Archive Result

;;Soundfile 19950831GRSR3_01

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location Summer Retreat

Topic White Tara

Transcriber Carol Shuford

Date 12–10-2021

0:00:00.0 [Aura & Sandy continue Q & A]

0:09:26.9 Well I think we have to do the protector’s puja. Ah we’ve been doing that in English for the last couple of days. Maybe for a change we do it in Tibetan tonight. Ah is the Tibetan available in that small thing? Yeah. Yeah what page? In Tibetan lets go

0:09:50.3 [Rimpoche chants Protector Prayers in Tibetan]

0:14:51.7 Thank you. So I do hope you enjoy the day too. And I did and listening to Aura and Sandy’s ah ah talk and ah what do I say? It’s supposed to be dialog but you give ah ah nice ah really dialog or what? Ten talk? Ten talk. Very nice. And ah your difficulties that you face as a single person lack of a sangha. And your emphasize for the important-ness of the sangha is extremely relevant today. In my personal opening is extremely relevant today. We overlook very often we have ah ah the teachers that come from different country. Ah ah wears ah different dress ah looks slightly different maybe the nose is a little smaller little more flatter whatever. And ah and ah we look them ah sort of a built as some kind of a romantic relationship. Or I don’t know is it a romantic relationship? I don’t know what I’m talking. We build up some kind of yeah but it’s more ah more but sort of you romanticize. Romanticize the person and sort of then some persons are maybe very charismatic some maybe lesser but exotic. Anyway so sort of you’re projecting it and worked well. However, ah it’s absolutely true the path or the buddhas shares. It’s going to be useful for the the future or the future for the younger generations. And even present generation people to be able to be useful. To be able to continue it absolutely depends on the sangha support. Traditionally the ah normally they say

0:18:22.0 [Tibetan: sangey tam pr gunyu de la rale be yes] So the Buddhism whether it lasts or not it depends on the sangha the it refers to the monastery sangha. However ah ah monastery is extremely important and very great. And absolutely necessary. But a person like me who’s fairly out from monastery and ah ha ha ha and ah and ah maybe ahhhh ninety nine percent of you people here monastery is great to have but it might not be that relevant. Ah I mean it is relevant as objective refuge. But as a personal it might not be I mean occasionally visit place. It is nice to have it. But as a member or as a person belonging has a sense of belonging it a sense of as a part of it as in a friend as in a colleague as a person you can rely on as someone who you can tell everything as a someone from whom you get help sort of rely on the relationship you have to depend on the wonderful good quality lay sangha. I mean it is extremely difficult. How you going to talk among you have a friend problem with boyfriend or girlfriend for that matter husband how you going to talk about it? And stand there and go around a couple of times and ah ah ah oo oo oo and them get out of it. It’s very uncomfortable. No doubt about that right? So ah excuse me you know so I forgot Geshe La was here. He’s giggling ha ha ha. This is late I should get out of here. Ha ha ha ha anyway ah but he’s open minded geshe. It’s okay.

0:21:16.5 Ah but if it conservative ah geshe probably will get a little uncomfortable about it really true. And so the sangha is extremely important. And how does the sangha develop? It is the personal relationship among the sangha members. The personal relationship among the sangha members. Really. And that is the real ah ah the basis of ah becoming sangha is the personal relationship among the sangha members. I don’t mean you have to be involved sexually. Don’t misunderstand me. But really ah what it ah you know the personal relationship the sort of rely on they trust to each other. Reliability that’s the sangha net and that net will hold the Buddhist practice together. And that net or whatever I’m not trying to build a cult system don’t misunderstand me okay? Really true. You do need someone to you to talk to. You do not own someone a group who works together who has the same goal same set of agenda works together a dedication a sense of belonging a sense of sharing a community living a place where you can retire together. I’m sort of really looking for that a lot. Ah place where you can retire together. The place where you can ah get old together. Get sick and die and feel you know within your same ah group of sangha supported. And that is the that is the need. And without which it is a very difficulty. You know teachers will come. Teachers will go. Some physically leave. Some dies and some move away. You know that happens. And ah but the sangha is the sangha. It is the the it is like a ground which you steam all the fruit and again it puts up its a process and puts up and that is the sangha.

0:24:13.7 And sangha is necessary and important. And without which you cannot really ground it the work what you do the practice what you do. That’s what it is. I did not invite Rachel Ramen here for no reason. Rachel Ramen has a lot of experience working with the dying people. I want you people see that. I want you people think that among our sangha among our members when they get sick how we going to take care of. And I want you people think that and that is the reasons. You know? One of the reasons and ah it be wonderful to have everybody somehow some nice little ah comfortable place where you can group together. And ah retire together and work together and get sick together. Within that togetherness you could die. And that’s the sangha. So I did not tell them talk about sangha. And they chose to talk and it’s really relevant and good. So I want to like to more emphasize on that and that is how I am envisioning ah in future. Ah that’s needed. So the sangha sort of the bound among each other. The common interest common goal the common support and that is the that is very valuable. You can not buy that. You can not get it either in Bloomingdales or the other one what did you say? I’m not going to let you go get away. Alexandria it’s gone right? It’s not there. Yep K. I mean that is joke . Amy and my joke. But ah that is something you can not buy. That’s something it sort of builds up and builds up sense of feeling sharing. And it’s very difficult if you have to live by yourself

as Aura and Sandy talked earlier. I’m quite sure Velma can tell you a long story too. And there’s a number of other people who will definitely have very similar type of thing. You know?

0:27:18.9 So sense of community is so important. They can support each other. You can sort of rely on. I mean this is not rely on the neighbor to come and clean your at your lawn or something. But it is the more it is really spiritually you rely on and you get ah really sick and dying and you can really rely on. And you can even trust your children with them. And that’s what you needed it. You know? Amy I’m not I’m not go out I don’t want to go too much on that. I just wanted to emphasize that. And just do keep that in mind whether you’re here or not here today but most of the people in Jewel Heart should think about it. It will be very useful and not necessarily much for yourself but for the community and especially for the future generation the younger ones and the future generation. It makes a hell of difference. I’m also very happy to have a younger group here and very young ones too. Ha ha ha and ah that’s it. And I should continue what I’m talking this morning and I think it’s an opportunity to. What we talked? What we talk was the introduction of love compassion and then how it worked. Oh yeah ah okay doesn’t matter. Introduction of love compassion and then putting it in practical work. Practical work we talked about the generosity morality patience. Practice patience is very difficult. Buddha himself says

0:29:48.9 [Tibetan: ser upten yu kez okon tutebame sewa katu mas] There’s a not there are harmful negativity like that of anger and there is no difficulty ah positivity like that of patience. The patience is extremely difficult because you can lose temper for no reason very easily. Even you don’t think you are not losing temper but you do. Even you don’t think you get irritated but you do. So it needs a lot of constant awareness and constantly watching. But patience does not not mean that let let everybody do whatever they want to be the doormat. It doesn’t mean that at all. You do you should have strong and important patience but you should be strong personality too. But don’t be stubborn. That is not strong. That is the slightly it’s just stubborn. I forgot maybe Geshe-La

0:31:39.5 [ Tibetan: …] So that’s like five signs of stupidity I forgot that. It is at the end of the logic texts. So I was hoping that stubbornness is in there. I wasn’t sure ha ha ha ha.

0:32:15.2 [Tibetan] There’s five signs of ah ah sort of stupidity. Anyway stubbornness is not patience. It is not. It is stubbornness. [audience] I don’t remember and none of us remembers so. Ha ha ha ah ah Yeah you’re right. I meant to look at that book for the last year or so. I keep on I’ve raised that a couple of times. But completely I couldn’t get opportunity to open that up. Anyway so and patience works very well with the diligence or or enthusiasm. Basically the negativity which you have is the laziness. Ah the diligent activity is the ah the positive action. So laziness according to the Buddha it is divided into three. Ah I hope I remember it.

0:34:12.7 [Tibetan] For the third one there’s help so. [Tibetan: speaking with geshe] So it is divided into three categories. And one of them is again many of us had have I can’t do it. I’m not capable. I will not be able to do it. Or it is far away from me. It is a long shot. That is the that is the laziness. That’s laziness. Okay? One laziness. Another laziness another type will say yeah okay maybe I’m able to do it but not today. Tomorrow tomorrow but not today tomorrow. But you know tomorrow never comes anyway. Okay? Tomorrow never comes. So that is the the second one. I’m trying to make it easy. Another laziness is is ah we know very well. What you’re supposed to do you don’t do it but you keep yourself absolutely busy with something else. You know what I mean? Because what you supposed to do you won’t do it. To avoid that you make yourself absolutely busy make a lot of schedules even including volunteering and do anything. Make a lot of deadlines and get yourself absolutely busy. In reality you’re avoiding what you really supposed to do. That is laziness. I’m trying to make a very simple way. Then of course there’s a slightly difference between the the eastern laziness and the western laziness too.

0:37:10.0 I’m sure we will enjoy if you find very nice corner where you have a nice cup of tea maybe interesting book to read or just gossip. And ah sit in one place we won’t move. And that’s not a problem for the western people. They just have to jump you know you have to keep on jumping all the time. You have to be on the toes and jumping here and jumping here and sort of sort of you make around three times before sun rises or anything you know. So that is the basically the difference. And whatever it is it is the laziness. The laziness is the one who will make you makes you not to accomplish whatever your task is. Laziness will take you away from your liberation. The laziness will take you away from your enlightenment. Laziness will take you away just finishing your work whatever it might be. And I think there is there’s ah three different types of enthusiasm also.

0:38:39.0 [Tibetan] I forgot everything [Tibetan]

0:39:31.1 And now I completely forgot. There’s three kind of enthusiasms. If I remember again I’ll share with you. But if I don’t remember forgive me. But diligence is diligence. Ha ha ha ha [Tibetan] Oh you got that huh? [audience] Huh? No it should be on the six paramitas. Diligence. There are three kinds of diligence mentioned. And if you have the copy of Liberation In Palms in Palms of Your Hand it should be in the fourth paramita level. Mike can you find it? [Mike] But tell me the the [ Mike: it’s under perseverance] Yeah that’s right. [Mike: it begins with armor-like.]

0:40:45.5 Oh [Tibetan: kush in sen dro] Okay okay. Then what it say second?

0:40:49.5 [Mike:collecting virtue] Okay what you collecting virtue . Hmm hmm. Then?

0:40:56.5 [Mike: then working for the sake of beings.] Yeah. I think you’re looking at

0:41:05.5 [Tibetan: kun su de dah wa jesun tu ta…] Doesn’t sound last two is really right.

0:41:17.9 [Mike: continues …] Kathy would you go on my room and ah there’s a blue book on the blue big book on the bed somewhere folding bed. Better find it. Because if I don’t have it it’s not that great. Anyway

0:41:43.2 [Tibetan: sem genre lechiam nam remene gyel po ja sun …gal gyin gyi lob] In the Lama Chopa line where we’re reading is the armor like [Tibetan] It is armor-like diligence. Ah [Tibetan] You make your mind in such a way that even for the sake of a single sentient beings that you have to even you have to remain. Okay thank you this one will do. Thank you. Three. Now I have a look. Should be somewhere around here. Here you go. [Tibetan] Yeah yeah you are right.

0:43:00.6 [Tibetan] That’s it. So first is armor-like. Oh yeah it’s quoted here. [Tibetan] The Lama Chopa the verse what we have enthusiasm there.

0:43:18.7 [Rimpoche looks through book]

0:43:31.1 What verse is it? [Audience: verse sixty-eight on page thirty-seven] Can you read it loudly? [audience: I seek your blessings to complete] I don’t need the I seek your blessings. Below that. [Audience: the perfection of effort by striving for supreme enlightenment with unwavering compassion even if I must remain in the fires of the deepest hell for many eons for the sake of each being.] That’s right. And everybody has different way see. This is the perfection of what? [Audience: Effort.] Efforts okay. So perfection of efforts. So when you make your mind in such a way by the power of compassion ah by the power of compassion even for remain in the hell realm for just sake of one single person for countless number of years or lives. I would like to do it. It’s like they call it armor-like. If you have that strong mind no matter whatever laziness will come will not be able to wound you at all because you are very well protected. You made your mind in such a big way so not a small simple simple little thing will not be able to bother you at all. And that’s why it is called armor-like. Armor right? Armor-like diligent. The second is accumulating a positive and that is the actual diligent. Actual diligent work what will they do. They accumulating merit as much as possible. And they purify. So you should be very enthusiastic about purifying ah your negativities and accumulating your merit. As I told you this morning the positive karmas will give you positive result. And the negative karma gives negative result. So how to avoid negative karma to give you result is purifying it. Purifying and purification is the only answer for that. You can’t do it says hey I made some negativity here I made some positive here let us square it. It doesn’t work that way. Yeah.

0:46:17.9 You know people use I.O.U. this much. You owe me this much. Let’s call it equal. So you but you can’t do that with karma. Does’t work that way. You know the the teachers the earlier masters gives you give you a very interesting example here they say you got a you got a fruit tree a sweet fruit tree growing here. And you try to grow lot of jalapeño peppers round it and hopefully they will adjust underneath somewhere and the fruit will not be that sweet not and the jalapeño peppers will not be that ah hot. So it’s not going to work. The jalapeño peppers will be hot. And the fruit will remain sweet unless you do you.. It is all a result separately independently rather than let’s square it. Doesn’t get squared. And that’s why the answer for cutting the negative karma is purification. And ah for purification to purify. I talked yesterday by the application of Four Powers. I talked all the time. It comes out of the Lam Rim very detailed. You got me. I’m talking to you Madame. Michelle. No no yeah so so?

0:47:58.3 [Tibetan: sem me go yem] So that’s what it is. Ah so basically that’s how karma works. Ha ha ha ha that might be baby Jessica ha ha ha. Yeah. That is how karma works. So accumulation of merit and purification is the only two ways to bring yourself closer to enlightenment. The question earlier put it to Sandy and Aura was ah very interesting question. How do I know the enlightenment is real? And that’s a very relevant question. I’m so glad she raised that question. I’m also happy with Sandy’s answer and you didn’t make any comments for that. No you didn’t. [Aura: we traded for that] Yeah that’s right I know that ha ha. Yeah but Sandy’s answers very good. I mean probably I I have the same thing. Same thing. Have I seen the enlightenment? No. Do I have enlightenment experience? No. I’m not enlightened. Don’t you ever say I’m enlightened. I’m not enlightened okay. So that’s what it is. If I’m enlightened I will do better job that this. Truly speaking yeah truly speaking I’m not. And ah so ah so ah so so ah have I seen enlightened beings? I believe I have and I consider each and every one of my great masters as a fully enlightened beings whether it is the stupidity or or what the Chinese call it green brain. You no that expression it call it green brain so you cannot put any red color on that. It won’t take it. The brain become green. So it is not fit to be educated for Mao’s thoughts. That’s really and they call it green brains. So whether it is green brain or ha ha ha it’s not white anymore. So you can’t color it red at all. It won’t take it. It’s green. So so whatever it is. Maybe I’m a green brain guy. So whatever it is and that is the reality for me.

0:51:08.4 But one day what you see if you see the qualities of the enlightened beings that been round and ah they will not claim to be enlightened beings. But somehow somehow theres a there’s a very convincing incident will take place will take place. And ah so that is the maximum they can show us. Even the Buddha himself would like to come here and show as the Buddha what we described today what we drawn today little additional lump on head. Little ears a little bit too long and all this type of person if comes here we’ll run away. We’d rather not even talk about it. Can you imagine if Buddha suddenly appeared in front of us? We are going to run away. We probably think it’s very strange and crazy fellow. And we probably will not have probably ..well I forgot I’m sorry. This is America that’s right. If you dressed up something totally different nobody will bother to look at you right? Completely forgot about it. So that’s probably my green brain again Ha ha ha. So anyway so neither we have the fortune no we can see enlightened beings as drawings been made. I mean certainly if you see Vajrapani in the street you”ll run away. No question ha ha ha no question ha ha ha no question. I’m sorry. So so that’s what it is. And so so the only suitable what we can get enlightened beings accessible to us as in the human form. And ah that’s what sort of why Sandy’s answer but ah and that’s what I would think. So I don’t have you seen it? No. Do you have experience? No. Do I know logically? Yes. Logically I can. Have you seen it? No. So that is it really but I’m so glad you think that way. And how do I know it’s no longer fairy tale? So that’s that’s good question but whether enlightenment is fairy tale or not fairy tale improving individual is not a fairy tale.

0:54:17.8 We all know that. We all know that. And there is a lot of room for improvement. And one day there will be no more room to improve you are fully improved. When that happens you are enlightened. And that’s the one of the logics I’m telling you. Logically I can say it. You can keep on improving. I mean and then one day it will be fully done. And that is the time you call it enlightened. As simple as that. Wow. Ha ha Mike didn’t like it at all. Ha ha ha that’s not simple right? [Mike: It doesn’t sound..] Is it illogical? There is room to improve. You improved yesterday. Today over to that and tomorrow better than that. You pick up one and improve right? That does not necessarily mean you always keep on improving. You can also go backwards too. That is the path what we are on. We take a steps forward. Some times we take backwards. Here you need the sangha to push you push you. That’s when sangha comes in. The purification will come in. Ah another question is also the question of faith. I’m sorry what I’m doing. I’m taking all sensitive subjects all the time. So the faith is another one sensitive subject. [children vocalizing]. Wow there we go. So the sensitive subject is you know there’s a faith called blind faith and there’s intelligent faith. What do you want? What you don’t want is the blind faith. The blind faith is the blind faith. They may have something good in that. I’m not saying every blind faith is bad. But blind faith is a little tricky stuff. It little tricky stuff. But intelligent faith is also necessary.

0:56:57.2 [Tibetan: ka bung namatra kebudeyu no sugedo bu jey] I think it is a sutra called Kun Ju Tala La. [quoting in Tibetan]

0:57:09.1 It is the faith intelligent faith is like a mother who will give birth to quality. And it is like a mother who will protect you your quality.

0:57:32.1 [Tibetan]

0:57:39.4 So like who doesn’t have intelligent faith at all not going to grow much positive karma at all. They give the example if the seed has been burned it’s not going to get not going to grow. So that’s what out of the sutra called Kun Ju Tala la. [Tibetan]

0:58:08.6 So it is sutra called Kun Ju Tala La. So intelligent faith is necessary. At least intellectually you can think. There’s always you can improve. And when you’re improving the ultimate there’s a limit. I mean not a limit in a sense you can really fulfill because the human beings are capable. You have no idea the capability of the human beings. It is beyond our comprehension. We begin what do we call it we discovery we discover through the help of whether it’s computer like Johnathan showing me today. Like through a computer or the scientific discovers. You call them discovers? But it is the human capability which brought to for us to be able to comprehend and understand. And we don’t know lot but we also know quite a lot. It is all human capability. It is there’s a still this is improvement I’m talking about only knowledge but same as the quality quality. If the knowledge you put outside for external uses it doesn’t improve the individual quality. If the knowledge put internally and dealing with yourself dealing with your mind dealing with your personality personal improvement and then it is working inwardly. What ah our friend Professor Thurman calls inner science. Ha ha ha. well he calls it inner science. I don’t know whether the scientific people will accept inner science or not. That’s that. What did I get here? From intelligent faith right? [audience] Yeah but I have to trace back to where I’m come from so. So intelligence faith is ah it is it is one of the needs of the practitioners. Otherwise whatever you do well I know there is some kind of improvements going to come somewhere. It is at least it is said so. So let me do a little bit. Then you can get tired. You can get burned out. You can drop out.

1:01:14.2 You know one of those lazinesses the teaching tradition will tell you sometimes laziness is so powerful and when your inspiration is weak the laziness will take over. You almost has to act like a tired dead beaten donkey with the load pulling on high hills. You know a dead beaten donkey tired and you have to pull it. That is the that is the laziness will do that will do that. And ha ha what happened

1:01:55.1 Huh? [audience laughter]

1:02:09.9 John. [audience laughter] I thought you don’t care whether it is a high heel or low heel. [laughter]

1:02:42.7 Who did it? It’s Amy okay. Ha ha ha. Anyway. Okay ha ha ha ha. Well it’s good to know that you have interest in high heels. Ha ha ha ha. Anyway so now let’s move to ha ha ha ha ha ha ha the next one. Oh what did I get into now Johnathan help me. [audience: aren’t you trying to keep track of the paramitas?] That’s right ha ha ha ha not yet we’re in the middle of that we’re in the middle of that.. ha I know yah yeah.

1:03:58.8 I’m talking about the laziness and then I say to the extent of the dead beaten donkey pushing up hill. Up hill okay. High hell okay. And ah people do that I’m sure and each one of us each own that’s including me will go through that very often. And that is lack of inspiration. The lack of inspiration because of the lack of that intelligent faith is because the lack of inspiration. Ah magical things sometimes help to build that. So that also but the real truth is ah is the enlightened beings. And their qualities and seeing improvement that’s what it really is. And then there is also time ah there sometime the time comes

1:05:12.1[Tibetan: nyare sig me sem som ey tim eh co com no tul eh way kop jey tu atam myes] So there are some times if you try to meditate you can’t think anything. You can’t even sit. If you try to to understand you won’t understand a thing. If you try to meditate no result comes at all. If you try to listen you don’t get anything. And sometimes you do get that. And what is that coming from? That is coming from our negative karma. How do you handle that? Through the power of field of merit. There’s a big job for the field of merit. Did somebody raise question today? Somebody raise today or yesterday or somewhere. What is the field of merit something? Did anybody ask? It is you what did you ask? Where? What? What is the field of merit okay. So the field of merit it basically it is the field of merit is basically the the enlightened beings. Basically the enlightened beings the enlightened beings and their job is is ah when such a situation occurred for the individual a diligent individual with all enthusiasm even and then when that such a situation occurred that is the field of merit has that is the their power. You invoke their power. That’s what it is. And how and way you invoke their power either through devotion or whatever you know. And that’s what it is.

1:07:48.9 [Tibetan: she re tu re eh man ie yi] Ah so the when you look in the laziness you have these type of different things different symptoms. And each one of those symptoms have ah ah different way of handling. Ah then the last one that’s what second diligent. Accumulating merit and ah ah huh purification yeah. Ah accumulating of merit purification making offerings and practicing the six paramitas activities are the actually the second diligent. All six paramita activities are second diligent. Are you trying to say something Allen? Did you say okay. I’m sorry I think you were trying to say something. [Allen] Oh okay thanks. Third point of the diligent is dedication. Dedicating for other beings not the dedication of your virtuous. You dedicate yourself for the service of other beings. And that is the third diligent. So basically we covered ah the important point of the diligence or enthusiasm. So out of six paramitas when you trace now I think we covered the fourth one. Is it fourth one? Yeah the fourth one. That’s what it is. Ahmmm even in the Lama Chopa

1:10:08.0 [Tibetan: joh eh ne tumba kala kun du …] Not necessary now. Yeah sure. Why you bring them me? [audience]

1:10:38.4 Yes that’s right intensity. Intensity. That’s a good question. You really thought about it. It’s intensity. The difference is intensity. So much so it is beyond gone beyond paramita gone beyond. So you are willing to spend couple of eons for the sake of one sentient beings. So any other bothers whatever comes up now. The question of I’ve been burned out does not arise for the bodhisattvas. Does not arise because of the armor-like armor-like. If you have good dedication and good caring you can’t say I’ve been burned out. The mother’s never say for taking care of the babies. No matter how hard they have to especially if you have two of them together. Ha ha ha almost the same age and you have to take care twenty-four hours. You have to take care of twenty-four hours you have to take care of they never say I been burned out. I been burned. Huh? Burned out? Did I say wrong? Huh? [ audience]

1:12:27.7 But they can’t quit. Alright but they can’t quit. That’s what I’m thinking they can’t quit. They can’t quit. And not be they very tired for sure no question but they can’t quit. [Allen] Allen. [Allen] You’re right. But we never know what was her motivation. You never know. She could be crazy or she had different ah what you call it? Huh different reasons. Maymaymay I don’t want to discuss Susan… I’m sorry. I’m going to quit it. Okay thank you. But basically that’s what it is. Probably she didn’t care. Anyway so what else. I think that’s what we basically covered the fourth paramita. Now let’s touch briefly fifth and sixth paramita. Fifth and I can’t I have to say briefly because it is very difficult and complicated and very deep. Ah so I will briefly introduce the fifth..what did you say? Oh I’m sorry. I briefly introduce the fifth paramita is the paramita of concentration. It is the concentration. Basically all shamata practice are fall in that. So some people think shamata is not that important and that is not true.

1:15:07.3 It is extremely important particularly ah for American mind. The shamata is very important because our mind is extremely busy and ah confused and complicated and super sophisticated all of them together. It’s no longer simple mind. No longer relaxed mind. And no longer no longer anything anyway. So it is very in that stage the shamata is very very helpful. It will give you a mental relaxation when you get into it. In the beginning it is very hard to sit even. But if you keep on sitting you can tell superpowers to meditate. Ha ha ha ha ha and there’s a big surprise in that. That’s what it is. And it begins at the simple level very simple level. You can very simply concentrate. You can concentrate on the breath. You can concentrate on object. And ah you can concentrate with the sensation of the breath movement from the nostril level. There is some sensation so it reminds you and it is actually training of concentration and awareness. At the beginning you can just try to sit. As Allen says sit on the ground and ground’s not there sit on what? [Allen] Sit on chair ha ha ha ha. Ground’s not there sit on the chair. So that’s what it is. Keep your backbone straight. And ah follow your breath. There you go. So that’s ah follow do the meditation on the rug if you follow it they will tell you exactly what to do.

1:18:07.0 And ah physical gestures might not be very important right from the beginning. But if you do it well right from the beginning it is nice. And there are a number of talks given on that. A number of things. Number of books available and a lot of people know how to do it all this. So don’t want to go in detail. However when you get a little used to it and you get a little stable there is something called nine stage of the development on this and there’s also called six powers and application of four acknowledgement or conjunctions. So so so learn all this. You can learn it from all Lam Rim books and you can learn it from all different books. Ah Liberation In Hands of You Palm or Palm of Your Hand or whatever it is what Robert is reading there. So so all of them huh? [audience] So so so all these books will give you information and it is also very simple. And in the beginning what you really have to do is you have to duplicate it. Copy what the other what the what they say. Just begin with that. You have to become a copy cat and that’s how you start as simple as that. And then there’s another way what you do is you concentrate on the mind and try to develop the concentration on the mind and all this. Which I did taught on the last couple of Tuesdays maybe about over two months? Over two months of every Tuesday I talked ah about the mental focus the concentration focus on mind. And if you tell me to repeat I’ve forgotten. So the tapes for the Tuesdays are available I believe. And ah if you send it if you send out of the United States it will be in ah transcribed. No matter wherever wherever you send it. If you send it to any part of the world to Europe or or Asia or Australia they will they will transcribe it and send it back. It takes like a couple of the the even the last vajrayana weekend teachings are already made transcribes available. But nothing happens in the United States so therefore there is no diligence here ha ha ha ha. Lack of diligence in the United States. [audience]. Yeah they do it. I got those that’s what I told Diana I give you a copy. I give teaching on the White Tara last when was it last vajrayana weekend when was that? [audience] Yeah it’s already transcribed. Somehow Jack sent the tape to Australia the people got they they transcribed already and sent it back. So that happens. So just like to remind you in diligence that’s about it.

1:22:09.0 And ah what else so that’s about the that’s about the ah that’s about the ah fifth paramita concentration. Because I really don’t think I can tell you that much here. And similarly the wisdom. The wisdom the basic ah ah but every single thing that we’re learning practicing picking improving ourself are part of wisdom for sure. But this particular wisdom what we are talking here is wisdom looking into the reality. And ah it is a little complicated ah thing. And ah if you make it a philosophical problem we can also make plenty of philosophical problems on that. And ah if you if you make it straight forward we can also make a little simple straight forward on that. Basically simple straight forward of wisdom here actually ah this morning or yesterday morning I did even mentioned at the beginning of the Four Noble Truths where you begin to see where is the sufferings coming from? The sufferings does not really is inherent doesn’t have inherent existence. It is coming out of cause and conditions. Likewise the self the every existence how we have been here? What is our reality? The famous Buddhist emptiness when you really see that that’s the real wisdom. However when you search for the emptiness you don’t look into zero and try to find out zero. If you look in the zero you get a zero. So you look in relative. You look in the relativity. You look in relativity. When you look in the relativity you begin to see the emptiness. The meaning of emptiness is the essence of relativity. The relative existence or the relativity dependent rise. Dependent existence is the meaning of emptiness.

1:25:37.3 Never think emptiness is something zero. And you look in zero and find a huge void. You’re not going to get it. And how you look in there how do we exist. When you when you begin to look at it how do we exist you will see it we exist on the conditions collective conditions collection of parts and parcels. The consciousness the body the name everything combined together. The combination on that we can call it so and so. We can call it John Smith or something. Is there any John Smith in here? Maybe not. John is not John Smith ha ha. John but not John Smith I’m glad and happens to be lucky. You can call it John Smith and the John Smith exists on the combination of John’s identity which is the body. John’s consciousness within the John’s identity. And label which is acknowledge as John or John Smith combined together makes the John Smith exists. Believe it or not. If you don’t call that John Smith call it Mary Smith. So then ah you do have the body you do have the consciousness but it is not John Smith it’s Mary Smith. He’s on her name should say right? It’s Mary Smith not John Smith. So it depend on that. And that also just put a label doesn’t work well. The label has to be put by the proper person. It a has to be proper label. If you put the wrong label it doesn’t work. If you call the gold the brass and brass the gold it doesn’t work.

1:28:19.5 Even if you put label. You say oh in reality it is emptiness let this be gold. Let this be brass. But it won’t work. Every logical perfect mind will contradict you will tell you are you crazy? This is brass this is gold. So as long as it is logical direct true mind contradicts that’s saying you’re wrong. So that’s why you can not put the wrong label on the wrong thing. You also have to put by the right person. Who puts the label has to be the right person too. Right? Like a president excuse me like a president. If the people of the United States put the label president that person accept the name and the person becomes the president. But the people of the United States did not put the label and a party like democratic party or republican party put the label of president it becomes only candidate. Right or wrong? Yeah that’s I mean it is right that we all know. But why? Because it’s the the parties are not the right person who put the label on it. It is the people of the United States. Right? The name of the president so s and so is neither is inherent existence. It’s not inherent existence right? If its inherent existence when Bill Clinton was born his mother should have said the president is born. She didn’t say that. If he did say she will probably other people will think she is crazy. So that’s what happens. It has to be right time by right person by right condition to the right object. The right label has to be put by right. Everything has to be right right right. And when that has become the label becomes.

1:31:01.9 Kim wait one minute. So the combination of the label combination of the body combination of the consciousness together makes I pick up John Smith. John Smith’s existence depends on that. By depending on those what we understand direct opposite is John Smith is not independent. Okay? The free of independent might not be true emptiness. However that will help us to understand. Let us begin at that level or subtle impermanent. Both are not true understanding of emptiness. However that will help us to see what do you mean by empty empty. And of course Johnathon showed me today a computer work. You can tell that better. So I don’t know what it is but however what does that do what I understood is what does that prove? Whether it is proved or not but the computer showed you you can not take parts and at the end you can call it a single atom comes down and say this is it. It all goes on and on and on infinitely divide inside. Right? Yeah infinitely created infinitely it comes out infinitely divided. And that is the when there is a not an ultimately called this is it one single atom can not be pointed out this is it shows the dependent. The dependent there comes this is what Buddha’s saying we are all are dependent arise. And within from the dependent arise looking into the emptiness and finding the empty is the true empty how we find. That is the Manjushri appears as a human being. Tsongkapa’s gift to the mankind is finding emptiness from the existence. Where and how we existence.

1:33:47.1 [Tibetan: tong ta deju chin gyi jey cha jey ta da ta wo chtagun ta palozang ding ne chet an ey lon sag tendas tong ga jing to jingle che ta jey]

1:34:01.8 Even if they say Three Principle of the Path [Tibetan]

1:34:21.0 When you have to when you have to backtrace you can’t. I remember the law somewhere there and can’t go back.

1:34:28.0 [Tibetan]

1:34:31.6 [end of tape]