Archive Result

Soundfile 19900707GRAALR3

Speaker Dagyab Rinpoche

Translated from German into English by Alfred Woll

with some translation from Tibetan by Gelek Rimpoche

Location Ann Arbor

Topic Lamrim

Transcriber Janet Bourgon

Date 12/15/2022

00:00.0

Dagyab Rinpoche (in German)

00:16.5 Translator: So, as Rinpoche might have mentioned, probably has mentioned, I will that point explain again, how it goes with the twelve links of dependent arise. Dependent origination. In the twelve links of dependent origination, one gets very very clear about it, how this cyclic existence works. We can clearly understand that there wouldn't be any end. It always would go round and around. And with this understanding, we generate the being fed up with samsara. And so as we generate the wish to get free from samsaric existence, in the same way we do that when we see all other sentient beings, we generate this feeling of compassion which wants them to be free.

03:01.1

The difference between love and compassion. For compassion one wishes to be free from suffering. For love one wishes to never be separated from happiness, and to attain happiness. So in short, to not to suffer and always being separated from suffering, and attaining happiness and always remain with happiness. Compared to our ordinary intentions, the compassion is quite strong [05:41.0: as we have fix it ??] explained it now. But still, for generating bodhicitta it's not enough.

06:02.7

Because right now we may generate the wish that all sentient beings might be free from suffering and have all happiness, but this is a quite passive attitude. And it has to change in the strong intention "I'm going to help them to get out of the suffering [06:43.4: in this ??] and deep happiness. My task is it to liberate all sentient beings out of cyclic existence. I want to do it." And when this intention is generated in an effortless manner, that means that it's sustained, that it's always there, the wish that I want to help all other sentient beings. Then what we have generated, this is what is called great compassion.

So through this intention one attains the enlightened mind of bodhicitta.

09:00.8

So far the generation of of the bodhimind by the six causes and its result, [Dagyab Rinpoche in English] and the altogether seven point.

Short explain about the exchange between self and other. Yes, self and other. This is another method.

Audience question:. You said that when I, the wish to liberate all beings from samsara, it's not enough to develop bodhicitta. It's when you have personal resolve that I will liberate them. You said that when that is cultivated effortlessly, one has the great compassion and [faint to hear]. And I was wondering, did I get that right? Or was it that you're talking about [??]? I don't know how you translated that. [Not clear ??]

Dagyab Rinpoche:. What I'm generally speaking [10:42.3: hor hananda ??] is something else, something different. Of course it's can't, if you see a theological point of view. It comes from same origin, same level. But in terms of how we use it, [11:06.1: hass amenda ??] is the enthusiasm, with a warm heart and very genuine way of thinking. That's [hass amenda]. It's nothing to do with great compassion.

11:33.8. Gelek Rimpoche:. [very faint and unclear]

Dagyab Rinpoche:. Well I mean that's right, but generally speaking we are talking about [11:43.5: tasen tambo ??] [Whispering between Rimpoche and Rinpoche, laughter].

Audience again:. Okay. Then the question is, is that attaining that point [unclear] then the achievement of great compassion. [More unclear comments, conversation.]

12:09.6.

13:23.9. Dagyab Rinpoche:. Or if you have some other questions, you can put this time.

Audience, maybe Al:. There's just one place where I personally have, keep stumbling on the comparison between the special thought to really deliver all all people and regular responsibility. When I look at the prospect of liberating all sentient beings, it just seems to be impossible. Beyond all possibility. So I hesitate to get to that stage and say, well, I'll do it because it doesn't seem possible. It seems that I, in the rest of my life, when I face an impossible task, it generates futility for me. And I'm very aware of that. And so when I look at this special intention, I run into the same problem. If it's totally impossible for me personally, even if I'm a Buddha, even if I got to be a bodhisattva, even if I got to be a Buddha, it still seems to be to me beyond doing. And so I get confused then with what kind of, that it could cause problems emotionally. This looking at something and being totally guaranteed that you're going to fail.

Dagyab Rinpoche:. Yes. [background conversation in Tibetan with Gelek Rimpoche.]

15:00.0.

[Now in German.]

Translator:. [16:21.6] Western [??] understandable because according our own view there are so so many sentient beings which still can be liberated. But in what we see now is just one planet, but we're told about many universe even. And we haven't got the knowledge of all the other Buddhas and bodhisattvas which exist, what they do in all the other universes and planets. That's one point. And the next point is:

18:02.2.

But you don't need to look at it in this congregate way how it just appears, not necessarily. But on the other hand you can also see it, what great mental task it is to think in that way. From our momentary angle we cannot imagine or comprehend how we would act, and what possibly we could do if we would be a bodhisattva. So what ever we think now, we confine it to our limited mind, the way how we can think at the moment. And that is a little bit too narrow.

[Laughter and background conversation.]

21:00.2.

[Dagyab Rinpoche in English.] It's quite difficult to say because of [21:13.2: shabat ??] Rinpoche, but the best is you must [??]. So, any more questions?

Audience: I don't know how this sounds, but sometimes I, when you first were talking along at the very beginning about how, that the mind has the same quality as the cause. Like the cause, since mind isn't matter, then the cause of mind must not be matter. You remember that? That sometimes it seems to me that I think a lot scientists would also say that you know the mind, or what we perceive as the mind, just could be a lot, a large complex collection of you know neurological sort of material thing. That just combine in such a complex way that it gives us the impression that it's not, that's not matter. You know that it's some sort of other phenomena. So I just wondered if you had any comment on that.

24:00.4.

24:16.9: Gelek Rimpoche (not speaking into the microphone so there's much I can't hear clearly.):. This narrow, narrow logical causes that they think it's created, the consciousness of mind. They cannot deny [??] causes. Definitely [??] they contributed. Created. However that might not have been [alone ??] the cause. Continuation of the mental stream has to contribute to it. Though the scientifically, the scientist does not really say now, see it or discover now. But we can always see the scientific people can always keep on discovering more and more. So maybe they'll find another way they have some kind of continuation. But on the other hand, the neurological causes what we find, (somebody's coughing) can't deny that. Definitely contributed [??]. But the mental stream continuation probably, couldn't possible they couldn't find after some time. And make a big flash, discover something.

Dagyab Rinoche: Yes, please.

Audience:. It seems that in [?] encourages an understanding of the dependency [?], as well as discovering that no matter how far down and simple you go and you investigate scientifically, you still see relationship [?] dependency.

[Discussion in Tibetan.]

27:00.4.

Gelek Rimpoche:. There's a way of, you can't say much because we are not familiar with the point [?? I can't hear] can't contribute much. However there are other time his Holiness was saying a very important point. And he's saying that probably the [27:42.3: theological ??] studies he had discussion with several of them and he thinks it will be great help and improvement of the proper understanding of the energy and the air movement as [nodi ??] The chunk of movement in the human body system which we describe in the vajrayana teachings. His Holiness sort of feels very strongly they are going to complement each other. [28:19.3: ??] But as far as we are concerned, [??].

Dagyab Rinpoche:. So, maybe I'm try to [whispering].

Gelek Rimpoche:. I mean the point is here, if you go to the next topic, exchange, then there's not enough time. Maybe we stop here, [you run around the block ??] [Housekeeping]

30:01.3.

Dagyab Rinpoche in German.

Translator:. We follow the method of Shantideva, the exchange of one's self with others. This method was called the secret teaching of the Kadam tradition. Until quite late time, the seven stage development was the usual way which was taught by the Kadam tradition, and the exchange of one's self with others, that was kept secretly. Because that method is a very effective one in order to tame your own ego.

It can be said that the seven stage development is used as a basis training in order to develop bodhicitta.

33:09.6.

The exchange practice is a very aimed kind of practice, so it points [33:16.9: from ??] sharp to the thing. So it's not something like going around the thing, approaching it from going around it, but it's kind of straight going into the actual method.

So in that also one has to gain a balance between the different people. A balanced attitude towards one's self and others. [Background whispering.] This balance is in the sense of how you say having the same rights? Having the same right. Because we know I want to be free of suffering. I want to be happy. And the other sentient beings they want exactly the same. Nobody wants to experience suffering and everybody wants to attain happiness.

36:07.4.

So from that point of view we are in the same position. In order to deepen that point one goes to the next step.

The next point is the mistake, seeing the mistakes of when one has a too egotistic attitude. Fault of self cherishing. Next is the advantages of seeing when you cherish others. [Dagyab Rinpoche in English.] I think one can say advantage if you self cherish. [38:24.3: Some background discussion about terms.] Second point. And third point would be advantage if you cherish on other.

39:01.7.

[In German.]

Translator:. If you look in a superficial way, we seem quite to be content. But if you look deeper at it, we see there are still problems. Without need for that to look at the far distant things like samsara or what so ever, but right at the moment in our nearest presence there are the problems.

There is nobody who doesn't loves himself. Everybody seeks for having a good situation for oneself. And therefore one tries with any means what can do. For example, to earn money you start a business.

42:00.4.

And through that you act in this business position, you put your self in the center and the others in the external position. Or if you for example get sick because you didn't eat the right thing, or you didn't dress accordingly, or whatever, you did something mistaken, so therefore you became sick. So that shows easy that to a very small thing you did which gives you a lot of pleasure, you gain result which is nonreturnable. So there comes an effect sickness which cannot be stopped. So what ever we do, like eating, drinking, dressing nicely, or whatever the things, we do all that with the intention that we gain some kind of happiness.

45:00.3.

There are many of these things seeming pleasures which on the end bring us favorable results. Look at [46:18.5: Nicolae Ceausescu ??], he tried to get all things in his palace all goods and expensive things. I think [one ?? some ??] of you had seen that in the news. His wife even had covered her shoes in diamonds. And he tried to get all antiques from the [47:04.6: congrate ??] in his own palace.

[Blank spot]

[47:16.4: Dagyab Rinpoche in German.]

Translator:. So in this palace, the lower apartments where the offices are, they had no heaters at all. And then the first floor had [47:32.3: flagly ??] heating. And so in the [??] it turned up and in the top [heated ??] it was nice and warm. So that shows that he took him in first place. And he liked to be content and happy. But the situation of the other person, he didn't care about. He didn't consider what about them.

48:07.6.

So the result was that because of all his endeavor whatever he made, on the end he had to give up everything. This is a very obvious example, but when we look each one of ourselves, I'm [48:44.4: quite ??] similar situations too. At this point it's quite [??] always again and again to look our own situation, our own attitudes, and check. But don't generalize the things, but look at each single thing. So not all in all, overall, but the very particular single things we're doing. So if we closely look at this, then it's easy to recognize that whatever thing we do, every movement whatever it is, is motivated by the idea of I want this and this and that. And I want this, so it's always [50:28.8: centered ??] by the I. If we do that, that we always put ourselves into the center and at first point, then even in general society it doesn't make a good impression.

51:01.6.

So if we live together with some friends, and one of them always talks about himself. I want to do that. I like this and when I about me and [51:33.3] someone, so then we get tired about and there is no real communication possible. So communication in that point would be a one-way.

So about the next point of cherishing others, the advantages of cherishing others. So when we cherish others, we can't see any fault in that. So first, one's self is in the minority and the others are in the majority.

54:03.3.

So to neglect the happiness of others just in order to gain for one's self the good things, that is not the right attitude. For example, in the election of a president, if the candidate in his speech says, well, I want to go in the White House in order to have a good life and be good there. Then probably nobody would give him the voice. So what he has to say, he has to say, I want to serve the citizens of USA. It's even the other way around. That if we want to get happy ourselves, we have to cherish the others more. Because when we being a proud person, then the others won't like that. In the range of Buddhism, all the great teachers, they just became famous and renowned because of the cherishing of others.

57:06.6.

To feel good, that one's self feels good, that is only because of the support from others, that others give one's self this feeling. A small example: if I want to live in a nice apartment, well, I can buy a nice house with my own money as some of the people say. I say, well, I buy, but I built this house with my own money. But actually, it's the help of the others, of the workers, of the construction workers, who really built the house. If I go even further and say, well, I will stay independent and build the house completely by myself. But even then I need the materials. I need bricks whatsoever. And this I cannot fabricate by myself. So therefore I am compelled to be dependent on others. So just through the kindness of other beings I can get a house.

Right now I want to give dharma teachings, but without listeners I can't give dharma teachings. So therefore I'm totally dependent on you. I came here partially to give dharma teachings, but to do that I had to fly. I had to have all these transports. I had to rely on others.

1:00:39.5.

So seeing it that way, even this last hour of the teaching now depends on many, many factors.

Famous painters like Van Gogh or the Picasso. These painters they are not famous because of them, but because of the others who praise their pictures and say how beautiful. And because of all their advertisements and joy they became now famous. The same is true for movie stars or pop stars or whatsoever. They all became renowned and famous because of the appreciation of all other beings.

1:03:06.2.

So for example, Nelson Mandela he became famous because of all these many people there in South Africa where he was working for. So without them he never could have become known here. Well then of course he didn't need to go in prison, jail. But on the other hand he won't become famous. Because of his, because of the people, so he's now quite [1:4:00.9: ??].

So in that sense many mundane and spiritual people they became known and famous because of others. So the old masters say, if there wouldn't be others, other beings around us, we wouldn't have clothes to wear. For example cotton it has to come from the factory to make the actual cloth. And also the wool has to come from the animals, has to get cut and it has to make together into a sheet. And then need to be designers to make the nice design for the shirts or whatsoever. And all this has to be done by others. So only by the kindness of others we can have nice clothes and jewelry and other things.

1:06:15.3.

That is more or less outer examples.

If I should give some inner examples, then for example if I deal with somebody with a more wrathful or more unfriendly aspect or manner. Then what do I get as reaction on that? Or if I meet an angry person and encounter that person with a very calm appearance from my side, what kind of reaction then will come? Maybe this opponent [1:08:09.2: ??] will continue to shout and scream and maybe he hit me once or twice. But then he has to stop it. He will stop it because it's a one-sided action. But if I would react in a negative manner, also angry also, then it will get a disaster. He will not only hit back once or twice, but then I would really be in troubles.

1:09:02.6.

This of course is quite a difficult practice, but exercising, keep on practicing, makes a [moth-her ??]. This kind of [say-on-ing ??]. [Someone in background says 'practice makes perfect'.] In the Bodhisattvacharyavatara Shantideva gave a number of examples of bearing something in the sense we just talked about instead of retaliating with hatred. But I don't want to go deeper tonight. Bearing something in that sense means in theory to swallow things just down. [1:11:57.7].

1:12:08.8.

Gelek Rimpoche:. Take all the benefits for the others. And take all the blames and the faults on yourself.

Dagyab Rinpoche:. That's the main point. But of course it's quite difficult for us. Especially for the westerners because the westerners love to discuss, very often it's due to the mentality, western mentality. So we can't say, or maybe it's not necessary to take all blame take on me because there's also dangers if you do, to do so, so much. You can bear up to certain degree, but you can't bear the boundless. That means you can discuss with other party, but very nicely, very clear. It's not necessary to shout immediately. I think first you try to bear it as long as the other party has calmed down a little bit. Then you can start to discuss with him or with her. Otherwise there's no chance to discuss with him or with her, because he's not in a position to discuss with you. He's a very angry [1:14:15.9: ??] hatred. There's no choice so therefore you have to wait. And after some minutes, some hours, even some days, then you can come back and you can start with it and discuss. But nicely. Clear, but nicely. That's I think something what we, we can do it. What we have to avoid is sharp words.

1:15:06.3.

That's very important. Because through the sharp words hurt him or hurt her, and he'd be or she'd be-- then the whole thing starts again. So I think this will be somehow in-between method, in-between resolution.

And sometimes it's also very useful to sit down for a while and just remind about previous experience which was not so nice. Then you can meditate on it. At that time he was or she was not very nice to me and I was react, I reacted this and that thing. Was that right or wrong? Although we all try to judge on everything, but our judgment are not always right judgments. Because according to our egoism we are try to put [switched to German]

1:17:50.3. Translator:. We anyway pulling more or less on our own side, our own [stream ??]...

1:18:01.7.

Translator:. ...one single incident which is told by different people. Such an incident gets told by different people and each one tells it a little bit different. But if you look carefully, then you see each one motivates it or puts it in the way that it's to his own advantage. So therefore as I said already before, one should reflect on the former experiences, but one should not charge on them. The advantages and disadvantages of cherishing one's self [1:20:32.0: or ?? over ??] others, they are almost coming together. These configurations should be one of the most important things in our daily life.

1:21:00.4.

Whatever we do and wherever we are it's always connected with a kind of motivation. So it's good to look just a little bit of this motivation which we are having. Why do I think like that? What do I want with it? What's the purpose of it? At least I like this types of games, where I draw it to make something good idea out of it for myself. So when I see that I am playing these games that I gained something good out of it, then I feel a little bit ashamed about it. Because on one side I'm looked at a reincarnation of a previous lama, but on the other hand, but on top of that I'm also a little struggling? [translator questions.]

1:23:24.2. Dagyab Rinpoche in English: Yes, I have listened more or less a little bit buddhadharma teachings from very well-known lamas. But still I'm struggling. If I look very careful on my motivation, it's really, it's a very, very [??] shame.

1:24:00.8.

Translator:. There is nothing else then to be ashamed about. But this feeling that I feel ashamed about it, I'm happy for that. And I'm really happy for this because that gives me the basis for changing. If I would not recognize my own faults, then I would get something, I don't know the English word, looking as one would be holy, something like that. And with that I would block my development. Naturally, for aperson like me to play the holy man, it would be an easy thing because I possess some factors to do that, some conditions. To become a lama is easy, but to be one, that is difficult.

Dagyab Rinpoche:. There is also another saying in eastern Tibet. And once there's one lama and next to him sit one second lama more or less, one a very important disciple.

1:27:07.3.

And the disciples said, when our lama talking about [1:27:29.5: switched into Tibetan].

Gelek Rimpoche: Example in the east area that Rinpoche's giving is one lama and the disciple. When the lama's talking about the problems and disadvantages, when the lama's talking the benefit of nirvana and all this and he said, not only the lama, but I even feel that I am somebody [1:28:21.1: ??]. Then they started talking about the problems of the samsara, so then forgot about me, I want, what about himself in there?

Dagyab Rinpoche:. So I think that's quite difficult.

[A lot of background talking I can't hear. Laughter.]

So anyway.

1:30:02.2.

Translator:. So this egocentric thinking and acting it sometimes gets extended so that we expand it in the way of not only me but okay my family, or even my tribal or whatever, or my community, or my country, or monastery. So, but still it is kind of egocentric, but in expanded way.

I talk quite often of the egotism of the different sects, different Buddhist traditions, or even the different centers of Buddhist groups. Since twenty years approximately there have been Buddhism established in the west, and quite a number of centers, Buddhist centers, get established. In Europe, there's quite a number of competition taking place between the different centers. Such competition is quite pitiful to see because it's not directed, it's not focused on the dharma, but on the possessors of these centers, are on the people itself.

1:33:00.3.

And it's because of the reputation each center wants for itself, or of the kind of business which is involved with it. All the things that should be renounced.

I work in close contact with one particular center and therefore I also have encountered other centers, and have some insight in this sense.

1:34:08.5 End.