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Soundfile 19910200GRJHNLLR01

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location JH NL

Topic Lam Rim

Transcriber Matthias Schmitt

Date 12.9.20

() first normally, explained in the Lam Rim tradition by the great master. So we generate pure thought for that whatever we do. (). Perfect. () And through which you listen and the thing what we going to talk today, is the Mahayana Dharma system, which leads the fortunate beings to the ultimate Buddha stage. The stage, which is very clearly clarified by the great Indian sands and scholars and it is the essence of the products of the great Atisha and Tsongkhapa. It also contains the essence of the old teachings of the Buddha made it possible to one individual to achieve the highest spiritual achievement and that is called the stage of development. So very short way we are going to explain it for next couple of sessions. So I would like you to remember in order to do this properly there are certain outlines are absolutely necessary.

0:02:12.1

Number one: it is necessary what points that you have to go. You have to understand the points. And it is a division. And it is the systematic orders and so each outline you have to think you have to understand properly, the points, explanations, quotations, and the resolutions. Otherwise, it will be disorganized. So do kindly try to have some kind of outline points. And Lam Rim outlines there are numbers and there are so many different outlines there. But to make it short and precise and nothing is missing so we do have a certain outline worked out. Not sure whether you people have the copies of the outline. You do have copies of outline? There are a number of different outlines. OK.

0:04:12.3

Alright, this is rather detailed but. It’s ok. So, what I’ll do. Everybody should get a copy of this one. I think that everybody did not get earlier. Everybody should get a copy of this one. Just read it. We will not be able to follow this outline. If you try, follow this outline it will take a couple of years. So best thing just read it. But the earlier group they have followed that outline more or less. They have. So, let’s. In this outline if you look try to prove the authenticity of the teachings the background and the live stories of the teaching from Buddha onwards and all this () so we have to probably. Let us like more important outline. In order to prove the authenticity of this teaching authenticity or in order to prove it will work so looking back to the historically how Buddha did and all this and that how the great disciples do.

0:06:38.9

Sometimes we talk, sometimes we jump, we do this. We did that before. And I’ll find it advantage and disadvantage both. Find advantage because we can cover in the actual teaching much more than spend a lot of time on talking historical (). And this advantage is when you go through find it very difficult to find role models as well as some kind of — I don’t remember a word today. II don’t know what’s happening. Some inspiration sources, we find shortage of inspiration, so this are the disadvantages of not spending on time on this. Advantages, in shorter term we can cover much more.

0:07:59.8

But since this “Liberation in your Hand”. Since that book available if you read in that they cover quite good. Particularly they cover the Atisha’s biography quite good. I don’t know if they cover Tsongkhapa biography. But it covers Atisha biography quite good. So, let’s refer to that and let’s not spend much time on that. Then the second is the quality of the Dharma. What you () and that is the quality of the Dharma is the second. Then the third one is how to listen and how to teach and the fourth one is the actual teaching (). So that’s about it and that is the four basic outlines out of which the first one we just refer to this “liberation in palms” so that’s about it. Then the quality of the teaching. We’ll I () say a little bit otherwise she will be missing but what the qualities what is really material here. The quality is to understand all the teachings of the Buddha is this non-contradictory manner.

0:09:58.9

The reason for this and every part of the teachings there are some things beneficiary and are meant for us to pick up something. And it also helps to understand to understand actually what is meant. What is really meant is to ground individual far better in this grant this spiritual () part and this definitely helps. We have seen it. There it also helps to undesirable () it helps to stop. These are the basic four qualities. And non-contradictory manner and all this there were very big problems in Tibet earlier, that’s why I think they have put that it. The problems the Tibetans faced early is about around 9th and 10th century. And the Buddha first came over Tibet it came a very nice and pure natural Buddhism.

0:11:43.1

And then what has happened is the Tibetans are much more fascinated to find a moral attractive like a clairvoyant or some magical power here and there and tried to get in messages. As we have in the United States like a very much, like a the () tells you what you to do, the light guides you this and that. And the core incidental signs tried to be reading here and there and all this sort of type of. I am not against all of them however if you want to try to lead one’s life tied to. This is big problem to tell the truth. It tried to say, things are very gentle for number of long-term to a lot people, so if you look in our life, we’re very much confused. Completely. We are totally confused by, in everyday life, and every day our behavior, every day () quite confused. And in addition to confusion we () too many spiritual parts which is sort of cold spiritual part we do also number 1 there is lack of information number 2 to a lot of people are very hungry at spiritual part because you don’t really don’t find anything reliable, solid, something very effective, so they need it so very hungry and there are number 3 there are lot of people who show you all sorts of things and all of them together we add up so many things and add to our confusion.

0:14:24.8

In addition to that, the spiritual part is completely and sort of really and very little we know particularly in the West, very little. And every experienced people, people who really had good experience they will not share it. They will not bother and taunt it; they will keep it very quiet. And even we look among the Tibetan, I am not saying all that only Tibetans have, but the number of people. But among Tibetans if you look it and many of the great developed persons will completely behave as that they don’t know a single word. They just don’t know a single word. And they behave totally, completely, innocent, naive, () and they say no word and they will keep it very quiet for themselves. And very many of them. And I don’t know which you pick out few and they are trying to share things here and there. So, they also say very limited things. So whichever of adds up to things. And then on top of those spiritual material, spiritual materialism it becomes very attractive to a lot of people. And they just do it. Anything. I mean anything, really. So, so anything. And number one when you are looking at this and people have blindly, people put a lot of faith on a lot of things and I was watching this morning I asked () if he pick out this spiritual water and offer anybody and I was watching and everybody without questioning had drinking their drop of water without even asking what it is and what for.

0:16:52.2

Anywhere, it may be very polite. Anyway, that is shows you that the people puts lot of faith on things. So even it’s a poison one. (Laughter) It’s not! And so, this sort of thing so it is very important and also have an intelligence as a human being we have got very good brains and I think we have to use it and there is no question we use our brain to development of the material whatever the way we really use tremendously best. And why can’t we can also use it for our spiritual part. And what we want is to achieve spiritual development if that, so you have to use, you have to use spiritual, your intelligence on the spiritual part. And so, what happens is in earlier in Tibet, this is point, and where people started living a solid spiritual development aside and rather than their getting carried away by all sorts of this spiritual materialism from person, messages, or guiding by lies and voids and drinks and visions and all sorts of things.

0:18:51.4

And trying to make a big deal out of it and as a result, what happens is tremendous amount of people will put the tremendous amount of energy to a result which probably nothing for benefit of that individual and also very little benefit for the large amount of other people. It has certainly useful () in those but, but in reality, it was tremendous amount of time. So, what happens is begins to pick out the contradiction between the simple, pure Buddhist based on the Buddha’s experience products and those spiritual materialistic activities, that find a big a contradiction. Followed by a picked it up and this spiritual materialistic activities begin to find took a refuge under Vajrayana. Because of Vajrayana, has a lot of rituals and lot other activities and a lot extraordinary qualities so then everybody tried to take a shelter in Tibet under the Vajrayana and then begin to pick up misunderstanding within the Vajrayana itself and burtasajana(?). So, it almost become a contradiction to each other like that between hot and cold sort of become a big gap. So, it then becomes a tremendous disadvantage for a lot future people, so it has become a necessary (during) that those spirits of the great teachers to make it non-contradictory to explain it properly and to see what it is the really spiritual materialism and what is really achievement of a proper spiritual achievement.

0:21:27.2

And spiritual materialism also makes confusion amount on this, tremendous amount of confusions because the power people get through that is mostly is this karmic power. Many of them are not only karmic power but also mantra power and many of them symbol activity of certain spiritual (), Lot of spirit like that of Nagas and hungry ghosts and all of them have a tremendous amount of power compared with our individual and as a human being they can read people’s paths in the future a little bit here and all this sort of thing and have a tremendous problem. For example, I give you little example, what happened is there was one guy who used to take the animals, the domestic animals to a mountainside for grazing and one fellow follow the goat to protect from other wild animals to harm them. So, like a cows and things like that the domestic, milk-giving animals they take to the mountain for grazing. And there was a little springing water source, at one place, a little spring source and the guy used to go to animals and near the springside there is a very nice smooth feeling you know the feeling of smoothness, calmness because number one it is a nice place and also there are certain spirits around that also have big calmness and all this.

0:23:31.7

So, this, what call it, shepherd, that fellow. Doesn’t matter. So anyway, that human being with those animals liked that place a lot and so as a result of what he, I don’t even know whether he or she, used to draw the milk of one of the animals, and pick-up little milk and he always used that to make little offering to that spring. That’s what happened became a ritual for him, the Western language, it becomes his religion, and he does it every day. So one day that Naga, is a spirit living over there, and he thought, he really liked he was very grateful that he does this every day and loved and he helped him and do something, so as a result, this Naga started gradually started overtaking that human being completely and sort of remaining within that and gives lot of that stuff and what they used to do and he used to sit in a one little grass one little long like a straw or something and used to sit cross-leg on one little grass one little single grass and one blade of grass, and sit cross-leg on that and then started talking so lot of people got attracted because he is sitting on this little grass, so they got very much attracted and so there was one very great person who has been () and lot and begins to wonder what’s this fellow saying and what’s going on and so he run over there to listen and nothing but total spiritual rambling.

0:26:11.0

So, he said is this necessary for me to do something, I don’t know what to do, how to start, what to start, anyway, he decided to do a great prostration to that fellow. So he picked it up and said I prostrate to Buddha and he did one prostration and the blade went like this and he did the second time I prostrate to Dharma and the fellow fell off the grass and when he did a third time I prostrate to Sangha and he () became a human being again so that’s how that been gone and then he sort of this people spiritually developed people a group of them () what this fellow has done for the last couple of years I believe so () and they found over hundreds of volumes and all for those things except a few I used for sick people especially sick with () problems so there was some healing power. Few of them selected and kept it and the rest of them they burned off. So, things like that. And that is the beginning then people begin to see the contradictions sort of picking of contradictions so has become necessary to those people at that time to say all the teachings or all true teachings of the Buddha are non-contradictory manner and so when you talk about the quality it becomes part of the baggage. Because of that problem during that period. This is one example I am giving you. There are a lot of them. Lot of them.

0:28:08.2

So many of those are what would what do we look as spiritual whether it is spiritual materialism or actual spiritual and that becomes big question. And the question is I don’t think anybody has very easy answer for it. But a normal what I understand where you look at spiritual materialism is actually depends the goal of the individual if the goal of the individual is to have some kind of power and to be able to impress upon other people, two various ways of reading their mind, reading their past, present, future or reading their aura, reading their guiding lights or listening to their voice, or listening or reading what some people call their (), and anyway, whatever it might be the purpose if the individual desire is limited benefit, mark my word, limited benefit, I tell you in America, today, people who are interested in spiritual part, do not normally have not so much selfish interest. They always have a desire to help others and helping to service and very () carry out righteous viewpoint. This is not right, and this is right, and this and that and so () they have the tendency of helping is moved 90% if not 99% but 90% have the tendency of helping other. That does not cover not to be a spiritual materialist.

0:30:38.7

But the helping is a limited. Can help as well you know I’m good at it, I’m good at reading the future and this and this and that sort of () and that sort of mind. And having a living a tremendous benefit of getting oneself accounted, oneself is starting the spiritual () within oneself and liberating oneself completely out of suffering. Helping others are eliminating their total suffering and when you don’t have those sort of () but individually picked () a few things, I intend to count in the pound of the spiritual materialism. But on the other hand, I am not saying people who doubt astrological work through readings on all this I’m not objecting that at all. I am simply saying that with the limited capable that what we have and with our confusions on our ourselves as we know we have yet we still sit there and say well I feel blah blah blah these sorts of things are sometimes useful. I don’t have objections for those people who are bring it. They are perfectly alright. They are very much within their right they can do it. We can pick up useful information out of it. I have no objection. However, if we spend our lifelong effort to achieve something and leaving a great opportunity aside maybe a tremendous waste in our life. That what I read. I am sorry if I offended anyone. I don’t mean anybody any individual in a mind. But it is become part my duty if I don’t say it, it might not be right, and I don’t want people to mislead and as well as misunderstand therefore it becomes necessary to this point. For the Lam Rim, definitely avoid those spiritual materialistic activity.

0:33:25.2

And I think it very difficult for any individual to judge. That individual is spiritually materialistic all it is a really pure (). I don’t think we are able ever to judge person. Buddha himself repeatedly told (Tibetan). He said in order to judge other people you have to be either like me therefore the Buddha said, so person should be able to the Buddha state to be able to judge other. But doesn’t mean you cannot judge your own future. When you try to practice yourself, so you have to make sure you don’t do that. So, your mind is not hiding to you. Is belong to you. That’s why you know it. You know your own (tapestry?). You know your own limit. You know your own motivation. So, you make your judge you’re some according to that. And then it will not be spiritual materialism to yourself. And so, when you be able to do that you are not cheating yourself. You are not misguiding yourself. And that is important. There able to judge. Not judge other. When you’re judging spiritual materialism. Don’t judge other. Whatever they do. They fly in the air. They’re go under the ground, sitting under the water or jump from the roof. Whatever it is. Don’t judge other. Judge yourself. And the purpose is to have ourselves individual, rather than making passing judgment on the others. Remember Buddha recommended not to judge others unless you are Buddha.

0:35:56.9

So, that is the first quality. Hehehehe. And it is important for ourselves. What do we practice? Where do we spend energy and time? This is important. Because we don’t have much how difficult is the time that we can get. For you to get one Sunday aside in a month to do this is it is difficult. Because of our lifestyle. And truly () making that is two hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon so this is really five hours. Putting five hours aside, plus maybe one hour in the () or something. So, it becomes problem. Is a clear sign that we don’t have much time to waste or play with it. So therefore, whatever the time we should put it in something solid. Something makes makes me individual grounded. Something which in me individual grab something solid which will definitely benefit me at the time of my death. All this spiritualistic materialistic things will not be benefit anything at the time when you die. Nothing. You may think I maybe helped tremendous of people. Yes, you contributed tremendous amount of people. At the same time, people have convinced on that too. To () so if you think you have something to carry, I really be cautious. So, keep that in mind and then what. So, don’t judge others. Judge yourself. This is so important. Please. Don’t judge others. Judge yourself. And that also by yourself. OK? One more thing. One more thing. When you’re judging yourself and this all most the third quality is all yourself. Turn out that part of what you do what does that do to you? It makes your head bigger or make your head smaller? You know what I mean? Make your head bigger and I am somebody wow. Or I’m nobody I know nothing. I am very limited. I wanted to be something good.

0:39:21.0

And that on that. If it makes your head bigger. It’s going in the wrong direction. Number 1 thing. Number 2, what does that do. It cuts your delusions down or it increases your delusion? If it’s cutting down, you’re going in the right direction, if it’s increasing, you’re going in the wrong direction. For example, take anger. If makes you more angry to other people or to yourself, then it’s going in the wrong direction. If it’s making you less angry then it’s going in right direction, but by knowing that, by knowing that remember, by knowing that, if more anger is bad I should not and you catch yourself at that time, and if even your angry anger inside, try not to show outside as it becomes more worse to you. So, these are the signs you can observe for yourself. You know what I mean? Hey, I’m showing temper, that’s not right, it’s wrong and I am a spiritual person, I am showing temper, people are like no no no, immediately change your tone, and change your whatever you need to change, and doing that it becomes worse. So, these are few signs you can use within yourself, but if you seriously wanted to catch your own mistake and change it is a difference. Is a difference. And that’s by () of not showing. You know what I mean. By giving a good image of myself so I caught my wrong behavior within me within individually and I change it immediately the purpose of changing is not because the anger is bad, but because it hurt my image. You see the difference? If it does so, then it becomes materialistic. If it does cause anger that I am so sorry really, I got so angry it is terrible it is really () regret you really, I mean it from the bottom of heart. Then it’s a good thing. The good thing and the bad things is very close. So, it only known to yourself and not to other people. Only you know. So only you can help yourself. That’s what I meant. You can help yourself. Not others. Your mind your motivation. everything is only known to you nobody else. So that only means you can help yourself. I think I said enough for that.

0:43:08.3

So, what Lam Rim if you do very nicely, carefully, it helps you to. That is non-contradictory, () anyway. That’s that part of it. Second quality, (Tibetan): All the teachings, that the Buddha and the disciples of the Buddha, and the lineage masters, and all the teachings have some thing or another to contribute it is always have some purpose and carries some very important message. And to get that message straight, it becomes difficult. When we say, we have obstacles, blocks and all this, what the first thing with block, the block to get the real message. The spiritual king development is mental development. Though we communicate to appear to other person through the words of your inner quality to the other. However, the words have a limited capacity to be able to compare that real nicely. and especially when it is translated into different languages, pull right up down up down, first letters favor. The Buddha’s favor on it, clever, so it becomes more difficult more difficult what happens is, originally, it was in different languages, the Sanskrit, Pali, and the Pichai,

0:46:31.2

All this different and the local languages, whatever the Buddha taught. And they have been translated into either Tibetan, Chinese or whatever. And at that time when that first translation went on, it already diluted quite a lot. Then if you do the word-by-word translation, even the word have different meanings. And beside that that doesn’t work you know that anyway. That’s why a lot of scholars complain if you really translate it doesn’t make any sense for the () blah blah blah. () That’s true problem. So, to make it sense the translator () as much as possible the message and then they kept that () of that translator. (). And then explain it in the different language to whatever the version that he got it and then it (). So, the number one () is very limited. This Buddhist text, especially the Buddhist text, Lam Rim is little easy, other Buddhist text is very complicated. You read 30 different times, probably have 30 different understandings. You go to 30 different teachers they give you 30 different explanations. You read 30 different commentary they’ll give you 30 different point. Really it is very very difficult to observe within that language the personal (), the mother tongue of that language. Who been brought up, educated, and have spent whole lifelong in that, we have a problem? A scholar of that language will have a problem.

0:48:54.9

So, forget it. Another person who spent like a couple of years, 10,15 years () is very limited. Get 10% out of it or 15% out of it. Very limited. So, let me express again, based on that information, whatever you have been to observe so that’s how it gets. It very hard to gather real message. So, what happens is if you in () individual Buddhahood in basic solid basis then you rea, sometimes you get more information than the translator itself. You get more. You go beyond that. And that depends on the individual. Wow solidity that individual be able to build up, 1. 2 it also depends a little bit on education as well a little good like is often necessary. So, combination of it. Be able to go beyond that. And that’s the unlike other textbooks to look the () of the spiritual is such a thing and the translator picks up certain words even the translator very limited and individual may be able to go. This foundations are being build up by Lam Rim and that’s the second quality. To be able to find the, the third quality, to be able to find the real message. Did I talk second quality? I mean the second and third is the same. So, anything which doesn’t make sense will definitely a lot meaning behind and you have to look very carefully one will be able to find that and that is really this second quality to be able to find. Oh, this is third quality. Did I talk a second quality? I mean second and third is almost the same thing anyway. So, anything which doesn’t make sense when you have which doesn’t make sense. Will definitely have lot meaning behind and try look carefully and one will be able to find that and that is really the second quality. And the third quality that there is a lot of message which is not really expressed by words. and also, so you can get it, so the Lam Rim has that.

0:51:56.1

And a fourth one is really begun to understand what the problem is and what is not problem and so if you don’t leave the information on your notebook or in the tape then it helps the individual in daily life when your daily functioning and certain things well this is not, I should not be doing it it creates karma different type of karma which I don’t want. without overtaken by righteousness. So, these are the very () the qualities that one can look for by looking by the benefits, the benefits one can look for in the Lam Rim. And the big motive is benefits and is effects to a number of people. a number of people find it is very effective not to all, but a lot of people find it is very effective. Find it very effective to a lot of people. It’s almost to the point ok now it may be very difficult to help. Ok it Maybe now it may be out of it. You may go to that point and by itself you find your motive different to those individuals. So, which really is something very important. Even our retreat those last retreats which a number of people told as well as they acknowledge among themselves there is a tremendous amount of improvement to a lot of people, so which makes me feel a little bit of happy so whatever effort we put the last couple of years which not totally been wasted.

0:54:45.9

So, but on that benefit is the individual benefit and is only the individual know and only the individual contribute otherwise we cannot do much. So anyway, these are the qualities, the qualities of the teaching. Some people see the contradictions between Mahayana and Hinayana some people see the contradiction between the Sutra and Tantra. Some people see the contradiction between the solid meditation and he scholarly learning and some people see and a lot of those contradictions which people try to manifest by various different reasons. Some people would say well if you wanted to be really a scholar then you may do this and but you’re not going to be great practitioner or meditator. And if you really want to be good meditator you can’t be a scholar and all sorts of things you know all sorts of things which is total bullshit. And there is no contradiction between the scholarship and the practice. There is none whatsoever. As a matter of fact, it is very much complements. And if you do not know, if you don’t have the scholarship of knowing what you’re doing of what you’re supposed to do what you’re doing then practically it is very much handicapped for the practitioner rather than his advantage. It becomes handicapped. You don’t have information. And if you read the liberation in what is it hand, if you read and then I’m quite sure it mentions, some people do have that problems. Some people only learn long long long long then learning becomes only information and cannot take it to the individual. Then is a problem. Possible is only learned for information. That’s why from the beginning I said don’t leave information in notebook or the tape. Then if you leave it in notebook then is a problem. When you really need it, you need a notebook and if you misplaced the notebook which I do very often so I cannot find anything that I need to fond.

0:58:04.2

So, then that’s that. () Or if you left on the tape it’s not on recorder (). So that won’t do. As long as you put it within you, you don’t have to remember every single thing that is said in there or not every single thing but basic structure basic you do need. When you have that then the scholarship and practice is definitely complementing each other. Ok. Do not misunderstand that. Limited information is limited practice, limited information is limited practice. But on the other hand, if you don’t have much information. in order to become spiritual practitioner, you don’t have to be a scholar. It is not. You don’t have to. But if you are it’s better. So, this is important to know. As some people give you idea. Oh, if you wanted to be a learned scholar then you read this this this. And if you just want to practice you don’t have to. Just sit down and meditate and that’s enough. People say that. The question rises if you do not know what to meditate on so then this is equally bad. Just sitting down and meditate on what? So, then everybody meditates on their job. Everybody meditates on their duty whatever it is. So, meditation to me, it is a technique that you apply. For purposes of whatever it might be. If you want to use meditation for just to have a calm quiet relaxed life. You can definitely do. It’s very good technique. If you use meditation to become a brilliant computer operator or programmer. You can do that. It is a very good technique.

1:01:07.5

If you use the meditation to gain a concentrated power, Samadhi, very strong concentration power, you get even better to bend the iron being and that also you can do. It is very good technique. If you want to use the meditation for a spiritual achievement you can do. If you want to use meditation to cut your delusion. You can do that. If you want to use meditation to achieve liberation out of samsara and limited suffering. You can do that. It is like a technique. It is like Apple computer. Anybody can use for any purposes. So that is that. If you don’t have the information to apply on, then you have the technique. So, then what you do you will use it on your personal whatever you think you can like. You know what I mean? So, it might not be beneficial. So therefore, for information it is very important but also correct information. And the correct information is also having to cross check. Don’t believe it because someone told you. Don’t believe it because Rinpoche told you. Use your own brain and check. That’s very important. If you do believe, even Buddha said, ok, (Tibetan), said I forgot, give him some (), Buddha said, don’t buy because Buddha said so. If you want to buy a gold, what do you normally do? That’s what the Buddha said. Cut, burn, rub, (), some other form, if satisfied it is pure 24 karat gold then buy. Otherwise, don’t Very similar today. Spiritual path. You have the Buddha same thing. you have to.

1:04:03.8

Not because somebody told you. Especially somebody with big name, big title told you. So, you oh yea, this has to be right because it was aid by so and so told. And that’s not right. So, use your intelligence. And the Lam Rim tells you to use your intelligence in your spiritual path. Because this is the important point. This is This is the big message, which is your gambling, at least think, you’re gambling for a couple of lifetimes. If you’re to buy a car. What do we do today? Right? We check the car. We look look look look and finally you find some take the car take to another garage person which you believe to be expert but the export you don’t know. However, we take to that person and ask his opinion and put it up int some kind of thing, put it up, what you call that thing and let expert look and you look, and if you don’t know and you see and you do all this you do all this and then finally, we buy. Especially if the second hand one, so finally we pay a limited amount of money. which may be very big, but it is limited on one hand it is huge on the other hand it is nothing compared with one’s life. So anyway, that is what we do for a couple of hundred dollars maybe. That’s what we do. Yet on the other hand, this is big gambling, spiritual path is big gambling. If you got the wrong spiritual path you gamble number of lives. if you get the right spiritual path you benefitted maybe forever. Maybe number of lifetimes. So, we have very little check on that. We don’t check that to the garage. Of course, you have to like it. If you don’t like it. Then never works. You have to like. But on the other hand, you have to like it, but the liking is not that important either.

1:07:20.0

Mostly, the major benefit is for the individuals, individuals normally don’t like much. It becomes boring. Why? (It is. Why because it’s benefit individual. So therefore, it is you don’t like it. Because our karma is such that the dislike has to (), has to. No question. It has to (). Lot of obstacles will come up for spiritual really benefit. Really. It has to come up. Why? Because we have a tremendous amount of bad karma in our story. And number 2 whether to you believe it or not. Some people will say evil is not there. It is only me but it’s definitely there. Me or somebody else. But it is there. It obstructs as much as possible. It’s manifested in our karmic fault. So, the number 1 easier to () to manifest to us is a dislike it. Boring. Difficulty. Cannot. No reason. It’s manifested in any possible way. Narrative form. Narrative way. () Obstacles. Even to the extent that () and so forth and all that type of thing. anyway, so all these are the (). If it’s not there, then something is wrong with that part. Definitely, because then it might not be that beneficial to the individual. So, because this sort of, what will happen as I very often tell you it is () narrative and positive (). The gambling on you, on the individual, whether you move from this angle and going to go from that side or going to move from that side and going to go on that side. It is not that black and white side here and there and that symbol exactly or what are call it? Try to distort the picture. That is.

1:10:07.7

I have a friend a Rinpoche whose name is (), who is in (). And he used to come I believe sometime to the () Institute in California. So, he had a number of dreams that he shared with me. One time he had a very funny dream that dream said is this a big () I mean he was in the middle of this big, huge house () something very strange sort of looking here and another strange looking here and there sort of seeing that he has to there is noise there it’s not there it’s there and after some time he noticed there is () and end one side that he belongs there now. So, he was watching and that’s little sort of little some kind of () piece of meat lamb or something very fragile is dropped, or something break, something like the () and other side picks up and he has that sort of funny dream. So, which another one and you are the subject, and it is () positive and a narrative. So, the narrative side will definitely not let you go at all under any circumstances. They have to hold you back. That’s their job. That’s their job. And they are good at it. The positive side is it’ll pick up provided it all the conditions are right. They do not pick up if the conditions not right. So that’s what they do. So, it is our we have that big () that we have to do. I think you can leave that open it is not that cold now. Is it? Cold to people. If you sort of shut the door down...

1:13:01.0

So, the conditions have to be right sort of all sort of big obstacles (). I do not know where did I come from that? That’s it. () what you dream. it is important. Do you have very limited information. Limited of () judging. Very limited way of judging that’s the historical fact that’s important. Anyway. So, you have to judge a little bit. Just don’t buy because so and so said so. Even Buddha said don’t buy because Buddha said so. So, then you can’t go beyond no matter who so whosoever may say, if Buddha said don’t judge because I said so, then doesn’t matter whosoever so other said so. You have to use your intelligence a little bit. And try to check up. Sometimes don’t over checkup sometimes you overcheck up, then becomes difficult. When this earlier one of the () lamas called () was invited by the Chinese emperor to be his personal guru. So, invited to China () so China document (laughter) so anyway invited him to be the guru and when he reached to the palace, the emperor’s palace, the emperor told him I need to check you, so he was kept there for 12 years without any single teaching or anything so 12 years. after 12 years the emperor said I checked and I am satisfied with you, and I find now you are fit to be a guru of emperor of china, so he turned around and said you check me 12 years, I will check you now whether you fit to be a disciple or not, so he said I’m to check. So anyway in between that he died and so that also happens don’t overcheck, but you don’t also under check so that’s what you do. So, I think this much about the quality and the and of course I didn’t go anything deeper in the qualities and so.

1:16:13.8

Most important thing is practice what you do is something which you have to be a perfect one. So, for the Lam Rim normally says it is perfect why? Because the result what you want to achieve out of this is Buddhahood. And now this is big question. Before If I go in there and still would like to make very clear. This sort of things is very good for those of us Tibetans who have been in a generation as an unquestioned in the accepting the Buddhahood is ultimately something to achieve and that is the only thing which you can work for doing this and that. For us when you say that your aim is Buddhahood in order to achieve Buddhahood you had to have perfect path otherwise you will not get result. For the worse than dharma friend like you and when you say Buddhahood is your aim that’s great () so what? and so then the () that’s your aim how do I know? Why should I become a buddha? If especially it’s buddha god I am not particularly interested in becoming a god. I have a friend who told who’s very good actually and a number of times looking back in the last two years he told me, I was giving a talk somewhere, and trying to make buddha is not so much different than god, then the normal understanding of almighty god does not make it buddha in that sort of thing. For buddha buddha is god. Not necessarily () but it is just general buddha is god.

1:18:34.2

Talking to that and she asked me a little later: well, when I heard you say if Buddha is god, I am not particularly interested to become a god. So, people do that. You see. So, it is really doesn’t mean, unless it really worked out and carefully, so this is worth to spend time on this. Sometimes I say your aim is to blah blah. If somebody tried to do a little bit of careful Lam Rim practice and () not only () but Lam Rim practice I think it has to be very clear to that person, why you need to practice Lam Rim and what for. What they, why don’t you have a spiritual materialism rather than spiritual “spiritual.” That’s to be very clear to individual. So, it is only possible to make it clear if the individual is willing to incorporate and if the individual is not willing to cooperate is not () really going to be clear. If I just say well to become a Buddha is ultimate end, I will accept that, and you say Tibetan Buddhism tells you the Buddha who is to your end, probably, sort of put food stuff all there, all of your put a little more anyway that’s what it is. So, if you leave it there the Tibetan Buddhism says the aim of the Tibetan Buddhism aim is to become a Buddha. So sometimes you may hesitate to tell another person your aim is to become a Buddha so you () yourself a little bit () so it maybe not right. So, all this sort of thing is possible to go with individuals. So, it is very clear It has to make clear to the individual here: what do we want? What do we want?

1:21:12.0

The unquestionable answer to everybody what they have is I don’t want suffering. To be free from the suffering is also acceptable to all provided if you know what suffering is. Lot of people with a suffering they initially dissociate yourself from the suffering and the moment you look at suffering you begin to look some kind of a painful () that has a () to the individual or you know in the moment I say suffering, what picture do you get in your head? Immediately do you look for homeless or I mean this country most people can see this much the homeless or child abuse or abuses of a child or not child. The woman abuses whatever. All that any kind of abuses you get that kind of a picture and you get dissociate yourself from the suffering then I mean the dissociate in the sense I can begin to get a picture. Dissociate itself meaning () meaning that’s not me (laughter) I am learning something. That’s not me… Ok. There is not necessarily me but not a dissociate yourself now I begin to get a picture you know what I’m talking about. You know I begin to see know. People get the idea ok now I get the picture people get to dissociate yourself from that category or that what you call it, that’s over there, over there is happening not me and I’m the helper. I am there to help. I want to help. That’s not a problem you can help. But dissociating is a problem, I think. Definitely. Because I didn’t get () some people tell me that’s not you not you. But the main thing is is a dissociating yourself way from that and sort of you are the better person coming over there helping and you’re not the one who are suffering but they are the one who suffering. Maybe black. Maybe whatever it is, you know. And sort of looking over there and not dissociating we and that is a problem. And then that is not a recognizing suffering because it’s not recognizing suffering and I’m trying to sort of leave it there but normally the problem really rises.

1:24:48.3

Lot of people in their mind they don’t look carefully always everybody want to help. Everybody is there to really to help, helper, but no one is there. no one associates yourself with that. Sort of you make it, lot of people make it superior yourself, and I don’t know, whether you make superior or not, definitely you dissociate and you take the position of helper or problem solver, or troubleshooter (laughter) that’s the wrong language isn’t it? You get that. So, what you do watch your mind you see suffering. It is very hard on us we accept that. Unless we are sick... The sickness is something teasy to accept or not. Sort of we can associate with that or other suffering we begin to dissociate. And that might be our problem. So that’s what I call we don’t recognize suffering. Maybe the suffering is too strong a word for American society. We need some different some local term or local words which may be able to produce () down in it. But we are already in that. We’re already in that. Much more than that for that. More than that for sure. I am mean really there is no question. Even if you look at abuses every one of us is a subject of abuse. Somebody who has not abused us, eventually, whether other people have abused us and ourselves. Every time I notice with everybody.

1:28:09.5

Or meditate. Ok (laughter). I mean really truly, and these are the excesses on the pain of the mind. Which are normally created by yourself. Another word I can call that we abuse ourselves we really do. I’m sorry (no psychologist or any whether you like it or not we really do it. Sometime some people give self-punishment and is big surprise, but people give punish to self. I mean this one needs to punishment. People really do that., people’s mind is such a crazy thing. Who knows what is going to do what? You are never now. So, I’m the () of the (). I’m the precepts of working out with karma. these are the language your read, right, under the precepts of anything, rather than sacrifices and all sort of things so we do that to ourselves. So, we are subject as abused. And every day we do that to ourselves. We are suffering. Not only that and we really if you really look in ourselves in anything, anything, I mean our body is such a thing such a delicate thing if little () and any moment anything can break or give up. Such a really delicate thing. And it looks nice if you sort of polish it outside and then it looks nice but inside it’s just filthy, totally, really true. Really true. And it is totally thing that we have so don’t have to look when suffering something is over there in this street of New York or something. You really don’t. Sometimes it may be both the poor dirty, homeless person, sitting, sleeping in the middle of the park. Maybe happier than the person in the Park Avenue apartment. Or something.

1:31:20.4

Really. And they are suffering they are difficult and not out but then also they have they could enjoy life actually. Allan took me to near his house there is a homeless people living in big public park over there and when you go near there they won’t let you go in, and they say hey out, you don’t go in there and Allan starts shouting this is Allan Ginsburg I am going to see, are you sure you are the right person/ Ok go so there we go inside and there is bonfire they are drinking or smoking and sitting there talking sitting yelling all this sort of thing and (laughter) and the cold but number of blankets on them sitting here there is a chair around everything is there and some of them are not that upset at all not really. And they are talking about the war and whether they gonna be draft or something everybody has to go in soldiers or something. Or whether Bush is right or wrong or Saddam Hussein is right or wrong. Even over there the fire is going and talking there and sitting there and then something happened and somebody did in the city today which is not fair to them blah blah and all of the usual life is there again. Just under different condition. But not that worse. I have seen much worse than that. As a refuge I have much worse than that. I myself have been worse than that and I have seen people worse than that. And the kulis in India, the porters who carry a huge amount you have no idea if you have to or three boxes with 25 or 30 kg in that. They stack it on head.

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