Advice For Daily Life (part 2)

0:03 Would you hurry up? Okay. Report an error in the passage at 0:03 Highlight the passage at 0:03

0:24 You can tell me. Go ahead. Report an error in the passage at 0:24 Highlight the passage at 0:24

0:33 Okay. Okay. Yeah, Report an error in the passage at 0:33 Highlight the passage at 0:33

0:45 yeah, yeah. okay. Report an error in the passage at 0:45 Highlight the passage at 0:45

0:45 yeah, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 0:45 Highlight the passage at 0:45

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1:36 anybody have any? Report an error in the passage at 1:36 Highlight the passage at 1:36

1:41 So the anger around, for example, childhood abuse. Report an error in the passage at 1:41 Highlight the passage at 1:41

1:49 chosen that only because it's news a lot, I'm not going to use specific names. Report an error in the passage at 1:49 Highlight the passage at 1:49

2:00 not talking, no, not getting into names. No, no, are you talking about victim I'm talking about the victim. Yeah, Report an error in the passage at 2:00 Highlight the passage at 2:00

2:24 I think, I Report an error in the passage at 2:24 Highlight the passage at 2:24

2:34 mean, it's like that verse from, yeah, no, I would say it would be extremely difficult, for sure, and I don't think it's, I don't want to kind of minimalize it, and I don't have any expertise in the area, so, Report an error in the passage at 2:34 Highlight the passage at 2:34

3:01 yeah, I mean, it's like Shantideva talks about the fact that... It's like holding a hot coal in your hand that you want to throw at your enemy. And so becoming aware that it burns yourself. Report an error in the passage at 3:01 Highlight the passage at 3:01

3:26 Yeah, I mean, if you just talk about forgiveness, forgiveness doesn't mean forgetting. It just means to, I think the best definition I've heard of giving up hope for a different past and moving on. Report an error in the passage at 3:26 Highlight the passage at 3:26

3:49 So, you know, I was thinking, I was actually thinking, I mean, it's really, I don't like to stray out of areas that I have no, it's hard for me to imagine. But having said that, at some point, and it reminds me of something that I was talking to a therapist about a couple weeks ago, that the event, you know, the event is over. Report an error in the passage at 3:49 Highlight the passage at 3:49

4:16 The event is over, but it is our own minds which are perpetuating the suffering. The suffering is still being carried within our own minds. Report an error in the passage at 4:16 Highlight the passage at 4:16

4:29 you know. Report an error in the passage at 4:29 Highlight the passage at 4:29

4:33 that, I guess. Report an error in the passage at 4:33 Highlight the passage at 4:33

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5:09 How do you let go of the hot coal? So some people might say... Report an error in the passage at 5:09 Highlight the passage at 5:09

5:19 is that Report an error in the passage at 5:19 Highlight the passage at 5:19

5:29 No, I agree. It's really quite complex. Yeah, there's a sense that if justice is served or revenge is gotten, or some kind of closure that the people got what they deserved, then I can let go of the hot coal. Report an error in the passage at 5:29 Highlight the passage at 5:29

5:52 I'm not sure. There may be... Yeah, Report an error in the passage at 5:52 Highlight the passage at 5:52

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6:48 yeah, that's true. Report an error in the passage at 6:48 Highlight the passage at 6:48

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7:32 So I think this is a very difficult example. I mean, there's a sense of violation, self-loathing. So it's pretty complex. I don't know, it's just a matter of working with anger. Report an error in the passage at 7:32 Highlight the passage at 7:32

7:52 No, it's Report an error in the passage at 7:52 Highlight the passage at 7:52

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8:51 just not a matter of anger. I think it's quite complex, isn't it? I don't. Report an error in the passage at 8:51 Highlight the passage at 8:51

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9:19 Some people are much more resilient than others, I think. So it's quite complex, isn't it? The violation of trust and betrayal. Report an error in the passage at 9:19 Highlight the passage at 9:19

9:40 It's kind of outside my... I wouldn't want to... Report an error in the passage at 9:40 Highlight the passage at 9:40

9:53 Yeah, Report an error in the passage at 9:53 Highlight the passage at 9:53

10:01 they're like a fever. Given certain conditions, there's an expression of a disease as a particular state arises, what we call fever or something like that. So fever is not something very solid. It's an expression of a particular underlying conditions. Report an error in the passage at 10:01 Highlight the passage at 10:01

10:31 So an anger is, or attachment is... Given certain conditions, a particular state of mind arises. But it's not something solid and concrete. It's only the... It's like if there's a rainbow. Report an error in the passage at 10:31 Highlight the passage at 10:31

11:00 A rainbow, there's a color and shape and so forth. It appears solid, but it's only... This juxtaposition of certain, the sun's over here and I'm over here and so forth. When these conditions, then there's this appearance. Report an error in the passage at 11:00 Highlight the passage at 11:00

11:18 When I have a particular perspective on the situation, when I see it from a particular point of view and a certain object and so forth, then this way of viewing it will arise. If I change my perspective, just like the rainbow, So it's not something like that. So it's not quite as substantial as just a shift. Report an error in the passage at 11:18 Highlight the passage at 11:18

12:06 In your perspective, it will disappear. So that's what a lot of, I think, mind training is about. Trying to, you know, even if, or just reframing, even if the situation doesn't change, you know, this person doesn't change or this, you know, you don't get justice or whatever it is, if you can begin to see it from a different point of view. Report an error in the passage at 12:06 Highlight the passage at 12:06

12:32 All the emotions arise. One of the aspects is that we're taking the situation in a particular way, from a particular point of view, in a way that we're relating to it in a particular way. If we change our relationship, our perspective, the way we're taking it, then the state of mind that arises in dependence upon that will cease, it will change in some way. Report an error in the passage at 12:32 Highlight the passage at 12:32

13:02 I don't know if that's... So it's not quite, it's not a thing in a... I think some people have, and they don't have to be acted upon. Report an error in the passage at 13:02 Highlight the passage at 13:02

13:37 Yeah, Report an error in the passage at 13:37 Highlight the passage at 13:37

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14:09 I agree. So these are, in a way, the emotions are strategies that we've learned as a means of responding to the situation as we take it. Report an error in the passage at 14:09 Highlight the passage at 14:09

14:29 We're hurt, and as a response to that hurt, perhaps we've learned the strategy of anger, that we take that person to be the source of my hurt, and we want to get rid of that person, we want to hurt that person. Yeah, that's Report an error in the passage at 14:29 Highlight the passage at 14:29

14:58 right, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 14:58 Highlight the passage at 14:58

15:06 They're not as solid as they appear to be, that's right. Yeah, that's great, that's great, yeah. So we can... If you don't buy into the story, if you don't keep feeding them, they will cease. But that's not easy to do, is it? Report an error in the passage at 15:06 Highlight the passage at 15:06

15:29 Really? Oh, that's great. That's great. They feel very real when you're in them. Report an error in the passage at 15:29 Highlight the passage at 15:29

15:43 So Report an error in the passage at 15:43 Highlight the passage at 15:43

16:08 you shift your perspective. Probably one of the conditions is that we see the object as permanent. This condition is permanent. It's always going to be like this. It's not going to change. That's probably one of the underlying factors. With Angler, there's two conditions and one main cause. Two conditions are we have a desire and that desire is being frustrated. Report an error in the passage at 16:08 Highlight the passage at 16:08

16:45 We identify an object as an obstacle to our desire. I want this and I can't have it. And you're the reason I can't have it. It wasn't for you. So we have a frustrated desire and we identify the obstacle that's preventing us from fulfilling our desire. And then the mind is unhappy. That's the main cause. So happy people don't become angry, even if they don't get what they want. Report an error in the passage at 16:45 Highlight the passage at 16:45

17:15 So if we can play with those kind of conditions, then we can change. They all rise. Everything is dependent on rising. If we can make our mind happy in some way or if we can see the real source of the problem as being within our own mind rather than seeing it outside, if we lessen our desires, then that Report an error in the passage at 17:15 Highlight the passage at 17:15

17:51 particular state won't arise in the same way. Report an error in the passage at 17:51 Highlight the passage at 17:51

18:02 Yeah, I went to the next... This isn't a commercial, but... I find it quite, you know, next term, beginning of August, I thought we would actually work with each of the anger, attachment, jealousy and pride and spend an afternoon on each of those and really kind of talk about them, discuss them, look at the advantages and disadvantages, kind of workshop them, more of a workshop kind of thing. Report an error in the passage at 18:02 Highlight the passage at 18:02

18:39 I thought it might be useful just talking about them, kind of deconstructing them, because they aren't as solid as we normally think of them. Report an error in the passage at 18:39 Highlight the passage at 18:39

18:52 Just investigating them in itself, I think, is quite a useful process. The situation becomes more workable, I think. Report an error in the passage at 18:52 Highlight the passage at 18:52

19:06 We don't tend to buy into the story that they... That they kind of betrayed to us in some way. Okay. So anyway, your question is quite difficult, I'm afraid. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 19:06 Highlight the passage at 19:06

19:26 It's quite tragic. Yeah. Because as we've, as it's becoming apparent with these royal commissions, it's ruined, you know, these childhood incidents, traumas have ruined many people's lives. So it's not, it's a pretty serious affair. Report an error in the passage at 19:26 Highlight the passage at 19:26

19:56 The guideline, so the seventh guideline slogan is acquire the three principal conditions. Acquire the three principal conditions. It says here causes, just playing around with words. Acquire the three principal causes or conditions. So here Geshe Chakawa, the author of this text, is saying that there are three principal conditions. Report an error in the passage at 19:56 Highlight the passage at 19:56

20:19 I think conditions may be better. Anyway, it's not so important the words. For an effective... Spiritual practice. He would say a qualified teacher instructs us in the practice, ourselves putting the instructions into practice, and then the third is having the inner and outer supportive conditions necessary to do that. Report an error in the passage at 20:19 Highlight the passage at 20:19

20:50 Okay? Yeah, yeah. So the first one is... someone to instruct us in how to practice? ourselves putting it into practice. then the third is having the inner and outer conditions. One of the three supportive conditions. that they one of the Report an error in the passage at 20:50 Highlight the passage at 20:50

21:24 One of the early Kadampa masters, this is where this tradition is coming from, as I just mentioned, his name was Geshe Potawa. Report an error in the passage at 21:24 Highlight the passage at 21:24

21:35 He said, to reach liberation, there is nothing more important than a spiritual teacher, even in simple things of this present life, with things that you can learn just by sitting down and watching someone. You can't get anywhere without a person to show you. Report an error in the passage at 21:35 Highlight the passage at 21:35

21:54 So how on earth are you going to get anywhere without a spiritual teacher? Where do you want to go? When you want to go somewhere that you've never been before and you've only just arrived from a journey through lower rebirths. So anyway, we don't have to carry it to that extent. If you want to learn how to play piano, it's useful to have a teacher. Report an error in the passage at 21:54 Highlight the passage at 21:54

22:22 Someone to show you how to do it, to help you. Otherwise, we don't have to reinvent the wheel. Report an error in the passage at 22:22 Highlight the passage at 22:22

22:30 How you're going to, in very impractical things of life, it's useful to have somebody to show you. So we all have some fixed idea about, you know, when we come to these various spiritual practices, or we kind of fix in our mind about how we're going to go. How we're going to get these teachings or these instructions and how we're going to deal with the person who's going to give these instructions to us. Report an error in the passage at 22:30 Highlight the passage at 22:30

22:59 So I think one of the, you know, maybe this isn't applicable, maybe this is my own, you know, I hate to dump my neurosis on you guys, but I have to be a bit careful with that. But I know for myself, one of the notions that we have to, that we bring to... Our practice is that we're going to get something from the teacher. That is, the teacher is going to transmit peace to us or love to us or wisdom, whatever it is that we're seeking. Report an error in the passage at 22:59 Highlight the passage at 22:59

23:37 And we have that kind of preconception. But I think we can easily misconstrue the role of the teacher or we can romanticize it or we can attribute to the teacher a responsibility which... Report an error in the passage at 23:37 Highlight the passage at 23:37

23:52 which is in fact... So the role of the teacher, the spiritual teacher, is not, they aren't trying to perform some sort of psychic transplant. You know, Report an error in the passage at 23:52 Highlight the passage at 23:52

24:14 there's a verse, the Buddhists do not... you know Report an error in the passage at 24:14 Highlight the passage at 24:14

24:24 Remove suffering with their hand, nor do they transfer their realization to the mind of others. Report an error in the passage at 24:24 Highlight the passage at 24:24

24:35 But it is by showing the way things are that you will find liberation. So that's what the Buddhas more or less do. So the role of the spiritual teacher, I think, is one of to help us to, and I think it's a very necessary condition. But I think it's useful to recognize, well, what is it, the condition? Firstly, to help us to have some confidence in ourselves that we can develop these qualities that we're talking about. Report an error in the passage at 24:35 Highlight the passage at 24:35

25:13 There's the old saying, if you believe you can or if you believe you can't, you're right. So how can we overcome our sense of self-impoverishment? I don't have quite what it takes. Report an error in the passage at 25:13 Highlight the passage at 25:13

25:28 So I think one of the jobs of a spiritual teacher is to help us to believe in ourselves, give us that kind of confidence that I can do this. And then not only can I do it, I think the second condition of the quality of a teacher is to inspire us and encourage us, not Report an error in the passage at 25:28 Highlight the passage at 25:28

25:47 only to help us to believe in ourselves, but to inspire us to actually do something to encourage us in our practice. And then to provide the practical methods, the instructions to actually achieve what it is. So the teacher's role is to help us to believe that we can bring about change, to encourage us, inspire us to actually implement, make the efforts. Report an error in the passage at 25:47 Highlight the passage at 25:47

26:18 And then finally, the practical methods, the instructions, how to go about doing that. Report an error in the passage at 26:18 Highlight the passage at 26:18

26:26 and... And this is brought out in some of the commentaries to this particular verse. Sometimes we're attracted to, it's quite understandable, teachers with, world famous teachers, illustrious teachers, long titles after their name. But it's really somebody who we... To rely upon somebody who we can really communicate with, that we feel we can work with and rely upon. Report an error in the passage at 26:26 Highlight the passage at 26:26

27:14 And it's just like finding a therapist. I'm not saying it's quite the same relationship, but it is somebody, no matter how illustrious they might be and how many books they've written and so forth, it comes down to somebody that you feel you can work with. Report an error in the passage at 27:14 Highlight the passage at 27:14

27:34 And that's important. So essentially somebody who has some knowledge in the area, has some experience about it, but also, and this is extremely important I think, somebody who, probably one of the single most, is compassion. Report an error in the passage at 27:34 Highlight the passage at 27:34

27:53 That they really don't want anything. They only want your benefit. That's their prime motivation. They're not looking to you for something. And then from their side, things will go well. So that's the first condition. Report an error in the passage at 27:53 Highlight the passage at 27:53

28:18 The second condition is ourselves putting into practice. It's like the Tibetan Zelfan used the metaphor of you can have a medicine cabinet full of the best of medicines, but if you never actually take them, what use are they? Report an error in the passage at 28:18 Highlight the passage at 28:18

28:39 So I think we can become, we can turn, it's easy to make our spiritual journey into something of a spiritual materialism, you know, gathering teachings and initiations and so forth. And it's just like, well, we've got all these, we've got our medicine cabinet full of these potent medicines, but we actually never take them. So we actually have to put... Report an error in the passage at 28:39 Highlight the passage at 28:39

29:06 the teachings into practice in some meaningful way for ourselves. effective practice. So this requires that we... And I think this is not as easy as it... For me, again, it might be just for me, we have to really see for ourselves what our problems really are. You know, where am I going wrong? I'm not as finding the happiness and fulfillment in my life as I might like. Report an error in the passage at 29:06 Highlight the passage at 29:06

29:37 I'm making some mistakes in the way I'm leading, going about finding a good life for myself. Where am I actually going wrong? What are some of the problems I have for myself in my own mind? Report an error in the passage at 29:37 Highlight the passage at 29:37

29:57 So I think it requires that we for ourselves have to see the need for change. Otherwise it's... I don't think... I think change requires some... of discontentment the present state of affairs, a felt discontentment. Otherwise, there's going to be a... Report an error in the passage at 29:57 Highlight the passage at 29:57

30:25 to maintain the status quo. Report an error in the passage at 30:25 Highlight the passage at 30:25

30:29 I'm okay. Report an error in the passage at 30:29 Highlight the passage at 30:29

30:38 I think one of the first teachings that the Buddha gave upon awakening. What's the Four Noble Truths? First amongst these Four Noble Truths is the truth of suffering. And I think there's a real point to that, significance to that, to really begin to recognize that, being willing to acknowledge the high degree of discontentment that we may be experiencing. Report an error in the passage at 30:38 Highlight the passage at 30:38

31:08 I mean, we're not basket cases. We're healthy people in that respect, but we're making some mistakes. Things could be better. I'm not okay and you're not okay, but... That's okay. The situation is workable. There's a certain arrogance that we can bring. And with that I'm okayness where we really aren't willing to get in touch. Report an error in the passage at 31:08 Highlight the passage at 31:08

31:36 I think each of the Four Noble Truths there's a the Buddha assigned a task. Report an error in the passage at 31:36 Highlight the passage at 31:36

31:50 truth the truth of suffering is to recognize it and I think we could we could even go on to Report an error in the passage at 31:50 Highlight the passage at 31:50

31:58 that as to embrace suffering, as a masochism, not because we've done something wrong, by developing a healthy sense of or discontentment. Then we'll avail ourselves of the resources of our own mind and the means to bring about changes in our mind. Otherwise, we probably won't. If everything is okay, why should you change? Why would you take up the task of trying to change? You're not creating the inner ecology of mind, which fosters change. Report an error in the passage at 31:58 Highlight the passage at 31:58

32:42 So, developing Report an error in the passage at 32:42 Highlight the passage at 32:42

32:47 the need for change and the trust that we can... By correctly practicing these teachings, we're going to change for the better. So this requires that we seek out teachers and teachings. We have to listen and study with open minds. And to reflect and critically examine the teachings that we've heard within the light of our own experience, with our own reasoning. Report an error in the passage at 32:47 Highlight the passage at 32:47

33:14 minds without trying to... Report an error in the passage at 33:14 Highlight the passage at 33:14

33:34 In view of our life experiences and so forth. So we experiment with the teachings and see how we immerse ourselves in them and see how the ideas they're trying to get, the messages they're trying to get across to ourselves, what they're trying to convey to us and come to some kind of new feelings and new understandings. Report an error in the passage at 33:34 Highlight the passage at 33:34

34:00 We meditate on them. Meditation has the idea of So the first of these conditions is the teacher and then... The teacher gives us the instructions, putting the instructions into practice. And then the third is the inner and outer, a combination of inner and outer supportive conditions necessary to put the instructions into practice. Report an error in the passage at 34:00 Highlight the passage at 34:00

34:51 So the inner are said to be inner, inner and outer, inner and outer supportive conditions. So we have the teacher who gives us the instructions. It's necessary that we put the instructions into practice and that we have the inner. And the third is having the inner and outer conditions necessary which facilitate, which assist us in putting these instructions into practice. Report an error in the passage at 34:51 Highlight the passage at 34:51

35:24 And the inner, internal conditions are said to be faith, intelligence, intelligence, and joy as ever. Faith. Faith is a difficult subject to talk about in some ways. Faith is more like, in Buddhism especially, it's more like a trust or confidence. We have to have some kind of confidence in ourselves. Report an error in the passage at 35:24 Highlight the passage at 35:24

36:01 I can do this. In the means. In the means, the method. Report an error in the passage at 36:01 Highlight the passage at 36:01

36:10 And any outcomes that's really worthwhile, what could result that I can legitimately expect if I'm going to involve myself and take up this task. Report an error in the passage at 36:10 Highlight the passage at 36:10

36:30 So the type of faith is really worth the effort. We have some confidence in that. It's worth persevering in. Report an error in the passage at 36:30 Highlight the passage at 36:30

36:52 So this faith that's being emphasized here is based upon sound reasoning and our own personal experience. So it's more like trust or confidence. There are lots of different things. There's blind faith and misguided faith. Report an error in the passage at 36:52 Highlight the passage at 36:52

37:15 But they really don't have much value over the long run. We'll Report an error in the passage at 37:15 Highlight the passage at 37:15

37:26 give up. up. Report an error in the passage at 37:26 Highlight the passage at 37:26

37:29 Yeah, yeah, that's right. So, you know, if it's really, if we really thought it out and reflected and really come to a conclusion for ourselves and we, you know, really validated Report an error in the passage at 37:29 Highlight the passage at 37:29

37:50 it with our own personal experience, you know, this seems to be working, something's right about this, then this faith can exert a really very deep and lasting and important. The point here is lasting. Lots of people become really excited, and it's nice to see about practicing and working with their mind, but they expect a silver bullet. Report an error in the passage at 37:50 Highlight the passage at 37:50

38:20 It's not really very well thought out. And they have these huge expectations and they become quickly disillusioned and they give up. This doesn't work. And they move on. Report an error in the passage at 38:20 Highlight the passage at 38:20

38:36 So we need something which can sustain us, even in challenging situations. But it has to be like the dark nights of the soul. Report an error in the passage at 38:36 Highlight the passage at 38:36

38:53 So that's the kind of faith that I think is the real foundation, something which is very solid and built upon reasoning and our intelligence, this kind of faith. So intelligence means... Here I think it means understanding ourselves. And I think this is a real challenge in itself, isn't it? Seeing for ourselves what our problems really are. Report an error in the passage at 38:53 Highlight the passage at 38:53

39:18 What is my most dominant... You know, we talk about the afflictive emotions all the time. And as I was mentioning previously, we're very, very different. I mean, we have commonalities, shared problems and so forth. But how those problems are manifested... Report an error in the passage at 39:18 Highlight the passage at 39:18

39:37 We can be very unique in certain ways. So looking to myself, understanding myself, what problems most dominate my own mind and behavior. Report an error in the passage at 39:37 Highlight the passage at 39:37

39:50 And Report an error in the passage at 39:50 Highlight the passage at 39:50

39:55 then, you know, finding, well, what are some of the methods which I, finding methods which are going to, that seem to work for us or that fit with us. Report an error in the passage at 39:55 Highlight the passage at 39:55

40:11 Finding practices suitable for ourselves that we feel confident in. You know, not something that's renowned in the world or famous. I Report an error in the passage at 40:11 Highlight the passage at 40:11

40:27 think they can... How do you mean it's dependent upon the teacher? Yeah, Report an error in the passage at 40:27 Highlight the passage at 40:27

40:42 so the teacher's going to present lots of methods. So you go to various teachings. That one resonates. Not because it's the most famous. Teaching or initiation or deity, it's kind of exotic. Report an error in the passage at 40:42 Highlight the passage at 40:42

41:05 Knowing ourselves and what really works for ourselves. Report an error in the passage at 41:05 Highlight the passage at 41:05

41:15 Knowing our problem and what touches that problem so that there's a meeting of the method and the solution, the problem and the solution. Report an error in the passage at 41:15 Highlight the passage at 41:15

41:32 Otherwise we could be working with some solution but to a different problem. Report an error in the passage at 41:32 Highlight the passage at 41:32

41:42 And then we have to be sensitive to our actual experience. How is this working for me? It's like adjusting according to ourselves. Report an error in the passage at 41:42 Highlight the passage at 41:42

41:56 Many of the teachings are presented in a kind of a generic fashion. By that I mean they're, uh, they're, um... Report an error in the passage at 41:56 Highlight the passage at 41:56

42:07 They're presented in a generalized method of working. How do you take that and adapt it specifically for where I'm at? Make it your own. Even adjust it in some way. I think it works better for me if I think of it in this way, if I practice it this way. You know, not being afraid to make these teachings your own. Somehow it touches where your problem is. It feels right for you. Report an error in the passage at 42:07 Highlight the passage at 42:07

42:48 Yeah, this is a difficult area, isn't it? I mean, you don't want to lose the vitality or the potency of the teaching or the method of it. Somehow it has to work for ourselves. We have to adapt it to ourselves. ourselves. Report an error in the passage at 42:48 Highlight the passage at 42:48

43:10 How do we make it work for being sensitive to our actual experience and Report an error in the passage at 43:10 Highlight the passage at 43:10

43:19 correctly? Report an error in the passage at 43:19 Highlight the passage at 43:19

43:23 That's the skill of putting the teachings into practice. I don't think it can be done really mechanically or unthinkingly. Report an error in the passage at 43:23 Highlight the passage at 43:23

43:34 See how it affects us. This doesn't seem to be working for me. I don't get any feeling. There's no juice in it for me. What ways could you change that? Such that it has some feeling for you. It was meaningful for you. It seemed to work for you. Could you adjust it in some way for yourself? Report an error in the passage at 43:34 Highlight the passage at 43:34

43:57 So that's the intelligence. That kind of discriminating awareness. So the faith, intelligence. And then thirdly is joyous effort. Report an error in the passage at 43:57 Highlight the passage at 43:57

44:17 Finding some kind of delight. know, it's not, um, Report an error in the passage at 44:17 Highlight the passage at 44:17

44:27 We have to be able to find some compensating deep satisfaction in putting the instructions into practice even when we find them difficult, even when we find them intelligent. Okay, this is hard, but I feel that there's something right about it. There's some kind of more deeper sense of contentment and feeling. Report an error in the passage at 44:27 Highlight the passage at 44:27

45:02 ...better about oneself and how things are going that will compensate for the immediate difficulty. Report an error in the passage at 45:02 Highlight the passage at 45:02

45:15 So, the kind of joyous effort. Just that, that's really... Yeah. So, those are what are called the internal conditions. The faith, intelligence and joyous effort. You know, I mean, it's not... You know, like you do retreat. I mean, I don't know. I did a one Report an error in the passage at 45:15 Highlight the passage at 45:15

46:01 -year retreat and there were times when you say, well, what am I doing here? And you're missing the people you love and your custom ways of finding entertainment. And sometimes things get difficult. Report an error in the passage at 46:01 Highlight the passage at 46:01

46:21 And I think, you know, we have, but are you willing to, you know, it's like having some perspective on those difficult moments, that they're hard, and you're lonely, and you're sad, but that's okay, because there's something bigger that you can find, that you, some kind of solace that you take it, because something good is going to come out of this. Report an error in the passage at 46:21 Highlight the passage at 46:21

46:47 It's not an end in itself, you know, that you can... You can take some kind of joy in what you're about even though the immediate situation is difficult. You can rejoice in that. And that kind of maybe can help you carry through difficult moments. It's finding some perspective on what you're going through and the difficulties that it entails. Report an error in the passage at 46:47 Highlight the passage at 46:47

47:19 You know, it's like, it's, it's, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 47:19 Highlight the passage at 47:19

47:28 Okay, so those are the inner and the outer supportive conditions. These are the external requisites that we need to practice. These are pretty basic ones, fundamental. Food, clothing, shelter. Maybe some kind of space that you can meditate in. Set aside and so forth, creating that kind of space in your time, also your physical space and so forth, making it a priority in that way. Report an error in the passage at 47:28 Highlight the passage at 47:28

48:15 But also, what's important is good spiritual friends, the company of good spiritual friends, companions, like-minded individuals, fellow travelers, you can share. share finer... Report an error in the passage at 48:15 Highlight the passage at 48:15

48:32 your doubts, your difficulties, and so forth, you're not alone in this project, you can sort of, it becomes, you can normalize it. Other people are going through similar experiences as yourself, both good and bad. can take inspiration from others, others as an example, as a model. These are very important, I think, you know, it's It was of greatest importance. In the Pāli Canon, there's a sutta in which the Buddha talks about the importance of saṅgha, the spiritual community. Report an error in the passage at 48:32 Highlight the passage at 48:32

49:13 I read, I got this little, it's a very short quote. So this is a sutta. One day Ananda, so Ananda was one of the attendants to the Buddha. Wanda Ananda, who had been thinking deeply about things for a while, turned to the Buddha and exclaimed, Lord, I've been thinking, spiritual friendship is at least half of the spiritual life. Report an error in the passage at 49:13 Highlight the passage at 49:13

49:39 The Buddha replied, say not so, Ananda, say not so. Spiritual friendship is the whole of the spiritual life. So, you know, this shows the importance of, he Report an error in the passage at 49:39 Highlight the passage at 49:39

49:57 said, Spiritual friendship is the whole of the spiritual life. Report an error in the passage at 49:57 Highlight the passage at 49:57

50:07 It's all of the spiritual life, the entirety of the spiritual life. So the importance of gathering around us the external conditions and associating with those who are supportive of our spiritual goals. Report an error in the passage at 50:07 Highlight the passage at 50:07

50:27 We depend upon them. We share our values. So these are the three, acquire Report an error in the passage at 50:27 Highlight the passage at 50:27

50:46 the three principal causes or conditions. The teacher who gives us the instructions, the condition of putting the instructions into practice, and the internal and external conditions which facilitate putting the teachings, the instructions into practice. Report an error in the passage at 50:46 Highlight the passage at 50:46

51:09 Didn't get very far today, did we? Report an error in the passage at 51:09 Highlight the passage at 51:09

51:17 Flash through them next time. We've got about three minutes. Are there any comments? Oh, Report an error in the passage at 51:17 Highlight the passage at 51:17

51:37 okay. Why do people... The actor's a good example for others. Report an error in the passage at 51:37 Highlight the passage at 51:37

51:51 I don't know. This is an actual sutta. It's an actual... So what do you... I would find it... Why Report an error in the passage at 51:51 Highlight the passage at 51:51

52:11 do you suppose the Buddha puts much emphasis on spiritual saṅgha? Report an error in the passage at 52:11 Highlight the passage at 52:11

52:28 So depending upon others to help keep you focused. Report an error in the passage at 52:28 Highlight the passage at 52:28

52:35 Yeah, that's a good point. For Report an error in the passage at 52:35 Highlight the passage at 52:35

53:04 a long time, wasn't she? She enjoyed? Yeah, she... It was hard. Yeah, it was hard. There were times when it was hard. Yeah, that's Report an error in the passage at 53:04 Highlight the passage at 53:04

· · · silence, 1 minute

54:18 a good point. I think so. Report an error in the passage at 54:18 Highlight the passage at 54:18

54:43 When you go out there, it's a different feeling, and it's hard to... about all the teachings that you have Report an error in the passage at 54:43 Highlight the passage at 54:43

55:15 Yeah, no, Report an error in the passage at 55:15 Highlight the passage at 55:15

· · · silence, 1 minute

55:57 that's a point to what you said. Yeah, no, I agree. I mean, to some extent, I agree. We have shared experiences, but there are some experiences that are very unique to householders and so forth that they don't have to deal with. you to an old alarm, a big alarm or something Report an error in the passage at 55:57 Highlight the passage at 55:57

· · · silence, 1 minute

56:20 sometimes, you know, Report an error in the passage at 56:20 Highlight the passage at 56:20

56:31 about human rights and Report an error in the passage at 56:31 Highlight the passage at 56:31

56:36 Yeah. But there's Report an error in the passage at 56:36 Highlight the passage at 56:36

56:59 the suffering of being a householder, there's the suffering of being a monk, there's the suffering of living in the West, there's the suffering of living in the Himalayas. Report an error in the passage at 56:59 Highlight the passage at 56:59

57:08 There are different types. There are commonalities of what it means to be a human being, the human dilemma, but there are unique ways. I think that's part of the transmission of the Dharma to the West is that some of the aspects of it will have the central... The principles will probably remain the same. It's the way it's expressed and how it adapts will be different according to different circumstances. But you're right, you're right, you're right. Report an error in the passage at 57:08 Highlight the passage at 57:08

57:42 We have a different culture and we have different perhaps... Here we have the extreme of individualism and in the East they have the extreme of collectivism. Report an error in the passage at 57:42 Highlight the passage at 57:42

57:57 So every situation is different. So that's why we have to really think for ourselves and adapt it to our uniqueness. It's not easy, is it? It's a challenge. Report an error in the passage at 57:57 Highlight the passage at 57:57

58:13 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 58:13 Highlight the passage at 58:13