Archive Result

FILE 2

19850917GRJHNLGLG 3

Title: Ganden Lha Gyema

Teaching Date: 1985-09-17

Teacher Name: Gelek Rimpoche

Teaching Type: Workshop

File Key: 19850917GRNLGLG/19850917GRJHNLGLG 3.mp3

Location: Netherlands

Level 3: Advanced

[BACKGROUND NOISE, AUDIENCE MINGLING] through 00:45

Okay, normally the person in the offering or prostrations come in the Seven Limbs first but here it is switched to request them to stay that is all venerable gurus with a wide smile of delight seated on the lion throne, lotus and a moon - what they mean no sun disc? Did I say sun disc earlier? There’s no sun disc okay 01:21 [INAUDIBLE] .I have additional sun disc (laughter).

I mean it depends sometimes there is sun sometimes there is no sun. So this one doesn’t have it. And sometimes there is, sometimes there is not. Doesn’t make much difference. If you have it it’s better. 1:47 [AUDIENCE] Of course it’s better, nothing is bad. (laughter) and I have it. It doesn’t mention here it doesn’t matter.

Sitting on the lion throne lotus and moon in the space before me I have requested you to remain for one hundred of eons in order to 2:07 [INAUDIBLE]. 2:13 [TIBETAN WORDS]. Okay you always think when you invite your supreme field of merit for you - you always think they are always happy. You want a person of happiness, smiling, delighted.

You like it to have it and they like you, you like them, that’s always remember think like that. Because if you don’t want it somebody, if you want somebody you show delight face, you smile at them you don’t show them bad mood. You don’t sort of you know 3:09 [INAUDIBLE].

So similarly here also you always like to have delight because you don’t want bad feelings. You should have delightful person always. Delight is very important particularly if person or anybody having a problem of depression or sadness then you must have the Tsongkapa and disciples coming all very delightful laughing, joking all sort of always almost rolling on the floor.That type of thing visualize. 3:53 [AUDIENCE] Really, it makes a lot of difference for your mind.

And if you’re upset you let Tsongkapa laugh out there. 4:02 [RIMPOCHE AND AUDIENCE LAUGHING] Not like 4:08 [INAUDIBLE]. Not like that bad but sort of laughing like that which makes your mind 4:13 [INAUDIBLE].

Ah, requested to remain for eons not only for years but for eons. The reason why you want them to for eons to spread the teaching for the dharma right? And also 4:50 [TIBETAN WORDS] and also object on whom I can grow my, what is it? Be the Supreme Merit of my mind of faith. And also the field of the merit of my mind of faith, yeah that’s it.

That means as I told you earlier the faith is anyway not taken very seriously in Buddhism, however on the other hand the Buddhism does not believe in blind faith but Buddhism do accept intelligence faith. If you don’t have intelligent faith then things doesn’t function because I mentioned earlier to you faith is like a mother and with a mother the seed will grow but without faith its is burned seed which no matter whatever you do cannot grow. So that’s it.

So it is also the field of the mind field. That is intelligent faith okay? Not blind faith, nobody wants blind faith. What is blind faith? Because I said so, because I did so, because this guru said so, because that lama said so, because he said so, because she said so. If you try to believe it and then it is blind faith.

Intelligent faith is you check whether that makes sense or not, whether that agrees with established faith. Okay now there’s a lot of translation of books coming in English. Okay everyone of those translation books is not necessarily right. If you say in books it says so that doesn’t mean it’s right but if there is good [RIMPOCHE LAUGHS] sorry if there is a good translation of original texts that accepted by everybody like Tsongkapa’s texts or texts written by the two disciples of Tsongkapa 7:30 [TIBETAN WORD] or like that text of Buddha or great pundits of India like Nagarjuna or Asanga etcetera. Or if you come down then in the Gelugpa tradition 7:43 [TIBETAN WORD] Ensapa, Panchen Lama, from the first to the fifth Panchen Lama and then Seventh Dalai Lama, then 8:00 [TIBETAN WORD] Then Great Pabongka and late 8:30 [TIBETAN WORDS] and Ling Rimpoche’s work are sort of unquestionably accepted established fact.

So if anything is going against any one of those texts then it is a sign that there is something wrong, so you have to very carefully check. So that’s it now what else? I mention but it is not necessary Fifth Dalai Lama’s work now for example Fifth Dalai Lama’s work is all sometimes very often contradict with everywhere. (Rimpoche laughs) 9:20 [AUDIENCE] So fifth, the seventh is sort of very well established, the fifth is too much 9:27 [INAUDIBLE] he has twenty five volumes and on everything, on medicine, on astrology, astronomy, metaphysics,philosophics, politics, on everything.

Sometimes it’s not necessarily 9:46 [INAUDIBLE] each other also what happened is Fifth Dalai Lama came to the power in Tibet and he had a lot of learned people working for him. He 10:00 [INAUDIBLE] tremendous book on poetry, tremendous book on history too and he is great poet and great learned and all this but then I think he writes too much and one of people you know sort of writes and puts his name on it, that’s what they say. Whatever, there are twenty five volumes of that thick. So it’s not necessary to 10:26 [INAUDIBLE] So I mean don’t count in those sort of one tradition like tradition that comes, lineage comes from Pabongka and down to Trijang Rinpoche and Ling Rimpoche sort of thing is commonly accepted. Like Seventh Dalai Lama’s work and first Panchen Lama’s work . . . 10:51 [INAUDIBLE]

So and then what? Pabongka. Pabongka is sort of unquestionably accepted by The Ling Rimpoche and Trijang Rimpoche and like that. But then a lot of people would not accept Pabongka they think Pabongka is crazy (Rimpoche laughs) that’s a different matter all together. Okay. So these sort of things are not a problem for us. Okay intelligence faith and how to check and what is right 11:51 [INAUDIBLE].

You know I mean nowadays it’s not necessary that if it’s written somewhere it is right. A lot of translation comes you know some translations can do a lot of things so it’s not necessary. For example The Tibetan Book of Dead. Tibetan Book of Dead is commonly accepted sort of you know in the West it’s very commonly accepted. Among the Tibetans I don’t think normally the Gelugpas would never accept it, never accept it. They don’t accept that at all and among the Nyingma I think fifty percent accept, Kagyu . . .12:45 [INAUDIBLE] and now I do not know how and what according to The Pabongka he had mentioned very clearly how this Book of Dead had come to be. He said sort of very intelligent man in the Eastern Tibet side who had studied and the procedure of death and everything very carefully sort of thought and he wrote some type of novel type of thing he wrote and that was sort of carried away so much and sort of became a text.

Pabongka was sort of very strongly against this during his teaching all the time I think he kept on repeatedly said don’t waste your time looking at that sort of thing because Pabongka’s reason he gave is you read some words, you hear words and automatically you 13:58 [INAUDIBLE] and these are impossible things. So there are a lot of reasons he is giving that, he even named somebody who wrote this and it was somebody wrote it as some type of fantasy thing and then carried over. So we know . . . 14:19 [INAUDIBLE] then those who accept it this 14:31 [TIBETAN WORD] Book of Dead as a real thing and they said this Pabongka is anti-our-teacher and he is anti-dharma. (Rimpoche laughs) They created this little bit of trouble here. So whatever it may be it is questionable.

I cannot say it’s not right nor I can say it’s right. So it is there, it is good, you read, it is not necessary that you believe it because it really doesn’t you know if you did that book is correct I mean you would read your karma system, you read your normal logic system everywhere some how it is very strange. Throughout your lifetime you can go on killing somebody, killing , killing, killing and by the time you die invite make sure somebody there to read the book for you. (Rimpoche laughs) and that’s good enough. So. Me logically not as sound but I’m nobody to judge, so I’m not going to say anything on that but I just inform you because so at least you people will know what it is all about it because it is very popular. That’s why. I count it is like Lobsang Rampa’s book The Doctor From Lhasa, The Third Eye and that type of thing. 16:03 [AUDIENCE AND RIMPOCHE MOSTLY INAUDIBLE THROUGH 18:49]

Very similar if you read the Book of Death it’s there like that, I mean . . if you hear certain words then maybe okay you know that sort of thing 18:56 [AUDIENCE] There are things for dying people too . . .19:15 [AUDIENCE INAUDIBLE] 19:56 motivation and the actions they recommended may not be right. I think according to The Pabongka because Pabongka’s reason is how can it be possible to clear all of your non virtues in life - somebody read out something. Just over.

20:10 [AUDIENCE QUESTION] Which book do you consider in the West as very important? [RIMPOCHE] Oh a lot of them very good nowadays. What is there, The Second Dalai Lama Essence of the Refined Gold, it’s very good. Then his Holiness’ selected works.

20:36 [RIMPOCHE AND AUDIENCE BACK AND FORTH INAUDIBLE] Then what else is there? 20:48 [Audience asks: Concerning death and dying.] 21:05 [INAUDIBLE]

That is Hopkins translation right? 21:17 [INAUDIBLE] 21:19 [Audience: Do you consider the translation of Jeffrey Hopkins in general very good?] They’re the best, Hopkins and Thurman are the best. As far as I know Hopkin and Thurman is best. But then you know these two (Rimpoche laughs) right? I saw Thurman’s translation 21:40 [INAUDIBLE] Hah! He uses these words, these are my words, this are my words. How can he use, okay I must find another words (Rimpoche claps and laughs) That’s my word how can he take it. (Rimpoche laughs) He had to use my words.(Rimpoche laughs) I believe he calls Jeffrey too; you used my word how dare you to do it (Rimpoche laughs) or will you accept my translation as right then you surrender today and then I won’t say anything to you. (Rimpoche laughs) and Jeffery won’t, he won’t, that’s not your word I found it in the dictionary. (Rimpoche laughs) and they’re friends too. They are friends.They're together since childhood with one teacher Geshe Wangyal the Mongolian [INAUDIBLE] he brought him, both of them up. Geshe Wangyal.

I think he used to beat them together with stick.(Rimpoche and audience laugh) and sometimes they fight and they can’t even stop so Geshe-la beat both of them with a stick. Whoever, wherever it can hit he beat them up. That’s what Thurman told me. So now they took their quarrel into the literarhy World both of them professors. So how dare he can use my word they go like that. So Thurman tried to change - Jeffrey’s using it and he changed. He is very intelligent, I think Thurmab is much more intelligent than Jeffrey but Thurman is not stable. 23:24 [AUDIENCE] In the sense that if somebody else using his word he will change the word, you know . . . 23:40 [INAUDIBLE] and I told him a number of times don’t change, he said no, he said change because he said the more that Tsongkapa’s words I read, he said I gain more understanding, the more I gain understanding the more that I get understanding I change 24:00 [INAUDIBLE]

24:02 [AUDIENCE] No but if you read his translation of Three Principle of Path or the root text the earlier translation are much more realistic. Sort of . . . 24:19 [INAUDIBLE] 24:25 [AUDIENCE] yeah, yeah [RIMPOCHE AND AUDIENCE BACK AND FORTH INAUDIBLE]

25:33 [Audience question: you like the translation of Alexander Berzin?] Alex Berzin I didn’t really notice much but Three Principle Path Thurman’s better. Thurman and Jeffrey is the top I think then maybe the Berzin. 26:00 [AUDIENCE]

I’ve seen the others’ versions of Three Principles Path translation Thurman’s too, but later translation of Thurman is really good. 26:30 [RIMPOCHE AND AUDIENCE INAUDIBLE] That’s in the Tsongkapa’s collected work. Which was published by the library of Dharamsala. [Audience question: who’s translation is that?] Thurman’s, the whole book was Thurman’s Tsongkapa’s Collected Work, Tsongkapa’s biography, Tsongkapa’s lineage, Tsongkapa’s 26:59 [TIBETAN WORDS] No that was edited by Thurman and translation by Berzin. But now there is a new translation of Three Principle from Thurman, it’s better. Not really recent about two years ago he did it. 27:21 - 28:30 [AUDIENCE AND RIMPOCHE INAUDIBLE]

[Audience question: About the whole thing. I think you’ve told us this is a practice to do every day?] I haven’t said yet. 29:08 - 30:20 [AUDIENCE] On the other hand there is no Tsongkapa reincarnation around. No. 30:32 [INAUDIBLE]

There is no such thing called Tsongkapa reincarnation. There is no Tsongkapa reincarnation lineage. Reincarnation lineage not there. Like Karmapa you have reincarnation lineage, Dalai Lama you have reincarnation lineage, Panchen Lama you have reincarnation lineage. 30:57 [AUDIENCE] There is no such called Tsongkapa reincarnation lineage. Persons like Tsongkapa those are persons who have attained enlightenment for them there is no . . .[INAUDIBLE ]From multiplication it can go into one from the oneness it can multiply, like that. That is capable for all enlightened beings. As a matter of fact all enlightened beings not only one capable of doing it but all of them all those different enlighteneds probably become one person. Some people we say that is wrong. They say it’s wrong because there are reasons. But they are proof from the Buddha’s word itself saying when youre enlightened you probably dissolve in one of the nature big huge this.

A lot of people say that will be wrong because they will say what Buddha said is when you are enlightened you become equal that doesn’t mean you become one. If you become one person then these are the reasons they are giving. Whether you become one person or whether you get separate person or whatever it may be, you are capable of multiplying and dissolving. Did you get it? 33:46 [AUDIENCE] It is difficult to solve.

34:00 [Audience question:There is another thing connected to this, you said in the beginning if I understood well that then you are given something?] No, you are building something 34:20 [AUDIENCE] I will say it first . . . merit and blessing are two different things. Blessing comes but then merit you build, you earn.

34:38 through 36:02 [AUDIENCE AND RIMPOCHE] Playing with words no. It gives you extra power? No. It helps you not to meet with obstacles in case of obstacle it gives you extra strength to overcome. 36:25 through 37:18 [INAUDIBLE]

Don’t depend so much on that help because you may break your head one day (laughter) 37:29 through 38:27 [INAUDIBLE] You can’t do it. Cannot. How can you open enlightenment by blessing? Impossible, it can give you a little help here and there 38:35 [INAUDIBLE] I’m glad you raised that question because people might think that. 39:00 [INAUDIBLE]

In the beginning . . . you don’t have to visualize anything, power of the truth, truth is the truth of emptiness. Thank you. No more questions? 39:57 [AUDIENCE] Who are the three precious protectors? There was a great Tibetan officer who was a governor of Chamdo the Eastern Tibet. He was a Mongol official and Senior Mongol official. Mongol. He is 40:33 [INAUDIBLE] Probably he doesn’t know who is Buddha dharma and sangha or what is Buddha, dharma and sangha and where is Buddha, dharma, sangha. He is only fort of familiar with the term of three precious jewels or thee precious protectors or three precious gems or things like that, he’s not really familiar with that.

So he is very well known officer and he’s the governor of completely Eastern borders. Then somebody came and asked him: somebody says with folded hands; where is these three precious protectors, do they sit? He doesn’t know what to say. He was eating Tibetan [TIBETAN] that is the staple food of Tibet with Tsampa, barley powder and tea mix, he is mixing, mixing and after some time he ate one, keep on eating then, he must be thinking . . .so then after some time he says the three precious protectors are sitting in the sky invisibly in the great glass with shiny lights.

That’s what his answer is. Did you get it? [Audience question: that is also your answer?] That’s not my answer. (laughter) So that is the joke. Which means three precious protectors doesn’t stay anywhere it’s available every where and why it’s called protector it’s because it’s object of refuge.

To whom to take refuge.The reason why taking the refuge is to get help.That’s why it is called protector. Not like the protector of deity type of thing, but why it’s called protector, object of refuge.So that is Buddha and dharma and sangha in which we have sort of detailed talk.It doesn’t stay in the sky in invisible form in the glass light. I mean think about it, he really doesn’t know. There are things like that in Tibet.

Something very funny. A friend of mine, again a lay official, very well educated, very learned, very good, he was put in Chinese jail, jail means prison 43:46 [AUDIENCE] He was put in jail for 24 years and he came out . . . 44:08 [INAUDIBLE] He was a layman he is not supposed to know anything. There are some monasteries who really doesn’t know anything. There are some important monastery some of them unfortunately in Tibet really. He was 44:50 [TIBETAN WORD] South tibet. He was visiting in monastery and he asked whether this monastery had 45:03 [TIBETAN WORD] three vases. That is known in Tibetan as three vases. Three vases means 3, 4 monks not three vases, purification,Summer retreat and the returning monk thing you know dissolving of the Summer retreat and they have to have dinner together they have to have certain things to say they have to do some sort of ceremony . . . 45:30 [INAUDIBLE]

So he asked the monastery whether you have three vases or not. So these people couldn’t make out what it is. So since he’s big officer with powerful and then they said well let’s have a meeting of the monastery and find out whether we have three vases or not. They all had meeting of the monastery and find out whether we have three bases or not. They all had meeting, do we have three vases, he wants three vases if you can’t give him three vases he will give a lot of trouble. So they had meeting, do you have three vases? Everybody said I doon’t have such thing as three vases so everybody said in the meeting there they said there’s no three vases available they couldn’t get it.So they went back to him and there’s one monk who sort of a very funny fellow, he used to go to India do business bring funny things back . . . 46:40 [INADUDIBLE]

iF you don’t give it he will give us trouble. We searched everywhere among our monks and found no three vases with any one of us but we still have one more monk. 47:39 [SOUND RECORDING CUTS OFF, NO SOUND] 47:45 Three helpers. Sometimes it’s called . . . 47:50 [INAUDIBLE] three jewels, three pillars, three gems, three stooges (three stooges) 48:09 [AUDIENCE]

Now next is we request them to stay for eons okay? Now this time not only you request them to stay for eons, to be as your protector and to be your field of merit but you also request those of Buddhas and Bodhissatvas who are helping to other sensient beings, what happened . . . 50:19 [AUDIENCE]

Not only we are requesting to remain to the field of protector, field of merit but also remains to lend a help to living beings forever. That’s time you have to if possible you have to visualize that you are offering to the supreme field of merit a throne probably a gold. [TELEPHONE RINGS] 51:04 [AUDIENCE]

These are the Buddhas and Bodhissatvas in the form of human beings who are helping if they have a mind of going we request them to remain forever together. So you have to visualize here to offer a golden throne to them. Things like this are known as unwritten. The commentary probably maybe some of them maybe now, now people write down . . .51:52 [INAUDIBLE]

So you visualize a golden throne. The throne represents unshakeable, throne represents base not moving. Especially throne with vajra. The cross and vajra did you notice that? Cross and vajra. What does vajra mean? The single or double. The name of the vajra is Sanskrit. It means symbol of unshakeable, unchangeable, indestructible. So that’s why the throne has the vajra mark, that is the reason. However . . . 52:47 [AUDIENCE] Now that’s why you will find vajra being put on the throne. However now listen carefully, I’m really sort of pulling things . . . [INAUDIBLE]

However when you going to retreat , during the retreat people draw underneath they draw swastika 53:25 [AUDIENCE] German type of Hitler type of thing. 53:33 [AUDIENCE] THAT’S EXCUSE . . .53:45 [INAUDIBLE] people say the other way around . . .sometimes do this way, sometimes do that way, both wat, it’s that the Tibetans borrowed from Hitler, it’s not Hitler’s symbol, it comes from there original, you know that.

So this is the reason why you know during the retreat they draw, there’s always under your seat they they do that, the reason why they do is actually you have drawn vajra cross but they don’t draw vajra, why? Vajra is symbol of a deity, tantric deity. Therefore . . . 54:24 through 55:10 [AUDIENCE AND BACKGROUND NOISE]

The cross and vajra should be there, should be used as unshakeable sign, however cross and vajra is a symbol of a yidam, there you should not sit on it by an ordinary person, don’t sit, don’t jump over, don’t cross, so it is one of those faults in the downfalls of the tantric vows if you read it on the commentary the Six Session Guru yoga. They count all the downfalls in there. So in that crossing or jumping or sitting over the sign or symbol of the yidam is there. So therefore since vajra is the symbol of yidam to substitute the vajra they use the swastika okay?

You always find that. But you find they put on the throne the cross vajra, they put cross vajra on the throne because person who sit on the throne is most probably supposed to be a right person. So therefore I don’t think he will have that problem of sitting over or jumping over sign of a yidam or deity. Why I said this is sometimes you forget to tell then . . . 57:00 [INAUDIBLE]

I saw in America somebody wrote a very funny thing, they said Tibetan thing to go against the Hitler is right to left or left to right and the Tibetan thing is left to right . . . 57:20 [INAUDIBLE]

So the reason why you’re using is to substitute. This is sign of unshakeable to substitute vajra because you are sitting on it. Now, this is where that come from by offering throne okay? That’s it.

And you have to visualize that, not visualize you have to think that I have requested to a supreme field of merit who are representing every enlightened beings to live forever and they have accepted your request without saying anything. You know the sort of thing where you say something they don’t say anything yet - sort of accept it. You know what I mean. 58:20 [AUDIENCE] You say please do this or that and without saying maybe accept it. Don’t say out yes I’ll do but sort of you know accept it. By his reaction you’ll know. 58:38 [AUDIENCE]

Now the next is the place 59:13 [TIBETAN WORDS] Not place. Now the prostration. Right? 59:28 [AUDIENCE]

Your mind of intellect comprehends of the full extent of what can be known. Your speech with it’s excellent explanation become ear ornament of those of good fortune. Your body are the radiantly handsome with the glory renown. I prostrate to you whom to behold here to recall it is worthwhile. Now this is prostration. Now out of seven branch prayer - actually now this is the first - here it has changed because I told you as a visitor when visitor comes you ask them to sit down.

For that reason they have changed this. Now second now the prostration. What is the prostration means? What is the meaning of it? 1:00:45 [AUDIENCE]

The word of prostration is in Tibetan is called 1:02:35 [TIBETAN] In Hindi and Sanskrit called namaste 1:02:55 THROUGH 1:04:16 [AUDIENCE AND RIMPOCHE SOME TIBETAN SOME INAUDIBLE] When I bow down to you why should I bow down to you? Because you can do something to me. So I want something from you, therefore I respect you. Maybe. Okay. What does soldiers salute their Germans? Because . . . 1:04:33 [INAUDIBLE]

And also they are under their control, therefore you’re paying respect. Right? So similarly 1:04:50 [TIBETAN] We express I bow down to you because I am very much impressed of your qualities so I bow down to you. The same time I’d also like to indicate that I want your qualities. That is the prostration actually. People doing prostration 100x, 100,000x and all this they are physical exercise they are doing it, like this, you know they do this and there are a lot of different way of prostrations. 1:05:41 [INAUDIBLE]

That is. What are the five? 1:06:00 [AUDIENCE] So, two knees, two hands and forehead touching to the ground. It is called Naropa style of prostration, that’s called Naropa style. Panchen Naropa the great Indian Pundit called Naropa, you know Naropa. Naropa is quite familiar with everybody because it is Marpa’s master and Tilopa’s student and a there is a Naropa institute, Naropa University, Naropa this, Naropa this, Naropa is quite familiar with people, Naropa’s style of prostration this is. Okay? That’s one thing. That’s called short prostration also.This is called short prostration 1:07:17 [AUDIENCE]

Two knees, two hands and forehead. The five important points touching to the ground is Naropa’s style of prostration, Naropa’s short style of prostration. Then also what happens people do this; fold two hands, when you fold two hands, some people will fold like this, some people will fold like this and some people will fold like this.Which is right? Why? 1:08:02 [AUDIENCE] This is non-Buddhist style, the Hindus and all the non-Buddhist style.Now people don’t pay much attention otherwise this non-Buddhist style and this is Buddhist style. Why?

Buddhist thought the explanation to this is you don’t go your hand empty. When you fold it don’t fold empty. Therefore you put these two in. Some people do like this, that’s wrong don’t do it. You have to do like this. Because these two thumb represent as a precious jewel inside your hand so that’s why. If you go like this then big jewel will go. (laughter) 1:08:17 [INAUDIBLE]

Okay that’s what it is. Nowadays a lot of people do that I mean that’s too bad I don’t know why. So then the first foremost is you bring to your own forehead over here like this. By bringing your forehead you create with respect to object of supreme field . When you do this you are creating a karma of virtuous to be able to give result of the extra lump that Buddha had on head. What do you call it in Sanskrit ushnisha, you know Buddha had some extra over here. Some people may think it’s ugly . . . 1:10:20 [INAUDIBLE]

It’s difficult to create that’s why they do this, and it create absolutely the direct karma to be able to create. Ushnisha. Then some people do three times, some people do four times all have explanation however . . .1:10:45 [AUDIENCE]

No, no, Buddha had ushnisha, Buddha had thirty-two major and eighteen minor marks on the body, out of thirty-two major marks ushnisha is one of them, then this eye is all there and they are difficult to produce. . . 1:11:45 through 11:13:05 [AUDIENCE AND RIMPOCHE BACK AND FORTH]

When you really see the Buddha during that time the big question I don’t believe it’s as you do Buddha’s drawing today, I really don’t think it’s like that. Today you draw this big ushnisha here, big ear, one here, this hand . . . 1:13:20 [INAUDIBLE]

I don’t really know it’s like that. I’m not very sure it’s like that or not because you know for 2,500 years people exaggerate and then the artists and the poets are the same thing which is really sort of you know . . . they make little bit long, that makes funny thing. There are thirty-two major and eighteen minor signs are there for sure. Ushnisha is there but may not be just like it’s drawn like additional thing here, whether it’s good sign or bad people may say it’s ugly. But it’s not flat like ours but definitely it’s sort of up. So that’s called ushnisha anyway. I’m not very sure whether just like what we draw today. Buddha . . . 1:14:40 [INAUDIBLE]

He has different qualities but his physical, maybe he is taller than normal a little bit maybe he is much more handsome than ordinary but I’m sure he didn’t get jaundice. 1:15:15 {AUDIENCE]

I said I’m sure he didn’t get jaundice to get yellow. 1:13:32 [AUDIENCE] but he is slightly yellow but it may not be like gold as like it looks like you draw today is gold color and sort of blue thing that may not be. That is my feeling. May I give it honest with you truly. That’s a personal thing, not a Tibetan teaching okay . . . 1:15:56 through 1:17:27 [AUDIENCE]

About Buddha I really think that way. I’m sure he had all the different signs are there. But it’s sort of reasonably acceptable to be human society with the human beings of that time. 1:17:40 [INAUDIBLE]

Even you see today you extraordinary people you extraordinary people you see they are slightly different they are shiny, they are sort of you know you see all the slightly different things you see but Buddha may have definitely much more than that. But may not be exactly like what you paint and drawings. That’s my feeling. So the artists are a little bit exaggerated . . . 1:18:19 [INAUDIBLE]

The first image of buddha was drawn during the Buddha’s lifetime on the basis of his shadow. 1:18:35 [AUDIENCE]

Because two kings are exchanging gifts. One king fives tremendous gift to another king. He doesn’t know what to return it. So he went and asked buddha what to give and he said give image of me, drawing of me and the Buddha sat on the thing near a pool, it looks like a swimming pool to me description . . . 1:19:07 [INAUDIBLE]

May not be swimming pool like today’s with all the cement and all that but dirt filled up with water, you know and some flower growing nearby and then artist . . . 1:19:35 [INAUDIBLE] and then Buddha gave teaching of Four Noble Truth underneath that, so that was drawn and then teaching on Four Noble Truth . . . 1:19:50 through 1:19:53 [INAUDIBLE]

You can’t really sort of let the Buddha measure it you know, I mean so the shadow of the Buddha kept it according to they have drawn. So they had shadow like this so they made drawing similar, black sketch made on that basis. When they say picture was drawn, black sketch might have made it on thee. Like that they might have made it. You know you put your hand here then you sketch here just like that they might have done it. 1:20:35 [INAUDIBLE]

Must be special meaning for it, maybe he got blessings or something who knows? But that’s how it was drawn, it was mentioned in sutra 1:20:53 [AUDIENCE] water and the shadow and the Buddha sitting all three are there. According to that, with instruction of Buddha himself . . . 1:21:45 [INAUDIBLE]

For instance the art historians they still go and argue when the first picture came. They still writing papers and some people say the picture came after five hundred years after the Buddha’s death and all this sort of thing, they’re still writing. Maybe you know we don’t quite know who is right or who is wrong but still there is a sutra on that definitely and a story. Where are we?

This is ushnisha , now make it four, let’s do the four style it will have more benefit. This is ushnisha. Then comes here. Which also gabe the body as well as this is not third eye for Buddha. A lot of people think it is third eye. There is long hair knot, like those people. Curly hair. Some people have curly hair like an African type of thing. So I believe Buddha had a curl on here, curl here, that is known as 1:23:28 [TIBETAN] 1:23:30 [AUDIENCE]

That is one of these signs and a these and these sign are difficult I forget it you read it on the eighth or eighteenth chapter of the 1:24:00 [TIBETAN] They will say how much virtue it was wanted to produce this, 1:24:05 [INAUDIBLE] to produce a mind, something like that sort of multiply, keeps on multiplying and when multiply this is one of them, that is one of them and great voice is one of the and body is another one. Something like that it goes. But I don’t remember clearly now I haven’t looked in that for probably twenty-five or thirty years. So it is in the eighth chapter 1:24:33 [TIBETAN] 1:24:38 [AUDIENCE]

The hair of the friend. Kind of knot actually. So that’s why you know you find in the drawings sometimes it’s looks like a little pearl here type of thing. They don’t draw ye but they have sort of thing that’s the reason why, that’s a sort of hair knot. This is one of the difficult to create and the body that’s why you touch here. Touching here, touching here. Then touching here to produce the speech power of the Buddha or enlightened beings. The speech power, you know what is the speech power of enlightened beings? Interesting. I believe the Buddha doesn’t need an interpreter. During the Buddha’s lifetime he doesn’t need interpreter. He is in India, he is in Northern center belt of India where a number of languages are spoken. Such as the Pali, Sanskrit and this language is spoke 1:26:24 [FOREIGN WORD] [INAUDIBLE]

Now whatever it may be, during the Buddha’s period I mean now you can think about it. If you think the area where the Buddha really covered and spoke and give teaching covered Bengal, Southern part of Bengal. 1:26:50 [FOREIGN WORDS]

So all these area have different language and all these areas have different kingdoms at that time. There are different kings and different kingdoms, each one of them has different languages however Buddha’s teachings and preachings and speech have not been translated. Why because he had extraordinary quality. 1:27:29 [TIBETAN]

Though he spoke in one language people be able to understand in their own way. One way. That is the extraordinary quality of speech. 1:27:50 through 1:29:00 [AUDIENCE].

That is whatever it may be, then extraordinary speech, and this will accumulate merit to be able to produce speech also. Then at the heart. So now this is different. Eastern and the Western, The Easterners think mind is the brain, whatever it may be. When you are talking at the heart level it is also to create the merit to be able to produce the mind. So that’s why these three touchings are. Four touchings. One, two, three, four. Or you can skip this. Some people nowadays people sometimes do it inbetween somewhere you know neither up here nor down here, it is somewhere in between . . 1:29:56 [INAUDIBLE THEN AUDIENCE]

Also this [TIBETAN] to be able to [TIBETAN] need lot of extra merit. I told you I forgot otherwise in the eighth chapter [TIBETAN] it has all this crosses I mentioned 1:30:28 [INAUDIBLE] This is another point which is difficult to get it . . .1:31:00 [AUDIENCE]

Question doesn’t matter let me speak also, I want to finish. Questions you must ask otherwise this is not study group. Study means you have to study, question and answer. If you don’t question then you don’t study. If it is preaching or teaching then you listen. Now what is next?

Touching the heart then touching the five points on the ground. That is prostration. Prostration is respect from us to the supreme field of merit through body. Through the door of body we call it three doors, door of body, speech and mind, call three doors, through the door of body we do prostrate by touching the ground.Okay while doing it we also accumulate merit to be able to produce these extraordinary qualities to our body that’s why. 1:33:08 [INAUDIBLE]

Now another thing prostration, again the Naropa style is the long prostration. Long prostration the whole body will touch just like a flat cut tree put down on the ground. If you have tree like this you cut the tree the tree will fall like that. Just like that the whole body to the ground like a tree cut. You cut a tree it falls down right? Both are accepted. Both are right way of doing it, accepted. Not only this, any sign of respect if you have, if you show . . . 1:34:03 [INAUDIBLE]

So hen you have to do 110,000 prostrations it is very easy. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (laughter) I don’t think you can substitute it like that but this is also . . . according to the teaching yeah any sign if you can’t get up here you get up do the prostration. If you can’t get up you just do this. That is sufficient. If this is sufficient, this is also sufficient 1:34:55 [AUDIENCE] Sign of respect is sufficient for the bodies, through the door of the body. But when you have to 100,000 prostrations you know . . . [RECORDING ENDS]