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20001005GRNYOTF03

Odyssey to Freedom – Third Talk on Guru Devotion dated 10/05/2000 (During the early days of the Bush Administration here in the U.S. and less than a year from 9/11/2001)

The Subject for today’s talk will be on Guru Devotion

0:05 We have to continue talking, I have to go back a little bit. There was a little careful with guru devotional proactive. Number one, I did not give you an opportunity to ask questions. Number two, I am still not sure how much ground you people have and those of you who are (?) here. How much ground you have really established, I’m not sure. So that is two reasons why I don’t want to jump in this yet. I still want to go back to that old place which you have. It is the page before 111 in the Odyssey to Freedom, from pages 91 to 111. So, I still want to go back to that level and make certain that we have understood, though I gave you a gist and I also gave you bare bones of what guru devotional practice is all about it. 2:02. Still, I am not sure. So, so many times I cannot go back and do it again and again, I really wanted to do this a little more. I still would like to continue on some old subjects rather than move to a new one.

2:25 So last time I talked to you about the quality of the master. Whether the master is necessary or not necessary and the quality of the master and whether you can really the ten quality of all, maybe not, but how much discount you can give and where you cannot give discounts. All of those I have mentioned, and I hope you get it a picture of this. If not, I will keep on talking and you don’t get any pictures, so we get nowhere. So, this is something which you very seriously looking into it and very carefully. So, that’s that! So, I wonder does anybody have any questions or not. 3:43 [Questions from the audience]

Gelek Rimpoche paraphrased the question from the audience. How can you enter into a relationship with a teacher? Does anybody have any answer to that? He listened. How about you Mena. What is the teaching that started the relationship? Is that right. In form it is. In reality. Well Masters you can show up is informative but is not so much a relationship are necessary. So, Allison, is it worthwhile what that we talk about all of these last couple of days - observation, how important. We put qualifications from tantra in, qualities one should observe, and bla, bla, bla all of those we have done. 5:29.

So, here the question is: how to enter into a relationship? And somebody said, they showed up. Somebody said if it doesn’t solve. Another answer: Isn’t there something in the mind of the teacher that you don’t have it and open it and seek it, then what is it? And you want to seek it. So, now I would like to go to you. You know that very well, so anyway, go ahead. The first four back there go ahead. So, the idea is looking at the heart and you just see a little red piece of meat…with the heart. So probably you see the veins, the nerves, and the blood flowed and what else do you see in there? That’s very interesting. When you look at it, you look for the connection. The actual question is “What is the connection?” So, the answer here is look in the heart and you see the connection if it’s there, it’s there if it’s not there it’s not there. This has become quite clear. Right? Is that sort of the right way to (?) to what you said or did I, this isn’t quite right? That’s in your own words. You are all looking for you own happiness. So, yea, and [long pause]. 8:53

So, I spoke last time about the appreciation as the seed and maybe there is something to look in there. That’s what you’re saying right? So that’s probable that when you look in the heart, you probably see it. So, when your saying, when it’s there it’s there, it’s clear. If it is not there, it’s not there. It’s clear. So, you are probable looking for is “appreciation,” as a sort of seed. Yea, perhaps. 9:39 [Long pause]. You said the right word, then you get it appreciation and if you say the wrong word, you won’t like it. So instead of getting appreciation, you get upset, angry, hatred or maybe dislike or whatever. So, that’s what you think, and I added in that in there. So but with this conversations going around and back and forth. Somehow, we ar getting some idea about, aren’t we? 11:15

11:15 - 11:50 [no audio due to audience formulating answers to Rimpoche’s question on guru devotion). So, the question in mind is how does the relationship begin? So, appreciations of the teachings, that’s right. Do you want to add anything? To me, what, (audience inaudibly answering) 13:53 That is the beginning of the relationship. Oday, does anyone say it or do you want to say it. So, it’s a very strange question. The questions go to you way over there. She is not even looking at me. In your case, you, in your case. You come here almost every time I’m here for the last two or three years. You have here for a little less than hour or two hours, a little more than one hour. But the driving here you do. Is it four hours one way? Two hours one way. So that’s four hours both ways. So very time. So, what makes you do that? What did she say? I don’t know. You could have had (? Odyssey) yesterday and meditate, just listened to tape or just read a book, why not?

There must be some urge, sometime for year after year, day after day four hours driving, you know. Things that I say are alright. I don’t know! What is maybe true to you, you know. That’s what you think and that’s what’s maybe happening. However, I don’t know what it is. What is the (?) and what is the urge? I don’t know. Whether it is part of guru devotion or part of individual desire or whatever it is I don’t even know. But I thought this is important point to raise. And is also important for you. So maybe you’re clear or you’re dreaming. But it is important things for you to think, too. I am not trying to discourage you to come here. But I think it is an important thing to be thinking about. 18:01

18:01 So we really don’t have an answer to the question of (why) whether you are doing this. Meana answer is very simple. That’s a good answer. It may be true. It is true, in one way. But, if you are looking at this, as I mentioned the other day, appreciation is as true. What I am saying this as seed. Seed is good guru devotional practice, does not mean, seed of guru devotional practice grows. It means the seed of all individuals spiritual development without which probably no spiritual development (?), but true genuine spiritual development. i am not talking about it. You can simply fly in the air or you can levitate on the path. I am not talking about those part of. I am talking about genuine spiritual development. It will probably not grow within anybody without that seed. And that’s why it’s called the root of all development. You are right, if it’s there it’s there. You recognize it clear is very close. But if not there, one has to develop that, without which, it becomes quite difficult. 20:11

20:11 Very true effective spiritual development will not grow. It grows you can get a lot of information. You can learn a lot. You can think a lot. But is so important to have that. It is the very base and foundation of all other developments, totally based on that. Otherwise, all the other all built in will become ice castle. When ice melt, the castle will go. On top of that I would like to add a little bit. Not only the quality of the spiritual teacher and the quality of the individual practitioner, and also the understanding in between. From the language point of view, it is so important. We haven’t talked this with you, very little. Because we have understanding difficulties with the Mongolians and Tibetans and between the Chinese and the Tibetans. So that’s why it is to be able to understand. You know I don’t want to say something which has had not happened before. I would like to bring all of these examples like this that had happened before. 22:00

22:01 So I have mentioned the other day, the Mongolians and Tibetans teacher and Mongolian student and Mongolian teacher and Tibetan students and they had a number of difficulties because of not understanding the language, which is very much we have today between the Tibetan and the English or any other language. This experience is already done in Tibet and before in those early years in those centuries - 15th century, 16th century, 17th century for three hundred years, there has been this problem on not reliable communication. Become a big problem, tremendous amount of problem. So, it is so important to understand what we are talking about. The example given in this particular, are the Sanskrit’s scripts that are found in Mongolia, a Mongolian lama, and when they’re giving a teaching to the Mongolians, they are always giving examples. A lot of examples are Tibetan. It is so funny. In the center of Tibet, we are always making jokes about some people from some area, where the Panchen Lamasery Monetary, in that area. We always make a joke about them. It is the traditions of the Southern making jokes about them Yankees and that type of thing. It is always something. If you go to India the most rest of the Indians, make joke about the Subhadra’s who wear those things. They make funny jokes all the time. It is very similar about Tibetans make joke Simba’s in that particular locality, in south of Tibet. 24:30 This Mongolian lama had shared that that particular joke and the same that is important to understand. 24:41

24:41 There was a Sampi guy who went to Lhasa and who had a donkey and had lost the donkey. The donkey is gone. He doesn’t know the name of the particular donkey. He doesn’t know this kind of kind of beings called donkey. You know donkey. So, he went and asked everybody. Did you see my animal? So, everybody said, what type of animal. What name is it. What is it. So, he doesn’t know. He doesn’t know at all. We kept on talking so many things, but no one could understand because he could not find any answer from everywhere. Finally, he thought about it. He sat there, he thought about it. So, I have to make sure people understand what I am talking about it. So, he sat down, and he thought, how do I describe donkey. Another donkey came by and he doesn’t know what to say. So finally, he got an idea. He grabbed a piece of grass and he found on dung of donkey and he brought two of them in hand and he says, “One who eats this and on who passes this.” One who eats this and one who passes this. So almost all the animals eat grass, right? So, that doesn’t mean much but somehow someone understand turd, it is a donkey’s dung. It could be horses’ dung or mule dung, but somebody understood, and somebody said that’s called pumu which means donkey. Pumu. So he went there and said did you see Pumu? Oh yea, we saw a pumu go this way that way, this color pumu, that color pumu, all sorts of pumus went on to find his own donkey. So when you don’t understand it, you don’t get it. Alright? 27:08

27:08 So simply knowing the word of donkey alone, doesn’t help. You really have to get it, what color the donkey it is and all this. And likewise, when we are on the spiritual path we have to be very careful with the terminologies that we are talking about it. If you don’t you are not going to find your donkey at all. So, the understanding of the language is very important. 27:53

27:53 In another example of here if you don’t get it what people are saying. There was a master who had good jewelry made out of precious stones. He was traveling with his servant together to start a new retreat. You know, this is good old Tibet, there’s no motels. There are no hotels. So, they stopped near a tree and they spent the night. And he took off his jewelry and put in a bag to hang on a tree where would sleep. In early morning they got up and left and he forgot about it. And, after a little while and he said, Hay I forgot my jewelry and it was hanging on that branch in that tree where we sleep last night on that part of it and you go there and find it (In Tibetan) Ship-la-samba. Ship means make it very subtle. There are subtle and gross goat. Check very carefully, subtle and gross level and bring it. (In Tibetan). Ship-la-samba that’s the word they used -subtle and gross bring it. So, the servant said, “Yes, sir” And he went off with the horse and the pouch of jewelry. So, he thought about the word Ship-sing, subtle gross. Which normally we use for the barley flower. The staple food for Tibet is barley flower, very subtle and very well grounded barely flower and very rough (coarse) barley flower. That means ship-sing means subtle and gross sometimes used for the food. So, he thought about it. Oh, my master said make it gross and subtle both. So, he went and looked around and found two pieces of root and rock and he chopped them down completely and made some very very subtle like sand and some are very gross and brought them back. The Master asked, did you find it. The servant said, yes. I made some ship-la-samba, these are the subtle and these are the gross ones. As you told me, I have done this, which means he destroyed the jewelry completely. 30:45. So when you don’t get the language understanding straight, so that’s what you get. So, this is another example. I am throwing all these funny examples to you, so that you remember. This is not new. I told you, I found a story book. So, this is full of those. 31:11

31.11 You know there are four volumes of this. Four volumes, each volume has over three hundred pages. It goes through the Odyssey to Freedom from number thirteen to number sixty-four. And each one of them will have five, ten or fifteen different stories. They are funny. So, also understanding is very important. We do have a problem with today’s problem. Every translator uses one terminology for ten different things. Now, take for example, take the word ego. What does that mean? The word ego has been produced by the psychologist to describe a certain point of a mental state or level. We as a Buddhist try to use it, ego, in something else, and a lot of people commonly use ego as for pride or something like that. So, for those things, one the translators use different terminologies and two, even we knowingly use certain words for different purposes, trying to describe different states of our mind. So, I think it’s very important to get it clear, particularly when you are entering a part like this and when the relationship between the spiritual master and the disciple building. So we have to know exactly what you mean by those particular words. And we really have to have a clear understanding, otherwise, remember we said the other day, the Mongolians and Tibetans slept together and looked at each other gibberish so it doesn’t mean anything because the other party is talking in Mongolian and the Mongolian language you hear gibberish (my interpretation) and the other party hearing in Tibetan and hear gibberish. So that doesn’t mean anything. So that will happen. So, it is important. 33:48

33.48 These are important to understand in order to build the relationship; and therefore, the requirement of the teacher bring all out of the way with all kinds of patients that you have. Apply on that and be sweet and because I am telling you about the teachers’ qualities, which means, when you become a teacher, you have to have that quality. So, you always have to be sweet and kind. There are holy horrors available, but that’s a different issue. Generally, what the Buddha demands is always the teachers are kind and compassionate. We always talk about it, even the ten qualities who already have a very good compassion. So always be able to repeat it against and give a different example and come around and making sure the people are talking the same thing. Make sure the other (?) dozen is understood what you are talking about it. And that is another quality of a teacher. So, when you become a teacher, that’s what you have to have it. 35:32

35:23 You know I talk to you in this country, you know a lot of people are looking for recognition, or teacher ship, or appointment, and giving the seal and stamp to confirm your teacher. These are the qualities that no one has the authority to give to anybody else. I have share with you a number of times when I went to an American Buddhist Teachers Conference. The subject that they give me to talk is the level the other teachers have giving recognition to many teachers. None of the Tibetans have not done, why not? That was my subject to talk. But I said, “I don’t know I have the authority to give.” It’s true I don’t see I have any authority to give to say you are a teacher. But when I think when giving teachings, it may be helpful. Then I would request that person to lead a group to do this, to do that and then the people will judge whether that persons going to be helpful to me or not. Whether that person has the qualities of the teacher that I am looking for is there or not. That is how it has to come, rather than somebody else said, “I appointed you here, by the seal of Emperor of China (gong sound). You’re not going to work that, and it’s not going to be good for anybody else. So, that’s what it is. That’s why we talk about the teacher’s quality carefully. And one of the qualities is to make sure that the people understood what you are talking. And you follow. That is very important. Otherwise, I am talking about the pillar and you are talking about the vase or the bottle. So, then it doesn’t work. And that is one of the qualities 37:51

37:51 But mostly important quality over here is (in Tibetan). This particular point here says “Unless and until you really deal with your own mind and you have developed yourself, until then, no matter how many good words you will pour out, it doesn’t help anybody else. In addition to that, you will create a lot on contradiction to yourself and no one really helps. You cannot help anybody. For the first and foremost, have compassion and love to all sentient beings, keep them in mind and for their sake work with yourself. Deal with your own mind. Develop your own mind. Gain your own experience and share that with others. This is one little verse tells you so much how you can be helpful for others. Spiritually! If you’re not clear and confused, then you bring the message of confusion and then you make ten more people confused and that ten people will make another people to become confused. There you get a hundred. Then you get thousands. So it is so important right from the beginning, you have to understand what you do. That is the major quality of the spiritual master. If you don’t have that, you don’t have that. So you don’t be a spiritual teacher.

So when the disciple or student looking for a spiritual master, one has to look for that quality. And, also when a spiritual master would like to help a student, you should also look for the quality of the student as well. Otherwise, it is not going to be helpful to so many at all. I’m going to cut short there. 41:04

41:04 I would like to bring Atisha teaching on this. Atisha says (In Tibetan). Atisha was from India, an Indian teacher, who came over to Tibet, and everybody respecting Atisha and looking for his teachings and all that sort of things. And a lot of Tibetans who would like to become a teacher at that time and goes to Atisha says “I can teach, and I am good, and I am bad. You do the same thing here, too. So, whether it’s valid to Tibetans (?). So Atisha answer to them was “Until you are able to ripen your own mind, in other words, you can make your mind perfect. Until that, you cannot help anybody else. So, those things for you, is to work with your mind. (In Tibetan) The second thing is that if you don’t have clear mind or see all those, then you won’t be able to help that much. It’s necessary, you have to know the mind of the people. You have to know the culture of the people. You need to know the culture. You need to know the mind of the people, so you can address what their needs are. So, therefore, you need to work hard to develop clean mind for yourself. That’s what Atisha said that. 43:15

43:15 Milarepa effort on top of that. Milarepa said “IN Tibetan). If you want to be a leader of many people, to lead many people to spiritual path, you need clairvoyance and some magical power, as well. Magical power! So that what Milarepa said. Add the Dalai Lama on top of that. (In Tibetan) So the first Dalai Lama says “If you are going to be spiritual teacher, you have to have no personal interest for whatever. Every personal interest should be gone. Should not have that, at all. Thus, what you really have working for you is working for the benefit of others. You also need clairvoyance, art of presentation, and patience. These are the conditions to help others. So, in other words, the spiritual masters do need a certain level of clairvoyance. Right? What? (audience). Rimpoche says, “ I do have clairvoyance, I can’t even pronounce. So, it shows you how good it is. So, um, so, it is also very important to have some of those. Not showing that something happens here, somethings happen there. Something happens there. Something happens here. So that when you have concluded your life’s story, then you begin to see that this happened that happened, that happened. Because, otherwise on the order of Buddha Shakyamuni claiming that I have this, I can read your mind, I can do this, I can do this. I can tell you exactly what’s going to happen. If you’re an astrologer, you may say that on the basis of astrology reading. If you some Moe, Eni Mean Miney Moe, if you do that, maybe you say maybe it may be good this way, it may be good that way on the basis of Moe. These are the excuses you use. Actually, the spiritual master is supposed to cast those out of your mental understanding.

46:51 I will tell you one story about my Father. My Father, perhaps during his time, one of the outstanding “Moe” guys in Lhasa. You would see fifty, sixty, seventy, one hundred, two hundred people lined up all the time, every day, except maybe New Years. New Year’s not so much also. Not for doing “Moe” but to pay New Year’s respect of something. And sometimes he sit out there like Rinpoche in his own room cushion nicely. Sometimes you see him out in the streets and hear what for are you coming. Of lots say tell me, tell me, tell me. And some people don’t know he is Demo Rinpoche or not. They have difficulty (difficult to understand) as people kept hounding him to tell them what they wanted. He didn’t want this. So sometimes he said I will tell him, you come into see. Anyway, that is his part of the story. But what he does is he has these little dice. He’ll throw the dice ten fifteen times. He looks at them and clang clang clang, he never looks at the dice. He never looked. He threw the nice and after a little while, then sometimes he held the dice for a little while and sometimes not. So, then he does that. He’s using that as an excuse for showing for telling the person what’s better for that person and whether he should do this or whatever. A billion different people have been asking this question. You never know. Some people will say should I do this, this and this. Or should i not do this, this and this. Should I invest money here or should I invest there. How much should I do here, how much should I do there and all that with no commission. No commissions. So that what happens. And, no commissions, that’s funny. When I first came here, there is a Tibetan guy here, a business guy, ask me a couple of times to (advise) should I put money here or should I put money there. I did not have Idea; you know to throw dice to say that is good. Then he told me one day, he said when I say it’s good, I don’t mean Tibetan style of good. He says what does that mean, that’s when I first came here. Tibetan style of good means it’s good in ten years’ time. I’m not looking for that I am looking for five- or six-months’ time. I am not looking for long time. Then this guy started sending me checks, and the checks are not that small. It is like tens of thousands. I asked, what’s that for? He said, “I have to give commission to somebody else, so might as well give it to you. 51:02 Then I realize he won’t take it back. This is our company. So I took the money back and I stopped doing that because it is not good. I am not a broker number one. And number two I could mislead, right. So I stopped doing that. So any way, my Father says don’t looking for that, he tells you. In my case I have to look for number three or fifteen. Then I open the books. Then the book will tell. It is like the I Ching play. Eni Mene Miney Moe almost work like I Ching kind of thing. So, it may be a good coincident, you may get a couple of thousand dollars. If it is a bad incident. You don’t know what’s going to happen. 52:11

52:11 The thing is that actually you rely on clairvoyance, not the dice. And those who don’t know anything about it, such as me, not only depends on the dice and hidden number and the lead which you can do. You can get a couple of pennies and through it and do the I Ching, in this sense. Anyway, so, that is one quality. Then another is a little bit of clairvoyance, those things are necessary, we all do it. Out of your mind you are going to hang up in the air. Your ground floor is clouds and you are still sitting up there. That happen right if you get your own building back. Little more or less, cleaner and newer but you told me. So this are sometimes when you look very carefully you find it. And I wanted to share with you it happens both with my Father and (?). When you go and see them, they will throw the dice and look it up. Sometimes they always look, and they tell you this is number thirteen or something. they will do that. But a number of times, it emergency is happening. So, one time I went into the bathroom and my Father is sitting on the pot, the commode, start talking (?) someone is asking something and something, and asking you to do more and check. And he says I don’t have to throw dice. Tell him this thing will happen, that thing will happen. So, don’t do that. So, I told him there it rarely happens. So that is the how the qualities is, what is called clairvoyance. 55:15

55:15 Now, another thing is, that is not enough. Listen to me, that’s not enough. Another thing is you need a karmic relationship, a karmic relation between the spiritual master and the disciple. You really have to have a karmic relationship. If there is no karmic relationship it doesn’t work very well. For example, this mean, I am sure, familiar to so many people, Gampo Rinpoche, that is Garand pupa Dhen mo, are you familiar, the great Karmapa. Gam pupa at the time at the time of the Karmapa the most important teachers at the time was Potowa. So, this karmatalama (Tibetan). So gam pupa was looking for this Lam Rim stage of development and how wonderful is was for people. He was searching for that. He wrote an very famous book; we call that (Tibetan). So Grand pupa said “Jewel Ornament of Liberation, right, its called in English the foundation so looking for that and development. So he went to see Portowa, the great Portowa at that time and asked Potowa would you give me the teaching as well as would you teach me please. So Potowa told Gam pupa well is you want to choose and you want me teach you, I’ll teach you go on and get teaching from somebody else. If you want me to give you teaching, I’ll give you teaching and you go and find your own food. That’s what is. That’s what Potowa told Gam pupa. So Gam pupa thought “well this particular teacher is very famous but I don’t think he is knowledgeable. His quality is not that good. How can he say, you choose one. You’re supposed to say okay. So he didn’t say okay. He said you choose one. If you want food I give you food. If you want knowledge, you go somewhere else. If you want knowledge from me, I’ll give you knowledge. You go and find your food somewhere else. He’s not great. So Gam pupa went to somebody else and thought he’s very famous but he may not be great. So he went to Gemgiwa and he started under Gemgiwa. Though it happens to be Gemgiwa was a student of a student of Portowa. But at that time, he does not know he went to that because there is no karmic connection and that’s the reason why even great masters such as Gam pupa is not to different person is one person with a couple of different names. So such a great person, such a great teacher like with Potowa, even then there is no karmic relationship. That’s what happens. 59:31

59:51 The same thing happen with Milarepa. When Milarepa went to Marpa, and Milarepa said, so I am here under your feet, so please give me everything I need, the dharma, the food, everything. So, the Marpa told Mila the same thing if you want food, I’ll give you food. You go and find your dharma from somebody. if you want dharma, I give you dharma and you find your food from somebody. But Mila refused to go. He said, “I don’t care whatever you say, I am staying here.” You feed me, you don’t feed me, doesn’t matter. But I do want the teachings from you. So Mila remains. It was a clear indication at that time, the Mila had good karmic connection with Marpa and Mila. That’s why given the same answer, but Mila chose to remain. But Gam pupa left saying that this teacher is very famous but I don’t think he is knowledgeable. How can he say be of use. You can take one and not going to happen to you (?) So, these are the earlier incidents that took place. So, the karmic connection is also very important. Not only the quality of spiritual teacher but also the quality of the disciples, but also the karmic connection. Is also very important. These are the examples what has to happen. 61:40

61:40 If there is good karmic connection, if there is a good relationship of a spiritual teacher and student. What happened. This is one of the Panchen Lama called (?) San Durapo says (In Tibetan) So when there is a great relationship between the disciple and the spiritual masters, the moment the spiritual master shows you the method, the feeling, the experience, and to be sustain the experience you don’t lose it. You may have a feeling, such a great emotional feeling, your body hairs are up, tears go out and all that, but within two seconds it’s gone. So that means it’s not lasting. So not only you have the feelings, you gain experience, not only you get experience, it’s maintained. just like that within you. Something happens even if you don’t have time to meditate. So, this is good examples of a good master and good disciple and good karmic connection. That’s what it is. These are important to know. 64:22.

64:22 So the job of a spiritual master is the job of wisdom. Out of the six parameters, the wisdom parameter job, showing that. You know you have six parameters, there is generosity, patients, morality, enthusiasm, concentration and wisdom. We call the first five blind. The sixth one is with eye. So, the sutra, the Buddha said (in Tibetan) If you have these five parameters they are like blind people. You throw the blind people in a nearby city, they will not know where to go or what to do, how they can read (presumably a map) to the city. There is nowhere they can read to the city or whatever until someone can show them. Right? Likewise, all these five parameters are like blind, wisdom, the six parameters will lead. The generosity should be the perfect generosity. The morality should be correct morality. The patients should be the right thing rather than wrong thing. Enthusiasm should only be on right things rather wrong thing. Concentration should be on right rather than wrong thing. They are all lead by the sixth parameter, the wisdom parameter, leads all others. The job of the spiritual parameter is the six-parameter leading the people to the right path. Right people. If you are blind you cannot lead blind. Blind doesn’t lead blind or you will fall someday. You may get crashed. The elephant may come and pick you up and throw (I’m talking about two thousand five hundred years ago). I am not talking about car that crashed. The elephant will come and smash you. If you are blind leading blind. 67:43

67:43 So, (IN Tibetan) So someone asked Milarepa what a guru is. What is a lama. Milarepa relied (in Tibetan) One who has to know it, one who has conformation, one who has the kindness, one who has a lot blessing to be able to give. Isn’t that person called great lama? That’s what Milarepa calls it. Now you see the quality of lama. You also see the quality of disciples. You also see how it leads to. These are the important points you have to know number thirteen, number fourteen and number fifteen in Odyssey to Freedom on that level. Now, still we haven’t answered your question. how does the relationship (work). What is it? So when you change the outline in Lam Rims, then question really comes in and says “What is it? The root of all development, guru devotion is intellect faith, not blind faith. Faith is absolutely important, intelligently. If you don’t have intelligent faith, you have a blind faith, all the incidence that we shared are difficult that we had. The sixth things including Jim Jones, Hail Bob, Hells Gate, whatever, all of those happens to be blind faith. You do need intelligent faith. Without faith it doesn’t work, even in Buddhism. (In Tibetan). 71:05

71:05 Half words here half words not there. Oh, this one is different than what I had in my heart. (In Tibetan) So the faith is the preliminary thing we need. It is like a mother. Without mother you cannot have children. The birth of the children absolutely depends on the Mother. We are still talking old time, I am not talking about gnomes and bottle production, okay. We are talking about old times (In Tibetan) Faith is like a mother which not only gives you the birth of quality, but it protects you and makes you grow. Two words are added here that are very beautiful. It clears your doubts. It delivers you across the river, which means that you cross the river of anger, river of hatred, the river of attachment. It delivers you across the river. The faith is the example of the city of liberation. So, that is where the relationship is. I am glad you asked that question, today. So, that’s what it is. 73:54

73;54 (In Tibetan) If you don’t have the faith, what happens? If you don’t have that seed, that relationship, then what happens? No spiritual development of what Buddha described is not guru at all. When the seed is burned, you cannot hope to have any crops to grow, even grass. So it was very clear. So that is why the relationship begins. That’s why I said appreciation is the seed. That’s what it is. We talk a lot about it. Seeking a blessing of a guru, giving a blessing of Buddha. What are we talking about? We’re talking about this one. We’re talking about this. If you don’t have this, intelligence, faith, then it is not that we are not providing hope of the kindness and compassion of enlightened beings. Enlightened beings are there to hook up. However, if you are unable to provide a a ring, a hook can do nothing. 76:21 Maybe you are unconscious here, it’s better off (?) Are you with me. That’s what it is. If you have that, not only it provides a seed, but it opens all spiritual development, all spiritual good qualities, no matter how difficult it is. Sometimes it develops within you without much effort. I’m sure it comes about here (In Tibetan). I share that story with a number of people.

77:17 When I first got the Vajra yogini initiation, the first time. It was from (________) in Lhasa in the second month of the Tibetan calendar, early March or something, late February, early March. On that day, __________, told me to join him to take the self-initiation for the preparation. And I told _______, I can’t. He said why not? I said, I am not doing the retreat. I did not even get an initiation before. Never had anything before. He said, that doesn’t matter, come in. So, I did that with him and did all the self-initiation along with him, he and me alone. We did that. He said, you will be my attendant today, bring the vase and whatever. I said whatever. So, I was bringing the initiation vase, then lightning and thundering came in. This kind of thing never happens in Winter in Tibet. Never, ever. So ______ Rinpoche told me (IN Tibetan) Lama would like to deliver you to get anywhere you want to go. That was profound faith. That’s what he told me. So, things like that happen occasionally in my life. 79:22.

There is a time that is different. Time what we have here. What we call it as twenty-first century and the time I was there it was like back in the sixteenth or seventeenth century, though it was like the 1950’s but the condition and the culture at that time in Tibet. Not even in 1950’s but late 40’s. It was way before the Chinese come in, so 48 or 49. I was only ten or something like that. So, it should be a little bit later than that because I remember was a little taller than that as I can reach to the chair next to the (?). So, I have to be a little bit taller. So anyway, this sort of thing happens. These are the conditions are right and the qualities are right, and the karmic conditions are right, these things happen. So that’s why knowing your spiritual master qualities. We have given you examples, good examples and reflecting them on yourself. Whether you would like to be a spiritual teacher or not you like to develop yourself spiritually. So that’s why the quality whatever we’re talking about. we are talking about spiritual teachers, masters. When you are getting that within you, you are developing spiritually. It is not a teacher training. 81:48

81:48 Traditionally, we don’t train teachers. Because training is “not an issue.” It is not a traditional thing. So, we talk about these qualities. This is what you are looking for when you’re looking for spiritual development. That’s what you are looking for. So, the answer for the relationship “where it begins” it begins there. It is not necessary that an individual has to be extra civil to the individual twenty-four hours a day. No, eight hours a day. No anytime you want to. No, it is not like this. The closeness within the mind, individual, the richness in the appreciation, and the intelligence. These are the most important for guru devotion. 83:00

83:00 The traditional teaching will tell you that guru devotional practice should look at the guru as a buddha. Guru equal to Buddha. Guru inseparable from Buddha. It depends on Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana. Like a Buddha, as a Buddha, inseparable as a Buddha. But does that make difference? That makes a difference through the individual. What kind of blessings? What kind of development? I am going to take. It doesn’t matter what the teacher is. I will give you another story here. 83:51

83:51 There was an old lady who has, actually one is available in “The Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand.” Number one when I was a Buddhist student then. (?) There is two Tibetan guys and one old lady in Lhasa (and this is a true story). True story, the year is fourteen hundred. And these two guys is going to go to southern Tibet, where there is Chakasempera said, a palace, near the Indian border there is a little mountain called ______________ (?). So they go for those. Tibetans go to for __________________. It is very difficult to go because of these local semi-Tibetan-Indian people will come and rob them all the time. Even if you send the army, you need to protect ______ and all that they do. Even in 1940’s we always talk about who is going there. How many soldiers going? How many pilgrimages going, all this. So anyway, two of these are going, and this lady, who came after them, an old lady in the village, came up to these two and said “I heard that you two are going to Rapacherry, that’s the name of the mountain. Is that true.” And he said, “Yes.” Then I have something to ask you, but I am not going to ask you today, because I am in empty hand and empty mouth. I am not going to ask you. So, then the next morning she showed up in the house. She brought a very nice big jar of tea bags for the tea and also ________, something to eat and something to carry with them. Some nice stuff. And she offered them tea and they drink tea, then she drinks tea and she said, “We should talk of important things with empty mouth.” So, she serves them tea. And they she said to them, “Would you please bring a little piece of rock for me from that mountain for me to pray?” Oh, yes, yes, yes, your gifts are very good. No problem. No problem (said the two guys). So, they went and then they completely forgot to pick up the rock. 87:01 So this old lady is counting the days. And now they are about to come. So, she started looking through the (?) river of hard buildings whether they are coming. You know the old times in the village, people come occasionally for them, their coming or not coming. So, one day she saw them coming. They also saw her looking at the rooftop and thinking what to do. So, she was watching all the time and they couldn’t pick up any rock because she was watching. So, they don’t know what to do. So, they had an idea, they had to pretend to do their business, you know, bathroom business. So, they sat down somewhere and without her knowing, the found about this size a little black rock. They put it in their pocket. 87:59 They sort of cleaned and cleared the rock and put it in their pocket and walked by. And then she said, “I hope you have not forgot my request.” They said, “Oh no, no, no we brought.” Okay, so she was happy. So early the next morning she brought tea and chum, the beer, you know, and all of that. And, then said “well, I am here to receive my rock.” They also had cleaned that rock that night, rubbed them in the scarf and said here you are. Here is your rock. 88:43. Did you pick up this in the mountain ______________. They said, “Yes, we went right in front of the mountain. (You know they have been there, so they know) so I am sure one of them talked and said we picked it up right from that spot. She was really impressed, and she took that rock back to her room and she worshiped that rock all the times. One hundred prostrations in the morning, and one hundred prostrations in the evening, according to this. One hundred prostrations. And also like the tea and flower and incense and all of that. With every food she eats she makes food offering there. And she had great faith. 89:48. So somehow the rock begins to change is shape and so she has no faith and she started praying harder and one day, within that rock, a Vajra Yogini completely comes out, almost like three diamonds probably, comes out of that rock. So, naturally, she is going to have tremendous faith. Right? So, all of this has been possible for its a straw she just picked it up perhaps in her own backyard by these people. But these people having gone there and happens to rub in the scarf, not because it is something precious, but it is to that shape. However, from her angle she had tremendous faith from that mountain, who happens to be the Haruki palace. So, she thought something from there has to be fantastic. I have some very important karmic connection, so the Vajra Yogini really appears, naturally within that rock. 91:32. So the rock is ordination, but the faith of the old lady make it work.

91:45 Likewise, some teachers, spiritual masters maybe just ordinary, but if I am able to look (at them) as my spiritual master; if I look at that person as a buddha, I get the blessing. Good! Like that ordinary rock from your back yard because a yogini. So, this sometimes it works. It is very hard to say, tell you, that this difficulty that in this scientific period. It is hard to tell you but it’s true and it happened before, and it will happen again, too. This not a story. I told you the rock, the Buddhist truth and the meaning of your life. it happens to be just that rock or donkey or something, they cut it and shave it and brought and started having relics coming out of it. Again, an old lady’s faith. So, this is how it begins, and this is how it works. I have been talking too long so I had better close. 93:41

94:41 Someone in the audience must have asked about faith. Rimpoche responded by saying “You have to develop that, that is something to be developed. Everybody doesn’t have that. The basis of that is appreciation, and from there you go. So, people will make it and some people will throw it away.