So, as I mentioned last night, that to receive, even just to be human being or just to have even the ordinary human body, just to have human body, even that is extremely rare, so difficult. Why? Because the cause of that is extremely difficult to create and because it requires lived, practiced pure morality, just to be human being, just to have a human body, not just taken the vow, but lived in the pure vows. Without that, even one took the vow but then didn’t live in that pure, then cannot achieve even the ordinary human body, you can’t achieve human body.

So therefore, so we can understand that even the five lay vows, no question more than that, even the five lay vows, it’s not easy. First of all so difficult to understand, come to that point, to understand, to accept the karma, come to understand, from virtuous action, result happiness and from nonvirtue, result suffering. First of all coming to that point, to have the faith, to come to that point is not easy, that in the past Kopan Courses, in the early courses, in the very early courses, because I was not there at the beginning, so I can’t tell, these recent, many of the recent years’ courses I can’t tell because I got late. So last two weeks or even shorter than that, so anyway, so I can’t tell about things, changes happening. Anyway, in the early, in the very early courses, so three days we talk about the mind, a lot of discussion, like birds, like many small birds kept in a cage, how much, so much noise they make, chik, chik, chik, like that, so many birds kept in a cage, the small, anyway, so for three, four, five days like that, so anyway, a few days, so three days, so a lot of discussion on the mind, because it’s a new subject for coming from the West it’s a new discovery, so but it’s the root, extremely important discovery, the first thing to start with is the mind, the very first discovery, start with, about life, to start with is the mind, your own mind, one’s own mind. So, everything about the mind that you’re not, that one never heard, that one has not (?) been aware, you never discovered, so many new things to hear, that you haven’t realized, didn’t know.

So anyway, then after that, talking the reincarnation, karma, so when reincarnation comes also karma comes there. Then how it’s possible, Buddha-nature, because of Buddha-nature it’s possible to achieve enlightenment, like that. Then start the, from perfect human rebirth. Or one time, the second course I started from the guru, as the prayer, from the guru, but however it fitted according to the people who were there, seems it fitted, but that one is fitted, suited, fitted, that time, anyway.

However what I was going to say is, so discussing karma and all these things, then even after two weeks passed already so most people it’s okay, become more peaceful, so then after two weeks when it’s time to start, when it’s time to keep the stomach empty, the last two weeks, anyway, taking precepts as well, so anyway, I don’t know whether they took precepts or not, I’m not sure, so still there’s one or two people, only one or two people couldn’t figure it out, possible reincarnation, couldn’t understand, couldn’t figure it out about reincarnation, the karma, these things. So even the most people they kind of settled, most of the people are settled, quiet, settled, or kind of okay, so I guess become more closer to that idea or faith to that, understanding that, but there’s still some people that, even after weeks, that still can’t, it doesn’t fit. So anyway, so however, so it takes so much, the karma to be ripened, it takes time to understand, to hear the teachings, to meet the teachings, to hear the teachings, Buddha’s teaching and to, yeah, even the karma to hear the teachings, then still there’s all these doubts, so it takes much time, come to the point, to understand, to have faith. So, like that.

But still even one think, Oh, this might be true, but still it doesn’t mean that you will do practice, engage, abandon the negative karma and practice good karma, live in the vows. That making, putting yourself in the situation to actually practice, not just have good idea, Oh, this is good, this Dharma is good, to do in the life it’s good, spiritual thing. Of course, even that takes time, so as I mentioned before, it takes, first of all the karma to be ripened. So most human beings in the world there’s no karma even to hear Buddhadharma, they are born human being but don’t have the karma to hear Buddhadharma, so you can understand from that.

So therefore, now, so to be born, just in order to be human being or to receive a human body, need the preliminary, having taken the precepts and lived in pure. The opposite, as you hear from lamrim teachings, as well from sutra teachings of Buddha, then animals, nagas, particular like that, _____  didn’t lose faith in, didn’t have heresy, then of course then that, one get reborn in the hells realms, so anyway, but this is different from Christianity, that you just, here it’s just describing the nature, the effect of the action, how the actions, how much negative it is and the effect, how much bad effect, the suffering, effect of suffering, how much, it is talking about the nature of the phenomena, the nature of that karma or the result, it’s different from, [pause] for example, a person who has no idea, no particular belief in reincarnation, karma, these things, no particular, anyway, no idea about these subjects, but that person lives with a good heart, sincere heart, lived with sincerity and especially good heart, loving kindness, compassion towards others, thought of, kind, person who lived very kind life, generous, so also you can use the other way, doesn’t believe in God at all, no belief in God at all, but lives sincere, having very kind life, very kind towards others, kind life, generous, good heart, not even that, just sincere person, has, it has good effect, at the time of death, there’s good, there’s peaceful death and there’s good rebirth next life, doesn’t believe at all God and also no idea of the Buddha’s teachings at all, there’s no particular belief in reincarnation, like that, so yeah, but sincere life, lived truthful life, so it has, of course it cuts down so much problem in that life, even in this life and the time of death and after this life. So there’s much happiness.

So therefore, what I’m saying is, here in Buddhism it’s different, not what in Christianity presented, but of course, as His Holiness often says that, that presentation, that believe in God, anyway, if you don’t believe in God then you go to hell, that once you are born in hell then you are forever in the hell. So anyway, such that, so anyway, that needed, such a method, presentation needed for certain sentient beings, it fits to them, they can accept this, it fits to them, it helps them. So, like that. So, often His Holiness says, so therefore, one respect those religions which has that philosophy, even though you don’t practice, then one (?) doesn’t practice those.

So what I was saying before is the person has no idea of Buddhadharma, karma, reincarnation, all these, but has good quality of mind, that person has good heart. Or even basically sincerity, so that guides, that protects that person, even there’s no understanding of philosophy, all this, but that very practical, that good attitude in the life, that becomes the very basic protection for the life, from suffering, from problems, happiness, cause of happiness.

So therefore, so finally, then finally, finally comes, I mean hear the teachings and karma ripened, finally came to hear the teachings, so still there’s a lot of hardships, a lot of difficulties, to, I mean to be able to understand and to have faith, that depends on how much merit that person has collected. The realizing emptiness, realizing the mahamudra, the ultimate nature of the mind and so it’s all a question, it’s not the same for everybody. For some, very easy; the minute when you hear a teaching, meditate, you get experience. For some people, many lifetimes it doesn’t happen. So it’s a question of how much your mind is purified, how much thin or thick obscurations you have, that individual person has, it’s a question of that.

So same thing here, not only that then the same thing the realization of guru, the realization that the guru is buddha, it is also exactly the same. So for some people many lifetimes, difficult, because obscurations. And for some people, the minute when you hear guru devotion, the teachings, realization happens there, with no difficulties, no question, from the person’s side, no difficulties, get experience of the realization, a hundred percent, from deep down from the heart has this discovery, this realization. And then somebody, you see full of mistakes, opposite to buddha or full of mistakes, the whole life, so difficult to change. So, same when the subject comes, the subject of karma, reincarnation, it’s the same, it’s a question how much, how thin defilements, less negative karma or how heavy negative karma there is. So, how difficult you find to understand, to have faith and how easy. So, the whole question lies, the whole question is purification, the whole answer’s there, purifying the mind. If the mind is purified, everything happens, like the mirror covered by dust, at the beginning can’t give reflection; the more and more you clean away, it can give more and more clear reflection, because the mind has all the potential, Buddha-nature, so it’s a question of how much, how much purification is done, practice of purification.

And if there’s no continuously collecting extensive merit, if it’s not here and the purification, then even one has some faith, even one found some faith or some experience but can lose that, if one do not continue the collecting extensive merit all the time and practice of purification and strong prayer, make strong prayer, dedicating the merit.

So, [pause] anyway, here at this point, even though the subject may come later, however, I would like to mention here at this point also that even the teacher that person has is very cruel, very selfish, very bad-tempered, very immoral, however, like that, but the person’s, the guru the person has, but from the side of the disciple, from that side, from the side of that disciple, practice correctly as Buddha explained, as Buddha explained in the sutra, sutra and tantra, so you stick with that Buddha’s instruction, so practice according to what Buddha showed, guidance, the guru devotion practice, by looking at it Maitreya Buddha or by looking at it Manjushri, by looking at it buddha, from the side of the disciple, then if one do that, even though the teacher’s side it’s like that, but the side of the disciple treat like, by looking at it like Maitreya Buddha or Manjushri, like that. Then that creates the cause next lives you meet guru exactly like, same quality as Maitreya Buddha, Manjushri, so forth, next lives. So that’s what Pabongka or the Kadampa geshes or Pabongka Dechen Nyingpo explained in the guru devotion teachings. So that is one thing to be kept in the mind. This has important advice.

So many people, yeah, do not know this point and then or doesn’t know the teachings on the guru devotion, the complete teaching, so then life become, one is continual, very, very heavy, I mean any negative karma created that becomes the most heavy negative karma, if you compare to other negative karmas. Even comparing the killed father, mother, harmed Buddha, caused blood to Buddha, disunity among the arya Sanghas, who has realization of the true path, cessation of suffering, however, who achieved those levels of path, so anyway, those Lesser Vehicle path, or killed arhat, because object is most powerful object than numberless buddhas. So therefore, even you engaged five uninterrupted negative karmas, without interruption another life, you immediately get reborn in the hell realm, even the hell is the heaviest hell realm, hot hell, like that, so still you can become enlightened in this life, still you can become enlightened, even you committed those negative karmas, still you can become enlightened in this life, you can purify, you can still become enlightened.

But, so, the mistakes the guru devotion, the devoting virtuous friend, even small one, even a small criticism or even a small disrespect, however, becomes very heavy, so no question other than that, heavier than that. So here, this one is, as it is mentioned in the eight shortcomings of, not the disadvantages not having guru, that, but the making mistake, the eight shortcomings of making mistake after one has found a guru, then made the connection, so it’s difficult to achieve realizations and achieve enlightenment, then difficult to accomplish your ultimate goal, benefit for sentient beings, purpose of your life, the aim, objective, of your life, to benefit for sentient beings, to be able to do perfect work for sentient beings, that then, so unable to accomplish that.

So therefore, yeah, [pause] of course there’s responsibility from both sides, from the disciple’s side there’s responsibility, from the teacher’s side there’s responsibility. So what I’ve mentioned is another example. Then teacher’s side like that, then from the disciple’s side, very good practitioner. So, looking at it Manjushri, Maitreya Buddha, practice guru devotion. Then, no difficulties, you create the cause in next life to meet in the future guru exactly like Maitreya Buddha, Manjushri. So therefore, how our future lives will turn out, easy to practice Dharma, easy to have realization, or so difficult and full of obstacles, so many obstacles, and many obstacles, great difficulties to follow, to devote to the virtuous friend in the next lives. So that, this life has responsibility. The whole answer depends on how you do, how this life, this life how we do, how skillful we are, wise in practicing Dharma. So, like that example.

And, anyway, just mention here, so as Kadampa Geshe Chengawa mentioned, another one, this is, now this is disciple himself, him- or herself, so it is said by Kadampa Geshe Chengawa, the disciple, even so fool like a pig and dog, like so fool, like a pig and dog, but able to devote to the virtuous friend correctly, no difficulties that disciple to become like Manjushri. From a pig, dog, like that, so fool, no intelligence at all, but such stable, whatever happens, whatever situation happens, whether the teacher shows anger or happy mind towards that disciple, however in the situation (?) treats, from the side of the however having, so strong having unchangeable, indestructible devotion, so and because of that, obtaining the advices, there’s no difficulties to, because of the strong devotion, so there’s no hardships, only great joy, happiness, to follow the advice, do not find any hardships, any difficulties, so incredible enjoyment, because of the benefit you get from that. So, because the limitless skies of benefit you get from that.

So however, so next lives, so here it’s a little bit different than the previous one, so the disciple, it’s generally (?) seen, no difficulties to become like Manjushri. [Pause] For some, in Tibetan, something, one, the last word I don’t remember precisely. (?) She nyen tu zhi denpa, denpa might be the last word, that I don’t remember, [Tibetan] so second is, so the last one, no hardships, no difficulties to become, that disciple to become Manjushri, no difficulties, like that.

So, anyway, so therefore, even the person knows nothing, no intelligence, nothing, so fool, but this person has the most important thing in the life, that’s devotion, unchangeable, indestructible, so sooner or later, so this brings all the success, intelligence, not unlucky intelligence, but lucky, fortunate intelligence. Like some people, intelligence, but there’s no merit, so life doesn’t work in the proper way. Intelligent but cannot believe, hard to believe in the karma. Intelligent person, many education, but no, difficult to have faith in karma, understand karma, so they’re unfortunate, or unable to practice. I have one uncle, not the uncle, not this uncle, family, relative, uncle, not the ankle, uncle. So it’s talking about the monks, at Lawudo, so when I was building the monastery at Lawudo, so this uncle, because I have quite a number of uncles, many uncles there, maybe other uncles that I don’t know, anyway. Anyway, these are close ones that, so one small uncle who I think whose story I mentioned quite a number, who did 700,000 prostrations in a small hut near Lawudo, somewhere in the (?) rocks, where Charok Lama’s the past life house, so small hut. So, he, while he was doing that, all these 700,000 prostrations then he was taking care my grandmother, who was blind, all hair is white, blind, and carrying outside for pipi, kaka, and bringing in the room and make food and take care while he’s doing all these prostrations. So that’s small uncle.

Then there’s a longer uncle, so he’s quite useful, this uncle, I don’t mean the other one is not useful, but this other uncle, the bigger one, so quite useful because when the police come from Namche Bazaar, where there’s check office, so they come to Lawudo to check any Western person is there or without visa or something. So then, when this uncle is there, then he gives chai, he gives cup of tea and some biscuits, biscuits and some cup of tea to the police, then the police are very happy, satisfied, very happy. Then quietly, happily then they run down, go back to Namche Bazaar. So, he knows how to talk with them, anyway, so of course that’s just one thing, anyway, so he, we were talking about the Kopan monks, the Kopan Monastery, the monks, started at Lawudo, the very first time, the monks. So he was talking about, my uncle was saying, because there’s other monastery there also, they become monk and sooner or later they go trekking, with porter, trekking, to make money, go trekking, with Japanese or Western people, then doesn’t, unable to continue monk. So he was saying that, so talking about Kopan monks, there are monks, at Lawudo, so he was saying, No use, they will leave, sooner or later they will leave with rucksack, they will leave for trekking with rucksack, they will leave, so unfortunate intelligent, he said, unfortunate intelligent, what’s the use, unfortunate intelligent. Knows many things, comes to know many things, not only language, English language, come to know many things, but no merit to continue to be monk, to practice, that’s what he was saying.

So, [pause] as I just mention, human beings who, Konchog (?) Dala, in the sutra called Konchog (?) Dala, that or the Kuntsek, the sutra, [pause] anyway, mentioned, anyway the verse is that, The human beings who do not have devotion, [Tibetan] the white dharma doesn’t happen, means realization doesn’t happen. Like the seed that is burned, the sprout cannot come, from the seed that is burned, a sprout cannot come, so like that, who do not have devotion, then the while dharma, the realization, the positive minds, like devotion, the realization, however so that means up to enlightenment, does not come. From burnt rice no sprout, no plant, no tree, no branches, no fruit, no flower, no fruit.

Then, also mentioned that, the devotion like preliminary, like [Tibetan], devotion, I guess maybe from the mother, then the daughters, sons, then the grandchildren, so comes all that generation, might be that. So, by having devotion [Tibetan], so it protects all the qualities. So that’s clear, when you lose that devotion then you are, some experience, some good qualities, some experience you achieve, you also lose that. When the devotion is lost, for example, the devotion to Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, if the devotion to the guru is lost, then even you try to meditate, you don’t feel anything, you have feeling before, but now you don’t have feeling, very dry. No matter how much you try to meditate, very dry, mind is very dry, like a stone. Like the stone under the, even though the stone is under the ocean, but the water doesn’t go inside. So anyway, so like that, the other experience that one had before, even not actual realization, but even strong feeling in the meditation, renunciation, bodhicitta, emptiness, however, impermanence-death, so forth, now, after the devotion is lost, one day that’s [snaps fingers] gone, disappeared [snaps fingers], due to some negative thought, unable to practice due to some situation or something, due to negative thought, then all those experiences stopped, not happening. [Pause]

Also, the devotion makes to protect the qualities, and it makes to increase. The devotion is the sublime [Tibetan], so the devotion is the sublime or the best wealth, it’s the sublime treasure [Tibetan], so the devotion it’s by having leg then you reach wherever you wish to be, so the devotion is like that, that by having devotion then from that can achieve any realization or happiness of future rebirth, liberation, enlightenment. So that, like a hand, like the hand collect grains or collect grains, so forth, so devotion like the hand collects merits, collect extensive merits. So however makes so easy, having this positive mind, makes so easy to collect extensive merit and to purify, naturally, twenty-four hours, naturally every day, naturally it becomes, what the person does with the devotion, purify inconceivable defilements, negative karmas, all this comes together, and receiving blessing of the guru, like that. So every day the level of mind is going higher and higher, why? Because of the guru devotion, then twenty-four hours obtaining the advice or doing service, so life is ?naturally dedicated to that, so like that. [Pause]

Like the Sakya Pandit, his guru, Kungha Gyaltsen, taking the kind of heavy sicknesses. So the Sakya Pandit offered service day and night without eating food and without sleep nighttime. With one-pointed mind cherishing,  _______, offering service, so due to that then the, I think maybe, maybe Drakpa Gyaltsen, I’m not sure got mixed the name, Kungha Nyingpo and Drakpa Gyaltsen. So the, maybe Drakpa Gyaltsen, I’m not sure. So extremely pleased, then gave Manjushri guru yoga to Sakya Pandit. So, did that, then he actually saw his guru, Manjushri, then become unbelievable, become great pandit after that, expert in the (?) Da, which means the Sanskrit, those knowledge, the sound putting together, those Sanskrit, the language, the letters. Then also expert in the, extremely expert in the logician and many other, besides Dharma, many of those other educations, I mean, knowledge. And become so famous and able to benefit, able to offer extensive benefit to sentient beings.

Or the Kadampa Geshe Chayulwa, whose offering service to his guru Chengawa, it’s said even he was writing a letter, nga, a syllable, the text, even a syllable, then when he is called by, when he hears his guru calling, Chengawa calling him, then even before completing the syllable nga, he immediately stops and runs to offer service, so like that. So however even middle of the mandala, even while he’s offering a mandala, the minute when he hears Chen-ngawa call him, immediately, even in the middle of the mandala offering, he used to stop there and run. So anyway, correctly devoting to the virtuous friend, so one day as he was cleaning the room, the Kadampa Geshe Chengawa’s, collected the dust, the garbage or the dust, on his leg, on the robe, then carry. As he go downstairs to throw the garbage out, so when he reached the third level of steps, then his level of mind reached to the path of merit, the great, path of merit has three divisions, great and middle and lower, smaller, the small path of merit, middle path of merit, then great path of merit. So his mind went up, reached the level, when he reached to throw the garbage out, so by carrying on his robe, reached on the third step, because of that then right there he immediately saw so many buddhas in the nirmanakaya aspect, so like that.

So that is most fortunate, so anyway, so having such this indestructible devotion, then most fortunate being, then attaining realizations, going to pure land, even death time going to pure land, everything, all the success comes to that person. So therefore now, because of that indestructible strong devotion, spirits cannot harm, because that person is under the, (?) surrendered or under the guru, so cannot, other evil beings cannot influence, cannot misguide, cannot harm, spirits, human beings, non-human beings cannot harm.

So therefore, need, again here I want to emphasize, this devotion also same as I mentioned, as I gave example reincarnation, if the person’s mind is not purified, there’s no merit, the person doesn’t have enough merit and the mind is not purified, then if there’s thick, heavy obscurations, no matter how much intelligence, intelligent reasons, no matter how much philosophical ?or reasons to prove reincarnation, no matter how much logician you expert, no matter how much you are expert all those logicians, like those ancient Indian pandits mentioned, no matter how, most intelligent reasons you use, that other person, no way you can prove it. Even for you it’s more identifying or however anyway, most effective, even billions of reasons, anyway, you use, that other person cannot, whatever reason you use cannot understand, cannot find faith, if there’s thick, heavy obscurations, negative karma. Even though those reasons are correct, most brilliant, intelligent, won’t work, won’t work for that particular person, doesn’t work. When that person’s negative karma is purified, when there’s a lot of merit, even just a very simple reason, just a very simple talk, simple reason, not intelligent, brilliant, something deep reason, not that, it’s something very simple, very simple few words, that person could understand and have faith in karma, in reincarnation.

So therefore, same here in the section of guru devotion. How many quotations, how many reasonings, when the mind is not purified, it doesn’t, for that person it doesn’t connect, it becomes like talking to a rock. You are talking, you are explaining Dharma to a rock, a big rock, very strong, very thick, very big rock, you are talking Dharma to that rock, so exactly like that, it doesn’t go in the heart, doesn’t affect at all. But the day when the negative karma, that heavy one, become less, more merit, then not deep, something very simple, a few words, then it can click in the mind of that person.

So like that, so therefore, before I mentioned the obscurations, the importance to purify, now here I want to emphasize the importance of collecting merit. So to have such this devotion depends on having collected extensive merit. So therefore, breakfast is finishing. In the case of guru devotion, like this. In the case of seeing the nature, realizing mahamudra, realizing ultimate nature of the mind, same, it’s the same case. So that’s why this retreat is not just to have dry mind meditating on trying to struggle, like walking on the rock, there’s no road, so struggling, not like that, but many practices integrated, integrate so many practices to, as I mentioned in the beginning, all the conditions, _______ conditions, so that become very easy, very easy to have these realizations, so like that.

So, some part of the initiation is finished. So anyway, okay, please have breakfast.