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Soundfile 19980424GRJHNLBOA03

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location Nijmegen

Topic On the Border of Awakening

Transcriber Constantijn Koopman

Date 2021

[teaching starts in the middle of a sentence.

...dislike within your lifetime. And you find out the reasons why you dislike it: because I am not happy. Because it doesn’’t suit me.

This is the old reason why we are not happy. And then, then that’’s why you have the irritation. And then, you begin to draw your boundary. And then you say, ““My side, your side.”” And the matter doesn’’t stop there, it goes beyond that. Yeah, this is your side, this is my side. Fine, but you’’re very noisy. So, I can’’t sleep.”” I’’m sure you slept, but you say that, right? You maybe woke up once.

So, and then you dislike the person. And that dislike will become hatred. Then, the hatred will make you think, ““I am going to get that person one day when I have opportunity.”” So, in both ways, sometimes I’’m going to buy his land out, buy his house out. I mean, that’’s also that way of thinking, right? ““Well, he is to noisy, I don’’t want him here. So, no matter whatever it is, I’’m going to buy him out.

Okay? The other one is: you can’’t buy him out or he want to go out. So, you keep on poking him, making him miserable. 0:02:56.7 And if he is playing really one radio, you have two radios going there. Even that can’’t help it. You put loudspeaker on your hand/head???. They do that in India very often. And public noise is not a big crime in India. Plus: the Muslim tradition and, I think, the Sikh tradition, they also have a habit of putting all their prayers outside in big loudspeakers everywhere. So, some people can play radio also in loudspeaker, because under the same permission it goes off. And even you look at this, and you really see: the Hindu or Muslim is the same thing. They try to make as loud as possible. So, then they put loudspeaker on top of the house. It is sort of religious/religion’’s fight between Hindu and Muslim.

Religion is supposed to be helping the individual, rather than increasing his problem. And however, our perception will think, ““Yeah, I have to do that,”” and thinking it is helping and make as loud as possible, even put loudspeakers. It is true to all the traditions, whether it is Buddhist, Tibetan Buddhist, whether it is Christianity or whether it is Judaism or Hinduism or Sikh. Sikh is religion there in Punjab. They call Sikh, right? Whatever it is, it’’s almost true to all those traditions. Even you look at the Jehova’’s people. I don’’t know it is active here –– must be. And they come and knock your door. 0:06:09.5 And then they give you a little booklet. And then it’’s up to you whether you want to invite that person out and entertain. And if not, they will just even talk to you near the door, and say bye and go. But the main purpose of them is to save you. Right? And they are thinking this is the only way that you can save, ““So I must help that person.”” So, it is a total sincere dedicated person. However, taking a little too extreme.

You know, why I said that? Because I had a visitor from the Jehova’’s witness for about a year or two. And I always invite them in if I’’m not busy. And I try to talk to those people. And first couple of times I only listened. The second couple of times I started asking questions. And then they started saying, ““Oh, nobody asked that question, so we will come back with the answer.”” So, they have some answer which really doesn’’t make sense. So sort of argue back and forth. And the guy came about two years. After that he said, ““What are you?”” So, you’’re not atheist, he said. I said, ““No, I’’m a Buddhist.”” Then, he didn’’t come at all thereafter.

But the point is, what I’’m trying to raise the point... I’’m almost loosing my main point, why I am telling those stories. My main point is…… What is my main point? I’’m lost here 0:09:01.8

Translator: Perception of the confusion?

Rinpoche: No.

Audience 1: Come back to the ignorance?

Translator: Ignorance, confusion and perception?

Rinpoche: Yeah, but not that far. I was something missing in between. I have in my mind head and then the Jehova??? [inaudible, laughter]

Audience 2: …… [inaudible]

Rinpoche: That’’s right! So, you know this all because of my business. It is my religion, and that is the really true part. So therefore, yours is wrong. So, we perceive that, and we talk to the different people. They encourage you to do the same thing. So, this is how this my builds up. So, my religion, my tradition: ““I am a Muslim, so I must protect all the Muslim tradition under any cost.”” ““Oh, I am Jew, ascetic Jew. And I must protect Judaism under any cost.””

Well, that’’s fine! That’’s your job, that’’s his job. That’’s your job, that’’s fine. But people don’’t stop there. They say, ““Alright! Now, I must expand it.”” The other side will say, ““Then I must expand it, because he is expanding.”” On that ground we fought all these wars in the world. If you really think, you know, not World War II and III, but almost all these wars we fought, all these Middle Eastern wars. Still we’’re fighting today. I mean today, can you believe it? It’’s almost the year 2000. The people’’s education, understanding is so much better than before, so really great. But still, in this dogmatic fight. And still killing people, throwing bombs, using all modern weapons to destroy the other. You know, this is also going on. 0:12:15.6

And that is caused because my. My religion, it is the right way. I must help everybody, I must propagate my own religion. And that is what really made this problem. And if you look at these persons, and they are very sincere people. And I like my Jehova’’s witness, because they are very nice people, you know? Really nice people, kind people. So, when he comes in, I give him tea or Coca Cola or whatever. First they won’’t take it, later they take it. But really, it’’s nice people and very sincere. A good motivation.

Yet, there is a problem. The problem within those people is not thinking enough. Not using your intelligence. You know, we have a saying in Tibetan, ““Wherever you put your finger, that is East.”” So, the gurus go and put the finger to the West, say, ““It’’s East!”” And everybody was following, ““Yes sir, it is East.”” And then you suddenly realize the sun is setting down there, not rising from there. So, then you say, ““Oh, I’’m confused.”” 0:15:05.7 Things like that you blame yourself, rather than wrong direction. Then, on top of that you say, ““Oh, I must have faith. And if I don’’t have faith, I cannot be helped.””

So, you combine them together: ““Yes sir”” business and having faith, combine them together. And the result is Jim Jones. What did that mean? Oh, Jim Jones, do you remember? A few years ago, a group of Americans went out to South America and everybody got poisoned and dead at the end. Remember that? I’’m sorry.

Translator: Forced suicide, she [audience] said.

Rinpoche: Well, forced or not forced, but everybody dead. [laughs] Who knows, you know? But it must be all ““Yes, it is.””

So, that’’s why as a human being, intelligent person, educated person, we must use our thoughts, ideas, use your brain. Do not blindly follow anything. You’’ll get into trouble. That is the individual part of it. And the group, society, nation cannot justify any action to meet your ends. No nation can just fight, killing an innocent person. 0:18:02.2 Neither the Israelis…… because fifty years coming, right? Today or tomorrow, some time. Israel. Neither the Israelis nor Arabs cannot justify the innocent killing for means of whatever Judaism or Muslim or whatever. It cannot. So, certainly, the Hindus and the Buddhists and the Christians, and no matter whatever you may be. Whatever -ism or whatever -ianity, whatever it may be. And no one can justify every action because of the end result. Every action cannot be justified because of your main purpose.

And what does that tell you? That tells us we cannot commit suicide, though it is your life. But you have no right to hurt yourself. And if you hurt yourself, it is a negativity. It is violence against you, and it creates negative karma. It have negative result. So, that is one important thin we have to remember. This is the individual business.

So, basically the individual is the most important, not the nation. Not those. You know, people always talk about peace, peace, peace business. World peace, this peace, that peace, whatever. You people like to talk about peace all the time. 0:21:07.3 And I never believe the world peace is going to come by somebody, like the United Nations come and say, ““Here’’s your peace.”” Or Americans. It’’s not going to happen. Every peace is going to build within yourself. Then, effect the person next to you; then effect the family; then effect your circle, and the neighbors. And so and forth, and then your country, then the world. It’’s going to go that way. It’’s not going to come a ready-made Giorgio Armani suit, they’’re going to put it on you –– you know? That’’s what it is. That is, everything is important here. It begins here and it stops here. Is that clear to you all?

I don’’t know what time is it. So, it goes up to twelve, right? Should I give half an hour discussion or questions or should we continue?

You know, up to this point, whatever the point I raised, so I like to repeat once again. The most important point is: I am responsible for my deeds. So, that’’s why I said, ““It begins here, it ends here –– stops here.”” So, whenever you want to help yourself or help others, it begins here. So how? We created that: I and you and yours and mine. And that’’s why we develop attachment and we develop hatred. 23:58.1 Both attachment and hatred combined together with the really sincere motivation. And because of that we don’’t know where to stop. And sometimes you even just find all ends for some kind of mean. This is our problem number one. That is Buddha’’s experience and that’’s what we know exactly: how every world is functioning today, everybody in the world is functioning today. So, we want to correct that. And that will be the problem number one we deal with. It is the principal problem.

Then anger, hatred, pride, jealousy, all of them is a secondary problem. So within these two days, what we hope to do, we try to look all these emotions. And how we can deal with these emotions according to the Buddha’’s experience. That is really the essence what we are trying to do. Am I right? And it will be very helpful for you –– hopefully. Because, you know, a number of people who have been with me…… now there is really over thousands and thousands of them, people throughout the world. And they have been with me and they have been saying, and everybody is coming back and tell me, ““Oh, I’’m feeling better. My anger is less, my attachment is less, and this and that. It changed my life better.”” Everybody will tell you, a lot of people tell me that. And so when it is changing better in your life, that’’s what we needed. 0:27:00.0 Enlightenment, become a Buddha, liberation is another story. [laughs] What we need is something right now. That’’s what we are trying to deal with that.

So, okay. If anybody would like to make a statement, anybody would like to ask question, and anything you’’re welcome. You do have half an hour.

Audience 3: [inaudible]

Rinpoche: Whatever you want to. If you talk in Dutch I will not understand. However, we have a gentleman sitting over here for that purpose.

Audience 3: I am always in a conflict of…… Well, I know my mistakes, and I want to learn to accept. While the people outside don’’t want that exception because to want me to make me perfect. How I can deal with that? They point out my wrong ways and my imperfections, and I should be doing like this. But I think the love for Buddha or for ??? is the same. And to take care of myself and my inability to not lock myself or try to lock myself is for me the most important. But it’’s quite a conflict in me, this duality, outside-inside.

Translator [after person asking the question has clarified in Dutch]

0:30:10.7

Rinpoche; [Tibetan, sounding like] So sor wa dang tro sang da me jen wor jor che dens.

So, normally what the practitioners do: the practitioners try to find out a good place which is suitable for yourself. The good friends who are always with you. And that’’s what they do. However, the essence of the practice is the individual. If the individual is doing right and doing perfect, it doesn’’t matter what the others feel. It is the individual responsibility. So if the individual is right, you’’re right; if the individual is wrong, you’’re wrong. It matters at the level of the individual, rather than the perception of the other people. We will see ourselves as a reflection in mirror. But we will correct ourselves. When you’’re having make-up, so if you have too much red here. And when you see in the mirror, what you will do, you remove a little bit. Right? But you cannot do that on the mirror. You do it here. So, that is exactly…… I mean, I’’m not joking. Truly, that is how, when you come a spiritual path. Spiritual path is that is how it work. If you have too much red here, and you keep on cleaning in mirror, it’’s not going to happen. I mean, it has to be cleaned here. Or, if it is too little, you have put up here, rather than on the mirror. So, that’’s what I say. It is your own perception, what you wanted. And your own thing is more important than others’’ perception. Let the others feel whatever they feel, doesn’’t matter. And whatever you need to do to yourself. I think that’’s important. You change the make-up on your face, not on the mirror. That’’s the example. I’’m sorry I did not answer you directly, but... it is on the way.

Audience 3: They always disturb me all the time, because they say, ““You must be perfect in this,”” or ““You must be perfect in that.”” And I never can satisfy them all, you know.

Rinpoche: Well, naturally. When you put your hands out, somebody will see the back. That is natural. 0:32:52.3 And don’’t think I’’m problem-free of that. I’’m not, I always get that sort of problems all the time.

I give you just one example what happened last week. There was a friend, is a very good and wonderful lawyer in New York. Actually, she has been working under that Northern-Ireland problem with senator Mitchell, and she is also working on Bosnia problem. So, very good lawyer. And we have been talking all the time, you know, talking. And then one day she said, ““You’’re not only a teacher, but you’’re a good friend.”” And I said, ““Yeah, true, you’’re a good friend.”” And then she said, ““Did you say friend?”” I said, ““Yes.”” She said, ““Oh!”” Then, the next time, I got a telephone call from her friend and telling me that I should call here and talk to here because she’’s feeling very sad and she’’s crying.”” And I said, ““Why?”” ??? mind works. This is a brilliant lawyer, but in her mind: ““Oh, I’’m not a good student, and therefore he is treating me as a friend, not as a student.”” [laughs] 0:36:02.2

So, this is how mind perception works. And some people who say, ““Oh, he used to smile at me. He did not smile, so he dislikes me now.”” And there is no end to this because it is the perception of the people. But what I am trying try to do, I will try to be best service available, and suitable for the need of the individual. And no attachment, no hatred; with the honesty and sincerity. And when you keep your life in that principle, no manipulation and no calculation. And when you’’re honest, straightforward, the results are not bad all the time. So, that’’s my simple thoughts on that.

Do we have any other questions? Yes……

Audience 4: I have a question about compassion. If somebody has so much compassion for somebody else that he will give everything to that person and then, because of that, he will…… Yeah, for example, caring for a mother who is ill and who needs attention all the time. And caring for that person and because of that gets very tired and very isolated from other people; but doing everything from the point of view of ““I want to help my mother because I love her, I don’’t want to see her suffer.”” But getting her own life... less possibilities in her own life and less development, and very much suffering of herself. What do you think that compassion……? 0:39:04.5

Rinpoche: Do you want to say that in Dutch, so that everybody will know your question? [Person states her question in Dutch.]

Very difficult question. But it gets you two points. Point number one: when Buddha says, ““Whenever you help others, you should be able to help yourself.”” Point number two: the wisdom. How much you can do, how far you can go, what is your limit? So, these are the two main things to be able to consider. Yeah, two main things to be considered. And if you’’re not in a position to help, it is become difficult. But you have no choice, sometimes you have to help. Then, comes how much you can do. Whether you can give two days a week, or three days a week, or five days a week, or seven days a week Whatever you could do. So, that it relieves the other person’’s problem and does not create you yourself a bigger problem. And that’’s how you organize. And organize and follow it. The other days you have to try and find alternative. 0:42:04.7 And that’’s not against compassion. Because compassion that’’s why you’’re putting your time and energy. And you have limits, and that’’s why you cannot put all the time and all the energy. So, if you don’’t have the wisdom within the compassion, then it becomes idiot compassion. Right? So, you don’’t know your limits, you don’’t know what happened. After a little while, neither you have that or nor you can help yourself. It becomes a problem.

Audience 4: Do you believe that there exists…… I mean, some people choose for death. So like, ““I want everything I have to my mother to care for her. Then, I choose that I have to be isolated and to suffer myself. And I think that, when she will be dead at the end, then I will be satisfied because I think I did well.”” Do you believe that it is possible?

Rinpoche: That’’s fine. If you choose to do that way, there’’s nothing wrong.

Audience 4: So, you can even kill yourself……

Rinpoche: Oh, that’’s not right. See, I told you the actions cannot be justified because of the means. You cannot kill yourself in order to save another one. ??? just not, just fine. I disagree with the Hindu-Muslim war, Israel-Arab war. I don’’t because disagree. A lot of terrorists do the same thing. They have a very strong belief in a certain thing. Don’’t think they are stupid. They are not stupid, a lot of those terrorists. They have a commitment in their own cause, and they drive everything to believe in that commitment. Otherwise, who is going to sacrifice a life knowingly? And they try and make a justification within your own mind. And so, this is the extremist…… not extremist. It doesn’’t mean category, but extreme ideas are always a difficulty.

Maybe, I have been influenced by Allen Ginsberg, who is very liberal. [laughs] 0:45:02.0 Maybe, but truly ,when you look at it: extreme everything is not good. Extreme Buddhist not good, extreme Christian not good, you know that. Extreme Muslim is not good. Extreme is everything not good. That does not mean Buddhist is not good, that does not mean Muslim is not good. But extremes of everything; when it is extreme it is bound to have a problem. And that goes to the service, that goes to attachment and that goes to the hatred and that goes to even meditation. That goes for even saying mantras, everything. When you go too extreme, you have a problem.

And I think the key lies how much need, how much you can give. There might not be a blanket answer, but these are the bases on which one can think and decide. And then some people may think, ““Well, I will have a big regret later because I did not give everything.”” So, you have to give whatever you could or can. Because if you try to give what you cannot, you may have no regret later, but you may kill yourself, as you said. So, that is no good for this person or for yourself. 0:48:13.7 So, the discrimination wisdom is key in life, conducting?? life. But it is good thing, it is great thing. It is compassion-oriented, it is caring, whatever it is. Well, especially if it’’s your own mother: by all means you have to help and caring because our life, the life what we have, such a precious life, is given from there.

When you talk about the mother, normally we get upset. Many people, ““My mother, oh……!”” A lot of people, because our expectations too high. And the mothers are unable to fill that expectation. But when you become a mother, and then you know how you feel to your child. This is something very important. The mother’’s quality and value should not be judged from our window towards your own mother, but judged from the mother’’s window to your own child. There’’s a big difference, there is a big surprise in that.

I can’’t see too much because I haven’’t been a mother. At least, I remember. [laughs] 0:51:01.4 But I observe, I see it. And those of you who are mother, you know it. And your feeling to your child and your feeling to your mother: wow, it’’s big difference. So, the point is every mother had the same feeling as you feel to your own children. And we fail to recognize that.

Am I talking nonsense? I don’’t think so, I am sure the mothers will tell you. And I am sure there is a number of mothers here, bound to be.

So, I guess that’’s it. So, we just stop here and……

[Break, teaching starts in the middle of an answer]

...and sometimes, when you have are being diabetic, it is also the doctors will tell you, ““Don’’t have your shoes off.”” So, for two reasons I am using it. Not only a laziness that you cannot take the shoes off and put it, but also, you know... Two reasons. So, my apologies for that. So, when I go to South Asia, I have to take, that’’s their part of their culture. And it is not Western culture anyway.

So well, where did we leave earlier. We have to continue from there. Do any of you remember where we did we drop this morning? Well if not, I’’ll try to search my brain back. And we are talking about confusion and ignorance. And from the ignorance, then we created mine and yours, from which we created attachment and hatred. 0:54:01.1 Am I right or wrong? I think that’’s what it is.

So now, I would like to look in the few emotions that we will have. Attachment is quite clear to us. I really don’’t think we need a strong explanation on that, do we? I mean, it is up to you. Actually, attachment can be on any thing, can be on yourself, your own body, can be external things, can be external person, or their body, or knowledge or even quality of mind. All of those. This is interesting, I am glad we talk: quality of the mind of other person, whether it is attachment or appreciation, that is a lot of a question. There is a lot of gray area, it’’s not really black or white, there are a lot of gray areas. And these are important to pay attention, particularly on the gray areas, right?

Basically, the attachment is really the mind. When you set up the mind and when you are looking at it, how do you know your are attached? So, you really look at it. The mind is really…… as I said yesterday, it exaggerates. But exaggerates or not exaggerates, but the mind will really keep you wanted, ““I want it,”” the desire to be my or my-belonging. You know, that I want it. 0:56:56.2

Let’’s be very practical: if you are looking for a beautiful woman or handsome guy, so you are looking at that person. And you look at it, and make that person more beautiful, more handsome, whatever it is. And then, at the end, no matter whatever it costs, it’’s going to be mine, and I really want it of not letting it go. It’’s attachment to me. If you really look, attachment is desire, wanting to be belonging me. And that is definitely desire. Anger, you know, a lot of spiritual teachers, whether it is new-age teacher or traditional teacher, whatever it may be, you hear them always say, ““Let it go, let it go!”” That let-it-go business is actually: they’’re telling you, you let go out of your attachment.

And now you look at the other side, the true love. True love will have appreciation. Attachment will not have appreciation. Attachment has desire. Can you think on those directions? Right? And if you really look a beautiful love, life between two people, and you really see that that love life is built on the one appreciating the other. And when you have the appreciation, you can have trust. 1:00:00.0 And when it is attachment, then you don’’t have trust, you have suspicion all the time. Can you see that within your life? I mean, it is very hard for us to say, ““This is attachment, this is love.”” It is very hard to say, very hard to say. However, these are the tips that we have, looking in our life, looking in our relationship. All this, that’’s what we do.

And both love and attachment caused by attraction. I’’m quite sure: it is caused by attraction. You know attraction: you see it, you attract it, you want it and you want to do something, or you want to serve or you want help. And these are all thoughts, one pushes the other. It’’s like a bubble you get in your brain like this. Then, after that, it takes different direction, attraction then different direction. And you look at it, you think it is beautiful, you appreciate it, and you’’re happy to have it.

During the lunchtime here, and I was passing through over there where these cake biscuits are. And there’’s two people. I don’’t know, one of you here, one of them is cook. And looking at it, saying, ““Oh, it is very nice in that direction.”” I think one of you are there, I don’’t know, forgot who is it. But looking from there, and saying, ““It looks very nice and beautiful,”” looking in this atmosphere. So, just now, at lunch time. 1:03:00.0 I don’’t know who is it, one of you are there. Anybody around here who was there? Oh? That is you, okay? Here you are. See?

So, you know what thought came up on my head? And I thought, you know what I thought? ““Ah, it is a very nice and good appreciation.”” So, when that appreciation is there, that can grow in two ways. And one way you can grow: it is great, I am happy to have it, happy to be part. The other one will say, ““Ha, it is wonderful. It must be mine, and I want to get control over it.”” So the attachment really wanted to have control. That’’s why we normally say: sticky stuff. The love is appreciation and trust. And the moment you have suspicious and your pure love is shaking. Right? ““Who have you been talking to?”” ““Where did you go last night?”” You know? All these normal stuff that comes up is a lack of trust. And then, there’’s a threat of loosing. And when you have more threat of loosing, you grab more. Right? And all these abuses, violence coming out of that. Unless somebody is crazy, gets drunk and beats you for nothing. That’’s another issue, but otherwise it all comes that way. And the more your are forced in that, the more you withdraw. Naturally, it’’s a human reaction. 1:06:00. And that’’s the reason why attachment no good. And that’’s the reason why love is wonderful. Can you see it? And both are internal, within your mind.

So, that’’s attachment. I don’’t want to conclude, I want to leave it along??? with this. So, well, this I just give you example. I’’m not giving you perfect…… if this is happened, this is attachment; if that’’s happened, this is love. I cannot make it clear perfect because every different human beings, it had its own different thoughts, own different ideas, its own different effects. So, you have to make your own judgment on the basis of example shared with you.

Okay? Anybody want talk about attachment? Personally, if you keep on listening to me all the time and I keep on talking to you all the time, I’’m not sure how it is going to work with you. Some people may be very dying to make a statement, some people may have a boiling question.

You do, go ahead……

Audience 5: I have a lot of boiling questions. Have you said, ““You have to trust people in order for love??? to be able to grow””? But isn’’t trust something someone has to earn?

Rinpoche: Can you say that sentence again?

Audience 5: Isn’’t trust something that somebody has to earn? Or is it something you have to come with readily?

Rinpoche: Don’’t we normally say, ““You’’re innocent, until proved to be guilty?”” 1:09:07.6 Isn’’t it? So, if it’’s shaking and if it’’s become a problem, then, of course, it has to be earned. But in normal cases, you’’re innocent until you’’re proved to be guilty. I think that’’s Western culture, and that’’s very good culture. And basically, you know, it is funny. You know, the environment in the West is so good. I mean, I don’’t mean the Greenpeace ??? business. But basically, environment of human thoughts and human minds, and human dealings in the West is so good. You, basically, you have trust nature: people trust people, people believe people, recall?? that. And if you spend time in India, particularly…… I don’’t remember much about Tibet. I left Tibet when I was twenty, and now I’’m getting close to sixty. So, it is forty years out of Tibet. I don’’t really remember very much. I do remember but not that much. And if you are spending time in India, you can never trust anybody. Everybody is meant to cheat you. Even they can cheat you one penny, it makes no difference. They are very happy to be able cheat you, just to be able cheat you. It goes from everywhere, from the big government official, to the police officers, to the porters that carry your luggage in the railway station, to the bus driver to the train driver –– it is always cheating, cheating, cheating, cheating, cheating, nothing else but teaching.

I give you one example 1:12.00:1 And I have a student and friend in India who worked as a secretary to Gandhi. And later he became Indian minister and afterwards he became the chairman of the Gandhi Peace Foundation. So, in one day there was a new railway minister in India. And I was talking to him. I said, ““Oh yeah, you have a nice new railway minister.”” He said, ““Rinpoche, you don’’t know. He’’s not nice.”” And he said, ““I cannot say because he is my colleague now.”” But, he said, he was in the railways before to check the tickets. And he said, ““Biggest money you can get, when there’’s a marriage going on.”” The party, you know, the marriage party. There may be hundred or two hundred people or.., going somewhere. That was the time when he can make more money than anybody else. And then, you know, how he used to do: he used to put the marriage party in the train, and then he count heads, how many people are there. And then, he count the ticket. And then, he will eat one or two tickets in the mouth. And then, they said, ““There’’s not enough tickets.”” And, you know, he comes with the chewing palm???, you know, that red stuff they keep on chewing. So, nobody can say, ““You ate the ticket,”” because he is chewing palm. And it will be all red and nothing you can figure out what it is. And so, and then he will demand everybody get off the train, whether it is two hundred or whatever it is. 1:15:09.4 So, then they will beg him and bribe him money, and then this is not enough. That’’s how he makes money.

So just give you example of atmosphere. And so, by nature you become suspicious, always suspicious. You can’’t trust anybody, it’’s all suspicious. You know? Even somebody is honestly helping you, and you have suspicious and you will be always wondering, ““That person may be cheating me.”” And you know that is not here.

Yeah, go ahead!

Translator [translating question from audience]: How can you apply, with respect to attachment, that what is taught in Tibetan Buddhism in your daily life? I think that is the question.

Rinpoche: How to apply?

Translator: How to apply that what Tibetan Buddhism says on attachment in your daily life. On the practical level.

Rinpoche: On the practical level, is that your question? Or practice to apply? I need clarification.

Translator: On the practical level: how do you do deal with it in daily life?

Rinpoche: I believe that’’s what we are talking about it. I think that’’s what we are talking about it. First, we try to recognize. That’’s what we are talking. That’’s now what we are talking is the recognition part of it. And the second then question will come how we deal with it. Right? So, I think we are on the first question. You may be a one mile before everybody. Just joking. No, no, that’’s a joke. Don’’t take seriously. 18:08:08.8 You have to have some jokes, otherwise it will be boring.

So, sort of it gives you the idea of the atmosphere. When the Indian minister, when he was a ticket officer, he sold a lot of tickets. So, you have to pay more anyway. Sort of that is how it works. And when you have that environment, you become very suspicious of everything. And here in the West, you don’’t have that atmosphere. People really have good honesty is sort guaranteed and then trust. That’’s what we have.

And the cheating is not only the Indians, but the Chinese do too, very good. And my brother, from Tibet, came to see me two years ago in America. And he told me he learned from his Chinese friend: when you pay, when you buy, when you pay money, you put money in your finger here and put it here, and keep on counting it. Like one, two three, four, five, six, keep on counting it. So, of course, it will continuously row/roll??. [laughter] You may have ten rows???, right? And then you say, ““Here is fifteen.”” You count it in front of that people, they will buy. That is the Chinese. His friends, Chinese, have told him that’’s how you have to cheat Americans. [laughter] 1:20:56.6 You know, unless the other person is suspicious, he’’s not going to count again, because he counted in front of you. So, you’’re going to take it and say, ““Okay, fifteen here.”” But they’’re not going to count again, right?. So, that’’s how they learn.

Basically, human mentality have all this. And we are fortunate to be in the West. Economically, we’’re not that disaster, and everybody have a some comfortable life, though we have full of complaints. Therefore why we don’’t eat the tickets. That’’s why we don’’t count money on the finger row???. So, basic trust nature is there. And that’’s what I’’m talking about good atmosphere. You know what I’’m talking about? No? So, we have that. We don’’t have to put efforts, we have that there. We also presume the people is innocent until proven to be guilty. So, the trust is not a problem, big problem. It’’s a problem, but not a big problem at all. So, the problem is appreciation and dissatisfaction.

So practically, when I’’m talking to you, and you may be thinking, I’’m just chit-chatting with you. But I’’m giving you a material for you to meditate. Okay, well, that is very nice mystery way, saying meditate. But actually, what is a meditation? 1:24:05.9 Two things. Number one: concentration. Right? Everybody knows that, meditation means you have to concentrate. Right or wrong? Does anybody does not know that? You know that. So, concentrate on what? Right? That is the question, whether people think or doesn’’t think. Some people think you concentrate on nothing, just sit. And a number of teachers will tell you just that.

You know, when I was young, I used to go... from monastery I go to retreat. In every summer I have a little nice cave in the place called Gumba Sa???. It is between Drepung and Sera in Tibet. And I have a little nice cave up there. So, I don’’t know whether anybody from Netherlands went to there or not, but a couple of people of America went in sort of cab to. I have a beautiful cave. You know, it’’s a cave. You know, cave. But that cave has bedroom, meditation room, and it has store room. It has a kitchen, it has running water, it has a living room. [laughs] It has attendant quarter. [laughs] No central heating, no. Cooling, no, nothing. And it’’s such a beautiful cave I have, you know?

[Clarifying place for translator] It is a little village. Actually, there is a village is called Gumba Sa, and there is two monasteries. The other side of my cave, the right hand side of my cave. One is called Gumba Sa Tse, Upper Gumba Sa, and the other is called Lower Gumba Sa. 1:27:07.9