Lecture 18

So before listening to the actual teaching it is necessary to cultivate the pure motivation of bodhicitta. Not only to become the action of listening to the teachings the cause of receiving enlightenment, which is the greatest aim, the greatest meaning of the human life that we have to achieve, in order to enlighten other sentient beings. For the benefit of bodhicitta, explaining from the teachings of Shantideva, the everyday time doesn’t make to finish meditation so maybe it can be explained afterwards. So then think, I must receive enlightenment right away in order to enlighten all the kind mother sentient beings, therefore I am going to the teachings on the gradual path to enlightenment.

The listening subject that is the Mahayana teaching which leads the fortunate one to enlightenment. It is well expounded by the Mahayana philosophers Nagarjuna and Asanga. It is a profound teaching received by great bodhisattva Atisha and the Dharma king of the three worlds, the great Lama Tsongkhapa through which these teaching were shown. These teachings contain all the essence of 84,000 teachings shown by Guru Shakyamuni Buddha and all these teachings of these three vehicles, Theravadan Paramitayana, Vajrayana, all these teachings are set up for the gradual purpose of one person receiving enlightenment. This is the sole path through which all past, present and future Buddha have received enlightenment.

This has four basis outlines, and the last one is how to lead the disciple of the actual teaching on the gradual path to enlightenment. This has two outlines i) how to make the guru practice which is the root of the path and how to train the mind in the gradual path to enlightenment by following the guru. So the whole path is divided into three. It is shown these three paths, according to the different levels of intelligence of the sentient being. One person as his mind develops, whole three of these paths are shown to lead him into enlightenment. So in order to receive enlightenment for the benefit of others it is necessary to complete the realization of gradual path of higher being and that depends on completing realization of gradual path of middle being and that depends on completing realization of gradual path of lower intelligent being. Part of meditation subject that is from the gradual path of the lower being. So all these paths, without following the detained outlines in the teachings. The whole path is divided into three. In order to receive enlightenment even through Vajrayana path then it is impossible, it is hopeless, without having achievement of the fundamental gradual path to enlightenment which contains the three principal realization. So therefore, one has to receive these three principals before receiving enlightenment through path. So then in order to receive these three principal paths means having achievement of the basic meditations. These basic meditations from the perfect human rebirth. The other day I mentioned three basic meditations one can do in order to quickly actualize the gradual path to enlightenment. One can practice three formal meditations in one day. One thing that I did not mention that is the guru practice in the morning. In the meditations on gradual path to enlightenment, what is the most difficult thing to realize, of course bodhicitta is one of the most difficult, then wisdom realizing shunyata, bodhicitta much more difficult. But still it is an individual question one is easier and which one is more difficult.

Usually bodhicitta is much more difficult to realize. Also bodhicitta depends on having ... of course to achieve this realization depends on having understanding of many of the fundamental, gradual meditations. And ... and the wisdom realizing shunyata that is easy. Why? Because it mainly ... one thing it depends on is understanding of the logic, logic. One tool is that, or one of the weapons that is the logic. However, then, this part can be emphasized afterwards anyway. Then usually ... the realization of how the sentient beings have been mother, this realization, this is recognized as a little bit difficult to actualize. But I think ... I think not so difficult if the person ... it depends on the individual himself whether he has the way to think straight if it is ... Oh then, I think it doesn’t take much time to realize that meditation.

However the guru practice, this realization is the most difficult one to actualize. Most difficult one. Therefore if one is going to spend the whole time in this trying to actualize those other formal meditations then the whole life is spent in just one specific meditation so that in one way your experience is also limited. It can take years, years, whole lifetime or two lifetimes. Not sure. So it is not skillful method not trying to actualize one meditation. Spend the whole on that. So, the skill that is explained by Pabongka Dechen Nyingpo who is root guru of all our gurus, he explained the quickest skill to finish the work on the gradual path to enlightenment. That is every morning one basic meditation is the, that on the guru practice, like this. A little bit every morning, making short meditation on that, then spending more time on the Perfect Human Rebirth, which leads to bodhicitta. They spend more time and try to finish actualizing. In the evening time making meditation on shunyata. Working together like this.

So in the morning making meditation on guru practice and that helps a great deal, that short meditation helps the person’s practice for the rest of the day in regards ... that helps the rest of the day’s practice and the formal meditations to be successful. And also to have less hindrances. So in this way even if the person has thirty years to live, fifty years, or ten years, no matter how many years, then that person makes experience in those meditations, those important meditations bodhicitta, shunyata and the guru practice. His mind is trained together in those meditations.

So during his life however long it is, if he trains his mind like this then even the bodhicitta or realization of shunyata or of guru practice. You see he finishes one of the works in this life. That depends on what meditation—even if has not received the realization of gradual path but he receives the wisdom realizing shunyata it is possible that can happen. If one has realized one of these meditations that is the greatest happy life, really. Then there is no need to worry at the death time, after this life. That is really the happy life. Also, one has actualized like this then it is very easy to be free from samsara very quickly, either in this life or in the next life.

This I just mentioned. I don’t expect that everyone will practice meditation, I don’t expect but there are many people who practice lam-rim meditation and who practice in the daily life and make retreat many times, so I mentioned these skills.

To actualize bodhicitta, the principal path to enlightenment which is the real short cut path to enlightenment, to be able to actualize this it needs so much—without foundation, collecting many merits and making much purification, without this the wisdom realizing shunyata or without bodhicitta is like the house built on the foundation, without the foundation this the building of the house cannot exist. It is extremely difficult to realize shunyata or bodhicitta.

Meditation alone, how much the person does ... it is first of all difficult to really feel it, it takes much time. How much the person practice the meditation each day, it takes so much time to actualize the realization. It is like this the seed which is planted in the ground which hasn’t got perfect conditions,

…water and heat and those other things, good soil, then it takes time to grow, or it doesn’t grow whether it gets rotten without meeting the necessary condition for the seed. It cannot grow. It cannot grow. So without depending on the help of, the practice of purification creating merits, so much practice of it then those realizations cannot be received. Even if the person practices the meditation alone for a long time and again the practice of purification and creating merits, to make that, is beneficial in order to receive realization. To become the cause to quickly receive the realization again depends on the guru practice, usually in creating merits, purification practice, how much that becomes powerful, in order to quickly receive the realization depends on the guru practice. The person makes mistake, then also if the person doesn’t make guru practice then he makes mistakes. He makes wrong practice, then how much the person does the purification and creates merits, that makes to take time again, to not be powerful and quickly actualize in the realization of the meditation. These are the vitals or the importance of the practice, the key, Then there are many stories on how things depend on each other like this and ... so much to explain about, from the teachings which is about the guru practice, like this. I think maybe somebody wants to make peepee.

[BREAK]

Student: Is that bad karma if you do something non-virtuous in a dream?
Rinpoche: If there is a strong negative mind it can be possible it can be creating small negative action. Depending on the motivation it can happen.
Student: Lama Zopa, what kind of purification practices were you referring to just now?
Rinpoche: All purifying practices, no matter what we are doing before the meditation session, those are basic purifying practice.
Student: You mean the mantra?
Rinpoche: There is mantra, making prostrations and the seven limb practice. Those basic meditations and also Refuge, the prayers and meditations, all these are purifying practices. One of the essential practices for collecting merits is the mandala offering. But they usually recognized as different purification practices. For purification person may make prostrations or recite mantra, there are different deities manifested for sentient beings to purify. Making confessions. Those are recognized.
Student: Depending on the nature of the purification you require.
Rinpoche: Yeah, yeah ... depending on the persons ... if the person who has taken bodhisattva vows there are also purifications, there are techniques which can purify that, and the person who has taken Vajrayana vows and broken them, there is also Vajrayana techniques to purify those things like that. Mantras and different forms of practice, things like that.
Student: Would the goal of the mind trying to perceive its own nature be an ultimate goal?
Rinpoche: I see ... that cannot be ultimate goal because even if you have realized ... wisdom realizing the Absolute nature of your own mind then you are still in samsara, you are still not free from delusion, so that cannot be the ultimate goal. Ultimate goal is the release of samsara, the release of delusion, release from the dualistic mind ... enlightenment ... ultimate goal.
Student: When we say, I must be enlightened for the benefit of all the sentient beings, who is this “I,” can it be a way to enforce the ego?
Rinpoche: That is general “I.” In regards about conception of “I,” when the person himself can be different to person thinking general self. There is the thought of the general self without discriminating it as self existent, self independent, self “I” and there would be thought of the self, which believes, which intuitively believes the “I” is self-existent. The self-existent “I” is going to do this and that. Like that. The self-existent “I” is going to go to market to buy things. The self-existent “I” is going to reach enlightenment. Different from this.

The person who has realized shunyata does not believe the “I” is self-existent. He thinks the general self is the mere relative self. Beings who have not realized shunyata mostly don’t think like that. “I am going to market, I am going to eat, I am going to receive enlightenment, I’m going to this, I’m going to that…” That time, for your mind, when you think like this “I’m going to this, I’m going to that…” as that thought, this real I is going to Katmandu, with that kind of thinking the person thinks the I is self-existent. This real I is going to get visa, going to have a good lunch in the restaurant after all this. You can check up, it’s good to check up.

Intuitively believing as self-existent, same thing “I am meditating here,” we are not thinking this is relative, just merely relatively existing self, “I,” we are thinking the self existent “I” is going to meditate. In fact, I which does not exist is going to meditate. This is how it is in fact, what happens: I that does not exist at all is going to meditate, going to have lunch.

There is a conception of self-existent that is caused by wrong doctrine, which says that everything is independent or self-existent. This doctrine you believe intellectually, the words you believe. Because of this ignorance wrong conception which came from beginningless previous lifetimes we intuitively believe the I is self-existent. By making such doctrines intellectually we believe that I is self-existing. So there are three different things, like this.

Sometimes when one meditates, “is it real or illusory,” sometimes when you think “I am going to do something-something,” having an object action, that time the conception clinging to the “I,” conception of “I” is not so strong, not so heavy as usual. Usually subjective is more strong, “I” is stronger than the object, the feeling, “I” is stronger than the object. Sometimes, in the reverse, not very strong conception of the real “I,” kind of very, very light, almost not existing, not as heavy as usual. It depends on how the person is feeling. If the person feels it less stronger, that can be the conception of the general “I,” the relatively existing “I.” When the person feels that almost kind of not existing, but you cannot say it doesn’t exist. Anyway, it doesn’t matter [laughter].

So that time I think it is either close to the general, relative “I,” or you really see this. When one sees the “I” as illusory, that time what one used to believe is just the relatively existing, general “I,” which takes rebirth and dies, round and round the six realms of suffering, which goes to enlightenment itself.

The whole conclusion is, practicing the graduated path to enlightenment like this, as I explained before, by leaving seed in the mind, also trying to make analytical meditation. Then what is more important, wisdom and bodhicitta practice—among that the bodhisattva practice is quicker to receive enlightenment, that makes the life most meaningful. So the whole conclusion, the essence is this, how to make the life most meaningful, always try to concentrate in the practice of bodhicitta. Remember in the day time, remember also in the night, as much as one can try to keep the mind in the bodhicitta practice. Even one cannot practice many other meditations, that is the most worthwhile thing to concentrate—the practice of bodhicitta. Try to understand the teachings and meditate and practice of bodhicitta. Read the teachings. There are many teachings, like the Bodhicaryavatara by Shantideva, teachings on the bodhisattva path by Maitreya Buddha. Some are translated, some are not.

Then, if one does not observe karma, bodhicitta is difficult to receive. The main foundation is to observe karma, try to avoid the cause of suffering as much as possible and check the verses. The whole life mainly concentrate on bodhicitta on the basis of observing karma. That is the essential thing. Doesn’t matter…. Also to make the life meaningful it is very good, in each year if one can make at least one retreat—one month, at least sixteen days, even if normally in your life you don’t have much time to meditate on the graduated path to enlightenment. If you can have fixed time every day to meditate, that is kind of like making retreat, that much retreat. Usually life is so busy, one has family, this and that, so many things to do, jobs, work to support the family.

Because of what I explained, those three essential practices, even if every day one cannot meditate on the graduated path to enlightenment, like during vacations, if one dedicates one’s time, like one month, to meditate on the graduated path, that is alright. Retreat on the graduated path, the teachings and meditation one has received, using those one can do retreat on the different deity aspects, whatever is necessary for oneself, retreat using the mantra of that deity, making purification, the yoga practice of that deity on the basis of the graduated path, then make retreat like this. If one can do one month, if one wants to do two months, one year or full life—there’s no objection! That is for congratulations.

So that is how to make life meaningful and for happiness for future lives, to receive enlightenment quicker. That is one suggestion. I am talking about fifteen or sixteen days at least even if one can’t do one month, in each year. Even the material, like money, one has been collecting through working, so many times body and mind being exhausted, what is used for the retreat, even the material expenses become beneficial, worthwhile. It is worthwhile to spend to create good karma, to create the cause of one’s own happiness and to work for the happiness of other beings—you spend the material on that. That is a worthwhile way of spending. Even you work very hard, every day mind and body exhausted, it is worthwhile to spend like this.

Then, even it costs $1 million, it is worthwhile, it is not result-less, result is happiness. Going to island, the little free time we have we spend on an island, beach, on a snow mountain, things like that, the free time we have, one year like this, two years, three years, five years, thinking like this, even thirty years, then one day unexpectedly this life ends, the life stops. Just like elevator stops, all of a sudden. One day, all of a sudden, unexpectedly it happens like this. Oh today, I’m going to die—unexpectedly. Just in a minute, thinking I am going to die, then dying in that minute. Then whole life has been completely meaningless, empty like empty pot, didn’t make any difference, not having made any preparation for the happiness of future lives, to have a better rebirth—nothing is done, not one single thing got done. The whole work is done, with anger, delusions, whole life like that.

After death time, no difference at the death time, that human being dying on the bed, even if he dies with expensive clothes on an expensive bed—no difference, he is just dead, dying like the outside dogs, no difference. The person having special death, happy death and the animal having suffering death—no difference, didn’t make any difference when a person dies. During the life time no difference, nothing better is done, even death time nothing better. end of the life, same. The life ends. How it ends, in what way it ends? Not with a happy mind, with an upset mind. If it ends with happy mind that is something.

In the west, as we have been touring now three times in the west, many times, like in New York… not only New York city—also in other countries—in Brooklyn I stayed some time, one or two weeks. There were many old people dying there who don’t, who are registered with the title “retired,” who are retired, cannot work, physically they don’t have much ability to work. Old fathers and mothers. Then children who are separated from their parents, looking after themselves. They work and take care of themselves. Or just old parents, mothers and fathers living alone, relying on sticks when they walk. Old father helps the mother, old mother helps the father—they try to help each other. Maybe not so difficult to get food as in the mountains, easy to open cans, easier to eat. So eat food and whole day nothing to do—looking through the windows at the cars, people walking or shopping, just watch all day looking through the window. In the evenings they put a chair outside, sit down, hours and hours outside in the sun. Every day—tomorrow like this, day after tomorrow like this—whole day they spend like this. They cannot recite one single mantra, even one mantra one time, don’t know one single mantra. Life itself is kind of harmful. Then after sunset go back into the house.

You can see from their face what the life’s pattern was, whether they enjoyed or not, even you don’t read the mind you can see from the outside, the effect, the sign of the mind. When they were young, children time, life was like that, children time—going to study or playing. After, little bit grown up, whole life spent just working. Day time outside working, night time coming back and sleeping. When the person has a mental or physical disability, it’s like this. Then afterwards they retired—then like that. That’s just how life is. Really there is nothing that makes the life happy, to really feel confident, mind to hang on to…

…since mind is completely ignorant of karma, no idea of reincarnation, cause of happiness for others and oneself.

We have one teacher called Geshe Rabten who is the abbot of the Tibetan monastery in Switzerland. When he used to be in Dharamsala, usually monks think laypeople are not practicing Dharma. Even laypeople recite mantra and as much as possible, even though they are living in a worldly life, even though they have family, they do a lot of, they try as much as possible to make preparation for happiness of future lives, like making offerings, reciting prayers and mantras, making prostrations. Then going around stupas, many things like this. They try as much as they can. Many laypeople also practice Vajrayana, take bodhisattva ordination, Vajrayana ordinations. Even though they are laypeople they try as much as possible.

Our teacher, when he walks in the street where there are Tibetan shops and lay people walking, usually I hear things like, “That one really practices Dharma.” They don’t practice Dharma as a monk does. After Geshe Rabten’s first trip in the West, going to Switzerland, France, Germany and other countries, came back to Dharamsala, place called McLeod Ganj, where there are lots of Tibetan restaurants, and shops selling lots of old Tibetan things for Westerners, he thought, “Oh these Tibetan people are extremely fortunate. They do a lot of things. Even if they don’t understand much Dharma, much meditation, in the action they do many things. Even they don’t have much intellectual understanding of Dharma, meditation, they do many actions creating good karma by the way. While they are making a living, they do many things—recite mantra, make offerings, make purification, making offering to the monasteries—whatever material possessions they have they try as much as possible.”

So he thought, “These Tibetan lay people are extremely fortunate. Much different from the West.” Afterwards he realized that, that the Tibetan laypeople did not completely empty their lives. They are very fortunate. Also in Sydney, we stayed in some kind of colony in the city in the house which was empty, rented from others. There were neighbors, old mother and father in another house. First, I think, they thought we were Hari Krishna—without permission they just got in the house. What they did, as I watched them, through the kitchen window you could see them, they are retired people. When the sun starts to rise they come out and sit, father talks to mother, mother talks to father, about life or something; they spend a long part of the day like this. Then when they are tired of sitting outside they go inside, and sometimes a relative comes and they look a little bit happy, talking. Their life is like that. Object of compassion. With an attitude, just a little bit understanding Dharma, you see so many possibilities what they could do. How the life could be happy, full of meaning. Anyway, one can do. Also to benefit others, like this. That kind of life has no essence at all. Completely, no matter how many material possessions or how much the person has enjoyed, the life is empty, completely false. There is nothing, not one single point that can benefit future lives.

When I see those things, I feel I am so extremely fortunate that by the kindness of the guru a little bit I understand Dharma, very little, but in life can do so many meaningful things that make life very satisfying and happy, having confidence, even you die having confidence your mind has something to rely on. If you are falling down from a cliff or something, there is something to hold on to like a rope, to rely on—there is confidence that there is something that you can rely on, whom you can trust. Also that time not to become like this. That is what I saw by making a trip in the West.

So if one can do each year, even if one has been so busy, not having time to meditate on the graduated path, then if one can do one month meditating on the graduated path, then in one year do one month, then no matter, in this life that much you did, mind became so strong through the graduated path. In that way this life did not become empty, even if you die. He benefited something to himself by taking human body.

I think that’s all. Then the meditation is going through the difficulty of the perfect human rebirth by going through the outlines. There are three outlines. How difficult, trying to feel whether it is easy to get perfect human body or not. Whether it is easy to achieve perfect human rebirth or not. Question yourself. “If I die now, today, will I get a perfect human rebirth or not in the future life?” Then, answer is “that depends on whether I create the cause for perfect human rebirth or not.” Then you check “Have I created the cause for perfect human rebirth or not?” Then, the causes are moral conduct and charity. So what you do is moral conduct, there are different levels about moral conduct—the five precepts, eight precepts, then the full monk ordination like this.

This is without talking about bodhisattva and Vajrayana precepts; these are just general percepts which also the Hinayana followers observe, the general precepts. Firstly we check outside, who keeps 250 precepts, monk precepts, there are so few. Then the people who keep five or six precepts. This is also very rare, then the number of people who observe eight precepts, the lay percepts. Then comparing the people who keep eight percepts is very few, very rare. Then comparing the number of people who keep five precepts. Again check up, from the five you can take one, two, three, you know like this, as you wish of the five basic precepts. Then people who keep five as compared to those who keep one. Maybe let’s say, keeping five precepts, five precepts is more rare than person keeping one precept. Even if person takes one precept, not taking another’s life, even this is very rare compared to the number to the number of people who don’t live in any of the vows. So like this we check outside the cause of perfect human rebirth in the world.

Then secondly check up on yourself just maybe with five precepts. Those who keep five precepts check with those other higher precepts. But mostly you can check with either five or eight precepts. You say I am keeping this. Is this precept difficult or not or easy ? How easy? Like this you check up. Try to find if it is easy or difficult. Like this. Even one precept is it easy or not. Then the actual answer comes.

After checking moral conduct then also check charity, to make perfect charity is also difficult. Even if you make charity just by the physical action of giving what you believe is charity but many times it doesn’t become virtuous action. And like that you check up how it depends on understanding. How it is not easy to make charity. If I give a piece of bread to the beggars, will that be charity? I am giving it but I put poison in the bread, does that become charity? I give some material, but to cause him problem, with that kind of harmful thought I am giving material. Physically giving. If charity is I give him gun and I know he is going to shoot himself, those things can never become charity. So you see charity is not just physical giving. It depends on the mind. Charity is renouncing the miserliness. However the thought, mind—action of giving to become charity mind motivation has to become virtue. So it can be harmful. It should not be worldly thought, today if I give a cup of tea to him tomorrow I can ask him maybe I can go to his place to have a sandwich. I’m joking. Anyway that kind of thing does not become charity, with worldly, non-virtuous thought with attachment. So if you like to check up. Then second time, the cause. Then if there is still time check up with the example of the blind, of the blind turtle which comes up. If you read that parable in the meditation course book it is clear, I think.

[Dedication]

Lecture 19

We are listening to the teachings in order to receive enlightenment for the benefit of all the sentient beings. It doesn’t matter in practicing the gradual path to enlightenment it can be done again in next life. It doesn’t matter. Why do we need to rush, to practice in this life? To that mind question is that ... will the perfect human rebirth be received again and again in future lives? No it cannot be received. Not like this. If it is one potato you plant in the ground, again more potatoes grow from that, then you plant again and from that more potatoes. Like the rice, you plant in the ground the rice, result comes. But the rebirth of the living being is not like that. human beings die and are born as human being, not like this. This Chinese in Tibet said to the Tibetan people ... why should you practice Dharma as you are human being now, then you die and then you are born as human being. Always like this. Dogs die now and then after that they are then born as dog so always like this, there is no change in rebirth. The dogs receive higher rebirth and the human beings can take a lower rebirth, you know. Doesn’t change like this. Living beings whatever rebirth they have, never change from that, they keep on taking that rebirth. Some people, by planting corns, corn grows up, so like that. It is not like this. The living beings rebirth is different from the external plant. Just the ... they taught this to the people, ignorant of the karma, so that people don’t practice Dharma. If they believe that always human beings, always dogs like this, then ... however, by telling people like this they want the people to be ignorant of karma. To not practice Dharma. For that reason it was told to the people.

To some people this is kind of a wrong conception. Anyway, even if the person himself has nothing clear in his mind. Not having any idea of karma. Talking like this for other person to not practice Dharma. To discourage him from practicing Dharma for the preparation of the happiness of future lives. Like this. Will the perfect human rebirth be received again, again? It cannot be received again, again. Why? Because the cause is difficult to create for the perfect human rebirth. Why it is difficult, that as I explained before, taking meditation, the cause, three ways—how it is difficult to receive the perfect human rebirth and create the cause. And even when we try to observe the moral conduct. Everyone takes a vow and then one cannot continue in the life ... sometimes, cannot observe it. Difficulties. Like this. Usually the way of making checking meditation in the cause, if you check outside. Then second time check on oneself. It is very effective to realize how the cause is difficult to create. Then also if one has taken the different levels of ordination a long time ago, then you can see how I have not been pure in, how many I have been keeping purely. How many precepts I have been breaking. Check like this. It is very effective for the mind to examine like this. This is very clear to one’s mind.

Then the difficulty of receiving the perfect human rebirth by examples. Each hundred years the blind turtle coming up. The turtle being blind in the Dharma, not having the wisdom of Dharma. That is for example, sentient beings who ... who don’t have the wisdom of Dharma. That wisdom is understanding karma, what is the cause of happiness, what is the cause of suffering. This wisdom eye. The turtle being blind is the sentient being not having this eye. So completely blind, not knowing cause of happiness and suffering, the Dharma wisdom. Then after 1000 years the blind turtle comes up on the surface of the water.

The Abbot is leaving, so maybe you all want to say goodbye to the Abbot outside. I’m sorry for the trouble. He wanted to leave today for India, he is waiting to see Lama Yeshe. He has some project to develop the college. There are three famous colleges Sera in Tibet. These three monasteries are the largest in Tibet. These are the main places where the monks come to study, where there are the largest number of monks. All the different aspects of Dharma and philosophical teachings, they study with details.

The rest of the monks who are in India, who fled from Tibet, they want to continue their studies so—in this Sera College there are two divisions. One is lower college, the other is upper college. So this college is upper college. By the help of the U.N., the Indian Government gave land to the monks who wanted to study, to build monastery where they can resettle. They have built one monastery but so many monks, so they don’t fit inside, so there are two colleges so when one college does prayer, puja, the other college doesn’t get a chance to make puja. They have to wait until other college finishes. So the place is small like this so they want to build a place to debate, for the monks.

Debate is one deep way of studying Dharma. This form of study is not new in Tibet, this came from India from those learned, fully distinguished pandits, those who have written the root texts on Buddhadharma, as explained by Guru Shakyamuni Buddha. So this form of study came from Indian pandits. So this form of studying Buddhadharma has been continued, on the other hand this form of study, it is meditation. It is taking meditation like we do, question, answer, checking meditation, going deeper and deeper in meditation. But you don’t sit with crossed legs and hands like this mind is concentrated in subject but the body is active. Like the children they are debating at night time, their form of studying the philosophical teachings. It is checking meditation but like the discussion time but you make checking meditation with another person. You learn from person or help, by giving answer giving question. Like that. Trying to destroy, the whole purpose of this analytical meditation or debate that is by going deeper and deeper, it makes to arise all the wrong conceptions and then it destroy wrong conceptions, other person recognizing his own wrong conception ... Then the other person seeks the right meaning of that, because everything he found the wrong understanding then he seeks the right understanding. He tries to check up on the mind., either the right understanding grows from this wisdom, from the teacher, or with Dharma friends.

That is how it develops. Then that is how they get unshakeable understanding and right meaning of Dharma. Debate cannot destroy, his right understanding is firm and no-one can change it. Then after the monks studying like this five different philosophical teachings, much details, afterwards they recognize everything and the right answers. And also they supposed to actualize with the right intellectual understanding, then try to realize. The main thing is to realize the path. All this is method, to receive the realization. So, therefore, they take the form of this study, analytical meditation like our discussion, debate, like this. So they want to build a courtyard. Usually when they debate it is outside on the ground. Many small pieces they can sit in to keep warm, they make pujas and prayer inside and the debate is active and done outside. So it needs much space to study these things. So the Abbot came to discuss how to build these things, so he is waiting for Lama Yeshe, so Lama didn’t come today, the airplane, something wrong or something happened, I am sure, so someone suggested he would help. One of the Sangha gave message, he can go by airplane instead of bus or train. He is teacher in the University in Sarnath, the Tibetan university where also people study. At the same time he works as Abbot for Sera College at Mysore. So he has decided to go by airplane when I asked him.

So the blind turtle when he comes up on the surface of the ocean, he doesn’t come up at the same place. That is one thing. Then one thing is the golden ring which is on the top of the ocean. Usually golden ring wouldn’t stay, it would sink, but why it is mentioned is golden ring is to signify…

…gold, jewel, precious thing, the Buddhadharma, the pure golden ring is example to the pure teaching. So the blind turtle as it comes up each 1000 years, then putting his head in the golden ring is meeting the teaching. The sentient being who has been born, dying, born in the lower realms, narak, preta, dying, born, then only sometimes after many eons, as the blind turtle very rarely comes up, the lower sentient beings, the lower transmigrators are born in upper realm and meet the teaching. They meet the pure teaching.

So the blind turtle who is putting his head in the golden ring, that is meeting the teachings, but actually what it means is having refuge in the mind. So at that time the person actually meets the teachings, so the blind turtle for a short time puts up like this and then goes down so that most times is spent in the end of the ocean. So relating this example to ourselves then we in previous lifetimes we died in the realm of the lower transmigrator, died, born, like this, preta or animal in those different realms then after many eons, the blind turtle comes up on the surface of the water at that time, like that ... you are born in upper realms as human beings for a short time. Even if the blind turtle comes up each hundred years, it comes up then goes down, but even when he comes up he sometimes does not stay in one place so like that even after many eons in the realm of lower transmigrators, sometimes, very rarely we are born in the realms of upper transmigrators. Even so like this you don’t meet the teachings. Like you see in Tibet before. The Dharma was like that in Tibet. Now if you live in Tibet the teachings are not there, the teachings have gone to other places, so like the golden ring. The teachings are not always in one place. It spreads, it is different, in other countries. Sometimes you can’t hear the teachings at all, in this whole universe, continent, there is no Buddhadharma, but in another universe in the human continent there is Buddhadharma.

So at that time even if you are born as an upper transmigrator you don’t meet the teachings. So this time our being born as happy transmigrator and having met the teachings its like ... like this, the turtle surfacing, but the golden ring is anywhere. So as he comes up, by opportunity he puts his head in the golden ring, just by opportunity he puts his head in the golden ring, just by opportunity. This shows how difficult it is and the blind turtle comes up at any place, you know. So this shows how difficult it is ... almost impossible to meet these teachings.

Our receiving the perfect human rebirth and having met the pure teachings this time, is more difficult to happen than the example. It is like almost impossible to happen in this life. If you throw grains on a glass, they cannot stay on the grass, then more difficult than that is receiving the perfect human rebirth, to meet the pure teachings. Then, by numbers how rare it is. The rebirth of naraks, number of sentient beings in the naraks is like the earth. Then, similarly the number of pretas is like, you can’t count the number of the snowflakes on the snow mountains... it is incredible number. Animals, just like the number of sand grains. It is incredible, the number of sentient beings rebirth in the realm of the lower transmigrators.

Then the number of the happy transmigrators, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha explained in the sutra teachings, it is just like the when you take the dust from the ground with your nail, as much as the dust that gets stuck under your nail is the number of the happy transmigrators. The number of the lower transmigrators is like the earth, the number of sentient beings taking upper rebirth is like that little bit of dust under the nail. This is explained in the teachings.

The sentient beings who receive perfect human rebirths are the rarest among the rebirths of the upper realms. Just even what we see, talking about our own experience, what we see on the sea or in the rivers, when we see how many creatures are there, you know, tiny creatures are there that we don’t even see, in incredible numbers and then there is also the ocean. Even just the fish in the ocean the number is unbelievable. Then look at the shell animals, the way they sit by the ocean. Besides the uncountable numbers of shell animals in the ocean, there are so many even on the rocks nearby the ocean. The whole stone is full of the tiny shell fish. At first, I didn’t realize what it is, kind of white spot on the rock, then after I discovered all these are shell finish, tiny ones, and also big ones, claws, tiny ones, and also big ones. In the ocean at night it becomes closer and in the mornings it goes out, becomes less near the land. All the shells are left there by the ocean, on the ground, then they are eaten by the birds, they eat the body then only the shell is left, only the shells; I think there are many tiny animals that are eaten like that. Then many tiny ants come to eat what is left in the shells. The number of shells piled up by the sea is unbelievable.

Even the countryside, even the ocean there are many tiny, tiny creatures, tiny ones and big ones, so many different things like butterflies flying in space so many creatures, flies, even the flies, so many different types of flies, if you look in the summer time especially in the morning time, so many tiny, so many creatures flying in space, incredible, especially in hot places. On the ground and in the water.

So you see, the creatures contained in one handful of dust, the tiny ones and the number of people is so little, even one small land, even such this hill, on top, number of creatures which are here running in the bushes, just the top of the hill, I am talking about, not the whole hill, the number of the creatures there and the number of the human beings can never compare. The number of people is lost, you know, comparing to the number of creatures who are on this mountain. So like this, so if you think of one, the whole of this valley, how many creatures there. The number of people in the whole country compared to the number of the creatures who are in this valley. So like this. By figuring it out like this—the number of the human beings is nothing compared to the number of creatures in the earth, on the water and in space.

Besides that, you see, we get worms in our stomach, you see, like this. And also in the food, things like that. So they are so easy to be born. In the stomach, as it becomes condition for worms, the worms get born there, like this. And if a dog dies, then soon in his body there are thousands and thousands of worms. So easy to get born, not just one but so many numbers. Like this.

Why they are so easy to get born, that shows how many sentient beings there are in the intermediate states. After those sentient beings die, how many sentient beings are there waiting for the conditions, seeking the place for birth. How many sentient beings are there waiting in the intermediate stage to be born as animal. How easily the creatures are born. How many there are in the intermediate state who are just about to be born as animals. Oh then, the question again making it a bit clear why animals are so easy, the number of animals that we see, the preta and narak, like this.

Why is the number of human beings so little comparatively, why is it? The answer to that question is this. We can understand from our daily life, if we meditate on the way of living our life. There is the answer to that question. You see, in our daily life, more cause of happiness or more cause of suffering, what is created? In our daily life from morning till night, you examine. You examine. Then one will find by examining each action from morning until night we will find more cause of suffering is created than the cause for happiness. Usually for ordinary people, no virtuous action is created, only non-virtuous action. Even if virtuous action is created, it is the same number as non-virtuous action. Even the person who thinks I practice Dharma, a person like me, if I examine daily life, non-virtuous action and virtuous, what is created more. The virtuous action is so little and so difficult to create, non-virtuous action is incredibly easy to create, like this. To create virtuous action is like the stone to fall up, to come up the mountain like this. Extremely difficult. So, you know, very difficult, for the stone to come up, and to create even one virtuous action. So much laziness in your mind, or it doesn’t matter, you know, or thinking that’s not important, so difficult to create the virtuous action for good karma. Like the stone to come up to the mountain. So easy to create non-virtuous actions like the stone which falls down naturally from the mountain. Like that delusions are so easy to arise and it is so easy to create negative karma. Just like the water stream falling down or the stone falling from the hill, so easy.

So that’s why this is our daily life experience. My experience, you know. So you see this is the answer why. So, the number of human beings is so little, and the number of creatures unbelievable.

Then Shantideva explained in these teachings like this. When one is fortunate to create virtue, if the virtue is not created by oneself ... when one experiences the suffering of the lower transmigrator and is extremely ignorant, at that time what can I do? So this time we have received the perfect human rebirth and met the teachings, have the chance to create virtue, the cause of happiness of future lives, nirvana, enlightenment, if the virtue is not created by oneself, when one is born again, when one is born in the lower realms and experiences the suffering of the lower transmigrator, extremely ignorant, and the mind has no capability to understand Dharma, at that time what can I do, at that time how can I help myself? There is no choice, no method, no method.

So Shantideva is explaining, while we have the chance we should not waste the perfect human rebirth. We should be careful with it and aware. In regards to spending the life, the time, we should be careful with it. I think I stop here.

The meditation will be on this and the checking meditation on all the other people, the society problems, the family problem, how those problems, from where they came, the cause of these problems being the thought of the eight worldly dharmas. The attachment seeking only the happiness of this life, whether all these problems are caused by it or not. Then as you remember each problem you do checking meditation by yourself, problems of other people, try to check up how it’s caused by evil thought of the eight worldly dharmas, attachment. Try to find out, try to see clearly, how it happens. The way to find out is the…

...all problems are created by the mind, the idea comes from mind, so like this by going back to the source, the mind, then check up. Then after that, then on one’s own ... how these problems are caused by the thought of the eight worldly dharmas. Like this. Then as you can remember this year what problems you’ve had, what hassles you had in the family or with friends this year. Where did this come from. Whether it is caused by attachment seeking happiness of this life, whether it is caused by this mind, what type of mind it came from. Then remember before, the problems before that, whether they were caused by attachment like this, from birth time, by going back like this, as you can remember the problems. Then try to see whether it is caused by attachment or not. First maybe remember what I explained about the numbers the example; Shantideva’s quotation according to time, like this.

[Dedication]

Lecture 20

Cultivate the pure motivation of bodhicitta in order for the present action of listening to Dharma fulfill the ultimate aim of receiving enlightenment for the benefit of other sentient beings. To obtain this aim it is necessary for our present action to be the cause of enlightenment. Therefore, without the motivation of bodhicitta it cannot become a cause of enlightenment. So think, I must achieve enlightenment right away in order to enlighten all the kind mother sentient beings, therefore I am going to listen to the teachings on the gradual path to enlightenment.

The listening subject is the Mahayana teaching which leads the fortunate ones to enlightenment. It is well expounded by the great Mahayana philosophers Nagarjuna and Asanga, it is the profound teaching of Atisha and the Dharma king of the three worlds, the highly realized Lama Tsongkhapa, in his infinite knowledge the understanding of the teachings was shown. This contains all the essence of the 84,000 teachings shown by Guru Shakyamuni Buddha. All these teachings are set out for the gradual practice of one person receiving enlightenment. This is the sole path through which all past, present, and future Buddhas have received enlightenment.

In order to offer just a very brief comment on this gradual path to enlightenment. This part has four outlines, the last one is how to lead the disciple of the actual teaching on the path to enlightenment. This has two outlines i) how to do the guru practice which is the root of the path and ii) how to train the mind in this path by following the guru.

In order to receive enlightenment depends on completing the three fundamental realizations on the principal path to enlightenment: the mind renouncing samsara, realization of shunyata and bodhicitta. All that depends on having actualized these basic meditations. Perfect human rebirth is difficult to receive, and the impermanence of life and death. Then the following meditations: understandings of suffering of lower realms and karma, like this. The last part of the subject, how difficult it is to receive the perfect human rebirth.

As the highly realized Lama Tsongkhapa explained in the teachings, when one receives the realization of the perfect human rebirth then at that time Lama Tsongkhapa explained the teaching like this, when one realizes the perfect human rebirth it is highly meaningful when one avoids passing time doing meaningless actions, just the work of the happiness of this life. That is what is called meaningless actions, which is not the cause of happiness, that is called essenceless actions, meaningless action; the same. When one has realized this meditation even a minute, a second, person dares not pass time doing meaningless actions. Why? Because he feels the time, how precious even a second of his life is, he strongly feels it. Because of that realization makes him to not pass, spend even a short time doing meaningless action.

If one has realized, also Lama Tsongkhapa says, “The difficulty of receiving the perfect human rebirth is that one cannot sit down doing nothing, one can’t stand doing the meaningless actions in a second or a minute.” Each minute, second wasted, the time passes doing meaningless actions, and he feels incredibly upset like after hearing the Dharma, the teaching on the gradual path to enlightenment, how the teaching is highly meaningful. After 20 or 30 years we hear this teaching is highly meaningful, which one didn’t know before. The whole life is wasted, so when we hear the teaching we feel how much I have wasted my precious life, we recognize it. All those years since I was born I have wasted, we feel like that. Even the person who strongly feels this great waste, person who has realized the meditation on the difficulty feels even if he wasted a minute or second he feels it, incredible great waste.

The difficulty of receiving perfect human rebirth is explained in the teachings. Not receiving perfect human rebirth even just human rebirth. It is possible that one gets born as lower transmigrator as a preta, in complete darkness, can’t even hear the voice of the happy transmigrators. It is possible that the animals, the sentient beings who are born as lower transmigrator, it is possible they don’t see human beings. The cows and horses they hear the human’s voice. Even by being born as the lower transmigrator they are in complete darkness they cannot hear even the voice of the happy transmigrator. Cannot hear. This time we have a perfect human rebirth, have met the Buddha, the enlightened being, it is extremely important to make way, to be very careful with it as much as possible.

Like when the person is out of money. Then by opportunity he receives money from someone. Then the one time he has received he should be very careful with it and not waste it, otherwise you may get into trouble. And the one time you receive it you should use it to make more money, that is the best. Like this. This is nothing compared to the value of the perfect human rebirth. The perfect human rebirth is very difficult to receive again. With the perfect human rebirth you can obtain the three great meanings. So therefore, it is greater than receiving universe of jewels. The perfect human rebirth is difficult to receive. It cannot be received again and again, so therefore, with this reason it has greater worth previously because you can obtain the three great meanings. It cannot be received again and again. The emphasis is this, the perfect human rebirth cannot be received again, again. Even so, wasting this is greater loss than wasting universe full of jewels. This one time. That we have received, cannot be received again and again. Therefore, it is greater loss than before. Emphasizing that.

So, the highly meaningful precious human rebirth, it is difficult to receive again and again—so what makes one waste the perfect human rebirth? The self-cherishing thought is not that much worth, because with self-cherishing thought, even though you cannot receive enlightenment but you can receive nirvana and be free from samsara. You can be free from samsara and receive. With the wrong conception of the self-existent “I,” you cannot receive nirvana or become free from samsara but you can still create virtue. It is the evil thought of the eight worldly Dharma which stops the cause of happiness, the virtue. You see, even if you have not realized shunyata, even if there is clinging to the self-existent “I,” this wrong conception you can create good karma to receive happy rebirth in the future life, you see, and perfect enjoyments—but not with the attachment seeking the happiness of this life. So this evil thought is the work which obliges us to waste our precious human rebirth. This evil thought of the worldly dharmas disturbs us to obtain ultimate and even temporal happiness. How does this disturb to receive ultimate happiness, to receive enlightenment and to be free from samsara, also to receive nirvana? But to receive nirvana, the goal of the path to nirvana is again the mind renouncing samsara, also for that ultimate happiness.

You see, in order to receive the mind renouncing samsara that person should renounce the whole samsara; that means to renounce all attachment to all of samsara and all samsaric realms and enjoyments of all samsaric perfections. That means what? That depends on person’s mind, the foundation of renouncing the attachment seeking the happiness of this life. That is the way first to renounce. Sometimes I put it in different words. So don’t need to write down everything, you know. If you understand the essence, you know. For the person who is attached there is no way to receive mind renouncing samsara. What to renounce is the attachment seeking the happiness of this life.

So you see, see now from where the person’s suffering comes. So you see, now, how to receive the ultimate happiness. If the mind is not renounced to attachment it is impossible to receive the mind renouncing the whole of samsara. No way to receive it. Attachment, seeking happiness of this life means that mind has not received renunciation of samsara. If there is attachment in the mind of a person, that means the mind renouncing samsara has not been received.

So the conclusion, while there is attachment to the happiness of this life, the realization, the mind renouncing samsara cannot be received. So that is how it disturbs to receive the mind renouncing samsara, the suffering realms. So that is how evil thought of the eight worldly Dharma, attachment to the happiness of this life, disturbs us to receive the ultimate happiness, enlightenment, even nirvana, the lower nirvana. enlightenment is great nirvana. The other one, the Hinayana arhat, the cessation of suffering is called the lower nirvana. It disturbs even to receive lower nirvana.

So how it disturbs is by checking the root of the path, mind renouncing samsara, then you can understand. Besides that the evil thought of the eight worldly dharmas even disturbs temporal happiness, and happiness of future lives, to receive happy rebirth, the happy transmigrator. The person wants to receive happiness in the future lives, the person knows that depends on creating good karma. Then he tries to create charity and many other virtuous actions but…when he goes to some place where there are many beggars, to make charity ... even though he has understanding that if he does this he will receive happiness in future lives, but when he goes to create the cause, that time the evil thought of the eight worldly dharmas disturbs the action to become virtuous. How it disturbs, how it comes up in the mind of that person, when he starts that action ... attachment comes into the mind for the happiness, like this. People will think I am doing good by doing this. People will think I am compassionate, like this. So when the person goes to do the action the mind is motivated by the evil thought of the eight worldly dharmas. So this does not allow the person’s action to be virtuous. Even if person recites mantra, says prayer, it becomes cause of happiness in future lives, but when he is about to do the action, again there is expectation and the evil thought of the eight worldly Dharma comes instead: oh if say this prayer among these people they will think I know much Tibetan Dharma.

Different things like that. However, there is an expectation, you know, for the happiness of this life. So again this evil thought of the worldly dharmas disturbs this person’s action to not become virtue. So like this is how the evil thought of eight worldly dharmas disturbs even the temporal happiness of future lives. This is just an example.

For instance, when we meditate, another example, our concentration. When we do the meditation on Guru Shakyamuni Buddha our concentration does not last for even a minute, we cannot keep our concentration. It does not last. As we start to concentrate, after two or three seconds instead of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, some other object, some other picture come in the mind. Even during checking, analytical meditation. First a person started, then afterwards like cloud in space it disappeared. We don’t know what’s happened. First you start checking meditation, afterwards disappears. The meditation is clouded by delusions. Either thinking of object whom one dislikes, or picture of object of attachment comes. Then mostly what comes to the mind is the object in which we have attachment. Material things, or person. So you make story in the mind, long story in the mind. I do this and do that, you spend hours and hours, completely, you go on a trip. Just like watching a movie. So mostly object of attachment. So that is how ... and also the mind is like the place where there is a very strong wind, moving so much. One thing, why the concentration does not last and is so easy to be disturbed, mind is full of expectations, like strong wind moving. So, that is you see, that is because of attachment. So that is how the evil thought of eight worldly dharmas, seeking the happiness of this life, that is how it disturbs, the Dharma practice. So when we meditate the session is one hour, but maybe we spend five minutes in meditation, actually in the meditation on the gradual path to enlightenment.

So what disturbs, what obliges us not to continue the meditation is by the evil thought of eight worldly dharmas. By checking, while one is meditating, this one can realize, what makes me to think like that? One can discover. Then also it disturbs, besides disturbing the happiness of future lives, you have to understand, you have to check up the cause. It disturbs meditating, practicing Dharma, you have to check up the cause. It disturbs the cause. The evil thought of the eight worldly dharmas disturbs even the happiness, the peace of this life.

Like this the whole countries’ problem, the social problems, the family problem, the school, teacher problem, all these things, the couple’s problem, jealousy, pride, killing each other, like this, all these things, not having peace, all is caused by this evil thought of the eight worldly dharmas. Caused by this. And also all the problems with material problems. When it is finished, worry, when it is lost, worry, when it is stolen, anger, worry, all these things with human beings, material possessions. All these things are caused by the evil thought of the worldly dharmas. Like this. How the material ... like this.

The eight worldly dharmas are the dislike of unhappiness, attached to happiness. Liking interesting sounds, dislike arising aversion to uninteresting sounds. If there is reputation, admiration then liking; when there is criticism, there is aversion, dislike. When there is material receiving, there is liking, attachment. When there is no material receiving then aversion, dislike. So this you see, as there is that much attachment in happiness, then there is that much aversion to unhappiness. When unhappiness comes, automatically the suffering mind, dislike arises when unhappiness comes. As there is that much attachment in the interesting sound then there is that much aversion, dislike, suffering mind arises with the disinteresting sound. As there is that much attachment in the admiration received from other people, as there is that much attachment there is that much dislike to the criticism. As there is that much attachment is receiving material, then there is that much dislike in not receiving material. It is connected. Why I say that all these problems, anger, confusion, how all these life problems, how all this is caused by the eight worldly dharmas, they are related to each other like this.

So like this, example ... If you have bought decoration from some other country, some broken old thing, some kind of mask, for decoration, then you see—if one is that much attached to the mask, to that object, if one is strongly attached to have it, if that is lost, when someone takes it away, then when someone takes it away as you have that much strong attachment, then you have that much worry. That much greater worry. That much you feel upset. Also that much anger arises towards the person who steals it. It is this much, before it is that much then if it is this much to the material object, then once it is dropped, when it is broken, when it is stolen by someone also the worry, upset is that much.

If you don’t have any attachment to that, even thought it is broken then though it is lost you don’t care, it doesn’t make any difference whether it is there or it is not there. It doesn’t change your mind ... your mind is same as before. Before, when you have it kind of, I have this attachment. When you see the object, that object arises attachment and you feel happy to have it, you just call the feeling of attachment. So before the person’s mind is up, oh I have this, the person’s mind is happy. When it is lost because there is strong attachment to it, that much stronger, when it is lost then the person’s mind is down, person’s life is down. Before person’s life is up, now person’s life is down. Like this.

For instance, in the object that we don’t care, in which we don’t have much clinging, like the garbage, you know. The empty cans where you keep ice-cream. If somebody comes to steal it, you know, you like it because you want to get rid of it. Oneself doesn’t have that much clinging attachment to that garbage, you don’t care whether it is there or stolen by someone so this just example. In the objects which we don’t have clinging attachment if someone comes and takes it or breaks it then the mind does not change. It is relaxed. I think I stop here.

So this is just example with materials. Same thing you have to meditate in people, same thing it works like this with all objects, how the problem arises. How the life’s problems are caused by the evil thought of the worldly Dharma. So from this example you can figure out others. You can see what makes that daily life up and down.

I explained this morning because it is difficult to receive perfect human rebirth, it is useful and it is more precious than a universe full of jewels. Then second, you cannot receive again, it is difficult, so therefore wasting this is a great waste. “What obliges me to waste the perfect human rebirth?” you check up like this and then it comes, self-cherishing thought, the wrong conception of the self-existent “I,” evil thought of eight worldly dharmas. But with self-cherishing thought I cannot receive enlightenment but I can receive the lower nirvana. With that, with the wrong conception of self-existent “I,” still I can create virtuous action, virtue, the cause of happiness of future lives. This is not as bad as the evil thought of the eight worldly Dharma, attachment seeking the happiness of this life. This is my worst enemy because it doesn’t let me create virtue. Then how this disturbs to receive ultimate happiness and even the temporal happiness. Check the root. Enlightenment, bodhicitta, mind renouncing samsara, nirvana, the path, mind renouncing samsara. How it disturbs the mind renouncing samsara. Then how it disturbs even the temporal happiness, future lives. This is the meditation, you check. How it disturbs meditation and virtuous actions. How it disturbs.

Then after that, you think like the last meditation, all these problems. Then you go through these eight. Then, strong attachment, so much worry, dislike. Material objects of attachment—then think whether it is true or not. If someone stole my purse would it affect my mind or not. Then with people—if something happens, the person is stolen by another person. Check up like this.

[Dedication]

Lecture 21

So as we were talking this morning, what makes our usual life up and down all the time, never keeping the mind in peace. What does not let us have peace in the life, and what does not let us always to have happy life. What obliges us to have life up and down. The main cause is the evil thought of the worldly dharmas. There are four objects of attachment, the four that one likes and the four that one dislikes. Four objects about which we worry caused by having attachment in those four objects. So we can see clearly how the worries of our life, the upset, is caused by attachment. That we can clearly see by checking our own experiences. By checking the present and past experience of our life, one can recognize the source of one’s life problem.

Like this ... as there is attachment, clinging in the happiness, so when there is unhappiness, when something happened, when the unhappiness arises, then the suffering mind, dislike arises. When there is happiness, attachment rises as the person likes it. So life becomes up and down like this. Then again, again, when this interesting sound attachment rises, when disinteresting sound dislike rises, so that is how the life becomes up and down.

So again when there is admiration, attachment arises in the object. Then because of attachment, admiration, when there is criticism the person feels down, upset. When there is attachment to material receiving, so when there is no material receiving the person feels upset, he gets worried. So like this the person’s life becomes up and down as the mind changes.

Like this example, in the families how the confusion arises, how the problem arises. Because there is attachment seeking the happiness of this life. So when parents or the family person disturb one’s own happiness, one’s own happiness in this life, so when it disturbs, for instance like Christmas time, parents give present to all the children. Other people get presents, and if oneself doesn’t receive present, other people receive Christmas cake, and oneself didn’t get the Christmas cake. Then you see as there is attachment in the happiness of this life, in receiving the material gift, so it disturbs, that is what attachment wants, and that has not happened, that condition, so it disturbs, bothers the attachment, so by that anger arises to the parents. Why did you give cake to everybody but not to me? What wrong did I do?

Anyway I am just giving an example. So anger arises and you fight with parents then you scold the parents, then parents get angry. Then you get more angry then you break things, cups. If you sit at the table and there is a plate then you break the plate. Then too much shouting in the house. Then the quiet things, the parents go into their room, the son goes into his room, and what they would do is close the door with much more noise. And then they lie down the whole day on the bed, that is the most quiet thing. Still better, they carry on discussion. Son says to the parents, you never think of me. Complains to mother, you do better things for my elder brother, my younger brother. Then all these previous stories come up, oh because you did that, previous time. Then the son tries to prove as much as possible how he is right and how the mother is wrong and the mother tells the son how he is wrong, I am right. All the previous stories again. The son says, that time you helped such and such like this, you didn’t help me, you didn’t call me, you didn’t give me this, so many things. Same thing from the mother. I asked you to do this, but you didn’t do that. Then one thinks he is true, the other thinks she is true and discussion never finishes. However, still not beating, killing each other is better, then afterwards when it gets worse, going back to their bed, each person. Just by breaking material things, but not beating each other, not killing each other. There is still a little bit of good.

It is very clear how those life hassles with the family, with the parents, with children, sons, daughters and parents having hassles, always fighting, competing like this, it is easy. I am just giving example. There are many different stories so you can check one’s own experience. Try to remember each of these problems and see how it is based on the evil thought of the eight worldly dharmas. So the problem of the cake, fighting with the parents is very clear. In the first place if he didn’t have strong attachment in the happiness of this life ... receiving the cake, if he didn’t have that much clinging he wouldn’t care if the parents give or do not give, he doesn’t care. Like this, it is very clear how it is caused from attachment. So like this you can find out by relating to other examples that we have experienced, other problems of life, you can trace back and check up the root.

Similarly the couples. There are so many problems. Let’s say the wife stays at the house and the husband goes to work. Then, the wife taking care of house and children, if children then of course someone has to take care, so much work. Then ... if the husband is late from work, then the wife complains, where you have been, why are you so late? Your food is burned in the oven. It is your fault, not coming at the right time. Then maybe he drinks a lot of wine, he spent a lot money somewhere, why you waste, where’s the money? What happened? What did you do with it. He drank or maybe he parked the car in the wrong place and he had to pay a lot of money to the police, who keep on writing. Then there are so many hassles, for several hours discussing about money. Then wife tells husband you are not doing right, not helping the family, you don’t bring money, you’re lazy, you’re selfish. Oh then, so many things, then the husband says, look at how I am trying very hard, working so hard being exhausted and this and that. Going out, coming in, not even time to stay at the house. So many ... Then husband complains to wife and wife complains to husband so much, life hassles. Always not having peace. After the husband comes back home after working all day, then the short time they are together, evening time and morning time, that time they spend in hassle. Daytime of course they are separate, they have to work otherwise it would be the same thing. Also night time, much hassle.

Those problems the husband experiences with the wife, or the wife is experiencing with the husband. All this is caused by the evil thought of the eight worldly dharmas, seeking only the happiness of this life. Especially if the husband, if the wife hears husband is with another girlfriend, going to the restaurant or to parties, then incredible confusion in the mind. Then can’t stand to be in the house. Incredible anger like burning in the heart. No happiness. Just like fire burning inside. So much incredible pain and suffering. When the husband comes back the whole night the wife fights the husband. Also being jealous of other girlfriends, other wife, another problem. Anger for the husband, jealousy for the wife. So many problems in the mind. If the husband turns away with another woman, then woman doesn’t get to sleep for days and days, for nights. Never gets to sleep. Even if her body is lying down in the blanket in the warm sleeping bags. That doesn’t help to fall asleep. You don’t even feel it because of worry. Don’t even feel whether cold or hot. Also when you eat food, even if you drink tea there is no taste, just like drinking water. Like this. So much incredible depression. Many times also, such as these problems. When husband has experience of losing the wife, or the wife experiences the problem where husband has left, adultery or something like that.

Besides that incredible worry that, just living at the house many times there is no solution, when the mind is incredibly upset, so worried, so much dislikes what has happened, then many times they kill themselves. There is no solution of how to solve this daily life problem. So they commit suicide, they take a lot of drugs or many times they go to the high bridges and then they jump in the water, like in Australia. In Sydney there is big bridge. So I heard there many times, when their life is depressed and unhappy then, the solution is to come to that famous bridge and jump in the river. Like this.

So all these problems, it is so clear how they are caused by the evil thought of the worldly dharmas. All this depression. Sometimes they say when the work is not going well, they say today my spirit is down. Why? Because his work didn’t become successful. All these life depressions. All these things are caused by the evil thought of the eight worldly dharmas.

For instance, checking like this you can understand. Even if you are living together, husband and wife, but in the first place if there is no attachment, clinging in the wife ... as I told you this morning, not that strong, very little attachment, so when something, when the wife separates from the husband, when she goes with another man, also the worry in the mind of husband, also is that much smaller. He doesn’t care so much. It is not so important. A little bit of worry but not so much. And also not so much anger and jealous mind with other people, who lives with her. Especially if there is no attachment, if the husband is living with his wife, if no attachment in husband or wife, even if the husband runs away or the wife runs away or something happens, she or he dies, there is no worry.

Usually, we worry when wife or husband dies because he is separate from me. We don’t worry she created lot of negative karma, she has maybe gone in the realm of the lower transmigrator not that kind of worry, never that worry. Worry when he or she goes away, late at night-time, that kind of worry is selfish it is only concerned with your own happiness. Same thing from the side of wife and husband is only concerned with oneself. Especially, that is how attachment is seeking the happiness of one’s own life. This one. You see, when he or she separates, then you see, the object of attachment is loosened, therefore the person feels unhappiness, suffering. Attachment, suffering. That is why there is worry when something happens with him or with her. Like this. So that’s actually.

The other worry is worthwhile. Oh she has created much negative karma, so she may be reborn in the realm of the lower transmigrator. I must pray hard, I must do something for her. I must make offerings, I must use it to benefit her. That worry only helps to help the other person. That kind of worry makes to arises compassion for her you see. That only helps each other.

So what I am saying is that when there is no attachment at all from her, on his side when something happens, when separation there is no worry mind, is the same as before. Peaceful, no upsetness. Like this. Even the husband sees the wife with another husband at a party, enjoying it so much, dancing, there is no change, it doesn’t make the mind down, depressed, doesn’t cause upsetness.

Then you are crazy, people becoming crazy. That is why if you want to know the cause of people becoming crazy, if you want to find it, that is this, from where their whole life’s problems comes is by this evil thought of the eight worldly dharmas.

You see, many people have lost their country, they have lost many of their material possessions, then they worry so much, then afterwards mind becomes crazy. Why the worry? That is by the attachment to material possessions and then the poverty. Like that. Same thing, many people become ... couples, husband or wife becomes crazy. That also is because he did not obtain the happiness of this life as he is expecting to receive it, in which he is attached. So he becomes upset and worries. Also because he worries, the inner devil, the inner evil spirit attachment, as the person worries easy to disturb also outer spirits, they also harm. So like this person becomes crazy.

The whole thing is checking the root. There is always something. At the beginning he was expecting happiness of this life by either receiving materials or to be with that person, something. So that did not happen, so the person worries and the person’s mind becomes crazy. If you trace back the root, how it happened, is there any worry or not? There is always worry. How the worry happened. What kind of worry is it? If you check you will find out. Then you can see he is expecting some kind of happiness in this life. So same thing, people feel depressed, all this is caused by the evil thought of the worldly dharmas.

So, now we understand the whole life’s problem. The family problem, one’s own problems, couples’ problem, all these things. Also you want to practice meditation but you fall asleep. Or in your room, you want to but always somehow you can’t get up. Or you start to sit up but afterwards you lie down, and meditation ends up with sleeping, then all these things.

Even person who has taken ordination, all these things what caused it, by this evil thought of worldly dharmas, one can clearly see it if one checks up, concerned only with the happiness of this life. This is what disturbs.

So the conclusion is this. As the whole suffering problem comes from the evil thought of the worldly Dharma, so renouncing evil thought of worldly dharmas is practicing Dharma. What is practicing Dharma? What it means is renouncing the evil thought of the worldly dharmas which brings all the life’s problems. Like this. This is why by practicing Dharma there is so much peace in the mind of the person. Why there is so much happiness in the life. All that is emphasized by the great yogis such a Milarepa, and many other meditators who are disciples of Atisha. Many of the meditators explain the experience of how their life is happy by practicing Dharma, how the mind is satisfied. Why there are so many benefits explained in the teachings in the life stories of those meditators. Great happiness all the time, wherever they go, wherever they are. Whatever the situation or condition always their life is in happiness. Changing condition does not change their mind, doesn’t make their mind up and down, all because they are living in the pure Dharma practice.

So you see now, just renouncing the evil thought of the worldly dharmas itself…

…for the rest of the life, all these problems which will continuously happen on and on, one after another, all are stopped. The person does not create negative karma as before so right at that moment whenever the person has renounced the worldly Dharma, the evil thought, at the same time, whenever that action is taken there is great peace, great happiness in the mind of the person.

For instance, like before the wife is worried, so much thinking to commit suicide. In such great danger of life having lost the husband. While you are being worried if you just renounce attachment, the clinging mind, by remembering the impermanence of life and death, by remembering he is going to die, he is going to separate from me at any time, not sure. When he will separate from me, but it is sure. Also it is definite that I will do, and not sure when the death will happen, it can happen at any moment. So it is definite we will separate anyway. What is the point of worrying, what is the point of being attached. Remembering like this. This meditation technique is to control attachment. As the attachment has gone away, right that minute the attachment has gone away. All of that big worry that was so important before in your view. So important for the husband to come and to be with me. Extremely important, that is the most important thing in my life. Nothing else is important, only this. But right after you remember impermanence and death, all of that big hassle, like the cloud disappears, is completely cut off. Gone away from your mind. Sometimes it makes to laugh after it has gone away. I think you understand. (Laughter) I’m not sure. Sometimes you find what I’ve been doing is childish. So much I have been worrying it is childish, it is nonsense. You will find right after using the technique, just purposely making my life unhappy. Sometimes it makes to laugh. By finding what I have been doing is childish, nonsense. That’s what makes one laugh. Like this. I think I stop here.

[Dedication]

Lecture 22

Before listening to the teaching it is necessary to cultivate the pure motivation of bodhicitta, in order to become the cause of present action of listening to the teaching, the cause of receiving enlightenment. It is not enough that action just to become Dharma. So feel in the heart, I am going to listen to the teachings on the gradual path 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 one to enlightenment. It is well expounded by the great Mahayana philosophers Nagarjuna and Asanga. It is the profound teaching of the highly realized bodhisattva Atisha and the Dharma king of the three worlds, the great Lama Tsongkhapa, through whom the understanding of the teachings was shown. It contains all the essence of the 84,000 teachings shown by Guru Shakyamuni Buddha. All these teachings are set up for the gradual purpose of one achieving enlightenment and this is the sole path through which all past, present, and future Buddhas have received enlightenment.

In order to offer just a brief commentary on the gradual path to enlightenment. There are four basic outlines. The last one is how to lead the disciple of the actual teaching. That has two outlines, i) how to do the guru practice which is the root of the path, and ii) how to train the mind in the gradual path by following the guru.

So the whole path, following the two outlines, the whole path is divided into three. The gradual path of the lower being is the foundation to the gradual path of the middle being, and the gradual path of middle being is the foundation of the gradual path of the higher being to receive enlightenment. So therefore in regards practice, to actualize within our mind, how we should start—to receive the realization of the gradual path to enlightenment, from these hundreds of meditations in Vajrayana and sutra, you cannot choose what you like, get rid of that in which you have no interest, give it up and choose which ones you like, and try to actualize that. That can never work. I like this meditation, I don’t like that meditation, I hate that meditation. In regards to practice, to actualize in the mind, you must establish the whole path in one’s mind. You see it is just like establishing a house. You can’t put the roof first without any pillars and walls, without any foundation. You put the roof first and then put the pillars upside down, then make the foundation. Can’t do like this example. So without question in regards actualizing the path, to receive enlightenment, without following the path within one’s mind not possible to have experience.

In regards explaining the teaching, if the other person has the level of that mind then it can be explained. That subject if it becomes cause of other person practicing Dharma and one sees definitely that it will benefit. However, when the person wants to actualize the path they have to start from the gradual path of the lower being, the path within one’s mind to receive enlightenment, to have experience.

In regards explaining the teaching, if the other person has the level of that mind then it can be explained, if that subject becomes the cause of another person practicing Dharma. However when a person wants to actualize the path then he has to start from the gradual path of lower being. First of all the person reads the Book of the Dead, or the Six Naropa Doctrines, yoga doctrines or things like that. As the person, his visions that he gets by taking drugs, the vision as explained in the Book of the Dead by the kindness of those drugs, then you feel something, meditative states, actual trips. Then that slowly makes to be nearer to the teachings, then when the person meets the Tibetan lamas who know the teachings on the gradual path to enlightenment, they start to understand from the beginning of the practice. Part of this meditation subject is the potential of the lower being.

Even if the person is alone there are many problems, his life is up and down, depression, feeling lonely and missing all this unhappiness and dissatisfaction. And also, the husband is not satisfied by one wife. After a few days he gets tired with that wife and again he seeks another wife. Maybe this one will be better, more happiness. He gives up others, gets tired, again dissatisfied and again changing to another one. Then again dissatisfactory, maybe this is better and so on, so on. And also same thing from the side of the wife. Maybe this husband is better, lives with him sometime and again that is terrible. You see slowly, slowly day by day goes, she sees his actual nature. Then at first all this curiosity, then gradually he goes away. Then day by day goes. So much confusion and so many problems. Dissatisfaction and all the shortcomings of the evil thought of the worldly dharmas. Attachment is what makes these confusions. You see, dissatisfaction, attachment is really the worst disease. You can see so clearly without question.

You see, the, himself has no choice. He is not free ... as he follows attachment, the evil thought of the worldly Dharma, he is controlled, he is occupied by this. That is how life becomes confused like this. And same thing with the wife. Bickering with the husband and also with other people. Like this. Especially in New York. I’m just joking. Maybe not. So quick to change every day.

All these life problems are caused by the evil thought of the worldly dharmas. So you see, now, since we know and feel a little bit, recognize that this is the source of the whole life’s problems. What makes the life unhappy. So it is natural renouncing this is the main thing to make the life happy, which really brings peace in the mind and in the life. You can see so clearly. If a thorn has gone inside, and you feel pain, you recognize because of thorn, then when you take it out the pain stops. As this is the source of the whole life’s problems. Renouncing is the essential method, that is the root from where the happiness of the life comes, real peace. So for this reason it is clear. But many people in the world try to make the life happy in so many ways that they just keep the evil thought of the eight worldly dharmas. They just keep it, no idea that this is the cause of the whole of the life’s problems. No idea. Never recognize this inside enemy, this inside devil. This one tries to serve as much as possible, try to feed it, give good clothes, when attachment gets cold. When attachment gets hot you put on thin clothes, nice clothes. Feed it with delicious food. However, this root of the suffering of all the life’s problems you take care of as much as possible. Try to follow it, whatever it says to you, listen to it, whatever orders it gives to you. It is like a king. Whatever order it gives you, you follows it. Like following the order of Buddha, you know.

In the Western countries people try to think where the life’s problems come from, where did it arise and they try to make organizations, they call different names, to make the life happy. Then psychologists, and what are these people called, I don’t know their names, different groups formed to make life happy. People at home ask what are your problems?

Student: Social workers.
Rinpoche: Whatever you are thinking. Whatever you think, I think that’s right. The family says my son is unhappy. Things like that. Many societies and organizations they try to form but very difficult to benefit practically.

For a person to make his life happy, there is no way without recognizing the cause of his problems. No way, it is impossible. Without recognizing the cause how can he make his life happy. As long as he creates the cause of problems, whatever methods, the actual method is to stop the cause of the problems. So, as long as person does not check at all the evil thought of the worldly dharmas, no matter whatever methods the person uses, it is very difficult to really receive satisfaction and make the life happy. But I would say people appreciate that, somehow they don’t know actual method, source of problem but somehow they try to help each other. As long as they don’t give harm to each other it’s okay.

So, one time it happened in Tibet ... a story ... Before mentioning that, I will emphasize this.

Usually ordinary people, when dislike arises it is only then they are unhappy, when there is distraction to happiness of this life. Receiving criticism or dislike in these things. The happiness is disturbed in this life, only at that time the person calls, I am suffering, I am unhappy. When there is no dislike, by meeting the undesirable objects, when the attachment arises by meeting the desirable object. At that time they don’t call I am suffering, I am unhappy, they call I am happy. When attachment arises is person’s definition of happiness, when they meet the object, the desirable object. So that is why the person believes this. That is why many people in the West think without attachment you cannot experience happiness. That is why they say this. They can’t see it because it is not their experience that without attachment there is greater happiness, real happiness. Comparing, comparing peace and happiness ordinary people recognize. This is not their experience because it only comes through Dharma practice so as it is not their realization, experience, even though it is the experience of other meditators, other Dharma practitioners, they cannot imagine it. They cannot figure out how you can have happiness by not having attachment. Because it’s kind of intelligent.

Because when they are happy there is attachment, they know that, kind of recognize this. However, while the person is calling happy, with these desirable objects, happiness is a mental thing, you seem it is not a physical thing, not atom. Happiness is mind, it is a formless thing. So if he carefully checks up the nature of his mind while he is with the object, mind is never happy. There is no real peace in the mind, mind is never relaxed. mind is extremely bound by attachment, uptight by attachment. Is never relaxed mind, you can see clearly. As the attachment arises he is calling happy and in fact it is suffering. As mind is never relaxed, that itself is suffering, the mind not being peaceful. So actually check the nature of mind when meeting the desirable object.

So, there are incredible benefits when the person has renounced the evil thought of the worldly dharmas. Then the root of nirvana, the Dharma happiness starts from that time. Right that second when the person …

…looks at the evil thought of the worldly dharmas as one’s own enemy. This is my enemy, the enemy which always gives him suffering. When the person renounces then Dharma happiness starts. In order to receive the ultimate everlasting happiness of nirvana, without this the everlasting happiness cannot be received. The root of the blissfulness of nirvana starts whenever the person renounces the evil thought of the worldly dharmas. As long as the person does follow it.

It is natural in the life, since we are in samsara it is natural we don’t always meet the desirable object, from birth until death. Sometimes the desirable object is desired. The desirable object itself becomes undesirable. It is natural in our life. While there is desirable object, we meet undesirable object. All the time like this. That is the nature of our life. We have to know this. There is no need to be shocked. It is not a new experience, not this. Meeting undesirable object and suffering, old experience, extremely old. The old things that have been preserved in the museums, those are nothing. You can still count certain number of centuries. The materials found after this world started, but our experience is not like this. It started only when this world started, or started when we were born. Not like this. We have had these experience and suffering numberless times in previous lives. It is the nature of our life, as we are not free from samsara. We have to go through this. So you see, when you meet desirable object the mind is in suffering. When you meet undesirable object, mind is in suffering. So like this. Checking carefully, it is like this.

So therefore after you practice Dharma, you start to face, destroy the enemy—the evil thought of the worldly dharmas. There is a big difference in the happiness. Throughout one’s own experience you can understand the different nature of happiness. The previous example, like this. Very rough water, ocean. After happiness of Dharma practice is like very calm, peaceful, clear water of the ocean. Blue, calm, can see what is inside, all the different kinds of fish. It’s like this example ... Difference is like this. I think maybe…okay.

[BREAK]

Just as in the example before. If you take the thorn out there is no more pain. Why you take the thorn out is because there is pain. So you know, automatically, if the thorn is taken out; so just like this example, as this. And other examples, from attachment all the life’s problems come. Then actually it is easy to understand that it is just a matter of introducing to our life. It is easy to understand, for most people, because it is their own experience and in that way, like when you take the thorn out, you know—when you are trying to take it out it is natural the problem ceases and there is happiness in the life. But actually the best thing is, you can understand by taking the thorn out there is happiness, it’s logical. The actual thing is to see through one’s own experience, then you would think, as it is explained in the Dharma it is really true. It is like this when you practice Dharma you recognize for yourself. But this when you practice Dharma you recognize for yourself. But slowly you will understand.

Student: Since we can renounce attachment it must be impermanent. And if it is impermanent it must be caused. Is the cause of attachment just that our mind meets these four desirable objects?
Rinpoche: Yes, it can be. It is not the principal cause meeting the desirable object. Being closer to the object is not the principal cause of the delusion. If yesterday, there was no delusion, if I was free, then today even if I meet these objects (before there was a different object) there is no problem of arising delusion with this object. If our mind, in our previous life, if the mind wasn’t with delusion, there is reason to arise any delusion, attachment by meeting the object. That is why the principal cause of that is ignorance. Those things are not the principal cause but they do become cause. It can become condition and be called cause but it is not the principal cause. Like this.
Student: Is it possible to have attachment to Guru Shakyamuni Buddha in Dharma practice?
Rinpoche: Dharma happiness.
Student: To visualize.
Rinpoche: The visualization is a method to destroy attachment. But the wish to visualize that is not negative mind. The motivation is always virtue. By some good purpose you visualize Guru Shakyamuni Buddha. Visualizing Guru Shakyamuni Buddha is the method to purify delusion and negative karmas, that does not become the, become the cause of delusions. This wish to visualize Guru Shakyamuni Buddha is not attachment. Having devotion to the holy beings is different. It is just as I explained with water. mind with attachment is rough mind, is unpeaceful mind. mind which has devotion, which wants to see the Holy Beings or Buddha that is very calm mind. There is a big difference. Attachment in the Dharma happiness ... I would say it is possible; like the blissfulness ... oh ... there can be attachment in the blissfulness of one pointed concentration. Like shamatha.

There are two types of attachment; you see, the attachment in the happiness of this life, that brings the result of rebirth as a lower transmigrator, and having attachment to the happiness of future lives, you see, there is a difference. Seeking the rebirth of a happy transmigrator, creating good karma by the virtuous action without being possessed with the eight worldly dharmas which is only concerned with the happiness of this life, that becomes the cause to receive the rebirth of the happy transmigrator. The previous one is an action done only for the happiness of this life, that brings a result in the realm of the lower transmigrator. Also, similarly, the blissfulness of the lower transmigrator. Also, similarly, the blissfulness of the one-pointed meditation, it is possible that one may have attachment, but you see, generally attachment is possible as the person realizes shunyata, or practices bodhicitta. Then that destroys the attachment, all the delusions. The meditation of shamatha, one-pointedness, of mental quiescence, that also helps to develop the wisdom of shunyata. And also it helps bodhicitta. So the person can completely destroy the delusion. It is possible generally to have attachment in the blissfulness in one-pointed concentration. Generally there are two things, wish of attachment and non-attachment. Wanting to receive enlightenment for the sake of all other sentient beings, wanting to help other sentient beings want other sentient beings to release from suffering without any expectation. There is a difference, there is a wish which is not attachment, or wish which is attachment. Like this, oh my husband if he is well, then how terrible it is that he gets sick, he doesn’t bring money. I wish that he could recover soon and then he can go to work, so that I can enjoy, so that he can bring, he can bring money. There can be sincere wishes for him not to suffer but there is also attachment. Like this. So that can be discovered by checking the nature of one’s own mind. The difference is, one peaceful, one is rough, not peaceful. The attachment wish is never peaceful. Like this. So there are also people, not only they die by arising dislike when meeting the undesirable object, there are also people who kill themselves by feeling happiness. He can’t control, that mind is never peaceful, so he can’t control his mind. I’m so happy what I should do, so he kills himself. He jumps. So whatever he thinks he does. Or maybe the person thinks I am so happy, buys lots of alcohol. Then the person drinks a lot. Then afterwards ...

... then his mind becomes completely uncontrolled, completely intoxicated, so many problem, so much confusion comes afterwards. Then like this.

One time it happened in Tibet, there was one servant called “The Famous Moon,” Dawa Tragpa, and worked for a family. He collected all the wages he got from the family as a full sack of barley, and then he went home with his sack. At home he was alone so he hung the big sack of barely from the ceiling, tied it with a rope and then he lay down on the floor and then he was making plans, “Now I am very rich, now what I should do? One big sack of barely, now what I should do?” He was thinking like we make meditation on usefulness of perfect human rebirth. What are the possibilities. He thought, “I should get married, have wife, then if I married, what happiness I would get. I could have one child, and the child should receive a name, so what name should the child receive?”

As he was thinking it, the moon came. Maybe his wisdom is falling to the moon, you see, so the light of the moon came through the window, and hit the floor. So then he all of a sudden paid attention to the floor. So he saw the moonlight on the floor. So he said, “Oh, fantastic, the child should be called the famous moon.” Then because he had much difficulty before, not finding a good name, so now he found such a good name, all of a sudden, by seeing the light of the moon. Then all of a sudden he couldn’t lie down because before he had lied down, so he stood up. Then he took a stick. There was a stick in the room. While he was carrying the stick, moving it, he danced in his room, moving the stick. Then afterward the stick hit the rope, the rope broke and the big sack of barely dropped on him, and he got killed, he died in that minute.

So what happened was then he never had a chance to even eat the barely, he never had a chance to marry, never had a chance to have child. That is what happened. The fault of uncontrolled mind, that’s the fault of not being able to control the mind, that’s the fault of the eight worldly dharmas, the attachment seeing the happiness, the happiness, the happiness of this life. You see, so actually, he is killed by the eight worldly dharmas.

In the previous time, when Atisha was in Tibet, Dromtonpa, the close disciple of Atisha, saw one old man walking around the temple. The old man was thinking, ‘I am practicing Dharma.” So Dromtonpa said, “Going around is good but isn’t it better to practice Dharma.” Then afterwards the man gave up going around the temple then he thought maybe practicing Dharma meant to read the texts, the Dharma texts. Then again Dromtonpa met the old man reading texts, then again he mentioned, ‘Your reading texts is good, but isn’t it better to practice Dharma?’ Then he gave up reading Dharma texts, then he thought maybe meditation is good, maybe meditation is what is meant as practicing Dharma. Maybe sit down cross-legged like that and then close the eyes, meditate. Then he was sitting like that, then again the Dromtonpa met the old man and said, ‘Sir, your making meditation is good but wouldn’t it be better to practice Dharma?’ So the old man was confused. ‘What do you mean by practicing Dharma?’ Then Dromtonpa answered, ‘Renounce this life.’

You see, why he said renounce this life? Why? Oh then, without life renounced, the person cannot make pure Dharma practice, practicing Dharma means renouncing this life. There’s a happiness in the life, in all the lives, in all the future lives. So what it actually means, it doesn’t mean to escape, that does not mean running away from city or to run away from material possessions, or to run away from home. Running away from the cause of the suffering. That alone does not mean that you’re separate from the cause of suffering. As long as the person follows the eight worldly dharmas, no matter, even if the person separates from this physical body, without question, even if the person separates from this physical body since the eight worldly dharmas are not renounced…

What should be renounced is the worldly dharmas. Why? Because this is the whole source of the life’s problems, so therefore Dharma practice means renouncing all of the sufferings of this life. I’m practicing Dharma means I am renouncing all the suffering of this life, all the future lives. That means that the cause, renouncing the eight worldly dharmas, as long as one has not renounced the eight worldly dharmas, then even if the person separates from the body, that doesn’t mean person has renounced his life.

What it actually means, this story, this example, is extremely important to keep in mind. It is important to understand the border of what is the worldly action, what is the Dharma, what isn’t Dharma, what is worldly Dharma. This definition, this boundary, understanding this, that is extremely important. Many expert people, many learned people who have learned many philosophical teachings, who can explain well, who can debate well, who can do many things, there are some even they are so wise in explaining, but cannot make, give the definition of what is worldly action. What is Dharma? Worldly action means kind of playing football or smoking or kind of drinking, kind of only having sex, something like this, only that kind of thing is worldly action. It’s easy to think of. Not like this much more, it’s more details, much finer than these. I think I stop here. I think the meditation on the impermanence of life and death, in order to stop the fear of death, in order to be free from the circle of uncontrolled death and rebirth, that is what we all go through.

For the benefit of all the mother sentient beings—as I told you this morning the story of Kandampa, the follower, about Dromtonpa discussing with the old man. The worldly action that is done with the attachment to happiness of this life, and the holy Dharma, these two are completely opposite. When the action is holy Dharma, it is not worldly action. When it is worldly action it can never become holy Dharma.

Besides this morning, that story, there are many stories of life. Stories of previous meditators, the great yogis, how they practiced. How they made the practice renouncing the eight worldly dharmas. When they were beginner practitioners those previous yogis, those followers of Atisha. There are many life stories to talk about. Such wonderful, wonderful pure practices they have done. It’s very interesting. Such as also the great yogi Gampopa who wrote the Jewel Ornament. He said “There is no-one who has attained together the holy Dharma and the work of this life. One who wishes to obtain together, there is no doubt one cheats oneself, one cheats oneself. Even if I meet you, then there is no other talk than this. Keep body and soul in the virtue, at one’s own place.” So what Gampopa, this great yogi, also called, another name is also called Tak Pel ha ji, so what he is saying is that one cannot do the holy Dharma and worldly action together. This means that if a person is reading a text, but the person reads with attachment expecting reputation, things like this, materials or reputations.

However expecting the happiness of this life, even if the person himself thinks I am practicing Dharma, I’m doing holy work—that action of reading text, with the kind of motivation which is possessed by attachment seeking the happiness of this life, is only worldly action, not holy Dharma. So what Gampopa is saying that one, the person does not obtain the holy work, the holy Dharma and the work of this life he does not obtain together. So the person who reads this text, only becomes worldly dharma. That did not become holy Dharma. So that person does not obtain both works. As the action done without being possessed by the worldly dharma, that only becomes holy Dharma. The one action cannot become two, holy Dharma and worldly dharma cannot become two things. Cannot obtain together.

You see a person reading text with such motivation, it doesn’t become Dharma. holy Dharma or worldly dharma, it has to be one or other. Just as the Kadampa follower Potowa said, “A two pointed needle cannot be used for sewing cloth. You cannot sew the cloth with needle which has two points.” Like that. The worldly dharma and holy Dharma are opposite, completely: so if one mixes together, work of this life and holy Dharma, it never comes together. In the view of the person he thinks, I’m doing together, I’m doing the work of this life and the holy Dharma. He believes that is doing together but in the action it never becomes together, either worldly dharma or holy Dharma. Just like the two-pointed needle it never comes together. Also Marpa instructed Milarepa.

Marpa gave final instruction to Milarepa, saying, “You the son, without renunciation of this life, if you mix the holy Dharma and worldly Dharma, then you lose the holy Dharma, you have finished, you have lost the holy Dharma.” Marpa instructed like this. There are many other quotations like this, so no need to repeat. So that is why Gampopa is saying one who wishes to obtain together, cheats oneself. Why? You see, he believes I am doing holy Dharma, he believes it and attains together work of this life and holy Dharma. So as it is the action, is done with the motivation of attachment, the attachment of the worldly dharma, so the holy Dharma is lost. So that’s how one cheats oneself. So Gampopa is saying even if I meet you, there is nothing else to talk about, expect this. So you go to your own individual place, there’s nothing to talk about what should be done, go to your individual places and keep body and speech in virtue. The great yogi Gampopa has instructed it.

Then also one of the great yogis who has achieved the Buddha of wisdom, Manjushri, one Tibetan great yogi, Sakya pandit… Sakya is the name of one sect, so this pandit he also said, if one wishes to obtain the happiness of this life, you can obtain through Dharma, if you obtain through holy Dharma, you can check up, you get the difference then he gives example to check up. You get the difference, look at the perfections of the holy beings and the thieves. So what this Sakya pandit, what he is saying is, even if one wishes to obtain the happiness of this life, how can you obtain happiness of this life? That is if you practice Dharma, then by the Dharma, you obtain besides the happiness of future lives, you obtain, by the way, the happiness of this life. That is easy to understand. You see, if one wishes to attain the happiness of this life, the only way you can obtain that, he is saying, if one practices Dharma, one can also obtain the happiness of this life. As we talked so much of the worldly Dharma as the source of the whole life’s problems. So when this worldly dharma is renounced, whenever it is renounced then there is happiness of this life. The person experiences right that minute, that second. At the same time whenever the action of Dharma action, practice, renouncing the eight worldly dharmas is done, right at that time person experiences happiness of this life.

It’s not like that in order to have, to enjoy in the beautiful apartment, first you have to work, you have to collect money, then you have to build, you have to put so much energy. Not like that. Why? Whenever the action that you do, you don’t get pleasure, you don’t experience the happiness, not sure. So Dharma practice whenever the action is taken, at that time the person experiences happiness of this life, the real peace of this life. Oh then, like that.

So that is how detail taking, the Dharma practitioner, how they, the meditators have great peace in their lives. Whenever they go, whatever condition changes, even if there is war in the country, even if the whole of the people in that country have no peace, they all have to hide, to run away, so much trouble in the life of ordinary people, but the practitioner, the meditator, for him there’s no problem, no fear.

One time in Tibet, in a place called Pembo, in that country, there was some trouble. Someone came to confiscate, to take things by force. I think in that country there is the problem of thieves, robbers who take away material possessions from the home so that everyone in that country is so busy trying to hide their materials under the ground, they take it to the mountains. One Kadampa meditator, Geshe—I think Benkungyal—everyone is so busy with their material possessions, trying to run away from home. Then he is in the street, he has one robe that, very old one, he has clay pot to keep water in or something. That’s all he has. Then he carries his clay pot and he walks in the street of that country. So if one is scared to come out, so busy, but for him there is no fear, no worry, no-one bothers him or steals his possessions, no-one. He walks in the street outside, the clay pot and the robe, he walks outside very slowly with relaxed mind. No one comes to bother him, no robber to steal his possessions. So he said he is surprised that everyone has such fear, with material possessions, the difference to hide things, he doesn’t have any, he doesn’t have any troubles. He is surprised. Then he said, ‘This is how the people, they hide their material possessions, this is the way how I hide my material possessions.’ What he actually means is the way he hides his material possessions is because he has renounced the worldly dharmas, therefore there is no danger of people bothering him, so that is why he mentioned that.

However, the meditator, the Dharma practitioner who renounces the attachment to worldly dharmas, for them it is like this. Whether happiness or unhappiness, for the meditator’s mind it doesn’t make any difference. Interesting sound, uninteresting sound, it doesn’t make any difference to his mind. So it is equal in happiness and unhappiness for his mind. Equal in receiving admiration or criticism. He make equal receiving materials, not receiving for his mind. So all these which are completely opposite for ordinary people, the difference, receiving these things, not receiving these things makes a difference to the mind. You see, it makes a difference. But for the meditator who is living in the practice of renouncing worldly dharmas, it is equal for their mind, so it doesn’t make any difference whether they have the receiving or don’t have. Whatever condition changes it does not changes their mind. So therefore, these practitioner meditate wherever they are, wherever they go, whatever conditions changes, mind is always increased as they continuously Dharma.

For a long time I didn’t read this. When I started to study Dharma, I started to study the philosophical teachings, I did not read this teaching, these Kadampa meditators, Atisha’s disciples, their experience and their teaching which contains and explains instructions of the practice and experience. I didn’t read this. Somehow, after several years, one time I was on the mountain, the cave where there is Everest Center. There was one text on thought training, so I read it, then, then only, only at that time I discovered how to practice Dharma. I got a big surprise. So I checked back and, looking back, over my life, I didn’t find that I really practiced Dharma. I couldn’t find it. I really got a big surprise that time. Only by reading this then I understood. Only by reading this did I discover how to practice Dharma. Almost I didn’t find that I practiced Dharma before, even though I studied so much, just reading texts, learning by heart and debating, saying prayers, making puja, things like that, did a lot of times, many times I did. Then after that there’s a big difference, even just by reading this text. You understand, I discover what the difference is but that doesn’t mean I do practice Dharma—but it does make a difference, a big difference. After that I made one retreat and there’s a big difference in the mind, big difference. Much more quiet, more calm, more peace in the mind, there’s no expectations. My mind was full of expectations and it kind of stopped. How to say? mind is very peaceful just by understanding. In that way the retreat becomes really perfect, really good retreat. Also less distraction to the retreat, after having understanding of this. Actually not having, not actually practicing Dharma, as those Kadampa meditators.

Also Guru Shakyamuni Buddha also explained, “If one desires happiness, avoid happiness, avoid all the desires.” If one avoids all the desires the sublime blissfulness can be received. As long as one follows the desire, one can never satisfy, never be satisfied. So what Guru Shakyamuni Buddha is saying, “As long as one follows the desire, one can never satisfy, never be satisfied.” So what Guru Shakyamuni Buddha is saying, “As long as one follows the desire you see it’s clear that the dissatisfaction, not satisfied is a question of whether you follow the desire or not follow the desires.” It’s up to that question whether you follow the desire, you want more. If one does not follow the desire, that is what satisfied, meaning of satisfaction. So much as one follows the desires one can never be satisfied.

So what Guru Shakyamuni Buddha is saying, that until the, one cannot be satisfied until one stops following the desire and also he is saying, one who is satisfied by the Dharma wisdom is happy, that is happiness, really happy. One who is not, by following the desire, one who is not satisfied, that is the suffering life. One who is satisfied by Dharma wisdom is happy.

Did I finish? Did I finish the quotation of the Sakya pandit?

Nick: If one wishes to obtain the happiness of this life, if you obtain through the holy Dharma. Look at the difference in the perfections of the holy beings and the thieves.
Rinpoche: I see, I left. The Sakya pandit quotation that I forgot, I didn’t remember, that one is that. You see, thieves, robbers, they actually try, body, speech and mind they rise all to the get the materials. Besides making business they actually try to steal it, besides what they have, enough to live on, they use body, speech and mind wholly, they put to obtain the materials. They steal, they can get by stealing, they can get by taking, many different ways, many methods. Never enough anytime, always never enough for him, but the holy beings. The thief also besides that, always he gets into problems, he gets into by stealing, everyone becomes enemy to him, so many problem, besides his life is not happy. holy beings, their body, speech and mind they never use to obtain the materials, the temporal needs. They only use the body, speech and mind to receive enlightenment for the benefit of mother sentient beings, never to obtain the temporal needs, purposely they don’t use. But also without need to steal, the material perfections, the temporal needs just comes by the power of the pure Dharma practice, what he does by the power of pure Dharma practice. The materials even his body, speech and mind is not purposely used, did for that nothing, they didn’t steal anything, nothing, all the time the temporal needs they easily receive it.

Oh then, such as the bodhisattvas there are many stories, to talk about those previous Kadampa meditators, such as the Kadampa Geshe called Benkungyal. His previous life used to be thief in night time, stealing people’s possessions, when he was not practicing Dharma, that time he had a big field, enough field that he can receive many sacks of barley from, he has enough to live on. But never satisfied, so he used to be thief at night time, robber in daytime, taking away, daytime going in other people’s housing and taking away the materials by force. Then carrying many weapons around, knives of all kinds, then arrows, and all kinds of different weapons, he carried all around his body, around the belt. But still he never got enough, still too poor. Then afterwards he renounced, afterwards when he was living in practice of Dharma, renouncing the eight worldly dharmas living in the place of solitude and living in the hermitage having no material possessions, having no field nothing but receiving the temporal needs, food and clothing thing. Before when he never had nothing was enough. But that time when he’s in hermitage practicing Dharma, by renouncing the eight worldly dharmas he receive so much food, temporal needs from people. So then he said, ‘Before my mouth did not find food,’ before his mouth was seeking food. But now ‘what happens, but now the food cannot find my mouth.’ Receive so much food, so he can’t eat. So he’s saying that before his mouth did not find the food but now the food cannot find my mouth. These are the experiences. Then what this Geshe pandit, Sakya pandit is saying is look at the difference of the holy beings and the thieves perfections. Thief, no matter how much he has, it’s never enough.

Then how to join the, after doing checking meditation on the evil thought of the eight worldly dharmas, how it disturbs the ultimate happiness, temporal happiness, future life and also temporal happiness of this life, all this that I’ve explained, that proves how it disturbs for the happiness of this life. After doing the checking meditation on this, the conclusion is this: ‘in the life, I must, by renouncing evil, by renouncing the eight worldly dharmas, I must make a pure Mahayana practice in this life. That must be done.’ Why? Why must that be done? Because death is definite to happen. Meditation on the impermanence of life and death is extremely important.

Without question one who is concerned of the happiness of future lives, who is concerned about to receive nirvana or enlightenment, that is without question. Even one who wishes to always have happiness in the life, the best, as the source of the problem, source of the happiness, the quickest most powerful technique, meditation to destroy the eight worldly dharmas or the impermanence of life and death. So it is necessary that person even if he is not concerned with happiness of future lives, and nirvana and enlightenment, he is concerned to have happiness always in this life, this is a method that person actually has to practice.

That meditation on impermanence of life and death, that is… ordinary people who don’t practice Dharma they have fear of death, animals have fear of death. When another dog comes to attack, they have fear of death. When they get beaten by a person they have fear of death. When they are nearby a cliff, they have fear of death, even animals. The ordinary people who don’t practice Dharma have fear of death. But that fear of death is useless. No matter how much they are scared of it, it’s useless because they have no solution. They don’t practice, they don’t have method to stop the cause. They don’t practice the method. The sole method is Dharma which can stop the fear completely.

What makes the person to escape from the suffering rebirth and death? Because death is, the person is not free from the danger of death, the person is not free. If for the person there’s a greater happiness which comes after the death, person receives greater happiness after death there is no need to fear the death. However, the people who doesn’t practice Dharma, their fear is useless, just same as animal, their having fear, but the meditator, by practicing…

By meditating with understanding fear which comes from meditation, the meditators they use the fear as a tool, to completely stop the fear, completely, to be free from the circle of rebirth and death which goes on and on. Which we have to go through on and on, on, on a circle to be free.

So for us the Dharma practitioner, how we do that, we use the fear to stop—even if there’s fear, that is an individual question, understanding fear which comes from meditation, and we use it as a tool to completely stop the fear of death, destroy the cause of fear and to be free from the circle of death and rebirth. So how Dharma makes the person to be free from the circle of death and rebirth, to be completely overwhelmed on the fear of death, the suffering of death and rebirth, that is by what? By Dharma, by Dharma practice. But what type of practice, what type of Dharma practice? The essential thing in the Dharma practice, what makes to not have fear of death and to be from the circle of death and rebirth, that is the meditation on impermanence of life and death.

Ignoring, even though the death is for sure to happen, which is relatively existing, which is the object of know, its something which one will have to experience, one has to experience anytime it, life stopping, now, it. So this something which one has to experience, so there’s no use ignoring it, there’s no benefit to oneself, that doesn’t bring happiness in the life by ignoring it. Anyway since one hasn’t done any preparation in this life, then at the death time, then it is definite that mind will not have happy death, mind will not be happy at death time. One has to experience the end of the life, end of the human life, the death, one has to go through this which worries and upsets much.

So in order to make preparation, in order to make good preparation in this life, to not have trouble at death time, not have trouble after death in intermediate stage, to not have trouble in the future life, then for that reason make preparation in this life, one should then practice the meditation on impermanence of life and death. Otherwise one cannot make preparation, one becomes lazy, even if one understands the method but one is lazy, one does not practice the meditation on impermanence of life and death, does not remember impermanence of life and death, as it is explained in the teachings there are six shortcomings of not remembering the death.

If one does not remember impermanence of life and death, then even one remembers Dharma, one cannot practice Dharma, one is lazy, even one wishes to practice Dharma, but person says ‘oh! I can practice after next years, not in a hurry now, first I fix this house, first I build this boat, oh, oh, when now my mind I don’t think my mind is ready to practice Dharma. I think Dharma is good, but I, my mind, I don’t think my mind is ready now. After some time when the mind becomes ready then I will practice.’ Oh! things like that. However the person who doesn’t think much of impermanence of life and death, then he thinks for him Dharma is not important, he thinks the Dharma is good but not so important.

Not so important, not in a hurry, now, now, the work of this life, this around here to fix, the work of this life, for the person this is more important, this is more urgent than the Dharma. So one year he puts off, then second year, again he makes some plan, second year he finds another reason ‘Oh! first I shall finish this, then I do Dharma.’ Again he finds another reason so again he puts off, like that he delays the Dharma practice, he postpones. If one does not remember impermanence of life and death then one tries to make Dharma practice, one cannot make pure Dharma practice, the action becomes worldly dharma. That is you see generally, “Oh I will die.’ Everybody, even people who never heard of Dharma, they think, “Oh I will die after some time,” after thirty, forty years, in the mind of the person, kind of long time. The intuitive feeling, that is intuitive belief, what is in the mind of the person is, “I’m going to live for a long time, many years, so many years I’m going to live.” Intuitive feelings within the person’s mind is like that, all the time. “I’m not doing to die.”

Even, every morning when we get up, we get up with this. Our mind is, ‘I’m going to live for many years.’ Then there’s nothing to trust. Some people think, “How will I die, so soon, how can I die tomorrow or today, how can I die because I know, I feel that I’ll live long, because I feel that I will live long.” That’s wrong conception because he’s following the wrong conception of permanence, that he is going to live for a long time. This conception why there’s nothing to trust? Because this conception I’m going to live for many years, this carries on in the afternoon, into the evening.

In this evening for instance, when you go to see a movie, when you go outside by car, accidents. Let’s say the person is going to die tonight when he goes to see a movie, by car accident, he is going to die. But this firm conception, intuitive firm belief I am going to live for many years. This is still now in the mind of the person. This carries on until the moment when the car accident happens, this conception of the person carries on until that time, the time of death. So it is not true that your feeling, your intuitive feeling, doesn’t mean for sure that you are going to live for many years. This is many peoples’ experience, who talk just before death, they talk because of the belief in the wrong conception. So they make, before the death, talk of many plans, what to do tomorrow, to do next year, for ten, thirty, forty, fifty, seventy years, what to do? They make plans, for sure going to do it. So therefore, there is nothing to trust in this.

Some people think like this, “Oh I’m not going to die soon, what Dharma says is not true, that the death can happen any time, not true, because I know that I’m going to live long, I feel it.” That’s following the wrong conception of permanency. However, then what makes the action even if one tries to practice Dharma, what makes the action not become holy Dharma, that is by the wrong conception, ‘I am going to live long,” not thinking that I am going to die, not thinking that, “I am going to die tonight,” not remembering this, not thinking this. I’m going to die right now, after this minute, after this hour. I might die now, tonight, not having this remembrance, of the indefinite time of death, indefinite time of death.

When, if one is going to meditate, let’s say, if one is among many friends, many people around one student, let’s say he is in the west, that when one arrives in the West, where there are many people around, then you sit up with crossed legs, with eyes closed like that, the hand position like that, they see that I learned meditation by going in the East, I learned Tibetan Buddhadharma, meditation. So you want to show people you’re special, so you sit like this, you sit in the meditation position. Maybe you want to meditate, but somehow there’s not something like that, at the beginning motivation is like this. Then think ‘I may die, I may die, not sure when my death will happen. I may die today at anytime, I may die not sure, after this minute I may die.

When he strongly thinks, remembers the indefinite time of death, that he may die, that I may die after this minute, when he feels the shortage of life, at that time he doesn’t see any purpose. Before he was doing the action of meditation, ordinary people to know, however his action is done with expectation of the happiness of this life, receiving admiration from ordinary people something like that. So that is the happiness of this life, so when the person thinks, ‘I may die this minute,’ when he feels the shortage of the life, that time what he’s doing, the action with the expectation of the happiness of this life that he doesn’t find any meaning to that action, that action doesn’t have any purpose, that action is meaningless, so automatically he has to make preparation, he has to do something, prepare for the death, the happiness of future life. So automatically the action what he is doing, meditation, that automatically, even though it was worldly dharma, but after it became holy Dharma by remembering the indefinite time of death.

When we travel in the country, when we make hitch-hiking in the country side, the mountains, on the way, when we are in the guest house where we spend one night, we don’t spend so much time fixing windows, “Oh we need carpet, need soft bed, or toilet, need toilet, hot shower, I must build a hot shower. There’s no swimming pool outside.” You don’t think it, even if there are holes then that doesn’t matter. You don’t fix so much, you don’t even make much arrangement, you don’t care so much after the house whatever, however it is you don’t make to spend one night, you don’t fix that much, carpet and painting, all these things. Why you don’t fix? You don’t fix anything? Why you just sleep, just eat, sleep, don’t fix others, you don’t fix anything with the building. The building something to level the building, to make the building better, house better, you don’t put much energy and time, why? Because you think ‘oh what the use? The purpose? This is only one night, just one night, why should I put much energy, why make a lot of expenses, just for one night, this is just wasting energy and time. This is just wasting money. Tomorrow early morning I have to leave this place. Because of the shortage of time, how long you will be there, because of that, you see, putting energy into that building, things like that, you see it is meaningless, it is meaningless. It is useless.

So similarly like this, similarly the person who has to leave tomorrow from here, he doesn’t make busy, he’s busy packing, he does not think, he doesn’t make any preparation to stay in the house, the person who has to go tomorrow, he is busy packing, he’s getting the passport ready, getting the luggage ready, the sleeping bags, then he is going, the person’s going to the mountains, then the very strong shoes, the warm clothes, anyway the person is very busy packing; never make, the person never makes preparation to stay, he is always, always busy, only packing making preparation for the journey, making preparation for the journey, the journey.

By discovering the indefinite time of death, by discovering indefinite time of death, by remembering this then, even if the person’s present action is a worldly actions, right after that it becomes holy Dharma because the person discovers what he’s doing is meaningless. So by remembering the indefinite time of death it makes him to only, it makes him continuously make preparation, to have happiness at the death. To have happy mind at the death time and also the happiness of future lives. Oh! then to receive enlightenment, he always makes preparation like that.

I think I stop here.

Then tomorrow afternoon I think, morning usually, impermanence, following meditation but afternoon I think meditation on the gradual path of the middle being, from that subject I think, in the afternoon, different subject.