Basic Program - Buddhism From A-Z (25 July 2008)

0:02 So we are Report an error in the passage at 0:02 Highlight the passage at 0:02

0:10 on page 30 of the text. So last time we started the section on what to do during the meditation session itself, which is divided into three sections, what to do in preparation, what to do in the meditation session itself, and then what to do at the end. So it's ideal not to just sit down and start to meditate, but to do these six... Report an error in the passage at 0:10 Highlight the passage at 0:10

0:39 Six preparatory practices first. So who can tell me what the six preparatory practices are? Report an error in the passage at 0:39 Highlight the passage at 0:39

0:50 What's one of them? Cleaning, yeah, cleaning your room and setting up your altar, right? Yeah, and particularly the representations of body, speech and mind of the Buddha. Okay, and what else? Report an error in the passage at 0:50 Highlight the passage at 0:50

1:10 Sitting in the appropriate posture. Making offerings. Report an error in the passage at 1:10 Highlight the passage at 1:10

1:22 Confessing. That's part of the seven limbs, not part of the six. Preparatory practices. That's kind of within. Report an error in the passage at 1:22 Highlight the passage at 1:22

1:33 Visualizing the merit field. Report an error in the passage at 1:33 Highlight the passage at 1:33

1:42 That's half of it. Report an error in the passage at 1:42 Highlight the passage at 1:42

1:50 Purifying and accumulating. And then the seven limbs are within the purifying and accumulating. Okay. Yeah, it's kind of a hard list to remember. That should be five. One more mandala offering. Yeah, we haven't covered that one yet. Okay, great. Report an error in the passage at 1:50 Highlight the passage at 1:50

2:10 Okay, so we're in the section on accumulation and purification now. And within this section, we talk about the seven limbs, right, of the seven limb prayer. Report an error in the passage at 2:10 Highlight the passage at 2:10

2:24 And we started talking about prostrations last time. And Janet very kindly showed us how to do a prostration correctly. So we talked about physical prostrations, right? So we talked about prostrations combining the three doors and then how to do a prostration. The physical prostration and then we'll get into the mental and the verbal. There was a question that came up last time about, like, so to do a physical prostration, it's ideal if we can touch the ground with the five limbs. Report an error in the passage at 2:24 Highlight the passage at 2:24

2:58 It's called the five limbs, right? The two hands, right? The two knees. And then there was a question whether it was the forehead or the head, the top of the head. And so I found a couple of sources that said the forehead and then a couple of sources that just said the head. So there was one source, I think it was Yangtze Rinpoche who said it really needs to be the forehead. So that Report an error in the passage at 2:58 Highlight the passage at 2:58

3:30 was the physical prostration. So when we prostrate, we're not prostrating just with our bodies. We're prostrating with our body, speech and mind. So the mental prostration is set out in the single stanza on one fine particle O. So this is referring to the stanza in the King of Prayers on page 249. Report an error in the passage at 3:30 Highlight the passage at 3:30

4:11 So this is the third stanza that says on every atom. Our Buddhas numberless as atoms, each amidst a host of bodhisattvas. And I am confident the sphere of all phenomena is entirely filled with Buddhas in this way. Report an error in the passage at 4:11 Highlight the passage at 4:11

4:34 So here, on top of each minute particle, Buddhas as number, as innumerable as dust particles reside encircled by bodhisattvas. You generate the resolute faith of recollecting their positive qualities. So this is... Once again, this is how Samantabhadra gained all of his merit in order to gain Buddhahood. Report an error in the passage at 4:34 Highlight the passage at 4:34

5:00 He would do a mental prostration by imagining countless Buddhas on every particle, like every minute particle of dust, and then around each Buddha is surrounded by bodhisattva disciples. Report an error in the passage at 5:00 Highlight the passage at 5:00

5:24 So try to visualize that. But the idea is we're prostrating to countless Buddhas, countless Buddhas and bodhisattvas. And as we said last time, the more Buddhas that we are prostrating to, the more merit that we get. So if we prostrate to one Buddha, then we get... The merit from prostrating to one Buddha. If we can imagine countless Buddhas, then we get a lot more merit. Report an error in the passage at 5:24 Highlight the passage at 5:24

6:01 And so while we're prostrating, we're thinking about the qualities of the Buddha, right? So the kindness of the Buddhas, the qualities of the Buddha, how they've gone beyond all of the mental afflictions, how everything that they're doing is for the benefit of others, thinking about their power. To manifest in countless different forms for the benefit of sentient beings. So many amazing qualities. So from our hearts, out of respect and admiration, we're really prostrating to these incredible, amazing beings. Report an error in the passage at 6:01 Highlight the passage at 6:01

6:41 So it's not just something that we're just getting down on the floor and doing. We think about the qualities of the Buddhas and naturally we want to bow down to them. Because they have qualities beyond even what we can conceive of. Report an error in the passage at 6:41 Highlight the passage at 6:41

7:03 Then there's the verbal prostration or the prostration done with the door of speech. Verbal prostration is set out in the single stanza, praising those. So that's the next stanza. With infinite oceans of praise for you and oceans of sound from the aspects of my voice, I sing the breathtaking excellence of Buddhas. Report an error in the passage at 7:03 Highlight the passage at 7:03

7:28 And celebrate all you gone to bliss. Report an error in the passage at 7:28 Highlight the passage at 7:28

7:34 So for each of the bodies, innumerable heads emanate, and from each of the heads, again, innumerable tongues, which sing inexhaustible praises of the object's positive qualities to sweet melodies. Report an error in the passage at 7:34 Highlight the passage at 7:34

7:50 Okay, so we're prostrating to countless Buddhas, and we're also emanating our own bodies, right? And we're emanating... Or imagining countless of our own bodies that are prostrating to maximize the merit. So here Samanta Bhadra was imagining that for each of our bodies, then innumerable heads would emanate. Report an error in the passage at 7:50 Highlight the passage at 7:50

8:17 And then from each of the heads, innumerable tongues would emanate. All singing the praises of the Buddha's qualities. Report an error in the passage at 8:17 Highlight the passage at 8:17

8:30 Here melodies are praises. And their branches, that is their causes, are the tongues. The word ocean refers to a lot. So where it says oceans of sound from the aspects of my voice. So with infinite oceans of praise for you, I sing the breathtaking excellence of Buddhas. So here Report an error in the passage at 8:30 Highlight the passage at 8:30

9:00 we're prostrating with our speech as well. So we're reciting the praise at the same time. As prostrating. So ideally we're prostrating right with all three doors. Report an error in the passage at 9:00 Highlight the passage at 9:00

9:19 So it's said that if we prostrate correctly with all three doors, we will create huge amounts of merit, whereby our realizations and qualities will increase. Report an error in the passage at 9:19 Highlight the passage at 9:19

9:33 So I personally find the practice of prostrations to be extremely powerful. And it's so powerful for generating respect. If you're thinking about the qualities of the Buddhas as your... Prostrating, it's very, very good for subduing pride and for generating faith. Especially if you're doing a lot of prostrations on a particular day or if you do prostrations to the 35 Buddhas every morning. Report an error in the passage at 9:33 Highlight the passage at 9:33

10:02 And it's very powerful to start off the day with truly generating the respect for the Buddhas as you're prostrating. Report an error in the passage at 10:02 Highlight the passage at 10:02

10:21 I had also heard for this practice that when you're visualizing, you can visualize all sentient beings in human form prostrating with you. Is there a difference between that and visualizing yourself in numberless forms? Yeah, well, there seems to be a couple of different ways. We could visualize all of our previous lives, bodies prostrating with us or all sentient beings. I think that's just a different method. Report an error in the passage at 10:21 Highlight the passage at 10:21

10:52 I personally like all sentient beings. It feels much more like bodhicitta than prostrating for myself. But I haven't heard details about in what context to practice one versus the other. Report an error in the passage at 10:52 Highlight the passage at 10:52

11:15 So it's wonderful for gaining faith and respect and then just subduing pride. Prostrations are such a powerful practice for subduing our pride that thinks, I know it all. Report an error in the passage at 11:15 Highlight the passage at 11:15

11:34 Okay, that's prostrations. Then the next limb is offerings. So the outline says respectful, pleasing offerings. And these have two types, surpassable offerings or ordinary offerings and unsurpassable offerings. So surpassable offerings in the Lama Rinpoche, Lama Tsongkhapa says surpassable offerings are those of worldly persons. Report an error in the passage at 11:34 Highlight the passage at 11:34

12:03 We ordinary beings. And unsurpassable offerings are the completely good things created by those with power, such as bodhisattvas. Report an error in the passage at 12:03 Highlight the passage at 12:03

12:16 So we'll start with surpassable offerings. Surpassable offerings are set out in the two stanzas. The best flowers. Report an error in the passage at 12:16 Highlight the passage at 12:16

12:31 So beautiful flowers and regal garlands. This is the top of page 250 in the prayer book. Sweet music, scented oils and parasols, sparkling lights and sublime incense, I offer to you victorious ones. Report an error in the passage at 12:31 Highlight the passage at 12:31

12:56 And so this is a list of traditional offerings that were made in India, so we don't necessarily resonate with all of these different things. So the best flowers, or as it says, beautiful flowers here, are marvelous specimens of divine and human flowers. So just offerings in general, right, are the antidote to miserliness and attachment, right? So normally the ego wants to hang on to, you know, the good things for ourselves, right? Report an error in the passage at 12:56 Highlight the passage at 12:56

13:30 You know, when we feel really attached to something, it's a beautiful practice to offer it, right? To just offer it to all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Like if you go to the store or you're... Leap through a catalog and the mind starts going, oh, I want that, and I want that, and I want that. It's a wonderful practice to just offer it, to just offer and try to let go of that attachment. Report an error in the passage at 13:30 Highlight the passage at 13:30

13:56 And so that really creates a lot more space in the mind, because the attached mind, the desire mind, is very small and really focused on, I have to have this. So making offerings really creates. This space and this looseness and this lightness. So the offerings here in this verse talks about beautiful flowers and regal garlands. Report an error in the passage at 13:56 Highlight the passage at 13:56

14:23 So this can be flowers that are actually set out, right? Flowers that are actually set out on the altar or flowers that we imagine or both, right? So if we actually set out the flowers on the altar, Then to, you know, obviously to make them as beautiful as possible. And then when we imagine flowers, to imagine, you know, abundant flowers, right? Report an error in the passage at 14:23 Highlight the passage at 14:23

14:53 Filling the entire space. And the more we do that, it just creates a lot of joy in the mind, right? When you imagine everything beautiful, the most beautiful thing you can possibly imagine, filling the space and then offering it. You know, it just uplifts the mind. You know, it's just so nice. So the best flowers are marvelous specimens of divine and human flowers. Garlands are the many different kinds of flowers mixed and strung together. Report an error in the passage at 14:53 Highlight the passage at 14:53

15:24 So you string the flowers together, flower garlands. Both together refer to all actual and imaginary flowers. Symbols are the sounds of traditional instruments and the like. So we're offering music, not necessarily just symbols. Yes, musical instruments or beautiful voices, beautiful melodies. So we're offering, you know, pleasing objects of the senses right now, right? Report an error in the passage at 15:24 Highlight the passage at 15:24

15:53 Flowers, music for the ears. Then scented unguent, I think that's how to pronounce it, is a mixture of fragrant perfumes. So sometimes translated as scented oils or ointments. So offering that, so object of the nose consciousness. Sublime parasols are the finest of parasols. Report an error in the passage at 15:53 Highlight the passage at 15:53

16:27 So parasols, I think it's Geshe Jumpa Gyatso says, don't just imagine an ordinary umbrella, right? But something really beautiful and grand and deluxe, a magnificent umbrella. Report an error in the passage at 16:27 Highlight the passage at 16:27

16:44 Parasols are traditional Indian symbols of high status, because using a parasol to shield you from the hot sun. Report an error in the passage at 16:44 Highlight the passage at 16:44

17:00 So having a tan traditionally in India isn't considered high status. Report an error in the passage at 17:00 Highlight the passage at 17:00

17:09 Then butter lamps are fragrant, radiant lights from things like incense or butter, as well as radiant jewel lights. So traditionally... They use butter lamps, but it could be any types of light offerings. Incense refers to the combinations of fragrant substances and to a single one. So the best kinds of incense we offer. Report an error in the passage at 17:09 Highlight the passage at 17:09

17:44 Sublime garments are the finest of clothes. So if we're offering to monks, it's good to offer or visualize offering robes, finest robes. Report an error in the passage at 17:44 Highlight the passage at 17:44

17:59 Two lay people, you know, just beautiful, beautiful garments, whatever's appropriate. A supreme scent is water and the like pervaded by a scent that fills the billion world systems with fragrance. So the most fragrant perfumes, scents that we can imagine. The vessels of powder are packaged powders of fragrant incense suitable for scattering and burning or the colored sand powder of a mandala. Report an error in the passage at 17:59 Highlight the passage at 17:59

18:29 In multiple layers wide and high like Mount Meru. So powdered incense, you know, kind of piled up huge. That smells really nice. Arrangement joined at the end to all of the above means a lot. Decorated and variegated. Report an error in the passage at 18:29 Highlight the passage at 18:29

18:49 So arranging them, you know, as beautiful as we can. And then, you know, so these are just the traditional. The traditional ones. Or we can just imagine the most beautiful things that we really enjoy. It could be our favorite foods or whatever. Whatever I think. I really like offering my objects of attachment. When the mind kind of goes, just offer it. Report an error in the passage at 18:49 Highlight the passage at 18:49

19:22 And then a really great offering, a bodhisattva offering, is to offer our bodies. In service to others. So we can offer our bodies in service to others or we can offer our bodies in service to the guru. Report an error in the passage at 19:22 Highlight the passage at 19:22

19:39 So those are wonderful offerings as well. Report an error in the passage at 19:39 Highlight the passage at 19:39

19:58 Gishisopa says, you know, we can offer ourselves, which means giving up our egotism, selfishness and attachment to our bodies. Because that's like... Our really deeply ingrained attachment to our egos, our selfishness, our bodies. So it's a wonderful thing to offer that. Report an error in the passage at 19:58 Highlight the passage at 19:58

20:31 And then the unsurpassable offerings. Report an error in the passage at 20:31 Highlight the passage at 20:31

20:46 So it's said that unsurpassable offerings are offerings that are emanated by Buddhas and Bodhisattvas through their special power of concentration. So perhaps we don't have that power right now. Report an error in the passage at 20:46 Highlight the passage at 20:46

21:28 So Gishisopa says these unsurpassable offerings, there is nothing higher than these supernatural offerings made by bodhisattvas such as Samantabhadra or Manjushri through their special samādhi. Take, for example, the way these bodhisattvas offer light. From their heart of wisdom, they first create one light, then that light emanates another two. Report an error in the passage at 21:28 Highlight the passage at 21:28

21:54 From those two come four and on and on until finally all space is completely filled with light. Their offerings can also include certain supernatural items such as wish-fulfilling jewels and wishing trees. Report an error in the passage at 21:54 Highlight the passage at 21:54

22:10 We are not able to perform this type of offering right now, but we can gain merit by praying. I will offer just as the Bodhisattva Samanta Bhadra did, just as the Bodhisattva Manjushri did. Just as they made offerings to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, may my offerings be the same. Report an error in the passage at 22:10 Highlight the passage at 22:10

22:34 So, unsurpassable offerings. Report an error in the passage at 22:34 Highlight the passage at 22:34

22:49 Okay, then the next section says the motivation for prostrations and offerings. The last two lines are to be joined to all the previous sets of two in order to complete them. They indicate the motivation of prostrations and offerings as well as the object. Report an error in the passage at 22:49 Highlight the passage at 22:49

23:10 So this goes down to... Report an error in the passage at 23:10 Highlight the passage at 23:10

23:22 Okay, so the... The third verse on page 250, the last two lines of that, with strength of conviction in the Bodhisattva way, I offer and bow down to all victorious ones. So this is basically saying, this is applying to both the prostrations and the offerings, telling us what the motivation is for doing the prostration and offerings. Report an error in the passage at 23:22 Highlight the passage at 23:22

23:48 It's the bodhicitta motivation. To attain enlightenment for the welfare of all sentient beings is the best motivation. Report an error in the passage at 23:48 Highlight the passage at 23:48

24:02 And then this verse also indicates the object of the prostrations and offerings, all victorious ones or all Buddhas. Report an error in the passage at 24:02 Highlight the passage at 24:02

24:20 Questions so far? Report an error in the passage at 24:20 Highlight the passage at 24:20

24:28 So we make offerings right, not for the benefit of the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas, but for our own benefit. So prostrations, offerings, actually all of the seven limbs are to help us accumulate the merit to purify our negativities. It helps our own practice, our own minds. The Buddhas, they don't need anything. So it's really for our own minds. Report an error in the passage at 24:28 Highlight the passage at 24:28

24:58 The next section is confession of negative actions. Confession of negative actions is set out in the one stanza, desire. Report an error in the passage at 24:58 Highlight the passage at 24:58

25:14 Which is the fourth stanza. Every harmful action I have done with my body, speech and mind, overwhelmed by attachment, anger and confusion. All these I openly lay bare before you. So the confession is the purification. So in order to make progress on the path, we need to accumulate merit and we need to purify our negativities. Report an error in the passage at 25:14 Highlight the passage at 25:14

25:40 We need to purify our obscurations. So we've talked about this quite a few times before. Report an error in the passage at 25:40 Highlight the passage at 25:40

25:51 Here it says, Independence on the cause, the three poisons, and by means of the three bases, the body, etc. Their nature is that I have done them, that is, I have actually created them, that I have made others create them, and that I rejoiced in those created by others, all of which are generally subsumed under whatever I have done. Report an error in the passage at 25:51 Highlight the passage at 25:51

26:16 If through recollecting their faults you regret those done previously and sincerely confess them with a mind of restraining from them in the future, the increase of deeds done earlier and the continuity of future occurrences will be severed. Report an error in the passage at 26:16 Highlight the passage at 26:16

26:32 So through the force of the three poisons, our attachment, our ignorance and our hatred or aversion, we're constantly creating negative karma. When we really look at our minds throughout the day, we're constantly following our attachments or we develop aversions, you know, judgments toward others. Report an error in the passage at 26:32 Highlight the passage at 26:32

26:58 So for we ordinary beings, we're being controlled by our mental afflictions constantly and creating negative karma constantly. Report an error in the passage at 26:58 Highlight the passage at 26:58

27:08 So then it becomes really important to, oh, and we're creating that with our body, speech and mind. So with our body, the coarsest, the killing, stealing, sexual misconduct. With our speech, probably much more often because we're talking throughout the day, senseless speech or criticizing others or gossiping, Report an error in the passage at 27:08 Highlight the passage at 27:08

27:39 harsh speech, lying, even little lies, exaggerations. So we're creating negativities. With our speech and then with our minds constantly. Attachment, you know, attachment in the desire realm is a non-virtue, you know, and that's really scary to me because we have so much attachment, right? Because, you know, we're constantly, you know, oh, I want this food, you know, I want the really, you know, good... Report an error in the passage at 27:39 Highlight the passage at 27:39

28:14 Curry dish, you know, attachment, you know, oh, you know, look at, oh, I want to buy this, attachment. Oh, I want, you know, I want to talk to this person because this person will entertain me, attachment. You know, da-da-da-da-da-da, you know, our minds are, you know, our noses are constantly pursuing these objects, objects of the senses, objects of attachment. Report an error in the passage at 28:14 Highlight the passage at 28:14

28:40 So it's important for us to purify those. Throughout the day. And it seems like for a lot of us Dharma practitioners, I don't think we create a lot of really bad karma. We don't purposely harm others. But we're creating a lot of these little negative karmas. And I notice for me, if I do a lot of purification, the quality of my mind is much better than if I'm just kind of doing my Vajrasattva mantras. Report an error in the passage at 28:40 Highlight the passage at 28:40

29:13 At the end of the day with a really distracted mind and not really truly thinking about it. And then the mind just starts to become darker and heavier and cluttered. So it's really good if we purify, really do purification every day if we can. Report an error in the passage at 29:13 Highlight the passage at 29:13

29:39 And then here we're creating... so, so... We create negative karma whether or not we do the action ourselves or if we ask others to do it. So if, let's say I have bugs in my house and I want to kill them and I hire an exterminator to do it, well, it's not as if we get out of creating negative karma because we hire somebody else to do it. Report an error in the passage at 29:39 Highlight the passage at 29:39

30:09 Actually, we're creating more negative karma because not only are we... Creating the negative karma of killing ourselves by hiring someone, we're causing somebody else to create negative karma as well. So if you ask somebody to lie for you, tell them I'm not here. Report an error in the passage at 30:09 Highlight the passage at 30:09

30:33 You're still creating the negative karma of lying. Yeah, Peter, the microphone please. you know Report an error in the passage at 30:33 Highlight the passage at 30:33

30:43 I had a question about that. I've always had a little bit of a conflict about this with relation to Buddhists eating meat. Now I understand that meat isn't necessarily killed for us, so we're not directly involved in its demise for our benefit. But we are still engaging in the whole process of the meat industry. I understand that. Report an error in the passage at 30:43 Highlight the passage at 30:43

31:06 The karma is maybe lessened if it hasn't been killed specifically, but it just seems to me like we're still engaged in some sort of karmic activity there. What's your take on that? Report an error in the passage at 31:06 Highlight the passage at 31:06

31:17 Well, you know, I mean, I've heard His Holiness, he says again and again, it's best if we cannot eat meat, Report an error in the passage at 31:17 Highlight the passage at 31:17

31:29 and particularly not out of attachment, right? If for health reasons we have to eat meat, then he says, okay, no. But not out of attachment. And then I've also heard another teacher say, which I really agree with, is that if we eat meat, we're developing an insensitivity to those particular sentient beings. Report an error in the passage at 31:29 Highlight the passage at 31:29

31:57 Because it's hard to have compassion for somebody and eat them at the same time. right? So, um, so... It's really good, if we can, to not eat meat. Well, that's good. That's good, creating that karmic connection with them. And it's also good, if we have to eat meat, to really take responsibility for their enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 31:57 Highlight the passage at 31:57

32:30 I'm eating you and I'm creating that karmic connection so that I can... You know, in the future lead you to enlightenment. So if we are going to eat meat, it's good to make, you know, to be conscious of that and to make that karmic connection and try to wish to benefit them. Report an error in the passage at 32:30 Highlight the passage at 32:30

32:51 But, yeah, karmically, I think eating meat isn't, it's not completely clean. Yeah. Yeah. It's definitely better, right, if it's not killed specifically for you. But I don't think it's completely clean. And it does affect the mind. It definitely affects the mind. Even though, you know, even eating vegetables, you know, eating anything, you know, there are beings killed for you to just have to eat. Report an error in the passage at 32:51 Highlight the passage at 32:51

33:27 But also karmically, it said the karma of killing like a large animal, like a cow, is much worse. Then the karma of killing someone like really small, like an ant. Because it said, you know, there's a lot more suffering for a large animal than a small animal when they're killed. So, yeah, Hillary and then Peter Beck. I had a follow up on that. And maybe it's unfair for me to be the one who asked this question since I don't eat meat. Report an error in the passage at 33:27 Highlight the passage at 33:27

34:05 But if you were going to eat meat, then would it matter if you were to eat meat that was? Raised humanely as opposed to eating meat that was factory farmed and was essentially tortured during its life. Would that matter? I mean, sure. Sure. If the mind is really concerned about that sentient being and them having a good life, then that's more virtuous than not caring, just eating whatever tastes good. Report an error in the passage at 34:05 Highlight the passage at 34:05

34:39 A lot of people don't eat veal because of the way. veal is brought up or they don't eat they only eat organic or they you know don't eat chickens in cages I mean that's that's definitely better than Report an error in the passage at 34:39 Highlight the passage at 34:39

34:57 just not even thinking about it and not caring right so you know so we work with do the best that It's Report an error in the passage at 34:57 Highlight the passage at 34:57

35:13 funny. There's no one answer in Buddhism. I've actually heard the exact opposite of what you said, that it's actually better to eat a large animal that feeds many people than to eat like a plate of shrimp where you're killing like 30 individual mind streams in one dish. So it's really interesting how that works. Yeah, right. I mean, if you're going to eat one shrimp versus one cow. Report an error in the passage at 35:13 Highlight the passage at 35:13

35:39 Yeah, it's better to eat the one shrimp than the one cow. But if you're going to eat 50 shrimp versus a quarter of a cow, I really can't tell you what's better. Maybe it's better to eat the quarter of a cow. Well, a quarter of a cow is still a lot. I grew up in Nebraska eating a lot of steak, huge steak. Report an error in the passage at 35:39 Highlight the passage at 35:39

36:06 Yeah, I guess that's still not a quarter of a cow. Anyway, you know what I mean. Yeah, okay. This is a difficult subject for a lot of people, I think. Yeah, Keith. Report an error in the passage at 36:06 Highlight the passage at 36:06

36:33 I think I'd have to look again, but I think the sutras relate to refusing, not refusing what is given openly to you. Because Buddha ate meat, no doubt about it. It's, if you ask, you don't. You take what you're given and then you use that to replenish yourself. So that if there is some meat and what you take, that which is given to you, it's not necessarily that bad. Report an error in the passage at 36:33 Highlight the passage at 36:33

37:06 It would show attachment then to refuse. I don't know. Yeah, I mean it all comes down to the motivation, doesn't it? It's the motivation, but the motivation not to refuse what is honestly and openly given to you, to replenish yourself. Yeah, yeah. So there is, well, I mean, traditionally, right, Theravadan monks, right, they're only supposed to eat what others offer to them, right? Report an error in the passage at 37:06 Highlight the passage at 37:06

37:33 And, you know, the Buddha obviously was one of them, and so you just eat what you're given. Report an error in the passage at 37:33 Highlight the passage at 37:33

37:43 So, yeah, so it's important, right, to not hold on to our ideals at the expense of... Being considerate of others, because we can be obnoxious vegetarians, right? And say, oh, I'm sorry, I know you prepared this beautiful meal, but I can't eat it because I'm a vegetarian, right? So that's not the bodhisattva way either, right? Report an error in the passage at 37:43 Highlight the passage at 37:43

38:11 So to be kind of a low-key vegetarian and to accept what others offer to us, right? Try to just eat the vegetables or something, you know, out of it. You know, not to make a big deal out of it, right? I mean, anything that we're doing is, you know, we do it in a low-key way, right? It's not about me, right? It's not about how good am I, you know, because I'm a vegetarian, right? But just using our wisdom and our compassion in each situation to figure out what's the best. Report an error in the passage at 38:11 Highlight the passage at 38:11

38:49 Way to do something. I'm glad you brought that up. Okay. Yeah. Yeah, I think that term is coined freegan. And that's kind of what I am. It's like when I buy food, like I'll buy vegan food. But when it's offered, like I'll totally eat it, you know, if it's meat. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I worry sometimes because I mean, I'm a vegetarian and whenever I come home, you know, mom is so worried. Oh, you know, I don't have anything for you to eat. Report an error in the passage at 38:49 Highlight the passage at 38:49

39:22 And her whole mind is focused on worrying that I'm going to have enough to eat. And I try to really reassure her, well, I'll just be able to eat anywhere, wherever you want to go. I'll be able to find something to eat. Report an error in the passage at 39:22 Highlight the passage at 39:22

39:41 You don't want to create stress for others. Report an error in the passage at 39:41 Highlight the passage at 39:41

39:51 Salad or just, you know. You know, if you're eating with a bunch of people too, most of the time nobody else is going to notice what you're eating. You know, you just kind of eat what you can, right? Unless it's your mother, right? Yeah, yeah. Okay, Report an error in the passage at 39:51 Highlight the passage at 39:51

40:15 okay. That was a popular subject. Yeah, yeah. So we're talking about regret, right? And confession, confession, purifying. Right, so when we purify, Report an error in the passage at 40:15 Highlight the passage at 40:15

40:32 We purify with the four opponent powers. Oh wait, wait, wait. Let me just finish what I was talking about before. So we're creating negative karma if we do the negative action ourselves, or we ask somebody else to do it, or we rejoice in some negativity that somebody else has done. And that one, you know, kind of on the surface it seems like, oh yeah, I don't do it. Report an error in the passage at 40:32 Highlight the passage at 40:32

40:59 But if we really think about it, yeah, yeah, oftentimes we, yeah, yeah, we may do. So good to watch all three, right? And then we can purify those with the four opponent powers. So what are the four opponent powers? The opponent power of regrets. Report an error in the passage at 40:59 Highlight the passage at 40:59

41:20 And then resolve, Report an error in the passage at 41:20 Highlight the passage at 41:20

41:27 remedy. And the last R, Report an error in the passage at 41:27 Highlight the passage at 41:27

41:34 reliance. So what's the power of reliance? Yeah. Okay, so it's regret. It's sometimes called repudiation or... And then reliance and remedy. Report an error in the passage at 41:34 Highlight the passage at 41:34

42:02 Yeah, resolve or repudiation. Yeah. Okay. So the power of the... See, I don't use those four R's so I get confused. The power of the basis or the... What's it called? What'd you call it? The... Regret. Report an error in the passage at 42:02 Highlight the passage at 42:02

· · · silence, 1 minute

42:23 The refuge in bodhicitta, taking refuge in bodhicitta, the power of refuge or reliance on those two. So all negativities are said to be committed in relation to either sentient beings or the three jewels. Report an error in the passage at 42:23 Highlight the passage at 42:23

42:44 So we create negative actions against sentient beings out of a lack of compassion or inconsideration. And so to counteract that, we're developing bodhicitta, compassion for others, bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 42:44 Highlight the passage at 42:44

43:05 Or we're creating negativities against the three jewels, disrespecting the guru or not following our commitments and vows, etc. So then as a remedy to that, taking refuge in the three jewels, remembering the qualities of the three jewels. So the power of reliance is taking refuge and generating bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 43:05 Highlight the passage at 43:05

43:33 And then there's the power of regret, which is perhaps the most important of all four when we're purifying. So truly from our heart regretting that we did that negative action, regretting that I harmed that person or regretting that I criticized that person or whatever it is, that I lied. Report an error in the passage at 43:33 Highlight the passage at 43:33

43:58 And it said that the strength of the purification depends on how much we really regret our action. If we're just kind of going through and saying, oh, you know, I'm sorry I did that, and I'm sorry I did that, I'm sorry I did that. It's not very powerful, right? Report an error in the passage at 43:58 Highlight the passage at 43:58

44:20 Not powerful purification. So it said that if we regret strongly enough, then we can completely purify. That negative action. Another level that's common is that we regret it and the result will become much less. Report an error in the passage at 44:20 Highlight the passage at 44:20

44:48 So it all depends on the power of regret. We're truly sorry. And regret is based on understanding karma. So it's... I've done this action and I know that it will bring suffering in the future so I'm really sorry I did that action because I don't want suffering in the future. Report an error in the passage at 44:48 Highlight the passage at 44:48

45:11 And so it's not guilt, it's not I'm bad, it's ooh I wish I didn't do that. It's like the story of the three people sitting around the table eating the same food and the first one drops dead from eating poisoned food and then the second one... Gets really sick from eating poison food. And then you, you're sitting there and you develop a strong regret for eating the poison food. Report an error in the passage at 45:11 Highlight the passage at 45:11

45:40 It's not, I am bad. It's, I really wish I didn't eat that poison food because I really don't want to get sick. And so similarly, understanding karma, I really wish that I hadn't done that because I'm going to suffer in the future. Report an error in the passage at 45:40 Highlight the passage at 45:40

46:01 I mean, as well as, of course, compassion for others. I really wish I hadn't hurt that other person if we hurt somebody. Report an error in the passage at 46:01 Highlight the passage at 46:01

46:11 So the more that we're really conscious of karma and we really understand karma in our lives, about how every annoying thing that happens to us in life, every inconvenience, every bit of pain and suffering is a result of a particular action we've done in the past. Report an error in the passage at 46:11 Highlight the passage at 46:11

46:29 Then we have this heightened awareness about the karma that we're creating in the future. We really regret having done it because we're just creating suffering for ourselves in the future. Report an error in the passage at 46:29 Highlight the passage at 46:29

46:58 And then regret purifies both the negative karma that we've created as well as the tendency to want to create that action again. Report an error in the passage at 46:58 Highlight the passage at 46:58

47:10 Because if we... If we talk badly about someone and then we purify at the end of the day and we say, oh, I wish I hadn't done that, but we don't try to restrain ourselves in the future if we don't have real regret, then we'll just keep doing it again tomorrow. Purification isn't about doing the negative actions, purifying, and then continuing to do them again and again. I confessed and so now I'm clean and now I can do it again. Report an error in the passage at 47:10 Highlight the passage at 47:10

47:40 Which leads to the next opponent power of resolve or repudiation, where we're resolving not to do that action again. So if we can resolve to never do that action ever again, then that's best. If we can honestly, realistically, and Report an error in the passage at 47:40 Highlight the passage at 47:40

48:04 we can do that with certain things like killing. Oh, I will never purposely kill a being again. But then there are certain things that are difficult. I resolve never to be attached again. Report an error in the passage at 48:04 Highlight the passage at 48:04

48:25 We can't do that. That's in effect, they say, lying to the Buddhists. If we resolve to never do something again that we know we can't keep. So then it's said to... Set a realistic time frame. I resolve not to get angry for the next 10 minutes or the next 30 seconds or something like that. So it's very powerful to set a strong time limit. Report an error in the passage at 48:25 Highlight the passage at 48:25

49:04 And then you really try, right? You really try not to commit that negative action for that period of time. And that's what really purifies, right? The regret and the resolve, right? Because we're changing the energy of the negative action, right? It's like speaking harshly to someone. We really regret speaking harshly to that person and we really try not to do it again. Report an error in the passage at 49:04 Highlight the passage at 49:04

49:35 And so we're creating the opposite energy, right? We're trying to be kind. We're trying to be pleasant. And then over time it gets easier. Report an error in the passage at 49:35 Highlight the passage at 49:35

49:50 And then there's the fourth power, the power of the remedy or the antidote, the counterforce. So that can be many things, you know, Vajrasattva or prostrations to the 35 Buddhas. It could be reciting a sūtra. It could be meditating on emptiness. It could be many different things. Report an error in the passage at 49:50 Highlight the passage at 49:50

50:11 It could be apologizing to that person, right? Which is a very powerful run, right? Report an error in the passage at 50:11 Highlight the passage at 50:11

50:31 So do you want to talk about rejoicing before the break or after the break? Are you ready for a break? Okay, we'll take a break now. Report an error in the passage at 50:31 Highlight the passage at 50:31

50:49 So the next limb is rejoicing. Rejoicing is set out in the single stanza, the genus of the ten directions. Report an error in the passage at 50:49 Highlight the passage at 50:49

51:03 So this is... The verse that says, I lift up my heart and rejoice in all positive potential of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in ten directions, of solitary realizers, hearers still training and those beyond, and of all ordinary beings. So rejoicing is such a wonderful practice, right? That's the antidote to jealousy and envy. Report an error in the passage at 51:03 Highlight the passage at 51:03

51:32 Right. So if we see someone with, you know, really wonderful qualities or, you know, a beautiful house or, you know, something that we want, you know, instead of feeling jealous, you know, to try to feel really happy about that. Oh, you know, how wonderful this person has such good karma to have these beautiful things or, you know, how wonderful that this person has such incredible qualities. Report an error in the passage at 51:32 Highlight the passage at 51:32

52:00 How wonderful that this person is so happy. So, you know, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, whenever he does the seven limbs with a group, he always pauses at the rejoicing part so that we can all just sit there for a while and think about all the wonderful things to rejoice in. So we can rejoice in others, you know, possessions, good qualities, etc. And then our own, right? Our own as well. We can't forget. Report an error in the passage at 52:00 Highlight the passage at 52:00

52:03 you know Report an error in the passage at 52:03 Highlight the passage at 52:03

52:32 Sometimes Dharma practice can be heavy for people. Oh, you know, I have so many mental afflictions and I have such a long way to go. Right. And and we forget to rejoice. So it's wonderful if we can really remember how incredible it is, you know, how incredible it is that we're sitting here, how incredible it is that we have. Report an error in the passage at 52:32 Highlight the passage at 52:32

52:53 You know, Sechen Ling is a Dharma center. How incredible it is that we're able to study and practice the Dharma and reverse the course of saṃsāra. And when I think about that, I'm so amazed, you know, it's like I'm so grateful that, you know, instead of continuing, well, I mean, still creating causes for saṃsāra and suffering, but instead of, you know, Report an error in the passage at 52:53 Highlight the passage at 52:53

53:22 Yeah, now recognize it and trying to go against that, right? And that's amazing, right? That's amazing. And then we have amazing karma to have Geshe Dagpa here, you know, to have His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the world, Lama Zopa Rinpoche. I mean, that's, I don't know, that's just incredible. I was talking to some people yesterday about, you know, their experiences with, you know, lamas who were... Report an error in the passage at 53:22 Highlight the passage at 53:22

53:54 Not real Lamas, right, who really had a lot of, you know, selfishness and people who were traumatized by, you know, following, let's say, invalid, unqualified Lamas. And, you know, here we are in this kind of little pure, this pure, little pure realm within saṃsāra, you know, with all these pure beings, these holy beings. Report an error in the passage at 53:54 Highlight the passage at 53:54

54:19 It's just amazing, you know. So, it's wonderful. To just sit back and appreciate that, right? And appreciate our own efforts. Okay, I still have a lot of attachment. Okay, I still have, you know, a lot of afflictions, but I have less than I did 10 years ago. You know, isn't that incredible? I know, I'm doing some practice and I have less, so I'm going in the right direction. Instead of constantly thinking about how we're falling short, but how we're actually making progress. Report an error in the passage at 54:19 Highlight the passage at 54:19

55:01 I was having a discussion with somebody about meditation. What is meditation? And technically, meditation is familiarization. And when we're practicing the Dharma and studying the Dharma, we're familiarizing ourselves with virtue. We're familiarizing ourselves with the causes for happiness. So the more we do that, the more we're creating the causes for happiness. How incredible. Report an error in the passage at 55:01 Highlight the passage at 55:01

55:32 And then you think about most of the people in the world and what they're familiarizing themselves with. If you're really focused on money, you're constantly familiarizing yourself with how to get more money. And so what is the karma for that? A lot of suffering in the future. It's very sad. But how amazing that we're familiarizing ourselves with virtue. Report an error in the passage at 55:32 Highlight the passage at 55:32

56:09 Rejoicing. So the texts say rejoicing is an easy way to accumulate merit. You just sit there and you rejoice in all of the, you know, you rejoice in the qualities of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Geshe Dagpa and Lama Zopa Rinpoche and, you know, the other holy beings Chodron Rinpoche. Report an error in the passage at 56:09 Highlight the passage at 56:09

56:33 You know, that just makes the mind happy, right? And then we're creating incredible merit, right? So it's said that if we rejoice, well, I mean, I've heard many different versions, but if we rejoice in the virtue of someone higher than us or more advanced in the spiritual path than we are, then we get half of their merit. Report an error in the passage at 56:33 Highlight the passage at 56:33

56:57 That's a really easy way to create a lot of merit because they're creating an incredible amount of merit, right? And if we feel happy about it, we could get half of it. Report an error in the passage at 56:57 Highlight the passage at 56:57

57:12 Half of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's merit. Report an error in the passage at 57:12 Highlight the passage at 57:12

57:18 And then if we rejoice in the merit of people at the same level as us, then we get the same amount of merit of people who aren't as far along the path. If we rejoice in theirs, Report an error in the passage at 57:18 Highlight the passage at 57:18

57:40 yeah, they don't get any. I didn't write down what that one was. Let's see what it says. Report an error in the passage at 57:40 Highlight the passage at 57:40

57:56 It says you accumulate twice as much merit that they acquire from their virtuous actions. So this is from a particular sūtra. I've heard different things in other sutras. So, pretty good. So not to forget about rejoicing. Report an error in the passage at 57:56 Highlight the passage at 57:56

58:22 And I hear a lot of people say, oh yeah, I never rejoice. And sometimes people have resistance to it because they think it's prideful or something, you know, to rejoice in your own merit. Report an error in the passage at 58:22 Highlight the passage at 58:22

58:34 But it's rejoicing that's not ego-based. It's not, oh, how great I am doing. Aren't I wonderful? It's how wonderful that I've had this wonderful opportunity to get these teachings into practice and just feeling happy about it. Rejoicing is about feeling happy. It's not about ego. It's just feeling happy. Report an error in the passage at 58:34 Highlight the passage at 58:34

59:03 It's a lot more fun to be happy on the path than to be miserable on the path. Report an error in the passage at 59:03 Highlight the passage at 59:03

59:16 Then the text says, as you recall the benefits of the five persons virtue, you develop joy. So the five types of persons here are the Buddhas, the Bodhisattvas. Report an error in the passage at 59:16 Highlight the passage at 59:16

59:27 Here it says solitary realizers and hearers. And then two types of hearers. Here's that are still on the path and here's that have become arhats, that have become liberated. And then fifth is all other ordinary beings. So here's and solitary realizers are types of Hinayana practitioners. Report an error in the passage at 59:27 Highlight the passage at 59:27

1:00:01 Okay, so there's this story, a little Tibetan story, that's really sweet. I always kind of... I think twice about reading you Tibetan stories because sometimes people have resistance to those. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:01 Highlight the passage at 1:00:01

1:00:21 But here, so this is a story about this king at the time of Buddha Shaky Muni where he threw this huge lavish dinner for the Buddha and thousands of other people. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:21 Highlight the passage at 1:00:21

1:00:39 And outside there was this beggar who didn't have anything. His name is... He would sleep outside of the palace of the king and as he saw this wonderful gathering that the king was holding, this beggar really rejoiced. How wonderful that the king has all of these resources that he can throw this incredible banquet for Buddha Shakyamuni. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:39 Highlight the passage at 1:00:39

1:01:11 You know, may I be able to do that in the future? You know, so really in a heartfelt way he rejoiced in it. And so that at the end of the dinner, you know, the Buddha was thanking various people. And let me get this right. So, oh, when he was dedicating the merit. And so he mentioned Sarata, this beggar, and he didn't mention the king, you know, and how much merit he created. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:11 Highlight the passage at 1:01:11

1:01:43 And he was saying, you know, how Surata created so much merit by rejoicing in this. And so one of his disciples asked, well, why are you dedicating the beggar's virtues and not the king's virtues? And the Buddha said, well, the king didn't create any merit because the king was doing this out of his own ego, you know, so that other people would be impressed by this wonderful dinner that he was throwing. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:43 Highlight the passage at 1:01:43

1:02:12 So he didn't create any merit. But the beggar through rejoicing created a lot of merit. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:12 Highlight the passage at 1:02:12

1:02:21 So then we don't have to have any money, right, to create merit for that. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:21 Highlight the passage at 1:02:21

1:02:41 Okay, then there's the next limb is requesting for the wheel of Dharma to be turned. Requesting for the wheel of Dharma to be turned is set out in the single stanza in the ten directions. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:41 Highlight the passage at 1:02:41

1:02:57 So the verse... Is you who are the bright lights of worlds in ten directions, who have attained a Buddha's omniscience through the stages of awakening, all you who are my guides, please turn the supreme wheel of Dharma. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:57 Highlight the passage at 1:02:57

1:03:13 So this is recognizing the value of the Buddha's teachings, the Buddha Dharma, and to request the Buddhists to... To continue to teach, to turn the wheel of Dharma for the benefit of sentient beings. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:13 Highlight the passage at 1:03:13

1:03:36 Also, really asking the Buddhists to emanate in all of the different forms to suit the different dispositions and interests of the disciples. So we need to teach in different ways to different kinds of beings to suit their particular personality. And their particular karma. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:36 Highlight the passage at 1:03:36

1:04:03 So here we're also showing our deep respect for the teachings by requesting the teachings. And then creating the karma for us to receive teachings again and again. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:03 Highlight the passage at 1:04:03

1:04:21 So here we can request, Report an error in the passage at 1:04:21 Highlight the passage at 1:04:21

1:04:26 we can visualize the merit field in front of us and request the merit field to teach. Also we... Or we can request our particular guru to teach or our particular deity to teach. And then we imagine many duplicates of our own body making this request. So the same kind of concept. And so when we're requesting, we visualize ourselves holding a golden wheel and making that request. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:26 Highlight the passage at 1:04:26

1:05:04 So we're kind of offering while we make this request. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:04 Highlight the passage at 1:05:04

1:05:17 So Buddha Report an error in the passage at 1:05:17 Highlight the passage at 1:05:17

1:05:29 Shakyamuni, when he became enlightened underneath the Bodhi tree, it said that he stayed in meditation for 49 days after he became enlightened. He didn't teach right away. And then he got up. And before he became enlightened, he had practiced... Meditation for six years with the ascetics and became really weak and really skinny. And then drank milk and sometimes they say yogurt or whatever it is and became stronger. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:29 Highlight the passage at 1:05:29

1:06:01 And then the five ascetics that he was meditating with became disgusted with the Buddha thinking that he was weak and he gave up the ascetic practice. And so they kind of wandered off. So after the Buddha became enlightened, he went in search of the ascetics so that he could teach them and show them the way to enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:01 Highlight the passage at 1:06:01

1:06:25 And when they saw him, they were determined, we're not going to stand up for him. He was weak and he abandoned the path. But through the Buddha's radiance, Right? They couldn't help themselves. They could just see, you know, who is this beautiful being, right? And so they, you know, they stood up and then the Buddha taught him, taught them and turned the three wheels of Dharma, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:06:25 Highlight the passage at 1:06:25

1:06:54 The first, second and third wheels, teaching the Four Noble Truths and teaching the perfection of wisdom and teaching the Chittamatra view. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:54 Highlight the passage at 1:06:54

1:07:08 And then there's the supplication. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:08 Highlight the passage at 1:07:08

1:07:14 Supplication is set out in the single stanza, showing the passage into nirvāṇa. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:14 Highlight the passage at 1:07:14

1:07:24 So here, with palms together, I earnestly request, you who may actualize para-nirvāṇa, please stay with us for eons numberless as atoms of the world, for the happiness and well-being of all wanderers and saṃsāra. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:24 Highlight the passage at 1:07:24

1:07:41 You supplicate those who show how to pass beyond sorrow in fields of the ten directions to stay. Not passing into nirvāṇa for as many eons as there are particles of dust in the universe in order to bring about the benefit and happiness of migrating beings. So here we're pleading with the Buddhas basically not to die. So here it says nirvāṇa. But technically speaking, nirvāṇa is eliminating all of the suffering, seeds of suffering. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:41 Highlight the passage at 1:07:41

1:08:16 But in this particular context, Nirvāṇa is referring to death. So we're pleading with the Buddhas not to die. We're pleading with, you know, our gurus, you know, please live for eons, right? Even though, you know, they can't live for eons. But we're asking them to please stay as long as possible, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:08:16 Highlight the passage at 1:08:16

1:08:45 So we're creating the causes right for them to stay. It's important to request the gurus to stay, to create the causes, to create the karma for ourselves and for all other, to request for them to stay for all beings, not just for me, but for all beings. We request them to stay. So that's why we do long life prayers for the gurus. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:45 Highlight the passage at 1:08:45

1:09:12 you know, for, um, we do. Long life pujas and things. Instead of taking them for granted and assuming they're just going to stay, we need to create the causes for them to stay. So we request. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:12 Highlight the passage at 1:09:12

1:09:31 So in reality, the Buddhas Report an error in the passage at 1:09:31 Highlight the passage at 1:09:31

1:09:36 don't die. They emanate in the world in accordance with our particular karma. So they emanate. Looking as ordinary beings because that's what we kind of expect. And so they show the aspect of aging and dying and sickness and all of that. But in reality they don't. They've gone beyond death. They're just emanating. So they could emanate and disappear if they wanted. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:36 Highlight the passage at 1:09:36

1:10:10 But for us they show these ordinary aspects. So we need to create the causes for them. To stay and not die Report an error in the passage at 1:10:10 Highlight the passage at 1:10:10

1:10:24 quickly. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:24 Highlight the passage at 1:10:24

1:10:37 And then Kishisupa says that this is also requesting the Buddhas and the Gurus to stay is an antidote to the negative karma that we've created in relation to the Buddhas, the Bodhisattvas, our Gurus. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:37 Highlight the passage at 1:10:37

1:10:56 Because here we're recognizing their value. Asking them to stay. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:56 Highlight the passage at 1:10:56

1:11:10 So maybe we'll, before we get to the dedication, we'll save the dedication for next time. And we'll go through the homework. Do people have homework nine? Report an error in the passage at 1:11:10 Highlight the passage at 1:11:10

1:11:46 So the first question goes from kind of way back from before our little break. But what are the drawbacks of relying incorrectly on the guru? Report an error in the passage at 1:11:46 Highlight the passage at 1:11:46

1:12:00 Peter. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:00 Highlight the passage at 1:12:00

1:12:06 You could potentially injure him or shorten his life. Okay. Anybody else? Report an error in the passage at 1:12:06 Highlight the passage at 1:12:06

1:12:22 You don't gain realizations. You perpetuate your endless circling in suffering existences. And you're never freed, never enlightened. And that's about it as far as I got it. You're just really in trouble. Right. Okay. right. Right. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:22 Highlight the passage at 1:12:22

1:12:52 Anything else? It gets even worse than that, Janet, Keith. I Report an error in the passage at 1:12:52 Highlight the passage at 1:12:52

1:13:07 think you can catch lots of bad illnesses and things like that in this life and others, so it's not a good thing to do. Yeah, okay, bad illnesses. And more from Janet? Report an error in the passage at 1:13:07 Highlight the passage at 1:13:07

1:13:25 Well, you create the causes also in future lives not to meet with the teachings, right? The teachings and the teachers. Yeah. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:25 Highlight the passage at 1:13:25

1:13:37 Anything else? Louis? Report an error in the passage at 1:13:37 Highlight the passage at 1:13:37

1:13:43 You create the causes for lower rebirths. Yeah. And also for, you know, that one about coming into a lower caste in your next human rebirth, which I think is just what Janet said, not having a precious human rebirth. Yeah. Yeah. A lot of suffering. Right. Yeah. So remember when we talked about how the Buddha was asked? Report an error in the passage at 1:13:43 Highlight the passage at 1:13:43

1:14:13 Vajradhara was asked what happens if you rely incorrectly on your guru, you conceive of faults, etc. And the Buddha said, don't ask me that. Don't ask me that you don't want to know. The suffering is so terrible. So lower rebirths, lower realms, hell realms actually, if it's bad enough. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:13 Highlight the passage at 1:14:13

1:14:38 The six preparatory practices we talked about. But why do we need the six preparatory practices? Why don't we just sit down and meditate? Maybe Report an error in the passage at 1:14:38 Highlight the passage at 1:14:38

1:14:52 we do. Just sit down and meditate. But why? Why do we need? Go ahead. We probably wouldn't have any focus, for one. If you don't create the place, you don't create the causes and conditions for creating the mind of meditating. You won't be able to. You don't. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:52 Highlight the passage at 1:14:52

1:15:17 I don't know how to say it. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:17 Highlight the passage at 1:15:17

1:15:21 Well, you need to create the merit and also purify in order to create the fertile ground for the teachings or the meditation to take effect. Yeah, yeah, exactly right. Because oftentimes we can't meditate because, or we can't get realizations because we have obscurations, right? So we need to purify or we haven't created the merit, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:15:21 Highlight the passage at 1:15:21

1:15:44 A lot of people who want to do long retreat, but they don't have the merit. Right, to do it. So we need to create merit and we need to purify in order to make progress on the path. And that's a foreign concept to us. I think we just, we, you know, culturally, we just sit down and we do, we do whatever it is that we want to do it, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:15:44 Highlight the passage at 1:15:44

1:16:05 What is this purifying and accumulating merit, you know, business? Let's just do it. Just go directly to, right, to the point. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:05 Highlight the passage at 1:16:05

1:16:17 But definitely, you know, I think the longer we're on the path, we really appreciate how important those two practices are and how amazing it is. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:17 Highlight the passage at 1:16:17

1:16:30 You know, I mean, you do a purification retreat and how suddenly things change for you. You know, suddenly the teachings are going in more deeply. Or just over time, right? We just notice how the teachings resonate more deeply over time. Right. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:30 Highlight the passage at 1:16:30

1:16:53 Okay. Did somebody else have their hand up? Hillary. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:53 Highlight the passage at 1:16:53

1:17:00 There was one thing in Yangtze Rinpoche's book that I thought that really resonated with me about in the cleaning of someone's dwelling about that it's like I would think of it as Managing my internal environment through managing my external environment about that when you're cleaning your dwelling, you're thinking of it, it's really representing, it's its own thing, but it's also representing clearing away the delusions. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:00 Highlight the passage at 1:17:00

1:17:32 And he goes through this list of eight worldly dharmas, cleansing the eight worldly dharmas. And I thought that was really helpful. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. That's a nice segue into question number three. Briefly explain how one engages in the first preparatory practice, cleaning one's dwelling and setting up representations of the body, speech and mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:32 Highlight the passage at 1:17:32

1:18:17 So you should make the room clean and neat. Same thing with the altar. Everything should be nice. And then for the, you should have the setup of the holy body, speech and mind, which is the statue of the Buddha. Or if you don't have a statue, a picture of the Buddha for the body. The text, usually it's a perfection of wisdom text for the speech. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:17 Highlight the passage at 1:18:17

1:18:45 And then a stupa representing the mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:45 Highlight the passage at 1:18:45

1:18:52 Okay. Wow, I give you a lot of questions. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:52 Highlight the passage at 1:18:52

1:19:03 But they're all important. Number four, when laying out offerings, what is appropriate and what is inappropriate? Report an error in the passage at 1:19:03 Highlight the passage at 1:19:03

1:19:15 Just briefly, Lewis. Peter. Appropriate offerings or actual or imagined offerings that you have gotten through legitimate means and inappropriate offerings would be those that you've gotten through illegitimate means, i.e. stealing or taking somebody else's offerings or things along those lines. Yeah, good. Okay, perfect. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:15 Highlight the passage at 1:19:15

1:19:47 Anything else on that one? Sarah. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:47 Highlight the passage at 1:19:47

1:19:52 It was also important to not... Sort of cling to them as my offerings, which is an inappropriate way of offering it. Yeah. Okay. And then behind you, Janet. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:52 Highlight the passage at 1:19:52

1:20:09 Shouldn't the offerings also be gained through, let's see, what's the right word? Through virtuous means or through, not through right livelihood. Yeah, that's, I had it for a second ago and I lost it by the time. Yeah, right livelihood. Like if you're a, Report an error in the passage at 1:20:09 Highlight the passage at 1:20:09

1:20:29 Cattle slaughter or something and you use the money that you gain from that to buy offerings is not too good. Right. Good. All right. Anything else? Anybody else? Report an error in the passage at 1:20:29 Highlight the passage at 1:20:29

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

1:20:51 Peter. Shouldn't they also be as nice as you can either offer physically or through mental transformation? Yeah. Right. Should be fine miserly. Not miserly. Right. Right. Excellent. Okay, good. Also, it's a tradition, right, to make offerings while covering your mouth, too. I didn't mention that last time, you know, like when you do water bowls, you know, so you don't breathe on the offerings with our impure breath. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:51 Highlight the passage at 1:20:51

1:21:30 Like if you notice, you know, the monks. Whenever they serve the guru or if they're passing out substances in a particular puja or whatever, they put their zen in their mouth. The upper robe in their mouth. Well, a piece of it, right? Not the whole thing. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:30 Highlight the passage at 1:21:30

1:21:57 A little joking sounds. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:57 Highlight the passage at 1:21:57

1:22:07 So that's the purest way to make offerings, right? For mindfulness as well as, you know, for purity. Because we're supposed to offer the purest things, right? Keith? I just remember when we did water bowl offerings in Bajra Pani Institute, we smudged the glasses before we put the water in. Smudge them. Well, you don't smudge them, but you put incense? Incense, well that's what I mean, smudging. That's smudging. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:07 Highlight the passage at 1:22:07

1:22:39 Right, the smoke from the incense to purify. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:39 Highlight the passage at 1:22:39

1:22:53 I imagined you like putting the... Okay, right. Like putting out your cigarette in the water bowl. Okay. Okay. See, I wasn't familiar with that lingo. Okay. And then... The seven points of the Verachana posture. What's one of them? Straight back. Okay, what else? Cross legs. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:53 Highlight the passage at 1:22:53

1:23:37 This is really good. Okay, straight relaxed shoulders, right? Eyes looking down toward the nose. Chin tightly tucked. I think that's part of that one. No, no, no, no. Oh, I think the chin was with the shoulders. Neck one? Neck. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:37 Highlight the passage at 1:23:37

1:24:10 Right, the head and the chin, right. Okay. Okay. And then, oh yeah, there's one more. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:10 Highlight the passage at 1:24:10

1:24:27 Yeah, yeah, yeah. Jay, you want to tell the joke about the nose? I think I mentioned it last week, but it'll be more funny when you say it. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:27 Highlight the passage at 1:24:27

1:24:45 He was talking about you, Jay. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:45 Highlight the passage at 1:24:45

1:24:56 Is Report an error in the passage at 1:24:56 Highlight the passage at 1:24:56

1:25:03 the tongue at the roof of your mouth, lightly at the roof of your mouth, and that's not part of it? Yeah. I'm a little sensitive Report an error in the passage at 1:25:03 Highlight the passage at 1:25:03

1:25:10 Oh, okay, because I didn't hear that. Somebody mentioned that quietly, I think. Oh, okay. Yeah, we did that without the microphone. You were repeating them, so you did well. Yeah, right. Yeah, I think Jay mentioned the tongue at the top of the mouth, right, so that prevents the saliva. Okay. Hillary. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:10 Highlight the passage at 1:25:10

1:25:35 I think there's, I mean, yeah, it probably can be broken down in slightly different ways, because although I didn't find, Um. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:35 Highlight the passage at 1:25:35

1:25:44 I actually didn't even look for my notes from a class years ago Geshe-la gave and he didn't mention the hands and I questioned him about it and he said actually in the sūtra that's not mentioned and that it's actually a tantric, it's more important in tantra to have your hands that way. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:44 Highlight the passage at 1:25:44

1:26:03 He didn't, yeah I mean obviously it's not inappropriate but he said he didn't find it mentioned in sūtra texts. But he did give us seven postures and I think All seven were included in the way you presented it, so I don't know. I guess there's just different ways of breaking it down. Yeah, I've seen different lists as well, but I couldn't find them when I was preparing. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:03 Highlight the passage at 1:26:03

1:26:34 Very common in Galupa, different lists. So we don't grasp. It's the right way, though. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:34 Highlight the passage at 1:26:34

1:26:45 Okay, good. So, all right. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:45 Highlight the passage at 1:26:45

1:26:47 Janet, did you have a question too? Report an error in the passage at 1:26:47 Highlight the passage at 1:26:47

1:26:57 It was kind of about the hands too, but taking the fact that it wasn't even mentioned in the sūtra, I don't know how important it is. Because I had heard that the hands should be approximately four finger widths below the navel with the right hand on top of the left and the thumbs touching and there's like very specifics, but I guess maybe that's kind of in that same category of what you said. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:57 Highlight the passage at 1:26:57

1:27:25 texts. Yeah, you know, I mean, there are different traditions. There are different ways of meditating. Some traditions they do, the left hand on top of the right and some with hands on the knees. So I wouldn't grasp to any of these things. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:25 Highlight the passage at 1:27:25

1:27:53 Yeah. And I probably won't be able to find it here, but... Report an error in the passage at 1:27:53 Highlight the passage at 1:27:53

1:28:05 I remember reading something about the background of these seven and there's a particular history to them and why these particular seven were laid out, not to say that these are carved in gold or these are the only way to do it. But each of these has a particular reason, right? It's helpful for the concentration. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:05 Highlight the passage at 1:28:05

1:28:33 But it doesn't mean it's the only way to do it. And I find with different kinds of meditations, it's useful to do the hands in different ways. Like if you're doing kind of meditation on the nature of the mind, I find it's less useful to do this and more useful to be more spacious in front, just personally. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:33 Highlight the passage at 1:28:33

1:28:55 I don't know what other people think. But if you're constant, like really trying to focus, you know, do shine or something, then this seems to be better. I know. But that's just my own experience. It has to do with... Report an error in the passage at 1:28:55 Highlight the passage at 1:28:55

1:29:14 Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:14 Highlight the passage at 1:29:14

1:29:17 Right. So, yeah. Why don't you just speak in the microphone? It generally has to do with the channels and where the energy runs with each different mudrā. And also, sometimes it depends on how long you're sitting. Because sometimes if you put... You can't really keep your hands on your knees for like three hours because your shoulders start to hurt. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:17 Highlight the passage at 1:29:17

1:29:39 With some people, it's better for them to just practically lay the right hand over the left because it's easier for the arms and the shoulders. There's all kinds of reasons. Okay. Yeah. And His Holiness was also saying about the eyes, you know, how about in different practices? Sometimes you're looking up or sometimes you're looking straight out. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:39 Highlight the passage at 1:29:39

1:30:02 Sometimes you're looking down at the nose. So it depends on the context. No, you're never doing that. Okay. And then number six, briefly describe how one should visualize the merit field. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:02 Highlight the passage at 1:30:02

1:30:22 We should all be able to answer this because we visualize it every day. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:22 Highlight the passage at 1:30:22

1:30:31 Peter. There are two ways to visualize the merit field, at least. One way is to visualize Lama Tsongkhapa at the center surrounded by all the... Fully enlightened beings, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Gandharvas, gods, Asuras, protector deities, blah, blah, blah. That's one way. The other way is you can visualize Shakyamuni Buddha in the center with a figure of Maitreya to your left, the Buddha's right, representing wisdom. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:31 Highlight the passage at 1:30:31

1:31:03 What's his name? Manjushri to the Buddha's left. Oh, it wasn't inauspicious. It's all right. And to the Buddha's right facing you. And that represents the method wing also surrounded by gods, as sure as he hears, protective deities, et cetera, as much as you're able to filling space. That is almost perfect. What did I leave out? So who represents the method side? Report an error in the passage at 1:31:03 Highlight the passage at 1:31:03

1:31:31 method side is Isn't the method side Manjushri and the wisdom side is Maitreya? Or do I have it reversed? Manjushri is the deity of wisdom. Oh, well I often do that, so okay. My bad. It shows you how much progress I've made through meditation. So on the Buddha's left is the wisdom side, the profound side, and so that's Manjushri. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:31 Highlight the passage at 1:31:31

1:32:01 And on the Buddha's right is the method side. It's Maitreya. Okay. Good. You have Report an error in the passage at 1:32:01 Highlight the passage at 1:32:01

1:32:23 them. Oh, no, I just meant on our... Oh, on the altar. Because I was looking up at that talk and I thought, well, you can see really well because I can't see. I can't see that at all. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:23 Highlight the passage at 1:32:23

1:32:42 But just... Huh? Sorry? have them. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:42 Highlight the passage at 1:32:42

1:32:48 I really don't think this needs to be on the mic because it's rearranging the agampa, but I was saying that probably the Manjushri should be on the left side, the statue should be reversed, and Chittimanataro, because of her ready to spring into action, probably would be more aligned in some ways with method. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:48 Highlight the passage at 1:32:48

1:33:16 That makes sense, yeah. But traditionally, the left represents wisdom and the right represents method. Then Report an error in the passage at 1:33:16 Highlight the passage at 1:33:16

1:33:30 you have the other argument of male and female energies or masculine and feminine. Oh, we can get very complicated if we want. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:30 Highlight the passage at 1:33:30

1:33:43 So we won't critique the altar too much. Okay. And then... Quickly, the last question, why is it important to accumulate merit and purify negativities? We kind of already talked about that. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:43 Highlight the passage at 1:33:43

1:34:03 So, oh, I forgot to make copies of Homework 10. Okay, so people, yeah, I'll email it to you. Yeah, if Mary would make copies really quickly. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:03 Highlight the passage at 1:34:03

1:34:22 Oh, do you have? Report an error in the passage at 1:34:22 Highlight the passage at 1:34:22

1:34:27 And just one quick announcement. I had mentioned that next week we would move up to the room upstairs. And I'm not sure if it's actually going to happen next week or the week after. I think it's actually going to happen in two weeks. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:27 Highlight the passage at 1:34:27

1:34:46 Well, that's... Well, Chucky mentioned... Chucky measured and said that there should be 20 that could fit in that room. So I'm... Yeah. So it'll be... Uh-huh. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:46 Highlight the passage at 1:34:46

1:35:17 Well, you know, let's try it out. We'll try it out. We'll try and see. I mean, tonight we have a good showing. Sometimes we have, you know, fewer people. But yeah, Report an error in the passage at 1:35:17 Highlight the passage at 1:35:17

1:35:34 okay. Well, maybe we'll be really creative about how we set it up. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:34 Highlight the passage at 1:35:34