Archive Result

;;Soundfile 19850411GRNLLovCom_1

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location Netherlands

Topic Love and Compassion

Transcriber Jill Neuwirth

Date 11/09/2021

The most respected (Inaudible) [0:00:28.9] and members of the church here, first and foremost I have to thank you, for all of you for giving me the opportunity to come here and speak to you about the compassion and its related matters from the Buddhist point of view and from that also of the Mahayana Buddhist point of view. (Dutch translation) [0:01:19.6] As you know, I like to say first one thing. I’m particularly grateful today to be here in the church and I’ve been sort of fortunate to be able to attend the mass as well as to be able to speak to you because I think what today we need, the need of the today is the most very important need is a very, very good understanding of the followers of the different religions. It is very much need of the day. Actually, the purpose of the religion no matter whatever religion it may be, it is always love, compassion, and wanted to help, wanted to do something to the people. People who’s been suffering, people who have a problem, and for that in order to help them they want to do something. Yet very often, very often you can see they have misunderstandings among certain points. And then those little points become issue. And the whole purpose of religion’s lost and having lot of trouble around. I mean, that’s- I don’t have to make clear to you, you know better than I do what’s happening in the world. This is the very bad and it is the whole purpose of the religion’s lost, that’s my feeling. (Dutch translation) [0:03:57.1]

My personal belief, and my personal understanding is whatever you may call it terminology. You may call it Almighty, you may call it God, you may call it Bhagavan, whatever the terminology you may use it. But the most important thing is at the heart of the enlightened beings the total enlightened being, will have tremendous love and compassion to all sentient beings. And they wanted, they always wanted to help, always wanted to do a proper guidance and wanted to lead every people in proper direction. And for that matter, and certain people will have, you will have certain, um, what should I say, if I may use too much of Buddhist terminology karmic connection. If I don’t use Buddhist terminology, I will say a link to certain people who have tremendous link of certain distance certain that, it depends on the individual. So for that reason, I believe, different religions, different teachings have come from a basic principle of one base. From one base, all this different matters have come. Because of that, every one of them has aimed to help people. Every one of them has thought and purpose and methods is love and compassion. But, when we can’t use it properly, and if we misuse it, it is not their fault, it is our fault, I feel. And this should not be. That is my personal feeling is. Maybe I’m wrong. If I’m wrong, I’m sorry. (Laughing) (Dutch translation) [0:07:18.6]

The Buddhist point view of the love and compassion, there are two different ones. [0:09:03.7] And preliminary level, or he may call it, as many of you have an idea about Buddhism, so there you have the mahayana and hinayana, two different paths, completely separate, but it is sort of two different, I can’t call it sect, but sort of two different teachings, schools, rather have. And mahayana point of view and hinayana point of view of the love and compassion has slightly different way. (Dutch translation) [0:09:48.1] When I say two slightly different things, and when you hear hinayana and mahayanas, you will probably think totally two different way of teaching, two different way of understanding, then that’s not right. Though it differs to certain ways and certain teachings, however, it doesn’t differ when you practice it. Basic principle practice of the mahayana is depend on the basic principle practice of the hinayana because at the hinayana level mostly you deal with yourself. And mahayana level you deal with others. So that is the very much basic difference is this. (Dutch translation) [0:11:13.9]

[0:12:06.7] Now the mahayana point of the love and compassion is a very strong love and very strong compassion we’re talking. And the object of the, object of the either compassion or love whatever it may be, it is the all sentient beings. The object of the love is to all sentient beings, not to one, or to me, or my friends, or my nearest or dearest alone. But, not even all human beings alone, but it is on all living beings, all sentient beings. And when- ok, sorry. Go ahead. (Dutch translation) [0:13:01.8] When the mahayanas talk about all the sentient beings, I’m sorry, all mahayanas talk of all the sentient beings, about love and compassion on them, the question rises, how about myself? When no matter how much we will talk about other people, but when you talk about yourself, and when you have, when you don’t have a strong feeling of compassion a strong feeling of love to on ourself, there is no possibility of bringing love and compassion on others. Whether you believe it or not, this is practically not possible. Unless and until you have strong feelings, love compassion, hatred, whatever it may be, any feelings, unless when you look on yourself and when you don’t have strong feelings, you can never have feeling strong on others. (Dutch translation) [0:14:58.7]

(Rimpoche speaks to audience, takes off jacket) [0:15:41.2] (Audience laughing) One of the fourteenth, thirteenth, fourteenth century saint, great Tibetan saint called Tsong Khapa, if you have heard about yellow hat sect and all that sort of things he’s the founder of it. So Tsong Khapa have said, rang (Quotes in Tibetan) [0:16:31.4] So meaning, when you think about our self, suffering, having the pains, and when you think about our own individual, what we’re lack of, we’re lack of happiness, pleasure, and comfort. But we’re having the problem of pains sufferings, all this, when we think about that, when our body here doesn’t move, how can you expect to have a such a strong compassion on others, which is impossible. That’s what Tsong Khapa said. (Dutch translation) [0:17:24.5] Translator: What was the last sentence of the quote by Tsong Khapa? Rimpoche: (Quotes in Tibetan) [0:18:37.5] The compassion that cannot be able to bear the other people’s suffering cannot grow. (Dutch translation)

[0:19:05.5] Now which also indicates, shows you what is the really compassion things about it. What is really compassion is? Now when you sit and when you walk around the street, when you see a speeding car comes up and run over the dogs, or he broke his legs and make noise, and everybody have feelings, pity feeling. Wanted to help the dog or try to do or something, whatever. These sort of feelings are not enough, good enough, sorry, to be the compassion what we are talking about. That is indicated here. This particular quotation, this compassion is, compassion means, actually you have to think about, not only think but know, about the true nature of the people. True nature of the people, how people are having a problems sufferings what they wanted, and what they have it, and what they don’t want, and what they do have it and how things are working, and that nature you understand properly and then have a compassion. That sort of compassion we’re talking about it, but not just the compassion of seeing dog run over by a car and making noise. Everybody will have it. (Dutch translation) [0:20:46.2]

[0:21:47.8] Now which means first we have to know the true nature of the people. Where the people is, what the conditions are, what do we want. Do we have what we want or what is it? Or everything what we don’t want it do we don’t have them. When you look very carefully on this, you realize every one of us, I think it’s the same, no matter whoever, whatever we may be. Every one of us are, we have a tremendous problem we have. Problem always, it is our nature. What we want it, we will never have it. Never. And what we don’t want it, we always have it. No matter whatever may be. That is our nature. You can’t help it. (Dutch translation) [0:23:01.0] When you look at the people, people wanted happiness. And best happiness. Want it to be the best. Everybody. You may deny, but you want it. The best. But you never get it. And you, what you don’t want it is, you don’t want problems. Illnesses. Weaknesses or any bad thing you can think of it. But you always get it. Why? And when you think about this, on me, as an object, and when I think about me, wanting to have a better, not getting. Wanting to have- wanting not to have problems, but getting it into it. And when I think about that and I don’t have compassion on myself, then I can never develop compassion on others.

[0:24:38.8] That’s what really Tsong Khapa tried to say. And that is true. That is true. No matter whoever, whatever you may be, people may say service of other sentient beings, or people may say for the service of whoever, whatever may be, but when you look at it, 99.9% people will have me is the most important. Yeah, true. We have a saying in Tibetan. A boy has been saying, when I see my father has been fighting with others, I like to see my father win the fight. But when I have to fight with my father, I like to see that I win, and not the father. (Laughing) That is what it is. I mean, it shows true nature how much we consider ourselves important. Even you may deny. You may say, I don’t consider myself as important, I feel the others. Okay very good. We just have to say very good and thank you. Otherwise it really doesn’t mean it. Truly if you check up- unless with the exception of great persons, okay- that’s different matter. Otherwise, you know we all have our full wishes inside. Similarly, unless and until we have compassion also our self, we can never, never be able to grow compassion on others. That’s the true thing. In order to grow compassion on our self, now we have to know our own situation. Our own situation. Our own situation is not very clear to us. I’m quite sure about this. Because- okay, I’ll let you talk. (Dutch translation) [0:26:40.2]

Translator: The last thing I said, the 99% except for high beings see them themselves as most important. Rimpoche: I do not know, I said something in between (Laughing) [0:28:30.2] Anyway. Okay now, actually what we, really our self is looking very carefully when you check within our self, then we feel the compassion. But nobody checks or says our own situation very clear. Everybody leads on sort of superficial life. I’m sorry, they do. We really don’t look our self very carefully. When you’re looking our self very carefully you’ll really know the true nature of problems we have. True nature of problems. Everything is a problem, okay. Some people may say, may not like to hear about the problems at all. Some- there are a lot of people, particularly in the west society, western society. They don’t like to hear the bad things. They would like to hear the beautiful things. Okay, many of them, I’m quite sure a number of you also the same thing. But that won’t help you.

[0:29:38.8] If you hear only beautiful things that doesn’t make you beautiful. That doesn’t make you nice. And particularly in spiritual path. Particularly in spiritual path, they have to tell you you’re not good. You’re bad. I’m sorry. They tell you because your true situation is, our own true situation isn’t this, number one. Number two, if they tell you the bad points, this is bad, bad, bad, bad points, okay, you can clear that off. Okay? You can really become buddha nice and beautiful. But if they don’t tell you the bad points, if they tell you how wonderful you are, how beautiful you are, okay clap, clap, clap, you go home makes no difference for whatsoever. It doesn’t help you at all. My opinion. So therefore every religion, I’m quite sure, will tell you you’re not very good. (Dutch translation) [0:30:46.4]

I said, you’re bad. But, but you’re not helpless. But, your nature is beautiful. Nature is good, clear, and beautiful. Neither you’re helpless. But you have every method to follow. You have every guide is available. You can really become nice. But only our bad thing is, only bad thing is we are full of problems, full of pains, whether you recognize or not recognize, it’s full of pain. Our life’s full of pain. The moment we are born, we’re born in pains. We have problems. Anything, anything. (Quotes in Tibetan) [0:33:06.7] Even now- (Laughs with audience, pauses for translation) (Dutch translation) [0:33:18.7] I met people, some of them said, I have no problem, I have enough bank balance, I have a number of houses to live, number of cars to drive, and good children around with me, they are good to me, I have no problems. So I met many people who said this. That’s not true. They haven’t thought about very carefully. Every moment, every single thing whatever we have is nature of problem. As I’ve told you, as I’m telling you just now, our birth, the moment our birth, birth is pain. Every moment that we live is nature of pain. Everything, whatever we use it causes pain. Whether you like it or not, it does.

[0:34:48.9] Whether you recognize or don’t recognize, it does cause pain. Everything. Changing. Changing is pain. We go up, down in life, We go up, very happy, but when you suddenly fall down, then it’s sad. Everything, every changing, not only from the young to the youth and elderly and so and forth, everything is changing. That is also pain. In short, in our life, the birth is pain, the living is pain, the death is pain. (Dutch translation) [0:35:35.6] Pain, the illness is of course I don’t have to say, you all know. So whatever, wherever, whatever we do, even the happiest moment, even our happy moment will also have a sorrow in it. Whether you like it or not, you do have it. If you recognize, very good. If you don’t recognize I can tell you, the most, the most, whatever the best thing can ever happen to you. Anything. Say if you are, say you are selected Miss Universal or something, yeah really the best thing can ever happened, even then you will have everything is wonderful, wonderful very nice, but this would happen like this would have been better. So you will never, never, never be totally 100% happy can never be.

[0:37:48.9] Even happiest moment can also have a pain. (Dutch translation) [0:38:11.5] So in short, our life is full of sorrow and then when you think about this sorrow, forget about future life and all this what we talk, but even on this life, and when you think about this sorrow, then if you can feel pity on our self, then we have a chance of developing that great compassion on other. When you can’t feel pity on our self, then still there is no chance yet, so that’s it. (Dutch translation) [0:39:57.6] So let’s say when you know our own situation, when you know our own situation and then we feel pity about it, and if you develop a desire, I use the word desire, normally desire is bad, but I will always say, 100% every desire’s not bad. Some desire can be good. So if you develop a desire that wanted to be happy, okay? You wanted to be happy and wishing to be happy, also you wanted to be developed you yourself will be separated from the pains. Okay. Two things I’m talking together, okay? Wanted to be happiness and separated from the sufferings. Okay, so wishing to be separate from the suffering is the compassion, and wishing to be happy is the love. From the Buddhist point of view that is the recognized as love wishing either the object may be you, individual, or maybe all sentient beings whoever it may be. But wishing to be a happy is called the love, and wishing to be separated from the pains and sorrows are compassion. That’s what we define it. (Dutch translation) [0:41:53.0]

Now to develop love and compassion to all sentient beings is the now the definition of the Mahayana love and compassion is all sentient beings. And when you look at it it’s become almost next to impossible. (Dutch translation) [0:43:37.0] Yet it is not impossible, it is possible to develop. It’s possible to develop through a stage by stage development. And that stage by stage development also have two different stages, whatever it may be, there are recommended seven stages. (Dutch translation) [0:44:19.8] If I’m going to talk each one of the seven stage to and it’s going to take long, long time, so I have to excuse on this, but I tell you the preliminary step, not even the step seven. I can count the seven step, there’s no problem. But preliminary, okay, let me count. I can count seven steps. The first step is recognition of all sentient beings are mother beings. Okay. We recognize the mahayana, both sattva, terminology’s both sattvas, are supposed to look, whether it actually does or does not, I do not know, but supposed to look all sentient beings as your own mother beings. First step is this. And there are lot of important things are here. Very important things in this. Looking to all the sentient beings as your own mother beings. In true reality from the Buddhist point of view, every sentient being is mother being. For sure. However, it is very difficult to look on the every sentient beings as mother being. Particularly on your enemies. (Dutch translation) [0:46:20.5]

And also I tried to substitute this looking as a every sentient being looking as mother beings try to substitute it by putting as your nearest and dearest I love the most and all this I tried however it doesn’t work. I’ll tell you the reasons. I try this because I met a number of western people who said oh I hate my mother most. So therefore, I’m sorry to say there are a lot of them and therefore I try to change this by putting other ones, but it doesn’t work. (Dutch translation) [0:47:53.6] It is very interesting, you should know it. Because when you try to substitute the love and the care and the compassion that mother has given to you, when you try to substitute it, no one can substitute. Not even your wife, not even your girlfriend whoever, whatsoever may be, no one can substitute that. (Dutch translation) [0:49:03.1]

Particularly young people today you know when we be able to walk, when we be able to carry our own stomach on our legs, and we think we have done great thing and I’m great independently come, doesn’t depend on, but we’re forgetting one thing. When we are totally helpless period, not only giving the birth and all this, the inside and carrying us in stomach and all this. But when you are in helpless condition, when you are helpless condition you think about it, the mother might have saved your life at least ten times a day. If you are left out animals might have destroyed you, the sun might have burned you make you blind, or you might feel cold, everything. Or elec- what you call it electrocuted or whatever, and all this many things and mother have saved your life ten times a day. And we intend to forget this. And moreover, if you talk to them, why you don’t like your mother? The most reason is oh my mother talks too much, the most reason. The most of them. And that she wanted this and that too much. Okay. Why she’s talking to this? We never thought about it. Because again, it goes back. Because she cares so much her own child she wanted her own child should be the best in the world in her own way. I (Inaudible) [0:51:21.3] in her own way. Right or wrong. But that’s also with love. So that cannot be the substitute at all. That I have noticed. Translator: In her way, or his or her way? Rimpoche: Whatever it may be. It’s not necessarily best way but they want it to be that way. Yeah really. (Dutch translation) [0:51:45.2]

[0:53:13.6] In short, excuse, me. In short, I give you one story, it’s a true story. One of the, I think he’s seventeenth century, a Tibetan saint and master who have been traveling from the east Tibet towards China, China side through the central Tibet. While he’s coming up, and while his group there and then some robbers came on the way. They met the robber. And the robber you know, we carry the loads on the animals. You know Tibet’s very backward country. People may think it’s great mystery Shangri-la and some funny thing but, no, it is very backward country, really. Nothing different there. Anyway, we go on horsebacks. So the robbers came and they carry those long knives, and they cut the knives across like this and cut the loads from the animals out so that they can pick up those, whatever the load may be. Could be gold, could be silver, could be nothing you know, could be clothes or anything. So they cut like that. So while cutting those through, they have cut across one mare, that female horse called mare, right? That mare cut across. And when it is cut across, this particular master lama was going through and he recorded this, and when they cut through, the baby fall off. And of course her stomach is totally cut. Right? Yet what he noticed is the mother have started licking that little baby who fall out. She’s not bothered her own stomach what happened. Till she fall down totally dead now. And she kept on licking, licking that little baby. So he had recorded that. So it shows how much each mother had care for their own child. So I think the mother’s love to the child is only known by mothers themselves. I don’t think we know it. (Dutch translation) [0:55:43.9]

[0:57:20.9] So looking every sentient being as a mother being is become very important because of this reason now. So now to look at that is become very difficult. As I said earlier even particular- even, um, even look, I mean leave aside. Even you can look few of them few of your nearest and dearest of them, but to look on enemies, your own enemies as your own sort of most close mother being it becomes impossible. But there are preliminary techniques. The technique of meditation is there, it’s called great equanimity. (Dutch translation) [0:58:16.6] Equanimity is like a base. If you want to draw some drawing paints on certain things you have to have a very smooth base. If you don’t have smooth base, you cannot draw any paintings at all, as you know. So similarly, our mind has to be very smooth and soft. Everything is actually the mind. Now (Inaudible) [0:59:22.0] probably then you can (Inaudible) [0:59:23.8] it up. This technique is you meditate and think all three different people simultaneously together. Three different people that is your person you love the most, and person you hate the most, and person you couldn’t care less.

[0:59:48.8] Just three of them produced in front of you and watch your own mind. When you watch your own mind, the moment you’re concentrating on your friends, you’re happy. What- excited. The moment you look at your enemy you don’t like it. Black. Doom. The moment you look at third person, ah, who cares, right? That the attitude we have. It’s our own attitude. If you do just now, you’ll find. So you have to find out the reasons why you like this particular man or woman. Oh, he or she is my friend, he or she helped me, he or she pushing me out if I don’t like her, blah blah blah all these reasons you will give. At the same time, you will also look at your enemy and why it's bad, why it is so black. Why is it so horrible. Oh yes, he did this, he did that, and he did this and he hit me here in public in presence of so many people, this thing, that thing, you have so many excuse to give you. Now, then you simply has to argue with your own mind. Okay. If you’re going to be angry now I’m just going to finish it off, okay? So if you’re going to be angry with him just because he hit you here, he slapped you in presence of so many people, so you can’t forget and this and that. Okay, in that case, he didn’t hit you, his hand hit you, right? But you’re not going to get angry on his hand, because hand doesn’t move without his move, right? So you’re not going to get angry on his hand but you’re going to get angry on him because it is he who hit you, he used his hand. Similarly, it’s not only he. He was under the control of his own anger at that moment. When people get angry some people get so badly angry they don’t know what they have done it. When they realize it’s all over. So similarly, the fellow has been under the control of his anger. In that case, you should angry with his anger rather than himself as you don’t angry with his hand. But this sort of technique, okay I’m just giving you hint little bit here and there. Sort of apply on it and then you might have to smoothen your mind. Okay.

[1:02:56.1] After all, when we talk about meditation lot of people talk about meditation. Meditation is nothing but getting your mind used to it on certain things. So this is how we apply, and when you apply this after some time you will see- not only after some time, you apply very strongly this particular technique one or two, ten times and you look again back to these three people earlier what you have, you’ll see the difference. (Dutch translation) [1:03:41.2] So if you could change the color of black and white of enemy and friend by applying certain techniques then you can definitely be able to look every people first your nearest, dearest, you love the most, and then your mother, or father, and so and so on and so forth. Then gradually it can be looked on all sentient beings, it is possible. When you be able to develop that as a thought, and then to remember the kindness and compassion that the mother has given to you and every time anybody whoever has been the mother they have given the same thing. And it is normal even human beings respectable people’s duty, when somebody has been good to you, you have to be good back to them. It is the everybody’s, you know sort of understood etiquette or human nature or whatever you may say it. Respectable work. It is- that’s the way how you take the steps and develop love and compassion on all sentient beings. (Dutch translation) [1:09:01.0]

So thank you so much for letting me talk here tonight and I waste a lot of your time, but (Laughing) is there any questions I’ll be sort of you know we can discuss but very limited questions I think we went over an hour. It’s almost one and a half hour. (Speaks with audience) (Dutch translation) [1:10:46.5] Audience: You told us that you’re only able to improve yourself if you become aware of your weaknesses. How much is this attitude in the Buddhist world accepted? Is it only religion or does that radiate into daily life? (Dutch translation) [1:11:46.6] Rimpoche: The question is very important. Relative to this question I should- there big important thing. Buddhism I do not know what the Buddhism you call it a religion or not. If I say Buddhism is not religion, I’m quite sure all my colleagues will kick me out, probably, but my personal understanding is Buddhism is not a religion. It’s more or less way of life. It talks- it is totally it is way of life. How to think, how to walk, how to act. Even Buddha himself had said, dig me (Quotes in Tibetan) [1:13:08.2] It is very short note, but he himself said, avoid all the non-virtuous, now terminology we may use may be using different. It just doesn’t call it sin, just call it non-virtuous, okay. Avoid all the non-virtuous, this is also English terminology interpreters used it. So avoid all the non-virtuous as much as you can, and build the virtuous work as much as you can. And most important watch your mind and control your mind this is Buddhism. That’s what Buddha himself has said. So therefore it is really, it is way of life. It’s very important. It’s more sort of way of life rather than religion, so therefore in the way of life I think it is very much accepted but very commonly. (Dutch translation) [1:14:12.0]

Yes sir? Audience: And do you know if (Inaudible) [1:15:22.6] the expression “chakra” (?) (Inaudible) in Hinduism. Rimpoche: Chakta and chaktee are mostly peas and all these mostly are referred in Hindu religion, yes. It is chakta and chaktis are Hindi- Did you say chakra? Chakra, oh yes. Yes, I see. Chakra is chakra. It is wheel. I’m sorry I thought you said chakti. Chakra is wheel. Wheel can be anything. Can be symbolic outside wheel, can be internal wheel, I mean that is the outside example which has many different, what should I say… Many different meanings and understandings and interpretation can be carried out. For example you might have seen a lot of Buddhist organizations they use this wheel as their signboard, or letterhead whatever you call it. They have a name for that. [1:16:50.5] Anyway, they use for their letterheads and signboards outside and all this, so it is another popular item which Buddhist uses. Because why they use this, because teachings of the Buddha, you know different teachings are sometimes referred as dharmachakra. Dharma wheel. Buddhist teachings referred as dharma. Dharma, and that’s called a wheel. Why it called a wheel? Because it was mostly Buddha taught and people understand and then turn it back, they call it training, dharmachakra. Training. Sort of wheel, why is using is mostly representing the Buddha’s teaching therefore a lot of Buddhist organizations use this wheel as their signboard, letterheads, all this. But from the religious point of view, philosophical point of view more and there much more meanings, and then when you go into tantra there are more meanings and yeah, it is symbolic which can be interpreted to many different ways. (Dutch translation) [1:18:08.9]

That’s word I try to remember is emblem, right? The emblem they uses. Well, I think, I presume there’s no more question and I thank you for having me tonight, Most Venerable, and everybody thank you so much for having me over tonight and talk to you and sorry I wasted lot of your time, thank you. (Audience clapping)