Archive Result

;;Soundfile 19950831GRSR1

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location Summer Retreat

Topic White Tara

Transcriber Carol Shuford

Date 11-23-2021

0:00:00.0 [begins mid sentence]…or some of the I should I hope people don’t mind unfortunately many of senior Buddhists sort of so called Buddhists among the Americans many of them not all but many of them are quite arrogant. Ah when I was a kid in the monastery my teacher used to scold me all the time. One thing what I should not do is is I should not put my head in the sky. And they made the sky my hat and then they made the clouds to tie my head down. You know what that means no? You can figure out. And that is anything any time I sort of act a little bit ah a little bit sort of thing or they remind me are you wearing sky hat? And that’s that’s been very helpful for me and that kept me humble no matter whatever the situation or condition. And that’s the one of the reasons I never encourage in Jewel Heart people stand up folded hand bow down. You go to any other center they will tell you stand up fold your hands before they go. You know there was a time that period even now they do. In the case of Trungpa Rinpoche it’s different during that period. And now days I don’t think it is suitable ah time wise and then you know people become arrogant. And so more so I notice with the people’s arrogance you know. Where they coming from do you know? Where they coming from? My sis my suspicion is when they meditate love and compassion and when they don’t act when they physically when they physically comes it doesn’t act. And when they keep on squish your eyes and meditating. And basically how we’re taught to meditate and you yourself is the most important person here to seeking help. And you are surrounded by all sentient beings right? All sentient beings and they will tell you the the the people who are seeking the help sentient beings filled up the ground.

0:03:05.5 The object of refuge filled up the sky and all this usual thing. And so what you meditate is you’re sitting there and you are surrounded by so called all sentient beings nameless faceless dots that you get picture. You’re not going to get a face clearly maybe one or two at most and ah maybe a little bit more if you extend a little bit. Otherwise you just get some kind of dot and you’re sitting there. And each one of them is a nameless faceless. And then they will do whatever you told them to do right? Take refuge they will take refuge to generate love compassion they generate love compassion. And then you told them ah have Four Immeasurables they will have Four Immeasurables. And you don’t deal. And when you really have to deal with the one to one person then one of those dots pick up a face and name and say oh no are you sure or something in that manner you freak out. And it’s freak out and you say oh you’re not supposed to say that. You’re not supposed to do that. Right? You freak out. That’s I think that’s where the arrogance is coming and that’s where people freak out. It is so important I just begin yesterday I said love and compassion has to be touched. It cannot be out of touch. And I even said begin didn’t I. I’m not sure whether I even said or not begin with the person you care most or not. Did I say that yesterday? There are the reasons. Because normally what we say all sentient beings it’s really easy. It’s automatic for me unfortunately. You just close your eyes and you know dommm all these dots come up. Yeah really a lot. I look around no face no name and they will listen to me whatever I told them. Right. So so fortunately for that teacher of mine who told me you have a sky head and ah cloud what do you call that you know some western hats have something you can tie here you know? Chain or whatever. So anyway that helped me to be humble. And so it really balanced me a lot. And ah American culture is such they will sort of try to ah teach you how to be arrogance no I’m sure I’m not sure whether they teach you arrogance or not.

0:06:10.2 But they will make you proud and all this. That’s okay. You can not let yourself sink down but at the same time you can’t you can’t be sort of a dictator of it. And if you do that I think that is a problem. That is appreciating what you did it. Thank you. And ah love compassion must begin with one to one basis. And as you pick up from there then extend it. Then extend it. It’s not sort of you know. Okay. So though we have given you both Avalokiteshvara and ah Tara ah prayers and ah looking at the time and the situation what we put it in and second what I thought we’ll stick to the Tara and ah rather than going back and forth. What I’m trying to do is those who are interested even if you are not Buddhist you can use the Tara and there’s a lot of beautiful meditations techniques those things are there. And ah ah if you really look very carefully this may be ah strange for me to say but if you really look carefully carefully the the the ultimate the bottom down the ultimate action or work or practice what you do ah will lie down to as I mentioned to you A. seeking a freedom for yourself.

0:09:01.4 B. looking at everybody in the same condition need of the ah freedom and dedicating yourself to bring ah to relieve the pain from the people. And ah 3. obtaining wisdom to do that. And ah finally to be able to make them ah total state of enlightenment which means total freedom. Since I’m using the word freedom you may be wondering ah those of you who have ah got a lot of background maybe wondering well if you become arhat you are free. What else you left up there to be free you call it again to become enlightenment. At arhat level you are free of gross delusions yet you are not free of yet you are not free of imprint of delusions. However its this gross delusions which is free at arhat. Why I’m talking that here. But at arhat level will they come back it is sort of there’s a fall back? No. There’s no fallback. However the imprint remains. That is the difference between the ordinary enlightenment and extraordinary enlightenment. Are you okay Susan Susie? Okay. You’re not seeing me okay. So let’s do a little bit movement. I’ll move a little bit so I can see you. Alright. Everything’s okay? So you don’t have to lean up like that okay. So seeking freedom bringing that freedom to the people and having wisdom is the actual good human beings work whether you are Buddhist or not Buddhist. Ah the most important thing is definitely to be kind to be effective to be helpful. Remember that story Rachel shared yesterday about the yogurt. Shu I’m sorry I called yogurt shu ha ha ha.

0:12:00.7 Ah you know I was listening and I’m saying she saw it. She felt it. But many other people I’m sure may or may not have seen it or I’m sure have seen it and pretend not to see it but they didn’t act or felt funny. That’s what happens. When you have the feeling you see it. I was I’m sitting here and watching the mothers. The babies are at the back. And one baby cries the mother knew and gets up and goes. Right? Caring so notice. Mothers’ listen more than we do. And when they listen oh it’s not my baby they relax. It’s my baby they gets up and go. The caring that helps. Love compassion is noting but then that of caring. It is beautiful name but it is caring. Caring comes if you feel it. That what where I was yesterday. Love compassion has to be with feeling. Bodhimind bodhicitta Mahayana’s ultimate mind is supposed to be technically we call it bodhimind precious mind whatever blah blah blah. But what it really is the ultimate love and ultimate compassion. The fully extended love the fully extended compassion and that is. So when we talk about Mahayana Buddhism Buddha path and all this without caring without feeling we cannot get anywhere truly speaking. That’s one of the reasons why the Mahayana considered more important. Not because it is more mystical. Not because it is more higher or lower sense. But it is much more the caring and the feeling for the others are more emphasized and much more it is the fundamental basis of Mahayana practice. And that is why Mahayana is called greater vehicle. Those of you who know about this you remember there is a mind called special mind.

0:15:17.3 Remember? There’s the seven stage of development or exchange stage of developing or you make it combined together. Make it seven-eleven ha ha ha. So whatever you do it becomes seven-eleven steps. I call it seven-eleven ha ha ha. Anyway whatever you do there is a a mind called special mind. Remember that? If it is the seven stage it is the sixth stage right? Right? Right or wrong? Who said um hum? Is it you John? Mike okay. That’s right. And what is that special mind and why is it called special mind? It is special mind because it takes responsibility. Right? Compassion love without which you cannot get that mind at all. And compassion and love makes you care and feel and add up that special mind take responsibility. And that makes bodhimind work. And that has to be on practical level. You can meditate that’s great. You need it. Meditation is nothing but that of you’re training your mind. When you’re training your mind what you expect out of the training you act and help. Rachel told yesterday about the service explained. That is we call that bodhisattva action right? Bodhisattva act. But you sort of leave it there. But if you are bodhisattva or you are going towards the bodhisattva way you get to take that. You got to work it with it. That is the main practice of the Mahayana action.

0:18:01.3 Practice of the Mahayana. Mind is mind. When the mind get trained and developed actually what you’re trying to do you have to do this automatically you know sort of getting to it. There is no question left in your mind. We talked about the bodhisattva ah actions you know in the Lama Chopa. If you look at it what they say?

0:18:28.7 [Tibetan] sem jay rede che mem bey men a kem ba jon son negi medu chan dut son dup…gyin ge lob. We say that everyday. Does anybody have the Lama Chopa around here. I wish I know English better. In Lama Chopa automatically then. If you look at the six paramitas ah level and ah

0:18:52.0 [audience looking for passage]

0:19:11.4 [end of pause.] No no no no below that. Six paramitas it says LU DHANG LONG CHO DHU SUM GE TSOG KYI. What what what number is that? [audience: Verse 65] Verse sixty five that is the generosity verse right? Okay look at the bodhisattva’s action of generosity. We are not talking about giving a vegetable or giving a check or giving a old clothes. We’re not talking about that. We are talking we I mean these these bodhisattvas act if you look at what do they give? What they give? Can anybody read that verse loudly so that they can hear and slowly they can hear it. Because we have to remember that fifty percent of the people don’t have that ah thing. Who has a louder voice? John do always ha ha ha.

0:20:22.1 [John reads: I seek your blessings to complete the perfection of giving through the instructions on improving the mind of giving without attachment and thus to transform my body my enjoyment and my virtues I ask for love three times into whatever each sentient being desires]

0:20:37.0 [Rimpoche interrupts] Wait. Wait a minute. That sounds a little strange to me. LU DHANG LONG CHO DHU SUM GE TSOG KYI SEM CHEN RANG RANG DHO

0:20:45.3 [audience: That’s the next verse] Huh? [John: I seek your blessings to to complete the perfection of moral discipline?] No. Wait wait wait that’s fine. So but maybe the translation makes a difference. Maybe it is the translation. You know every each every translator will give you a different meaning. What the Tibetan really says is LU DHANG LONG CHO what you give is your body your wealth all your virtues all your positive karma totally. That’s what it is. Your body your wealth and your total positive karmas. LU DHANG LONG CHO DHU SUM GE TSOG KYI SEM CHEN RANG RANG DHO PEI NGO GYUR TE . So each one of them is you make it available and whatever the needs of each and everybody I would like to give it. You know we were saying I may be blessed to be able do it. We are praying we will be able to do it. What the bodhisattvas are really doing is they just giving. Remember that the Buddha story of giving his own body to the to bring the the tiger cats and the mother life. And that’s actually what they do. And that’s our role model. So when you talk about the bodhisattva here very nice but when you really look in their action it is extreme. Really. It’s sort of sort of very extra. We will say we can’t do it. We will say I have to give up almost in that level. And that’s the generosity into that level it goes. And they can do it . And they did it. And why they did it? Because they do care. Their caring is so much and not only care the caring is so much and if you really look at the story properly what happened is Maitreya the Buddha Maitreya the Buddha of love Buddha of love and he’s a previous guy previous guy in the sense of reincarnation. I’m talking about sorry. I’m a believer in reincarnation. So he’s previous guy and Shakyamuni Buddha the present buddha’s period guy. Two of them went together. Two of them went together. And Maitreya is ah previous guy is ah when they see this cat and ah is dying seven or eight of those cub and mother dying and they all going to die. So the Maitreya Buddha’s thing went outside to search for food. And Buddha the previous one says well food is here. And ah so why why do I have to live for? Why do they have to die? That’s how they started.

0:23:39.5 The difference between two of them is even greater. One went to search food one started using whatever they had. The difference is this. Why there’s a difference? Why there’s difference? Because their love and compassion level is different. The Maitreya Buddha the buddha of love doesn’t have that much love and doesn’t have I mean not that’s true you know. That makes the difference. They don’t have that much compassion. So when you have the lesser compassion lesser love you do have great love great compassion no doubt. But the intensity is not there so that’s what caring what you have becomes weaker. So you’re willing to go out of the way to find food and feed it but you’re not going to sacrifice the your life. See that is the that makes difference. That level of that being able to do it is because of the the level of compassion and the love. My teachers used to tell me we have a great difficulty to give away even vegetables right now. But if you get used to it if you develop well you will have you will have only that much hesitation to give your body if you have to. It is almost same as same as giving a vegetable away a piece of vegetable away. Let that be a yellow one. Getting yellow one.

0:25:33.7 [Tibetan] That is the generosity as expected. And that sort of intensity love care and physical action actually physical action. Actually you have to act not only a mental exercise alone which has to have practical interpretation. We have very much like in the tradition itself the Tibetan Buddhist tradition itself way up in the early years but in the later one last one hundred or so years it is ah it all becomes a mental exercise by sending good thoughts and so and forth. You know the normal in America you say send your good thoughts. Now I send my good thoughts you know? So it’s nice for you to send your good thoughts but what will that do? So you have to do something. That is the generosity level available. As well as the since I touched this I might as well touch all six paramitas. As well as the as well as the because six paramitas is part of your life really. You’re not bodhisattva yet. You may think you are not bodhisattva.

0:27:02.7 [audience: what does the word paramita mean?] Oh I’m sorry. Thank you. It’s Greek. Its Sanskrit yeah it is. It is Sanskrit word a Sanskrit word ah what is paramita? How you translate it? Gone beyond or something? Gone beyond gone out of the door or beyond your seat. I mean the bodhisattvas’ activities are normally they refer as a gone beyond. Meaning beyond of our comprehension beyond our scope. It’s too extreme generosity you give if you have extra give it something and all this are acceptable. It is within the normal comprehension. Going to give you life for a tiger is beyond imaginable. And there’s a lot questions will arise. Is this worth it? Should we do this and that? That is a different story all together. But to be to be that much extreme that ’s why it’s saying gone beyond paramita I believe. Maybe I am wrong. Hopefully hopefully not. I think that’s what it is so. Ah I have to learn one thing a lot in America I have to say this is it this is it. It’s because I’ve been trained never say it. So that’s it maybe. And I always say I guess so you know like that before. And now I’m getting little getting spoiled little bit better than before. But even you know for sure it is you don’t say it. Maybe I think so I heard about it or something like that. I read it somewhere and that is the humbleness we’re taught. I’m sorry that’s the way it is. It is crazy wisdom it’s a different day. That’s a different story. Anyway so what else now? Generosity. The second is morality. Ah morality here again those of you who have that you can look at this book. But those of you don’t have it . When we talk about love and compassion yesterday right? So I’m trying to tell if you have love and compassion what do you do? That’s what I’m trying to tell you what do we do. That’s what it is. Ah the moral commitment ah

0:29:54.1 [Tibetan: SO THAR JANG SEM SANG NGAG DHOM PA YI CHA TSAM SOH GI CHIR YANG MI TONG ZHING GE CHO DHU DHAND SEM CHEN DHUN DROP PAY TSUL TRIM PHAR CHIN DZOK PAR JIN GYI LOP ]

0:30:00.9 So actually the the the bodhisattva the demanding bodhisattva is moral here is ah to keep your commitment. And that is the ultimate morality keeping your commitment. Don’t misunderstand in normally in English particularly among the western Buddhist you hear it commitment you be immediately looking little piece of paper oh this is my commitment. See I have to say that. Right? I have to read this. I have to meditate. That’s my commitment. That’s not your commitment. That’s not. The commitment is when you took the vow. When you taking vow when you take refuge to Buddha dharma sangha. Say I took refuge to Buddha dharma and sangha. The prescription that they give you is the karmic prescription. Keeping that is your commitment. Keeping I don’t mean keeping that prescription in your pocket. But you know honoring that commitment that is the that is the your commitment not the piece of paper not the mantra you say not the mala you count. That’s not your commitment not that black book we have. When people are meditating they go thwap and thwap back and suddenly I want to jump. So it’s less today but still there some so please be pay attention in the morning people are meditating thwap thwap thwap. Don’t do that ha ha ha other people will jump twice you know so. That’s that’s not your commitment okay. Ah that’s commitment not commitment. I mean so the honoring your vows and their points and the refuge what you have. You have to honor your karma right the karmic thing. So avoiding negative karma and building positive karma is your commitment. And keeping that is the Buddhist morality. I did promise somebody I talk karma too. There’s one lady who was it is she is she here today? Oh yeah you’re raising hand okay. I don’t want to take a lot of time but basically karma is nothing external. Karma is ah very much within ourselves and our own actions that whatever we do not only a physical body but even mind.

0:33:24.1 Even you sit over here and I should kill that person if you keep if you entertain that thought if you have ah incomplete clean karma. Does everybody know that? You do have a clean karma incomplete and you keep on thinking that. So those of us who get very angry very often have to remember that. You may think well I got angry but I didn’t do anything. That’s not good enough. That’s not good enough of keeping the commitment. Keeping a perfect morality morality thank you it’s not good enough because you don’t have physical action or verbal abuses however you do have mind. So karma works with body mind and speech. The first thing comes in the thought mind. Second thing mind influences and the speech and the physical action comes. That’s one follows another. When the physical action or the verbal action of abusing completed and then you have a perfect karma of harming or abusing or whatever it is . And versa versa for positive also thinking of good thing and doing it acting it completing it and rejoicing it be happy you’ll be able to do it. It’s a complete positive karma. So karma every action that we do every thought we develop every moment we do every moment we do have karma. We cannot escape karma. That’s what it is. Good or bad whatever it is functions on equal level. It’s totally depends on the individual whatever you do you get it there’s karma all the time. Even you sitting in your own room you’re having karma you’re creating karma you’re consuming karma you’re living with it you’re creating. You go on the toilet you do create karma too. Everything that’s what it is. So that is ah then there’s four characteristics on that karma has. Karma is definite fast growing one doesn’t meet the result if you’ve not created karma. If you created the cause no matter whatever happens how long it takes one’s bound to meet the result. These are the four characteristics of karma.

0:36:31.6 The karma we automatically create but then this these are the four characteristics. So the moment you create karma good or bad and it doesn’t materialize immediately you sort of remain imprint within you. It’s almost like a I.O.U. note or it is like American credit. If you have the credit you get it but at the same time then you have to pay when the time comes right? Sort of automatic that’s exactly what it happen. You have a credit or the other one called [audience: debit] that’s exactly what it is. The karma functions in that way in our total life total life. Do you need to know more about karma? I think that’s good. So now what’s hap that’s why that’s why yesterday we said at the Four Noble Truths level you you correct everything at the Second Noble level. The karmic is the secondary Second Noble Truth. Karma is created by us because of our ah mind thing. Ah due to the mental faculties whichever is taking over your mind so that’s why we act differently so we do create different karma. Right? Mind itself mind itself is something very it’s neither positive nor negative. It’s very neutral. It’s almost like I normally give that sometimes not normally sometimes I give that example though I’m going to give the example before I give the example I better tell you: Mind is not tangible. Mind has no color. Mind has no shape. No tangible that is not in the physical form at all period. But however to understand this better we do give some used to give some examples. So it is like the example what I use is like ah ah clean crystal lamp shade. Lampshade. Okay clean crystal lamp la lamp shade excuse my English shade. No particular yellow red or any color at all.

0:39:31.4 So mind is neutral like that. Then those mental faculties we call it mental faculties but what happened is different aspects of the thought thoughts that pops up. Different aspects of the mind thoughts that comes up like anger pops up from that neutral level suddenly right? It’s from nowhere. If you forgot if you put the toast in the toaster you forgot about it for a little while and suddenly go pop. So like that the anger pops up who know what had happened but it pops up. When anger pops up and anger is like that of red bulb electric bulb. So you have that lampshade and that red bulb comes here and then you look at it. It is a red lampshade. That’s what happens so change the bulb put a blue one or green one attachment comes up. Nice soothing beautiful blue comes up. You look at it oh blue lampshade. That exactly how it functions within us. So that’s what I mean the mental faculty take over the mind. So accordingly we act we act we sort of see it. We see it oh this is not good. I better get him before he gets me. Wow. Is that right? And so that is all this angst comes up. Or without anything or whatever it is. So every action you do and you create your own karma. That’s how I understood how we create karma. And then it is become like credit or debit or something. It goes up. And that’s physically you don’t see it but thats whats happening. And that’s your karma. And thats how I believe the good and bad life comfort and misery go. And each one of them is we experience that. It is lot lot with experience with experience with that. And that is the result of those ah the karmic which we accumulated.

0:42:24.2 So the Buddha’s idea is Buddha saw that’s what I told you yesterday where the suffering is coming from. From the First Noble Truth to the Second Noble Truth where the suffering is coming from. When you say that you know it is coming from one of those causes those causes. So when you correct then you treat the cause. If you if you if you correct the cause the symptoms it’s impermanent. The suffering is also impermanent. Joy is also impermanent. All our experiences are impermanent. It goes away. Conditions will come. The service comes into the conditions try to relieving the sufferings. These are the conditions and then it corrects. Sufferings also impermanent remember? Impermanent is so important. It is so great and so bad. Really. If there is no impermanent we’re stuck. That is really totally thing come stuck really stuck then. But because of impermanent we change. So whatever you are if you are in bad condition it will change. It has to change. It s impermanent. Jonathan?

0:44:16.8 [Jonathan: Within impermanence the laws of karma the kind of organizing principles are permanent or are they changing too?]

0:44:26.8 Can I get some water? Ah I’m sorry.

0:44:30.7 [Jonathan: Within impermanence and emptiness things like karma seem to be certain organizing laws or principles and they seem to be permanent. Do they change also? Does karma the law of karma change or is that permanent?]

0:44:51.4 I don’t know of a law of karma. I think the the positive karma gives the positive in my room there’s a little tums. Thank you. Ah in ah in ah positive karma gives the positive result and negative karma gives negative result. That I don’t think it changes at all. If that change then we’re all in a terrible soup. But I don’t think that changes. But every condition while we are I think every condition is impermanent. Everything our body is impermanent. We know that very

well. And our mind is the most impermanent ha ha ha it changes every time every minute. Our conditions will change. Our illness the sick sickness sickness it change. Thank you thank you. So they change. We are very fortunate it is impermanent. Good or bad whatever it is and that makes that gives you room to help. That gives you room to serve. That gives you room to receive. I mean really that’s all because of that. When I say permanent you may think this big concrete buildings or the monuments or something. And thats also impermanent. Though we call that a permanent fixture or permanent permanent structure whatever you call it that’s also impermanent. And our life is the most impermanent most unreliable. How long how long what condition. In a hundred years from now none of us will be here maybe one of those little babies or something but all be gone. That is the impermanent nature. We talk history we talk about the Buddha. Buddha said this Buddha did that as if Buddha went to the bathroom and changing his address and coming out. If you really look two-thousand-five -hundred years ago. That’s what it is. Impermanent.

0:48:03.5 And yet yet it is impermanent yet they do have some kind of ah ah great computer which doesn’t make any mistake of whose karma is what. And ah where it is and what it is and it’s somehow its sort of you know ah but some somehow they get back to ah yourself whether the positive or negative or whatever it is. And that that is the that really thing. And that’a the reason why we can improve ourself. That’s reason why our negativity like such as anger hatred and nobody raises question whether the somebody may raise questions anger good or bad but hatred jealousy and all this nobody think it’s good. It’s not because it gives you it harms somebody else. It makes miserable to somebody. And it gets you back. It gets you back and that’s that is about the karma. I hope I think I hope you will get ah understanding of karma this way better than try to tell you traditionally. There’s this karma a number of karmas this much and that is this and this is that and all this way. So I think anybody has any questions on this feel free. And also somebody should keep the time for me. I have to do the Tara too okay. Ah anybody have any questions. I do have in the evening I can also talk to you then too. But anybody have any questions on the karma? Are you happy with it? Yes there’s some hand yeah.

0:50:22.9 [audience: Can you talk more about how eating meat and..] Oh I’m in trouble. I am in trouble. I will definitely admit eating meat will contribute to killing. It is not good but as a difficult to change habitual patterns ha ha ha. Ah yeah ah so eating meat is it great? No. Will that contribute to killing? Sure.

0:51:07.1 Ah it builds the market. Sure. Should I stop there or should I go more? Should I make counter argument?

0:51:26.6 [Audience: Yes.] Alright yeah but then.. [Audience: Do you share the responsibility of the killing?] No no no. We do contributing for the killing. Do I share the responsibility of the killing? No. Because it is not killed by me or for me or by my order. So if somebody else killed for me without my order I’m not responsible. Is that a very arrogant statement? I’m sorry. [Audience: I eat meat but I also kill my own meat.] You kill the animal you mean. Oh yeah well okay now the thing is you know we have a very funny here but ah the the difficult point is what I learned about this karma thing is responsibility. When I act or I made them act or I I instigated for the action then I ‘m responsible. I consumed things available is not. That’s what my knowledge. I’m sorry its a little ah irritating thing but that’s what I learned know about karma. And definitely contributes toward killing is this negative? Sure. Do I have the responsibility of killing? I don’t think so. So who am I to say I don’t think so but at the same time. What I know of it it is that way. Is it good thing? No. But can you be completely positive? Can you be totally free of all the negativity? I don’t think so. No one can be totally free of negativities at all. Ah okay but let me make a counter argument. I’ll also make a funny statement here. Don’t take me wrong I’m not against anybody okay. Even you are vegetarian the vegetables did not grow in pure land. You know what I’m talking about it? It grows in dirt which has a lot of insects and ah they also they also loses life in the accident in the in the process. So can we be completely perfect? I have no argument for your health and all this and that.

0:54:26.6 Sure no quarrel with that at all I accept. But the question I would like to raise can we be a perfect? No. No one is perfect. If you’re perfect you become a buddha. Sit up there. That’s it. None of us. We try we’re not going to be perfect. We’re not. Then what should we do? We can purify our negativities. I told you yesterday I’m non-believer of guilt. No matter whatever negativity you create you can purify them. If you purify everything can be purified. That’s why I give you that four powers. I give you that little piece of little piece every morning you have opportunity to purify yourself by application of four powers. You can can because it’s impermanent. Because karma depends on conditions. Because it is not independent. It is a dependent arise. It depends on the condition. So there is room for miracle. There’s room for prayer. There’s room for the normal Christian language. You call intervention. Divine intervention and all of them are there because karma depends on the condition. And that’s why we have opportunity to work improve ourself because it is a dependent arise. Because it is not independent. Because it is impermanent. I think that’s enough for the karma because I just touched the second paramita only. So ahhhh what time is it? Okay thank you. I thought it was twelve that’s what I heard. I said what? What did you say?

0:57:04.5 [audience and Rimpoche talk logistics]

0:58:15.6 So I think on the karma we talk about the vegetarians and the meat business. [laughter]

0:58:23.4 [pause]

0:58:43.5 Ah basically ah the morality the moral I really look at ah positive and negative karma. And I very often said the moral ethics of the Buddhists are following the Four Noble Truth. And I really said that is moral ethics. And I still feel that. It doesn’t look like it I mean it doesn’t doesn’t doesn’t make sense right with normal language. However I think that is the that is the total picture of one’s life suffering cause of suffering way out cessation. That is the total picture. And that is the real ethics and that’s the real ah I mean that’s really what can I say is real moral but. But honoring that is the perfect morality. Okay? So I hope that’s the enough. And going beyond is each and every single point. Even in our like Six Session Yoga we say what?

1:00:13.5 [Tibetan: ton oh so no che on eh bi wa raj ah we sadu..] Anyway whether it’s in that Six Session you saying in that it’s in there or not what you’re really saying is ah is ah basis of the individual development is the committing keeping your commitments. By doing so by seeing that is the real main point then what will happen is by seeing that as the real main point then ah every single point of commitment be honored even for sake of life. Remember that? And that’s what ah that’s what the that’s what the that’s what the that’s what the the commitment part of it. Ah the morality going beyond. Okay. That’s good enough I’m freaking out too. So ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. And ha ha ha. Now the next will be ah patience right? I mean these are the activity of the bodhissatvas. Patience. Okay each one of those paramitas have a the positive point and a negative point. It’s it’s antidote antidote. The patience is the direct challenge of anger. If you’re patient you’re not going to get angry. Which is very simple simple. And if you don’t have patience you lose temper. That’s also very simple. Absolutely true. But the question rises question rises if you’re already angry what would you do? That is the practical point of the question. I’m sure quite a lot of people have it. If you don’t have anger with you there’s a lot of ways and means you can do. But if you do have anger with you if you’re angry what would you do? What would you do? That is the if you angry what would yo do? That is the question.

1:03:08.5 Do you go if somebody very angry you go in front of that person and says hey patience? I did share that a couple of times. I did do I do have a personal experience on that. It’s so funny. In ’64 I was in Ithaca. Ithaca. And there’s like ah eight Tibetans. I really don’t know English at that time. We’re in Cornell. I don’t know English. I’m at Cornell and there’s eight of us put in a little house. And there’s a graduate student comes and taught us anthropology economics and politics. Haha ha hahaha. Cultural anthropology economics what I understood at with economics at that time is they drew the line and say the demand line is the supply line. Ha ha you know ha ha ha ha that was the whole economy. So so anyway whether you draw a line this way or that way whatever you do you know that’s what I had to do the total thing for eight months or something. Ah I learned English sort of beginning there little bit. I really learned ABCD there although I had a little teaching in Dharmsala but ah nothing really. So one of us is getting upset all the time and fighting with people all the time among them. So once I was having I was sitting downstairs the sort of ah whole house and there’s a living room this side and a kitchen and vanity side and you could just enter in and go upstairs. So I was sitting there. That was the time there’s not even a color television available. I mean at least around they said there’s a color television you could see in the mall or something but color but it’s always black and white. And I was sitting near the television and looking at a magazine. I don’t read the magazine but there’s pictures. I look at the pictures I mean and there’s fighting upstairs. And a guy came down a guy came down and I was sitting on the sofa somewhere around there. And he went and sat there. So I’m sort of here and he sat there. I didn’t even look and I said you lost temper again? And the next thing what I realized he went pop over here.

1:06:21.4 Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha By the time I realized what had happened I’m debating what do I do? Should I counter react or should I pretend I don’t know anything or will he repeat this? That’s that’s debate went in my head. I didn’t even know how to act ha ha ha . That debate went in my head and luckily some somebody walked by. Ah it was some economics teacher or some some some British graduate guy one British graduate guy. And he walked by so the matter was settled. Ha ha ha ha so then I don’t have to do anything so the matter’s settled there. So when the matters’s settled I don’t see him at dinner. Nor I didn’t see him at breakfast or lunch we have to eat together. So there’s an elderly German lady who comes and cooks. And she called me Nawang. I said what? You better go and call that guy he didn’t have lunch he didn’t have dinner last night he didn’t have breakfast he didn’t have lunch. He’s feeling bad. But you better go and call him. So I said okay I go and call him. I went and called him. He’s this small extremely small that’s what happens. So the anger makes you that way. You go that small. Especially when you didn’t react. You don’t know what to do. I didn’t do it but I didn’t know because I do not know what to do and then somebody came and made us settled. And that sort of really made him feel terrible and small. I also had another very funny incident with one big Indian guy the Director General of All India Radio. One guy called Mr. Chatterje. He he he ho ho ho. So he’s angry for nothing and ah so I suddenly realized he’s yelling. He’s yelling and shouting and screaming in his office sort of then I looked at his face. And believe me I really saw him the backward of the monkey. As the monkey turned other way around awrrrg. So I can’t help but laughed. I couldn’t stop. You’re laughing at me you’re laughing at me get out of here he chased me hah ha ha . You’re laughing at me khhheee.

1:09:30.4 But I can’t help it because I saw him like a monkey exactly. But I have a great respect for this you know big guy and big shirt and you know I worked for All India Radio at that time. So he’s the Director General way up there you know somewhere up in the up in the roof of the samsara somewhere you know. Ha ha ha. So way up there really true. And you know when he started screaming for my eyes he went way down. But you know he really looked like the why I laughed because he looked like a monkey’s backwards. I can’t help but laugh at him. He said you’re laughing at me. Huh? Backside. Oh sorry backside of monkey. Monkey’s butt. So that’s what is is. So you may or may not realize what anger does to the individual so so so that’s what that’s what they do. And ah when the other side person is not angry and they get more angry. It’s really unfortunate. And they really want you to be angry with you and fight with you and you know. But ah I don’t think we can do that so let it be. So that’s where we draw our line and say I’m sorry ha ha ha. Anyway so the anger physically even have those disadvantages.

1:11:23.2 [pause]

1:11:39.3 And then if I tell any of them patience I probably be in trouble big trouble. You can’t go in front of the people who’s angry you can’t say patience. Right? So what would you do? My understanding is the bridge is the recognition. When the person recognize I am angry then it be able to build a bridge. It is the doorway of the communicating. It is the opening. And ah almost all negativities will hide under denial. Everybody every negativity will hide under de in denial or under denial or within the denial you deny.

1:12:48.9 You deny you’re angry. You know we see that everybody. I’m not angry but blah blah blah. People do that all the time. They complain they say I’m not angry but all they complain too about. So that is the that is the thing. Everybody will deny. Denial is the denial is the protector of negativity all negative emotions. So once the hot air goes down once people begin to see that acknowledging that I am angry then there’s an opportunity to be able to go down the anger put it down. And then begin to have opportunity to patience to work. Patience help not to get irritated. When you not get irritated then you can you don’t get angry. I’m trying to make everything simple and if I make too simple it maybe go differently but anyway. That’s that.

1:14:24.3 [Audience: So if you’re with somebody that get’s angry] If you’re what? [ Audience: If you’re with somebody who gets angry is it just to be patient? Is the best thing to do is to be patient?]

1:14:33.5 [pause]

1:14:50.9 Understanding and ah you know to to tell you the truth people who’s getting angry is not the control of themself. It’s not that they have to get in control many those it not that but the control you’re not in control. The anger is in control. So actually the actually the other side person has to understand that. It is the mental faculty called anger who turn on the red light and not that person. And why that’s what I do. That’s what I did. And ah why should I add up saw on the wood. Ah get away. Walk away. Sit tight. Say nothing. If that disturbs them more get out of it. I have ah I been fortunate on this issue. Somehow whatever it is I don’t get irritated but sometimes you have to pretend you are upset. You have to be a little wrathful or otherwise people will totally take advantage of you. B… on you. But I really have the fortune of not getting irritated much even among the my young colleagues and Rinpoches. They used to say oh no matter whatever you say to him he never gets upset. That’s sort of I have a bad way he never gets angry sort of the bad way or good way whatever it is. I have a name for it. So sort of known among the our contemporaries. No matter whatever you tell him sorry I don’t get angry. And also people who are close to me loses their anger power somehow. That is ah that is that I’ve been fortunate.

1:17:40.0 Ah I’m not sure when people started getting angry and fighting with you. And when I was young I used to afraid of them. I get afraid. I probably did not reply because I was afraid. Ha ah ah ah. It’s great because that fear is sort of whatever afraid of it. But that becomes a habit and later on when I’m grown up and ah people get angry and shouting it doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t get to me. It goes over here over there over out there and get out from there. It doesn’t go down. So but then you be constantly bugging bah bah bah bah bah bah bah and then better get out at least for the time period you know. And the time is one who somehow people get. The anger is one good thing it doesn’t last very long. Very few people I have seen it that anger holds on for longtime and shaking their body and all this. I did see it. My god it’s terrible but I’ve seen very few people with that sort of thing.

1:19:09.8 Lori. [ Lori: Can you talk a little bit about the difference between irritation and annoyance general sort of anger and really hot anger and how it effects your merit?] I well I really don’t know exactly what it is but what I do know here is the anger the definition in the Buddhist the anger is not only irritation but you really wanted to get back you know. You can’t take it. You want to get back. You want to harm back. You want to do something you know you want to get back sort of get equal or whatever you know ah either physically or mentally or emotionally. I think that becomes real anger and ah until that you may be irritated you may be annoyed ah or you may not like it or whatever it is. Then when the mind take it very strong and you really want to get back to that person then it’s beginning to become anger. That’s I may be wrong but that’s my understanding. Okay? Alright so that anger consumes the positive karma. I don’t think irritation consumes. Or or okay that’s it okay. Over here what it says

1:20:54.4 [Tibetan: sem jey nam an ….gyin gyi lob. sem .. rinchen..]

1:21:42.5 Gone beyond of this is not only one person got angry every existence every being got angry at you. Totally angry at you they’re there to kill you to harm you to destroy you. They threatening you whatever you do. And so you will never reply them back with hate. Sort of never reply back with hate.

Sort of never reply back with hate. Instead of that you may still try to help can be helpful whatever it is. So that is the gone beyond of the patience. However try to help is one thing when you wanted to help something there’s some rules and regulations. And if they want it. If your help is accepted and wanted you should. You should not go out of the way well my job is to help you. So therefore I’m going to help you anyway.You know you’ve gone beyond your line. Again that is going beyond not the good way but other way. Where you draw the line the help is extended. You must look as an opportunity too be helping or serving. An opportunity enjoy it. That’s what it is. The bodhisattvas are expected to do that always. And ah in the Bodhisattvaaryacharya ah I think at the end of either a chapter or end of the total text or before the end of the ninth or somewhere it says

1:23:35.7 [Tibetan: Cal o nun ao je gemdende whadje denlha pa dhem chi] So bodhisattvas are even even somebody’s harming them but somehow they there turn what you going to get back is ah help and joy. And that is called bodhisattva. That is because of gone beyond of the patience is because of that line. Get it? So I guess I better cut it there otherwise I won’t have time. What is next pa ah enthusiasm. Enthusiasm. Maybe I save enthusiasm and do in the afternoon. Let’s do a little Tara otherwise we’ll be missing our work. It’s supposed to be Tara retreat so. If we don’t do Tara..Anyway what is Tara? Today I wold like to talk about that. What is Tara? What is Avalokiteshvara? This is an important point. Ah the technically the they say Tara is the what did they say? Feminine principle read at the beginning of the beginning when she generated bodhimind she committed to be in female life throughout her work and even after obtaining enlightenment she determined to remain as a female and do all her service through the female physical form. Ah that’s one thing. Avalokiteshvara oh also she is known as activity of enlightened beings taking a physical form called Tara. Simultaneously Avalokiteshvara is known as Avalokiteshvara is known as ah ah compassion of all enlightened beings taking a physical form as Avalokiteshvara. In the Tibetan tradition you have the Avalokiteshvara and Tara separated and one in male form one in female form.

1:26:15.5 But in the Chinese tradition it is not separated. It is together. And ah so either Quan Yin or Quang Si Yang Posa or Quan Yin Pusa in other words they try to say bodhisattva Quan Yin. So so that is the female form you have. In Japanese it is Cannon. The Cannon camera you get it is named after Avalokiteshvara. I was told at least. So and I also believe its true. So that’s what it is. So anyway so so what is in reality what it is? In reality an enlightened being taking a physical form who is a suitable to whoever. And there are people who like to work with who are very comfortable working with a female form. So she generated in that form. And also and okay when I say enlightened beings taking physical form what’s really meant is the love and compassion of the enlightened being all of them not a but all of them really a manifesting in some kind of forms since we like a lot of forms and taking in that way. And those that don’t like forms they have the energy the energy way. So that is Tara ah to me? I mean not I’m getting completely out of the traditional way. Traditionally you say

1:28:20.6 [Tibetan: kor eh lay to Tarema tu ta re gyi ge to tura nawa num na tu..] its a chant little somewhere around here. What is that Tarema something? Huh? ..the prayers of the Tara somewhere ..not in here ah not in there somewhere else. [audience finds passage Rimpoche wants] Yeah. That’s it. Where is it. I don’t have it here. Thank you. [ audience helping Rimpoche] Thank you.

1:29:11.8 So that’s what it is. Tarema mother who liberates from samsara. What does that mean actually? Tuttare who liberates from the eight fears. Ture who liberates from all sicknesses. Ture the great liberating mother I prostrate. And that is the what really is. What does that mean? Tara mother who liberates from samsara? So she comes out and free you? No. No. Ah you can’t. If if if It’s not physically you liberate and let it go. Why doesn’t enlightened beings do a long time ago? Why would you have to stuck here? It’s not. But what it is it is it is the Four Noble Truth. This is the problem Four Noble Truth. Why we are in this circle of existence? Because of the second truth conditions and cause and conditions. What does Tara do? Tara gives the path shows you the way. Shows you the way how to cut the cause of the samsara. And that is why mother who liberates the samsara. Tara’s name is corresponded with Four Noble Truths. So that is the Tara when they say liberates. Liberating the way and how liberating is the showing the path. Okay? That’s what I would like to mention and then go on since we did the visualization above that ah yesterday. So I think we can go straight away down to OM SVABHAVA SHUDDAH SARVA DHARMA to that mantra okay.

1:31:34.1 [Rimoche leads chant. His voice comes in and out of the sangha recitation of the White Tara sadhana] OM SVABHAVA SHUDDAH SARVA DHARMA SVABHAVA SHUDDOH HAM. Let me remind you once again the nature of reality the nature of emptiness and I did talk to you yesterday. If you have understanding of emptiness apply. If you don’t then you just think everything is in the nature of voidness. If you are visualizing a picture space-like empty will do for the time being. Within the sphere of emptiness appears a white lotus. Above it is a moon disk and above that the love and compassion of the enlightened appears as a silver TAM. Light radiates from the TAM transforms and purifies the environment and its inhabitants. The light makes offerings to the enlightened gathers their blessings and dissolves back. The TAM transforms into the Noble wish fulfilling Tarema. She sits on a lotus and moon cushion with a luminous moon halo at her back. Her right hand gestures an invitation to the most fortunate ones who seek liberation. Her left hand indicates the three jewels giving courage and assurance to those who are dominated by fears. Entreating them unburden yourself and rely on me. Tara is resplendent beauty. She holds an utpala flower reminding us to not be satisfied with worldly happiness but to aspire to perfect joy and liberation. She has the syllables OM at her crown AH at her throat and HUNG at her heart. Light radiates from the syllables inviting the wisdom beings and empowering deities. The wisdom beings unite inseparably with Tara. The empowering deities anoint her confirm initiation. With the overflowing nectar a buddha of infinite life appears on her crown. Brilliant light radiates from the syllable TAM within her heart reaching infinite universes.

1:34:25.9 [end]