So those who came during this session, so I would like to thank and happy to meet. Then before the discourse we are going to recite some, to purify the obstacles and to be able to develop mind in the path of good heart, then do some mantras to receive blessings, okay.

[Recitation of Shakyamuni Buddha prayer and mantra]

Why the meditation is important, Dharma practice or meditation, so first of all we have to know what it is and why it has to be done, what is the importance about it. The body to make it flexible, for example, to do all those things in a circus play, to be able to do all those things, those Hindu yogas or the Hindu things, all those things, flexibility of the body and that mind alone, mind just thinking cannot make the body flexible, you have to make the body flexible by training the body, the body has to be made flexible by the body.

So you see now, the whole conclusion is, this now, we want happiness and do not want suffering, do not want problems, we want happiness, peace. So you see now peace, happiness, that is to do with the mind, peace, happiness is a mental state, it's a state of mind. So physically, the physical training, that alone cannot make the mind tamed and subdued and have peace, happiness all the time, stability. So you see now the whole point is we want happiness, peace of mind, we are looking for this, so that has to be done by the mind. What has to make that is by the mind, it's a mental state so it has to be created by the mind. You see, like the physical flexibility that is done, that has to be done by the body. Similar the mind, stability in the mind, tranquility, peace, happiness, not having problems in the mind, so that has to be created, has to come from the mind. So therefore, there's need of meditation, so meditation is a method, in other words, workshop in the mind, it's a mental training, meditation is a mental training. So similar to how you do with the physical body, similar you have to do with the mind.

So the method is the meditation, how you make the mind stability, clarity and calmness, having peace, not creating problem, not experiencing problem, and not just that, but the most important meditation is to develop good heart, not just to make yourself quiet and peaceful, that's not sufficient, just to have peace of mind for yourself, that is not sufficient. The most important purpose of the practicing the spiritual path or practicing meditation is to develop, the main one is to develop good heart, the thought to benefit other sentient beings, to develop compassion, loving kindness towards others, especially to every sentient being without any discrimination who give help or who give harm, without depending on these reasons. This is the main reason to meditate, to do meditation.

And also if you put, the same reason, why religion exists in the world? Why religion exists? Why there's need of religion? It's the same purpose. So the main purpose of religion is, having religion, these different religions that is for different minds, for different beings' minds. So this, so the main purpose of this is to, first of all, to stop giving harm to others, first, after that, then to benefit for other sentient beings. To do that we need to change, we have to work with the mind, we have to change our attitude, our way of thinking. So we stop the thoughts which give harm to oneself and to others, we stop those thoughts and we develop, we establish and we transform into the positive thoughts which bring peace to yourself, which benefits for yourself, which benefits for other sentient beings, which brings peace, which gives help to others, thoughts, which brings peace to others. So that should be the very essence of religion.

So this, the better, better, more positive mind, more peaceful mind, more good heart, more meaningful life, better life, more meaningful life, less harm, more benefit for others, so this should be the, even one hasn't developed the mind to completely stop giving harm others and only to do benefit, but you see, more, less harm and more benefit, so like this more and more developing, so this should be the main, this should be the essence of religion, that this making the mind better, rather using the mind, rather using the intelligence once has, rather than using the capacity one has, potential of a human being what one has, rather using to create more problems for self and for others, to the world.

So, why there's so much problems in the world as far as this, why the people fight so much over religion, why there's so much killings and all these things, so that is, according to my view, this, not, so what I think is, many people that, not really thinking the essence of religion, the essence of spiritualism, not really thinking of the essence, left out the meaning of that, that which is to develop good heart. It's a method to develop good heart so that you don't give harm to yourself or others. So in that way you have peace and you give peace to others and on top of that if possible then help others, benefit others.

So when the people don't think of the very purpose and the very essential purpose that which is compassion, to generate compassion, so the thought to not give harm, then to benefit. So therefore, so just caught, so practice of religion, you see, the person's idea of practicing religion, so just caught in the traditional or just the external what you recite or external performance, going to the whatever the different name is called, temple, church or whatever different name it is called, outside the performance, reciting things from mouth or physically going to the temple or doing things, somehow, more caught in the external things and then not really thinking of the real meaning of it, that which really brings peace, from where you and others get peace. So that's how then doesn't change the attitude, once you lost, once you don't think of the actual meaning, you see, to develop good heart, then so much involved, so much other external practice, external activity is done, so much, but never, the mind is not becoming better. As much as one do more of those external things, what it should be is the mind become less anger, more patience, less self, less egoism, more thought of cherishing others, more concern for others, so more compassion and loving kindness, so it should happen this way. So when one doesn't think of the real meaning of that, which brings peace to all, then how much those external things are done, those secondary things, how much done, the person doesn't, the mind doesn't become better, it doesn't change the attitude. So mind is the same or getting even worse, getting worse and worse, more anger, more pride, more dissatisfied mind of desire, so get built up, then, so that's how all the violence happens. There are so many millions of people get killed, millions and millions and millions.

So anyway, so now, the same thing, meditation, again the same thing. If people, if one doesn't know what meditation is for, then again there's the same problem. So it's very important, first of all, what the meditation is for. So the main aim is, even it brings, that you are able to keep the mind calm, peaceful, to stop problems and this and that, that's not sufficient. That's good, but not sufficient. But you need to develop good heart, compassion, thought to benefit other sentient beings, all sentient beings. [pause]

So first of all, yeah, then [pause] so you see, now, your own mind, happiness, peace is something that doesn't come from outside. Happiness, peace is something, the absence of problems, the happiness, peace, is something that has to come from your own mind and you can, the mind has potential to stop the problems which came from one's own mind, that same mind which brings the problem, that doesn't stop the problem but another thought can stop that problem, can bring happiness, peace. So, you see, as all the problems came from one's own mind so all the happiness comes from your own mind, it has to be obtained from one's own mind. You see, all the potential is there in our mind. Any happiness, any temporary happiness up to the peerless happiness, what is called full enlightenment, the mental state that which has ceased all the obscurations and perfected in all the qualities. So anything, you see [pause] when one's life, because so much dissatisfactory mind, desire, when it makes one's life crazy, very uncontrolled, no peace, so obsessed, because of great desire, dissatisfied mind of desire, having great pain in the heart, however, when there's danger, when life is in kind of becoming crazy by being under the control of, being possessed by strong desire and so much problem to oneself, no peace, day and night, no peace neither day nor nighttime sleep and causing so much problem between the relationship to others, oneself becoming condition, even making others [RL], driving others, bringing others into problem, driving others crazy…

…time, however, so when you don't get what the desire wants, then you want to commit suicide, then thought comes to commit suicide. When there's some obstacle, when what the desire wants, that unable to get and when there's interference to that, then you see, even become worse, even you have nobody to kill you, but one kill oneself.

So, that time, during that time, simply wherever you are, wherever you are sitting, just right there, on the same place where you used to have mountains of problems, on the same cushion, chair, were one think that one has mountains of problems in the life, on the same seat where you think you have mountains of problems, just right there, immediately, if one stops following the desire, rather following the desire, one follow to the wisdom, Dharma wisdom. So like two parties, there are two parties that you take the side, like that, that you follow. So rather than following the side of the desire, you follow the wisdom, Dharma wisdom, compassion, Dharma wisdom, opposite of desire, the satisfaction, Dharma wisdom which gives satisfaction, the compassion, so if one follow, as soon as one stop following desire and one follow that side, those positive attitudes, that mountains of problems that one think, that one believe that I have, it doesn't exist. Just wherever you are, just simply, rather thinking this way, you think that way, so immediately, rather following the desire, like the channel, the thing that you turn for TV or radio, the channel, so you turn the mind, rather towards the desire, you turn the mind rather towards the compassion or the Dharma wisdom.

So immediately, no problem, immediately the problem doesn't exist, mountains of problems doesn't exist, that before you suffocated so much, or so much pain in the heart or one commit suicide. No solution, to fulfill the desire you could not find a solution so then last thing is to commit suicide.

So all that danger, so it become greatest protection, no harm, only benefit, so guns and bodyguards, how much one, how much weapons one has, kept for life protection, they can become danger, they are obtained there for protection but they, depending on your mind, depending what you do with your mind, they are supposed to be there for protection, but they can become dangerous to one's own life. So many times you see in the world that people they shot themselves, even their bodyguard kill the Prime Minister or the King or whatever, whom they arranged there for protection but they become danger for life.

So, like this, you see, by simply stop following the desire immediately there is satisfaction [snaps fingers], there's peace, there's happiness there. It eliminated the tightness in the heart, pains in the heart, all these things. It released, immediately it become great relief inside. So, how to do that? By thinking of the shortcomings of desire, by, the infinite problems come from desire, one has to meditate on those things, problems day-to-day life, this life, and life after this, so depending on how much you know, depending how much knowledge one has, depending on how much one meditated, one received teachings, studied, meditated, depending on that then one has that much wisdom.

So thinking like this, there are infinite, there are so many ways, talk about shortcomings, they are infinite, so much to explain. However, so by mentioning one or two things, how one can control desire, how one can attempt to control desire. So, one thing is shortcomings, the problems that, how it makes life difficult that, brings all the unsuccess, temporary happiness, ultimate happiness, many things, however, there are extensive ways to think, however, so the main thing is that to be aware that how much one follow desire it never gives satisfaction, impossible to get satisfaction, no way! That is the evolution, nature.

So like this, Lama Tsongkhapa, who by practicing the path became enlightened, one great Tibetan lama who achieved enlightenment, who benefited, spread so much the Dharma teaching and benefited so many sentient beings. So he explained that the reason following the desire, the people in the world, the sentient beings following desire, so the purpose is to get satisfaction, the aim is to get satisfaction, but, so in order to get satisfaction, so follow the desire, so therefore the aim is worthwhile, there is right to obtain that aim, but you see, the method is wrong.

So Lama Tsong Khapa said, In order to get satisfaction then following desire, but in the result, in return, only dissatisfaction, so it goes on and on and one, you see, and then Lama Tsongkhapa said that it brings the sufferings, very rough and, expressed the feelings, you know, in many different ways. So like this, and it brings hundreds of other problems, so brings so many other problems, like a station, going to many different places like that, so it brings so many hundreds of other problems, so it goes on and on like that. So this is what Lama Tsong Khapa explained.

So in other words, you see, life is tortured by desire, life, in this way, by following dissatisfied mind desire, you are constantly tortured, tortured us, not giving peace, relaxation and healthy, not making even physically healthy, so for example, AIDS, cancer, so those are well known examples, came from desire, not having controlled mind, desire, basically from desire, shortcomings of desire. Many of these diseases which have no medicine to cure, all these things, most of the diseases that have no cure.

So why these, so many unrighteous things, so much is done, the mind of the beings, mind of the people, so much degenerated, become too gross, become so much grosser, so much degenerated, so many, so by following the dissatisfied mind desire so forth, so so strong, these disturbing thoughts so strong so many unrighteous things, so much done. So then because of that, you see, then this AIDS and so forth, many diseases happened nowadays. [pause]

So you see now, usually, not only the food, not only the diet and other things, but if people, if analyses are done the person's behavior, person's mental, how the person lives in this life, attitude, way of thinking, if it's analyzed the mind, if people, those who do analysis, anyway, if you analyze the mind of those people, behavior and mind, attitude, then you can find out the reasons why this person has the disease. One find similarities, similar way of thinking, similar behavior, kind of addicted in their unrighteous actions, the immoral, things like that, so there is similarity one can find, so there's more, so this way it become more clear the causes, so these are the real causes, the explanation of the evolution of disease become more clear than only explaining the conditions, you see, the diet and so forth.

So, however, when the person get AIDS, for example, during that time, mental state, when the person get AIDS, mental state a lot of desire, very, very strong desire, mind is in a state of very strong sexual desire and mental state is like that during those times and then with that then constant fever, weakness, these things happen. So there is some relation to the mind, to those times' mental state. So then mental state and then the actions, like that. However, so, these are shortcomings of desire.

So anyway to think like this is, to do meditation like this, such this time and then one meditation, like this, for example, so many people on this earth, some people think I might die this year because of some disease, they have some disease, they have cancer or something, something, so then the person think, I might die this year. Or this month. Or because the doctor said that you won't live or however, the person think, I am going to die this year or this month, or like that.

But most of the people, so many of the people they die, in the same day of the death, in the morning when they get up they don't that they are going to die that day, that they are going to die by car accident or by plane crash or whatever, being killed by others, being stabbed by others, that they are going to commit suicide or whatever. Even though the person is going to die that day, in the morning when the person gets up, there is the conception of permanence that I am going to live long, that I am going to live for many years. The person gets up with that conception, going to live long.

So, you see, so many people die in this world, on this earth, until, doesn't think of death, I am going to die, until the condition of death comes [snaps fingers], until the earthquake comes, until the condition of death, heart attack, until that happens the person doesn't think, I am going to die today, doesn't think that I am going to die this year or this month. So anyway there are many people who die like this [snaps fingers] even though they believe I am going to live for many years.

So now, so therefore, I can die at any time. Anyway, after the birth, death. It's the evolution, death, but the death can happen at any time, it can happen even today, any hour it can happen. And also, the other person, object of desire, think, this person is also not permanent, it's not permanent phenomenon, it's impermanent, it depends on cause, it is under the control of cause and conditions. So this person also dies, has to experience death and this person can die any time, even today, any hour it can happen, can die. So there's no point, like for example, in the prison, like criminal who is going to be executed, doesn't find reason to have the object, to cling the object. However, so one meditation like that, to think of the impermanence, death. So this can happen at any time.

You see, the conditions of death is not just one, two, it's kind of infinite. Even one's own, besides medicines, even the medicine, house, food, even there for long life, even there for protection but many times it becomes danger of death, cause of death, conditions for death. Even one's own body becomes conditions for death. So when you commit suicide oneself, even one's own body become condition for death, and even one's one mind become dangerous for one's own life. So like that.

So the life is like the light, like the candle flame in the wind, in the midst of wind, like that, you see, filled with the conditions for death, outside, besides outside conditions of death, there's inside conditions of death and due to unable to, due to instability of mind, mind being under the control of desire, anger, so forth, the unrighteous thought, those harmful disturbing thoughts, then that affected the body, that makes the elements, fire, water, air, earth, elements in the body unbalanced, the unbalanced mind, this, when the mind become unrighteous, unbalanced, then that affects, that makes the body unbalanced, the four elements unbalanced. So then you see the four elements in the body they also become conditions for death.

So however, so therefore, so far we are able to live, somehow, even it is like this, there are so many conditions of death, life is always surrounded by conditions of death, like this, that things can happen all the time, but somehow fortunately, somehow by good luck or by good karma, somehow fortunately, until now, death didn't happen, so however, this is one good meditation to control the mind, to bring the mind calm, stability, this way, when you think this, the desire is like the clouds in the sky, it disappeared. When you think of this, the impermanence and death, doesn't find reason, value or reason, to cling.

Then also the, yeah, so by thinking this [pause], desire is disappeared, one doesn't see any reason to cling. So there's quiet, there's calmness, tranquility, release, one feel release, being overwhelmed, you are taken over by the desire, so you are released from that, like Tibet overtaken by Chinese, then your mind is taken over by desire, invaded by desire, one feels release.

Then also other, so immediately there's satisfaction, immediately the desire is gone, there's satisfaction. So when one does this meditation, when one practices awareness, that time one stops following the desire, that makes to stop following desire, so that's how there's satisfaction immediately there.

Then, [pause]…