Archive Result

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Soundfile 20040903GRGRLBMT01

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location Garrison

Topic Lojong

Transcriber: Helen Breault

Date November 2018

Thank you and welcome here. Can you hear me okay?

So I should welcome everybody because you know, everybody is welcoming everybody anyway so, first the Garrison welcome, and then Jewel Heart welcome and then everybody, so then finally I welcome you.

Okay now, we’re here for the weekend and the request for me, what they asked me to share with you is development of compassion and love and perhaps even a little beyond that, and saying a training of the mind in the compassion- and love-oriented. And there a certain number of teachings available in the Tibetan tradition, as you have seen it. I think His Holiness has given a number of times in the United States, the Seven Point Mind Training and Eight Verses of Mind Training; all of them, a number of times. I think the request that I received was actually Seven Point Mind Training..

[2:23]

That’s very good and well, very good. And it’s great and wonderful. However, I think it’s important to talk to or to discuss before we get into Seven Point or Eight Verses or whatever, so I understand the request is Seven Point and you have made the verse available as the Seven Point. Okay?

So before I work into that, that’s from tomorrow. Before we go to that I thought it would be interesting to share certain thoughts with you, before we even make attempt of Mind Training business. I’m sure the idea here, why most of you are here, is the love-compassion. That was originally my idea for this weekend, talking about love and compassion.

[3:57]

Love and compassion is a very beautiful word and also very much, what we call a “buzz word.” Everybody talks about the love. Everybody talks about the compassion. And it’s wonderful and a buzz word. Somehow every great tradition, whether its Judeo-Christian tradition, Hindu-Buddhist tradition, or all those great traditions, tremendously emphasized and carry the love and compassion very much, sort of really as a core of their way of guiding a people on the path and practice. What I’m familiar is the Buddhism and that of Tibetan Buddhism. And that’s all I know. So I cannot pretend to know anything other than that. So whatever you’re going to hear from me, that is going to be from the Tibetan Buddhist background.

[5:40]

And, I mean even not very familiar with the Zen tradition or all other Buddhist traditions, I’m not. I’m very familiar, I’m a student of Tibetan Buddhist path and practice. So when the Tibetan Buddhist path and practice, when you’re talking about it: A) we’re talking about the love and compassion that has been very practical and practical experience of individual that is Buddha. Buddha’s personal experience, not only a Buddha from Buddha to my late masters, all of them are a living tradition of the love and compassion. And that’s what I know and that’s what I’m talking about.

(6:54)

Up to my late masters. And me, a person who had just heard, had all the opportunities, who heard a lot of things, and read and that’s it. Not so much in practice in personal, I tried to be the best whatever I could. That’s what I am. And for you, whatever I heard, whatever I know I’ll try to share that with you. And you’ll see yourself whether it’s useful for you or whether it’s not useful for you. So you make your own judgment and if you like it, take it. If you don’t like it throw it in the garbage. I’m sorry I wasted your money and time here. That’s about it.

Now, having said that, now what I know about the love and compassion, what the Tibetan Buddhism, that of Mahayana Buddhism, emphasizes is the ultimate, unconditioned, unlimited compassion and unconditioned, unlimited love and care. What we call “bodhimind.” It is not my calling, what Buddha calls “bodhimind.” Why it’s called “bodhimind?” Honestly I don’t know why its called “bodhimind.” I do know in Tibetan language it’s called jang chub re sem (?Tibetan 8:54). And then jang chub, I think it translates as “bodhi.” So, you know, when the Tibetan translates into Sankrit, I don’t what does it really mean much in English. Anyway a lot of people have knowledge of it.

[9:15]

But what I understand, the jang chub is perfection. Perfection of your practice and become perfect. Perfection. The perfect level of human development. Perfect. I believe that is what they refer to “Buddha” or “bodhi” or “Buddha state” or “Buddha level.” I think that’s what they refer to.

[9:57]

I don’t know whether Buddha is a god or God is Buddha or all of those. I have no idea. But what I do know is Buddhahood or the Buddha level, which a number of times people translate that as “total enlightenment” or “enlightened state” or “total enlightenment.” All of those, what they’re really talking about is perfection. Perfect of total knowledge. They also translate as “total knowledge” or “awakened state.” All of those words, vocabularies are used. Whatever it might be, the Buddha is supposed to have obtained the highest spiritual level a human being can ever obtain.

[11:24]

So it’s total enlightenment, all of those. And that, where it is coming from, it is coming from that great mind. So that’s why this particular mind I think is called “bodhimind.” That’s what you hear very often, “bodhimind,” which really means ultimate, unconditioned, unlimited love, and compassion. That’s whether they have a technical name of bodhimind, precious mind, bodhisattva’s mind or whatever— all of those. But I think what it refers to is the bodhimind. Why bodhimind? Because Buddha’s state was coming out of that mind. That mind is the cause and Buddha’s state is the result. Because of that I believe it’s called “bodhimind.” I hope I’m making it clear to you. If I’m not clear, please don’t hesitate to ask questions because you’re here to try to hear what the Tibetan Buddhism has to offer on the love and compassion and also how does it deal with one individual’s mind. And that’s why.

[13:26]

So, unconditioned, unlimited love and compassion is not only possible to development by any individual, I mean it is. The question is, “Can I develop that?” The answer always given is, “Yes, we can develop because our human potential is unlimited.” The mind that we have is really a wonderful mind which has no limit if the individual person has the willingness and ways and means of doing something. Mind is capable of delivering anything you want. This is our human mind. I don’t have to emphasize to you because you know more than I do. Whatever we call it today, the scientific developments are the result of the human mind’s capacity. Everything. Everything is the result of the human mind that brings the thoughts, brings the ways and means, try to act and function and interpret it in practical way, bring it. So that is how mind has been able to do this.

[15:42]

In short, all the material developments, scientific material developments, whatever we’re enjoying today is the human mind’s production. And all this spiritual development including Buddha’s state and all of them are the human mind’s development. It is the human mind. It is capable of making all this. And that’s why they have done that. That love, that compassion that Buddha gained is Buddha’s work that Buddha had done and it develops. And if one person can do it, and not only one person, but Buddha and thereafter all these Lineage Masters, and also a great many others—so many traditions, all of them—if they can do it, why not us? Why not you and me? Why not can we do it? There is no valid reason except our laziness and underestimating ourself. These are the only reasons. Otherwise there’s no other valid reason. So it’s capable.

[17:35]

And, on top of that, the human development, whatever it is. Our development is impermanent. It is not permanent. It is impermanent. Since it’s impermanent it’s changeable. So the question really is, “Can a human being develop?” The answer is, “Certainly it can. Not only people have changed and developed, but also, logically speaking, because our mind is impermanent, so it is changeable. And our capacity of mind is unlimited. So therefore it can be developed.”

So these are the very valid reasons. If you really think carefully it is valid reason. So that’s why the first question is, “Can I do it?” And the answer is, “Yes, you can do it if you’re willing to.”

You have every possible way of doing everything. You have an example. You have experience of the people who have done. And most important, you have the capacity. You have the mind. You have the capacity.

[19:17]

So the question now is, “Is it possible?” It really does not rise. A lot of people will think, “Buddhism tells you the goal is to become a Buddha. Does anybody really become a Buddha?” Sure, Buddha had become Buddha. Otherwise how can there be Buddhism? How can there be Buddha? And besides that, the difference with the Buddhism is Buddhism is based on the Buddha’s experience. Buddha’s experience of dealing with our suffering, dealing with our problems, dealing with the cause of suffering, and that, and overcoming the difficulty and obtaining the cessation. All of those are Buddha’s personal experiences which Buddha shared. And millions of people followed thereafter. That is Buddhism. Buddhism is not a book. Buddhism is not teaching. Buddhism is not a sound. Buddhism is not an image. Buddhism is a true mental development of an individual person. That is really true Buddhism.

[20:51]

It’s not a sect. It’s not a religion. It’s not, you know, all of those. But what really truly it is the development of one individual, one individual’s development. That’s what it is.

Out of all these zillion things in Buddhism we’re picking up the love and compassion. So, when we talk about the bodhimind, the bodhimind is talking about the love and compassion to all, to everybody ever existed. That’s what they’re talking about. It’s almost beyond our comprehension. And that’s why I would like to talk before we go into that thing, I’d like to talk a little bit here tonight.

[21:59]

There was a great Indian teacher who came to Tibet in the eleven hundreds. His name was Atisha. We almost call him a sort of reformed master. So the Atisha, when the Buddhism came into Tibet in the 700’s… But Atisha came into Tibet in the 1100’s. One of Atisha’s advice to the Tibetans is [Tibetan 22:38]. The first important advice is, unless and until you can help yourself you will not be able to help others. So try to help yourself first. That advice is applicable to all Buddhist practice including love and compassion. The moment we talk about love and compassion, our mind will look outwardly, looking out. Having compassion and feeling towards the people who are suffering. It is absolutely true, we should. And especially today and these days where we have a tremendous amount of difficulty in the world. So many sufferings. Like today, in Russia, about this school. You know that thing? Two-hundred some children and all people died. So we have to feel that. And we have to have not only a compassion of disturbed “Oh poor thing,” but it’s really a heartfelt feeling of their pain. And seeing that is almost we feel like our own, my own children lost. Our own personal kids lost their lives. And that type of feeling we should try to feel.

[24:42]

Same thing what’s happening in the Africa with all these problems. So we should really feel and have a compassion and all of those. And we can also pray for them. That’s what we should do. That’s not my talk today. Because it came in, it happened, so we should really, since we’re here together we should try to do something good. And we should really even dedicate our good efforts, whatever we do, for that we gained for those who lost their lives, who are suffering. And our own people that are dying in Iraq. And all of those we should be able to dedicate all that. That is the bad part of it.

[24:44]

Now the first question of what I’m dealing with here is we have to develop, in order to develop a heartfelt compassion we have to others. But we have to develop compassion for ourself. This is the most important point. Because when we talk about it, our self, let’s say when I’m talking about myself, lack of joy and suffering and problems, if I don’t feel anything, how can I feel something when I’m talking about some people who I have never seen before? Like the kids who died today in Russia. How can I develop really a heartfelt feeling, because I don’t feel anything when I think about myself and my own whatever—children or something? When you don’t have the feeling and compassion to self then you cannot have feeling and strong, good, solid compassion to others. It’s not possible.

[27:18]

Those teachings that we’re going to talk about will talk about other people more. They don’t directly address ourself. But pre-requisite of those teachings, the other teachings, do address this very strongly, very strongly. So it is sort of a pre-requisite. In order to develop a compassion of feeling others’ pain and suffering first you have to feel your own problems and suffering. That should bother you. Many times our own—of course if we have a pinch and we have an ache, pain or if you’re diagnosed, like whatever, diabetic or whatever, heart problem, or whatever—and then of course we feel it. But in our everyday life we don’t feel it. Not because I want to make your life miserable and feeling your pains and sorrow all the time— that’s not the point. The point here is also you have to recognize that we are lacking the joy. We are suffering. We have pain. We have difficulties. And we have to address those. Each and every one of us has to address this. We have to address it in two ways, because this is the world where we live. So we have to address this in our material way, number one. And also we have to address that spiritually.

[29:42]

Materially way will solve temporary problems, temporarily. Spiritually, we solve our problems permanently. So we should know this. And that’s what we need to address.

And anything, whatever, whatever we wanted to deal with, if we deny, if we deny we cannot deal. If we keep on denying [I] have a problem you will not deal with it. Because you think you don’t have a problem, why should you bother? But we’d like to remind ourself we do have a problem. We do have a problem of hatred. We do have a problem of obsession. We do have a problem of jealousy. We do have a problem of ignorance. And so many negative emotions we have. Temporarily they’re not bothering us sometimes. Although it’s there, it’s there all the time, it’s not popping up. When it’s popping up, when there’s the conditions there then it pops up.

[31:41]

When the conditions are right it pops up without any difficulties. When somebody using “F” word for us, we have no problem of “booing” the person. Straightaway, when somebody “boos” you and you use “F” word without any difficulty. You don’t have to learn it. It’s just used automatically. And dislike and like is automatic. We don’t have to go to school to learn how to dislike. We do have put a lot of efforts to put into how you like it. But disliking we don’t. We have a natural quality of that. You may call this “addiction” or whatever you want to call it. Fine. If you want to call it “addiction” call it “addiction.” You call it “habitual” call it “habitual.” Whatever you may call it, it doesn’t matter. These are our problems.

These are problems. Some people think, many people think they’re not problems they are human nature. It’s a good part of it. I can rid of my anger, hatred, obsession, attachment, jealousy, all of those. These are what I call “negative emotions.” These are problems because these create, influence the individual, the human being; the wonderful nature, the kind compassionate, wonderful stainless made stained. Will be stained by hatred, by obsession. That’s why they are negative emotions.

[34:22]

Not only the pure, clean, sincere, wonderful mind has been stained, it also influenced individual and make us do wrong things. Make us hurt other people. And hurt ourselves. And that’s why it’s a problem. As long as we create negativities we are bound to have negative results. Because no matter whatever we do, whatever we created, whatever we do we’re responsible no matter how long the time might have take. No matter whatever we do we are responsible of every act we do. We’re responsible. Responsible here means we have to have consequences, or reward, or punishment. I don’t think they’re the correct language to use. But we have to have those because that’s what responsibility is all about, as you know.

[36:02]

What has the Buddha learned? What is Buddha’s experience of ending the suffering? Buddha’s experience of ending the suffering is ending the cause of suffering. By ending the cause of suffering you will end the suffering. You don’t end…If you keep on cutting one suffering, two suffering, three suffering it will never end! There’ll be never end. Though lot of people like to say, “It’s a good learning experience.” It’s our excuse. Yes, it’s a learning experience we will have all the time. So that’s not that great. But way the Buddha found the way to end the suffering is by ending the cause of suffering. When there is no cause then there’s no result

If you have River Valley Project, you know where you put all the waters up from the different hills from where the water comes and you make a big dam here. But when you cut the water coming from the sources then there’s not going to be any more water in the dam, right? You all know that very clearly.

[37:28]

Just like that the way we cut the sufferings are cut the source of suffering, which are the negative emotions. And that’s why we need compassion for ourself. When we don’t have a compassion for ourself we’re not so active to cut the source of suffering. We will be very definitely active to cut the suffering but we don’t deal with the cause. We will only deal with the symptoms.

We’d like to take care of the pain and pinch and hurt. But we don’t want to take care of the cause of it.

So that is the reason why we need compassion for ourself. In our own compassion for me, I should choose to do the best for me. Now I’m telling you here the best for me is to cut my negative emotions. It is up to you to find out whether that’s right or wrong. I just simply raise the question. It is for you to find out if it’s right or wrong. It is for you to find out whether your hatred, your anger, your hatred is good for you or bad for you. I can simply say, “Buddha says it is bad. Buddha says it causes suffering. Buddha says this. Buddha says that.” That doesn’t mean I’m not telling you—or even I’m telling you, it doesn’t mean you have to do it. It is up to you. My job here is to give you the information. Raise the possibility of within you. So it is up to you to find out whether that’s right or wrong. If it’s right, then you have a compassion for yourself and try to reduce. If it’s wrong, I’m sorry. That’s what it is.

[40:42]

And besides that, we all love to be a loving, compassionate one. We all love to be serving and servicing people. We all do. But we have to know what you’re going to serve and how you’re going to serve. And how you’re going to help and what you’re going to do. Because if you help yourself, you will know exactly how you help yourself. You have to use that for helping others. But if you don’t know how to help yourself you cannot help others. That’s what I told right at the beginning. That is the thing.

When we don’t know, when I don’t know how to help me I do not expect to help you. Even if I try to, even I have a willingness, even if I try I won’t know how. So then if I don’t know how and you don’t know how then we’re all in the same boat. So that is a problem. People who will like to serve would like to be a help are supposed to give you the guidance. They can give you the guidance on the basis of your own experience when you help yourself. Spiritual practice really here is to help yourself. On that experience, on that basis help others. And then, hopefully, reach at the goal.

[43:02]

Number one: we must have a goal, what we would like to achieve. Number two: we must have a method and way and how I’m going to do. Number three: on what; on what base, on what foundation. So base, path, result is technical language. But actually it is who, how, and what— is a must in the spiritual path, spiritual practice.

So “what” will be the aim. “How” will be how you do—the method. The base is ourself. Can I make a little more old style, traditional. Traditionally what we say is as myself, as a human being with all kinds of problems of hatred, obsession, and ignorance. Ignorance here really is confusion. Buddha calls this three poisons, three poisons. And the obsession is a poison. Hatred is poison. But both obsession and hatred is based on that ignorance, confusion. If we’re not confused we will not have an obsession. We will not have hatred. Hatred and obsession both are delusion. No doubt about it. It’s delusion. But we don’t know it’s delusion. It becomes so real to us because of the confusion.

[45:59]

It’s interesting. In Buddhism, in Buddha’s teaching the wisdom is sort of a main thing to liberate ourself. The wisdom is free of confusion. Just direct opposite of ignorance. Just direct opposite of ignorance is the wisdom. Wisdom is the real thing that clears all delusions. So it roots out all these negative emotions. Root it out. Compassion, love, all of them are not really a direct opposite of ignorance. Yet it is a must for an individual spiritual practitioner. Because these are the activities which purify. These are the activities which uplift the individual. These are the activities which accumulate merit.

So in Buddha’s teaching Buddha always emphasized that we must have both the wisdom and the compassion. He gives the

example of a big, great big bird. No matter how big, how great they might be, but they must have two wings. If they don’t have two wings they cannot fly. They cannot cut across over the ocean. They cannot go beyond because they’ll fall down! So the wisdom and compassion both must be for the individuals. Because the wisdom roots out the ignorance so all negative emotions will be rooted out, will be replaced by positive emotions such as compassion, love, faith. All of those.

As I said earlier, we must have compassion for ourself. Once we have the compassion, what do we do? We should try to liberate ourself, first and foremost. Our responsibility is truly liberating ourself. Then others. Though Tibetan Buddhism really tells you everything right from the beginning, “For the benefit of all beings” I would like to do this and that. This is sort of a signature tune. “For the benefit of all beings.” But if you look very carefully, “For the benefit of all,” when you’re looking at it we also find “I and all sentient beings.” You find that all the time. Although they say, “For the benefit of all beings” but then when you take refuge you say, “I and all beings.” Then you generate bodhimind, this great mind. “I and all sentient beings.” Everywhere “I and all sentient beings.” So it’s sort of disingenuous. Not really true because it says, “For the benefit of all” but “I and for all.” Looks like not even the truth, “disingenuous” you call it, right?

[51:45]

But it’s not disingenuous. And without “me” then I can’t do anything. I can do nothing if I’m not there. What can I do? So I’m choosing to do this so I have to do this first for me, and then for all beings. Because if I’m not there how can I do it?

[51:12]

I like to be gatekeeper. Sitting near the gate, open the door and welcome everybody. A bodhisattva, Avalokiteshvara chose to that, saying, “Welcome everybody. I’m the last person to close the door behind.”

Anyway, so now how to we help ourselves? There are a number of ways. Number one, the practice that we do, what we did tonight. The practice that we did tonight is a very simple way, very simple way but it has both, it has both. Number one: we’ve been saying TAYATHA GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODDHI SOHA. This is called mantras. Basically, you need to know what mantra really is because you hear, you say mantras. You join, whether you like it or not. It’s not whether you like it or not. If you keep your mouth shut nobody else can tell what you’re doing. But we give you the piece of paper. Chris is beautifully singing and you’re going along. And you use a mantra. So you have to know what a mantra is all about.

[54:19]

I give you it briefly because you’ll be doing it every day, at least the next two or three days. Mantra really means, the word “mantra” means protection of mind. Protection of mind, one who protects one’s mind. How I’m protecting? Either through meditation or even through a chanting, saying the name of enlightened one. The good ones in this, protecting mind through meditation. And when you’re not familiar with this, simply we do through a chanting, through saying the mantra or saying the sound. In Tibetan Buddhism, a unique thing, which I did not see anywhere else, is combination of it: chanting the mantra, saying the words, and meditating together. Combine them together, making a mind and sound working together which is unique, almost unique. Because nobody else really does.

But mantra is not really Tibetan Buddhism alone. It is everywhere. Everybody does it. Whether they call it “mantra” or not call it “mantra.”

[56:21]

The Hindu tradition does. I think Judeo-Christian tradition does. They don’t call it mantra. I’ve been hearing from my friends, especially in Catholicism, you say “Hail Mary,” use the mala, keep on counting. Don’t you? I’ve never been Catholic. I don’t know. But I hear from the people they do. And that is mantra, even though you don’t call it “mantra.”

So using the name of enlightened one to protect one’s mind, that’s mantra. GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODDHI SOHA is actually perfect path where the one individual right now, where we are, we are in the confusion state, confused state to the total enlightenment, total knowledge, leading to. That’s why GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODDHI SOHA—so five steps of five things there. If I explain this to you I will not do anything else. So I just introduce that. Actually what you have is the total path: of Path of Accumulation, Path of Action, Path of Seeing, Path of Meditation, and Path of No More Efforts. All are included in this GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODDHI SOHA. That’s why it’s called Essence Mantra or the Mantra that Gives the Wisdom or it’s Wisdom Mantra, or all these different names. That’s why we say that.

[58:44]

Followed by Refuge. Refuge is Buddhist signature tune. Refuge to buddha, dharma and signature is Buddhist signature tune. Every radio station has its own signature tunes. So it is Buddhist signature tune. And on top of that, Namo Gurubye is the Vajrayana signature tune. In Vajrayana they take refuge to guru. That’s why you have four: Namo Gurubye, Namo Buddhaya, Namo Dharmaya, Namo Sanghaya.

Followed by Invocation. Followed by Seven Limbs. When you invited great beings, enlightened ones in front of you, what would you do? It’s like a business. You have invited the most important person in your life, enlightened ones. And they appeared there. So what are you going to do? Just going to chit-chat and talk about the weather? That won’t do any good. So you take the best you can. The Buddhas thought, “What spiritual practitioners can do, best way to accumulate merit and to purify wrongdoing?” They draw the seven conclusions which is Seven Limbs. I’m not going to talk too long on this, if I do…

(Instructions to Audience (Transcriptionists’s Title Added)

(And that’s why I have those counselors who will be sharing with those of you who would like to know a little more. They will have a specific time. I think it is during what time?

1:00:52

Okay it doesn’t matter. I’m sorry I can’t see because I don’t have my glasses. Otherwise I would have told you. Anyway there is a Seven Limbs Workshop that we are going to do. And there are counselors who are meeting either individually or in group. Whatever it comes, depends on the individual person and the individual person. If you feel comfortable to be in a group of two or three or four; if you don’t feel it, you’d like to be individual, the counselor will adjust. And they will talk to you what all this is about. And I’m also leaving the Seven Limbs to these people who will share with you so that I don’t take time here to talk it to you.) (End Instructions to Audience)

Seven Limbs is the best way of doing it. Simple. You have given one word, one sort of verse each limb. What I learned when I was a kid, each one of those limbs will have five, six or seven slokas. Four verses is one sloka. So like thirty or forty verses, each one of them. As a kid they told me. As a kid, not as a grown-up but as a kid. Here we made it all so simple by the one word. Why? So many reasons. Number one, we don’t have the time and the energy to entertain. Number two, even you have a long while, you don’t have the time again to do in your house if you wanted to do it. And number three, our thoughts and sounds we cannot measure together, cannot function together. Thought will be busy doing something else. Sound will be at least forced to say it. Or you just follow up. So the shorter the better for us to begin. It doesn’t mean it should be there always. And when you get used to it, when you’re picking up you can definitely do more. But to begin with this is good.

[1:03:42]

Then we have a couple of mantras. What we have is MUNI MUNI MAHA MUNIYE SOHA. That is Buddha Shakyamuni’s mantra. And this NAMO RATNA TRAYAYA, the long one is compassion Buddha, the Buddha of Compassion. It is long. Both OM MANI PADME HUM and the long both. And we put this in since Iraq war. So we started putting this long one at least to help those people who die. And a lot of our own families and friends, they are losing, not at Iraq but everywhere else. And going here and there and sick, all of those. That’s why we have those mantras. OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA is the White Tara Mantra. So then you have this, “May all beings…” I don’t have to explain because the words themselves are self-explanatory.

What we really request of you is to dedicate the positive karma that we built here by at least talking, thinking about the spiritual path. And because of this karma, this may be materialized. It’s like we’re putting a down-payment. Down-payment of our positive deeds that we did now. And, if you have more, sure, put more. It will materialize better. And if even you put a little bit it’s enough. When you put a down-payment, reasonable down-payment, you can get the house. You can continuously keep on paying it. But the sooner you can pay, it’s all yours. So the sooner you can pay more, fine. It’s like paying a down-payment. Saying, “Because of this all beings may be happy. All beings may be separated from the suffering. All beings will never be parted from the joy that has never known sufferings.” These are called Four Immeasurables. These are the Buddha’s most important gifts for us to use, to practice.

[1:06:32]

This is about brief and what I would like to say. And then from tomorrow onwards we’re going to being with the actual, the actual of my talks will begin tomorrow.

Ah, I forgot one thing. Whenever we have a Jewel Heart retreat, except with the exceptional cases, always we have White Tara practice. White Tara, if you’re not very familiar with Buddhism, I believe it’s like Mother Mary in Christian tradition. Just like that. She is a female Buddha. She specializes in healing. Healing from inner illnesses and physical illnesses. Inner mental illness, outer physical illnesses. So sort of more physical illnesses. I’m not going to talk too long. And we do have, the next three days there’s three people who will be guiding a guided practice and meditation in the morning seven to eight. Right?

Nothing is compulsory here. Some people may think everything’s compulsory. Some people may think some are compulsory and some are not. Nothing is compulsory. If you don’t come anywhere that’s also fine. But if you come everywhere that’s also fine. It’s entirely up to you. It’s not like kindergarten school where you say, “You have to go here!” We’re all grown up persons so you do whatever you want to do. We provide opportunity. Whatever you want to do it’s your choice.

And also, you know, a lot of people tell me, “You have to tell them to keep silent.” Fine, fine. If you’re grown-up person and you want to keep silent, keep silent. If you don’t want to keep silent, don’t keep silent. It’s your choice. But don’t disturb others. And that be aware of it. Don’t disturb others. If you think you’re creating trouble for the others better be aware of your noise. Otherwise, if some people would like to keep silent, you want to keep a little sign, “I’m keeping silence” that’s fine. No problem. And we’re not making rules. You know, you have to be silent, have to this. We provide you the things and you take it or don’t take it, it’s your choice.

[1:09:40]

One thing I’ll make a request for you, is have a good motivation. The reasons why you’re here, whatever the reason is, you know the best. But what I want you to think, what I would like to request you to think, is you’re here to help yourself and to help others. The usual Tibetan mantra of “‘for benefit of all beings’ I’m here to attend this weekend retreat.” So everything, whatever you do, do with that influence: to help me and to help others. Whatever I do here I would like to do it for benefiting others. Benefiting all. I’d like to request you to maintain that as your motivation and have that throughout. While you’re meditating, while you’re— you know… I can only talk to you and give you the material for you to meditate. I cannot tell you and sit down and meditate. The Zen tradition does. But I don’t have the little sticks they brings from the bag. So I don’t have one, so…

That’s my orientation for tonight. And that’s it. And then it’s our custom we begin with the motivation and we conclude with the Dedication. Dedicating, sometimes we do some Lam Rim dedication. Lam Rim is one of the most important practices that we do. It is a stage, one stage after another stage. From this ordinary human being, from this level to total enlightened level, what steps do I take what do I follow. So we do Lam Rim dedication prayers. So please join us. If you don’t want to join then sit there. If you don’t want to sit there, just get up.

Oh, one most important. If you don’t feel comfortable sitting down don’t force yourself. We have inner pain. We don’t need additional pain. So if you don’t feel comfortable you don’t have to sit. Sit whatever way you want to. Plus you should give a little more room for you to stretch your legs. If where you’re sitting is you’re sitting too close, and then if you’re one who’d like to stretch your legs you don’t have any room to stretch with those cushions. Whoever put those cushions today you should really move a little bit back so the other people have a place to stretch their legs. You don’t have to really squeeze yourself. That is important. Although, those who are sitting right in front if they stretch their legs it’s not very nice. We see so many legs. [laughter] Each and every one of them are very beautiful. I’m just joking. So, then you know it will draw all my attention to the leg and I won’t be able to talk to you. Really truly if you move a little bit and have room. It’s a big room so have a comfortable way. Don’t have to be too squeezed.

[1:14:31.5 tape ends]