So, good evening. I owe you more than half an hour karmic debts, for many next lives. Got late one and a half hour, so karmic debts. I have a karmic debts to you in many next lives. So next time I have to wait for many hours, in many lifetimes. That’s how the karma works, the effect, the action you do to others, then it has its own consequences, that affects back to you, that you get treated by others similar way.

So however others treat, others treat us this life, it’s basically, if it’s harm, it’s a consequence of your act, which was harm to others, harm to that being in the past. If it is help you are receiving, then it’s consequences, another way of talking, instead of labeling “karma” you can say, consequences of the help that action, beneficial action, help that you did to that being in the past, either in this life, early time or past life. So like that.

I think the consequences of the act, has two: one is long term, one is immediate. Depending on how we conduct or how we behave or act towards other sentient beings, so action which is to be kind, action that you, action of kindness to others with a sincere heart, no expectation to get something from the person but sincerely to help to that being, concern that being’s happiness, their problems. So, the immediate consequences, effect of the action is brings, makes the other person happy and makes, when you see other person is happy and that makes you feel happy. When you see other person is happy with you, makes you happy. So that is immediate effect of your positive action, makes both, makes other person happy and by the way also makes you happy. Because also, also able to see that you could, that you are able to help somebody, that you are able to do something for somebody, whether it’s big or whether it’s small. Something you are able to, some benefit you are able to offer, so able to do something. Not only wishing but you are able to offer something. So it has, makes you happy and that other person happy.

So then this positive action has long-term result happiness you can enjoy many lifetimes. This is good karma, positive cause, so there’s a result, that you offer benefit somebody, gave happiness to somebody, whatever it is, if you made charity of food, money, whatever, to somebody, shelter, medicine, whatever it is, we make charity then the karmic result of that, the consequences of that, there is more consequences. Not only that person is happy now, and you feel, you get satisfaction from that, you did something good, from that you feel, oh, I did something today meaningful in my life, something positive, so you feel, you get inner happiness. This happiness is the inner happiness, peace. Satisfaction or more, fulfillment, I would put it this way, not just satisfaction but fulfillment you achieve, something really worthwhile, you feel that in your life. Whether it is small or big, able to do something, to help somebody.

So now the long-term consequences, effect of that, I think it is mentioned in the Arya Sanghata Sutra by omniscient one, kind compassionate Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, that the result of charity you will experience the benefit of that, even for, you enjoy for eighty thousand eons, something like that, eighty thousand eons, result you have made charity, the result happiness, the enjoyment, receiving enjoyment, that is the wealth, receiving enjoyments, comfort. How long? Not just a few lifetimes but it is there in the sutra, it is mentioned by Buddha, eighty thousand eons, but you check there in the Arya Sanghata Sutra. So like that.

Why? Why from one action, made charity, one action made charity, why the result you can enjoy so many, not just lifetimes but so many eons, that is because, that’s because karma, the action, is expandable. It is nature of the, it is power or nature of the karma, the action. Action of the, attitude, and the intended action. However, the action, there is different explanation according to the different schools, the four schools of Buddhist philosophers. However, the karma, the action, is a mental factor, it’s not the principal consciousness. From the fifty-one mental factors, the five mental factors that always accompany the principal consciousness, like king with all the ministers, all together, the bodyguards, or the secretary or many staff go together with the king or president or director of the center or of the company, then there is many staff around working together for the same goal, the company, or the Dharma center. So, on the one object, on the same company, but even though each person has different function but whole thing is just to, that one ?work for that company, to develop that, continue to existing.

So the five mental factors, I don’t know about “omnipresent,” but anyway, it always accompany, it accompany, it’s always accompanying with the principal consciousness. So one of them is intention, sempa. That’s what karma is, the mental factor, from the five mental factors it is intention.

So however, leaves imprint on the mental continuum. Again the Prasangika school talks leaving imprint on the mere I, however, without relating to the aggregates there’s no way to point, there’s no way to say leaving imprint on the mere I, how do you put imprint on the mere I? So, however, it has to relate to the consciousness.

If you plant one corn, from that then many corns you receive. That if you plant one small, one small the seed like the bodhi tree or, it has another name, I don’t remember. So it has seed, I don’t know inside there’s also many seeds, I am not sure, anyway, seed one small like this, you plant and from that grows huge tree trunk, then many thousands, thousands branches, and the branches so spread out that even five hundred horse carriages, like India, so hot so many horse carriages they stay under the shade, the covered shade of the branches of the tree that spread out. So like that, so huge tree. Then from that again many, so many thousands of branches then again so many seeds come. So by planting very small seed like that, so huge tree, like that. So that happens.

Buddha, this story might be helpful for some people to cut doubts in the subject of reincarnation and karma, this can help. It was helpful for me.

Buddha had one attendant called Gelong Lekpai Karma, Bhikshu Lekpai Karma, he served Buddha twenty-two years, but he had also a Hindu guru, but that’s the one whom he, from the heart the one whom he follows, not the Buddha. Even though he was attendant to Buddha for twenty-two years.  The story looks like that. I think he listens, he trusts, he listens to his other guru, the Hindu, not Buddha.

So anyway, so one day, Buddha was going for alms, then, one girl offered one handful of grain to the Buddha, put in Buddha’s begging bowl. Then Buddha predicted the karmic result of that offering, one handful of grain offered to Buddha. Buddha predicted what, that she will become enlightened, she will become Buddha called such-and-such a name, I think it’s called ?Tsemepa, something like that, the name. But have to check in the lam-rim text. Buddha told the girl that due to this karma you will become Buddha, that buddha.

So the attendant Gelong Lekpai Karma he thought, he thought this is ridiculous. He thought this is ridiculous. It didn’t fit to his mind, the Buddha giving prediction to her, explaining the result of that karma, that she will become Buddha called Tsemepa Sangye. So he thought that Buddha is flattering to her, just because of one handful of grain given to Buddha, then Buddha is complimenting, flattering her, praising her. This is what he thought. He thought it is impossible, just by offering one handful of grain then you become Buddha, you can become Buddha in the future. He thought, no way, he thought.

Then Buddha asked him, “Do you know that one…” juniper, the seed, there’s another name for the tree, anyway, it looks like bodhi tree but maybe it’s different, I’m not sure. So anyway, so Buddha said, one small seed you plant then it grows a huge trunk and many thousand of branches of tree, like that. Buddha asked him, Is that possible? He said, Yes. Buddha said, “No, it’s not possible.” Then he said, “Oh, yes, it’s possible because it’s my experience.” Then Buddha said, “Yes, then also this is my experience.”

Buddha said, No. I will repeat again, Buddha said No and then he said, “Oh, yes, this is my experience. I have seen that, it’s my experience, one small seed can grow into big…” so of course, such small seed and then huge tree. Of course that’s, I mean it’s quite unimaginable thing what comes from that, a huge tree. So Buddha said, No. Then he said, “Yes, it’s my experience.” Then Buddha said, “Yes. Also then from this offering she can become that Buddha is also my experience. I see this, this is my experience.” Then he has nothing to say.

So this is helpful in the subject of karma and reincarnation. That even it is not your experience, it is the experience of others, so you can’t say no.

That is side talk but I think it can be helpful, it is very helpful to awake, to awaken our mind, to wake up our mind, from the closed, very narrow, closed mind, to open up or awaken up from that kind of sleepy mind, sleepy mind or ignorant. So to waken up. 

My English teacher, I was in London, I was in London for two months trying to make the language better, from, my teacher, my English teacher is Irish, Irish, I am supposed to speak Irish language, but anyway. Anyway, so it’s not just the language but she explained me many things about the world, different life, she explained. I think she, I think maybe joined the group of the Gurdjieff, I think maybe Russian, he’s Russian and many years ago he went in Tibet, some part of Tibet, met lamas or something like that. So that time, the West, that time the West, I don’t think drugs, LSD and Buddha Grass, LSD, so these things didn’t happened, it wasn’t that time. It wasn’t time of those explosions, not that time but much before, so much before when everything is, people’s minds can’t really, not opened, very closed, not opened for new things, new ideas, new subjects to hear about life. It’s very difficult time, much, much time before LSD and Buddha Grass happened. That there are so many people went through this, so many young people. Then went to India, Nepal, so anyway, to look for new life or spiritual or to look for guru, things like that.

So however, many years before that, so then, so he used the word, when he was teaching Dharma, what I mentioned the name but now I forgot, Gurdjieff. For ignorance, he uses, he doesn’t use “ignorance,” I think maybe difficult for people to understand so he usually say, “sleep.” He uses “sleep,” for ignorance he used the word “sleep.” So when you are asleep you are not aware of what’s happening around you, you are not aware.

As I mentioned yesterday, because I already talked yesterday so it’s easy to explain. That yesterday I mentioned the false flower, I mentioned yesterday, introduced the false flower and the flower that exists, the truth of the flower mentioned, mentioned that, and what the flower is and how it exists, mentioned that. And the false flower, flower which doesn’t exist, that I mentioned, described, introduced.

So one doesn’t see the flower that which exists, that which is merely imputed by the mind, merely imputed by mind. One doesn’t see the flower merely imputed by mind, that’s what exists but you don’t see it that way. And, it doesn’t appear that way and you don’t see that way. What appears to you is not merely labeled, never came from your mind, flower what you see never came from your mind and never, never labeled, nothing to do with your mind, not merely labeled, never labeled by your mind. I mean, more subtle one is not merely labeled by mind, but if it to make, but very gross is never labeled by your mind. So like that it appears. So however, and that’s what we believe. Flower which we believe is the false flower, and that’s the real flower.

So like that I, aggregates, body and mind, form, sound, smell, taste, tangible object, all your senses, hell, enlightenment, samsara, nirvana, happiness, problems, the true suffering, true cause of suffering, cessation of the suffering, true path, the whole, all the whole entire samsara and nirvana, the whole thing, like that flower that I mentioned, false flower, like that, something which is not there, which doesn’t exist at all, you can’t find if you look for. It looks like there when you’re not, when you are not making research, when you are not analyzing, looks like there, but if you analyze, you can’t find there. Nowhere. Not only not there on the base but, not only that, can’t find anywhere. If you analyze, cannot find anywhere. So that proves it doesn’t exist, that it’s false. So, you believe that is true, which doesn’t, if you search, if you analyze, you can’t find anywhere. And when you don’t analyze, it looks like it’s there and you, one believes it is true.

So therefore, here you can see ignorant, ignorant, sleeping, mind is asleep, can’t see the reality of the flower.

So like that, hell, enlightenment, samsara and nirvana, the whole phenomena, whole phenomena, samsara and nirvana, the whole thing is like that. Like that, appears the wrong way, something real, something real one in the sense, existing from its own side. If you analyze, you can’t find anywhere. But when you don’t analyze, to the hallucinated mind, it looks like it’s there. In the, with wisdom, can’t see there. Can’t see anywhere. Realize, discover, it’s totally nonexistent. But in the view of hallucinated mind, looks like  there. It is there and believe it’s true.

So you can see now how Gurdjieff used the word “sleep” for ignorance. When you sleep, nothing aware, what’s going on. So here it’s exactly the same. Total sleep. Don’t see the reality at all, reality or the, can’t see the I which exists, the merely imputed one, you don’t see in that nature, even though that is what it exists but you don’t see it.

So the whole entire, the four noble truths, all the whole entire phenomena of samsara and nirvana, everything, like that.

So I thought the word he chose so many years ago in the West when, still the group is going on. I think, I don’t know other countries, but in England there is still a group following Gurdjieff teachings, class, still that group is existing. So my teacher told me.

So I think, I thought he’s very, very…, very wise that he used this word, “sleep,” that has a very deep meaning. Yeah. It fits very well.

So anyway...

So, since I brought this subject, I thought to mention, one thing I did not, I was going to clarify yesterday but didn’t happen. I was talking then got distracted. I think this is very important to know, very important introduction if, especially those who are going to have those experiences, who had or especially who will have experiences. And it’s very important to have this introduction before.

As I mentioned yesterday, one day, due to all these conditions come together, received the blessing of the guru, the necessary condition, collected extensive merit, and purify, by doing powerful purification, purifying the obstacles, the negative karma, the defilements. Then suddenly your meditation [Rinpoche snaps fingers] worked. Suddenly your meditation, meditation on emptiness, it hits, it hit right on the, right on the top of the object apprehended by the concept of true existence, ignorance, the concept of true existence, the object that, that which is, for example, related to the I, the real I in the sense of existing from its own side, or outside phenomena, whatever it is. Suddenly, your meditation in this, the reason, or however, it hits on that point, you recognize that and it hits on that object of ignorance.

That means, so that means, so with the wisdom seeing the object of ignorance, the true existence, completely believed, apprehended by the ignorance, so you see, the wisdom see that is totally nonexistent. Which is the only, which is the only means to directly can cut this root of all the obscuring, disturbing, negative, emotional thoughts, delusions, and karma, and all the result, oceans of sufferings of hell, hungry ghost, animal, human beings, sura, asuras, intermediate state beings. The root cause of death, from where death, which we don’t like to even to hear, which we don’t want to think about it, from where death came, death comes, from where old age comes, from where sickness comes, from where the rebirth comes. This very root, only one that which can directly eliminate, cut, this concept of true existence.

So anyway, when you see that is empty, losing the I, the experience of losing the I, it looks like that, anyway, looks like losing I. That’s how your experience is. Looks like I, the I, the self is becoming nonexistent, appears like that. This is what, yeah….

So now here, what I want, what I meant to clarify yesterday but didn’t happen again. So here, when that happens, for most people, who is lower intelligent, then very deep fear rises. Very deep fear rises. That time, you must not, that time you mustn’t let, that time you mustn’t stop. Definitely you must not run away. I don’t mean physically run away to, physically run away on the mountain or somewhere, I don’t mean that. But, meditation stop, run away means so scared and you want to stop, to stop thinking of that, not continuing that. So that’s a huge mistake. That’s a huge mistake.

Now here, you have the opportunity, now here you have the opportunity to realize emptiness. If you realize emptiness, that the object of ignorance, the root of samsara, you realize that totally empty. Of course, [snaps fingers] then you realize how ignorance is wrong concept because there is no such object what it believes. Then you have, then you find, then you find complete faith, then you have complete faith that you will, you can achieve liberation. Once you have that experience, the, seeing the object of ignorance, the truly existent I, real I in the sense existing from there, which is not there, can’t find anywhere. But as it appeared, which is projection by the past, projection from the negative imprint left by the past ignorance. So then we let our mind to hold onto it then that time [snaps fingers] that concept becomes ignorance, that wrong concept, ignorance, root of samsara. That’s how we create root of samsara. Not somebody else create root of samsara, you create root of samsara, by not meditating on emptiness, by not practicing mindfulness in this in daily life, not thinking of dependent arising, not the Tibetan rice,  dependent arising. Then always you let your mind to hold onto this I, all these things that appearing true existent, all that, you let your mind hold onto that, you let your mind to believe that’s true, so you constantly create the root of samsara. Constantly we create root of samsara, if we do not med-, if we do not learn teachings on emptiness, Buddha’s teachings, Buddha’s most precious teachings, teaching of the Perfection of Wisdom and then meditate in daily life, practice mindfulness, so as I mentioned yesterday. So if we don’t do that, we constantly we let our mind to hold onto the false I as real I.

So here, then you realize that this is a wrong concept and you have total faith that you can eliminate this ignorance, root of samsara. And that means you have total faith you can achieve, you can have total faith you can eliminate the root of samsara and that means you can have total faith you can achieve liberation. With confidence, full faith that you can achieve liberation. So like that, from this experience. Starting from this experience, ?realization of emptiness.

So anyway, as I mentioned yesterday, there is no such thing, as there is the continuity of consciousness, the aggregates consciousness, continuity of consciousness is always there. Even you become enlightened, the continuity of consciousness always there. So therefore, the label “I” always exists. So therefore no need worry, no need worry at all that this I is going to become nonexistent, that you’ll fall in nihilism, that this I is going to be lost, become nonexistent, you don’t need to worry. This experience comes, happens, but one does not need to be scared at all, at all.

Keutsang Jamyang Lama, one who, one great lama from Sera Je, who wrote commentaries on the mahamudra, explained why this experience is happening, losing the I. Why this is happening? That proves, on the I which is merely imputed by the mind, on that, the I which is merely imputed by mind, on that there is no true existence at all, independence or true existence on the I, the self, merely imputed by your mind, by the thought, on that there is no true existence at all. It proves that, the experience of losing the, there’s no I, it’s proving that, I didn’t find ?that. So that’s what Keutsang Jamyang Lama explained in his mahamudra commentary.

So the fear is very positive. The fear rising, what I think is it’s very positive. It’s a start, it is a preliminary, it’s a good sign, preliminary that you are going to realize that the I which doesn’t exist, that which one has been believing from beginningless rebirth up till now it exists. So you, now you realize, you are discovering it is nonexistent, it exists nowhere; you are starting to see that’s totally nonexistent. So it is a start for liberation, for nirvana, ultimate, the total cessation of the suffering and causes, that you never ever experience suffering again, removing the cause, the seed of delusion, imprint. So you are incredibly fortunate.

I think if you are, if you didn’t receive introduction, if you didn’t know how to handle, if you do not know how to do, you don’t know what to do with that, what to do during that time, if you didn’t have, didn’t receive introduction before that then you think you are falling in nihilism, because you feel experience of losing the I. Then you stop, you stop because so strong, unbelievable strong fear rises, then because of that then you want to stop immediately, you are afraid. So also one thing is, because you didn’t receive, didn’t receive instruction or didn’t receive guidance how to go about through this feeling, through this experience, then, you have some understanding of emptiness but not complete.

Like Khunu Lama Rinpoche Tenzin Gyaltsen, from whom His Holiness received extensive commentary on Bodhicaryavatara, the great bodhisattva, pandit, great scholar, he used to say that such this experience is like a child put on a horse, child who has no training how to ride the horse and you put the child on the horse, so then the fear. Doesn’t know how to ride horse then the fear. Having some understanding of emptiness but not complete, that’s how Rinpoche made comment about such this experience.

Of course the very, as I mentioned, not like ordinary fear. This is very, very deep fear and from very bottom of heart, deep fear that, like, then you stop, you don’t want to meditate on emptiness for months, and even years, so scared to, you are so scared to come to that point, so scared to come to, because you didn’t have, you don’t know, you are not knowing, not knowing the experience, what’s happening.

So anyway, the fear is because the I, that’s losing, seeing empty is something that which we have been believing it exists, it’s true, without question, from beginningless rebirth, time without beginning we have been believing, we have been believing that there is such a thing, living life with that, even the hell realm, even in the deva realm, human, wherever we reincarnate, with that belief we reincarnate and we die with that, reborn with that, with that concept, there’s such a I. So time without beginning, something that you have been believing, so of course, only now you start to see that empty, discover, so of course, there will be incredible, of course, fear, very deep fear.

So anyway, so one must go through that. So knowing that there’s always continuation of aggregates, the consciousness, and the label “I,” it always exist, since there is base, valid base always exist, the label “I” always exists, never ceases, never get lost, never ceases. So knowing that, must go through this experience. Must go through this, go through this, like going through the tunnel, when we drive car, going through the tunnel then get out, then you get other side. But if you don’t go through the tunnel, you wouldn’t get to the other side. So anyway, like crossing a river, then you reach the other side.

Then like the other meditators, those who realized emptiness, then, total realization of emptiness. Then as a result, you have realization of the absolute truth then as a result then you have realization of conventional truth, that the I, unshakeable faith, understanding, that, discovery that the I exist but exist in mere name, merely imputed by mind. Not nonexistent, it existent, but something, something extremely subtle, fine, something extremely fine, subtle. The borderline of existing, not existing, the I, borderline of existing, not existing, is so fine. Unbelievable subtle, the point, the borderline of existing, not existing. So subtle. So therefore, so subtle, mainly because there is the base, valid base, the aggregates.

Not everything, of course not everything the mind labeled, doesn’t mean it exists, as I mentioned. Dream, in the dream everything, of course mind impute, everything is imputed by the mind, whatever we dream, whatever things we dream, but you see, so there are many things mind labeled but which doesn’t exist because it doesn’t have a valid base, things we see in the dream or that magician person’s illusioned, all the things we see, doesn’t have valid base. It’s false. Doesn’t exist, the base doesn’t exist. So therefore, even though your mind merely labeled, it’s the same thing, but because that there’ no valid base, it doesn’t exist. It’s a hallucination. So even though your mind merely imputed, it doesn’t exist. So that’s why when you wake up you don’t, you discover it’s not true, it’s a dream and many things ?you do ?there.

So anyway, so but here, because there is the valid base, aggregates, sometimes even there’s no body but there’s the consciousness, so then the label I exist but it is something merely imputed by mind, something extremely subtle, what it is. So it’s unbelievably subtle, so subtle.

So therefore, many meditators they make mistakes in this. So they get slipped out, they get slipped out in nihilism. So subtle, get slipped out in nihilism, thinking it doesn’t exist. So like that. Or either eternalism, can’t see the I in middle way, devoid of eternalism, existing from its own side and devoid of nihilism, it doesn’t exist. So devoid of those two extremes, seeing middle way. While it’s empty, it exists. While  existing, it’s empty.

So great enlightened being Pabongka, as it is mentioned, I don’t remember the whole quotation but this is very effective one.

“Even it doesn’t exist, it appears; even it appears, it doesn’t exist. Even it doesn’t exist, it does activities. How wonderful is that! Even though it does activities, it doesn’t exist. So how wonderful is that!”

I don’t remember the complete quotation, but here praises Lama Tsongkhapa’s view, the middle way, what Guru Shakyamuni Buddha realized and shown to us sentient beings, to liberate us from samsara, same as Lama Tsongkhapa. 

Me kyang nga wa e ma ho / nang kang me wa e ma ho/ cha wa che kyang me wa tsa / me kyang cha wa che pa tsa.

"It doesn’t have true existence, while it is empty of that, does activities, so how wonderful is that. While it is doing activities, it doesn’t have true existence.”

So, praising to the Lama Tsongkhapa’s the realisation of emptiness, I think that.

So the meditators, they said that, those who had great success, who had great success, one old meditator at Dharamsala, one old meditator at Dharamsala who had great success realizing bodhicitta, renunciation of samsara, then calm abiding, bodhicitta, right view and also Six Yogas of Naropa, one older meditator at Dharamsala, who had great success in attaining the path, called Gen Jampa Wangdu, so he said that, “After realizing emptiness, you don’t see I as an illusion, things as illusion, you don’t see immediately, but after fifteen days. You meditate on emptiness every day, you train the mind, then after fifteen days, like that, gradually then you see things as illusion.” That’s what this great meditator, Gen Jampa Wangdu, who had great success in achieving realization in Dharamsala and Dalhousie, so he expressed, from his own experience.

So one needs to train, one needs to do sessions, every day continue. So try to go back to the same experience, try to see the emptiness again, by reasoning, however, whatever the effective way to get into that point. Otherwise, just, it’s  explained by Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche that even you realized emptiness, doesn’t mean since from that time you see things empty. I think if you didn’t get to continue, if you didn’t continue the experience, develop, probably maybe that’s what Rinpoche meant, I think.

I thought to emphasize this. People who had those experiences and people who will have those experiences by meditating on emptiness, so it’s very important to have some guide, introduction before that. So that you don’t stop, when you have incredible fortune then you don’t stop, you interfere yourself to realize emptiness. Which is the start, which is the start for your liberation. From that then you are able to, by development from that wisdom, then you able to finish, you are able to end your samsara.