…what this great bodhisattva, this holy being, he's saying so this is useless, completely nonsense, in other words, ridiculous or nonsense, useless. So if there's a solution, do it [slaps hands]. That which cuts the problem. If it's something that which one can manage, do it.

And then, even it is something that you cannot cut off, even the situation is something that you cannot cut off, you cannot manage, for example, this house, this Tara House to become gold, you see, or diamond, and this is not happening, then, this is unmanageable, or the sky to be the earth, so, this one cannot make, so the last one Shantideva said, if one cannot cut, if it cannot be cut off, then what is the benefit is there to be unhappy. Even it cannot be cut off, what use is there to be unhappy.

So example like this, so the Tara House, this building cannot make into gold or diamond or the whole sky to become earth, one cannot manage this. So then, because one cannot manage this, then being upset, being worried, it doesn't help anything. Same thing, death and so forth, whatever the problem, [pause] that the friend left oneself, the friend dropped you, the friend went away with somebody else, left oneself, or something that, sicknesses or anything that which has no medicine, any medical states, there's no point to be, even something like this, no point, something that one has to go through and finish, no point, no use, no benefit to be unhappy. So, which means accepting the condition, which means, rather rejecting, then accepting that. [pause]

So I don't remember, maybe I mentioned, I don't remember, that, when I listening in the radio, in Adelaide, during the retreat in the afternoon, so, one afternoon program was on depression. So one lady from Sydney or Melbourne, I don't remember, I think maybe one psychologist, I think her philosophy must be quite different from others, sounds like something special or controversy or some, so, she mentioned in the radio that, her main advice was to accept the depression rather than rejecting. So she said, I am deserved this, I am deserved the depression, because I am weak. So, accepting depression was her very essence, her main advice, the essential advice. So I think she wrote, seems like she wrote a few books on depression, but she said that, rest is just references, but this is kind of her essential philosophy or method. [pause]

So, that means she's quite intelligent and she analyzed many other methods and she found out that, it looks like she analyzed many other methods and maybe they don't really work much, benefit much. And it seems rather rejecting, to adapt or to accept, rather rejecting, to accept, I think it's controversy, the complete opposite, in other words, the self-cherishing thought, the selfish mind doesn't want depression, want to be free from depression, but here now, it's completely opposite, accepting that, the depression. So, I think it's quite a big change, to come to this point. This is similar what is here in thought transformation, the meditation practice. So for her to come to this point is quite a big change in regards concept. Rather rejecting, to accept.

However she must have analyzed that by accepting, it cuts down the emotional problems, all the worry, fears, makes the life more quiet, more peaceful. But only thing what is not mentioned there is how to manage, okay, now, today, this month, or today's depression you accept. But what about all the future depressions. Now the second question is, then, is there any solution to not experience depression at all in the future? So, you see, the answer to that question is not there, that how should one manage to never experience at all the depression? So, that ultimate answer or ultimate solution, so that is missing. First one is good.

So however, so like that. [pause] So this is one good to think, to stop the thought that looking only the problem, the miserable condition only looking problem, to stop this.

So, [pause] if one get habituated with the thought, looking, interpreting the life situation as a problem, the miserable conditions, looking at it only problem, only suffering, so, then, even very minor, very, very small, such tiny things, the undesirable conditions, even insignificant or small matters, they become huge problem. The other way, if one stop the thought that which interpreted the life as a problem, bad situation as a problem, or looking at the miserable condition as only a problem, then, looking at it as pleasant or happiness, then even the huge problems, even the huge disasters, problems, even they become so small problem, like cotton, they become so light, nothing heavy in the mind, nothing great, nothing heavy, nothing big stress, nothing heavy, that become so light, like cotton.

So like this, so now the next one is then, how to establish the thought, to see the problem as pleasant, happiness, how to establish that thought, the miserable conditions to look at them as pleasant, happiness and, so when that happens, then the thought liking to that it naturally happens. So, to do that, to see the problem as happiness, to appear as happiness and to establish thought of like, then, one has to meditate on the benefits of the problems, the way to do that. [pause]

So first of all, it brings joy because the problem makes to, helps you to develop the path, the wisdom and method, that which makes you to be completely free from the whole entire cause of the sufferings and whole entire sufferings, all three levels of problems which I mentioned the other day, so completely free from all these, by generating the path. So the path removes the imprint, purifies the imprint, and the seed of the disturbing thoughts, all the delusions, and then without delusions, there's no actions motivated by the delusions, so there's no cause of the sufferings. The whole obscurations is completely purified by developing the remedy of path. So then, in this way, one is able to bring everyone to the peerless happiness, full enlightenment. Able to perfectly guide everyone, so more and more, wisdom and method is developed, one is able to benefit others deeper and deeper, more and more profound, and greater and greater benefit.

So, because of that, so like this, because of these problems, so, we see the purpose to meditate, so for example, like that, that made to understand the importance of, because of the problem, the problem made us aware the importance to meditate, to develop the mind, so it's like that, simply way it's like that. So the problem is supporting to develop the path within oneself, so to look at it as a joy. It brings joy. So this way it appears as pleasant, as happiness, by thinking in this way, the benefits what you get from the problem, then it appears happiness.

Then, the problem makes, as Shantideva explained, this great bodhisattva, this saint, explained in the Guide to a Bodhisattva's Life, the upsetness eliminates arrogance, pride. Here talking about the benefits of the problems. Then, it develops compassion for the circling ones, that means the other living beings who are caught in this circling, this cycle, these defiled aggregates, that which creates future life aggregates, so these aggregates which are called samsara or cycle. So, also the problem makes to develop compassion for other living beings who are circling, who are caught in the suffering realm.

Then, so rises compassion towards those circling ones, then one becomes careful, the unwholesome actions, so one, the problem purifies, the problem becomes a purification, the unwholesome actions, negative karmas or unwholesome actions, the obscurations, then one becomes happy, one enjoys of the merit, the positive actions, the positive actions, and the positive attitude, one is inspired or one enjoys to practice these things. So forth, like this, there are many other benefits of the problems. [long pause]

So, but first, in order to appreciate, because the problem causes to develop compassion, so that is good, so because then appearing the problem as happiness, rather disturbing, it's helping. But to be able to see that, one has to realize how compassion is important, one has to feel that, how precious it is, how important it is. Otherwise if one doesn't feel that, if one doesn't realize, if one doesn't feel that, then one wouldn't appreciate, even though one hears, that the problem helps to generate compassion for others, one doesn't think that is so important. One may think it's good, but may not think that much important to practice.

So, for example, as I often say, while one is working in the office or while one is working in the family, having so many responsibilities in the family, or even while one is walking in the road, while one is traveling or while one is walking in the road, suddenly if one change one's own mind, that, remember purpose of one's own life, purpose of the life, purpose of my life is to free everyone from all the suffering and causes and to obtain happiness for all of them. Then, thinking, people who are in the shop, people who are traveling in the car, people who are passing, walking, coming and going, all, then, even animals who are around, so everybody, so, here, my life is to free everyone, every living being from all the suffering and causes, lead to, bring in happiness, this is the purpose of my life, so I'm here for everyone, I'm here to serve to everyone. So, even the people they don't have particular relation to you, harm or help, even they are stranger, however, immediately when one think, I am here for them, I exist for them, for all other sentient beings.

So as soon as one think of others, as soon as change the mind from thinking of oneself, concerning oneself, then to the thought concerning others, thinking of others, immediately [snaps fingers] when you do that, immediately, before there was uptightness, when you cherish yourself, when one think of only oneself, my happiness, when I can be free from my problems, when I can be happy, so at home or in the office or outside, so when one think of only oneself, cherishing oneself, the nature of that mind is not relaxed, uptight, there's tension there in the heart. Then when that tension becomes stronger, it becomes stress. So the stress has gross stress or subtle, different levels of stress. However, so there's tension there, tension in the heart. Because of that there's no relaxation or there's no peace in the heart.

So immediately [snaps fingers] the minute you change your mind, the minute one changes one's own mind, thinking of others, that one's own life, that I am here for others, so immediately, as soon as one cherish others, immediately the tension is released, the tension is gone, like having put oneself in the prison of the self-cherishing thought, immediately there's release and immediately one feel freedom, one feel free, in the heart one feel free, and much space, like immediately you come to a place where there's a lot of space. So immediately there's peace. So it makes big, and immediately there's happiness in the life. So that happened because the thought of benefiting others, cherishing other living beings.

So however, [pause] without good heart, compassion, then how much wealth one has, there is no enjoyment in the life, there's no peace in the heart. Then, how many people one made friend, then, how many friends one has, then there's no peace, happiness in the heart. Then how many people one made friend, soon they become enemy, sooner or later they become enemy. So, without compassion, then more, less, no friend, only enemy. Even one has friend, less friends, more enemies. However, even at home, for that person who has no compassion, very strong self-cherishing thought, even in the home, the family, even most family do not like, even they become enemy. So however, even same in the office, even one travel, same, whichever country, outside or inside, so however, like this, so how much, so stronger, less compassion there is so stronger self-cherishing thought there is, then stronger anger, the anger rises, those emotional minds rise very quickly and stronger, stronger anger, anger rises very easily and stronger. Same thing, the attachment, stronger, the dissatisfied mind rises very easily and stronger; jealous mind rises so easy and stronger, so all the things, so however, it makes the life, it brings so much unhappiness, so many problems within one's own life and causes so many problems to so many others' lives.

So however, so like this, then, if there's no compassion, no affection towards others, then, that is what brings also loneliness, depression, then all these many other problems. However, the relationship problems, all these things, so therefore, even for the peace of mind, happiness in one's own daily life, it becomes so important, becomes extremely important to have compassion.

Then, the most important, now the second thing, become extremely important to have compassion, there is need of compassion to all other living beings. First of all, within one's own life, even for one's own happiness, the compassion become the most important means of living, most important method to bring happiness, peace of mind, even concerning for one's own happiness.

Now, second thing, the compassion become extremely needed, the need to generate compassion within one's own mind become extremely important for the sake of all the living beings. So, how that is, so if one doesn't have compassion, then, out of self-cherishing thought then those other delusions rise, so it gives harm, starting from the family, the nearest people, nearest animal, nearest people, starting from that, then all the living beings they receive harm from oneself, directly or indirectly. For example, in this world, that one powerful person did not practice compassion, so killed many, many million people, killed so many millions of people…

[tape change]

…which is so much more than human beings who were killed, so if this one powerful person practiced compassion, then all these millions of people would not have been killed, would have happiness, they wouldn't have to be tortured, wouldn't receive the torture, wouldn't be killed. So, then, then all these rest of these animals, insects, uncountable number, wouldn't have suffered that additional suffering. So therefore if this one powerful person practiced compassion, all these rest of the beings, rest of the people would have received happiness from this person. But because this one powerful person did not practice compassion, so therefore all those number of people, millions of people, then uncountable numbers of animals, all these received harm.

So like this, same, each of us have the responsibility other living beings' happiness, each of us has the responsibility to obtain happiness for other living beings. That, as you can see this one powerful person is responsible, this many people, this many animals' happiness dependent on his mind, how that person does his mind, whether he practice compassion or not. So same, like that, exactly the same, so, if oneself practice compassion, so, starting from the nearest person or animal, from there, then, numberless other beings they don't receive harm from you, and so that is peace what they are receiving from you. And on top of that one help. So everyone they receive help or benefit from you. So that is one peace. The second thing, one peace they receive.

So, all this peace what they receive from you is dependent to you, depending on how each of us, how we do with our mind, whether we practice compassion or not. So if we do not practice compassion, then from life to life, then numberless other beings they receive harm, directly or indirectly, life to life. So, therefore, it's completely dependent to, all these numberless sentient beings, whether they receive harm from you or receive help from you, peace, so it's completely in one's own hands. So therefore, oneself is responsible all sentient beings' happiness, so that depends on compassion so therefore now, now we can see, how compassion is unbelievable important, precious, valuable, so important not only for oneself, but for every sentient being, for every other living being, especially for others, numberless beings, become utmost need, so important to generate and develop. So I stop here. [pause]

So then, this way one can see how the problem, when one see the compassion how important it is then the problem makes to develop compassion for others. Then can see in the positive, one can see the problem, the disease, so forth, positive, like that. So when one, same, that, when one, whatever problem that one has, then all others who have similar problem, one feel much compassion. If one has headache, then every others who have much headache, one feel the problem, so compassion naturally one has feeling of the other people. Same thing with these diseases, one feel very close to other people, because one knows the problem how it is, so then one feel, everyone who has the same problem, one feel very much to help them, to do something for them, particularly those who have the same problem. So that's the benefit of problems. But if you didn't have this problem before, if you didn't have this disease before, we wouldn't have that strong compassion for others who have similar problems, so this came, so feeling this compassion for others and that we are able to develop this compassion and able to do something to help others, developing thought to help others, so it came from, by having the problem. So like this, the benefits of the problems.

Yeah, so I stop here.

So please dedicate, all the past, present, future positive actions that I have done, may the altruism, source of all the happiness for myself, for all living beings, may it be generated within my mind, in the mind of all other living beings. Those who have, may it be developed.

Then dedicate the positive actions, all the merits that we accumulate to achieve the highest, the full enlightenment, and lead everyone to this state as quick as possible. 

Due to all these positive actions, the merit accumulated by me, past, present, future times, by others, may any sentient beings who hears me, who touches me, who remembers me, who talks about me, who thinks about me, since from that time may they never be reborn in unfortunate realms, may they be liberated, may they be free from, may they be liberated immediately from all the disease, spirit harms, negative karmas, obscurations, these four things.

[Dedication prayers in Tibetan]