THE REASON YOU HAVE COME TO KOPAN

[Rinpoche and students recite Prayers Before Teachings]

The subject has been read so I’ll chant this for meditation, one by one:

Kar ma rab rib mar me dang
Gyu ma zil pa chhu bur dang
Mi lam log dang trin ta bur
Dü jä chhö nam di tar ta

[A star, a defective view, a butter lamp flame,
An illusion, a dew drop, a water bubble,
A dream, lightning, a cloud:
See all causative phenomena like this.]¹

[Prayers continue]

Everybody, good afternoon. So first I want to say that your coming to Kopan this time to learn meditation or to learn Buddhadharma is to learn about your life, your mind, to learn about yourself. That’s basically what it is.

Without knowing, realizing, understanding ourselves, we have been hallucinating ourselves. We have been suffering, not only from this morning, not only from birth, we have been suffering from beginningless rebirths. We have been suffering from beginningless rebirths in samsara because of not knowing ourselves. That is the basic reason for learning about Buddhadharma. That’s what it is. When we learn the lamrim, we come to know about ourselves more and more. There are different levels, and coming to learn more and more about ourselves is amazing.

This hasn’t been taught to us in school—not in kindergarten, not in primary school, not in university. Some universities have Buddhism as a subject but the students just study the words; there is no meditation, not actualizing in their heart, not transformation of their mind. They don’t learn how to stop suffering for themselves and for the world, transforming the mind into a positive one, one which produces happiness not only for this one world but for all the numberless universes. They don’t learn how to bring happiness to all sentient beings, and not only temporary happiness, the happiness of this life, but the happiness of all future lives. All future lives!

Sorry, sorry. Sometimes I become crazy [and shout], but please understand. At certain times I become crazy. You have to know that! Then, I forget what I was talking about before.

There are numberless universes so there are numberless human beings, not only in this world. There are numberless universes with numberless human beings, numberless asuras and suras, numberless animals, numberless hungry ghosts, numberless hell beings. So, with Buddhism we can bring happiness to all the sentient beings, not only the happiness of this life, but also the happiness of future lives and not only that but also ultimate happiness, liberation from samsara, liberation from all the oceans of samsaric suffering totally forever. Not just for a few weeks or a month’s holiday and then you have to go back to suffering. Not like that. And not only liberation but also peerless happiness, full enlightenment, the total cessation of the gross and subtle obscurations and the completion of all realizations. We can cause this not only for ourselves but for the numberless sentient beings, for everyone.

It’s incredible what we can do with this perfect human rebirth that we have received just this one time, especially having met the Buddhadharma. We have this opportunity to practice, and we need to do it just one time. It’s incredible that we have received this most precious human rebirth this time.

It is quite common to learn meditation, but you [coming to Kopan] to learn meditation and some Buddhadharma [is incredible]. And as I said, the basic thing is understanding yourself.

Some universities have Buddhism as a subject but it is studied as an Eastern subject, like Hinduism—just something to be learned about with nothing to practice. It’s like just learning about the culture of some primitive country, like about primitive people living in the jungle, with houses built or grass or bamboo or whatever.

In Africa, there are people living in the jungle, eating live mice. A Western couple went to live in their culture with their children and the parents and the children had to eat the living mice like this. [Rinpoche opens his mouth to show putting a dangling a mouse into it] I think it wasn’t a rat but a mouse. Those people believed the Westerners were there to check on them and they didn’t trust them for many years. Finally, the family not only learned about the culture but also joined in, I think.

However, your coming here at this time, it’s like you are giving me a billion dollars! That’s how important it is that you have come here to Nepal, a third world country. What do you call it? Third economic? Third world country. Since we came here, it has been developing slowly, but compared to the West it is a third world country. But in spite of that, you have come to Nepal, to Kopan Monastery. You have come to know the meaning of life, the purpose of life—the purpose of why you have taken a human body. That is so important, so important, so important.

So many people in the West—even famous people such as many famous actors—commit suicide. Besides normal people living in the cities, even many rich, famous people commit suicide. I don’t know if it is every day in the city. That is basically due to not understanding the meaning of life, the purpose of life. There are big mistakes when people don’t know the meaning of life. Not knowing the purpose of life, they have relationship problems and business problems, and they commit suicide. Failed in business or a relationship, they go to the top of a building and jump. Their mind is completely overtaken, like being pressed between mountains. Encountering problems, they can’t stand it.

If we analyze it, no problem comes from outside. Problems are created by our mind. If we scientifically analyze, there is no external problem. The problem is created by our own mind, but these people don’t know that and [so they think] the problem is only created from outside. So, many people commit suicide basically due to not knowing the purpose of life. By your coming here, you are learning about that. That is so important.

There are the three great meanings of life: lower, middle, and higher. I’m sure you have gone through that meditation. Not Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, what is the other country that America went to fight? [Student: Iraq.] Iraq. Many American soldiers went there to fight. It was unbelievable, the bombs and explosions. Those who did not get killed, who somehow had the karma to stay alive, were able to go back to America. But, not knowing the purpose of life, their minds are totally crazy. What they have seen, what they have experienced, is unbelievable, so when they go back it seems life has no purpose. Their mind is very, what do you call the word? Robina, what do you call the state of their mind? [Ven. Ailsa: Post-traumatic stress.] [Ven. Robina: PTSD, post-traumatic stress.]

You can call it all the names. Every day, because they could not understand life’s purpose, the meaning of life, every day twenty soldiers commit suicide. They can’t understand life. Now, the America government uses mindfulness meditation for the army. That helps them calm down a bit. Do you understand?

There is someone, I don’t know if he is here or not. I met him two or three years ago. He was not army; he was doing very important work, doing Special…? [Ven. Roger: Special Forces.] Special Forces. He saw that if you want to meditate or do retreat or what, if you want to meditate, then you should go to Nepal. On the internet he saw Lawudo. Lawudo is in the Himalayas, near Mount Everest.

I don’t remember my past life, but many high lamas say that I’m the incarnation of Lawudo Lama. He was called Lama Yeshe. I think there is an old story that Padmasambhava, a great enlightened being, a powerful yogi, flew from another village from a cave in the mountain to the cave at Lawudo. He stayed a short time in this cave, which is why this cave is blessed. It is not just a hollow cave, it’s a blessed cave, blessed by the great enlightened being Padmasambhava, who purified the land in Tibet allowing Buddhadharma to then be able to spread in Tibet. He purified the land in Tibet of all the spirits and those who harmed Tibet, hooking them, putting them under a pledge to protect the Buddhadharma and the practitioners instead of harming them. So, the Buddhadharma spread so much and was developed in Tibet.

Now it has spread in the West and all over the world. It is able to make people’s life meaningful. [It gives them] the opportunity to be free from the oceans of samsaric sufferings, whose continuation has no beginning, and also to achieve peerless happiness, the total cessation of obscurations and completion of realizations. To gain that purpose of life and to be able to practice the path—to have the opportunity to achieve that—is due to the great yogi Padmasambhava. Including myself. That is how I met the Buddhadharma in this life. I don’t know Buddhadharma, but with any tiny understanding I have, I am able to benefit the world as much as possible. This is due to Padmasambhava’s kindness.

That also includes you here at Kopan. You have met the Buddhadharma. You have come here to meditate, to understand the meaning of life, to learn all the basic things—the four noble truths taught by the Buddha, which is the basis of Buddhism, that there is suffering, that there is the cause of suffering, and—in order to be free from suffering by learning the cause—that there is the true cessation of suffering, ultimate happiness. That makes you inquire about the path to achieve that, the truth of the path to cessation.

You have come here to know how to make yourself totally free forever from the oceans of samsaric sufferings: from the oceans of hell suffering, from the oceans of hungry ghost suffering, from the oceans of animal suffering, from the oceans of human being suffering, from the oceans of sura and asura suffering. There is the whole path to help you, like steps you gradually follow. Like learning to go upstairs along the steps, the whole path to nirvana is clearly explained.

There have been numberless sentient beings who have met the Buddhadharma, practiced the path and became free from samsara, achieving ultimate happiness, the freedom from samsara. Not only numberless in the past, but also now and in the future. There are also numberless who have achieved buddhahood. That you come to know all that and have this opportunity is due to Padmasambhava’s kindness.

How many courses have we had at Kopan? Forty? [Ven. Roger: Fifty-two.] Fifty-two one-month courses, fifty-two. This one is fifty-two. That is by the kindness of Padmasambhava.

So, you have a great, great unbelievable opportunity to learn these things and attain ultimate happiness, and not only that, peerless happiness, enlightenment, so you can help not only the people in this world but also all the sentient beings in the numberless universes by the kindness of Padmasambhava. That is incredible.

All this is by Guru Padmasambhava’s kindness. That is the connection you have made. In the West, people spend so many years of their life studying six or seven ocean animals. What are they called? [Student: Whales.] [Student: Dolphins.] Whales. Dolphins. Six or seven dolphins, they spend many years every day going out in a boat to take pictures. Of course, they may have to report. I don’t know to who. Or they spend many years studying one spider!

There are hundreds of species of ants. Do you remember? You told me you checked. One hundred eleven thousand types of ants in this world. But all this education about these spiders and dolphins, what can it do for our precious human life? How can it stop all the sufferings or cause all the happiness for ourselves and others. We have this precious human body with its brain which we can use for such an ordinary, small things like this, spending many years studying such subjects. And then, when we die, what help do we get from that? Do you understand?

When we die, what help will we get from that? Nothing to make our mind happy at that time, nothing. There is nothing good we can carry to our next life. Even concerning ourselves there is no benefit, so there is no benefit to the happiness of others.

But your coming here, this is studying about your life, what you can do with your life to bring happiness. First of all, there is freedom from death. How can you be free from rebirth so you can be free from old age, sicknesses and death? Freedom from makeup! Not like the makeup from a shop, but what do you call it? When you become old and they tie up all the skin that sags? Fixing the body, like what is his name, the actor? Michael Jackson went so many times to fix his face. In my view, he didn’t look right. I don’t know about other people’s view, but in my view his face didn’t look right. So, you are learning how to gain freedom from old age forever.

At least, by coming here and learning meditation and the Buddhadharma, when you die you can die without fear, unlike ordinary people who have a great fear of death. With the Buddhadharma, you might go to a buddha’s pure land of the Buddha, feeling so happy, like meeting your parents after many years or going to some utterly pleasant country that everybody highly admires. I’m just using that as an example, how the mind can still be so unbelievable happy even when death comes, or at least to be without the worry of being reborn in the lower realms, as a hell being, a hungry ghost [or an animal]. Going to a pure land depends on how much you have developed your mind, whether you have bodhicitta. Then, at least you have no fear to be reborn in the lower realms, so you are not afraid of death.

So, your death is special compared to ordinary people’s death. Even though they have many degrees from university, degrees in this and that, when death comes suddenly—something they have never thought about—when suddenly there is separation from their family and friends, separation from their enjoyments, from all their wealth, from their body, when they face death and have to think about the next life, karma, the lower realms, there is incredible fear, unbelievable fear. They have so much fear just facing that experience without thinking of the next life.

The next thing, even if you haven’t met the Dharma, not knowing about reincarnation and karma, if you lived your life with a good heart, helping not only people but also animals and other beings, normally thinking of others first, regarding their happiness, if that is so, when death happens, there will be no fear; it won’t bother you.

Many years ago, while I was doing a retreat in Adelaide, I was listening to one of my students on the radio. There were about six thousand people listening. I was curious to hear what he would talk about. Then his friend, who did the same work on the radio, said she had no fear of death because she knew where she was going. I wondered whether my student would ask her about it, because it’s a very interesting subject, one you don’t hear from normal people, but he didn’t ask. He immediately moved on to talk about the lack of funeral places in the West.

What am I saying? I met a man in Lawudo who was involved in very high American Special Forces. He went there because it was advertised as a meditation center in Nepal. He was working at Root Institute but he went to Lawudo, so I called him to the cave to talk. He didn’t talk much, mainly staying quiet. When he came to the cave, I asked him how he found out about Lawudo, so he explained that even the US government uses mindfulness meditation for the army, to help them make the mind calmer. I later heard that when some businesspeople wanted to make a pipeline to take oil from Canada to America, he was in the group demonstrating with the American Indians. 

About the cave, I heard that when my previous incarnation gave a long-life initiation, he put the vase you use to initiate people on a table to receive the nectar from the cave. In the middle of the roof of the cave is a rock of lava. Not lava, what is it called, where you stick something on a parcel to seal it? Wax, wax, yes. It looks like wax. He put wax. Even in dry weather, a drop comes into the vase, which is long-life nectar, and he used that to initiate people. The cave has that because Padmasambhava, the enlightened being, went there. The connection is that. But I didn’t see it because my mind is so obscured.

So, I was praising your coming to Kopan at this time, learning about the Buddhadharma and about meditation, and not just any meditation, such as normal people do. You are basically studying your life. It is really incredible.

THE THREE GREAT MEANINGS

There are three great meanings. I’m sure that Robina taught them. You must have gone through the meditation on the three great meanings of life.

The first is attaining a higher rebirth, not being reborn in hell, as a hungry ghost or an animal but as a deva and human rebirth or in a pure land. By recognizing our actions of body, speech and mind, and understanding those that are the causes to be reborn in the lower realms, we stop that. What we have done already from beginningless rebirths we purify, so we don’t get reborn in the lower realms and when we die we receive a higher rebirth, the body of happy transmigratory being. We protect our karma. Karma is Sanskrit for action. We protect our karma from creating nonvirtuous actions, unhealthy actions, disturbing ourselves and others, meaning not only people but also animals and insects, and we transform our actions into positive, healthy ones, virtuous ones.

Then, we abandon the ten nonvirtues and practice the ten virtues. Even for lay people, there are five unhealthy negative, nonvirtuous actions we abandon, transforming them into the five healthy, positive actions. As a lay person, we live in the five lay precepts, or if not that four, or three, or two, or one, or even just living in upasika [or upasaka] refuge alone.

There are precepts of taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. By taking refuge in the Buddha what we have to abandon is harming others. By taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, even if we don’t take any of the five precepts, by taking refuge alone, that is unbelievable.

Then there are seven or eight general advices. We collect unbelievable merit, the cause of happiness, by even just doing prostrations to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha or even just making offering once of whatever we eat or drink, such as tea or water. This becomes the inconceivable cause of happiness. That, and in particular, relying on the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha is incredible.

Then higher than that, not only to be free from the lower realms but also to be free from samsara, from the sufferings of the suras, asuras and human beings, to achieve nirvana, ultimate happiness, everlasting happiness, through the higher training of wisdom—emptiness—that depends on the higher training of meditation—shamatha—that depends on the higher training of morality. So, basically, these are the three main paths. Then, we become free from the oceans of suffering of samsara by ceasing the cause of samsara, karma and delusion. Then, we achieve ultimate happiness, everlasting happiness, the true cessation of suffering through following the true path. This is the second meaning of life.

Then, with the third meaning of life, we abandon cherishing the I and generate bodhicitta, cherishing the numberless sentient beings of the hell realm, the numberless sentient beings of the hungry ghost realm, the numberless sentient beings of the animal realm, the numberless sentient beings of the human realm, the numberless sentient beings of sura and asura realms, and the numberless intermediate state beings. At present, we cherish ourselves and renounce others; we don’t care about others like we do about ourselves. But then, instead of that, we cherish all sentient beings like we cherish ourselves at present. We let go of the I, where all suffering comes from, where all failure, all disliked things come from, and we cherish others, where all our happiness, success, all the good things—not only this life’s temporary happiness but even nirvana and enlightenment—come from. All this comes from every sentient being, not only those who we love, not only our friends, but from every hell being, hungry ghost, animal, human being, sura and asura.

It is said by the Kadampa geshes [Leveling Out All Conceptions, which is attributed to Serlingpa]:

That called “I” is the root of negative karma;
It is a phenomenon to throw far away.
That called “others” is the originator of enlightenment;
It is a phenomenon to immediately cherish.

Dag ni lä ngän tsa wa te, “What is called I is to be renounced.” Gyang is “to be thrown away far.” Gyang kyi kyur wäi chhö chig yin, “It is a phenomenon to throw far away.” Zhän ni jang chhub jung khung te. Then, “What is called others.” Chang te len päi chhö chig yin, “immediately cherish,” immediately, without the delay of a second, because that is where all the past, present and future happiness comes from. “Past” means from beginningless time. So, we cherish them immediately. From their experience, the Kadampa geshes, those who had realizations of the path to enlightenment, said this.

With bodhicitta, cherishing all sentient beings more than our life, we practice the Mahayana path of the six perfections. Then, our whole life, whatever action we do with our body, speech and mind is for every sentient being. Even if we just recite OM MANI PADME HUM once, we recite it for every sentient being, for everybody! Even if we talk, our talk is to benefit every sentient being. Even if we read a Dharma book, it is for every sentient being. Even if we make one step toward wherever we are going, it is for every sentient being. For example, if we are going around a monastery, around a stupa, every step is for every sentient being, for the benefit of every sentient being, to free them from samsaric suffering and to achieve every happiness. 

We do this naturally without effort, because once we have a realization of bodhicitta, there is no need for effort. We need effort to transform our mind into bodhicitta. It is not easy to generate bodhicitta. For our actions to benefit sentient beings, we need so much effort, but once we have a realization of bodhicitta, every single action we do with body, speech and mind is naturally for every sentient being.

WE ARE HERE TO SERVE OTHERS

At present, everything we do is for this I, to get happiness for this I, which is not in our eyes, not in our ears, our nose, our toes or our heart. If we looked for it specifically, we wouldn’t be able to find the I. Looking for it, analyzing it, this is inner science. Most of the time, Western science only checks outside phenomena, external things, but inner science is checking our life. Although we look for our I from the top of the head to the toes, there is no way to find it. When we don’t look for it, it looks like there is a real I, “I must kill people; I must cheat them; I must do everything bad to get power for this I.” We do whatever we can to get happiness for this I, to get power for this I, but when we look for it, we can’t find it. We can’t find this real I from the top of the head down to the toes. We can’t find it in this room. We can’t find it in this world. That shows this real I is nonexistent. 

People run around their whole life with so much worry that this I is going to suffer. This real I is going to suffer, is going to have a bad reputation and so forth, “I will get hungry; I will get sick; I will die.” This real I will suffer in this way. In the city, after they finish work, if people have a bit of time, they go juggling [jogging] around the city for hours. Or they cycle to not get cancer or diabetes. For this real I to not get cancer or diabetes, they spend so many hours when they get a little bit of time from their job. But if we look for the I, it is not there. If we look from the tip of the hairs down to the toes, we can’t find it anywhere. We can’t find this real I that we are worried about all the time, day and night. Afraid of getting diabetes, we take so much medicine and [incur] so much expense for this I. We go to a psychiatrist for this real I to not get problems. If somebody criticizes us, telling us we are bad, we immediately call the police and want to put them in prison.

Whatever bad things we do is to get happiness and power for this real I, not for the merely labelled I but for this real I. OK? We spend our whole life like this, going to university to get a degree, to get a job, to get money for this real I, which is not there, which we can’t find. If we meditate on it, we can’t find it. If we look for it, we can’t find it. If we examine it, although it looks like it is there, we can’t find it.

I think that is enough for this time.

This is the experience of our daily life. Not only the Buddha said this or the Kadampa geshes said this, it is also the experience of our daily life. For example, I will tell you, while we are walking in the street, when we think there is a real I, we not only believe it is real but we cherish it so much, “I want happiness; I don’t want suffering; I don’t want this problem.” Then, our face wrinkles—a very, very sad face, without a smile. We spend our whole time with that face. When we think we are the only one in the world suffering, it looks like that, but there are thousands of people suffering far worse than we are. But we still think that we are the only one suffering like this in the world.

But the moment we think “I’m here in the world to serve others,” suddenly we can smile. All these people going by car, in the restaurant, at the beach, we are here to serve all these people, all these animals. Suddenly, we have found happiness. Suddenly, we can smile.

We feel a connection with the surrounding people, those who are in the restaurants or shops. We even have a connection with the animals. So, we can smile at people and feel a connection with everybody. We are here to help others. Suddenly our mind is relaxed, happy. You understand? Right there, we find happiness, right there. If we change our mind into the thought to benefit others, happiness is right there!

I’m just giving you a simple example. Even if your family is so unhappy, think like that. With bodhicitta, everything we do is only for sentient beings, for the happiness of all sentient beings. That includes every ant, every mosquito. Whatever we do benefits everybody.

So, you have come to Kopan at this time to learn and practice that. You understand? That makes your life most meaningful, most happy. Whatever you are doing, even if you are sinking—not sinking down, singing songs!—even if you are playing tennis or football, whatever you are doing is for every sentient being. That is unbelievable. That is the happiest life.

Bodhicitta is the root of the path to enlightenment. It causes us to actualize the whole path to enlightenment. The six perfections are there, the five paths, the ten bhumis are there. Tantra is there. There are the four classes of tantra: Kriya Tantra, Charya Tantra, Yoga Tantra and Anuttara or Maha-anuttara Tantra, which has two stages, the generation stage and the completion stage. We are able to achieve all that. Every single thing we do becomes the cause of happiness of all sentient beings.

Every single thing done with bodhicitta becomes a cause of the happiness of all sentient beings. Every single thing we do with bodhicitta, every single action of body, speech and mind, becomes a cause of the happiness of all sentient beings. You should write that down. That is the highest meaning of life; that is the purpose of life.

For example, drinking tea. If we drink tea, not with attachment to this life, not with anger, ignorance or attachment, in particular clinging to this life, but make it an offering to the Buddha, to receive a god or human rebirth, that is the first meaningful life. It achieves the first meaningful life. Then, offering the Buddha tea before we drink it to be free from samsara fulfills the second meaning or purpose of life. Then the third, offering it with bodhicitta, to achieve enlightenment for sentient beings, by offering tea to the Buddha in that way and drinking it as a blessing for us to actualize the path—to be free from the cause of suffering, karma and delusions—that becomes the highest meaning of life. This is even just relating it to tea.

The best practice to do while we are drinking tea and making offering is to visualize the guru in our heart. Then, it becomes a cause of enlightenment. With that meditation, every sip of tea becomes a cause of enlightenment. However, if we don’t have a guru, we can think of the Buddha in our heart and then offer it. We can do that. If possible, we visualize ourselves as a buddha.

Kyabje Denma Locho Rinpoche said we don’t need an initiation to visualize ourselves as the Buddha. For the rest, like Medicine Buddha and the other deities, we need an initiation, but because Guru Shakyamuni Buddha is the founder of the present Buddhadharma, Rinpoche said we don’t need an initiation.

One visualization is to visualize ourselves as the Buddha and then make the offering of the tea, seeing we and the Buddha are oneness. If we have a guru, then we, the Buddha and the guru become one. We make the offering like that. That is a most profound meditation, a very important meditation.

I think that’s enough.

We make the offering remembering bodhicitta. As I explained, think, “The purpose of my life is not just to receive a god or human body in the next life; it is not even to achieve nirvana, to be liberated from samsara; it is to achieve enlightenment for sentient beings, to free every sentient being from the oceans of samsaric sufferings and bring them to enlightenment. For that reason, I must achieve enlightenment. Therefore, I make this tea offering.” Then drinking tea becomes a cause of enlightenment.

OK.

[An announcement that tea is being served outside]

You are having ultimate tea!

[Tea break]

MAKING EACH DAY MEANINGFUL

[Rinpoche begins the next part of the session with the recitation of the holy name and mantra of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha]

One question? Or half a question? Otherwise, I have to start.

Student: You are saying that the things we do every day, whatever action we do, is for all sentient beings. How do you create sincerity in this and how do you apply it every single day when we are not at Kopan and around Sangha? [Ven. Robina repeats the question]

Rinpoche: I think one thing is that in the morning, if you do what I put together [How to Make My Lives Wish-Fulfilling: The Method to Transform a Suffering Life into Happiness (Including Enlightenment), which includes] this short lamrim: [A Direct Meditation on the Graduated Path Containing All the Important Meanings by Dorje Chang Lozang Jinpa]. It is unbelievably strong. It has such a good effect. I received the lineage from Geshe Senge Rinpoche who was abbot of Sera Je and Mey in Tibet, a Mongolian abbot. There is a verse from Eight Verses and verses from A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life I joined with that. If you do that every morning, that is incredible, the best.

You begin the day with dedications of your body, speech and mind. Everything is dedicated for sentient beings: for every hell being, every hungry ghost, every animal—they are numberless in the numberless universes, that means every ant, every mosquito—every human being, every sura and asura being. You dedicate your body, possessions and merits, past, present and future. It is contained in that subject if you read well by thinking of the meaning, not just blah, blah, blah. Not like we do when people ask us to do pujas! If you think of the meaning, that is the best. Then, you continue by practicing the awareness that everything belongs to sentient beings, everything is used by sentient beings. If there is that continuation, the awareness comes more and more. This is the way to train the mind.

Then, of course, there is the mind training in the lamrim meditation. Many people don’t like to meditate on suffering. They can meditate on bodhicitta, compassion, loving kindness, emptiness, something like that, but they never want to think about their own suffering or the suffering of others. We can never get a realization of bodhicitta in that way, not even meditating for a thousand lifetimes, even for billions of lifetimes. Many people do like that, but they will never get realizations.

We have to first have the realization of guru devotion. From correctly following the virtuous friend, [we then follow] the graduated path of a lower capable being, how [the perfect human rebirth] is so useful but is difficult to find. Then, the nine-round death meditation, how death can come any time and how nothing helps at time of death—not the possessions, the surrounding people, the body—except the Dharma. Then, refuge and the suffering of the lower realms. That is the mind training of the lower capable being.

Then, the mind training of the middle capable being, the samsaric nature of suffering—the six and eight types of suffering of samsara, particularly the suffering of human, sura and asura realms. Then, the three levels of suffering: the suffering of pain, the suffering of change, pervasive compounding suffering. Then, after we have a realization of the renunciation of samsara, we train our mind mainly in bodhicitta. From that, we have realization of bodhicitta.

As I said, after we achieve the realization of bodhicitta, everything comes effortlessly, naturally. Now, everything we do is for this I, for the real I that is not there. At that time, with bodhicitta, everything is for sentient beings. Everything is the cause of happiness for sentient beings, so that they achieve enlightenment. OK?

We need to develop from down below. It is like laying foundations to go upstairs. However many stories the house has, we have to go up the steps [from the bottom].

The morning motivation is that one, bodhicitta. It is so important we do that mindfully. Then, we practice awareness every day, dedicating for sentient beings, using everything for sentient beings. Then, more and more mindfulness will come.

There is a book, Bodhisattva Attitude, showing us how we can do everything with bodhicitta. When we sit down, when we open the door, when we go out and when we come in, when we wash, this is what we think. Basically, everything is related to sentient beings. It is very good if we can do as much as we can. That is very good.

I’m thinking that maybe somebody can read parts of Bodhisattva Attitude in the course. In the past, Sarah used to read it, so maybe somebody can read it during the course to get the idea, so that everything we do we relate to bodhicitta. That is also very helpful.

What we need to do basically is practice the lamrim meditation from beginning to end, to gradually build up the realizations. Otherwise, many Westerners only want to think nice things, like emptiness and I don’t know what exactly, maybe bodhicitta. But no suffering. If [there is no understanding of] suffering, there is no development within the mind. 

But we need to do our best. We go shopping for sentient beings; we go for walks for sentient beings. Before we eat food, before we sleep, we dedicate for sentient beings. Remembering bodhicitta, we do everything for sentient beings. Then, we will remember more and more.

THE THREE GREAT MEANINGS (BACK TO)

I’ll continue with the previous subject. By coming here, you come to know the three great meanings of human life: the lower, middle and great meaning of life.

Please understand this. There is a wish-granting jewel. I saw in a text on Tibetan medicine, a geshe explained that in the end the Buddha’s relics go to the ocean and become wish-granting jewels. It is said that in the past universal kings or bodhisattvas, those who have great merit, find wish-granting jewels in the ocean. They bring them up and clean them in three ways and then put them on top of the banner on the fifteenth day [of the lunar month]. Then, whatever people request, all the needs of this life, everything is materialized in the next second.

It’s like what Sai Baba does. He gives ashes to most people but to some he gives watches or golden chains. He does like this, but not for all people. The family of a lady in Singapore or Malaysia, Mimi, was very close to Sai Baba. She arranged a meeting for us, on his birthday and something else. She invited monks from Sera, from the tantric college and from different khangtsens [colleges] to do different pujas—the Tara puja, the Medicine Buddha puja—in front of Sai Baba. So, Sai Baba gave presents. To an elder monk, he did like this [Rinpoche presumably makes a magical hand gesture] and gave him a gold chain. 

I’m using that as an example. By praying to a wish-granting jewel, everything we pray for—however many expensive cars, what are they called? Rolls Royces, helicopters, swimming pools—everything we want gets materialized in the next second, not only one thing, but filling the whole sky. 

Compared to that, however, our human rebirth is much more precious. This is a very good business way of thinking. Even if we could fill the whole sky with wish-granting jewels, that alone could not purify the negative karma that causes us to be reborn in the lower realms; it could not cause us to be reborn as a god or human being. But with this human body, we can do that. That is very important. We can stop the unbelievable suffering and get a higher rebirth, the body of a happy transmigratory being.

Now, the second thing. Even if we own wish-granting jewels filling the whole sky, we could not be free from samsara. That won’t free us from karma and delusions, the cause of samsara. But this body can do that. By practicing the Dharma, we can do that; we can become free from samsara and achieve nirvana, everlasting happiness.

The first one is to not be reborn in the lower realms and get a higher rebirth. We can achieve the body of a happy transmigratory being with a human body by practicing the Dharma. Not only diamonds but wish-granting jewels filling the whole sky cannot do that. Even if we owned that much, we couldn’t achieve that, we couldn’t achieve nirvana. But with a perfect human body we can achieve that. So, the perfect human rebirth is so precious.

Then thirdly, even if we owned skies of wish-granting jewels, it could neither free us from lower nirvana nor could we achieve full enlightenment, the total cessation of obscurations and the completion of all realizations. We couldn’t achieve that with that alone, but with this perfect human body we can do that.

With this human body, we can achieve full enlightenment for sentient beings. Not only that, we can free the numberless sentient beings from the oceans of samsaric sufferings and bring them to enlightenment. Freeing them from the oceans of samsaric sufferings is one thing, and then bringing them to full enlightenment by ourselves—wow, wow, wow! That is amazing! Drinking tea with bodhicitta causes us to do that.

Reciting TADYATHA OM MUNE MUNE MAHA MUNAYE SVAHA with bodhicitta does that. Especially with bodhicitta it does that. There are so many examples. When we do prostrations with bodhicitta, it does that. What we do during the course does that. So having a human body is so much more precious than the sky filled with wish-granting jewels. No question of dollars or diamonds; they are very small. You have to think about this.

We have to meditate on this; we have to feel how precious this is. Then, we don’t waste our precious human life that we have received just this one time.

What makes life most meaningful and most beneficial is bodhicitta. That is the conclusion. As I already mentioned, what makes life most meaningful, most beneficial, not only to us but to every sentient being—to every insect, to every ant you see here, to every sentient being—is bodhicitta. Put effort into that. Our main goal should be to practice that.

There are so many practices, so many meditations, but don’t miss bodhicitta. Write it down in your diarrhea book! Write it down to remind you. Then each time you see it, it reminds you what is your main practice. If somebody asks you what your main practice is, you should say bodhicitta. Bodhicitta! What makes life most happy is bodhicitta.

HAVING A GOOD HEART

There are two wings in Buddhism. Both method and wisdom, bodhicitta and emptiness, are important, but without bodhicitta the highest we can achieve is only lower nirvana not enlightenment. With bodhicitta and emptiness, we can cease the subtle obscurations and then achieve enlightenment. So, they are like the two wings. Therefore, bodhicitta is what makes life most happy.

In the West, day and night people ask, “When I can be happy? When I can be happy?” Like Tibetans reciting OM MANI PADME HUM, OM MANI PADME HUM, Western people recite, “When I can be happy? When I can be happy? When I can be happy?” Because of so much clinging, so much cherishing the I, they encounter many problems. The self-cherishing thought brings so many problems. Then they face problems with people. Even if they stay alone, there are problems with dogs and birds making noise outside. Everything becomes a problem.

Therefore, what makes the happiest life is bodhicitta. You must know that. Everybody must know that. At least write it down! If we want to have happiness, what makes the happiest life is bodhicitta. That is what we should study and practice as much as possible. Practice bodhicitta!

Through lamrim, we are able to reach bodhicitta in this life. We must understand the goal, the direction we must take. If we want to not only be free from the oceans of samsaric sufferings but to achieve enlightenment to free the numberless sentient beings from the oceans of samsaric sufferings and bring them to enlightenment, this is what we must do. “I’m this deity; I’m that deity,” “I’m a dzogchen practitioner; I’m a dzogrim practitioner.” Or stating some very high tantric meditation to impress people, making them think we are a very high realized being. [Instead, we must strive for bodhicitta.]

I have to mention this. We need a good heart. Even if we don’t believe in reincarnation and karma and so forth, we need to have a good heart in our everyday life, not only for people but for animals. If we see animals such as ants, we should never step on them. If we kill one, then for five hundred lifetimes we will be killed; we will get stepped on by other sentient beings. By killing that one time, karma has that effect; we get killed for five hundred lifetimes. That is just a simple example showing how we should be very careful to not harm even small things like that.

What was I saying? I’ve forgotten what I was talking about. We should not only not harm people but even animals. I forgot. What was before? What was I talking about before? [Ven. Holly: Having a good heart.]

Practice having a good heart as much as possible. That is most important in our life, even if we don’t believe in reincarnation and karma. 

Even if we are very learned, knowing all the Buddha’s teachings, the Kangyur of more than a hundred volumes and the Tengyur, all the commentaries of the pandits of Nalanda—even if we know everything by heart, the most important thing is to practice a good heart. If we don’t practice a good heart, even if we are so learned, explaining this and that, we develop pride, we develop ego, attachment, grasping the I, the self-cherishing thought. And then, anger. If somebody does something a little bit negative toward us, saying we are not correct or something or criticizing our way of acting, we suddenly get angry. And then, when we die, because we haven’t practiced a good heart, we get reborn in the lower realms.

Whether we know just this much Dharma, [Rinpoche indicates with his hands] just a small [amount], practicing a good heart as much as possible with people and animals, trying to help wherever we can, making our life meaningful in the world, day and night being kind to everybody—animals, insects, human beings, everybody—that is the best. Then, we will succeed in all our wishes for happiness; all the good qualities, all the realizations come.

In the Sutra of Chenrezig Purely Containing All Dharma it says,

Do not follow many Dharmas.
Follow one Dharma.
What is that?
That is great compassion.
With great compassion, all the buddhas’ qualities will come to you without effort.

If we want to achieve enlightenment quickly, we must practice the one Dharma, great compassion. The “one Dharma” is great compassion. If we practice great compassion, all the buddhas’ qualities will come to us without effort.

Write it down! Write this down in your diarrhea book! It is so important, so important. You have to know what the most important practice in life is. You must know that. “With great compassion, all the buddhas’ qualities will come to you without effort.” You must write it down! Then you know what is the most important practice. If you practice that one, everything comes to you.

What time is it? I have to finish. I will tell you the next one and then I’ll stop.

MILAREPA

Milarepa was a lay person who achieved enlightenment in one brief lifetime of degenerate times. He was a lay person, not a monk. He didn’t even have one rupee, one dollar. I don’t know if Milarepa existed before or after dollars. My guess is he must have existed before dollars. Milarepa didn’t have one Nepalese rupee, but he used his human life to practice Dharma. He used his life to follow his guru, Marpa. He meditated in the places his guru suggested, doing exactly what his guru advised, and he achieved enlightenment in one brief lifetime of degenerate times.

This is even though in his youth he followed his mother by learning black magic. When his father died, his uncle and aunt treated him so badly, so his mother got him to learn black magic. He dug a hole in the mountain and meditated there. Then, stones fell down from the mountains above where his uncle and aunt were having a wedding, with many people drinking and dancing upstairs and many animals downstairs, killing all the people and animals.

Then, the lama who taught him black magic said if he wanted to practice holy Dharma he should go to see Marpa. He went to see Marpa and although he had nothing to offer, he asked him to give him teachings and food. Marpa accepted and advised him to build a nine-story tower. I didn’t see it. I didn’t go that far [into Tibet] but you can still see it. His guru made him build it alone without any other porters. Then, after he built it, he had to tear it down and put stones back in the same place. Then, he had to build it again, and again tear it down and put stones back, and then do the same thing a third time. His guru wanted him to continue to bear hardships even more so he could achieve enlightenment even more quickly, but Marpa’s wisdom mother pushed Marpa to give him initiations and teachings. Then Marpa, an enlightened being, manifested the mandala and gave him an initiation. Milarepa was then able to practice in mountains and achieve enlightenment, even though through black magic he had killed many people.

He achieved enlightenment in one brief lifetime of degenerate times by purifying negative karma. You have to know that even if we have done so many negative things, we can change and become a good person. We can become a holy being; we can become enlightened in that lifetime. In the world, people think if we are bad, we are bad all the time, but it’s not like that. Milarepa was bad in his early life but in his later life he became enlightened. You must know that.

The government thinks that if people are bad in their early life they will always be bad, but that is the wrong way [of thinking]. It depends on whether the person changes their mind or not. Milarepa didn’t have one rupee but he practiced the Dharma; he used his body to achieve enlightenment in one brief lifetime of degenerate times. Always correctly following his guru, he achieved enlightenment.

Therefore, we are unbelievably fortunate to have the opportunity at this time to learn and to practice the Dharma. Please understand, my main point is this is the one time that we are a human being, so we must do our best. We don’t have a long life. Within a hundred years most of us will be dead. Do you understand?

We don’t live long. Actually, death can happen at any time, tomorrow, tonight; it can happen at any time. So, with this perfect human rebirth that happens once, we have to do our best. We have to think what is best in our life and do that. We have to integrate that into the lamrim, into bodhicitta. That is all.

[Rinpoche and students offer mandala]

DEDICATIONS

“Due to all the past, present and future merits collected by me, all the three-time merits collected by numberless sentient beings and numberless buddhas, may bodhicitta, the source of all happiness including enlightenment for me and all sentient beings, be generated in the hearts of all sentient beings and be developed in the hearts of all sentient beings.”

Not only pray it is generated in your own heart but also the hearts of your whole family, your enemies, your friends and strangers. You are responsible to pray for them.

“Due to all the past, present and future merits collected by me, all the three-time merits collected by numberless sentient beings and numberless buddhas, which are merely labeled by the mind, may the I, who is merely labeled by the mind, achieve buddhahood, which is merely labeled by the mind, and lead all the sentient beings, who are merely labeled by the mind, to that buddhahood, which is merely labeled by the mind, by myself alone, who is also merely labeled by the mind.”

You must understand your suffering and that of others to generate compassion.

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Notes

¹ See FPMT Essential Prayer Book, p. 79. [Return to text]