Basic Program - Buddhism From A-Z (18 July 2008)

0:00 So relying on the spiritual teacher section. And so this time we're going to start what to do during the meditation session itself. So this will talk about meditation in general and then specifically about how to meditate on the spiritual teacher. Okay, so this is page 29 of the text. And if people don't have the text, it's in the bookstore now. Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:30 Okay, so the top. But before we start that, do people have any more questions about relying on a spiritual teacher or a guru? That section. Report an error in the passage at 0:30 Highlight the passage at 0:30

0:51 I was just really fortunate because the last week I was in Pennsylvania with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the teachings by him, which totally reminded me again why the guru is so important. You know, just the inspiration that you get that you just can't. You know, that you can't really conceive of, you know, it doesn't really, it's not really logical so much. It's just, you know, it's just amazing at the end, you know, at the end, it was just so moving, you know, so many people with tears in their eyes, just from his wonderful teaching for, you know, six days. Report an error in the passage at 0:51 Highlight the passage at 0:51

1:31 And, you know, in his total egolessness, you know, he just doesn't have an ego and he's just so much about trying to help us. Report an error in the passage at 1:31 Highlight the passage at 1:31

1:41 And then at the end, I mean, the last couple of days were really difficult teachings. You know, he really got into some of the obtuse kind of arguments between Svatantrika and Prasanghika and why they use certain types of reasoning and, you know, why they use... Report an error in the passage at 1:41 Highlight the passage at 1:41

2:03 Autonomous syllogisms instead of consequences, which went over most people's heads, right? And so by the end, His Holiness said, well, you know, he joked around about how difficult this was. Report an error in the passage at 2:03 Highlight the passage at 2:03

2:22 And then at the end, he really encouraged us not to get discouraged, right? Not to get discouraged or demoralized, and they encouraged us how we should, you know. It's good to just, you know, learn one page a day and then after a hundred days you'll have learned a hundred pages. And it was just so heartfelt, you know, it's just so beautiful the way he said that. Report an error in the passage at 2:22 Highlight the passage at 2:22

2:48 So, anyway, so everybody was, you know, happy throughout the week and now, you know, back to, back to earth. But there's just something, you know, incredible about just being around something like, someone like that. Even if you don't understand a word of what's being said. So, well, the words. Report an error in the passage at 2:48 Highlight the passage at 2:48

3:19 Anyway. Okay. So, what to do during the meditation session itself. So this is divided into three sections. What to do in preparation. What to do during the actual meditation session. And what to do at the end. So here's what do you do to prepare for the meditation session, what do you do in the meditation itself, and then what do you do at the end. And it's said that all three parts are critical elements of the practice. Report an error in the passage at 3:19 Highlight the passage at 3:19

3:55 We don't just sit down and meditate. We need to prepare and we need to do the things at the end as well. Because basically we need to accumulate merit and purify our obscurations. And that's a concept that we didn't grow up with. And so it's kind of a strange thing that we probably don't completely understand. Report an error in the passage at 3:55 Highlight the passage at 3:55

4:18 What is that all about? But it's to help clear the obstacles and create the positive conditions so that we can actually get realizations. Otherwise, we can just sit down and meditate for years with a lot of effort. But if we haven't purified our obscurations, if we haven't accumulated the merit, we're just not going to get realizations no matter how hard we try. Report an error in the passage at 4:18 Highlight the passage at 4:18

4:49 We have to purify those obscurations and create the conditions. And then we see that. I mean, I think as time goes on in our practice, we just see that. Report an error in the passage at 4:49 Highlight the passage at 4:49

5:02 In our practice, we see how we do a purification retreat. And then suddenly the teachings start. Going in more deeply or suddenly we start understanding something that we never understood before or suddenly we start to be able to meditate or we feel moved where we didn't feel moved before. And that's the purification and the accumulation of merit. Report an error in the passage at 5:02 Highlight the passage at 5:02

5:28 So Report an error in the passage at 5:28 Highlight the passage at 5:28

5:35 then what to do in the preparation. So the preparation has six parts. Cleaning your dwelling and setting up representations of body, speech and mind. Two, laying out offerings. Three, sitting posture and mental attitude. Four, visualization of the merit field. Five, accumulation of merit and purification of negativities. Report an error in the passage at 5:35 Highlight the passage at 5:35

5:58 Six, mandala offering and request for blessings. So probably most of you have already gotten teachings on these six, but we'll go through them anyway. So the first one, cleaning your dwelling and setting up representations of body, speech and mind. Following the life story of Sir Lingpa. You should clean your dwelling and set up representations of the exalted body, speech and mind. So this is our meditation room. Report an error in the passage at 5:58 Highlight the passage at 5:58

6:27 It's good to clean that before we sit down and meditate and set up the altar, set up the offerings and things like that. It's like at home if we invite some... Some important guest. We're not going to just leave it all dirty. We want to clean it up and make the environment nice for people. And similarly, we want to make the environment nice for the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas that we're inviting to come to our meditation session. And also, it's good for our minds. Report an error in the passage at 6:27 Highlight the passage at 6:27

7:04 When we create a nice, clean, pleasant space, it's very conducive for our minds to meditate. Things strewn around everywhere and dust all over. It clutters up our minds. The more stuff that's around, it clutters up our minds. So it's good to clean, you know, really clean our place. And then set up representations of the body, speech and mind. Report an error in the passage at 7:04 Highlight the passage at 7:04

7:32 So the representation of the body of the Buddha would be like the statue of Shakyamuni. Speech would be a text. There's probably a text up here somewhere. Report an error in the passage at 7:32 Highlight the passage at 7:32

7:51 Okay, yeah. The text of Buddha. And then the mind would be the stupa. So it's good in general if those three are higher than everything else on the altar, like the offerings and things like that can be a little bit lower. But the statue and the stupa and the text, it's good for those to be higher. Report an error in the passage at 7:51 Highlight the passage at 7:51

8:15 Okay. Report an error in the passage at 8:15 Highlight the passage at 8:15

8:23 Also when we're cleaning, When we're cleaning in general and when we're cleaning our meditation place, often it's good to think about how we're cleaning our own impurities as we clean the place. So it's not just a mundane activity, but it's something that's actually helping us to create merit and helping our minds. So in, I believe it's Geshe Soppa's commentary, he talks about how cleaning in general can be just a worldly activity. Report an error in the passage at 8:23 Highlight the passage at 8:23

8:54 If we're cleaning just for the sake of having something clean, particularly if there's attachment involved, then it's not a virtuous activity. But if we're cleaning in order to create a nice space for meditation, in order to invite the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, then it becomes a virtuous activity. And so this is true in the Dharma just in general, right? Anything that we do with a positive motivation, a virtuous motivation, becomes virtuous. Report an error in the passage at 8:54 Highlight the passage at 8:54

9:23 But if we do it with attachment or with a worldly motivation, then it becomes either neutral or non-virtuous. Report an error in the passage at 9:23 Highlight the passage at 9:23

9:34 There's Report an error in the passage at 9:34 Highlight the passage at 9:34

9:46 also this very traditional story. Do you want to hear the story? I Report an error in the passage at 9:46 Highlight the passage at 9:46

9:54 can find it. An old Tibetan story about some guy who was Report an error in the passage at 9:54 Highlight the passage at 9:54

10:08 really obscured by a lot of obstacles in his mind. And he couldn't study, he couldn't remember anything, he couldn't understand any of the teachings. And if he tried to memorize something, he'd memorize the first word, and then when he was trying to memorize the second word, he'd forget the first word. Report an error in the passage at 10:08 Highlight the passage at 10:08

10:33 So he was, what they say, thickly obscured. Report an error in the passage at 10:33 Highlight the passage at 10:33

10:40 um... Report an error in the passage at 10:40 Highlight the passage at 10:40

10:44 this was, um... Report an error in the passage at 10:44 Highlight the passage at 10:44

10:54 So finally, so this guy's older brother was asked, you know, asked the Buddha to give his younger brother, you know, something that he could actually do, right, instead of memorizing something or study in the monastery. And so the Buddha put this guy Lam Tsongkhapa to work in the monastery cleaning the shoes of the other Saṅgha members. And so then oftentimes when monks and nuns clean, they... Report an error in the passage at 10:54 Highlight the passage at 10:54

11:23 Often recite this phrase in Tibetan, meaning cast away dust, cast away stains, cast away dust, cast away stains, cast away dust, cast away stains. So this guy, Lam Tsongkhapa, he started saying this, cast away dust, cast away stains, cast away dust, cast away stains, as he was cleaning. And one day, as he was cleaning up, And reciting Castaway Dust, Castaway Stains, he had a sudden realization. He understood the deep meaning of the words he'd been reciting over and over again and spontaneously composed a set of verses revealing what he had realized. Report an error in the passage at 11:23 Highlight the passage at 11:23

12:13 Dust doesn't mean earthly dust, but the inner dust of desire. The wise rid themselves of this dust and are attentive to the Buddha's teachings. Report an error in the passage at 12:13 Highlight the passage at 12:13

12:26 And then it's said that Lama Tsongkhapa in that life actually directly realized emptiness and became an aria and then eventually became an arhat. So that's a very traditional Tibetan story. That's really quite sweet, right? So by cleaning the shoes and reciting this thing, he purified a lot of obscurations and actually got realizations. Report an error in the passage at 12:26 Highlight the passage at 12:26

12:54 Okay, all right, so next. Report an error in the passage at 12:54 Highlight the passage at 12:54

13:00 Laying out offerings. Beautifully lay out an arrangement of offerings that were honestly acquired. So then it's very auspicious to lay out offerings on the altar, the water bowls and lights and food and things like that, flowers, etc. And it's very important to create... A beautiful altar and a beautiful array of offerings, not just kind of haphazardly put things on the altar, but just to create something very beautiful because we're offering it to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Report an error in the passage at 13:00 Highlight the passage at 13:00

13:38 So it needs to be beautiful in our own minds. Also important not to be miserly, not to just buy the cheapest little offerings in the store, but to really try to offer something that's meaningful and beautiful. Report an error in the passage at 13:38 Highlight the passage at 13:38

13:57 And also to keep it clean. And then obviously, right, not that we shouldn't give stolen offerings, but offerings that were honestly acquired. So it said, offer beautiful things gathered honestly without deceit or cunning. So this also excludes wrong livelihoods, where we... We made money through deceit or through pretending or something like that, right? Through lying. It's so important to make offerings that are free from the five wrong livelihoods. Report an error in the passage at 13:57 Highlight the passage at 13:57

14:49 And so making offerings, right, is expanding out the mind, right? Creating this outward energy, right? Instead of grasping on, you know, continuing to grasp on to our. You know, my things, you know, my ego. Okay, and then the next section, sitting posture and mental attitude. On a comfortable seat, straighten up your body. Assume a suitable position in cross-legged or half-cross-legged posture, making sure that the mind is fused with going for refuge and bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 14:49 Highlight the passage at 14:49

15:27 So here this is talking about, right, the seven-point Vajra Virachana, Virachana posture. Report an error in the passage at 15:27 Highlight the passage at 15:27

15:38 So this seven-point posture is said to be the most conducive posture for maintaining a long meditation. And the most important one of the seven is the straight back. So the straight back is said to straighten the channels in the body, so our body has channels, and so that the energy winds flow more freely. Report an error in the passage at 15:38 Highlight the passage at 15:38

16:07 And so then the mind is more clear. If the energy winds are kind of clogged up, then it interferes with really our feeling of well-being, but also the clarity in our mind. Report an error in the passage at 16:07 Highlight the passage at 16:07

16:21 So the straight spine is important. Report an error in the passage at 16:21 Highlight the passage at 16:21

16:27 And then if we're sitting on the floor, they say ideally to sit in the full lotus position. I don't know anyone who can sit in a full lotus position, but cross-legged on the floor, right, in a comfortable way, right, that's not putting strain on your knees and all of that. Or if you're in the chair, at least, like not crossing your legs, but, you know, keeping your legs flat on the floor like this. Report an error in the passage at 16:27 Highlight the passage at 16:27

16:59 And then traditionally, it's the right, putting your right hand on top of the left with your thumbs touching. In this tradition at the level of your navel. Report an error in the passage at 16:59 Highlight the passage at 16:59

17:13 Some people meditate with their hands on their knees. I think that's fine too. But the Virachana posture, they specifically mention this one. And I've heard some people say that it really helps them concentrate with this. And for me, actually, I don't like that posture as much as on the knees. So I think it's a, you know... Report an error in the passage at 17:13 Highlight the passage at 17:13

17:38 I think these things are flexible. Report an error in the passage at 17:38 Highlight the passage at 17:38

17:43 And then the shoulders should be level and relaxed, right? Not meditating like this, you know, with tension. Like oftentimes, right, when we're trying to concentrate, like really strongly try to concentrate, you know, the shoulders go up, you know. And when Report an error in the passage at 17:43 Highlight the passage at 17:43

18:05 you're chanting or just when you're meditating? Meditating. Hmm. Report an error in the passage at 18:05 Highlight the passage at 18:05

18:19 Okay. Report an error in the passage at 18:19 Highlight the passage at 18:19

18:26 Is the mind alert when you're doing that? Report an error in the passage at 18:26 Highlight the passage at 18:26

18:33 to you. Report an error in the passage at 18:33 Highlight the passage at 18:33

18:36 Okay, because I find, well actually I'm, I don't know, I don't know, I don't rock or anything, but I tend to go forward actually a lot, especially if I'm concentrated, it's like. Report an error in the passage at 18:36 Highlight the passage at 18:36

18:57 But anyway, Report an error in the passage at 18:57 Highlight the passage at 18:57

19:08 so, so. All right. Report an error in the passage at 19:08 Highlight the passage at 19:08

19:10 Shoulders relaxed, right? So it's the middle way also, right? We're trying to, you know, we're trying to keep a very focused, alert mind, but not tense, right? So relaxed and yet alert. Okay. And then the tip of the tongue goes on the top of the palate. And that's said to reduce the saliva flowing. And as His Holiness said, prevents drooling. Report an error in the passage at 19:10 Highlight the passage at 19:10

19:42 Yes, you're meditating. Also, it's good to not drool when you're meditating. Also, it promotes even breathing. So we shouldn't force our breath. It should be natural breath. And then the eyes. So in the instruction on the seven-point veritana, breath. Report an error in the passage at 19:42 Highlight the passage at 19:42

20:14 It's said for the eyes to be half closed, you know, kind of gazing at the tip of your nose. But there are different instructions according to different traditions. Sarah's laughing because His Holiness made a joke about if your nose is really big, then you don't have any problems seeing the tip of your nose. Report an error in the passage at 20:14 Highlight the passage at 20:14

20:37 But if you have a really small nose, you know, not to strain. And, you Don't worry about it. Report an error in the passage at 20:37 Highlight the passage at 20:37

20:48 So in general, the eyes half closed and gazing downward. But in certain kinds of meditation, like Dzogchen, they have your eyes wide open and things like that. So it depends on what our specific practice is. But that's in general. And it's good to not close the eyes completely because that's conducive to drowsiness. Report an error in the passage at 20:48 Highlight the passage at 20:48

20:52 word. Report an error in the passage at 20:52 Highlight the passage at 20:52

21:15 And also, His Holiness made this point about how we're meditating with our mental consciousness, not our sense consciousness, but our mental consciousness. And what happens if we keep our eyes completely closed, when we open our eyes, then our meditation oftentimes gets disturbed, because we're so used to not seeing anything in our visual. Report an error in the passage at 21:15 Highlight the passage at 21:15

21:46 With our visual awareness when we're meditating. So it's good to kind of keep the eyes partly open and try to be able to concentrate even if things are appearing to our visual awareness. And then also it's helpful when we get up and walk around. We don't totally lose our concentration, our meditation awareness. So those are the seven points. Report an error in the passage at 21:46 Highlight the passage at 21:46

22:20 And then it talks about making sure the mind is fused with going for refuge and bodhicitta. And this also includes setting a proper motivation. So at the beginning it's always important to set a good motivation because that is the motivation that we set at the beginning is going to affect the entire session. Report an error in the passage at 22:20 Highlight the passage at 22:20

22:53 And then refuge in bodhicitta, right? So this is, you know, genuinely from the heart going for refuge, right? Remembering the qualities of the three jewels, contemplating the qualities of the three jewels and then, you know, generating, well, it's often said generating fear, right? Fear of the lower realms, fear of saṃsāra and fear of solitary liberation. And I don't know. Report an error in the passage at 22:53 Highlight the passage at 22:53

23:24 Fear. I mean, I know some people who have a difficult time with this concept of fear. And I don't think it's, you know, it's not this, like, a terror or a phobia kind of fear. But I think of it more like, you know, when we drive, we drive carefully because we know it's possible to get into an accident, right? Report an error in the passage at 23:24 Highlight the passage at 23:24

23:50 So we drive carefully. So I think we go for refuge knowing that it's possible that we could be born in the lower realms, understanding the suffering of saṃsāra, etc. So we go for refuge with that kind of wisdom, not with this nervous fear. I don't think nervous fear is very conducive to practice. Report an error in the passage at 23:50 Highlight the passage at 23:50

24:20 Then oftentimes people get lone, you know, speaking from experience, because we have to, you know, we have to be really busy and we have to do things constantly. I don't know, I don't know that fear is really the best motivator, but kind of a wisdom understanding the suffering of saṃsāra. Report an error in the passage at 24:20 Highlight the passage at 24:20

24:40 But that's just my own thoughts on it. What do you think of that? Janet and then, Janet and then Effie. Report an error in the passage at 24:40 Highlight the passage at 24:40

24:57 Well I remember going to teachings that Riba Rinpoche was giving at Land of Medicine Buddha quite a number of years back and I was relatively new to Buddhism and he was teaching Lamrim and he was teaching about the lower realms and the benefits of taking refuge and it did generate fear in me realizing that You know, I could easily, it's like walking on the edge of a mountain. You know, if you could easily just take a wrong step and, you know, end up in a horrendous situation. Report an error in the passage at 24:57 Highlight the passage at 24:57

25:37 And I thought, wow, this is, you know, so I, at that end of that class, I went up and asked him if he would do a refuge ceremony. Report an error in the passage at 25:37 Highlight the passage at 25:37

25:49 And he did. And there were about, I don't know, 35 people that took refuge. You know, there was a certain urgency. It was like a feeling like an urgency. And all of a sudden, like, you know, maybe you had a blindfold on. You didn't realize you were so close to the cliff. And then you take the blindfold off and you go, oh, my God, what am I doing? So there was an urgency. Report an error in the passage at 25:49 Highlight the passage at 25:49

26:13 It almost was like an urgency to it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, having that sense of urgency is important. Right. Otherwise, we put it off. Right. We put off our practice. Oh, yeah. Well, when I retire, I can. Right. Yeah. OK. This kind of ties in with what Janet said. It's like a healthy fear, you know, a healthy fear of heights, a healthy fear when you're driving, you don't want to hit anyone. Report an error in the passage at 26:13 Highlight the passage at 26:13

26:45 You know, that's like a healthy fear. Yeah. Right. Not an agit. Well, yeah. Neurotic fear. Maybe not a neurotic fear. That's a good term. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, because there is a purpose to meditating on the lower realms and all that, right? Because we need to know, right, that that's possible and we've all created the causes, right, to be reborn in the lower realms and it's not just some remote possibility to be reborn there. Report an error in the passage at 26:45 Highlight the passage at 26:45

27:19 So that inspires us to actually practice, purify and create more positive karma. I remember, well, I heard a story about Zong Rinpoche. Zong Rinpoche was an old great master who was apparently very fierce. Report an error in the passage at 27:19 Highlight the passage at 27:19

27:41 And a friend of mine told me that he, you know, he would, in a teaching, he would say, you're all going to hell. Report an error in the passage at 27:41 Highlight the passage at 27:41

27:52 And just totally frightened all of his students. You know? Report an error in the passage at 27:52 Highlight the passage at 27:52

27:58 But, you know, obviously he thought that that was beneficial, right? So I guess he was trying to generate fear. All right. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 27:58 Highlight the passage at 27:58

28:12 All right. So then, all right, going for refuge and then trying to sincerely generate bodhicitta as best as we can, right? Sincerely, you know, feeling affection for others and, you know, meditating on, you know, how kind they've been. Report an error in the passage at 28:12 Highlight the passage at 28:12

28:30 And then about how much they're suffering, right? To try to generate a heartfelt bodhicitta. But it takes time, right? It takes time to develop bodhicitta. And Gishisopa has some really nice advice on that, if I can find it. Report an error in the passage at 28:30 Highlight the passage at 28:30

28:55 So he says, In the beginning, you may have to sit for quite a long time trying to produce this kind of altruistic attitude. It may not arise easily. Report an error in the passage at 28:55 Highlight the passage at 28:55

29:09 Sometimes on a good day, it may arise very sharply and clearly for a short time. Other times, even though you try, it comes only slightly. Report an error in the passage at 29:09 Highlight the passage at 29:09

29:20 Whatever happens, maintain your effort. Keep trying. Don't immediately give up and move on to something else. Try to generate this attitude at least a little bit. Say the words and then follow your words, trying to produce this thought. Report an error in the passage at 29:20 Highlight the passage at 29:20

29:40 No effort that you make will be wasted. Every time you act, it leaves some kind of propensity in your mind. At some future time, this will have a positive influence and the altruistic motivation will come more naturally. You should not be discouraged if you are trying hard, but the attitude does not arise strongly or is not even noticeable at all. Report an error in the passage at 29:40 Highlight the passage at 29:40

30:07 Cause and effect are at work. Whatever cause you make will always have a result. Therefore, every time you begin a meditation session, you take refuge and generate bodhicitta, at least for a short time. Report an error in the passage at 30:07 Highlight the passage at 30:07

30:24 Tsongkhapa says that you should not just say the words when you do these practices. You should actually try to generate this attitude in your mind. Report an error in the passage at 30:24 Highlight the passage at 30:24

30:36 This initial attitude will give a special quality to whatever you do next. Bowing down to the Buddhas, Praying, making offerings, reciting or meditating. All of these activities will be influenced by your motivation. This makes them more meaningful. Report an error in the passage at 30:36 Highlight the passage at 30:36

30:59 And then he also talks about how we should practice the four measurables, at least for a short time. Report an error in the passage at 30:59 Highlight the passage at 30:59

31:12 And you know, and this, and I've noticed a huge difference in my practice too, because I think for years, I... I recited refuge in bodhicitta prayer, but didn't really take the time to generate that feeling of refuge in my mind and the feeling of bodhicitta. And for me, for the last two, three years, I've really tried to spend the time to generate those in my heart. Report an error in the passage at 31:12 Highlight the passage at 31:12

31:40 And it makes a huge difference. Taking 15 minutes to do it or half an hour to do it makes a huge difference to the quality of my meditation. Otherwise, you know, the heart can get so dry, especially if we study a lot. Report an error in the passage at 31:40 Highlight the passage at 31:40

32:00 It can be a lot of words and the moistness kind of goes. So we really have to make the effort to keep the moist heart. right, and, and. And meditating on the suffering of sentient beings, I personally find really hard. It's just not uplifting. And I find that I resist meditating on the suffering of others, but it makes such a huge difference. It makes such a huge difference, and I really force myself to do it. Report an error in the passage at 32:00 Highlight the passage at 32:00

32:37 And then the bodhicitta really becomes heartfelt. If we forget about the suffering of others or if we become hardened to the suffering of others, then the bodhicitta, you know, it's really hard for the bodhicitta to come. Report an error in the passage at 32:37 Highlight the passage at 32:37

32:57 So if people have seen the latest Mandala magazine that just came out, there's this beautiful article by Tom Flynn. Did anybody read that? Report an error in the passage at 32:57 Highlight the passage at 32:57

33:08 Tom Flynn was the director of Land of Medicine Buddha for a while. And he just died. He just recently died. He'd been working on a book. And so there was an excerpt from the book in the Mandala magazine, the latest one. And he talked specifically about how to generate that compassion in our hearts and what we can realistically do. So I highly recommend it because that article at least really moved me. Report an error in the passage at 33:08 Highlight the passage at 33:08

33:42 Maybe it will help. Report an error in the passage at 33:42 Highlight the passage at 33:42

33:48 Alright, so, alright, okay, Report an error in the passage at 33:48 Highlight the passage at 33:48

33:58 next. Visualization of the merit field. In the space in front of you, you should imagine that there abide the lineage Lamas of vast conduct and profound view, and countless Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Arhats, Arya hearers, and Pradyaka Buddhas, along with their attendants, thus visualizing the merit field. Report an error in the passage at 33:58 Highlight the passage at 33:58

34:20 Okay, so, alright, so we have a merit field up here, right, this tanka. Report an error in the passage at 34:20 Highlight the passage at 34:20

34:29 And so Gishu Jampagyatsa says that there are two types of merit fields, one with Buddha Shakyamuni in the center and one with Lama Tsongkhapa in the center. This one has Lama Tsongkhapa in the center and we don't have one with Shakyamuni Buddha in the center. Well, Report an error in the passage at 34:29 Highlight the passage at 34:29

34:54 okay. But in this context, Lama Tsongkhapa is referring to the merit field with Shakyamuni Buddha in the center. So we visualize Shakyamuni Buddha in the center and really try to feel that Shakyamuni Buddha is here. It's not just some picture in our mind, but we're really inviting the Buddhas and bodhisattvas here. Report an error in the passage at 34:54 Highlight the passage at 34:54

35:20 And then Shakyamuni Buddha is inseparable from our gurus. And so that brings kind of a more personal feel. So Shakyamuni Buddha is inseparable from... You know, Geshe Dagpa or whoever our guru is. Because our guru is actually a manifestation, right, of the Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 35:20 Highlight the passage at 35:20

35:43 And then Shakyamuni Buddha also is not, you know, don't imagine him with like a flesh and bone body, but made out of light. So transparent, made out of light. And then on his, and I won't get into the detailed visualization, but then on his right, So we have method and wisdom. Method and wisdom are sometimes called the vast and the profound. The vast equivalent to method and the profound equivalent to wisdom. Report an error in the passage at 35:43 Highlight the passage at 35:43

36:19 So Anshaki Muni Buddha's rite is the lineage of the vast or the method. And so that includes Maitreya, Asanga. Atisha, like that. And on the left of Shakyamuni Buddha is Manjushri, like Nagarjuna, etc. Report an error in the passage at 36:19 Highlight the passage at 36:19

36:48 So it would be, so on Shakyamuni Buddha's right, on his right are the method side. So that would, as we're, since we're visualizing them facing us, it would be on our left. Right, yeah, so it's kind of mirror, mirror image. So on our left, right, on the left side would be the vast, if it, in our perspective, right, okay. Report an error in the passage at 36:48 Highlight the passage at 36:48

37:18 And then around the central figure in a vast array are all the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Aryas, Srivakas are the hearers, and the Pradyeka Buddhas, which are the hearers, the solitary realizers. And Dharma protectors. So I think it's quite difficult to visualize the entire merit field. Report an error in the passage at 37:18 Highlight the passage at 37:18

37:46 But it's good to at least try to visualize Shakyamuni Buddha. And also like Maitreya and Manjushri. So one representation of the method and the wisdom side. Maitreya for the method and Manjushri for the wisdom. And then we should try to visualize that as clearly as we can. I mean, not giving ourselves a headache, but trying to keep the visualization clear. Report an error in the passage at 37:46 Highlight the passage at 37:46

38:18 But the most important thing, too, is to feel their actual presence. Feel the presence of the Buddhas. It's not just something we're making up in our minds. Report an error in the passage at 38:18 Highlight the passage at 38:18

38:43 How are we doing so far? Do you need a break now? Or should we go a little bit longer? Report an error in the passage at 38:43 Highlight the passage at 38:43

38:52 Okay. We'll go a little bit longer. Okay. Accumulation of Merit and Purification of Negativities. This has three sections. The reason why it is necessary to accumulate merit and purify negativities. Report an error in the passage at 38:52 Highlight the passage at 38:52

39:09 Explanation of the accumulation and purification in detail. And categorization of the individual elements. So the reason why it is necessary to accumulate merit and purify negativities. It is exceedingly difficult for wholesome paths to arise in your continuum if the favorable conditions for their arising, the accumulations, have not been accumulated, and their adverse conditions, the obscurations, have not been purified. Report an error in the passage at 39:09 Highlight the passage at 39:09

39:38 Therefore, you need to purify the mind by means of the seven limb practice, which brings together the key points of accumulation and purification. Report an error in the passage at 39:38 Highlight the passage at 39:38

39:50 we talked earlier about. The importance of accumulating merit and purifying negativity. So oftentimes, you know, sometimes it seems like we're stuck in our practice. You know, it's like we're practicing and we don't seem to be making any progress, even though we're really practicing, you know, with great effort, you know, really sincerely with great effort. Report an error in the passage at 39:50 Highlight the passage at 39:50

40:13 You know, and so if we really feel like we're stuck, then it's really good to purify because we have some obscurations there. So it's really, really helpful to purify. And I've probably told you this story before of a friend of mine who did a two-year shine retreat and calm abiding. And he said that whenever he got stuck, when he wasn't progressing, then he would do a lot of prostrations. Report an error in the passage at 40:13 Highlight the passage at 40:13

40:43 And he found that that always worked. He'd do a lot of prostrations and then he was able to progress in his practice again. Report an error in the passage at 40:43 Highlight the passage at 40:43

40:54 So purification and also, you know, to accumulate merit, do mandala offerings, make offerings, the gurus, etc. Okay, and so then here Lama Tsongkhapa talks about the seven limb practice. So the essence of the seven limb practice is exactly that, purifying negativities and obscurations and accumulating merit. Report an error in the passage at 40:54 Highlight the passage at 40:54

41:23 So the seven limb practice is... The seven limbs are within pretty much every practice. It's within every practice that I've ever seen. If you do the Vajrasattva practice, the seven limbs are there. If you do any guru yoga practice, there's the seven limb. Any sadhana, there's the seven limb. So we're purifying and accumulating. Report an error in the passage at 41:23 Highlight the passage at 41:23

41:57 So Geshe Soppa says, in order to generate realizations, you need to have the necessary conditions. The accumulation of merit and the purification of obstacles. If some of the necessary conditions are lacking, it will be very difficult to generate a realization, even though you make a great effort to meditate. Report an error in the passage at 41:57 Highlight the passage at 41:57

42:19 And so then each of the seven limbs has a special way to either accumulate merit, increase merit or purify. So the seven limbs are paying homage or making prostrations. Report an error in the passage at 42:19 Highlight the passage at 42:19

42:36 Making offerings, confessing negativities, rejoicing, requesting for the wheel of Dharma to be turned, a supplication and a dedication. So we'll go into each of these in detail, well, in semi-detail. So for accumulating merit, it's the limb of prostrations, making offerings, requesting. Report an error in the passage at 42:36 Highlight the passage at 42:36

43:10 The teachings and beseeching the Buddhists to remain. And then the limb of rejoicing is for increasing merit. And then the confession, right? Confessing is for purification. Report an error in the passage at 43:10 Highlight the passage at 43:10

43:32 So Lama Tsongkhapa says that the source of these seven limbs is the prayer of Samanta Bhadra or the king of prayers, right? So the king of prayers that oftentimes we recite. Report an error in the passage at 43:32 Highlight the passage at 43:32

43:45 And so this describes the practices. Or the methods that the bodhisattva Samanta Bhadra used in order to create great merit. So Lama Tsongkhapa will use these stanzas from the King of Prayers to talk about these seven limbs. Report an error in the passage at 43:45 Highlight the passage at 43:45

44:11 Are you awake? Okay, Report an error in the passage at 44:11 Highlight the passage at 44:11

44:19 so the first limb is the limb of prostration. So this comes in two sections, the prostrations. Combining the three doors and the prostration of the three individual doors. Actually, maybe we should take a break before we do that. Report an error in the passage at 44:19 Highlight the passage at 44:19

44:39 Do you agree? Okay. Report an error in the passage at 44:39 Highlight the passage at 44:39

45:01 It's okay. Good to not starve. Report an error in the passage at 45:01 Highlight the passage at 45:01

45:07 Right? That's right. Yeah, I felt bad interrupting your social time. Report an error in the passage at 45:07 Highlight the passage at 45:07

· · · silence, 1 minute

45:58 Okay. So prostrations. Report an error in the passage at 45:58 Highlight the passage at 45:58

46:03 So this first section is doing prostrations combining the three doors, so the doors of body, speech and mind. So prostrations in general are showing heartfelt respect for the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Report an error in the passage at 46:03 Highlight the passage at 46:03

46:21 So it's not something that we're supposed to do just kind of by rote, because everybody does it. But a real prostration is remembering the qualities of the Buddhas, remembering the incredible activities of the Buddhas and how the Buddhas, the only reason they even exist is to benefit sentient beings and they're constantly benefiting sentient beings. Report an error in the passage at 46:21 Highlight the passage at 46:21

46:47 And it's so moving, right, when we think about that. And they have qualities beyond what we can conceive of. So, you know, so just really showing a deep sense of respect for them. Report an error in the passage at 46:47 Highlight the passage at 46:47

47:10 So, you know, so in normal life, there are people that we respect, right? And so we kind of, we treat them differently, right? We try to, who do we respect outside? Report an error in the passage at 47:10 Highlight the passage at 47:10

47:32 Yeah, so maybe somebody, our boss, maybe for some people, right? Report an error in the passage at 47:32 Highlight the passage at 47:32

47:40 Maybe for some people our parents. Maybe. But maybe a lot of us grew up with role models or something like that. And we treat them really with respect. You don't kind of walk around like this with someone that you really respect. So with prostrations, it's a similar thing. You just want to treat. Treat them with respect. And there's a traditional way to do prostrations in this, you know, in this tradition. You know, there are many different ways to do prostrations, right? Report an error in the passage at 47:40 Highlight the passage at 47:40

48:17 And so there's the one that's taught in this tradition. But Yang Zi Rinpoche says basically any physical gesture that we make as a demonstration of respect is a form of prostration. So this, you know, this is... The prostration, this is a prostration. But, you know, in our culture, right, there are certain gestures that are respectful and certain gestures that are disrespectful, right? Report an error in the passage at 48:17 Highlight the passage at 48:17

48:48 But we won't demonstrate those, right? So anything that, you know, kind of culturally, you know, conforms to a respectful way is good. Report an error in the passage at 48:48 Highlight the passage at 48:48

49:02 Right? Right. And I remember Geshe Giampagiasso, my teacher in Italy, talking once about the body language, how body language, you know, kind of go around with your chest sticking out like this, is conducive to pride, right? And you notice that in your mind, you know, the mind kind of changes, but if you kind of do like this, it's conducive to humility, right? Report an error in the passage at 49:02 Highlight the passage at 49:02

49:30 And so I think that's, you know, with prostrations. We're bowing down because that's naturally conducive to a humble mind, humble, respectful mind. Keith, you had a question? I just had a comment. Report an error in the passage at 49:30 Highlight the passage at 49:30

49:50 It was just that when I was in India with my friends, it's very common to prostrate just to a friend with just bowing down and touching the knee. Whereas I know in the Judeo-Christian tradition, especially the Jewish tradition, people have died before they were prostrate. Especially in the Jewish tradition, that's something you die for. You don't prostrate. There's a very interesting difference between them. Report an error in the passage at 49:50 Highlight the passage at 49:50

50:21 I just think Buddhism, to some extent, comes out of the tradition from India, where prostration is not common. I think it's good for us Westerners, too, because I think, in general, this culture isn't a particularly respectful culture in the East. You know, there's a lot more respect for others. But in this culture, it's so much, you know, about equality. Everyone's equal, you know, I'm not going to bow down to anybody kind of thing. Report an error in the passage at 50:21 Highlight the passage at 50:21

50:49 But it's so good for our minds, right? It's so good for reducing pride, you know, to develop that humility and to, you know, really treat others with respect, right? Because as long as we have a lot of pride, we're not going to progress on the spiritual path. So prostrations really help with that. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 50:49 Highlight the passage at 50:49

51:16 So here the text says, with regard to the limb of prostration, the prostration combining the three doors is set out in the single stanza, whoever, etc. This is not prostration to the world's spheres of one direction and to the Buddhas of one time. Rather, focusing on all the genas residing in the ten directions and the three times, you prostrate with body, speech and mind to them with respect and from the bottom of your heart. Report an error in the passage at 51:16 Highlight the passage at 51:16

51:47 Okay, so in the King of Prayers, Report an error in the passage at 51:47 Highlight the passage at 51:47

52:02 thank you. Okay, so in the King of Prayers, page 249. Report an error in the passage at 52:02 Highlight the passage at 52:02

52:21 So the verse that says, you lions among humans, gone to freedom in the present, past and future, in the worlds of ten directions, to all of you with body, speech and sincere mind, I bow down. Report an error in the passage at 52:21 Highlight the passage at 52:21

52:37 Alright, so this verse is the verse. That Lama Tsongkhapa is referring to with regard to prostration, combining the three doors. Report an error in the passage at 52:37 Highlight the passage at 52:37

52:48 So here, so to create, you know, vast amounts of merit, which Samanta Bhadra did, we're not just bowing down to the Buddhas of the present time or the Buddhas in one direction, but we're bowing down, you know, it's very auspicious to bow down to Report an error in the passage at 52:48 Highlight the passage at 52:48

53:11 The Buddhas of all times, you know, all three times, past, present and future and in all ten directions. So an infinite number of Buddhas. And it said that the merit that we accumulate is multiplied by the number of beings you imagine in the assembly. Report an error in the passage at 53:11 Highlight the passage at 53:11

53:30 So this is interesting because I usually imagine one. That's why I'm stuck in my practice. you know Report an error in the passage at 53:30 Highlight the passage at 53:30

53:42 But to imagine an infinite number of Buddhas, that's pretty amazing. Report an error in the passage at 53:42 Highlight the passage at 53:42

54:00 So in the Lama Rinpoche it says, Lama Tsongkhapa says, Do not take as your object of meditation the Buddhas of a single direction or of a single time. Rather take all the conquerors who reside in all ten directions as well as those who have already visited this world previously, will visit here in the future and are appearing at present. Report an error in the passage at 54:00 Highlight the passage at 54:00

54:28 So here, once again, we're thinking about the qualities of the Buddhas and their incredible kindness and then bowing down with heartfelt, deep respect. Report an error in the passage at 54:28 Highlight the passage at 54:28

54:49 And then the next section, the prostrations of the three individual doors, starting with the physical prostration. So we're prostrating with the body, speech and mind, not just with the body, not just with the mind, but the body, speech and mind. Report an error in the passage at 54:49 Highlight the passage at 54:49

55:08 So as regards the prostrations of the three individual doors, there are three points. Physical prostration is set out in the single stanza, excellent behavior. And this one is, with the energy of aspiration for the bodhisattva way, with a sense of deep respect, and with as many bodies as atoms of the world, to all you Buddhas, visualized as real, I bow down. Report an error in the passage at 55:08 Highlight the passage at 55:08

55:39 You focus on all the genas belonging to the directions and times as the objects of your mind as though you directly perceive them. So thinking that these Buddhas we actually perceive, right? They're actually here. Then emanating your own body and manifestations as numerous as fine particles you should prostrate. So here not only are we imagining countless Buddhas, we're also imagining... Report an error in the passage at 55:39 Highlight the passage at 55:39

56:09 That we have countless bodies that are prostrating. Report an error in the passage at 56:09 Highlight the passage at 56:09

56:17 Think of how many particles of sand, dust or atoms there are in just this one world. Incalculable. And here you imagine having that number of bodies. And we're making prostrations with all of them. Report an error in the passage at 56:17 Highlight the passage at 56:17

56:40 This is actually quite amazing. So one pointer is... Is to think of like a broad landscape, you know, of let's say a wheat or something like that. And when a big wind blows across the wheat field, like all of the wheat kind of blows over kind of simultaneously. And we can imagine something like that with countless bodies prostrating, you know, countless bodies bowing down to the Buddhas. Report an error in the passage at 56:40 Highlight the passage at 56:40

57:13 And it's much more powerful, right, when we're prostrating, imagining countless bodies than just the one. And sometimes it's recommended to think about all of your past bodies, right? So if we believe in beginningless past lives, right, we've had beginningless past bodies and we can imagine all of our, you know, and we've created all sorts of, you know, negative karma. Report an error in the passage at 57:13 Highlight the passage at 57:13

57:41 Past lives in these countless past lives. So we can imagine as we bow down, all of the bodies are prostrating and purifying all the negativities from the past lives. Report an error in the passage at 57:41 Highlight the passage at 57:41

57:57 And if anyone's ever seen Lama Zopa Rinpoche do a prostration, it's really a beautiful thing. You can see so much that he's doing it completely from his heart. And he's covering as much ground as possible. Because it's said that... Report an error in the passage at 57:57 Highlight the passage at 57:57

58:15 You accumulate more merit the more ground that you're covering. So he kind of does this thing, you know, like this, and back up, you know, totally with his heart. Report an error in the passage at 58:15 Highlight the passage at 58:15

58:31 So, you know, Lama Zopa Rinpoche has very specific instructions for a lot of, you know, a lot of practices, and this is one. So if we're doing full-length prostrations, does everybody know how to do a full-length prostration? Report an error in the passage at 58:31 Highlight the passage at 58:31

58:46 Does anybody want to demonstrate doing a full-length prostration? Any volunteers? Report an error in the passage at 58:46 Highlight the passage at 58:46

58:59 Oh, come on. Janet, thank you. Report an error in the passage at 58:59 Highlight the passage at 58:59

59:08 Okay. Report an error in the passage at 59:08 Highlight the passage at 59:08

59:13 Okay. Right. So traditionally, I mean, you can touch three spots or four spots. Which one do you do? Three? Four. Okay. Right. So the hand gesture in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition is to touch the four fingers and then the thumb inside. And so the thumb inside represents a wish-fulfilling jewel like Avalokiteshvara holds a wish-fulfilling jewel. The hand outside represents the form body of the Buddha and the space inside represents the Dharmakaya, the truth body of the Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 59:13 Highlight the passage at 59:13

59:51 So this is what we do in this tradition. Some traditions they do this, you know, whatever. It's just a convention, right? So in this tradition, we do it this way. So you touch the crown, start with, and then the forehead, or actually between the eyebrows, right, the forehead, and then the throat and the heart. Report an error in the passage at 59:51 Highlight the passage at 59:51

1:00:20 Very good. Excellent. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:20 Highlight the passage at 1:00:20

1:00:27 Yeah. Sure. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:27 Highlight the passage at 1:00:27

1:00:38 Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:38 Highlight the passage at 1:00:38

1:00:48 Okay, right. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:48 Highlight the passage at 1:00:48

1:00:57 I'm using now, covering as much space as I can for my toes to the people might be used. Then I put my palms together. Then I have the elbows, I can lift, and I'll lift it up to the back of my head. Okay, yeah. And then back up. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:57 Highlight the passage at 1:00:57

1:01:20 right. Right, so actually, just for the recording, so Janet just did a full-length prostration, covering as much ground as possible. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:20 Highlight the passage at 1:01:20

1:01:34 Right, right, okay. Lama Zopa is this one. And then putting the hands together and then lifting them behind the head and back down. And also, it said that we shouldn't, like, if we need to rest, From prostrations, don't rest while you're on the ground, right? But to get up and then rest, right? Okay, yeah, being on the ground is not the time to rest. And does somebody want to hold the microphone up to Janet if she has something to say as she's doing this? Report an error in the passage at 1:01:34 Highlight the passage at 1:01:34

1:02:14 Maybe you can. Oops, you might want the cord. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:14 Highlight the passage at 1:02:14

1:02:30 With your hands, you don't want them too wide apart or to use fists unless, like in some cases, I've seen people when there's infirmities and that's the only way you can do it. But there's certain conditions that you could cause by doing your hands in the wrong way, holding them too tight. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:30 Highlight the passage at 1:02:30

1:02:51 Yeah, there are very specific instructions. So the best thing is just kind of just a relatively straight but relaxed. waxed is what I've heard. that correct? Report an error in the passage at 1:02:51 Highlight the passage at 1:02:51

1:03:05 I think so. Not too tight, not too spread, not down on your fists. Yeah. You don't want to create the cause to have hooves. Right. Yeah. That's what they say. Right. Exactly. Okay. Right. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:05 Highlight the passage at 1:03:05

1:03:28 Thank you, Janet. Janet, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:28 Highlight the passage at 1:03:28

1:03:37 So, right, so, you know, so in the nongdro, or the preliminary practices, right, so it's traditional to do 100,000 prostrations, the full-length prostrations, if our bodies can do it, right, 100,000. Not all at once. Yeah, yeah, over successive days and weeks and all of that, months. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:37 Highlight the passage at 1:03:37

1:04:08 That's what I wanted to ask. Sorry, Janet just answered it. If you do 100 a day, it takes about three and a half years. Yeah, well, I haven't done the math, but that sounds, or three years, about three years. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, so usually they have you do 10 % extra, right, of anything, right? For those that we did incorrectly, right? So then it would be 110,000. And then you have to do 10 % of that 10,000 in case you missed, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:04:08 Highlight the passage at 1:04:08

1:04:45 So 111,000, right? So that's true, you know, with Vajrasattva mantras, etc., etc. Yeah, so if you can do 100 a day, you know, it's like basically doing prostrations to the 35 Buddhas every day. We can do three prostrations to the 35 Buddhas. Every day and that'll cover it, you know, plus three extra. It's traditional, right? Or, you know, you could do a retreat and do a bunch of prostrations. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:45 Highlight the passage at 1:04:45

1:05:15 If you ever go to Bodh Gaya, you see people doing, you know, hundreds, if not more, prostrations, thousands of prostrations a day. Well, not thousands, but hundreds of prostrations a day. Yeah, no, I mean, it's so inspiring because people have these prostration boards and they're just everywhere, you know, you just see hundreds of people doing prostrations and it's a very auspicious place, right, Boggaya, the seat of Buddha's enlightenment, new prostrations. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:15 Highlight the passage at 1:05:15

1:05:47 So, not at the stupa, hopefully you do at your hotel. But yeah, that's a great place to do prostrations if people want to do their nongdro in Bodh Gaya. I would go in like January, in the wintertime. Otherwise you'll be doing prostrations in 120 degree heat. Okay, so, alright. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:47 Highlight the passage at 1:05:47

1:06:24 And people know how to do a half prostration, right? That's what we do at the beginning of class, right? You touch your five points, right, your knees and your two hands and your forehead on the ground. Does anybody want that demonstrated? Janet would be happy to demonstrate that. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:24 Highlight the passage at 1:06:24

1:06:48 Oh. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:48 Highlight the passage at 1:06:48

1:07:07 Top of the head or forehead? You know, I thought that it was the forehead. me doing this, I didn't know if this was going out of time. I didn't know if this was going out of time. Oh. I don't know. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:07 Highlight the passage at 1:07:07

1:07:14 I think it's the forehead. Yeah, yeah, if we're limber enough to do the forehead. You know, let me double check that. I'm pretty sure it's the forehead. So I can do it that way. Yeah. And so the hands, right, so the hands, you know, at the crown. So at the crown, we're creating the causes. Basically, with these four points, we're creating the causes for our future Buddha body. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:14 Highlight the passage at 1:07:14

1:07:45 Up here, creating the causes for the ushnisha, the bump on the top of the head of the Buddha, to put it crudely. And then the point between the eyebrows, here, creating the cause for that curly hair between the eyebrows. What is that called? Report an error in the passage at 1:07:45 Highlight the passage at 1:07:45

1:08:11 The treasure hair. It's called the treasure hair. And it said, you know, and it's all curled up, right? And it said that if you straighten it out, it's as long as your arm. So anyway, just a little tidbit. And then the throat, right? Creating the cause for the Buddha's speech, the Buddha's holy speech. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:11 Highlight the passage at 1:08:11

1:08:29 And the heart, creating the cause for the Buddha's holy mind. So that's if we do the four points. Some people do just three. And so you can do just... body, speech, and mind, like purifying body, speech, and mind, okay? Report an error in the passage at 1:08:29 Highlight the passage at 1:08:29

1:08:54 So this is just a cultural form. Not to grasp that, oh, we have to do it exactly this way, but this is the tradition. So if we have bad knees or if we have a bad back and we can't do it exactly, I wouldn't worry about it. We just do the best we can. And a lot of people can't get down and do prostrations. And so then you can just do this, right? And then kind of bow, you know, standing up, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:08:54 Highlight the passage at 1:08:54

1:09:33 Yeah, this, this. Okay, so we can do standing up. Like if we can't get down on the floor, you know, you can touch, right, the crown, the forehead, the throat, the heart, and then just... Bend over, right, and respect. And then just do that three times, right? Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:33 Highlight the passage at 1:09:33

1:10:00 So, yeah, because I've had some people say, oh, but I can't do prostrations and, you know, then I can't purify. You know, we just do our best, right? And I know, you know, people who wanted to do nyungne and they didn't know if they could do nyungne because they couldn't do many prostrations. So it's okay to stand and do them if that's what we need to do. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:00 Highlight the passage at 1:10:00

1:10:23 Important not to, you know, important to use our wisdom and not to push beyond what our body can really do and then, you know, cripple ourselves. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:23 Highlight the passage at 1:10:23

1:10:36 Because people can get pretty intense, right, about these things. I remember somebody I talked to said, oh, well, I did 800 prostrations a day, you know, with a lot of pride, you know. So that's defeating the purpose of prostration. You know, if it becomes this big competitive macho thing, you know, then we're not really purifying, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:10:36 Highlight the passage at 1:10:36

1:10:58 So we do it. The most important thing is what's going on in our minds, right? Developing the respect and the humility. Yeah, Janet. One of the things that I always think about when I'm doing prostrations or in Noongne where there's a number of prostrations is that I'm not getting any younger. And you never know when I might not be able to do them. And in fact, you know, if we got to the death part, we'd say we don't even know if we're going to be able to do them tomorrow. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:58 Highlight the passage at 1:10:58

1:11:31 But that aside, let's assume that we're all going to get old. There's a time. And so then I think, you know, if I have a small pain, if I'm not aggravating something really serious, it's really, I really need to do it now. Because there may be a time when I can't do it anymore and then I won't have that opportunity. And so it's a really good thing to keep in mind that circumstances change a lot. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:31 Highlight the passage at 1:11:31

1:12:01 And to do especially some of these more physical things, because most of the people in this room are probably, you're all younger than I am. But to remember that, you know, if you're lucky enough, you'll get older. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:01 Highlight the passage at 1:12:01

1:12:17 Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, and there's a certain amount of discomfort that will just come with doing the 100,000 prostrations. A lot of sore muscles. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:17 Highlight the passage at 1:12:17

1:12:31 Yeah, but that's a good point. I think about that too. I need to do my prostrations soon, while I still can. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:31 Highlight the passage at 1:12:31

1:12:52 Yeah, and actually, and I've been told that when you do 100,000 prostrations, not to use your arms a lot when you're getting up. Try to use more your body, like your stomach muscle to help you get up. Otherwise, you can get a tennis elbow or, you know, the joints really kind of get sore. So anyway, I thought that was a really good tip. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:52 Highlight the passage at 1:12:52

1:13:18 Okay, maybe we'll stop here and cover the homework. From previous weeks. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:18 Highlight the passage at 1:13:18

1:13:31 Does everybody have homework eight? A copy of homework eight? Because I have some extras here. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:31 Highlight the passage at 1:13:31

1:13:41 Keith, will you pass them back? And then, Report an error in the passage at 1:13:41 Highlight the passage at 1:13:41

1:13:49 oh, Report an error in the passage at 1:13:49 Highlight the passage at 1:13:49

1:13:55 all right. Everybody has one? And then homework seven, I think we never went over homework seven either. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:55 Highlight the passage at 1:13:55

1:14:05 OK. Right. I think we went, we. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:05 Highlight the passage at 1:14:05

1:14:14 Actually, I don't have extra copies of homework 7. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:14 Highlight the passage at 1:14:14

1:14:22 We'll go through homework 8 first then. So what are the disadvantages of conceiving of faults in the spiritual teacher? Report an error in the passage at 1:14:22 Highlight the passage at 1:14:22

1:14:40 Since I'm sitting next to the mic, I'll answer that first question only. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:40 Highlight the passage at 1:14:40

1:14:47 The main disadvantage is that you will not gain the realizations or cities. And you'll become unhappy with the guru and lose your respect for them and not follow their advice. Okay. Anybody have anything else? Report an error in the passage at 1:14:47 Highlight the passage at 1:14:47

1:15:11 Hillary. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:11 Highlight the passage at 1:15:11

1:15:24 It might just be different wording. I said if we see faults, then our faith in the Dharma will diminish and we'll start to judge and reject what we want to reject and accept just what we want to. And then our efforts will... Lesson and we will probably become negative, lazy and eventually lose interest in the Dharma and then we set up a, well we create the karma not to meet with the teachings in the future. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:24 Highlight the passage at 1:15:24

1:16:04 Anything else? Report an error in the passage at 1:16:04 Highlight the passage at 1:16:04

1:16:13 So if we conceive of faults in the Guru that will definitely prevent us from making progress on the spiritual path. right? And, Report an error in the passage at 1:16:13 Highlight the passage at 1:16:13

1:16:25 Develop attainments, realizations and things like that. But also then we're creating the karma to not have pure teachers in the future. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:25 Highlight the passage at 1:16:25

1:16:36 And that's so scary to me, you know. It's like the not getting attainments, well I'm used to that, right? But we have very good conditions now, we have amazing teachers. But if we're, you know, if we conceive a fault in the teacher now, then in the next life, we probably won't meet with such pure teachers. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:36 Highlight the passage at 1:16:36

1:17:03 Okay. All right. Then the next question, briefly explain how one meditates on the kindness of the spiritual teacher. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:03 Highlight the passage at 1:17:03

1:17:22 Anybody? Sarah? Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:22 Highlight the passage at 1:17:22

1:17:29 It's good to remember that the guru is kinder than the Buddha. Or any of the Buddhas because he or she is here teaching us now, working with our minds. We can think about how out of compassion and loving kindness he dedicates himself to helping us without any expectation of reward from our side. And with immeasurable patience and all the perfections, the teacher is willing to help us through eons staying by our side until we reach enlightenment. So what could be more kind? Report an error in the passage at 1:17:29 Highlight the passage at 1:17:29

1:18:02 Yeah, excellent. Anything else anybody wants to add? Janet. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:02 Highlight the passage at 1:18:02

1:18:15 I had a couple of ways to meditate on it. One is to view ourselves as being prisoners stuck in cyclic existence, going from one suffering to the next, from one suffering life to the next, on and on. And then realize that the gurus, with what Sarah said, you're so kind, blah, blah, blah. Another way is to think of ourselves as a patient and the guru as a doctor. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:15 Highlight the passage at 1:18:15

1:18:51 Or you can think of ourselves as children and the guru as the mother and meditate on the kindness, how they're there to raise us and help us. There's lots of different ways. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:51 Highlight the passage at 1:18:51

1:19:08 That's what I had. Good. Anybody else? Report an error in the passage at 1:19:08 Highlight the passage at 1:19:08

1:19:20 Okay. Yeah. Lewis? Did you have something? No. No, go ahead. I'd be happy to. Oh, that they're stable like mountains and that their minds are undisturbed. That you should see them as having, there's no like crazy fluctuations in their mind the way we're subject to it that way. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:20 Highlight the passage at 1:19:20

1:19:49 Yeah. Okay, great. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:49 Highlight the passage at 1:19:49

1:19:53 Right, so basically the passages from the Sūtra of the Ten Dharmas and the Array of Stock Sūtra, and we don't have to go through every little point there, but we get the idea. Okay, and for me, I don't know if you said this, but for me one thing that's really moving is thinking about how the Gurus are here only for us, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:19:53 Highlight the passage at 1:19:53

1:20:19 Not for themselves, but they're completely here for us. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:19 Highlight the passage at 1:20:19

1:20:30 Yeah, which is amazing. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:30 Highlight the passage at 1:20:30

1:20:35 And that comes out so clearly, right, for Geshe Dagpa? You know, for His Holiness the Dalai Lama and, you know, for many other teachers. Authentic, right, gurus. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:35 Highlight the passage at 1:20:35

1:20:47 Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:47 Highlight the passage at 1:20:47

1:20:51 And then explain, well, we already went through explaining the three ways that one relies on the spiritual teacher through actions. Didn't we in the last class? Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:51 Highlight the passage at 1:20:51

1:21:02 The benefits of relying on the spiritual teacher. Did we go through that? So then on homework seven, Report an error in the passage at 1:21:02 Highlight the passage at 1:21:02

1:21:15 Did we go through what are the two ways that a student relies on the spiritual master in terms of thought? I don't think so either. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:15 Highlight the passage at 1:21:15

1:21:28 I don't, but I can make, I'll make copies. You want to make copies? Okay. How many people need a copy? Report an error in the passage at 1:21:28 Highlight the passage at 1:21:28

1:21:46 Is it still busted? Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:46 Highlight the passage at 1:21:46

1:21:53 Okay. So the two ways to rely on the spiritual teacher through thought. Peter. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:53 Highlight the passage at 1:21:53

1:22:10 Is one of them seeing? The teacher, oops, I'm strangling somebody here. Seeing the teacher as the living embodiment of the Buddhas. Yeah, I think that's part of, that's part of one. Part of one. Does anybody have anything on that? Report an error in the passage at 1:22:10 Highlight the passage at 1:22:10

1:22:34 Hillary, go ahead. Keith, you want to go? Anybody? Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:34 Highlight the passage at 1:22:34

1:22:46 If you're going to talk, it has to be on the record. it. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:46 Highlight the passage at 1:22:46

1:22:52 I thought it was training in confidence and kindness and developing a sense of deep respect. Yeah, so the two are developing confidence and faith by recalling their good qualities and then remembering their kindness. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:52 Highlight the passage at 1:22:52

1:23:20 So confidence and faith. By remembering good qualities and remembering their kindness. And so by doing so, developing respect. And I think that's important to do for anybody that teaches because they represent the good teacher. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:20 Highlight the passage at 1:23:20

1:23:44 And then as part of developing the confidence and faith in the Guru is recognizing that the Guru is a Buddha, a manifestation of a Buddha, as Peter was talking about. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:44 Highlight the passage at 1:23:44

1:24:00 So what does it mean? Actually, we'll jump to the third question. What does it mean to see the guru as like a Buddha? This is a big question. What does it mean, at least in the sūtra teachings, what does it mean to see the guru as like a Buddha? Report an error in the passage at 1:24:00 Highlight the passage at 1:24:00

1:24:27 Go for it. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:27 Highlight the passage at 1:24:27

1:24:32 You have to develop an unshakable confidence, an unqualified confidence in the guru as someone who has the wisdom to teach you what you need to become enlightened. It can't be... Report an error in the passage at 1:24:32 Highlight the passage at 1:24:32

1:24:46 Yeah, he's a Buddha, but not for me. You have to develop that sort of faith. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:46 Highlight the passage at 1:24:46

1:24:57 Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:57 Highlight the passage at 1:24:57

1:25:01 Yes, I think ideally. Ideally. You know, and in tantra specifically, we are supposed to train to see the guru as a Buddha. Right. But in sūtra, sometimes it says that, and sometimes it says that we're supposed to see the guru as like a Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:01 Highlight the passage at 1:25:01

1:25:27 Similar to Shakyamuni Buddha and his kindness teaching us, the guru is like the Shakyamuni Buddha, like that. But it doesn't always say that we have to see the guru as a Buddha in sūtra. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't, depending on the source. And the main point that Lama Tsongkhapa was making, you're gonna do Report an error in the passage at 1:25:27 Highlight the passage at 1:25:27

1:25:47 Here was to abandon conceiving of the faults in the guru. To focus on the guru's qualities and abandon conceiving of faults because there are so many disadvantages to seeing faults. And then once again, that's after we've really checked out the guru and discovered that he's really a qualified being with realizations. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:47 Highlight the passage at 1:25:47

1:26:18 Not encouraging blind faith in some being who's not qualified, but someone who's truly qualified, truly realized, not conceiving of faults in that guru. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:18 Highlight the passage at 1:26:18

1:26:36 But that also doesn't mean that we have to do everything that guru asks us to do. right we are or It doesn't mean that we should suspend our intelligence. We still need to check out the guru's request and make sure that it's in accordance with the Dharma. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:36 Highlight the passage at 1:26:36

1:27:01 So in no case are we supposed to suspend our kind of intellectual capability. We're always supposed to use our intellect so that we don't fall into this kind of blind. Blind faith, doing stupid things, because Report an error in the passage at 1:27:01 Highlight the passage at 1:27:01

1:27:27 that's very dangerous. So one of the qualities of a qualified disciple, remember, was intelligence. We need that intelligence. We're not following blindly. So we're always supposed to check out the advice in accordance with the teachings, the Dharma. The Dharma is our primary refuge. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:27 Highlight the passage at 1:27:27

1:27:52 Make sense? Report an error in the passage at 1:27:52 Highlight the passage at 1:27:52

1:27:57 All right. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:57 Highlight the passage at 1:27:57

1:28:00 And then it is number two. It is said that one needs to train in faith or confidence. What is faith and why is it necessary to cultivate it on the path? Report an error in the passage at 1:28:00 Highlight the passage at 1:28:00

1:28:22 Sarah. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:22 Highlight the passage at 1:28:22

1:28:28 So I put down that there are the three types of faith or confidence, that there's the clear faith, which is based on sort of that good feeling that you have and it's not very stable. That there's the conviction faith based on investigation and then aspiring faith, which once you've done the investigation, actually aspiring or putting into effort, gaining the qualities or following the path. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:28 Highlight the passage at 1:28:28

1:28:53 And then I said it's necessary because by cultivating faith in the three jewels, then you actually follow the path. You'll actually follow both the path and the spiritual guide. In this case, we're talking about the spiritual guide with enthusiasm rather than... Report an error in the passage at 1:28:53 Highlight the passage at 1:28:53

1:29:13 Just something intellectual or getting bogged down in your own delusions. Okay, good. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:13 Highlight the passage at 1:29:13

1:29:25 Anything else? Report an error in the passage at 1:29:25 Highlight the passage at 1:29:25

1:29:33 Anna? Report an error in the passage at 1:29:33 Highlight the passage at 1:29:33

1:29:37 Well, I thought it's trust, right? That you trust that your guru is going to take you along the correct path. Yeah. Faith, sometimes faith, trust, confidence, like those three. And then Janet, did you have something? Report an error in the passage at 1:29:37 Highlight the passage at 1:29:37

1:30:11 No, I also had that it allows our good qualities to grow and it helps us to maintain them and increase them. Did you say that? Report an error in the passage at 1:30:11 Highlight the passage at 1:30:11

1:30:27 Good, excellent. Yeah, because it said that faith is the basis of all qualities. Yeah, Report an error in the passage at 1:30:27 Highlight the passage at 1:30:27

1:30:38 exactly right. And it overcomes, right, faith overcomes doubt, right? If we have doubt. Then we don't practice, right? We don't put effort in. So it's only with this faith, this confidence, that we'll actually put effort into practice. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:38 Highlight the passage at 1:30:38

1:30:56 Okay, what else? Also helps to eliminate pride. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:56 Highlight the passage at 1:30:56

1:31:09 Cuts through gloom. Okay, excellent. I will... I haven't put together the homework yet for this week. So I've been... So I have some homework for this week. I'm thinking that we didn't really cover. Well, yeah, we did. Okay, I'll send you the homework. Okay, so next week we'll have class here. And then our class is going to move upstairs. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:09 Highlight the passage at 1:31:09

1:31:47 There's a new classroom upstairs. Yeah, because they're needing this bigger space. So Sechenling is trying to expand the offerings so there will be more classes, more simultaneous classes, and they're hoping to attract a big crowd for a new Friday night class. So they'll need this space. I don't know. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:47 Highlight the passage at 1:31:47

1:32:16 Well, we'll abandon ship. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:16 Highlight the passage at 1:32:16

1:32:25 No, I don't, you know, I don't know, but I think it's, it's something, you know, for beginners, you know, for, yeah. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:25 Highlight the passage at 1:32:25

1:32:37 Yeah. So probably modeled after it was, yeah. Yeah. What happened to our class? Right. So, so in two weeks, we'll move upstairs and thank you. Everybody else will stay down here. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:37 Highlight the passage at 1:32:37

1:33:01 Okay. All right. Okay. Yeah. All right. I'm Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:01 Highlight the passage at 1:33:01

1:33:14 You know, I'm not the person to ask, but Amy. Amy. Yeah, because, what, you pay every couple of months or something like that, so. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:14 Highlight the passage at 1:33:14

1:33:28 Yeah. Okay. Yeah, I'm not, I'm not sure. Okay. So let's do, let's do some dedication prayers. So actually, oh, I thought it would be nice to read the King of Prayers, but we've already gone over, so. We'll read that some other time. Yeah, it's so beautiful. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:28 Highlight the passage at 1:33:28

1:33:59 Okay, so let's do the prayers, general dedication prayers on page 235. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:59 Highlight the passage at 1:33:59

1:34:15 We'll do the first two, and then we'll do the long life prayer for His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Okay, due to the merits of these virtuous actions, may I quickly attain the state of a Guru Buddha and lead all living beings without exception into that enlightened state. May the supreme jewel bodhicitta that has not arisen arise and grow, and may that which has arisen not diminish but increase more and more. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:15 Highlight the passage at 1:34:15

1:34:46 And then on page 244, we'll do His Holinesses and we'll do Lama Zopa Rinpoche's. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:46 Highlight the passage at 1:34:46

1:35:00 In the land encircled by snow mountains, you are the source of all happiness and good. All-powerful Chinrezig, Tenzin Gyatso, Please remain until saṃsāra ends. You who uphold the subduer's moral way, who serve as the bountiful bearer of all, sustaining, preserving, and spreading Manjunath's victorious doctrine, who masterfully accomplish magnificent prayers honoring the three jewels, Savior of myself and others, your disciples, please, please live long. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:00 Highlight the passage at 1:35:00

1:35:56 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:56 Highlight the passage at 1:35:56

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:36:27 Redunciation, I'm in the newbie class. Well, if there's some really interesting maybe I'll come down. Right, we'll all come down and join them. I didn't know that they were doing that, that's a really good idea actually. I think it was really successful when they did it over the winter. Yeah, and the Sunday services have been really successful. She's getting more and more people. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:27 Highlight the passage at 1:36:27