Lecture 37

I am going to listen to the teaching on the gradual path to enlightenment in order to ... may I receive enlightenment for the benefit of all kind mother sentient beings.

So all samsaric suffering, all the suffering, the whole thing, whether this happened without any cause, it is not something which happened by itself, without cause, is not like this. It is created by the cause, and that is karma and delusion. The worst thing is delusion. If there is a delusion the delusion easily produces the karma. Even if there is no karma left to be born in the realm of the lower transmigrator if there is delusion, attachment; that delusion easily produces karma. So the worst thing is the delusion. In order to destroy the delusion, to practice the remedies to destroy the delusions, first we have to recognize the different types of delusion and they are the six root delusions and 20 secondary delusions. The basic delusions are the six.

First the attachment, what is the nature of attachment? By looking at the beautiful object—either living or non-living objects such as material possessions, bodies—by looking at the object it is difficult to separate oneself from the object. That is the nature or meaning attachment.

For instance, when we go for shopping, as we go along the path, we see beautiful objects in the shop as we pass by—beautiful dresses, beautiful things. By looking at that beautiful object…

….wanting to have that object, not wanting to separate from that object. It is difficult to separate oneself from the object. Because of seeing that you can’t just leave, you have to stop there and have to watch for some time, trying to enjoy with the sense of eye as much as possible. Then we go into the shop and want to touch, besides the eye sense, wanting to enjoy with body by touching. The nature of mind, the main thing is, difficult to separate from the beautiful object; difficulty is not there in the object but in the mind. When you see a beautiful thing but have to go away you couldn’t buy it—there is not enough money, have to leave it in the shop, even when you are at home you remember that object so clearly and perfectly—much more clearly than visualization of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha. Even at night time you keep remembering, very difficult to separate, kind of very painful there inside your mind. Either with material object or person, to whom one’s mind is attached, same thing, similar.

So if the mind is in that nature then that is attachment. The creator of the beauty is one’s own mind. We think there is a real beautiful object there, which not created by one’s own mind. Another way of talking is that beautiful object what we see, what we believe, was that existing before we saw it? Was that beautiful object existing before, which one has seen, in one’s own view? What you believe is beautiful, didn’t that start at the same time as you looked at it or was that existing before you saw it? Was that existing for you, was that existing?

One way of thinking is like that. The attachment also exaggerates the object’s beauty, with attachment we think more and more how good the object is, how beautiful it is. If it is a person how beautiful it is, with attachment as you think more—his hair is like this, such shape like this, and his hand is like this, we make analytical meditation, to continuously wander in samsara. This is useless analytical meditation, a cause for suffering. Creating like this. Trying to see the person as beautiful. Trying to think of many reasons why the person is beautiful, how he speaks, his voice, how he is good in poetry, how he writes well, how he is a good musician, playing music. Many reasons like this come in the analytical meditation, at night time.

The more and more you think of the person, you build up the attachment and also you exaggerate. Actually it appears more and more how beautiful, actually you are believing it is more and more beautiful, by thinking of these reasons. For you it is appearing as more and more beautiful, but actually you are believing it as more and more beautiful by thinking up these reasons—this is beautiful, that is beautiful—making conclusion, like this.

Another way of talking, for instance, how the mind is the creator of this—if your mind does not believe the object is beautiful how can the object be beautiful to you? If you don’t believe the object is beautiful, how can the object appear as beautiful to you? It cannot. How your mind sees it as beautiful, how your mind is the creator of that object. It might be ugly but if you do not believe it is ugly how can it appear as ugly to you, is it possible? For us it looks real, not being aware of the wrong conception—not recognizing the reality of the object, the absolute nature of the object. For us, we are not aware, while we are creating the object, we are not aware that we are creating. For us everything, beauty, ugliness is real and appears real, so one believes it is real.

The most powerful meditation technique to control attachment is to remember impermanence. And the technique, if you are going to use the meditation on impermanence of life and death, question yourself, “Do I know when I am going to die!” You see, nothing clear is in your mind, darkness. Then, “I may die, what is more definite after this minute, to die or not to die? Death is more definite than not.”

What is more definite ... to separate from the body and possessions—remember the specific material possessions which is one so strongly attached, if it is person remember who that specific person is one is strongly attached to—then, “What is more definite, to separate from these material possessions and surroundings, this person, even my body, what is more definite to separate or not separate in this minute? It is more definite to separate from this.” Emphasize, it is more definite to separate. If it is person with whom we have problem of attachment, think especially of that, it is more definite to separate from that. Or maybe it is attachment to one’s own body. Then think, “So what is more definite to be born in the realm of naraks or not to be born, so, more definite to be born there as I am creating negative karma now, so more definite to be born in the narak realm.”

Try to visualize as if you are seeing the narak realm, the hot red iron base—kind as if you are seeing it in front of you as the result of the negative karmas, otherwise just saying the word narak doesn’t make any sense or any feeling, doesn’t change the mind. If you are visualizing as if you are seeing it there is a feeling. Usually even at the very beginning before there is incredible strong attachment such unbelievable attachment, mind is so painful ... like that extremely difficult to separate away from that person. Even at the very beginning, when you think death is more definite to happen the attachment goes away, the mind becomes peaceful, attachment loosens. It is like putting cold water when tea is boiling; when you put cold water the bubbling stops, noise stops, before it made so much noise—like that mind becomes so relaxed, peaceful, because of the release of that problem—the bondage of attachment. So the mind feels peaceful.

If that does not loosen the attachment, the second one: more definite to separate away from that person, that object, one’s own body, remember it is more definite to separate, try to visualize, try to feel I am going to separate, definitely going to leave the body just here, the material possession there and the person there, like that. That is very powerful to destroy right away the attachment. When you know in this minute I am going to separate you don’t see the point to be attached.

Specially to remember the result of the karma, the visualization of the narak ... the suffering of narak or the hot iron base, just by seeing this can specially control the attachment. Because you see, that is the result of the negative karma, giving rise to attachment, so you feel the result, by that you dare not, you get scared of attachment. Before, one followed attachment, before, one made friends with attachment, then by seeing result narak then you see shortcoming of attachment, you see how the negative karma makes one to experience this suffering. In that way your mind is away from, it is not under the control of attachment, by remembering that. Right after that mind becomes so relaxed and peaceful. There is happiness and peace in the mind by remembering this technique, the impermanence of life and death ... the nature of mind is calm, subdued.

That release is comparing the previous mind which is bound by attachment, this is the real peace the real happiness which you feel from release, after experiencing that. After tying the body to a pillar for long time then after someone has released one from that, how one feels relaxed. The person feels released, calm. So comparatively this is real peace. The previous mind we called as the object as happy but if one checks up the nature of the mind one has exaggerated “I am happy”—when one checks up the nature of the mind it is very unsubdued, it so uptight through the attachment.

This is a good word, “uptight.” I heard some young people’s language, hippy term, but it’s a very good term, “uptight mind” explains exactly the nature of attachment. The expression “uptight” must have come by recognizing mind problems, how the mind is when there is attachment. According to the mind problem you call it that name “uptight.” That makes big sense. It was very uptight by the attachment.

One thing is that with person, other thing is that you visualize the person even if he is near by or in front of you, but your mouth keeps quiet—the mind practice, your mouth does not have to say the meditation “I am doing this,” “I am practicing this meditation,” the other person may get angry. He may get freaked out. You want to guide yourself from suffering, so in your mind you peacefully practice. Visualize inside that person’s body. What is inside there? Skeleton. You try to look inside the head, as a movie, inside there are bones and big holes, dark, inside you can see where the eyes go, and also the very long bones, the mouth and cheeks. Visualize the pieces of bones how they are joined, the hands. Then inside here, the ribs, visualize the ribs and also the legs, pieces of bone joined, thin bones joined to each other like this. However the person is sitting, cross-legged or on a chair, his legs like this—maybe his legs are sitting like this on a chair. Then peaceful inside.

Even just by remembering that, attachment goes away, escapes. Like a person who tells lies, like “This person is a king,” when I know he is not king, when I prove he is not king, the person who told the lie, by my recognition of the lie… there is a Tibetan saying “you make a hole in the bottom of the lie,” … so by my recognition that he is not king, the person who told the lie feels shame and runs away, cannot stay any more with me. Like that, attachment tries to prove to me, “oh, how beautiful he is, like this, this and this.” Now, when I try to see, with wisdom, whether he is really beautiful or not, when I check, especially inside the body, as the wisdom sees that is not beautiful as the attachment tried to identify, as wisdom recognizes, attachment cannot stand it, and escapes.

So visualize skeleton like this. Also the pieces, inside here the heart, the liver, intestines, visualize all the pieces. Especially if you are a doctor and you know what is inside here, there, here, all these pieces, you get a clear visualization by looking at pictures or studying a dead body, then you can see so clearly. Then check, “Where is the object that I’m attached to?” Try to find it. Cannot find it. After this, cannot find the object of attachment. “Where is it? The one I saw as beautiful, where is it?” This is extremely beneficial, extremely useful. This technique is extremely powerful to control attachment, arising attachment to living beings, to their bodies. This is one of the most powerful remedies.

In Australia I went in to see the—what is that place called?...

Dr. Nick: Anatomical museum.
Rinpoche: (tries to pronounce) Yes, whatever ...The place where they keep the dead bodies, the bodies that people donated for the students to study. I had great interest to go and see this place. Dr Nick had joined us for the tour, it was one of the places were he studied. We went to see inside. I think usually, if the person is not a doctor then he has nothing to do with those dead bodies. So I think they don’t allow a person who is not doctor, who doesn’t do medical work. Dr Nick told me if they ask you if you are doctor then you should say “I am a Tibetan doctor.” Anyway inside I didn’t have to say that. Then somehow through another doctor friend I got inside.

In the actual house where there are these dead bodies, just after entering the door, so many different heads and different parts. Nearby the door there are several faces and Dr Nick was so hurried he was pointing, “oh there are some more interesting things inside.” I couldn’t finish seeing these faces you know. Not satisfied, you see. So interesting, very interesting to look at.

Then there are small babies, fetus; all the different parts of the body; also they had new body, fresh body, but it doesn’t look so fresh. In the box they put chemicals and some people they study. They take off the skin, then study the nerves and things like that. Somehow, in that house, even relating to those people were studying there, some kind of similar feeling, with those dead bodies which are set in the glass, you know, now they have kind of movement, but kind of the same, you get that feeling there. And then after watching all that and coming out into the street, all the people driving cars, walking, running so busily, working in the shops, all these just like dead bodies walking. You can see so clearly all their insides, even though they are dressed differently, and they have different cars. Kind of body similar to skeletons, driving cars, doing all kinds of things in the city, kind of very funny when you see inside; many skeletons working, driving cars, making business, you know. Afterwards, going back to the... even after some time, after a few days, checking the people, that time also kind of seeing dead people.

Actually it is like this, many people who are working in offices, fact is if you look inside, it is very fearful-looking, instead of getting attached to their body. In the office if you watch, many skeleton beings typing, talking, walking.

Also then sometimes visualize one’s own body, one is so much attached to one’s own body, so many problems with attachment. Also one can watch the inside of one’s body, which also controls attachment. You see by seeing the inside of all these things you don’t find reason to follow attachment, you don’t find interest there. Sometimes you might think, “Inside there is something, there, definitely some beauty there, the skeleton etc., so real thing there.” What the person believes is really there, that is the wrong view of the wrong conception.

“But the skin is beautiful, maybe inside is not beautiful but skin is beautiful.” Again, skin is like when we make cement pot, each pot’s shape is an aggregate, a group of sand grains, a group of atoms, before scattered, now come together. Skin is like this, if there is some object of attachment to skin, then skin is just like this pot, it is a group of cells—not shells. But it is a kind of shell, the skin is our shell, on the other hand, you know, also group of cells, atoms. Is that right? Cells? So do you have interest or attachment to one cell in one atom. Five atoms on the skin, no, no attachment. Then like the hundred atoms, no million atoms, no, no attachment, so that whole skin is just a group of atoms, group of cells. So what is the point of the attachment, where is the object of the attachment?

It is explained in the sutra teachings explained by Buddha to visualize the other person reddish color, that also, like the meat when we go in the streets and see the meat shop, red, like that, and sometimes scattered, all the pieces of the body, scattered all over, piece by piece. Then we visualize inside, skeleton, and so forth. Different techniques like this are explained in the teachings.

Like that there are many ways, as it is explained in the great bodhisattva Shantideva’s teachings, there are many other techniques for attachment. When attachment arises for the body that is only by exaggerating the person’s outside shape. Then the attachment arises, you see. For instance, inside is full of blood, if the person is injured, blood runs out, we don’t like that, blood coming from the person, from the hands, we don’t want to see it.

Also the logic, how the body is impure, by eating food. After food is eaten, chewed in the mouth, we take out the plate, nobody eats the plate. If the body is pure somebody should eat it, you know. After chewing, then you put in the plate, you see, people don’t want to eat that, why? because that is dirty. So the cause of that being made dirty is the body. If the body is pure then it wouldn’t become dirty or recognized as dirty. And also from the ear kaka coming, also from the eyes white kaka coming, from nose running, smell in the mouth.

Then, after eating the beautiful, expensive food, after eating the $100 food then afterwards it become kaka, after one or two hours. On the other hand, sometime I see like this, people work so hard for the food, then, but actually all the expense is done to make kaka. Sometimes I see in that way, you know. The whole result is what? To make kaka. This is the whole result, no matter how expensive the food is in the shop. Whether it was cheap or expensive, what wealthy people buy, elegant. “I am a wealthy person, I should buy the best food.” However… you see why it becomes dirty afterwards, smelly, is because the body makes it. That proves the body is impure. If the body is pure, not dirty, it does not happen like this, no kaka.

Also you can think like this, attachment is like this. Attachment is more difficult to control. It is like this. Other delusions are like having dust on the clothes. If there is dust on the clothes you can shake, the dust can go away. Attachment generally is more difficult to control, it is like this, when oil gets caught, absorbed by paper or cloth, you see, you can’t shake like the dust. You can’t separate the oil and the cloth right away. Attachment is difficult, more difficult to control than other delusions. Attachment is the main thing. As it is said in the teachings attachment craving—what is called this the round thing that the deity Vajrapani is holding in the hand, what? “Noose, the attachment craving noose ties oneself in the prison of samsara.” Attachment is one of the worst things which ties one to samsara.

Then same thing is attachment to the food. Also you can think of the result of the food, after eating it what it becomes, by remembering that, you don’t get attached. The result is kaka, you don’t get attached. Also as I explained before, remembering how many sentient beings suffered, died, were killed for each piece of vegetable, each grain of rice. By remembering this you don’t get attached to food.

Generally you can practice the remedy by remembering where it came from and the result. If it is egg remember where it came from. We see egg as kind of concrete, kind of beautiful. Then remember how it was before in the chicken’s stomach, the fluid, the combination of egg. By remembering that you don’t get attached, you know. Same thing with meat, by remembering where it came from you don’t get attached to meat. Remember that it came from the sentient being’s body. Also remembering how much the sentient being suffered by being killed, unbelievable pain he experienced. Attachment stops right away.

Then also remember like this. This sentient being has been my mother. Remembering this way. Who belonged to this body, this meat has been my mother. Also you don’t get attached in the meat by remembering this, you don’t want to eat meat. Then according to the food we can think different things to control the attachment.

Anger: the meaning or the nature of anger is by looking at the object, which is or is not sentient being, it’s a thought… as attachment is also thought, by looking at the beautiful object it is difficult to separate from the object, anger is also thought, which is in the nature of violence or unpeaceful. Wanting to give harm either to that sentient being or the object which is not sentient being, wanting to destroy it, to give harm. It is a thought whose nature is violent and unpeaceful and wanting to give harm. Anger is the worst thing, destroying ... as attachment is like oil, if it gets on cloth it is difficult to get clean, anger is like a fire, one small flame if it touches grass, it can burn, it gets bigger and bigger and can completely destroy the whole house, destroy the material possessions, cause death. It completely destroys. In that way, anger is like fire. Most harmful to the temporal happiness, perfections and also ultimate happiness, enlightenment. This is the most harmful thing, as I explained before, how it harms by disturbing the dedicated merits and destroying all undedicated merits. One of the greatest distractions to receiving realizations is anger. One of the remedies for these things is to think how it is harmful to ultimate and temporal happiness, perfections, how it is harmful to virtue, merits.

The opposite to anger is to practice patience. I think this is also Shantideva’s teaching, it says “There is no greater austerity than patience. There is no greater negativity than anger.” That is not right, “There is no greater austerity like (not than) patience. There is no greater negative karma like anger.” I think I stop here. Some times things which are not clear to you, certain parts you may not be sure about, you can discuss, and ask. Then tonight, the meditation…

Lecture 38

“I go for refuge in Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha until I receive enlightenment, by the merits created and all the other virtuous actions, may I receive enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings.”

Actually, what it means, taking refuge and generating bodhicitta, for the benefit of all sentient beings, by this merit, and for that reason I am going to practice the holy beings the bodhisattvas—what it means, after repeating three times at the end we make the vow or the determination in the mind that I am going to receive enlightenment, for the benefit, to release other sentient beings from suffering and enlighten sentient beings. Which means I am going to try to actualize bodhicitta, going to try to follow the holy beings the bodhisattvas’ path, making determination like this, I am going to work for, going to become enlightened for the benefit of other sentient beings, this creates… usually, there is no --- we feel we can see the buddhas, we don’t do so many…

…All the time wish, in every second, wish for oneself to be released from samsara and to receive enlightenment, by following the methods that are shown by Guru Shakyamuni Buddha. So each time you do a virtuous action it pleases the Guru Shakyamuni Buddha. Why do virtuous actions to please Guru Shakyamuni Buddha? Because the virtuous actions bring happiness to oneself.

On the other hand, before receiving enlightenment, when the new bodhisattva was following the path his purpose to receive enlightenment was only to benefit other sentient beings, to enlighten other sentient beings, only for that, to release sentient beings from samsara and enlighten others. So even when a buddha, such as Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, was training the mind on the path, that time his goal is only that, to lead sentient beings into happiness and enlightenment, that is the main wish. So without question, the new bodhisattva on the path, the greatest wish is without question the buddhas’ wish, for all sentient beings, including this individual, oneself, right this minute to receive enlightenment, wishing, to release from samsara and to receive enlightenment. That is without question.

So you see non-virtuous actions do not please the Buddha because non-virtuous actions are the main thing that obliges us to suffer in samsara. That’s why Buddha doesn’t wish that, it’s nothing that Buddha would lose something, like an ordinary person, nothing like that. So whenever we do something good, which brings happiness to oneself, making oneself to release from samsara—that pleases the buddhas and bodhisattvas—even the bodhisattvas, without question the buddhas. What is the best virtuous action, the highest, that really buddhas and bodhisattvas wish—that is the practice of bodhicitta. By remembering the meaning of this prayer as we say it, “going to receive enlightenment for the benefit of other sentient beings,” this virtue which we have created by cultivating bodhicitta is the highest, best virtuous action, which really pleases the buddhas and even the bodhisattvas. What they wish is for us to receive bodhicitta as quickly as possible, as without that enlightenment cannot be received. That’s why.

So after the third repetition, visualize Guru Shakyamuni Buddha is “so pleased by my virtuous action, cultivating bodhicitta” and make a determination “I am going to receive enlightenment for the benefit of sentient beings, I’m going to work for sentient beings enlightenment.” Like that pleasing Guru Shakyamuni so much.

Then one similar Guru Shakyamuni Buddha is emitted from the previous Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s holy body, melts into light and absorbs to oneself, becomes oneness and by the way, purifies all the sentient beings, hell beings, pretas, animals, suras and asuras, humans, who have not received enlightenment—they all become buddha. Then try to feel happiness “how fortunate I am that I could enlighten all sentient beings in the nature of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha.”

That is the visualization for this part. The refuge purification will be explained this afternoon.

The prayer that comes after that is The Four Immeasurable thought training. You understand by the translation of the prayer. The connection is, then you think actually the sentient beings have not received enlightenment because with hatred, attachment and ignorance, by being under the control of discriminating thought “this is my friend, this is my enemy,” keeping far, all the time they have been creating so much negative karma. Then you think of the meaning of that which is in the prayer.

The first immeasurable thought training is called the “equilibrium thought training.” The second one is “immeasurable love.” The third one is “immeasurable compassion.” The fourth one is similar to the second one, immeasurable love, its specific name I don’t remember exactly, I will mention it later. Each of these…

…different immeasurable thought. Later on, part of the Mahayana practice, tong.len, which is a special practice of Mahayana compassion and Mahayana love, this part I will clarify later. During this time, while one is saying these four immeasurable prayers, the visualization is accordingly, when you wish them to be devoid of anger and attachment, which makes them to keep them, one is the cause, one is the path, like this, that time the simple visualization is to take all the sentient beings’ cause of suffering, the delusions, anger, ignorance and attachment, and negative karma, and the sufferings—as you breathe in you visualize all these are received by oneself, can be visualized in the form of smoke or fog, goes inside the nose with the breath, went into the heart. Heart doesn’t mean the heart organ, heart is the place where attachment arises, when you feel happiness some kind of feeling arises here, when anger arises kind of strong tension arises from here, also with attachment, we don’t get the feeling in the brain, the feeling is here—that means something, when the mind changes you get the feeling from here, that proves something that you don’t get the feeling in the brain.

You can think it went into the heart and destroyed the self-cherishing thought as if you are using it as a tool to destroy the self-cherishing thought, for oneself to receive enlightenment for the sake of others. Using other sentient beings suffering, their delusions and the suffering negative resultant karma, as a tool to destroy the self-cherishing thought. So first time thinking like that.

Second time, happiness. Happiness is to dedicate to others, not to take others’ happiness. We can’t make similar, sending out others’ suffering and taking others’ happiness on oneself, we don’t lead other sentient beings into happiness, we take all sentient beings happiness into oneself—not this way. The second time, then, we dedicate the part of the happiness, the thought training of immeasurable love, that time we dedicate our body, thinking of it as a wish-fulfilling body, wish-granting body, and the material possessions, all the merit, even the good karma, the merit, that cause of happiness, we dedicate, we completely renounce, by the mind, completely dedicate it for other sentient beings—narak, preta, animals, suras, asuras, human beings—those who are not buddha. Like this dedicate completely, like giving these biscuits, completely try to give, with complete determination in the mind. Not like the material has passed from the hand and mind is not giving, mind is clinging, “oh I shouldn’t give that, oh,” mind clinging, “when can I get it back, what method can I use to get it back?” Not like that, just as we give present to a friend, when we pass it into the other person’s hand there is no more belief that “it is mine” there is belief “it is his.” No more belief it is “my” possession, there may be a belief it is given, but after you pass it over, after you decided to give, you told the person “this is for you,” it is given. Not just kind of playing games, “I should do this dedication, giving, for myself to receive enlightenment, I have to give.”

Think, “I have completely given to them, each sentient being has received in front of them and it is completely theirs.” Have determination in the mind.

Then happiness, by having received this wish-fulfilling body, material possessions and merit, they receive all the happiness, all the enjoyments, they have received whatever temporal enjoyment or happiness they were missing, everything. By this enjoyment it becomes cause of receiving the graduated path to enlightenment and receiving enlightenment. Experiencing the enjoyment became cause to actualize the graduated path to enlightenment and cause to achieve enlightenment. After this, you visualize all the sentient beings became in the nature of buddha. Or simply, became buddha.

Similarly, do the thought training of immeasurable compassion, and the fourth one, the thought training of immeasurable joy, immeasurable happiness. Each immeasurable has different words, the same visualization can be done, these two things as I explained, again take suffering, the delusions, negative karma, suffering, and then make dedication, then they become buddha. Relating to this, there are special, more profound visualizations.

Usually, with the four immeasurable prayers, making visualization like this, which is the Mahayana thought training practice, the special thought training practice of great compassion, to quickly actualize great compassion and great love. Practicing this meditation, relating to this prayer, some lamas don’t teach it in public, they keep it secret and teach it only to the ones who can practice it in daily life; it is not explained in public because it is a profound method. A special method for developing bodhicitta. Also there is a more profound way to do the visualization relating to shunyata meditation, the practice of giving and taking, dedicating and taking, to increase the Mahayana compassion and love, also related with practice of shunyata, can be done. Not necessary to explain, only the person who does such this prayer every day, who wants to make this visualization, then perhaps worthwhile to explain.

More details on this visualization will be explained afterwards on the part of the practice dedicating the special thought training dedicating for others.

Lecture 39

…the refuge and the motivation, cultivating the motivation before explaining the teachings.

Generally when one says prayers, when one recites mantras, loudly, one can visualize all the sentient beings around and all the sentient beings are hearing your voice, the Dharma song, Dharma words, and at the same time they are actualizing the path, like this can visualize when says prayers or recites Dharma texts, one should read loudly. The Tibetan text, when you read loudly, in that way it becomes charity of giving Dharma to other sentient beings. There are three types of charity, this is charity of Dharma, explaining Dharma to others. So even the birds, when we are reciting mantra loudly even the birds and the animals, the dogs, can hear, also even spirits that we cannot see, other sentient beings can hear. So visualize all the sentient beings, like this, when you are reading the holy text, they are hearing the holy words, the words of the Dharma. In that way it becomes charity of Dharma.

So this short prayer said by Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, all the kings(?) of the suras and asuras, those samsaric gods and other spirits such as the gyaken(?) who are white gods, who try to help people who practice Dharma, who like Dharma. This is a teaching explained by Buddha which pacifies the mind, which is the cause of happiness and which pacifies the mind.

“So therefore, you sentient beings, come to listen to the teachings.”

…These teachings, the knowledge of them is incredibly extensive, so profound like a treasure which brings great meaning. So for this you should have sublime devotion, respect, there is nothing more interesting than this that you can hear. There is not one thing, so therefore with subdued mind and body, subdued behavior listen to the Buddhadharma. This means with respectfulness, with calm mind, not negative mind, not with pride but with devotion, listening. Also behavior of body, sitting in a respectful way.

As explained by Buddha, “The gods and the spirits, nagas, those other sentient beings, keep in the mind. These teachings are all the sentient beings’ nectar of the ear and these teachings cure the disease of the delusions. Therefore pay attention to the meaning of these teachings, and by these reasons the sentient beings, gods, nagas and spirits, take the teaching with respect, taking it as a crown.” Usually we only put things on our head that we respect, only holy objects normally. So this is something that you can respect, you can ... take the teachings, put the holy text to one’s head and then you can listen to the Dharma. However, with respect, it is worthwhile listening, this is just a brief meaning of what this short prayer means, telling the gods and spirits.

Such as the great yogi Milarepa, when he gave teachings, there were flower rains coming from space and all the asuras, even the gods, who like Dharma, the white gods, who help practitioners of Dharma, even they come down, they don’t sit on ground, you see, ground is dirty, so they usually come only on clean places, people are on the ground, but when they come they stay in space, around and above.

However, think I am going to listen to the teachings on the gradual path to enlightenment in order to receive enlightenment for the benefit of all the kind mother sentient beings. The listening subject that is the Mahayana teaching, which leads the fortunate ones to enlightenment…

In order to offer just a very brief explanation on this gradual path to enlightenment. This has 4 basic outlines, the last one is how to lead the disciple, this has two outlines, how to train the mind in the gradual path by following the guru. The whole path is divided into three, and this part of the meditation subject is the gradual path of the lower intelligent beings.

Refuge is the fundamental method to guide oneself from the rebirth of the suffering transmigrator and also from samsara, and to receive enlightenment in order to enlighten other sentient beings. This is the fundamental method. Causal refuge, the objects of refuge that has two outlines, how, what the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha is and also how Buddha is a worthwhile object in which to take refuge.

There are 4 basic reasons. First one is Buddha is a worthwhile object to take refuge in, because Buddha himself is completely free from the fears of all sufferings. That is what we briefly talked about before.

Then, if the person is not free from the fears of all suffering, even we take refuge he can’t guide, as the example I mentioned of two people who are drowning in water. Firstly, even if we take refuge he can’t guide oneself. Secondly, if he is not highly skillful in releasing other sentient beings from all the fears of the sufferings, then you see, even if you take refuge he cannot guide. Just like the arhats, even though they are completely free from samsara, they have no delusions, not even the root of delusion, even though they have high psychic power and incredible knowledge, but as they still have the subtle dualistic mind, the obscuration to knowledge, this is not purified so their knowledge is not perfected.

There are many sentient beings the arhats cannot guide, only the Buddha can guide. There are many methods to guide the sentient beings, the methods which arhats do not know, cannot see, that only Buddhas can see, to lead the sentient beings in the path to enlightenment. They are only the object of the Buddha’s omniscient mind. So therefore, even if the arhats are out of samsara and completely free from delusion, they are still not highly skillful. They still cannot see many other methods that buddhas can see for guiding certain sentient beings. arhats cannot see also the subtle karmas, the subtle karmas of suffering, subtle karmas of good result, happiness—subtle karmas, the subtle cause of suffering, subtle cause of happiness. The subtle karmas are only the object of Buddhas they are not the object of arhats knowledge. So even the arhat cannot see what that sentient being has created before, incredible numberless eons ago, they have created small virtuous action. So subtle karmas like this arhats cannot see, they cannot see the small good cause, so they cannot see the method to guide that sentient being, so they can’t guide that sentient being.

Through the following examples, other stories you can understand.

Tinpa Palgye whose story I mentioned briefly before, you see he was in a family, he was terribly old, makes the house dirty, body is not washed properly, can’t work in the family house, he has to be taken care of by other people. He can’t stand, has to rely on sticks; those family members, his daughters and sons they always tease him, they didn’t like him to be at home. So he was extremely upset because they hate him. Also the daughters and sons they tease him, so he was terribly upset. Then he decided to leave home and become a monk.

He went to the monastery, this was in India. Then he met the abbot of the monastery, who is Sharipu, the arhat, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s disciple. As the older man came to the monastery, Sharipu asked if this older man has any good karma so he can become monk. After the old man had explained it all how it was at home, how all the family didn’t like him at home, and how he had come to the monastery to become monk. The arhat checked up if the old man had any good karma from before so he could become monk in his life. He checked up and he couldn’t find any cause there for him to become monk. Also he said you are very old and living in the monastery you have to work, responsible work of the monk according to Vinaya, and you have to learn many texts by heart, so you old man can’t do those things, can’t read and can’t learn by heart, so you cannot become monk. He would not accept. The old man was so terribly upset he bumped his head at the gate. His mind was so upset and he tried to come into the monastery by carrying sticks in his hand and his head he kept bumping on the gate, the door jamb, screaming so much.

During that time Guru Shakyamuni Buddha was existing so with his omniscient mind all the time he sees the sentient beings and he sees what benefits, and what work should be done for the sentient beings, with his love, always he sees. As he sees sentient beings all the time…

…this older man was screaming like this at the gate of the monastery and bumping his head against the door and screaming, then Guru Shakyamuni Buddha with his psychic powers came in front of this old man and asked him what’s happened, what’s wrong with you? Then the old man explained, at home he was suffering so much and he wanted to become monk at the monastery, but the abbot said he did have the karma, I can’t become monk and learn the text by heart and so he was screaming like this. Then Guru Shakyamuni Buddha said Sharipu cannot see that you have karma to become monk because even though he is an arhat he has not completed all merits and purification, not completed, therefore he cannot see. I have completed all the purification so I can see that you have karma to become monk.

Then Guru Shakyamuni Buddha checked up which teacher in the monastery has the karma—there is another arhat, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s disciple called Maudiglyana who has incredible psychic powers and so Guru Shakyamuni Buddha checks up which teacher has the karma to subdue this old man then he discovered this teacher Maudgalyana had the karma to do this. Then Guru Shakyamuni Buddha gave the old man in the hands of this arhat, Maudiglyana to teach Dharma.

The old man was in the monastery learning the text by heart, like this. After he had become monk again there are many young monks in the monastery, you know, so they teach him, they make fun of him so again old man was terribly upset, “I came into the monastery from home, from those other people, sons and daughters who tease me, then here again the young ones tease me because I am old.” He was very upset. Without telling his teacher he secretly left the monastery and then ... away from the monastery there is a big river, then he put ... he thought, you know, because of this body being old everyone teases, I can never stay quiet, so he decided to die, then he put his robes on the trees and he jumped, and before he jumped he prayed, that isn’t why I am going to jump in the water and die not because I don’t want to practice Dharma, never like this. So may I be born in the human realm as a wealthy person and then become monk, practice Dharma, like this. Then he jumped in the water.

Right after he jumped in the water, during that time his teacher Maudgalyana tried to check up the old man. The old man was not there in the monastery. So with his psychic powers he tried to check up, right in this minute he jumped in the water and his teacher discovered this so all of a sudden with his psychic powers he came to the river, and all of a sudden the teacher grabbed the old man who jumped in the river.

After he had taken the older man out of the river he asked, why did you do this? Why did you jump in the water? The old man could not say anything, he couldn’t speak because he escaped from the monastery without telling his teacher. He was feeling shy. Then afterwards the teacher thought what this old man needs, why he is doing this is because he doesn’t have mind renouncing samsara, this is lack of mind renouncing samsara. So then for him to realize mind renouncing samsara, Maudiglyana the arhat asked the older man to hold the corner of his robe. After the old man held the robe the teacher taking the older man, flew into the sky by crossing the ocean and the land, with his psychic powers.

In the Pacific Ocean there is a huge mountain which obscures even the sun, mountain, which is born from the sea-lion animals. It has been there for a long time and by the heat of sun has burned, rained, and so all the meat has disappeared, only the bone is left. So Maudiglyana with the old man set down on the back side of the bone of the sea-lion. Then the teacher introduced the old man. I think first the old man asks, what is this, a huge bone like a mountain. His teacher answered, this is your previous life’s body. Then all of a sudden, just by asking that, all the hairs on his body stood up. Sometimes we feel it when there is fear, we feel all the hairs like this, we feel like the birds sometime when they get angry all the hairs stand up. Incredible, the fear of samsaric suffering he felt. Also he shed tears.

So like that he received the mind renouncing samsara, by his teacher showing this, using this method. He realized the nature of samsaric suffering and in that life he became arhat. Before it looked as though it was impossible for him to become an arhat in this life, that he can follow the path, that he can study. However, through the skill of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha he became arhat in that life. This is how Guru Shakyamuni Buddha is highly skillful.

Also before that Guru Shakyamuni Buddha instructed Maudiglyana the teacher of the old man, you should ... his suffering, his problem is because of not having the mind renouncing samsara, so you should persuade him to receive the mind renouncing samsara.

Not only that, before mentioning... the good karma of this old man that he can become monk in this life, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha saw an incredible number of his previous lives. One of the previous lives of this older man was a fly, there was a very blessed holy stupa and animal kaka (of the cow) around the stupa. So the fly by following the smell of the cow kaka came, somehow the fly went around the stupa. He made one whole round. So that was the small, subtle good karma, the very small virtuous action which was created by this man in previous life. So that in this life he could become monk. That smallest good karma the arhat cannot see. Like this it happened.

Then also, there are stories that Guru Shakyamuni Buddha has subdued people with incredible pride. Previous time there was a king, musician, who all the time played violin. Then this king thought I am the most expert in the world, there is no person better than me at playing the violin. He was incredibly proud. All his life he had spent playing the music. Then Guru Shakyamuni Buddha sees it is time to subdue him. Guru Shakyamuni Buddha transforms into a beggar, then he went to the outside of the palace and was playing the violin. So the king was inside the palace and his mind was completely absorbed in that, in the playing of the violin. All of a sudden he heard such sweet, interesting music of violin which is better than his, all of a sudden he heard and went outside to find the person who could play much better than him. When he came outside he saw a beggar playing the violin, but he had only one string, but he can produce all kinds of different sounds, slow and high, so he was extremely surprised at seeing that, it became a big shock to him. Then afterwards, just by seeing that his pride was completely snatched, subdued. Then he invited the beggar into his palace as his pride was subdued. Afterwards the king became Guru Shakyamuni’s disciple and Guru Shakyamuni Buddha gave teachings. And also I think he became an arhat. Guru Shakyamuni Buddha subdued this king of the violin. Also there are many other stories of how Guru Shakyamuni Buddha is highly skillful.

Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s younger brother, I think, he is the one who has incredible attachment. Unbelievable attachment. So how ... usually Guru Shakyamuni Buddha gives many teaching in the monasteries, in the different cities, in different places. He gives so many teachings. But his younger brother never comes to the monastery, never comes to the teachings. His name was Dechen and he was extremely attached to his beautiful wife. All the time he would never separate from his wife, always together, could never separate; he doesn’t even take one step towards the monastery.

Then afterwards Guru Shakyamuni Buddha sees it is time to subdue his attachment. So one day Guru Shakyamuni Buddha went outside his house for begging food. Of course he had to offer something to Guru Shakyamuni Buddha. He brought food outside. As he was bringing the food to Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, before he got a chance to offer food, in the bowl, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha turned away and walked towards the monastery, so his brother can’t just turn back home. Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s magnetism is incredibly powerful, he dare not just go back home, close the door and keep quiet, you know. So he had to follow, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, walking after him as GSB goes back to the monastery, with the food in his hand. Guru Shakyamuni Buddha goes faster, faster, faster, then he reaches the monastery and goes inside. Then Guru Shakyamuni Buddha asks one of his disciples who always serves Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, Kung-ga-wo; Guru Shakyamuni Buddha instructed he should become monk, he should shave his hair and become monk. Kung-ga-wa. Then the young brother ... he didn’t want to shave off his hair. He was rejecting shaving his hair. Because he was Guru Shakyamuni’s younger brother they can’t force him, I think he is scared.

Then afterwards, several times Guru Shakyamuni Buddha took him like this to the monastery. So afterwards Guru Shakyamuni Buddha asked him, is the monkey’s face or your wife’s face more beautiful? Then he said my wife is much more beautiful than the monkey. Then afterwards with his psychic powers Guru Shakyamuni Buddha took him—I’m not sure where it was in the realms of the Suras—but he showed him the goddesses in the sura realms. He took him to the goddesses who are extremely beautiful, having beautiful shape like this. Now who is better, your wife or this goddess is more beautiful? then when he sees the goddesses face his wife becomes just like monkey face. Then by that attachment was stopped. He had unbelievable attachment, could not separate all the time, from his wife. Not even one step to the monastery. Then like this GSB subdued his attachment and by taking teachings he became arhat in that life.

Also such unbelievable ignorant being, story of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha having subdued, one whose name is Lam chung-pa, Small Path One, who has incredible unbelievable ignorance. Even to learn one stanza it takes him, even in three months he could not learn even one stanza of a prayer or teaching of one stanza, he couldn’t learn by heart even in 3 months. Even the outside people who came to listen to him when his teacher was teaching him this one stanza, he couldn’t learn by heart even in three months, but those people who came as shepherds, to listen around even they can say it very well. He couldn’t learn it even saying it after 3 months.

Before, when he was studying the outer beings different subjects. First he was taught alphabet, letters by his first teacher, his teacher taught two words Si dam, this boy when he can learn by heart Si, then he forgets dam, when he learned dam by heart he would forget si, he can never keep two words together in the heart; long time he could not learn this, the teacher was fed up, you know.

Then he got kicked out, then he went to study another subject, with his elder brother, who became very knowledgeable in the education of the outer beings, who don’t follow Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Their subjects that they teach, then doctrines, Dharma, he becomes very skilled in this. Small path then went to learn these other subjects from his elder brother. Again his elder brother tried to teach him those other subjects. First he tries to teach two words, om bu; when he learns om he forgets bu, when he learns bu he forgets om. He can never keep these two words together in the mind. Then also he, afterwards, he thought peaceful way… again, he was left by his elder brother. After elder brother he has another teacher. His elder brother is the one who taught him the one stanza.

So anyway the conclusion of this story is he was an extremely ignorant person, like this. But by Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s skill, as he clearly sees what is right for the person, then Guru Shakyamuni Buddha lets him clean the straps that used to tie the shoes. Those times the monks have shoes which have long strings. What you call?

Student: Sandals.
Rinpoche: Yes. So at the monastery they leave shoes outside when go in to say prayers. So Guru Shakyamuni Buddha taught him to clean the monks shoes. Guru Shakyamuni Buddha also told the monks to teach him these two words, avoid dust and avoid smell. All the time the monks tried to teach him while he was cleaning the shoes.

Then afterwards he could say this by cleaning shoes in the monastery. Then Guru Shakyamuni Buddha said, now you don’t have to clean shoes, now you clean the outside of the monastery. Then when he cleans outside the monastery, the grounds, after he finishes cleaning the part again, already it is dirty there. After he has finished this, already there is dirt there. Then while he is doing like this, then all of a sudden, all of one stanza came in his mind, all the parts of that stanza, the whole meaning he discovered. The meaning of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha taught him were to avoid dust and smell. The dust is not the dust of earth but dust of attachment and greed, like this. He just realizes the meaning of these two words. Then he has realized the whole meaning of this one stanza he was taught by his elder brother long before, the arhat. Then in that life he became arhat by realizing absolute nature, by the method of cleaning the monastery under Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s orders. He has so many teachings and he becomes one of the most skillful arhats in giving teachings to other sentient being’s. Like this it happened.

So that is how Guru Shakyamuni Buddha is highly skillful in guiding the other sentient beings from the fears of all the suffering. Besides this there are many other examples. Therefore, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha is worthwhile object in whom one can take refuge.

Then Guru Shakyamuni Buddha is a worthwhile object in whom one can take refuge because he has no partial mind, wanting to help people who like him, not wanting to help people who dislike him, who don’t make offering. As he was compassion for all the sentient being’s, so also me, so if I take refuge in him, as he has compassion for all sentient beings then definitely Guru Shakyamuni Buddha guides. Then also Guru Shakyamuni Buddha guiding sentient being’s does not depend on sentient being’s benefiting him or not benefiting him (Guru Shakyamuni Buddha), does not depend on benefiting and harming him. Not like ordinary people who have partial minds who will not help people who do not benefit them. Not like this. So therefore, if I take refuge in Guru Shakyamuni Buddha as a worthwhile object, he will guide. So like this, four reasons.

Then visualize Guru Shakyamuni Buddha at the heart, and the food as nectar.

Lecture 40

Then this part of the subject is from the gradual path of the middle being explaining the true suffering and the true cause of suffering, the recognition of the delusions. There are five wrong views.

First is the wrong view to the changeable group and the second one is the wrong view of the extremes. The third one is wrong view… the differences you can understand by understanding the meaning. The meaning of the third one is as I explained yesterday or the day before, believing there is no karma, no Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, no path to nirvana and no nirvana. That is the wrong view. This is what we normally call heresy.

Then the fourth one is the wrong view, holding the wrong view as best. Holding or believing these views as the best. Believing these views are the best. That is the person believing the above three wrong views. Person himself wouldn’t say they are wrong views, the best he believes that these three views are the best. The wrong view to the changeable group jikta, marigpa, the ignorance believing the “I” is self-existent, ignorance which clings to “I” as self-existent. The person believes the jikta wrong view and the second wrong view of extremes, and the third wrong view, are the best views, the person believes the three above views are the best.

And also by looking at the skandhas, the subject, the person who believes these views are the best, by looking at the skandhas the person believes these three above views are the best. The person sees this by looking at his skandhas. This is deluded wisdom that believes the three above views are the best by looking at the subject, the skandhas. So this fourth one is deluded wisdom that believes the three above views are the best by looking at the skandhas.

[BREAK]

The person’s name for the second one is tar.pa. Tar is the view, tar is like the extreme edge. Tar.pa. The third delusions term, the name for the third wrong view is lok.ta, which means usually heresy. The fourth one is dawa chongzun, holding his view as best.

The fifth one is like this. Believing this moral conduct and behavior is best, is the highest. As I explained before there are many in Hindu religion, the person who lives in, who have certain practices of the whole body sitting in the fire, or jumping from very high mountain or very high buildings, or putting spear. They put a spear down there like this. They jump on the spear, or what they carry—trident. There are three points, one point goes there, another there and one goes through their head. If it happens like this then person has received nirvana, believing that is the path to nirvana. Also there is some kind of practice, walking with one leg. I am not sure how that is possible to walk, but keeping one leg up. They have different practices like that which they believe is path to nirvana. Then behavior without any clothes on and putting ash on the body, then carrying skulls, cold time like this and hot time like that. Behavior such as this.

About morals, some of them who have little, very small clear perceptions, those outer beings can remember the previous life but they cannot see the future life, just one previous life. If this meditator, as he sees what his previous life was, he thinks like this: this lifetime I am human being, so he wants to be born again as human being. As he has small clear perceptions, he remembers his previous life, so he wants to be born again as human being. Having small clear perceptions, he remembers “my previous life as dog but this life I am a human being. So that means, by behaving as dog I get born as human being . So I must behave as a dog in order to receive next as a human being.” Then what he does, he tries to act like a dog. He walks like a dog, besides putting two legs on the ground, he puts two hands on the ground, uses all as legs. Then eating, all the manners he tries to act like dog, in order to receive human rebirth in future life. So believing this is the best, highest moral conduct. And those previous ones believing this is the path to nirvana. This is the best behavior. Also by having sex, making offering with the sperms, like that. Their belief is in different types of practices which they think are the best, the highest, moral conduct and behavior, the path to nirvana.

So this is just a very brief introduction of the five wrong views.

The worst among these is the jigta, the wrong view to the changeable group, from this all other delusions arise. This is just like the mother, the root of the delusion, all other delusions come from this, the other five root delusions, all of the secondary delusions, the 84,000 delusions, all arise from this.

Twenty secondary delusions. Reading the book gives definition, explains each of these delusions. As you read them you check-up with yourself whether I have this. You check according to your conception, as introduction is given there. That is how to make it beneficial, to understand the meaning of these delusions, is to recognize whether I have this or that. By recognizing one has these delusions, one should destroy them by recognizing delusions, by meditation, reading books, listening to teachings, not trying to care of as best as possible. Not to take care of, but the purpose is to destroy the delusion by recognizing the delusion. A delusion is a thought that a person has which makes the mind of that person unpeaceful, unsubdued. That is delusion, it means like that. A thought which a person has and makes the person’s mind unpeaceful.

You see, from beginningless previous lives until now our mind has been meditating on the delusions. Means what? From beginningless previous lifetimes until now one has been making the mind habitual, familiar with the delusions.

So when you remember enemy, then by remembering how he gave harm to me. How we make checking meditation on anger, mind to become familiar with anger. When we remember enemy, you list the reasons, give many reasons how it is enemy. As you put more and more reasons how he is enemy, how he gave harm like this, even his eyes look at me like this, when he talks like this, he did this and that, as you give more reasons your anger starts to rise stronger, stronger, builds up. Afterwards you have to stand up from your bed have to do something, either take the gun or…. It doesn’t leave you quiet, it doesn’t make you happy while you are sleeping in your bed. Nose becomes red, top of ears becomes red, all the nerves on the face, the veins becomes very strong, they show their nature.

Like this you see we have been making the mind familiar. We have been practicing the anger. The same thing with attachment. So far our mind has been under the control of the delusions, all the time and always oneself keeps the mind under the control of the delusion. So now this meditation we are practicing now on the gradual path to enlightenment, that is trying ... as from beginningless samsaric lifetimes our mind has been under the control of the delusions, oneself has been all the time under the control of the delusions. So now, this time, when we practice Dharma, when we practice the meditation on the gradual path to enlightenment, this practice of Dharma, this meditation is opposite… before the mind has been under the control of delusion, now we keep the mind away from the delusion, without letting it be under the control of delusion. This time when we meditate on the gradual path to enlightenment and practice Dharma, we keep ourselves, we protect ourselves from the delusions. We don’t let ourselves be under the control of delusion. So now this time, what we are doing is completely opposite to what we have been doing from beginningless previous samsara lifetimes. It is a completely new thing., completely opposite to mind itself from beginningless previous lifetimes. Meditation means like this. The meaning of meditation is this.

The meditation is what? We make the mind familiar, instead of making familiar with the delusions, now this meditation, by protecting the mind from the harmful delusion, anger, meditates on patience, trying to make the nature of the mind become patient. The nature of patience, by protecting the mind away from the harmful delusion anger, practicing patience, meditating on the practice of patience, mind becomes in the nature of patience.

Then similarly by protecting the mind away from attachment, practicing mind renouncing samsara, renouncing evil thought of the eight worldly Dharmas, we make our mind familiar to the path, we make the mind become the mind renouncing samsara.

Similarly bodhicitta, we protect our mind from the harmful thought of self cherishing thought and by practicing bodhicitta, we make the mind become one with the nature of bodhisattva, the path of bodhicitta. The meditation means like this. Generally meditation means just a way of thinking.

Whether that meditation really benefits the person, which helps the person to be free from suffering—that depends on what meditation he practices. It depends on the way of his thinking, whether it becomes cause of samsara, to be born in the lower realm, cause of enlightenment, nirvana that depends on whether he is thinking. The form of meditation that he practices you know.

Then in order to destroy the delusions one has to recognize the six causes of the delusions.

The first cause of delusion is called in Tibetan den, the base or source—Lama Yeshe gave lecture last year in the course so if you read that book you will understand, I just roughly mention. The clear definition would be in that book. I just mention the titles, you know. First one is called base. Maybe ok but may be difficult to understand.

If a person has the base of fever, the base of the fever is not recovered well, there is a base of the fever. Even if he takes medicine, tablets, for fever, the fever can be temporarily stopped, for one hour it can become less but if the person is not careful with the conditions which can cause the fever to come back again, which can harm to get fever, like working very hard, even after fever went down, or eating solid things, drinking milk or eating meat, because the base is not recovered well, the source of the problem is still there. So you see, when you eat certain diet, the wrong conditions, then all of a sudden the fever just comes back, the person gets sick.

So like that, there is always the base of delusion, the impressions of the delusions, the root of the delusion in our mind, you see. So even now at the moment we don’t get angry, but for instance, if the cook makes after the session, very bad tasting tea, now we are not angry, but afterwards, such terrible, horrible tea, then when you meet this condition, anger rises uncontrollably, just like where there is kerosene and gas, and you put a match there then immediately the flame comes. It is so easy, incredibly easy for anger to come up, same thing with attachment.

Now at the moment it looks like I don’t have attachment. I have no anger, I am completely free from anger. Many people believe that because now he doesn’t have anger, he is completely free from anger. Why? because I don’t get angry now. Many people say like this. That doesn’t mean he has no anger, or attachment at all. At the moment it looks like attachment is not strong. There is the base of the attachment—because we haven’t met the object of attachment, the attachment is not strong, not so visible. When we remember, when the picture of the object of attachment comes in the mind, when you meet the object of attachment all of a sudden, uncontrollably it arises. Just like this. It’s so easy to arise delusions, just like the fever, by meeting the wrong conditions easy to come back. That is because of having the base in the mind of oneself.

Then what happens, by following the delusions, more and more it leaves an impression on your mind also. It plants seed in our minds, leaves impressions in our mind each time you follow delusions, the base of the delusion. So try to protect oneself away from delusion. Try to control delusions as much as possible, also make purification, by practicing the meditation on gradual path to enlightenment.

Then the second one is object (mikpa), by seeing ugly objects, undesirable objects, anger arises. By seeing beautiful objects all of a sudden attachment arises. So normally our mind is like this.

Especially when we do not keep our mind in the gradual path, especially those times when we don’t keep pour mind in that. Always is like this because the objects that we see in our life are either ugly or beautiful. Even if it is indifferent, we discriminate ugly people, beautiful people, indifferent. All the time by meeting different objects, when we meet ugly objects, anger arises; when we meet beautiful objects, attachment arises; when we meet indifferent objects ignorance arises, all the time it is like this.

As we have not been controlling our minds, as we have not been practicing, not keeping mind in meditation on gradual path to enlightenment, our mind is always caught under the control of delusions, one after another. Also feelings, sometimes we get rough feeling, suffering feeling, happy feeling, unhappy feeling and indifferent feeling; also these three delusions arise—ignorance, anger and attachment, greed.

As objects of the senses are different, so different delusions arise, so either you keep yourself away from the object which arises delusion or lower the most important thing, either to keep away or the principal method is that, during those times anger, attachment, ignorance that is the time to really practice the meditation. That is the most important time to put into action what we know. What we have heard, the books that we have we are supposed to use in this time. To solve our own life’s problems. To stop the karma, at least which makes to be reborn in the lower realm.

When are we going to control delusion? In this way we are going to practice after death. I am just joking. Third one is duzi, which means distraction. Such as the works, meaningless works of only this life, those are the main distractions. You see by following the evil friends, evil means he does not observe karma, what action he does is completely opposite. Instead of renouncing in virtuous action, he renounces virtuous action, completely opposite. What actions he does is non-virtuous, opposite to Dharma. By the action he is called evil friend. Person who steals material possessions which belongs to other person does not belong to him. Evil friend who disturbs one’s own enlightenment, this evil being is not kind of fearful one, having horns from the head, having long teeth, what is called that one, having fangs down and up kind of big eyes or something like that. Evil friend is not like that. Doesn’t have to be very fearful one. The evil friend who disturbs one’s Dharma is very peaceful looking. Is never wrathful or angry looking, not like that. Is difficult to recognize. Usually very gentle, talking very politely, smiling giving material possessions. Which you may believe this is such a fantastic person such a good friend; I never have found such good friend before or in the country (e), I’m joking. Oh! then peaceful gently disturbs one gets completely controlled by that person. Why you try to meditate very hard? Why are you always sitting in room? Someone is making retreat, trying very hard and someone comes along path, hello, what else. Day and night all the time you make retreat, always sit in the house. That is not good for your health (e). Then he gives some present, you know. Maybe cheese, it is something like that or jam, or maybe some thing brought from the west, from the supermarket, you know. Then, lets go to have picnic, lets go to town, sight seeing outside, its very good for your health. Yes, yes, that’s very true. Oh! you have a lot of time to meditate, we’ll go to enjoy. Then he has interest as has evil thought of the eight worldly Dharmas in the mind, easily his mind is caught. He is controlled by the person. In his view it seems nice, he is benefiting, helping me, nice kind of.

Sometimes, maybe, why don’t you have some cigarettes, yes smoke, why can’t you enjoy? Maybe there is no such thing as karma, maybe not true. In the Buddhadharma it says you will have karma bad results, such and such like this, maybe not true, maybe they’re just saying it. Maybe you can forget it. I know that many reasons don’t do this, don’t do that, not sure.

Enjoy when there is opportunity. If he has no understanding, this other person, of such things as karma, oh maybe that is true, mind is clear to his wrong view, his wrong conception. Maybe that is true. Then slowly like this. Many other examples. You see it looks very nice, he is benefiting to me, without in the Dharma, looks nice. So evil friend is not as I was saying, before not kind of wrathful looking, like those wrathful deities, doesn’t look like that. Peacefully disturbs as one has evil thought of eight worldly in the mind, as one follows the friend it disturbs one’s own nirvana and one’s own enlightenment like this. By following the evil friend, doing the weeks of this life, only this life by following the evil thought. Those things are distracting. You see in this way the delusions arise, becoming stronger, and stronger. Works of this life is the action of delusions, you see. Distractions is the course of delusion also.

Previously there were two people in Lhasa. One does not drink wine. He went into a house. One who drinks wine went to the place where there is the monastery, which was built by Atisha’s disciple, Dromtonpa who is recognized as the embodiment of Avalokiteshvara. Then the person who drinks wine was called to a nearby house I think. So afterwards when they meet became completely different people.

It is like this, as it is explained in the Abhidharma, by the highly realized pandits—not doing actions according to Dharma, not doing actions righteously, remembering all kinds of objects of delusion. Then by that negativity rises, many negativities. The main thing is the evil thought of eight worldly Dharma. If one is making how much one cannot be influenced by the evil friends, that depends on how strong the mind renouncing samsara is. Also how much the person can face the attachment. The whole question is on that. Whether the evil friend can misguide you depends on that one’s own action. If one follows the thought of 8 worldly Dharma then in that way the evil friend finds a way to influence—if oneself is strong to renounce, to face attachment. Even if one hasn’t, even if one is not renounced but trying to destroy the attach, when it rises, that person, there is less danger, even if he meets the object of delusion. Even if he is with evil friends, less danger to his Dharma practice. The whole question depends on that. How much one follows the attachment, then that much distraction one sees. Oh yes, then especially the practice of avoiding the evil thought of the eight worldly Dharmas. If one can live in the ordination then that is the best, with robes. This is the first thing, the first step, we destroy. If you cannot then how purely one can keep the practice, how much one can keep pure in these things. That depends on how one can face the attachment through of worldly Dharma the whole question is on that. That you can understand by checking.

Even if the body does not lead an austere life like this, the mind has to lead an austere life. The mind has to completely renounce attachment, attachment of the worldly Dharma, and that mind is an ascetic mind. So that person does not get involved in the worldly works. He never does because his mind is completely renounced of attachment. So therefore, that itself is ascetic mind. Even if one is king having many armies, many things in the nature of possessions, palaces, you know, living in palace. If he controls his mind, if his mind is in retreat away from the evil the eight worldly Dharmas, that is ascetic mind, by the Dharma practice, by the mental not by the physical word…

So, especially living in ordination, if our mind cannot become ascetic how are we going to practice Dharma? There is no way to practice Dharma. That is the best way to keep austerity purely. Then how much we lose the precepts, as we do not have the strength to keep ourselves away from attachment. It is related to each other so well. Like this, especially when we break ordination, the condition is not Dharma. Like reading books that contain the words of a person who kills many people, who tortures many people. Like Hitler, it doesn’t pacify the mind, it causes us to be like that, violent, you want victory to control. It evokes anger, causes mind to become more violent by reading those books. By reading these books, many books talk about couples, couples’ life, sex, so many books. You see by reading those books it causes to arise jealous mind, the cause of delusion.

Instead of reading those unnecessary books that do not benefit us, do not bring peace and happiness in the mind, it only makes the mind more confused. It doesn’t make the mind peaceful. So what benefits one’s life. Dharma books, meditation books which explain Dharma. Also the life story, the histories of the yogis, the Lamas such as Milarepa, Naropa, Tilopa. There are many of them, Lama Tsongkhapa, the lineage of these lam-rim teachings, so many. By reading those books it only makes the mind more and more calm, very peaceful. It brings happiness to the mind, joyfulness, great happiness. You feel very happy by reading that. By reading what they do in their lives is Dharma. So what you’re actually reading is Dharma. It contains how to practice Dharma in the daily life, all Dharma. It only plants seed of enlightenment in our minds, seed of nirvana in our mind. Then afterwards also it gives is the wish to become like Milarepa, to receive enlightenment in the lifetime. Especially when your mind is so unhappy and confused. Read those holy books, extremely good for the mind, when you have many problems in the life.

Then the fifth, when comprehending the ugly object and the beautiful object, anger arises or the attachment arises or other delusions. So therefore, when it starts to arise we have to stop picture that object of delusion, like many dreams of objects at when we get angry, or many attachments. What caused the dream? By the delusion we experience this dream similar in the daytime remembering pictures. So they are from delusion, so the picture we try to cut off when it starts to come, try to face it strongly.

So the sixth one is habit. For the person who has so much anger, it is very easy to arise. If you give water to that person, if he does not thank you then you get angry. If someone says please give me water, you give water is nothing, of no value. If that person does not say thank you, get extremely angry, small thing how the person forgets. His eyes look a little bit looking like this, how do you call this? Resentful person gets incredibly angry, so easily ... similarly the person with attachment, so easily it can happen like this. Whatever delusion is stronger, what comes the most times that person usually should practice that remedy, try to destroy, more effort to destroy that delusion in which his mind is more habituated. That he could put more effort. You see the arising that one can create via karma. I think I stop here.

Lecture 41

Refuge and karma are the fundamental methods to guide oneself from the birth of the lower transmigrator, to release from samsara to receive enlightenment, in order to enlighten other sentient beings. There are four reasons why Guru Shakyamuni Buddha is the object in which to take refuge. The knowledge after that there is the outline, the knowledge of the Buddha. The third outline the cause object of refuge, the definition of refuge, and the way of taking refuge. That outline is the knowledge, taking refuge by the knowledge of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Knowledge of Buddha is the meditation, that you did yesterday afternoon, the knowledge of his holy body, speech and the mind. Briefly what you did yesterday, that is just a seed. If you want to understand then you have to study the philosophical teachings which explain the path to enlightenment, which contains elaborate explanation on the gradual path to enlightenment. The meaning of each realization, so many incredible details of each path, each realization, how to practice, how to purify the delusions, contains all these details. This has eight subjects. The Abhisamayalamkara is one of the teachings that was explained by Maitreya Buddha in the pure realm. Tushita, his disciple, the great pandit Asanga.

There are five divisions of texts called the five Maitreya texts. He gave these teachings to his disciple Asanga one morning in that pure realm Tushita, which means fifty years for the human beings according to time. Then afterwards Asanga he recorded these teachings and explained to other followers so this contains elaborate explanations of the gradual path to enlightenment. Every detail is from this. One of its subjects explained gives an elaborate explanation of the Buddha’s knowledge, the eighth chapter talks about Dharmakaya and those things. What is usually explained in the lam-rim teachings is of course, just a short teaching, is just seed, just a rough idea. To arise devotion, to understand, to get idea of Buddha, the Buddha’s knowledge.

Even each pore of the Buddha’s holy body can manifest in many different forms. Even to lead one sentient being in the path to enlightenment gradually like this, as it is necessary according to the level of his mind. So each manifestation of the holy body, can give different teachings, work of speech, also can do the work of holy mind, to clearly see all the sentient being’s different pores. Our body cannot do the work of mind, you see. Also besides, when Buddha gives teachings, the number of sentient beings, there are, the different numbers they hear the teachings in their own language. They hear different teachings even if Guru Shakyamuni Buddha ... talking one word, you know. In previous times Guru Shakyamuni Buddha is giving teaching at Sarnath where he met the first teaching of the Dharma when for this followers. The followers to whom he gave the Dharma. As he pointed out, one word he tells it is impermanent many of those followers some of them hear this is impermanent, some of them hear this is non-self existent. This is simply existing without cause. Each follower hears differently according to the level of their mind This holy speech can benefit like this, each sentient being can hear differently. Just before meditation on the refuge the knowledge of Buddha’s holy body like that.

Remember first the sambhogakaya which the higher bodhisattvas can see clearly; also the Dharmakaya and nirmanakaya, the holy body of the transformation which ordinary beings who enter in the path of bodhisattva, who have received the Mahayana path those ordinary followers, they can see the nirmanakaya aspect and receive teachings.

Especially the visualization of the merit field all the lamas, the duties. Buddha’s bodhisattvas, if you visualize like this also you can think of the Dharmakaya, the ultimate buddha, different manifestation like this subduing me and leading me in the gradual path to enlightenment. Very good, useful for the mind. Especially if one relates like this. this meditation on refuge also becomes guru yoga practice which makes the mind aware of all the different aspects of the guru like that. Essence of guru Dharma practice. Also remember when Guru Shakyamuni Buddha was giving teachings in India, Sarnath, in the form of a monk, he gave sutra teachings differently. There are three levels of Dharma, to followers with their level of mind. One is called at bodhgaya, Rajgir, that is the place where Buddha gave the teachings on shunyata. One is called Yangbotchen. In Tibetan its called Sentompa. Believing that everything is just in the nature of consciousness. These teachings, he gave and at one very holy place where Nagarjuna was nearby Mysore, at that place Guru Shakyamuni Buddha was giving teaching for higher intelligent being Vajradhara, the tantra aspect. This happened at the same time. He is at different places with different aspect. Very useful to remember. Also not only that when Guru Shakyamuni Buddha was in India taking birth as prince in other continent Guru Shakyamuni Buddha was taking the form of receiving enlightenment. In other universe Guru Shakyamuni Buddha is taking the form of giving teaching. In another universe he takes, shows the form of death to the sentient beings. So like this when Guru Shakyamuni Buddha when he shows the form of death, parting nirvana, in death taking the form of enlightenment, taking another form of austere life. Different things happen like this in different universes. Also holy speech.

Buddha can manifest in many forms, each of those manifestations can do the work of holy body, holy speech, holy mind. Not like our speech, which cannot do the work of body or mind. Completely different. Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s knowledge has two divisions. The knowledge of understanding and knowledge of compassion. There is not one split second where Guru Shakyamuni Buddha cannot see one sentient beings thought. There is not one split second where Guru Shakyamuni Buddha cannot see the existence of one single object from the whole existence, there is not one single observation.

There are many stories that happened in which Guru Shakyamuni Buddha in the form of monk was in many different places at once. Before people did not believe Guru Shakyamuni Buddha had the knowledge like this. They believed that by making certain pujas they could call their dead people back into their bodies. Guru Shakyamuni Buddha said it is not true. Who comes back is not a person. Person does not come back in his body, that is the spirit. Even the people who do ceremony believe they can call and also the families believe. But actually it is not the person, it is a spirit which by possessing the body can talk. The people did not believe what Guru Shakyamuni Buddha said, so he wanted to prove to them. Then Guru Shakyamuni Buddha asked each of the family to bring different grains, also the name of the family, then wrap it with piece of cloth. Each family brought them. Each family brought like this. Then it is all piled up. Then among all the family Guru Shakyamuni Buddha took out each of these without the need to open then he said, this grain belongs to this family. Inside here there is this type of gain, without need to open. Each family opened and it was exactly as Guru Shakyamuni Buddha explained so then they, by that it proved that Guru Shakyamuni Buddha had knowledge of spirits and that dead body speaking afterwards is not the real person. Many stories happened like this.

Then also, knowledge of compassion. Even if someone is patting Guru Shakyamuni Buddha here on his right side and someone is cutting the left shoulder piece by piece, cutting the flesh from the side of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, there is no discrimination. Guru Shakyamuni Buddha does not see these two sentient beings any different. He has the same compassion as he has compassion for the person who pats, you know, the right side of body, then that much compassion he has for the person who outs off skin on the left side same compassion. Now much compassion Guru Shakyamuni Buddha has to oneself, to me is 100 times greater the compassion that one has to oneself.

The fourth knowledge is knowledge of actions, Buddha’s holy actions. The holy actions for instance, also actions of the holy body which guides us from the suffering of samsara. Seeing the painting or statutes of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, feeling peace, feeling harmony in the mind also wishing to become like that. That is one examples. of Buddha’s holy body. How it benefits, guides to oneself. Also we want to understand the meaning of it, we have great interest to grasp the meaning of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, paintings or statue. So that is also ... it brings the mind to persist to understand Dharma. The realizations, the enlightenment and the path so it makes the person’s mind persist to understand Dharma. Those are actions of Buddha’s holy body. Also the Buddhas, they manifest in the form of people as we don’t have the karma to actually see the Buddha, we don’t have the merits the realizations to receive teachings directly. So according to level of mind for the object of merit, the painting or whatever, is what suits to our present level of mind. So Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s holy Buddha takes many forms, paintings like this also different ordinary person, sometimes beggar, sometimes king.

Sometimes like a devil, it looks very harmful. Different aspect according to what is necessary to subdue the sentient beings beggar. Then also, the holy action of speech it is very good when you normally in the holy statue, this is what Buddha has shown to me in order to lead into enlightenment, to lead from samsara. This is manifestation Buddha has shown me according to the level of my mind. Remembering like this, meditate like this. Also, actually I see statue, but in fact it is not a statue, not made of brass or copper like this, actually this is Guru Shakyamuni Buddha in my view I see statue of ... if I have the realization to see the karma to see then actually it is Buddha. It is good to visualize when you take offering or do prostration, very good to viz. as real Buddha instead of statue which doesn’t cause to arise much devotion, you know. Visualize Buddha smiling very beautiful holy body, very compassionate, very effective for the mind, very helpful.

The holy action of Buddha’s holy speech is I would say also, many young Western people they read books, Dharma books, by reading this, buying from the store, it is so helpful to the mind. It brings happiness to the mind, it opens the knowledge. So I see, by reading Dharma books they understand how to really bring happiness in the life. By reading the Tibetan Book of the Dead ... many books like this, reading arises the wish to study Buddhadharma slowly. As that person’s wish grows person starts to study lam-rim, teachings of the gradual path to enlightenment. So gradually the person starts to practice meditation on gradual path to enlightenment. Then he starts purification, then gradually understands teachings he takes on practices. Those things, Dharma texts, Buddha’s holy speech. You see through the manifestation of letters like this it benefits for sentient beings, Buddha’s holy speech guides oneself from samsara suffering. Also Buddha’s holy mind. There are many other examples, to talk about. In the sura realms, some gods they hear teaching from a big drum it makes noise by itself. Some of the Gods, very few, they can listen to the Dharma through the drum, they can hear sutra teachings. They can’t receive sutra teaching from actual living being. Many different ways Buddha gives teachings. By wind blowing through trees we bear teachings. These are different actions of Buddha’s holy speech.

... and we create virtuous actions in our mind, we create good karma. Then we start to receive realizations, the crop of the virtue. That is the holy action of Buddha’s holy mind. When the sun rises, the sun himself doesn’t have any thought like, “I must reflect in the water, in the dew, the small drops of water, on the path.” The sun just automatically reflects in the water, it appears. Now the Buddha works for sentient being is intuitive just like the reflection which appears in the water. This Buddha who has incredible knowledge like that. Now he because Buddha, how he received this incredible knowledge to lead all sentient from samsara to enlightenment. That is by the Dharma. That is the knowledge of Dharma also. So the Dharma is the true path of the cessation of suffering but according to practice of your meditation Dharma means the gradual path to enlightenment. When you think by Dharma, at that time Dharma means gradual path to enlightenment. So then, you see, each of the know. Dharma that is rough idea. Each realization from gradual path of lower being, perfect human rebirth to karma, if you had each of those realizations it prevents, pacifies the suffering, the cause of suffering, the delusions like this. Each realization has the power to guide oneself from suffering to enlightenment. Same thing with realization of gradual path of meditation being and higher being. Each realization has power to pacify delusions to pacify suffering, to lead to enlightenment. Rough idea so conclusion is gradual path lower being; i.e.; that guides oneself from rebirth of suffering transmigrator and makes to receive a rebirth of a happy transmigrator, the gradual path of meditation makes one free of suffering and attain nirvana, gradual path of higher being makes one free from all the subtle obscurations and makes one free to receive enlightenment, and makes to enlighten other sentient beings. This is the conclusion of the benefits of Dharma, or how the Dharma guides. Details of each path, how much the delusions, you to study the teachings. But you can understand from that ...

Then the Sangha, according to the realization of the merit field, as I explained, I think maybe the ... also realization is also called Sangha. The knowledge, the realizations like this, there are four types of knowledge of power. One power is to pacify the delusions. One power is to increase the realizations, to have long life, to increase fortune. One power is to pacify the delusions. Then there is one to have control of necessities for the Dharma practice to reach enlightenment. How to help oneself to receive. If you need power from other people sometimes to spread Dharma, to help others, like that. The power to have control. Then the power to help control the negative forces, the evil things, to destroy, subdue the evil beings who disturb the Buddhadharma, power to subdue. Then the talking about the followers of the lesser vehicle path, you know. There are five paths. In the Hinayana path there are two divisions—the meditator who receives the first path, the collection of merit, he has the mind renouncing samsara, the clear perception, much merit. Then second is the one who achieves the path of action. He has the realization of penetrative insight, the bases of shamatha meditation. The mental quiescence. That is the realization for the four noble truths. The follower who achieves the third path of right seeing, that is knowledge truly seeing the absolute nature, fully seeing. Then also, the meditator who achieves the path of meditation the fourth path that purifies the delusions I think ... he purifies the 81,000 delusions. The arhat has so much incredible knowledge and power. He can make huge concrete mountain, he can make smog, certain powers like this; such as the arhat Kungawa having within one week thousands of followers who he lead on the path to nirvana. All having the wisdom fully realizing shunyata. Such power like the arhat have.

One time one of the arhats was giving teachings. the evil beings wanted to disturb the teachings so they made rain of food, from materials of food, while the arhat Nerga was giving teachings, so with his power, he let rain food from the space. So then afterwards he stopped the arhat ... he transformed all this food into flowers so it couldn’t disturb the arhat giving teachings and also those evil beings by transforming beautiful lady to dance in front of this arhat who was giving teachings. The evil beings wanted to give harm so the arhat then he put flowers on the neck so that shape that was looking beautiful before, he makes ugly, by putting flowers on his body. Completely ugly, couldn’t disturb these arhats with their psychic powers. They can go on the planes in such a short time. Like this bodhisattvas, the followers of the bodhisattvas have incredibly much more knowledge than the followers of the Hinayana path. Also that know of the bodhisattvas can be used in meditation time. Like it is good to have some idea of that knowledge they have. Then devotion after knowledge, the practice of refuge. the main thing is by taking refuge in Buddha in order to be able to let Buddha guide oneself. One should avoid those things that were explained as part of the refuge. One should avoid dirty things around altars, in front of holy objects, Buddha’s statues, things like this. The main thing what one should avoid by taking refuge is the wrong follower following the wrong path, one who misguides oneself, who makes to be reborn as lower transmigration and keeps in samsara. In that way if one takes refuge, in wrong person. then one does not let the Buddha guide oneself. Even if one has refuge that refuge is not pure. it is like this, you want to go in this country by taking that path. Either you go that way or you go that way, you know. It is not possible to go this way and that way. It is impossible, you see. At the same time you want to go up and down. Also by taking refuge in wrong followers one loses all method of refuge, the ordination of the refuge one loses.

When one practices by taking refuge in Buddha one should respect the statues and many images of Buddha, one should remember this is manifestation shown by Buddha to guide oneself from samsara to lead to enlightenment to purify oneself. It is possible think it is the real Buddha then you respect. By remembering the knowledge of Buddha. Buddha has such knowledge of the holy body, like this, remember. Even if it is an ugly painting of Buddha, you can’t put on the floor, you can’t use for cleaning because it is ugly, not it, you know. Also the practice of refuge even if it is ugly, broken statue even if it is of animal kaka, put it in very high place, keep in clean place. Higher than oneself. Never leave in dirty place always respect is practice. By taking refuge in Dharma one should avoid giving harm to sentient beings. The essence of Dharma is to benefit others, not giving harm. As I explained the manifestation of Buddha remember those things. This is the subject of concern this explains path, receives stuff and leads to enlightenment and enlightens other sentient beings, so by remembering the benefits of this, what it does then you respect as real Dharma. Can’t carry books with your cushion, with shoes can’t carry piece of paper from book. Have respect, keep higher you never throw down or throw in garbage, create negative karma. Torn books you can collect in one place. Afterwards you can burn by saying mantra but not throw in garbage.

So by taking refuge in Sangha, you should avoid misleading friends by following wrong path. The Sangha, one doesn’t let oneself be guided if one follows that. If I won’t listen to my parents, if I listen to person who can’t guide me it is the same thing. So by taking refuge in Sangha one should not follow wrong friends, evil friends who show wrong path. Practice is to respect the monk, by thinking it is real Sangha. Also respect even the robes, remember the realizations, if one crosses over one also create negative karma. Then all the time making suffering to 3 jewels, prostrations, when you eat, make offering to three gems taking precepts.

Dedication…

Lecture 42

The listening subject is the Mahayana…

So the brief explanation of merit. I didn’t have time to mention about the karma which comes after refuge that is ... it is not enough to take refuge, that alone is not enough. It’s like a person who is ... who broke the law of country, you see, and then before judge he says I made mistake I do not want to be punished. However he takes refuge in the judge. Even though he does like this, if he breaks the law again, he takes refuge in the judges again so he doesn’t have to go through these problems, if he doesn’t do. Judge says this time is okay, now you shouldn’t break the law. Then he makes vow not to do again, if he does it again, then that doesn’t help to not experience punishment. If he does it again. So refuge is not enough if one does not observe karma. What happens is like that person who asks for no punishment, who makes vow before the judge, not to do again, but he does it again, so he again has the problem.

So if one does not observe karma like this examples—karma is the essence of the Dharma. We usually say Dharma guides from suggesting as it is the meaning of Dharma. The fact is what? The fact is, the real thing which protects one from suffering that is karma, observing karma, the essence of Dharma. So refuge alone is not enough, one should observe karma and in order to observe karma one should understand karma. Here the person understands the karma, then more the person feels the karma, the more he feels ... For instance each negative karma, there are four different types of suffering result. In the course book I think it has mentioned only three but analyzing there are four different types of suffering result. This is important to understand, to have this idea. As we have rough idea of the result of these negative karmas the result of this is the opposite not taking others lives, not telling lies, not stealing, the opposite to previous negative karma. The good karma also have four good results which is completely opposite if you have idea of the four suffering results of negative karma, then automatically you can figure it out. All these four sufferings undesirable object, so the good result. The way to figure it out, completely opposite to each one. There are four results for each of the good karmas. That also you should have idea. The negative karma of taking another’s life that has four suffering results. One result is the result of ripened aspect. That is usually either preta, narak or animal. Killing such as to be born in narak. Experiencing the result similar to the cause i.e., by being born, even if one is born in the human realm afterwards experiencing the result of the ripened aspect, when that has finished, after one is born in upper realm though good karma, by taking another’s life still one has to experience result of that. That is like this, experiencing as you caused harm to others, as you took others life before, even when you are born as human being then other people will cause shortage of life to you to oneself. They shoot directly or in ... they kill oneself.

Then creating again the result similar to the cause. That means this. The third one is extremely important to understand this gives understanding of karma. Even after he is born in the realm of the happy transmigrator he does the action of killing again, because of the previous habit of taking others life creating negative karma. So you see in our life of negative karma. We create karma, the result of previous negative karma, result of previous negative karma, result of previous habitual action. So you see, in this life as we follow delusion we create the, we collect the third result creating again the result similar to the cause, so by doing this again this is a result of previous karma, but again this becomes the cause to create similar action again in the future life. So again in that life even if we are born in the opposite realm of happy transmigration, again as we collect the result taking another life, again that becomes cause of future life’s karma. So it goes on and on like this, so long as you follow the delusion it has no end. This is one of the clear points to understanding karma, you know. Third one is extremely important. Third one in the west those who don’t have understanding of karma those who don’t have understanding of reincarnation, why the person or animal there is kind of forces, the word used in the West is instinctively why they do the negative karma. There is no perfect answer, no proof for people who do not understand karma reincarnation. There is no answer to that. There may be some answer in the genes, the atoms in physiology they may recognize that but it isn’t clear, it doesn’t prove those genes also—doesn’t prove anything, nothing really clear. As there is no understanding of karma, reincarnation, so this third one is extremely important to understand. That is why it is so important in this life that we are to observe karma, the harmful actions, which harms oneself to others. Try to avoid as much as possible, as one can. That way one does make preparation ... as one tries to stop the delusion, the harmful negative actions to avoid as much as possible. The cause of future lives, negative karma which we would have to experience again and again. So this you see does not happen if you observe, try to avoid harmful negative actions. In that way we make that much less cause of future negative karmas. We make less suffering in future life also in this life. So this is extremely important. You see it stops by only negative action, this becomes cause of three other results, creating negative karma, that becomes cause of future life’s negative karma, to end.

As this karma has been from beginning less previous lifetime until now did not end. The continuation of the karma you will see did not end. It won’t end at all. So you see try to avoid as much as possible unbelievable suffering which we will have to experience in future lives, that all completely stops. All the contemplation completely stops by avoiding creating negative karmas in the life. So you see it has incredible benefits, how to avoid negative karma is the foundation of one’s own happiness, present lives and future lives. It is clear you see me we are feeling the karma in way. We feel the bondage by the karma.

The third one is, by taking others’ lives, one gets born in very harmful place, danger to the life, also not having so much potentiality for the enjoyment, like fruit and vegetables, everything becomes very light. Like previous times before, hundreds of thousands of years before, before Milarepa, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha. All the enjoyments are very strong, they have much more essence. So checking this life, others life, so for each of the negative karmas like this. When we think of results of previous negative karma it kind of embarrasses our mind, makes upset. But when we think of result of good karma of not taking another’s life the then we feel happiness. When you make meditation or karma try to remember, the ten immoralities how to make powerful meditation on karma remember the first three results, then you think how many times I have done this. Go back try to remember, then after checking this life, also I have done like this since previous beginning lives try to feel this. Like this you can do with each negative karma as you can remember. Powerful way to do meditation is like this. Then after this ten you remember the—four outlines of the karma. General explanation of the karma which has four outlines Karma is definite to bring the result. Like what, seed is planted under the ground, as long as seed is not eaten by worm or taken by bird then it is definite if it meets the conditions to make the seed grow, it is definite to bring the result. So you see the negative karma is definite. As long as negative karma is definite to bring result, is not purified, as long as it is not confused, not purified by practicing, then remember, following the path not confessed, then it is definite to bring the result of the negative karma, the sufferings. Similar good karma is definite to bring the result of happiness if it is not destroyed by anger or heresy, as I explained before, negative karma can be destroyed by Dharma, you see. Good karma can be destroyed by negative karma, anger those things.

Destroying ... the negative karma that, how much we can do, it only becomes cause of happiness. But disturbing our merits, that is only cause of suffering. Karma is definite, negative karma brings suffering is definite. It, negative karma does not bring happiness, good karma does not bring suffering, does not get mixed up in the results. Before, by finding coin in the ground, by planting stone in the ground you can’t get corn. By planting corn you can’t get banana. By planting corn you definitely get corn, by planting banana, climb free, (laugh) definitely banana. Karma is definite.

Karma is expandable. That means from one small karma result, just like examples, by planting one seed of tree in the ground, tree grows, it has thousands of branches, 1000 flowers, hundreds of seeds grow, you see, from one seed. From one small seed, result is not time in one life. Result of the ... how much the karma increases is much more than the example of plants, by planting one nice seed, how much nice you can get three or four times, much greater, much greater, number is much more, increases the karma, greater than this.

Karma is definite, karma is expandable. There are many stories that happened in the previous time. Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s time, stories that Guru Shakyamuni Buddha explained to the followers of ... Guru Shakyamuni Buddha who created karma. Other sentient beings who have experienced the karma, then Guru Shakyamuni Buddha explained because previous time you did like this that is why you experience these results. Guru Shakyamuni Buddha explained to his followers. He gives teachings like this. It is just a matter of we are not aware and we don’t have the understanding as Guru Shakyamuni Buddha has, we don’t have the power of understanding to clearly see the result of each good karma.

The good result comes from good karma, hundreds of suffering results which arises from negative karma like this. So many result one has to experience. It is our own experience always to express the result of the karma, always to create karma but we don’t know, we are not aware, due to ignorance in karma. Also normal people who don’t understand, don’t know what karma they are creating, if they do this then they experience this. And who don’t understand the definition of good karma and bad karma, who do not- negative motivation is possessed by ignorance, attach, agreed, action brings the result of rebirth as suffering transmigration. These actions of negative karma actions done without negative mind, 8 worldly Dharma bring happiness of this life, and happy rebirth in the future lives and besides attachment in this life, not knowing how to check-up so they can’t see what is Dharma. However, even creating karma is our own experience, but we are not aware of it. As the obscurations to knowledge are not purified, so you see, therefore we are not aware, we cannot see it, like this. By studying Dharma, by meditating, by purifying as we achieve the path gradually we can see the karma. We can see so clearly when one gets sick, when one gets pains like this by setting on ice you get cold, by sitting on fire you feel hot, right, you can see so clearly. For instance; in his previous life one monk was crossing over a stream, then one person criticized you are jumping like a monkey. Just by that small karma, few words, saying like this, the person has to be born five hundred times as monkey. Also person who criticize the monk with a negative mind, you look like woman, by saying that you create karma to become born as a woman for five hundred lifetimes. Besides that, even in this life, because object, he criticizes is holy object, therefore, so powerful is the karma, he may become woman if he was man before. There are many examples of this happening. We cannot see clearly. There are many single karmas which is our experience but we cannot see clearly as we don’t have the understanding.

When Guru Shakyamuni Buddha gives teachings he explains their own karma, why you are doing like this, because of previous life you did like this, so this life you have such result. Clearly Guru Shakyamuni Buddha to like, showing movie of each individual karma which explains their lives for us so clearly. Many life stories then karma is expandable. After each one you emphasize like this, karma is definite, remember those examples as I mentioned, therefore I must try to avoid negative karma, as much as possible, create good karma as much as possible. Emphasize, make conclusion, as it is definite to bring result. Then again after the second outline karma is expandable. A small karma can give incredible result, so many results that increases. It is good to remember the stories of the karma, very effective to make meditation on karma, to become real. At it is explained in the Dharma book then you remember those stories. Very good for meditation on karma. Then you emphasize again, therefore, even small negative karma I must try to avoid. I should not be careless. If it is small negative karma it doesn’t matter I shouldn’t feel careless. I must avoid even small negative karmas and try to create even small good karmas as much as possible because you see, even making small good karma, of making offering of incense by one candle, offering, make offering remember bodhicitta. Even when switch light on visualize Guru Shakyamuni Buddha as you make offering if you can remember that just by that action it becomes good karma, such as I am displaying the darkness of ignorance of sentient being’s and also how received Dharma; wisdom light with the sentient being’s. Things like that become good karma. However even food offering no matter what it is remembering bodhicitta. Kind of like mind, mind virtue. Even small good karmas like this I should try to collect, I shouldn’t get careless. The small good karma offering on flower to the Triple Gem. Better to make offering of bowl of diamonds, this is nothing, better to make charities, so many millions hungry to make charity. However not thinking like this. By understanding how important it is even small offering, small good karma remember the result how great the result is. Shouldn’t be careless, shouldn’t be lazy. Try to during the work of daily life, while you’re eating, drinking, going out, make offering, by the way if you have alter in the room; fact we do not see the Buddha but where ever we are Buddha is always on our forehead, always in our room, where ever one is, however dirty the place is Buddha’s mind is everywhere, Buddha’s holy body is everywhere, Buddha’s holy speech is everywhere, is not like us. Buddha’s holy mind is inseparable so not like us. Buddha’s holy mind is inseparable so therefore it is just matter from our own side, Buddha is here, we are just ignorant. Like your friend who is, always with you, ‘my friend is not here.’ He would laugh. However, Buddha is completely different from us, is how Buddha has complete control, Buddha is free. Even you don’t have alter just visualize Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, you can make water offering, flowers, like that. Offering as much as possible with motivation of bodhicitta, if possible that time action is perfect, you know. With the Buddha there is some exception. Generally you have to have good motivation, to make action virtue, but there are certain exceptions. You see, if your mind is angry you make prostration, as long as you are doing this action to the Buddha making prostration, offering, even if your mind is angry to someone else or to Buddha, that becomes Dharma. That is exception. Now that becomes Dharma.

There are some exceptions. So ordinary people who do not understand Dharma, but who have some devotion to Buddhadharma and Sangha, normally extremely difficult, their actions becomes virtue. Because they don’t know how to make it virtue, but opportunity, sometimes when they make offering to monks or lamas, remembering Buddha, when they make offering, prostrations, something by opportunity it becomes virtue, it becomes Buddhadharma even just by seeing the holy subject, painting, statue, it is purification, it self purifies obscurations by seeing. It has great power. Not so much power the material but the power of the knowledge of the Buddha, power of bodhicitta, the wish to benefit other sentient beings and power of knowledge, so it is very good to have alter in our room even in the west, many times as possible. Main alter is in our mind if you know, to have in the mind remembering Buddha, that alter is best. Doesn’t have to show I am Buddhist something like that. Without other people knowing I am Buddhist you create much good karma. You make preparation for enlightenment, fantastic. If there is no objection from other people then you can love alter, see the alter, when you come each time in your room then you can remember Buddha, try to see Buddha in your mind, for future life, to see actual Buddha and take teachings from Buddha in the future life. You create karma by having wish to be able to come like that, you know, creates karma to become Buddha. So when you see the holy statue of Buddha, then you should remember this is my savior, my guide. So doing like this becomes good karma, 2 hands you bring up to the heart like this, this becomes perfect for holy object, like this. Even if you see monk, absolutely Sangha, think, by giving like this is very good karma, so easily you don’t have to explain texts, something like that. However, remembering Buddha is savior, lit. By remembering like this, you create good karma. Easily you create good karma by doing prostration because we continuously create negative karma on and on, not only this life but from beginning previous lifetimes. So you see, so important to continue to create good karma even if small. We are capable, it is a great loss if you don’t do it. So shouldn’t be lazy, small good karma. Then every time it is very important motivation, action, whatever you do then dedicate. May these merits, may I receive enlightenment, the benefit of all sentient beings as quickly as possible. With great wish, like this. May I receive enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. Right after that you dedicate whatever you do, that is extremely important to remember in daily life, you know.

Karma is expandable, without creating karma the result cannot be experienced. The third outline, without karma created, the result is not possible. This outline is in the meditation course book so those who have books you can understand from that. That means without having ... like person who is receiving teachings, who wants to study. He has the opportunity while he is taking teachings police say get out he has to leave the country, he is not having opportunity to enjoy the Dharma. He has to leave but other people have opportunity to enjoy the Dharma. He has to leave but other people have opportunity. You see, he did not create the karma before to complete the whole teaching, to do as he wants, to practice Dharma as he wants in that place, so therefore he does not experience that good result, in this like. Even though he wishes to be there and to practice Dharma for a long time so experiences the result of other karma. Maybe it is the result of Dharma, karma of avoiding Dharma, without having created negative karma you cannot experience suffering result. So therefore, in that way it is extremely good, if I don’t create negative karma I don’t have to experience suffering result, therefore it is my choice whether I want to suffer or feel happy, is in my own hands. So I must try to avoid negative karma as much as possible and try to create good karma as much as possible. We make conclusion, you know. Then whatever the karma has been collected, that never gets lost, never gets lost. Even though its for eons and eons, whether it is small negative karma the result that can never get lost. Whenever its ready, when it meets the perfect conditions good karma, negative karma, even though it has been incredible length of time, when it meets the conditions, experiences the result, good or bad, suffering in whatever it is, it, as long as these negatives karmas, not purified, if the person does not practice the remedies the meditations, following the path, these things, then it is definite, no matter how many eons it has been, definite to experience result. Then you can make purification. On the basis of the ten immoralities after you check back like this, remember each of the results, each outline for karma, the four outlines, then you see each outline on the basis of these negative karmas, the ten immoralities. Relate it to that, then you can meditate. Like karma is definite. Oh I have done that many negative karmas this life, karma is definite, so it is definite I will experiences the result of that negative karma then like this ... So therefore I must try to avoid negative karmas as much as possible and even what has been created from previous lives I must purify before the death, otherwise I will definitely experience suffering. Then also you see each outline on the basis of the ten immoralities. Just example of karma, ten immoralities. Just example of karma, ten immoralities. Just example of karma, ten immoralities, principal karma, what is negative karma, what is not negative karma to have some idea. ten immorality does not mean only negative karma of ten number, doesn’t mean this, this is just example with delusion such as this ... is done, except heresy, mental action, otherwise action of body, speech you can do similar action with virtuous motivation and it becomes virtue. Killing, telling lie, stealing, those actions one can do with virtue of mind is capable to make it virtuous but it is difficult to make it virtue. Mental action you can make four virtue, because how can you make attachment, non-attachment, heresy, not heresy, that is not virtue. These are just examples of negative karma. After making meditation on karma if you make purification by reciting mantra, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha mantra or Vajrasattva mantra, whatever you recite. Also you can make prostrations which has incredible benefits, one powerful way to purify heavy—negative karmas. Generally any good karma becomes purification because it makes thinner the negative karma, less result, obscuration is thinner, it is called purification. Then one makes confession after reciting mantra, also one makes vow, such negative karma according to the capability of one’s own mind in making vow, either this year, till the end of life, end of this week, today. Depends on how difficult it is to observe. Like bodhisattvas, Vajrayana precepts which we should try to be aware, we can’t be aware, we cant keep ourselves from breaking even the small Vajrayana precepts. The branches, we can’t keep without breaking even a minute which is difficult like those things, you make vow for short time like for an hour, depending on how much you can in that hour. These basic ones are in the life, when you are ready to take ordination, so enlightenment can be received. Then those other ones which can happen right away, small ones, those ones I will try to do as much as possible either one hour, one minute. Depending on capability of the mind. There are four remedies to make perfect confession. You see to stop all these four subtle results of each negative karma, you need to make perfect confession which are the four remedies. Each remedy has power to stop the all suffering results of the negative karmas four remedies are briefly explained in the meditation course books. The titles are explained there. Then confession, he make perfect confession, is extremely important otherwise you do this, even if you don’t experience this result you may experience the suffering result, maybe not in hell realms but in the human realm you experience another result, so they are different like this, if confession is not perfect like that.

Just want to mention the outlines of Mahayana meditations, just to give an idea. There in the books there are some outlines, there is not all the outlines, but most outlines. By taking birth in each samsara is caused by karma and delusion then we experience all the different types of sufferings. So to stop, not experience all the sufferings of samsara, preta, narak, human, sura, asura, to stop, that depends on not experiencing samsara, because by samsara all the suffering comes, that depends on stopping the samsara of the each transmigrator, human, preta, etc. That depends on, to stop all samsara depends on stopping. The karma and delusion, that basic remedy is the three higher training. Training of the wisdom, understanding of shunyata, shamatha realization are the first one, that depends on moral conduct, the foundation. So that is why observing human of keeping precepts is extremely important because more the person is strict in the conduct that much is easier it is to achieve. The mental ... and easy to achieve the thought realization, wisdom. Then meditating on the Mahayana Meditation which leads to bodhicitta i.e., the first meditation which is the foundation, knowing all the sentient beings, having mother, remembering their kindness, second meditation, repaying according to how it is explained in the course book then, then after that equalizing oneself with other. This different from equilibrium meditation, this is called great equalizing meditation. After that comes the meditation on short comings of self-cherishing thought. After that benefits of cherishing others, after that comes exchanging oneself with others, explains benefits and shortcomings but no other outline, don’t think so. After shortcomings of self-cherishing thought, benefits of cherishing others then comes, changing oneself on others, this wish rises, this thought. Then after that the special profound practice, Mahayana practice, to generate compassion and great love, this is called tong.len, taking other sentient beings’ sufferings on oneself, dedicating merits to others for the sentient beings and holy beings, gurus ...

...cannot see this, is not the object of the eye, you see, our mind is limited in power, knowledge so you see, therefore, as Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, who has complete knowledge, who has complete knowledge, complete realization as he explained study, study these things, try to understand these things, try to practice the meditation that is explained, on the basis of what Guru Shakyamuni Buddha has explained with his complete knowledge. Try to practice the meditation that is explained, try to understand it by having faith in the quotations, by having faith in the teachings explained by guru Shakyamuni Buddha about those things, which is true knowledge.

Ourselves then have the power, don’t have the knowledge to see these things, you see, so to be able to understand these things we have to rely on someone to introduce us, have to rely on someone to introduce us, someone to explain us, it depends on explanation, you see.

So if you think like this, like many people think in the west, that because I don’t feel this, I don’t see this, I don’t see this as empty of self existence, I don’t see this as reincarnation, it is not object of my knowledge, from good karma, good result ...? Not object of my knowledge.

Then in that case everything, in that case anything that is not the object of one’s own mind, one’s own knowledge, then all this has to be stopped, all this has to be ignored by the person. In that case, why the person should study from the teacher, even at the university, even in the ... why the person should try to know new things that he doesn’t know, in that case similar thing. In that way the person always keeps himself in ignorance—not realizing the nature of the self, always keeps himself in ignorance.

The conclusion is this—because at the moment our mind is obscured, very heavily obscured, that is how our mind is limited in knowledge, to see how it is empty of self existence, how there is reincarnation, how the good karma brings good result, how bad karma brings suffering result. So the way, the way to obtain knowledge, this knowledge, first if one does not have any explanations, introduction, as one doesn’t have the power, one has to rely on these explanations. So by practicing, by understanding these teachings then practicing the meditation, then making purification, purifying the obscurations.

First it will help having faith in the explanations, you yourself as you cannot see you have to rely on something, so you rely on the perfect explanation by Guru Shakyamuni Buddha which is the true knowledge. Then you try to understand the subject, then you practice meditation, at the same time make purification, for the meditation to work, to become successful depends on purification, so as you practice meditation, you do purification, by doing together your mind becomes closer, closer, closer to the path.

So, in that way you realize, then you really see, gradually you feel closer, closer—how this is empty of self-existence, how there is reincarnation—with your own experience, you can really see it, you know. Also you can see with your own experience, how from good karma happiness comes, how from bad karma suffering result comes. With your own experience, with Dharma knowledge, you can see it, like that. Otherwise, just words cannot show like this, just by words we cannot expect to realize how things are empty of self-existence, how there is reincarnation, and so forth, by passing words or by reading books you can’t expect to realize. By reading books you think it doesn’t exist—that is completely a wrong idea.

I think I stop here. But it is important to keep in the mind because this can help.

The conclusion is, talking about karma, it is not true that the whole thing is only created by God. The conclusion comes to that point, by mentioning all these examples—the different karmas you see.

One thing is very good; the last few days if one is not sick, if one doesn’t have big problem, try to come to the ordination in the morning—usually there are many people coming for ordination. I have much great joy in the people coming here in the morning—knowing it is very cold, difficult to get up—also you have to wait here shaking, waiting here, I know all these things, but you have to think of the future, you have also present too. But one morning suffering is nothing, you know, you have to think of the long future suffering, ageless, you know.

Actually, actually we have not suffered for the Dharma since beginningless previous life times, you know. There is not much experience of suffering for the Dharma, concern for the continual happiness of the future lives, things like that. We have been experiencing suffering for the delusions by following the delusions numberless times without beginning and not only bearing trouble for practicing Dharma is not only for oneself. This is actually, no matter how much difficulty, is something we should feel great rejoicefulness. Why? You see the army which has been in the war, who has cut. Then afterwards they are very arrogant. Afterwards, Oh! I killed many people. This was what I did in the second world war or the first world war, they show this, to show how they have courage, how their occupation is brave. They use it for a decoration, as an ornament, this wound you see, this damaged thing. So you know by showing this to their people they feel happiness in the mind.

Actually, not only for one’s own ultimate happiness, this trouble that we are bearing for the Dharma, not only for oneself, but for the benefit of each sentient being we practice Dharma, we take ordination. So therefore, we bear the trouble, so the effect? By thinking of, by remembering the sentient beings in one’s own heart, is something which has great opportunity, it’s something by remembering this you can feel great rejoicefulness, to experience even cold, to go hungry and all these things, for taking ordination for the work of other sentient beings. So think like this. Also in the morning time the motivations I explain differently, following the meditation. Second thing is following the ordination for the last two or three days. Like this. Anyway there is much to say about the benefits. Afterwards, afterwards, maybe tomorrow I will mention.

Ge wa di…

…some people whose mind is very close to Dharma, who doesn’t have very thick obscurations, thick pollution, even just when seeing the words they can clearly see, clearly understand, can prove, realizing the same thing—so it is an individual thing, practicing meditation and doing purification.

[DEDICATION]

When you dedicate merits you think I dedicate all these merits to all beings, everybody becomes perfect for what they want to do for the sentient beings. Then after that great will. The great determination, I want to enlighten each of the sentient beings, release from suffering only by myself. No matter how much it takes time, how difficult it is, even if I have to give up my life. I am just explaining the strength of the will, even though it wasn’t like that to me. So to enlighten each of the kind mother sentient being and release them from suffering, like that, incredible will, determination to abstain the burden of this work. Then after that comes without receiving enlightenment. You can’t enlighten other sentient beings, all is Buddha, after having received enlightenment, even each day of the Buddha, can enlighten the numberless sentient beings’ mind. So Buddha is the only one who has compassion, knowledge, power, so I must become Buddha in order to enlighten for the benefit of all sentient beings, this is the wish to receive enlightenment, wish to receive enlightenment, this is bodhicitta. So day and night time, all the time, like we are filled with attachment. Day and night attachment automatically rises, it, we wish to receive enlightenment for the benefit of all mother sentient beings, intuitively it rises. We don’t have to put effort. Each animal, each sentient being, each preta, each preta, each human beings, even king, whoever it is, we have always this wish to enlighten, king or whoever it is all the time. That time the person has achieved bodhicitta, the precious thought which is to lead to enlightenment. Then after that six bodhisattvas practice, the paramita comes then the last one is wisdom on shunyata. Shunyata, sometimes, if you want to make meditation on shunyata, that is sometimes like a dream, you meditate as explained before. The first you remember the wrong conception of changeable deeds, then you meditate on that. Try to recognize your ignorance that is extremely important, if you want to realize shunyata quickly you have to recognize your wrong conceptions, it is impossible to realize shunyata. Impossible, there is no way to happen, because you don’t see what you are supposed to see. Like you have enemy; same, same. If you want to realize shunyata, this is very good also, your mind also becomes blind, meditate on the sky or something like that. This itself, your meditating or wrong conception trying to recognize this. This is the best way to meditate on shunyata. People who meditate on space, not like this. That kind of meditation is outer meditation, mind becomes blank, right. Then after meditation on wrong come. Then you think subject, “Self,” “I”, “you”, “I”, you don’t think “I” kind of subject, you don’t think that meditating, you meditate on yourself, you understand? You are the seeker of the self.

We are the seeker, we don’t have to find seeker somewhere outside. He has to recognize seeker himself, the subject “I” want to eat, “I” am” feeling hungry that, “I”, after meditating on that you don’t lose what you have found the “I” the truly, wholly “I.” After you have recognized, you just keep it, you don’t lose it. Once you catch it like this, you keep it, don’t lose from the land, you know. If you lose from your hand you can’t beat, you may meet somewhere else it may hurt you, you see, so keep it then you beat it, then you destroy it. Simple way, effective way meditating on subject “I.” There is no such this truly existing “I”, “me” that does not depend on body, those aggregates, group or parts, calling name “I” does not exist at all, even in name, such the truly exist. “I” which is aging of body, mind even name giving to it does not exist at all, even name, actually you make complete decision as much as possible. No way, not in the east not in the west not in earth, not in sky, nowhere. This process you try to meditate feel clear determination. Try to feel as much as possible. If a fear rises right when you start to lose yourself, oh! Now I am getting lost, I am going to become nothingness, when the fear starts to arise let it happen, you shouldn’t discourage yourself, you have to get though the fear. Just like if you want to cross to another country and there is danger on the road, you have to cross that danger. So let you have to cross, let it happen. You never get lost, you don’t have to worry, you never get lost, impossible (laugh) you can still sleep. I think I stop here.