Archive Result

Sound file:19940410GRLR

Speaker:Gelek Rimpoche

Location:Ann Arbor

Topic:Lam Rim

Transcriber:Jayapushpa

Date: 9th February, 2023

Basically what we are talking here is Lam Rim. And I basically explained what Lam Rim really is. I am not going to go the traditional style,saying the essence of the teaching of Buddha, and essence of practise of Tsongkhapa and all these and that. But we cannot lose the outlines.Because outlines is on the basis of which we really following. So, I just want you to remember ..ah.. little things such as the essence of the Lam Rim, really boils down to three levels…common with the lower level, medium level and the mahayana level. So common with the lower level, and medium level, is actually in principle is seeking freedom. They are giving the individual mind to seek freedom, and that is the essence of the common medium and lower level. Seeking freedom. So, we mentioned a number of times in the Three Principles of the Path, in the Lam Rim, everywhere. Actually the goal what is relevant to us today. Of course Tibetan Buddhism will tell you your goal is become a Buddha. So, no big deal. Ya, once we have a person called Louise, has been in Jewel Heart for quite a long time, a couple of years ago..three ,four, five years ago, at the beginning..not really beginning, year or year and half later, one day Louise asked me, “Rimpoche, what is it..”. Ya, I was explaining about the Buddha,and somebody asked question , “What is really Buddha?” I said, “Buddha is almost like God’. So, just cut it there; I did not really explain anything. I just left it there, “Buddha is almost like God”. Some idea of God is available with people. So at that time...later in the afternoon break, I was walking behind house, and Louise walked with me. And then she said, “Can I have a minute to talk to you?” I said, “Sure” And there was a little wood, cut wood, log, so we sat on that. I said, “Louise, what is it?” She is very nice. “Rimpoche, you said today, Buddha is God”. And I said, “Ya, something like that” . And she said, “Well, if that’s so, I have no interest to become a God at all. I am not interested to become God, so, therefore I should not have interest to become a Buddha”. That’s what she said. And it is true. There is no relevancy, why we have to become a Buddha. What’s her last name by the way? (Audience: Wealth) There you go. I was thinking ‘rich’, or ‘wealth’ or something. (Laughs) Why you laugh so much? So, it is not relevant. Why do I have to become a Buddha? I am not interested. You know why. I am not particularly keen, it is not relevant. We don’t see the needs of it. So, but, what we have to see is we have to see, at this level, the need for freedom. And that is absolutely necessary. 0:06:02.1

The problem what we faced is lack of freedom. I do not know whether I talked here or not. But, problem what we faced is lack of freedom. Ya, you may say, “We, Americans, have all the freedom in the world”. True, you have all the freedom in the world. However, we are not free, we do have problem . did I speak that last Tuesday? No., did not, right? Because I’ve been to so many places, I don’t know where I have said it, what, you know. So, I don’t want to repeat things, you know, in one place. But lack of freedom, makes our life…thee is uncertainty in life. We don’t know exactly what’s going to happen tomorrow or thereafter, actually. This all because we don’t have freedom. We don’t have control or we don’t have freedom whether to get sick or not. We don’t have freedom over aging. We don’t have freedom over death, or dying. We don’t have freedom over the intermediate state called ‘bardo’. and we don’t have freedom over rebirth. That sort of thing you put in the loop and then it goes. Birth, aging, illness, death, intermediate state, and the rebirth. It goes and we are cycling it. It is almost sort of big (?) you put it in and going through. We are not stopping. That’s what it is. That is whole about samsara. That is the whole thing about reincarnation and that is the whole thing about continuation of life. Ah…that’s the problem where we are. That is the problem . We don’t have freedom on that. And if you don’t have freedom , then whatever happens it will repeat. Keep on repeating ..life repeats, and maturity repeats, and the the decay repeats. That’s what it is. We take birth, and then begin to mature physically, mentally. Some people do get mature mentally ; some people don’t get mature mentally at all. But doesn’t matter, but physically it goes. And by the age of 24, 25, you are at the peak level and thereafter, no matter whatever you do, how many exercise runs, and jumps and walks..you may live on (?) all the time, but then it is going to go down. It helps little bit but everything goes down. And that is the decay we all have to go through. And that is where we are lacking the freedom on those. And when that happens, it leads you down at the end, the apartment where we live, becomes unserviceable .The water doesn’t function, the electricity are not working, you don’t see…and then, all these. So, and then you have to leave. And then, again, the loop start.0:10:15.7

And also one thing … also one thing you have to remember here, the death. People like to say it is a natural process and it is wonderful and it is beautiful. A lot of people tell you that, and we also like to perceive that way. It is fine. It is a natural process. It is beautiful. I have no quarrel with that at all. But one thing you have to remember is, when you go through with this, it is not easy one. It has lot of pain is there. Number 1, pain of separation. How painful it is now we know, even when we are living. And so, pain, this separation. It is very painful. And then, ..and the separation of the consciousness and the body is itself,is also not painless. It has to be very painful; it works that way. And once you get there, it is not like just going to the bathroom and change and come back with the new dress. Come back, sure. But what shape? You never know…even coming back as horns on head, tails , and all sorts of things, who knows. But most important point here, is reincarnation is no escape in death. That is one very important point one has to remember. Because people intend to forget that. People intend to skip that, and try to go under reincarnation., “So, you know I go, I’ll come back, right?” That sort of thing. You know, in that manner. You may come back, yes. But you don’t know who you are and you are not going to certainly inherit inheritance what you left there . You are not going to get your bank balance or your house, or the boat or car or whatever it is. You are not going to get it back. Not only that, the way and how people are dying … actually the death come a little later, but..way and how people are dying is ..first the body gets decay and all these, and the mind also get due to certain difficulties, pains you go through whether it is illness or whatever the reason might be..and then we forget. The word ‘forget’ is nice word to hide but actually whatever you have known is gone, and you don’t know anymore. We forget so much so that something, I forgot our own name. And we have seen that; it is sort of known factor. So which means….that is what really means ‘disconnecting’. so you don’t know, you don’t recognize your friends, you don’t even recognize yourself. You don’t recognize your own name. You can’t acknowledge. And that is the ‘decay’. You called it ‘decay’, right? Decay process of mind level. And so what happens is, this becomes down and down and down becomes such a subtle level and continuation of such a subtle level. Some people may not have any clarity at all. Some people may, some people may not. And the consciousness that travels from this life, to the intermediate state level will be totally very very very subtle consciousness. All gross part will be totally cut it out. So therefore there is no recognition or recognizing, or anything. Except for some cases,m yes, but most of people in that manner. And also it is very subtle consciousness and so whatever it is there, it is so intensified., so intensified. (Pause) So much intensified so that even little noise, even little air that blow down, maybe probably like a that of huge wind almost blow the whole world away. A little heat or fire will probably feel that individual the whole world is burning. A little bit of cold will probably feel individual the whole world is cracking into pieces . These things you can even experience sometimes during the chemical influence, if you have taken. I am sure lots of people do, so….have done, anyway. So, you know that and that’s what happens. And during the death period, it becomes ..death experience what you get during the chemical trips…probably intensified by another hundred or thousand times more. And that’s why it is called ‘the narrow passage of bardo’because all these difficulties. Though in reality it might not be that much. But whatever it is happening, the individual perceives in such a huge way. In reality maybe just open a tap or water tap, that’s all. And individual maybe perceiving the whole ocean is burst or carrying(?) out . And that sort of suffering whether in reality it is true reality or not, individual perceives that and go through and feel the pain or joy, whatever it might be. It is so much intensified, goes through. That’s why it is called ‘narrow passage of bardo’. So, we don’t have control over those. We don’t have freedom on those.That is lack of freedom, basically 0:19:05.3.

And also we have no control over our emotions, anger, jealous, attachment. We have no control over. We don’t have freedom. And result of those big emotional feelings we experienced. Sometimes up, sometimes down. So, we don’t have freedom of those. These are the problems that we have. These are lacking the freedom on those. So Buddhist 101, tells you seek freedom. Okay. So seeking freedom is 101, and also the first principle. And that covers with the lower and common with the medium, both, on this. And we talked about guru devotional practice, it is the way and how you find how to seek freedom, how to gain buddha…Then, second point is the embracing the life., and recognizing, and importantness and difficult to find, impermanent. All of them will cut down the laziness . You know in order to reach, in order to gain this, obstacles are the laziness and the path of not knowing what to do. And even you know, don’t want to do it, laziness.ll of those are problems. So to balance that, to overcome that difficulties, we have embracing life and so that you do appreciate life. So you don’t give opportunity for all those setbacks of laziness basically. And also the emotional setbacks.You don’t want to give them opportunity, that’s why recognize the life, appreciate.and we talked about ‘leisure’ and ‘endowments’, traditionally. And then, we did mentioned the other Tuesday, when you look at it, the 8 leisures, when you look at it, you look from the..(*interruption) These are the 8 leisures and 10 endowments. Actually ‘leisure’ means…the books may tell you because you are in these…I am sure people read that, Day 9. Did you read it? John? You did. Anybody did not read it, Day 9? Nobody raises hand, so everybody read it. Or, pretend to have read it, anyway. (Laughs). so, whatever it is, they tell you the 8leisures is the human level and non human level. And then the hell realm and hungry ghost realm, and all these.I mentioned to you the other day, You don’t look at it that sort of outlook. Take yourself out of the human suit and get in the dog suit or cat suit, and then look it back, and see and then appreciate. It really..if you don’t appreciate life, you look other lives and see how good it is. And particularly if you don’t appreciate being an American, and then try to be somebody else and then see how different it is. Get out of American suit and get in to Yugoslavakian or Czekoslavakian or something today, and see the difference. If you don’t appreciate, that’s what you do. Okay, maybe that is not relevant. But here, the relevant really is the opportunity really to be able to do something. Remember, seeking freedom is our goal. How we seek freedom is where we lose the freedom, this continuation in the loop. You know, following the death, the intermediate state, by birth, by death. It is continuous going. And that’s where you have to seek free out of that. So how to cut it, where to cut it and that is our main goal. 0:25:04.5

So, in order to do that…in order to do that, so you have get all opportunities that you have and appreciate opportunity. And so the base, the life point of view, the basic, the fundamental support to do that, is human life.so we have that. So, not only we have the human life, we have to recognize its’ qualities, and appreciate it. Another word they are telling you , you have the base. Human life is the base. And if have all the time, you may say “I am extremely buzy”. But you may be extremely buzy, but you still have all the times.And if you look at the jell realm and see, how their condition is, if you happens to be there,, “If I happens to be there in the hell realm, I don’t have time to think anything except to try to work for how do I get out of this hot hell and get a little coolness.” And if you are in the cold hell, you have nothing else to think. You know don’t even have opportunity ,just to try to put total energy try to get out of that coldness before whole body gets cracked into hundred thousand pieces. So, try to get that. And that is the only you have; so much pressure there; so much intensified physical sufferings sufferings there. So, as a human life, we complain, but we are not like that. We are not like an animal. We are not like a hungry ghost, we are not in the middle of the war, we are not in the middle …you know even as a human being, and if you are caught in the middle of civil war, also going non all over the world you have, and you don’t have opportunity. So this is how for even those four other leisures, even on human level, even at the human level. ..la te ma le …te(?) And also if you very very hard headed, materialistic..hard headed materialistic, and then you don’t have interest whatsoever. I mean you just wanted to know exactly how to make more money, how to make ten into hundred, that’s all you care. You don’t care anything else. So, you don’t have opportunity to help yourself totally, or help others. Because you totally occupied how to make ten into hundred. The rest of it you don’t even care. So, that’s it. So, we are open minded. Another there, we also have some kind of faith, even not in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, but at least some kind of faith in higher soul or whatever. So, that sort of gives you little openness and opportunity. So, that’s why this particular life , what we have is very rich and extremely rich and we have to appreciate. So, 8 of those. 0:29:28.2

10 endowments, 10 qualities. These are the time wise. The time that we have come to this body at this moment. If we had come 2500 years before, or then very limited . all the spiritual paths are not yet really fully grown and fully developed. Not available like today, easily. But all the spiritual paths whatever you want, East, West, eastern, western, whatever, Hindu Buddhist tradition, Judea Christian tradition, Christian tradition, whatever you needed, it is all there. Not only it is there, but all the spiritual paths are like living tradition. People are still practising, there is a continuation of development, there is unbroken lineage, and it is continuing. So it is a living tradition, it is still there. It is not only.. it is not cut it out, it is living, it is life. It’s alive. And there are other practitioners…persons who do help you, who supports you. So, from that angle,there is like time wise, it is perfect, from others point of view. From the point of ourselves, ..we ni ong po ta la te (?)..So, from the point of ourselves, we took the right human birth right this moment. All our physical sense are okay; maybe a couple of screws are loose (laughs) but otherwise, is okay. And we are open, and we are not really completely shut out. None of us in this room at least , we say, “I don’t care about karma, or they don’t say, “I don’t bother about karma,, I only care what I going to get it. That’s all” We don’t say that, so, we are open. So we do have all these, what we called it, ‘endowments’. 10 endowments of time and 10 endowments of individual qualities. So, another words, what they try to tell you here, is ,the traditional teachings said you have 18 different qualities have come together at this moment. Even when we are praying, we have to pray if you pray a lot…we try to pray to try to get 18 different things to get together, but if you get 50% , you are lucky. But at this moment it happens to be all 18 qualities all are together. So, that’s why this particular life is much more precious and much more important.0:33:25.1

And what I’ve been talking to you is I am giving you material to think. And don’t leave this as an information. Just keep on meditating this. Keep on meditating this. Meditating in the sense, you don’t really have to sit down, and make time to meditate and all these. Think about it when you are in the shower; think about this when you are waiting at the parking lot. Think about this when you are standing in the line, some where to get some thing. Think about this when you are on the pot…when you are on the ‘throne’ (Laughs) . Ya, think about it. So wherever you have opportunity, and that think about. That is real meditation, you know. You know why? Because this will make impact on your mind. And your mind will acknowledge differently. Your mind will recognize differently. If you keep on doing this, like we got ten days or three weeks or something, and then when you look it back, how you yourself perceiving, you do find the difference. And that is how our normal, bad habitual patterns are gradually replacing. And that’s how it is. It is more useful and more helpful to think when you are here and there doing different things ,when you have opportunity. But don’t keep on thinking when you are driving, and goes some where else.don’t do it, But otherwise, you know, when you have the time, think about it. And lots of people who enjoy music, you listen to the music, and then when you calm down, your mind is relaxed, then think about those. And watch television, think about those. And every action that goes on the television, will correspond you here, on these points. I am telling you really true. Because that will correspond you. That will give you addition message and you get better understanding of these points. So, that’s what you should do. And whenever you have extra time, think about it. Because if you have to cut down a chunk of time, saying, “This is my meditation time” and there you have commitments to say, or you like to sit silent for a while, and take them out, this won’t have time at all. So, if you try to give forcefully give time, lot of other things will drop out. So, that’s what you do, whenever you have time. You know the dentist tells you do your dental floss when in the parking lot, do this and that. And it really reminded me that. And this is what you can do…when you are in parking lot, when you are waiting in the line in the supermarket, try to pay your bills, and while you are…I mean doesn’t have to be cut a big chunk of time saying, “I am going to do it, and pick up subject”. I mean if you can, you should . You know you have preliminaries, and done the actual thinking and then you can do the conclusion. I mean all these are absolutely necessary. You do. I am not saying you don’t have to do it. You do it. But, in 1994, where do we have this sort of time? So, wherever we have opportunity and time, think about it, and then it will effect the individual. And that is important. That’s what you should do. And that’s what.. and that’s how you appreciate life. , recognize.0:37:33.3

And when you see other persons with difficulties, some people are crazy, can’t think. Some people are not crazy, but can’t hear it, can’t express. And you generate compassion and appreciate your own life. Do both together and it makes lots of difference. Sounds bad, but it is. And that’s what you do. So, if you read Day 9, they will tell you. And you know if you look karmic wise, this is now Buddhist tradition, karmic wise, to meet in Buddha’s teaching and living tradition, is tremendously difficult. It takes tremendous amount of positive karma. (Pause) I am sure it is in “The Liberation In Palms’ somewhere, but maybe on this point or not. One of the earlier teachers been saying, “Look between Milarepa and king of nagas. The king of nagas are sitting there with jewelled ornaments for the king, with all sort of retinues, and all these. And Milarepa is sitting up there without any food, couldn’t even get food. But then look the difference of the life . Milarepa achieved ultimate goal and naga king with all these jewels on their head, filled with jewels, but get no where.It is almost the same. The naga….Milarepa and the naga king is just a metaphor we used. If you look in today’s life, and that’s what it is. There are lots of …there are number of …particularly in United States, there are lots of wealthy people, with all sorts of jewellery and everything there. They may think they are the king of the world. But, the poor people here…I don’t mean you people are poor, but you people are poor , I don’t mean that. But if you compare their life and achievements, no matter how many jewels are there, when they die, they have to leave. They have to leave and go, and nothing to carry. Nothing to carry. Nothing to carry. And at least, people in the spiritual path here at least, even you don’t know when your next meal is coming from, however, you have something to look. I mean this is Milarepa metaphor with Milarepa and naga king comparing, on Day (, right? It’s in Day 9. (Audience: Yes, it is on this day). It’s on Day 9. We have them in our life. I thought about that. Yesterday I had to attend a memorial…what is it….called ‘service’but, It is not a service, there is no service at all. It is sort of people…the friends get up and talked about the wonderfulness of the person who passed. And couple of songs and I had to attend for that. And lots of our friends are there to give couple of words there. And it was in Metropolitan Museum , on the big ground floor where the big Egyptian was, and it is packed with high society people totally. Totally packed, and everybody is multi millionaires and this and that,and everybody. This thought came to my head, “The person who died , this multi millionaire is gone with nothing. I mean I can’t say, ‘nothing’ but not a solid positive karma to make a difference much. A lot of good things done, sure. And lot of people here to appreciate and say wonderful things, the same way, on the same stage, some are 80s and 90s and some very little young people. (Rimpoche laughs). They are all in the verge of going in that direction, and yet still the same old thing, you know. So, in that way, even you do not know where your next meal is coming from, you are much better, far far better in that level. So, that is to be appreciated. Not to worry where your next meal is coming from, I don’t mean you don’t have to worry about it, but at the same time it is some thing to be appreciated. That’s there. That’s how you embrace life and appreciate life. Embrace. And don’t ever reject because (pick it that book)(?) Okay, (Rimpoche laughs) So, that’s what it is. And then…ya, that’s about it. That is how you do ..how you appreciate.and read that Day 9 very carefully.0:45:00.4

So that not only…it also talks about how important meeting with teachings of Tsongkhapa. If I say it a lot, it may look like sectarian talk but in reality if you don’t say it all, people may not appreciate it. I think Panchen Panden Yeshe, when he is in life, and some Chinese people had come and give him tremendous amount of gifts. And requested him to guarantee to take rebirth as human being, And Panchen Rinpoche, says, “Yes” and then requested him to take guarantee to take rebirth to meet with the teachings of Buddha. Panchen Rimpoche,says, “Yes” . Then requested him to give guarantee not only to meet teachings of Buddha , but Tsongkhapa’s tradition, which Manjushri himself has sort of purified pure teachings. Panchen Rinpoche says, “No, I cannot guarantee that”. And so (*recording error) that much in there. So, basically, the opportunities what we have, will look at them carefully and appreciate. And when you really appreciate opportunities, what will that do? That will cut the laziness. Laziness of “I am going to do it, the perfect Dharma practice when I have time, when this is over”. “When this is over, then I am going to do it”This sort of time limits ,you know, that is our problem. And people over here in this room, there is nobody who doesn’t think it is ‘who does not think it is important’., who does not think this is important. They all think it is important. They all think it has to do something. But everybody has priority. We cannot choose our priority properly. So, you do have lots of deadlines, you know. Deadlines. We do have other friend who was here before, for short period. And I met her about a month ago, in Ann Arbor street. She came running to me, “ Nice to see you” blah..blah..blah..usual exchange. And she said, “I am really keen , I really have to do this but I cannot do it until we have five years doing assignments”.. doing something , something, something. “After that I am going to do it’. And I said, “Sure, fine” But in my heart of heart, I was thinking , “Well, if you live five years, if all five years are there, well, that’s fine” (Rimpoche laughs) So, that’s what it is. So, the laziness is not that much of “we don’t want to do it, but not fixing our priority’ I mean the…it is just like life. Life is very important, wonderful , valuable. But we don’t recognize, we take for granted. At the same time, this one’s also everyone knows it is important to do it, everybody knows, there’s no question, they all take it, but, the first priority is the deadlines and this and that, and assignments and then…’This is over and then I will do this , this, this”. so, that is our problem. So, appreciating life , difficult to find and impermanence , three are major focusing is , to overcome the laziness and to make the right priority. For that purpose it was coming. So, if your mind is trained in that way, it will eliminate those negative delays or difficulties. They will eliminate them. 0:50:16.1

So, okay ,well when you meditate this, and the question raises, “How long one should meditate this?” And it says, “When you are wasting your time, and you have to have feelings…the feelings that if a poor person finds a bag full of gold sand, and if you found to be a hole in that, and if you are carrying your bag, and walked round and all the gold are going, and you realized all your gold are gone, then you really feel bad. And until you develop such a feeling for wasting time, until that you have to meditate. Until that, you go on meditate. So, the purpose of this is to overcome that. And that’s what it is, okay. So, that is the outline number 1.,recognizing the…’embracing the human life’… recognizing the human life. Ah,’ importantness’, sorry, comes together. Important. It is extremely important. That is our problem. We don’t recognize the value of life, it is extremely important. Anything you want, you can achieve this life. Essence total boil down to. Anything whatever you wanted, you can achieve this life.There is nothing…you know, buddhahood, freedom, whatever you want to, spiritually, whatever you want to achieve. From the life what we have, from that point it is capable. The support is there. It is capable to be supported. Even you want just good future life, or even you want joy and happy only this life, just before until you die, even then this life can support that. It is capable of delivering that. Even you want to be king of Shambala, you can do it in this life. There was a great teacher called Longdol Lama. The Longdol Lama during his life was very very famous during the 1700 or 1600s, something in that period. And he was very famous. A lot of people goes and give lots of gifts, and all these. People couldn’t get through the door to make gifts.Every single time he received, he spent to making offerings here and there and everything. He himself doesn’t keep a penny. He just throw everything for the monasteries and temples, and making gold things and you know the central temple in Lhasa, the Buddha image,Longdol Lama made a huge two pure gold butter lamps and all these. Longdol Lama does all these. At the end of his life, he sent some gifts…towards the end of his life, he sent some gifts to Panchen Panden Yeshe, and requesting him “I have some desire, will that be fulfilled?” Panchen Lama is known…you know out of the Panchen Lama and Dalai Lama, the Panchen Lama, is known to be the 25th reign King of Shambala. That was during the Shambala contact outside the world. He was supposed to be the King of Shambala at that period, during the 25th reign there. That’s supposed to be Panchen Lama. That’s why Panchen Lama is always considered so important with Shambala and Kalacakra. So, anyway, it was Panchen Panden Yeshe’s period, Longdol Lama sent a gift and say, “I have a desire and will that be fulfilled ?” And Panchen Lama thought for a while, and he said, “Oh, my god, I did not know that he had such a big desire, such an old monk, who spends every single penny that he has for positive karma, well, anyway, he is going to be achieved”. So, somebody asked Panchen Lama, “What did he wanted?” He said, “He wanted to be King of Shambala and he is going to be”. that’s what he said. So, even you want to be King of Shambala, you could become during this lifetime without going through Shambala trainings.(Laughs) And there is no guarantee if you go for Shambala trainings. So, it is that important and we don’t really pay attention.0:55:50.2

We will recognize, we will be afraid of losing if the time comes. We will be really afraid of losing. And just now we are only simply worried about it, “I am really hurt”, and getting lonely, picked up few little things here and there, and afraid of being left lonely or something, afraid of being hurt. These sort of things we picked up here and there, little bit. But most important thing is, not be afraid. That is wasting the very valuable opportunity, time and capability. We don’t see these values.We see here and there , little bit; few points, few sparks. We don’t really see the nature value. So, that’s why people are afraid of getting hurt or getting this thing and that thing . Tiny little thing , part of some life here and there. But the basic big structure, big importantness of life, we sort of ignore. Not purposely ignore, but sort of in our habit, always taking granted, life after life we did that. And that’s why even when we have the opportunity, it is rare opportunity, but whenever we had we go about without much achievement. Earlier Tibetan masters will tell you always, “We gone to the river to pick water…since there is no water system in there, it comes house, so you take a little bucket and goes out and picks up the water. So, we go up to the river, we don’t pick up water and just come back with empty bucket. So all our purposes wasted, right? So that’s what they give you as an example. So, we got a life here, important, very valuable, don’t get all the time, and you have all the support of life itself, opportunity, time…all the supports are available, yet if you have to go with empty hand, back to the same old thing. And a lot of things will make you attempt to do this. We always have that because it is in our habit . It is in our habit. Like we don’t appreciate life value. We are not afraid of that. We just only afraid of getting hurt. Think about yourself when you get scared, when you get worried. Why you worry? You worry most time is because “I am going to get hurt” You don’t worry “I am going to lose my life” , very little. You worry about “I am getting hurt”. So, these are the problems. 0:59:24.8

And the third point, is difficult to find. Normally they give you two ways of thinking here. From the causal point of view it is difficult to find, from the example point of view, it is difficult to find. Causal point of view… what makes..you know, this life. What it takes to make such a life? As a buddhist, we do believe in the karmic system. We do know how karma functions, because Buddha told us. We won’t know it because karmic is more difficult to understand than the nature of reality, sometimes. So we rely a lot on the Buddha’s experience and sharing. So, according to the Buddha, what takes to get such a opportunity life. Basically, it takes perfect morality. That is the fundamental basic. Then, conjunction of perfect prayers, blessings, conditions. In order to work that karma, you need all these conditions. Help of six activities…the generosity, morality, patience and all these. So, these are what it takes to get this life. So, what do we have? I mean the fundamental basis looks in our morality. We are not talking about basic general normal American morality. We are talking about the vows we have taken, the commitments that we have honored, and that we have broken and all these. Basic morality is this. Basic positive karma how much we have built, how much we have lost, how much we have. So, from that angle, we know it is difficult to find. And we, the buddhist…Vajrayana practitioners, particularly, we take a lot of vows; almost a million different vows we take. Not knowing or half knowing, or even half knowing and half not knowing, we go. And then, how much we break during..all the way through. It is always there. And the negativities we create, how much we create, it is always there. Even you drive a car, you going to take a negative…Even you bicycle it, you have negativities comes out on the way. Even you simply walk on the normal roadside, dirt road, millions of them comes in. The insects get killed and this thing and that thing, and all these, you know. There are a lot of them.So, that way, we are sort of….the causal point of view, the positive causal point of view, it is very difficult to find. And then, how much we have those perfect conjunctions, are very difficult. So, from the causal point of view it is also difficult.1:04:28.5

And from the example point of view, it is very difficult. Potowa has given ‘ka tor cha dang…(?) ‘So two examples. He said there is a lot of grass grow all over the place, but the grass which grow on the roof of your house is very little, right? So lots of human life everywhere, but human life with this quality, is very rare. Just because some of them will not take opportunity. That’s why. They don’t have the karma to take this advantage. That’s why. ‘ka to ch dang..(?) and the other way is the famous usual example. The blind tortoise comes up every hundred years and caught the neck on the yoke which is floating in the ocean….which you read, right? And the other one is the grass grow on the roof and grass grow all over the place. I mean you can’t grow lot of grass on the roof, right? It is going to leak all over your house. The old tibetan houses are mud houses. So if there is grass grow on the roof, you have to leave the house. So that’ll be very little, if you are living in the house. So, these are the two examples. So from that example point of view, it is difficult to find. 1:06:10.0

And from the nature quality of this life, it is also difficult to find. As I told you, 18 different things has to come together at one time. If you really think, if you have to bring three different people together, how difficult it is. And here you think 18 different causes , 18 different conditions, all of them has to bring together , at the same time, all these. And it is really very difficult from its own nature. So, think about those and appreciate life. Recognize, appreciate, acknowledge it is important. And don’t worry about little bit of things goes wrong here and there. If you have to worry about it, worry about wasting important life, wasting opportunity. Worry about losing the opportunity. It is more important, more harmful to ourselves than getting hurt here and there…little mentally, physically, emotionally. Ya, you don’t need to hurt , ya it is painful , difficult no doubt, but you can lose more than that. You can hurt more than that. So little bit of emotional kicks here and there , should not get it…should not shake the human ground. You have to be brave, big heart and open minded. And have to learn little bit how to ignore. The ignoring is also the reality of samsara. Changing of the time, changing of the condition, .I believe that’s how it works.1:08:28.2

I don’t have much more to share. I do have more to say, but if I keep on saying it, I can go the whole Lam Rim through the fastest I can finish, I’ll be happy. But here we covered the ..what is the verse number? (Audience:9) No, 10 (Audience: 10) Oh, ya, this translation is good. ‘This working basis’ .. that is a good translation. I mean really what you need is, if you work in the spiritual path, if you want to achieve freedom or enlightenment, or whatever you want to achieve, you do need a support. You do need a basic working base. And that life is there. That’s what it is. Tsongkhapa really compare this wish fulfilling jewel . ‘Wish fulfilling jewel’, it should be here, somewhere. Ya, ‘wishing granting gem . Moreover,such is only obtained this very one time. Difficult to acquire and easily lost, …A lot of brackets. ..it passes in a flash like lightning in the sky.” Well, I don’t think we reach up to the ‘lightning in the sky’ business. Bu we reach up to here .. such is only obtained this very one time’. You know like the blind tortoise jumping five hundred years once, quoting here .. is ‘Difficulty’. You may have lots of human lives, but life with such an opportunity is ‘grass on the roof’. And basic human life is all over the valley, so recognize that. And that’s where we end. And thank you 1:10:46.8