Archive Result

Sound file:19990830GRSROF13

Speaker:Gelek Rimpoche

Location: Camp Copneconic,Fenton,MI

Topic:Odyssey To Freedom

Transcriber:Jayapushpa

Date: 21st November 2022

I like to say I don’t think I say gurus root(?)..And as normally cases, do kindly generate pure mind of bodhicitta oriented mind which normally prescribed in the traditional teachings, and listen tho this teaching. Teaching what you are listening is the essence of Buddha’s teaching based on the experience of the Buddha who have obtained ultimate level of Buddha. That path which is sort of opened by the forerunners of the great sages and scholars.And the personal practise of Atisha and Tsongkhapa’s real essence practise, and that is the stage of development. And then of course, that also, I mentioned the other day like three different ways of listening and all that. But which with lots of different qualities such a teaching. The essence of all, how the great masters have led individuals through the path is actually acknowledging the spiritual master , investigate the qualities of the spiritual master , reflect the qualities of the student, cultivate pure relationship. Those are the guru yoga or guru devotional practice, the root of all development, guru devotional practise. That’s that. Particularly guru is very …what really is meant to me is the representative of the enlightened society. (*Interruption) I don’t want to repeat so much but the real guru yoga is the real relationship between the guru and disciple. It is the real relationship and that needs to be pure relationship. And then, maintaining it. And that also based on the true understanding rather than false invocations, the true examine qualities of the spiritual master and all of those. But , you know, in one way we make it very nice but on the other hand, if you do not look very carefully in those benefits, advantages and disadvantages, but it depends on individual. If the individual mind tells you,’it is not necessary’, then you really have to look very carefully advantage, disadvantage, and all these and you have to meditate. But if you are mind simply accept, ‘ya, it is necessary, it needs to be’ , in that case you don’t have to make too much emphasis. Because it really depends on the mental capacity or mental attitude of individual. That’s really what it is, okay.Now, the second point is, the point, ‘embracing the human life..its qualities, capability, preciousness, rarity,’ all of those. Then, the third point, what you have to remember is, impermanence of it. The uncertainty of the life and not knowing when the death is coming. So, nine round of death meditation on this. I mentioned to you.And then of course on top of that, if you really want go in very detail, that Pabongkha’s ‘Heart Spoon’, is that right? “Heart Spoon’ , the translation is available and then they will tell you almost everything. It is very effective actually. Can I borrow your copy for a minute if you have it with you, Amy. Amy, do they have tibetan in there …just English. (Pause) 0:06:28.0

I mean if you read here, it is really ..very interesting. Since beginningless cyclic existence which hasn’t ended up to now, though you have experienced countless circle of rebirth.’ Just so many versions on happiness and pain, you have not achieved the slightest of the benefit from them. And though at present you have obtained the leisure and fortune , so difficult to find. Always till now, they have been finished and been lost, have been empty and without meaning. Now, if you care about yourself, the time has come to practise the essence of the future happiness and various actions. You appear so capable, smart and clever, but you are a fool. As long as you claim to the childish play of appearance of this life, suddenly you are overwhelmed by the future Lord of the Death, and without a hope or meaning to endure. There is nothing you can do. This is going to happen to you. Because you think am not going to die for some time. I am not going to die for some time while you are distracted by the never ending activity of this life. Suddenly the future Lord of Death arrives, announcing, “Now is the time to die” This is going to happen to you. Though you make arrangement saying “tomorrow and tomorrow” just then suddenly you have to go. This is going to happen to you. And without choice, leaving behind in misery, your leftover food, you have to depart. This is going to happen to you. There is no time other than today to spare. Your bidding and go off to sleep. Upon your last breath, you fall like an old tree and others unable to turn you with their soft hand, tucked at your clothing and blankets. This is going to happen to you. Even if you completely wrapped, in the last outer clothes, still you have no freedom to wear them, other than just today. And when becomes rugged as earth and stone, you behold for the first time your own corpse. This is going to happen to you. So, if you read this, this will give you total stage of dying, totally here. And it is very very helpful to bring impermanence, particularly that of death as reality. And ‘chir ya ngong po(?)’ actually almost meditating the dying …not stage what you are going to see….you know what we are looking is what’s going to happen , and there we say, “Oh,,ya, there is mirage and there is the smoke, and there is whitish there, and reddish there, it light and it is black” all of those we are talking about it. That ,maybe helpful in one direction/ But what this one is talking is nothing mystery, nothing secret, nothing funny about it, but actual at the time of death what you see, how you encounter other people’s going and that very position itself sort of visualizing and projecting on yourself and you yourself putting in that minute of eleventh hour of dying state. That’s what is all about it. And that will help us to realize and remember. This is one of the key. One of the key how much inspiration we going to get it. How much the sense of urgency we going to develop. How much our spiritual is going to be areal spiritual practice or is it going to be 50, 50 business…half showbiz and half real and half reality. What’s going to happen. It all depends on those. So actual …though in normal American life people don’t like it; they going to hate it, “Why should I have to think I am dying? I know I am going to die one day. I don’t want to think about it right now.” That’s okay, you don’t have to think about it right now but this going to come and be prepared at that time. And if you are prepared that time, you don’t have to think right now at all. But if you are not prepared that time, then it is better to think right now. I quote you remember, one of the first Karmapa, I think., where he says, “ We don’t want to think of death right now but when the death actually comes, we do nothing but scratch our chest, “I should have done that, I could have done that, I should have done that” So, we do that and that’s we don’t need it. So, anyway, nine round of death meditation. And then inject this in, This should give you enough and powerful inspiration not to waste your time and make it happen now. There is a sense of urgency there, but for us the day comes in , the day goes out; the week comes in, the week goes out. One comes in, one goes out. Year comes in, year goes out. So until somebody actually says, “Hey, you, it is your time now! You have to go “ Until then , and then nothing sort of ..we knew it , we accept it in principle. We accept it theoretically; we accept it somehow intellectually but we never think of me associated with this time right now. We don’t. Nobody ever knows.You know, late Gelongla demonstrated for us in life, in this very place. You know there is one of the winter retreats when we were giving the teaching on Mahamudra. He was here sitting and meditating and even want to sit on that where Choedak Tulku sat. He wanted to sit on that, and he sat there till 11, 11.30 in the evening. He sat there and by the time 12.30 he is gone and dead. So this demonstration what he is giving is that thing also happen to anybody. So, we have to realize that . And that sense of urgency we have to keep because everyone of us here will have a mind of doing something spiritually correct. Let me say, ;spiritually correct’ or maybe you want to do spiritual thing but at ;east you want to do spiritual correct. But we always …we say ‘ya, we are here, we do it. But we looking for really over the years , way down somewhere ….fifteen hundred years later when I die, so it will be sort of ready”. And that we have in our mind. So that is one of the point that will really let us down. So, this is what you don’t want to hear. But, it is reality. This is what you don’t want to meditate, but it is reality. Better be prepared and meditate. So, anyway, the whole idea of impermanence is not only to know our life and everything is impermanent, but uncertainty of the time, when that’s going to happen. And if that happens, what can help me. These are the three major points you have to combine them together. And remember the meditative …meditation on the dying …not the stages but the dying stuff…no, that’s not the right word…normally how people die. Okay. How people die, that’s what the ;Heart /spoon’ tells you. So you are visualizing, putting yourself in that position and visualizing. It is not for you to develop fear. If you think that’s to develop fear,no, certainly. We don’t want that fear at all, not for that. But it is for us to develop sense of urgency and get in touch with reality. Don’t sort of …you know..fly in the air and don’t float down there. Just be real, get reality, you see that? Get real! That’s what it is. So, that’s the reason why. Otherwise we don’t get real.You know, as I am telling you, though we all think about we are dying, when it is going to come? Fifteen hundred years later. So, that is in our mind …fifteen hundred years later I am going to die. Or, maybe within fifteen hundred years I am going to die. That is really attitude we have and that attitude will make us ..they will make us loser. So that is important point.0:18:07.5

So, number ‘23’ here says ’What happens after death’. Ya, that is true in a way. On the other hand, what’s going to happen, good or bad, definitely one of them .Going to happen good or going to happen to be bad. It is not going to be sort of neutral float of you know, of situations as it is. What you call it? (Audience: status quo) ah? Status kuo..but ya, it is not going to be for sure, because it is big change. So it is going to be either good or bad. Not going to have any third choice.Good or bad. So when you wonder what’s going to happen, is how you wonder what’s going to happen? You just can’t sit there and say “I wonder what’s going to happen?” You know, you can’t think of anything. You can’t maybe…only thing is I hope my best, I hope for the best. That’s what you can do. But when I put the words, “Wonder what happens”, it is look back in your life; look back in your daily life “What did I do yesterday?” “ What did I do today?” “What did I do this last…this week?” “What did I do last week?” “What did I do last month” You know, if you just look 24 hours, don’t go very far…maybe just look 24 hours, “Within the 24 hours, what did I do? So if you make ..very good deduction of how many positive things we create, and how many negative things we created. And this is important. Kadampa lamas , teachers every night they used to get all these little pebbles.ou know they collected lots of those black and white pebbles. So during the day time when they are sitting there whenever, whenever they have negative thoughts , they put black pebble; when they have positive thoughts, they put white pebble. And the pebbles been collected, you know, accumulated in front of them,the heaps of pebbles been created. Before they go to bed in the evening, they count them. They count them, you know, so which is bigger , how many more. And so they sort of do..they balance them at night. They close down to total, you know. They make total every day. And then according they judge; it is great inspiration actually. Great inspiration if you are knowing how much positive you are producing, how many negative you are producing, you know about your life little bit. You have some idea. You can manage them. They give you a very great inspiration to manage, how to maintain your life spiritually, negative or positive wise. And if you don’t count it, and let it go , so no matter whatever…just like my sugar. When I take my sugar, then I know what numbers are there. So I can think a little more carefully about the food, what I eat, what I drink,what I do. And, if I stopped checking, then I presume it must be going somewhere else , then sometimes you get big surprise. And so if you are checking, though may not be good news, however give you a sense of ..what you called it? Sense of understanding why you are and what level you are. Just like that, so, if you checked what happened at 24 hours, the last 24 hours of your life, how much positive in there,and how many negative in there. And if you make that from that angle, used the 24 hours as a pattern, you can presume the week, you can presume the month, you can presume the year. The human behavior is such it will repeat, more or less the same, because our habitual patterns and all of those, we probably…with the exceptions of few days here and there. With the exception of retreat period here, that’s slightly different, you know. So, you take a normal usual day, and then you judge yourself from there. So that will give you some kind of sense of understanding. So if you take…it is like taking your pills , you know what’s happening, how many beats, how many heart beats going in a second or whatever. You get some sense of understanding. So, just like that. So, take your last 24 hours, and try to make sense out of it. How much you are doing what you are doing. That is how you wonder what will happen after death. Otherwise if you just sit there and wonder what happens after death, so, no idea (Laughs)0:23:31)

So that;s what..that’s how you can contemplate your bardo. Because you are knowing lots of positive activities, you can contemplate your bardo will be nice and wonderful and joyful And if you see a lot of black pebbles piling up, then you can contemplate your bardo will be miserable one anyway.; a miserable bardo. So whether you have a miserable bardo or an enjoyable bardo, avoid rebirth in the hell realm, because that is not a nice place to go. You know, we all know. By the name itself, we can tell. Either hot or cold, or even nearby, not right thing to do. Avoid the hungry ghost rebirth, not good. Animal..hungry ghosts have tremendous suffering. I forgot who this person was. Somebody was going to India, , somebody was going to the center where the buddhist teaching is. And in some area, the head of family, with nine children and the mother, sent a message to her husband who is searching food where the Buddha is. Searching food, and say they are very difficult in life, the children are extremely hungry, you should come back soon and bring whatever you got. Come back soon. So then this guy say, “How do I know you are..how do I recognize your husband? He said, I see lots of hungry ghosts, because I give them some gifts. So, I see them. This one is very unusual , you will recognize. She said ’both legs are outwards and twisted, and has 9 nodes on the throat. So, anyway, very recognizable. I think that story should be in the Liberation in Palms of Your Hand. Should be there.So after so many years, I forgot, then they looked into it and the guy came up and said, ‘That’s all I have got” he said. And that he got is a dry spit of somebody..a spit. And somehow that person had dedicated that for the benefit of hungry ghost . He just been able to grab that.So even among those hungry ghost, within them, some of them are so powerful, some are so weak, they bully, terribly they bully each other. We think those spirits, we think they are so powerful, we can just ask this and that. They have to work like hell! Life is so difficult, their life is so miserable, extremely miserable.Basically I mentioned to you, they have a huge stomach and like limbs are so thin like a straw. But we don’t see them. When we see them they will appear in different form, funny different forms. They can change, appearance only but what they really look is how they are. That’s what it is. So don’t want to be hungry ghost at all; don’t want to be those funny spirits. If you are there, that’s your suffering. They all go through that. 0:28:27.1

Then, avoid animal. As I told you, animals greatest suffering, one eats another. The big ones eat the small one. You never know you are going through…you are swimming through water then big shark goes ooop everybody, you know. And look at them. When you look in the television there is something called ‘Animal’, right? And you can see how they fight and how one eats the other. This is the real sufferings of the animals is, just to make it, just to survive. The other one will come and eat you. So, these are the realities. That’s why you need to avoid animal rebirth. 0:29:20.3

‘Remember limitations of human rebirth’. I talked to you a number of times. You don’t need it ‘Avoid the demi god rebirth’, ‘avoid the samsaric gods rebirth’ . Samsaric god rebirth is very joyful, however it is useless; it is time wasting. Wasting time. You be there and it is almost the same as you are very high with the chemicals, remain very high. That’s it. So the period when you are there, it is high but then the whole time is gone, really. Whole time is gone. And at the end of that, there is nothing, right? Plus, when you hit back, it is rather hard. Sariputra, the Buddha’s disciple, has a disciple person. And totally devoted, and practising and wanted to become arahat. Sariputra also wanted to bring that person to the level of arahat. Somehow the guy died and Sariputra traced the guy, where he took rebirth. The guy took rebirth because he’s following Sariputra, and doing best , took rebirth in the samsaric gods’ realm. Sariputra thought, ‘Well it is good ; now I can go up there and continue his practice, and I can make him arahat. So, he went up there , he would see Sariputra, and he will recognize, because the samsaric gods know the past, present and future …all three together. It is like only yesterday for them, previous life is just like yesterday for them. So he saw Sariputra, just raising hand and run away, busy to play with the young gods. That’s it, so busy to play. And they are not free of suffering. They are, they have sufferings too. They have tremendous suffering, that is, before they die and the signal of death will to them. The signal of the death is almost like…sometimes you wonder here ..almost like they give you diagnosis here, and say, “Well, we can’t help you anything else, and do your best”, you know.It is almost very similar to that. But they are also different. They are over there. You know those samsaric gods they have a natural born flowers. They have, you know, they don’t need perfume. They have beautiful smell..smelling flowers. And these flowers are not just like our flowers grown but sort of natural born with themselves. Their ornaments, nature born, and it never dies; it is always fresh, always have beautiful scent giving. That’s there. But the moment the death signal comes, they started disappearing smell, and flowers started going, decaying flowers. Then they immediately know, immediately know. So what happens is, you know you are dying. The moment you know you are dying, you begin to wonder, “What’s going to happen to my future life”.they see it, “My future life is not going to be something great like this. Probably going to be born as a pig in slump of Calcutta or something. You know what I mean? Do you get it? (Audience:Yes) Slump of Calcutta! (Audience: *voice..swamp..(Laughter)) That’s my fault for sure,really. So, they are so worried, so worried and also other companies will avoid you. They will denounce you, they will reject you. So what will happen is you’ll be hiding in a little corner, and worrying and wondering what you can do. Though they may have a chance to do something, but because of their karma, they can do nothing. They simply worry and that worry is so powerful, so painful . some of their friends will come and visit. But they don’t come near to you. They will pick up a long stick and cut some fresh flowers around and make some mala and have that long stick carrying that thing, and throw at you. And from their point of view, they are doing best gesture. But they are so afraid to come near you. Because it looks…they are not sure whatever their personal suffering, maybe contagious or something. They come and visit you but with a very long stick and throw some flowers at you. So that you can wear some fresh flowers for your short period. And that cut through and that cut flower is going to be decay soon, just like our flowers. The natural born flowers do not decay except the time when they are receiving the signal that they are dying.So their mental worry, their mental torture at that time is tremendous. And that’s their suffering. Don’t need that. 0:35:53.7

‘Know what can help in life and death’ the good things, the goodness itself helps in our life. We know that. And that goodness is itself also helps us at the time of the death. Being mean, being angry, attachment,jealousy..all of them didn’t help in our life, even in our life; it doesn’t help. That’s not going to help at the time of death. Then the question arise, “Alright, I can’t be jealous , I cannot be angry. So ..do I have to be doormat? How do I maintain my life? Surrender..surrendering to others, ,,, you called that ‘surrendering’, right? To be…how do you say? To be surrender or how does …how does..? To surrender … to (Audience: to submit) there you go. To submit, is this the way , I should manage my life? Is this a dharmic way of managing my life? I don’t think so. See, another misunderstanding over here. We have lots of misunderstandings. This morning we talked about it. The Compassion and altruistic mind, and self ignoring, right. And also we talked the other day we talked about ‘self esteem’. This is another point. The Dharma tells you don’t get jealous, don’t get angry, don’t have attachment. Then you begin to think, “Alright, I have no jealousy, I have no competition, I cannot compete. Because if I compete, I get my jealousy up, I get my anger up, I get my attachment up. Therefore I cannot compete. You are wrong! You should definitely be very compare..what is it? (Audience*voices: competitive) Competitive. You should absolutely be competitive and you should go out ..all out to kill, you have to really. (Laughter) Really, you do; but you don’t go out by the motivation of anger , by motivation of jealous. You go out by motivation of self protection. You go out by motivation of responsibility for yourself, for your family, for your circle, for your life. And so with that you go totally out.The Wisdom , the Manjushri carry sword, remember, Anne Warren used to read a poetry, saying “om ma..” instead of ‘om a ra pa cha na dhih dhih dhih”. She said..what did she said? Om a ra tak tak tak tak ..she used tak tak tak tak tak almost like the Indian guy ‘kat kat kat kat..So these two are somehow related in my head somewhere. So she goes tak tak tak tak you know, instead of dhih dhih dhih dhih when she’s reading the poetry. Tak tak tak tak So, Manjushri’s sword is something to cut.You know, all these..if you look into fearful wrathful deities with their hand implements …not to be surrender, to submit. They don’t carry all these weapons to submit(Rimpoche laughs). That’s really true. So, you have to be more stronger fighting within your own field. You have to come out better than ordinary, because you have the Wisdom, you have the motivation . And you have your job with the combination of compassion. And you work, you bring it up with compassion oriented or wisdom , wisdom and compassion oriented, you are doing the job. You are not there…you have not come there with jealous to the others. You have not come there with anger to somebody else. You are not there to pay back to somebody. But you are there to make yourself to make it in your life. So, this is another level where people misunderstand,very often. If you are incapable up there fighting, then you have to do something else. Then that’s it, then you are not capable in your profession. Anyway, just like anybody else . For that you have to do something else, what you are capable of doing it. So, whatever it can help in your life, the same very thing will help you in your death too. The determination, the drive what you have, the wisdom you apply. These are the important points in our life and death, both. Well, if you use jealousy, if you use anger, it may give you some fire power. But number (a) it doesn’t last very long, (b) it is extremely expensive. So, that is the wrong fuel…fuel. That’s the wrong fuel…anger,,jealousy. But responsibility, wisdom…they are the right fuel for this. Anyway, take refuge if you are incapable of doing anything else. (laugh) I am just joking, sorry, bad joke. Anyway, taking refuge to Buddha, taking refuge to Dharma , taking refuge to Sangha is because I am not sure whether I am capable or not. When I am sure I can’t make it by myself, so then we have to rely on something else. That’s why we take refuge. That’s where the bad joke comes in.0:45:17.1(laughs)

Okay,so then ‘33’, ‘34’ is karma. I did talked basically about karma last night. I am quite sure I do expect some questions about the karma …I am sure today, bound to be. So, I am going to save that for later. But, however, you know, when you are talking about this karma, it is very interesting. As I said last night, it is extremely pervasive. It is sort of everywhere. It is sort of very very important …very efficient record, that we don’t maintain record by ourselves. But it is somehow becomes automatic record, you know. This Uncle Sam tried to maintain the best record for the individual ‘s….from the individual citizen to collect their tax. This karmic recording is much more efficient than Uncle Sam. Uncle Sam takes some time to get you and sometimes they get you wrongly too. But karmic doesn’t do that. It is always correct, it is always om the time, and it is always there because it is so pervasive everywhere.It is your own shadow, it is part of yourself. It is more than your better half. Your better will know 50% 0f your things, they don’t know the other 50%. But this is much more than that. It is half of your own personality, your own being. Sometimes even more than yourself. People talk about akashic record. The moment we talked about record, we thought..we think somebody has to write down or type them in , or punched down in computer. We don’t ; it is there automatically. That’s unfortunately, that’s karma, it doesn’t miss anything. And it doesn’t get wrong…anything.It is almost like computer. Normally computer don’t make much mistake..(*recording error..no sound)0:48:25.3..we make mistake on that.,right? But this one, automatically put by itself, so doesn’t make mistake. And it is always on time. It never delays, it is there. It is there. The moment conditions right, it sparks like this. So, I don’t know. I try to give you some picture but I am creating very murky picture. However I am not going in the traditional style of the positive karma, negative karma and results and four of these…I am not, I am just try to give you idea how do we look into karma and what do we get in our mind sort of really answer what’s this karma thing. What is it? It almost look like our fundamental base of our life; looks like sometimes. Everything happening in our life , happens two things simultaneously. ..make it happened and recorded, and the imprint have been kept on .It sort of recycles by itself. I don’t know I am making better sense or making it worse. So, it is almost like the notion in Judea Christian tradition you say,”God” “God knows everything; God is everywhere. It is almost like…karma is almost the same thing. I hope you get some kind of picture of karma what really is. It is very easy for me to say “It is cause and effect” period. Ya, cause and effect, ya, it is okay. But I try to give you little more picture. And that karma when it doesn’t make mistake, it is definite.So every positive thing, every good thing, every goodness you did, gives you positive result. And everything bad , it gives you bad results. It is sort of really doesn’t change at all. And also sometime lots of people do, ‘I did bad things here, so I have to compromise doing some good over here. So, let’s hope it will square up. It doesn’t work that way. It doesn’t. They normally give you the example of say, you put a sweet fruit tree and you going to get sweet fruit. And then you try to put a lot of jalapeno peppers around and hope it will become sweet and sour fruit, or maybe hot and sour fruit. It is not going to happen unless you ..what do you call that? Cut and join together? (Audience: graft) Unless you graft them together. Otherwise it doesn’t become hot and sour fruit. Even you graft them together, I don’t know what’s going to happen anyway. So, that was the example. So you try to do something good to compensate because I have done some thing bad over there. No, it is very independent. As much as it is pervasive, it maintains very independentness of it. So the only thing what you can do for that is try to neutralize or try to strengthen. I don’t want to use the word ‘purification) It becomes some kind of another notion completely. The moment you use word ‘purification’ it becomes religious notion in that. So that’s why I try to say here, Try to find some kind of neutralizing..You called ‘neutralizer, right? Neutralizing method. So, making sure it won’t be able to revive, if it is negative. And making sure it is strengthening , making it sure it will work well, if it is positive. And that freedom we have. We can do that even though it is done deal business, almost. Even then we have room until the result begin to pick , it is not a done deal. Though it is definite, even though we can do this. Even karma we can manipulate. Is that a bad word? Bad choice of bad word? Amy, can you throw me one word? (Audience: *unclear) So, alright. So, we do have the opportunity to be able to manipulate. Why? Because you created , it is your own creation and nothing else. And that’s why you can make a difference. Any third person try to intervene, maybe enlightened power or something, it may or may not Who know? But you and me we can make ourselves. And you have that option. You do have the key code , you have to punch right. And if you do this you can save or erase it. And that option we have. So the whole question of the spiritual practise comes within that, because of that. Because if it is a done deal case, and fixed and sealed and stamped, and then no point. Everything is impermanent , even the powerful karma is impermanent. So, we have the room to play here. Interesting. In one way it looks like heavy monster hanging over our head. On the other hand it is impermanent changeable. And if you work sometimes it is not that difficult either. I don’t want to say it is easy. But sometimes it is not difficult either. That’s karma. Bottom line, I created my karma, I am responsible, but I can also manipulate, if I know how. The Dharma is the know how, how to manipulate the karma. It is interesting if you look in that way. (*interruption) 0:58:36.5

Forgot a couple of years ago , it is very interesting , I was in Omega Institute with Colleen, remember? And we went into boat, you know, that little boat and went into water. And Zalman Schachter was there, you know Rabbi Zalman Schachter in the boat and somehow his aura…you called that ‘aura’ right?(Audience: *laughs*..oars) oars was drifting through the water and he was talking to me. Then, I pointed out because…it is drifting along and going. So I pointed out ‘your this thing is going’. and I think Colleen and we all you all pushed through and jumped and try to get that back. And when he got it back and stays in his hand, he said, “I am glad I got this back, otherwise , I have karma without Dharma;. That’s what his words. ‘Karma without Dharma’. So it is very interesting, this you know, great people , every word of theirs make lots of sense. ‘Karma without Dharma’., which sort of really you know Dharma can twist it round, (Rimpoche laughs) going this way or that way , or doing all kinds of things. So really the know how …how to manipulate the karma becomes Dharma. That is Dharma. Don’t look Dharma as something holy object, or some kind of holy stuff. Then it becomes a distance from the individual. I don’t think that will work very well with us. So we have to look Dharma as some thing within ourselves and our everyday life and how we maintain, how we function, how we do.This is important. If it becomes holy stuff, then we get out of touch. We become out of touch. So if you are out of touch, even you want to be out of touch but he karma will not let you be out of touch. It is always there. It is always there, it is very pervasive. Always, no matter what you do…during sleep, when you are drunk, when you are high, when you are low, when you are active..whatever you doing the 24 hours the karma is there functioning…tuck tuck tuck tuck like a clock,they are there , all the time. So, I hope you get some idea about karma now. But don’t think again it is some kind of permanent fixture like a those art objects you see in some squares, you know. It is not, it is changeable, you can manipulate, you make it go the right or go to the left. You can do all of those. But one thing which you cannot do there, is positive karma cannot give you negative result; negative karma cannot give you positive result, no matter whatever you do, cannot. You have a hand, opportunity to delay the result. You have opportunity to make it not happen. You have opportunity to make it disappear. And you have opportunity to make it strengthen. I think I said that already. So, I can’t think of anymore now. So, if you look at karma in that way, you approaching totally different. And it is very much part of our life. Not only a part of our life, it is almost base and life itself. I used word ‘almost’, okay. It is all the time there and it is never late. Very much on time, very much on time. And also very important too , without which you cannot function in life. Will that be enough for karma? 1:05:15.6

Now, ‘35’, ‘Recognize suffering’. I don’t have to tell you much, we all know. We know. So, ‘Thus all contaminated phenomena are suffering’. So, what happens in one’s life.You take refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha and they advise you not to do, rather than what to do. What not to do. If you try to follow it nicely, we probably manipulating the negative karmas and actually stopping the negative karmas, almost, because they tell you what not to do. There is no more additional thing , building, strengthening negative karma.And then they tell you what little negative karma left, and how to get disappear; how to get it disappear. So, you keep on doing that, that becomes your Dharma. That’s what it is. So, by doing that it sort of really ensures one life, to be good one. But what’s going to happen thereafter again? Thereafter..because I have taken care of one life. However if I stopped there, what’s going to happen thereafter. Because it will be same type of life and then there will be life with or without opportunity to do, to handle and our habitual patterns of negativities will continue. So, what will be the future of it? So, therefore we will see, so we should correct this once for all. Once for all, not just one rebirth in this hell realms, or that hungry ghost realm, or that animal realm but once for all should take care of. So, what is that? That is seeking nirvana, avoiding samsara. Why? Because samsara is suffering. That’s why we say ‘recognize suffering’.Samsara is suffering. As long as you are here, you may be able to avoid one rebirth, but you never sure thereafter. So let’s get rid of samsara completely. Let’s change our zoning completely to nirvana zoning, rather then being in samsara zoning. Even you want go over there, or change where you are, but whatever maybe, let us get into nirvana zoning rather than samsara zoning, because it is suffering. Okay. So, I am going to stop here. 1:09:38.8

So, now we are sort of getting close, and I am hoping to get to nirvana , which sort of equivalent to lam rim level , common with the medium level. So, hope to get there up to that level. And tomorrow, sort of getting to ending level now, tomorrow morning there will be no change, just the white Tara practice and the 10.30 to 12.30.Do we have lunch tomorrow ? We do have lunch. So, we will continue tomorrow morning as usual and 10.30 to 12.00 or something, cover the Mahayana path a little bit. But basically as I mentioned the other day, we do the Mahayana path but sort of pick up from the Common with the Medium level, and then moving in the Mahayana Path, little better in detail in the next summer retreat, whenever it is going to be, if you know the date (Audience: I will go check it) Do you mind, so that we can tell everybody. Thank you. So, that’s what we plan to do. And after lunch we have the Smoke Puja , normally we called it ‘Smoke for Peace’ .(Rimpoche laughs) So, World Peace, forgot about that, ‘World peace’. Anyway, the Smoke Puja and then we draw conclusion for temporarily. So, I think basically I plan to do. I don’t plan to do any manifested through your life activity. Let it manifested in that way, and that is the best way to function. That’s the practise even rather than having one hour, two hour set aside where you are going to sit like a rock, or busy like a mice saying mantras.No, the mice go round picking things, or so..it is much better to sort of really whether day in and day out, life in cushion and life dealing with every people outside,or sort of really making it, influenced by this. And keep this principle without submitting..what do you call it…submitting, right? Without submitting. So, what you really need it kind, compassionate, yet firm and determined. And that responsibilities even more because it is for the benefit of all beings.So, not only myself alone, and my life, my family alone, but it is all. ..benefit all. So, it is even more firmer and stronger. Because we do misunderstand a lot. Lot of people used to think, when I have to be poor, I have to be suffering because if I am not, it is against Buddhism. When Buddha is in life, Buddha travelled from kingdom to kingdom, king to king ,queen to queen (Rimpoche laughs) and Buddha did not (Rimpoche laughs loudly and remarked..”I didn’t mean that Kimba) Buddha did not. You know the vow of chastity? (Audience: Poverty) Poverty and what else? (Audience: Obedience)So, the buddhist don’t take vow of poverty, and obedience, both, you know the (?) It is never done, in the Buddha’s history. So that doesn't mean bunch of ego or what you called it (Audience: ego maniacs) ego maniacs running around, but it is a very well done thing. So, you really have to remember that. So we used to have that problem I think it is better. But now there is a problem, ‘should I compete or should I not compete? The competition is not right. It goes against my right livelihood”. That is the question. So, all of those are important to remember. You have to be kind, compassionate yet firm. Very important to be firm. So all have to be tough ones, okay. So, I think I’ll stop here.

(Dedication)

So, I think we go to questions. What’s happening is the tibetan system is the tunes will change and go higher and longer That’s ..otherwise at the end it doesn’t come together. So, that’s it, two things. (Audience: There are several questions about Karma. The first one is , ‘Is it true that a lot of the karma you are creating in this lifetime ripen later in this lifetime or within two life time span? “) I don’t think it is certain there . It does ripe sometimes in within this life time;sometimes 2,3,4, 5,6,7,maybe 10,15 ,20 lifetime. But whatever it maybe, the karma it is true, once you created, you get result.But what happens is karma will be completed within maximum 3 lifetimes, I think. One you created, you may get result within that life, or if not, you get another life time. I even forgot, it is now ..that doesn’t work with me. So, I think within cycles of life it completes or something. I don’t remember, I am sorry. But, it is not necessarily it has to be completed this life, or or then it has to be next one, no.It can take big gap in between. Or, it can come immediately. It depends how powerful it is, how heavy it is. When it is heavy, it comes quicker. When it is powerful, it comes quicker. And if usual thing, it takes usual time. But that’s how it works. 1:18:21.6

(Audience: You said with karma, there is no cheating, no correction but when we purify or transform negativities, isn’t exactly what we are doing?) I said, ‘no cheating’ I did not say ‘no correction’, did I? I think I said you can manipulate. So, if you can’t correct,how can you manipulate? What for? (Audience: How is karma affected if a person’s motivation was positive but another person’s perception of his action is negative?) Doesn’t depend on motivation alone, it is nature of action itself. Perspective of the other person, is lesser important than your own motivation to yourself. However, it is interesting..it all depends…motivation makes difference ,however the nature of the karma itself, when it is negative by nature even if you have very strong positive motivation, it wont do any good. Because by nature it is negative, it becomes negative. Motivation plays important role, but it is not everything. I might have emphasized the motivation, because that make difference., but that’s not everything. The nature of the action itself is more important than motivation too. Ya, I think so. (Audience: If unpurified negative karma increases, can positive karma also increase even without dedicating to all sentient beings?) Sure, even if dedicated to all sentient beings, it is increase more.Yes) (Audience: That’s good to know) (Audience: Is mechanism of karma permanent?) Mechanism of karma I believe doesn’t change. I don’t know whether I called it ‘permanent’ or not. Because karma itself is impermanent, so the mechanics of it may become …I mean, it doesn’t change, it works same way all the time. I don’t know whether..I don’t think I should call that ‘permanent’. Maybe it is little too cold, people started putting on sweaters and sneezing and all that. (Audiences: *voices..No) Oh, everybody’s says it is great, okay. Alright, okay. It says great, don’t turn down. (Audience: You mentioned , I believe a couple of days ago, that human being is permanent. Can you explain what you mean by this ?) Oh, forget it.There’s sort of very theoretical philosophical point. When you say, “Buddha is permanent, human is permanent; there is always human beings and there is always buddhas ‘ and this and that. But not every individual persons is permanent. That’s what it is. When you just name ‘human being’; human being is always there. So that is totally different category all together. It is sort of little detailed philosophical argumentative case. I don’t think it affect to the individual practice point of view or even understanding point of view. Just the label, ‘human being’, or generally human being. The human beings are always there. There will be no time where there is no human beings. There will be not time where there will be no sentient beings; there will be no time where there is no enlightened beings. So that way it is generally, you know. From that angle, from that point of view. It is nothing to be taking that serious. (Audience: Okay, couple of questions about the spirits. How do the 300 some spirits that are associated with each person affect them , positive and negative effects? And related question, given yesterday’s discussion on ghost, “When I feel help and guided in my life, is that my karma or another kind of life?) Can you repeat the second question once again?Audience: Given yesterday’s discussion on ghost, “when I feel helped and guided in my life, is that my karma or another kind of life?”) ‘Another kind of life’, what do you mean by that? (Audience: *voices….ghosts, helpful ghosts, helpful spirits..) It just said, ‘Is it my karma or another kind of life’. You mean…(Audience: * or friendly ghost..)Okay. (Audience: It says for the past…voices) (Audience: she is asking..*Unclear) ) (Audience: who asked the question?) Ah? (Audience: Sylvia) Sylvia is here. So, Sylvia,,ya.So, what’s your question, Sylvia? Don’t let people interpret your question. (Audience:*soft talking in background) (Audience: So, can another spirit help me when I need help?) It is possible (Audience: Or, it is just me?) No. Possible, those spirits can help you is possible ; they will harm you too. So, they will help you and harm you, it is possible. What was the second question? (Audience: How do they help you or harm you?) First question is? (Audience: Are they in samsara? First question, “How do the spirits help you or harm you? ) Oh, so, whatever they could do. They could make something, they could make all different things…they do ..they do have lot of power min that ..can..in that way. They can do things, they can make things happening, they can bring the conditions together and try to make the karmic consequences take place, they could do that, to limited level, to limited extend. They could do that. That’s how they do, bring the conditions, so that result will take. They can do nothing if there is no original karma available within individual. They can nothing if they cannot bring the conditions together. They could do that. You are welcome, Sylvia. 1:25:39.7

(Audience: Today’s Avalokitesvara’s initiation was supposed to purify all our negativities. Does it mean all our negative karmas have been neutralized? A clean slate?) The benefit of the initiation is neutralizing h negative karma, clean slate. However whether individual person with the one initiation whether that really clean slate or not, is different story all together. That was the benefit of the initiation. But do we all get the benefit? Em..hope so. (Laughs) (Audience: When we took the initiation today, what did we sign up for? )(Laughter) Very good question. Why didn’t you ask question before you sign in? (Laughter). I don’t think you sign anything today. More or less everybody took it as blessing , maybe few people might have taken refuge new for the first time. I don’t think you sign for..but if you say ‘om mani padme hung’ 100 times, you sure to have the benefit. (Audience: Is dual citizenship possible ..for example, being a practising buddhist and a Jew. If so, how can the differences between them be negotiated? Interesting question. You hear that expression, called ‘budjews’? (Laughs). Ya, budjews. If you born as a Jew, you’ll be Jew for all the time. That’s what it is. And Judaism. So I better not pretend to be knowing something. , I don’t know anything about it.so, Buddhism, I know little bit about it. I don’t really think there is such a big contradiction in there. I think I have said enough on that. 1:28:24.5

(Audience: If you come across someone who has died of violent death recently, is there anything you can do to help them? Is there anyway this could be harmful for you? And if it could be harmful for you, what do you do to protect yourself? ) That’s very interesting question. It is very important too. Whether people die in very violent circumstances or they just normal death, or whatever it may be, the normal way of helping is dedicating your positive karma for them. It is like giving a gift or present a gift…dedicating your positive karma for them. It is very funny …it is really funny here. What happens here dedication change the ownership too, in normal. On the other hand, the best what we can do is dedicate the positive karma. But just by simply dedicating all our positive karma goes to them, it is different story. They may have some effect but the best what we can do is dedicate them. So when you dedicate your positive karma for something, do you deprive of that karma, you lost the ownership and somebody else took over..I don’t think so, though we called that ‘ownership change’. However somehow you dedicated that, I don’t think it is this positive karmic consequence limited to one limited at all. So what happens is, when you dedicate something, they will have effect to the other person whom you dedicated. However it does not leave your thing..I believe that’s how best way to help. So, when the person dies violently and if you are there, and if you encountered or something, it could harm you too. Psychologically , we know, very well, it does,. Spiritually, I don’t know. Could? Whatever maybe, the best way to protect ourselves is the love compassion. Love compassion is the ultimate way of protecting. Though normally people go for protection or you say mantras, or meditate protection realms and this and that. But the true protection really is the love compassion. Rimpoche quotes “ …..malu tam che….” When Tsongkhapa praised the Buddha saying, “hey, you are the only person who knows how to defeat hundred thousand maras soldiers without picking up a single arrow or bullet or single weapon. You know how to protect. That protection is true love and compassion”. So, really love..particularly love is the best protection. There are stories in usual Lam Rim teachings. There was a group of ghosts and there was a meditator. And the group of ghosts usually had meeting at night, and they decided to get rid of this meditator because they are afraid after a little while this meditator will become powerful and they will harm them. So, they wanted to nip that guy on the butt. (Laughs) so, that’s what they decided. (Laughs)And among them, one of them volunteered and so that fellow, she ghost, volunteered, to destroy him and went there. One time went there, this guy is crying , meditating , crying. So, wondering what he’s crying for? So he’s crying thinking of the sufferings of the people including those ghost. So she couldn’t do anything , she says, “He is worrying about us and I can’t harm him” and then went away. And then, couple of times. And then the next meeting came, and one of them noticed, this guy is still there. What happened? You took responsibility. So then she said, “Well, I went there several times , he is only crying about us. So what can I do? So, maybe you do something else.”. So the other person volunteered , same thing happened. So, ultimately they become friends of his and even become protector for him. So the love compassion is really the best protection, particularly to ourselves. The ultimate protection that Buddha gained. You know during the Buddha, when he’s become Buddha, all the evil forces manifested all possible harm and everything changed into flowers and things like that. It is all because of the Love and Compassion meditation. That is the result of Love Compassion rather than you try threaten them and kick them and dig them and this and that. And if you do this , if you encounter with ghost, sometimes when you are not capable enough , they can harm you too. So, never indulge in a wrathful activities. We have a friend who does those and sometimes when it becomes too much, they have to hesitate a little bit, you know. You know what I am talking about it? Ya. So, it is Love Compassion is he best protection. Even the protection threads, chords are given during the initiations , it is also given in the name of Love, Buddha Maitreya. (?) interpreted .. till Maitreya teachings come, you will be protected. Or by Maitreya Buddha, by Love , you may be protected. So it is really the best protection is Compassion. How long you have to meditate Compassion? Till you become perfect..till perfection.1:36:17.3

(Audience: The last question.Could you further explain how the guru is the root?) Well, because the guru has so many..(Rimpoche laughs) what do you call those …the roots has so many …what do you call those? Stems? Shoots. Roots and shoots. I don’t think I say ‘ guru is root’, did we? Guru devotional practise is called root of all development. I did not think guru is root, we said about that..1:36:52.9