So these are the texts that in Tibet in the past, those, like in the four traditions they study, Sakya, Kagyu, Nyingma, Gelug, in all four traditions, those large monasteries they study these texts and the commentaries by the great scholars, highly attained lamas in the four traditions, in the Gelugpa, then Lama Tsongkhapa and other lamas. So they study the root teachings of Maitreya Buddha and the commentaries, in the Lama Tsongkhapa tradition then Lama Tsongkhapa’s commentaries and other, the Lama Tsongkhapa’s disciples’ commentaries. So study those and meditate on those, so do extensive study on this, learn the words and meanings, so try to learn the whole path to liberation, to enlightenment, into details, like one person learning all the details about the airplane, every single piece, one person try to learn every single piece of airplane, then how to go, how to, I mean, car is drive but airplane, airplane how do you say?

[Students: Fly.]

Fly, how to fly. So, one person try to learn everything, how to go about to enlightenment, details to achieve liberation, enlightenment, yeah, for sentient beings. So not only in Tibet, after the Communist, Mainland China took over Tibet, then studied, continued with their study also in India, Nepal. So many years they do study, extensive study on these. Then, lam-rim, the teachings of the, it’s like the Bible, lam-rim, the teachings of the stages of the path to enlightenment, which is integration all those Maitreya Buddha’s, Asanga’s, those teachings, those five different texts, and 84,000 teachings taught by Buddha, so everything, so those teachings which comes in three levels, Lesser Vehicle teaching, to achieve liberation, the sorrowless state, total liberation from the whole entire suffering and causes, oneself, then to achieve enlightenment, the Mahayana Paramitayana path to achieve enlightenment for sentient beings and to achieve the Mahayana secret mantra, Vajrayana, so to achieve enlightenment quicker, so in order to liberate and enlighten the sentient beings quicker. So all these integrated into the lam-rim, the teaching of the stages of the path to enlightenment, so integrated into this, then made very simple, that very easy, comfortable and very easy for one person to achieve enlightenment. So everything become a graduate path, all these teachings become a graduate instruction for one person to achieve enlightenment, but a graduate practice.

So, so many, unimaginable numbers of sentient beings achieved enlightenment by studying the Maitreya Buddha’s teachings, Asanga’s commentaries, the lam-rim, the integration of all those teachings, so up to now. Up to now, even now there’s so many meditators who have been studying these teachings and putting in to practice, meditate, attaining realization of the path to liberation, to enlightenment, even now there are many meditators having realization. So here, what I’m saying here, another reason here, so it’s not just blind faith, what is shows is not just blind faith, Oh, you can achieve this, you can achieve that. If you do this you can achieve, if you do that you can achieve liberation. So there are many philosophies like this where it says you can achieve liberation but there’s nothing to prove, there’s nobody to point out, there’s nobody who is there who achieved liberation, there’s no one to show, there’s no lineage who has achieved liberation, there’s no lineage, there no one person to prove, who had the experience. But even though it has a philosophy, says you can achieve, you can do this you can achieve liberation, but there’s nobody to prove. There’s nobody there who says, Oh, I have achieved liberation. I did this, I have achieved liberation, telling everything details.

So now here, in the case of Buddhadharma, so now here, here in the case of Buddhadharma, so there’s and even now, many different parts of the, India, Nepal, Tibet, different parts of the world, there are who are experimenting on the path, who are experimenting, who are developing their mind in the path, achieving realization of the path, but those who are correctly practicing. Those who are not correctly practicing, of course, then of course even you practice for eons, nothing happens to the mind. How many years you tried, you did the practice, those who are not correctly practicing then there’s no change to the mind. Mind is still the same before one knew anything about Dharma, if it’s not worse. By having more education, more intellectual knowledge, then not practicing correctly then the mind is same or some people, even worse.

But people who are correctly practicing, then able to transform their mind, able to change their mind and so year by year, some of course can develop their mind month by month, so year by year, like that, within a few years able to develop their mind in the path, become more and more better person, in this world more and more better human being, more and more compassion, less and less, the dissatisfied mind desire less and less, more and more content, more renunciation, more content, less problem in the life, because less desire less problem, more and more content, less, less problem, less, less emotional problems. That’s the best sign. That’s the best sign of having developed your practice, meditation. That’s the best sign your meditation worked to your mind. So less the dissatisfied mind, more and more content, more and more happiness, inner happiness, peace, more and more, achieving more and more satisfaction. The person is happier and happier, through the development of the mind in the spiritual path, in the lam-rim. So in any of the four traditions, like that, who are correctly practicing. And then there’s more and more compassion, more and more kind-hearted. As the years go, the person has more and more kind-hearted. This year is better than the previous year.

So less and less ego, less and less self-cherishing thought, after two or three years it’s less, self-cherishing thought, less and less. So that means more and more bodhichitta able to develop. Like making fire, so first generate, first there’s the heat, when you lit it up, there’s heat. Then from heat then fire, then the fire become bigger. In the Himalayan mountains when I was traveling we didn’t have matches, time when I was three, four, five, around those age when I was in Solu Khumbu in Nepal, in the Himalayas, the Sherpa, I was born there, so near Mount Everest the Sherpa area. Shar is east, shar is Tibetan language for east, east Nepal, pa means person, those who live in the east, Sharpa, like that. So the Sherpas, the original people they’re Tibetan, the came from the lower part of Tibet, Kham, I think, [pause] I’ve forgotten the name, one part of the, the lower part of Tibet. There’s Tsang, upper place, middle, center, Lhasa, then there’s lower part of Tibet, Kham. I’ve forgotten the name. So, I don’t know, something happened there, maybe didn’t agree between the different, I don’t know, I’m not sure, different countries, I’m not sure what happened. Anyway it seems that they escaped from there, they came with the animals, with the sheep, like that, came in Nepal, so eastern part of Nepal, they lived there. I don’t know whatever happened there, so the group seems escaped, that they lived in Nepal, eastern part of Nepal.

And then, I think, so they lived, they came with the animals, lots of goats and sheep, so they lived on the animals, then after some time they ran out of food, the animals finished. So then, I think, they went to look for food in the mountains, so they found, according to their karma, they found some plants, so they eat those plants, some plants they found to eat, according to their karma. So then later they, due to their karma, so I think the potato came from, I don’t know, from Holland or I don’t know from where, from, yeah, somebody brought potato and then planted a field of potatoes, so the potato, the main field, their crop, food, to live, that is the potato. So with the potato, because the potato’s the main thing what they have, so they make twelve or eleven different foods with the potatoes, eleven or twelve different foods of potatoes. So there is potato noodles, besides potato pancake there’s potato noodles. So the potato pancake is supposed to be the special food. They make on the flat stone, you make, you heat up with the firewood then you put the potato mixed with the flour, then you put butter and then this sauce with the onions or the blue, green, green onions, that is their special food.

And then potato alcohol. So the potato alcohol, small potatoes like this. They don’t eat the small potatoes, so they give for the cows, dzo or cows, animals, yaks, the yak or dri. And so I remember from my mother’s making potato wine when I was very small staying at home, three years, four years old. So my mother used to make this potato alcohol many times. So it takes four or five hours of work. So in my family the father passed away. I have no idea of father, how it looks, how the father looks, I have no idea. I think father died when I was in the mother’s womb or maybe when my mother was carrying me in the bamboo basket, small bamboo basket so keep the baby there. So maybe round those times. I have no idea of father, how it looks. So people described our father has a beard and somebody who’s very tolerant and things like that. So my family’s a very poor family in the village. So I remember when I was very small, so we sleep under the father’s chuba, coat, the animal skin coat, so his chuba, coat, chuba is the Tibetan dress with sleeves, long dress with sleeves. So the whole family sleeps underneath father’s chuba, the Tibetan long dress with the sleeves. So then in the early morning, so my brother, must be my sister or somebody, while we’re sleeping, whole family sleeping under father’s dress, the chuba, so then one of them telling me, This is father’s coat. This is father’s coat, pointing to the coat. So I remember that.

So anyway, so after me there was one, before me there was one girl and she passed away. Before that, one sister, I have one sister, so she survived and she’s a nun, and she’s looking after the monastery up there on the mountain, at Lawudo, in Solu Khumbu, which is 14,000 feet. So she’s taking care of the monastery and, with others’ support. So after me there’s one brother, who lives in Kathmandu. So my mother had quite a number of children but they all died. One child, she told me that, she had one child had pinnacle, like Buddha, had pinnacle, she had one child like that, like Buddha, pinnacle on the body. But anyway, they all didn’t last.

So when my sister, one who is the nun who’s living there now, taking care of the cave, cave up there, mountain, and monastery, so when she was born then they gave nickname to her, so that by giving a nickname, it becomes a method to pacify obstacles and to have long life. So all, a few others passed away. So in the Sherpa language it’s ?gar-na, so it means blacksmith, so that’s regarded as a nickname. So gave the name blacksmith, yeah. So anyway, by making pots and things, so then she survived, and then from her own wish become a nun. I think what I heard is my mother did not want her to become a nun. She wanted her, she is the eldest one so therefore to take care of family, but from her side she become a nun. So we were all small. She, my sister’s the only one that she can do a little help to my mother. There’s no father, so who can put the animals that we had, who can put on the mountains, evening time to bring back. So she can do that. So the rest is useless. The rest of us useless. So, everything my mother has to do. So then she had to go in the forest, those mountains, very far, to get firewood. Many, many hours in the forest. Up there either you climb up, either you go up or go down, there’s not much straight, short distance but not much. Most of the time up or down, up, like that. So that takes many days between Kathmandu and Solu Khumbu, because you have to go up and down, up, down, so there’s nine of those, there’s nine mountains that you have to cross, so you can see it takes a long time.

Anyway, so then my mother bring wood, firewood, big piles of firewood, come very late night, after dark. So we wait, so the three of us children wait for mother, no food, nothing, cannot make fire, so wait outside, wait downstairs at the door, then moon rises then it comes very late. Then, only then after she comes back you can get food. Then sometimes, one time then my mother was very sick, she was laying down there. So there’s a fireplace, so usually mother sits there, other brother and sister sit there and I sit here, so there’s kind of fixed places where we sit. Anyway, so she was laying down there. No fire, no food, no fire because she’s sick. So she said, because I think so much pain and making sound, calling her mother, Ama! Ama! Like this, calling her mother, which is our grandmother. So I go there, can’t do anything, can’t help, can’t, I look and can’t do anything, so I remember that.

So like this, however, what I was saying…. Sorry, I don’t know why I’m talking about this. Lost the source of my talk. I think I came a long way, I think I came from a long way, a very long trail. Went in some village . Uh? [Inaudible comment.] Oh, oh, that’s right!

So my mother, so then my mother she collected this firewood, so many, many hours from forest, from very far, and then she make chang. So large pot fill up with the small potatoes, the put another pot, another pot, another pot, another pot, another, like a stupa, then the last pot up there. So then you complete cover the ?border so no vapors can go out. So then, you use the firewood, burn firewood for many hours. So then the vapor goes up the very top container, so then it produces water dew there. Then drop by drop, then you put a small container, you collect the drop by drop from there. So for many hours making food you get a small, maybe two of this, something, but this alcohol is so strong, unbelievable strong. Unbelievable strong. So we don’t drink.

But one time, because I was very naughty so I escaped from the monastery a few times, because it’s very close to home, the monastery, so I escaped many times. So nothing but thought is just to play, I think like any other children, doesn’t want to go to school, wants to stay at home and play, so I think it’s the same idea, I think. So anyway, so then my mother sent me to another country, another Solu Khumbu area, which is much more primitive. That’s also Padmasambhava’s hidden place. So you have to cross rocks and, rocky mountains, and snow and very dangerous points, there’s avalanche and there’s all this risk, similar, I think, all those climbing on the snow mountains. Very dangerous trail, mountain. One mountain where the rocks falling down, big rocks, small rocks, used to fall down, so you have to cross that. Huge rocks falling, ru-ru ru-ru rung, and small rocks they fall down, ting! Ta! Like that. So anyway, so you have to cross this. So up there you see just snow mountains and the lakes, some are more blue, some are a little bit darker, kind of white, only that, that’s it. Then sometimes you walk on rocks. So there’s one flower that has got like cotton on top. I don’t know what, only that one you see that.

So anyway, but I don’t remember going back, maybe there’s another trail, but when you come you have to cross this dangerous road. Then if the very heavy avalanche happens you have to come down like this, the snow mountain, so there’s a lake down there, so if it’s a very heavy avalanche, it’s easy to fall down. So very hard life, unbelievable hard life. Then there’s no actual road, so usually people know how to go, where to go. So then they carry huge loads, food, their own _____ of food and then also to do business, to sell food, things, butter or things like that. So then they, when I was traveling there were no animals but usually they have yaks and dris, dri is the mother who produces milk, yak is male. Yak doesn’t produce butter. Because there’s yak butter, it’s called yak butter or yak this and that but yak is the male. It’s like saying, this is like milk from man, it’s like that, man milk, it becomes like that. Yak is not female, yak is only male. So dri is the one that produces butter.

Anyway, so they put a huge load on the animal, so then the animal, even those rocky, there’s no actual road, then they have to push the animals. Very hard, extremely hard life. So anyway, but each time when you cross this dangerous mountain, however, when we have to cross, but during that time, very interesting thing is, I remember four times crossing but, I was carried by other person, but all those people have very heavy load to carry, but there’s incredible danger, stones falling down, all this, but when we go, each time, everybody they recite, here the, from the four traditions, four Mahayana traditions, there it’s Nyingma, the most monasteries there, before only Nyingma. So maybe some people, maybe some Tibetans or something maybe recite OM MANI PADME HUM, but most of the Sherpas they recite Padmasambhava’s mantra. So everybody recite mantra, until they finish, until they finish crossing the dangerous mountain, until they reach on the other end, so everybody recites mantras, so you can hear, all of a sudden I hear this noise, ru-ru ru-ru ru-ru, so I checked, everybody’s reciting something until, but the minute when you reach there, stopped. When you reached there then the recitation stopped. So but somehow, so they one-pointedly they rely on Padmasambhava and with whole heart. So four times passed through but nothing happens, no stone falls down, nothing. But only when I’m reached at the end then you hear the stones falling down, woo-ru-ru-ru-ru, like this. Then I thought many times, Oh, now some people died, but all the people, group, is just passed, then stone falls down. That’s very interesting, that’s very interesting. So definitely, because they’re strong refuge to Padmasambhava, I think, during that time, with the whole heart, so I think there’s protection from Padmasambhava. There may be also devas situated on those mountains, so maybe they’re also helping. But that’s very interesting. Otherwise, very, very dangerous.

So I was there seven years that much more primitive place, seven years learn, again started from alphabet then read, learn reading and recite texts for, I think, for seven years. The Buddha’s teaching, Prajnaparamita, and those many other texts. I memorized texts in the early morning, in the early morning get up and memorize texts, in the evening time recite.

So one time I came back with my teacher, Tibetan alphabet teacher, who is my uncle, so I came back, I think to take some teachings from the monastery, from the lama, founder of the monastery. So I went to my mother’s house with my teacher to meet my mother. So, that day she offered the alcohol to my teacher, to my alphabet teacher, and to me, in a glass, the potato alcohol. So I had, I think maybe one sip, one or two sips, very small sips. So then that day then my body become like, could not walk, couldn’t walk, all the limbs, that day all the limbs become like a mosquito, when the mosquito died. When the mosquito died, all the limbs are like this. So no control over my limbs at all. So totally disgusting, totally disgusting. So, I could not walk at all going to the monastery, so my teacher, he just grabbed my back side, my belt, grabbed from back side belt then he just carried. Grabbed my belt, back side, and then he’s walking up to the monastery. He just put like that, so I have no control. So that was one, just one time. Took one or two sips, then it was totally disgusting.

So anyway, so sorry, so I didn’t mean to talk my life story but….. Just anyway, shortcomings of alcohol, this is talking about the shortcomings of alcohol. So, yeah, sorry. So I didn’t, anyway, I don’t know from where I came, I’m not sure. So I think maybe we have a break, okay. A break, yeah, some break.

[Short mandala]