Archive Result

20010831GRAASRGLGD15

31 Aug 2001

0:12:18.8 Rimpoche speaking.

Majority of you, maybe all of you here are pledging members of JH, I really like to thank you for this because a few years ago the majority are not plegding members. So it is very nice, thank you so much. And also emphasise for the dollar and .. that has enableed us to pay the mortgage.

Now let us go back our usual business and I am sure there a number of questions.

Q: Rimpoche, how does someone who is brand new to Buddhism formally begin the path and after you're a student, what is expected of you?

R - Go to sleep, laughter...

Q: If you're brand new to B, how do you get started?

R : If you're brand new to Buddhism, I don't really encourage you to become buddhist immediately or buddhist. I encourage you to be a nice person, kind, compassionate and caring and maybe hardworking. Honest, straightforwardness, I think these are the first steps where you begin. If you are, great. If you are, you will find something slipping here and there, sort of you slipped through sometimes here and there, So try to block those. That way you reach way ahead, rather than say I have to be buddhist, I have to take refuge in Buddha Dharma and Sangha (BDS), when you want to take refuge in BDS, I dont really think the label called buddhist, I don't think it is, I don't know. I don't think it is necessary, personally speaking, whatever you are and you are and you want to be a kind person, a compassionate person and that's much more important than labelling yourself, I'm Buddhist. I do remember a few years ago during a winter retreat here, buddhists and budduists, they couldn't even figure out when Gelonga died here during the winter retreat, the local authorities started telling these buddhus those buddhuists (laughter), they thought we killed him, you know, (laughter). A long time, Eliza (?) were there, she was a lawyer that time, ans also Mathhew, so they take a very long 2 days, 48 hours of autopsy, and then finally they released the body. The police guy told her, I'm sure they killed him but I cannot find any proof, so if you're going to cremate him tomorrow, then I'm not going to find it but I'm going to test these budduists. Laughter. So they couldn't figure out whether it was budduists or buddhists or whatever. So it doesn't matter, the label it is nothing to carry label and make beauty of, just let it be, let it be good person. I think that is very important. And then afterwards, and then if you take vows and committments, and even then vows and commitments are very personal, absolutely personal. So, there is no need to be saying that, I'm not saying that because it is not just a minority religion, as far as George Bush is concerned, but I'm not saying that. But basically what level, why you protect level??, whatever you are, you are, so why you have to say? I really don't see much in that, Back in Tibet no one says I'm buddhist, or no one says that I'm republican or communist like you know, no one says I'm muslim, no one says I'm Christian, its sort of who you are in Tibet. And then it is again, just like the Gelongpa issue it also came after (19)59, it is becoming big issue. I don't think the label is so important, and then where you begin, you begin to be good person, that's where you begin. And the second part is

Q: Once you become a student, what is expected of you?

R: Once you become a student, what is expected of you, which means what do I expect to be a student. No !, I dont call a student, you know that very well, I call friends, I don't call students, I certainly don't call disciples. And I'm friends, what do you expect? Good person, open minded, not so short tempered, though short tempered are accepted (laughter), then we have a word in afternoon, over what laughter, over-extended, extended, what did you extend, (laughter)0:21:59.2

Over-exertion, ok, and we welcome over exerted people but try not to over exert, over exicted haha. so I really open mind, the idea of people open mind belief, if without belief, it is still then fine. So that's that0:22:57.3

Q: Are there other ways to achieve enlightenment besides Buddhism?

Q: Is Christianity and any other religions paths to enlightenment? Are the differences between Christianity and Buddhism the result of skillful means of Jesus and Buddha?

R: Well, I'm talking about the Buddhist point of view only because it's only I know, so people who follows Buddha's path,

The second question is ..Is Christianity and any other religions also a path to enlightenment?

R - I'm sure they are. I'm sure they are, but I dont know, there has to be these great great traditions that has to be; I don't know whether they give you a total enlightenment, total buddhahood, Buddha state of enlightenment or not. I have no doubt, there's the great path to be able to achieve whatever the result they tell you to achieve 0:24:30.0

If Christianity tells you you can become fully enlightened, almost equal to God, and then I'm sure the path they share will have that capacity and the capability, and if they don't tell you probably they don't deliver that. And the third part is.

Q: Are the differences between Christianity and Buddhism the result of skillful means of Jesus and Buddha?

R - You mean the differences between Christianity and Buddhism, skillful means?

Q: Does the differences between Christianity and Buddhism result from the skillful means of Jesus and Buddha?

R:I don't know, I really don't know. No 1, I'm not very clear what the question really is, (maybe)

Q: The question really is if Jesus were to be a Buddha or Boddhisatva and he had the same mind or similar mind to Buddha, the reasons that Christianity and Buddhism like Teresa says teach different things or they have different ways is because B was using skilful means for his time and his place and Jesus was using skilful means for his time and his place0:26:27.0

R - I don't know if it's true, I don't know, I was not there. That was a joke. I'm sure, I have no doubt whether Jesus and all these great beings, I have really no doubt that they are fully enlightened. They can do only whatever the capacity of the people provided, and I think that's what it is, and so beyond that I don't know if Jesus is a Buddha and Buddha is Jesus, then my answere has to be it. (If???).0:27:23.8 I'm sorry, Steve.

Q: A couple of questions dealing with depression. Is it ok to take anti-depressants medicatons, is it possible to do so and do these practices?

R Oh yes, sure, what's worng? Provided anti-depression medicines are given by qualified doctor or persons, I don't see any reasons why it's wrong. And we do know they can be very helpful. But with any drug you take, if you become totally dependent on the drug, that's not a great thing, that doesn't mean you have to avoid taking. I'm not aware of any Buddhist who is taking drugs that are official or unofficial, damage anybody's spitritial development, I'm not aware of. On the contrary, we have seen great number of contributions made by drugs. And if you in the 60's, many of the good one, if you look at the background and what took them and made them nice including our Allan ,Ramdass., so there is contribution there. So I don't see any reason why, why not, but it is always...always to to see if you don't have to take too many drugs it is good but if you have to take it, you have to take it, nothing is worng with it, as far as I know.0:30:44.5

If you want to take a prozac, or something, fine, nothing wrong.

Q - This is a question related to depression, is there a practice associated with loss, such as the death of a loved one?

R - Loss is always difficult, it's not that .., it's a true thing when you talk about loss and it is a personal loss, it is very true, and it is sad indeed. Do you have to remember them, do you have to remember their kindness, compassion, your gratitude. You should alway. But do we have to hang on the person, the departed person, not letting it go, I dont think it is not wise. It is not wise, maybe not that bad for the individual who is leaving behind, I don't think it is that good for the consciousness that go. It is sort of a the person is gone, but you're not really letting it go, you're hanging on, hanging on saying, how dare you die on me, or why did you do that to me, what is that supposed to be, what is it for, I couldn't understand. If you look from the angle of sadness and loss point of view, it is true0:33:18.1 But if it is from The anger point of view, I'm angry, I'm upset, you left me, you're gone, aaa.. all these, a lot of people do that and that's not right. The purpose of the person who die they died they did not go willingly, happily, and they didn't say bye-bye, I'm going, I leave you here, bye-bye and then go that way..... die0:33:59.8

They don't want to die but they die, and now the question really remains to us, is that can we contribute something to that, can we help something, can I do something to help rather than I'm not fully satisfied, I am not fully convinced, , I'm not letting it go. I want to hold back, I want my explanation all these type of thingss. A number of people do that. I don't think that's good thing for the individual, I mean don't take my views for granted, I'm saying my view, so you may have a different view, you're entitled, But in my personal view I don't think it's a great thing, it's not healthy for you, and it's not good for the departed soul. You have to remember that, their kindness, their compassion and appreciate what they have done and dedicate your positive karma towards them, your positive deeds, or do something good, save a life for the sake of that and be generous for the sake of that, help someone to near to help, for that person0:35:30.9 and dedicate it, that sort of thing still we can do. Rather than try to hang on, hold on, try to get an understanding, explanation, all of them are not the healthiest things to do. That's my personal feeling, you're entitled to what you think about it. So I express my view. Can you read the question once again? I dont think that's the only thing they talk about.

Q ; Is there a practice depression associated with loss?

R - 0:36:13.7 Practice for depression , yes, A number of them. White Tara, very good, try to do the practice in the morning, under the tree, on the bank of lake, whatever beautiful environment you have, try to do that in the morning. Inside your altar room, fine, well, and then another thing in the evening when the sun is setting down, you stand up face the sun going down, sometimes you stand on the balls of your feet. Stand there and watch the sun set, the sun going down, and think all your sadness are sending with them and you may even go out like this a couple of times, let these things going down when the sun goes down, so you wave good bye to the sadness, all of those. and you can do. And also appreciation, embracing your human life, appreciation of that life and any of the wonderful things you encounter with it, there're many things you can do, there're extraordinary practices, I cannot share with you in a group like this, not because each and everyone of you is bad. But it is just simple enough to meant to be.0:39:45.8

R Anymore in there, is that ok, whoever the questions come from. the person is not identified, oh its you. ok, so, is that ok with you, alright and there are other things too. And you can do a lot of other things too. ok.

Q - How do you know youre suitable for Vajrayana practice?

R - if you start growing old in your head, laughter. Actually, actually we are all suitable to practice Vajrayana, because we have not ---0:41:16.5, the question is whether we can manage or not, and that's the question. To be able to have good Vajrayana practice, it is absolutely necessary to have the foundation we talked for a couple of days., that's necessary. On top of that if you can protect Vajrayana vows and commtiments, commitments are not necessarily saying sadhanas, mantras I'm not talking about that as vows and commitments, when you can do those, you're suitable, when you cannot do those, then you're not suitable. That's quite clear. I don't think there is any pre-sign unless you're a great one. And then there is a lot of different pre-signs. but otherwise, it is always to be better not be great ones, to be better you know, not necessarliy best, not necessarliy worst, just where everybody is going is best.

Q - this is a request for clarification - did you mean it is good enough if we are able to concentrate for 20 or 30 seconds?

R - yes, maybe, I mentioned that yesterday; 20 or 30 seconds is fairly good, it's going to take a long time for one person to be able to do that. There are some old systems, some one did burn, some incense and see how much it goes and then measure the incense with the fingers and all that, but 20 or 30 sec is a very good start to start. Is that clear?

Q - How does one use of the practice of meditative concentration to bring a worldly project to fruition?

R - Say it again. Well, if you have concentration power, you can use that to develop your project, to execute your project and to complete your project. It is another tool for you, just a tool, a good tool that's all. A good tool. So it give you a bertter result than whatever you have usually, that's one thing. But if you want to utilise that in a spiritual way then you have a good motivation.0:44:34.7. Action, whatever you have to take, to execute your work, make sure it is by virtue, it is not negativity, hurting anybody, well if you think about it, this is my business I have to compete with the other, so I'm going to hurt in the competition but that sort of thing0:45:04.2 are ok

You know why it is ok, because the other person can also comptete with you equally, not the other persons' hands tied and lip is sealed and then you have to compete, not like those traditional dictators they make you tie your hands at the back and make you fight. It's not like that. So that sort of level that you're exercising you need to complete your work and you're going to hurt the other person, that's ok, you're not in superior position and you may land up superior position because of your deeds, that's ok.0:46:07.7

Even when you're debating, during the debate (Tibetan)0:46:13.7, when you're presenting the few points, defending your own viewpoints, if you destroy others viewpoints and things like that and there are no faiults. Even Buddha himself said, so follows that the rules is the same, whether it is spiritual or material or whatever it is, when you start with an equal ground and you have advantage and if you hurt in the business with others that's no fault. Let's say a lawyer0:46:52.2

If youre doing litigation work or whatever, and or if you're corporate dealings whatever, and you plan it and your plan becomes more succesful, and whoever is challenging you, you're open and you're going to lose it, that's going to hurt and that's not a negativity. If you cheated and then lost that's negativity. It is different. So a lot of people misunderstand that. They say why am I work it is dishearterning something else and I notice our competitors are losing and they've been not very good. Actually you've been very good. Your personal responsibility is your work and you have succeeded, that good0:47:52.5

Youre succeeding to benefit people who is working with you, you're suceeding because you didn't do anything unfair. You had the opportunties, they don't have it, fine. That's not your manipulation, mischieviious or cheating.

Q - There are 2 questions here dealing with doubt, I'm not clear what kind of doubt, one says are there techniques or check points that we can use to help ourselves from being overcome by doubt along the way. Second - what role does fear play in doubt.

R - The doubt, is important at the beginning because if you don't have doubt you're going to buy 0:49:02.9

everything the other persons tell you; you can be completely misled. And that's not very good and especially in spirital path if you're misled and then you're loser and again, and again, Im bringing in this Jim Jones business. Anyway and that is misleading of the people and the people did not use their own intelligence to find out how geneuine it is and all this0:49:44.2

So that level of doubt plays a very important role, but if you keep on having the doubt continuously and then you spend the total of your life in doubt. And that's a huge obstacle, you can do virtually nothing because you'll be doubting everything. So you never let inteliigent faith grow, do you? You totally block them because you keep on doubting every single thing. So you're never going to have intelligent failth, and if you don't have good intelligent faith, no quality really grow (Tibetan), if you have good intelligent faith, if you have the faith, then what will happen is, it is just like a seed being burned. If you have a seed which is barley or wheat or something, if you roast the seed and you try to grow, nothing will grow. So inteligent failth is necessary. So the doubt really blocks that, constantly, continuously and all the time. So if you need doubt, to satify yourself, to make sure it is the right, once you have that you must know how to take that down, otherwise doubt will block the rest of your life, you're doubting everything and you become a skeptical person. Then what's the use? And fear -- maybe doubt rise because of the fear. Soemtimes fear has usefulness, sometimes fear is also something, so you really have to know where, what and when. So fearlessness is great no doubt, but that fearlessness does not mean that when you're walking through downtown Detroit, don't be afraid. If you try to behave fearlessness, somebody may shoot you at the back, or your forehead, so that the fear at least protect you, so if you're afraid, you'll be a little more careful. That sort of fear something very usefulness. Every fear is not necessary that bad. Generally fear is bad, I'd rather reserve this fear business for more, because there is one big issue, if I try to answer with a short question like this t0:53:22.2, I may not be able to do justification for that.

Q - What are the methods to develop compassion for oneself ?

R - I thought I spent a lot of time talking about that 2-3 days. Again, once we can see our own situation - the sufferings, then wishing me being free from those sufferings.0:54:14.6. Wishing me to be free from the sufffering is compassion, wishing me to be joy and happy is love, so that's that.

Q - What's the difference between shame and guilt?

R - Shame and guilt. Guilt is very deep and the feeling of hopeless, helplessness, I believe. Shame is sort of very embarassed and that you have to hide your face. I can't believe I did that, that is shame. Guilt goes a little more than that. Hopeless, helpless. Shame is really embarrased you and you have to face it and then you have to correct what you did in the best way, so shame becomes usefulness.

Q - Is tatooing a good idea?0:55:35.7 How about a tatoo dealing with Buddhism (Laughter)

R - I don't know, I'm sorry (laughter) I have no view on that, if you enjoy, go ahead. I can't give it to you, I will hurt, ouch!

Q Are there keys to understanding when it is right or compassionate to disagree or say no? How do you know it is not your ego speaking?

R - Well take yourself away from yourself and pull yourself out of your body and go out there and observe what you said or what you did or if you can't, today you look back at yesterday's you0:56:37.1, what you did yesterday, was it right or wrong? Sort of mentally you separate a little bit and then you see it much better.0:56:46.2 And if you still insisting and that what you did is right and you have proof right, you'll never see it. So take a little bit of what I did yesterday, so let it be yesterday's me, and today's me comes in observing what yesterday's me did, right or wrong, if you look from angle or if that comes out tomorrow, whether tomorrow's me should do it or not do it, and then you'll know it. But if you insist on what I did is RIGHT! There is proof here, this proof here, that proof and this will bring your circumstantial evidence and total proof it and then you're never going to know.0:57:37.5

Q - It appears to me that all karma relies on the imprints, if the imprints are not physically stored in us and passed on in life to life in the subtle consciousness, are they non-material, can you describe them a little more?

R - They are non-material, not only non-material but I'm going to make it a shorter way0:58:06.9 The moment you put, I told you this morning. There is no basis of all that doesn't exist and then there is some people said there is something called a pop-pa 0:58:17.2

Pop-pa really means object? (obtained) Obtained means I have obtained that karma, obtainedness or something and that carries the karma through. And then we (mean I) try to make you people to have a little better understanding. and said you carry the karma like I owe you note stuff. I said that just to have a little more sort of acceptable understanding, I use that. Truly, I owe you note is also wrong. Actually what happens, you've created karma and that karma is finished. Result not giving is that karma, is that, is not there anymore0:59:21.9, is gone. So when the condition is right, then it arises again, rises again. So it is not only carried on, not only based on, it is dead and gone, and when the conditions are right, it will reappear0:59:49.3

So you may call in English, it lapsed. Right you call that, that's what it is. That's one of the reason Persangkega has an easier way of putting the emptiness because they accept this past, something that has been dismantled and still accept as continue existence 1:00:25.5

And that's why it works. Anyway it is a very philosophical thing, if I go in detail, but what happens is actually when created karma on its own finish that and when the conditions are right, it pops up. That's it, so Nothing has to be carried, nothing has to have a base1:00:47.9

But if I tell you straightaway, it is not going to work with you. Now you people can take it. But if I tell you Tues night or Thurs night or some days, it's not going to work; so it's sort of I owe you note and you carry on, imprint and all of those. Basically that's what it is.1:01:12.0

The Pasangeka people have it different qualities and one of them is dismantled is a stilt existence ....1:01:29.1 Comes and goes on that. Anyway what is next?

Q - The last question - are there special blessings done for newborn and very young children, if so what are they?

R - Yes, remember those stories of arahat, big road and small road and all that, and that's what it is. And to make the long story short, what we do is sometimes we draw -Om .. Manjushri mantra and you bring them and you touch on the tongues of the newborn and say some auspicious prayers and things like that. ok. That's your last question.

Q What is the significance of knowing and appreciating emptiness and how can we develop our mental understanading of the idea of emptiness in our daily life?

R - I'll deal with that tomorrow.

Q - If one has cleared all wrong knowing and not knowing in all sort of forms, does one then have ultimate wisdom? If all wrong knowing and not knowing is totally cleared, does one then has ultimate wisdom?

R - Ya! Yes, and thank you and good night.1:03:44.0