Archive Result

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Soundfile 200409003GRGRLBMT07

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location Garrison

Topic Lojong-Infinite Heart #7

Transcriber Helen Breault

Date February 2019

Thank you and good morning again. We’re in the last session today. What we have done is basically brought up almost a perfect path that you can practice on the basis of Tsongkhapa’s Lines of Experience, the first verse that we started on the thing. On that basis, we covered common with the lower level up to the refuge. And we have covered common with the medium level on the basis of the Four Noble Truths combined with the Tara mantra of OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA. Then we spent most of our time talking about the compassion, love, and boddhimind. And also development of the boddhimind through the Seven Stage which is Maitreya’s, Asanga’s, etc., system. And Manjushri’s, Nagarjuna’s, Shantideva’s etc. system of exchange along with the Seven Point of Mind Training. And also the Exchange itself also with the Five Resolutions. And number resolution one: we have talked about equanimity. As a matter of fact, we spent quite a lot of time talking about equanimity because that was the fundamental basis over here. After quite an establishment of common with the lower and the medium level, then fundamental basis of compassion will be greater compassion, not compassion. Compassion and love is available without equanimity, it is there. But the greater compassion and greater love is not possible because of our mental attitude, way and how we perceive and way and how we function, it really shows exactly. So that’s why we spent time on equanimity. On the basis of equanimity within the Four Immeasurable and on the basis of equanimity with the Seven Stage of Developments. And on the basis of equanimity on the Exchange. And, again, to make it brief, the Four Immeasurables. In immeasurable you’re simply wishing the people be free from the attachment and hatred. They don’t pursue it, so much zig zag here.

[4:07]

And then equanimity in that way. Then the Seven Point Mind Training basis of equanimity, that is a little deeper than that. It is from my point of view I should be equally looking to all. That’s equanimity that way. And Exchange Stage level of equanimity is even deeper than that. From my point of view, not only I look to them equal, I serve them equally, helping to remove their suffering, bringing joy. All of them equally served. So the equanimity also A, B, C, D level. That part we have covered.

And then, after the equanimity we give very strong reasons you keep on looking at the beings, looking at the beings’ suffering. It helps to draw the compassion. Yet you’re not going to be very very strong compassion because you don’t feel close to those people, all those beings. You don’t feel so close. The more you feel distance and that much weakness on our compassion is obvious, obvious. And that we don’t have to tell. Every day in our life we will feel it. The more you like it, you begin to worry about a person’s suffering.

Just the other day, we were sitting at the dinner table and talking about President Clinton having a heart problem and going through surgery. And the immediate reaction at the table was so obvious because you look the person more than George Bush’s having a heart problem or something. Or just nobody. Somebody’s having a heart problem. That reaction shows when you feel sort of—whether you’re really close or not—but when you feel close to that person, your feeling of the compassion is more. That’s the reason why we meditate sufferings on the people.

[07:02]

And that also, not nameless, faceless dots called “all sentient beings are suffering.” That doesn’t do that good. A waste of time, almost. And also, when you think about a lot of suffering it also brings you not so good feelings and even brings you upset and depression. And that’s what it is: nameless, faceless dots. Though, many teach you, you are sort of sitting there like a big lord and then all the nameless faceless dots are called “All sentient beings.” And then you’re doing this and doing that and for them. That’s what many teach you. However, there is a problem. You have to put a face and name on those dots. Otherwise one day there is a face, there is a name and they will reply to you back and you get the biggest shock in life. “You’re not supposed to answer me. You’re supposed to do exactly what I told you to do!” So all this are very true. And also, mind you, I will say this. I don’t mean this against anybody. But I’m really pointing out problems. Some senior Buddhist practitioners do have that big problem. And when everything is visualizing, dictating, and going through smooth, no problem. But when there is somebody with a face and name challenging you, you’re getting a shock, and then reactions and counter-reactions. And that is a problem because of here you meditate a lot without name and face, little dots. At the most you may have little slim dots there.

[9:32]

So you really have to put a name and face. Maybe not all the time. But at least have a name and face. And person who irritates you the most is the most kind person for us to bring this particular compassion.

I told you Atisha’s story also. So meditating on the sufferings of people. Feelings, drawing the feelings from the depth of your heart. And really feel it. And then you feel it and then you like the person. The love will come. The more the love you have the more the anxiety of removing suffering there. Remember, I told you, love and compassion is one mind with two aspects. Love wishes well, love does not dictate, wishes well. Actually, that’s where you draw the line too. Wishes well and do whatever you can, but do not dictate. That’s where you draw the line.

It is like, you know, when I first came to America. I was living in Ann Arbor. I had this beautiful Jehovah’s witnesses come and visits me. They’re really nice people, you know. They come and talk to me. They have all the patience in the world, you know, really, they do. And it’s great. How wonderful. And nice. But they will sort of push you and force you. And you ask reasons and then they give you certain reasons. And then if you ask furthermore, they say, “We’ll come back with the answer.” And they do. And whether the answer’s valid or not… They’re wonderful people. However, they push you. And that’s where you draw the line. We’re no Buddhist missionaries. We’re simply ourselves practicing and bringing love and compassion. We’re not the “compassion companies” promoting, PR group. We’re not working for PR service of those compassion companies. So just have to remember that.

[12:53]

The more you think about beings with a name and face and that much closeness is drawn too. If you don’t know, if you don’t think it’s not true look at the Republican Party’s way of advertising. They put up Bush all the time, his beautiful nice face with a smile. They put him up all the time. How many times do you see him on television? And more and more you see and more and more you sort of feel it, “Oh, he’s not that bad a guy.” This is how the human psychology works. More and more you look, that’s what it is. But sometimes when more and more you look and then you will get more and more your anger too. And then you stop looking. Or think someone, your friend you know, will directly contradict your projection of anger.

As I told you yesterday, when you’re with a group of people, when you’re sitting together and talking, and you’re going to rage and say how bad that person is, and suddenly somebody says, “Well, I know him very well. He’s not that bad because blah blah blah.” You’ll say, “Oh” and you’ll pull back, right? So exactly that’s what it is. When you’re really contradicted, then it reduces raging anger or hatred or even obsession. If you have, let’s say you have obsession to some beautiful person, girls or something, and you keep on going, “Beautiful this, and blah blah blah.” And then somebody says, “But the nose is crooked. Mouth is too big. Head is crooked.” Then you keep on thinking, “Oh, is it really true?” You have to think twice, right? Exactly that’s how the negative emotions can be challenged. Begin there. However, be careful because it can backfire. If you don’t think you’re going to manage, it’s going to backfire, then don’t think about that particular person for the time being. But generally, the more you’re acquainted, the more you’re acquainted, you like more, you love more, you care more. And that much compassion on that person grows bigger and stronger. And that’s how, because it’s one mind with two aspects, that’s how it works. So that’s why meditate.

[16:04]

And people who are, you know, in my profession, who are in the service of taking care of them are wonderful. And taking advantage of great opportunity that one has and try to be very helpful. And think—particularly if you’re in nursing service or something in the hospital—think that patient that you’re looking after, nurses and doctors, think that patient you’re serving is a human being. And when you have so many of them every day, day in and day out, sometimes they become articles. If they have articles with a name and face, talking articles, if you think that way then it’s disadvantage for you. I just mention that. That’s how you draw compassion. And greater compassion is not…And there is also something called “idiotic compassion” too, which is very, very true. We should not submit ourself, we should not be fooled by idiotic compassion and think that is real compassion and wasting our time. It will be a big waste.

Anyway, with that powerful, greater compassion focused to all living beings and a desire to liberate from their sufferings completely, and particularly from the ignorance and imprints of ignorance, which guarantees them continuing of the suffering. Particularly liberating them. That is a mission of a compassion-oriented practitioner. Yet, to fill the mission you have a parameter or perfection of discriminating wisdom. And if you don’t have the discriminating wisdom…Remember this bodhisattva, which I did not say, I should have said it. I said, “Action-oriented and prayer-oriented.” The action are six perfections, you know. I don’t have to go detailed: generosity, morality, patience, enthusiasm, focusing/concentrating, and wisdom. Every action must have all six perfections. Everything, whatever you do, do very generously. Everything must have discipline. While doing it, you must have patience because you are going to be burned. But you should have patience and don’t let yourself be burned. And, enthusiasm. If you don’t have the enthusiasm it becomes like paying a tax. You have to pay tax otherwise the Internal Revenue people will get you. But you’re not very enthusiastic paying it. We do that right? Paying a tax-style is not a good way of working. And working with the very enthusiastic… Actually paying tax can be a very generosity activity for us. Because, you have to pay anyway. And don’t think of that as a burden and obligation. Think of that as my part of contribution to the good activities of the society. Even though your government may spend it for something terrible, but from our mind, from our consciousness, I’m not the type of person who will tell you, “Wear your head the other way around and don’t pay tax.” I will not tell you that.

[21:27]

But you pay the tax as my contribution towards good work. And with this, yes, certain portion is definitely sent for creation of weapons and killings and so and forth and all kinds of things. However, a certain portion is definitely spent for helping people and education and everything, road-building and so and forth. And from a certain angle if you think, “This is my contribution” it doesn’t matter that you pay the tax. It’s your own property, your own money. But your mind somehow made this, deciding to contribute towards the good things they do. And your part, you have the generosity of giving it. You have the virtue of contributing towards those good activities. And therefore, you have paid, thereafter whatever they do, good karma or bad karma, are those who are managing. That’s their business and they get it and they suffer and they enjoy the result. From our part, we have given and it becomes the generosity with the six activities. That is how you’re taking every advantage of everything you do. So generosity.

And then the discipline, discipline. Morality is discipline. Patience, antidote of anger, remember? Irritation that brings the anger. Anger brings the hatred. And enthusiasm is antidote of laziness. Concentration, antidote of not focusing, focusing. And we have been teaching this concentration for a whole year this year, so concentration. And discriminating wisdom; the wisdom that discriminates. At least, even you don’t have wisdom of understanding of emptiness but discriminating wisdom, the right thing to do. Like generosity. Great to be generous. But you don’t want to give cash to a drug addicted or alcohol addicted person. However, if that person is, you know, really having tremendous difficulty with the withdrawal symptoms or something, then not giving is again negativity. Although giving cash to an addicted person is contributing to the negativities. However, if that person is really shaking, dying, whatever, in that condition, not giving, again, is a negativity. That is where the discriminating wisdom, which is followed by our normal common sense. And particularly educated and intelligent and a wonderful person such as yourself is here. And you do have that great common sense. And if you begin to follow it, your discriminating wisdoms will develop. And after a little while you know. At the beginning it’s difficult to be. That’s why one should not be very stubborn. Discriminating wisdom is against stubbornness. You have to be reliable and sensible, both.

These are the bodhisattva activities. I’m not giving a lecture on good life, but bodhisattva activities.

[26:23]

It’s through bodhisattva’s action-oriented boddhimind are brought by the Seven Stage of Development, which I did in quite a detail. And last night what we did, after that great equanimity, and then with the Five Resolutions we did. Resolution #1—let me repeat once again if I could remember myself— maybe I should ask you if you remember? The Five Resolutions, Resolution #1 is the equanimity resolution. And the Exchange Stage of Development, the “I” as practitioner, the being, will equally work, no matter whatever from the point of those living beings. Some I may think of as my enemy, some I may think are my friend, some I may not care. Whatever, it may be, from my side, from my angle, from my mind, I committed myself equally to bring joy and separate them from the suffering. So equally serving, equally doing both: bringing joy is the love and separating from the suffering or clearing the suffering is compassion. From my point I will equally do. This is the path that all these enlightened have done. This is the essence practice of all enlightened beings and bodhisattvas. I’d like to follow their footsteps and whatever they may think by themselves, from my point it is the only, I will never let my mind be controlled or influenced by hatred, attachment. And therefore I’m not going to be distant and near. I will equally serve, help all. And I’d like to do it with all my power, whatever I can. I may be able to do this. I may be blessed to be able to do this.

[29:39]

And then saying the Lama Chopa verse of:

No one wants even the slight suffering

or is ever content with the happiness they have.

In this way we are all alike.

Inspire to find joy in making others happy.

That is the first resolution.

The second resolution, will be, yes, that is what I’d like to do but I cherish a lot about myself and self only. So unless I see the faults of those self-cherishing I’d like to…In other words, all sufferings are coming from self-cherishing. I’d like to realize that. And I’d like to look at this as a real enemy of my spiritual life. I’d like to eradicate these terrible, horrible thoughts or emotions, completely from my system. I may be able to do this. I may be blessed to be able to do this. And then saying:

Seeing that the chronic disease of self-cherishing

Is the cause of my unwanted suffering.

Inspire me to put the blame where blame is do

And vanquish the great demon of clinging to self.

And with the words and thoughts and then meditate.

Then the third will be qualities of cherishing others. Again, in short, cherishing others has delivered all enlightenment to all those enlightened ones. Cherishing others has delivered compassion to all those compassionate ones. Cherishing others has, in short, gained even a popularity among the groups to ultimate enlightenment. Even the name of this person is good person, is also gained by the cherishing of others. From that to total enlightenment. Therefore, this is really a gem that fulfilled the wishes. I would never like to be separated from these wonderful thoughts and I must have it all the time. May I never be separated for even a single second from this thought. I may be blessed to be able to do this. And then the verse:

Cherishing beings and securing their happiness

Is the gateway that leads to infinite excellence.

Inspire me to hold others more dear than my life

Even when I see them as enemies.

[34:06]

That is the third.

And now the fourth. Now you have seen the faults of self-cherishing. You have seen the benefit of cherishing others. Now still to make sure of this, we have to see them again together. And seeing together will help. Yes, I should exchange these two thoughts. But I might not be able to. There may be a problem. Actually there will be problem, no doubt about it. Whatever we do there’s always a problem. And problems are impermanent. They are solvable, no matter how big, high. Materials, spiritual, everything. Problems are not permanent. They are impermanent. It is solvable. You have to solve. And we may think we may not be able to do it. But we see a lot of incidents in our own life that we could do it. The biggest example is those enlightened ones. They did it, they managed it. And those, like me, who don’t want to do it, who couldn’t let it go, who have been clinging on, they could not let it go. You see the consequences here and see what they have achieved.

So therefore, no matter whatever it is there’s no way I cannot manage without exchanging it. And definitely, I have no other choice. I should do it. And I’d like to do it. I will do it. I may be blessed to be able to do it. And then comes:

In short, the naive work for their aims alone

While the buddhas work solely to benefit others.

Comparing the faults against the benefits

Inspire me to be able to exchange myself for others.

Saying these words and this is just giving you the contrast between what the enlightened beings achieved and what we’ve left out. In the beginning we were the same. But they’re gone. The fault is here. They let it go, I couldn’t let it go so we’re here. That’s it.

And then the fifth resolution will be, again, to make sure. [37:56 Tib] When it is important we do it again and again. And when it’s dharma practice we do it hundreds of times. Again, both faults of the self-cherishing and advantages of cherishing others. The words here are self-cherishing is the gateway from where all faults and negatives come. Cherishing others is just like foundation of qualities or basis of all good things happening. So therefore I must have the yoga of exchanging. I may be blessed to be able to have that.

Since cherishing myself is the doorway to all downfalls

And cherishing others is the foundation of everything good

Inspire to practice from my heart

The yoga of exchanging self and others.

And that’s what we did yesterday, up to this level.

Now, today, what I would like to do is the sixth line. [Tib 39:39]

This verse actually originally had only four lines. It begins with the [40:00], this every where is four lines. And this one has a fifth line. What they don’t have is “Therefore, supremely compassionate Lama” is not there. But this one is added up. When the author of the Lama Chopa, what we say nowadays, the First Panchen Lama, when he wrote it and it’s so effective on this way. One of his disciples called [Tumba Tevore? 40:48]. Tumba Tevore Rimpoche got up and did three prostrations and said, “Can we add one line here, saying we give all these five resolutions—which really becomes five reasons—so can we say ‘Therefore supremely compassionate Lama,’ can we add up that word here?” And he said, “Fine.” So that’s why there’s an extra line there. That’s what had happened.

Anyway, there are a lot of meditations on this. There are longer ones and shorter ones. I would like to probably give you…Normally in our practice, those of you who are saying Lama Chopa, you are saying this three times if the time permits. If the time doesn’t permit you just say once. But if you say it once there’s a meditation for once. If you say it three times there are three meditations. When I’m talking here I should be able to talk to you on the basis of three. And when you know the basis of three together, separately when you have to put them together it’s easy. You know, like White Tara practice, you have the white light going, and yellow light going, and red light going, and green light going, and mustard or rusty color, and liver colored or whatever—the lights are going. And all of those and then we have to combine them together. Not the shields. If you combine the shields together it will be a problem. But the light radiating and then if you put them together, you put the rainbow color. Just like that, here also you can do.

[43:12]

Let me present you here. In visualization, right in front of you, all living beings. Not a single one left out. Both George Bush and John Kerrey are included. [laughter] I don’t want to be so serious. Don’t forget Condelleezza Rice. [laughter] I’m just joking. Now serious. All living beings, okay? All living beings in front of us. There also, even though you don’t have to think about insects and animals and all that, unless you like. Actual living human beings. Though in reality there may all belong to different realms and this and that, but in the form of countless human beings that fills up all the ground. And it fills up almost like to the end of the sky, if there is such a thing.

And suffering of this is obvious, very vivid. All kinds of mental, physical, emotional sufferings. So when you’re saying the first time:

“Therefore supremely compassionate lama

Inspire me to take the bad deeds

Imprints and sufferings

Of all beings to ripen upon me right now.”

At that time, all the sufferings are coming out of their system in undesirable form, what you dislike, color and light. And they’re coming out of their right nostril like during the storms the clouds are coming out, like that. All of them enter through our left nostril, in my not ours—the single person—through left nostril and goes through, straight away in our heart level where this self-cherishing, self-grasping confused ego is occupying my body, my mind, my emotions. Hits on that ego. When it was hit it just destroyed, thrashed out. Just like if you have a little collection of dust, bring a bucket of water and throw over it. It will be gone nowhere. Just like that, completely gone. No trace left, completely gone. That is the first one. First one, what you’re taking now is out of Four Noble Truths, there are two that are negative truths, two are positive truths. The first negative truth, truth of suffering—that’s what you’re taking.

Now is the time to give. And give at this time, your own body becomes a beautiful, wonderful, soothing white light. More than what you got in, tremendous amount of powerful forces of beautiful soothing light goes out through our right nostril and enters the peoples’ left nostril. And goes through their system completely, purifies their negativities and heals their illnesses and pains and problems and particularly eradicates their negative emotions including imprints. And their body becomes perfectly suitable to obtain total enlightenment.

[50:17]

So it just becomes that way. That is the first round of Give and Take.

Second time, you also do the same thing. Very similar, saying that prayer once again. And this time, what you’re taking is Second Noble Truth which is the last negative truth, that is the cause of suffering, both karmic cause as well as delusion cause. And especially delusion and imprints of delusion, all of them. And they’re all undesirable color form, sort of like a huge cloud-like pumping one after another. Sort of a huge thing coming and entering through our left nostril. And the moment it enters, it’s almost light lightening, thundering, all strong—you know, like this hail storm, etc.—in that matter. And hits our heart level where this ego, confused, ignorant-oriented, that ego completely hit there like a powerful lightening hit on the dust collection or something. Completely destroyed, and this time what you’re taking is the Second Noble Truth, the cause of suffering.

Now is the time for us to give, for me to give. What you give is all our virtues, the virtues that we have accumulated from the limitless of beginning of six paramitas, like generosity, morality, etc. All the virtues meditated, being every good thing, all of those virtues are beautiful soothing wonderful white natured light colors. It goes out of my right nostril and they become whatever they needed, like food for the hungry, medicine for the sick, shelter for the homeless, etc., etc., knowledge, quality, spiritual understanding, all in those forms. Whatever they need. Not only they become only one or two of what they needed, plenty, plenty that never exhausts. What we call “sky treasure manner.” Endless, non-exhaustible, in that manner. Each one of them received and they have every need, not only they have it, they have in abundance and plenty in abundance.

[54:16]

And even they become so wealthy, the wealth that almost can compete with the King of 33rd Heaven. Even that level. So you have to meditate.

Then third one will be, now what you have to take from them is only left is the imprint of the delusion that obstructs them from becoming in the total enlightenment. You take from them the undesirable color of that thing that enters through my left nostril. And the moment it becomes horrifying insects and birds—like vultures etc.—and the moment it enters it sees whatever is left over from our ego, self-cherishing, self-grasping, confusion-nature of that ego, so leftover whatever, they all enter like the vultures taking the dead bodies. Those of you who are familiar with the Sky Barrier you’ll know what I’m talking about. But for those of you who are not familiar, it is like if you’ve left sweets somewhere. And in no time zillions of ants are there. In that manner, but ants are too small to be thinking that way—the vultures and all kinds of wild crazy animals, all this, like tigers and leopards and so and forth, big scorpions, terrible spiders—(not the daddy longlegs) but spiders and all of those. Even the leftovers are completely gone.

Then when you give, you give your quality. Qualities that you gain out of learning, analyzing, meditation. Qualities that you gain out of the Three Higher Trainings of the mind: the morality, wisdom and concentration. And the good virtues that we have collected from limitless of beginning. And even good virtues that we will be collecting, those are the in credit form. All of them we will give from our right nostril. Enters through their left nostril. And they develop, establish development of a practice from the Guru Devotional Practice to total enlightenment. And thus we have completed our activity of total liberating. That’s what you think, meditate.

[58:38]

To make it more clear to you, first we take the First Noble Truth that is the suffering. Second, we take cause of suffering, that is the karmic and delusional cause. Third, we take the imprint that block them from becoming fully enlightened. When you give, first we give our body. Then we give them wealth. And then we give them virtues. So three gives, three takes. Combine them together and be able to say this three times.

And, if you can—[59:35 Tib] the next verse I didn’t even print it for you people— then their thought is mounted on the breath, going out and breath taking in. And that’s what it is.

I will request Chris to lead this Lama Chopa and we meditate on the last verse, Verse 60, three times.

[1:00:19 to 1:11:13 Lama Chopa recitation]

So not only we have prayed and we have to think this has actually happened. That is Vajrayana influence.

I guess that’s it now. [1:11:30 Tib] And this is a very, very good way, really good way of doing it. We have completed whatever we wanted to.

(I have given instructions, suggestions from our program people. I have to say “This is what had happened, this is what is going to happen.” So I said it. [laughter] Just joking. Okay, I guess that’s it).

You know I really feel this is very, very fortunate. And we should be able to make even am attempt to such a hidden practice. You know Shantideva calls this [1:12:45 Tib] “The ultimate secret.” The ultimate secret is not because there’s something to hide but because it may not suit to a few individuals. That’s why they made this secret. But we made sort of okay and it’s great and very fortunate. And this is something which you can carry throughout your life. And every day, while you’re functioning in the society, every day when you’re sleeping or living by yourself, and when you’re in a group, when you’re with company, these are the thoughts that influence your conversations. And when you’re alone, by yourself, these are the thoughts that entertain your mind. That is how it influences your life.

[1:14:11]

And after all of this, what it really demands of us is be kind, compassionate, caring for others. Do not ignore yourself. Compassion to self, compassion for the others. Love, developing like and love to ourself and others. And also remember charity begins at home. It begins at the home with your family and then it expanded. When we’re visualizing here we have the whole sentient beings, the sky’s the limit filled up. But, you know, when you’re really dealing with it it comes day to day, the person who’s spending time with you all the time. It begins there. The charity begins at home. It begins there and then expands. And that’s it. That’s how we go.

And after learning Lojong, if you have a little difficulties don’t get so upset. It is impermanent and it is good. It purifies our negativities. If you enjoy and have success, don’t have a big head. It is impermanent. It will change. [laughter] It will go away. And make sure that we don’t exhaust our good karma. That doesn’t mean you ignore what you have to do. It’s all in the service of the people. Even if it’s your own responsibility, your own job that you receive pay for you, even then this is a responsibility of serving a people. Because whatever you may be, it is so in that way. Even if you are working for bomb-making company, even then this is the wrong livelihood for sure. Even then you can make this as service from your mind. It is service. Service for whatever; not killing should be emphasized, though the bomb maker has to make it that way. But your contribution towards it, even if you are, it is the saving a life, service, and all this. And destroying the evil forces. And in that way, spiritual path is sometimes very difficult. But sometimes it’s quite simple and easy. We’re always benefited if we make the easy way. And that’s it.

[1:17:21]

And be nice, be kind, be happy. And we will see you again.

(Those of you in the New York area, I’ll be—those of you who are in Ann Arbor and listening on the internet—I’ll be beginning my Tuesday night. This next course is…You know breaking these courses gives me a lot of relief. Before we didn’t have this course break. And it was continuous. It becomes a big difficulty for me for flying every week twice, back and forth. By breaking the courses I don’t have to do that. So I have a little break.

Next Tuesday, will be the 14th I believe, and next Thursday will be 16th. I don’t know, there’s three or four Tuesdays… Is Madeline here? Do you have any more information for me?)

(Discusses upcoming schedule to 1:21:39)

Diana asked if people who are not used to it, can they use these five verses out of this Lama Chopa as a practice?

Yes. If you can do it nicely, yes. And if it’s becoming a little, like an every day type of thing, then better be careful. What happens is, practice like this has a tremendous benefit. But if it becomes like an every day that doesn’t make much sense. Then there is a danger for that individual person. The danger is any other thing you want to apply on your mind will become very difficult to effect. It’s like you build immune system by the ego sometimes and very hard to get through. That’s why, those who are with the regular practice, they know. But those who are new, you can do this Tuesday night’s practice is very good. If you want to do this five thing that we give you you can do it occasionally, it’s great. In other words, before it effects yourself quite good and it started becoming like a something every day, “Oh, I heard that all the time. And I hear that all the time.” And if it loses effects. Then it will become disservice, I have to tell you honestly. That’s why. If it becomes disservice, it’s very difficult for anything else to try to correct that later. That’s the only thing you have to be aware of. It becomes modernized, they have to give the thing and then have advantages, and then give you the warning system. [laughs] But there’s no side-effect other than danger of…It may be, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know about it” and then it could be a problem. That’s about it.

[1:24:07]

(And then sort of slightly the things are slightly that what we announced you are a little disorganized. That’s my character. So I apologize for that).

Now comes the dedication point.

[1:24:38] (Announcements)

Thank you everybody. And the thanks really goes to all of you. And Garrison. It’s a really wonderful thing, thank you. That’s it.

Now the dedication and whatever the virtues that we have accumulated here together, they may not be wasted. And we dedicate them to develop boddhimind, not only those of us here together but every living beings throughout. And particularly, peace, peace in the world. That is really very shaky now. And so this is what we should dedicate all our virtues. And we will have a final Lam Rim dedication done. And I think it’s been really amazing here to be able to get together, though it’s a short time, to be able to get here together. And to be able to share that wonderfulness. I requested Chris to sing “Amazing Grace” at the end, after the dedication and Chris has kindly agreed. And that is how we’re going to close this time.

[1:29:40 to 1:34:24 Long Lam Rim Dedication]

[1:34:59 Chris sings Amazing Grace]

[ 1:39:37 Tape Ends]