Details
Perfectly open and overjoyed
Teachers:
Collection:
- Heartfelt Advice
Location:
- Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling
Translator:
- Thomas Doctor
Length:
- Full Length Session
Features:
- Subtitles ,
- Transcripts
Excerpt
Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche emphasizes personal responsibility in practicing the Buddha's teachings, which guide one toward liberation and awakening. Liberation requires individual effort, as Buddhas can only show the path, not transfer realization directly.
Description
This Saturday Talk, part of the long-standing tradition at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery, emphasizes the Buddha’s teaching on liberation through insight into the intrinsic nature of reality. Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche reflects on the Buddha’s message that one is both their own protector and enemy, highlighting personal responsibility in following the path to liberation. The talk underscores the Buddhas’ role in showing the path but clarifies that individual effort is crucial for achieving liberation and awakening. Rinpoche draws attention to the inability of Buddhas to transfer realization directly, urging practitioners to rely on their own insight and practice. The teaching serves as a reminder of the transformative potential of personal effort in realizing the truth of intrinsic nature, or suchness.
Related Course Info
- Beads of Heartfelt Advice – Unstrung A collection of stand-alone teachings mainly by Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, offering heartfelt advice suffused with wisdom. Many of these teachings were given as Saturday Talks—informal sessions Rinpoche offered for decades at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling, open to all, both new and old. Each talk is complete in itself, like an unstrung bead—independent yet sharing the same essence, guiding us by means of wisdom and compassion.
Video
Audio
01:40:22
There is the teacher and the teaching.
What was it that the teacher taught?
Our teacher?
He taught the path of liberation
and complete awakening, omniscience.
And he taught that you are your own protector just as you are your own enemy.
Whatever good or bad you may do, you yourself are the witness.
And he said, that the Buddhas can not stop the suffering of sentient beings with their hand. They can not wash away their obscurations with water. They can not transfer their realization to others, but as they teach the truth of the intrinsic nature, everyone is freed. So, what they teach is liberation through insight into the intrinsic nature of things, suchness.
The Buddha's awakening, the liberation and complete awakening to the omniscient realization of a Buddha, that follows from following the path that leads to those achievements. It's through that, that one gains liberation and awakening. So in that regard, he also says that I show you the path to liberation, but whether or not you take it depends upon yourself. So it's the teaching of the intrinsic nature, that which points out to us the intrinsic nature. When we follow that teaching, then the results follow. That's what the Buddha can do for us, show us reality. And beyond that, even the Buddha is not able to help us in any superior or in any other way. In Buddhism, the saviour is not the Buddha. If we think the Buddha will save us, it's wrong. If we just think the dharma will save us, it's wrong. The sangha will save us, it's wrong. The Buddha shows us the path. The path is what? Teaching. Teaching, knowing, is not enough, we need to practice. If we do not practice, if we have good knowledge in dharma, it not means. It not means nothing...no,... It doesn't mean anything.
Anything. It doesn't... Student: It doesn't mean anything. Yeah, it doesn't mean anything. We need to apply, we need to practice. So in the world, there's different religions, different beliefs, but we all good to know Buddha is not the saviour. The Buddha cannot save us. Just worshipping to dharma books or worshipping to Sangha or monks or nuns, will not save us. We need to save ourselves. Buddha says, you are your teacher. Your own saviour. Yeah, you are, yeah, you are own...
You are your own protector or you are your own saviour. How could anyone else protect you?
When you train yourselves perfectly well, you yourselves will turn into the sacred refuge, You will become the saviour. Buddha is saying very logical truth. He says, I cannot save you. You need to save yourself. I will show you how to save yourself. That's all. So how touching. How touching. Buddha will never say, I save you.
He says, I will teach you, I will guide you on how to save yourself. So you, you are your own teacher, you are your own enemy. Who knows that? You, you know that, about that. How good you are, how good you are doing, how bad you are doing, it's you who know. Anybody not know? Except you yourself, nobody knows that clearly. Only you know. So listen how touching. It's very logical.
So what he taught?
As it is generally known, he taught the three Pitakas,
which contain three trainings. The training in special discipline, the training in special meditative absorption and the training in special insight.
There are many types of sentient beings, many different ways that one can be born as a sentient being, but presently we are humans. That means that we have achieved a special type of freedom and power that comes with being a human being. So we enjoy that freedom and that power now as humans. And having turned into human beings, then we have certain human needs. And what is it that human beings need? They need their happiness. They need to be happy and they work towards, they try their best to become happy. And what is happiness among human beings and what does it really come down to? To a sense of mutual respect, appreciation, affection and love for one another. When there is that kind of atmosphere, then human beings are happy. They can be very happy. When there is that sort of atmosphere, when there is genuine care, love and affection, then it's a joyful situation to be a human being. But that kind of happiness and that kind of fulfillment for human beings is destroyed, not by whom, not by... It's not a punishment from God when we fail to have that kind of happiness. And it's not some sort of evil scheme of a demon or devil either. And it's not that wild animals prevent us from being happy in that way. It's not that bugs and insects make it difficult for us to be in that way. When we fail to be happy as human beings, it's not because of any of those things.
So who is it who is responsible when we human beings aren't happy and don't feel the way we would like to feel? What's the reason? Who is behind it? Human beings.
And how do we go about preventing ourselves from being happy as human beings?
What's the root problem when human beings prevent themselves from being happy human beings?
It's not because people are too kind and it's not because they are too loving that we end up being unhappy. When you say too loving, it's typical in Danish accent? One second. Not only one second, I'm sure.
Why we... What we need, this world is who? Who is the boss? Human. Who is the controller? Human. Who is the most smartest? Supposedly human. Who has the most capablilities? Human. And what humans want? Joy, happiness. What human does? The opposite of that. Why we? What wrong now we are? What's wrong?
Why are we destroying ourselves? Why are we torturing ourselves? Why are we putting misery in our life and the future generations? What wrong we are? Something wrong here. This is not caused by loving kindness and compassion. This is not caused with good motivation. This is caused by selfishness. This is caused by negative emotions, pride, jealousy, and greed. So we are screwing up our planet. We are screwing up our life. We are screwing up our future generations. We really are destroying the whole world actually. In this time we need to be really more aware and more discuss and more think. Because, in the past also there is trouble. Because there is human. There is human because, humans are not enough tolerant. And humans are not really applying their kindness, honest, trusting. So, now we got till here. Outerly we are living quite sort of, on one hand you can say civilized. We have more technologies. We can travel more easy. And even living styles are much more comfortable. There is heating system, hot and cool, everywhere TV, and you can send SMS or talk here, there. Whole world is becoming smaller and smaller and smaller. But we think we are becoming bigger and bigger. No, we are becoming smaller and smaller. Technology is becoming bigger and bigger. We are fooling ourselves. We are becoming smaller and smaller. One day we will definitely become like a box. Technology is like huge And it's not a joke. Like we are watching, many years before when I was a child, when we watch movie they called, Ching Kong, King Kong. They are holding people here and there. Now, King Kong is already here now. We made King Kong now. We put our lives in King Kong's hands now. We can not get back now. We can not go back that easily. But one day no choice we not go back. But till that we can not go back that easily. We are totally in technology's hands. Body, brain, money, energy, everything is sucked by technologies. We are becoming smaller and smaller, hopeless and hopeless, and our brain does not work that much now. All the brain sucks in the technology and they control you where to go, what to eat, what to do, what to think. We think we are becoming more wiser. No, we are becoming more narrow. Whatever information comes, we are just stuck there. Small piece of box or small in your computer or iPad. Total mind just there. The warmness, the kindness, the joy and laughing and joking. It's where? It's gone. More and more stress, more and more uptight, more and more mind become narrow and narrow, focus and focus, and control your whole brain. That is the modern. That is the civilized. That is our success. Success. We are successful. We are very successful. Why? We have a lot of the newest and latest technologies. So we think we are successful.
So, now the world is becoming smaller and smaller, dirty and dirty, polluted and polluted. Talking about oil, oil is nothing. Shortage of water,
polluted water, a shortage of water, and damaging the earth. And not trusting, not respecting, not loving, cheating each other, each other. Just so strong emotion. What kind of emotion? Greedy. Greedy has become more and more power and more and more skills. The greedy power has become so strong it went to the technology. Now technology bcame so greedy, so powerful, so hurtful. Yes, we can not say all technology is bad. Yes, technology is helping a lot, but another sides. Each country, how much they make, more and more army, more and more technology. What kind of technology? Hidden technology. What kind of? Pistol? No, no, no, no. Gun? No, no, no. Huge, unbelievable, powerful things. Almost nearly a hundred years before, what happened in the world? After that, now what? How many years back? How skills? How skills, good skills, bad skills already pop up in this world?
And Buddhist teaching is just fact. And Buddha, what he is saying, he is just talking, just fact. He is not talking else. He is not talking unusual. He is not saying anything unusual things, just fact.
So we are talking about Śīla, the five precepts. Why in the world, why do we have no peace? Why are we fighting? Why are we cheating? Why are we lying? Why we need more armies? Why we need more technology? To whom? Actually it's terrible, terribly ugly, to humans. Human are making guns for humans. Human are making bombs, atom bomb, nuclear bomb, and many other awful things. To whom? To human. Which planet? On this planet. There is no other planet.
So we are talking honest, honest, honesty, honesty. especially these days we talk about honesty, honest, what is honest? What is, civilized? Don't be a liar, don't be honest. Where is the honesty? Just light conversation is honest, but real honesty is where? In business is there honest? Is their technology inside honest? In the politics is there honest? Sometimes even in religions, there is no honesty. So where is honest? What Buddha is saying, be honest. The cause and effect is extremely important. If you really believe from the bottom of your heart cause and effect, you can not be not honest. You can not cheat yourself, you can not harm yourself. Till then, who knows about you? You can be very good at hypocrisy. You can cheat, you can lie. Who knows you? It's difficult. You can hide, you can...
So in this world what is the problem? Problems all comes from dishonest. dishonest? Lack of (dis)honest. Lack of (dis)honesty. lack of kindness, lack of trust, lack of respect. We are facing a misery life.
Now we have no shortage of technology, we have no shortage, even economic. We have no shortage of education. But we really have shortage. We are so poor, so poor. About what? Kindness, Kindness, we are so poor, so poor. So for that reason there is no trusting, no respect. Less respect, even in the family, and with friends.
Less trust. Less respect. Less honest. What reasons? Lack of... kindness. So the Buddha's teaching is world wide important. It's so important world wide. It's so important for those who believe in the religion of dharma, who do not believe in the religion of dharma, who ever wants to live in this world peacefully, in harmony, and happy, and joy, and laughing, joking, enjoying, enjoying the five sense object. The flower is beautiful. The winds are nice. A cup of water is good.
But if we are not aware... almost we are too late now.
What too late? We already harmed a lot. We have harmed the earth here. We have harmed the earth, We have harmed the people physically and we have really harmed mentally. Mentally polluted. Mental pollution is very dangerous. What is the pollution? Dishoner. Dishonesty. Dishonesty is polluted. A Child, who will teach about kindness? Who will say how important is to tolerance? Who will say how important to respect each other? Who will respect? Who will teach be trust(ing). Don't trust anyone. You are the most important. Fight. Fight. Don't trust anyone. Fight. Gain. Competition. Everything is competition. Everything is competition. We don't know how to be not in competition now. We have that much success. We don't know how to not be in competition. We are so expert to compete . Comparing and comparing. Competing and competing. If possible, we step on each other.
If I will win something unusual, I will not mind to step on each other. If we feel that way, how ugly! How painful. How sad. So now it's really time to open our heart and look at the source, look at the cause. What's wrong in the world now? Am I okay with my physical body? Is my physical also polluted? Too many chemicals everywhere. What kind of sickness I have? Am I okay in my mind? Did I really pollute it? It's so greedy. Am I so greedy? Am I so proud? Have I really become so hypocrite? Am I really become untrusty? Untrustworthy? Untrust, untrust, Untrustworthy. It become one day, you not trust yourself. Not trusting, not trusting here, there, here, there. Then you shouldn't be trusting. Then difficult to trust yourself. Because what you learned, says don't trust to anyone. So you also one of them.
And we work so hard, especially, you know, everywhere. same I travel a little bit here and there. Whoever wears very dirty cloth and live in a very simple shelter and go to work.
Hard work. And who have fancy three piece suit, ten, fifteen, thousands...
price of three piece suit. Giant sort of
car or airplane even. But, a lot of stress. Who have more: More stress, more fear, not less stress. more fear, more worry, more doubting, and feel lonely, feel very lonely. Because you put so much effort. You make your friend is not a human, you make your friend is paper, money. Your make your friend is technology. Your make your real friend is the money, the technology and jewelry. Jewelry is only to show to other. If you live in your own private house, if you wear jewelry, it's silly. You need to show off somewhere. If you show off, you need to worry. If it's too small, you worry, If it's too big, you worry. If it's too small, you worry because nobody will think, ha ha, ho ho. If it's too big, you worry, maybe somebody will kill you.
So, happiness is mental relax. Happiness is laughing. Looking at each other, smiling. But even these days, what kind of smile now? What kind of smile? The cheating smile? You know, it's difficult to trust. what kind of smiling? Really, a kind smiling? Or cheating smiling, you know? or a fake smiling?
It's very joyful if somebody laughs to you from bottom of their heart. Sort of smile with happy, Smile with loving. It's so healing. It's not looking like, like, you know, big,
say, diamond. If you look at a big diamond, it not does anything to you.
Giant diamond. In England, I went to see the...
diamond the size of an egg. Size of an egg. Yeah. There's so much fear there. So much fear. Quite black and gun. You need to go quick. Theis is feeling funny.
Humans make humans happy. Humans make humans angry. Humans make... Who really makes most happy? Human make most happy to human. Who make really destroy human's mind? Human make human mind destroyed. Humans can help. Humans can harm. Human has terrible power.
Now what kind of? No friend? Problem. Have friend? Problem. If you have really a clean friend, both sides, it's so joyful. Whatever type of friend. Couples, boyfriend, girlfriend. Normal, just friends. Whatever friends, if you both really trust, love. Trust and love, respect. It's so joyful. Life is beautiful. You do not need much more than that. To survive in this world is not that difficult. If we think it is difficult to survive, then it is very difficult to survive because we need to catch the number ones. Number ones, how do you say?
The number one type of life. Life styles. We do not want number two. If possible we want the super. Super.
Super, super. It's so difficult to be super. Even if you are super today, tomorrow not.
It changes so fast. Whatever you are super today, and you are not super. And you cannot be super at everything. If you are super one side, then another side you are not super. You can not be in everything super. You are the most smart, the most handsome, the most rich, the most famous, the most educated, the most... impossible.
So, when I think more and more, the words of the Buddha saying,
you are your own teacher, you are your own enemy. It's so honest, so touching, but very scary. And then saying, the witness is you. He is not saying the witness is me. He never says the witness is me. He never says I save you. He never says I am the saviour. Even he will not say the dharma will save you. If dharma is applied, it saves you. Just trusting to the dharma, just worshiping to the dharma, will not (save you). It's so logical, so honest. He says, I am helpless, I want to help, I want to serve, I want to heal, but don't ever believe me, I can save you. It's wonderful. Now we know, what is the saviour.
People have so much fear. People save and save, saving, saving, save, save, save, then they feel it makes them safe.
Saving, saving, saving, saving, saving makes you feel safe. It makes you feel safe.
These words I like very much. Saving. What happened? Student: It was broken, Rinpoche. How? Student: It was broken 13 years ago actually. Then why I see today only? Student: Now it is broken again. Huh? Student: Again broken. How many days ago?
Student: A couple of weeks, one week maybe. Oh yeah, okay. I thought two things. One is I thought you have become six, or seven years old.
Again going back, so I worry, don't go to home. Don't go to home.
See, you are young.
So it's good to remember how the buddha said that you are your own saviour and you are your own enemy. Whatever good and bad you may do, you are the witness. Who is the witness?
You are your own protector. How could anyone else protect you?
If you train yourself really well, you yourself become the refuge. So our responsibility is what? We need to, now we know we need to train. We are wild. We are wild. What wild? Negative emotions. We are full of negative emotions. Anger, jealousy, attachment, greed.
So those emotions make our heart to become very dry, and our brain to become very dry, and very polluted. We know that. If we have success a little bit. We are so proud. If we have success a little bit, name, fame, power, even some, some, some small jewelry or some small makeup, or some small dress. Here, there, here, there, and later we are so proud. If opposite of that, then it's so, so down immediately.
Manic depression.
It has many levels. Manic depression has many levels. I think until we do not really, until we not gain the realization, I think we have manic depression. Some kind of, some stage.
Student: On some level. On some level.
It's okay to say because it's true.
What do you think? Student: Yes, thanks.
So we need medicine. Definitely we need medicine. Where is the medicine? Medicine is not outside. Medicine is within ourselves. Enlightenment is not there, enlightenment is within ourselves.
So, taming is so important. So taming is based in training. So we need to know how to train, train. The bottom line is training. In the dharma, when we say, we say, saying,
we say, we... when we say, we practice dharma. What is the practice of dharma? What is it to practice the dharma? What is the practice of dharma?
What do we mean when we say, practice dharma?
Student: Giving and helping. Huh? Student: Giving and helping. Giving what? Giving, jinpa. Huh? Giving, jinpa. Giving?
Student: Sharing the teachings we have received,
Knowing a person that needs, and then which of our abilities to apply for this particular person. All animals too. Never forget the animals.
Never forget sentient beings, not only animals. You forgot, bugs. You forgot, fish. I not forgot. I say all sentient beings. But you are only interest human and animals. joking...
But if we understand, practicing Dharma to exclusively mean to do good, then our understanding of the Buddha Dharma is not really that great. What means 'sufficient' means what? It's not sufficient. It's insufficient understanding.
Insufficient. Insufficient. If we say, I'm practicing, in terminology, in Sanskrit,
What is the dharma?
What is the path? Shortcut.
So if we think that practicing dharma is about avoiding negative acts, Ten, ten negative. The ten of them, and if we think that practicing the dharma involves then doing good and the ordinary ten virtues, then... that that's the path of the dharma. If that's what we think and we feel content with that understanding and abide by that understanding, still we haven't really penetrated to the root of Buddhist practice. Then what?
There is view, meditation, conduct and fruition.
Ground, path and fruition.
And most important of all is the view. What then is the view?
Emptiness and dependent origination. What's the conduct?
Avoiding bringing harm on any sentient being,
including our own enemy.
And in fact in particular being able to have genuine loving concern for our own enemy. That's one of our most important duties as dharma practitioners.
The terms are so beautiful they are really quite enrapturing the dharma vocabulary.
So beautiful, so attractive it sounds.
And it's all true what we are talking about. There is no deception.
But if because it is so beautiful and because it makes so excellent sense, we become we end up stuck at the level of words and concepts so that we are not really able to take to heart in a more deeper sense what in fact is being expressed in the teachings. Then the real effects will not occur either. In other words, just by knowing a whole lot of dharma and being able to think about it in a very clear and beautiful manner, being able to communicate the dharma, discuss it in a beautiful and meaningful and convincing way, that alone is not going to liberate us. We need to know the training. We need to have experience with the training on a very practical and direct level. And the there are two aspects to that training. There are the means and the insight and those have to be combined. The means is, they are in terms of love and compassion and the insight is this insight into reality. So when we know these means and when we have that insight, when we live through those means and that insight, then liberation and awakening follows.
So we talk about practicing the dharma and we need to know really well what it is we are talking about. What does it mean to practice the dharma?
Practicing the dharma, in order to do that it's not enough that we just say a whole lot of things that we chant and recite and that we keep many different things in mind and meditate in that manner.
That doesn't really qualify as dharma practice. Just that. Chanting a lot, visualizing a lot, knowing a lot, is not enough. Chanting is method. Visualizing is method. Knowing a lot is method. They are not real.
So we need
we need a resolve and if we are stuck with the means, all of these are what we talked about are skillful means. They are means and method. But if we let them be just that then we don't really gain all the benefits. Means and methods are there to be applied. So how can we ensure that we really use the methods, that we really apply the means? Well, as we wake up in the morning then we can tell ourselves in a very clear and direct way that today I will whatever I may be occupied with doing whether I move about, whether I sit down, whether I have a meal or even if I lie down to rest I will always do what I do with the clear wish that something should happen to my mind. I'm going to do something I'm going to make something happen today during all these different situations. I will make something happen. And how will I do that? I will let myself be inspired by the thoughts of impermanence and renunciation and I will let my being become completely saturated with love and compassion and then I will let my mind arrive at insight into the nature of things. This is my wish and that's the program for today.
I seal everything with the view of emptiness.
Truly doing that comes down to having a direct recognition of the way things are, the intrinsic nature.
That true insight into the way things are has many different names. Terms are used for it in the dharma teachings. Insight into the absence of self, the recognition of emptiness, great simplicity beyond conceptual constructs, the views of Mahamudra and the great perfection. Those are the terms that are used for that direct and full recognition of the intrinsic nature, the way things are. But if we cannot arrive at that direct and fully experiential recognition of the nature of things, then we can think in a way that is quite in tune with the way things are. And in other words, we just begin to drop the thoughts that go very much against the way things are. So, for example, when we are used to thinking that things last, perhaps that they last very long or even last forever, as we understand that those thoughts are actually not accurate because there is no conditioned thing that goes on and endures, then we can just give up, begin to loosen that tendency to think that things last, just as when we understand that while we may think that all of this is real, it isn't. When we understand that, we can also begin to let go of the thoughts that hold on very rigidly to things being real and solidly there. And if we just begin to...
approach the real recognition of the nature of things in such a conceptual way, giving up the rigid ways of thinking in terms of permanence and reality, and instead just remind ourselves gently that this doesn't last and it isn't real, then that has some very concrete repercussions because if we don't think that this lasts and we don't think that it is real, then, a whole range of emotions are not going to happen a whole range of negative emotions. And we become very capable and very skilled in going through all sorts of experiences and all sorts of situations. If we can think increasingly that it isn't lasting, it doesn't continue, and if we can remind ourselves that it isn't real the way it appears, then that will make us able to go through life in a very skillful way and with a great sense of openness and ease. And if things work out for us, it doesn't make us crazy and completely out of touch with things, be infatuated by our own success. And if something goes wrong, it's not that big of a problem either. It's not going to make us terribly depressed, it's not going to be a disaster if things turned out different from what we wanted them to be. So your whole perception changes, your experience of things changes, because you're used to thinking in a new way, in a different way, things begin to present themselves in a different way as well, and so the whole world looks different. If all of these effects come from just taking a first step in a conceptual manner on the path, then think about how it might be to have the real experience of this in a way that isn't dependent on thoughts. To put in very simple language. We need to apply the teaching in daily life, moment by moment, moment by moment, wherever you are, whatever you're doing, eating, talking, even in the toilet. This is our duty, this is our responsibility. Knowing a lot is not helpful, chanting a lot is not helpful, visualising beautiful things here and there is not only that will help. Yes, these are necessary, yes, these are helpful, but really the bottom line is we need to be aware moment by moment, and we need to change. Change what? Positively. More soft, more wise, more kind and more tolerant. That is our success. That is our achievement. In the teachings it mentions,
So, they say that there should be a decisive sense of progress, progress from year to year, from month to month, from week to week, from day to day. That's how it ought to be, that we can feel that progress as every day passes, or at least as the months go by that there's a sense of I've gotten somewhere. And think about it, if a year passes and you don't get that sense at all, what kind of practice would you be doing? Maybe dharma bum.
Because of me, there is not many dharma bums now. dharma. Dharma, the dharma bums are wiped out. Wiped out, what? Wiped out. Wiped out.
practice is all about a certain direction of the mind, a perspective. Right? It's a certain perspective practice.
So we have a chance of finding that perspective. We have the real possibility to do so when we are awake. When we fall asleep it's different.
Then we're helpless. Sleep is one kind of death. One kind of death. Where we are, we don't know. It means what country, which house, which bed, how you're sleeping, with whom and how you look. You don't know anything. Totally gone. It's death. Death means to be like that. Every day we are dying.
The sense cognition all five of them, dissolve into the all-ground consciousness.
And about impermanence and about death.
There's two ways, One is ignoring, one is face, face (it). Ignoring is not helpful. But why? We need to face. So however ugly, however, whatever, ugly, or we do not want to think, or even the words of death is not nice, but we need to face death. So we shouldn't escape. We need to talk we need to think, we need to face (death). If we talk, think. If we make preparations when death comes, Not a big deal. If we are hiding, if we are ignoring. Actually, why do we not want to talk? Why do we not want to think? Because we fear. We have so much fear. So people do not want to talk about death. People do not want to use the words of death they are so scared. Everybody knows everybody needs to die. But people do not want to think about it. People not want to talk. People do not want to discuss. In Buddhism, we talk a lot about impermanence, we talk a lot about death. Some people, because of that, they do not like to learn more further. Because they don't want to face (death). And moreover, and also talk about old age. People do not like to hear about that. People like to hear, I ever last, never death. This is not that way. It not works that way. We shouldn't cheat ourselves. We shouldn't cheat ourselves. It's not true. We need to. We are dying. We will die. 100% sure dying. We never know when we will die. So, why not talk about, why not face? There's knowing, talking, and when death comes, it is much more easy to deal. If we never talk, never think, never discuss and never prepare then, Boom! Misery, misery. So Buddhist teaching is fact. how to live nicely, how to die nicely. This is the life. Need to live nicely, happily, happy. Happiness is based on kindness. If kindness, if we are rich in mind, kind, that makes so much happy. If we are poor in kindness, whatever we success, we are really, really, really poor. Whatever we not (have), poor in education, financially, or even physically, if we are poor, not healthy, financially, difficult day by day, education, not much education. But if we have one, if we have kind, if kindness is within ourselves, that has so much power and quality. It helps, heals, it protects yourself. It helps, heals, serves, protects, helps and heals others. So the world is very poor. What is the poor part of the world? Education? No, no, no. Technology? No, no, no. Economically? No, no, no. The world is very poor about kindness. It's become more and more materialistic, materialistic? Yeah! materialistic. More, more, more materialistic, more more poor of kindness. Seems like I might be wrong. You judge, you discuss, you think. Something there is strange. More and more intelligent, more and more rich, more and more educated, less and less feeling to others, more and more feeling to yourself, more and more becoming selfish. There is something here, something doing funny, something going funny.
So now how to apply? Moment by moment.
By being moved by great sadness, by being, having a warm affection, by being completely open and overjoyed.
Moved by great sadness. Great? Moved by sadness.
So moved by sadness, warm and affectionate, perfectly open and overjoyed.
Nice words? In Tibetan the terminology is very beautiful.
I always want to say great sadness but a, really moved by sadness. Milarepa, when he in cave and he went out, he tried to get some wood and he couldn't have success. At that moment a wind came. Then he might be... Then he was moved by sadness.
And then because of that he remembered the guru Marpa.
And then he sang a supplication to guru Marpa to dispel the gloom of the mind. He became very sad, and that sadness brings a very strong missing, missing the teacher, and brings some kind of very pure devotion, or faith. Then he sings. How much he misses Marpa and his teaching. And the wife of Marpa, and the Sangha, and the teaching, the tantric teaching, he miss all. So, he sang, sang, sang, sang from bottom heart.
And a he really got carried away by this song of sadness and devotion. Almost so that he couldn't take it anymore. As if he was about to pass out overwhelmed by sadness and devotion. Some strange mixture. Like almost fainting. That kind of moved, and suddenly a... beautiful cloud came. On top of the cloud Marpa was riding on a lion. He says what's wrong my son?
What are you crying for my boy?
I can't find a better word. No. Crying for, I think it's quite okay. What are you crying for?
...is like a... small child when the child is sad, or disappointed, they're nagging to mom. You know, it's almost like blaming to mom. Mom has not done anything wrong, but you know, because for her (child), the most closest is the mom. So needs to show everything to mom. You understand? All emotion need to show to mom. So this word in dharma terminology...
You crying for in that sense. I cry for to get something. But we can think more of course. Is there British?
Students: Whining.
Whining for, yeah, yeah. Whining is good This American? American english is not that correct.
Need to go to the source.
American will say hospital is haspital.
Saying haspital is too much open your mouth. And saying like Queen's English is little bit huspital is not right. I think better to medium. Maybe Oxford English.
Queen's English is too good, it's like singing. Need to have melody. I and my husband went yesterday to Manchester.
Sorry.
So what are you whining about?
And then he gave special instructions.
And Milarepa's experience and realization blossomed further.
That's the power of faith and devotion.
Even feeling sad is a powerful thing.
Because you felt sad the devotion came because of the devotion you met the guru and the instructions were delivered. Please read life of Milarepa, again and again. Please read the song of Milarepa, again and again. Please read and study. Actually you need to study, Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra Now after, 9th chapters when? When will be the 9th chapter? What month you know? Student: March. Student: March. Can you say two words about this? Student: Yeah! Student here are studying Bodhicaryāvatāra and they are studying the entire text. But some around the begning of the march we will reach chapter 9 which is the chapter of wisdom and so then Rinpoche wanted us to invite many people to come to study that chapter, especially. So when it gets little closer we know exactly when it will start If possible you come. 9th chapter. 9th chapter. Thai, Thai Student: It's also available online starting from January. Also online, online. I really highly recommend if you want to be meaningful in your life. We're all human. We would like to have in the life, what we need. We need to have a rich knowledge. It's the really richest knowledge. Rich knowledge is the real genuine richness. Rich knowledge is the real genuine rich. Riches? Riches. So, please try to join. If possible, very good to be with the teacher. Good to be with student. There is an energy. The teachers energy, the student's energy. Discussing. Discussing you know question, and answer, alive, has energy. Of course technology is also very helpful. Through that you can study wherever you are. But still I will say, if possible only few month. 9th chapter, how long? Student: 6 weeks. Only 6 weeks? It's little short. 6 weeks short. Student: 6 or 7. Yeah, 7 weeks. It's really, really good. You will get, really you will get almost third eye. And also you can study online what? Student: So you can study online chapter 9. Just like Rinpoche is talking about Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra And Thomas will be answering questions. Wow, super. And then we study the Mulamadhyamikakarika, The Root Verses of the Middle Way. And then also a course that is called: Faoundations of Buddhism. It is an Introduction. In Buddhist history and philosophy. Is also online. And both of those courses will have moderators too. Hillary Herdman, who is one of our instructors, will be moderatoing those two courses online, and they all start in January. And they are all just 108 Dollars, I think.
They are good courses, they are really nice. Khenpo Jampa Donden is teaching them.
There are three transmissions we can say. There's the one of learning and reflecting the approach of learning and reflecting, the approach of meditating with oral instructions, and then finally the approach through the transfer of blessings. So three approaches in this way. And the first the approach of resolving the view through learning and reflecting. That's the one that is being maintained in the monastic universities where one studies the classical texts and resolves the view through a sophisticated process of refining one's understanding, applying arguments and analysis based on the scriptural statements. So working with scripture and reasoning one resolves the view, establishes the view. That is the approach that comes through the middle way and mind only systems. And it is an approach that is alive today, has been maintained in Tibet through these, in these monastic institutions. And it is an approach that goes back to the early days of Buddhism in India where we have these great monastic universities such as Nalanda and Vikramashila. So many of you study here in the International Institute for Buddhist Studies and those of you who do so have then first-hand experience with what that approach is about. There's another approach of meditating by means of oral instructions. That's the one that we maintain here, when having seminars for Buddhist practice and that's the one that is being maintained in the triple excellence program. And then finally there is the approach of the transfer of blessings. That is the way of realization through simply the meeting of master and disciple, qualified master and a ready disciple. When they come together then in that bare meeting of the minds full realization can occur. It doesn't happen often but it has happened historically speaking and there is that third approach.
Please join at least one.
Ninth chapter, wisdom chapter, or the Mulamadhyamikarika,
or Triple Excellence. Of course best is all.
Is anybody practicing online? Oh, which one? Which online? Huh? Triple Excellence? Three of you? Oh, more, five, six. Can you say two words about how you feel, what kind of affect to you? Student: I started about 2 days ago.
Thank you. You? Student: We have been practicing like for a week only but it's very nice because a... the way it's structured, every day we have a new practice that connects to the one we made before and whole day long keeps your mind connected to this practice to be more deep, deep understanding. Not only here like, but to take it in the everyday life before having read on the powerpoint and making the meditation... All day long, you take what we mostly have in the books or in the teachings, like what we are doing during the whole day, so it becomes very powerful to like really mixes all what we are doing with this understanding and makes it more powerful. I am very appreciate. Student: Thank you so much. Any of you practicing Triple Excellence? You?
Student: Well, every time I have to say something about Triple Excellence sometimes I get lost for words but it really keeps you on track. You get these beautiful teachings to begin with from Rinpoche and then you get a daily meditation in the morning and the wake up practice. This prayer is so beautiful because when we do the wake up practice it reminds us that all our kind mothers are lost in samsara and when they wake up they roam in ignorance, in the darkness of ignorance. So straight away with the wake up practice you have this beautiful generation of bodhicitta and then the actual meditations themselves in the morning, at the end of the meditation, please think about during the day, think about precious human rebirth, think about whatever topic and to bring it to your own experience through the day and then the at the end of the day, again, this meditation, so you are really, it's really sinking in, you know. And then the end of the day, how did you go? You know, did you remember? So it really, it's something every day. You know, I teach Buddhism, I don't know, I'm just a tape recorder, but one of the things that I noticed, students become very discouraged if there's no continuity. So here with the Triple Excellence, you have, you are connecting every day with Rinpoche and with the Sangha. You are given some practice to do every day and I think this is when our minds change and I cannot thank you all. Everybody involved in the Triple Excellence, it always moves me to tears, so thank you, thank you, thank you. I can't recommend it highly enough.
Even who want to improve your English? Student: Especially.
If anyone, any of you, if you want to improve, Oxford English. No, I'm not joking, you know, I've seen some Europeans. I know them and maybe after six, seven months, I see them, their English is very good. I say, oh, you went to school, no, no, no, Triple Excellence, especially for Nepalese, for Asians. I'm not joking. You don't need to go to Oxford, it's a long way and expensive and, you know, no, I'm not joking, I'm not joking, no, not joking.
Also now, good news, a few days ago, a group of people, they like to translate the Triple Excellence into Nepali language.
In my mind, my experience, whoever practices the Triple Excellence, their are quite tamed . their are quite tamed.
That is the gain. They're very happy, happy. They're very happy, they think every day is connected with dharma. They very appreciate and they're very happy with what they're doing. So I really highly recommend, join that. It will really heal you and help you. However you are learned, whatever practice you do, this is really, really helpful for you. On top of that, whatever practice you want to do, you do it. But this bring you, how you say, structure and lead.
What ani you say, structure? No, Track. Track, yeah. This will keep you on track, otherwise you lose it.
If I say, even moment by moment, it does something in your mind. Even if you're not aware, even if you're not aware, it make you softer and softer, So fast, kind, kind, so fast, wiser and wiser, so fast. So, at least, please, how to say, try? There's one way to, testing? Have a trial, give it, take it, test it out. Test it out. It's good or not, test it. Give it a try. Student: Everyone can try for one month? Can you say this? This I want very much. Sorry, sorry, sorry. Oh, you come here. Oh, this longer?
You come here. Small, you're small, no problem.
Well everyone can try out the first excellence for one month and after one month, if you don't like it, if it doesn't benefit you or whatever, just write us an email and saying why and maybe tell us how to improve and you get all your money back. So, we stand for the quality of the program, so one month, please try it out.
I don't know that. That's very, very necessary. I'm very happy about that, I'm very happy about that. It needs to be that way. This is not business. A handful of people are working very hard. We are charging some money, it's for survive, technology, and you know, some expenses. And it not really covers all. And we're not doing this for any other reason. No name, no fame, no money. Each of us, we're doing this from the bottom of our heart. We want to share the Buddha's teaching. All the yānas. Not missing anything. Also this is impartial. We're not talking anything about this lineage, that lineage. We're not discussing, we're not debating. Just showing the path.
So how many people want to join?
Sweet. Think about that. At least try one month. And you can take back the money. Or not to pay money. That doesn't matter. However,
Wow! Time!
Thank you, today my talk went very well, because Thomas is with us.
The wisdom chapter, Thomas will be also lead, yeah? I'm so happy about that. So you can ask direct question, even who are studying online. Now we are really rich. The teacher, translator, and Thomas. In the monastery, they are called Khenpo or Acharya and a professor. Buddhist professor and a good translator. From teacher side, we are really rich. I can not make better than that. We can not make better than this. They're all super, very qualified teachers, who will teach the ninth chapter. Khenpo, he himself is very qualified. His translator, who will translate? He's not here today? He's really good, he's really good. And Thomas is really good in specifically Uma. He is khepa chenpo. He translated a few big books. And one of your books is still not available? The last book, name what?
No, it is available. No much?
Both? Can you say both? That I just participated in the translation of the Mahayana Sutra Alamkara. Which a.... How many chapters? How many pages? The book is about a thousand pages altogether. It's a classic of Buddhism that has a very wonderful commentary, two commentaries actually. When you translate for me you are louder, but when I say something about what you are doing? You need to be opposite. And then there's a book I wrote about Madhyamaka and the history of Madhyamaka. That one, what name? And it's called Reason and Experience in Tibetan Buddhism. In my mind, it's very important to shedra students to read this. But you know the book, the printers are just keeping this sort of limited and charging a lot of money and they're keeping limited. Very funny.
Much more expensive. How much? A hundred and forty dollars. Yeah, one book hundred and forty dollars and not many books. Limited, You don't get a refund.
So you have to think about it carefully before you buy that book because you can't get a refund not like the Triple Excellence. A few people have said it is very, very amazing. It's very, very sharp. But I feel bad, you know. We not even have one or two. You have in library? Kathy? Student: I think it's in the reference section Rinpoche la. We have? Student: I think it's in the reference section. Yeah, we really need to get, people need to know. Somebody put a lot of effort and a lot of knowledge there. Especially if we are not getting, it's very funny. Our professor wrote this and other university they're reading and we don't know if that book exists or not.
And I keep telling to Thomas, he studied so many years and he have so rich knowledge and now time to share. And you know, Khenpo style is one. I think you can make sort of more package, more package. But within few hours inside he will say all the point of Umalajukpa or Uma Tsawa Sherab. You know, the two together very important. The tradition of khenpo way of explaining, each word has how many meaning...
And just make short and package, okay. You take. It's nice and there's so much words, you know, you don't know what now. You listen hours and hours and you don't know now what is the package. And so, you really, I'm telling to the shedra staffs, you need to hold Thomas. No, no, I'm not joking. What do you think?
Yeah, yeah, you say, you are also very knowledgeable, say a few words. A little bit get up, you and me short. Student: Just that Thomas present madhyamaka in one of the clearest ways I've ever heard and really in a way that is extremely approachable I mean it's like really a fantastic way of presenting and making things very clear, very quickly. I think Thomas you should talk more about....... fantastic. For example, he's leaving, otherwise I want him to give talk. Are you leaving tomorrow? Tomorrow. Tomorrow? What time?
Tomorrow morning? Morning?
Please, when he back, if I'm here or I'm not here, make a teaching to the international students, also once in a while for the public, once in a while. Like today, in the short term you guys can learn a lot. And Uma, the Bhikshu Ryan teaching, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Student: He's the Kyurpen. Huh? He's the Kyurpen. Kyurpen Yeah. For the Umalajukpa. Yeah, who student here? Umalajukpa student? Yeah, he teaching? Student: Ryan? Yeah. He takes one of the review classes. How you like? I'm not in it actually, so I can't say. Who's there? Who's there? Huh? Can you say one, two words? Student: He's truly excellent. He clearly understands perfectly and he summarizes all of the key points in incredible decisive way Also because of his English ability, he can translate just like that, you know? So he provides us with handouts of like materials we wouldn't have access to otherwise. So he's completely unique. I'm happy. He's a Canadian from Canada and he become monk and he's studying with monks here. Eat like monk's food, dal bhat thakari (Vegetables). Yesterday I took him out. I think first time in the restaurant. Studied there so many years, I feel touched. So I took him to the restaurant and dal bhat, he really eat dal bhat a lot. Then I said, now, you prove you are the monk. One of the monk, gompa monk, dal.
And I want to see like that more, more from...
Rinpoche really hopes that many people from many different backgrounds, with many different types of experience will come here to the monastery and study in a very genuine way and gain really genuine abilities. He is very diligent. I look a little bit here, always with studying, rarely to see him, just..., always reading.
I said, oh, you don't need to follow one thing, food. You can cook and you can buy bread and cheese and coffee and specifically...
Peanuts. Peanut butter. Peanut butter, I told him. He said, okay, okay, I don't know.
Need to dharma.
The healer, the protector, the saviour, forever saviour, forever saviour is only one, dharma. Forever saviour is the dharma. So please, this genuine richness you need to keep genuinely. How to keep genuinely? Study, practice, teach, discuss.
Okay, okay, really, one thirty, what?
And he taught that you are your own protector just as you are your own enemy.
Whatever good or bad you may do, you yourself are the witness.
And he said, that the Buddhas can not stop the suffering of sentient beings with their hand. They can not wash away their obscurations with water. They can not transfer their realization to others, but as they teach the truth of the intrinsic nature, everyone is freed. So, what they teach is liberation through insight into the intrinsic nature of things, suchness.
The Buddha's awakening, the liberation and complete awakening to the omniscient realization of a Buddha, that follows from following the path that leads to those achievements. It's through that, that one gains liberation and awakening. So in that regard, he also says that I show you the path to liberation, but whether or not you take it depends upon yourself. So it's the teaching of the intrinsic nature, that which points out to us the intrinsic nature. When we follow that teaching, then the results follow. That's what the Buddha can do for us, show us reality. And beyond that, even the Buddha is not able to help us in any superior or in any other way. In Buddhism, the saviour is not the Buddha. If we think the Buddha will save us, it's wrong. If we just think the dharma will save us, it's wrong. The sangha will save us, it's wrong. The Buddha shows us the path. The path is what? Teaching. Teaching, knowing, is not enough, we need to practice. If we do not practice, if we have good knowledge in dharma, it not means. It not means nothing...no,... It doesn't mean anything.
Anything. It doesn't... Student: It doesn't mean anything. Yeah, it doesn't mean anything. We need to apply, we need to practice. So in the world, there's different religions, different beliefs, but we all good to know Buddha is not the saviour. The Buddha cannot save us. Just worshipping to dharma books or worshipping to Sangha or monks or nuns, will not save us. We need to save ourselves. Buddha says, you are your teacher. Your own saviour. Yeah, you are, yeah, you are own...
You are your own protector or you are your own saviour. How could anyone else protect you?
When you train yourselves perfectly well, you yourselves will turn into the sacred refuge, You will become the saviour. Buddha is saying very logical truth. He says, I cannot save you. You need to save yourself. I will show you how to save yourself. That's all. So how touching. How touching. Buddha will never say, I save you.
He says, I will teach you, I will guide you on how to save yourself. So you, you are your own teacher, you are your own enemy. Who knows that? You, you know that, about that. How good you are, how good you are doing, how bad you are doing, it's you who know. Anybody not know? Except you yourself, nobody knows that clearly. Only you know. So listen how touching. It's very logical.
So what he taught?
As it is generally known, he taught the three Pitakas,
which contain three trainings. The training in special discipline, the training in special meditative absorption and the training in special insight.
There are many types of sentient beings, many different ways that one can be born as a sentient being, but presently we are humans. That means that we have achieved a special type of freedom and power that comes with being a human being. So we enjoy that freedom and that power now as humans. And having turned into human beings, then we have certain human needs. And what is it that human beings need? They need their happiness. They need to be happy and they work towards, they try their best to become happy. And what is happiness among human beings and what does it really come down to? To a sense of mutual respect, appreciation, affection and love for one another. When there is that kind of atmosphere, then human beings are happy. They can be very happy. When there is that sort of atmosphere, when there is genuine care, love and affection, then it's a joyful situation to be a human being. But that kind of happiness and that kind of fulfillment for human beings is destroyed, not by whom, not by... It's not a punishment from God when we fail to have that kind of happiness. And it's not some sort of evil scheme of a demon or devil either. And it's not that wild animals prevent us from being happy in that way. It's not that bugs and insects make it difficult for us to be in that way. When we fail to be happy as human beings, it's not because of any of those things.
So who is it who is responsible when we human beings aren't happy and don't feel the way we would like to feel? What's the reason? Who is behind it? Human beings.
And how do we go about preventing ourselves from being happy as human beings?
What's the root problem when human beings prevent themselves from being happy human beings?
It's not because people are too kind and it's not because they are too loving that we end up being unhappy. When you say too loving, it's typical in Danish accent? One second. Not only one second, I'm sure.
Why we... What we need, this world is who? Who is the boss? Human. Who is the controller? Human. Who is the most smartest? Supposedly human. Who has the most capablilities? Human. And what humans want? Joy, happiness. What human does? The opposite of that. Why we? What wrong now we are? What's wrong?
Why are we destroying ourselves? Why are we torturing ourselves? Why are we putting misery in our life and the future generations? What wrong we are? Something wrong here. This is not caused by loving kindness and compassion. This is not caused with good motivation. This is caused by selfishness. This is caused by negative emotions, pride, jealousy, and greed. So we are screwing up our planet. We are screwing up our life. We are screwing up our future generations. We really are destroying the whole world actually. In this time we need to be really more aware and more discuss and more think. Because, in the past also there is trouble. Because there is human. There is human because, humans are not enough tolerant. And humans are not really applying their kindness, honest, trusting. So, now we got till here. Outerly we are living quite sort of, on one hand you can say civilized. We have more technologies. We can travel more easy. And even living styles are much more comfortable. There is heating system, hot and cool, everywhere TV, and you can send SMS or talk here, there. Whole world is becoming smaller and smaller and smaller. But we think we are becoming bigger and bigger. No, we are becoming smaller and smaller. Technology is becoming bigger and bigger. We are fooling ourselves. We are becoming smaller and smaller. One day we will definitely become like a box. Technology is like huge And it's not a joke. Like we are watching, many years before when I was a child, when we watch movie they called, Ching Kong, King Kong. They are holding people here and there. Now, King Kong is already here now. We made King Kong now. We put our lives in King Kong's hands now. We can not get back now. We can not go back that easily. But one day no choice we not go back. But till that we can not go back that easily. We are totally in technology's hands. Body, brain, money, energy, everything is sucked by technologies. We are becoming smaller and smaller, hopeless and hopeless, and our brain does not work that much now. All the brain sucks in the technology and they control you where to go, what to eat, what to do, what to think. We think we are becoming more wiser. No, we are becoming more narrow. Whatever information comes, we are just stuck there. Small piece of box or small in your computer or iPad. Total mind just there. The warmness, the kindness, the joy and laughing and joking. It's where? It's gone. More and more stress, more and more uptight, more and more mind become narrow and narrow, focus and focus, and control your whole brain. That is the modern. That is the civilized. That is our success. Success. We are successful. We are very successful. Why? We have a lot of the newest and latest technologies. So we think we are successful.
So, now the world is becoming smaller and smaller, dirty and dirty, polluted and polluted. Talking about oil, oil is nothing. Shortage of water,
polluted water, a shortage of water, and damaging the earth. And not trusting, not respecting, not loving, cheating each other, each other. Just so strong emotion. What kind of emotion? Greedy. Greedy has become more and more power and more and more skills. The greedy power has become so strong it went to the technology. Now technology bcame so greedy, so powerful, so hurtful. Yes, we can not say all technology is bad. Yes, technology is helping a lot, but another sides. Each country, how much they make, more and more army, more and more technology. What kind of technology? Hidden technology. What kind of? Pistol? No, no, no, no. Gun? No, no, no. Huge, unbelievable, powerful things. Almost nearly a hundred years before, what happened in the world? After that, now what? How many years back? How skills? How skills, good skills, bad skills already pop up in this world?
And Buddhist teaching is just fact. And Buddha, what he is saying, he is just talking, just fact. He is not talking else. He is not talking unusual. He is not saying anything unusual things, just fact.
So we are talking about Śīla, the five precepts. Why in the world, why do we have no peace? Why are we fighting? Why are we cheating? Why are we lying? Why we need more armies? Why we need more technology? To whom? Actually it's terrible, terribly ugly, to humans. Human are making guns for humans. Human are making bombs, atom bomb, nuclear bomb, and many other awful things. To whom? To human. Which planet? On this planet. There is no other planet.
So we are talking honest, honest, honesty, honesty. especially these days we talk about honesty, honest, what is honest? What is, civilized? Don't be a liar, don't be honest. Where is the honesty? Just light conversation is honest, but real honesty is where? In business is there honest? Is their technology inside honest? In the politics is there honest? Sometimes even in religions, there is no honesty. So where is honest? What Buddha is saying, be honest. The cause and effect is extremely important. If you really believe from the bottom of your heart cause and effect, you can not be not honest. You can not cheat yourself, you can not harm yourself. Till then, who knows about you? You can be very good at hypocrisy. You can cheat, you can lie. Who knows you? It's difficult. You can hide, you can...
So in this world what is the problem? Problems all comes from dishonest. dishonest? Lack of (dis)honest. Lack of (dis)honesty. lack of kindness, lack of trust, lack of respect. We are facing a misery life.
Now we have no shortage of technology, we have no shortage, even economic. We have no shortage of education. But we really have shortage. We are so poor, so poor. About what? Kindness, Kindness, we are so poor, so poor. So for that reason there is no trusting, no respect. Less respect, even in the family, and with friends.
Less trust. Less respect. Less honest. What reasons? Lack of... kindness. So the Buddha's teaching is world wide important. It's so important world wide. It's so important for those who believe in the religion of dharma, who do not believe in the religion of dharma, who ever wants to live in this world peacefully, in harmony, and happy, and joy, and laughing, joking, enjoying, enjoying the five sense object. The flower is beautiful. The winds are nice. A cup of water is good.
But if we are not aware... almost we are too late now.
What too late? We already harmed a lot. We have harmed the earth here. We have harmed the earth, We have harmed the people physically and we have really harmed mentally. Mentally polluted. Mental pollution is very dangerous. What is the pollution? Dishoner. Dishonesty. Dishonesty is polluted. A Child, who will teach about kindness? Who will say how important is to tolerance? Who will say how important to respect each other? Who will respect? Who will teach be trust(ing). Don't trust anyone. You are the most important. Fight. Fight. Don't trust anyone. Fight. Gain. Competition. Everything is competition. Everything is competition. We don't know how to be not in competition now. We have that much success. We don't know how to not be in competition. We are so expert to compete . Comparing and comparing. Competing and competing. If possible, we step on each other.
If I will win something unusual, I will not mind to step on each other. If we feel that way, how ugly! How painful. How sad. So now it's really time to open our heart and look at the source, look at the cause. What's wrong in the world now? Am I okay with my physical body? Is my physical also polluted? Too many chemicals everywhere. What kind of sickness I have? Am I okay in my mind? Did I really pollute it? It's so greedy. Am I so greedy? Am I so proud? Have I really become so hypocrite? Am I really become untrusty? Untrustworthy? Untrust, untrust, Untrustworthy. It become one day, you not trust yourself. Not trusting, not trusting here, there, here, there. Then you shouldn't be trusting. Then difficult to trust yourself. Because what you learned, says don't trust to anyone. So you also one of them.
And we work so hard, especially, you know, everywhere. same I travel a little bit here and there. Whoever wears very dirty cloth and live in a very simple shelter and go to work.
Hard work. And who have fancy three piece suit, ten, fifteen, thousands...
price of three piece suit. Giant sort of
car or airplane even. But, a lot of stress. Who have more: More stress, more fear, not less stress. more fear, more worry, more doubting, and feel lonely, feel very lonely. Because you put so much effort. You make your friend is not a human, you make your friend is paper, money. Your make your friend is technology. Your make your real friend is the money, the technology and jewelry. Jewelry is only to show to other. If you live in your own private house, if you wear jewelry, it's silly. You need to show off somewhere. If you show off, you need to worry. If it's too small, you worry, If it's too big, you worry. If it's too small, you worry because nobody will think, ha ha, ho ho. If it's too big, you worry, maybe somebody will kill you.
So, happiness is mental relax. Happiness is laughing. Looking at each other, smiling. But even these days, what kind of smile now? What kind of smile? The cheating smile? You know, it's difficult to trust. what kind of smiling? Really, a kind smiling? Or cheating smiling, you know? or a fake smiling?
It's very joyful if somebody laughs to you from bottom of their heart. Sort of smile with happy, Smile with loving. It's so healing. It's not looking like, like, you know, big,
say, diamond. If you look at a big diamond, it not does anything to you.
Giant diamond. In England, I went to see the...
diamond the size of an egg. Size of an egg. Yeah. There's so much fear there. So much fear. Quite black and gun. You need to go quick. Theis is feeling funny.
Humans make humans happy. Humans make humans angry. Humans make... Who really makes most happy? Human make most happy to human. Who make really destroy human's mind? Human make human mind destroyed. Humans can help. Humans can harm. Human has terrible power.
Now what kind of? No friend? Problem. Have friend? Problem. If you have really a clean friend, both sides, it's so joyful. Whatever type of friend. Couples, boyfriend, girlfriend. Normal, just friends. Whatever friends, if you both really trust, love. Trust and love, respect. It's so joyful. Life is beautiful. You do not need much more than that. To survive in this world is not that difficult. If we think it is difficult to survive, then it is very difficult to survive because we need to catch the number ones. Number ones, how do you say?
The number one type of life. Life styles. We do not want number two. If possible we want the super. Super.
Super, super. It's so difficult to be super. Even if you are super today, tomorrow not.
It changes so fast. Whatever you are super today, and you are not super. And you cannot be super at everything. If you are super one side, then another side you are not super. You can not be in everything super. You are the most smart, the most handsome, the most rich, the most famous, the most educated, the most... impossible.
So, when I think more and more, the words of the Buddha saying,
you are your own teacher, you are your own enemy. It's so honest, so touching, but very scary. And then saying, the witness is you. He is not saying the witness is me. He never says the witness is me. He never says I save you. He never says I am the saviour. Even he will not say the dharma will save you. If dharma is applied, it saves you. Just trusting to the dharma, just worshiping to the dharma, will not (save you). It's so logical, so honest. He says, I am helpless, I want to help, I want to serve, I want to heal, but don't ever believe me, I can save you. It's wonderful. Now we know, what is the saviour.
People have so much fear. People save and save, saving, saving, save, save, save, then they feel it makes them safe.
Saving, saving, saving, saving, saving makes you feel safe. It makes you feel safe.
These words I like very much. Saving. What happened? Student: It was broken, Rinpoche. How? Student: It was broken 13 years ago actually. Then why I see today only? Student: Now it is broken again. Huh? Student: Again broken. How many days ago?
Student: A couple of weeks, one week maybe. Oh yeah, okay. I thought two things. One is I thought you have become six, or seven years old.
Again going back, so I worry, don't go to home. Don't go to home.
See, you are young.
So it's good to remember how the buddha said that you are your own saviour and you are your own enemy. Whatever good and bad you may do, you are the witness. Who is the witness?
You are your own protector. How could anyone else protect you?
If you train yourself really well, you yourself become the refuge. So our responsibility is what? We need to, now we know we need to train. We are wild. We are wild. What wild? Negative emotions. We are full of negative emotions. Anger, jealousy, attachment, greed.
So those emotions make our heart to become very dry, and our brain to become very dry, and very polluted. We know that. If we have success a little bit. We are so proud. If we have success a little bit, name, fame, power, even some, some, some small jewelry or some small makeup, or some small dress. Here, there, here, there, and later we are so proud. If opposite of that, then it's so, so down immediately.
Manic depression.
It has many levels. Manic depression has many levels. I think until we do not really, until we not gain the realization, I think we have manic depression. Some kind of, some stage.
Student: On some level. On some level.
It's okay to say because it's true.
What do you think? Student: Yes, thanks.
So we need medicine. Definitely we need medicine. Where is the medicine? Medicine is not outside. Medicine is within ourselves. Enlightenment is not there, enlightenment is within ourselves.
So, taming is so important. So taming is based in training. So we need to know how to train, train. The bottom line is training. In the dharma, when we say, we say, saying,
we say, we... when we say, we practice dharma. What is the practice of dharma? What is it to practice the dharma? What is the practice of dharma?
What do we mean when we say, practice dharma?
Student: Giving and helping. Huh? Student: Giving and helping. Giving what? Giving, jinpa. Huh? Giving, jinpa. Giving?
Student: Sharing the teachings we have received,
Knowing a person that needs, and then which of our abilities to apply for this particular person. All animals too. Never forget the animals.
Never forget sentient beings, not only animals. You forgot, bugs. You forgot, fish. I not forgot. I say all sentient beings. But you are only interest human and animals. joking...
But if we understand, practicing Dharma to exclusively mean to do good, then our understanding of the Buddha Dharma is not really that great. What means 'sufficient' means what? It's not sufficient. It's insufficient understanding.
Insufficient. Insufficient. If we say, I'm practicing, in terminology, in Sanskrit,
What is the dharma?
What is the path? Shortcut.
So if we think that practicing dharma is about avoiding negative acts, Ten, ten negative. The ten of them, and if we think that practicing the dharma involves then doing good and the ordinary ten virtues, then... that that's the path of the dharma. If that's what we think and we feel content with that understanding and abide by that understanding, still we haven't really penetrated to the root of Buddhist practice. Then what?
There is view, meditation, conduct and fruition.
Ground, path and fruition.
And most important of all is the view. What then is the view?
Emptiness and dependent origination. What's the conduct?
Avoiding bringing harm on any sentient being,
including our own enemy.
And in fact in particular being able to have genuine loving concern for our own enemy. That's one of our most important duties as dharma practitioners.
The terms are so beautiful they are really quite enrapturing the dharma vocabulary.
So beautiful, so attractive it sounds.
And it's all true what we are talking about. There is no deception.
But if because it is so beautiful and because it makes so excellent sense, we become we end up stuck at the level of words and concepts so that we are not really able to take to heart in a more deeper sense what in fact is being expressed in the teachings. Then the real effects will not occur either. In other words, just by knowing a whole lot of dharma and being able to think about it in a very clear and beautiful manner, being able to communicate the dharma, discuss it in a beautiful and meaningful and convincing way, that alone is not going to liberate us. We need to know the training. We need to have experience with the training on a very practical and direct level. And the there are two aspects to that training. There are the means and the insight and those have to be combined. The means is, they are in terms of love and compassion and the insight is this insight into reality. So when we know these means and when we have that insight, when we live through those means and that insight, then liberation and awakening follows.
So we talk about practicing the dharma and we need to know really well what it is we are talking about. What does it mean to practice the dharma?
Practicing the dharma, in order to do that it's not enough that we just say a whole lot of things that we chant and recite and that we keep many different things in mind and meditate in that manner.
That doesn't really qualify as dharma practice. Just that. Chanting a lot, visualizing a lot, knowing a lot, is not enough. Chanting is method. Visualizing is method. Knowing a lot is method. They are not real.
So we need
we need a resolve and if we are stuck with the means, all of these are what we talked about are skillful means. They are means and method. But if we let them be just that then we don't really gain all the benefits. Means and methods are there to be applied. So how can we ensure that we really use the methods, that we really apply the means? Well, as we wake up in the morning then we can tell ourselves in a very clear and direct way that today I will whatever I may be occupied with doing whether I move about, whether I sit down, whether I have a meal or even if I lie down to rest I will always do what I do with the clear wish that something should happen to my mind. I'm going to do something I'm going to make something happen today during all these different situations. I will make something happen. And how will I do that? I will let myself be inspired by the thoughts of impermanence and renunciation and I will let my being become completely saturated with love and compassion and then I will let my mind arrive at insight into the nature of things. This is my wish and that's the program for today.
I seal everything with the view of emptiness.
Truly doing that comes down to having a direct recognition of the way things are, the intrinsic nature.
That true insight into the way things are has many different names. Terms are used for it in the dharma teachings. Insight into the absence of self, the recognition of emptiness, great simplicity beyond conceptual constructs, the views of Mahamudra and the great perfection. Those are the terms that are used for that direct and full recognition of the intrinsic nature, the way things are. But if we cannot arrive at that direct and fully experiential recognition of the nature of things, then we can think in a way that is quite in tune with the way things are. And in other words, we just begin to drop the thoughts that go very much against the way things are. So, for example, when we are used to thinking that things last, perhaps that they last very long or even last forever, as we understand that those thoughts are actually not accurate because there is no conditioned thing that goes on and endures, then we can just give up, begin to loosen that tendency to think that things last, just as when we understand that while we may think that all of this is real, it isn't. When we understand that, we can also begin to let go of the thoughts that hold on very rigidly to things being real and solidly there. And if we just begin to...
approach the real recognition of the nature of things in such a conceptual way, giving up the rigid ways of thinking in terms of permanence and reality, and instead just remind ourselves gently that this doesn't last and it isn't real, then that has some very concrete repercussions because if we don't think that this lasts and we don't think that it is real, then, a whole range of emotions are not going to happen a whole range of negative emotions. And we become very capable and very skilled in going through all sorts of experiences and all sorts of situations. If we can think increasingly that it isn't lasting, it doesn't continue, and if we can remind ourselves that it isn't real the way it appears, then that will make us able to go through life in a very skillful way and with a great sense of openness and ease. And if things work out for us, it doesn't make us crazy and completely out of touch with things, be infatuated by our own success. And if something goes wrong, it's not that big of a problem either. It's not going to make us terribly depressed, it's not going to be a disaster if things turned out different from what we wanted them to be. So your whole perception changes, your experience of things changes, because you're used to thinking in a new way, in a different way, things begin to present themselves in a different way as well, and so the whole world looks different. If all of these effects come from just taking a first step in a conceptual manner on the path, then think about how it might be to have the real experience of this in a way that isn't dependent on thoughts. To put in very simple language. We need to apply the teaching in daily life, moment by moment, moment by moment, wherever you are, whatever you're doing, eating, talking, even in the toilet. This is our duty, this is our responsibility. Knowing a lot is not helpful, chanting a lot is not helpful, visualising beautiful things here and there is not only that will help. Yes, these are necessary, yes, these are helpful, but really the bottom line is we need to be aware moment by moment, and we need to change. Change what? Positively. More soft, more wise, more kind and more tolerant. That is our success. That is our achievement. In the teachings it mentions,
So, they say that there should be a decisive sense of progress, progress from year to year, from month to month, from week to week, from day to day. That's how it ought to be, that we can feel that progress as every day passes, or at least as the months go by that there's a sense of I've gotten somewhere. And think about it, if a year passes and you don't get that sense at all, what kind of practice would you be doing? Maybe dharma bum.
Because of me, there is not many dharma bums now. dharma. Dharma, the dharma bums are wiped out. Wiped out, what? Wiped out. Wiped out.
practice is all about a certain direction of the mind, a perspective. Right? It's a certain perspective practice.
So we have a chance of finding that perspective. We have the real possibility to do so when we are awake. When we fall asleep it's different.
Then we're helpless. Sleep is one kind of death. One kind of death. Where we are, we don't know. It means what country, which house, which bed, how you're sleeping, with whom and how you look. You don't know anything. Totally gone. It's death. Death means to be like that. Every day we are dying.
The sense cognition all five of them, dissolve into the all-ground consciousness.
And about impermanence and about death.
There's two ways, One is ignoring, one is face, face (it). Ignoring is not helpful. But why? We need to face. So however ugly, however, whatever, ugly, or we do not want to think, or even the words of death is not nice, but we need to face death. So we shouldn't escape. We need to talk we need to think, we need to face (death). If we talk, think. If we make preparations when death comes, Not a big deal. If we are hiding, if we are ignoring. Actually, why do we not want to talk? Why do we not want to think? Because we fear. We have so much fear. So people do not want to talk about death. People do not want to use the words of death they are so scared. Everybody knows everybody needs to die. But people do not want to think about it. People not want to talk. People do not want to discuss. In Buddhism, we talk a lot about impermanence, we talk a lot about death. Some people, because of that, they do not like to learn more further. Because they don't want to face (death). And moreover, and also talk about old age. People do not like to hear about that. People like to hear, I ever last, never death. This is not that way. It not works that way. We shouldn't cheat ourselves. We shouldn't cheat ourselves. It's not true. We need to. We are dying. We will die. 100% sure dying. We never know when we will die. So, why not talk about, why not face? There's knowing, talking, and when death comes, it is much more easy to deal. If we never talk, never think, never discuss and never prepare then, Boom! Misery, misery. So Buddhist teaching is fact. how to live nicely, how to die nicely. This is the life. Need to live nicely, happily, happy. Happiness is based on kindness. If kindness, if we are rich in mind, kind, that makes so much happy. If we are poor in kindness, whatever we success, we are really, really, really poor. Whatever we not (have), poor in education, financially, or even physically, if we are poor, not healthy, financially, difficult day by day, education, not much education. But if we have one, if we have kind, if kindness is within ourselves, that has so much power and quality. It helps, heals, it protects yourself. It helps, heals, serves, protects, helps and heals others. So the world is very poor. What is the poor part of the world? Education? No, no, no. Technology? No, no, no. Economically? No, no, no. The world is very poor about kindness. It's become more and more materialistic, materialistic? Yeah! materialistic. More, more, more materialistic, more more poor of kindness. Seems like I might be wrong. You judge, you discuss, you think. Something there is strange. More and more intelligent, more and more rich, more and more educated, less and less feeling to others, more and more feeling to yourself, more and more becoming selfish. There is something here, something doing funny, something going funny.
So now how to apply? Moment by moment.
By being moved by great sadness, by being, having a warm affection, by being completely open and overjoyed.
Moved by great sadness. Great? Moved by sadness.
So moved by sadness, warm and affectionate, perfectly open and overjoyed.
Nice words? In Tibetan the terminology is very beautiful.
I always want to say great sadness but a, really moved by sadness. Milarepa, when he in cave and he went out, he tried to get some wood and he couldn't have success. At that moment a wind came. Then he might be... Then he was moved by sadness.
And then because of that he remembered the guru Marpa.
And then he sang a supplication to guru Marpa to dispel the gloom of the mind. He became very sad, and that sadness brings a very strong missing, missing the teacher, and brings some kind of very pure devotion, or faith. Then he sings. How much he misses Marpa and his teaching. And the wife of Marpa, and the Sangha, and the teaching, the tantric teaching, he miss all. So, he sang, sang, sang, sang from bottom heart.
And a he really got carried away by this song of sadness and devotion. Almost so that he couldn't take it anymore. As if he was about to pass out overwhelmed by sadness and devotion. Some strange mixture. Like almost fainting. That kind of moved, and suddenly a... beautiful cloud came. On top of the cloud Marpa was riding on a lion. He says what's wrong my son?
What are you crying for my boy?
I can't find a better word. No. Crying for, I think it's quite okay. What are you crying for?
...is like a... small child when the child is sad, or disappointed, they're nagging to mom. You know, it's almost like blaming to mom. Mom has not done anything wrong, but you know, because for her (child), the most closest is the mom. So needs to show everything to mom. You understand? All emotion need to show to mom. So this word in dharma terminology...
You crying for in that sense. I cry for to get something. But we can think more of course. Is there British?
Students: Whining.
Whining for, yeah, yeah. Whining is good This American? American english is not that correct.
Need to go to the source.
American will say hospital is haspital.
Saying haspital is too much open your mouth. And saying like Queen's English is little bit huspital is not right. I think better to medium. Maybe Oxford English.
Queen's English is too good, it's like singing. Need to have melody. I and my husband went yesterday to Manchester.
Sorry.
So what are you whining about?
And then he gave special instructions.
And Milarepa's experience and realization blossomed further.
That's the power of faith and devotion.
Even feeling sad is a powerful thing.
Because you felt sad the devotion came because of the devotion you met the guru and the instructions were delivered. Please read life of Milarepa, again and again. Please read the song of Milarepa, again and again. Please read and study. Actually you need to study, Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra Now after, 9th chapters when? When will be the 9th chapter? What month you know? Student: March. Student: March. Can you say two words about this? Student: Yeah! Student here are studying Bodhicaryāvatāra and they are studying the entire text. But some around the begning of the march we will reach chapter 9 which is the chapter of wisdom and so then Rinpoche wanted us to invite many people to come to study that chapter, especially. So when it gets little closer we know exactly when it will start If possible you come. 9th chapter. 9th chapter. Thai, Thai Student: It's also available online starting from January. Also online, online. I really highly recommend if you want to be meaningful in your life. We're all human. We would like to have in the life, what we need. We need to have a rich knowledge. It's the really richest knowledge. Rich knowledge is the real genuine richness. Rich knowledge is the real genuine rich. Riches? Riches. So, please try to join. If possible, very good to be with the teacher. Good to be with student. There is an energy. The teachers energy, the student's energy. Discussing. Discussing you know question, and answer, alive, has energy. Of course technology is also very helpful. Through that you can study wherever you are. But still I will say, if possible only few month. 9th chapter, how long? Student: 6 weeks. Only 6 weeks? It's little short. 6 weeks short. Student: 6 or 7. Yeah, 7 weeks. It's really, really good. You will get, really you will get almost third eye. And also you can study online what? Student: So you can study online chapter 9. Just like Rinpoche is talking about Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra And Thomas will be answering questions. Wow, super. And then we study the Mulamadhyamikakarika, The Root Verses of the Middle Way. And then also a course that is called: Faoundations of Buddhism. It is an Introduction. In Buddhist history and philosophy. Is also online. And both of those courses will have moderators too. Hillary Herdman, who is one of our instructors, will be moderatoing those two courses online, and they all start in January. And they are all just 108 Dollars, I think.
They are good courses, they are really nice. Khenpo Jampa Donden is teaching them.
There are three transmissions we can say. There's the one of learning and reflecting the approach of learning and reflecting, the approach of meditating with oral instructions, and then finally the approach through the transfer of blessings. So three approaches in this way. And the first the approach of resolving the view through learning and reflecting. That's the one that is being maintained in the monastic universities where one studies the classical texts and resolves the view through a sophisticated process of refining one's understanding, applying arguments and analysis based on the scriptural statements. So working with scripture and reasoning one resolves the view, establishes the view. That is the approach that comes through the middle way and mind only systems. And it is an approach that is alive today, has been maintained in Tibet through these, in these monastic institutions. And it is an approach that goes back to the early days of Buddhism in India where we have these great monastic universities such as Nalanda and Vikramashila. So many of you study here in the International Institute for Buddhist Studies and those of you who do so have then first-hand experience with what that approach is about. There's another approach of meditating by means of oral instructions. That's the one that we maintain here, when having seminars for Buddhist practice and that's the one that is being maintained in the triple excellence program. And then finally there is the approach of the transfer of blessings. That is the way of realization through simply the meeting of master and disciple, qualified master and a ready disciple. When they come together then in that bare meeting of the minds full realization can occur. It doesn't happen often but it has happened historically speaking and there is that third approach.
Please join at least one.
Ninth chapter, wisdom chapter, or the Mulamadhyamikarika,
or Triple Excellence. Of course best is all.
Is anybody practicing online? Oh, which one? Which online? Huh? Triple Excellence? Three of you? Oh, more, five, six. Can you say two words about how you feel, what kind of affect to you? Student: I started about 2 days ago.
Thank you. You? Student: We have been practicing like for a week only but it's very nice because a... the way it's structured, every day we have a new practice that connects to the one we made before and whole day long keeps your mind connected to this practice to be more deep, deep understanding. Not only here like, but to take it in the everyday life before having read on the powerpoint and making the meditation... All day long, you take what we mostly have in the books or in the teachings, like what we are doing during the whole day, so it becomes very powerful to like really mixes all what we are doing with this understanding and makes it more powerful. I am very appreciate. Student: Thank you so much. Any of you practicing Triple Excellence? You?
Student: Well, every time I have to say something about Triple Excellence sometimes I get lost for words but it really keeps you on track. You get these beautiful teachings to begin with from Rinpoche and then you get a daily meditation in the morning and the wake up practice. This prayer is so beautiful because when we do the wake up practice it reminds us that all our kind mothers are lost in samsara and when they wake up they roam in ignorance, in the darkness of ignorance. So straight away with the wake up practice you have this beautiful generation of bodhicitta and then the actual meditations themselves in the morning, at the end of the meditation, please think about during the day, think about precious human rebirth, think about whatever topic and to bring it to your own experience through the day and then the at the end of the day, again, this meditation, so you are really, it's really sinking in, you know. And then the end of the day, how did you go? You know, did you remember? So it really, it's something every day. You know, I teach Buddhism, I don't know, I'm just a tape recorder, but one of the things that I noticed, students become very discouraged if there's no continuity. So here with the Triple Excellence, you have, you are connecting every day with Rinpoche and with the Sangha. You are given some practice to do every day and I think this is when our minds change and I cannot thank you all. Everybody involved in the Triple Excellence, it always moves me to tears, so thank you, thank you, thank you. I can't recommend it highly enough.
Even who want to improve your English? Student: Especially.
If anyone, any of you, if you want to improve, Oxford English. No, I'm not joking, you know, I've seen some Europeans. I know them and maybe after six, seven months, I see them, their English is very good. I say, oh, you went to school, no, no, no, Triple Excellence, especially for Nepalese, for Asians. I'm not joking. You don't need to go to Oxford, it's a long way and expensive and, you know, no, I'm not joking, I'm not joking, no, not joking.
Also now, good news, a few days ago, a group of people, they like to translate the Triple Excellence into Nepali language.
In my mind, my experience, whoever practices the Triple Excellence, their are quite tamed . their are quite tamed.
That is the gain. They're very happy, happy. They're very happy, they think every day is connected with dharma. They very appreciate and they're very happy with what they're doing. So I really highly recommend, join that. It will really heal you and help you. However you are learned, whatever practice you do, this is really, really helpful for you. On top of that, whatever practice you want to do, you do it. But this bring you, how you say, structure and lead.
What ani you say, structure? No, Track. Track, yeah. This will keep you on track, otherwise you lose it.
If I say, even moment by moment, it does something in your mind. Even if you're not aware, even if you're not aware, it make you softer and softer, So fast, kind, kind, so fast, wiser and wiser, so fast. So, at least, please, how to say, try? There's one way to, testing? Have a trial, give it, take it, test it out. Test it out. It's good or not, test it. Give it a try. Student: Everyone can try for one month? Can you say this? This I want very much. Sorry, sorry, sorry. Oh, you come here. Oh, this longer?
You come here. Small, you're small, no problem.
Well everyone can try out the first excellence for one month and after one month, if you don't like it, if it doesn't benefit you or whatever, just write us an email and saying why and maybe tell us how to improve and you get all your money back. So, we stand for the quality of the program, so one month, please try it out.
I don't know that. That's very, very necessary. I'm very happy about that, I'm very happy about that. It needs to be that way. This is not business. A handful of people are working very hard. We are charging some money, it's for survive, technology, and you know, some expenses. And it not really covers all. And we're not doing this for any other reason. No name, no fame, no money. Each of us, we're doing this from the bottom of our heart. We want to share the Buddha's teaching. All the yānas. Not missing anything. Also this is impartial. We're not talking anything about this lineage, that lineage. We're not discussing, we're not debating. Just showing the path.
So how many people want to join?
Sweet. Think about that. At least try one month. And you can take back the money. Or not to pay money. That doesn't matter. However,
Wow! Time!
Thank you, today my talk went very well, because Thomas is with us.
The wisdom chapter, Thomas will be also lead, yeah? I'm so happy about that. So you can ask direct question, even who are studying online. Now we are really rich. The teacher, translator, and Thomas. In the monastery, they are called Khenpo or Acharya and a professor. Buddhist professor and a good translator. From teacher side, we are really rich. I can not make better than that. We can not make better than this. They're all super, very qualified teachers, who will teach the ninth chapter. Khenpo, he himself is very qualified. His translator, who will translate? He's not here today? He's really good, he's really good. And Thomas is really good in specifically Uma. He is khepa chenpo. He translated a few big books. And one of your books is still not available? The last book, name what?
No, it is available. No much?
Both? Can you say both? That I just participated in the translation of the Mahayana Sutra Alamkara. Which a.... How many chapters? How many pages? The book is about a thousand pages altogether. It's a classic of Buddhism that has a very wonderful commentary, two commentaries actually. When you translate for me you are louder, but when I say something about what you are doing? You need to be opposite. And then there's a book I wrote about Madhyamaka and the history of Madhyamaka. That one, what name? And it's called Reason and Experience in Tibetan Buddhism. In my mind, it's very important to shedra students to read this. But you know the book, the printers are just keeping this sort of limited and charging a lot of money and they're keeping limited. Very funny.
Much more expensive. How much? A hundred and forty dollars. Yeah, one book hundred and forty dollars and not many books. Limited, You don't get a refund.
So you have to think about it carefully before you buy that book because you can't get a refund not like the Triple Excellence. A few people have said it is very, very amazing. It's very, very sharp. But I feel bad, you know. We not even have one or two. You have in library? Kathy? Student: I think it's in the reference section Rinpoche la. We have? Student: I think it's in the reference section. Yeah, we really need to get, people need to know. Somebody put a lot of effort and a lot of knowledge there. Especially if we are not getting, it's very funny. Our professor wrote this and other university they're reading and we don't know if that book exists or not.
And I keep telling to Thomas, he studied so many years and he have so rich knowledge and now time to share. And you know, Khenpo style is one. I think you can make sort of more package, more package. But within few hours inside he will say all the point of Umalajukpa or Uma Tsawa Sherab. You know, the two together very important. The tradition of khenpo way of explaining, each word has how many meaning...
And just make short and package, okay. You take. It's nice and there's so much words, you know, you don't know what now. You listen hours and hours and you don't know now what is the package. And so, you really, I'm telling to the shedra staffs, you need to hold Thomas. No, no, I'm not joking. What do you think?
Yeah, yeah, you say, you are also very knowledgeable, say a few words. A little bit get up, you and me short. Student: Just that Thomas present madhyamaka in one of the clearest ways I've ever heard and really in a way that is extremely approachable I mean it's like really a fantastic way of presenting and making things very clear, very quickly. I think Thomas you should talk more about....... fantastic. For example, he's leaving, otherwise I want him to give talk. Are you leaving tomorrow? Tomorrow. Tomorrow? What time?
Tomorrow morning? Morning?
Please, when he back, if I'm here or I'm not here, make a teaching to the international students, also once in a while for the public, once in a while. Like today, in the short term you guys can learn a lot. And Uma, the Bhikshu Ryan teaching, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Student: He's the Kyurpen. Huh? He's the Kyurpen. Kyurpen Yeah. For the Umalajukpa. Yeah, who student here? Umalajukpa student? Yeah, he teaching? Student: Ryan? Yeah. He takes one of the review classes. How you like? I'm not in it actually, so I can't say. Who's there? Who's there? Huh? Can you say one, two words? Student: He's truly excellent. He clearly understands perfectly and he summarizes all of the key points in incredible decisive way Also because of his English ability, he can translate just like that, you know? So he provides us with handouts of like materials we wouldn't have access to otherwise. So he's completely unique. I'm happy. He's a Canadian from Canada and he become monk and he's studying with monks here. Eat like monk's food, dal bhat thakari (Vegetables). Yesterday I took him out. I think first time in the restaurant. Studied there so many years, I feel touched. So I took him to the restaurant and dal bhat, he really eat dal bhat a lot. Then I said, now, you prove you are the monk. One of the monk, gompa monk, dal.
And I want to see like that more, more from...
Rinpoche really hopes that many people from many different backgrounds, with many different types of experience will come here to the monastery and study in a very genuine way and gain really genuine abilities. He is very diligent. I look a little bit here, always with studying, rarely to see him, just..., always reading.
I said, oh, you don't need to follow one thing, food. You can cook and you can buy bread and cheese and coffee and specifically...
Peanuts. Peanut butter. Peanut butter, I told him. He said, okay, okay, I don't know.
Need to dharma.
The healer, the protector, the saviour, forever saviour, forever saviour is only one, dharma. Forever saviour is the dharma. So please, this genuine richness you need to keep genuinely. How to keep genuinely? Study, practice, teach, discuss.
Okay, okay, really, one thirty, what?
17:28
There is the teacher and the teaching.
What was it that the teacher taught?
Our teacher?
He taught the path of liberation
and complete awakening, omniscience.
And he taught that you are your own protector just as you are your own enemy.
Whatever good or bad you may do, you yourself are the witness.
And he said, that the Buddhas can not stop the suffering of sentient beings with their hand. They can not wash away their obscurations with water. They can not transfer their realization to others, but as they teach the truth of the intrinsic nature, everyone is freed. So, what they teach is liberation through insight into the intrinsic nature of things, suchness.
The Buddha's awakening, the liberation and complete awakening to the omniscient realization of a Buddha, that follows from following the path that leads to those achievements. It's through that, that one gains liberation and awakening. So in that regard, he also says that I show you the path to liberation, but whether or not you take it depends upon yourself. So it's the teaching of the intrinsic nature, that which points out to us the intrinsic nature. When we follow that teaching, then the results follow. That's what the Buddha can do for us, show us reality. And beyond that, even the Buddha is not able to help us in any superior or in any other way. In Buddhism, the saviour is not the Buddha. If we think the Buddha will save us, it's wrong. If we just think the dharma will save us, it's wrong. The sangha will save us, it's wrong. The Buddha shows us the path. The path is what? Teaching. Teaching, knowing, is not enough, we need to practice. If we do not practice, if we have good knowledge in dharma, it not means. It not means nothing...no,... It doesn't mean anything.
Anything. It doesn't... Student: It doesn't mean anything. Yeah, it doesn't mean anything. We need to apply, we need to practice. So in the world, there's different religions, different beliefs, but we all good to know Buddha is not the saviour. The Buddha cannot save us. Just worshipping to dharma books or worshipping to Sangha or monks or nuns, will not save us. We need to save ourselves. Buddha says, you are your teacher. Your own saviour. Yeah, you are, yeah, you are own...
You are your own protector or you are your own saviour. How could anyone else protect you?
When you train yourselves perfectly well, you yourselves will turn into the sacred refuge, You will become the saviour. Buddha is saying very logical truth. He says, I cannot save you. You need to save yourself. I will show you how to save yourself. That's all. So how touching. How touching. Buddha will never say, I save you.
He says, I will teach you, I will guide you on how to save yourself. So you, you are your own teacher, you are your own enemy. Who knows that? You, you know that, about that. How good you are, how good you are doing, how bad you are doing, it's you who know. Anybody not know? Except you yourself, nobody knows that clearly. Only you know. So listen how touching. It's very logical.
So what he taught?
As it is generally known, he taught the three Pitakas,
which contain three trainings. The training in special discipline, the training in special meditative absorption and the training in special insight.
There are many types of sentient beings, many different ways that one can be born as a sentient being, but presently we are humans. That means that we have achieved a special type of freedom and power that comes with being a human being. So we enjoy that freedom and that power now as humans. And having turned into human beings, then we have certain human needs. And what is it that human beings need? They need their happiness. They need to be happy and they work towards, they try their best to become happy. And what is happiness among human beings and what does it really come down to? To a sense of mutual respect, appreciation, affection and love for one another. When there is that kind of atmosphere, then human beings are happy. They can be very happy. When there is that sort of atmosphere, when there is genuine care, love and affection, then it's a joyful situation to be a human being. But that kind of happiness and that kind of fulfillment for human beings is destroyed, not by whom, not by... It's not a punishment from God when we fail to have that kind of happiness. And it's not some sort of evil scheme of a demon or devil either. And it's not that wild animals prevent us from being happy in that way. It's not that bugs and insects make it difficult for us to be in that way. When we fail to be happy as human beings, it's not because of any of those things.
So who is it who is responsible when we human beings aren't happy and don't feel the way we would like to feel? What's the reason? Who is behind it? Human beings.
And how do we go about preventing ourselves from being happy as human beings?
What's the root problem when human beings prevent themselves from being happy human beings?
It's not because people are too kind and it's not because they are too loving that we end up being unhappy. When you say too loving, it's typical in Danish accent? One second. Not only one second, I'm sure.
Why we... What we need, this world is who? Who is the boss? Human. Who is the controller? Human. Who is the most smartest? Supposedly human. Who has the most capablilities? Human. And what humans want? Joy, happiness. What human does? The opposite of that. Why we? What wrong now we are? What's wrong?
Why are we destroying ourselves? Why are we torturing ourselves? Why are we putting misery in our life and the future generations? What wrong we are? Something wrong here. This is not caused by loving kindness and compassion. This is not caused with good motivation. This is caused by selfishness. This is caused by negative emotions, pride, jealousy, and greed. So we are screwing up our planet. We are screwing up our life. We are screwing up our future generations. We really are destroying the whole world actually. In this time we need to be really more aware and more discuss and more think. Because, in the past also there is trouble. Because there is human. There is human because, humans are not enough tolerant. And humans are not really applying their kindness, honest, trusting. So, now we got till here. Outerly we are living quite sort of, on one hand you can say civilized. We have more technologies. We can travel more easy. And even living styles are much more comfortable. There is heating system, hot and cool, everywhere TV, and you can send SMS or talk here, there. Whole world is becoming smaller and smaller and smaller. But we think we are becoming bigger and bigger. No, we are becoming smaller and smaller. Technology is becoming bigger and bigger. We are fooling ourselves. We are becoming smaller and smaller. One day we will definitely become like a box. Technology is like huge And it's not a joke. Like we are watching, many years before when I was a child, when we watch movie they called, Ching Kong, King Kong. They are holding people here and there. Now, King Kong is already here now. We made King Kong now. We put our lives in King Kong's hands now. We can not get back now. We can not go back that easily. But one day no choice we not go back. But till that we can not go back that easily. We are totally in technology's hands. Body, brain, money, energy, everything is sucked by technologies. We are becoming smaller and smaller, hopeless and hopeless, and our brain does not work that much now. All the brain sucks in the technology and they control you where to go, what to eat, what to do, what to think. We think we are becoming more wiser. No, we are becoming more narrow. Whatever information comes, we are just stuck there. Small piece of box or small in your computer or iPad. Total mind just there. The warmness, the kindness, the joy and laughing and joking. It's where? It's gone. More and more stress, more and more uptight, more and more mind become narrow and narrow, focus and focus, and control your whole brain. That is the modern. That is the civilized. That is our success. Success. We are successful. We are very successful. Why? We have a lot of the newest and latest technologies. So we think we are successful.
So, now the world is becoming smaller and smaller, dirty and dirty, polluted and polluted. Talking about oil, oil is nothing. Shortage of water,
polluted water, a shortage of water, and damaging the earth. And not trusting, not respecting, not loving, cheating each other, each other. Just so strong emotion. What kind of emotion? Greedy. Greedy has become more and more power and more and more skills. The greedy power has become so strong it went to the technology. Now technology bcame so greedy, so powerful, so hurtful. Yes, we can not say all technology is bad. Yes, technology is helping a lot, but another sides. Each country, how much they make, more and more army, more and more technology. What kind of technology? Hidden technology. What kind of? Pistol? No, no, no, no. Gun? No, no, no. Huge, unbelievable, powerful things. Almost nearly a hundred years before, what happened in the world? After that, now what? How many years back? How skills? How skills, good skills, bad skills already pop up in this world?
And Buddhist teaching is just fact. And Buddha, what he is saying, he is just talking, just fact. He is not talking else. He is not talking unusual. He is not saying anything unusual things, just fact.
So we are talking about Śīla, the five precepts. Why in the world, why do we have no peace? Why are we fighting? Why are we cheating? Why are we lying? Why we need more armies? Why we need more technology? To whom? Actually it's terrible, terribly ugly, to humans. Human are making guns for humans. Human are making bombs, atom bomb, nuclear bomb, and many other awful things. To whom? To human. Which planet? On this planet. There is no other planet.
So we are talking honest, honest, honesty, honesty. especially these days we talk about honesty, honest, what is honest? What is, civilized? Don't be a liar, don't be honest. Where is the honesty? Just light conversation is honest, but real honesty is where? In business is there honest? Is their technology inside honest? In the politics is there honest? Sometimes even in religions, there is no honesty. So where is honest? What Buddha is saying, be honest. The cause and effect is extremely important. If you really believe from the bottom of your heart cause and effect, you can not be not honest. You can not cheat yourself, you can not harm yourself. Till then, who knows about you? You can be very good at hypocrisy. You can cheat, you can lie. Who knows you? It's difficult. You can hide, you can...
So in this world what is the problem? Problems all comes from dishonest. dishonest? Lack of (dis)honest. Lack of (dis)honesty. lack of kindness, lack of trust, lack of respect. We are facing a misery life.
Now we have no shortage of technology, we have no shortage, even economic. We have no shortage of education. But we really have shortage. We are so poor, so poor. About what? Kindness, Kindness, we are so poor, so poor. So for that reason there is no trusting, no respect. Less respect, even in the family, and with friends.
Less trust. Less respect. Less honest. What reasons? Lack of... kindness. So the Buddha's teaching is world wide important. It's so important world wide. It's so important for those who believe in the religion of dharma, who do not believe in the religion of dharma, who ever wants to live in this world peacefully, in harmony, and happy, and joy, and laughing, joking, enjoying, enjoying the five sense object. The flower is beautiful. The winds are nice. A cup of water is good.
But if we are not aware... almost we are too late now.
What too late? We already harmed a lot. We have harmed the earth here. We have harmed the earth, We have harmed the people physically and we have really harmed mentally. Mentally polluted. Mental pollution is very dangerous. What is the pollution? Dishoner. Dishonesty. Dishonesty is polluted. A Child, who will teach about kindness? Who will say how important is to tolerance? Who will say how important to respect each other? Who will respect? Who will teach be trust(ing). Don't trust anyone. You are the most important. Fight. Fight. Don't trust anyone. Fight. Gain. Competition. Everything is competition. Everything is competition. We don't know how to be not in competition now. We have that much success. We don't know how to not be in competition. We are so expert to compete . Comparing and comparing. Competing and competing. If possible, we step on each other.
If I will win something unusual, I will not mind to step on each other. If we feel that way, how ugly! How painful. How sad. So now it's really time to open our heart and look at the source, look at the cause. What's wrong in the world now? Am I okay with my physical body? Is my physical also polluted? Too many chemicals everywhere. What kind of sickness I have? Am I okay in my mind? Did I really pollute it? It's so greedy. Am I so greedy? Am I so proud? Have I really become so hypocrite? Am I really become untrusty? Untrustworthy? Untrust, untrust, Untrustworthy. It become one day, you not trust yourself. Not trusting, not trusting here, there, here, there. Then you shouldn't be trusting. Then difficult to trust yourself. Because what you learned, says don't trust to anyone. So you also one of them.
And we work so hard, especially, you know, everywhere. same I travel a little bit here and there. Whoever wears very dirty cloth and live in a very simple shelter and go to work.
Hard work. And who have fancy three piece suit, ten, fifteen, thousands...
price of three piece suit. Giant sort of
car or airplane even. But, a lot of stress. Who have more: More stress, more fear, not less stress. more fear, more worry, more doubting, and feel lonely, feel very lonely. Because you put so much effort. You make your friend is not a human, you make your friend is paper, money. Your make your friend is technology. Your make your real friend is the money, the technology and jewelry. Jewelry is only to show to other. If you live in your own private house, if you wear jewelry, it's silly. You need to show off somewhere. If you show off, you need to worry. If it's too small, you worry, If it's too big, you worry. If it's too small, you worry because nobody will think, ha ha, ho ho. If it's too big, you worry, maybe somebody will kill you.
So, happiness is mental relax. Happiness is laughing. Looking at each other, smiling. But even these days, what kind of smile now? What kind of smile? The cheating smile? You know, it's difficult to trust. what kind of smiling? Really, a kind smiling? Or cheating smiling, you know? or a fake smiling?
It's very joyful if somebody laughs to you from bottom of their heart. Sort of smile with happy, Smile with loving. It's so healing. It's not looking like, like, you know, big,
say, diamond. If you look at a big diamond, it not does anything to you.
Giant diamond. In England, I went to see the...
diamond the size of an egg. Size of an egg. Yeah. There's so much fear there. So much fear. Quite black and gun. You need to go quick. Theis is feeling funny.
Humans make humans happy. Humans make humans angry. Humans make... Who really makes most happy? Human make most happy to human. Who make really destroy human's mind? Human make human mind destroyed. Humans can help. Humans can harm. Human has terrible power.
Now what kind of? No friend? Problem. Have friend? Problem. If you have really a clean friend, both sides, it's so joyful. Whatever type of friend. Couples, boyfriend, girlfriend. Normal, just friends. Whatever friends, if you both really trust, love. Trust and love, respect. It's so joyful. Life is beautiful. You do not need much more than that. To survive in this world is not that difficult. If we think it is difficult to survive, then it is very difficult to survive because we need to catch the number ones. Number ones, how do you say?
The number one type of life. Life styles. We do not want number two. If possible we want the super. Super.
Super, super. It's so difficult to be super. Even if you are super today, tomorrow not.
It changes so fast. Whatever you are super today, and you are not super. And you cannot be super at everything. If you are super one side, then another side you are not super. You can not be in everything super. You are the most smart, the most handsome, the most rich, the most famous, the most educated, the most... impossible.
So, when I think more and more, the words of the Buddha saying,
you are your own teacher, you are your own enemy. It's so honest, so touching, but very scary. And then saying, the witness is you. He is not saying the witness is me. He never says the witness is me. He never says I save you. He never says I am the saviour. Even he will not say the dharma will save you. If dharma is applied, it saves you. Just trusting to the dharma, just worshiping to the dharma, will not (save you). It's so logical, so honest. He says, I am helpless, I want to help, I want to serve, I want to heal, but don't ever believe me, I can save you. It's wonderful. Now we know, what is the saviour.
People have so much fear. People save and save, saving, saving, save, save, save, then they feel it makes them safe.
Saving, saving, saving, saving, saving makes you feel safe. It makes you feel safe.
These words I like very much. Saving. What happened? Student: It was broken, Rinpoche. How? Student: It was broken 13 years ago actually. Then why I see today only? Student: Now it is broken again. Huh? Student: Again broken. How many days ago?
Student: A couple of weeks, one week maybe. Oh yeah, okay. I thought two things. One is I thought you have become six, or seven years old.
Again going back, so I worry, don't go to home. Don't go to home.
See, you are young.
So it's good to remember how the buddha said that you are your own saviour and you are your own enemy. Whatever good and bad you may do, you are the witness. Who is the witness?
You are your own protector. How could anyone else protect you?
If you train yourself really well, you yourself become the refuge. So our responsibility is what? We need to, now we know we need to train. We are wild. We are wild. What wild? Negative emotions. We are full of negative emotions. Anger, jealousy, attachment, greed.
So those emotions make our heart to become very dry, and our brain to become very dry, and very polluted. We know that. If we have success a little bit. We are so proud. If we have success a little bit, name, fame, power, even some, some, some small jewelry or some small makeup, or some small dress. Here, there, here, there, and later we are so proud. If opposite of that, then it's so, so down immediately.
Manic depression.
It has many levels. Manic depression has many levels. I think until we do not really, until we not gain the realization, I think we have manic depression. Some kind of, some stage.
Student: On some level. On some level.
It's okay to say because it's true.
What do you think? Student: Yes, thanks.
So we need medicine. Definitely we need medicine. Where is the medicine? Medicine is not outside. Medicine is within ourselves. Enlightenment is not there, enlightenment is within ourselves.
So, taming is so important. So taming is based in training. So we need to know how to train, train. The bottom line is training. In the dharma, when we say, we say, saying,
we say, we... when we say, we practice dharma. What is the practice of dharma? What is it to practice the dharma? What is the practice of dharma?
What do we mean when we say, practice dharma?
Student: Giving and helping. Huh? Student: Giving and helping. Giving what? Giving, jinpa. Huh? Giving, jinpa. Giving?
Student: Sharing the teachings we have received,
Knowing a person that needs, and then which of our abilities to apply for this particular person. All animals too. Never forget the animals.
Never forget sentient beings, not only animals. You forgot, bugs. You forgot, fish. I not forgot. I say all sentient beings. But you are only interest human and animals. joking...
But if we understand, practicing Dharma to exclusively mean to do good, then our understanding of the Buddha Dharma is not really that great. What means 'sufficient' means what? It's not sufficient. It's insufficient understanding.
Insufficient. Insufficient. If we say, I'm practicing, in terminology, in Sanskrit,
What is the dharma?
What is the path? Shortcut.
So if we think that practicing dharma is about avoiding negative acts, Ten, ten negative. The ten of them, and if we think that practicing the dharma involves then doing good and the ordinary ten virtues, then... that that's the path of the dharma. If that's what we think and we feel content with that understanding and abide by that understanding, still we haven't really penetrated to the root of Buddhist practice. Then what?
There is view, meditation, conduct and fruition.
Ground, path and fruition.
And most important of all is the view. What then is the view?
Emptiness and dependent origination. What's the conduct?
Avoiding bringing harm on any sentient being,
including our own enemy.
And in fact in particular being able to have genuine loving concern for our own enemy. That's one of our most important duties as dharma practitioners.
The terms are so beautiful they are really quite enrapturing the dharma vocabulary.
So beautiful, so attractive it sounds.
And it's all true what we are talking about. There is no deception.
But if because it is so beautiful and because it makes so excellent sense, we become we end up stuck at the level of words and concepts so that we are not really able to take to heart in a more deeper sense what in fact is being expressed in the teachings. Then the real effects will not occur either. In other words, just by knowing a whole lot of dharma and being able to think about it in a very clear and beautiful manner, being able to communicate the dharma, discuss it in a beautiful and meaningful and convincing way, that alone is not going to liberate us. We need to know the training. We need to have experience with the training on a very practical and direct level. And the there are two aspects to that training. There are the means and the insight and those have to be combined. The means is, they are in terms of love and compassion and the insight is this insight into reality. So when we know these means and when we have that insight, when we live through those means and that insight, then liberation and awakening follows.
So we talk about practicing the dharma and we need to know really well what it is we are talking about. What does it mean to practice the dharma?
Practicing the dharma, in order to do that it's not enough that we just say a whole lot of things that we chant and recite and that we keep many different things in mind and meditate in that manner.
That doesn't really qualify as dharma practice. Just that. Chanting a lot, visualizing a lot, knowing a lot, is not enough. Chanting is method. Visualizing is method. Knowing a lot is method. They are not real.
So we need
we need a resolve and if we are stuck with the means, all of these are what we talked about are skillful means. They are means and method. But if we let them be just that then we don't really gain all the benefits. Means and methods are there to be applied. So how can we ensure that we really use the methods, that we really apply the means? Well, as we wake up in the morning then we can tell ourselves in a very clear and direct way that today I will whatever I may be occupied with doing whether I move about, whether I sit down, whether I have a meal or even if I lie down to rest I will always do what I do with the clear wish that something should happen to my mind. I'm going to do something I'm going to make something happen today during all these different situations. I will make something happen. And how will I do that? I will let myself be inspired by the thoughts of impermanence and renunciation and I will let my being become completely saturated with love and compassion and then I will let my mind arrive at insight into the nature of things. This is my wish and that's the program for today.
I seal everything with the view of emptiness.
Truly doing that comes down to having a direct recognition of the way things are, the intrinsic nature.
That true insight into the way things are has many different names. Terms are used for it in the dharma teachings. Insight into the absence of self, the recognition of emptiness, great simplicity beyond conceptual constructs, the views of Mahamudra and the great perfection. Those are the terms that are used for that direct and full recognition of the intrinsic nature, the way things are. But if we cannot arrive at that direct and fully experiential recognition of the nature of things, then we can think in a way that is quite in tune with the way things are. And in other words, we just begin to drop the thoughts that go very much against the way things are. So, for example, when we are used to thinking that things last, perhaps that they last very long or even last forever, as we understand that those thoughts are actually not accurate because there is no conditioned thing that goes on and endures, then we can just give up, begin to loosen that tendency to think that things last, just as when we understand that while we may think that all of this is real, it isn't. When we understand that, we can also begin to let go of the thoughts that hold on very rigidly to things being real and solidly there. And if we just begin to...
approach the real recognition of the nature of things in such a conceptual way, giving up the rigid ways of thinking in terms of permanence and reality, and instead just remind ourselves gently that this doesn't last and it isn't real, then that has some very concrete repercussions because if we don't think that this lasts and we don't think that it is real, then, a whole range of emotions are not going to happen a whole range of negative emotions. And we become very capable and very skilled in going through all sorts of experiences and all sorts of situations. If we can think increasingly that it isn't lasting, it doesn't continue, and if we can remind ourselves that it isn't real the way it appears, then that will make us able to go through life in a very skillful way and with a great sense of openness and ease. And if things work out for us, it doesn't make us crazy and completely out of touch with things, be infatuated by our own success. And if something goes wrong, it's not that big of a problem either. It's not going to make us terribly depressed, it's not going to be a disaster if things turned out different from what we wanted them to be. So your whole perception changes, your experience of things changes, because you're used to thinking in a new way, in a different way, things begin to present themselves in a different way as well, and so the whole world looks different. If all of these effects come from just taking a first step in a conceptual manner on the path, then think about how it might be to have the real experience of this in a way that isn't dependent on thoughts. To put in very simple language. We need to apply the teaching in daily life, moment by moment, moment by moment, wherever you are, whatever you're doing, eating, talking, even in the toilet. This is our duty, this is our responsibility. Knowing a lot is not helpful, chanting a lot is not helpful, visualising beautiful things here and there is not only that will help. Yes, these are necessary, yes, these are helpful, but really the bottom line is we need to be aware moment by moment, and we need to change. Change what? Positively. More soft, more wise, more kind and more tolerant. That is our success. That is our achievement. In the teachings it mentions,
So, they say that there should be a decisive sense of progress, progress from year to year, from month to month, from week to week, from day to day. That's how it ought to be, that we can feel that progress as every day passes, or at least as the months go by that there's a sense of I've gotten somewhere. And think about it, if a year passes and you don't get that sense at all, what kind of practice would you be doing? Maybe dharma bum.
Because of me, there is not many dharma bums now. dharma. Dharma, the dharma bums are wiped out. Wiped out, what? Wiped out. Wiped out.
practice is all about a certain direction of the mind, a perspective. Right? It's a certain perspective practice.
So we have a chance of finding that perspective. We have the real possibility to do so when we are awake. When we fall asleep it's different.
Then we're helpless. Sleep is one kind of death. One kind of death. Where we are, we don't know. It means what country, which house, which bed, how you're sleeping, with whom and how you look. You don't know anything. Totally gone. It's death. Death means to be like that. Every day we are dying.
The sense cognition all five of them, dissolve into the all-ground consciousness.
And about impermanence and about death.
There's two ways, One is ignoring, one is face, face (it). Ignoring is not helpful. But why? We need to face. So however ugly, however, whatever, ugly, or we do not want to think, or even the words of death is not nice, but we need to face death. So we shouldn't escape. We need to talk we need to think, we need to face (death). If we talk, think. If we make preparations when death comes, Not a big deal. If we are hiding, if we are ignoring. Actually, why do we not want to talk? Why do we not want to think? Because we fear. We have so much fear. So people do not want to talk about death. People do not want to use the words of death they are so scared. Everybody knows everybody needs to die. But people do not want to think about it. People not want to talk. People do not want to discuss. In Buddhism, we talk a lot about impermanence, we talk a lot about death. Some people, because of that, they do not like to learn more further. Because they don't want to face (death). And moreover, and also talk about old age. People do not like to hear about that. People like to hear, I ever last, never death. This is not that way. It not works that way. We shouldn't cheat ourselves. We shouldn't cheat ourselves. It's not true. We need to. We are dying. We will die. 100% sure dying. We never know when we will die. So, why not talk about, why not face? There's knowing, talking, and when death comes, it is much more easy to deal. If we never talk, never think, never discuss and never prepare then, Boom! Misery, misery. So Buddhist teaching is fact. how to live nicely, how to die nicely. This is the life. Need to live nicely, happily, happy. Happiness is based on kindness. If kindness, if we are rich in mind, kind, that makes so much happy. If we are poor in kindness, whatever we success, we are really, really, really poor. Whatever we not (have), poor in education, financially, or even physically, if we are poor, not healthy, financially, difficult day by day, education, not much education. But if we have one, if we have kind, if kindness is within ourselves, that has so much power and quality. It helps, heals, it protects yourself. It helps, heals, serves, protects, helps and heals others. So the world is very poor. What is the poor part of the world? Education? No, no, no. Technology? No, no, no. Economically? No, no, no. The world is very poor about kindness. It's become more and more materialistic, materialistic? Yeah! materialistic. More, more, more materialistic, more more poor of kindness. Seems like I might be wrong. You judge, you discuss, you think. Something there is strange. More and more intelligent, more and more rich, more and more educated, less and less feeling to others, more and more feeling to yourself, more and more becoming selfish. There is something here, something doing funny, something going funny.
So now how to apply? Moment by moment.
By being moved by great sadness, by being, having a warm affection, by being completely open and overjoyed.
Moved by great sadness. Great? Moved by sadness.
So moved by sadness, warm and affectionate, perfectly open and overjoyed.
Nice words? In Tibetan the terminology is very beautiful.
I always want to say great sadness but a, really moved by sadness. Milarepa, when he in cave and he went out, he tried to get some wood and he couldn't have success. At that moment a wind came. Then he might be... Then he was moved by sadness.
And then because of that he remembered the guru Marpa.
And then he sang a supplication to guru Marpa to dispel the gloom of the mind. He became very sad, and that sadness brings a very strong missing, missing the teacher, and brings some kind of very pure devotion, or faith. Then he sings. How much he misses Marpa and his teaching. And the wife of Marpa, and the Sangha, and the teaching, the tantric teaching, he miss all. So, he sang, sang, sang, sang from bottom heart.
And a he really got carried away by this song of sadness and devotion. Almost so that he couldn't take it anymore. As if he was about to pass out overwhelmed by sadness and devotion. Some strange mixture. Like almost fainting. That kind of moved, and suddenly a... beautiful cloud came. On top of the cloud Marpa was riding on a lion. He says what's wrong my son?
What are you crying for my boy?
I can't find a better word. No. Crying for, I think it's quite okay. What are you crying for?
...is like a... small child when the child is sad, or disappointed, they're nagging to mom. You know, it's almost like blaming to mom. Mom has not done anything wrong, but you know, because for her (child), the most closest is the mom. So needs to show everything to mom. You understand? All emotion need to show to mom. So this word in dharma terminology...
You crying for in that sense. I cry for to get something. But we can think more of course. Is there British?
Students: Whining.
Whining for, yeah, yeah. Whining is good This American? American english is not that correct.
Need to go to the source.
American will say hospital is haspital.
Saying haspital is too much open your mouth. And saying like Queen's English is little bit huspital is not right. I think better to medium. Maybe Oxford English.
Queen's English is too good, it's like singing. Need to have melody. I and my husband went yesterday to Manchester.
Sorry.
So what are you whining about?
And then he gave special instructions.
And Milarepa's experience and realization blossomed further.
That's the power of faith and devotion.
Even feeling sad is a powerful thing.
Because you felt sad the devotion came because of the devotion you met the guru and the instructions were delivered. Please read life of Milarepa, again and again. Please read the song of Milarepa, again and again. Please read and study. Actually you need to study, Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra Now after, 9th chapters when? When will be the 9th chapter? What month you know? Student: March. Student: March. Can you say two words about this? Student: Yeah! Student here are studying Bodhicaryāvatāra and they are studying the entire text. But some around the begning of the march we will reach chapter 9 which is the chapter of wisdom and so then Rinpoche wanted us to invite many people to come to study that chapter, especially. So when it gets little closer we know exactly when it will start If possible you come. 9th chapter. 9th chapter. Thai, Thai Student: It's also available online starting from January. Also online, online. I really highly recommend if you want to be meaningful in your life. We're all human. We would like to have in the life, what we need. We need to have a rich knowledge. It's the really richest knowledge. Rich knowledge is the real genuine richness. Rich knowledge is the real genuine rich. Riches? Riches. So, please try to join. If possible, very good to be with the teacher. Good to be with student. There is an energy. The teachers energy, the student's energy. Discussing. Discussing you know question, and answer, alive, has energy. Of course technology is also very helpful. Through that you can study wherever you are. But still I will say, if possible only few month. 9th chapter, how long? Student: 6 weeks. Only 6 weeks? It's little short. 6 weeks short. Student: 6 or 7. Yeah, 7 weeks. It's really, really good. You will get, really you will get almost third eye. And also you can study online what? Student: So you can study online chapter 9. Just like Rinpoche is talking about Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra And Thomas will be answering questions. Wow, super. And then we study the Mulamadhyamikakarika, The Root Verses of the Middle Way. And then also a course that is called: Faoundations of Buddhism. It is an Introduction. In Buddhist history and philosophy. Is also online. And both of those courses will have moderators too. Hillary Herdman, who is one of our instructors, will be moderatoing those two courses online, and they all start in January. And they are all just 108 Dollars, I think.
They are good courses, they are really nice. Khenpo Jampa Donden is teaching them.
There are three transmissions we can say. There's the one of learning and reflecting the approach of learning and reflecting, the approach of meditating with oral instructions, and then finally the approach through the transfer of blessings. So three approaches in this way. And the first the approach of resolving the view through learning and reflecting. That's the one that is being maintained in the monastic universities where one studies the classical texts and resolves the view through a sophisticated process of refining one's understanding, applying arguments and analysis based on the scriptural statements. So working with scripture and reasoning one resolves the view, establishes the view. That is the approach that comes through the middle way and mind only systems. And it is an approach that is alive today, has been maintained in Tibet through these, in these monastic institutions. And it is an approach that goes back to the early days of Buddhism in India where we have these great monastic universities such as Nalanda and Vikramashila. So many of you study here in the International Institute for Buddhist Studies and those of you who do so have then first-hand experience with what that approach is about. There's another approach of meditating by means of oral instructions. That's the one that we maintain here, when having seminars for Buddhist practice and that's the one that is being maintained in the triple excellence program. And then finally there is the approach of the transfer of blessings. That is the way of realization through simply the meeting of master and disciple, qualified master and a ready disciple. When they come together then in that bare meeting of the minds full realization can occur. It doesn't happen often but it has happened historically speaking and there is that third approach.
Please join at least one.
Ninth chapter, wisdom chapter, or the Mulamadhyamikarika,
or Triple Excellence. Of course best is all.
Is anybody practicing online? Oh, which one? Which online? Huh? Triple Excellence? Three of you? Oh, more, five, six. Can you say two words about how you feel, what kind of affect to you? Student: I started about 2 days ago.
Thank you. You? Student: We have been practicing like for a week only but it's very nice because a... the way it's structured, every day we have a new practice that connects to the one we made before and whole day long keeps your mind connected to this practice to be more deep, deep understanding. Not only here like, but to take it in the everyday life before having read on the powerpoint and making the meditation... All day long, you take what we mostly have in the books or in the teachings, like what we are doing during the whole day, so it becomes very powerful to like really mixes all what we are doing with this understanding and makes it more powerful. I am very appreciate. Student: Thank you so much. Any of you practicing Triple Excellence? You?
Student: Well, every time I have to say something about Triple Excellence sometimes I get lost for words but it really keeps you on track. You get these beautiful teachings to begin with from Rinpoche and then you get a daily meditation in the morning and the wake up practice. This prayer is so beautiful because when we do the wake up practice it reminds us that all our kind mothers are lost in samsara and when they wake up they roam in ignorance, in the darkness of ignorance. So straight away with the wake up practice you have this beautiful generation of bodhicitta and then the actual meditations themselves in the morning, at the end of the meditation, please think about during the day, think about precious human rebirth, think about whatever topic and to bring it to your own experience through the day and then the at the end of the day, again, this meditation, so you are really, it's really sinking in, you know. And then the end of the day, how did you go? You know, did you remember? So it really, it's something every day. You know, I teach Buddhism, I don't know, I'm just a tape recorder, but one of the things that I noticed, students become very discouraged if there's no continuity. So here with the Triple Excellence, you have, you are connecting every day with Rinpoche and with the Sangha. You are given some practice to do every day and I think this is when our minds change and I cannot thank you all. Everybody involved in the Triple Excellence, it always moves me to tears, so thank you, thank you, thank you. I can't recommend it highly enough.
Even who want to improve your English? Student: Especially.
If anyone, any of you, if you want to improve, Oxford English. No, I'm not joking, you know, I've seen some Europeans. I know them and maybe after six, seven months, I see them, their English is very good. I say, oh, you went to school, no, no, no, Triple Excellence, especially for Nepalese, for Asians. I'm not joking. You don't need to go to Oxford, it's a long way and expensive and, you know, no, I'm not joking, I'm not joking, no, not joking.
Also now, good news, a few days ago, a group of people, they like to translate the Triple Excellence into Nepali language.
In my mind, my experience, whoever practices the Triple Excellence, their are quite tamed . their are quite tamed.
That is the gain. They're very happy, happy. They're very happy, they think every day is connected with dharma. They very appreciate and they're very happy with what they're doing. So I really highly recommend, join that. It will really heal you and help you. However you are learned, whatever practice you do, this is really, really helpful for you. On top of that, whatever practice you want to do, you do it. But this bring you, how you say, structure and lead.
What ani you say, structure? No, Track. Track, yeah. This will keep you on track, otherwise you lose it.
If I say, even moment by moment, it does something in your mind. Even if you're not aware, even if you're not aware, it make you softer and softer, So fast, kind, kind, so fast, wiser and wiser, so fast. So, at least, please, how to say, try? There's one way to, testing? Have a trial, give it, take it, test it out. Test it out. It's good or not, test it. Give it a try. Student: Everyone can try for one month? Can you say this? This I want very much. Sorry, sorry, sorry. Oh, you come here. Oh, this longer?
You come here. Small, you're small, no problem.
Well everyone can try out the first excellence for one month and after one month, if you don't like it, if it doesn't benefit you or whatever, just write us an email and saying why and maybe tell us how to improve and you get all your money back. So, we stand for the quality of the program, so one month, please try it out.
I don't know that. That's very, very necessary. I'm very happy about that, I'm very happy about that. It needs to be that way. This is not business. A handful of people are working very hard. We are charging some money, it's for survive, technology, and you know, some expenses. And it not really covers all. And we're not doing this for any other reason. No name, no fame, no money. Each of us, we're doing this from the bottom of our heart. We want to share the Buddha's teaching. All the yānas. Not missing anything. Also this is impartial. We're not talking anything about this lineage, that lineage. We're not discussing, we're not debating. Just showing the path.
So how many people want to join?
Sweet. Think about that. At least try one month. And you can take back the money. Or not to pay money. That doesn't matter. However,
Wow! Time!
Thank you, today my talk went very well, because Thomas is with us.
The wisdom chapter, Thomas will be also lead, yeah? I'm so happy about that. So you can ask direct question, even who are studying online. Now we are really rich. The teacher, translator, and Thomas. In the monastery, they are called Khenpo or Acharya and a professor. Buddhist professor and a good translator. From teacher side, we are really rich. I can not make better than that. We can not make better than this. They're all super, very qualified teachers, who will teach the ninth chapter. Khenpo, he himself is very qualified. His translator, who will translate? He's not here today? He's really good, he's really good. And Thomas is really good in specifically Uma. He is khepa chenpo. He translated a few big books. And one of your books is still not available? The last book, name what?
No, it is available. No much?
Both? Can you say both? That I just participated in the translation of the Mahayana Sutra Alamkara. Which a.... How many chapters? How many pages? The book is about a thousand pages altogether. It's a classic of Buddhism that has a very wonderful commentary, two commentaries actually. When you translate for me you are louder, but when I say something about what you are doing? You need to be opposite. And then there's a book I wrote about Madhyamaka and the history of Madhyamaka. That one, what name? And it's called Reason and Experience in Tibetan Buddhism. In my mind, it's very important to shedra students to read this. But you know the book, the printers are just keeping this sort of limited and charging a lot of money and they're keeping limited. Very funny.
Much more expensive. How much? A hundred and forty dollars. Yeah, one book hundred and forty dollars and not many books. Limited, You don't get a refund.
So you have to think about it carefully before you buy that book because you can't get a refund not like the Triple Excellence. A few people have said it is very, very amazing. It's very, very sharp. But I feel bad, you know. We not even have one or two. You have in library? Kathy? Student: I think it's in the reference section Rinpoche la. We have? Student: I think it's in the reference section. Yeah, we really need to get, people need to know. Somebody put a lot of effort and a lot of knowledge there. Especially if we are not getting, it's very funny. Our professor wrote this and other university they're reading and we don't know if that book exists or not.
And I keep telling to Thomas, he studied so many years and he have so rich knowledge and now time to share. And you know, Khenpo style is one. I think you can make sort of more package, more package. But within few hours inside he will say all the point of Umalajukpa or Uma Tsawa Sherab. You know, the two together very important. The tradition of khenpo way of explaining, each word has how many meaning...
And just make short and package, okay. You take. It's nice and there's so much words, you know, you don't know what now. You listen hours and hours and you don't know now what is the package. And so, you really, I'm telling to the shedra staffs, you need to hold Thomas. No, no, I'm not joking. What do you think?
Yeah, yeah, you say, you are also very knowledgeable, say a few words. A little bit get up, you and me short. Student: Just that Thomas present madhyamaka in one of the clearest ways I've ever heard and really in a way that is extremely approachable I mean it's like really a fantastic way of presenting and making things very clear, very quickly. I think Thomas you should talk more about....... fantastic. For example, he's leaving, otherwise I want him to give talk. Are you leaving tomorrow? Tomorrow. Tomorrow? What time?
Tomorrow morning? Morning?
Please, when he back, if I'm here or I'm not here, make a teaching to the international students, also once in a while for the public, once in a while. Like today, in the short term you guys can learn a lot. And Uma, the Bhikshu Ryan teaching, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Student: He's the Kyurpen. Huh? He's the Kyurpen. Kyurpen Yeah. For the Umalajukpa. Yeah, who student here? Umalajukpa student? Yeah, he teaching? Student: Ryan? Yeah. He takes one of the review classes. How you like? I'm not in it actually, so I can't say. Who's there? Who's there? Huh? Can you say one, two words? Student: He's truly excellent. He clearly understands perfectly and he summarizes all of the key points in incredible decisive way Also because of his English ability, he can translate just like that, you know? So he provides us with handouts of like materials we wouldn't have access to otherwise. So he's completely unique. I'm happy. He's a Canadian from Canada and he become monk and he's studying with monks here. Eat like monk's food, dal bhat thakari (Vegetables). Yesterday I took him out. I think first time in the restaurant. Studied there so many years, I feel touched. So I took him to the restaurant and dal bhat, he really eat dal bhat a lot. Then I said, now, you prove you are the monk. One of the monk, gompa monk, dal.
And I want to see like that more, more from...
Rinpoche really hopes that many people from many different backgrounds, with many different types of experience will come here to the monastery and study in a very genuine way and gain really genuine abilities. He is very diligent. I look a little bit here, always with studying, rarely to see him, just..., always reading.
I said, oh, you don't need to follow one thing, food. You can cook and you can buy bread and cheese and coffee and specifically...
Peanuts. Peanut butter. Peanut butter, I told him. He said, okay, okay, I don't know.
Need to dharma.
The healer, the protector, the saviour, forever saviour, forever saviour is only one, dharma. Forever saviour is the dharma. So please, this genuine richness you need to keep genuinely. How to keep genuinely? Study, practice, teach, discuss.
Okay, okay, really, one thirty, what?
And he taught that you are your own protector just as you are your own enemy.
Whatever good or bad you may do, you yourself are the witness.
And he said, that the Buddhas can not stop the suffering of sentient beings with their hand. They can not wash away their obscurations with water. They can not transfer their realization to others, but as they teach the truth of the intrinsic nature, everyone is freed. So, what they teach is liberation through insight into the intrinsic nature of things, suchness.
The Buddha's awakening, the liberation and complete awakening to the omniscient realization of a Buddha, that follows from following the path that leads to those achievements. It's through that, that one gains liberation and awakening. So in that regard, he also says that I show you the path to liberation, but whether or not you take it depends upon yourself. So it's the teaching of the intrinsic nature, that which points out to us the intrinsic nature. When we follow that teaching, then the results follow. That's what the Buddha can do for us, show us reality. And beyond that, even the Buddha is not able to help us in any superior or in any other way. In Buddhism, the saviour is not the Buddha. If we think the Buddha will save us, it's wrong. If we just think the dharma will save us, it's wrong. The sangha will save us, it's wrong. The Buddha shows us the path. The path is what? Teaching. Teaching, knowing, is not enough, we need to practice. If we do not practice, if we have good knowledge in dharma, it not means. It not means nothing...no,... It doesn't mean anything.
Anything. It doesn't... Student: It doesn't mean anything. Yeah, it doesn't mean anything. We need to apply, we need to practice. So in the world, there's different religions, different beliefs, but we all good to know Buddha is not the saviour. The Buddha cannot save us. Just worshipping to dharma books or worshipping to Sangha or monks or nuns, will not save us. We need to save ourselves. Buddha says, you are your teacher. Your own saviour. Yeah, you are, yeah, you are own...
You are your own protector or you are your own saviour. How could anyone else protect you?
When you train yourselves perfectly well, you yourselves will turn into the sacred refuge, You will become the saviour. Buddha is saying very logical truth. He says, I cannot save you. You need to save yourself. I will show you how to save yourself. That's all. So how touching. How touching. Buddha will never say, I save you.
He says, I will teach you, I will guide you on how to save yourself. So you, you are your own teacher, you are your own enemy. Who knows that? You, you know that, about that. How good you are, how good you are doing, how bad you are doing, it's you who know. Anybody not know? Except you yourself, nobody knows that clearly. Only you know. So listen how touching. It's very logical.
So what he taught?
As it is generally known, he taught the three Pitakas,
which contain three trainings. The training in special discipline, the training in special meditative absorption and the training in special insight.
There are many types of sentient beings, many different ways that one can be born as a sentient being, but presently we are humans. That means that we have achieved a special type of freedom and power that comes with being a human being. So we enjoy that freedom and that power now as humans. And having turned into human beings, then we have certain human needs. And what is it that human beings need? They need their happiness. They need to be happy and they work towards, they try their best to become happy. And what is happiness among human beings and what does it really come down to? To a sense of mutual respect, appreciation, affection and love for one another. When there is that kind of atmosphere, then human beings are happy. They can be very happy. When there is that sort of atmosphere, when there is genuine care, love and affection, then it's a joyful situation to be a human being. But that kind of happiness and that kind of fulfillment for human beings is destroyed, not by whom, not by... It's not a punishment from God when we fail to have that kind of happiness. And it's not some sort of evil scheme of a demon or devil either. And it's not that wild animals prevent us from being happy in that way. It's not that bugs and insects make it difficult for us to be in that way. When we fail to be happy as human beings, it's not because of any of those things.
So who is it who is responsible when we human beings aren't happy and don't feel the way we would like to feel? What's the reason? Who is behind it? Human beings.
And how do we go about preventing ourselves from being happy as human beings?
What's the root problem when human beings prevent themselves from being happy human beings?
It's not because people are too kind and it's not because they are too loving that we end up being unhappy. When you say too loving, it's typical in Danish accent? One second. Not only one second, I'm sure.
Why we... What we need, this world is who? Who is the boss? Human. Who is the controller? Human. Who is the most smartest? Supposedly human. Who has the most capablilities? Human. And what humans want? Joy, happiness. What human does? The opposite of that. Why we? What wrong now we are? What's wrong?
Why are we destroying ourselves? Why are we torturing ourselves? Why are we putting misery in our life and the future generations? What wrong we are? Something wrong here. This is not caused by loving kindness and compassion. This is not caused with good motivation. This is caused by selfishness. This is caused by negative emotions, pride, jealousy, and greed. So we are screwing up our planet. We are screwing up our life. We are screwing up our future generations. We really are destroying the whole world actually. In this time we need to be really more aware and more discuss and more think. Because, in the past also there is trouble. Because there is human. There is human because, humans are not enough tolerant. And humans are not really applying their kindness, honest, trusting. So, now we got till here. Outerly we are living quite sort of, on one hand you can say civilized. We have more technologies. We can travel more easy. And even living styles are much more comfortable. There is heating system, hot and cool, everywhere TV, and you can send SMS or talk here, there. Whole world is becoming smaller and smaller and smaller. But we think we are becoming bigger and bigger. No, we are becoming smaller and smaller. Technology is becoming bigger and bigger. We are fooling ourselves. We are becoming smaller and smaller. One day we will definitely become like a box. Technology is like huge And it's not a joke. Like we are watching, many years before when I was a child, when we watch movie they called, Ching Kong, King Kong. They are holding people here and there. Now, King Kong is already here now. We made King Kong now. We put our lives in King Kong's hands now. We can not get back now. We can not go back that easily. But one day no choice we not go back. But till that we can not go back that easily. We are totally in technology's hands. Body, brain, money, energy, everything is sucked by technologies. We are becoming smaller and smaller, hopeless and hopeless, and our brain does not work that much now. All the brain sucks in the technology and they control you where to go, what to eat, what to do, what to think. We think we are becoming more wiser. No, we are becoming more narrow. Whatever information comes, we are just stuck there. Small piece of box or small in your computer or iPad. Total mind just there. The warmness, the kindness, the joy and laughing and joking. It's where? It's gone. More and more stress, more and more uptight, more and more mind become narrow and narrow, focus and focus, and control your whole brain. That is the modern. That is the civilized. That is our success. Success. We are successful. We are very successful. Why? We have a lot of the newest and latest technologies. So we think we are successful.
So, now the world is becoming smaller and smaller, dirty and dirty, polluted and polluted. Talking about oil, oil is nothing. Shortage of water,
polluted water, a shortage of water, and damaging the earth. And not trusting, not respecting, not loving, cheating each other, each other. Just so strong emotion. What kind of emotion? Greedy. Greedy has become more and more power and more and more skills. The greedy power has become so strong it went to the technology. Now technology bcame so greedy, so powerful, so hurtful. Yes, we can not say all technology is bad. Yes, technology is helping a lot, but another sides. Each country, how much they make, more and more army, more and more technology. What kind of technology? Hidden technology. What kind of? Pistol? No, no, no, no. Gun? No, no, no. Huge, unbelievable, powerful things. Almost nearly a hundred years before, what happened in the world? After that, now what? How many years back? How skills? How skills, good skills, bad skills already pop up in this world?
And Buddhist teaching is just fact. And Buddha, what he is saying, he is just talking, just fact. He is not talking else. He is not talking unusual. He is not saying anything unusual things, just fact.
So we are talking about Śīla, the five precepts. Why in the world, why do we have no peace? Why are we fighting? Why are we cheating? Why are we lying? Why we need more armies? Why we need more technology? To whom? Actually it's terrible, terribly ugly, to humans. Human are making guns for humans. Human are making bombs, atom bomb, nuclear bomb, and many other awful things. To whom? To human. Which planet? On this planet. There is no other planet.
So we are talking honest, honest, honesty, honesty. especially these days we talk about honesty, honest, what is honest? What is, civilized? Don't be a liar, don't be honest. Where is the honesty? Just light conversation is honest, but real honesty is where? In business is there honest? Is their technology inside honest? In the politics is there honest? Sometimes even in religions, there is no honesty. So where is honest? What Buddha is saying, be honest. The cause and effect is extremely important. If you really believe from the bottom of your heart cause and effect, you can not be not honest. You can not cheat yourself, you can not harm yourself. Till then, who knows about you? You can be very good at hypocrisy. You can cheat, you can lie. Who knows you? It's difficult. You can hide, you can...
So in this world what is the problem? Problems all comes from dishonest. dishonest? Lack of (dis)honest. Lack of (dis)honesty. lack of kindness, lack of trust, lack of respect. We are facing a misery life.
Now we have no shortage of technology, we have no shortage, even economic. We have no shortage of education. But we really have shortage. We are so poor, so poor. About what? Kindness, Kindness, we are so poor, so poor. So for that reason there is no trusting, no respect. Less respect, even in the family, and with friends.
Less trust. Less respect. Less honest. What reasons? Lack of... kindness. So the Buddha's teaching is world wide important. It's so important world wide. It's so important for those who believe in the religion of dharma, who do not believe in the religion of dharma, who ever wants to live in this world peacefully, in harmony, and happy, and joy, and laughing, joking, enjoying, enjoying the five sense object. The flower is beautiful. The winds are nice. A cup of water is good.
But if we are not aware... almost we are too late now.
What too late? We already harmed a lot. We have harmed the earth here. We have harmed the earth, We have harmed the people physically and we have really harmed mentally. Mentally polluted. Mental pollution is very dangerous. What is the pollution? Dishoner. Dishonesty. Dishonesty is polluted. A Child, who will teach about kindness? Who will say how important is to tolerance? Who will say how important to respect each other? Who will respect? Who will teach be trust(ing). Don't trust anyone. You are the most important. Fight. Fight. Don't trust anyone. Fight. Gain. Competition. Everything is competition. Everything is competition. We don't know how to be not in competition now. We have that much success. We don't know how to not be in competition. We are so expert to compete . Comparing and comparing. Competing and competing. If possible, we step on each other.
If I will win something unusual, I will not mind to step on each other. If we feel that way, how ugly! How painful. How sad. So now it's really time to open our heart and look at the source, look at the cause. What's wrong in the world now? Am I okay with my physical body? Is my physical also polluted? Too many chemicals everywhere. What kind of sickness I have? Am I okay in my mind? Did I really pollute it? It's so greedy. Am I so greedy? Am I so proud? Have I really become so hypocrite? Am I really become untrusty? Untrustworthy? Untrust, untrust, Untrustworthy. It become one day, you not trust yourself. Not trusting, not trusting here, there, here, there. Then you shouldn't be trusting. Then difficult to trust yourself. Because what you learned, says don't trust to anyone. So you also one of them.
And we work so hard, especially, you know, everywhere. same I travel a little bit here and there. Whoever wears very dirty cloth and live in a very simple shelter and go to work.
Hard work. And who have fancy three piece suit, ten, fifteen, thousands...
price of three piece suit. Giant sort of
car or airplane even. But, a lot of stress. Who have more: More stress, more fear, not less stress. more fear, more worry, more doubting, and feel lonely, feel very lonely. Because you put so much effort. You make your friend is not a human, you make your friend is paper, money. Your make your friend is technology. Your make your real friend is the money, the technology and jewelry. Jewelry is only to show to other. If you live in your own private house, if you wear jewelry, it's silly. You need to show off somewhere. If you show off, you need to worry. If it's too small, you worry, If it's too big, you worry. If it's too small, you worry because nobody will think, ha ha, ho ho. If it's too big, you worry, maybe somebody will kill you.
So, happiness is mental relax. Happiness is laughing. Looking at each other, smiling. But even these days, what kind of smile now? What kind of smile? The cheating smile? You know, it's difficult to trust. what kind of smiling? Really, a kind smiling? Or cheating smiling, you know? or a fake smiling?
It's very joyful if somebody laughs to you from bottom of their heart. Sort of smile with happy, Smile with loving. It's so healing. It's not looking like, like, you know, big,
say, diamond. If you look at a big diamond, it not does anything to you.
Giant diamond. In England, I went to see the...
diamond the size of an egg. Size of an egg. Yeah. There's so much fear there. So much fear. Quite black and gun. You need to go quick. Theis is feeling funny.
Humans make humans happy. Humans make humans angry. Humans make... Who really makes most happy? Human make most happy to human. Who make really destroy human's mind? Human make human mind destroyed. Humans can help. Humans can harm. Human has terrible power.
Now what kind of? No friend? Problem. Have friend? Problem. If you have really a clean friend, both sides, it's so joyful. Whatever type of friend. Couples, boyfriend, girlfriend. Normal, just friends. Whatever friends, if you both really trust, love. Trust and love, respect. It's so joyful. Life is beautiful. You do not need much more than that. To survive in this world is not that difficult. If we think it is difficult to survive, then it is very difficult to survive because we need to catch the number ones. Number ones, how do you say?
The number one type of life. Life styles. We do not want number two. If possible we want the super. Super.
Super, super. It's so difficult to be super. Even if you are super today, tomorrow not.
It changes so fast. Whatever you are super today, and you are not super. And you cannot be super at everything. If you are super one side, then another side you are not super. You can not be in everything super. You are the most smart, the most handsome, the most rich, the most famous, the most educated, the most... impossible.
So, when I think more and more, the words of the Buddha saying,
you are your own teacher, you are your own enemy. It's so honest, so touching, but very scary. And then saying, the witness is you. He is not saying the witness is me. He never says the witness is me. He never says I save you. He never says I am the saviour. Even he will not say the dharma will save you. If dharma is applied, it saves you. Just trusting to the dharma, just worshiping to the dharma, will not (save you). It's so logical, so honest. He says, I am helpless, I want to help, I want to serve, I want to heal, but don't ever believe me, I can save you. It's wonderful. Now we know, what is the saviour.
People have so much fear. People save and save, saving, saving, save, save, save, then they feel it makes them safe.
Saving, saving, saving, saving, saving makes you feel safe. It makes you feel safe.
These words I like very much. Saving. What happened? Student: It was broken, Rinpoche. How? Student: It was broken 13 years ago actually. Then why I see today only? Student: Now it is broken again. Huh? Student: Again broken. How many days ago?
Student: A couple of weeks, one week maybe. Oh yeah, okay. I thought two things. One is I thought you have become six, or seven years old.
Again going back, so I worry, don't go to home. Don't go to home.
See, you are young.
So it's good to remember how the buddha said that you are your own saviour and you are your own enemy. Whatever good and bad you may do, you are the witness. Who is the witness?
You are your own protector. How could anyone else protect you?
If you train yourself really well, you yourself become the refuge. So our responsibility is what? We need to, now we know we need to train. We are wild. We are wild. What wild? Negative emotions. We are full of negative emotions. Anger, jealousy, attachment, greed.
So those emotions make our heart to become very dry, and our brain to become very dry, and very polluted. We know that. If we have success a little bit. We are so proud. If we have success a little bit, name, fame, power, even some, some, some small jewelry or some small makeup, or some small dress. Here, there, here, there, and later we are so proud. If opposite of that, then it's so, so down immediately.
Manic depression.
It has many levels. Manic depression has many levels. I think until we do not really, until we not gain the realization, I think we have manic depression. Some kind of, some stage.
Student: On some level. On some level.
It's okay to say because it's true.
What do you think? Student: Yes, thanks.
So we need medicine. Definitely we need medicine. Where is the medicine? Medicine is not outside. Medicine is within ourselves. Enlightenment is not there, enlightenment is within ourselves.
So, taming is so important. So taming is based in training. So we need to know how to train, train. The bottom line is training. In the dharma, when we say, we say, saying,
we say, we... when we say, we practice dharma. What is the practice of dharma? What is it to practice the dharma? What is the practice of dharma?
What do we mean when we say, practice dharma?
Student: Giving and helping. Huh? Student: Giving and helping. Giving what? Giving, jinpa. Huh? Giving, jinpa. Giving?
Student: Sharing the teachings we have received,
Knowing a person that needs, and then which of our abilities to apply for this particular person. All animals too. Never forget the animals.
Never forget sentient beings, not only animals. You forgot, bugs. You forgot, fish. I not forgot. I say all sentient beings. But you are only interest human and animals. joking...
But if we understand, practicing Dharma to exclusively mean to do good, then our understanding of the Buddha Dharma is not really that great. What means 'sufficient' means what? It's not sufficient. It's insufficient understanding.
Insufficient. Insufficient. If we say, I'm practicing, in terminology, in Sanskrit,
What is the dharma?
What is the path? Shortcut.
So if we think that practicing dharma is about avoiding negative acts, Ten, ten negative. The ten of them, and if we think that practicing the dharma involves then doing good and the ordinary ten virtues, then... that that's the path of the dharma. If that's what we think and we feel content with that understanding and abide by that understanding, still we haven't really penetrated to the root of Buddhist practice. Then what?
There is view, meditation, conduct and fruition.
Ground, path and fruition.
And most important of all is the view. What then is the view?
Emptiness and dependent origination. What's the conduct?
Avoiding bringing harm on any sentient being,
including our own enemy.
And in fact in particular being able to have genuine loving concern for our own enemy. That's one of our most important duties as dharma practitioners.
The terms are so beautiful they are really quite enrapturing the dharma vocabulary.
So beautiful, so attractive it sounds.
And it's all true what we are talking about. There is no deception.
But if because it is so beautiful and because it makes so excellent sense, we become we end up stuck at the level of words and concepts so that we are not really able to take to heart in a more deeper sense what in fact is being expressed in the teachings. Then the real effects will not occur either. In other words, just by knowing a whole lot of dharma and being able to think about it in a very clear and beautiful manner, being able to communicate the dharma, discuss it in a beautiful and meaningful and convincing way, that alone is not going to liberate us. We need to know the training. We need to have experience with the training on a very practical and direct level. And the there are two aspects to that training. There are the means and the insight and those have to be combined. The means is, they are in terms of love and compassion and the insight is this insight into reality. So when we know these means and when we have that insight, when we live through those means and that insight, then liberation and awakening follows.
So we talk about practicing the dharma and we need to know really well what it is we are talking about. What does it mean to practice the dharma?
Practicing the dharma, in order to do that it's not enough that we just say a whole lot of things that we chant and recite and that we keep many different things in mind and meditate in that manner.
That doesn't really qualify as dharma practice. Just that. Chanting a lot, visualizing a lot, knowing a lot, is not enough. Chanting is method. Visualizing is method. Knowing a lot is method. They are not real.
So we need
we need a resolve and if we are stuck with the means, all of these are what we talked about are skillful means. They are means and method. But if we let them be just that then we don't really gain all the benefits. Means and methods are there to be applied. So how can we ensure that we really use the methods, that we really apply the means? Well, as we wake up in the morning then we can tell ourselves in a very clear and direct way that today I will whatever I may be occupied with doing whether I move about, whether I sit down, whether I have a meal or even if I lie down to rest I will always do what I do with the clear wish that something should happen to my mind. I'm going to do something I'm going to make something happen today during all these different situations. I will make something happen. And how will I do that? I will let myself be inspired by the thoughts of impermanence and renunciation and I will let my being become completely saturated with love and compassion and then I will let my mind arrive at insight into the nature of things. This is my wish and that's the program for today.
I seal everything with the view of emptiness.
Truly doing that comes down to having a direct recognition of the way things are, the intrinsic nature.
That true insight into the way things are has many different names. Terms are used for it in the dharma teachings. Insight into the absence of self, the recognition of emptiness, great simplicity beyond conceptual constructs, the views of Mahamudra and the great perfection. Those are the terms that are used for that direct and full recognition of the intrinsic nature, the way things are. But if we cannot arrive at that direct and fully experiential recognition of the nature of things, then we can think in a way that is quite in tune with the way things are. And in other words, we just begin to drop the thoughts that go very much against the way things are. So, for example, when we are used to thinking that things last, perhaps that they last very long or even last forever, as we understand that those thoughts are actually not accurate because there is no conditioned thing that goes on and endures, then we can just give up, begin to loosen that tendency to think that things last, just as when we understand that while we may think that all of this is real, it isn't. When we understand that, we can also begin to let go of the thoughts that hold on very rigidly to things being real and solidly there. And if we just begin to...
approach the real recognition of the nature of things in such a conceptual way, giving up the rigid ways of thinking in terms of permanence and reality, and instead just remind ourselves gently that this doesn't last and it isn't real, then that has some very concrete repercussions because if we don't think that this lasts and we don't think that it is real, then, a whole range of emotions are not going to happen a whole range of negative emotions. And we become very capable and very skilled in going through all sorts of experiences and all sorts of situations. If we can think increasingly that it isn't lasting, it doesn't continue, and if we can remind ourselves that it isn't real the way it appears, then that will make us able to go through life in a very skillful way and with a great sense of openness and ease. And if things work out for us, it doesn't make us crazy and completely out of touch with things, be infatuated by our own success. And if something goes wrong, it's not that big of a problem either. It's not going to make us terribly depressed, it's not going to be a disaster if things turned out different from what we wanted them to be. So your whole perception changes, your experience of things changes, because you're used to thinking in a new way, in a different way, things begin to present themselves in a different way as well, and so the whole world looks different. If all of these effects come from just taking a first step in a conceptual manner on the path, then think about how it might be to have the real experience of this in a way that isn't dependent on thoughts. To put in very simple language. We need to apply the teaching in daily life, moment by moment, moment by moment, wherever you are, whatever you're doing, eating, talking, even in the toilet. This is our duty, this is our responsibility. Knowing a lot is not helpful, chanting a lot is not helpful, visualising beautiful things here and there is not only that will help. Yes, these are necessary, yes, these are helpful, but really the bottom line is we need to be aware moment by moment, and we need to change. Change what? Positively. More soft, more wise, more kind and more tolerant. That is our success. That is our achievement. In the teachings it mentions,
So, they say that there should be a decisive sense of progress, progress from year to year, from month to month, from week to week, from day to day. That's how it ought to be, that we can feel that progress as every day passes, or at least as the months go by that there's a sense of I've gotten somewhere. And think about it, if a year passes and you don't get that sense at all, what kind of practice would you be doing? Maybe dharma bum.
Because of me, there is not many dharma bums now. dharma. Dharma, the dharma bums are wiped out. Wiped out, what? Wiped out. Wiped out.
practice is all about a certain direction of the mind, a perspective. Right? It's a certain perspective practice.
So we have a chance of finding that perspective. We have the real possibility to do so when we are awake. When we fall asleep it's different.
Then we're helpless. Sleep is one kind of death. One kind of death. Where we are, we don't know. It means what country, which house, which bed, how you're sleeping, with whom and how you look. You don't know anything. Totally gone. It's death. Death means to be like that. Every day we are dying.
The sense cognition all five of them, dissolve into the all-ground consciousness.
And about impermanence and about death.
There's two ways, One is ignoring, one is face, face (it). Ignoring is not helpful. But why? We need to face. So however ugly, however, whatever, ugly, or we do not want to think, or even the words of death is not nice, but we need to face death. So we shouldn't escape. We need to talk we need to think, we need to face (death). If we talk, think. If we make preparations when death comes, Not a big deal. If we are hiding, if we are ignoring. Actually, why do we not want to talk? Why do we not want to think? Because we fear. We have so much fear. So people do not want to talk about death. People do not want to use the words of death they are so scared. Everybody knows everybody needs to die. But people do not want to think about it. People not want to talk. People do not want to discuss. In Buddhism, we talk a lot about impermanence, we talk a lot about death. Some people, because of that, they do not like to learn more further. Because they don't want to face (death). And moreover, and also talk about old age. People do not like to hear about that. People like to hear, I ever last, never death. This is not that way. It not works that way. We shouldn't cheat ourselves. We shouldn't cheat ourselves. It's not true. We need to. We are dying. We will die. 100% sure dying. We never know when we will die. So, why not talk about, why not face? There's knowing, talking, and when death comes, it is much more easy to deal. If we never talk, never think, never discuss and never prepare then, Boom! Misery, misery. So Buddhist teaching is fact. how to live nicely, how to die nicely. This is the life. Need to live nicely, happily, happy. Happiness is based on kindness. If kindness, if we are rich in mind, kind, that makes so much happy. If we are poor in kindness, whatever we success, we are really, really, really poor. Whatever we not (have), poor in education, financially, or even physically, if we are poor, not healthy, financially, difficult day by day, education, not much education. But if we have one, if we have kind, if kindness is within ourselves, that has so much power and quality. It helps, heals, it protects yourself. It helps, heals, serves, protects, helps and heals others. So the world is very poor. What is the poor part of the world? Education? No, no, no. Technology? No, no, no. Economically? No, no, no. The world is very poor about kindness. It's become more and more materialistic, materialistic? Yeah! materialistic. More, more, more materialistic, more more poor of kindness. Seems like I might be wrong. You judge, you discuss, you think. Something there is strange. More and more intelligent, more and more rich, more and more educated, less and less feeling to others, more and more feeling to yourself, more and more becoming selfish. There is something here, something doing funny, something going funny.
So now how to apply? Moment by moment.
By being moved by great sadness, by being, having a warm affection, by being completely open and overjoyed.
Moved by great sadness. Great? Moved by sadness.
So moved by sadness, warm and affectionate, perfectly open and overjoyed.
Nice words? In Tibetan the terminology is very beautiful.
I always want to say great sadness but a, really moved by sadness. Milarepa, when he in cave and he went out, he tried to get some wood and he couldn't have success. At that moment a wind came. Then he might be... Then he was moved by sadness.
And then because of that he remembered the guru Marpa.
And then he sang a supplication to guru Marpa to dispel the gloom of the mind. He became very sad, and that sadness brings a very strong missing, missing the teacher, and brings some kind of very pure devotion, or faith. Then he sings. How much he misses Marpa and his teaching. And the wife of Marpa, and the Sangha, and the teaching, the tantric teaching, he miss all. So, he sang, sang, sang, sang from bottom heart.
And a he really got carried away by this song of sadness and devotion. Almost so that he couldn't take it anymore. As if he was about to pass out overwhelmed by sadness and devotion. Some strange mixture. Like almost fainting. That kind of moved, and suddenly a... beautiful cloud came. On top of the cloud Marpa was riding on a lion. He says what's wrong my son?
What are you crying for my boy?
I can't find a better word. No. Crying for, I think it's quite okay. What are you crying for?
...is like a... small child when the child is sad, or disappointed, they're nagging to mom. You know, it's almost like blaming to mom. Mom has not done anything wrong, but you know, because for her (child), the most closest is the mom. So needs to show everything to mom. You understand? All emotion need to show to mom. So this word in dharma terminology...
You crying for in that sense. I cry for to get something. But we can think more of course. Is there British?
Students: Whining.
Whining for, yeah, yeah. Whining is good This American? American english is not that correct.
Need to go to the source.
American will say hospital is haspital.
Saying haspital is too much open your mouth. And saying like Queen's English is little bit huspital is not right. I think better to medium. Maybe Oxford English.
Queen's English is too good, it's like singing. Need to have melody. I and my husband went yesterday to Manchester.
Sorry.
So what are you whining about?
And then he gave special instructions.
And Milarepa's experience and realization blossomed further.
That's the power of faith and devotion.
Even feeling sad is a powerful thing.
Because you felt sad the devotion came because of the devotion you met the guru and the instructions were delivered. Please read life of Milarepa, again and again. Please read the song of Milarepa, again and again. Please read and study. Actually you need to study, Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra Now after, 9th chapters when? When will be the 9th chapter? What month you know? Student: March. Student: March. Can you say two words about this? Student: Yeah! Student here are studying Bodhicaryāvatāra and they are studying the entire text. But some around the begning of the march we will reach chapter 9 which is the chapter of wisdom and so then Rinpoche wanted us to invite many people to come to study that chapter, especially. So when it gets little closer we know exactly when it will start If possible you come. 9th chapter. 9th chapter. Thai, Thai Student: It's also available online starting from January. Also online, online. I really highly recommend if you want to be meaningful in your life. We're all human. We would like to have in the life, what we need. We need to have a rich knowledge. It's the really richest knowledge. Rich knowledge is the real genuine richness. Rich knowledge is the real genuine rich. Riches? Riches. So, please try to join. If possible, very good to be with the teacher. Good to be with student. There is an energy. The teachers energy, the student's energy. Discussing. Discussing you know question, and answer, alive, has energy. Of course technology is also very helpful. Through that you can study wherever you are. But still I will say, if possible only few month. 9th chapter, how long? Student: 6 weeks. Only 6 weeks? It's little short. 6 weeks short. Student: 6 or 7. Yeah, 7 weeks. It's really, really good. You will get, really you will get almost third eye. And also you can study online what? Student: So you can study online chapter 9. Just like Rinpoche is talking about Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra And Thomas will be answering questions. Wow, super. And then we study the Mulamadhyamikakarika, The Root Verses of the Middle Way. And then also a course that is called: Faoundations of Buddhism. It is an Introduction. In Buddhist history and philosophy. Is also online. And both of those courses will have moderators too. Hillary Herdman, who is one of our instructors, will be moderatoing those two courses online, and they all start in January. And they are all just 108 Dollars, I think.
They are good courses, they are really nice. Khenpo Jampa Donden is teaching them.
There are three transmissions we can say. There's the one of learning and reflecting the approach of learning and reflecting, the approach of meditating with oral instructions, and then finally the approach through the transfer of blessings. So three approaches in this way. And the first the approach of resolving the view through learning and reflecting. That's the one that is being maintained in the monastic universities where one studies the classical texts and resolves the view through a sophisticated process of refining one's understanding, applying arguments and analysis based on the scriptural statements. So working with scripture and reasoning one resolves the view, establishes the view. That is the approach that comes through the middle way and mind only systems. And it is an approach that is alive today, has been maintained in Tibet through these, in these monastic institutions. And it is an approach that goes back to the early days of Buddhism in India where we have these great monastic universities such as Nalanda and Vikramashila. So many of you study here in the International Institute for Buddhist Studies and those of you who do so have then first-hand experience with what that approach is about. There's another approach of meditating by means of oral instructions. That's the one that we maintain here, when having seminars for Buddhist practice and that's the one that is being maintained in the triple excellence program. And then finally there is the approach of the transfer of blessings. That is the way of realization through simply the meeting of master and disciple, qualified master and a ready disciple. When they come together then in that bare meeting of the minds full realization can occur. It doesn't happen often but it has happened historically speaking and there is that third approach.
Please join at least one.
Ninth chapter, wisdom chapter, or the Mulamadhyamikarika,
or Triple Excellence. Of course best is all.
Is anybody practicing online? Oh, which one? Which online? Huh? Triple Excellence? Three of you? Oh, more, five, six. Can you say two words about how you feel, what kind of affect to you? Student: I started about 2 days ago.
Thank you. You? Student: We have been practicing like for a week only but it's very nice because a... the way it's structured, every day we have a new practice that connects to the one we made before and whole day long keeps your mind connected to this practice to be more deep, deep understanding. Not only here like, but to take it in the everyday life before having read on the powerpoint and making the meditation... All day long, you take what we mostly have in the books or in the teachings, like what we are doing during the whole day, so it becomes very powerful to like really mixes all what we are doing with this understanding and makes it more powerful. I am very appreciate. Student: Thank you so much. Any of you practicing Triple Excellence? You?
Student: Well, every time I have to say something about Triple Excellence sometimes I get lost for words but it really keeps you on track. You get these beautiful teachings to begin with from Rinpoche and then you get a daily meditation in the morning and the wake up practice. This prayer is so beautiful because when we do the wake up practice it reminds us that all our kind mothers are lost in samsara and when they wake up they roam in ignorance, in the darkness of ignorance. So straight away with the wake up practice you have this beautiful generation of bodhicitta and then the actual meditations themselves in the morning, at the end of the meditation, please think about during the day, think about precious human rebirth, think about whatever topic and to bring it to your own experience through the day and then the at the end of the day, again, this meditation, so you are really, it's really sinking in, you know. And then the end of the day, how did you go? You know, did you remember? So it really, it's something every day. You know, I teach Buddhism, I don't know, I'm just a tape recorder, but one of the things that I noticed, students become very discouraged if there's no continuity. So here with the Triple Excellence, you have, you are connecting every day with Rinpoche and with the Sangha. You are given some practice to do every day and I think this is when our minds change and I cannot thank you all. Everybody involved in the Triple Excellence, it always moves me to tears, so thank you, thank you, thank you. I can't recommend it highly enough.
Even who want to improve your English? Student: Especially.
If anyone, any of you, if you want to improve, Oxford English. No, I'm not joking, you know, I've seen some Europeans. I know them and maybe after six, seven months, I see them, their English is very good. I say, oh, you went to school, no, no, no, Triple Excellence, especially for Nepalese, for Asians. I'm not joking. You don't need to go to Oxford, it's a long way and expensive and, you know, no, I'm not joking, I'm not joking, no, not joking.
Also now, good news, a few days ago, a group of people, they like to translate the Triple Excellence into Nepali language.
In my mind, my experience, whoever practices the Triple Excellence, their are quite tamed . their are quite tamed.
That is the gain. They're very happy, happy. They're very happy, they think every day is connected with dharma. They very appreciate and they're very happy with what they're doing. So I really highly recommend, join that. It will really heal you and help you. However you are learned, whatever practice you do, this is really, really helpful for you. On top of that, whatever practice you want to do, you do it. But this bring you, how you say, structure and lead.
What ani you say, structure? No, Track. Track, yeah. This will keep you on track, otherwise you lose it.
If I say, even moment by moment, it does something in your mind. Even if you're not aware, even if you're not aware, it make you softer and softer, So fast, kind, kind, so fast, wiser and wiser, so fast. So, at least, please, how to say, try? There's one way to, testing? Have a trial, give it, take it, test it out. Test it out. It's good or not, test it. Give it a try. Student: Everyone can try for one month? Can you say this? This I want very much. Sorry, sorry, sorry. Oh, you come here. Oh, this longer?
You come here. Small, you're small, no problem.
Well everyone can try out the first excellence for one month and after one month, if you don't like it, if it doesn't benefit you or whatever, just write us an email and saying why and maybe tell us how to improve and you get all your money back. So, we stand for the quality of the program, so one month, please try it out.
I don't know that. That's very, very necessary. I'm very happy about that, I'm very happy about that. It needs to be that way. This is not business. A handful of people are working very hard. We are charging some money, it's for survive, technology, and you know, some expenses. And it not really covers all. And we're not doing this for any other reason. No name, no fame, no money. Each of us, we're doing this from the bottom of our heart. We want to share the Buddha's teaching. All the yānas. Not missing anything. Also this is impartial. We're not talking anything about this lineage, that lineage. We're not discussing, we're not debating. Just showing the path.
So how many people want to join?
Sweet. Think about that. At least try one month. And you can take back the money. Or not to pay money. That doesn't matter. However,
Wow! Time!
Thank you, today my talk went very well, because Thomas is with us.
The wisdom chapter, Thomas will be also lead, yeah? I'm so happy about that. So you can ask direct question, even who are studying online. Now we are really rich. The teacher, translator, and Thomas. In the monastery, they are called Khenpo or Acharya and a professor. Buddhist professor and a good translator. From teacher side, we are really rich. I can not make better than that. We can not make better than this. They're all super, very qualified teachers, who will teach the ninth chapter. Khenpo, he himself is very qualified. His translator, who will translate? He's not here today? He's really good, he's really good. And Thomas is really good in specifically Uma. He is khepa chenpo. He translated a few big books. And one of your books is still not available? The last book, name what?
No, it is available. No much?
Both? Can you say both? That I just participated in the translation of the Mahayana Sutra Alamkara. Which a.... How many chapters? How many pages? The book is about a thousand pages altogether. It's a classic of Buddhism that has a very wonderful commentary, two commentaries actually. When you translate for me you are louder, but when I say something about what you are doing? You need to be opposite. And then there's a book I wrote about Madhyamaka and the history of Madhyamaka. That one, what name? And it's called Reason and Experience in Tibetan Buddhism. In my mind, it's very important to shedra students to read this. But you know the book, the printers are just keeping this sort of limited and charging a lot of money and they're keeping limited. Very funny.
Much more expensive. How much? A hundred and forty dollars. Yeah, one book hundred and forty dollars and not many books. Limited, You don't get a refund.
So you have to think about it carefully before you buy that book because you can't get a refund not like the Triple Excellence. A few people have said it is very, very amazing. It's very, very sharp. But I feel bad, you know. We not even have one or two. You have in library? Kathy? Student: I think it's in the reference section Rinpoche la. We have? Student: I think it's in the reference section. Yeah, we really need to get, people need to know. Somebody put a lot of effort and a lot of knowledge there. Especially if we are not getting, it's very funny. Our professor wrote this and other university they're reading and we don't know if that book exists or not.
And I keep telling to Thomas, he studied so many years and he have so rich knowledge and now time to share. And you know, Khenpo style is one. I think you can make sort of more package, more package. But within few hours inside he will say all the point of Umalajukpa or Uma Tsawa Sherab. You know, the two together very important. The tradition of khenpo way of explaining, each word has how many meaning...
And just make short and package, okay. You take. It's nice and there's so much words, you know, you don't know what now. You listen hours and hours and you don't know now what is the package. And so, you really, I'm telling to the shedra staffs, you need to hold Thomas. No, no, I'm not joking. What do you think?
Yeah, yeah, you say, you are also very knowledgeable, say a few words. A little bit get up, you and me short. Student: Just that Thomas present madhyamaka in one of the clearest ways I've ever heard and really in a way that is extremely approachable I mean it's like really a fantastic way of presenting and making things very clear, very quickly. I think Thomas you should talk more about....... fantastic. For example, he's leaving, otherwise I want him to give talk. Are you leaving tomorrow? Tomorrow. Tomorrow? What time?
Tomorrow morning? Morning?
Please, when he back, if I'm here or I'm not here, make a teaching to the international students, also once in a while for the public, once in a while. Like today, in the short term you guys can learn a lot. And Uma, the Bhikshu Ryan teaching, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Student: He's the Kyurpen. Huh? He's the Kyurpen. Kyurpen Yeah. For the Umalajukpa. Yeah, who student here? Umalajukpa student? Yeah, he teaching? Student: Ryan? Yeah. He takes one of the review classes. How you like? I'm not in it actually, so I can't say. Who's there? Who's there? Huh? Can you say one, two words? Student: He's truly excellent. He clearly understands perfectly and he summarizes all of the key points in incredible decisive way Also because of his English ability, he can translate just like that, you know? So he provides us with handouts of like materials we wouldn't have access to otherwise. So he's completely unique. I'm happy. He's a Canadian from Canada and he become monk and he's studying with monks here. Eat like monk's food, dal bhat thakari (Vegetables). Yesterday I took him out. I think first time in the restaurant. Studied there so many years, I feel touched. So I took him to the restaurant and dal bhat, he really eat dal bhat a lot. Then I said, now, you prove you are the monk. One of the monk, gompa monk, dal.
And I want to see like that more, more from...
Rinpoche really hopes that many people from many different backgrounds, with many different types of experience will come here to the monastery and study in a very genuine way and gain really genuine abilities. He is very diligent. I look a little bit here, always with studying, rarely to see him, just..., always reading.
I said, oh, you don't need to follow one thing, food. You can cook and you can buy bread and cheese and coffee and specifically...
Peanuts. Peanut butter. Peanut butter, I told him. He said, okay, okay, I don't know.
Need to dharma.
The healer, the protector, the saviour, forever saviour, forever saviour is only one, dharma. Forever saviour is the dharma. So please, this genuine richness you need to keep genuinely. How to keep genuinely? Study, practice, teach, discuss.
Okay, okay, really, one thirty, what?
