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Gelek Rimpoche Transcription 1 of 3

[0:00:00] [Rimpoche] Clinging where, from the internal as well as external allow individual body. Or, in the case of impermanence protection, the mind of living forever. Uh…except uh, except uh, I think if I keep on going on this that will be a problem...but wherever your practice is you have to know what to use at that level. In short, it is from the beginning of not having proper respect and intelligence/faith to dualistic perception. All of them purified, clarified, washed away. Then after clearing them, rebuild your lifeforce, strength, intellect, wisdom. And particularly the development of this and that stage, whatever you are. And then, obtain blessings of the guru Vajradhara to the body, mind, and speech of all of us. Ok, and uh then finally, the supreme field of merit dissolves to you.

[0:02:27] And the way you are dissolving is the number of different ways: in the case of Ganden Lha Gyema, uh Ganden Lha Gyema, the two spiritual disciples of Tsong Khapa dissolve to Tsong Khapa’s right and left shoulder. And we develop great profound respect and faith and love to Tsong Khapa. Tsong Khapa develops similar to us, so we almost allowed to jump up to become a oneness and Tsong Khapa wants jumps down to become oneness. And finally, when you said this: “oh glorious and brightest lama guru come and take your lotus and moon seat at my heart level.” When you repeat three times, the first time the throne comes down. And not a huge throne, bigger than your body, but a sort of shrink complete miniature throne. And then sun and moon disc, second time. And finally, lama guru’s self and landed at your heart level. Actually, Ganden Lha Gyema has the open-heart petal and then remains within that. So, these are clearly mentioned in the Ganden Lha Gyema teaching itself. And read that. And then if you are not doing the Ganden Lha Gyema, the guru buddha dissolves to you. And uh, you become inseparable than that. Ok, I think with this we have completed total preliminary.

[0:05:00] So now in actual practice there are two outlines. Root of all development: guru devotional practice. After developing guru devotional practice, how actually people are led to the path: How train…how to train your mind, yeah. Actually, we should say ‘how to train the mind.’ Ok, now the guru devotional practice is considered very important, so that’s why it’s [0:05:45] called root of all development. If there is no root, no tree will grow, no flower will grow, no nothing will grow. So, all the spiritual development in rooted to that. And many don’t emphasize so much on this. They try to avoid, particularly in the West. It is symbolism that so much guru trips happen. And people have been misusing and always bloated and you name it. So, to avoid misunderstanding and to avoid...uh…all this we did not make much emphasized before, anyway. But on the other hand, spiritual development is totally depend on that. It is the fundamental foundation. And that’s why if you look at this Foundation of all Perfections, the first one says uh…[translator]: “following a kind master, Foundation of all Perfections is the very root and basis of the path.” Rimpoche: That’s right, thank you. So, the following the…so the very root of what? audience: The Perfections. Rimpoche: the very root of all Perfections. Perfections are the qualities and the spiritual developments are referred as Perfection. Uh, I can’t read it. Mmm...hmm… very root…so it’s called the very root of all development.

[0:08:28] So even in the Lam Rim, they say that root of all development is guru devotional practice. Even Tsong Khapa in the shortest Lam Rim, Tsong Khapa in shortest Lam Rim he says, [0:08:57- 0:09:06 Tibetan] I hope I’m really saying the right thing (laughs) [0:09:16-0:09:33 Tibetan continued]. Does anybody have a translation of Tsong Khapa’s Short Lam Rim? Oh, you do. Audience: unintelligible Rimpoche: (laughs) three of this three of that. Did you find it? Translator: Yes I need to find the right verse. Ah ok. Shall I read them all in English? “The root of all causes producing happiness here and hereafter is the practice of relying, in thought and action, upon the sacred friend who reveals the path. Seeing this, following him at any cost, and pleasing him with the offering of practice, I ??? [0:10:22] did that myself. You, oh liberation seeker, should do likewise.”

[0:10:28] Rimpoche: Ok, ‘I, the yogi who did this and you who are the liberation seeker should follow this…’ the way you read that way is during the teachings only. And when you read it grouped it together, you have to say the guru master follows that way, I the liberation seeker…uh (Tibetan 0:10:48). I the liberation seeker should follow that way. So you have to change the wording a little bit. Anyway, the most important point here is (Tibetan 0:11:03)…so therefore, all the good thing happens to this life and future lives, the greatest root depends on this.

[0:12:03] That’s nice translation. So now, the root….ok, so now how do I going to explain this? Uh...I can’t go in very detail so…What does guru devotional practice really mean? Guru devotional practice really means to look at your root master or your compassionate master as that of fully enlightened being. And not by blind faith. By intelligence understanding and by converging it to yourself then follow the words and the treat(?) with thought and action properly.

[0:13:26] Ok, now the basically, why do we have to do this? And what is this all about it? It is very simple. The… I am not talking about myself. Basically, the gurus are representing fully enlightened beings to ourself. And gurus are much more important to us than that of even buddhas. And the guru is the only link for me and my…for me and my future buddha field or even the person enlightened society. The gurus represent the enlightened society to me. And they are the ambassador of the enlightened beings with the credential to represent it to me. So, as we have given special treatment to the ambassadors of the country. And that’s why the guru treatment as being treating for the enlightened beings.

[0:15:31] Whether we look at guru as enlightened being or not and enlightened being or stupid, will make no difference to the guru. Nothing for whatsoever. But to the individual it make a hell of a difference. If you look at your root master as a buddha in practice, you get blessings and benefit of a buddha guiding you. And of you treat the guru as a bodhisattva and practice that way, you get blessings and benefits of a bodhisattva guiding you, not a buddha guiding you. And if you treat, look at your guru as ordinary Sangha being and treat it in that way you get blessing and benefit of guiding by an ordinary sangha being. And if you look to the guru as common as normal, sensible human being, you get same benefit of leading and guiding by common normal sensible human being. If you treat him or her as a stupid person, then you get benefit of leading and guiding by the stupid person.

[0:17:53] And that is repeated by the buddhas a number of times. There’s a million different reasons has been used by the earlier masters. Quite a detail of them you will find in the Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand. So first read it. Then second thing you try to understand. And the third thing you question. And finally, once you develop and use the Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand is very good at this level.

[0:18:48] So automatically, the reason why Ling Rimpoche always comes boils down to and see what he says always we want advantage, we don’t want disadvantages. So the maximum benefit is if you look at spiritual master as enlightened being. And not only that, there’s a number of stories and incidents that have taken place earlier. Then Marpa, the founder of Kagyu tradition in Tibet, and went to India to see his guru Naropa. And a number of times Naropa spent time with Marpa and this and that. And one fine morning, early in the morning before uh the sunrises early in the morning, Naropa suddenly called Marpa and said, “Marpa, Marpa” calls him “son Marpa, Marpa, get up and look up here I want you see it”. And when Marpa got up looked up in the air and he sees a total living mandala of uh I think Hevajra or something. So then Naropa told Marpa, “Hey, look here it’s the mandala of your yidam Hevajra. So would you like to prostrate to me first, or the mandala first?” Although, Marpa thought for a little while, “I can see him all the time and this is a once in a blue moon to see the mandala, so I must prostrate to the mandala first.” So, then Naropa said, “[0:21:51 Tibetan] When there’s no guru, there’s not even the name of a buddha. All these thousands of buddhas of this fortunate eon have all grown or born out of gurus. The manifestation of the mandala is the manifestation of the guru. I therefore dissolve the mandala to my heart.” So, mandala is gone. So that’s how what had happened during the Marpa and Naropa period.

[0:23:04] Marpa is known as one of the outstanding disciples of Naropa. However, this Vajrayogini teaching of the Naropa tradition, somehow Naropa has not given to Marpa. Instead of that, Naropa give it to the two brothers uh the three brothers of Nepali Pung Pinpa’s (sp?) [0:23:28]. It could be one of these reasons. And not only…there’s a countless things are there. In one way, the spiritual development seems to be very difficult. In another way, if you develop guru devotion and practice properly, the other spiritual development is day by day develops.

And the most important point is here. Most difficult point is here.

[0:25:05] Even those yidams…we always think these yidams are more important than the vajra masters and we are mistaken that. And we often did this and that yidams stage, and that and this yidam is inseparable than that of your own master. And beyond that there is nothing. There is no bypass. There is no shortcut. Uh…this is more than, much, much more than usually we say, so that must be enough. Ok, that is the first outline under the guru devotional practice called “Root of All development: Developing Intelligent Faith”. What you do need is intelligence. What you don’t need is blind faith. The blind faith will not bring you anything. The blind faith will not give you any development. On the contrary, the blind faith will shaken your ground. So, it is important to meditate on this.

[0:27:07] And then of course when you meditate on this, you always see the faults of the guru rather than the qualities of the guru. In the West you have a lot of guru trips and a lot of guru scandals. And some of them are genuine scandals. Some of them are obviously… because when you look at the faults you will definitely see the faults. So, whether the guru has a fault or not a fault is not our issue. The issue here is lies in whether the guru represents the enlightened beings or not. Once that guru is representing the enlightened beings, and then it is up to us: how do we treat the enlightened beings? And beside our mind is such if you like to look at the fault from the fault angle, you will always find fault. During the Buddha’s lifetime, those people who are anti-Buddha, or including Buddha’s own cousin and so forth, will always see whatever Buddha does is manipulated, calculated, um... you name it. In that way they see it. And but that is true, even ourself... among ourself ordinary person – family members, husband and wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, families, children, parents – if you started looking from the faults angle, you always see faults.

[0:30:00] And things that you see when you are in the sort of, when you are in the honeymoon period, things you see as cute, probably you see during the fighting as manipulated, calculated, um some kind of insult. That is exactly how our mind work. So, if you search from the fault angle, you see everything fault. But if you look at the intelligence well, what is really with the open-mindedness, and then you see faults, you will see the quality both. When you can see the quality, then you have to look with yourself – ‘what do I want? benefit or disadvantage?’ So that way you can gradually develop.

[0:31:24] Ok, now what do you need to develop? If you look at Pabongka’s teaching on the Vajrayogini – I’m sure the Geshe Kelsang’s book on the Guide to Dakini Land should mention that, because it is Pabongka mentioned. So, if you are practicing the Theravadin practice, and you should look at your master as a buddha. That’s not a different. When you practice the Mahayana, you should look as equal to Buddha. Oh no, sorry, sorry. If you are Theravadin you should look as equal to Buddha, if you are Mahayana practice you look at as Buddha, and if you are Vajrayana practitioner you should look at as inseparable than that of Buddha. So, as I mentioned yesterday, even Atisha’s period where the people who had been serving Atisha and who are meditating the difference between the spiritual level. I mean thats really hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of different incidents that had been taking place on this throughout the lineage, so we don’t have much time to go and it’s also not necessary.

[0:33:28] So if you spent whole time to develop guru devotional practice and it is sometimes very difficult to develop. So, it is recommended to move to the second point simultaneously. So, when you move to the second point, under the second point, the first point is “Embracing the Human Life”. Ok, [0:34:13 - 0:34:20 Tibetan]. In the Foundation of the Perfection, it says um, the human body something found once, but something something yea... Translator: Shall I read it now? Rimpoche: Yeah, yeah. Oh hard word... I mean not hard word, hard stanza. Translator: “Precious human life gained but once has great potential but is easily lost” Rimpoche: Good, that’s it. Thank you. And also, in Tsong Khapa’s short Lam Rim,

[0:34:49 – 0:34:56 Tibetan] Ok, go ahead. Translator: “Human life found but this one time, more precious than the wish fulfilling gem, so hard to regain and so easily lost is brief as a flash of lightening. Rimpoche: Good. So that two of these points. What you have to think and meditate here is two points...three points. Recognizing...recognize...acknowledging impermanence, acknowledging difficult to find. Ok, so recognizing – what is human life? Oh no, that’s a life we have. I do said that. But this life is so important and so valuable. In this life you can do and undo. The capacity of the human life is beyond anybody’s comprehension. [0:36:23] Really true. Either it is a spiritual path or a material path. Spiritually, this life is capable of giving us the enlightenment. If this life cannot deliver the goods, no other life can. If you are animal or bug or something, how can you deliver enlightenment to yourself in that body? Our limitation is too much. If we are in hungry ghost level, we may have some karmic power, but however we are incapable of delivering Buddhahood. No hungry ghost becomes buddha as hungry ghost. Otherwise, they should be buddha hungry ghost, it’s not going to happen. True, true. That’s true. Alright? And if you are a hell being, the sufferings are too heavy. You cannot do anything. It is either too hot or too cold, so it is not capable. If you are born in samsaric god level, we don’t have inner attention. We don’t know suffering. It is too rigorum [Tibetan? 0:38:34]. So, therefore, you cannot understand the life. You are totally out of touch. So, you are incapable of attaining Buddhahood.

[0:38:52] During the Buddha’s lifetime, Buddha’s disciple Shariputra – one of the best disciples of the Buddha – and he had a student who are totally devoted to Shariputra. And it was said when they saw Shariputra on the roadside and the guys coming on the elephant, he will have no time to get down, but jump down from the elephant. Before he completed the path, he died. And Shariputra sort of observed him and followed him where he took rebirth. And found him taking rebirth in the samsaric god realm. Of course, all of us know we’re talking about the small ‘g’ god, right? Translator: small what? Rimpoche: small ‘g’ god. So, so the small ‘g’ gods also has the karmic power of [knowing] where they come from, where they are, and where they’re going to go.

[0:40:37] So, Shariputra thought ‘Oh it is easy now – I can go up to the samsaric god realm and god [disciple] will continue (?) becoming an arhat.’ So Shariputra went up there and um he saw him and he saw him. And he raised his hand. (laughs) Shariputra said “don’t you know me? I am so and so” and he said, “yes I know you” and he raises hand and goes away again. And because there is no concentration, it is nothing but suffering so they have no problem and so they don’t really care. It look one life. So, it is tremendous...um, how do you call it? A wasting of time. So that’s even you reach samsaric god level, it is incapable of delivering Buddhahood.

[0:42:06] So that’s why this life is the right thing. We do have some sufferings. We do know what suffering means. We do know what joy means. We do know the value of it. We do have compassion. We do have love or the caring for others. We do have a wonderful human nature within us. Somebody told me I should say human potential, not nature. Anyway, so it doesn’t matter. And um who was that? Was it you? Alfred and somebody else. No, it’s you – you and Alfred. Anyway, um so this is one of the best. And particularly, if you use Vajrayana techniques - this particular life that we are taking birth from the mother’s womb, having the chakras and the energy which are fold within the chakras – are the only body in which Vajrayana techniques can apply. So therefore, this is the one of the best lives. My dear, it is not a joke, it’s really true. And Tsong Khapa said it is more valuable than a wish fulfilling jewel. Yeah, when Tsong Khapa said that, it doesn’t really mean much - he said it, ok, yeah maybe. But for us it is much more valuable than that of a multi-million, billion dollars. It is true, ok. Everybody will say a multi-billion dollars is good, right?

[0:44:59] Ok, think that way. If somebody tells you “I’ll give you a billion dollars if you let me cut your neck” - think about it, seriously - are you gonna cut the neck are you going to accept the multi-billion dollars. So, unless you are crazy, unless you are crazy, unless you are crazy, you are going the save your life, right? And that shows how little value we have. We ignore every day. We don’t care. Because we taking everything granted. We are taking granted we are get up tomorrow. We are taking granted we are move. We take it granted everything will work out. But if we really look, if we really think carefully, and if somebody tells you, “take a million, let me cut you off” - not gonna let it. Who are you? Who gonna let you do? Nobody.

[0:42:16] And that will make you see the value of your life. Is it worth to rest? Is it worth to feel bad? Don’t you think it is good enough to be happy and joy...{recording cuts off briefly}. So, anyway that’s enough. Think this way and meditate in that way. And that should work. And it if it’s true. you think that way if it’s true, right or wrong, right? So, if you think that way there is no room for depression at all. There is no room for, “I am terrible, I am bloated, and I am worthless.” Worthless of what? Worthless of billion dollars? (laughs) So, think about it. So, you recognize that value what you have in our hand. That’s point number one.

[0:47:59] Ok, if you are not careful on this, and during the practice you don’t have enough inspiration. And if you are careful on this, you should have it. And everybody complains there is no inspirations. And what better inspiration than this one? Only problem is we don’t recognize what we have. That’s enough for the point one.

[0:48:58] Point two – maybe I can do the point two – point two. Ok, will I get this life again if I waste this time? Can I get another one? A second change, last change – do I have it? Do I have second chance? Answer is most probably “no” ma’am, no. You know why? What is the cause to get this life? What [does it] takes from the causal point of view? A perfect moral foundation. Pure prayer. And help of the Six Paramitas – that’s generosity, morality, patience, blah, blah, blah - all of those six. And that is according to the Buddha; that’s what that takes to get this life. Really true – so do we have it? We watch ourselves. Our mind is not blind to ourselves. We know how good we are. Nobody else knows, but I know how good I am. So, does anybody, right? Anybody knows how good we are. Other person doesn’t know either, you know. So there goes our perfect morality (laughs). So, the foundation is lost. So how can we hope to get a result where there’s no cause? Yeah, it’s like instead of putting the seed on the ground, there’s no seed was put, but we put some kind of uh...uh...board (?) in the water and then hopefully some kind of something will come and bring, nothing will come. Maybe some kind of wild grass will grow by chance.

[0:51:57] And then not only that. To have a life is not only difficult, but to have a life with the teaching of the Buddha is even more difficult. It is rare opportunity. When I say it is rare, I don’t mean there’s not so many buddhas in the world. But not so many people can take the opportunity. Some will say ‘I am Atheist, I am not interested.’ Some will say, ‘I don’t care.’ Some will say, ‘I am Yuppy.’ And some will say, ‘I am hippie, I like to fly’ (laughs). Anyway, all sort of excuses. Even your own partner, even your own companion, even your own children, even your own parents, even [if] the opportunity is right in front of you, even [if] you want them [to] take it, they cannot take it. It is not their fault. It is not your fault. It is just they don’t have the correct karma. So that is why Buddha said it is rare to receive the benefit of the Buddha’s teaching.

[0:53:54] One of the Panchen Lamas, I think the third or second or somebody, was giving a teaching in Tibet. And he was giving a teaching and saying that [it is] very difficult to find [a] human life with these qualities. One of his friends and benefiters from China – a Chinese gentleman happens to be attending teaching and he said, “I think the Panchen Lama has not seen China. That’s why you think human lives too little.” So, he said, “In Tibet you don’t have so many beings who will be, but if you go to China you see plenty.” So that’s why the Panchen Lama explained what it is [the] rareness of this human life is. And it is true, we see today with our self, with our family, with our friends, with our companion, with our roommates, with our boyfriends, with our girlfriends, with our children, parents, all of them we can see it today. We don’t have to go to China to find out.

[0:55:34] So, then Buddha give more than that. Buddha give...the traditional – maybe it is Buddha, I am not even sure who did it – but in the traditional teachings there is a very funny example here. The example is the yolk and the brown turtle, right? And this brown turtle pops up every 500 years once in the sea somewhere. And the yolk carrying by wind going over the sea somewhere. Somehow to caught the brown turtle’s neck in that yolk it is only possibility, but not probability. That was Buddha’s example. So, can’t find easily second change. Yes, there will be millions of lives, she is right. Thousands of lives. But such an opportunity, such a chance will be like the yolk and turtle. So, recognize the importantness, recognize the life, recognize the difficult to find. And I think that much today. And um, maybe I should let some questions. A couple of them. Two or three at the most.

[0:57:52] Audience: In this afternoon we talked also really about being ambitious(?), being a Buddhist. But for me in daily life with friends, there are people they have some ideas about Buddhism or in general that it’s not from our culture. So that’s one reason it’s not good for us. And the guru devotion is also strange for us. Of course, there’ll be too much? And... there was something else... yeah because you said we should be ambitious, but sometimes I get the feeling that people even think that’s some kind of weakness – being busy with Buddhism or any kind of spiritual thing. So, I would like to ask you, yeah what kind of...what could I say? How should I say?

[0:59:01] Rimpoche: It’s true. It’s true. It’s true. Well, when talking this afternoon, you should be proud of being Buddhist. It was a pep talk, I told you earlier too. At the same time, at the same time if you think carefully, the qualities and the opportunities and uh if you’re looking the qualities and the opportunities, it is something that [you] can be really proud of it. Whether the friends and companions and people around understand or do not understand –um, if you look at some kind of orthodox Christian, let’s? again - how much they [are] proud to be. And that is also nothing wrong with that. And I think it’s very similar to it, “a”. Now guru devotional practice is a big question. It is a genuine question, and it is very difficult. No doubt. But, the guru devotional really does not mean, where an earlier how the Western people have been following the maharishis or Hindu gurus in total submission and totally giving up – that’s not the way. So, it is not submission at all.

[1:02:25] As a matter of total freedom. Freedom in the sense: First, to select a guru. Second, how much you want to go, how much you want to stay away, how much/how long distance you want to keep. And third, how much you want to follow, how much you don’t want to follow even if saying that – ok, doesn’t matter, ok. So, it’s not that only when the guru says you have to do it. And that was misunderstanding. Uh, it says – uh I have the word, I forgot...hold on a minute, hold on a minute – [1:03:31 – 1:03:33 Tibetan] So if you can’t follow it, you have to talk. And if you tell them it’s not possible, it’s not possible. That’s how it will work. Not the guru’s words are the rules. That’s why I insist earlier the intelligent faith. Not the blind faith. Blind faith can lead you totally different ways. Ok, so it is important to not misunderstand that. It may be strange, but that’s [the] way it is.

[1:04:36} The three part...Third part [of] question, what was it? It is very important question, really. Good thought. Audience: It something that it is not our culture, so it’s strange. Rimpoche: Yeah, that’s right. Culture is culture. But um, I do not know how strange it is really. Audience: For me it isn’t, but um yeah somehow I think when I look at them maybe it’s also some ego or attachment to your own thing. Because for me there is no distance between the East and the West because we live on one world. But for these people they say, “we don’t need it. We know so much and it’s all on us and we have to go in a new era, and we have to find our own way”.

[01:05:31] Rimpoche: It is true. We have to go in new era. We have to find our own way. That’s absolutely true. It’s also true. No, really. Audience: Yeah, and I also say, “yeah if you want? the self, what would you do know?” You know, nothing. That’s what I say, but... Rimpoche: Yeah, I don’t think it is the point of argument. I think it is the point of how one perceives. And I think that is needed the most important. Ok, any other questions? Yes. Audience: When you talk about guru devotion, you talk [about] the guru in general. What about your relationship to us? Once you have some talk, once you come in Jewel Heart. Is it become automatically [that you are] your guru? Do you have one guru? Do you have more gurus? Do we have to ask, “Do you want to be my teacher?” Could you say something about that? Or the house guru? (laughs) Rimpoche: I am the house guru! Yeah! (Laughs) I am the house guru! Basically, there is misunderstanding, again, in the West.

[1:07:18] Particularly the Tibetan and Buddhist Dharma centers. And uh, what they really do is they say the head of whatever the center is, it is your guru. I don’t think a guru is something which you appoint. And some of them even insist that if you have taken a refuge from so and so, so and so is your root guru. And that is again...I better get my mindset (laughs). So, what it really is - your guru you select. I don’t think the Jewel Heart here has a little piece paper [that] says “I accept you as my guru” (laughs) I don’t think it says – is there such a form to be found? I don’t think so. You can have a number of gurus. And you can have a number of even root gurus.

[1:08:58] Normally, what you consider guru - as there are two kindness, one kindness, three kindness gurus. So normally your root gurus you always select out of these three kindness gurus. Three kindness means they have been kind enough to give a teaching. That’s one. Who have given initiation or introducing and entering into the mandala; that is full initiation. And the oral transmission of it. So all three from one person we will say it is considered a three kindness. And if you received a two from one person, [then] the person is considered a two kindness. And if you have received a one from one person, that is a one kindness.

[1:10:24] That’s how it goes. And it’s always individual choice, individual pick up, individual do it. It is not an organizational appoint[ed] or direct or anything. But I happen to be the whatever you call it here, so it is connected with Jewel Heart so that’s my position. That does not make me automatically your root guru or anything else. But it makes me “House Guru” automatically (laughs). Ok that is good question and I am glad you raised that and it is important. Well, I presume there is no more questions and we will conclude here. [1:11:49 recording of this teaching ends]

[1:11:51 recording of different teaching begins] Rimpoche: ...and particularly during the Lam Rim teachings. And uh with that motivation, for the...barely mentioned for the benefit of all sentient beings, when they would like to attain the state of Buddhahood, and for which one would like to listen this teaching, and the products and take the steps and reach to that level. Teaching what we’re doing is the path to lead the fortunate ones to the Buddha state. But that have been accepted and opened by the Nagarjuna and Asanga. And it is the essence of the heart of Tsong Khapa and Atisha. Which is known as Lam Rim, for which we have four outlines. In order to prove authenticity of the teaching talking about the masters.

[1:13:25] And uh in order to prove the....(Rimpoche referring to sounds in the rom “it downstairs, I thought it was coming on the mic or something)”...in order to prove the authenticity of the teaching, the qualities of the teaching. And how to teach and how to listen. Actual method of training the mind. So first one we have covered the life the story of the Buddha to Atisha, Tsong Khapa, and some other great teachers. And in order to prove the quality of the Dharma...actually the teaching or whatever we are doing is the essence of the practice... essence of the all teachings of the Buddha. And it is the Kadampa traditions, which Kadampa tradition really means: there is not a single word of the Buddha that can be left out. Every word has it is own little point and technique and one little point and technique which has somehow been collected in essence form. It is also like that of a key. The master key which will be able to open all the rooms in the hotel.

[1:15:00] It is true in the sense, if you have a proper understanding of the Lam Rim and then you read any words of the Buddha, or Buddhist teachers and the Buddhist lineage masters, scholars, and uh siddhis – no matter, whatever – if you listen to them talk, or read about it, and you will know what they’re talking about and where it can be used by one individual to his own practice. Early Tibetan teachers used to give interesting funny Tibetan culture oriented story. And how they do is, when...um.....where they tell the story: if one person has some kind of organized kitchen..uhh... containers – like one places where you put salt, one you put sugar, one you put tea, one you put coffee, one where you put flours or rice or murals (?) or something – if you have organized in your kitchen. So, then anything you get from outside, either you buy it (?), the teas can go in the tea container, the salt can go in the salt container, sugar can go in the sugar container, the murals can go in the mural container, the pasta can go in the pasta container.

[1:18:05] Especially we should not forget the butter and the cheese (laughs). But if you’re not organized, if you don’t have a separate container, then you pick up a little piece of cheese, a little piece of salt or sugar, then you don’t know what to do with it. You know, it becomes mess in the kitchen. So likewise, the Lam Rim organizes the spiritual path within the individual. It will provide the framework. And wherever you get useful information or techniques you can put them wherever you want to. You can apply [them] wherever you want to. It will not become mess. And if you don’t organize [it], it will become mess. Right? Did you say yes or no? (laughs)

[1:19:36] When people say, “I don’t know where to start” when people say, “I don’t know what to do with this” it is a clear sign they are not organized. Right? And what you have to organize is you have to organize, what is your goal? What is your path? And how to reach that goal by a particular path, or that right path or the wrong path. You know, people have to select the first goal, then path, then see if that path is capable of delivering that goal or not. In Tibetan Buddhism, they tell you the goal is Buddhahood. And it is very nice and sweet of you to accept without any question. But it is slightly stupid. What are you thinking? The Tibetan say that so

[1:21:05] go along with this or what? Hey, the stick is in your own future. It is not only ten days from here. It is you organize your life accordingly. So, you have to think about it. “Is this something that I need it?” Or “do I need it?” “why?” Or “do I want less than that?” Or “is it relevant to me?” And all these questions you have to have it. The question of, she put it last night. And it was better question. And things like that should raise a [question?] in individual. And speak. No one is going to tell you, you are atheist - no! Or any some kind of funny example. So, it is important. So, because some Lama sits on a nice little cushion and says, “Hey, Buddhahood is your goal” you can’t accept that way. Or why should you? You must question, “why I need it?” “Is it relevant to me?” or “this?”

[1:23:02] I mean for me, until you talk about the bodhi-mind the Buddhahood is not relevant at all. So, if I’m seeking happiness, I don’t need Buddhahood. I can only get Arhat level. It will be free from the samsara. And if I’m seeking only good future life. I mean a better life after death. So only need a future and I need to follow the karma. Samsara is not relevant to me. And if I need...if I want only money and I uh...if I want only money and uh...what else? What? Then I rather do business. And spiritual path is not necessary for me. And if I need only a mental curiosity – whatever that call it? Yeah, If I need clairvoyance, then I do me something else to do, not this. This will give side effect, but something else to do. And if I need only a mental quietness, I probably go to hot tub or something. Hot tub, you can go and check with the water bubbles (laughs)

[1:25:20] Uh, but that is just joke. So anyway, sort of...you organize the goal and then the path, then the relevancy of it to me, and then you look at and everything fit in. So what will happen is Lam Rim makes you the jigsaw puzzle to fit. So that is the quality of the teaching. One of them, I try to give you different everyday so, anyway so. So that is the... that is the quality. And then how to teach and how to listen. How to teach: the teacher must have good motivations. Teaching tradition unbroken lineage. Some kind of practice (?) And then that appears (?) with the others. Then uh how to listen: six different mindfulness. And I think we mentioned the other day, so I’m not going to repeat. So now the fourth actually, how the mental training begins. That is the three. Preliminary action, and conclusion. Six preliminaries are over yesterday.

[1:27:22] In actual practice there’s actually two: root of all development, guru devotional practice. And on the basis of that, how you train your mind. Then also the first one has embracing the human life. And which also has the recognizing of the human life; the importance of it. And the difficult to find. The recognizing also has the qualities of the recommended human life. Like an edge later (?) and ten endowments, etc. And these things you can read in all the Lam Rim is available, so I don’t need to say here. But one thing what you have to know is – it’s not that you have to think, “well I’m not animal so my life is better than animals” not that way. You actually have to think and say, “if I am a dog today, so what will be my position?” I cannot express. Even if I express, people do not understand.

[1:29:28] Only thing I can say is, “wowowow”. So hopefully they understand what I am saying. Whether I am hungry or am in pain or I am happy, only thing I can say is, “wowow”. So in addition to that universal language of showing physical signs a little helpful. So I am so limited. I cannot understand the spiritual path. I cannot read. I cannot meditate. Even I go with the people who are meditating, they will kick me out. So this is how you think. And based on how... like I am not dog. I am human being. Human being with the opportunity. Human being with the capability. Human being with the understanding. Human being without limitations. How fortunate I am. How happy. That’s how you meditate. Let’s give one example. You don’t say “I am not that”, you are not look at. All Lam Rim is not outlooking, it’s all...everything is inward looking.

[1:31:18] The Lam Rim is here not to insult animals. But try to show us - even if I am an animal, I have these difficulties. And build joy. That is how it allegedly (?) works. And so does the ten endowments – the general five endowments and the five particular individual ones. And each one you keep on rejoicing. So, 18 times. And then repeat it and after, and after, and after, again and again and again until you really become full of joy. Because that is your basis of moral boosting. And then the second point, in case you if missed do I have second chance? The answers we talked last night. Possibility of not having it. From the causal point of view.

[1:32:53] From the natural point of view. From the example point of view. So you meditate and you so appreciate much more what you have today. And then the silly childish talk of million-dollar business. It is silly and childish, but it also gives you message. Hmm, I think that is good enough here.