Archive Result

Sound file:19940913GRLR

Speaker:Gelek Rimpoche

Location:Ann Arbor

Topic:Lam Rim

Transcriber:Jayapushpa

Date:

Now we will be continuing what we’ve been talking here ..this is going through a …we try to at least complete shortest Lam rim possible by Tsongkhapa on the basis of the Lines of Experience. We must also mentioned that we had a very nice experience and very good and smooth retreat and hopefully everybody enjoyed it. And it is also very nice that His Holiness , the Gyalwa Drikungpa, the head of Drikung Kargyu tradition, had joined us during the retreat, and even afterwards one day. It is good and interesting experience. I am happy we be able to share that. And now to continuously talk with the lam rim here we’ve been talking before, those of you who’ve been constantly coming, you do know what we are doing about it. But those of you if it is a new one here today, then, (*interruption) .. Those of you who are new here, I have to say a little bit about this background. Things what we are trying to talk here is sort of on going program. Lam rim is (*interruption)..Talk the qualities and benefits of Lam rim, we have already talked and done; don’t want to repeat. But one important [point I have to say here is no matter whatever Tibetan tradition you follow, some of you (*interruption)..you following, whatever yidam or deity you may have to practise, no matter whatever great , high supreme inconceivable whatever you may have it like…every tradition will tell you like from kargyu tradition they will talk about Mahamudra, Nyingma tradition they will talk about dzogchen, the Gelugpa tradition they will talk bliss void, and…what is the title of the Dalai Lama’s book on lama Chopa? (Audience: Union of bliss and void) Union of bliss and emptiness, bliss and empty union, and all these sort of thing, they may give you very fantastic name, path and they will tell you … without any efforts you can obtain enlightenment, and this and that. And which every tradition will tell you that. But, whatever you may do it, they sort of gradually swing around and then you have to lead through the path again . So, this is actually whether you are following the sutra or tantra or whatever you are following. Mahayana , hinayana, vajrayana whatever you are following, without going through this path, I don’t think there is any other way. Both all these dzogchen, Uma, bliss void everything will lead through this path. This is basic fundamental foundation practice within individual. The steps are mentioned here are…make you very systematically …very systematic. One makes you push you through another step. It really works very systematic it works. And without which if you really want to obtain enlightenment, I don’t think there is any buddha who had obtained development of this. And Lam rim night have only name but if you go in the Sakya tradition, they will called it Dre lim.And then if you go to Kargyu tradition, they will call Gampopa’s Jewel Ornament ..something. They have different names. They may not call it Lam rim . But what they really lead you through the stages which mentioned here. And so this is fundamental groundwork of basic Tibetan buddhist training of mind. And that is basically.. that doesn’t mean Lam rim.Lam rim means stage of development or the path or stage whatever. But that’s what you going to get it. And so we are now at the path one. Part one, we just basically, preliminary , actual and conclusion. Preliminary, we have six preliminaries including Seven Limb practise and mandala offering, roughly we have covered. So we are at the ‘Actual’ level. (*interruption) And so, in the ‘Actual’ level, now of you who also jus came in today, also new ones, you are (* interruption) ..guru masters, we are at that level, right? Thank you. 0:09:59.4

So, basically, we are in the point (1)Out of those preliminaries, point (1) is root of all development, guru devotional practice. Okay, we are on that level. Guru devotional practice is absolutely necessary, without which very hard for the individual to make progress in the spiritual path at all. And so, but on the other hand we have a lot of different guru trips that people have played (?) a lot. Some of them have been made good, some of them have been bad. Whatever it might be, the problem is there is need to be …I think this is big dilemma. The dilemma really lies ..The guru devotional practice is absolutely necessary without which you cannot develop. But, there should be check and balance. And how ..one also has to make sure that one does not exploit or misuse such a thing for individual gains, which is unfortunately being happening and had happened and will happen. It is human nature . It had been happened even during the Buddha’s period and it has been happened and maybe happening and it will happen . But how does one know how one has to be protected oneself, not exploited. That’s the word, right. Exploited by guru trips for which we give the qualities of the master. So the criteria of the person to be …able to be fit to be guru. When you look for guru, what kind of guru you are looking for? What quality the person must have. So we give the ..is it the ten qualities on this? (Audience: Hm,,hm) Yes, ten qualities. Basically the Theravadan guru has two qualities and the mahayana guru has ten qualities. So, it is if you want to be practitioner, what you have to do is you pick up …you make yourself familiar with these ten qualities . And then, if somebody says, “Hey, I am your guru” or you think “somebody is my guru:, or like to be, or ..then see whether that person has those qualities. Whether person meets criteria of those. And how much discounts you can give. And so…once you see all of them and then you have opportunity for yourself to decide whether it is fit or not fit. That’s the thing. If you don’t know these, then you don’t have any way to judge except …the flyers they put out. Right? The flyers they put out. Or, somebody else say something. And all these. And so…that’s that. That’s why …the lam rim…I am not making this special. It is the Lam rim they give you this. If you want guru, these are the criteria of guru, and you pick up, you choose and you decide. If you have that, you have basis to make choice. If you don’t have that, you can’t judge it. Maybe somebody says good, “so and so is good,; so and so is good” , maybe good one. Okay, maybe, maybe not. Or, very impressive and”I felt it”. I mean you feel good today, you feel bad tomorrow. (Laugh) Don’t trust, really true. And sometimes does happen. We do have a ..really not a friend, but I do know one person , a poet. (Audience:poet) Right, poet, who is absolutely devoted to Mother Meera. Those of you who is familiar with Mother Meera, and he is absolutely devoted to Mother Meera. And when he was devoted to Mother Meera, whatever Mother Meera does, it has purpose and meaning. Even Mother Meera goes to the bathroom, it has purpose and meaning, and it has benefit of whatever. Mother Meera goes to bathroom, it has purpose and meaning..(Laughter) But it is more than that. And now, something happens and so anger started arising and how terrible Mother Meera is, and it is total living evil, and you know, things like that. So, you feel good today, you feel bad tomorrow. I don’t think one should do that sort of thing. And if you do this, basically you’ve been shaken your spiritual foundation. It is really a rocking boat. And so, I haven’t read this Andrea’s writing or articles, I find very hard to read in English. But I have been sharing because I know Andrea, so been hearing that..Andrea (?) So, hearing that all the time. So these sort of thing is if from the beginning , you have checked these qualities. And don’t go too much of magical things. The magical things can lift you and throw you down. And be perfectly on the ground. Be on the ground and work carefully through that. 0:18:29.1

It is an important point. And that’s why I decided this time to present the guru devotional practise properly. What I have..what I did for the couple of years last ..very little presentation of guru devotional practice in my earlier teachings of the Lam rim. Those people around here will tell you I did talked very little. The reason why I did this is to avoid misunderstanding, thinking, “Oh, before he talked anything he is guru and he wants all the respect and demanding all these”. Sort of people get misunderstanding. That’s why I didn’t talk. But it is sometimes you have to talk too. I would like you to find another book on this, particularly there is a book called, “Essentials of Tibetan Buddhism’. These are the teachings given by Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, and Sakya Trizin and Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, and Kalu Rinpoche, I think, and a couple of them, in Tibet House, new Delhi. All their teachings has been combined together and called ‘Essential of Tibetan Buddhism’. You might not have that copy available. So, I do have a copy. If someone could xeroxed and make it available, and I would like you to read the teachings given by Kyabje Ling Rinpoche on that guru devotional practice. Two reasons. Reason (1), it was the last public teaching given by Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, before he died. And reason (2), after that Kyabje Ling Rinpoche told me, “Well, this is the most important thing and we cannot avoid talking all the time”. So, I said it whatever I felt to necessary to say, at the minimum. So I think it is important. So, that way somehow I do have a copy. If I find it, I think I bought the last copy from New Delhi. So, I do have that. So, you can make a xerox and I want if you could read it, and give you better understanding, now we are talking about it. Why it is called ‘foundation of all perfections’. Anyway, you do….I think all the qualities are there,right? The qualities are totally mentioned there. And you are not going to find anybody with all these qualities. You are NOT going to find. But basic principle, three most important qualities, the first two, three, particularly 2nd and 3rd, are absolutely necessary. I don’t think you can give discount non those.And so that is the basically way it goes. 0:22:59.2

Now the next is, qualities of students. It is fine, anybody who are interested. It is fine. Also for the quality of the students, I have to make one point. This is not kind of lecture that particularly the (?) background practice, is not the kind of presentation that somebody giving lecture on certain things. Nor, it is entertainment of some kind of concert type of thing. It is serious practice; it shares serious path; it shares that path that experience by Buddha through the late masters , unbroken lineage, living tradition. Path that has been experienced by all these people and developed and they shared, been sharing that path. So, it is little more serious. So, therefore, sort of recommended quality ..people who are interested is three most important. One, person must be open minded. Open mind in the sense they should not have pre ..what (Audience: *Voices..pre conceptions) conceptions, pre conceptions. You have some kind of idea, you fixed it on that, and you like to hear about that.and when you hear about that, and what you been hearing and what you thought it is, and what you like to hear that. And when you hear that, you are happy. If not, well,dissatisfied…something is missing, something is wrong, something is not right. And that is not being open minded. Another point on the open mind is, “I am a follower of this, I am a follower of that. And this is our practice, this is their practice.” That is another open mind, not being open minded. For example, very simple , “Well, I am a follower of Gelugpa tradition. This is not Gelugpa teaching. I don’t want to hear about it. Or, even I hear it, it doesn’t really comparable and Gelugpa teachings are much more superior. And I don’t want to hear about this,” ..and that . That is not being open minded, which is very common. Everybody will have. They think whatever they are following is the superior and number of teachers will also tell you that too., which we always try to avoid. At least this person always try to avoid saying that gelugpa teachings are superior. Try to never tell it; every teachings have its own quality and I even try to avoid telling you the qualities of the Gelugpa teachings. So hat they misunderstand.So, anyway, it is very common. I thought I will talk because a number of people will think that way. So, this is not being open minded. Every dharma has its own qualities; every tradition has its own qualities. So, that’s that. So, that is ‘open minded’meaning. “This is good, our side, our tradition, our teaching is better one; theirs is not”, and having that sort of thing, idea, or pre..(Audience: preconception) conception idea.Things like that does mean is not open minded. 0:28:43.1

Then, intelligence. The second is intelligent. If you are not intelligent, you get mixed up everything. Things you don’t say, you thought it is said. Things that you know you like to hear about, and you thought the person said.and got mixed them up completely. And the worst than that, ‘never get it!”. Thirteenth Dalai Lama gave the teaching of the whole Lam Rim Chenmo, over two months in Tibet, and thousands of people attended. Thousands of people attended particularly people from the villages near Lhasa there, they will come. And there is somebody from a village called Penbo, the north of Lhasa, one mountain cross Lhasa and you get in Penbo area. And there had been some kind of fight over one tiny little village, whether it is belong to this district or that district. You know some kind of …they have some kind of fight going on for centuries . It is called Maichaka, somewhere. Somehow Thirteenth Dalai Lama during the teaching somehow said…. this is traditional teaching anyway and he repeated the same thing and said, “Though Maichaka belonged to this area, but these people have argued and ..” blah..blah..blah…something. So, for two months this particular fellow only came to know this village belongs to that. (Laughter) and that’s all his knowledge totally of spending two months. When he goes back they asked him,”What did you understand? What did you learn?”. And he said, “I learned this particular village is belonged to that village’ so, that’s what he learned for two months, for spending the whole day there , attending the whole Lam rim teachings. So, that is the..if the person is not intelligent enough or not paying attention, this problem comes in. And I don’t think we have to worry about his sort of thing here, because everybody is educated. However, you have to be open minded. It is not necessarily what you thought it is said. That is the intelligence. 0:31:33.6

Then, enthusiastic. Enthusiasm is very important. If not, why waste time? Very simple, why waste time. It is not easy; everybody has lots of things to do. It is not easy. So enthusiasm is necessary. The enthusiasm is also with understanding. We just don’t have to make it enthusiasm. It is understanding. The understanding here what you really get here is this is path which will probably make you free of all suffering..mental, physical, emotional, once for all. That makes you enthusiastic. This is the path which can probably get you totally out of samsara. This is path which ultimately lead you to the enlightenment level. And that is good enough to be enthusiastic. So, about that much. That is three minimum qualities . So just wanted to share that with you. 0:33:20.9

So, now we are moving …quality of the master, quality of the student, and then, once qualified meets qualified master, what should the practice, the guru devotional practice, which is really based on the relationship , and so, what that should be. So, this is the third one, is the main point. Does anybody has any questions up to here, because I have said before I give you a chance to questions, but I never did that. Anybody? Yes. (Audience: Did you choose your guru at initial stage when you were young (?) ) The first and second good teachers are chosen by somebody else. As I told you earlier I was aged 4 and 5. I have no idea what the criteria is, I don’t even know how to choose. They chosen the best teacher available and suitable. And it is not necessarily things that are the …most popular teachers are not necessarily best teacher for individual. And most highest teacher are not necessarily best suitable teacher for you. So, when people choose they not only look to the criteria of the person, and also whether it is suitable , convenience..all of them they will look. One most important thing is what they look is…whether the teacher's quality is it good enough. Example they give you, if you have little piece of stick, just piece of small stick. And if I am going to put that stick in between the stick of incense…you know the incense stick? You see those bundles of incense, if I put a raw stick within that incense, and can the raw stick gets the smell of the incense. Whether that incense is good enough to be able to influence to get the smell on those non incense stick that you put in there. That is where they look. Because what did you do and when you have..you have somebody else, your teacher or guru, and what will happen is, the person quality should affect this person. So, it is like incense can influence the smell of the …the smell stick and that means ‘good enough’ or ‘not good enough’. That is the criteria.That is good enough. That is the ancient way of selecting. So, that’s what had been done earlier. And later on, by age of 16, 17 onwards, then I make my own choice. It is not that you have only one guru.I have close to 30, 40 gurus. So, that’s what it is. So, that’s what you do , that’s what you follow, that’s how you do. And the most important spiritual master is also the spiritual master who have been with you, spending time with you, who sort of constantly talking to you, guiding you rather than some big lama who comes with the trumpets blowing and banners, and sitting on the high thrones…very very high but it is equally that …I mean traditionally , I am just talking about the traditional teachings..traditionally they will teach you that the poor monk who are teaching, who are sitting with you on the same cushion dealing with you everyday, is more important to you than the Lamas who come and sit on the throne, and blow trumpet and all these. So, that is the traditional teaching. And I did said that once in Malaysia and I got into trouble. I did get into trouble (Laugh) Really, true. I did give that lecture in Malaysia, in Kuala Lumpur once. And that is Karma Kargyu center I gave that lecture in Malaysia… that lecture. And so, I talked there , I said the lamas who comes on the throne and blow trumpet and the resident teacher who sit over there is the same thing, and this is more important than that ..They thought it is terrible and they reported to His Holiness the Dalai Lama saying that this person came and said ordinary monk is more important than people who come and sit on the throne blowing trumpet. But then, His Holiness was understanding , so ..I said exactly what I said, ya, that’s true. But people told me ..(laughs) and that’s what happens. (Rimpoche laughs) I mean really true. And I got into trouble, on ? that’s what it is. 0:41:25.5

Okay, if you have no questions, I would like to go…now outlines. We don’t have Dr.K, so somebody has to write there. Who wants writing before Dr K. Kathy, alright or Elaine, one of you.Elaine, okay, one of you. Here you go.Would you write three qualities of disciple? Open minded, intelligence and enthu..what is it? Enthusiastic or enthusiasm , whatever it is. So now the actual practice. Guru devotional practice has basically two. The mental treatment..the mental relationship and action relationship. How to act. I do not know how to say that. Okay? Those people who have the ‘Liberation In Your Palm’, ..”Liberation…what” (Audience: ..palm) Liberation In Palm of Your Hand’, those of you who have that, if you started looking in there on Day 8, and the reading I recommend you Day 7, though Day 7 will tell you the basic advantage and disadvantages ..I think should be telling you the day.. is that not right? (Audience: Ya) Did anybody read it? Day 7. (Audience: It’s here) Ah? (Audience: That’s a.. it says ‘ Training yourself to a spiritual guide) Ya, so ‘rely on the spiritual guide and advantages and disadvantages and all of them, will basically tell you on Day7. Right? I hope so. And on the Day8, (*missing recording..) .. 0:45:04.3 Came from the Buddha to the unbroken lineage, and particularly your own spiritual master whom you are dealing with that. So seeing.. if you see the quality and if you can admire the quality of person, then it is easy to develop intelligent faith. Otherwise, it is not possible. Even you try to put faith, it becomes blind faith. So..te ..tsultrim…? So intelligent faith is like that of a mother who give you birth. Without mother, child cannot be born. So without intelligent faith, no spiritual development will come at all. ..te ..ma..tsultrim ..(?) ….kacho.. if you don’t have that, intelligent faith, no spiritual development …will very hard to grow. They give the example is like that of seed has been burnt, or roasted, or cooked seed. The cooked or burnt or roasted seed, nothing will grow. So, that was the two example. And if you don’t know the quality of the ..your spiritual master, he has to be faith ..develop faith, jus because you took refuge or something or just because the person is high , or just because Buddha is fantastic, so you have to have faith. And that will not work. And that will backfire. So like you develop faith in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha in Buddhism, because you take refuge in Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. The reasons why you take refuge, (1) you know the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha has the power to protect you (2) You need you know that “I do need the protection’, (3), you actually know that the actual protection is the Dharma. Dharma really grow within you overcoming the sort of negativities. Actually when you look in those angle, and then it becomes intelligent faith. Not only intelligent faith, it is true reality. What really overcomes negativities… negative actions, negative thoughts, the negative behaviors. Normally we are very much habitual to repeat. What will overcome? The Dharma will only overcome that. We know that, right? The patience will overcome…not passion , patience..In the Tricycle interview, patience become passion in that. So, but patience overcome the anger. The enthusiastic effort will overcome the laziness. The generosity will overcome the stinginess. Ah? Is that something wrong I said? (Audience: stingy) Stingy,okay. Okay? And concentration will overcome the wandering mind. The Wisdom overcomes the ignorance. These are really the reality; absolute truth we know. By knowing that, rely on this is intelligent faith. Get the idea? So, that is called ‘intelligent faith’. Otherwise if you don’t know the quality, you say, “Ya, develop faith” It won’t do any good at all. It is same…as good as saying that Napoleon will come and protect you tomorrow, and have faith on it. So, that will not do any good. So, really true, the intelligent faith. Otherwise it won’t work. 0:50:14.3

Buddha recommended …the spiritual master should look as fully enlightened Buddha. And Buddha recommended to mahayana bodhisattvas to see their own spiritual masters that of ..equals to the Buddha. And Buddha recommended Vajrayana practitioners to look their spiritual masters inseparable than that of fully enlightened beings. Whether you look the spiritual master as a fully enlightened being, or whether you look the spiritual master as a stupid fool, will make no difference for whatsoever to the spiritual master at all. None whatsoever; makes no difference. But it will make hell of difference to the individual practitioner.If I look my own spiritual masters as inseparable that of fully enlightened beings, all my practice is becoming the practice that been shared by fully enlightened beings. If I look my spiritual masters as ordinary human being, so, all my practice will become ordinary human being shared practice. It makes a hell of difference to me, it will not make difference to them at all. And that is the essence of this point. Hope I remember some words, but I don’t. Oh, here it is. I really didn’t see there. It is same thing which ,mentioned thing ngo wa..atisha…ngo wa…(?) When Atisha was in Tibet, and somebody told Atisha, “I would like to have teachings”. And Atisha didn’t say anything. So, he just went away. So, he thought Atisha did not hear it about it, so he shouted little more, “I would like to have some teachings: So, Atisha looked back and said, “Ha, ha, I have good ear but the real teaching remains to the intelligent faith, intelligent faith”. That’s what Atisha repeated. There was a great master called,‘Ensapa’. Ensapa, you might not have heard much about it. If you have the book with you, would you look on Day 8? Sir, can you read in English, it makes ..much better. (Audience: Once a man asked Atish twice, ‘Atisha, please give me instruction. ‘Atisha said absolutely nothing and the man made his request yet again - this time by shouting it. “He, He!” said Atisha. “I’m afraid my hearing is sound, quite sound! here is my instruction: Have faith!Faith! Faith!’ The great Gyalwa Ensapa said: ..) Ensapa, great..wait for a minute. Ensapa, you might not have heard. But Ensapa is like that of Milarepa….very very similar to Milarepa, except Ensapa did not have to go through the hard work as so much ..so much as Milarepa does. Milarepa had to go through tremendous hard work. At his early age, Mila..how many of you read about Milarepa? Only couple of them. So, what happened….I read when I was 13 or 12. and after that I didn’t read. Anyway, I think Milarepa what happened is, he had a tough time. His father died earlier. Mother was still with him. Then the father thought mother is incapable of handling the household things. Of course they look down on women.so they handed over every property and everything to be managed by uncle, and aunty goes along with that. Anyway, they treated miserably. So the mother was so upset. She meant to have revenge. She wanted revenge, revenge, revenge. And she had this litle son who is Milarepa, so she wanted to revenge. She sent Milarepa every places where you can learn black magic. So the whole need is black magic, take revenge to the uncle and aunty, who had took all their property, and kicked them out and whatever it is. Anyway, ultimately what happened is Milarepa did learned and did play black magic. And when uncle and aunty’s son or somebody is getting married, during the wedding period, whole house collapsed and 30, 40 people got killed and all sorts of things happened. So Milarepa become terrible person and not only negativity he had but on top of that killing so many people.Milarepa is running around like crazy, to find some spiritual master whowill be able to purify and give teachings and learn all these. And finally ..to cut the long story short, and finally the ..Marpa, the great Marpa, the founder of Kagyu tradition, the great translator who brought Buddhism earlier to Tibet…Milarepa met Marpa. And Marpa first thing he did was treated him as bad as he could , with all sadness, loving and kindness, but really had to treat him so bad, so that he can be purified. And unnecessarily made hi single person to build a thirteen storey building for Marpa’s son. Total 13 storey building! And that also not one n13 storey building built. And it is also some shape built ..one or two floors up, then Marpa comes, “Oh, that’s wrong, take it down” Totally take it down, and then built up another one, and made all these. Anyway, it is a long storey in short.Mila had to go through tremendous hardship inorder to purify. And later Marpa..Mila became one of the ‘Four Pillars’ of Marpa’s disciples. I forgot the names..Ngok Choku Dorje, tsurton Wanggi Dorje, Meyton some thing some thing and (?) Milarepa. So like four outstanding disciples of the Marpa. Among them is Milarepa, even more important than the others. So later..even now we know the Milarepa. 0:59:46.4

But Gyalwa Ensapa is almost the same thing like Milarepa who had obtained enlightenment within the lifetime, and did not have to go through the hardship like Milarepa went through ; very similar to that. But slightly it is crazy wisdom too. Ensapa varies slightly crazy wisdom too. So, anyway, what did Ensapa said? Can you read it? (Audience: (reads)): The great Gyalwa Ensapa said: In brief Your experiences and realizations will be great or small. Just as your familiarity with faith is great or small.our kind guru is the source of siddhis. Contemplate his qualities and ignore his faults. Hold his instructions in your palm. And promise to keep them to the last.) ..nyon mong kan che wa……ta che cho..(?) That’s basically…there are so many things in there.So if you keep on Day 8 on that, that will give you total information how it works. I am going to cut short in here.1:01:16.3