Archive Result

Jewel Heart Transcribing Project – Gelek Rimpoche Teachings

Lam Rim Series 1994 – 19940719GRLR 1

0:00:30.2

GR: So what we wanted to do here now the next couple of months for those Tuesdays we would like to try to talk a brief but complete Lam Rim teaching on this. So I will try to work out the outlines of the Lam Rim and try to write them and give it to you make it available as soon as we can. But I really wanted to hope to get this something nicely done so there’s two or three possible ways of doing it. What I’d like to do is true to the tradition yet make it as easy as possible and the most useful as possible. So the traditional way to do is you have to hold the outlines …. What’s happening?

0:02:25.4

GR: And the outlines are absolutely important because the outlines are the steps that you have. Let’s say you’re taking a journey from this ordinary level to the level of the enlightened Buddha stage so you’re sort of climbing up there so what steps are involved. The steps are the outlines and that’s also the individual developments. When you look at the spiritual developments the individuals’ understanding and getting it under control and making best use of it and develop it. So that step. Each one of those, we call it outline but actually each one of those steps are the different level of the spiritual development of the individual. So what will happen is if you’re truly looking for a Buddhist and that of Vajrayana Buddhist practitioners among them you can talk what level this person is. So you can say that person is I think in this level, that level, that level. So the levels are named in these outlines.

0:04:17.7

So that is the step and that is the spiritual level so when you don’t have the ground zero level then you can’t count anything. So from the ground zero level to the Buddha stage level like stage one stage two stage three stage four stage five and when we say what this person is what level it means, I’m not talking about whether that person understands this level or not. We’re talking about whether that person has reached to that level or not. That’s what we’re talking about. Before we talk about if the person has reached that level or not the person has to understand that level and not only the person has understood but it has to be under control within the individual. It should not be haywire, a little information there a little information here, not static. It has to be organized and developed, organized and put them together.

0:05:30.8

Not only that, that person has to be meditating on that level. And not only meditating on that level, that level should influence the persons life. When that’s happening we say that individual is at that stage. So that is why these stage outlines are very important and I tried to use as short as possible without losing any essential things. If you lose the essential things what happens is you cannot go to the next step because you lost a step in between so you’ll be stuck there. That’s exactly what happens. So traditional thing the detailed ones will go in hundreds and hundreds of outlines and hundreds and hundreds of steps that goes, but that is a big detailed way. But whatever is short as possible we’d like to do that but you make sure if you want to benefit yourself or the others, in order to benefit others though as a Mahayana , Vajrayana practice we will generate beginning level we generate we would like to learn, practice this in order to develop myself and so that I may be able to help. So in short in order to help and benefit all beings I would like to learn practice and master and develop on those paths.

0:07:26.9

That is a requirement of step one called motivation. So the motivation is not only for me or for me alone but for all beings. Maker it short. So that sort of motivation everybody should generate so that what ever you do within that it will be good positive dharma practice. Get the idea? So the first step is motivation. That motivation you should not only use it when you’re here but you should use it every morning when you wake up, every morning when you wake up, well like Allen Ginsburg says happy not yet to be a corps. So actually that is the first thought if you have it in the morning and that is going to be the best thought. And then the second step, the second thought is happy so therefor I will make all my chores or whatever interaction doing anything with anybody everywhere every single thing that I have to do for this day I would like to use it for the benefit of me and all beings. That will be the second thought, you should motivate in the morning.

0:09:52.2

So that even if you have to do something bad during the daytime, we all do anyway, so it will not be that bad, so you do have some kind of good motivation. A lot of tricks you can play in practice actually. If you like to call it tricks it is tricks but if you call it method then it’s a little better way. It is method. And if you make it even better than that you may call it skillful means. That is a Buddhist very nice way of putting it so if you want to trick it you can trick that way. If you want to be skillful that is a skillful way. So the second thought every morning is then you can have whatever I have to do today dealing with anybody, everybody or anything I have to do for benefit of all beings I would like to do it for the benefit of all. And that much thought will also benefit you the individual so me when I get up if I put that thought and I get a lot of benefit though I haven’t done anything, not even lip service even before that just thought service. Even that I get a lot of benefit so this is one of the things you can do when you wake up in the morning. Even if you have a headache or whatever, hangover or whatever you have but even then that sort of idea you can put in.

0:11:52.6

So one of the important methods, lets be a little polite, methods in Buddhism and the Buddhist experience is the motivation. It make a hell of a difference, the motivation. The person who works absolutely hard for say 16 hours doing nothing but meditating, saying your prayers or mantras or doing whatever, putting in 16 hours without that sort of thought, just the thought of doing it and be kind and nice and gentle and usual good ole person trying to spend all the time doing something and the person who had such a motivation of this thing and devote 5 minutes of doing something will probably have a better benefit for that person of that 5 minutes return is much more than that of 16 hours of hard working because of the motivation. I’m not telling you it is the Buddha who said that and that’s what makes a difference. And that’s why it makes a difference between the I may use this word I normally don’t, Hinayana and Mahayana. The difference ids the motivation and that makes a big difference, the whole key lies on that.

0:13:51.3

(not pertinent) 0:14:15.7

The motivation, ok after motivation, ok now I should concentrate on the Lam Rim thing. After the motivation I should really talk about this Lam Rim now because otherwise I’ll be talking haywire here and there and will not get to the point. Basically you remember three things for Lam Rim; preliminary, actual and ok preliminary activity, actual meditation and what do you do afterwords? Conclusion or whatever you call that. Ok? So this is applicable to the whole practice of Lam Rim, from the teaching from the beginning to whenever we end it. And every session individually it is applicable. It is also applicable to the individual practitioner to practice to meditate the Lam Rim from the beginning to end or every session that you meditate; preliminary, actual and conclusion. All these three are applicable right? Whether you’re going to meditate for that short session we have preliminary, actual and conclusion and the generally one big thing, am I making myself clear or have I made more confusion? What do you think?

0:16:19.0

You think so? Maybe it’s clear to you but maybe others didn’t get it. Did you get it? What’d I say? You think so. Ok this sort of three things are applicable for the big way, whole practice, or short way every session you do, you know what I mean? So that’s what it is. OK?

So even this short period what we do here will also have this three things, three things. The preliminary, actual and the conclusion. Even this Tuesday evening when we meet here we have the three things and that’s why you have this little long page over here, that’s the reason why you have this, ok? So this you can taker home and you cn do your daily practice if you want to but don’t forget to bring it back next Tuesday because it won’t be here, extra copies. There may be some newcomers may need one or two. Those of you who would like to come back don’t forget this little sheet because we won’t have it all the time.

0:17:42.8

Now preliminary, first preliminary. We have this gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi soha here, right? We have this first thing, page number one of that single sheet page one you have this tayata gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi soha. This is what we call the essence mantra, the mantra that really expresses the emptiness. So this is that mantra. Why do we use this mantra? Ok I’ll tell you what, in traditional Tibet when you do this teaching the Lam Rim teachings, the first Lama comes in everybody will be sitting and standing and chanting the migstsema or something. Then the Lama will do three prostrations to his seat and so why are you doing the three prostrations? Actually the reason is because you know everybody’s looking up and somebody’s looking down, that persons going to get a big headache, ha, I’m the one who’s looking down and talking to them. Specially if you don’t know anything, it’s up to me whatever I tell you, right? I’m just joking. They may not think that way but they get a big head maybe and in order to reduce the pride or pride of the individual, that’s why they prostrate. Even to the throne and then you are not only prostrating to the throne you’ll remember when you climb up you’ll remember impermanence. The word that we use quietly

0:19:27.3 (Tibetan)

It is like that of the stars will appear at the night and disappear during the daytime. It is like that of a mirage. Everything appears yet it is not reality, mirage, right? And it is like candlelight when there’s wax it will burn and the wax is over it will go. And it is like that of dew in the morning you get it on the grass, dew, like dew. Am I saying it right or wrong? Ok. 0:20:15.5 Tibetan

It’s like that of a dream, it’s like that of lightening and all created phenomena are in that nature. The person was supposed to remember that and even say the words by mouth so that you remember, that makes the person grounded, humble, so your head doesn’t grow big. So you say you don’t know anything so I can tell you whatever I’d like to, right? So that sort of thing, ideas, won’t come up. So that’s what it is. And besides that we have to remember everybody knows everything, too! You know, I’m sure a number of you will become a teacher in the future. If you do so you have to remember that. You may be simply a messenger, you’re carrying a message. And you may be adding up giving some kind of additional things that you based on your experience and all with a good and kindness, good, kind thought, thought of helping, never think of benefitting yourself, never. But the thought of kindness and the desire to help and desire to be you know in that manor. And with humbleness o the ground, be on the ground, never fly in the air, grounded and be humble. I mean the Americans will normally tell you be proud but that’s one thing. Over here you have to be a little humble. Everybody should be humble. So that’s what you’re supposed to do. That’s what you remember, the impermanence is the most important thing. Everything is temporary and you may happen to be the person to turn around and that’s why

0:22:28.0 (name in Tibetan)

Kushan Chodak? started crying that day when he was giving that teaching and he started crying. He’d been too extreme of going that way, probably, started crying that way. Whatever the reason may be but that’s really what it is, you know, to be humble. Ok, the humbleness is actually a lot of quality. Some people, some crazy person, some yuppies may look down on you, that doesn’t matter. That doesn’t make you lower at all! And as a matter of fact the more the people know how humble you are it becomes a quality, really. And that is I notice, I mean at least I’ve tried to keep myself as humble as possible. I never think I’m somebody. I never tried to think I’m somebody though there’s a number of people come around and tells you but I try to do both the best I could and never think I’m somebody. I try to be on the ground, try to be humble. I think everybody that knows me they probably can tell you, that is the only one which is not lying, all others are a lie. And one thing I also notice when I was at Omega and in one of their catalogue they’re advertising they said both Allen Ginsburg and me, we did together, they said both of them are known for humbleness. I was quite happy with that. Maybe I’m losing my humbleness! I do not know but that’s really what it is, ok?

0:24:20.8

That way you lose nothing, ok? And a lot of earlier teacher will say the humbleness is better and you cannot fall down, you are on the ground you cannot fall down anyway. And if you climb up on the tree even if you fall from halfway up the tree that’s ok but if you go right up to the top and break the branch and if you fall you will have a painful experience. That’s what they tell you so let’s keep it in mind, humbleness. Ok? So that’s why we have this. The of course, I’m going through this page we gave you so that’s why you’ll know what we’re doing next time. Then as a Buddhist background to show it’s a Buddhist practice we take refuge to Guru Buddha Dharma and sangha. Taking refuge to Guru is the Vajrayana way. Not necessarily Theravada or Mahayana will do but Vajrayana they’ll do it, taking refuge to Guru Buddha Dharma and Sangha. So in this case we take refuge to Guru Buddha Shakyamuni and then the buddha Buddha Shakyamuni and Dharma the spiritual development of the Shakyamuni and the sangha of Shakyamuni, Guru Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. So that way we are taking refuge.

Namo Gurubye, Namo Buddhaya, Namo Dharmaya, Namo Sanghaya

0:26:18.6

Now the next is creating object of refuge, these are preliminaries ok, preliminaries.

(Actually I should say, do you have that thing where you write that big thing down? Should be back there if you can write everybody can see something and it may be useful. I hope Kathy will be able to write and if she misses somebody will be able to help.)

So when we talk about the preliminaries basically there are six preliminaries, ok six preliminaries. If you take notes it is useful. Not only you take notes what I would suggest, what I will suggest to you is if you do a little homework it may be very helpful. Because you know you are trained in such a way, you are not trained in the way we used to. We used to do here and then go back and sit and think, that was, I was trained in that way but you’re trained in a different way. So if you take notes and if you write yourself what you have understood and when you begin to write yourself you know that you’re missing something or whatever.

0:28:15.6

So if you write yourself if you write a note or write a poem or write anything which you can perhaps you know, you can share each other and each other look to each others notes next time. Not in here, ok. When you take your notes and when you go home you can share it around and probably that may be interesting. So that way you can observe better, you can observe better. But that’s not compulsory if you don’t want to write don’t write. It doesn’t make a difference to me. I’m not going to turn this into school and then make a correction and a classroom system, we’re not going to do that either but you may like to circulate among yourselves and if you like to and if you write in poetry way you may do it or you just write a note or maybe write a journal. So whatever the way you want to do it and if you express something either through a writing or through music or whatever you do in that way you may observe better, ok? So six preliminaries. (Kathy and Rimpoche discuss amongst each other)

Cleanliness. Ok the first preliminary is, what did you write? Cleanliness.

0:30:33.2

Not necessarily room. We normally say the room but the room and individual. Basically the way you do the cleaning I’m not going to talk very funny way you know, outer, inner and spiritual cleanliness. I’m not going to go into that. I’m just going to go to ground zero level. So basically clean yourself and that is for Tibetans that don’t take a bath for a long time. We may tke one bath in a year or something so that’s one way. And another way actually is creating a sacred space. Sacred space, you need it. If you don’t have it if you have to run away where are you going to run away? You know? So you have to create a sacred space, space where you can mediatate, where you can keep yourself, if you can’t do it if you don’t have it outside you may do inside but even externally there should be a clean environment al cleanliness. And basically the whole question of environmental cleanliness will come on that. That is the general, taking care of the earth, water, trees, all of them are sort of step number one preliminary number one. And that is not so much a danger in Tibetthat was not so much a danger in Tibet as it is today here. So then that sort of went into the room, the cleaning business went into the room. Otherwise basically that was very important, almost step number one of the preliminary. I’m not going to talk to much out of there.

0:33:26.7

Simply we do need it, we do need clean air. We do need clean water. We do need earth. We do need good trees otherwise how are we going to breath? How are we going to live? Even if you don’t care about the others but what about ourselves? And the children? Well we may pass through somehow but the children and all this and that is the cleansing part. And also for yourself, a little room or space where you feel comfortable. Where you’re not throwing all your clothes all over the place and you don’t have to walk through like you’re walking through a little water, you know, you’re clothes and all this. So that sort of thing. So if you have a little what do you call it, a little space which is really clean and nice where you feel comfortable, ok? So that’s creating the space actually that’s what it is. Creating the general, so that’s why actually being very aware of elemental things like you know, this what do you call it green something, those environmental…Greenpeace and all this, their activities are quite important and so as a spiritual practitioner we should also pay a lot of attention to the environment. Particularly the earth, water, tree and all of those in general. Particularly where you are. That’s your own little territory and try to maintain that and try to extend it out. I believe that is the basic Buddhist way of doing it and whatever is right in front of you under your own nose start from there and then go bigger and bigger.

0:36:09.5

Of course you can do the modern American way, organize everything nationwide and then you can be part of it it’s also nothing wrong with that but it should be somewhere there, right? That’s good, thqat’s the thing. And also creating your own little place, your own little place where you feel comfortable, relaxed and so put your, make sure you make your own bed which I never do. If it’s made somebody else made it. At least make sure that you don’t have to cross the stream of clothes that’s thrown everywhere. So a little nice and clean. You know why? Why is it important? Because you’re going to invite very important persons in your place so it should be fit to be. OK number one is cleanliness. So remember under this you cover all the environmental activities, ok? And whatever you could do under your own nose and particularly that little place where you’re going to meditate and make it clean and nice. I should mention to you a little bit, it’s important. Actually if you clean up the cleansing, if you’re sweeping, you don’t sweep here you vacuum. If you are vacuuming and dusting that is one of the best ways of purification with the motivation of what you do, one of the best ways of purification. There’s a lot of stories but I can tell you one little one, share one but a lot of them oh, somebody should red that Liberation in the Palms because I would like to give you a reading, too. Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, wherever that first preliminary comes somebody should be able to, Kathy can you do it? Every Tuesday whatever we’re going to cover from this page to that page so the people should read it. You have one week to read, so one week to read probably what ten fifteen pages? In some cases in some cases you may have one, two or three pages but that anybody can do except me.

0:39:28.6

Because I can’t read English properly and if I try to read two or three lines and then it’s too much effort, I push it away. So that’s the thing. So one of the stories there was a person who was extremely dull, not intelligent, very dull, couldn’t learn anything, couldn’t, forget about meditating couldn’t do anything. So what Buddha taught that person, I’m making the story short. There’s a long story behind those of you who know, you know. So Buddha taught that guy, you learn two things, clear the dust, clear the dirt. Dirt and dust. So he cant remember that, he can never learn it. So he said can you go and clean everybodys shoes, those of the Buddhas disciple while they’re meditating they have these little, traditionally they have that little room and where they can sit inside theres a little outside and then its all facing the courtyard like this. So this guy goes around and they all leave there shoes outside. Buddha made them leave theor shoes outside and so then Buddha told this guy to go and clean everybodys’ shoes. So Buddha told everybody whenever he comes to clean the shoes as long as he’s cleaning the shoes you sit there and keep on saying it (0:41:11.8 in Tibetan) Clear the dirt and clear the dust and keep on doing it. He did that for months and never learned and one day he started saying clear dirt clear dust, clear dirt clear dust, he picked it up and then the moment he picked up the two words how to say, only how to repeat Buddha said that’s enough you don’t have to clean the shoes anymore. So now you sweep the temple, sweep the temple. So he kept on sweeping the temple saying the same thing and no matter how many times he swept it became dirty again and he kept on sweeping. While sweeping it one day he thought what am I saying? Clear dust clear dirt what am I talking about? So then he said ohh, (0:42:00.7 Tibetan) he said when I say clear dirt I don’t think it is the dirt of this dust and dirt but it is the dirt of attachment. It is not the dirt it is the attachement dirt. If you’re intelligent you should know that. He came out with a poem then, then anger, then attachment, then hatred, ignorance. So all of them is a reduction of a negativity by cleaning alone. Nothing else.

0:42:48.6

Made the person. Actually what is our obstacle.? Our obstacles are the ignorance influence anger attachment hatred, this is our obstacle, this is our negativity, this is our block. When you clear one of them the actual nice nature within developed within inside started shining better. So one of the method that Buddha used to this guy is only sweeping and cleaning the shoes, and sweeping and by doing that he’d be able to remove quite a lot of those negativities and a person who can’t even know how to repeat after another person for months one single word could be able to pick up this much like this and that is because of the cleansing power. So those few of you who does either professionally to make a living or to pay your bills whenever you go and clean peoples houses or whatever you do think about that and have that motivation. You’re not vacumming the dust of the carpet but you’re vacumming the dust of attachment and vacumming the dust of the anger and that’s how you go. And with that motivation if you do it you make money and you work and you purify your negativity you can do two things together. What better do you want? Right? One stone can get two birds, what did you say? Yes, two for the price of one. Ok whatever, so that’s it. So it’s important and particularly in your own place. Where you’re going to meditate, where you’re going to cut down your negativities, where you’re going to build up your spiritual practice, where you’re going to invite the Buddha and all the enlightened beings to be there, your honored guests. So why not clean that. Why not we create our own sacred environment where you can meditate and live safely. If you don’t have a separate room, doesn’t matter, you don’t have to. The place where you sleep that is good enough. You can meditate. If you have a place to sleep that’s the place you meditate. It really does’t matter if it’s a big house, small house, in the street or someone is sharing room whatever it may be. That doesn’t make a difference at all. But you need your own little sacred place. Even if it’s a place where you’re going to sleep. That’s enough.

0:46:39.7

That’s one. Ok?

When you write the step number one in your homework, in your notebook remember the general environmental thing? And then individual, under your own nose, your own responsibility and only yours alone 0:47:21.6 - 0:47:40.1 DROP OUT

Do it, ok? General there are a lot of people doing you have to plug in and do it but your own is your own. Ok.

Step number two, what it is? Hey this is not only 0:48:03.9 in Tibetan

You also have the laying out the altar there as part of one, sorry. So you have to write that.

0:48:34.0

So step number one also has the laying the altar. That is you know theres a number of different spiritual paths in the world certain spiritual paths do accept images and so and forth and certain paths don’t but the Buddhism happens to be one of those which has the images and so and forth. So what you do if you have it and what is it? What is an altar? The altar is not what do you call those images , idol or something? Idol, what does that mean? Idol worshipper, false God. So what I’m looking at, what I’m looking at I do have an altar and theres ways and means of creating altar and theres rules and regulation for the altar , too. But the question rises to me what is this? What am I doing? And I stand in front of it sometimes and look at them and make offerings, pray, do all this. So I raise the question why am I doing it? Am I worshipping ththose little statues whether its made out of copper or brass or bronzr or silver or gold or wood or whatever, or plastic or whatever. Apparently not. That’s why I keep on asking what does idol mean. Apparently not. I’m not worshipping the statue at all or I’m not worshipping a poster at all, not I’m worshipping a painting at all. So what I’m doing is looking beyond the painting looking beyond the statue and the statue is there just to remind me. Buddha reminds me of Buddha and the Tara statue reminds me of Tara and so do the picture remind of the person, right? And just like that. A lot of people, everybody keeps an album. The whole reason is not only keeping the face of it but you want more than that. You want to remember the person. You want to remember the incident. You want to remember the occasion, right? People do that right?

0:52:50.7

Likewise here the statue is a representation but a person or persons or being or enlightened one what you wanted to remind of what you want to be remembered what you want to pray is the enlightened beings who are beyond that little statue. That statue mat have a connection or blessing or wisdom beings or something, you may have it but that’s the not the point. The point is building a connection between the enlightened beings and the individual. In other words, I remember its very funny, Francesco Clementi, the Italian artist very well known artist you know, most of you know, very well known artist extremely intelligent person, extremely, you have no idea how this fellows mind works, extremely intelligent person and what he did is, in Naropa last when I was there and he gave a lecture one afternoon and Allen Ginsberg gave him a book that new publication that little thing with phrases or haikus or something. First thought best thought, that type of thing all of the words put together, it’s a haiku right? So they gave him the book. So he has not prepared his lecture and he asked just before the lecture, he asked Allen can I go through with your haikus or whatever that is. So he picked it up, one haiku, read it, first thought best thought. Let’s say it was that and he started explaining that on a painting and how its going to work with a painting and the whole thing you can see that intelligent person pouring out his thoughts. I mean its extremely brilliant person. And he comes and studies around and very little questions, very little questions he does the White Tara practice and we’re having tea and he said I would like to know from you, from your mouth why I’m creating the Tara picture in front of me. And I found myself, I found myself answering him this is a meeting ground. I didn’t think, it just went. And found myself, this is meeting ground, ok?

0:56:21.4

So I found saying that and when I thought about it later it is true. There is the how the enlightened beings are coming and contacting you and this is your way of contacting and that’s where you meet in your meeting ground. So your altar, this is your meeting ground, meeting point. So that’s you altar and that’s where you’re reminded of those enlightened beings and that’s why you have it. Ok? So there are rules, now let’s go on the rules. The rules are if you have a big big huge big fat altar the hierarchy order goes the Lamas first, then the Yidams and then Buddha then Dharma then Sangha, that order. That is the hierarchy part of it. And that’s not important what is important is to have something to remind you, whatever it is. Something nice whether its an image of Buddha, image of Tsongkhapa or even a photograph, whatever it is, something nice. It’s good. Good in quality, nice something that you like. Don’t have to have a huge thing every single thing is thrown on you know, another junk yard. You don’t need that and you do need a nice little clean good in quality, something nice, would be useful, ok? So I think I have to stop here. ( misc., announcements stuff)