By the time you realize, it’s already done. You lost control. You have no control. You don’t know, actually, what’s happened. You’re so angry, you pick up the gun and shoot, ba baa ba baa, that’s it. By that time, the others are even dead. And you realize, ‘Oh my God, what did I do?’ Most of the time it is like that. Professional killers are different. They are really professional; they don’t even have anger. Somebody paid somebody to do this, and they just do it for money. I don’t think they have any anger at all. I mean, they don’t have human feelings. It’s like the play with that dark thing; just like that. They really don’t think there’s a human being there. These professional killers. [01:31:07.21]

Otherwise, everybody is angry. By human nature, you have good persons. By nature, we are really good. But our anger and hatred make us do these things. When you realize this, you really cannot paint black and white. You really cannot call somebody a really total friend, because it’s going to change. Today, you meet, trust and do all this, and tomorrow he or she will show a different color. He and she are also emotionally controlled by other things. So, they have different multi-colors to show. You also have multi-colors to show. You act accordingly.

Now, on our ordinary level, if you close your eyes for two minutes, and choose three people in front of you, a person about whom you care the most, or you love the most, or a person who you hate the most, if you have a good enemy, you hate the most, and somebody who you don’t know. Three of them. Close your eyes, think about them for a minute. Look at all three different faces. Every time you look at the different faces, also don’t forget to look at your mind. The moment you look at the person you love, care about and all this, then look at your mind. You’ll find the light. The lightness of the mind and the brightness. You like it. Happy. No reason, just automatically. Look at the person you hate the most. Try to project his or her face in front of you. You feel miserable. Darkness, heavy. Uncomfortable. No reason. [01:33:48.14]

And project the third face, which you don’t know, or do know but don’t care. You have no feelings. He’s there, like a ball (?). OK? So now, the next question — it’s meditation, OK? You have to ask yourself, “Why do I have funny feelings like this? Why do I look at this face and feel bad? Why?” You have various reasons to give yourself. Anything. He or she did this and that, and this and that (end of audio) [01:34:35.20]