Archive Result

Soundfile 19890923GRCHCom

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location Chicago

Topic Compassion

Transcriber Phyllis Whyte

Date Dec 29, 2021

0:00 introduction by Brenda Rosen

4:15

Thank you for the introduction which I don’t really deserve, or what you say.

I was just thinking when I am walking through on this direction and when Brenda say Lama Gelek Rimpoche, you are probably expecting somebody in the robes and something like that and the way you find the strange fellow in the Western style so maybe sort of what you are expecting will not be there, anyway

Before we begin with the talk tonight, I think it will be very important if we could give ourself a little bit of a relax on our mind. Because what was happening here is we have been very busy with a lot of affairs and we sometimes don’t recognize how mind has really been working so hard. And we do recognize when we get a physically get tired and then we like to give a little time to relax but mind normally don’t get time to relax at all. So I thought it is better if you could give a little relaxation of the mind, sort of for a while, a little silent sitting and silent is very good, if you listen to it, sometimes you can hear a lot of things, and you can learn a lot of things. You can also relax a lot. So it may not be easy for me to say, so I’ll stand there but if we all keep yourselves a little silent. When I say something, some people begin to count with the braid, some people do all sort of things.

I don’t mind whichever you do, if you know of any technique of meditation, that’s OK.

6:46

If you are not aware of any technique, and here I mean silent and really mean silent. Any thoughts that comes up, try to peel it away, try to take it away, try to give yourself a little time to relax.

7:08

Recording restarts:

7:42

Keeping silent as well as sometimes you are counting beads and all this, will give the mind not only a relax but takes away, slightly away a lot from daily busy schedule involved so much, it takes away a little bit. When it takes away, and our mind will be, it sort of it helps to take whatever you are taking in. It’s not necessarily have to be Buddhism or whatever it is, whatever you do, taking something, it definitely helps. So 8:30 these sort of technical, keeping silent, the counting braid (?), all this are usually very helpful. Whenever you wanted to use, wherever you wanted to use can go.

8:40

Now coming back to the point of the compassionate mind where we are 8:50 going to touch tonight. It’s whatever going to pour (?) it here is through the background of the Tibetan Buddhism

And I’d like to, before I go into that, I would like to mention a few things here. Tibetan Buddhism has unique quality no doubt, but at the same time I’d also like to emphasize that it is really Buddhism and nothing else. Don’t think of it as something very special which is different than the usual Buddhism, something like called Tibetan Buddhism. It sort of any way it is nice and people do think there is something very unique and this and that and they call it Tibetan Buddhism and it is something special, yes. In a way there

9:54

But it is Buddhism, nothing else and the techniques and the things what I’ve been giving in the Tibetan Buddhism is coming from Buddha and it is tradition that came from the Indian tradition of what Buddha taught.

It is not that Tibetans have special training but it is really what Buddha taught, it is.

However these techniques, in Buddhism in India has been somehow

missing in India for all these different years. Somehow it is gone, disappeared from India and went over to Tibet and I don’t want to go much detail in the historical events, whatever happened but Tibetans somehow have been able to preserve this pure teachings of the Buddha with a lot of those techniques, especially the techniques mentioned in 11:06 Vajrayana or Tantriana (?) practice, which has been mentioned…(? 11:12) able to preserve it in pure quality, and Tibet had kept it for over 1000 years and it is a lot of experience by the Tibetan masters. And added up on that and they made little contributions on that but it is truly basic Buddha’s experience was the pure basis,

11:44

So Buddha, what does really Buddhism is, what did Buddha do? What did he talk about it? That question comes up first. So Buddha, when you look at it, the teachings of the Buddha, what we call it, Buddhism, or teachings of the Buddha, is nothing more than that of the experience what Buddha himself gained. The Buddha gained the experience dealing with the problems that come up and they encounter with the problems and the solutions he applied and again experienced. And the Buddhism is nothing but experience of the Buddha which he shared. And that is a Buddhism. People may think it is something very strange sort of thing but it really is nothing but the experience of the Buddha.

Experience on what?

13:00

Experience Buddha looking for is spiritual development

Just like any one of us. If you really look into the Buddhism, how it really came up and Buddha definitely born in a very wealthy Indian Royal family. And they really wanted Buddha to continue the ruling family and to continue to rule. And the parents of the Buddha, is really their concern was how to keep Buddha in the family. That’s what they really concerned. What happened was when Buddha born, the traditional Indian culture and customs they always consult some kind soothsayers at that time, those well-known soothsayers at that time did tell the parents of the Buddha, if you can keep this fellow in your household he will be greatest king on earth but there is a lot of possibility that you will not be able to keep it and this fellow may run away.

14:13

So the biggest worry of the family is how to keep the Buddha in the house.

That’s really their concern, how to keep him in the house so whatever he likes, the best ever possible that’s why when you look at even the life story of the Buddha that’s what you see. He goes in someone’s house and is sort of fascinated with a young lady over there. Of course the parents are the rulers and they provided that lady valuable and the next day in his house.

Everything and they try to show this fellow really with what the best facility, ever valuable materially, and so that with the hope they can keep him in the house.

So more that thing goes on and the Buddha becomes much more reluctant to be able to do that. And his mother permitted to go out of the house. One of the mistakes, what they really did is, without his knowledge, they tried, they tried to block him out. Sort of you know, you’ve got a huge palace, they cannot go out of that. And whenever he wants to go out, they have to make preparation so that he doesn’t see anything undesirable. But one day when he begins to told the person who drives his horsecars, he said he wanted to go, a little bit out without 15:50 the family’s permission…(???) …move

When they begin to move, he see some sort of sick people, they couldn’t tried to show not sickness at all.

So he saw somebody sick and pain there. He asks his driver, ‘What is that?’ He says, he tells Buddha this is called sickness and this is what happens, it’s nothing but the person gets sick and is full of pain and problems and all this sort of thing and he turns around, he begins to think, What is it?’ Similarly, he did another occasion and saw a dead body carrying around which he never seen before and he keeps on asking what’s this? He says, ‘This is called death.’

16:48

First question he asks, ‘What happens when you die?’

‘You are no longer valuable this and that.’

and he…

‘Am I subject to dying?’

He said, ‘Yes.’

‘Am I subject to get sick?’

‘Yeah.’

That makes him go back to his life-long, lot of lives experience. I’m talking about incarnation now. So Buddhism is really with a lot about incarnation. So he goes back and he collects all his old thoughts and all this and he begins to see what is really he is enjoying or not enjoying, whatever it is in this, is not the real truth. There are a lot of things which he did not understand. So he began to search for the truth.

17:46

And that made Buddha to move and when you search for the truth he began to finding the truth. And that took him long time, a little longer time, he did not find immediately but begin to find the truth and then he really is experienced. Incidentally, when Buddha first went into the forest to mediate or whatever, for searching for the truth, he went for the purpose of finding for himself and also try to help all the others, whatever he could find it, whatever purpose he went but when he actually become a Buddha, and when he sort of became a Buddha, and a it really took him out, he chose to keep silent. He said, ‘Well, I have found some very strange experience, wonderful, like a nectar, like a nectar. However, if I try to share that with other people, they will never be able to understand so therefor it best for me to keep quiet for a little while. So he really chose to keep silent. So, he kept silent, he didn’t teach for a while, until he found right condition. When the right condition was developed, then Buddha begin to share his experience. So, the first thing what you got is what we call it Four Noble Truths. Normally in Buddhism, what the very famous know is The Four Noble Truths and that’s what it is. He shared that. And when you talk about The Four Noble Truths here, it sounds very nice and wonderful

19:58

but when you really look into what it is, it is nothing more than dealing with our life and the problems that we encounter and how we can overcome those problems and after overcoming those problems, what will become of it, what do we get? So these are really the basis of The Four Noble Truths. Now in order to work these Four Noble Truths, with anybody else, with anybody, and for that matter, with anybody. And what we do need, is we do need… Let me put it this way, I’m sorry.

20:42

Let me put it this way, out of the Four Noble Truths, first of all, I mean the Buddha’s nectar, the first is truth of problem, or truth of suffering, … the pain, the problems. That’s what it is, Buddha introduced that first. So I come across with a lot of people and saying that, ‘Well, Buddhism is very nice and wonderful,’ and this and that, ‘but I don’t want to hear about pains and problems because Buddhism is full of pains and problems.’ People say that.

21:15

Anyway, that true … You’re right Buddhism, talks about the pains and problems. But on the other hand, what I’m thinking is if we don’t talk pains and problems does it help us? I don’t think it does, at all. So on the other hand the problem is such that everybody can cross with. No matter, whatever you might be, no matter if your are wealthy or poor, whatever, higher or low, wealthy or poor, or whether young or old, whatever it is - the problems that everybody comes through. There is nobody who does not really encounter with the problems. At all.

22:08

More so, people encounter a lot more mental difficulties than that of any other problem. Our mind gets more problems. People don’t acknowledge the pains and problems that we face is more. Sometimes if we find mind difficulties, are more than physical difficulties, we encounter with a lot of problems mentally, like anger, we encounter with the fear, the fear of losing something and we encounter with the problem of strong attachment, over attachment, exaggerated attachment or sometimes, fear, the fear and all these sort of things and lot of problems that we encounter. This is our natural. If we don’t encounter that, s omething’s wrong. So we all have that, this is our natural. So Buddhism and particularly Tibetan Buddhism, we try to deal with those things and these things it is possible to work with us and we can work with this. Why we can work with this? Because in our true natural, in our true reality, as a natural of the person, there is really a wonderful being and a beautiful person, faultless person, true natural. We do have that. Each one of us has a process and deep down, when you look inside, deep down we do have a true beautiful natural of a being. It is true and it is beautiful. A faultless being. However, that very being deep inside, which is the true faultless, be unable to function outside, unable to function because of our problems…

24:45

That’s why we call that a problem. Because of our coloring of a different attachment, or anger, or hatred, or jealousy and all this will overpower, I can’t say overpower but makes sort of a stand between the function of the person and the beautiful person inside. So what will happen is these sort of things that come up within our mind is creating a problem for us. So these problems, why this making problem? Because our beautiful natural, the beauty reality could not be shown, is blocking it. We cannot express, we cannot come out of it. We are unable to, or either, not only that, we are unable to develop even those beauty natural we have. Sort of undeveloped. Can’t say that normally I used to say seed here, but seed, the moment I use the word seed, you begin to think some kind of form, it has no form at all. It is sort of a tendency, you have the beautiful natural being in there but that being is unable to function because it will remain at the level of tendency, possibility, tendency there but yet unable to function it because of those anger, hatred, jealousy, all these are our problems which blocking us.

So in order to waken this beauty, natural, loving mind, kind mind, and beautiful natural, is what you have to do is… I won’t say what you have to do, nobody will tell you what to do but what the Tibetan Buddhism suggests into work (laughs I’m sorry, it’s my bad habit) suggests us to work with those problems we face.

27:00

From anger, and jealousy, so these sort of problems we have to face them and work with them and if you don’t work with them what will happen is after some time, it will overpower us and when it becomes overpowers us, the individual person begins to lose control and anger, let’s take anger, the anger will begin to take everything over and anger become a big director behind somewhere deep inside and it will begin to direct so our functions will not be as best as we want them to be. It’s not a something to be good.

27:50

So that’s why I call that a problem, we call that a problem. It is necessary to work with this and Tibetan Buddhism is really deal with anger OK, no problem. It really deal very well with anger. Providing the methods for anger and jealousy, everything and that’s what it is, and

28:17

Some people will definitely say that anger is such a thing which we should always suppress it. Or some people will say anger is good, to work with this because sometimes it gives your force to work, otherwise if you are not angry at all, you don’t have force at all.

So well, some of my thinking on those lines, I mean this sort of question comes up very often with a lot of people. So, I’ve been thinking on that,

and yes, anger looks like it gives force to work with you for the time being but by using anger to work we are paying much more price than that of what we should be paying. Because anger is not an easy way to handle it

Number 1, what does anger do? Anger disturbs the individual peace. If you have a peaceful mind, you are very positive about it, you want to do certain things done the right way and you are prepared to it and all of a suddenly there is something happen to you and your get so angry and all your peace has been gone, destroyed. Whole day has been spoiled. I don’t have to tell you that.

29:50

Each one of us experienced that. So by using anger we are paying much more. Number one, we are paying our peace. Number two, spiritual way anger is very expensive, don’t ever even try to do it. It is very expensive. Because it is one of the weapons that negative forces to use to wipe out all our good works. Good karma has been able wiped out by anger

So, that is not a really nice way to use it

But there is a true way to do it

One way is by applying the patience on that, patience, that is the direct, what the text will tell you, if you are angry you apply patience on that. That is the direct opponent of the anger model.

However, for our practical purposes, when you are really angry and get upset in the middle of somewhere, you’re really angry and if you keep on saying be patient, apply patience probably it will get you more upset (laughs) that of… you are going to hit the person back rather than you are going to habit applying it

To my… to me, what we are really, when we are working with this what is really happening is to be aware of it. To recognize the first step. I mean patience is more patience for anything at all… what I’m saying

The patience is the right, direct antidote of anger, no doubt, however in order to apply that it is become necessary to acknowledge, to acknowledge that to be aware that one is angry which is become so important. What of the people, what of us, what’s happening is when we get angry, we witness a lot of people. They get so angry and they don’t know what they are doing; they do not know what they’re saying.

32:07

People say all sorts of things of undesirable things and they act sort of a lot of unwanted actions they do it because they lose their control and anger takes over. Which I don’t have to tell you, you know. You can see every time, when people is angry. The problem is they don’t, we don’t recognize we are angry. I found the most important is to be aware, to recognize, to recognize. I mean, pointing the finger and the same head your are angry, cool down. Telling yourself and pointing yourself, aware of the situation

33:00

One thing to be aware of, that is not only for anger, for all your emotional problems. Actually to be aware is a very important first step. If you do not aware of that problem you are encountering then you do all sort of things. It doesn’t matter. Though maybe you be able to recognize it, much later, much later, maybe a day later, maybe a week later even. Doesn’t matter. It is become so important to recognize. Recognize it the next time, you’ll be able to recognize earlier than that of the first time. So if you keep on repeating that, the time comes, you’ll be able to recognize at the time when you are angry. You’ll be able to recognize and tell yourself, tell yourself, hey I am upset, I’m angry in that. And once you be able to do that then you get possibility of recognizing that you are angry or any problem that encounter is coming even before it appears. There is time that you can apply the patience. And you can get away with it. That is the temporary measure. It is more than permanent measure is a temporary measure. But the temporary measure if you apply like this in the today, in our condition, sort of we lose all of our control and our emotions seem to be controlling us and there’s a huge type of thing we comes to overpower us and we can do nothing about it. By giving a recognition each, all the time and there is, there will be a time that you will be able to control your everything. Everything both really under control, you can even meet your emotional problems. Say, ‘Hey, haven’t seen you for a while, how are you?’ (Laughter)

That condition is possible if you could recognize it. So the first step really step is giving recognition and then applying all other sort of all other things. And that’s… The moment you are able to sort of put down the problems, what will happen is the positive side of it begin to grow it up and begin to shining it up and begin to do it, begin to open it up. Then you’ll really be able to do it and a truly loving and truly compassionate.

36:06

Even that is possible, after that, if you clear the problems what’s happening just now, we are looking for great love and great compassion. We always look, each one of us, we want great love and great compassionate. But we are looking for compassion and love, we are not, we are sort of, we don’t look into the problems

36:30

It is only possible if you clear the problems, this great love and great compassion be able to open it up.

Because it is covered, sort of it blocked by the problems and then it opens up by itself, you don’t have to do anything, like you know the Third Eye Operation Tiger thing (laughter), you don’t have to do that. Yeah, I mean, people try that, to operate the third eye and all this. You don’t have to do anything. It is something which grows within the individual inside.

37:05

So how to grow is about overcoming the problems. Really, I mean that’s very simple and straightforward. There’s no mystery about it. The mystery, the problem with us is we look for the beauty part of it. We’re trying, sort of bypass the problems. That’s what people want to do, quick enlightenment, sort of mystical hit. Ohhh, whatever you needed, instant, this thing, instant that thing, like sort of TV dinner, instant coffee, whatever it is. (laughter) That type of in the spiritual field also, we look for that because we won’t deal with the problems and we are sort of looking… bypass, sort of..

Let the problem be there, want to get beyond that

So there is no way you can get beyond that. So the problems have to be recognized and handled. And once you begin to sort of solving your problems, the beauty nature, loving compassion is becoming greater and greater and it is open inside, not outside.

A lot of people will tell you, I mean that ends up true

38:27

You don’t have something to look outside, it is inside with you. That’s true. But how you going to find it inside you, is again becoming a problem. Right? How you look, how you find inside you, by looking whether the head part of it, the neck part of it, the throat part of it or whatever part of the body inside, if you start looking you’re not going to find anything.

38:54

You’re not going to find anything there because it’s not there, you’re not going to find it, because it’s not there, there’s zero inside. Did you get me? There’s zero there, that’s why you don’t find it.

But when you look in means, you have to look where you are going to really going to shine that loving compassion is, as by solving those problems. Problems which blocking us. Why we having problem at all? Because we couldn’t develop. I mean that’s why you have problem. Need to solve them. Without solving the problem, there is no way you can shine.

How it’s clear. So what I wanted to tell you tonight, there is there is no…

40:00

The Tibetan Buddhism is something very sort of, you know, important and pure and very mystic about it, however the mystic does not have an instant solution and that’s what I wanted to tell you. (Laughter) I mean it looks a little strange, normally people will say yeah, we have the best method available and you’d be like this but I’m here to tell that there is no this. (laughter) So, there is no instant solution, though Tibetan Buddhism is supposed to carry very, sort of important, rare, very secret… whatever and all these solutions and transformation techniques. And people are very interested, how do we, I get hundreds of questions, very often, ‘How do I transform my anger into a path? How do I transform my attachment into a path?’ This question because Tibetan Buddhism’s supposed to offer that. This question I get very often, so the answer is whether you transform. Actually, if you are not suppress but when you work with the problem and you begin to solve the problem, the transformation is here only this. We not trying to get rid of anger completely, but however, we are not going to have horrible black anger, we try to change that and that’s really a transformation of it and actually what you transform is you don’t transform the anger but you transform the individual, the person who is getting the angry. The angry person will be transformed into a loving person, a kind person Actually all persons are loving and a kind person by natural, I’m telling you. As earlier, by true analysis, they are beautiful, wonderful.

But their beauty, wonderfulness is being big problem and that is me, I’m talking about me, so you each one of you can think, if you thinking in the spiritual way, you have to think like me here.

42:30

And the beautiful, wonderful, by natural, but however, I am unable to express it, unable to shine it because of my problems. And until I solve the problem, I’m not going to be able to do it.

But you don’t have to wait for somebody else to solve the problem. You have too solve yourself problem. It is only you and yourself, ONLY are the person who can solve the problem, no third person.

43:00

Nobody, no second person, nobody, no lamas, no gurus, no masters. Nothing. Nobody can solve your own problem. It is only you and you yourself, alone can solve. And the way that also you also have to make your mind to solve your problem, and only then you can solve. Then also you have to recognize the problem and only then you will begin to even think of solving. If you don’t recognize that as a problem, the problem as a problem, you are not interested in solving the problem for whatsoever, what reason you have to bother? For what reason you have to be taking the trouble? When you take the trouble it means you need solutions. I mean in each one of us here in this room tonight. Why am I here, right? Isn’t that right? Why am I here, OK? Thank you. Why am I here? You ask that question to yourself. So you do have some sort of answer yourself, you are here. Because you’re looking for a spiritual path. That has to be the only reason. Or some may have interest on Tibet and this and that and that may be exception of a few people but mostly it is here because of the spiritual.

44:42

Why do I need a spiritual path? You ask that question to yourself. Because I’m looking for, I’m not satisfied with answers that I think it 45:00 answered in my program. (? problem? Progress?) Isn’t that right? That is the worst possibility and most of the reasons why you are here. If that is the reason, it is the sign of you recognizing your problems but you still have to acknowledge, you still have to acknowledge your problem, your solution. Everything is within you, not by second person, not by third person, not by a certain sort of lightening strike that can hit you to 45:44 solve your problem. No, not like we saw on Television, thing go off (?) so don’t get that. So it’s reality, it is true reality that’s what we’re dealing with it. I mean, it’s more rare than that of normal serious business problems. It’s much more rare than that. It’s true reality that we are dealing with. And it looks… when you talk about spiritual, some people take it very light, some people, well, it’s one of those type of things. But actually you are dealing with a very serious matter within us. It’s much more serious than that of our very important business deal. Value-wise even, not in terms with the dollar but in terms of benefit, in terms of problem, in terms of benefit, it is much more important and valuable for others. So what we do is we, I mean I’m telling you here tonight, the problems are within us, the solutions are within us and it is only ourself can work and it is only you and yourself, only, can work with it. No third person, not even a Buddha. No but, a Buddha can’t do it for sure. Buddha himself can make very clear statement.

Tibetan

47:11

So, Buddha himself can make very clear statement, saying that Buddhas cannot remove the problems on the individual by hand, picking up. Nor can they wash it with the soaps and waters, cleansing it and Buddha cannot transfer their spiritual development from one person to another. It is more serious than American Express, not transferrable. (Laughter) So there’s no transferring at all. That’s what really is. So the solution lies and the problem lies within the individual. The individual has to stop it and it is the right time to do, the right opportunity, and the right moment because you have to do it but you can get external help, external aid, that’s not to rule out. That is your own information, knowledge, guiding, all this and these are external aids. That can help, which is valuable, 48:32 round. (?) The Tibet might have been spiritual source before but certainly it’s not like in the United States, here, you can have any spiritual thing you can do. Valuable, I mean, where is in the world you can look for spiritual market, more than the United States has today. True. In earlier Tibet, in Tibet when we begin to look for the Buddhism and the spiritual path, we had to take a tremendous amount of trouble, tremendous amount of trouble. Journey, going to India, finding the right teacher, and which is unwilling, very difficulty. If you really look into it, number of Tibetan rulers have to give up their life because of able to bring a pure Buddha’s teachings into Tibet, in order to bring. Sort of very, very hardship, under which circumstances they have able to brought up over to Tibet. Today is valuable in the Chicago newspaper, if you open it up, maybe the right side has something and the left side, there’s some advertising here and there is valuable. So the lama solutions are valuable, so it is best time for the individual to act. And external acts are much more today than any time any part. It is really time to do it. And that individual also has the capability to do it. External is valuable. All conditions are right. So at that moment, if you work there’s no doubt, you can solve your own problem. That’s all I have to say. If you have any questions, I’d be more than happy to answer.

50:23

Q&A

Audience: My question is you might know from being in the west, we have a disease of the mind and the body’s hypochondria, and the disease of the person says with their mouth, they complain their problems and their pain, but in their mind, they really love these problems and when they look at all their problems what they’re really doing is in fact creating, deceiving their biggest problem, or one of the biggest problems and I have often wondered how in a practice like this that you know the difference between a negative attachment and assessment with your own problem and a positive acknowledgement of your genuine problems.

Rimpoche

That is very important question. Who really knows, what is negative and what is positive, number one. Who can tell what is good and what is bad? These are big problems. But very broad way there are certain things which we call a negative act, which sort of a lot of people commonly accept, the teachings we commonly give and there must be negative way, there must be negative.

I used to say that Buddha did not have a conference with Jesus Christ, when they wanted to give those ten commandments or whatever it is. When they say, killing is non-virtuous, they say in east as well as in the west, stealing and this and that and all sort of ten things which comes out and in both east and west. All the religions will tell almost the same thing. I’m sure did not have conference so they must be knowing something, what is right and what is wrong so they did that. So I think what we do now, we don’t have exactly knowledge of what is right or what it wrong but however we go on and relying on both and we move in that direction. And Buddha, to me, Buddha never tells lies. So, what Buddhism says which is non-virtue or negative, whatever it is. Some people don’t even like the word non-virtue, doesn’t matter, it’s negative, negativity. When they said that and also what happens is one thing that we know, certainly attitude, way of thinking, which disturbed our peace, our clear, clean minds, which is clear and clean and positive, which get totally disturbed and become like muddy water, the clean like crystal becomes muddy water which is really disturbing, which is not good so we can judge from that manner and we can see ourselves this attitude is not good. This way of thinking attitude is not good because it disturbed my peace.

And now second part of your question.

54:15

Yes. But still we know it is wrong but we cannot handle it. We know it brings problems yet, we still cannot get away. Why? Because we become habit, we become a habit of functioning that way. If you have to change that it is nothing easy for us. We’re not adaptable for change, so we have to somehow work we try to change our habitual problems. This isn’t really a habitual problem, we know it’s not the problem of not knowing it but the problem of knowing it but able to what do you call that, whatever you know is unable to translate into action and that is not only the western American problem but that is also, we do have in Tibet, also in old Tibet, that great Tibet, old Tibet had the same problem too. It’s not that problem-free. Because our habit. The habitual behaviour. What we are used to it, which really makes us to do things again and again even though it’s not good. So only solution here again is acknowledging it, and try to correct it. Even after it’s too late - doesn’t matter first time, there’s always second, third and forth time comes. So even it’s too late, say, it’s too late, forget it. We don’t do that. Well, it’s too late today but I acknowledge it, I remember it. Write yourself a note

56:00

Mark something to yourself

Those are the great Tibetan practitioners earlier they used to put something on there even in the caves. They used to mark different colors and put something else that reminds them. And even in my period in Tibet, I see, a lot of times I see they put certain moods, meaning, reminding themselves, reminding something you see them putting on the walls too. So these are the sort of the sort of the last resort type of thing, even you write yourself a note, put some mark on the walls, visible, some sort of sign for yourself and anyway, acknowledging it and then you can avoid it, then you can avoid it. Even your habit will tell you, no I can’t do it, but another point will say yes, I can do it and why not, because so and so did it, so and so did it, this fellow did it that fellow did it, why can’t I do it? And also equals to human beings. I always emphasize very much, Buddha and our self. If we compare it, couple of thousand years before during our previous, previous incarnation period and definitely on equal level, intelligence, capacity, everything is equal, however, Buddha somehow got some kind of opportunity and he worked with this. He had been differences, he had been diligent, work hard. We have been lazy and laziness is the one which really put us down. So even now as a result that, today the Buddha has become a Buddha and we had to look up and we are left here, it’s unfortunate. We should have been up there and looking down and Buddha should have been down here looking up (laughter) but it is not, it’s other around, it’s unfortunate. What made it that happen, huh? What made that happen? What made that happened? Because the Buddha is not being lazy. He’s been diligent and we have been lazy. We cannot correct our habitual behaviours because of laziness. And nothing else, nothing else, laziness that’s why this is happening. If we be little diligent you can correct. Even the habitual problems, you can correct. If you let the lazy take over one time take over, then two times take over, three times take over, then you know always take over. It’s like the stream of a river of laziness will come and you will nowhere be taking over. So you have to somehow catch hold of it and say, ‘Hey, I’m going to stop here.’ That’s it, once you stop here, you can stop. There’s no way you cannot stop. Any habit, smoking cigarette, drinking, nothing, there’s nothing which you cannot stop. It’s only what you need is you need strong positive will and diligent working. Thank you.

59:45

Audience

You mentioned earlier when Buddha became enlightened and followed the truth he at first decided not to reveal it but was waiting for the proper conditions. Could you elaborate as to what were the proper conditions and maybe find references to where one can learn more?

1:00:08

Rimpoche

Thank you.

Proper condition is when Buddha himself, when he opened enlightenment, he has done his work. he has solved his problem. Now only the king, whatever he has to do, he has to reveal to others, so he needs an openminded person to reveal. When the person, people are, that whatever he is going to reveal this, and there are closed mind people, things are not going to get through their head at all. If you shut all your doors from all the directions so nothing can go in. Nothing can go through. So needed openness. And once the people begin to open, once you are open then everything can go in. You know what I mean? So the best condition, for the Buddhism and for Buddha to share his experience is needed, is the condition is openness. Once we have openness there’s a ways and means of every information can come in, receiving. You don’t have to take it because Buddha said so. Buddha himself said that. Said if you buy gold at that time, it’s two thousand years ago. If you want to buy gold, probably that probably was the dream in India. You cut the gold, burn it, make sure it’s gold, run to the store, when you satisfy that it is gold, you take it, otherwise you don’t take it and throw it away. So Buddha said when I tell you something, you check yourself. When you feel it makes sense, you feel it can help, then you take it. Otherwise throw in the garbage. That’s what the Buddha said. But the conditions you need to open, if you are totally closed, every day shut your eyes, close your ear and shut your mouth, then nothing can go in. Nothing can go in. So the conditions, nothing but openness needed.

Thank you

1:02:15

Audience

You mentioned in the United States there’s a lot of teachers and religious ways that are available to help us deal with our innate problems. What I’m thinking is that a lot of the teachers, especially a lot of modern teachers make great kindness as to who they are and what they are capable of and some of them make considerable demands on the followers and I was wondering if you could comment on the relationship between the teacher and the student.

1:03:00

Rimpoche

Oh boy! (Laughter, even Rimpoche)

That is a heavy stone you throw on me.

Well… well, demanding monetary benefit and physical, mental and emotional, monetary benefit, I think they are wrong, totally wrong attitude.

Claiming is something which I can’t say. I believe the great teachers don’t claim anything. Don’t claim anything. I mean we, in the Tibetan tradition we say that very often, we don’t like the person who is blowing his own trumpet, you know what I mean? And if you are blowing your own trumpet, it is a sign that nothing is inside that person. Whatever it is he or she have to blow it out. (Laughter) So, that’s that.

We have another saying

Tibetan

1:04:29

Tibetans. Funny. Old Tibet has funny sayings.

Stable food in Tibet is called ….. barley for barley powder, barley flour. And those of a few who does’t have enough barley flour to eat, what do they do? To show off to the people that you got a lot of barley flour, they throw something outside the window, so that when people go and look and oh yeah, this family must have a lot of barley flour there because even through the window, they are throwing things out. (Laughter) So when you are making big claims it’s not necessarily they are there but in the field of spiritual truly speaking, spiritually highly developed people I don’t believe they claim it, they claim anything.

Tibetan

One of the great masters are giving example and saying if you have at the time of the harvesting, if you’re doing the wheat harvest, you call it stock, right? The stock which has a lot of wheat is normally sort of bend down and if you see something straight up, standing up, which is a sign of emptiness which makes more noise when the wind blows (laughter).

So this is the example, normally the great teachers will give but different traditions, I do not know and I can’t say those who are claiming is wrong, but that’s what I know of it. That is the first portion of it.

1:06:36

The second portion… I don’t know. I don’t demand anything from anybody, as far as I am concerned and certainly in the spiritual field, they don’t demand anything but if you gain the respect, OK this is one thing, the teachers definitely gain the respect. You only gain respect if you are benefiting the others. If you get benefitted from that person, you automatically gain respect. You don’t have to demand, you gain. They like you, they’re afraid of you and they give your respect. If you are not helping, no matter how much you claim and you demand to get resect, but in deep heart you don’t gain that much. That’s true. Beside that, I don’t know what to say.

Thank you.

1:08:00

I presume there is no more questions and I really wanted to thank you so much for all of you have been very patient here (laughter) listening. Listening all my rubbish things and I do hope it has some benefits for you and if so, go back and think about it and next time, when you find your problem, try to apply those solutions, see how it works. If it doesn’t work, I’m sorry I wasted your time. (Laughter)

Thank you

(Clapping)

1:08:43