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Default Style; So all of those sufferings, like illness and death and aging , all of them, his question is whether am I subject for this. Will I am going to be like that? He says ‘yeah , you are going to be like that one day.’ So, this is so important,when we look at the problems and sufferings and pains, is always we have should not look as an external thing but internally. Will I be subject to this. That is what the Buddha had been shown in the park. So, it is very important to see we are not interested whether Buddha flies in the air or get under the ground. What we are interested in is how Buddha took life, how Buddha took things in personalized. So this is important. So what we have to learn from the life story of the Buddha , all it teaches, all Atisha, Tsongkapa whoever , what so ever, everybody what the way we see is try to personalized will I be under that condition, what should I do. If I’m under that (inaudible(01:36) what can I be. How can I be in that capability. And when ever you see good things, things you sort of see how can I be, in that position, and whenever you see problems and difficulties, will I be in this. And if you see the cause in this try to avoid, and if you see the cause not to be in there rejoice. But in the good things, if you see the causes not there try to develop, and if the (inaudible(02:12) causes are there, rejoice. And that is how you take the historical points to be personalized. (Tib.(02:29) the Tibetans have, for the spiritual path the Tibetans and really fortunate. There’s a saying among Tibetans , everybody, even you ask little kids in Tibet, not those in India, some how this is not valuable, not used, but even the kids will tell you (Tib.(02:52) said, ‘the earlier Buddhas’ life story, the future disciples practice’. Did you get it? Earlier is their life story, which may be made into dharmas or whatever, but it is the practice for the future person.(03:20). The future people, when we practice, what do we practice? We practice those things. Did you get it? So out of the Buddhas’ life, I mean, see how personalized. And when Buddha was going outside for a walk or for a ride , and these things and how you take them personally. That made the person to become possible that way. And the rest of them are valuable in a lot of different books and you people probably learn much more than I did in (inaudible(04:16) for sure. So , you know. So , don’t have to go into detail. And then Atishas’ life story has three outlines. (Tib.(04:30) so , ah , that’s where we stopped, right? We were talking, born in the high noble cast phenomena and all this, and (Tib.(04:44). So during that alive time, the qualities what Atisha had developed, the first one is (inaudible(05:05) and during that life time what qualities , and after development those qualities then what service Atisha rendered to the people, to benefit others. To benefit buddhadharma and people. That’s what. For the service they offer two divisions. For India and Tibet. That’s what Atishas outlines. We’re not going to touch that much in detail. So it is in that book. I don’t know from what page to what page because I don’t read English. Those who know, they can read it. So if you read it those are very good , actually, Atishas’ life stories are very good. How he looked for the different masters here and there , Lama (inaudible(05:57)...all these, lot of these. And especially how Atisha went ?SEELING?(06:09) ,that is the Indonesia side. And how he went there and tried to get the teachings on the Buddha Mind. The altruistic, love, compassion and altruistic practice. So all this are very,very inspiring. So you read that through. Even coming to Tibet, how the Tibetans had invited Atisha , it was not easy. It was very, very difficult. So with great difficulty they were able to have Atisha to Tibet and all this. A little, a little bit of orthodoxize, but not very orthodox. But very interesting. So just read that and see it and that should be worked out one, you know, compare it , personalized, and try to read that. Now the second. The second is then the life story of Tsongkhapa. After Atisha. If possible, we should be able to spend the whole time and then this followed by this, this followed by this, and this followed by that, and they should be there, but we’re not going to have time and also not much point , but if you read the Six Preliminaries , in the Six Preliminaries there are (inaudible(07:49) are here. The (inaudible(07:50)..each one of the (inaudible(07:52) are the lineage masters , they are giving their names down, should be. I do not know whether the Six Preliminaries are here or not. They talk about it , maybe not. So anyway, in the refuge tree there may be some. But there are two volumes texts in Tibetan (Tib.(08:23) is know as (Tib.(08:26) , the short biographies of all the Lam Rim masters. Up to the (Tib.(08:35) it should be is the teacher of 8th Dalai Lama. So should be about 1700 something. Should be about 1700 something. So up to there is available in two volumes. In Tibetan. But some how maybe available in English, I’m quite sure. But that’s good enough. And Tsongkhapas’ life and teaching, life must be here, is it? There’s a short biography available here. Should be about 400 pages. (10:11)So about thirty or forty pages are here. Must be the (inaudible(10:12) short biography , that must be the one. Who knows. oh. The short biography was taught by (Tib.(10:25) in Dharamsala in the Tibetan library. Translated by (Tib.(10:31) ..its’ major sources are , what is it? (Tib.(10:37) ?heron of fate? What is that? Standard short biography that is usually printed at the beginning of Tsongkhapas’ Collected Works. Or (inaudible(10:56) must be. (inaudible(10:56) ok (Tib.(10:58) ...ok that’s it. So based on that and it is also valuable here, so in these about forty pages long , forty pages. So please read that. And the most important biography of Tsongkhapa is next to that. “Songs of the Mystical Experience”. No no no no no no no. There’s (inaudible(11:35)...the lines of the experience. That’s it. So out of here you can see that there’s a short biography here and the lines of experience is the real biography of Tsongkhapa. Then you can also see here , if you want the mystical part of it, here is “ The Songs of the Mystical Experience.” of Tsongkhapa by the (Tib.name(12:55) (sounds like Teshi Bon Demba) ...is the founder of (inaudible(12:59) monastery. (inaudible(13:05)(Tib.(13:05). ….(Tib.name(13:09)..that is the founder of (inaudible(13:09) monastery. And both are here. So all three out of this should be sufficient material you get sufficient (inaudible(13:21) you get. So we try to skip all this and then the lineage comes through continuously from Tsongkhapa , from the Buddha to Maitreya and Manjushri to Asanga , Nagarjuna up to Atisha. And from Atisha come the Kadampa Lamas, all these Kadampa masters are there. It was a period between Atisha and Tsongkhapa are normally that was the Kadampa tradition. The reason why is called ‘kadam’. ‘Ka’ directly translated means order but indirectly translated for ‘ka’ would be ‘teachings’. Teachings of the Buddha. All the teachings of the Buddha are ‘bamba’ ‘Bamba’ , i’ve never seen a perfect translation in English so far. Nor did I know. Lot of people are using it as ‘teaching, teaching’. All teachings are teaching. That will be something like that. But that doesn’t make any sense. (14:42) So, what’s really meant is every word that Buddha had mentioned everywhere, anywhere, is meant for, there is something which you can collect as benefit for the individual whatever the level, whatever the level you may be . You be , that can be some kind of step pushing forward. So the Kadampas know how to handle that. So that’s why they specialize in that way, so they are known as Kadampa. The reason why they are called Kadampa. Did you get it? The book, if it’s written from the Buddhas’ word, everybody can read it. Right? And it say all this is talking about that , this is talking about that, as long as you knot the language and meaning behind you can say that. But I believe that Buddhism , the Buddhas’ teachings doesn’t work that way. It is so many interpretations you can do it and you can take it every level. That’s why 18 different pieces of cloth becomes (inaudible(15:55) So the (inaudible(16:00) has a special way of doing it. Where ever the word of the Buddha comes , so whatever the stage of the level , where ever you are, you’ll be able to interpret it and take it in that manner. To be able to , that they have that technique. So one word of the Buddha, maybe you quote it and say its hard to produce there, this should be worked this, does this mean that, and you can prove it and quote it. But you can also use the same thing for another reason to be able to do that. That’s the Kadampas do that and that’s why that’s their specialty. So in other word , they say anything , single sound of the Buddha, which ever sound he produced , which ever is (inaudible(16:55) even a black dot, just a simple little dot, each one of them has a meaning. Each one of their meaning is inspiration and it is some kind of a technique for the upliftment of the spiritual. So Kadampas could do that. So that’s why it’s called Kadampa and everybody says great Kadampa Lamas. Why they have to say ‘great Kadampa Lamas’ and all this business because they could do that. But if you look into the Kadampas talks they are also not very poetic, they are also nothing like a literary at all. All the Kadampas. There’s something funny, sometimes very sarcastic, very sarcastic type of thing. All the Kadampas remarks are very sarcastic. But very polite, yet very sarcastic. It’s nothing. (17:53) There’s a, what is it? Give you a few examples. Get the idea of the Kadampas. (uhm, how can I forget like that?) (silence(18:41) Actually , there are (inaudible,maybe Tib.(18:47) the most important Kadampa lamas , there are three of them. (he list two in Tib. then asks) who is the third one? (inaudible(19:27) How terrible now. So I can’t remember the third one. If you read in that thing it should be there, at least. (Tib.(19:37) Maybe not, maybe not. So there are much more. And what I wanted to tell you , again I don’t remember that persons name. One of the Kadampa Lamas earlier who happened to be farmer who had a big land, enough land for himself. Tibetans, earlier in Tibet they don’t measure the land by acres or hectares , but the measurement is how much seed you can store in. So they say forty (Tib.(20:16) (?keh?) that is four keh is (audience says ‘one million’ (20:22) GR: keh, when you measure the measurement of grain and they have a little box , four square box, you put it, it is one keh is equal to one side of the load of donkey. (audience laughter...(20:53) ...that’s right, one donkey load equals two keh. One this side, and one that side, that’s how it goes. That I know. (audience: ‘what size donkey’(21:07) GR: doesn’t matter, any donkey. Actually, the old system , old system, whether it is donkey, mule , or horse , they are the same load. The donkey will carry the same load as the mules carry, really. I’s the same load. They’re much smaller but they carry the same load. Yak. So they have those big things called (inaudible(21:31) so each one of those (sounds like ?kares?(21:34) will go in one side bag and then one side , two equals one, its goes. And for the sheeps and goats they have a smaller one called ?teh?(21:45) much smaller one that goes one side like that (inaudibly laughs(21:49) I think 21 of these goes into one of the big things. And then there’s corruption. Corruption is you have to pay a tax, right? The lords collects the tax. And the subject goes and pays to the lord , the lords produce a bigger (inaudibly laughs(22:10) big ones and they won’t cut it and they won’t pour it out and they have to give it back , they use a little smaller one and they cut it all this funny things they do. (audience member(22:33) GR: yeah, that’s what they do, I mean everything. Don’t think Tibet was wonderful Shangrila something, that’s not. It’s really bad, I know that way, lot of bad things happened. Anyway, so, what are we talking that? So, that (interacts with audience about lamas names(22:59) GR: he’s from (?Pembo?(23:06) from the north part of Lhasa, is from (?Dembo??Tembo?(23:10) About to remember the name of that. Anyway, here is forty kehs to be able to grow here that land. So he says he can not manage. He could not manage at all. So he said , then what he used to do , he said “ I used to carry (Tib. three words(23:34) that means by is arrow, like the Native Americans used, knife and (?) is, what you call that, spear ( interacts with audience(23:46) ...so all these three he say I carry arrow , knife and spear, I carry three of them, says during the daytime I go and sit out to the mountain top where the travelers are going, I rob them. And during the night I sneak around through the town and break into peoples homes and steal them.” (laughs) So he says , “I have forty kehs where it goes and grow food and I can carry these three weapons and sit on where there are difficult paths on the mountain top , so I sit over there and rob the travelers during the daytime and during the night I go in the town and steal peoples property and still then I could never manage.” but afterwards he says “ I give up everything, I give up everything and I sit on the mountain and meditate and so the food and clothes could not find my mouth and my body.” Did you get it? Before, they could not find. They’re running around searching what people want to give to the (inaudible(25:26) ...they want to give it and the food and cloths is searching my body but they couldn't find me. Earlier I had to do all this go this much land and steal, rob, all this, and I searching for food and clothes and couldn't find them. And now I’m sitting and meditating and they couldn't find my mouth. They couldn't get through. So, anyway, Kadampa lamas taught that. And one day, one of the Kadampa lamas was meditating and he has a benefitor, number of benefitors(sic) but one most important benefitor. The benifitor was coming to see him that day so he cleaned it up much more better and started sitting up there and meditating and make extraordinary better offerings, and then say down and started looking through and says ‘my offerings not good today, my offerings not good today’. He says ‘why’? ‘because I wanted to show off, my benefitors coming so I wanted to look good so I did this’. So he went up, he had to sweep the floor . The Tibetans have a funny system. There’s no garbage bag or nothing so what they do is they keep the dust and whatever you sweep behind the door for a while. Then after a few days or a few months they pick up and (audience laughter(27:14) and they leave it all there, that’s what they do. That is the culture. So he went out there, got up from his sitting, got up and went up there, and got a handful of dust that he swept out, and started throwing it everywhere, on top of every offering, and even those alters and everywhere. So everything is filthy , dirty looking, and then he sat down. So that was seen through, not an eye, but a through some sort of you know through the mind. (?)Mentakeppa(?)(27:57), another Kadampa teacher who was teaching in another land, he couldn't help but laughing. He then he’s

‘why you are laughing?’ He says (Tib.(28:06) ...geshe in a sense, the word geshe means virtuous teacher. That’s what really what it is. Virtuous teacher, is geshe. So (inaudible(28:23) made one of the best offerings today, he said. So what best offering , said he being able to throw the dust in the mouth of Eight Worldly Dharma. Eight Worldly Dharma. Eight Worldly Dharma, I think Maitreya just mentioned early briefly , but that if somebody prays you you like it. If somebody says bad thing about you you dislike it. About that there are eight of them. So, he been able to throw dust on the mouth of Eight Worldly Dharmas. So there fore its great. Things like that. Kadampa lamas are all like that man and again there’s no book written by Kadampa lamas. None. Except , Georges here….(audience(29:16)...that is Kamdampa monastery. That’s different. They are not considered those of the Kadampa lamas. There are a lot of some kind of shorter version of Mahayana mind training and things like that but really big thick book literary style , really you don’t have. There are one or two , yes. (audience(29:47) ...thats the only short version. The Lam Rim is very short. Maybe (inaudible(29:57) ...lost in the woods , there. Lam Rim is two pages. Ah, two pages. So, like that. Anyway, so then I mentioned a number of times, (inaudible(30:18) used to say ‘can I do this, yeah that’s good, you cannot meditate, that be good, Yeah that be good, but I wish you’d do Dharma Practice.’ ‘well can I sometimes meditate and sometimes teach? Would that be good?’ ‘ Yeah , that’s very good. I wish you’d to better Dharma Practice.’ ‘well can I read and learn and meditate?’ ‘Oh, that’s good, but I wish you’d could do a little more Dharma Practice.’ ‘well can I learn and listen and meditate?’ ‘Yeah, that’s good. I wish but you could do a little more Dharma Practice.’ That’s what Kadampas always do, that style. Then, all this, if you (inaudible(31:06) come down how the Kadampas function, they’re really interesting. They are completely different. Their talks are very short. On the point. But very sarcastic type of , always sarcastically they teach you. All the information through a sarcastic way. I don’t know why. Do not know why. That’s what I find, very sarcastic way. Always. (Tib.(31:33) ….thats the same geshe (inaudible(31:40) says. Now what I’m doing here is , I got a spear. I’m waiting for my enemy to come. And I’m waiting at the door of the delusions. So I’m waiting there to put my spear there. (?he says whenever?) if he was, if he tried to be more diligent, I’ll be more diligent. If he tries to be more relaxed , I’ll be more relaxed. So I’m holding a spear at the door of my delusions. Whenever it comes out I’m going to stab. (inaudible(32:16) ..that’s what the (inaudible) ..says. All this type of things. Interesting. So , these are the Kadampa Lamas. Then for Tsongkhapa, you can see the shorter autobiography valuable here , in the life and teachings of Tsongkhapa. This book, you can read it. Then in short I should talk about shorter Tsongkhapas’ biography here. The shortest, Tsongkhapa himself said , the shortest biography. (Tib.(32:53) ...should be here, lives of experience, I think it should be in that somewhere. No, it’s not here. (Tib.(33:49) ...Tsongkhapa said the first I have learned, I have learned, I have learned, I’ve been very open minded and completely open minded and learned. (Tib.(34:12) ..learning, (Tib.(34:16) ...in the middle, in the second stage whatever I learned and I thought over it. I thought over it and studied and I thought over it. (Tib.(34:30)….at the end I practice it day and night. So, so first learning second analyzing and thinking and third practicing it day and night. And that is the real shortest Tsongkhapa’s biography. So that is Tsongkhapa’s biography. So this is our roll model. So the first is learning. Then think, analyze. And find some meanings of it. Essence of it. Then meditate and practice. The practice. What does that mean? The practice, what does that mean? I don’t know. What does practice mean. Steve. What does practice mean? (Steve: ‘well I like most of all when you talked about meditation, when you talked about the past tense of meditation, you mean that it’s effortless.’)(36:13) GR: I didn’t ask you. I said what is practice.(Steve: ‘so practice is getting to that point of applying efforts to integrating what you encountered, the teachings themselves. Really trying to integrate it into yourself. To the point where it becomes your nature and no longer requires effort to , special effort to be mindful of it, because you do it it becomes your way of being, your way of acting and thinking.’ GR:do you, do every (inaudible(36:07) thing? Or (inaudible(36:11)? (unknown: I mean sort of a, I guess I have to say if those are my two choices that (laughter) we disagree and agree. (laughter) I mean that sounds more to me like the result of practice. I mean the practice it seems is more the process of trying to change your mind, to you know to get to that stage to move your mind from the place where it’s at to a more positive , enlightened mental state and then it’s worth, and what I heard from what Steve was describing was when you’ve already accomplished part of that, you’ve already practiced and gained the understanding of certain parts, so. It seemed to me he was saying : the result of practice as opposed to “practice”.’) GR: What would you say, Nicholas? Don’t ask me that question, right? (Nicholas: ‘i would say practice is your inner development.’) GR: inner development? Practice is your inner development. If you don’t have inner development , you don’t have practice, right? (N:’that’s the way I see it. If you’re not getting any inner development out of it, changing your habitual patterns.’) GR: I think I talked about habits and patterns so much that everybody has heard(laughs and talks inaudibly(37:41) What would you say Colleen ? (C: ‘I would say that it’s taking what you’ve learned and thinking about and then like Steve said eventually trying to put it into practice so that it just...’) GR: I’m asking that question, what is practice. (C: ‘what is it. Listening to what the teachings are and then thinking about them.’ GR: And? (C: ‘ That’s my practice.’(38:14) GR: What do you get out of it? (C: ‘hopefully I get development after some time. (gr laughs) ...some understanding. And then slowly it changes into development.’) GR: Uh, huh. I’m sorry, I should not have interupted you earlier what you’re saying. Mm, hm. Supa? (Supa: ‘I guess for me I’d just have to say , I mean if its I mean in a broad sense I think I know that’s what Colleen is saying , that everything is practice but more specifically, after we’ve received some sort of measure we don’t really perhaps have it clearly integrated yet . I mean , someones told us , ok we want to attain Bodhimind for instance, or some kind of altruistic mind , well, then you’ve given us instruction as to how to do that so you have to sit and spend the time to meditate and actually make that real in your life like so it’s not just teachings and words , I mean, it’s actually you’ve sat down , you’ve got kind of a direct connection with what it is and developing it seems to me I guess developing that direct connection and then being able to take whatever conclusions you’ve drawn from those meditations and being able to put them, I guess that’s what I’m saying the practice part of it is is after you had some kind of realization as to what those teachings mean you can go out and say practice Bodhimind by helping beings and trying to help others be free and increasing your own freedom.’(40:27) GR:Mm, hm. Tricky. Anybody has anything else ? Steven? (Steven: ‘I’m just thinking that since it follows thinking and learning and analyzing , practice is more practical if you’re applying it and trying to apply it...’ GR: and because of that. Mm, hm. Yeah , because of that. Ok. Now, Robert. (Robert: ‘in my opinion there’s practice and then there’s three subsets of practice. That was a joke, but...actually the reason they call it practice ...’GR: yeah, yeah, yeah, it’s not a joke. I think it is , it is. (R: ‘the reason they call it practice is that it’s just practice in that there’s the practice of coming here and getting teachings from Enlightened beings….’) GR: that’s wrong. (R: ‘uh, hopefully.’) GR: hopefully, yes. (R: ‘it’s not just you, its the books and pictures and every thing , you know the pictures , Buddha , Dharma , Sangha , but there’s also the practice of me being alone and going over all this which some of us have talked about and then there’s the practice of to me is where ever I am every day at every second day, night, sleeping , waking , half asleep, half awake, that I can turn the wheel and find constant...’)GR: turn what wheel? (R: ‘I can waken each moment towards more enlightened , more aware,more compassionate, more loving, and that’s the only way that would convince me to be back here. If that doesn’t happen then I’m at the wrong practice.’)(42:15) GR: I believe, uh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, (R: ‘what is the difference in the like when you speak of being alone , or who ever is speaking of being alone and meditating on things and dealing with them on your own, isn’t that more analyzing and thinking or is that do they somehow kind of cross is it cross into practice?’) GR: yeah, meditating and thinking...(R: ‘is that the practice or is that…?’ GR: It is. (R: ‘so the second and third things are kind of the same?’) GR: It’s also practice, yes. That’s like what Robert says. The practice (inaudible(42:56) third sub lines, and Supa said the same thing and I think almost everybody said the same thing except some might have covered more and both side , some might have covered little bit...(R: ‘is there a reason for this, a distiction between the two?’) Steven made it very clear. Since you made the learning and analyzing separately, then the practice means something, he said, right? Which means all of them is a practice. For us , what really practice for us is , learning is practice, thinking is practice, meditating is practice. Purpose of doing it is trying to influence the individual thinking. Individual, we all have our way of thinking, right? Our way of thinking, which automatically happens. That’s what we call habits or patterns of thinking. So by meditating, analyzing, meditating, convincing ourselves and so it influences the individual for the way an individual would think, react, and do must different. And when that becomes different the practice becomes sort of meaningful and worthy. Otherwise, it doesn’t affect the individual mind at all, and you keep on saying mantras and keep on saying these and that , this and this, this this , keep on saying mantras and mantras and mantras all doing this and doing that and individual is at the one side and what you say and do and said is a another side, and in between that, this is what the Kadampa Lamas says , the Kadampa Lama says, if you keep doing that the horse can ride. (Laughter) The horse can go in between the practice and the individual. If the horse can go (inaudible(45:01) this is not good practice. So that means one side you go and say mantras and whatever , you sit nicely , burn incense, and lights and wonderful and everything nice. But on the other side nothing happens, right? And the individual no effect for the individual at all. So that means there’s no , you’re disconnected individual person of the every day , day life, every day, twenty four hour life that you carry outside and the individual who sits in your meditation room or the temple and is sitting there, and nice, as thought you act two different persons. You know what I mean? That’s what the Kadampa Lama says. In between there the horse runs. Somebody on the horse can go in between. Or maybe, maybe they meant you get to run from this anger to that anger so much you have to run ride a horse. I don’t know what it means. They use the word horse run in between. So maybe horse in between means , so maybe there’s a huge gap so you can’t even walk, you have to ride a horse. Or maybe if there’s a pass and somebody can pass through. The Kadampa Lamas talk like that. So they say that is wrong practice, is what they said. So in other words the right practice is there should not be a gap between the individual who tries to say mantras ,who tries to sit nicely, and the individual who runs in the street and do all sorts of things, should be (the) one. And sitting here and saying mantras, meditating love, compassion, is try(ing) to influence the mind and when you run outside (in the)(47:10) street you act with love compassion oriented action. And that is the whole purpose. Otherwise from here to there you have to ride a horse. That is the thing. So learning is practice. Thinking is practice. Meditating is practice. Concentrating is practice. Anything you do to try to influence the mind , which is completely (inaudible(47:38) ...it is automatically functioning towards undesirable way , would be moving in smooth way, peaceful way , changing anything that goes is practice. (silence on file(48:11) (sounds returns(48:42) Now, I think that and then from Tsongkhapa to then all of them all of those teachers, after that all of them, as I mentioned to you, first Panchen Lama, second,third , all of them, (inaudible(48:57)...Dalai Lama , all of them wrote different Lam Rims here and there. And many of them have come and collected and teachings have been continues in an unbroken lineage , have come up to Pabongka. Pabongka, whose teaching was this Liberation in Palms. Pabongka. Pabongka are noticed be the (inaudible(49:31) Rinpoche , who was my late master, the junior tutor to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, (Trijang Lobsong?) As a matter of fact , the next time when we do the Lam Rim Teaching, remind me to bring (?) Rinpoches’ picture. If you remember it. (inaudible(49:54) Rinpoche and all (inaudible(49:55) Rinpoche from both I have taken the teaching. But over this Namdul(?) Lobsong(?)(50:01) the Liberation in Palm is the notes taken by (?(50:08) Rinpoche and he compared other peoples notes to, and later made (inaudible(50:14) in the book form and when he gave his first teaching it was in (inaudible(50:20) in Lhasa. (sounds like Shadey) monastery, thats at the back of my family house. At the other side of the street. (inaudible(50:38) Rinpoche gave teachings in (inaudible monestary ) that and I was able to attend. And so you have the unbroken continuation lineage. So that’s nine Lam Rims combined together, actually. There are nine of them combined together. (question from audience about Pabongka and timeing of combined Lam Rim teachings (51:05) No, no. When I was taking the teaching from (inaudible) Rinpoche, at that time there were nine Lam Rims combined together, nine different Lam Rims combined together at current teaching. So we’re not going to do that at all. But even though we’re not going to do it, but if you can read it it will be useful. Not all the Lam Rim of nine are valuable in English. But I think one of them still valuable is the second Dalai Lamas “Essence of Refined Gold” is valuable. What you do is you don’t try to read everything from top to bottom. You take the outlines and then each outline you read each different Lam Rim. That’s what how you read,ok? Not try to read from the front page to the back page one by one. That’s not the thing. But every the point of the outline, you keep your outline , some of the different Lam Rims have different outlines, that’s not it, you keep you own outlines and started reading through. “Essence of Refined Gold” you can read. You can also read Gompopas’ “Jewel Ornament”. That will almost work the same way, almost. Two, and then what else. Geshe Rabtens’ “Essential Nectar”. Right? I think those copies are valuable around. A lot of them. You should have Rabtens’ “Essential Nectar” . Then what else you have? What else? (audience offers suggested reading(53:10) . GR: The same as this, almost the same as this. Oh, “Tibetan Tradition of the Mental Development” by Geshe (inaudible(53:30) It’s all valuable. So, read all of those. By, you know what you do? You keep your outlines in you, and from the angle of this outline that you have , read here, read there, read there. And what they say you get them in, sort of your outline. You’re in the your division of the point , you become richer. Much more informative and much more richer. Did you know what I mean? Did you get it? Do you hear me? You did? Ok. So, what else now? And that’s what you do. Ok? So I’m not very much interested how fast you read. I don’t not interested how much you read, but I’ll be interested you have these outlines , try to enrich them by collecting the information in them. So that should be covered the should be able to cover the the first portion of what you call it “Presentation of the Exceptional Qualities of the Lam Rim Teachings in Order to Generate Appreciation”. And actually if you look in the life stories, how they are just ordinary human being, just like us , with full of ignorance, full of delusion, anger , hatred, be able to change them and nobody has come as extraordinary being landed from the sky down. So it is everybody is born and brought up and all of them like that manner, and a lot of completely human being, and reformed their lives, and become great beings. So that is the main purpose and how you look at that angle. And then the second is , uh what is it , “Presentation of the…...in Order to Generate Appreciation.” So that has qualities now. We have one word here. Somewhere. We did one word here. “Presentation…..Appreciation”. A: experiential understanding of these instructions will meet the meaning of all spiritual teachings into single comprehensive fabric. (converses with audience(56:54) Good. That is Steves’ understanding of it. That is good. If you’d like to look in here, what’s it say? “Preeminent qualities of the Lam Rim teaching themselves give in order to produce respect for the Oral Tradition.” 2a: “Preeminent qualities of Devoting Yourself to the Study and Practice of the Lam Rim Teachings.” as taught in Atishas (audience(57:28) (referral to something in the text) GR: so I don’t know English, I’d better stick to my Tibetan. Otherwise I’ll be nowhere. (Tib.(57:51) there are four, four under the second category. (confers with students(58:10) GR: Ok. (Tib.(58:42) so here what they’re trying to give is the exceptional qualities of these teachings. So here what it says is , what you have is says “preeminent qualities”. I do not know what is preeminent qualities. What does that mean, anyway? So what they’re really trying to convey here , the qualities to the Lam Rim teachings. When they say qualities of the Lam Rim Teaching it doesn’t mean the Lam Rim Teaching , look at there, that is Lam Rim Teaching, and that has that qualities. They’re not talking about that. Or , not bringing a book here and (inaudible(59:27) and this has that quality, no. What’s happening is these qualities when you study and meditate on the Lam Rim what do you gain out of it? Besides being bringing the stage of Enlightenment to it? What else these extraordinary qualities can bring it? So first says (Tib.(59:50) the first quality what they put here is the (inaudible(01:00:08) quality of devoting yourself to study and practice of Lam Rim (inaudible to audience(01:00:15) ...A1. A1 is one , that’s right. You will understand that there is no contradiction in all the Buddhas’ teachings. That’s what you have here, in this. So we don’t , we’re taught , that’s not exactly what it is. So what we have this idea here, “experiential understanding”, you’d better explain this. “Understanding of this instruction to knit the meaning of spiritual teaching into single comprehensive fabric”. We talked yesterday and you took the notes. And did not have the time to put into the computer because extremely slow and when I talked to Steve and he said “ yeah, I heard you but it’s not English.” So then he had to put it into English and so and then it takes a long time and he put a lot of (inaudible(01:01:15) ..and then also he has his own understanding. That’s correct, I think. In other words, what they are trying to tell you is in Tibetan when you look what the Buddha said here and there looks contradictory but it’s not contradictory. That’s what they say. But how do you understand , here what they’re really trying to tell you is if the person developed the stages of the Lam Rim within the individual, then where ever you look in the great spiritual teachings or information , if it’s a good one, we talked in detail yesterday, What was that. ? It is influenced by Love/Compassion. It is oriented to ones’ own experience. What else we have? Anyway , there’s something there. All of this type of great teachings , no matter where ever you look, you will be able to put them together, sort of knitted together, that’s where the word knits came, and then you put the fabric after that. (laughs and speaks to the audience something about fabric(inaudible(01:02:37) ...so knitted together means any informations whatever you’re getting it , not contradicting and not creating confusion, but it is contributing to better understanding and better moving and moving ones own stage up . So these are the stages you are going to go through, ok. These are the steps you go through. This is what is is. This is very logical. It will move you the this, to the one push you to the next. You say ,ok , then that’s so, then what? There’s a then this, they will just walk you up like that. Very , very logical , if you look from the logical point of view. It just push you like that. So these are the steps. So any teachings where ever you be and look you’ll be able to push yourself better together. And that’s why I even recommend to read (sounds like Lambasas’ book(01:03:48) I recommend people very often I recommend to read (inaudible(01:03:48) book. I also recommend to read this Joseph Goldsteins’ book. What is that called? (audience member answers(01:04:03) …...Anyway, Joseph Goldsteins’ book, Ram Dass’ book. All of them help you. The first thing what you do is ground yourself down. And this is the time now. You have ground it. If you cannot ground you this time you cannot. Really. You have to ground it. So the first thing, grounding yourself. So really grounding. So even you read it , please don’t read this time. When you read it , go to London(?)(01:04:47). Just try to read it as interrelated curiosity. Don’t read what this one says. But read it , what can I bring it out of this, and how I can going to be here. Be at present. Really . And this is very very important. Until and unless the individual is grounded , no way you can develop. No matter how much you learn, no matter how much information you collect, no matter whatever you do, you will not be able to develop. And once you’re not able to develop, the time goes by, year goes by, time goes by, you’ll die one day. Anybody, everybody, who knows when. And then it will be really wasted total life. A valuable life. I mean really. And then at that time you can carry nothing. And then it’s really waste. So the first is really grounding yourself. Many of you are grounded. But many of us are not grounded. So the first thing is we should ground ourselves. So whatever helps you. Ram Dass’ “Be Here Now” or all this type of things. And also to get more into (inaudible(01:06:13) (?tsotoombas?) books are very good. Like “Cutting Through Spiritual Materiel” and then there’s the (?)“Middle Freedom” (?). they’re good, they’re good. And what else? Can you recommend anything. (audience offers suggestions, extensively(01:06:55) GR:...oh that will teach you how to meditate(more suggestions from the audience such as “Meditation in Action”;”Three Principles of the Teachings of Buddhism”;(01:07:02) GR: so now do all this and anything helps you to grounding. So the first and foremost point here is grounding ourselves. Those people who have to leave for five , please to me(inaudible(01:07:49) You’re not going to miss anything now. Much. You can get the book list from anybody. Ok. (inaudible(01:08:01) Do you have to go too? (‘i’m giving her a ride’(01:08:10) GR: so the first important point is grounding yourself. Ok? Once you’ve grounded yourself then you have to move up. And if you don’t grounded and you move up , then it’s become a problem, a tremendous problem. (inaudible exchange(01:08:57) GR: so maybe I should include it here, a lot of people have to leave. (audience ‘did you say include?’(01:09:03) GR: I said that. I’m wrong. Conclude. Conclude I mean. Conclude here. So that’s it then, in that case. That’s about it. So read all this books in between about a month. (laughter(01:09:22) yeah. And read point of your outlines where ever it contributes. And try to bring it. Not so much there to do right now, we didn’t really touch the main thing. And until we touch on the main teaching, the is the fourth outline here, the way in which the practice progress will lead the practitioner to Enlightenment. Until then we can always have new people who want to come in they can come in and all this . But since then , you cannot. Because then it will be really practical oriented (inaudible(01:10:01) So I like to call all that informational oriented. But still you have to look try to see personalize , that is important. Ok? Good. I think that we’ll stop here. Why not? I can rest up too. (audience “do you want to pass...”(01:10:25) GR: oh yeah please p...(EOF)