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5 December, am

Eight Mahayana Precepts

Wishing happiness for oneself in future lives, and wishing to achieve liberation from samsara for oneself only, are not good attitudes. One does not have any concern about freeing other sentient beings from suffering or obtaining happiness for them.

Phenomena such as rocks and trees, mushrooms, or the plants in the ocean do not have the thought of “I” so therefore, even if you cut them, there is no such thing as having taken another beings’ life. It doesn’t receive the name “killing,” it cannot be labeled as having created negative karma. For these phenomena there is no such thing as receiving the harm of being killed. There is no such thing as suffering or being happy when free from suffering. As there is no thought of “I” on these things, there is no such thing as suffering and no such thing as liberation. There is nothing to talk about concerning suffering and liberation on these things.

On one’s own aggregates one has the thought of “I.” There is the thought thinking “I, I,” and that thought of “I” wishes happiness and does not wish suffering. On others there is also the thought thinking “I, I, I.” Like oneself they are wishing for happiness, even the smallest happiness and comfort, and not wishing even the smallest suffering or problem, not even in a dream. It is exactly equal.

As there is a thought on oneself wishing happiness and not wishing suffering, one has the right to work to eliminate suffering and to obtain happiness for the “I.” And it is exactly the same thing for other sentient beings—they also have the right to obtain what they wish. Their thought of “I” is wishing happiness for that “I,” not wishing suffering. They, too, have the right to receive or to accomplish happiness and to eliminate suffering for that “I.” There is not the slightest reason why one’s own “I” should have the right to accomplish happiness and eliminate suffering while there is no right for others to do so. There is not the slightest reason why others’ “I” should have no right to accomplish happiness and eliminate the suffering of that “I.” There is not the slightest reason—they are exactly the same, having the same rights. Concerning plants and rocks there is no such thing as “rights” to talk about, because there is no such thing as a thought of “I” wishing to accomplish happiness and to eliminate suffering. There is no such thing.

As it is said in the Kadampa geshe Langri Tangpa’s advice from the Eight Verses of Thought Training, “I’ll practice to cherish sentient beings forever, with the thought to accomplish the great success.”

No, I left out one part. “I’ll practice forever to cherish sentient beings, who exceed the wish-granting gem, with the thought of accomplishing the great, sublime success.”

The sublime success that we can accomplish by depending on the kindness of sentient beings refers to the three sublime successes. If one wishes to receive a perfect human body in future lives it is accomplished through the kindness of sentient beings. The cause of a perfect human body is moral conduct. Without the existence of sentient beings there could be no practice of moral conduct, no sentient beings that one could make the vow never to harm. That is the essence. One is making the commitment or vow never to harm, and to abstain from negative actions, so without depending on the kindness of sentient beings’ existing, there is no way to create the cause of moral conduct, no way to receive a perfect human body.

Even if one wished to have perfect enjoyment in the next life, the cause for that is to make charity to sentient beings. Without depending on the kindness of sentient beings’ existence, there would be no way to create the merit of charity, and no way to receive perfect enjoyments. To have perfect surroundings in future lives depends on the cause of practicing patience; without depending on the kindness of sentient being’ existence, particularly the enemy, there would be no way to create this cause, and consequently one could not achieve perfect surroundings. To achieve temporal happiness and perfections and sublime success is completely dependent on the existence of sentient beings.

Achieving nirvana, the everlasting release from samsara, is dependent on the essential path, the three higher trainings. The first higher training is moral conduct, the second is concentration, while the third one is the higher training of wisdom. Without depending on the kindness of sentient beings’ existence, as I said before, there would be no way, no opportunity to practice the higher training of moral conduct, so there would be no way to accomplish the higher training of concentration, and because of that one could not achieve the higher training of great insight. There would be no opportunity to achieve the everlasting release from samsara. This is how one’s wishes and the achievement of the sublime happiness is accomplished through the kindness of sentient beings. As I explained last night, without depending on the kindness of sentient beings’ existence, there is no way that one can accomplish bodhicitta, which comes from great compassion and great love. It is generated by depending on the kindness of sentient beings’ existing, so without them there is no way to achieve the state of omniscient mind.

Without depending on the kindness of all sentient beings and on the kindness of one sentient being in particular, the enemy, without depending on the kindness of the enemy’s existence one can’t receive any happiness. Without depending on the kindness of the existence of one sentient being, the enemy, there is no way to receive even one small happiness, no way, because all one’s sufferings come from non-virtue and all happiness comes from virtue. The virtues that are within one’s mind are the holy Dharma, accumulated by knowing the teaching revealed by Buddha. These virtues we have accumulated are the holy actions of Buddha.

There are two types of holy actions of the Buddha. One holy action belongs to the Buddha himself, while one is in our minds, the minds of sentient beings. These virtues are received from the Buddha. Buddha came from bodhisattva, bodhisattva came from bodhicitta, and bodhicitta came from great compassion. If this enemy, the person who is disturbing you, is left out from among all sentient beings, there is no way to generate great compassion. Without depending on him there is no great compassion, no bodhicitta, no bodhisattva, no buddha, no teachings, and no Sangha. There would be no object of refuge, no triple gem in which we could take refuge in order not to be born in the lower realms, no way to be free from samsara, to be free from the two obscurations and to achieve the state of omniscient mind; this is completely dependent on the kindness of the enemy, this one sentient being.

In the same way, all happiness has come from virtues. All the happiness of today, each single comfort and happiness is received completely by depending on the kindness of the enemy’s existence. All the three times happiness and perfections are received completely from this enemy. Completely from the one who is treating us badly. If we think back to the source it is completely dependent on him. So how precious the enemy is! How kind he is! One can never be finished explaining about all the advantages and benefits we have received from the enemy. All the three times happiness’, all our wishes for happiness, everything is received by depending on the kindness of each sentient being; each narak and preta being, each animal and human being, each human being here now, and all the rest of the human beings. It depends on each enemy, on the girlfriend who dropped you, on the boyfriend who left you—the whole thing is dependent on each sentient being.

You may have mountains of wish-granting jewels, from which, by praying to such a jewel you receive, through the power of the material, whatever temporal happiness and perfections, whatever material possessions you need. Even if we had the most precious diamonds that can be found today, even if each of us possessed as many diamonds as the number of atoms of this earth, without depending on the kindness of sentient beings there would be no way for us to receive the three sublime successes. No way to avoid being born in the lower realms no way to find a perfect human body. Even the first sublime purpose, the happiness of future lives, can’t be accomplished without depending on sentient beings. No matter how many jewels you have they can’t accomplish any happiness.

I have not been talking about the happiness and comfort of each day of our life that we receive by depending on the sentient beings’ kindness that we can see by the eye, that which we can see without depending on Buddha’s quotations, without the need for any particular faith in the quotations. All our happiness is completely dependent on sentient beings, as it is received by others through their kindness.

Similarly, the sentient beings’ happiness, their obtaining temporal and ultimate happiness, is dependent on oneself. We need help from sentient beings to solve our problems and to achieve even temporal comforts, besides ultimate happiness. As we need their help, in the same way sentient beings need help from us, to be able to solve their problems and to accomplish the temporal and ultimate happiness they wish for.

Another reason is that what is called “I” is only one living being, one person, oneself, while what are called “others,” the sentient beings, are numberless. Therefore, freeing them from all their sufferings and accomplishing happiness for them is the greatest benefit, the greatest, most important work.

With this perfect human body, which I have received this one time, I must accomplish this. Even today, these twenty-four hours of my life, I’ll use to offer these peerless benefits, and to accomplish the great works for sentient beings. To be able to do this, I must achieve the state of omniscient mind, therefore I must create the cause of omniscient mind. Dependent on that I am going to take the Mahayana ordination, from now until sunrise tomorrow.

5 December, am

As I mentioned last night, there is so much explained about the virtuous friend in the teachings. There is one whole sutra teaching, one whole volume of teachings given by Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, about relying upon and devoting oneself to the virtuous friend. I think the name of the sutra is Gandavyuha. So many times negative karma is mentioned in the Kalachakra teachings and in other tantra teachings. I’ll just mention some points here, as it is a part of the shortcomings of anger, as the conversation reached this part as I was mentioning the shortcomings of anger.

Even if one has accumulated heavy negative karma, the uninterrupted actions, by practicing Vajrayana one can accomplish enlightenment in this lifetime.

Why it is called “uninterrupted” or “un-ended” is because if one has done any of these five heavy negative karmas: taking the life of one’s father or mother, causing blood to flow from a tathagatha, killing an arhat, or causing disharmony among the Sangha, the result is unceasing suffering, a negative state. With other negative karmas, those accumulated in this or in past lives, it is not necessary to experience the result or the ripening aspect, rebirth in the lower realms, right after this life. One can experience the result after several lifetimes—one can live a hundred, a thousand, a billion lifetimes without experiencing rebirth in the lower realms, the result of one’s negative karma. At the time of death, one may experience the result of other, virtuous karma so that after the intermediate state one is reborn as a human being. In this way a different karma interrupts the negative karma, and one experiences the result of virtuous karma in between. But if one has created those extremely heavy negative actions, there can be no interruption by other karma. There is no interruption between the cause and the result: rebirth in the lower realms. The karmic experience immediately after this life, at the time of death, is the intermediate state of the naraks. One is already in the process of being born in the naraks during the intermediate state.

The result of these extremely negative karmas is the unceasing suffering negative state where there is the heaviest suffering of samsara. Among the different categories of the narak sufferings, this state, this unceasing, suffering state has the longest life. The length of the life here is kind of fixed at one hundred eons. The body is like wax or like electrical wire, completely in oneness with the fire. One is unable to differentiate between the fire and the sentient being. One can hear the screaming sounds of the suffering, but in regard to the body and the fire, the two can’t be differentiated. The body is oneness with the fire, like red, burning coal, as it is explained by Guru Shakyamuni Buddha in the sutra teachings and in the commentaries on the graduated path to enlightenment. This is why those actions are called uninterrupted. It is said so many times in the extensive tantra teachings that even beings who created extremely heavy negative karmas such as these can accomplish enlightenment in this lifetime by practicing Vajrayana, but he who from his heart has criticized his guru can’t accomplish enlightenment in this life, even if he were to practice Vajrayana with great effort. It also says if a person who has criticized from his heart tries to practice Vajrayana, with great effort and much hardship, for him it is like accomplishing the naraks.

Before one makes the relationship, the Dharma contact, one should examine well. As I mentioned at the beginning, it is important to examine the teachings well, and it is similar with the virtuous friend. If you wish to be liberated from the suffering of samsara, the virtuous friend that you rely upon and to whom you will devote your whole life should be able to reveal the complete infallible path.

Otherwise he can’t guide you, and you can’t accomplish your wish. It is the same thing—if what you are seeking is to achieve omniscient mind, the virtuous friend to whom you devote your life should be able to lead you on the whole Mahayana path to omniscient mind by revealing the infallible, complete teachings of the complete path.

Maybe one can’t see the different levels of the ten qualities that the vajra guru needs to have in order to reveal the mahaanuttara tantras. The vajra guru who reveals the mahaanuttara path needs to have ten inner qualities, while in order to reveal the Vajrayana tantra path, he should have the ten outer qualities. To reveal the bodhisattva’s path, again there are ten qualities that the virtuous teacher needs to have.

The virtuous teacher to whom one is devoting one’s life and on whom one is relying in order to achieve nirvana, the virtuous teacher who reveals the path, should have three fundamental qualities, three higher trainings and realizations. Without realizing the infallible right view or the absolute truth, it is impossible for the disciple to eradicate the root of samsara. You can see how important it is that the teacher should have this experience and realization. He should be able to reveal the infallible teachings on absolute nature. He should be living in the higher training of moral conduct, and have the higher training of concentration and great insight as well. He should have great compassion. If there is no compassion, the disciple won’t receive the teachings that he wishes to hear, the virtuous friend can’t guide if there is no compassion. He should be concerned, having great compassion and perseverance. If there is no perseverance, if the virtuous friend is lazy, there won’t be any perseverance in guiding the disciple, so again there is trouble, he can’t guide the disciple. There should be perseverance in giving advice and perseverance in giving teachings. The Kadampa geshe Potowa (I think) said, “If the virtuous friend doesn’t have all those ten, he should at least have the five.”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a great holy being who has complete freedom over birth and death. He is completely free from the cycle of rebirth and death which is caused by karma and disturbing thoughts. Even in the ordinary people’s view there is not the slightest doubt whether His Holiness is a bodhisattva or not. Just by seeing him, just by being in his presence, even without hearing teachings, his holy speech, one can see it. Even if one has never heard of BuddhaDharma, or one belongs completely to some other religion, just by being in his presence for the very first time one can see, one can feel that he is a bodhisattva because of all the compassion there, the realizations and supreme qualities. In other words, the excellences of the understanding of the Buddha’s teachings and the realizations of the path. One feels that he is definitely a holy being who has a supreme quality of understanding and power. Even someone who never heard of the BuddhaDharma sees that he is definitely not somebody usual, not someone you commonly see or meet.

For somebody who has heard the BuddhaDharma and has met His Holiness there is no question. Just by being in the presence of his holy body one feels that it is full of nothing but compassion. From his holy head down to his holy feet there is nothing but complete compassion and concern for others. He has a great concern to guide others. It doesn’t matter whether it is a Tibetan or not, any sentient being, any creature, without question of whether he is of a different race or a different religion, whether Buddhist or non-Buddhist, all those things. If one listens to his teachings, one’s experience is different from when one is listening to even the very famous, learned geshes and lamas. His Holiness is so practical, whether he talks about the three principal paths, the fundamental lam-rim, or whether he talks about special tantra subjects. When His Holiness talks about the illusory body, clear light, and all the methods and those very technical subtle points, about the meditation methods to accomplish the very high paths of secret mantra, it is unbelievably clear. He gives clarification on certain points that were not given by Lama Tsongkhapa, on points that are difficult for other learned ones to understand. Things that they can’t understand, certain very difficult and subtle points that are hard to understand even for the learned ones.

Lama Tsongkhapa was a Tibetan bhikshu, or monk, and a highly experienced and realized yogi. For some reason he purposely chose to become enlightened in the intermediate state, in order to guide sentient beings, although he could have become enlightened in that very brief lifetime, during that life. Lama Tsongkhapa is the one who gave incredibly clear explanations on the teachings of the path to enlightenment, with quotations of logic and with so many clear explanations given from his own experience of the path.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama makes incredible clarifications of the teachings of all four sects, satisfying the learned Tibetan pandits and lamas of all sects.

When His Holiness gives initiations and talks about the qualities of the virtuous Vajrayana guru, he never mentions, “I have achieved this and that.” His Holiness always says, “I have much faith and definite understanding of the benefits and advantages you can receive from bodhicitta. I have much definite understanding and faith in shunyata and bodhicitta.” His Holiness often says, “Faith and unshakeable, definite understanding; great inspiration and great faith.”

If there are no realizations in the mind then, of course, what can you say? But in the West, if there is something, even a small, tiny peculiar experience that other people don’t have, the person announces it as much as possible, there is the worry that other people might not understand that he has this experience and this understanding. He announces it as much as possible with mountains of pride.

Leave aside talking about His Holiness the Dalai Lama—if in the West one had just the experiences of the ascetic monks, it would be advertised on television many times. Those ascetic monks who wear very ragged, old torn robes and whose bodies are kind of skinny, dirty, or black looking. If one had even the accomplishments of the path of these ascetic monks leading a simple life, one would have it advertised on television. Just because of having some understanding of the words, just words and no experience, incredible, unbelievable pride arises, “I am the only one in the world,” sort of.

However, especially when hearing the teachings from His Holiness’s holy mouth, one can easily figure out the realizations from the clarity of the teachings. Like when, by the reason of seeing smoke, one can figure out there is a fire. There is incredible, unbelievable skillfulness in guiding sentient beings from different religions and with different philosophical conceptions. When giving teachings, or even just making conversation, he gives each one an answer to their question exactly according to their religion or conception.

Once, an Italian student, one monk, took an Italian friend to see His Holiness. This friend used to be communist or he is a communist. They went to see His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He asked His Holiness about killing. “If somebody comes to attack your own family, should you kill him or not?” He asked that question. His Holiness answered, “Of course, if somebody comes to attack your family, you kill him.” The Italian was very surprised, because he did not except His Holiness to say this. That was his idea, but he did not expect to receive such an answer from His Holiness. Because His Holiness is a religious leader, of course, he expected him to say that he should not kill. Then the Italian asked, “How can you be a Buddhist if you kill?” He was very surprised. His Holiness pointed at his younger brother who was in the army. He didn’t fight, but he did the army training. I think he was translating. This younger, incarnate lama went for army training. After he completed it he became secretary and bodyguard to His Holiness. He was there, and His Holiness was pointing at him, “Like him, he is a Buddhist, but at the same time an army man.”

The point was that the person was very happy, he was surprised and happy that His Holiness had said that he could kill somebody who came to attack his family. He was so happy and his happiness leads somewhere. He is not just being happy and it stops there. It leads gradually somewhere. Not just making him happy and it stops there, not like that. There is some advantage, this gradually leads somewhere. Nobody told His Holiness that this Italian was a communist or this and that—this is his skill in guiding sentient beings. Those are the outward actions, those are the signs to identify him as the real Chenrezig working for us, the sentient beings, by guiding us with the outward actions of his holy speech, holy body and holy mind.

The virtuous teacher himself doesn’t have to say, “Oh, I have this and that realization, I have done this and that. I am an enlightened being.” As a general rule, among the Buddhists or “the inner beings,” the more learned and realized they are, the more humble.

No matter how many hundreds of people there are who come for an interview or teachings, His Holiness sees each person’s life very clearly. His Holiness sees his whole life very clearly, how the person lived in the past, what kind of lifestyle he used to have, and what good and bad actions he has done, as well as seeing what kind of everyday life he has now, whether a generous life or an evil, ungenerous life. Just by seeing the person, His Holiness can see his whole biography, all that he did in the past and all about his future.

One day His Holiness let something slip out. Sometimes, when you listen carefully to the teachings, you can understand. Maybe people generally didn’t notice it, because it was just in between the teachings. One time in Dharamsala, during the teachings, His Holiness said, “Some of you think that I don’t see your life at all. But just by seeing how a person leads his everyday life, I do understand.”

I think there might have been some reason for His Holiness mentioning this, telling the people that they can’t play games with him, can’t cheat him. I think that sometimes it is necessary to say something so that people are more careful. I think that among the people taking teachings there were some monks who had done wrong actions. They had probably broken precepts. This came as a little bit of advice for the general public for them to listen to His Holiness’s words. Sometimes, between teachings certain words come out.

The conclusion to all this talk is that maybe you don’t see the gurus have these qualities or hear them saying, “I have this and that quality.” To what degree you are able to see these qualities and realizations is another question. However, the teacher should be somebody who emphasizes cherishing others as more important than cherishing oneself, the lowest quality. He should be one who emphasizes that making preparations for the future life is more important than working for the happiness of this life. The lowest quality should be this, at least. Otherwise, one who doesn’t reveal the teachings of Buddha and doesn’t emphasize bodhicitta can’t guide others on the Mahayana path to enlightenment. If the teacher doesn’t emphasize one should make preparations for the happiness of future lives, the disciple will use his life to work completely for the happiness of this life only. In this way he is only creating the cause for the lower realms. He is being guided on the completely wrong path.

I stop here.

5 December, pm

Regarding checking the guru. Lama Atisha had heard about Lama Serlingpa through whom he later achieved the realization of bodhicitta. Lama Atisha went to Indonesia to meet Lama Serlingpa and to receive the complete teachings on bodhicitta. Although Lama Atisha had infinite excellences, the understanding of the teaching and the realizations of the path that the teachings reveal, he found the excellences of bodhicitta in this far land. During those times there was not much material development of vehicles and such things. I think it took much time to go by ship—it must have been very primitive. When Lama Atisha reached the place where Lama Serlingpa was teaching, Lama Atisha didn’t go to see Lama Serlingpa immediately. A little before Lama Serlingpa’s place, somewhere close, there was a place where Lama Serlingpa’s disciples were staying. Lama Atisha stopped there for a short time, a few days, wanting to rest a little bit after all his traveling, before seeing Lama Serlingpa. He also still wanted to check about Lama Serlingpa, so he talked to the disciples and asked questions. He checked by talking to Lama Serlingpa’s disciples about his heart-practices and the merit he had created. Then Lama Atisha, surrounded by many pandits with pandit’s dress, went to meet Lama Serlingpa. The way it is described in the lam-rim teachings sounds a little bit like armies meeting when they go in ships. Lama Atisha and all the pandits were in one groups with Lama Atisha in the center, such a glorious way, such a magnificent way, with many offerings for Lama Serlingpa. When Lama Serlingpa heard that the prince, Lama Atisha, had come to receive teachings, Lama Serlingpa and his disciples went to receive him. Lama Serlingpa himself went to see the ships come in.

Lama Atisha offered Lama Serlingpa a vase of transparent glass. It was filled with various precious jewels. Because of that auspicious arrangement he received the complete teachings on bodhicitta from Serlingpa. Whatever Lama Serlingpa had, Lama Atisha must receive, like the vase. However much nectar the vase contains is put into another vase. Lama Atisha took teachings, listening to the teachings on bodhicitta for years, living with Lama Serlingpa. Then Lama Atisha attained the extraordinary realization of bodhicitta in the presence of the guru, Lama Serlingpa.

It can be done like this: in this life we examine the guru and in our next life we meet the guru. When this life is finished, you’ll meet him in the next life. I am joking. There is one story, I don’t remember it exactly, about one great yogi, maybe one king, I don’t remember his name, who was told to check the guru. So all his life he spent checking the guru. In this life, however, he didn’t find the guru, his life finished.

In regard to seeing the guru’s realizations and whether he is an enlightened being or not, I shall give one example, just to give you an idea. When the great Lama Naropa went to see Tilopa he was already a pandit with incredible, unbelievable knowledge of the Dharma. He had all the five great qualities, or the five great knowledges. He had the knowledge of logic, of poetry, and of astrology and art. He also had the inner knowledge of BuddhaDharma. Already he had an incredibly deep and extensive knowledge and understanding of sutra and tantra. So Naropa was kind of feeling a little bit proud, “I know all the teachings.” That night the female aspects, the goddesses or dakinis, who have the accomplishment of the path of the secret mantra, told him, “There are still scriptures that you have not seen.” The dakinis told this to the yogi Naropa in a dream. In the dream the dakinis also predicted that he should go and see Tilopa, the guru with whom he had karmic contact. The dakinis, giving the prediction that there were still teachings he had not seen, kind of broke down his pride a little bit.

When the great yogi, Naropa, reached the place in India where Tilopa was supposed to be staying, he asked around among the people at that place (I don’t remember the name of the place). In the village where the great yogi Tilopa loved, he asked, “Where is the great yogi Tilopa?” The great yogi Naropa wasn’t sure, he couldn’t figure out whether this was Tilopa or not, because what he saw was somebody who was eating fish—putting live fish in the fire, then frying and eating them. He also ate the insides of the fish, down by the water where fishermen had piled up the parts of the fish that they wanted to get rid of. Naropa was told by others that this was Tilopa, but he couldn’t figure out how that could be Tilopa, because he was doing such actions. Naropa was constantly following Tilopa and seeing him doing various actions that looked like bad, negative actions. So he couldn’t put the two together: what Tilopa was supposed to be, and what Naropa could see with his view. So he would ask, “Are you Tilopa?” Sometimes Tilopa would answer like this, “I am Tilopa,” and sometimes he moved his head like this, saying that he is not Tilopa. When Naropa thought, “Maybe this is the great yogi Tilopa, who accomplished the whole path of omniscient mind, the one who has accomplished the unified state of no more learning, who is an enlightened being,” at the times when he thought, “Maybe this is Tilopa,” when he tried to have faith that this is Tilopa, Tilopa would say, “Yes,” But when he thought, “Maybe this is not Tilopa,” because of having seen certain actions that looked very evil, when he asked with that kind of wrong idea and doubt, then Tilopa would say, “I am not Tilopa.” The answer was given according to Naropa’s way of thinking, it related to Naropa’s way of thinking. When he was practicing the pure view, he answered “yes,” but when Naropa’s thought was, “Maybe he is not Tilopa,” when he was thinking differently, with the mind going to the side of the impure view because of some kind of evil actions done by Tilopa, then he was answered, “I am not Tilopa.”

One sees according to one’s own karmic projection, according to one’s hallucinated projections of mind. With that view one finds mistakes with the guru, seeing him as creating many negative karmas, such as doing the ten non-virtuous actions or things like that. One sees him as a fool, as deeply ignorant, and with many faults. However, if one looks to the side of faults, according to one’s karmic view, then one sees only in that way. If one practices the pure view, training the mind in pure appearance by thinking on the side of the qualities, one sees in that way. It is dependent upon which way the mind is trained; so one trains one’s own mind.

One time in Tibet one teacher had two disciples who went home or somewhere. When they returned, the teacher made tea. The tea was cold, it was not hot tea. He made tea, but it was cold. The teacher gave the cold tea to the two disciples. One disciple got very angry, thinking, “He didn’t even give us hot tea! We came, tired, from such a far away place and he didn’t even given us hot tea.” Then the other disciple thought, “How kind he is! On purpose he made the tea cold for us.” He was so happy that he was receiving cold tea. The one who thought of the guru’s kindness didn’t create negative karma by getting angry; by thinking of his kindness he gained much advantage, much profit. The person who got angry didn’t gain any profit, but lost his merit, destroying his enlightenment; while the one who remembered the guru’s kindness gained profit, came near to enlightenment and near to realizations of the path to enlightenment.

When the great yogi Milarepa saw Marpa for the first time, Marpa’s outer aspect was that of an ordinary person, kind of like a Tibetan former, with dust on the forehead and over the face. He was plowing the fields and drinking chang, or wine. The great yogi Milarepa explained to the guru Marpa, “I am a very evil, sinful person. I came from the upper part of Tibet, called Tsang. I came to ask you to give me Dharma and also food.” Lama Marpa told Milarepa, “You have been so evil and you are asking me to give Dharma and food both. There is nothing to brag about—having been evil, and then saying I have to give both Dharma and food.” Lama Marpa said, “I can’t give both. I will give you either food or Dharma.” For auspicious reasons Lama Marpa gave Milarepa one bowl of wine.

Many of you here might have read the biography and if you haven’t read it, you must read it! It is very good to read it over and over, especially if you are concerned about practicing the holy Dharma. Also when you have huge mind problems, when your mind is confused and there are problems in your life. To read Dharma books on thought-training and the biographies of the great yogis at those times becomes nectar to purify and cut off the problems. It gives inspiration and destroys laziness.

Although Milarepa requested Lama Marpa to give him both teachings and food, Lama Marpa didn’t gave him teachings—only jobs, work, only hard times—like building a nine-storied house all by himself. Milarepa was alone, without any porters or laborers, only himself alone. Alone, he built houses, and then took them apart and put the stones back in the place they had come from. Then again he erected them—three times like this. He carried stones until the skin on his back was full of wounds and turned blue. In spite of that, still he kept carrying stones and building houses, three times. And all this time there were no sweet words, like Lama Marpa saying, “Thank you very much for doing such an incredible job.” There are no such sweet words of thanks, or complimenting, only scolding and beating all the time. When Milarepa came to initiations that Lama Marpa was giving to other people, as soon as Marpa saw him among the people he would kick him out of the initiation, scolding him strongly, saying, “Why did you come here?” He was kicked out when he tried to get in so many times when Lama Marpa gave initiations to other people. For many years there was only scolding. However, Lama Marpa’s secret wisdom mother couldn’t stand it that for so many years Milarepa didn’t receive teachings, and that he received nothing but hard work and scolding. So, quietly, Lama Marpa’s secret mother sent him to another lama, one of Lama Marpa’s disciples, without telling Lama Marpa, without permission from Marpa. Milarepa stayed for some time at the feet of Lama Ngokpa, taking teachings, but no good signs happened during that time, no realizations, nothing, not even a good sign in a dream happened, because he had not gotten permission from Lama Marpa.

All these scoldings were actually advice for Milarepa. All these scoldings and beatings, all this hard work, were actually a method of great purification. Al these were preliminary practices before giving the initiations, like four hundred thousand Vajrasattva mantras, four hundred thousand mandala offerings, refuge, and guru yoga—doing four hundred thousand mantras and requesting prayers—all the preliminaries that in those days yogis like Lama Marpa, Naropa, and those very highly fortunate beings did. So much purification was done by Milarepa during that time, and when he became a receptacle, Lama Marpa transformed the whole mandala. He didn’t have to draw the mandala or create the mandala with pictures, for he himself was an enlightened being, a buddha, the deity Hevajra. Even though in ordinary view he looked like an ordinary person, a married man, in fact he had completed all the realizations, not having the slightest stain. Lama Marpa transformed the whole inner mandala in space and then Milarepa was initiated by him. Then he gave Milarepa much profound advice from the teachings, and finally Milarepa was advised to go the mountains and live in a solitary place in order to generate realizations and complete the path.

No matter how hard a time Marpa gave him, not giving teachings for so many years, from Milarepa’s side there was no such thing as getting angry or as experiencing rising heresy toward Marpa. Through bearing many hardships and being perfectly devoted to the virtuous friend, Marpa, Milarepa became enlightened in that very brief lifetime of this degenerate age.

Similarly, Naropa performed twelve great hardships or austerities, almost dying from the experiences. Then he did twelve small austerities. (This was the same as Milarepa, he also did all those preliminaries.) When Naropa was following Tilopa, all the time, wherever they went and whatever happened, heresy, anger, or bad thoughts never arose toward Tilopa. He asked for teachings all the time. After many years of experiencing these austerities, one day they stopped by a sand-ground. Naropa requested Tilopa to give teachings. Tilopa told Naropa to make mandala offerings. (This is what I have seen in the biography.) There was no water so Naropa made peepee on the sand and made the sand into the shape of the mandala. Then they made mandala offerings, visualizing the whole mandala. Tilopa took the sand from the mandala offering and threw it at Naropa’s face. Then Tilopa told Naropa to look into space. Tilopa transformed the whole mandala of Heruka in space and then Naropa was initiated into the mandala. Then Tilopa gave many profound, secret teachings.

When Naropa saw Tilopa the first time he was very skinny. He did not have a long, white beard and was not well-dressed, not like that. He was very simple, just like any Indian who is skinny. Even after Milarepa had become enlightened he was very skinny, and kind of very green-looking from the outside. Ordinary people saw him was as someone very skinny, very green, and with no clothes. He had a bare body and that holy body had turned into a kind of green color. You could not put together what you had heard about the qualities of Milarepa’s holy actions and the achievements that he had and what you actually saw when you met Milarepa’s holy body. You couldn’t imagine how it was possible, you couldn’t figure it out. But when you actually saw him, his aspect was like that.

One Bonpa was trying to compete with the great yogi Milarepa. He had heard so much about him and his disciple Rechungpa, about their holy actions and their achievements: they were so far-famed. But when he actually saw Milarepa’s holy body, he didn’t see anything special. He saw a completely bare body with a greenish color. The holy body was skinny, as if it could have been easily blown away by the wind. And he had no shame—everything was out, with no cover, not even pants covering himself. Anyway, no shame. This is what the Bonpa said, “Before I saw Milarepa, I was told that he was so famous, a great enlightened being, a great yogi; but when I actually saw him, this is what I saw—so no surprise.” There are so many stories about the great yogis, actually enlightened beings, who according to ordinary view were doing various evil actions. To those who have impure view, whose impure karmic obscurations are not purified, they seem to be very evil actions. There are so many stories from the lives of the great Indian and Tibetan yogis, such as Tilopa catching fish and then frying and eating them. All this is actually guiding. It is not like when a person is very sick and there is no medicine to give, and then if the person’s disease doesn’t stop maybe one thinks it is better for him to die, so one gives him medicine to die. A big injection or whatever. And the person who is doing the killing has no ability to guide the being’s consciousness to enlightenment—there is no responsibility taken in regard to guiding the consciousness to a better rebirth. With the great yogis, even if the creature that is being killed is a real creature, they are able to transfer the consciousness into a realm. They are able to lead it to the state of omniscient mind. It is a particular way, one method of guiding particular sentient beings whom that method suits.

A highly realized yogi of Vajrabhairava and Yamantaka who completed the path of the realizations of the secret mantra one day went to see His Holiness the Thirteenth Dalai Lama. That great yogi’s name was Serkong Dorje Chang. I don’t remember about his earlier life, but in later life he wasn’t a monk, having the secret mother. Serkong Dorje Chang one day visited His Holiness the Thirteenth Dalai Lama. When he entered His Holiness’s room, this great yogi Serkong Dorje Chang saw His Holiness in an aspect of Chenrezig, the compassionate-eye looking buddha, called sem.nyi.nyal.so. This is one particular aspect of Chenrezig: the holy body is white, the right hand is holding a lotus, and the left is resting on the moon seat. The position of the legs are the same as Tara.

In Tibetan there are many high lamas like that, who have very thin karmic obscurations and mind pollution; who, when they go to see their gurus, the high lamas, see them as the deity that they practice.

There is one Indian monk who maybe was ordained by His Holiness. He was a very rich person who had many companies and factories. Somehow, after hearing and meeting His Holiness, after listening to His Holiness’s teachings, he gave everything to his family—the factories and everything. Since then, he stayed around and traveled close to His Holiness. Each time he receives blessings from His Holiness, each time he gets His Holiness’s palm over his head, he is in bliss for seven days. His himself has unbelievable, unshakeable, incredible devotion to His Holiness. He had many experiences. This is dependent on individual karma.

So I stop here.

I didn’t mean to talk so much on the part of the guru. The main subject is anger and patience. That is the main subject I want to amplify a little bit. I thought it was very important because we have to apply it many times even in one day, like we have to take medicine many times a day. Each time the pain comes we have to take medicine, tranquilizers or whatever. This is similar, but patience is more important than medicine, much more, it is extremely important. Somehow, the conversation unexpectedly ran out, so just to finish this off—whether the guru from his side is an enlightened being or not, the advantages of devoting oneself to the guru are definite. Since the relationship, the Dharma contact, has been made, the advantages and shortcomings that are explained in the sutra teachings and in the commentaries by Tibetan lamas, the shortcoming and advantages of making mistakes or devoting oneself to and relying properly upon the guru are definite. Whether the guru from his side is Buddha or not, the benefits and advantages one receives once the connection has been made, or the problems and shortcomings that one will experience by making mistakes, are definite. There is no other way, as this is dependent arising. There are the eight advantages toward swiftly achieving omniscient mind that one receives, which are explained in the teachings. These eight advantages are definite—the result is definite, arising from the cause of perfectly devoting oneself to the guru and relying upon him correctly. The shortcomings of the mistakes are also definite. That happens even if the guru himself from his side is not an enlightened being. One is definitely going to experience problems and shortcomings if one makes mistakes. The shortcomings explained in the teachings are definite, for they happen because of dependent arising.

You can experience it in this life. If you made mistakes or did good, you experience, you can see the result in this life. It doesn’t take one month, one year before one can start to see definitely the advantages, and also the shortcomings if one made mistakes. If you check with your own experience you can discover it. There are benefits that are experienced and there are shortcomings experienced, so it is for sure. It is definite as good karma resulting in happiness.

It doesn’t matter whether the guru from his side is an enlightened being or not. Since the connection has been made, the main responsibility is to think of one’s own profit. Since one doesn’t want loss, but only the highest profit, the omniscient mind, to be able to work for sentient beings, one devotes oneself to the guru the way Buddha explains in the teachings. You have to study, you have to understand what Buddha explained, and then you know how to follow the explanation.

I stop here.

6 December, pm

I mentioned last night that one receives the eight advantages by devoting oneself correctly to the guru, and one receives the eight shortcomings by following the guru incorrectly after one has made Dharma contact with him, the guru-disciple relationship. This relationship exists even if one has only received the oral transmission of one mantra of three or six syllables, or even just five syllables of the alphabet taught by the virtuous teacher.

From the side of the guru, it doesn’t matter whether he is enlightened or not, one still receives the eight advantages, being close to enlightenment and pleasing all the buddhas. One doesn’t get overwhelmed or hunted by the maras, the evil friends; one doesn’t fall into the lower realms; all one’s realizations increase, while all disturbing thoughts and negative karmas, the evil characteristics, naturally cease. The shortcomings are that the realizations, or the good qualities that one had before, degenerate, and one is unable to generate those that one has not already generated. Even in this life, one is always harmed by disease. One receives many harms like disease from spirits. Even my present problems I can relate to past incorrect practice. That is what I see every day. It is like this, it is dependent arising.

For example, if a person has a goiter, it happened due to dependent arising. Because it is dependent arising it happened. If a person is sick, that happened due to dependent arising. Maybe a person for some reason wishes to be sick because there is something he doesn’t want to do, like going into the army. So he wants to get sick. He wants to have some disease showing on his X-ray, but even though the person may wish it, he is still not going to experience it—that is because it is not dependent arising. If a person has a very beautiful body he has that because it is dependent arising. Maybe another person sees his own body as very ugly and wishes it to be beautiful, but even though he wishes this he doesn’t get such a body, it doesn’t happen. That is because for that person a beautiful body is not dependent arising.

Why does this flower have a shape like this? This flower is kind of wrapped around itself. Why are other flowers in the shape of leaves with such a form and such a color? All these different figures and shapes happened because their nature is emptiness. They are empty of independence, so they are dependent. Similarly, butterflies have all these different colors, these different, very fine designs, the various fine colors and the marking of the designs, all these things. Why are there flowers of various types? And why do the butterflies’ wings have various kinds of figures? Similarly in art, the drawings of various figures and things come together like this, are gathered like this.

The reason is that if their nature had not been empty of being independent they could not have existed. Without depending on causes and conditions, and on the karma of the sentient beings who enjoy those things, those various types of fruit could not exist.

In different countries there are different types of vegetables growing. In some countries there is not much growing, while in other countries there is so much growing that even in the forests one can find so many plants and fruits. This is similar to the example I gave about the handicapped child. The child’s condition is dependent on the physical condition of the egg, and having a complete body depends on how perfect and complete the atoms are. However, that is not the final answer. The physical cause is not the final answer, or the only explanation.

As I mentioned in that example, it is similar with these things. The same question arises. Why aren’t there the physical conditions for growing certain things in one place? Why shouldn’t there be? Why shouldn’t there be the physical conditions here for whatever grows in other countries? Why aren’t they growing here? We go back to the root.

The Western scientists always talk about and relate to physical evolution, always going back to the physical evolution—that which they can check through machines, that which can be the object of the eye. It is not so much the object of realizations, received through the development of the mind and by decreasing the mind’s pollution. It does not depend on the knowledge and realizations that come from accumulating merit and purifying the pollution of the mind.

However, going back to the very root of the physical conditions, whether you are talking about atoms or whatever you are talking about, the whole thing, why isn’t it here? Why isn’t the whole earth the same? Why doesn’t the whole country have the same earth, the same minerals, or the same physical conditions? Why don’t all places have the same power to grow things, why shouldn’t all places be the same? If you relate it way back to the evolution of the earth, even if you go back to the atoms, still the same question arises.

I think the scientists, the biologists or whatever, say that things like tables disintegrate into atoms; then after some time the atoms come together, but the atoms are permanent. I discussed this with, I think, a very educated person. Anyway, he had studied, he was quite intelligent. So we tried to debate. He lives in Bangkok and studied in America or somewhere. He had his own reasoning, so we went back to the physical evolution. He was saying that everything disintegrates onto atoms and that the atoms are permanent. After the atoms are gathered together they become the house and the table, like this. He was quite interesting. Our school teacher, the one who takes care of the monks together with Lama Lhundrup, tried to debate, but he couldn’t change the other person’s answer. I don’t remember the debate exactly, but at some point the teacher asked, “Is that atom a creation or not? Then who created it?” At some point he couldn’t say “Yes” or “No;” I don’t remember the details.

However, nowadays the scientists, checking further, can see that even the atoms have many particles, and that each particle has many particles, like that. They have not yet finished their discoveries, they have not achieved their omniscient mind. They are in the process of development.

I have heard that the scientists also go to the mountains to meditate. They call it “giving up the world.” They leave the city and go to the very high mountains. They call it “leaving the world.” They go to the very high mountains where the government or whatever has built a kind of retreat place. They go there and then each person thinks. I think these people are the astronauts, that group. Those who in the world are regarded as the top people. There is nobody who can teach them anything. They are the top teachers, so there is nobody, no other teacher in the world who can teach them anything. They have nothing to learn from others. Then they think. They keep silence in their own rooms, and sometimes in the break periods they go for walks. Afterwards they meet, and each person has a different idea. Through thinking and thinking, some idea has come and then they correct each other saying, “That is not right,” this and that. I think they find going to the mountains and keeping quiet very useful.

Nowadays, the scientists are checking further and further. From what I heard they are making continuous outside observations, checking the external phenomena, in laboratories and so on. And the more they check, as the expert scientists check deeper and deeper, it comes closer and closer to the BuddhaDharma.

In Tibetan Buddhism there are four schools. You may have seen the book translated by our teacher, Geshe Sopa Rinpoche, “The Practice and Theory of Tibetan Buddhism.” With the fourth, the Prasangika view, the discovery becomes more and more subtle. The understanding becomes more and more fine as they check more deeply how things, or atoms, are of an impermanent nature. There is one interesting question, however, that they can’t resolve due to a lack of understanding. It is a lack of understanding of the conventional truth of a lack or realizing absolute truth, not realizing that things are empty or independent of true existence. There is one thing, but I don’t remember exactly.

If the experts, the scientists who make very fine, detailed discoveries, were to study the BuddhaDharma’s views, the philosophical teachings, their questions would be answered. If they studied the logic of the Madhyamaka teachings, which explain the two truths—conventional and ultimate truth—elaborately, if, together with their science, they studied the five great treatises, doing their work of studying and checking together, I think the problem of their work would be solved. Each time they check the previous theories that they have been taught, they have found that there were mistakes; each time they checked they would get a better understanding. Then certain things appeared that they couldn’t understand. The BuddhaDharma helps solve a lot of problems, a lot of blocks and ignorance that can’t explain things correctly, with a hundred percent confidence, with clear and complete understanding. In that way, the investigation of external phenomena would combine with the study of the extensive philosophies of the BuddhaDharma, and all the Buddha’s teachings for the mind, Buddhist psychology. Their discoveries and the study of the outside world would help to solve the problems of the mind.

However, inner phenomena are much more extensive. If one compares external and internal phenomena, the inside phenomena are much deeper. As long as one is ignorant about them, as long as one never tries to realize inner phenomena, their nature and their evolution, there will not be any development and there will not be any change. And then there is no peace.

No matter how many different languages of this world you speak, no matter how much you study to find out how many people on this earth have goiters, how many blind people there are on this earth, or how many mushrooms are growing in the mountains, it will bring no peace to the mind. No matter how much you study numbers and remember the names of existences, no matter how much you study outside phenomena, still there is no peace. No matter how much you are able to talk about, how many things you can mention, memorizing in your mind for months and months, years and years, in regard to your peace of mind, there is no change, not one single benefit for your peace of mind.

You see, if you perform in a circus you have to have a flexible body. The mind alone can’t make the body flexible. The body has to be trained. It is the same thing with our peace of mind. Making the body flexible by doing exercises will only benefit the body. It won’t be a cause for the mind to be subdued, or for oneself to achieve the state of omniscient mind. That alone won’t diminish or cease the anger and attachment, the dissatisfied mind and disturbing thoughts. The work achieving peace of mind—the cessation of anger and dissatisfactory minds of attachment and ignorance—that work has to be done by the mind. It can be achieved through the training of one’s mind, there is no other way to achieve peace of mind.

If you study in order to establish peace of mind of yourself and others, is the study of external phenomena much more important than that of the internal? The inside, the inner phenomena are much more important. Also, internal changes are much more important than outer changes.

Since I have started the conversation, let’s go back to the atoms. Maybe you think it is all the fault of the atoms. Maybe you are going to say that certain things grow here because certain atoms gathered. In some places there are so many plants growing, and in some places less, and that is because of the atoms. If one refers the cause back to the very original one, the formation of the atoms, saying that it is due to the different types of atoms, then again the same question arises: Why is it? It is the same thing. Maybe one says, “Because of time,” or “That’s the way it is, that’s all. There is nothing deeper to look for. It is because of time, that’s the way it is.”

All these butterflies and plants, with their different and incredible details, figures, and shapes are so very beautiful. Each flower is different, their decorations and shapes are unbelievable. If you check where different flowers are growing, if you check each one, you’ll see how some have so many details and different shapes. Very interesting, unbelievable. Some look as though they have minds, having intentionally, purposefully grown into that shape. Not only having many petals, but different levels of petals and different shapes.

The reason that all these things are different is that their nature is empty of being independent. They are dependent on the physical conditions preceding them, dependent on the minerals and all those things, as well as on the karma of sentient beings. If there are tiny creatures living on plants for their food, or if they were born inside a flower, that is also related to their karma.

When we see a beautiful flower the mind is kind of happy. When we see a dead or an ugly one we don’t have a happy mind, it is like seeing garbage. The beautiful flowers that make us happy when we see them, and all that in our view is enjoyable, are the creation of our mind. Enjoyment in the form of an object of the eye sense, that which is related to a nice appearance, like the pleasant shape of a flower, is the creation of the mind of the person who sees it. It is the creation of his virtuous thought, of his accumulated virtuous karma. You see, without the view of that beautiful flower, there is no way for the mind to enjoy it. There is no way for the mind to be happy while enjoying the flower. Without the view there is no way to enjoy the flower. Appearances have to do with the mind. The appearance does not have to do with the tree, for instance. What is the appearance of the tree? What is the appearance of the rock? We can’t say such a thing. But there is an appearance to our senses, there is an appearance to our mind. To living beings there is an appearance. It is merely related to the mind, it is view. Without the view of the beautiful flower, there is no way to enjoy that beautiful flower. The view is related to the mind, the creator of the view is the mind. The view came from the mind. The view can’t come from the flower, the view came from the mind.

That is why the same person in the same position and in the same place sometimes seems beautiful and sometimes ugly. When you think of something good that somebody else did, by thinking of that, you see that person in beauty, as warm. You feel closer to him and see him in the aspect of beauty. But when you stop thinking of the kindness of that person and instead start thinking about how he gave terrible harm in the past then, with those reasons, you see him in a different way, in ugliness. Even today, when a person disturbs and harms you, if you think of how kind that enemy is in harming you, your view of him will change. By thinking of many reasons, like, “By giving me harm and by treating me badly, he is helping me,” by looking at it as help to develop and practice patience, even within a minute, there are two different views of the same person. When you look at his harm as help for you to develop patience on the path to enlightenment, you see him as very warm, in the aspect of beauty, as very kind. You see how the view doesn’t come from the object, the view is the creation of one’s own mind. Otherwise, if it came from the object, the object would not change, it would still be harming and your view would not change, now matter how much you thought of the different reasons.

The conclusion is that all these things are dependent arising, empty of independence. When you hear that, it means dependent arising. It is similar with making prostrations, making water offerings, and all those things. Since they are offered to Buddha, since the object is Buddha, the enlightened being, by the power of the holy object all these actions become virtue, even if there was no virtuous motive. It is like the fire has to burn things—why the fire burns and is able to burn garbage and cook food. The actions of making prostrations, the respectful actions, like making light-offerings to holy objects that are on one’s altar or visualized, are like these examples. As long as they are done toward the enlightened beings, the actions become virtue, even though the motive may not have been virtuous. Through depending on the object, the actions become virtue. Because we made the fire it burns—the fire has that power, that nature. It is similar.

I think I stop here.

7 December, am

Please listen to the teachings etc.

It is very important to really check with a straight, uncurving mind whether it is more important to dedicate my life to myself and my happiness, or dedicate my life to the happiness of other sentient beings. Which is more important? Really think from the heart. I think this is such an incredibly important, precious time to check and to really observe from the depths of the heart. If one has understanding of lam-rim, of what the Buddha explained, one knows how important it is.

As the great Bodhisattva Shantideva explained in the Bodhicaryavatara, “All happiness arises from wishing happiness for others, while all suffering arises from wishing happiness for the self. There is no need to say much, just look at the difference! The child works for himself, the mighty ones look for others. Look at the difference between the two!” Clarifying this: we, who from beginningless rebirths until now have been working and working for the self, are “the child.” Because of that we are still going through the circle of death and rebirth, old age and disease, and all those things—we have so many other hundreds and hundreds of problems. Still they have not ceased, we are still experiencing them over and over again. Due to ignorance, we are unable to remember the beginningless rebirths and beginningless sufferings of samsara. For the mind that is unable to remember the past experiences of the same things, the present sufferings and the samsaric pleasures appear to be experienced for the first time.

The methods that one has so far been applying for eliminating the suffering and obtaining happiness have been external methods. We have been trying to solve the problems from outside, from the surroundings, by gathering the external factors. We can’t recall that we have been trying these external methods since beginningless samsaric rebirths. Numberless times we tried these methods, but we can’t remember, so we believe that this is the first time, this is the only time we tried these methods.

He who has no Dharma wisdom, who has no inner development, who doesn’t have the fortune to have faith in the teachings of the Buddha, a person like that thinks external methods are the only solution, that there is no other way to solve the problems and to obtain happiness.

We have been trying these methods that we are using now since beginningless rebirths, and still the work is not ended—this work of trying to solve our problems from outside. Our wish is to completely solve the problem in order never to have to experience it again—the wish is like that. Whether the methods we use really work is another matter, but the wish is to have everlasting, ultimate happiness and not to experience problems and suffering at all. However, whether the method one knows, which one has found, completely fulfills this wish or not, is another matter.

Since there is no mind development, there are no realizations of Dharma wisdom. So the mind is polluted and obscured by ignorance. If whatever external method one has found works, then that is it; if it doesn’t work, then trying to obtain happiness and to solve problems is finished, there is no method. Since one is deeply ignorant of the nature of the mind, of the absolute and conventional truth of the mind, and since one is deeply ignorant of the inner methods for developing this knowledge, one has to try whatever is available in that country. As from one’s own side there is no knowledge, one has got to try whatever is available, whether it is something beneficial or not, whether it is a skillful method or not. So if that doesn’t work, doesn’t benefit, doesn’t do anything, the method is finished. One has to suffer whatever problems one has. Similarly, when a person has some physical sicknesses, if the tablets work, that’s it, but if they don’t work there is no other solution. There is no other way, no other method to be tried from one’s own side.

Even a doubt about the root of these undesirable problems that come again and again does not arise. There is not even a doubt, not even a question about the root of these problems.

The mighty ones, the buddhas, like Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, have completely renounced the self and are cherishing only others through the development of having generated the great compassion covering all sentient beings, and through training the mind in loving kindness. For three countless great eons, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, numberless times, with much hardship, made charity of his own life to others in order for them to have temporal happiness, and by that to make the Dharma connection. Guru Shakyamuni Buddha himself dedicated the merits, praying that those sentient beings, humans, spirits, or wild animals to whom he gave his holy body as charity would be reborn as human beings and become his disciples so that he could reveal the holy Dharma to them. Like this, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha led uncountable numbers of sentient beings into enlightenment, into temporal and ultimate happiness. After bringing them into temporal happiness, from there he led them to the ultimate happiness.

Guru Shakyamuni Buddha followed the bodhisattva’s path by accumulating extensive merits and doing purification for three countless great eons, with much hardship. He did not only benefit uncountable numbers of sentient beings while he was a bodhisattva, but also after he become enlightened. With bodhicitta, renouncing the self and cherishing others, he finished the work of accumulating the two types of merit—the merit of fortune and the merit of wisdom. Through the remedy, the path, he removed completely all obscurations, achieving omniscience, the perfect power. In the past, an uncountable number of sentient beings were guided and led from the lower realms into the realms of the happy transmigrating beings. From there he led them to nirvana and enlightenment. Even now Guru Shakyamuni Buddha is teaching, and guiding uncountable numbers of sentient beings from the lower realms to the bodies of the happy transmigrating beings, guiding them, bringing them to enlightenment.

Even though present sentient beings can’t see Guru Shakyamuni Buddha himself in that aspect of Buddha, he is guiding us by appearing in various forms—as a vajra guru giving vajra initiations, or as an abbot granting ordination; as a virtuous teacher giving oral transmissions and commentaries, or teaching the alphabet. He may appear in the form of a monk, in the form of a layperson, in the form of a king, in the form of a minister, in the form of a crazy person, in the form of a spirit, in the form of a beggar, or even in the form of a prostitute. He may appear in the form of a person having great attachment, or in the form of a person showing the aspect of great anger; or even in the form of animals—in various forms and aspects. Even to guide one sentient being at different times, according to the level of that being’s mind, he will appear in different forms. He is guiding sentient beings in whatever way fits them. He reveals the teachings to those whose minds are suitable, who have reached the level where the teaching can be revealed to them.

There are so many stories in Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s biography, telling of the qualities and powers of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, of his skillful methods guiding sentient beings on the path of refuge. In the commentaries on refuge, in the teachings of the graduated path to enlightenment, and in the various texts of the sutra teachings, there are so many stories about Guru Shakyamuni Buddha manifesting in different forms, guiding sentient beings. In the commentaries and teachings on how to devote oneself to the guru, there are so many explanations, so many stories. Like quotations of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha himself saying, “I will manifest in this and that form” and also actual stories. These are very useful and effective for the mind to quickly generate the realization of refuge, and to see the guru in the essence of Buddha, the realization of the guru yoga meditation.

Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s life stories are extensively explained in the sutra teachings. In the past, Guru Shakyamuni was the bodhisattva, the wheel-turning king with the holy name of “The Rim of the Spoke.” I think his father was Brahma (Brahma maybe is not right) and a sage, the Atom of the Ocean. (I think that is the name, I am not a hundred percent sure). That bodhisattva, the wheel-turning king, had a thousand sons. Each of these sons made prayers in front of the buddha, Rinpoche Nyingpo, to guide sentient beings in the future during different time periods of the various worlds of sentient beings. Each of the bodhisattva’s sons made prayers in front of Buddha Rinchen Nyingpo in order to be able to subdue sentient beings. Each one pointed to a different world of sentient beings as their chosen object to be subdued. They made vows, praying in front of Rinchen Nyingpo, to subdue and to do the works for sentient beings.

This era, of the hundred years’ age, this degenerate time when the five degenerations are flourishing, are exploding—this era was left out. The sentient beings who are living during this time period, the present degenerated sentient beings, were left out. No one chose them, except Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, in his past life as the bodhisattva, the wheel-turning king with the name "The Rim of the Spoke.” All the others chose sentient beings of other eras. The sentient beings of this era, the time of the hundred years’ age, were left out because it is so difficult to subdue them. Their minds are so ignorant and so vicious that it is extremely difficult to subdue and to do the works for these sentient beings. The others didn’t point to them, as they were unable to accept doing the work of subduing these sentient beings. But Guru Shakyamuni Buddha in his past life as the bodhisattva, the wheel-turning king, saw that the sentient beings of the era when the five degenerations were extremely flourishing were left out; those sentient beings who were extremely difficult to subdue were left out. So he made five hundred prayers with an incredibly brave and altruistic will, with the incredibly brave mind of bodhicitta renouncing the self and cherishing others, feeling that he couldn’t stand, couldn’t bear the suffering of these beings, feeling it to be so unbearable. So he made five hundred prayers in front of the Buddha Rinchen Nyingpo, praying, “When this hundred years’ age comes, when the extremely degenerated era happens, may those sentient beings who are extremely difficult to subdue be subdued by me.” He made five hundred prayers like this.

The sentient beings that the thousand buddhas of the fortunate eon promised to subdue when they were bodhisattvas were sentient beings of fortunate, easy times; but these were beings whose minds were incredibly, deeply ignorant, so stubborn, so solid, so hard. Those who live during the fortunate times, when the five degenerations are not flourishing, are not like that. But Guru Shakyamuni Buddha pointed to these beings, and made a vow in front of Rinchen Nyingpo to subdue these extremely difficult sentient beings of this era, who exist when the five degenerations are flourishing in the extreme. For their minds, which are so unbelievably, deeply ignorant, it is incredibly difficult to understand and to have faith in karma or shunyata, while the delusions and disturbing thoughts are rushing so powerfully—like waterfalls, like rainfall. They have such short lives—and there is a lot of fighting, more and more fighting, a lot of famines, and every day new contagious diseases appear. There are so many famines and wars, and their minds are so stubborn and so hard to subdue.

Guru Shakyamuni Buddha made the vow to subdue these beings. He pointed them out as his particular object to be subdued. Even though we don’t see Guru Shakyamuni’s way of guiding us, although we don’t see Guru Shakyamuni Buddha in that aspect, he left the teachings as a good example. He revealed his experiences that we are hearing about, which we are studying and also trying to put into action. When we put the teachings into action, and when we understand them, even the temporal problems of everyday life are cut off. We are able to plant many seeds and make much preparation for achieving enlightenment for the benefit of sentient beings. The more we practice, the more we understand, and the more solutions appear; there is more and more peace in our minds. The past experiences that one can identify with as having been guided from the sufferings of samsara and from all obscurations are how Guru Shakyamuni Buddha has been guiding us.

Guru Shakyamuni Buddha made five hundred prayers, he made the vow in front of Buddha to subdue the sentient beings of the degenerate time. Those sentient beings are us. We are the sentient beings of the era of the hundred years. We are among those sentient beings whom Guru Shakyamuni promised to guide, for whom he made five hundred prayers. There are many quotations in the sutra teachings showing that he has manifested in various forms, in order to guide sentient beings according to whatever method fits them.

Even though we don’t see Guru Shakyamuni Buddha in the aspect of buddha, there is definitely Guru Shakyamuni Buddha in an ordinary aspect that we are able to see, who is communicating with and guiding us in different ways. Sometimes he gives material help, sometimes he gives teachings or advice—he helps in different ways.

In the biographies there are many stories from the arhat’s small path. For example there is the one about the king who had the greatest, most incredible pride, and who played the violin and who was subdued by Guru Shakyamuni Buddha. Or the one about the old man who achieved arhatship after the age of eighty. He practiced Dharma and became an arhat, and he was subdued by Guru Shakyamuni Buddha. There are many stories like these. Whenever the time is right, when a person has so many worries, when he is crying, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, as he is always working for the suffering sentient beings, suddenly stands in front of that person asking, “What happened? What is wrong with you?” Then the person explains all his problems, and Guru Shakyamuni Buddha explains the method, what to do. Like this, so many sentient beings have been guided, achieving arhatship and becoming enlightened.

The old students have heard these stories many times before. In some of these stories that we’ve heard and in others that we have not heard, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha appears in a place—although he is not actually there, but staying somewhere else. No matter how far it is, how distant, suddenly he appears and guides that person, for example as when Guru Shakyamuni was guiding his cousin or younger brother, who had incredible, unbelievable attachment. He couldn’t be separated from his wife for even one minute. Whenever the time is suitable Guru Shakyamuni Buddha is there in front of that person to guide him.

If Guru Shakyamuni Buddha guides animals, then why not us, the human beings, who have met and who are practicing the BuddhaDharma? Why not? As to that, there is no question. Since we can’t see him in the aspect of Buddha, he definitely has to be there in an ordinary aspect that we are able to see, an aspect that is suitable for our minds and guides us into merit. These stories are helpful for guru yoga realizations.

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