So the oral transmission of Pabongka’s, what Pabongka expressed before in the, during the section of the meditation on impermanence and death, that very effective meditation or teaching on the nature of life, impermanence and death.

So this oral transmission I have received from Ribur Rinpoche, at Dharamsala, while Rinpoche was at Dharamsala.

“Ah, the hurt. Kind lama look to this pitiful one..."

The essential advice to give oneself, the heart advice, I guess.

“Keep it deep within your heart...you behold for the first time your own corpse.
This is going to happen to you.”

One time I was in South India, there was one Tibetan family, I knew them in Tibet, in Pagri where I lived three years. This Pagri is main business place, I think goods come from Lhasa and from Shigatse, where Tashi Lhunpo monastery is, Panchen Lama Rinpoche’s, from there. And from India comes cups, the tea cups, all those cups and tomatoes, those vegetables come from India, from Kalimpong. And from Bhutan the puffed rice and popcorn, puffed rice and then nuts, chilies, all those things come from Bhutan. There’s one section where Bhutanese they sell, anyway. So there are a few monasteries there. One is a, branches of Upper Tantric College and Lower Tantric College from Lhasa, then there’s branches of Tashi Lhunpo monastery, then there’s branches of the temple that belong to the Domo Geshe’s monastery in Yartung, Yartung’s near Sikkim, just there, after you enter Tibet, the border, then ________, Yartung, where Domo Geshe Rinpoche’s monastery is. So there was where I lived there was that monastery, that temple, belonged to Domo Geshe’s monastery.

So each monastery has their own benefactors, sometimes together, sometimes the benefactors belong to, I guess, sort of like clients, I think, benefactors belong to the different monasteries. Some benefactors they invite all the monasteries. So here, so my manager, teacher, who took care of me in Tibet and helped me to become a monk in Domo Geshe’s monastery and who made all the offerings, and so, helped to bring out, to escape from Tibet to India, all that, living in Buxa. So the job is that, by staying in these monasteries then you have to go to do puja every day, you leave eight o’clock, in the morning memorize texts, prayers, I memorized texts, then eight o’clock then you go to the puja and then you come back at four, between four and five. So, even though I was, I think, small, but I eat more than a big, I eat food more than big people, maybe double, perhaps, sometimes. Anyway, there’s big bowls like that, those big thugpa, the rice thugpa or the thugpa, like that, maybe, I don’t know, three, four, or five, three or four, something like that. Anyway, maybe because I was from a poor family from Solu Khumbu, born in a poor family, something like that, so maybe that’s why I was able to eat a lot.

So anyway, so then four o’clock you eat, fill up the whole stomach with all the delicious food then come back to, you carry the bell and damaru, the text, then come back to the temple. Only very rarely you have a holiday, empty day. So that day seems a little bit strange, because normally you do pujas, so that day looks a little bit empty.

So anyway, so there’s one family, (?) Terang, where I think Thirteenth Dalai Lama maybe came their house, something, they have a throne. So that is one family house where I cried. So, I was playing the flute, this gyaling, so my teacher sitting there, then there’s two or three other monks, they’re playing the cymbals and drums. So I was playing the not flute but this is called gyaling, this, like a small trumpet, like short, like one of those short trumpets, it’s called gyaling, this is what you’re playing in the tape-recorder there. So that music. So I think I made a mistake, you know, when I was, I made a mistake. So then my teacher give a spank, so then the, where you blow, this came down, the thing that makes noise, it stayed in the mouth, then the whole thing came down, gave spank. So then the benefactor, the lady, came in the door, inside, so I was crying and so anyway, anyway, that I remember.

So this family lived in South India, after they escaped, so it happened to be one of the members, the wife, I think, that had two husbands, I’m not sure. One was a monk before. So it happened to be, so I went to their house, when I would go to South India, I go to see them or stay their house. So one time one the husbands, the was ex-monk, he was dying, so it happened me to be there. So I was doing prayer, his head is in front of me and his body’s laid, he’s been sick for some time. So I was doing prayer. And he couldn’t speak clearly because already the tongue is rolled up, bluish on the bottom like in the tantric practice commentaries it talks about twenty-five absorptions, so this is happening. He tried to speak but he couldn’t speak clearly, so mouth become dry. So the absorption of the water element, all that.

So then, I was inside the room near the altar, then the other husband came to call me, Oh, now he is, so already his eyes are rolled up, yeah, so while I was doing prayer, patting his head and doing that. So then his hand is very cold, I didn’t touch but they already touched the feet, very cold. So when I was touching the head, you feel that, you feel the whole body exactly it’s like this, wood, like wood laying down, exactly, you get the feeling, hard. Still not completely dead. This very close to stop the breath.

Then I was doing prayer, then slowly, slowly, I didn’t notice, so breath becomes lighter and lighter, light and soft. But exactly what he said, mentioned, when that body becomes as rigid as earth and stone. So here, so when I touch or hold head, very solid, like wood, what feeling you get is that like that much length of wood, piece of log laying down on the bed, that’s exactly what you feel. [Pause]

But a person, I was there, but I think, just before he died, the other husband, they had much affection, but I think must be some negative imprint, the other husband said something then he got very angry. This is one or two hours before he died, that morning. Very angry. So, some negative imprint, due to some, so I don’t know what he said, so condition, then exploded anger. So, therefore, it is emphasized that, in the teachings, one has to be very, very careful. I mean, as far as taking care of a dying person. Of course, in the West, it’s not the subject, concerned the mind, taking, because no knowledge of the attachment, anger, would affect that the person died with that, no knowledge, no education, no knowledge of that in the society, in Western society, because society don’t believe, there’s no education about reincarnation, general public, so it’s.... [pause]

So, there actually, the way of, one way of taking care of the dying person is to be careful to not happen a situation that makes that person angry. That’s one thing. So, that’s one thing, and also very strong desire, attachment, then makes so much grasping, then it makes the death very difficult. That makes very difficult to let go, any object, condition that very strong desire rising, so then clinging on that, then difficult to die and then it takes a long time, then also die with that desire, then doesn’t have good rebirth. It doesn’t have good rebirth. So, try to help the person that, the key point is here is try, whatever skillful means try to help, whatever method, best if the person, if you can help the person die with a virtuous thought, compassion to other living beings, and devotion to Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, however, [pause] that or even that person’s a believer of God, but that, by saying, that his or her is God or the nature of her or his mind is the God or the mind of the God, holy mind of the God or something. That which has compassion for all living beings or God or God’s mind, that which has no mistakes, pure, so think your mind is that, God or mind of the God, that which is totally pure. Something like that, let it to concentrate on that or something.

Or the [pause], or whether it is a Buddhist or it is non-Buddhist, I think it’s very important to mention name of the pure land, one name of the pure land, so name is very important, because something to hold onto it, without a name nothing to hold onto it, so by having a name helps to have something to hold onto it, to generate a wish to be there. So the name of the, because here, like saying Amitabha pure land or even you don’t mention Buddha, just Amitabha pure land or the Tushita pure land. Whether to mention the name of the Buddha, that depends on the person’s, whether it fits or doesn’t fit. But however, mention the name of the pure land.

So if the person is able to generate a wish, then by seeing how there’s much better friends, there’s many more friends up there who love you, in this pure land there are so many friends who will love you. So whatever the person likes, then you multiply from that anyway, whatever the person likes. So in this, there in this heaven, in this pure land, there’s much better cat. If it’s somebody who, somebody who’s so attached to the cat, the puppies, so attached, unable to die, having so much difficulty to die, so all this, in Amitabha land there’s this, having this, Amitabha land, Oh, there’s so many beautiful cats. There’s so many beautiful kangaroos. So anyway, cats and dogs.

However, like the idea of that story, same story, one old monk had difficulty to die, had so much difficulty to die, even though he knows the techniques, the special tantric technique to transfer the consciousness in the pure land, in Tushita, he know the technique, and he used the technique but it didn’t work. So his mind got stuck, could not go to, could not shoot his consciousness in the pure land of Tushita, that’s Maitreya Buddha’s pure land or Lama Tsongkhapa’s pure land. So his guru knew, that old monk, his student, old monk was having difficult time, unable to transfer his consciousness in the pure land, so then he sent his disciple, who was living in the thirty-six vows, to give a message to that old monk that there’s much better Tibetan butter, I said Tibetan butter but there’s no word “Tibetan” there, because this is in Tibet. So, so there’s much better, in the Tushita pure land there’s much better butter. So, because, why, this monk could not transfer his consciousness in the pure land, why? Because shak is, for the butter it’s called mar, in Tibetan, but shak, the piece of butter we don’t call shak, but shak means after you made the tea mixed with the butter, then when you pour in the bowl, then there’s butter on the top, that’s what is called shak. So that’s, in the monastery that’s very important, for the monks, because there’s not much, they don’t have much, they don’t drink alcohol and coffee and many other things they don’t have, they don’t drink, so they don’t have, so this, only Tibetan tea, I mean, unless they drink hot water. So anyway, so the shak, the butter on the surface of the tea. So, tea have shak has more flavor, the tea has more flavor, so anyway, so regarded precious, anyway.

So, the monk got attached, this old monk attached to this shak, the butter on the tea, on the surface of the tea, so he was attached on that. So therefore, because attached to that, so even he knew this special technique to transfer his consciousness in the pure land, it’s not working, his consciousness got stuck. Could not go. So then the minute what that young monk came and gave the message, Oh, there’s much better shak in the Tushita pure land, then [snaps fingers] immediately, then his consciousness is able to go to pure land. Immediately, then able to shoot his consciousness in the pure land, able to go. So like that.

So, yeah, what I was saying, so you say there’s much better, there’s many more and better, more beautiful cats there in the Amitabha pure land or Tushita or whichever pure land you mention. But of course, pure land which exists, not, you just don’t make up something name or Shangrila or something. But something which exists. So, because if the person generate a wish to be there, then if you tell them something which is much better than here, then that person is able to detached to this world, to her or his own body and his possessions, then he’s let go, then able to be born there. If it is born there there’s no suffering, no negative emotional thoughts there, no suffering. So, pure land, pure means, pure is defined, pure means where there is no suffering, old age, sickness and death. So, you get born in a pure land by virtue and by prayer. [Long pause]

Prayer and the, not contaminated virtue, but uncontaminated virtue. But there is the subtle defilements. [Pause] The effort of the motivation that which is the subtle defilements, so one get reborn there. So however, the uncontaminated virtue and prayer, get born in the pure land. So this is different than reincarnating in one of the, reincarnating like deva, human realm, different from that, with the attachment. Not like that. Yeah.

Some of the ordinary pure lands, there’s incredible, unbelievable, so, the sense enjoyments, like that, like deva realm, but then some pure lands like that. Then again possibility to be born again in the lower realms, even after that. So not, so like Tushita pure land then, I think, not possible to be born in the lower realms, like that. So Amitabha Buddha pure land, the definite one is you never get reborn, once you’re born there, you never get reborn in the lower realms. That’s everyone accept, everyone accept that. That you never get reborn in the lower realms again once you’re born there, so.... So, by being bodhisattva then you come back to the world to benefit, with your own, with freedom, totally with your free will or freedom, then to give teachings, to benefit the suffering sentient beings, those who, like that.

So as I mentioned before, according to Pabongka Dechen Nyingpo and also, I think, mentioned in Liberation in the Palm, so from the Amitabha pure land the bodhisattvas then they pray to be born in our, in this human continent, which is southern continent, not eastern, western, northern, but southern continent, where we are, where there’s tantric teaching existing, so there’s no tantric teaching up there, so then here come, pray to be born here, then practice tantra, born a human being here, practice tantra, then achieve enlightenment. According to my root guru, His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche, so when I asked the question, whether, when they practice tantra they all can achieve enlightenment there. So Rinpoche replied that you can practice tantra there and achieve enlightenment, so different, from His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche, Rinpoche answered like that. And I think maybe in the King of the Prayers, I think there’s some section looks like, the way it’s said, maybe you get born there and become enlightened, I think there’s something, then you, then manifest in many billions and billions, billions of forms to benefit for sentient beings, something like that.

So however, and it seems Lama Tsongkhapa, it seems in the teachings, in the advice, there’s quite a bit of emphasis on Amitabha pure land, not so much mentioned other pure lands but Amitabha pure land it seems quite, there’s the praise to Amitabha Buddha, then there’s, however, Amitabha Buddha pure land is the easiest one, the advantage there is, great advantage is for ordinary sentient beings, it’s very easy to be born Amitabha pure land, because that came from, that is again power of bodhicitta, the bodhisattva, [Tibetan] the Rim of the Spoke, that king, bodhisattva, made so much prayer in the presence of the Buddha, Tathagata Essence of Jewel, made so many prayers and visualized the pure land, all the wish-granting trees, all this beauty, all this incredible enjoyments, inconceivable, so visualized this to actualize for sentient beings. So of course, where they can, ordinary sentient beings, deluded sentient beings, where easy, very easy to be born, so he made so much prayer, this bodhisattva Rim of the Spoke made so much prayer, dedicated, so that’s how, that’s one of the cause how this pure land happened. Then, of course, other one is individual beings who get reborn there due to their karma and prayers, so it’s a creation, it came from, it came from the mind, all these incredible beauties, pure enjoyments, all this, came from the mind. So totally it came from mind, so like that, their positive thoughts.

So when the, like in the case of Tushita, you need very pure morality, only if you lived pure morality then you can be born there. So here, Amitabha it’s for the obscured, ordinary sentient beings, then very easy to be born. That’s the great advantage there. Or seeing there’s much better basketball in the pure land, Amitabha pure land there’s much or something, anyway, better beach up there or something. 

So anyway, so main, very important to mention the name so there’s something to hold onto, but something which exists, not you create up something. And then whatever the person attached to so much then if you’re able, if one is able to know that, then say there’s much better, this way then able to let go this, then able to, then the person intent, generate a wish, strong wish, to be there, so then that brings the consciousness to be born there, so that’s, like that.

And then, where you can become enlightened is also Shambala, practice tantra, achieve enlightenment also Shambala. But such as the Vajrayogini, Heruka, then that one it is said in the teachings, definitely you become enlightened there.

So reflecting the qualities of the pure land, generating a wish to be there, so again and again in the life, in our daily life, so that’s one cause to be born in the pure land. And collecting merits to be born there, or merits that’s collected dedicate for there, to be born there. And then also, bodhicitta is one, so the bodhicitta, generating bodhicitta, the cause to be born in pure land, that one is so, so when you get reborn in the, when you get born in the pure land then to be bodhisattva, so it helps for that, cause for that. Other than that is reciting particular sutras, then there’s the name, Buddhas’ names, like practicing Medicine Buddha is very quick, easy way to be born in Amitabha pure land, makes very easy, because Medicine Buddha, reciting name and mantra is for success, whatever you pray get actualized, so therefore, makes very easy to be born in Amitabha pure land. So, reciting the mantras, names of Buddha, so things like that, that which has benefit to be born in a pure land. There’s many, many mantras which has that benefit, even chanting OM MANI PADME HUM. There are many mantras which have that benefit to be born in Amitabha pure land, like that. It makes easy to be born. Other than that, the chanting mantras, things like that. And of course this Amitabha, it’s own mantra, like that, to recite.

So anyway, what I was saying before, in the West, doesn’t have that education, there’s no education of next life, reincarnation, so if there’s the education in society, if there’s reincarnation, karma, like that, there’s continuity of mind after this, after separating the mind from the body, there’s continuity of consciousness, then to be careful at the time of death, because the nonvirtuous thought, so then to not rise at the time of death, otherwise, you won’t get a higher rebirth, you won’t get a body of the happy transmigratory being, you won’t achieve that. So that comes, so the emphasis on that, to be careful, that comes. So that education is not there, because the whole philosophy, whole understanding is not there, not emphasized or.....

So therefore, normally it’s emphasized. So for the methods to not, like these lamas, the old monk could not let go, attachment to the shak, which is the butter on the surface of the tea, so the lama very skillful that, so can say there’s better shak in the pure land. So however, similar like that, so one has to talk, consult, and advise, like this, so to let go here, to not cling to this world, family, possessions, one’s own body, all these things, all these stuff, to let go. So then very easy, [snaps fingers] very peaceful death, very easy, and also a better future, much long-run better, more happiness, all that, not only that, to meet Dharma, practice Dharma, so attachment, some people anger, there’s, but usually the main problem is the attachment at the time of death, grasping, that’s the very dangerous, that makes the death very painful, then a lot of fear, worry, comes because of attachment, grasping, holding on things. So therefore you need, person to die with a peaceful mind, so it is emphasized in the teachings that to not let round any object that where the person dies with a strong grasping mind, desire, to not happen this, things like that, [a few words inaudible] go to lower realm. Difficult death, very difficult to die, so much suffering, then also go to the lower realms. So somehow have to, like that.

Then Choden Rinpoche, Kyabje Choden Rinpoche explained at Land of Medicine Buddha, when he was talking about how to help the dying person and also, I mean, preparation for death or how to help the dying person, Rinpoche said, Even the person doesn’t, even you can’t make, even the person cannot die with a virtuous thought, that’s the best, but at least, even with indifferent state of mind, not nonvirtue, neither virtue nor nonvirtue. So, indifferent mind. Rinpoche advised even at least that is better. So nonvirtue definitely you get born, definitely get born in the lower realms, the nonvirtuous thought. [Pause]

Rinpoche did not specify much, but that’s what Rinpoche said, at least that. I think that’s the very bottom, the very last one.

For example, compassion or devotion to guru, Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, that all becomes virtue. Also by thinking of emptiness, that’s virtue. If the mind is renunciation, antidote to the delusion, renunciation, the virtue, opposite to delusion, that’s, of course, that’s the pure Dharma. Opposite to self-cherishing thought is good heart, bodhicitta, cherishing others. So I guess, you see, for example, you die mind watching at the mind, for example, the clarity of the mind, just mind watching at the mind, for example, the clarity of the mind, for example, just that. For example, after we did breathing meditation, before there was nonvirtuous thought, anger, attachment, desire, something, but then you did breathing meditation, then distracted the mind from that, then there’s no particular, after that then the state of your mind is neither virtue nor nonvirtue. After you did the breathing meditation, nine-round or whichever. That very disturbing, deluded, superstitious thought, that disturbing one, whether it’s desire or whether it’s anger, so like that, so mind is distracted from that, so that’s stopped. Rising that is stopped. So the state of mind there now, indifferent, indifferent state. That’s why then it’s easy to transform into virtue.

So if you die with that thought, like after you did breathing meditation, how is the state of mind? Nature of the mind? I’m not talking not about the ultimate nature, but the conventional nature. So just sort of clear, nature of clear and then neither virtue nor nonvirtue, so if you die with that, if you die with that thought, that’s indifferent mind. Yeah, even the mind watching at the mind, the clarity of mind, just that, so that itself, neither virtue nor nonvirtue. It become only virtue, before you do that meditation, it become virtue only if you generate a virtuous motivation before that, then it become virtue. I’m going to do this for the benefit of all sentient beings or either motivation before that, motivation that you’re going to do this, the mind watching at the mind, clarity, so which is the conventional nature of mind, so if you have either renunciation of samsara or right view or the bodhicitta, then, any of those, either motivation of the lower capable being or motivation of the middle capable being or motivation of the higher capable being, like this, then your breathing becomes virtue, your breathing meditation become virtue and the mind watching on the mind become virtue, looking at the clarity of the mind become virtue, otherwise, if it’s done, if the motivation before that, why you’re going to do this meditation, the purpose, your motivation of doing this meditation, even mind watching at the mind or clarity of the mind, the motivation before the act, the meditation, is that is just simply to get power in this life or reputation that you’re a great meditator or you can teach meditation to others or that you will be called yogi by others or something, then that’s attachment clinging to this life, the motivation is pure nonvirtue and then your action, now here your meditation, how many years you meditate, you spend your life meditating, watching at the mind, the mind watching at the mind or clarity of mind, however, that is the conventional nature of mind, mind watching at the mind, it’s all become negative karma. It’s all become nonvirtue. So like that. [Pause]

So here I have one question. You know, you generate a motivation of bodhicitta but when you do the actual meditation you are spaced out, what about that? Is it virtue? Does that meditation still virtue? You are spaced out, blank, spaced out, do you know spaced out? But you generated a bodhicitta motivation before that. And then you get spaced out, if you’re not flipped out. Spaced out, blank, spaced out. When you’re spaced out there is discrimination this and that or not? When you’re spaced out? During that time? Huh? Doesn’t, huh? [Inaudible comment.] Fancy? Fantasy? Oh, I see. I think that’s another meaning of spaced out. Yeah, spaced, alle, you just have, uh? [Inaudible comment] Yeah. That’s one spaced out, one meaning of spaced out, even just, you make your mental trip or, right? [Inaudible comment] Oh, no way. Yeah, I mean that’s one. Other one is blank, you know, just blank. So you do that, I mean, here is most virtuous motivation of bodhicitta, at the beginning, so is that when you meditate, then as meditation, blank, spaced out, blank. So it’s all virtue? Huh? [Inaudible comment] Alle.

Ven. Sarah: I’ll repeat that. ‘Are you not having any nonvirtuous thoughts when you’re spaced out?’

Rinpoche: So quoted what I said before. Right?

Student: On the other hand you’re not having any virtuous thoughts.

Rinpoche: Yeah, during that time, no, there’s no virtuous thoughts during that time. It’s blank. It’s not blacked out, but..... It’s not quite a black-out. There’s a black-out one, but not like that. So the person many hours of blank mind, so staying like that, that is virtue? That it virtue, become virtue? Then it will be the same, what Dr. Adrian said, you make all this trip, fantasy, then all virtue? I think it depends on what kind of fantasy, I think.

Ven. Tsapel: If you have a blank mind and you’ve generated bodhicitta beforehand, then I think the influence of the bodhicitta will influence that neutral blank mind to be positive, so I think it will be virtue, because you’re carrying the influence of the bodhicitta motivation into the blank mind.

Rinpoche: You carry the bodhicitta motivation?

Ven. Tsapel: The bodhicitta influences the blank mind, I think. The bodhicitta’s not manifest, but it influences.

Student A: Does a positive mind state necessarily have to have a positive thought in it to be virtuous? I mean, one can, it’s a bit like, it’s different from blanked out, it’s a positive mind state though, and I’m wondering does it have to have to have a positive thought in it to be virtuous?

Rinpoche: I mean, while one is blanked, while one is in a state of blank mind, do you mean that? Doesn’t have to rise, during that time doesn’t have to rise a virtuous thought or before? You mean during that time, right?

Student A: Yes, I’m thinking about a state that isn’t, that is, it’s a positive mind state, but it doesn’t necessary, there’s no discrete thoughts, no discrete positive thoughts going on, it’s just a mind state, perhaps you won’t say well-being, a mind state that has no discrete thoughts but there’s no fear, there’s a positive feeling behind the mind state, but there’s no discrete thoughts. Can that be positive? Can that be virtuous?

Rinpoche: But it’s basically same, I mean, because yeah....

Student B: Rinpoche, in Abhidharmakosha there’s a distinction between motivation of cause and of time, and if the motivation of cause is virtuous, then the motivation at the time can also be virtuous. Like for example, the bodhisattva in meditative equipoise has got a blanked out mind, but it’s a virtuous mind.

Rinpoche: When a bodhisattva blacked out.

Student B: Yeah, he’s meditating on meditative equipoise....

Rinpoche: He’s meditating when he plays football.

Student B: He’s meditating on emptiness; he’s not having thoughts to benefit other beings. But at the causal time, he had that thought.

Rinpoche: Yes, you’re right. Yes. That is very different from this spaced out. Very big difference, between sky and earth, black and white. Because he has wisdom; there’s no wisdom. He has wisdom of emptiness, even though there’s no compassion, those things actualizing, but, during that time, it’s wisdom, there’s wisdom seeing, realizing emptiness. So very different. Yes. That one is antidote to delusion, you know, antidote to delusion, ignorance, the king of the delusions. So if that is not virtue then, if that’s not virtuous.... [Pause]

If somebody sacrifice animal, offering god, but thinking to benefit for the world peace, does it become virtue? Does it become virtue? Why not? Because he did, it’s influenced by the thought benefiting others, the thought of benefiting the world, it has influence, thought of benefiting the world, world peace.

Ven. Tsapel: But it’s a big ignorance.

Rinpoche: But action is done with that, the sacrifice animal to the god.

Ven. Tsapel: Yes, but that’s an ignorant view, that sacrificing the animal will bring something good.

Rinpoche: But that’s not virtue because what?

Ven. Tsapel: It’s not virtue because it doesn’t decrease the delusions.

Rinpoche: It is influenced by the thought of benefiting others.

Ven. Tsapel: There is a thought to benefit others....

Rinpoche: Influenced by that, you know.

Ven. Tsapel: Yes.

Rinpoche: That action is persuaded by the thought of benefiting others, to bring the world peace.

Ven. Tsapel: That’s right, but there is wrong view thinking that killing brings the benefit.

Rinpoche: Then exactly the same, exactly the same. So here, spaced out, there’s no wisdom there. There’s no wisdom there. So believing that I’m meditating but spaced out, blank, it’s ignorance. It’s ignorance. It’s not....

Ven. Tsapel: Isn’t it neutral? Isn’t spaced out neutral?

Rinpoche: Spaced out, if you are thinking, if you are thinking meditating, if you’re believing that you’re meditating to achieve liberation, then that’s ignorance, that doesn’t lead to, that only become obstacle for liberation, that doesn’t lead to liberation, that doesn’t cause to achieve liberation, blank, spaced out, blank. That His Holiness Zong Rinpoche used to say, you know stop thinking, so the blank, stop thinking, so that causes to be born what? Animal. Rinpoche said that will cause to be born animal. Animal or the highest what you can achieve is the form realm, no form realm, formless, the best what, it means if it’s turned as something good, that [a few words inaudible] formless realm, otherwise animal realm.

So if the person is doing this to achieve liberation from samsara, then it’s, that’s ignorance, done with ignorance, even though there was thought of benefiting others before. I think there’s ignorance in the action, ignorance in the meditation. That, longer you spend time in that it’s very dangerous, very dangerous. Because it makes your mind dull. Longer you stay, longer you get habituated, longer you get habit this non, stop thinking, this spaced out, there’s no wisdom there so not using wisdom, so that only makes danger, cause to lose memory and ?blinder the wisdom, intelligence, so like that.

So anyway, the motivation is to achieve liberation or to achieve enlightenment, then the ignorance, there’s ignorance, in the practice there’s ignorance, not knowing, not knowing the practice. Because [pause], so it’s, yeah, like that, then ignorance.

So anyway, can analyze. Ah, where it came from? Alle, oh, I see. Oh, here, that’s right, what Choden Rinpoche explained.

I think there’s a difference, clarity of mind and then blank, spaced out, blank. The clarity, focusing on the clarity of mind there’s, here it’s remembrance and awareness. The other one, you see, doesn’t have these. Between, this one, so depending on the motivation what was before, depending on the motivation what was before, so can be transformed virtue or nonvirtue, like that, but itself, meditating on the clarity of mind itself doesn’t cause that much harm, doesn’t cause harm as like the other one, making mind dull, lose memory and all these things, this one, I mean you can achieve shine on this, many people do that, use the mind, clarity of mind as object of shine, like that, or yeah, so anyway, can think about it.

[Rinpoche continues oral transmission of Heartspoon.]

“You behold for the first time your own corpse...put your final food, holy substances and relics.”

And blessed pills, like that, a (?) list other things under relics. [Pause]

So people who can’t meditate, like ordinary people that who can’t meditate, who are not familiar with Dharma or can’t meditate, small child or old man or whatever who can’t, doesn’t have capacity to think, I mean, positive, so the other thing is, if one has Buddha’s relics then if the Buddha’s relics went in the mouth then definite the person doesn’t get reborn in the lower realms, if you’re able to have Buddha’s relic in the mouth when you’re dying. Or the, there’s a bodhisattva who has been seven lifetimes a bodhisattva, so there’s pills made of that flesh. Who has been seven lifetimes a bodhisattva, that’s regarded very, very precious, so the flesh of the bodhisattva, so doesn’t mean some, like food eating, flesh, not like that. Just tiny, like the relic, just tiny. Sometimes there’s or mixed with the pills, like that, however, regarded very, very powerful to, it helps to not get reborn in the lower realms, just going in the mouth.

There’s also three types of, there is grass, holy grass that also, I think, I don’t know exactly the story, it grows only in holy places, it’s holy grass. So it’s not hashish. Or other things. There’s a grass called “Always Crying One.” And then, “Guiding the Transmigratory Beings,” one grass is called “Guiding the (?) Eight Transmigratory Beings” and “Leading the Transmigratory Beings,” one grass, then one is called Kunsang, like similar to Roger Kunsang, same, Kunsang. So, one grass called Kunsang. So, Pabongka Dechen Nyingpo explained in his notes that any of these grass, if it goes in the mouth in the time of death, then also, somehow due to that, blesses the mind and, I think, able to transform the mind in virtue and doesn’t get reborn in the lower realms. Somehow able to influence the mind to become virtue.

So the Always Crying One, grass, I have seen. It grows around Lawudo, in Solu Khumbu where the hermitage is, Lawudo, up there, where the story, what other predicted that, past life something something like that, so I saw on the right side of the cave, a little bit up, near there, my uncle, the younger uncle, the small uncle, he pointed one day, it’s a grass this size and it has no leaves, no leaves. It’s like a dead plant. It’s brown, it’s not green, it’s brown, like the color of wood, brown wood. Like brown wood. Not green. It’s like when a plant is dried, like that, brown, it has no leaves. It’s like this size and it has, why it’s called Always Crying One, because it has always a bubble, not a bubble, sorry, water dew. It has a few water dews and the water dew stays all the time. There’s water dew all the time, so that’s why it’s called Always Crying One. So this one is a holy grass.

Then the other one I haven’t seen. The grass called Kunsang, that one I tried to get, for many years I asked many different people in Mainland China, the Chui Nan-Lai, Dr. Chui Nan-lai and a few others to look for it, but I still didn’t get. So my idea is that, this grass is described in the texts, medicinal texts, that in the daytime it has, nighttime it has a flame or light comes and the daytime smoke, from that smoke comes. And it has unbelievable, unbelievable so delicious, I mean, so good, it’s very scented, incredible scented smell. Even that is far, even the grass is growing far, you smell, that you can smell. How many cloth you cover, it doesn’t stop the smell, so sign is that, nighttime, light or flames; daytime, smoke coming from that. Unbelievable. So this one if it went in the mouth, even the animals, their mouth, then the animal get renunciation, detachment, renunciation. So near Lhasa there’s Nyermo, where Lama Pasang was born, so they have, in the village, when the animal doesn’t move, doesn’t go out, stand all day long and cry. So they believe that animal got this grass from the mountains. So, it seems the mind naturally turns into, I think, devotion, detachment, renunciation, this life and to samsara, somehow that blesses the mind or influence the mind, something like that.

So my idea is that you need only a little, so much power, so the idea was to make blessed pills with that. And this is very powerful healing. So the idea, so even there’s a tiny bit it can heal the AIDS, so my main idea is to, it can, any sicknesses can benefit, so the main aim was for the AIDS, to be able to heal. But didn’t get, but I think you need a lot of merit in order to get the grass, such a grass, so I think, only grows maybe holy place, like Tsari, the Heruka holy place in Tibet, this Tsari, this very, I mean, to circumambulate the mountain where there’s no road, so very jungle and a lot of tigers or the vicious animals, like that. Or in Heruka holy places, I don’t know about Mount Kailash, anyway, seems those places, or maybe China, in the Potala, the Chenrezig holy place, Potala, in China, the very, very old holy place there, maybe some. So anyway you need a lot of merit.

My teacher had, the alphabet teacher, second one, whom I mentioned the story of the beating, all that, let me to read the Diamond Cutter Sutra and other, the condensed sutra, whom let me to read so many times, he had, used to bring, sometimes used to bring out and it has such a scented smell, this Chinese black ink, so incredible, so sweet scented smell, so I think the, so ancient Chinese ink is mixed with that, so that’s why because, in many pills, in many writings for healing, mantras to eat or many, it’s said to write with Chinese ink, so I think it’s because of that.

“Though others put your final food...with loving minds, there’s no hope. It’s unthinkable.”

So it means mind has no capacity, can’t.... Then sometimes you take, so much medicine is given, drugs, you can’t, this is in Tibet, so, but now here, in the hospital, like that, then so many drugs and medicine, then also that it makes difficult to think, mind become very drowsy.

“And this is going to happen to you. With an expelled rasping sound...is devoured by birds and dogs till nothing’s left.”

One, oh, [pause] one good thing in Tibet is you can make your body charity to the birds, there’s a system when you die, make charity to the birds, that which you can motivate that before you die, then you can collect good karma.

But, I mean, similar in the West, you can make charity your eyes or heart or things like that. But I think maybe it looks like certain, even the eye looks like a certain eye, I’m not sure. When I visited Nepal, the eye, the doctor who goes to Tibet, so at this place I went to visit. So seems certain, not all the eyes, certain eye is that can be used to others.

“...is devoured by birds and dogs till nothing’s left....’pur, pur’ and dressing yourself in the finest of clothes.”

So this one, ‘pur, pur’ this one is, here ‘pur’ is, when I was translating this I didn’t understand, I thought ‘pur, pur’ means when you’re, especially maybe, especially fat people, when they dress up, maybe blowing on the clothes, I’m not sure, anyway, I’m not sure what I’m saying, so.... Like the blowing over the clothes, but actually it was wrong, that ‘pur, pur’ this is, ‘pur’ means when the high lama passes away the holy body and put brocades and the hat, crown, the (?) hairs, all the things, the divine costume, you put all the brocade, divine costume, deity’s costume or divine, so that, when the high lama passed away, some great holy being passes away, then the holy body, what’s called ‘pur’, the holy body is called ‘pur.’ So Ribur Rinpoche said that, so when His Holiness Trijang, when Rinpoche received this oral transmission from His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche and His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche received this oral transmission from Pabongka. So when His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche received, was receiving the oral transmission of this from Pabongka, he just read, no other commentary, but except only commentary was given ‘pur,’ ‘pur, pur, pur, pur,’ so only commentary was given this word, ‘pur, pur.’ So, Pabongka Dechen Nyingpo said, Soon this is what is going to happen to us, Pabongka said to His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche, ‘pur, pur, pur,’ he’s going ‘pur,’ so soon this is what is going to happen to us, this is what Pabongka made commentary of this. So ‘pur’ means the holy beings or great lamas, after pass away, the holy body.

In the house, the house that’s made, where you put the holy body and burn, so that’s called pur kang. So I think pur is the holy body, after the lama passed away, the body is, the holy body is called pur. And then where you build this, like, anyway, you build sort of, it’s a little bit like the Mexican, this, I don’t know, they make fire, like that, like that shape. So it’s pur kang.

“Dressing your body in the finest...hole in the ground. This is going to happen to you.”

So I stop here.