Basic Program - Buddhism From A-Z (20 June 2008)

0:00 ...of the profound perfection of wisdom. He said that, and the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Arya Avalokiteshvara said this to the Venable Sharivadiputra. Shariputra, any son of the lineage or daughter of the lineage who wishes to practice the activity of the profound perfection of wisdom should look upon it like this, correctly and repeatedly beholding those five aggregates also as empty of inherent nature. Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:27 Form is empty, emptiness is form, emptiness is not other than form, form is also not other than emptiness. In the same way, feeling, discrimination, compositional factors and consciousness are empty. Shariputra, likewise, all phenomena are emptiness, without characteristic, unproduced, unceased, stainless, not without stain, not deficient, not fulfilled. Report an error in the passage at 0:27 Highlight the passage at 0:27

0:56 Shariputra, therefore in emptiness there is no form, no feeling, no discrimination, no compositional factors, no consciousness, no eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind, no visual form, no sound, no odor, no taste, no object of touch and no phenomenon. There is no I element and so on, up to and including no mind element and no mental consciousness element. There is no ignorance, no extinction of ignorance and so on, up to and including no aging and death and no extinction of aging and death. Report an error in the passage at 0:56 Highlight the passage at 0:56

1:37 Similarly, there is no suffering, origination, cessation and path. There is no exalted wisdom, no attainment and also no non-attainment. Shariputra, therefore, because there is no attainment, bodhisattvas rely on and dwell in the perfection of wisdom, the mind without obscuration and without fear. Having completely passed beyond error, they reach the end point of nirvāṇa. All the Buddhas who dwell in three times also manifestly completely awaken to unsurpassable, perfect, complete enlightenment in reliance on the perfection of wisdom. Report an error in the passage at 1:37 Highlight the passage at 1:37

2:15 Therefore, the mantra of the perfection of wisdom, the mantra of great knowledge, the unsurpassed mantra, the mantra equal to the unequaled, the mantra that thoroughly pacifies all suffering, should be known as truth since it is not false. The mantra of the perfection of wisdom is declared, tayata om gate gate paragate parasam gate bodhi soha. Report an error in the passage at 2:15 Highlight the passage at 2:15

2:41 Shariputra, the Bodhisattva, Mahasattva should train in the profound perfection of wisdom like that. Then the Bhagavan arose from that concentration and commended the Bodhisattva, Mahasattva, Arya Avalokiteshvara, saying, Well said, well said, son of the lineage. It is like that. It is like that. One should practice the profound perfection of wisdom just as you have indicated. Even the Tathagatas rejoice. Report an error in the passage at 2:41 Highlight the passage at 2:41

3:08 The Bhagavan having thus spoken the venerable Sharivadiputra, the Bodhisattva, Mahasattva, Arya, Avalokiteshvara, those surrounding in their entirety along with the world of gods, humans, asuras and Gandharvas were overjoyed and highly praised that spoken by the Bhagavan. On the next page, the prayer to the lion-faced Dakini. Report an error in the passage at 3:08 Highlight the passage at 3:08

3:35 I prostrate to the gathering of Dakinis in the three chakras who abide in the holy yoga of using space. By your powers of clairvoyance and magical emanation, look after practitioners like a mother her child. Report an error in the passage at 3:35 Highlight the passage at 3:35

· · · silence, 1 minute

4:19 samara shashadara samaraya pe. Report an error in the passage at 4:19 Highlight the passage at 4:19

4:27 Thayata Om Gathe Gathe Paragathe Parasam Gathe Bodhisattva By the teachings of the three supreme jewels possessing the power of truth, may inner and outer hindrances be transformed. May they be dispelled. May they be pacified. May they be completely pacified. May all negative forces opposed to Dharma be completely pacified. Report an error in the passage at 4:27 Highlight the passage at 4:27

4:53 May the host of 80,000 obstacles be pacified. May we be separated from problems and harmful conditions to Dharma. May all enjoyments be in accord with the Dharma. And may there be auspiciousness and perfect happiness here right now. Report an error in the passage at 4:53 Highlight the passage at 4:53

5:10 And then the praise to Manjushri. Obeisance to my guru and protector Manjushri, who holds to his heart a scriptural text symbolic of his seeing all things as they are, whose understanding shines forth as the sun unclouded by defilements or traces of ignorance. Who teaches in sixty ways with the patient love of a father for his only son. All creatures caught in the prison of saṃsāra, confused in the darkness of their ignorance, overwhelmed by their suffering. Report an error in the passage at 5:10 Highlight the passage at 5:10

5:39 You whose dragon thunder proclamation of Dharma arouses us from the stupor of our delusions and frees us from the iron chains of our karma. Whose powerful sword of wisdom hews down suffering wherever its sprouts appear, clearing away the darkness of all ignorance. Whose princely body is adorned with 112 marks of a Buddha, who has completed the ten stages achieving the highest perfection of a Bodhisattva, who has been pure from the beginning. Report an error in the passage at 5:39 Highlight the passage at 5:39

6:07 O Manjushri, all loving one, with the brilliance of your wisdom, illuminate the darkness in closing my mind. Enlighten my intelligence and wisdom so that I may gain insight into Buddha's words and the texts that explain them. Report an error in the passage at 6:07 Highlight the passage at 6:07

6:23 And then Refuge and Bodhicitta at the bottom of page 88. Report an error in the passage at 6:23 Highlight the passage at 6:23

6:32 I go for refuge until I am enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. By the merits I create through listening to the Dharma, may I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. I go for refuge until I am enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. By the merits I create through listening to the Dharma, may I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. Report an error in the passage at 6:32 Highlight the passage at 6:32

6:59 I go for refuge until I am enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. By the merits I create through listening to the Dharma, may I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. Report an error in the passage at 6:59 Highlight the passage at 6:59

7:22 So you might remember that we're covering the section on relying on a spiritual teacher. Report an error in the passage at 7:22 Highlight the passage at 7:22

7:32 So it's said that the spiritual teacher is the root of all good qualities, even the... The smallest good quality and the smallest abandonment of a fault depends on the guru. Report an error in the passage at 7:32 Highlight the passage at 7:32

7:59 And then we talked about the ten qualities that ideally the guru should have. So who remembers the ten qualities? What's one? Report an error in the passage at 7:59 Highlight the passage at 7:59

8:18 Right. Should have more qualities than the student. That's a good one. Report an error in the passage at 8:18 Highlight the passage at 8:18

8:26 Right, right. That's right. So the patients are not being discouraged, right? Yeah, loving kindness, compassion for the students, right? So not being motivated by selfish motivations like money or status or respect. Knowledge of emptiness. Right? Realization of emptiness. And ideally, the direct realization of emptiness, but at least a correct understanding of emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 8:26 Highlight the passage at 8:26

8:57 All right, so that's four. Ethics, yes, exactly. Yeah, scriptures and having a lot of, yeah, scriptural knowledge and oral transmissions, lots of scriptural transmissions. Okay, that's good, six so far. Yes, Serene. Serene, which is the concentration, right, the higher training and concentration? Report an error in the passage at 8:57 Highlight the passage at 8:57

9:26 We're doing well. That's great right there. Report an error in the passage at 9:26 Highlight the passage at 9:26

9:46 What's the third of the higher trainings? Wisdom. Wisdom, right. So wisdom is a separate one from the realization of emptiness. Those are two different ones. Wisdom doesn't, well, according to some sources, wisdom doesn't have to be with regard to emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 9:46 Highlight the passage at 9:46

10:09 So it can be wisdom of the four noble truths or the twelve links of dependent arising or subtle impermanence, etc. So it doesn't have to be emptiness, but just wisdom in general with respect to the Dharma. Okay, so that's eight. And then Janet, you said? Joyous effort. Yeah, joyous effort. Delighting in the welfare of others. Yep. That's nine. That's good. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 10:09 Highlight the passage at 10:09

10:38 Yeah, and in this context it's delighting in the welfare of others. Yeah, Report an error in the passage at 10:38 Highlight the passage at 10:38

10:47 we had that one. Report an error in the passage at 10:47 Highlight the passage at 10:47

10:53 No, because these are the ten qualities of a Mahāyāna Sūtra Master. There are different ones for Tantra. Oh, patience and saying the same thing again. Yeah, we had that one. Is it one where you have to have it? Yeah, we had that one. Report an error in the passage at 10:53 Highlight the passage at 10:53

11:14 There you go. Eloquence. Eloquence or skilled in communicating, you know, teaching the Dharma to others so that they can understand. It's one thing to know it. It's another thing to be able to convey it to others. Great. So once again, those are good to memorize. Report an error in the passage at 11:14 Highlight the passage at 11:14

11:34 Yeah. Yeah, because we're meditating on them again and again, right? You know, when we have a guru, meditating on their good qualities. We're going to talk about that more today. So ideally the teacher would have, or the guru would have all ten. If we can't find anyone with all ten, then five of them will do. And what were those five? Report an error in the passage at 11:34 Highlight the passage at 11:34

12:23 That's good. That's four of them. No, that one's actually not one of the five. Loving kindness, yeah. Right, exactly. Okay, good. Report an error in the passage at 12:23 Highlight the passage at 12:23

12:37 And then the least, what were the least characteristics? Report an error in the passage at 12:37 Highlight the passage at 12:37

13:02 Yeah, well, according to this text, it was having more qualities than faults, right? So that's not a very high bar, right? Report an error in the passage at 13:02 Highlight the passage at 13:02

13:14 Well, for a guru. Report an error in the passage at 13:14 Highlight the passage at 13:14

13:21 Okay, so then we had a discussion last time about like... All right. Report an error in the passage at 13:21 Highlight the passage at 13:21

13:28 There was a question, when do you need a guru? And so I thought more about that. And Alex Berzin has a very nice presentation in his book. And I had asked you how many of us had a guru. So there are different types of gurus, right? So if we've ever taken refuge with someone, that person has become our guru. Report an error in the passage at 13:28 Highlight the passage at 13:28

13:57 If we've ever taken empowerments, that person is a tantric guru. If we've taken vows, that person is a guru. Or if we've accepted a teacher in our hearts as a guru, then that person becomes a guru. So it's not just attending teachings, because you're supposed to check out teachers for a long time before you accept them as a guru. Report an error in the passage at 13:57 Highlight the passage at 13:57

14:28 They say in the text, you know, traditionally 12 years, which I don't know anybody who does anymore. But, you know, to the point where you really have confidence in their qualities, right? And you can really rely on them as a guru. Because once you take someone as a guru, then it's really, really important to not generate a negative mind toward them, right? Report an error in the passage at 14:28 Highlight the passage at 14:28

14:52 So we'll talk about that in this class. Okay. So... So, Report an error in the passage at 14:52 Highlight the passage at 14:52

15:01 So actually, if we've taken refuge or taken a tantric empowerment or taken vows with someone, then they've automatically become our guru. You know, kind of implicitly, they have accepted you as a disciple, right? And so they've taken responsibility for you until you become enlightened, which is really mind-boggling, actually, if you think about it. Report an error in the passage at 15:01 Highlight the passage at 15:01

15:28 In their heart, they've really taken responsibility for you. Report an error in the passage at 15:28 Highlight the passage at 15:28

15:36 So Alex Bersin says that you don't actually have to formalize the relationship with the teacher. Once you've taken vows or refuge or something or tantric empowerment, you don't have to go and ask them if they will be your guru because they already are, right? Just by giving you that, they are your guru. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 15:36 Highlight the passage at 15:36

16:04 Okay. That makes sense? And then there were the qualities of the disciple, right? So who remembers what the qualities of this disciple that we should have in order to properly rely on a guru? Report an error in the passage at 16:04 Highlight the passage at 16:04

16:23 Impartiality. What does that mean? And Report an error in the passage at 16:23 Highlight the passage at 16:23

16:29 what does that mean? Report an error in the passage at 16:29 Highlight the passage at 16:29

16:35 Anyone? Not Report an error in the passage at 16:35 Highlight the passage at 16:35

16:43 being stuck on our own. Yeah, yeah. Or not, I mean, the text says not being attached to your own. Like views, opinions, etc. Particularly with regard to religious systems. So if you were brought up, a Christian not being attached to the Christian explanation. And also not being attached to your aversion, which is oftentimes what we have, an aversion to. Report an error in the passage at 16:43 Highlight the passage at 16:43

17:20 The teachings on the hell realms or something like that. And so not being able to believe in the teachings on the hell realms, right? Okay, so impartiality. What's another one? Report an error in the passage at 17:20 Highlight the passage at 17:20

17:42 Oh, we need to use a microphone, sorry. So you have to be intelligent enough to understand the teachings, but it was also something... I think so, yeah. It's also intelligent enough to overcome any bias or not have a bias. Report an error in the passage at 17:42 Highlight the passage at 17:42

18:02 Okay, yeah. Yeah, so intelligence, right? And intelligence being able to discern correct and incorrect teachings as well, right? So actually in the guru-disciple relationship, you know, we're supposed to use the intelligence. You know, we're always supposed to pay respect to the guru and, you know, follow their advice to the best of our ability. But also if the guru asks us to do something that's against the Dharma, we're supposed to use our discerning mind. Report an error in the passage at 18:02 Highlight the passage at 18:02

18:32 And not do it just because the guru tells us to, but discern, you know, to look and to see if it's really in accordance with the Dharma. Because sometimes the guru tests us. You know, there are those stories of, you know, teachers, you know, gurus asking their disciples to steal or something. Report an error in the passage at 18:32 Highlight the passage at 18:32

18:53 And then the disciples saying, you know, I'm sorry. You know, politely, politely declining, right? So we need to use our intelligence, right? And we'll talk a little bit more about that. So if the guru does ask you to do something that doesn't accord with the teachings, you're not supposed to use that to generate a negative mind against the guru, right? Report an error in the passage at 18:53 Highlight the passage at 18:53

19:19 But you just politely explain to the guru why you can't do it Report an error in the passage at 19:19 Highlight the passage at 19:19

19:29 and then not generate disrespect or... Report an error in the passage at 19:29 Highlight the passage at 19:29

19:35 You know, non-faith toward the group just because they've asked you that. Okay. So that's two qualities. And what's the third? Report an error in the passage at 19:35 Highlight the passage at 19:35

19:47 Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 19:47 Highlight the passage at 19:47

19:56 Is it like effort or perseverance? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Effort. You know, you have to actually be wanting to put effort into practice, right? Report an error in the passage at 19:56 Highlight the passage at 19:56

20:12 Janet? I think maybe you would need to have confidence and respect. For the guru. Yeah, so that's the fourth one. Respect. Exactly. So the fourth one is respect for the Dharma and the teacher. Yeah. And then the last one, you Report an error in the passage at 20:12 Highlight the passage at 20:12

20:39 need to have an attentive mind. Right. Yeah, that one's an easy one to forget. Right. So an attentive mind, not a distracted mind. Right. Okay. So it says if we... If we do have those qualities, then to rejoice. And if we don't, then to make effort into achieving them. Otherwise, it becomes an obstacle to being able to rely correctly on the guru. If we're really attached to our own ways of doing things or if we don't have the intelligence to discern correct teachings and incorrect teachings, etc. Report an error in the passage at 20:39 Highlight the passage at 20:39

21:19 cetera, Report an error in the passage at 21:19 Highlight the passage at 21:19

21:26 we got to... Report an error in the passage at 21:26 Highlight the passage at 21:26

21:31 23 in the text, Report an error in the passage at 21:31 Highlight the passage at 21:31

21:36 the way he relies on him or the way a disciple needs to rely on the teacher. Report an error in the passage at 21:36 Highlight the passage at 21:36

21:53 Okay, so this has two sections, explanation of the need to rely on someone with the characteristics and then the actual manner of relying on someone who has the characteristics. Report an error in the passage at 21:53 Highlight the passage at 21:53

22:04 So explanation of the need to rely on someone with the characteristics is, thus someone possessed of the characteristic of a vessel should examine. The way explained above, whether or not a teacher has the characteristics and if so, obtain the kindness of the Dharma from him. So we talked about that, examine whether or not the teacher has the characteristics and if so, then they're a proper qualified teacher. Report an error in the passage at 22:04 Highlight the passage at 22:04

22:33 And once we meet with a qualified teacher, then it's so precious and so rare. then we We only benefit if we get the Dharma from them. Then the actual manner of relying on someone who has the characteristics. The manner of relying in thought and the manner of relying through actions. Once you have a guru, this is the appropriate way to practice guru devotion. Report an error in the passage at 22:33 Highlight the passage at 22:33

23:08 Through thought, the way that we think about the guru, and then through our actions of body and speech. And this is something we have to train in, right, because this is not something that comes naturally to us. So with regard to the manner of relying on a spiritual teacher from whom you generally obtain the kindness of the Dharma and who especially guides your mind well by means of perfectly complete instructions, there are two points. Report an error in the passage at 23:08 Highlight the passage at 23:08

23:36 The manner of relying in thought and the manner of relying through actions. Okay, so first we'll cover the manner of relying in thought. So that has two aspects. Training in faith or confidence. So developing confidence and faith in their good qualities. And then the second is remembering their kindness. So remembering their qualities and then remembering their kindness. And so we need to train our minds in remembering those two things again and again and again so that our mind becomes so... Report an error in the passage at 23:36 Highlight the passage at 23:36

24:12 So strong and so stable with regard to our devotion to the Guru. So that even when the Guru does things that we don't understand or we don't agree with, we don't generate a negative mind. Because normally we're ordinary beings and we have the habit of once we get to know someone well enough, you know, you're around someone for a long time, then we just start seeing faults. Report an error in the passage at 24:12 Highlight the passage at 24:12

24:42 And so it's really, really important to not see faults in your guru, to keep that really positive mind. Report an error in the passage at 24:42 Highlight the passage at 24:42

24:55 And in the nine attitudes related to the spiritual teacher, one is relying on the teacher like a vajra, like never to be separated from that guru, like never allowing anyone. To turn your mind against the guru. So no matter what happens, your mind is so firmly convinced of the guru's good qualities that nothing will shake that. Report an error in the passage at 24:55 Highlight the passage at 24:55

25:24 So that's why it's important to really check out the guru first before you make that commitment. Because you don't want to develop a relationship with a guru that's not really a qualified guru and then have them do something really good. You know, really strange, you know, really unethical, you know, because then you can go against the guru. And I know that, I know people who have had really traumatic relationships with a guru. Report an error in the passage at 25:24 Highlight the passage at 25:24

25:55 They've taken them as a guru and then were very disillusioned by this guru. And this is such, I don't know, it's such a huge trauma, really, in your Dharma life because that guru is, You're representative of the Dharma and that can shake up your whole faith in the Dharma and you can leave the Dharma if something like that happens. Report an error in the passage at 25:55 Highlight the passage at 25:55

26:21 So really check out your teachers first and then develop that relationship. Yeah, Peter. Report an error in the passage at 26:21 Highlight the passage at 26:21

26:38 I had a question about that. What about the case of so-called crazy wisdom gurus like, say, Chogyam Trungpa, who used to regularly ask his followers to do nutty things, but then he creates people like Pema Chodron, you know, who's one of his disciples. So how do you know when somebody is a crazy wisdom guru or just deluded out of their minds? Well, you know, I mean, I think, I mean, if you're attracted to, you know, if you feel like you have a connection to someone who is crazy wisdom. Report an error in the passage at 26:38 Highlight the passage at 26:38

27:08 It's still important to really check them out, and if you're really convinced of their good qualities, then you still need to give them the benefit of the doubt. You take them as your guru, and then you understand that whatever they're doing is beyond your understanding, but you don't turn negative against them. Report an error in the passage at 27:08 Highlight the passage at 27:08

27:31 Right. Yeah, because Chögyam Trungpa is… Right. Yeah, because Chögyam Trungpa is… Actually a great example of really a super great amazing master who did some really strange things, right? So for a lot of people I think it's really difficult to rely on a guru who has a lot of questionable behavior, right? Report an error in the passage at 27:31 Highlight the passage at 27:31

27:50 I mean it's hard enough to rely on a pure guru, right? There are these great stories that Shogim Trungpa would be driving with one of his disciples, and he would ask them to suddenly make a U-turn in the middle of an intersection or something, just to see if they would blindly obey him. And he'd get really mad at them if they did what he told them to do. Lots of stories like that about him. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 27:50 Highlight the passage at 27:50

28:20 So we're really safe, right, with people like Gashi.com. Report an error in the passage at 28:20 Highlight the passage at 28:20

28:30 All right, we can't really imagine him asking us to do something really outrageous, right? Report an error in the passage at 28:30 Highlight the passage at 28:30

28:39 Also Lama Zopa Rinpoche, right? They're just so unquestionably pure that we're really fortunate. Yeah. Okay, so check them out. And then, you know, once we take them as a guru, really try to keep a really positive mind and reflect on their positive qualities again and again and again and again. And you see people getting negative minds, right, about gurus. Report an error in the passage at 28:39 Highlight the passage at 28:39

29:04 And it's usually about something really small. It's like, why is he always late? Okay, he has a realization of emptiness. He has ethics. He has concentration. He has loving kindness. He's eloquent. He is delighting in the welfare of others. He has no self-cherishing, but he's late. And when we get irritated at someone, our minds get really small and are just focused on that one. Report an error in the passage at 29:04 Highlight the passage at 29:04

29:34 Tiny little fault, right? So that's why we have to train our minds to focus on the positive qualities. Oh wait, he has a realization. Oh, everything he does is for the welfare of others. So maybe being late is okay. Or why does he cough all the time? Well, you know, maybe we can deal with it, right? So. Report an error in the passage at 29:34 Highlight the passage at 29:34

30:02 So this is, I think, one of the lamrim topics that we need to put the most effort in. First of all, it's so important. It's the root of the entire path. But then, secondly, it just doesn't come easily for most of us. Even in Tibet, where it's a very devotional culture, it doesn't come easily to just see the positive qualities in someone. Report an error in the passage at 30:02 Highlight the passage at 30:02

30:29 I Report an error in the passage at 30:29 Highlight the passage at 30:29

30:39 think there's some... Paper on the floor next to you, Effie. I don't know if that's yours. This is not in contradiction to your last statement there at all, but I interviewed a Tibetan woman for a job at the library work this last week, me and several other guys. There's usually group people in our interviews. And one of our questions was, you know, like, your supervisor says you're doing a lousy job. How do you react to that? Report an error in the passage at 30:39 Highlight the passage at 30:39

31:03 And the right sort of answer is, you know, I... I took criticism well. But she had the best Tibetan answer. She said, well, she's from Tibet, you know, and there we really see our teachers as very important. All people who are in authority over us as our teachers. And it doesn't really necessarily mean that they're going to teach us in the nicest ways or that we'll always understand. It was so great. And she was telling this cultural story, too. Report an error in the passage at 31:03 Highlight the passage at 31:03

31:26 She wasn't telling a Buddhism story at all. She was really saying, you know, in Tibet, this is how we do things. So anyway, it was just interesting. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, that's just a perfect example of someone who's... Not getting negative because they're being scolded or criticized, etc. So when we establish that relationship with the Guru, if they do scold us, or when they do scold us, because sooner or later they will, if our Guru devotion is strong enough and they think we can handle it, then they will, because we need a lot of help to get to enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 31:26 Highlight the passage at 31:26

32:03 If the way that we were, if the way that I was, et cetera, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 32:03 Highlight the passage at 32:03

32:07 Is okay to become enlightened, then I'd be enlightened, right? I wouldn't be in saṃsāra, right? So we need a lot of work to get to enlightenment. So, you know, the Guru's going to tell us things we don't like. So we need to be able to keep a positive mind, right? Instead of thinking, oh my God, why are they getting angry? You know, you can get a negative mind right toward the Guru because they're scolding us and thinking it's their flaw. Report an error in the passage at 32:07 Highlight the passage at 32:07

32:38 As opposed to, okay, well, what am I supposed to learn here? Okay, well, yeah, maybe I did have too much pride there or whatever, you know, too much grasping. Okay, I need to learn to let go of that. You know, I have something to learn that way. And really developing that humility, right, instead of that, what do you mean, you know, I did something wrong. Report an error in the passage at 32:38 Highlight the passage at 32:38

33:03 Okay. Report an error in the passage at 33:03 Highlight the passage at 33:03

33:08 Okay. All right. So. um... The manner of relying in thought. So training in faith or confidence and remembering their kindness. So the first, the root, training in confidence. First of all, there's a heading. It talks about the explanation of confidence as the basis of all qualities. And it's interesting. This translator used the word confidence. Report an error in the passage at 33:08 Highlight the passage at 33:08

33:39 This Tibetan word, I believe, is the Tibetan word usually used for faith. Faith. Faith. But, you know, we Westerners tend to have some baggage around the word faith. But it's not just confidence, right? It's faith in the Tibetan Buddhist sense or in the Buddhist sense. And faith, which is the faith that kind of uplifts you. Report an error in the passage at 33:39 Highlight the passage at 33:39

34:09 It's that mind that feels uplifted. And inspired by good qualities, by seeing someone with excellent qualities. So it's not the blind faith, but it's this uplifted feeling and this joy that we feel from being around His Holiness the Dalai Lama or Geshe Dagpa or Chodron Rinpoche or Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Report an error in the passage at 34:09 Highlight the passage at 34:09

34:31 Or the joy we hear from listening to the Dharma and feeling inspired. So that's what we're talking about here. And then there are the three levels. I'll just review the three levels of faith again. Actually, does anybody remember the three levels? Report an error in the passage at 34:31 Highlight the passage at 34:31

34:52 Aspiring faith. Report an error in the passage at 34:52 Highlight the passage at 34:52

34:57 No, that's not actually one of them. Report an error in the passage at 34:57 Highlight the passage at 34:57

35:05 Aspiring faith. Report an error in the passage at 35:05 Highlight the passage at 35:05

35:10 Faith of conviction. Report an error in the passage at 35:10 Highlight the passage at 35:10

35:22 I'll tell you the other one. It's a clear faith or lucid faith. So the clear faith or the lucid faith is the first one you usually develop. It's just, you know, by being, you know, for example, by being around some holy being, you know, feeling really uplifted and inspired by them, right? So having a certain level of faith just by being around them or just by hearing the teachings. But it's not stable, right? Report an error in the passage at 35:22 Highlight the passage at 35:22

35:49 It's, you feel really good, you feel uplifted. But if something else happens... It might turn you against the teacher. It might turn you against the teacher. So most of us have this clear faith or this lucid faith when we hear the Dharma and we generate some faith in it. But we can't leave it at that. We need to take it to the next level, which is the faith of conviction, which is unshakable. So it's based on reasoning. Report an error in the passage at 35:49 Highlight the passage at 35:49

36:26 Logical reasoning and reflecting again and again. And so that's the faith we're talking about here in relation to the guru that we need to do. We need to contemplate the guru's qualities and kindness again and again and again so that we can develop this faith of conviction that's unshakable. So if somebody comes and says, oh yeah, well, Geshe Dagpa, I don't know if he's really a qualified guru. Report an error in the passage at 36:26 Highlight the passage at 36:26

36:54 It doesn't shake up your faith, right? Or someone said to me the other day, oh yeah, Chodron Rinpoche, I heard he suffers from depression. And I thought, that's crazy! Report an error in the passage at 36:54 Highlight the passage at 36:54

37:10 But if your faith isn't very strong, you might believe something like that. Oh, really? I know, it's not somebody who is Chodron Rinpoche's disciple. You know? Report an error in the passage at 37:10 Highlight the passage at 37:10

37:27 But I just thought that was a really interesting thing to hear and a really strange thing to hear. And I thought, you know, and I was glad I didn't even give it a moment's thought, you know, oh, I really wonder, you know. Yeah, he's this luminous, beautiful being who suffers from depression, you know. So that was interesting. Report an error in the passage at 37:27 Highlight the passage at 37:27

37:51 Okay, so the faith of conviction that won't be swayed when somebody tells you your guru suffers from depression. And then the third level is aspiring faith where you're actually aspiring to attain those qualities yourself. So you're not just admiring them, but you're making effort to attain those qualities yourself. Report an error in the passage at 37:51 Highlight the passage at 37:51

38:30 So Lama Tsongkhapa says, in the Jewel Tala Durrani it says, the preparatory practice of confidence bears, like a mother, all positive qualities, guards them and makes them increase. Report an error in the passage at 38:30 Highlight the passage at 38:30

38:44 This says that confidence gives birth to positive qualities that have not yet arisen, and once they have come into existence, it sustains and increases them. Report an error in the passage at 38:44 Highlight the passage at 38:44

38:58 So, so, if we, You know, really think about it. Faith is the basis for good qualities, right? You admire those particular qualities and then you try to emulate them, right? You aspire. You aspire to develop those, right? First you have to admire them, right? And think that they're good and then you aspire to them, right? Report an error in the passage at 38:58 Highlight the passage at 38:58

39:24 So just being around, you know, Lama Zopa Rinpoche makes you want to be a bodhisattva, right? It just makes you... Want to become like Him, right? Or His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It just makes you want to become like Him. If you didn't admire the qualities, then you wouldn't try to emulate them, right? Report an error in the passage at 39:24 Highlight the passage at 39:24

39:53 And then in the Ten Dharmas, it also says, that which guides to liberation, the foremost yana is confidence. Therefore, the intelligent rely on pursuing confidence or faith. In those who are without confidence, wholesome qualities do not arise. Likewise, in seeds that were burned by fire, no green sprout can germinate. So that which guides to liberation, the foremost yana or vehicle, yana, like Hinayana, Mahāyāna, is confidence. Report an error in the passage at 39:53 Highlight the passage at 39:53

40:27 So if we think about it, if we don't have faith and respect to a person, then we don't. They can't really help us. It's like when we were teenagers. And, you know, we didn't, most of us, or at least I didn't have much respect for my parents, you know, and so then what they told me, you know, you don't really listen to, right? Report an error in the passage at 40:27 Highlight the passage at 40:27

40:54 But if there's someone who you really respect, tells you something, then you really believe them, right? And they can really help you, right? So that's why, you know, this faith really is the basis for being able to be helped, right? Report an error in the passage at 40:54 Highlight the passage at 40:54

41:15 Did, Hilary, do you have a question or a comment? No. Report an error in the passage at 41:15 Highlight the passage at 41:15

41:30 Oh, okay. Report an error in the passage at 41:30 Highlight the passage at 41:30

41:41 Let me turn to them. That's probably the best. My short dream is self-cherishing. Report an error in the passage at 41:41 Highlight the passage at 41:41

42:08 Faith also dispels this doubt, especially this faith of conviction. It dispels our doubt. And doubt is a big obstacle in the path. If we're not really sure if this is really my path or if we're not really sure if these methods work, then we don't really practice. So we need to get over that doubt. And we do that through logical reasoning and meditating. Report an error in the passage at 42:08 Highlight the passage at 42:08

42:42 Faith also clears away. Pride, right? Because if we really have faith in someone, then we don't have that pride. And pride, we've talked about before, is a big obstacle to learning, right? It's perhaps the biggest obstacle to learning because we think we know it. Report an error in the passage at 42:42 Highlight the passage at 42:42

43:04 I love this one. I think it's in Lama Rinpoche. Report an error in the passage at 43:04 Highlight the passage at 43:04

43:12 It says, Report an error in the passage at 43:12 Highlight the passage at 43:12

43:24 let's see it. But basically it says, faith cuts through gloom. And clarifies the mind. So faith cuts through gloom and clarifies the mind. So if we're feeling depressed or feeling like what's the use of this? We go through phases in the Dharma, right? Phases where we feel really inspired and phases where we're a little bit bored and we're not wanting to practice. Report an error in the passage at 43:24 Highlight the passage at 43:24

43:57 practice, right? We can generate the faith again, then that inspires us to practice again. So sometimes it takes actually being around the guru or, you know, meditating, meditating on the guru's qualities or meditating on the benefits of, you know, bodhicitta or, you know, practicing the Dharma, etc. Report an error in the passage at 43:57 Highlight the passage at 43:57

44:20 Okay, so it cuts through the gloom. And it clarifies the mind, too, because the mind that's full of doubt, you know, it's a foggy mind, right? Report an error in the passage at 44:20 Highlight the passage at 44:20

44:30 It's not clear. So faith is clear. Report an error in the passage at 44:30 Highlight the passage at 44:30

44:39 And it's also the root of respect. Report an error in the passage at 44:39 Highlight the passage at 44:39

45:08 So here, yeah, so the text says, you know, so the intelligent rely on pursuing confidence or faith. Because if we don't have confidence or faith, then good qualities don't arise. So there's a teaching that there's, I mean, especially in calm abiding, faith gives rise to aspiration. Aspiration gives rise to effort. Report an error in the passage at 45:08 Highlight the passage at 45:08

45:33 So faith gives a rise to aspiration. So based on having faith, then we aspire to develop good qualities. Based on aspiration, then we actually make effort. If we lack faith or aspiration, then we don't make effort. Report an error in the passage at 45:33 Highlight the passage at 45:33

45:59 Likewise, in seeds that were burnt by fire, no green sprout can germinate. So a burnt seed can't give rise to a plant or a sprout. Similarly, without faith, then we won't develop good qualities. Report an error in the passage at 45:59 Highlight the passage at 45:59

46:17 In these terms, confidence is said to be the foundation of all positive qualities through forward and reverse pervasion. So I'm not going to talk about forward and reverse pervasion, but basically that's basically saying through logical analysis. Report an error in the passage at 46:17 Highlight the passage at 46:17

46:39 Next section is identification of confidence or faith. So generally speaking, there are many types of confidence. In the jewels, in actions and effects, and in the Four Noble Truths. However, here it is confidence in the spiritual master. So in the context of the teachings, it talks about faith, faith in relation to the Triple Gem, the Buddha Dharma Saṅgha we need to develop. Report an error in the passage at 46:39 Highlight the passage at 46:39

47:06 Also we need to develop faith in karma, and then faith in the Four Noble Truths. But in this section of the Lamrim, we're specifically talking about the faith and the spiritual master, the guru. Report an error in the passage at 47:06 Highlight the passage at 47:06

47:26 Then the next section is the need to discriminate a Buddha with regard to the spiritual master. So this one's a really hard one. We're supposed to see the guru as like a Buddha or in Tantra as the Buddha. So the guru is a Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 47:26 Highlight the passage at 47:26

47:47 So in the sūtra teaching, sometimes it says we should see the guru as like a Buddha, and sometimes it says seeing the guru as a Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 47:47 Highlight the passage at 47:47

47:58 So here the text says, furthermore, as for the way of looking at the spiritual master, it says in the Vajrapani Empowerment Tantra, O Lord of Secrets, how should a disciple see the master? Just like he would see the Buddha Bhagavan. Similar statements can be found in the collection of Mahāyāna Sutras and in the Vinaya. Report an error in the passage at 47:58 Highlight the passage at 47:58

48:19 Their meaning is this. If you understand that someone is like a Buddha, a mind conceiving faults in him will not arise, but rather a mind thinking about his positive qualities. Report an error in the passage at 48:19 Highlight the passage at 48:19

48:32 Likewise, with regard to a spiritual master, you should purposely abandon any concepts of faults in every respect while training the mind conceiving positive qualities. Report an error in the passage at 48:32 Highlight the passage at 48:32

48:45 So if we actually see the guru as being a manifestation of a Buddha, then... If we're really convinced that they're a Buddha, then we won't focus on their negative qualities. We can see the scolding, etc. as being a teaching for us. It's not their flaw, but it's something to help train our minds. Report an error in the passage at 48:45 Highlight the passage at 48:45

49:17 So, of course, once again, it's really important to have checked out your guru first. right? Report an error in the passage at 49:17 Highlight the passage at 49:17

49:26 Because this is a really dangerous area, you know, where people can get in trouble, right, if you're relying on the wrong person, you know, someone who's not really qualified. But if you're really convinced, right, and you take someone as a guru, then it's most beneficial if we can see them as a Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 49:26 Highlight the passage at 49:26

49:48 And so, you know, so one thing that really helps in thinking about The guru actually being a Buddha is thinking about the Buddhas. So the Buddhas, the purpose of the Buddhas is solely to benefit others. They've attained enlightenment and their only purpose in life is to benefit others because they've achieved everything that they can possibly achieve for themselves. Report an error in the passage at 49:48 Highlight the passage at 49:48

50:16 So their only purpose is to help others. So if you were a Buddha and you wanted to help sentient beings, Then how would you manifest in the world to help sentient beings? Report an error in the passage at 50:16 Highlight the passage at 50:16

50:36 I mean, it seems quite obvious. You would manifest as a teacher, a Dharma teacher, because that's the best way to help others out of saṃsāra. So if the guru isn't a Buddha, then who is? Who else would be? Report an error in the passage at 50:36 Highlight the passage at 50:36

51:06 So thinking about that can really help us. The Guru, you know, it doesn't seem like he's a Buddha, but, you know, maybe he is, you know, because he's benefiting, you know, he's benefiting so many beings. And then secondly, is that, you know, we are all obscured, right? We don't have the karma to see a Buddha with the 32 marks, major marks and the 80 minor marks. Report an error in the passage at 51:06 Highlight the passage at 51:06

51:35 Actually, you have to be a 10th ground bodhisattva to see that. Or someone who's directly realized emptiness, then you can receive teachings directly from a Buddha in the pure realms. But we haven't gotten there yet. So we're just ordinary beings who have obscured karma. So based on our karma, the Buddhists have to manifest as an ordinary being in order to teach us. Report an error in the passage at 51:35 Highlight the passage at 51:35

52:19 So the Buddhists have to... Manifest in ordinary form and then therefore their actions will also appear as ordinary. So the Buddhists appear in ordinary form and so their actions also appear as ordinary to us. So they still have to eat and they still have to take walks and exercise and things like that. Report an error in the passage at 52:19 Highlight the passage at 52:19

53:16 And then the third thing is that If we think about our ordinary perceptions, you know, our perceptions, they're not particularly reliable, right? Report an error in the passage at 53:16 Highlight the passage at 53:16

53:34 You know, how many times have we met somebody and, you know, put them in a certain box, you know, made judgments about them and then found out that they were completely wrong later on? Report an error in the passage at 53:34 Highlight the passage at 53:34

53:49 Either we think that they're really wonderful, right, when we first meet them. And then we find out that they have faults. Is that working? Report an error in the passage at 53:49 Highlight the passage at 53:49

54:04 Okay. Report an error in the passage at 54:04 Highlight the passage at 54:04

54:21 I mean, I could keep using this ear one if we can't get this one to work well. Okay. All right. So, okay. Or when, you know, when somebody's our friend, we see, you know, all their good qualities and then... Yeah. Sort of. Report an error in the passage at 54:21 Highlight the passage at 54:21

· · · silence, 1 minute

54:41 Then they start, you know, doing selfish things or, you know, and then our minds can turn totally negative toward them, right? They were this perfect being before and then our minds, you know, turn and suddenly they're an evil person, right? They only have faults. And that's the way our minds work when we're angry at someone or if we dislike them. Then our minds are just focused on their faults, right? Report an error in the passage at 54:41 Highlight the passage at 54:41

55:11 And it's not like this balanced perspective where we say, oh, they have these good qualities and these faults. When we have a mental affliction, it's all good or all bad, right? So we can't exactly rely on our minds as being... Report an error in the passage at 55:11 Highlight the passage at 55:11

55:32 Perfect reflections of reality, right? Because our minds are constantly going back and forth, right? So I think it's important to have that humility, right? You know, oftentimes we really grasp onto our opinions about things, right? Like, I am right. You know, this person is, you know, this is a bad person, you know, and you hang on to that. Report an error in the passage at 55:32 Highlight the passage at 55:32

55:55 And it's important to kind of let that go, right? I really realized, okay, well, my perceptions aren't perfect, and this is just what I'm experiencing right now, and it may or may not be correct. Report an error in the passage at 55:55 Highlight the passage at 55:55

56:14 So that's really hard. I mean, all of these are hard, right? Just seeing the guru as a Buddha takes a lot, lot, lot, a lot of training. Report an error in the passage at 56:14 Highlight the passage at 56:14

56:30 So those things. Contemplating those three things I think is really helpful. It's really helpful for my mind. I remember when I first heard this teaching, I didn't even want to see my guru as a Buddha. Why would I want to do that? But then through reflecting, then you can say, okay, well, it's beneficial to only see, to really focus on the good qualities because there's no benefit to focusing on the negative qualities of the guru, is there? Report an error in the passage at 56:30 Highlight the passage at 56:30

56:58 That's just... You know? Report an error in the passage at 56:58 Highlight the passage at 56:58

56:59 And a huge obstacle to our enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 56:59 Highlight the passage at 56:59

57:05 But our minds can get kind of self-righteous sometimes. So we need to be willing to let that go. Report an error in the passage at 57:05 Highlight the passage at 57:05

57:15 I was just going to say that one of the things that has slowly begun to sort of really mess with my mind about the various Lamas that live in this area is that they really don't speak great English and they don't... I don't really have any money or anything, but yet they all have these places to teach. And that's something that has really started to dawn on me, that there's something almost supernatural about that. Report an error in the passage at 57:15 Highlight the passage at 57:15

57:43 You know what I mean? Like Geshe Doc would come here and here's this big, beautiful house for him to teach in and that kind of thing. And that really, this is not an easy area to get by in. Do you know what I mean? It just sort of seems to me there's almost this quality of walking across water and something. Report an error in the passage at 57:43 Highlight the passage at 57:43

57:56 Like a turtle coming up every time they put their feet down. So I see all of these Lama's open centers in the area and they remain open. And there's not that many students here. So it just always seems a bit miraculous to me that they have their venues to do that in. And that seems really Buddha-like to me. That things just seem to fall into place for them. Report an error in the passage at 57:56 Highlight the passage at 57:56

58:21 Yeah, you don't see the llamas on the street corner, you know, begging for money. When I say they don't speak good English, I mean, this is America. You know, like how many people who don't speak good English, who don't have jobs, could come here and set something like this up? Yeah. Sometimes that makes me look at them aside and be like, all right, you know. What's up with you? There's something bigger, much larger than life going on there. Report an error in the passage at 58:21 Highlight the passage at 58:21

58:45 Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 58:45 Highlight the passage at 58:45

58:50 Right. Report an error in the passage at 58:50 Highlight the passage at 58:50

59:18 So I think we covered. In this section. Report an error in the passage at 59:18 Highlight the passage at 59:18

59:26 So even if we do see what look like faults in our gurus, just not to focus on those and to give them the benefit of the doubt. Because our minds can get negative about little things like, why are they eating meat? Or why are they picky about their diet? Or why are... Report an error in the passage at 59:26 Highlight the passage at 59:26

59:56 Why are they making us stay up really late and saying, you know, 50 different prayers, you know, or, you know, whatever, you know, whatever our minds kind of resist, right, then we can get negative, right? Report an error in the passage at 59:56 Highlight the passage at 59:56

1:00:16 So personally, I think it's really, really, it's been really, really helpful to me to focus on those 10 qualities of the guru and just meditate on those again and again and again. Oh yeah, this Lama has what we said before, you know, concentration, wisdom, ethics. And that's so huge, right, compared to the little flaws that we might see. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:16 Highlight the passage at 1:00:16

1:00:44 Well, let's take a break. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:44 Highlight the passage at 1:00:44

1:01:08 Actually, while I'm thinking about it, so a while ago people had asked to order some books, for the bookstore to order some books, and I emailed to let you know that they had arrived. So have people picked those up now? The books from the bookstore? I think they were like Gishisopa's book. It was, a lot of people ordered this one. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:08 Highlight the passage at 1:01:08

1:01:35 Well, Karina set them aside for us. Did people? Report an error in the passage at 1:01:35 Highlight the passage at 1:01:35

1:01:46 there's a whole land room shelf out there, too, that has Report an error in the passage at 1:01:46 Highlight the passage at 1:01:46

1:01:53 Okay, well maybe she gave up on us and just put them out. Yeah, because they came in right during the Chodin Rinpoche thing and we weren't having class and so probably people weren't picking them up at that time. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:53 Highlight the passage at 1:01:53

1:02:14 Oh, okay, so she put it off the shelf. Oh, Report an error in the passage at 1:02:14 Highlight the passage at 1:02:14

1:02:34 okay, okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:34 Highlight the passage at 1:02:34

1:02:42 And if people want to order something else, just let me know. Well, Karina just put in an order like last week, but let me know for the next order whenever that is. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:42 Highlight the passage at 1:02:42

1:02:58 It'll still take us a while to get through volume one, I think, at the rate we're going. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:58 Highlight the passage at 1:02:58

1:03:08 All right. So, okay, so that was from Seeing the Guru as a Buddha. So we didn't have a lot of questions on that. I think that's a really, really, really, really hard subject, but Report an error in the passage at 1:03:08 Highlight the passage at 1:03:08

1:03:25 easy. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:25 Highlight the passage at 1:03:25

1:03:32 Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:32 Highlight the passage at 1:03:32

1:03:51 You guys are all ripe. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:51 Highlight the passage at 1:03:51

1:03:56 Suitable vessels. Okay. All right. So in the next section is the disadvantages of conceiving faults. So in addition, the above tantra says, apprehend the master's positive qualities. Do not ever apprehend his faults. Apprehending his qualities, you will gain cities or attainments. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:56 Highlight the passage at 1:03:56

1:04:23 Apprehending his faults. They cannot be gained. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:23 Highlight the passage at 1:04:23

1:04:30 So it said the more faith you have in your guru, the quicker is your path to enlightenment. And the more, well, if you focus on his faults or her faults, you're not going to gain anything. You won't get realizations or concentration or anything. Because if you think about it, I mean, the guru is the... Report an error in the passage at 1:04:30 Highlight the passage at 1:04:30

1:04:59 The kindest being possible, right? The person who's, actually we're going to talk about it, but the person who's going to lead us to enlightenment, right? He's going to lead us out of suffering forever, right? Any kind of worldly kindness is nothing, right? Compared to what the guru does. So if we think about the field of merit or the object of merit, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:04:59 Highlight the passage at 1:04:59

1:05:29 If we get negative against sentient beings, you know, it's not as bad karma as if we get negative against the guru. Or our parents, right, are also a big field of merit, right? So it's much worse to get negative toward your parents than just, you know, just an ordinary sentient being because they've been so kind, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:05:29 Highlight the passage at 1:05:29

1:05:55 Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:55 Highlight the passage at 1:05:55

1:05:58 Yeah, that's a hard one for a lot of people. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:58 Highlight the passage at 1:05:58

1:06:05 Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:05 Highlight the passage at 1:06:05

1:06:09 So you should act accordingly. Thus, if positive qualities predominate in a spiritual master, but you think about him in terms of the few faults he has, this will become an obstacle to your own accomplishments. Even if faults predominate, if you train in confidence from the perspective of his positive qualities without thinking about him in terms of his faults, this will become a cause for accomplishments to come about. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:09 Highlight the passage at 1:06:09

1:06:35 Therefore, when it comes to your own spiritual master, whether his faults are big or small, contemplate the disadvantages of thinking about him from that perspective and repeatedly generate a mind to abandon this and make it stop. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:35 Highlight the passage at 1:06:35

1:06:51 So Report an error in the passage at 1:06:51 Highlight the passage at 1:06:51

1:06:55 even if we do start seeing someone who we've taken as a guru and we see some really questionable behavior, still our mind can't. It's still a huge negative karma right to turn against that Lama. But if somehow you've gotten yourself into a relationship with someone who you just can't follow anymore, then the advice is to just not get negative and just maybe acknowledge I can't understand this behavior. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:55 Highlight the passage at 1:06:55

1:07:33 I'm not able to follow it. And, you know, and then... You know, kind of put them in this kind of neutral category and then move on, right? Just really important not to get negative, right? So it's like, yeah, then, you know, then follow other gurus, you know, you can have more confidence in. But just don't, don't let anything or anyone turn your mind against the guru. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:33 Highlight the passage at 1:07:33

1:08:02 And this is a real, a realistic concern. I mean, not, not with Geshe Dagpa or something, but, you know, I know quite a number of people that this has happened to. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:02 Highlight the passage at 1:08:02

1:08:17 Okay, and then it's also said to keep, it's best if for most of us to keep a proper kind of distance from the guru. Like if we're with them all the time, it's natural for most of us for the conception of faults to arise, right? So they say don't stay too far away and don't get too close, right, to maintain the balance that's appropriate for you. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:17 Highlight the passage at 1:08:17

1:08:50 If your mind is really, really well trained, then you can be around the guru all the time. But if our minds have a tendency to see faults, which most of ours do, then it's best to not get too close. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:50 Highlight the passage at 1:08:50

1:09:17 Then the next section says the way of restraining conceptions of faults. So if concepts of faults do arise due to carelessness, a lot of afflictions, etc. You should apply yourself to restraint through confession. So we should purify, right, basically. If these conceptions do arise, we should generate sincere regret and then restrain ourselves, you know, take refuge, generate bodhicitta and then, you know, do Vajrasat for prostrations or Samaya Vajra. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:17 Highlight the passage at 1:09:17

1:09:53 Actually, Samaya Vajra is a very good practice to do. for purifying. you're finding broken somebody out with the guru. If you accustom yourself in this manner, you may see that there are a few faults, but since your mind holds on to the side of positive qualities, it will not become an obstacle to your confidence. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:53 Highlight the passage at 1:09:53

1:10:16 For instance, the great Jowo upheld the view of Madhyamaka. While Sir Lingpa upheld the view of the true aspectarian chitta mantra, which is why, in terms of view, one was higher than the other. However, as he discovered the general stages of the Mahāyāna path and the mind of enlightenment relying on him, he regarded Sir Lingpa as unequaled among spiritual teachers. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:16 Highlight the passage at 1:10:16

1:10:39 So this is Atisha. So one of Atisha's teachers was Sir Lingpa, where he got the teachings of bodhicitta from Sir Lingpa. Remember, he traveled to Indonesia. But in terms of view, Atisha was higher than Sir Lingpa. Atisha had the correct Madhyamika view, while Sir Lingpa was holding a lower view, the true Aspectarian Chita Matra. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:39 Highlight the passage at 1:10:39

1:11:08 But Atisha regarded Sir Lingpa as his greatest teacher because, in dependence on Atisha, he attained bodhicitta. So Atisha never let the fact that Sri Lengpa's view was lower, you know, kind of cloud his mind and cloud his devotion. He just really focused on Sri Lengpa's good qualities. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:08 Highlight the passage at 1:11:08

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:12:39 I was looking for a quote by Geshe Jampagyoza, and this is basically what I've been saying, but sometimes it's really nice to hear the same thing in different ways, especially from a Lama. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:39 Highlight the passage at 1:12:39

1:12:55 So here he says, Since we are ordinary beings, we have many mental afflictions, due to which negative thoughts that see faults can arise. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:55 Highlight the passage at 1:12:55

1:13:05 However, by looking at the side of the good qualities of the guru and familiarizing with this, when we see slight faults, there will not arise non-faith. That is, we will be able to stop this from happening. If we practice looking not at his faults, Report an error in the passage at 1:13:05 Highlight the passage at 1:13:05

1:13:24 But at his qualities, we will come to see more and more good qualities. On the other hand, if we look at the side of faults and do not look good as good qualities, this will become an obstacle for us and will create many mental problems for us. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:24 Highlight the passage at 1:13:24

1:13:44 If we think bad of someone, that person does not become bad. Likewise, if we think good of someone, that person does not become good. However, if we intentionally seek the bad in him or her, we will only see faults. Due to which our mind will become more agitated and nervous and we will experience more problems. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:44 Highlight the passage at 1:13:44

1:14:08 Therefore, with respect to all beings, we need to practice looking at the side of their good qualities. As in this way, our life will become easier. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:08 Highlight the passage at 1:14:08

1:14:36 So we can expand this out right to all beings, right? To try to focus on their good qualities. And then our minds are just much more peaceful, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:14:36 Highlight the passage at 1:14:36

1:14:50 Then there's... I wonder if we should get into this next section, remembering the kindness and being respectful. We still have the homework from last time. Does anybody remember? Did anybody do homework six? Report an error in the passage at 1:14:50 Highlight the passage at 1:14:50

1:15:14 Yeah, we did. Okay, Report an error in the passage at 1:15:14 Highlight the passage at 1:15:14

1:15:20 well let's go through that one question and then if we have time we can go through the kindness. So the first question on homework six was why is it important to rely on a spiritual teacher? Report an error in the passage at 1:15:20 Highlight the passage at 1:15:20

1:15:36 Janet. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:36 Highlight the passage at 1:15:36

1:15:44 I just kind of made up an answer. Okay. But we need to rely on a spiritual teacher as a guide because we're like children or a child. We're like a child that's lost in a thick forest. And so we can even find a trail, maybe walk a bit of ways and still. be going in the wrong directions without a guide lead us, and the Guru is that person. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:44 Highlight the passage at 1:15:44

1:16:24 give us the step-by-step instructions, and if see us going a little bit off the path and we're heading in the wrong direction, they'll take the steps necessary to help us to stay in the right So it's impossible to go anywhere without the guru. Anybody Report an error in the passage at 1:16:24 Highlight the passage at 1:16:24

1:16:45 else have anything to add? Louis. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:45 Highlight the passage at 1:16:45

1:16:54 Well, because at the lowest level, a guru or spiritual teacher should have more positive qualities than negative qualities. That's probably the only person who can help us to tame our own minds. I think the text or the scriptures say we're like wild horses, and someone whose mind is the equivalent of ours isn't going to be able to. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:54 Highlight the passage at 1:16:54

1:17:25 Help us tame ourselves. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:25 Highlight the passage at 1:17:25

1:17:34 Or our minds are like that. Yeah, our minds. I don't see the difference. Actually, I think wild horses have more positive qualities. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:34 Highlight the passage at 1:17:34

1:17:51 Yeah, Report an error in the passage at 1:17:51 Highlight the passage at 1:17:51

1:17:58 so, yeah. Someone who doesn't have a tamed mind can't help us tame our minds. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:58 Highlight the passage at 1:17:58

1:18:10 Anybody else? don't know. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:10 Highlight the passage at 1:18:10

1:18:06 Yeah, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:06 Highlight the passage at 1:18:06

1:18:18 I think that it's been said that you could reach enlightenment without a guide, but that it would take a really, really long time. But if you have a spiritual guide, then they can greatly speed up that path by teaching you. And definitely one of the tricks of delusions in your mind is that you can be so convinced you are right and still be totally wrong. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:18 Highlight the passage at 1:18:18

1:18:46 And with a guide, they can... They can cut through those delusions and say, no, that's not quite right. And so if you don't have that guide, then you get stuck in those delusions and you don't make the kind of progress that you would have with somebody who can cut through the delusions and show you really the truth. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:46 Highlight the passage at 1:18:46

1:19:05 Yep. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:05 Highlight the passage at 1:19:05

1:19:15 Anybody else? Report an error in the passage at 1:19:15 Highlight the passage at 1:19:15

1:19:29 Okay, so let's just go into this next section. So how to rely on the guru in terms of thought first. First, we, right. We understand and contemplate their good qualities and secondly remembering their kindness. Remembering the kindness and being respectful. In the Sūtra of the Ten Dharmas it says, He looks for me who has roamed in cyclic existence for a long time. He awakens me from a long time of obscuration and torpor due to ignorance. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:29 Highlight the passage at 1:19:29

1:19:48 right? So remember Report an error in the passage at 1:19:48 Highlight the passage at 1:19:48

1:20:08 He pulls me out as I sink within the ocean of existence. He shows good paths to me who has entered bad ones. He frees me who has been bound in the prison of existence. He is a doctor to me who has long been tormented by illness. I should generate the notion of him as rain clouds, pacifying me who has been ablaze with the fire of passion and so on. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:08 Highlight the passage at 1:20:08

1:20:43 So it's said that we should meditate on these again and again, right, about how we've been, right, we've been wandering in cyclic existence forever, basically, right, since beginningless time. And the guru is kind of waking us up, and the guru is kind of just waiting for us to get it, right? And when there's a little opening, right, they kind of... Report an error in the passage at 1:20:43 Highlight the passage at 1:20:43

1:21:12 You know, dive in and try to help us. You know, they're trying to pull us out of psychic existence, right? And we resist, right? We struggle. We're so mired in our habits and so convinced of our old ways, right? But the guru has patience and is just waiting. Patience and compassion and just sees us, right, making all sorts of mistakes. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:12 Highlight the passage at 1:21:12

1:21:41 and, know, flailing. like those children you see mall yeah right Report an error in the passage at 1:21:41 Highlight the passage at 1:21:41

1:21:54 Yeah, exactly. Our little inertia, our resistance, you know, kicking and screaming, becoming negative, right? Negative toward the guru or negative toward the teachings, you know, and they're just sitting there, you know, waiting. for us and helping us whenever they can. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:54 Highlight the passage at 1:21:54

1:22:20 the little screaming children, they're the wise parent, and we don't see them necessarily that way, or we don't see ourselves. Anna, did you Report an error in the passage at 1:22:20 Highlight the passage at 1:22:20

1:22:45 have your hand up? Report an error in the passage at 1:22:45 Highlight the passage at 1:22:45

1:22:50 I wanted to make a comment about, well that was a very beautiful reading, you know, what it says about. How they've been looking for us. And even in our lifetime now, when you consider how kind and generous, you know, all these gurus have been to us. I mean, and the sacrifices that they make for us even now, you know, because we're Westerners. They came from Tibet, you know, thrown out of their country. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:50 Highlight the passage at 1:22:50

1:23:23 And now they're, you know. They came to the West and had to adjust to us and our culture and the sacrifices that they've made. And just their kindness is just so, you know, unbelievable. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:23 Highlight the passage at 1:23:23

1:23:39 And it makes me sometimes, it really fills me with a lot of emotion. I remember that when I was in Copan and I was sitting in the dining room and then when I was just thinking about it, I was thinking, oh my God, Lama Yeshe and, you know, Rinpoche. Put this whole thing together just so that I could come one day and be here and study and be in touch with them and be blessed. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:39 Highlight the passage at 1:23:39

1:24:07 It's just overwhelming what they do. And Report an error in the passage at 1:24:07 Highlight the passage at 1:24:07

1:24:18 what they're constantly doing. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:18 Highlight the passage at 1:24:18

1:24:29 We don't watch TV a lot at my house, but sometimes when we're doing that or something, I think Lama Zopa is out there doing it right now, you know, and I'm like, you know what I mean? Like all the lame things I do, you know, and I think that, and he's doing it then too. He's still, he's still out there doing working right now for me too, or for us, all of us and everything. Yeah. Yeah. Even when you're watching TV. Oh, well, that's how much I don't practice. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:29 Highlight the passage at 1:24:29

1:24:53 I didn't think he'd put me off the list. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:53 Highlight the passage at 1:24:53

1:25:07 It's so funny watching us around the llamas. Sometimes we're like these completely unrefined kids. We don't know how to act around the llamas. We're like, do you want anything? Do you want anything? And they're just smiling with compassion and just laughing. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:07 Highlight the passage at 1:25:07

1:25:30 Silly people. You know, of course they're not, you know, really not thinking that, but, you know, with great compassion. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:30 Highlight the passage at 1:25:30

1:25:43 And then, you know, it really moves me when I think, I mean, of what you were saying about, you know, how they came from Tibet, you know. All of their friends and family are elsewhere, and they come here all alone to deal with all of these foreigners, you know, who don't even speak their language, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:25:43 Highlight the passage at 1:25:43

1:26:04 They can't even eat their own food. You know, they don't have any friends, you know, no peers. And so they're just all, they're just here all by themselves for us, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:26:04 Highlight the passage at 1:26:04

1:26:18 And, you know, in my ordinary mind thinks, oh, they don't even have any friends to talk to. You know, to hang out with and have a cup of tea with, you know, it's just, you know, it's just so, you know, I think Tsongkhapa once said, you know. The bodhisattva is very alone and Report an error in the passage at 1:26:18 Highlight the passage at 1:26:18

1:26:43 then they teach us and we don't do our homework and we don't get it and we ask a lot of silly questions and they answer them and they teach the same thing again and again. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:43 Highlight the passage at 1:26:43

1:27:07 But we have potential, right? That's why they're here. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:07 Highlight the passage at 1:27:07

1:27:14 No, actually we're doing pretty well if they're still here, right? Because they have all kinds of other places they could go, right? But they're here for a reason, right? They're teaching for a reason. If we didn't have any openness at all, they wouldn't be here, right? So we can look at it the other way. No, not at all. I remind myself actually sometimes that His Holiness went to the White House and met George Bush. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:14 Highlight the passage at 1:27:14

1:27:42 That really puts you in your place too, as far as what we all deserve and that kind of thing. I think, oh, okay, so there's something going on there I don't know about. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:42 Highlight the passage at 1:27:42

1:27:50 I mean, obviously he must have had the merit to get that visit. Yeah, exactly. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:50 Highlight the passage at 1:27:50

1:27:59 And he has the merit to appreciate His Holiness, too. Because plenty of people meet him and don't think much. Janet. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:59 Highlight the passage at 1:27:59

1:28:19 One of the things that really amazes me about the teachers, and particularly... Geshe Dagpa, because we're so fortunate at this center in San Francisco to have him for such an extended period, is he's so educated. I mean, he volumes and volumes of texts that are memorized, that he can just pull words and answers and chapters from this paragraph and that paragraph, because I've heard him. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:19 Highlight the passage at 1:28:19

1:28:53 Sometimes answer a question and refer to several different texts and practically knows what page it's on. But it's just amazing. And he's so kind because he's so patient. It's like I go to a class on Monday. It's a really difficult class. It goes completely over my head most of the time. And there's only about six people. And if he was in India, there would be maybe a few hundred, a few thousand. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:53 Highlight the passage at 1:28:53

1:29:21 You know, people wanting to hear him teach. And here he is, you know, for us. Yeah, and he could just go back to Sarah, right? He could anytime. For whatever reason, he stays. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:21 Highlight the passage at 1:29:21

1:29:44 Yeah, we're incredibly fortunate with Geshe-la. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:44 Highlight the passage at 1:29:44

1:29:55 And then I'll read this next one too. The Array of Stalk Sūtra also says, These are my spiritual friends. Expounders of Dharma, exhaustively teaching the qualities of all that is, thoroughly teaching the conduct of bodhisattvas. With these thoughts in mind, I come to this place. As they give birth to all that, they are like my mother. As they give milk of virtues, they are like nurses. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:55 Highlight the passage at 1:29:55

1:30:31 They cleanse me completely by means of enlightenment's branches. These spiritual friends completely exercise harm. They are like doctors releasing from death and old age. Showering rain of nectar, they are like Lord Indra. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:31 Highlight the passage at 1:30:31

1:30:51 Like the full moon, they flourish with white qualities. They show the direction of peace, just like the bright sunlight. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:51 Highlight the passage at 1:30:51

1:31:01 Regarding friends and foes, they are like mountains. They have minds as undisturbed as the sea. They give perfect support. Some say like boatmen. With this in mind, Sudhana, I came here. Bodhisattvas bring forth my understanding. Buddha's children cause enlightenment. These beings, these friends of mine, are praised by Buddha. With such wholesome thoughts in mind, I came here. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:01 Highlight the passage at 1:31:01

1:31:36 As they save the world, they are like heroes. They have become the captains, protectors and refuge. They are the I bestowing happiness on me. With thoughts like these, I honor my spiritual friends. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:36 Highlight the passage at 1:31:36

1:31:56 The thoughts expressed here should be remembered through a tune to go with the verses, substituting oneself for Sudhana. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:56 Highlight the passage at 1:31:56

1:32:10 So it's nice to just, you know, meditate on these verses and just let them go from here kind of down to here. I Report an error in the passage at 1:32:10 Highlight the passage at 1:32:10

1:32:26 think we'll end there. Do we want a commentary on these verses next time or are they pretty clear? Report an error in the passage at 1:32:26 Highlight the passage at 1:32:26

1:32:37 Yeah, sometimes when you start giving the commentary, then, you know, you lose the beauty of it. Then you start picking apart the words. So I'm inclined to just leave it. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:37 Highlight the passage at 1:32:37

1:32:51 Next time we'll sing them together. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:51 Highlight the passage at 1:32:51

1:33:01 Maybe somebody else who has a little more talent in that area. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:01 Highlight the passage at 1:33:01

1:33:10 Okay, so let me pass out the homework. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:10 Highlight the passage at 1:33:10

1:33:16 Yeah. Can up with a tune, Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:16 Highlight the passage at 1:33:16

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:33:39 So let's see. So is next week July 4th already? No. So next week is whatever. We have class. And then the following week is July 4th, and we will have class. So if people can come, we'll still have class. And then the week after, we won't have class. So July 11th, I'll be in Pennsylvania. You can meet without me, but we won't have class on July 11th. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:39 Highlight the passage at 1:33:39

1:34:29 Dedicate. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:29 Highlight the passage at 1:34:29