Archive Result

Sound file:19940802GRLR

Speaker:Gelek Rimpoche

Location:Ann Arbor

Topic:Lam Rim

Transcriber:Jayapushpa

Date:6th January,2023

I don’t know what to say. Hi, (Laughter) in between last Tuesday and this Tuesday, I had to go..we had a workshop done at upstate New York. It was actually arranged by Open Center of New York but the place where they arranged is in Upstate New York. It is called ‘Pathwork Center’ or something. Nobody familiar with that? Anyway, (Audience: Path Work) It is called Pathwork (Audience:Phoenicia) near Phoenicia. It is some kind of very similar to advocacy center. It was started with a channeling of a lady who died a couple of years ago. Anyway they do lots of works over there and workshop what I was request to do is at request of Professor Robert Thurman. He put up already my name before I been asked, it ‘s been put in newspapers everywhere.and the same thing happen here too. Because I thought I did asked him to come and speak on Summer Retreat, and we already put it in, and you know and he said, ‘”Incidentally we came from newspaper that our name is there”. And I said, “ I came to know from newspaper too”(Laughs) So, anyway, we had the workshop done. And the workshop was based on death and dying stage and Thurman had translated the Tibetan of the Book of Death, re translated. The earlier translation was done by Evans.. (Audience: Evans-Wentz) Wentz (Audience: Evans-Wentz. Also Trungpa Rimpoche ..) Is that right? I never know that. And then Thurman’s is third now. Third translation. So he has done a translation of that. And he wants me… we did the workshop together. We did it. And we..I thought about it. And (a) that he already mentioned, and (b) I had a little difficulty to do that. The reason why I had difficulty because I express even in the workshop itself, because I am a non believer of the Tibetan Book of Death. So, I never…I read a little bit and then I stopped. In Tibetan, even in Tibetan. So, forget about reading the translations totally. But yet I had to do the workshop together (Laughter) So, before I went I thought two things on it… it is a large workshop and it is very well organized thing. So, before I went, thought two things. Whether I can contribute for that, or normally Americans ask the question, “What’s in thee for me?” So, am I be able to give something for them in there, there where the contribution is. Or, is it going to be very odd to go about the workshop together, particularly I never read the book or believe in that book (Laughs). So, I sort of draw a conclusion that I go and say whatever felt. And also I do what I could do. To be frank, I didn’t say I am a non believer in there but I say I have not read it. So, Thurman gave me his translation and said, “You can read it now”. He immediately picked it up and said, ‘I know you think it is a wrong book and that’s why you are not reading it; but if you read it , there are lots of different things in here. It is very nice and very helpful and most popular in America. Among the tibetan books, this is most popular. People read them when they are dying. People do exercise..” and this and that . And I said, “That’s why I don’t read it” (Laughs) Anyway, what I did is whatever I know what you can do about the dying period, period when you die, which is of course in the Lam Rim you get the subject of death. That is your own meditation when you are well. And it doesn’t talk about it when you die. So, nobody asks me to teach when you die, what to do. So, actually I might as well share this. 0:06:18.5

Over here now, in the West, and we do things like this. But in traditionally in Tibet, people make a request and say, “ I like to learn about this. I want teachings on this. I want , I want teachings on that. And then the teachers will decide whether it is appropriate or not appropriate, on time or not on time, or we say, “instead of this, we do that” . That is normal Tibetan tradition. So, anyway, I did whatever I know little bit.

Kushok Chodak Rimpoche and we cooked up and digging up emergency books here and there and try to make little presentation and I did and it went on quite well and I think it has been very useful for those number of people there. Quite a lot of people and quite a lot of people are there just ..they simply..some of them said they simply had difficulty to talk about what happened after death. They would like to believe it when you die, you disappear and frozen. And they are comfortable with that. That’s fine , I have no problem with that. For me, personally and whatever they like to think, they can think. And if they ask me if I am going to think that way, I am not. So, it is my job, my presentation I will present what I know and if they still feel they going to be frozen, that’s fine. I don’t think that’s a problem for that. So, anyway, I just wanted… normally I say whatever I did in between. So, that’s what I did. I am back just now….sort of landed hour ago , maybe two hours…That’s that. So, it is nice if you do the death and dying stage sometime. Sometimes if you could do that. It is also useful. I think it will be very useful for ..because that is something everybody will face one time or another. Also, number of people friends are dying here and there, and when the individual says some of my friends are dying what can I do? So, I can only simply say your mantras and do this and do that. That’s all. But if you do a teaching or workshop on that, and then the whole thing can be presented. And I thought I mention that , something useful. Because when I did the workshop over there, I thought I should have done …should do this in Jewel Heart as well. So, I thought I share with you. 0:09:23.8

So, now, when we are looking..(*slight interruption) ..so the cleaning part is done. Making offerings…cleaning and laying the altar is done, and arranging the offerings was done. Arranging the cushion…what it say (Audience:Posture) posture, correcting motivation, and what is it? (Audience: generating altruistic mind) generating altruistic mind, taking refuge. All very briefly we have covered. So each one of them, except the cleaning part, even cleaning part there is mental exercise and all these, and I hope you people have done it, presuming. Don’t tell me I have not done it it, okay. So, any questions? If you started doing it or if you have started writing, you will have a problem..And if you don’t, you don’t have a problem because you don’t pay attention. So if you have questions because the last time I couldn't give you time for question and answer. So, I am offering you here first. Yep, mike louder so everybody can hear. (Audience: I have a question about the water bowls) As a part of offering we do put the water bowls in there,yup.(Audience: ..and usually I guess you set it out and filled them up in the morning, and then take them down in the evening?) Usually,yes. (Audience: My question relates to if you leave them out for a couple of days at a time and put new water..) top up a little bit? (Audience: Ya) Easy way (Laughter). easy way, ya. (Audience: so, do you then…since it is not appropriate ..) I do not say it is not appropriate if you add up water..(Audience: Since it is not appropriate to offer something you offered before, what do you do to bless the new water? ) Well, add up a little bit, say “Om Ah Hung” , which is the new one is there. So, that’s okay. It is not appropriate actually , not nice way; it’s lazy way. But it is better than nothing. Let’s put that way. I can’t say it is right and best, not good. But it is better than nothing, that’s also fine. So, but I don’t think you can do that all the time, at least you should change once a week, you know, or twice a week at least. It is also you can put just a glass of water. That’s fine. You don’t really have to have 7 or 8 or 21 or something. Those of the people who practise, tibetans who does …there are lots of people making 100 bowls everyday. And not only that, they pour them nicely, offer them nicely in the afternoon they take them out, dry the cups and then they clean with a clean cloth and then they offer next morning. People do that. I used to do that too. So, that’s what it is. (Audience: and so the flowers then. Sometimes I mean you put flowers on the altar , you put them up and it lasts for a week ..)That’s alright, as long as it is presentable, that’s fine. But if the flower is sort of dried and old ..For example these butter decorations is actually old and not good , but we are still leaving there because it is quite good, looks beautiful and we are still leaving there but it is old , not great there but..it is not gone bad. But on the other hand we also make year round offerings too. There are certain offerings we do year round, the yearly offerings. People ..especially those of have commitments, sadhana commitments. They have year round offerings. So it is year round, it is okay. So, you change for whole year. That’s also okay. (Audience: Are there different kinds of motivations and if so, how can you tell which kind you are involved in, if it is pure or..) Well the motivations are thought, thought process that comes through with your own mind. So you are the only person who can tell what kind of motivation you have. The teachings will tell you basically if the motivation is selfish interest oriented , it is not necessarily great. If the motivation is altruistic, for the benefit of others, for helping others, for benefiting others, so it is considered good . If it is positive thought it is considered good. If it is negative thought , probably considered bad. But on the hand, it is very hard to say good or bad also. That’s that, (a). (b), even you have narrow selfish interest, at least you should color it and change …try to change it. Say, switch it round , “For the benefit of other beings, I like to do that”. “For the benefit of all other beings , I like to do that”. That’s how you do that, that’s how you switch around. And that’s useful,okay? 0:16:33.7 Good. Gloria..(Audience: If you offer offerings like food or cookies or something like that, is it…how long ? give our friends also, okay to feed ourselves..(? ) ) Sure, you can eat as long as it is not rotten , and as long as you want to leave that, that’s fine. (Audience: even one week (Unclear*) ..offering bowls. ) Oh, no way. (Audience: *unclear) You know, I said there is year round offering. Year round offerings you sort of make air tight and all these ;make sure doesn’t go bad and rotten. That’s what we do and as long as it is fresh and nice, it is good. If it getting softer, you can switch it. But if it is dried fruit, it is okay you can leave it there ,as long as it is not covered by the ants and cockroaches, that’s okay. Or, dust , sometimes. Sir, (Audience: Well, suppose that you kill , is there any way to opposite (*unclear) …would it be seen as bad or good?) Not over here, it will come gradually; not over here. We are just now doing the preliminaries. Preliminaries. Are you here last couple of Tuesdays? (Audience: Once) We are doing preliminaries …preparations for meditations of the Lam Rim practice. That’s why. These are preliminary stage. These are actually only we are talking about little attitude of… ‘Attitude’ maybe the wrong language. But what do you do ,how you sit, what do you think about it, and that’s what we are talking about this moment. Stacy? (Audience: ..when you are envisioning all sentient beings , it is actually ?our mind. I usually envision plants as well. And I was wondering ..I was talking to someone who is wondering in terms of Buddhism, do they include plants as sentient beings, because ‘sentient’ actually ? something that conscious like a..) Ya, that is very common thing, ya. Theoretically, no. But in practically there are certain plants that have life. And if they have a life and if they have feelings, it is considered living beings, whether you are plant or not plant. And if you don’t have feelings, and you don’t have life, and I say, “Only feeling and life”, then you probably say, ‘People who are hooked like vegetable type of thing, they may or may not have feeling”. so, as long as there s life and feeling, then we probably consider , it is a living being whether it is a plant or whatever it is. Theoretically speaking, no. But that’s theoretical. It is not a blanket ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Because some plants may have a life. It depends totally; even some rocks may have life in some cases. Basically, rocks are not. People like to include plants in but not rocks, so many of them, you know. (Audience: *unclear) here is life and feeling, sure. (Audience: * unclear life and cycle..) Sure, if there is a life in plant, ya. Yes. (Audience: *unclear) *unclear. (Audience: I have a question) Ya, you are the next? Who , who said. You? (Audience: I think I do have a question to do with posture..) To do with what? (Audience: with posture the meditation)Posture, okay. (Audience: You want to put your left hand in your right if you are working at anger? ) If you have stronger anger, and ..if your anger is your bigger problem, then put your right hand down , put your left hand on top. And if your problem is more attachment than anger, change it. You know, simply because of the channels that you go through. The left hand side of the channel have a..supposed to have energy of attachment stronger. The right side the energy of anger stronger . So whichever you going to push it down, you have to make the choice. You know, you don’t have to do all the time; day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute, you can change round. Why not? Nothing is permanent, okay? Sir. (Audience: This is a childish question) Why you said ‘childish’?(Audience: ..because I feel very much a child when ask ) (Audience: Why do we make offerings?) That’s a great good question. Mike, why do we make offerings? He is shaking his head. Why do we make offerings? (Audience: Because it takes one a lot of merits to complete the path and stages, and we need that sort of merit to boost that practice,. And sort of keep us on line. In another words, we need the benefits and it is one of the best ways of accruing positive merits . It is best one for me) Let me also add up on this. Offering is generosity. (Audience: is a practice of generosity) Offering is a generosity; practice of generosity. So, does anybody ask question why we have to be generous? Thank you, Sir. Anybody else, any question? Everybody happy?Amy? (Audience: Yes. *noisy* ..at every level of one’s life…You put effort in making something to put on altar or you can acquire to put on altar. Is that more significant than just offering bowls of water?) Ya, if you make something is always better.Sure. Because you put energy , you put your thoughts in that, you work for it. Ya, sure, rather than…I mean, look at ourselves, if you cook some nice little food in the house, is..even though it doesn’t taste that good, but it is always better than to go and eat in restaurant. We don’t have….I mean, in America you don’t have that system. In Japan, if they called you for dinner, and if they treat you in the house, it is great treatment. If they invite you for restaurant, well, it is good and kind but..it is always the Japanese …different countries have different culture. And the Japanese when they invite you in house for food, it means it really means something. And then, also they do one thing,they will ask you come and pickup a cab and come and they will be standing near the door , they pay for the cab. And also when you go, they also give you the money for the cab as well. And that is the biggest, great treatment in Japan. And they don’t do that if they ask you come to restaurant. The taxi paying never comes in picture. Ya. (Audience:Can we get money and offer? ) Sure, if you get money , you are welcomed. (Laughter)Even if you leave on the altar, you know what happens in Tibet? The temples.. people will leave money on the altar, and the temple people will be looking and even the halfway through, they will collect he money and taken it away. (Laughter) I am just joking (Laughter) I mean it is reality too. Anyway, so then, anybody else any questions?(Audience: If you do mental offerings and you are doing Samantabhadra’s style, is there ..I mean where is that kind of frame..) Samantabhadra’s style offering is very good offering ,however, you should something physically arranged too. Even those words say,‘physically ..actually arranged and mentally fabricated or created (Rimpoche laughs) Okay, that’s what it is. And it is always you should mentally actually fabricated. And, I am sorry, yes, sir, you, you. (Audience: Is it important to know (*unclear)) Well, if it is sentient beings, if you know it, it is good. Because sentient beings have to be treat better than non sentient beings. But, I don’t know , I can’t say which is what, you know. Basically, there is a big traditional old old 2500 years debate between one buddhist scholar and non buddhist scholar, and debate on whether particular plant has life or not. One gave the reason, this has life because it sleeps at night, with the leaves curled in. And then I forgot. The buddhist one gives the opposite reason using the same reason and indicating there is no life because it closes at night. So, that is complicated matter. But individually whatever you feel like it, if you feel the plant is a life, treat it as a life. What’s wrong with that? Nothing’s wrong. And that’s why I say theoretically no , practically you can do whatever you want to do. And you know it too, you know. Miller..(Audience: If I doing, making a temporary offering , where I can’t leave away and come back. Very clear order of putting everything together,or finish special order to taking apart and bring the things away?) Normally you lay..you offer from the top level and then do the offer at the end level, and when you collect back, you collect from the end level to the top level. This is the normal system. When you offer something , offer for whatever the highest level is, you offer there. (*interruption) That’s how you do. And when you take it out, you take from the lower part . and also if you are making right to left offering, so then you put at right level first and ended at the left and picked up from the left and then to the right. But if you re making left to right offering, then is vice versa. So, that’s up to you whatever you are doing.And if you are busy, just put them out together, put it over there. And then take it away. It is okay, doesn't matter.Okay, Jane. (Audience: According the the six paramitas, offering praise ,study, offering of generosity,it is mentioned that when somebody asked for (*unclear) Offering even over here , the oldest offering business, is part of generosity. And then..there is much more , even give and take practice, tonglen practice, there is also generosity of practice. Even compassion practise is also generosity practise. That’s what lot more will come, lots more. Ok, (Audience: Is it important space for the altar and the offering be a dedicated space, never used for anything else) If you can afford too.Why not? If you can’t afford to, it is okay. And as I say last time, if you have elaborate altar , if you can afford too, that’s fine. If you don’t have elaborate,even a photograph, that’s fine.So, doesn’t matter. You know, we have a saying in tibetan,’if you do not know expand and close , and if you not know how to say the prayers first very fast and also very long lengthy. If you do not know to adjust then you are stupid”. That is consider stupid”. So likewise and all practice, anything you have to lay out, put it down, you have to adapt it. Adapt to the condition where we are in. You have to be very adaptable. And that is important. Very adaptable, you know. Whatever the conditions, demand, you may have a you know, a very difficult position, (Rimpoche laughs) (*interruption) Anyway, to be adaptable is very… who ask question? You, okay. To be adaptable is very important, right, okay. I presume there is no more questions,so I’ll go to the next.0:32:28.3

Okay, now , this is a complicated one. Arranging…what is it?Generating supreme field of merit’. Okay, now, the same question, ‘Why do I make offerings” And my reply, we want the merit. We need the merit. That’s why we do. Merit is one thing. On the other hand…simultaneously , why we called the ‘supreme field”?Normally ‘field’ means the ground where you grow the food. That’s what you called ‘field’, right? You can grow wheat or corn or rice,right? Because it is something you can get something out of it. Something which you can live on. So, supreme field of merit, is also place where we can get lots of merits, you can do and undo things. Some basis on which we can do and undo. It is a big question. The similar question to altar. Why we should have altar? Similar question why…what does generating a deity or yidam or buddha or why? And why this supreme field of merit. All of them are same category. The reason why we have to have supreme field of merit, we want the best profit, right? We want the best benefit. It is like business. Spiritual practice is also like business, okay. And.. I don’t know much about business, but I believe if you have lesser investment, and better profit, even stupid person like me, will know that’s good business. And really true. And in the spiritual path, also the same thing. Lesser effort, better yield. So, where do you get them from? That’s why we generate the supreme field of merit. This is a..I don’t know, I don’t think Judea Christian tradition called ‘supreme field of merit’, do they? No. No, they don’t call it. But they do.. you do make use of church and all these and where there you pray and do all these. That much I know. I know nothing about Christianity. But I do know, people go to church and pray and there is a field and there is object where you sort of make appeal and you pray, ‘I get answer, I don’t get answer, bla..bla..bla..” all those.So, here to the same thing. So only thing in Buddhism, what do you do is supreme field of merit. We do have those pictures and altars and all these, and I said earlier also. Pictures, altars are only a representation. You don’t pray to the postcard; you don’t pray to the poster. You don’t pray to a piece of art or piece of moulding, whatever it is, image. But we do pray through that which is wisdom beings which is representing. So, now, to make it even more clear, though you do have altar and all these, but you really have to create a mental image of your own supreme field of merit. So when you meditate to representing your supreme field of merit, you have to have some picture come up on you head. You get me? That is I called..we called ‘supreme filed of merit’. Traditionally with Lam Rim. This is a very complicated supreme field of merit….very complicated. But I have to tell you little bit. If I don’t tell you little bit, you will be in the dark So, I have to tell you little bit. If you want to know, you should read ‘Liberation in the Palms..” pages or chapters…anybody knows? (Audience: 181 …not clear) 181 to..(Audience:(*unclear)) At least somebody has read. I try to remember your name, (Audience: David) David, that’s right. I do remember you are a lawyer, right? (Audience:Yes) But I forgot . You see that’s funny. Identification sometimes shift the gear between the profession and name. You notice? That’s what it is. (Rimpoche laughs) It shows you there is no David. I am just joking. (Laughs) Okay, anyway, complicated..very complicated. Why it is complicated traditionally? I am going to give you easy one. Don’t worry about it. Just now I am not giving you the meditation thing.Just telling you a little bit. Traditionally, of course you do meditate , right in the front of the…actually I should have brought the picture of the …I will bring next time, the picture of the supreme field of merit. It is called the ‘tree of merit’ or something. What they called it in English? (Audience: *unclear) Some tree..so you will have the picture available here. There you go. Somebody has a small picture here. We get bigger one later, anyway. So, it is very complicated in here, you know. So many of them there. 0:39:40.5

So, I tell you what. In the center, since we are following the Tsongkhapa ‘s tradition,

So we do have a center, representing your own your own spiritual master, look like Tsongkhapa. The picture of Tsongkhapa you see everywhere hanging round here. We don’t have complicated pictures before. They all came up for , I believe it was for sale. Somebody put it up . It is still for sale, right? Right or wrong? (Audience: *unclear) Ya, that one. That’s why it came up . But we only had that , not before. Now we got all these anyway. So, Tsongkhapa look like somebody. In reality it is inseparable that of Buddha, and that of all lineage masters and particularly Lama Tsongkhapa, and your spiritual masters, all of them in one shape.One lump whatever it maybe representing all of them, okay. That is Buddha , that’s your spiritual master, that’s your lineage masters,that’s everybody. All enlightened beings in one like Tsongkhapa look like shape. Then , if you look here, this praise that you say in tibetan, when you get here..Oh, one thing, there is a misprint here. When you write this ‘Palden tsa wai lama rimpoche /Dag gi nying kar…This is misspelling. It should be dag gi chi wor..c h i and instead or k a r, it is w o r. ‘chi wor’, okay. That is a misprint. Because think Claire didn’t put properly , she pull one out somewhere in computer and put it in here. (Audience: second line…) Right from beginning. It says ‘lineage prayers’. (Audience: Instead of ‘nying kar’, it should be ‘chi wor’) I noticed last time, two three times, and I forgot to say. And even today I almost interrupted and then I thought , I better keep quiet. Now the next one, is you have to the Buddha Sakyamuni, right? Do everybody has this page? This one. That’s page two. The first one say the lineage prayers, that’s the whole of them . So that was just meditating on your head, anyway. So the second one says, to the Sakyamuni, right? Buddha Sakyamuni is a buddha. Why we say ‘Buddha’ beccause Buddhism comes from Buddha, that’s why it is Buddha. And tibetans has a funny saying in old Tibet. If you want pure water , you make sure the water comes from the snow mountain. I am talking in Tibet, not here. And the snow mountain water dripping down there is no chance of getting polluted, so therefore it is pure. And similarly they say if you wanted pure spiritual..this is only buddhist background, if you want pure practice, the lineage must reach to Buddha .That’s why if it is coming from Buddha, and continuously people practising and developed and passed through so that it will be living tradition. And it is pure and living tradition. Get it? So in order to show that you have Buddha, and Buddha inseparable that of your spiritual masters in ? That’s the tibetan culture to have physical form of Lama Tsongkhapa because it has robes and things like that. A little mystical that give you that way. That’s why Buddha. And then if you look here, lineage from Buddha Sakyamuni to Je Tsongkhapa here, you say ‘Gya chen cho pei gyu la sol wa deb’, right? The word says “gya chen cho pei gyu..” ‘Gya chen cho pei gyu’ is the lineage of Love Compassion , from Buddha to Maitreya Buddha, Asanga, so on and forth. It is all through that lineage . It is called ‘profound lineage’. And there’s lot of people, I am not counting that. Profound lineage. In that you will find one group of picture ..group of people sitting on one side. Nd the second word says ‘Zab mo ta wei gyu la sol wa deb’.’Zab mo ta wei gyu…’ oh, I am sorry. The first one is gya chen cho pei gy, is Love and Compassion . I think it is called ‘Vast’ , doesn’t called it ‘Profound’. The second is the Wisdom lineage or the Wisdom Path ,is called ‘Profound lineage. There are lots of people on another group. In this picture you see them, lot of them in groups, two groups . ‘Nyam len jin lab gyu la sol wa deb’. That is at the back So the lineage and blessings coming through. It is coming from like Buddha Vajradhara , (Rimpoche spoke in Tibetan…then recites) In that Buddha Vajradhara, then there is Tilopa , Naropa, and Dum bipa, (Rimpoche recites in tibetan) Atisha, etc and all these practical siddhihood obtained lineage . And that all of them. Those all lineage combined together. That’s why you have this ‘gya chen cho pei gyu la sol wa deb. Zab mo ta wei gyu la sol wa deb. Nyam len jin lab gyu la sol wa deb. Gyu pei la ma nam la sol wa deb. So when you see the picture you going to see lot of group here, lot of group there and if you are wondering why, these are that. Okay, then you have Gang chen shing te sol jei tsong khapa. Ngo tob rig pai wang chuk gyal tsab je. Do ngag ten pai dag po khai drubje. Yab sai gyu par chai la sol wa deb. Then we have Tsongkhapa and his two disciples and lineage completely up to Kyabje Ling rinpoche, who is senior tutor to His Holiness and one of my great masters. Then you have Kyabje Ling Rimpoche which is tub pei ten la thup wang nyi pa zhin . Then you have Kyabje Trijang Rimpoche. (* recording error?) it should be respectable. The rest of the masters, you don’t have… did not mention the names. Instead of saying the rest of the masters, all other junks. I am criticizing my own writing here, our own writing. Anyway,that is basically bigger way of elaborate picture. Okay? That is one thing. You don’t have to put your effort and try to understand what it is. I just mentioned. 0:48:09.2

Now the second level, not that detail but the medium level, we have introduced you..many of you, have the Ganden Lha Gyema practice. So, the Ganden Lha Gyema practice, many of you say by heart, “ From the heart of protector of hundred deities of the Land of Joy, bla…bla..bla… So anyway, for me is bla bla because I don’t understand English properly. So, that is the medium level, you have Tsongkhapa and the two disciples but in your practice you sort of throw two disciple also out. Because you really can’t concentrate much. So, now , this time what we did. And we have here if you go back, on Page 1,you say “O Protector of all beings. Divine conqueror who knows all. Great Buddha with your retinue, please come forth your divine abode.” So that’s it. So either you have Tsongkhapa in the Tsongkhapa form or Buddha Sakyamuni, a Buddha. So in your mental image. That’s why Kushok Choedak Rinpoche, doing the Thursday nights, to doing the meditation. Try to (*conversation in tibetan),try to draw the picture of the Buddha. So we try to synchronize two together. So either you have Buddha or Tsongkhapa., whatever. Those of you doing with Tsongkhapa, you don’t have to change. That is perfectly okay with Ganden Lha Gyema. This is going to be shorter than Ganden Lha Gyema. So we have to prepare, we have to cater for the busy American life. That’s what we are doing here. So, you know the Jorche, preliminary, in the traditional Tibet way, there are 36 pages. People do that everyday. We made it shorter by substituting Ganden Lha Gyema, which is like two, three pages. Now we have another shorter than that, for the sort of..you know you do have restaurant here called ‘China On the Run’, so this is Seven Limb on run/ (Laughs) Okay, so that’s what it is. So, you project Buddha in front of you . I am not going to go how to project because that was taught on Thursday night. So, I am not going to go. But one thing you have to think, Buddha or Tsongkhapa, whatever it maybe, you have to think, whatever physical shape maybe, in reality it is all the enlightened beings. ALL, all enlightened beings, no matter whoever, whatever, he, she, whatever maybe. All enlightened beings, inseparable than all the buddhas, that of all Dharma, that of all sangha, that of all yidams, that of all the dakas, that of all dakinis, that of all your spiritual masters. All in all. All in all. It is called ‘system of jewel’one jewel that is very valuable,like a jewel. So, that will be your project whatever you do. If you are doing with Tara. That’s fine, you don’t have to change. If doing Buddha, that’s fine, you don’t have to change. If you are doing with Tsongkhapa, that’s fine. Anybody whoever you are doing, and those of you, there are some , there are few who are not buddhist, and whatever you have, image of whatever, guru, Pope John Paul, really, whoever you may have it, really doesn't matter. What does really matter is the link, the connection. If you open up and there is a doorway, to the enlightened beings to contact. But I did tell you earlier also Francesco Clementi asked me a question “ I know I am ?.but I like to know from you why do I meditate Tara in front of me? “ and answer without thinking it went out of mine bru bru bru faster than she finishes ? I said, “It is the meeting ground”The meeting, the contacting between the enlightenment, the enlightened beings and ourselves.so, one sort of representing all the enlightened beings, the pure beings. And I am here representing this side. It is connecting, it is contacting, it is ground. It is contacting ground. So you do have mental image project and our rational mind is very strange. In the middle of somewhere, you simply say, “That is only my projection, there is nothing behind that” Just to satisfy that mind, you say through a prayer and ritual called ‘invocation’. So, you invite. So you say, “O Protector of all beings ‘ you called them. ‘All beings’… there is meaning behind that. ‘All’ means everybody, nothing left out. That indicates two things. One, enlightened beings have tremendous love and compassion feeling for everybody. That’s why ‘All;. And two, another responsibility for us. When you work for the benefit of all, you cannot discard anybody. If you discard something, it will not become ‘All’ You will say ‘Except so and so..” or ‘but so and so’. You don’t want that. So, that’s why ‘All”. ‘Protector of all beings”’Divine conqueror who knows all” ‘Divine conqueror’ ‘Divine ‘ being . ‘Conqueror’ What do you conquer? Not Saddam Hussein ‘, but all our delusions. The anger, hatred, jealous, and above all ignorance. Conqueror conquers that. We are not looking for who conquers who. , not between these two.Not that type of conqueror. So great Buddha, we called that Buddha. Buddha is not one person, I want you to remember that. We may think of Buddha, Buddha is sort of a really the word Buddha, Buddha really means, ‘One who cleared all obstacles. And one who has attained the highest level., which everybody at that stage is buddha. Everybody at that stage is a buddha. So Buddha, one the historical Buddha, we point the finger, is Buddha Sakyamuni. All other ..that is a person , that also not person only,,it is like Buddha Michikanau?, or something. Like that this happens to be Sakya caste, so that’s why Buddha Sakyamuni. But otherwise Buddha really means all the enlightened beings are buddhas. That’s what it is. And please come forth from your divine abode’. So,wherever you are, please come forward.you invite them. We are inviting from bottom of our heart to the enlightened beings, say ‘Please come here and do some thing for me ’That’s what it is. So when you invite, they come because they always want to help. Their job is to help all beings. Whenever we give opportunity, they won’t miss it. That’s why when you invite, they come. And example, if you look in the buddhist history, actual incident that happened during Buddha’s lifetime, it is called the tales…’tales’ sounds like story…but in reality is truth incident. The tales of the Magadha Sangmo. One of the Buddha’s benefactor, rich family had sent the daughter to…married very very far away…very far away, from India, those days, 2500 years ago.I think it is somewhere in Sri Lanka area, or somewhere, very far away. They sent her. So physically it is not even possible. She was very unhappy, because no contact with the Buddha, and all these.So finally her household members, husband and so and forth, their parents and so and have ,they permitted her,’If you feel so much,so can you invite that Buddha of yours. Over here. I don’t know we’ll prepare , we can give them a feast and I will invite Buddha and He maybe come.” So what she did she picked up incense , went upstairs to the roof of the world, the roof of the house, the palace, that’s also a ruler, and holded incense and prayed with these particular words, ‘Malu sem chan kun je gon jur ching..’. This is the word she composed and it is translated from Sanskrit into Tibetan and now into English, and German, and Spanish and French, and every where now. So this particular verse, she hold incense, looked towards India and keep on praying and so the third day Buddha came. What happened was Buddha was giving teaching in northern India and all of a suddenly tremendous nice incense smell and sort of smoke started coming up during the Buddha’s teaching period. And one of the disciples got up and said, “What is this smell we never smell before, nice smoke ,all about it?” “Well, this is daughter of so and so and inviting us for feast, and we should go.” Then Buddha said, “Those of you who have magical power can come with me, and others cannot” And so, then they say ,”let us put a …” you know what they do? Whoever that is going they will carry a little piece of wood, little piece of wood they will cut it, they will come along the line and go round . And those who has magical power, they will pick up the wood.And the rest of them cannot. And those who picked up the wood , led by Buddha, they all flew and went. So that drawing and landed there , and had the feast, spent the day, gave the teachings and flew them back. It looks like fairy tale but reality it happened. And when I was small, I have a little retreat area, way from Drepung Monastery, and it is..in that, it is supposed to be cave. But the cave has one room upstairs and there is another room out there, there is a kitchen, there’s a storeroom, there is running water and there is a built in with all the glasses covered . It is extraordinarily luxurious cave, I have. (Laughs) So in the wall in there is the drawing of Magadha Sangmo’s story is written there. It is a mural painting on the wall in my room, on this cave, have this draw picture. The monks are flying, they have these robes ,using these and flying.And some are ..upper part of the body is fire, below part water dripping , very nice, very cool they have that, you know. (Laughs) So that’s what happened. And the Buddha said He did this precisely because at that time was possible to do that, and opportunity is there. And later on, if we put our mind, enlightened beings are everywhere. That is one extraordinary quality (*interruption) ..one extraordinary quality of enlightened beings, wherever their mind is, their body is. Even in the West, you say “God is everywhere; God knows everything” Don’t we say that? The reason why we say that, their mind, their body is the same. They are all knowing, right? You say, “Who knows all “ When you knows all, your mind is there everywhere. And wherever your mind is, you are there. Your body is there. That’s why enlightened beings are everywhere. But still we invite because to satisfy our rational mind. It is not only my mental picture but went through a ritual and invited with invocation I said. Historically when invited they come, they did came, and here I am doing, why not they come? So they are there. So to satisfy our mind, that’s why we do that.1:04:58.7

Now, since we have the supreme field of merit, we have the capital to do business. So, if you let the capital money slipped, it will do nothing good, maybe get little interest from the bank. That’s all, nothing else. Do no good. So, you have to make good use of it. You invest and try to get more, right? So we do the same thing. We use the supreme field of merit.Actually we invited with our little mind , maybe not that pure to get some profit out of it, we inviting. So, what do we do? First, when you invite somebody, some important person at your door. You open the door when they rang the door, you are not going to say, “Ah, I won’t argue…”something, bla bla bla bla. You don’t throw at the same time, right? First you say, “Please come in and sit down”, Don’t we do that? We do, right? And when they sit down immediately , you are not going to say immediately, “I want to ask you a favor”. You don’t say that, right? You buttered the person a little bit (Laughs) ..you put butter on that person. So, likewise here. We invite the supreme field of merit , all enlightened beings and it is worth to butter. If you butter it, we get benefit. So, let’s put some butter on it. And how you do is , “ I bow down with body, speech and mind’. That is bowing down. What does that mean? We are not following Chinese culture and bowing down or the Japanese way of bowing down. But simply why I am bowing, I am giving respect. We are respecting through our body, through our mind and through our sound. So, bodily I make gesture, right.And I praise you through the sound. And through the mind , I have deep respect. That’s why body, speech and mind does together. And why do you do respect? Actually the bow, I do not know what ‘bow’ really means. Maybe the English word can only give you some kind of understanding of heading down or something. But in Tibetan, the word really is ‘chak tsal’, ‘chak’, the one word. The bowing down means ‘chak tsal’. The word ‘chak’ indicates you are bowing down and giving gesture of respect. The second word ‘tsal’ is expressing desire . So, you go down like this. That means you want to say something, you want to do something. It is like, when His Holiness was here during April, and His New York representative told me , “Please introduce Dr Dorje to His Holiness, whenever you get approprite time”, he told me. So, I said “Ok” He could have done it. He said, “Whoever gets opportunity” So when he goes for some kind of photo session at the University, and Dr Dorje was standing there and there is no other person. So I went down like this and His Holiness came by and said, “What do you want to say”, you came all the way. “What do you have to say” So, I say, “I like to introduce Dr Dorje”. So, the word ‘tsal’ in Tibetan …’chak’ and ‘tsal’ ; ‘tsal’ send a message ‘I want something from you’(Laughs) So, it is not only bowing down , you are sending a message. So, the message what you are sending is “I want your qualities” so the bow really means “I pay respect to you but also at the same time I want something from you”. So what I want is your qualities. Like ‘Namas karam’, ‘siddhi’ is attainment. ‘Nama’ is bowing down in Indian tradition. You say, “Namaste’, or “Namaskaram’. ‘Nama’ is normal bowing down and ‘siddhi’ is attainment. Throughout India, wherever you go, they will say “Namaste” to each other. But what really meaning is ‘I respect you and I express my desire that I want your qualities” So, you pay respect to a respectable person. So the person is respectable because they have respectable qualities.So you admire the quality, you seek the quality. So here when you are bowing down, you send the message, I want your qualities too. I bow down to you but also I want your qualities. So, that is the message. That is the first of the ..oh, we jump. Fourth is ‘Creating the supreme field of merit’ and fifth is ‘accumulation, purification and contemplation’ through Seven Limb prayer. Actually, essence of accumulation of merit and what is it? Purification and contemplation, through seven activities. So the first activity is the activity of bowing down., which means buttering them, buttering at the same time. We do that . We do butter politicians, when you butter them, means we want them do something for you. That’s why you butter them, right? Otherwise, why should you butter somebody? So, likewise here, same thing. (Laughs) Same thing, you are bowing down to enlightened beings , express you want their qualities. That is the first one.

And I am going to stop here because it is after 9, I can’t go too long because… those people who have babies they have difficulties. And then, also, I have to go to sleep. So do you. You have to get up early tomorrow. So, thank you so much and do take a note , write in your journal your own way of expressing. If you are a poet, write a phrase, write a nice poetry on that. We do have one week,. In between that, I have to go to Columbus, Ohio, Cleveland ,Ohio and New York city, and I will be back here on Tuesday again, about same way today. Okay, now we go to Page 4. (Dedication prayers)1:15:12.4