Archive Result

20010827GRAASRGLGD04

Duration 98:45

Prayers until 0:12:14.6

Rinpoche announcement: Teachings or questions? Go ahead.

A - A variety of questions, since you talked about the importance of purification, one of the question is how do you know if you have purified something or you are fooling yourself?

R - You don't know, first you have to fool yourself, (laughter) then think very carefully, or maybe I'm not fooling myself, and maybe by that time, you get some funny signs here, for example, if you are doing a lot of purifications, working hard on that, if you take a dream, I don't like to listen to the dreams and somebody is talking about the dream, I block both of my hands together, and somebody else, some nice lady today told me that she had a dream that she is massaging my toes, so I asked, what else did you do. Laughter...0:14:09.1

So I don't like to talk about it, listen about it; however, if you are, if you dream that that you are taking a shower, and getting rid of a lot of dirt or sort of laundry water type of thing, a lot of them shedding out from your body, and that's considered a sign of some purification is working, or you may dream that the moon coming over with eclipse or some moon overcoming eclipse, climbing over well, the Rocky Mountains and the .. A lot of people are not getting it, that's fine, (laughter) you figure out later, You didn't get it?

A - I'm afraid I did, Laughter .....

R - So the climbing over Rocky Mountain and putting out a nice little white flag or something like that type of thing, or you may dream that you climb Mt Everest and putting flag there, and so goodbye to Sir Hilary?0:16:08.9Sherpa Tenzing, those kinds of things are considered purification sign, So then you begin to think maybe I'm not fooling myself a little bit, I mean that's how you work. Next question. Is that enough whoever is the question coming from? I remember last ---people want to be anonymous and all that, so if you don't want to say who you are, fine.

A - There a couple of questions about attachment, you talked about watching out for negative emotions and things like that. One is just how do I recognise attachment.0:16:58.4

R - Well, the desire is pinching you. If the desire is pinching you, you recognise you're attached. If it is not pinching you, you might not have been that much attached. It's getting you more and more, you know. Some people say, I don't care whatever happens to me, that's what I want. I'll be happy to go to hell! I’ll be happy to go to hell, that's what I wanted. So that you know the attachment is pinching you. I know, I know it is bad for me, but that's what I wanted. That's attached! Try to make simple. Is that ok whoever it is? Is it anonymous? Somebody raised the hand.

A - It's my question.

R - Is that your question? Is that ok with you? Is that answer ok, or you want to talk a little more?

A - How do I know it will be bad for me?

R - A lot of people knew it is bad for them, sometimes, I know it is bad for me but still I want it that way, you hear it all the time, don't you? 0:19:04.1

A - The next question relates to, I'll just read what it says. Can accumulating merit and purification help to break the attachment surrounding the loss of a spouse or a family member or support group or home. Repeat - Can accumulating merit and purification help to break the attachment or grief surrounding the loss of a spouse or a family member or support group or home.

R - That is difficult question. Can help, I'm sure it can help, but there is more than that. Pan that question, the question really is loss of a spouse, and family or support group, or home, there may be a lot more detailed thing you have to look, rather than simply putting them together as loss. Even the loss alone, maybe you're looking at grief, or you may be simply mention missing, lost that way or may be trying to contribute something to the departed person, there are so many more in there. And I don't really know whether we should really put them together as one single little question together and simply say ya, ya, ya.... Every time a practice will help, could do that but it might be on the point. For example, what we can do, and what we cannot do. There are a lot of things, you know. what we cannot do is definitely we cannot bring the person back or the losses back. We all know that; we know that but our mind might not totally accept that and sometimes people call that there is a closure. Sometimes some people, some people don't. You really have to explore that properly, and a lot of ways and means of handling that. I think that particular subject has to be visited in a detailed form, rather than a simple question like this, and if we simply answer, we may do diservice.0:23:02.9

And then what contributions can make to the departed soul? I think we may be able to talk a little bit about death and dying stage, since it is goof life good death. We will come to that level, and I think more we should discuss there. Perhaps hold this question, we can observe, we can think that more during that period, if you keep a note and rather than we simply0:23:51.7

rather than we simply answer this, yes, no; I don't think we will do this a service for them.

I hope you don't mind whoever the question is.

A - There are a couple of questions about the field of merit you talked about meditating with the field of merit in front and receiving inspiration and so forth. The question says, what is meant by having the same object of refuge trying to meditate on the field of merit? What if you have several Sadhanas?? 0:24:36.6 This morning you were talking, saying whether it was Tara, or Buddha or whoever it is really the same. Maybe that's the question, I'm not sure.

R - Can you repeat the question?

A - What is meant by having the same object of refuge each time you meditate on the Field of Merit, what if you have several different Sadhanas.

R - It is obvious it is from somebody who does Sadhana. Am I right, I hope so? All different variety of food that good to eat, and very nice, but if you mix them all completely together, I'm not sure how is that going to be? Put a little lamb, put a little chicken, put a little fish, put a little scallop, put a little .. sometimes we do that nowadays, actually.

So, or put a little sugar, a little chilli, and all of them together and sort of a ...I don't know how that's going to be. But why do we do separate Sadhanas for separate yidams that we have commitment. No 1. It is commitment, no 2. it is different purposes, if you look very carefully, each Sadhana, I'm included, there is not much time, you really have to do very short way wherever, we go, including myself. But if you really still do the shortest and the shortest of all, but each sadhana has its own little different purposes. If you are doing like Sers?? 0:27:23.1 Yamantaka sadhana, I think people who are here will have a sadhana coming if you're lucky, Yamantaka, maybe Vajrayogini, maybe one or two have Heroka sadhana commitment, and if you look at Yamantaka, the purpose of the Yamantaka is, total from the beginning to the end is to get towards development of illusion body. And if you look in the Vajrayogini, beginning to the end, is to get us towards development of clear light. And it is very clear why you have to do separately. Though it may be a manifestations of one Lama Buddha Vajradara, but it has its own completely different purposes. For me to be able to complete my body part of enlightenment and my mind part of enlightenment, so it is quite clear, you can see reasons why the separate sadhanas. Some people do white Tara, it is not really a sadhana but what you do in the morning is a friend generated practice 0:29:13.8 and the friend-generated practice is in a more prayer practice form rather than a sadhana form. 0:29:25.5 Sadhana is self-generating, initiation but self generating, yourself generating in the form of yidam and try to function as though you are already there. That's why it is called result emphasized practice, result level emphasized practice. 0:29:25.5

R - Ya, even you're listening to music composed by one person, performed by the same person, but you have a different music ups and pleasure and joy and if Madonna is singing one song all the time, I don't think that many people will go there last night. So, that's what it is. But did you play the CD today? Why didn't you do it?

A - (inaudible....

R - Would you like to do that, madam? Don't forget. 0:31:08.7

Thank you.

A - The other question says how to choose a diety for everyday practice and I'm wondering maybe that related to what you were talking about the Supreme field could be Shakyamuni Buddha, could be Lama Tsongkhapa, could be Guru, could be White Tara and maybe not

R - Maybe not, maybe it is from somebody who has Vajrayana practice and .... I don't think the question would be clear by that, it is very often that question comes. What is really my yidam or what is or who do I have more relationship and this and that

0:32:07.2

this and that type of question comes up very often. So, I think it is more a Vajrayana question, rather than we deal over here much. Bring that question back in winter retreat, in the middle of the retreat, whoever it is.

A - There are two questions related to karma and rebirth, do you want to take those now or to wait?

R - Raise the question so we see, we haven't talked about karma yet, rebirth yet.

A - Karma is fast growing, how can we understand this. And the other is, can you be a Buddhist without believing in karma and rebirth?

R - When you use the word "believe" it means something else; anyway, how the karma is passed ?? 0:33:19.6 we probably have to talk now. So, leave it there, probably we will come up soon and can you be Buddhist without believing in karma and rebirth.

Remember, this morning we were talking about barbarians. Laughter......Somebody told me old barbarian comes means one don't understand what the other person is talking about it. Could probably be true, it is coming out of a Latino? Audience- Greek, Greek, what is the Greek word for that?

A - Barbarose

R - alright. But when you use the word believe, it makes it difficult to answer. If you take the belief out, and you say without karma and rebirth, can you be a good Buddhist? The answer is No. But when you use the word belief, that becomes difficult. You don't have to believe it, that's the problem. Without knowing anything, well it is difficult, you know, I'd like to accept there is a great people, wonderful people, true Buddhists having sort of no information about Buddhist. You don't have to claim Buddhist at all. But it goes against the definition of a Buddhist by taking refuge in Buddha, Dharma and the Sangha. In absolute reality, all good persons are Buddhists; all Buddhists may not be good person. But all good persons are Buddhist (Laughter..).It's a little funny there; the moment you use "belief" then it changes the whole thing. Maybe we are so used to it, in the West, do you BELIEVE in karma, you do BELIEVE in reincarnation? As though if pushed to the edge, only a belief system can sustain that0:36:37.0

And that might be slightly problem. In reality, I don't know what to say more.0:36:51.8 I think we will come and deal with that more when it goes down.

A - That's the end of the ones I have.

Ken - This question is about mindfulness versus awareness. How do they fit together?

R -Mindfulness and awareness, didn't they much inter-related? Mindfulness means awareness, I think. Be mindful, body mindful, feeling mindful, phenomenon ? 0:37:47.4 mindful, that's mind mindful. So, when you look from all 4 angles, it is awareness. I don't think you can have mindfulness without awareness. Again, all, ..it is interesting when you really think very deeply in those body mindfulness, feeling mindfulness, mind mindfulness, and phenomenon mindfulness. The word MINDULNESS, they word that they use in Tibet ....0:39:11.3 is a sanskrit translation and both Pali translation.... really means mind recognises, acknowledges and remain focused, which we say mindfulness in English. So, it really means all mindfulness is awareness. Is every awareness mindfulness? That is another question. But also, when you talk from the spiritual point of view, mindfulness, we are probably talking about observing own ethical commitments, which means big difference than just mindfulness. Also awareness might not necessarily be only attentiveness. Awareness could be more of a wisdom than simply of having because total enlightenment is very often referred to as having total awareness. So, I don't know, I'm not a language expert, I don't know anything about it, but in our normal usage, what do we normally understand by using some word here and what is supposed to be meant.0:41:24.4

in the Buddha's teachings, there may be quite a big difference. I'm not saying it is the wrong translation, I'm not saying that. But it may be a little more than just a simply awareness alone. Normally mindfulness means when you sit and meditate, think the same thing, we say mindfulness. But whether it is really a mindfulness or mind empty, who knows; mind full or mind emptiness? I think I raise more confusion than answer about that. Ya, is that your question? No, you want to comment or what?

A - inaudible

R - Are you better?, Good, you're not sick, are you?

A - No

R - good.

A - I don't know whether people's understanding of mindfulness is a bit. Mindfulness is that quality of being able to observe your mind while it is happening. It is like the watcher or something like that.

R - I thought I said, but not in your words, but I thought that's what I said.

A - OK, sorry

A - suddenly familiar that I thought I remember you talking in the winter retreat that you were saying the difference then, and I could have it wrong, between mindfulness and awareness was that the mindfulness was being able to act on what you were aware of rather than just sort of seeing it there. Could you say that?

R - I believe I did say that. And I think that can go one more step up or even four more, because you know, you can think about0:44:11.3

why you call Enlightenment total awareness, and that really pushes to the wisdom part. Maybe not? Maybe I'm thinking too far ahead, is it? I don't know, is it right, am I thinking too far away or what? Completely wrong way?

A - inaudible comments... Laughter

R - Thank you for telling me new idea, ya, maybe it is language thing. But I think it depends on who thinks what you mean by mindfulness, and what you mean by awareness. I really think the answer lies within the individual. It is a matter of interpretation, I think. Do you want to answer, Robert?

0:45:23.2Robert - Between the emptiness and the wholeness of the fullness, it is intimate relationship with all of life, (Rinpoche - that's mindfulness), Robert - mindfulness can be the mind that wakes up as a play between the absences as well, as can be related to everything or nothing, right, I mean, maybe it's free mindfulness???s0:45:50.3

I knew I was in trouble, but I thought I will sue you for ...... (simultaneous voices…

R - what about awareness?

Robert - Awareness can be awareness, a rock can be, has awareness, a stone has awareness, the flower has a whole different thing that happens is gone... (Muffled voices – difficult to hear)

R - Bees have awareness, the flowers have awareness and that's why

Robert - there is something out of compassion, there is something out of the play and the dance.

R - anyway0:46:33.5

Robert - ....(inaudible.0:46:42.3..) ...Rimpoche's definition was that awareness is more panaromic, and mindfulness is a little bit more precise, so he said mindfulness is the vanguard of awareness, so it kind of goes that mindfulness has a very specific object for us, awareness can be more panaromic, so that may go with what you're saying.

R - That's true in that. I thought awareness is more sharp, mindfulness is more like "dingzin? 0:47:22.7

A - what about related "yeshi"?

R - Yeshi? is refined awareness

A - So they have the same root,... (simultaneous voices)

R - but one is more profound than the other, that's what I'm thinking. What do you think?

A - You're the master.

R - I'm not. Maybe I think that is, especially when you bring in the Tibetan terminologies and then in English we have only 2.

A - Well, we use the word wisdom ....for translation above0:47:56.8, but one is more like valid knowledge, the other is realization or wisdom.

R - which one is the realization?

A - I think "Yeshi" with the realization, the realization awareness.

The supreme wisdom is supreme understanding, and the other one, is valid wisdom, valid understanding of valid wisdom

R - That's called - Shema.

A - That's cognition,

R - Valid awareness

A - Sort of developed understanding

R - Valid understanding. Ya. Valid understanding will be valid awareness, or maybe you can say awareness doesn't have an understanding, just aware of it. So, like a warning; it's that way, no, I don't think so. Maybe, you never know. That's good to raise all these and so whoever raised that question, I really they have a lot of those things in there. You know why I'm the wrong person to answer; that is my English knowledge is very limited, extremely limited, that's why. Marilee?

.........inaudible0:49:31.6

A- Is the mind and mindfulness not the actual mind but the mind that continues through time through lives? Because that is something we get hung up on. What IS the MIND in MINDFULNESS?

R - It is a big question. It is good question. I think that is the biggest question we stuck a lot. I mean nobody asks0:50:24.0 but the really question everybody have in their mind is "WHAT IS MIND". Ya, that is the question which everybody has in mind but somehow everybody would not ask that question, whatever the reason is. But I don't know if there is some kind of answer in that which we can speak in words. It may be a combination of so many things together, memories, awareness, observing, perception and all of them perceiving capacity, all of them combined together some kind of a collection. I don't really think there are a group of Buddhist teachers earlier Buddhist teachers who says everything is, I mean they said there is something called mind and everything follows that. And so that's one thing 0:51:56.3 then there is another group that say it is a combination of all of them together. It is sort of big question, but certainly there is something called mind, and what it is. Maybe we look at a piece of wood, and say why is it wood; and looking there it is a huge collection of what you call that, molecule? Molecules functioning, running, functioning so when that breaks into pieces, the wood goes away. Maybe mind is also in that manner; that's the biggest question anyway. You try to deal with this, I don't know, have to deal with it sooner or later but I don't know whether we could approach, talk about emptiness and the approach on mind or talk about the mind and approach on emptiness, I think that sort of thing lies there. It is the biggest question we all have anyway. Since what really mind is not clear to us 0:53:38.8 so that mindfulness is not clear, may be. And then there is definitely awareness, wisdom and they will have so many in Tibetan . tembal, shirop simyu 0:53:57.9 you count it ...yantawashiro, shiromanterava, rigpa, kanmeteshiva, just like a 30 to 40 different definitions, synonymous, will have separate definition, try to talk about mind, so it is slightly different. It is not as simple and easy for everybody to say, so you know, by the way, WHAT IS THE MIND? You can't really say, by the way, it is that funny thing there... Laughter... What is the next question?

0:54:46.7

A - What are the real differences between purification and accumulation?

R - Well, this is the thing, if you don't look into differences, there is no difference. But if you look for the different things then the purification is more sort of getting rid of, clearing, cleansing oriented to, that a little too.. removing, cleansing, see even in English, we have all of those. It is diminution or ....inaudible audience, oriented activity and the other one, accumulation of merits is repeat building activity, so from the action point of view, it differs. The work itself may not be different, but from its action point of view, it is different. It is important to see from all the angles.0:56:34.6 and if you don't emphasize or go into detail in the all the angles, then everything is the same. Everything will become one little thing, and then adding that is big trouble. So, it is very important to see. Many times we leave them out, as sort of little thing, because we cannot separate so much, but in case like this, purification is something you getting rid of, clearing activities. But then you know accumulation of merit is some kind of building activity. It is work, but if you take your garbage out, it is also work, the work has to be done by you to take your garbage out. Or put your money in bank, is also work, it has to be done by you. But from the action point of view, one is throwing away, and the other is collecting. So, makes quite a difference now, throwing garbage and collecting money. I hope it is enough whoever that question comes. Is that your question, Jeff? You're shaking head. When I said it's enough he said it's enough.0:58:20.4

A - What is the nature of merit and how does one accumulate merit?

R - That is another good question. What is the difference between merit, virtue, good karma and we have to talk about and think about. Again, it is almost the same. But again, from the action point of view, action point of view, it differs. Is good karma merit? Are all merit good karma? There are a lot of those questions, I can't answer but good to think about it. You're not pointing to the white ah?? 0:59:32.3 ok.

A - Is joy spontaneous or does it require a cause?

R - Everything requires a cause, though when we get it, it looks spontaneous, but everything requires a cause, without cause nothing happens. I guess I have to send you off for your lunch. 1:00:17.0

Normal American expression - no free lunch

A - Last question is, a request, wanting practical advice and visualization for beginners.

R - We try to fit that in. Basically, what is visualization is a visual image that you build up mentally, it is really a mental image. If you put a physical, it is not a visualization. A Visual image is you know. How do we communicate ourself? I was sort of half a teasing this morning to Dimitri, you don't try to meditate, you don't do anything you keep on p...tt..aa... what is this and keep on doing there, and he said, well, I'll stop and think about it but the best way of learning is best if you can write it, or something like that he said, right?

D -... inaudible

R - Well, so the visualization is actually drawing a sort of message in the form of a visual form, so whatever you're focusing, symbol, mind creates an image whether it can 1:02:34.7

be a body of a Buddha or your boyfriend or girlfriend's face, not looking at the picture, not looking at the face, but the perception you get. Earlier Tibetan teachers, masters have said, you can meditate and visualise from Buddha's body to the yak's horn or cow dung, so subject or object whatever you use, there is no limitation at all. Whatever you do, from the yak's horn to the cow dung, it is permitted. But whatever visualisation, it really means drawing a visual image of whatever your understanding is. That forms the base, and then that very base, the image what you have, not physically drawn but the image you've drawn, mental image you've drawn and keeping that mental image and improving on it. And then, repeating that image on what you have already improved it, and then coming back, coming back, coming back, coming back and that is simple explanation of visualization really is. But when you talk about visualization 1:04:12.5 with Vajrayana practice then so many activities build on that. Visual image maybe a base, and then that is going to be expanded, then you will have a mandala there, then you have a principal diety there. If it is solitary hero, it is fine, it is simply one figure. But even then there is a whole mandala, there is a dimension of a mandala 1:04:48.4 there is size and the shape and the activities inside and outside, you know all these go on and builds up and then there is a ground and fence and then protection rers? ...? 1:05:09.9, cemeteries, and then you know all kinds of, there's lakes and mountains and the people there, and yogas and yoginis and all kinds of things you're going to build up without losing one previously built up, adding up on top of that, and that is what you get with point of visualization is. I don't know whether I have done service for you all or disservice for you but in a simple way it's the mental image, think and focus and concentrate on that is a basic definition of a visualization. Am I right? 1:06:03.2 And you can add on that, you should be able to add up. The total development stage in Vajrayana, total sadhana, some body said earlier, the total sadhana is visualisation. Visualise and building on top of another one, so when you say what is visualization, I think there's all kind of things. Am I right or wrong, I think so, right? We really add up so much and it doesn't end there. But if you lose the basic foundation for your build, and then what is called is an ice castle.

A - ...inaudible 1:07:16.5

A - is there a Tibetan word specifically for visualization or is it all... , what is the word,

R - Migpa, migrim, all of those really, it is "Migpa" 1:07:39.3 Tibetan phrase .. DMI ??

R - As I remember, funny thing I saw a documentary, not documentary, image video picture of the present Gandem Tigpa when he was Abbot of Ganden monastry, try to do exorcism in south India, Mangot, and everybody is going in, pushing in there and taking photos like every Tibetan and every Western, His Holiness also there, a lot of press people and all that are there also. They are rushing there, and suddenly, one of the security guy saying independent ... Tibetan 1:09:01.0, meaning now is good enough, guy has to visualize, so go away. He is saying in Tibet, he is old Tibetan guy. Laughter So he is saying, guy has to visualise, please don't take picture, go away now, you have enough. That's the word MIGPA that's what it is. He has to visualise and if he didn't visualise, he is the master and if he didn't visualise, whole activity will become joke. The whole exorcism activity will become joke, so that's why he is saying he has to visualise, go away, don't take photo, haha.

So, I guess that's that. Good question. So, I would like to continue where we stopped this morning. So actually now, from the preliminary point of building a good practice in order to have good life, I think the preliminary point of like embracing human life, it is not embarassing human life, but embracing human life, it's my fault, my accent, of not knowing English properly, well. Where's John? He's not coming? So the preliminary within that is over this morning 1:11:25.2 Now we actually come to the actual how we take advantage of this wonderful life. So, actually we can put the actual level now. So, I would like to bring a little bit of traditional thing too. So, I want you to think of common with the low, medium and the Mahayana levels. Three different levels. Common with the low, common with the medium and Mahayana. Why we are saying, common, so whatever commonly we have to do with the smaller scope, medium scope and the Mahayana. Why we say commonly, we are not really leading you through the Theravadan path, but within the Theravadan path, certain necessary things 1:12:38.8

we have to bring in, that's why we use the word common. So basically, you should think it three.

And the first common would be the law and also you sort of, think actual section and the in-betweens. I actually forgot to tell you in-between sessions earlier. What I did is I took out Guru devotional practice, we didn't do this earlier, you can come back to do it. 1:13:23.3

We began at the human life level and we talked about the meditational point; I did not talk in-between sessions when you're nodding session, when you're taking break, what you're supposed to do. I taught, don't gossip, think about it, meditate a little bit, so that's what I told you, but I did not say it's part of all package - the actual session and the in-between sessions, meaning all the relaxing, eating and drinking and walking and exercising, and all of those. And even in-between sessions, if you read about, discuss about the subject and think about the subject, it helps to build the strength of the meditative points, and that's why I always talk about actual sessions and in-between sessions. What we really do is the actual session when we are teaching here or you're sitting and meditating and then they will 1:14:46.2 try to say don't interrupt, he/she is doing practice, but the actual reality practice has to go through the heart not only the session, but in-between sessions. So what happens in the sessions you focus very strongly and in-between session it is everywhere, and then the effect is much less, the effect is not that much. So in-between sessions also focus on the same subject, as is necessary. It goes throughout everywhere. Anyway, in session also exactly; actual, preliminary within each session, actual preliminary and actual conclusion and also did not have conclusion, it's my fault. 1:15:52.3 Preliminary is ....Tibetan ..same old one, and focusing on ALL.. .. I didn't answer that, we went out to the question, we went to yidam rather than Supreme Field of Merit, we didn't answer that question, am I right? I thought of sort of overlooked there. .... Audience ... Ya sadhana mixed and that's why I thought it's coming from a Vajrayana practitioner; so I took sort of a more of the sadhana point, we completely forgot to mention this Supreme Field; those of you who are familiar, you know it. Many of you and those of you who are not familiar, I'll come back and talk to you but what you need is you need, as I told you this morning, base on which you work, and I said, body, mind and speech. And the method what you use and the result what you hope to get, as I mentioned this morning I talk to you. And it's also linking up, whether it is purification or accumulation of merit, again it is working on, not only such basis, but also on the basis of the enlightened beings 1:17:32.0

In other words, if you want to do a business, you need a partner or person who you sell it and who buys and pays money, you need a client, you need a customer. So, like that you need a basis on which you work again is best profit which you can get from a good customer. Good customers are the enlightened beings. So, you have to work with them. So, they need again; actually they don't need it, actually what do WE need is, we need a contact point. We need a contact point, then it can become official and nice and organised and a proper channel and all of those. A proper channel, that's the wrong language, isn't it? Laughter... 1:18:53.9 So point of reference, you need; the reference point what is you need is a, I think the word they use is the "counterpart". The counterpart, you deal with it. The counterpart what you deal is your Supreme Field of Merit; it is you in reality, you Guru representing all the enlightened beings in physical form of a Buddha Shakyamuni or a physical form of Tsongkhapa or Guru as an ordinary human being form whatever may be, depends what you like. 1:19:43.4 And so we referred that as a Field of Merit; if you look in the Lamrim or Lama Chopa, there is a huge Field of Merit, and if we keep on talking that Field of Merit, I will occupy the whole week to introduce you that. So it is true, even in my Lama Chopa teachings that we did, we couldn't really do this Field of Merit very much except we have drawings, pictures, and posters and all that, we just said this, this, this. But when you really try to bring this in your visualisation, it is extremely complicated, even in Refuge; it is extremely complicated. Thangka, just a draw on a piece of cloth is not a Field of Merit. Posters - is not a Field of Merit; picture is not a Field of Merit, even the mandala they build by hand, 3-dimension is not an actual mandala. All of them are visualized mental image, is the actual field. So, everything has to be mentally built; pictures, posters, Thangkas, drawings are actual symbolic, just symbolic, just a metaphor, it is sort of metaphor. Actual thing is visual thing, because it is you built your own, it is NOT just made out of bones and flesh; I imagined, I imagine one becomes actual, that becomes wisdom being. So, even if made out by gold, it doesn't become wisdom being, even gold is not necessarily that pure, even platinum is not that pure at all, may be expensive enough but not necessarily pure 1:22:31.4

So, it cannot be wisdom oriented, so mentally built; in other words, imagine and then correct it, and then make it perfect. It is fit to be transformed as a wisdom being, so that's why the Field of Merit IS something we built ourself, mentally, imaginatively, that's why the first question said are we fooling ourself or is it reality. We begin almost like fooling ourself, and that becomes reality; when that becomes reality, then the word we call actualization is taking place; transformation is taking place. And that's what we've been working for. So, when you talk about Field of Merit, even a guru, you're not going to bring a person who happens to be called guru, you're not going to bring that person and put on your alter, at your bedside and make him or her sit there for 24 hours there, it's not going to happen. So yet, if you can bring an image and put it there, but that is image, again it is not reality, so the mental thing is the reality; then it is actualized. When it is actualized you have conversation, you can talk to, but don't imagine having a conversation before actualizing, because some people go cuckoo 1:24:29.5 crazy and talk to, said this and said that and this. I have a number of people tell me, you said this and you said that, and I said where? and I heard you, Where? When I was meditating, (laughter) so that is not reality yet. So that happens, so don't make that cuckoo business either. So, it is really you have to walk between the thin line, between reality and cuckooness, and also what you call the layman's level, right? Not specialised, not perfected yet, sort of beginning level. 1:25:33.5 So, all of them, there is a lot of different fine lines there you have to go, but anyway, the Supreme Field what we are really talking is mentally built image and so you can't have a hair wire?? 1:25:54.5 for meditation purposes, yes, just to learn to focus yes, but in order to do a really good practice like this, No. You cannot have hair wire, you cannot bring tree, you cannot bring cloud, you cannot let mind go and fly all over the place, and saying, going far away; it won't work that way. So, you have to be grounded. So it has self-discipline, so the discipline which is recommended in this tradition is either the figure of a Buddha or Tsongkhapa Guru and mentally imagine and when you look at your imaginative picture, you're not going to find it if you don't have the hat, you don't have the leg, if you have the leg, you don't have a hat, you don't have a hand, you don't have anyone of those. So simply maybe a lump, a sort of yellow lump, don't make mistake, a yellow lump .. laughter ..sort of thing is actually we call it you have found a focal point. And that try to improve, improve, again same thing, if you're thinking from the hat point of view, the general lump ?? 1:27:45.3 and the little extra dot on top which sort of symbolic of hat and when you become quite stable on that, try to give eye on it without losing the base on which you are giving the eye, the hat, and the ear, mouth and so forth. And when that's quite ok, give it right arm, left arm, right leg, left leg and then sort of together; it has to be getting clearer, clear and clear, and clearer and clearer rather than going backwards. And then more detail, more detail, more detail, more detail. And if you can't take the detail, hold it and then you add a little bit of detail, that's how you have to do. 1:28:49.2

Because that's the way, and basically you going to work with some kind of a lump there, important to recognition, recognising that as your guru, your yidam, your Buddha, your Dharma, your Sangha, your Dharma protector, your Dhaka, your Dakhini. So when we say ..... Tibetan ...1:29:22.5 Refuge of all collection meaning this - all the gurus, all the Buddhas, all the Dharma, all the yidams, all the Sanghas, all the Dakhas, all the Dhakinis, all the Boddhisatvas, all the Dharma protectors, whoever fits in that Field of Merit, all of them become one little lump there. Try to make that more clear, clear, clear and when you have it, a good physical shape of a person, then you begin to have good focal point. And then improving that, and finally we found the Field of Merit, and why it has become a merit is again a mental activity, acknowledging it is the collection of all refuge objects. It is almost like brain-washing, it is almost like a forcing your mind to believe it, bad ...1:30:45.7 But you're not forcing, it is not a simple belief, because when you develop little bit, you knew it, you yourself going to know it, it is not forcing or believing system. The moment word BELIEF comes, I have a BIG problem. That's me, nothing to do with Buddhism, it's me, I'm a very sceptical person. I always think something is wrong, all the time, all the time; that's my bad habit. I always think the worst part, right? Laughter. I'm very sceptical, me, really, really, always very sceptical; I'm the last person to believe something. Really, so anyway, because I'm bad, so that's the reason why. So, if you're good, you think everybody is good and you believe everybody, and if you're bad, you think everybody is bad, and you become cynical (there you go). So anyway, when you really work with this, when you see a little bit better, you knew it, it is not believing, it is not forcing, it is reality, it becomes that way. There are logical reasons why this is. but I don't think I have time tonight, I can come back to do it. But one simple short reason, all these Buddhas, no matter how cynical you may be, you're not going to think there is no Buddhas; so all these Buddhas and Boddhisatvas, they are always looking for opportunity for us, for them to help us. The moment we give a little opportunity, to try to build a Supreme Field of Merit, they found opportunity for us to connect, and they occupy that, they come there, they become their identity to communicate with us. We, I or you, at this moment, don't have the power to make that reality, but the other side, the enlightened beings, they do have the power, the moment we give a little opening, they do have the power to be able to function, so they take advantage of that without fail; and that's why it becomes reality. That's why it is not just simply belief. That's why it works; we don't see it, we don't get to trace it; if we have great gadget, we may be able to trace it how they work. But at this moment we can't trace that much. We may be able to trace some energy or some funny things, whatever, but you can't really. Anyway, so that's what we call Supreme Field of Merit. So even when we want to do this visualization, though the general visualization, again the Supreme Field of Merit, Guru form, yidam form whatever, Lama form, Buddha form, whatever may be and praying to that, and seeking their blessings and clearing their power to clear the negative obstacles to develop, common with the medium level of development. You can do together, common with the lower level, the small scope, the common with the lower level development may be able to clear all the obstacles, I and mother sentient beings may be able to develop stage of common with the medium level, lower level. Light liquid come clearing all obstacles, become your body pure, clear, clean like crystal, radiating light nature, radiating light nature. Your life, your strength, your luck, your fortune. Why you keep repeating luck and fortune? If you're unfortunate, we can never develop this development, so we have to be fortunate. So that's why we are talking about luck and fortune and all this. So, Tibetan ...1:36:33.9 Qualities, I and mother sentient beings now have obtained stage of the development of common with the lower level, that will be the general preparation for common with the lower level development. And the specific level development ?? 1:37:05.2 when you have to go to the specific then we can do that tomorrow, but when you go to the very specific you have to have impermanence, death and dying, the lower realms, refuge and the karma. And we will try to talk tomorrow. And I don't want to hold you so late, because many of you need meditate, many of you have to play music, and many of you have to visit bathroom, so I'm going to stop here. 1:38:00.4