Archive Result

Soundfile 19950829GRSR 1

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location Ann Arbor

Topic White Tara

Transcriber Carol Shuford

Date September 2021

0:00:00.0 In reality your own spiritual master in the form of whatever you’re practicing. Buddha in the form of Lama Tsongkapa in the form of White Tara in the form of Avolokiteshvara Heruka Vajrasattva Vajrayogini Yamantaka Guyasamaja anything whatever your major practice you’re doing in front of you and in reality your own spiritual master in that physical form of this deity or that deity or this lama or that lama or this guru or that guru or this buddha or that buddha whatever you feel comfortable. In my case ah personally ah what normally I do visualize is ah ah physical form of something look like Tsongkapa red yellow robed ah sort of lump ha ha. Sort of red yellow some kind of being there ah. With it a face of the master that I know when it’s alive how you are seeing and feel in that very feeling that very face put it on that. And ah certain practices you may change switch between the face of ah different teachers. In my case I switch very often between Kybje Trijang Rinpoche and Ling Rinpoche or sometimes Gomo Rinpoche and Locho Rinpoche. So in that manner so that’s what you can do. In reality all gurus are enlightened beings. All enlightened beings is sort of this is not right theoretically but a one huge being.

0:03:09.8 So since it is accessible to the individual and so that’s why you use that face and since the the life of the celibacy monks is respectable so we have those the dresses in that manner. These are the I’m sharing you personally what I do but you can have Buddha you can have anything you want. And ah whether you change the face or not change the face but it’s very important to bring sort of one physical form which you be acknowledge as any enlightened being whatever acknowledge this is this one this is that one. So in reality your own spiritual supreme field of merit is a total enlightenment enlightened being. And that enlightened being is showing you manifestation manifesting for me for a different purpose to be able to develop compassion in Avolokiteshvara form to be able to give ah strength in life or healing and all this the White Tara. To be able to fulfill activities from Green Tara. To be able to have wrathful activities then Yamantaka. To be able to bring supreme joy the Vajrayogini or the Heruka Chakrasamvara. So in reality it is one being physically manifested in different purposes for me ah by the enlightened being and different mandalas different beings. So important to acknowledge that I’m not trying to tell you there’s a creator who created everything. But it’s almost looks like in the supreme field of merit that idea you can look in. So no matter whatever practice you do no matter whatever thing you do it is the one enlightened being that you dealing with it. It is the true one way that’s accessible. So even during the meditation in front of you it is close touchable.

0:06:10.3 You can talk to it. You can get answer. You can hold it. And that much you visualize. And that is our spiritual field of field or they call it supreme field of merit. Whatever they call it but this is the source and point where you deal with it. If you look at the textbooks of the various sadhanas and things like that and they give you this is your refuge tree this is your this this is your that this is your that. They will have. It’s all a little system even the ah person like me even I have to share with you I have to follow that and tell you like this like this like this. This field of merit here is has a five petalled lotus and there’s center this and right side this and left side this and back side this and front side this you have to tell it. But whatever you this is because part of the ritual and part of the teaching and part of the performance. Okay? But what you do in your daily practice what you do is you got to get one big thing there and that’s whatever it is. Any part any petals there any thrones there any whatever it may comes up you dealing with one solid thing. And that’s what it is. That’s your supreme field of merit. And that is your guidance. And that is the person you hold when you die. Hold your hands and that is the being which leads you to the enlightenment. That’s your guide. That’s your friend. That’s your focal point. Focus focus focus that’s your focal point. Anyway so that supreme field of merit and then admire the qualities of all enlightened beings wherever they talk about beautiful qualities that Buddha has or this deity that deity whatever it is wherever it is. Bring it over put it on your supreme field of merit. It’s not going to harm you at all and its going to help you. Admire those qualities. Admire the quality of mind speech and body. And why you admire body? It’s not because it is handsome or cute but it is the union of the body and mind combination.

0:09:10.5 That body sees talks functions. It’s not when I say sees and talks and functions I don’t mean inside that person act like we do. Each and every part and parcel and atom of that body is capable of functioning as a total being.

0:09:34.2 [Tibetan Panchen Lobsang Chokyi Gyaltsen] The first Panchen Lama who I don’t know exactly I don’t remember how long but it’s very old person very very old and he has a tremendous amount of teaching traditions that’s his. He has not shared to others and he’s holding it a lot and one of the disciples who picked up their particular Segyu tradition of the teaching is another person call

0:10:23.4 [Tibetan name Chutu Gyaltsen] did not show up to the First Panchen Lama until he was completely blind and very late age. And by about that time

0:10:40.5 [Tibetan name] had interest of looking through and learning on this and then he started searching round and found only this the Panchen Lama is the only one who had that teaching at this particular lineage. So it is a lot of books on that a lot of those and also receive oral transmission and all of them. So he finally and also the Panchen Lama is big guy right? One of the big what you call it? Big shots. And had a huge establishment a huge retinue and all this and this guy happens to be just a single poor person who has carry a little food on his back and walk days and days and finally reach where the Panchen Lama’s sitting in

0:11:42.5 [Tibetan; Dashatumbo] And then I mean he can’t even get near the place. And finally when he get through somewhere and then he be able to put the first request through the secretary’s office. And saying that I want this and this teachings form him. And the

0:12:03.8 [Tibetan: oracsha] who are you? And the [oracsha] A. He said, the Panchen Lama is so old and B. he doesn’t see C. what you are asking is tremendous and D. who are you anyway? So get out from here nobody bother him. And they kept on thinking this is just a crazy guy coming up out of the street with a lot of rags and hags and everything what? What is this? So then then one day then one time they weren’t telling the Panchen Lama at all. So finally one day, Didn’t anybody come to see me? the Panchen Lama. No nobody. Oh okay. And it goes on for days. And then Panchen Lama, Are you sure nobody? I don’t mean a big people I mean some street guy didn’t come to see me? Well yeah there’s some kind of wretched guy came and he said he wanted some fantastic impossible thing. Oh what did he ask? Oh I’ve been waiting for this person all this years let him in. And they can’t find him. He probably going somewhere and they have to chase the person and finally found. And ah then people thought how is he going to give the transmission on this books and reading? So what the Panchen Lama did is he picked up each page and touching his finger like this. And it’s not maybe like you know here you can see the blind you can touch it read it feel it not that way just usual graph print book and he started putting his finger like this and trying reading it out. So that was usually give you as example in the teachings what it meant each and every part of the physical body can function as mind.

0:14:19.5 Each and every part of the physical body can listen can talk and can feel it. You know this ushnisha the thousand armed I don’t know whether we have it we don’t have it here anyway. There’s one called White Umbrella tantra. Buddha taught that tantra. Buddha had attendant called Ananda and Ananda made Ananda said Buddha told Buddha you not going to give any teaching when I’m not there. And ah so he insists and made the Buddha promise it. So Buddha said I won’t say word from my mouth when you’re not there. So then the time came for the Buddha to give the the White Umbrella teaching. So Ananda not to be found. So what happens is Buddha spoke out of ushnisha that extra lump. That’s why if you read in that tantra it says it is coming out of Buddha’s ushnisha. So that’s why Buddha did that. So the enlightened beings have that quality don’t have to speak form mouth then speak from somewhere else. So not a word from mouth but from here it’s okay. So like that and every part of the body and that’s the reason way I said body and mind is sort of functioning not only in one frequency but it’s like one thing oneness. That’s really the union is. Male and female sure it is union. I’m not denying that but it is the physical representation. The ultimate female is the the real wisdom which opens to yourself from within you. The real real the male and female the real male is the completion of the compassion within you. Union together is the male and female union. That union is the body and mind union that’s represented by this. That’s what it is. It is the same for Hindu Buddhist all of them. The left and right.

0:17:32.5 The yang and the yin. The body and mind. Okay now that’s good enough . I’m not supposed to talk that. So so then ultimately the lower prostrations you put your body completely down. Every part of your body touching the ground. Okay the traditional prostrations you touch the real ground. Then later now we have carpet we have all sorts of things we have wood pieces and people do that. But actually you’re touching the ground and I’m not going to talk the quality of the mother earth and all this. They are there. So that’s what you touch. And ah also try to cover the maximum space. Ah I don’t know whether if it is mythological whatever it is. With that you touch it and anything that you touch under your touching any sort of any number of items that’s valuable below it you accumulate you accumulate equal amount of merit and that’s why if you looking I don’t know if you see it here or you may see it in the documents or documentary films or something. Whether you look at the central temple or Lhasa or even in photographs people are doing this prostration and going all the way out. Their hands stretched out they do this that is the reason we try to cover the maximum ground you could. That’s what they do. And don’t lie down very long. You know you do the prostration and then you lie down there and take a rest. Not supposed to. You know what? I might well have shared that if you if you lie down over and they said you may be reborn as a snake. Ha ha ha. That’s what they say. Then get up quickly and then rest later. That’s how you do the prostration. I’ll do it physically so that you will know. And ah then there is a shorter one. The shorter one is Naropa’s style. The Naropa style that’s a little easy one. The five most focal points of the body two palms of the hand two knees and forehead the five of them touching on the ground which is easier you can do and that’s what it is.

0:20:47.9 One of the purpose is ah putting your body highest point of the body at the lowest ground available is to reduce pride. and gain some respect for others. Why you don’t have respect for the others ‘cause you’re proud. I am the one. I am the most intelligent. I know everything. What else do you know each and every person you look out you’ll see a little tear for that person. Or yea good person stupid. Yea good person not honest. Yea good person but whatever had his own problem. You know sort of you see everybody as a problem person and then you look at me. Ah me good. I can do it. I’m capable. I’m intelligent. I am better. You know that is ah either way you do need it but on the other hand if you have too many of them you get sort of unnecessary pride. Then the pride helps to bring fear and anger and you know anger people get angry not because they really hate somebody that they think you’re taking away something from you. And mostly anger comes out to protect yourself. Most of the hatred also comes to protect yourself. I have to protect me. I can’t be the doormats you know you get that. The bodhisattvas seek the life of doormats. That is the meaning of the bodhisattva. That is the meaning of total dedication. Seeking the position of doormats. We can’t do that. We can only pray we may be able to do that. However we shouldn’t really builds up the pride. Anything wherever you can touch that touchy subject by yourself and then it helps. It lets you push your own button rather than somebody else. Somebody else does you get you know. You don’t talk to for months. But let yourself push this and keep on pushing it the level that you can take it. Then next time push a little more. Next time push a little more. After a little while you get used to it so then nothing bothers you. And that is called when you reach to that level it’s called city of joy. You enter the city of joy. The bodhisattva’s city of joy is free of emotional disturbance. It’s called the city of joy. That’s what it is.

0:24:01.2 No matter who ever does what whoever be’s what done forget about pushing the button and it doesn’t bother you. Let it be. It doesn’t bother you and it’s beating. Bang bang bang bang bang bang so what. Ah on the other hand you also have to be careful that you don’t become a lukewarm person. But that is the only thing you have to be aware you don’t become that. You have to be sensitive. But sensitive ah the buttons doesn’t bother you and that’s what it is. Its pride is the major thing. So prostration makes you humble. It’s a quality. Maybe it is against American culture but that’s what it is . Okay? So I don’t want to talk too much because it is the first day so I just sort of introduce it that way. And ah and the ah the prayer books have not come. So what we have is we have ah. They came yesterday? Where are they? Oh. You keep. ha ha which one. Kimba give you? Supa ? Carla brought them okay. Let’s see what they have. Nobody told me. Oh there you go . Thank you. Would you like to…. I hope it’s not too small

0:26:14.2 [sounds like prayer books being passed out]

0:27:28.2 So if you look here and can somebody open the light on that side so people can read it? Carla you didn’t tell me you brought this. I don’t think you needed this one that one will do. Thank you. Okay that noise went down. Okay. What did you get….. Okay

0:28:38.5 Okay if you look here first the blessing for the morning bath. Okay. If you I don’t think you can take this in the bathroom and take a shower. It’s not possible. But however ah if you are taking shower in the morning or anytime ah whatever this mantras or text whatever they say you know the mantra you do it better but in reality if you’re thinking that your supreme field of merit that you have is pouring nectar on you and cleansing you internal negativities negative thoughts. And that’s what you’re really washing it. Of course you wash your dirt and sweat and all this but what you’re really washing is the internal negativities and ah. In your supreme field of merit your pouring water on you and washing. Pouring the water of dharma to clear the negative thoughts within you. That’s what you think and you do. And we do have a food offering here which we’ll bring that little booklet with you before you eat food. If you say it collectively that’s good. Ah I’m going to skip all these optional mantras ah. The vajrayana also has it’s own little solution to fix everything. So these are those. Okay. What we are going to look at are the the the prostration mantra. OM NAMO MANJUSHRIYE NAMA SUSHRI YE NAMA UTTAMA SHRIYE SOHA and that’s also out of the ah the sutras or tantras. It’s been taking that out ah provided that for you. Mantra for meat is provided for you. This is part of all the solutions. So the mantra for protecting for jumping over books. Buddhist thinks, teachings, books and all this are representing dharma so it’s part of refuge object. So you don’t just throw around, jump over, sit on it. Don’t do sort of disrespectful. Ah which is very often we do.

0:31:51.2 So to avoid the negativity for those that mantra supposed to cover. Ah that is what it is. Now the prostration verse here we do have all the different number of different buddhas’ names and if you have to say traditionally what the Tibetans do they do say different buddhas’ names particularly they say like thirty five purification buddhas’ names and they do prostrations in that way which is also difficult for us because the names are either in Sanskrit or Tibetan which doesn’t matter whether it is Sanskrit or Tibetan it is Greek anyway. So what I suggest here is we read out slowly here once all. Maybe it’s the first day so I read out three times or something. So after that ah whatever the mantras you do migtsema or OM MANI PADME HUNG or Manjushri OM ARA PA TZA NA DHIH OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA whatever you do . Say that mantra quietly by yourself. Don’t have to disturb the other person whatever they saying . So quietly yourself along with that mantra you do the prostrations. I’m getting late on it so anyway. So let’s read this slowly together.

0:33:42.6 CHOM DEN DE DE ZHIN SHEK PA DRA CHOM PA YANG DAG PAR DZOG PEI SANG GYE SHAKYA THU PA LA CHAK TSAL LO

CHOM DEN DE DE ZHIN SHEK PA DRA CHOM PA YANG DAG PAR DZOG PEI SANG GYE SHAKYA THU PA LA CHAK TSAL LO

0:34:38.2 This is Buddha Shakyamuni. Shakyatuba so OM MUNI MUNI MAHA MUNI YE SOHA that is the actually mantra for that. If you are focusing on Buddha Shakyatuba.

0:34:49.5 CHOM DEN DE DE ZHIN SHEK PA DRA CHOM PA YANG DAG PAR DZOG PEI SANG GYE MEH GYI LA BENDURYA LA LA CHAK TSEL LO

0:35:17.1 This is the Medicine Buddha. If you want to know the mantra it’s BEKANSE BEKANSE MAHA BEKANSE SAMU GATE SOHA I think so ha ah

0:35:30.4 CHOM DEN DE DE ZHIN SHEK PA DRA CHOM PA YANG DAG PAR DZOG PEI SANG GYE MITUG PA LA CHAK TSAL LO [Mitukpa]

0:35:51.2 CHOM DEN DE DE ZHIN SHEK PA DRA CHOM PA YANG DAG PAR DZOG PEI SANG GYE O PA ME LA CHAK TSAL LO [ Amithaba]

0:36:14.8 CHOM DEN DE DE ZHIN SHEK PA DRA CHOM PA YANG DAG PAR DZOG PEI SANG GYE JAM PA GON POLA CHAK TSAL LO [Maitreya]

0:36:35.3 That is the last one’s Maitreya Buddha. I think once will do because it doesn’t really make much sense to you. So anyway why we select those five ah one two three four how many one two three four five six buddhas. This the Shakyamuni is happens to be the present of the Shakya buddha. The Medicine Buddha is ah for healing and Maitreya Buddha is for love. Mitukpa in between is for purification. And that’s what sort of thing we do anyway. So as I told you earlier your supreme field of merit admiring it’s quality and express your desire to have those qualities is the real prostration. Unfortunately the word prostration or bowing down does not give you this meaning in English. In Tibetan it gives you meaning. CHAK TSAL LO. CHAK is showing respect by seeing the quality. TSAL the second word is seeking the quality. That’s what it is. So I’ll do a couple of prostrations and I’m too fat to move around so I disappear and you keep on doing whatever you want to amount as you can do as a morning exercise or whatever and I don’t want to take away time those of you do the yoga so or anything else you do. Ah so so I’ll do a couple of them and then I’ll sort of go away and you people sort of whatever you want do change it or do whatever. You can go over here or whatever. Thank you.

0:38:43.5 [end]

0:38:48.9 The afternoon season is ah I wanted to dedicate for ah the people who have been in buddhist practice for a while and ah who have been working hard and have a lot of experience to share. So I would like to sort of reserve for that. Originally my the most of them even don’t even know that I am requesting them to speak. And originally I had planned ah Aura to speak today and I forgot to tell her and she told me yesterday I’m not going to get there until in the evening. I thought okay and then I realized ha ha ha I have her to speak today. And then Tulku Chodrak the Chodrak Tulku the other Rinpoche he should also speak. And I wanted him to speak today in the afternoon he said well I’m going to Ann Arbor so. That’s a thing. And now what I have Robert ah Thibodeau has been scheduled to talk to you on Friday. And ah so I thought I may have to continue what I’ve been talking to you this morning and I went and had a cup of tea I saw Robert because he told me he going to go and have TV show today. So he has to go there so I thought he has to leave so i didn’t even ask him. So I said what time are you going? He said six o’clock. Oh then you can speak. So he okay okay that will be splendid news. So that’s it. Though I don’t need an introduction for Robert, most of you know. Those from outside who don’t know Robert. Robert is a very interesting person. Extremely interesting and ah he’s been inspiration for a lot of people in this area for a spiritual practice. And particularly if you look in Jewel Heart a lot of them have come through Robert somehow introduced to buddhist practice and Tibetan Buddhism.

0:41:37.7 And all sorts of things all sorts of alternatives. And ah he has a bookstore and running with the what do you call that? Metaphysical that’s it metaphysical bookstore and a vey good one. And ah so and I know Robert my god since time of Aura and Sandy in the early right from the beginning. Right from the beginning when we first meeting at Aura and Sandy’s house in Dexter. And followed by the apartment on in Ann Arbor Brook Street. Right? Brook Brook Dexter I said that’s Dexter. And all this and Robert been throughout there. So now I’m not going to take long time I’m going to get out. And I do hope a number of people who have been in Buddhism. You know I really wanted to hear these the when you try to do the practice what benefits you? What difficulties you face? And how difficult is that difficulty? What benefits you get it? And straight forward everything that’s the.. I don’t really want people to paper a lecture and give it. But just speak. Ah what difficulty did you face? Did you overcome or are you lost? Whatever. So that’s what and then ah a little latter on I may have to have like two or three people going because everybody has some experience to share. However I can’t fit everybody in. So here we go Robert. You have to come here and sit here. I’m getting out.

0:44:00.1 [end Rimpoche]

0:44:24.9 [Robert Thibodeau]

1:34:48.2 [end]