At this time while one has received perfect human body that which is extremely rare to find, generally just enough to get human rebirth extremely rare, that has come from having practised pure morality. Therefore we know how that is not easy, difficult, usually the fear, no interest, fear to do that and even when try to practise unable to practise purely so many obstacles from inside the mind, all the delusions, so many obstacles from outside, environment to practise pure morality.

Therefore perfect human body which is qualified with ten richnesses extremely difficult to find and that is found now and have met the Buddhadharma even that, Mahayana, the Buddhism Mahayana teachings that which makes possible that one can achieve full enlightenment by ceasing all the gross and subtle defilements and able to liberate numberless sentient beings from all the suffering and causes and bring them full enlightenment. And one has met virtuous friend, not just virtuous friend who show path to liberation but Mahayana virtuous friend who reveals the path to enlightenment, complete path to enlightenment without missing.

So at this time having all the opportunities to practise Dharma is not enough, not sufficient so like this. We don't have this opportunity forever it for a very short time and this opportunity can be stopped anytime because not only death is definite, actual time of death can occur anytime. As is mentioned in the lam-rim outline in section outline, meditation on impermanence, death generally in this world, southern continent, no certainty sentient beings in this continent, their life has no certainty particularly now this period degenerate time particularly this is degenerate time even much more indefinite uncertainty. So therefore that can happen any day, even today, it can any moment.

So before that able to make preparations not be reborn in the lower realms to receive human body; even if one is able to achieve liberation from samsara is not sufficient. Even one is able to do that achieve this goal totally free from whole entire samsara all the sufferings still that not sufficient. That is not the ultimate goal of one's own life, that is still not the purpose of one's own living, just to achieve happiness for oneself, that doesn't fulfil the purpose of one's life. So one must achieve full enlightenment to liberate numberless sentient beings from the sufferings and bring them to full enlightenment.

Then to make that happen one has to change one's own attitude. Letting go "I", cherishing others, without that not possible, one cannot achieve full enlightenment, cannot complete Mahayana path, cannot liberate all the numberless beings from suffering and bring them to full enlightenment.

So what happens if one cherish the "I" then you, for example, by cherishing the "I" then one experiences all the shortcomings. It interferes, not only it harms, doesn't allow success to achieve ultimate happiness, liberation and enlightenment, especially enlightenment. Not only that it interferes even to have the success of this life even temporary happiness obstacle to that. As Shantideva, the great bodhisattva Shantideva mentions in Guide to the Bodhisattva's Life, “How much suffering that there is in the world, all this...”

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“What is the need? What is need to talk so much? The child does work for themselves, the mighty one does work for others, look at these differences, these two differences”.

So first two verses talk about shortcomings of what happens if we cherish the "I". The results are only suffering, only problems, opening the door for all the problems. If your attitude is only seeking happiness only for yourself, if you seek the happiness of others, if your attitude is wishing happiness for others, cherishing others, then you achieve all the happiness, all the happiness up to enlightenment including the day to day life peace and happiness.

The previous one if your attitude is only seeking happiness for oneself, cherishing "I", from there all the suffering, you open the door for all the sufferings. So then again proving, proving what happened because we, living life, cherishing only "I", only seeking happiness for oneself, only live life from beginningless rebirth only seeking happiness for oneself, cherishing "I", oneself has been living the life. So Shantideva called "child." Child means the ordinary being who lived their life with attitude seeking happiness only for oneself, working only for oneself, that is called child, ordinary being. That is what is child who works only for oneself, seeking only happiness for oneself.

We, oneself, has spent doing that, how one has been living the life the attitude from beginningless rebirth up to now is like this, so therefore still child, still child, nothing happened, so far didn't become enlightened.

Before that I mention that the Buddha changed his attitude, the mighty one Buddha he changed his attitude from cherishing the "I", changed his attitude from that to cherishing others, into cherishing others. From seeking happiness oneself to seeking happiness others, changed his attitude from seeking happiness for oneself into seeking happiness for others. Attitude and action changed from working for self into working for others, change the attitude, change the action.

Therefore even by this why Buddha called mighty in Tibetan (Thupa?) mighty one. So by this name (Thupa?) is able to change the attitude from self-cherishing thought to cherishing others, as well as the action. Even by this very beginning of the mahayana path why Buddha called Thupa? Is this mighty, what he could do. So because of that even though the Buddha was same, even Shakayamuni Buddha was same as oneself, same as us, who had all the delusions, sicknesses, all the problems, obstacles he was same, exactly same as us ordinary beings before, exactly same, having all the problems, delusions, same, but he changed, he didn't stay like this all the time. With that attitude changed by realising shortcomings of self-cherishing and benefit of cherishing others, all the extensive shortcomings. Anyway, shortcomings of self-cherishing thoughts and extensive benefits of cherishing others, bodhicitta, changed attitude.

So, because of that, having generated bodhichitta able to enter mahayana path and able to complete the two types of merits, merits of wisdom and merits of virtue, or can be said method in called sonam ----------, two types of merit, merit of wisdom which is cause of dharmakaya and merit of virtue which is cause of rupakaya, the holy body of Buddha. So dharmakaya, holy mind, just in short.

So achieved full enlightenment and liberated numberless sentient beings already and enlightened them. In each minute, second, liberates numberless living beings; this is what Buddha is doing even with each beam liberate unimaginable sentient beings, even with each beam that emits from Buddha's holy body within each second. So this is what happened, why Buddha is called mighty one, is this. Buddha has infinite qualities infinite qualities of holy body, speech and mind. Inconceivable beyond our concept Buddha's holy actions’ extensive benefit to other sentient beings, how Buddha was able to benefit sentient beings. So came from cherishing others, changing attitude, started from there.

So now oneself didn't change up to now therefore didn't achieve full enlightenment up to now, didn't achieve even the liberation from samsara even that, didn't happen up to now and because following the ego, self-cherishing thought, didn't allow any realisations up to now, one’s own mind has been totally empty from beginningless rebirth up to now, empty of realisations, didn't have any attainment up to now. So up to now, due to self-cherishing all the other negative emotional thoughts arise, anger, attachment, those things. Then so have been experiencing all the sufferings up to now again and again, without beginning, sufferings of samsara.

If I follow, if one never changes one's attitude and oneself continue to be the same person continuously following the ego, self-cherishing thought, keeping the self-cherishing thought in the heart, this is demon self-cherishing thought in the heart. Then if one continue to be the same person all the time then there won't be any realisations neither enlightenment or liberation, not any realization; endlessly one will experience suffering of samsara without end. So how it has been in the past so it will be like this continuously, same. One has to experience suffering of samsara endlessly.

So therefore the ego, this self-cherishing thought, the ego is much more harmful than all the atomic bombs that are in the world because atomic bomb even if it explodes, if you have bodhichitta it doesn't cause you to be reborn in the hell realm, lower realm. Even if the actual atomic bomb exploded, even though it cause split mind from the body but if you have bodhichitta it doesn't cause you to be born in lower realms, but if you have self-cherishing thought, if you die with self-cherishing thought then also due to that negative emotional thought arises, so that you die with that; also motivation negative karma, that causes to be born in lower realms. So ego, self-cherishing thought throws you into lower realms.

Therefore how many atom bombs there is no comparison compared to the harms of one's own self-cherishing thought how much this due to this one person's self-cherishing since beginningless rebirth up to now and it will continue as long as you don't change that, don't eliminate that, it will torture you, it will make you suffer without end. And then this gives problem to other sentient beings, gives so much suffering, harm to other sentient beings, cause other sentient being to create negative karma from life to life, this ego, self-cherishing, this demon the self-cherishing from, life to life. When you say life to life harm to all the sentient beings so like that. The atomic bomb doesn't do that, all this harm to all the sentient being, doesn’t do that. So this ego, this self-cherishing thought abiding in my heart is much more harmful than the atomic bomb, atomic bomb is nothing compared to this.

Normally people terrify when they hear doctor say you have cancer, mind gets so terrified. But for example many of my guru have taken cancer, they passed away in meditation state, and again reincarnated in the monastery in order to benefit sentient beings; they take that aspect again to benefit other sentient beings, so showing this aspect of ordinary being, then go to a monastery to show, to inspire others, as childhood, then go to monastery, study, go through what ordinary people go through.

Buddha also did same thing: born a prince, then child, play, competition, marriage, all that and after that showed aspect… even though Buddha became enlightened inconceivable eons ago but Buddha showed the aspect of only in that life discovering suffering, old age, sickness and death, rebirth. Then looked for spiritual guru, meditated went to ascetic life for six years, then show enlightenment, then reveal Dharma. Subdued the maras who attack just before morning, dawn time, before become enlightened, the day before the night, dusk time the maras attacked. Then those millions of maras, Buddha with loving kindness, without the slightest movement, in meditation state on loving kindness, subdued all those many millions of maras. So anyway didn't want the Buddha to be enlightened at all, attacked, so anyway, so like that.

Here for example many of my gurus took cancer, but just changed the body, took another body, young body, fresh and healthy, to benefit sentient beings. So cancer, experiencing having cancer, the sickness alone doesn't make to be born in lower realms. If you have self-cherishing thought that makes to be born lower realms, if one dies with self-cherishing thought. Therefore… also then one, even one experiences sickness cancer and so forth one can also go pure land of Buddhas, pure land such as; Kalachakra pure land, Shambala, Amitaba pure land or Vajrayogini pure land or Heruka pure land, those pure lands where there is tantric teachings and you can become enlightened there next life; at the time of death you go to pure land and become enlightened there in those specific pure lands where tantric teachings exist.

So therefore what is really frightening is the ego it is not the sicknesses, not the cancer. So 424 sicknesses, all this harm is nothing comparing with one's ego, self-cherishing thought. All those sicknesses nothing, does not even compare which is more harmful.

How much weapon there is in the world is nothing, their harm is nothing compared to one's own self-cherishing thought, how it is harmful to oneself and other sentient being.

If there is a good heart, bodhicitta, no matter how many weapons you own, how many weapons you have, they are harmless. But even if you don't have any weapons, but your attitude is self-cherishing thought then there is danger. Even you don't, one doesn't have any weapons, there is danger to harm others with the body with the speech with the mind there is great danger to harm with the body with the speech with the mind.

How much pollution there is in the world, how much poison there is in the world, those harms and the harm of the self-cherishing thought, shortcomings of the self-cherishing thought, all those external ones are nothing compared to how much harm the ego, self-cherishing thought does to you and other sentient beings from life to life.

So therefore this self-cherishing thought is something that one must get rid of without delaying for even second. Without delay even a second to get rid of; needs to be abandoned.

And this self-cherishing thought always interrupts, doesn't allow to practise dharma even when one tries to meditate finally, finally, when one met buddhadharma or finally when it happened to meditate, to open mind to meditate, to help yourself to have realisation, to really this time to have real change, which never happened before from beginningless rebirth to this time have real change, to really have realization, finally it happened to meditate, but again this self-cherishing thought comes and doesn't allow even for one minute to concentrate one pointedly, it doesn't allow, arises then because of that attachment arises and distracts the mind on other objects. Doesn't allow to do perfect meditation even for one minute even during one mala reciting Om Mani Padme Hum doesn't allow it to happen.

To continuously meditate it interrupts, makes imperfect and then… like this even one wish to practise dharma… one thing is the self-cherishing thought it interferes even to have the wish to practise dharma and causes fear to practise dharma, it causes fear to let go "I", to cherish others, to offer the victory to others, it doesn't allow it. Because of self-cherishing thought then the desire arises then it doesn't allow to practise renunciation of samsara, renunciation of this life. So it doesn't allow to be able to do pure practise, pure dharma practise, it doesn't allow. Even one wishes to practise, one knows to practise dharma is good thing for oneself and for others even one knows but the ego doesn't allow to practise dharma always makes oneself make excuses to do something else, always to do something else. Then the dharma practise gets delayed.

So similar, the self-cherishing thought doesn't allow you to take vows, to take precepts, not just ordination of higher monk or nun, even lay vows, self-cherishing thought gives you fear of taking precepts. It interrupts, even you have opportunity even when one is in the place, opportunity to receive, take, experience, but again the ego doesn't allow to do that, interrupts, because of that attachment arises, doesn't allow to do the practise, reject.

Even one has taken the vows, the lay or higher ordination high ordination monk or nun self-cherishing thought again harms you doesn't allow you to practise purely. Due to that many other attachments, emotions arises then that makes to break the vows. The ego harms even you are trying to have pure life, the ego doesn't allow, it interrupts. Ego doesn't allow to continue to live pure life, in pure vows. The ego doesn't allow even there is opportunity to practise charity, to collect merit, good karma, by making charity, but the ego doesn't allow to do that to collect merit by making charity.

Even say one has met guru same as Shakyamuni Buddha, or Maitreya Buddha or Manjushri, like this, that even one actually meeting nothing acquired nothing more achieved there is no teaching other than this, there is no teaching something else than this to hear, to learn, there is nothing. So such Gurus like them, like these Buddhas… by mentioning that, I am not saying that I am one of them I am not saying that, you shouldn’t think that way. For example His Holiness The Dalai Lama, like Geshe Sopa Rinpoche however so like that example like that even you meet Manjushri no other, nothing else, something else than they teach to hear, to learn.

However having met a virtuous friend like that but unable to follow the advice, unable to surrender to the Guru who is revealing the path to enlightenment, unable to surrender; who doesn't allow to do that is the bad ego, self-cherishing thought again. So therefore why even one has met virtuous friend the most qualified you can find in the world but still nothing happens in ones mind. Even one has received all the sutra and tantra teachings most profound most secret all these whole path to enlightenment, heard many times, but nothing happened, no change, nothing happened still the same in ones mind. That is completely, totally because oneself, whom one follows is the ego, self-cherishing thought instead of following the Guru, surrendering to the Guru, one surrender to the ego, one follow the ego, one become a disciple of the ego, follow the ego day and night, so listen what ego says all the time so like that. Due to this is why there is no change why there is no realisation even have met the dharma heard so many teachings, years ago, so many times have heard, but nothing happened no change, still same. So that's completely shortcoming of following the ego surrendering the ego like that. So therefore by following this ego even all the Buddhas come, as long as we don't give up this ego, self-cherishing thought, all the Buddhas come in front of you and gave you teaching, even they all come in front of you give teachings, you won't be able to achieve realisation because as long as one doesn't change the mind, as long as one follows the ego, no way to achieve enlightenment so like that.

So all the unhappiness, in the daily life whenever we experience unhappiness, depression, what causes is by ego, self-cherishing thought. Any obstacle we experience, obstacle to practice dharma, obstacles even to achieve the happiness of this life, success of this life is caused by the ego. How many times we suffered due to relationship problems, how many times one after another, on and on, going through relationship problems all this totally is due to ego, came from the ego, because of self-cherishing thought then this attachment, desire arises and then created all this suffering, confusion, relationship problems. Also problems to others, others’ unhappiness, anger, jealousy, all this.

So many times thought came life is totally overwhelmed by suffering, suffocating; one experiences suffocating life so many problems such as relationship problems one experiences suffocating life. Then thought arises to commit suicide when there is no other solution, can't think of anything and then thought arises to kill oneself to jump from the roof or from the bridge like the San Francisco, the Bridge, the famous Bridge Golden Bridge? What they say? (Audience Golden Gate) or like Australia the Sydney Bridge. There are many bridges like that when people, when they can't think of much, when due to attachment ego life becomes like suffocating then what comes is jump from the roof or how say sometimes in bathtubs, I think electricity or something I'm not sure. Anyway like that, the thought coming many times to commit suicide oneself so all this definitely related to the self-cherishing thought definitely one sees connection to that.

Then because failed in business, lost say, thousands millions of dollars, however, failed in business, then nervous breaking, then again commit suicide. However all these unhappy life problems are definitely related to ego, because in past out of ego did action of stealing, covetousness, these things done, negative karma which causes these things, lack of success.

So therefore, also taking life, so your wishes don't get fulfilled. One day loss, failed in business, so much difficult life. In the past, why so unhappy, related to present life self-cherishing thought, but also they come from negative karma. Of course, as I mentioned, how that negative karma happened, first there is the self-cherishing thought then due to those actions that's how they become negative karma, the stealing and telling lies, covetousness, that is the thought, but the resulting actions speech, body become negative karma because motivation behind it is self-cherishing thought, so that is how they become negative karma, transformed into negative karma. Then these problems unable, to have success in business, failed; so definitely connection with self-cherishing thought, problems in business...

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