Basic Program - Buddhism From A-Z (24 October 2008)

0:00 Okay, so we've been talking about the precious human rebirth or the perfect human rebirth. And we talked about the eight leisures and the ten endowments. Can you all hear me? Is this working? That constitute the precious human rebirth. Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:22 And then we got to the section on the bottom of page 39. That was considering their great value. Report an error in the passage at 0:22 Highlight the passage at 0:22

0:44 So we already talked about the section on considering the inappropriateness of someone with this special base acting like an animal. So we talked about how if our lives are just about pursuing pleasure, temporary pleasures, then that's similar to living like an animal. So since we have this precious opportunity, it's good to use it. It's good to use it to create. Report an error in the passage at 0:44 Highlight the passage at 0:44

1:11 More causes for happiness in future lives. So we got to I think we didn't start this section on how a body of leisure and endowments is best. Report an error in the passage at 1:11 Highlight the passage at 1:11

1:29 So for the accomplishment of the Mahāyāna path, a base like the one explained earlier is necessary. In the letter to a disciple, it says the base of the path of those gone to bliss, the tool for leading beings. That very strength of mind, a strength that human beings have gained, that path has not been found by gods or nagas, nor by asuras, not by Garudas, Vidyadharas, Kinnaras or snakes. Report an error in the passage at 1:29 Highlight the passage at 1:29

2:01 Okay. So Vidyadharas, I knew you would ask that question. So Vidyadharas, I looked in the footnotes in the Lam Rimchenmo. And it says that Vidyadharas are bewitching women. So we won't talk about that. So, and Garudas are those birds. Report an error in the passage at 2:01 Highlight the passage at 2:01

2:34 Yeah, very special birds, like the size of human beings or something. And Kanaras are demigods of the Himalayas. Report an error in the passage at 2:34 Highlight the passage at 2:34

2:50 So, but basically the... The gist of this is helping us understand even more how this precious human rebirth, we have this very special, I don't know, power or ability. So all of these other beings don't have them. Actually, it's considered a human being is the best possible rebirth for realizing emptiness directly. Report an error in the passage at 2:50 Highlight the passage at 2:50

3:21 Did I already talk to you about this last week? Report an error in the passage at 3:21 Highlight the passage at 3:21

3:29 You wouldn't remember it. So the ticket out of saṃsāra is what? Report an error in the passage at 3:29 Highlight the passage at 3:29

3:41 What is that realization that gets you, that direct perception or the direct realization of emptiness? So that is like the... Kind of the threshold for when you stop becoming an ordinary being and you're on your way out of saṃsāra. Everything else that we're doing is maybe creating causes for happiness in future lives. Report an error in the passage at 3:41 Highlight the passage at 3:41

4:07 But we need that direct realization of emptiness to get out of saṃsāra. And to get that direct realization of emptiness, pretty much you have to be a human being. Report an error in the passage at 4:07 Highlight the passage at 4:07

4:22 Form and formless realm beings, even though they have high rebirth, they can't realize emptiness directly for the first time. If they've realized emptiness directly in a previous life, then they can realize it again. But for the first time, reach the path of seeing, you have to be a human being for the most part. Report an error in the passage at 4:22 Highlight the passage at 4:22

4:45 The texts say some of the desire realm gods. Can realize emptiness directly for the first time only if they've had strong imprints from a previous life of study and meditation. So actually, so you have to be a human being to realize emptiness directly. I mean, also, you know, it's the best rebirth for getting renunciation, generating bodhicitta and things like that as well. Report an error in the passage at 4:45 Highlight the passage at 4:45

5:18 So Lama Tsongkhapa continues by saying, Furthermore, although some gods of the desire realm with strong habitual tendencies from having previously trained on the path on a human basis are suitable as a basis for seeing the truths for the first time, it is impossible to attain the aria path for the first time on an upper realm basis. Report an error in the passage at 5:18 Highlight the passage at 5:18

5:39 So that's why we're talking about the aria path being the, once you realize emptiness directly, you become an aria. Report an error in the passage at 5:39 Highlight the passage at 5:39

5:48 However, as explained before, the desire realm gods are said to be for the most part an unfree state and therefore not the best basis for attaining the path for the first time. Report an error in the passage at 5:48 Highlight the passage at 5:48

6:07 Yeah, so we talked about that before, about how desire realm gods, right, they don't experience, I mean, they experience bliss, right, bliss and happiness all the time, right, so there's not enough suffering for them to generate renunciation. Or dissatisfaction with saṃsāra. So it's not actually a good rebirth. Even though you're experiencing bliss and pleasure all the time, you're basically using up your good karma. Report an error in the passage at 6:07 Highlight the passage at 6:07

6:40 And you're not so propelled to practice the Dharma. Report an error in the passage at 6:40 Highlight the passage at 6:40

6:48 And then again, an inhabitant of the continent of Uttarakuru is unsuitable as a basis for vows, which is why the basis of the other three continents is praised. And out of those, especially the inhabitants of Jambudvipa. Okay. So this is talking about... Buddhist cosmology. If you've ever done the mandala offerings, there's Mount Meru, the four continents, the eight subcontinents. Report an error in the passage at 6:48 Highlight the passage at 6:48

7:23 So this is the cosmology adopted from India, right? That maybe is kind of difficult for us to... To really buy into. But basically, so there's said to be four continents. And we live in the Jambudvipa continent, which is the southern continent. I mean, it's called a continent. But my understanding of it is it's this world system. This world system is Jambudvipa. Report an error in the passage at 7:23 Highlight the passage at 7:23

8:02 And then these other continents are other world systems. Okay, so I'm going to give you a little bit of information about these four continents. And it's very interesting, you know, I don't know if you'll believe it or not, but it's very interesting, at least I find. Report an error in the passage at 8:02 Highlight the passage at 8:02

8:22 So it said that, okay, there's a northern continent here. Report an error in the passage at 8:22 Highlight the passage at 8:22

8:33 Okay, so let's talk about, we're in the southern continent, the Jambutvipa, where our lifespan is not fixed, right? Well, we all know this, right? We can die at the age of 10 or the age of 90, whatever. And so this is a good basis for generating renunciation, right? When we don't know that we can die, and then we really want to, that's a motivating factor to practice now. Also, when we see people dying young, it causes us to question. Report an error in the passage at 8:33 Highlight the passage at 8:33

9:10 So that's a particularly beneficial condition to practice the Dharma. Whereas there are these three other continents, the eastern continent, the western continent and the northern continent, all of them have fixed lifespans. So it's predetermined how long you're going to live. Report an error in the passage at 9:10 Highlight the passage at 9:10

9:44 So then it's harder to develop renunciation because you know exactly how long you're going to live. And then the humans of the northern continent have a fixed lifespan of a thousand years. Report an error in the passage at 9:44 Highlight the passage at 9:44

10:02 So there's no untimely death, right? You can't die in a car accident. You can't get, you know, cancer. Sounds pretty nice. Report an error in the passage at 10:02 Highlight the passage at 10:02

10:12 But in the northern continent, they're all naturally well off. They easily obtain crops without need to sow seeds. They don't need to work in business. They easily obtain everything that they need. So they don't feel like they need the Dharma. Not much suffering there. Report an error in the passage at 10:12 Highlight the passage at 10:12

10:33 So Gishu Jampuyasso says, in short, our human body is the best, best, best. Report an error in the passage at 10:33 Highlight the passage at 10:33

10:44 So, so we have obtained this body now. Therefore, it is necessary to utilize it to practice the Dharma, to develop our inner qualities so that our realizations will grow. This is our job. So, so basically, that's what this is talking about here, where inhabitant of the continent of Uttarakuru. I forget which of the continents that is, but it is an unsuitable basis for vows. So the human beings of that continent can't even take vows. Report an error in the passage at 10:44 Highlight the passage at 10:44

11:26 And then, right, Jambudhipa is the best for the reasons we already talked about. Report an error in the passage at 11:26 Highlight the passage at 11:26

11:43 Then, yes, trying to ski. I'm sorry. Well, I'll make it quick. So this lovely continent where you live to be a thousand and have everything you need, what is their karma when that life ends? Because it sounds pretty good the way you're describing it. I mean, it's good in the same way that the God realms are good, right? Report an error in the passage at 11:43 Highlight the passage at 11:43

12:10 You experience a lot of pleasure, but you're not very motivated to practice the Dharma. So basically, if you're experiencing pleasure and you're getting everything that you want, then once again you're using up your good karma. And so if we're using up our good karma at a greater rate than we're creating it, then we're probably going to be reborn in the lower realms. Report an error in the passage at 12:10 Highlight the passage at 12:10

12:37 So they would fall into lower realms from not creating any positive merit? Yeah, if they don't practice. Report an error in the passage at 12:37 Highlight the passage at 12:37

12:47 I mean, you don't practice virtue, right? You don't have to be Buddhist to create virtue. But if you're not creating more virtue than non-virtue, then we fall in the lower realms. Report an error in the passage at 12:47 Highlight the passage at 12:47

13:01 Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 13:01 Highlight the passage at 13:01

13:05 Okay. Any other questions on that subject? I Report an error in the passage at 13:05 Highlight the passage at 13:05

13:15 think His Holiness, his latest book is The Universe in a Single Atom. I may have the title incorrect, but basically, is that correct? My reading of that was that he takes the traditional Buddhist cosmology to have been kind of disproven by modern science and doesn't take it literally. It's not to be taken literally, but that was my reading of it. Report an error in the passage at 13:15 Highlight the passage at 13:15

13:42 Yeah, yeah. I haven't read that book, so I don't know exactly. Well, I mean... That's what I took from reading it. Yeah. Yeah. It's... Right. I mean, it's... No, nothing to do with practice, just that literally, obviously, they found out that things were a little different than they thought a thousand years ago in Tibet. Report an error in the passage at 13:42 Highlight the passage at 13:42

14:11 That's all. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, he, um... Report an error in the passage at 14:11 Highlight the passage at 14:11

14:13 Yeah, and I think there are different interpretations of this, because if you take these four continents to be all on the Earth, then you'd say that it's disproved. But if there are other world systems that we don't know about, we can't. Report an error in the passage at 14:13 Highlight the passage at 14:13

14:41 You're just discounting other scientific theories. A literalist translation of a physical universe, yeah, probably. But there are other. so. Report an error in the passage at 14:41 Highlight the passage at 14:41

14:53 Schools of thought in quantum mechanics. Report an error in the passage at 14:53 Highlight the passage at 14:53

15:01 Yeah, I mean, and also it's limited by, you know, science is limited by our perceptions, right, what we can perceive. So, but yeah, so this kind of thing, I mean, you don't have to, right, we don't have to believe it. But it's very interesting, it's very specific in the scriptures, you know, the lifespan is, you know, a thousand years in this place and things. It doesn't seem like it's something that's just totally... Report an error in the passage at 15:01 Highlight the passage at 15:01

15:25 Fabricated by somebody's mind. But who knows? It's not an essential thing that we have to believe. But I present it because it's in the texts. And we spent a long time in Italy studying Buddhist cosmology. And I remember my own mind just going, I don't want to fill my mind with all of this. but, but my, you My teacher really felt that it was beneficial for us to know it. Maybe it was just because it's in the text or whatever. So I just present it and then we can digest it the way that we feel comfortable with, I think. Report an error in the passage at 15:25 Highlight the passage at 15:25

16:10 But I think that we don't have to believe in all those other continents to progress on the path. Okay. All right. Report an error in the passage at 16:10 Highlight the passage at 16:10

16:25 Then there's how to train in the wish to take the essence. Having brought to mind those two objectives. Consequently, why would I act in such a way that an excellent base like this one I have gained does not have a result? If I did not make it meaningful, could there be a greater self-betrayal and a bigger stupidity? Having passed through many perilous places of unfreedom, such as the bad migrations, again and again, if I were to... Report an error in the passage at 16:25 Highlight the passage at 16:25

16:57 If I were to go back to those places, forsaking this one-off liberation is meaningless. It would be like turning mindless, as though stupefied by a magic spell. By way of thoughts like these, you should meditate again and again. Report an error in the passage at 16:57 Highlight the passage at 16:57

17:15 So I think for most of us, we don't usually think so much about past lives and future lives. We mostly think about just this life. Report an error in the passage at 17:15 Highlight the passage at 17:15

17:26 But then if we can try to get our minds around... The fact that we've lived since beginningless time, we've lived forever, then we've had countless lives before this. Report an error in the passage at 17:26 Highlight the passage at 17:26

17:40 And we'll get into this a little bit later, but if we think about the opportunity that we have right now, it's very special, it's very unique. If we think about how many people have... Precious human rebirth, how many people have the Dharma, how many people have a center to go to, how many people have the ability to understand the teachings, the leisure to practice them, versus how many beings are in this world. Report an error in the passage at 17:40 Highlight the passage at 17:40

18:21 It's a very, very small proportion. Report an error in the passage at 18:21 Highlight the passage at 18:21

18:28 so. According to the teachings, we've lived forever and we've had all of these lives in the lower realms, in the upper realms, in the lower realms again, in the upper realms and all of that. But very few of these precious human rebirths. So if we look in the overall scheme of things, when you get that kind of opportunity, you don't want to waste it. Report an error in the passage at 18:28 Highlight the passage at 18:28

18:55 Because if we waste this life... We don't practice, we don't create causes for a good rebirth in the next life, then you fall to the lower realms. Once you're in the lower realms, it's very difficult to create virtue, very difficult to create the cause to get out of the lower realms once you're there. Report an error in the passage at 18:55 Highlight the passage at 18:55

19:21 So I think when we think about, we meditate on that again and again. We start really appreciating how rare and special this opportunity is, and we really want to use it. We really want to use it instead of thinking, oh, I'll get another life like this next time, which is maybe what most of us think. Oh, yeah, life, that's not that bad. I've got the Dharma and all this, and so when I'm reborn in my next life, what does that look like? When people think about their next life, what do people think it's going to look like? Report an error in the passage at 19:21 Highlight the passage at 19:21

19:58 Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 19:58 Highlight the passage at 19:58

20:07 And we tend to think we're going to look the same, right? Or I do, you know, because I identify very strongly with being female and tall and, you know, Asian. It's hard to imagine that I'll be, you know, some short, you know, short, balding little guy, you know. Report an error in the passage at 20:07 Highlight the passage at 20:07

20:27 I mean, that's just not me, you know. But it's really unrealistic, right? Report an error in the passage at 20:27 Highlight the passage at 20:27

20:38 But realistically, you know, we don't know, right? We don't know what our next life holds. So it's good to practice as best as we can, right? Not like a maniac, right? Because sometimes you see that, right? Oh, I've got to practice, you know, as much as possible. But, you know, practicing, you know, moment by moment, just trying to have a virtuous mind and counteract the mental afflictions and, you know, and just... Report an error in the passage at 20:38 Highlight the passage at 20:38

21:07 Slowly, slowly creating those causes for happiness in the future and causes to get out of some sorrow, hopefully. But at least the causes for a good rebirth in the future. Report an error in the passage at 21:07 Highlight the passage at 21:07

21:22 Did you have a question? Report an error in the passage at 21:22 Highlight the passage at 21:22

21:28 It occurred to me some small time ago about how I'm thinking about past lives and how just something that has really sort of changed that thought for me is that in thinking about even just this life. When I was a child or when I was hanging out with my friends or all the different things I've done and different jobs I've had and different positions I've been in and not always having lived in San Francisco near Dharma teachings, how completely helpless I was to even get to the Dharma at that time. Report an error in the passage at 21:28 Highlight the passage at 21:28

21:59 I mean when I wasn't able to make my own choices or wasn't even aware of the Dharma obviously. And not only that, I had this really fixed reality in which I went to bed. Woke up in the morning and I had these things I was looking for and wanted to do and those were like happiness to me. And so it's not such a far jump I think to lives after that, to next lives and past lives. Report an error in the passage at 21:59 Highlight the passage at 21:59

22:21 Because things have changed so drastically in just this one life. To be lucky and have the Dharma now and to know so many people. So well, if you look at your friends that you grew up with who didn't turn left when you turn left. Or whatever. Or have that karma ripen. But that was just something that occurred to me once when thinking about past lives and they started to become very much more real to me at that time. I mean, even though I obviously have no memory of any of them or anything, but it seems like a very real possibility to me. Report an error in the passage at 22:21 Highlight the passage at 22:21

22:51 Just based on the different people I've been in this life and the different circumstances. Yeah. Yeah, that's true. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 22:51 Highlight the passage at 22:51

23:03 And I think about my previous incarnation, I was a management consultant. You know, and that feels like such, you know, in the corporate world, you know, in Silicon Valley and, you know, working 12, 14 hours a day. And it just feels like a different lifetime ago, you know, a different person. Report an error in the passage at 23:03 Highlight the passage at 23:03

23:27 And I really, really appreciate the perfect human rebirth when I think about my state of mind back then and think about how much. um, Report an error in the passage at 23:27 Highlight the passage at 23:27

23:38 I was searching for what life was about, you know, searching for meaning and, you know, and not knowing where to look and, you know, it was just this, it was this very anxious feeling, right? And really don't want to be reborn again, not having the Dharma with that anxious feeling, you know, constantly looking, what is all this all about? Report an error in the passage at 23:38 Highlight the passage at 23:38

24:02 And, you know, if somebody dies, you know, being, you know. Completely torn up about it as if, you know, what is the purpose of this? You know, why is this happening? Because we see that all the time with people we love, right? Somebody dies and they just can't get over it at all. They can't understand it. It's the why, why, why, why. And with the Dharma, we know why, right? Report an error in the passage at 24:02 Highlight the passage at 24:02

24:28 It's not that it's not painful, but it loses all of the, you know, kind of the inner angst, right, with the Dharma. So it's such a shame, you know, it would be such a shame if we had to go through, you know, lifetimes again of being without the Dharma after we get this like taste, right? We want to keep creating the causes to have the Dharma again and again. Report an error in the passage at 24:28 Highlight the passage at 24:28

24:59 And then, you know, and then the end of our lives, you know, it would be good to look back on our lives and be happy about the way that we spent our lives. Like, yeah, instead of looking back and thinking, oh, I could have lived it so differently, you know, I could have really. I could have really practiced. I could have done this. I could have done that. Report an error in the passage at 24:59 Highlight the passage at 24:59

25:25 It's like, have you ever thought back on, you know, your youth and thought, oh, I should, you know, when I was young, I should have, I should have traveled. I should have blah, you know, whatever, you know. Report an error in the passage at 25:25 Highlight the passage at 25:25

25:41 So this is a great, great, amazing chance to get out of, Report an error in the passage at 25:41 Highlight the passage at 25:41

25:51 to get out of that cycle of creating non-virtue again and again. Report an error in the passage at 25:51 Highlight the passage at 25:51

26:18 And if we... If we don't use it, it's like the biggest loss that you can possibly have. If you have a million dollars and you lose it, you feel pretty bad about it. But life goes on, whatever. But here if we don't use our perfect human rebirth and we're reborn in the lower realms, Report an error in the passage at 26:18 Highlight the passage at 26:18

26:52 Then we're talking about, you know, thousands of years of suffering, right? Like how awful would it be if we were born in the middle of a war zone in Iraq in the next life and all you had in that whole life was, you know, bombs going off around you, your loved ones dying all the time. You know, fear, violence, hatred everywhere. Report an error in the passage at 26:52 Highlight the passage at 26:52

27:35 To think that we can prevent that, right? To think that we can prevent that and we don't. Report an error in the passage at 27:35 Highlight the passage at 27:35

27:58 So it's really a matter, I think, of looking at, you know, the activities that we engage in and what is the long-term benefit of them, right? And how, deciding how we really want to spend our lives. Not that, you know. That most of us are ready to give everything up and shave our heads and become monks and nuns. But at least deciding kind of realistically what we can do. Report an error in the passage at 27:58 Highlight the passage at 27:58

28:24 And then organizing our lives so that we can really focus on practicing the Dharma as much as we can. Really simplifying our lives as much as we can and giving up the... Report an error in the passage at 28:24 Highlight the passage at 28:24

28:40 A million dollar house, the dream of a million dollar house or whatever it is. Maybe we don't have to take as many vacations or buy a new car. Report an error in the passage at 28:40 Highlight the passage at 28:40

28:52 It's amazing what we can do to simplify our lives so that we can work less and focus more on formal Dharma practice. Then we can always practice. We need to practice. In all of our activities, right? But if we don't do formal practice, then I think it's harder to do practice throughout the day, right? Report an error in the passage at 28:52 Highlight the passage at 28:52

29:17 Because the formal practice really helps the rest of the day. So, I Report an error in the passage at 29:17 Highlight the passage at 29:17

29:28 know for myself, sometimes I think, oh, it would be really nice to get my own place again, you know, because I always lived by myself before. And now I live, you know, with a family and a house and a room and it's nice. But, you know, you get that, oh, I just want my own place. And then I think, OK, well, that would be a thousand dollars a month and then I'd have to get another job. And then how many hours a week would I have to spend just so I can have my own place? Report an error in the passage at 29:28 Highlight the passage at 29:28

29:55 Oh, it's not really worth it. You know, because it's not as if, you know, you get your own place, you get that thing and then. Report an error in the passage at 29:55 Highlight the passage at 29:55

30:05 Right. And then and then what? Still have to deal with your mind and then you have to. You have to spend so many hours working just to pay for that. So we talked about that last week. You buy a house and you spend the rest of your life trying to pay it off. Report an error in the passage at 30:05 Highlight the passage at 30:05

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

30:35 then Lama Tsongkhapa says, In engaging in the bodhisattva behavior, it says, Having found this kind of leisure, not to cultivate what is virtuous, no betrayal could be a greater. Nothing could be more deluded than that. And having found this place so rare, hard to find and beneficial, if I, well aware of it, were taken to that hell again, as if deluded by magic spells, has my mind here wasted away? Report an error in the passage at 30:35 Highlight the passage at 30:35

31:11 Through what delusion I do not know either. What has become of my mind, my feelings? I Report an error in the passage at 31:11 Highlight the passage at 31:11

31:31 think that's pretty self-explanatory. Report an error in the passage at 31:31 Highlight the passage at 31:31

31:48 Then the next outline is the inappropriateness of returning empty-handed, giving that not only ultimate but also temporary objectives are easily accomplished. Report an error in the passage at 31:48 Highlight the passage at 31:48

32:00 Thus you should also consider the method that allows you easily to attain the causes of a higher realm body, resources and a retinue, which are not only greatly meaningful from an ultimate but also from a temporary point of view by means of this basis. Report an error in the passage at 32:00 Highlight the passage at 32:00

32:17 Practicing giving. Ethical discipline, patience and so on. If you do not apply yourself day and night to the causes of those two by means of that greatly meaningful basis, it would seem like returning empty handed from an island of precious jewels. Report an error in the passage at 32:17 Highlight the passage at 32:17

32:34 So our precious human rebirth, much more precious than an island of precious jewels. Or like, I was trying to think of a modern day example. Report an error in the passage at 32:34 Highlight the passage at 32:34

32:50 If you had like the winning lottery ticket, you know, of $100 million or whatever the lottery goes up to, and you threw it away, like not knowing, like we would feel terrible, right? Report an error in the passage at 32:50 Highlight the passage at 32:50

33:06 But wasting this life and not practicing would be, you know, even more of a waste, right? So then here, Lama Tsongkhapa is urging us to think about... Report an error in the passage at 33:06 Highlight the passage at 33:06

33:24 What do we want in the future, in our future lives? If we want to have the material resources to be able to really focus on our practice in next life and not have to worry about money, so the cause that we need to create now is generosity. Report an error in the passage at 33:24 Highlight the passage at 33:24

33:50 If we want a human rebirth, the cause, the karmic cause of that is practicing pure morality. So that means avoiding the ten non-virtues, practicing the ten virtues. So that means no killing, no stealing, no sexual misconduct. Report an error in the passage at 33:50 Highlight the passage at 33:50

34:15 And then the harder ones, no lying, no harsh speech, no divisive speech, idle gossip. Then the three of the mind, malice. Or harmful intent, covetousness and wrong view. Report an error in the passage at 34:15 Highlight the passage at 34:15

34:44 So you think about how difficult it is to stay away from the ten non-virtues, but we have to stay away from them to create the causes of a perfect human rebirth, or even a human rebirth next time. You need to practice pure morality. And that's why it's so difficult to get a human rebirth, right? It's because it's so difficult to create the causes, right? Report an error in the passage at 34:44 Highlight the passage at 34:44

35:11 It's so difficult. To have pure morality. How many people do we know who never do any of those ten things? Besides Peter. Report an error in the passage at 35:11 Highlight the passage at 35:11

35:27 I'm sorry, Peter. I was just joking. Report an error in the passage at 35:27 Highlight the passage at 35:27

35:35 No, Report an error in the passage at 35:35 Highlight the passage at 35:35

35:39 that's not true. Report an error in the passage at 35:39 Highlight the passage at 35:39

35:45 So the reason we have this human rebirth now is because we practiced really well in the past. So we need to do it again so we can get another human rebirth. Report an error in the passage at 35:45 Highlight the passage at 35:45

36:05 And then important to practice patience. So when people treat us unfairly or whatever, all the annoying people at work. It's important to try to not get angry. Report an error in the passage at 36:05 Highlight the passage at 36:05

36:29 And also there's the patience of voluntarily accepting hardships. So we Report an error in the passage at 36:29 Highlight the passage at 36:29

36:49 also need patience when studying and meditating on the Dharma. In particular, we need the patience with respect to understanding and meditating on emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 36:49 Highlight the passage at 36:49

37:05 And we also need the patience of voluntarily accepting suffering that thinks, for example, this negative karma has ripened upon me now, therefore it will come to an end and afterward I will be happy. Report an error in the passage at 37:05 Highlight the passage at 37:05

37:20 So that's a great practice if we can do that, right? If something really, really awful happens, you know, to think, oh, you know, this is good, this is great, this is my negative karma ripening, it's finishing, you know. Report an error in the passage at 37:20 Highlight the passage at 37:20

37:37 Difficult practice, right? But even if part of our mind can think that, right? Like, you know, instead of wallowing 100 % in the self-pity that we can, just think, oh, no, this is good. You know, this is good. You know, when we're sick or whatever, when such a thing gets robbed, you know. Report an error in the passage at 37:37 Highlight the passage at 37:37

38:09 This is good. A lot of times it's purifying it, purifying your karma and purifying some obscurations so that later on you can actually realize emptiness directly or whatever it is. Anytime we're doing something really virtuous, well I shouldn't say anytime, but oftentimes when we're doing something like really practicing well, there are a lot of obstacles that come up. Report an error in the passage at 38:09 Highlight the passage at 38:09

38:40 You know, a lot of hardships. And we've talked about this before. You know, when people do long retreat, all sorts of funny things happen. You know, I might get bugs or a friend of mine had caterpillars all over his retreat hut and all over his bathroom. He'd be sitting and all these caterpillars would be falling on him. Report an error in the passage at 38:40 Highlight the passage at 38:40

39:10 And it's been, you know, hours and hours and hours, you know, taking them outside. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, you go in retreat, you think you're going to sit, right? You're going to meditate, but all of this stuff comes up. And every time, I mean, I don't know if you guys know Tubton Pemo. She's been in retreat. Yeah, I know. Some of you know. She's been in retreat for, gosh, who knows. Report an error in the passage at 39:10 Highlight the passage at 39:10

39:40 15 years or something like that. And every time she comes out, you know, you talk to her and she's got a whole laundry list of, you know, obstacles. Report an error in the passage at 39:40 Highlight the passage at 39:40

39:50 You know, the bear who, you know, the bear who's breaking into the cabins and stealing people's food. And she was petrified, you know, the bear was going to come in. You know, just, you know, just so many. Obstacles. Report an error in the passage at 39:50 Highlight the passage at 39:50

40:08 So many things happen, right? So we just need to have, you know, try to have patience and remember, okay, well, this is an obstacle. But it's only, you know, if I can get through this, you know, that obstacle will clear, right? And then I can do more virtue. Report an error in the passage at 40:08 Highlight the passage at 40:08

40:32 And then in my studies, you know, in Italy, you know, when we're trying to study, I mean, you just see, I mean, we're all... You know, miserable. Because there are just so many, you know, so many things that came up. And, you know, to remember the people living here at Sechenling are dealing with a lot of stuff, you know, to have compassion and patience and understanding. Report an error in the passage at 40:32 Highlight the passage at 40:32

40:56 Because it's, you know, when you live in a Dharma center, a lot of stuff comes up. So it's really wonderful, you know, that people are still willing to do it. Report an error in the passage at 40:56 Highlight the passage at 40:56

41:10 In order to help us. So having the patience of volunteering, voluntarily accepting the hardships. And then I wanted to read this bit about joyous effort. Report an error in the passage at 41:10 Highlight the passage at 41:10

41:30 Where Kishi Jampagyatsu says we also need joyous effort. That is, we need to develop effort and eliminate laziness. Sometimes we tend to think, I am tired today, I will do it tomorrow. Report an error in the passage at 41:30 Highlight the passage at 41:30

41:44 And then again the next day we think, oh, I'll do it tomorrow. And then until we die, there will always be a tomorrow. We need to eliminate this attitude as well as other kinds of laziness. Report an error in the passage at 41:44 Highlight the passage at 41:44

42:00 Even when due to having worked hard, the body is tired, we should think that this tiredness is but a small suffering and that if we do not practice the Dharma, we will continue to create negative actions that will bring rebirth into the lower realms. Report an error in the passage at 42:00 Highlight the passage at 42:00

42:18 Where there will be much greater suffering. Therefore, why are we not able to bear some small suffering now? We should try to bear it. Report an error in the passage at 42:18 Highlight the passage at 42:18

42:34 So trying not to put things off again and again. Report an error in the passage at 42:34 Highlight the passage at 42:34

42:40 Like, oh yeah, I'll do retreat when I retire. Right? That's a good one, but who knows if that'll ever happen. And Report an error in the passage at 42:40 Highlight the passage at 42:40

43:02 then we have this great, great fortune to have heard it. Teachings on emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 43:02 Highlight the passage at 43:02

43:11 The ticket out of saṃsāra. Even though we may not understand the teachings completely now, but it's amazing just to get those teachings and how rare it is to get, you know, those pure teachings, right? Not, you know, just some random guy writing about it, but, you know, like a teacher like Geshe Dagpa. Report an error in the passage at 43:11 Highlight the passage at 43:11

43:39 Like, I'm totally blown away that I've had the karma to get. Emptiness teachings. Okay, Report an error in the passage at 43:39 Highlight the passage at 43:39

43:49 well, even though it seems like it would be really, really difficult to realize emptiness, we can do it. Why not? We've had the teachings. We just need to keep at it, right? We just need to create the conditions and we can definitely do it. Because, you know, who knows if we're going to get teaching on emptiness in the future, right? We have them now. And we can, we can, can realize emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 43:49 Highlight the passage at 43:49

44:21 For sure. You know, sometimes we kind of give up and we think, oh yeah, you know, I'll just create some good karma. I'll just be a nice person and I'll get good rebirth in the future. You know, not thinking that we'll be able to ever be able to realize emptiness or develop calm abiding. But for sure we can do those things. Report an error in the passage at 44:21 Highlight the passage at 44:21

44:42 Why not? I mean, if other people can, why can't we? You know, we all have Buddha nature, right? Report an error in the passage at 44:42 Highlight the passage at 44:42

44:52 So it's just a matter of doing it. Report an error in the passage at 44:52 Highlight the passage at 44:52

45:16 Then there's the next outline, considering the difficulty in finding it. Six points. Illustration of the difficulty in finding it, reasons why it's difficult to find, the rarity of those obtaining the causes of leisure and endowments, the result of sustaining those objectives, the method of meditation with four special features, and then differentiated sustained mode of practice. Report an error in the passage at 45:16 Highlight the passage at 45:16

45:49 So the illustration of the difficulty in finding it, the precious human rebirth. In the basis of scriptural transmissions, it says that beings who die and migrate from the bad and happy realms to the bad realms are like the dust of the great earth. And that the beings who are born from there into the happy realms are like the dust taken up by the tip of a fingernail. Thus, a precious human rebirth is difficult to find from both the happy And the bad realms. Report an error in the passage at 45:49 Highlight the passage at 45:49

46:27 So the number of beings who are in the happy realms, which are the desire realm, god realms, etc. that are reborn in the lower realms, as well as the beings who are in the lower realms who are reborn in the lower realms, are like the number of specks of dust on Report an error in the passage at 46:27 Highlight the passage at 46:27

46:52 this planet, on this planet Earth. Whereas the number of beings who are born from the lower realms into the happy realms, into let's say human rebirth, are like the number of dust particles on the tip of a fingernail. Report an error in the passage at 46:52 Highlight the passage at 46:52

47:16 So that's how rare it is. So Report an error in the passage at 47:16 Highlight the passage at 47:16

47:27 I think once we're a human being, it's not that difficult to create the causes for another human rebirth. If we just apply ourselves to practice. Report an error in the passage at 47:27 Highlight the passage at 47:27

47:41 I mean, I shouldn't say it's easy, but we have all the conditions, right? We have all the conditions now. We just have to do it, right? Whereas if you're in a lower realm, then it's extremely difficult. You know, if somebody's beating you up all the time, you know, right? Then you don't have much chance, right? Report an error in the passage at 47:41 Highlight the passage at 47:41

48:08 Right. I think about how fortunate I am because I grew up in a relatively sane family. I wasn't beaten as a child. I wasn't abused and all of that kind of thing. So you have the chance for a healthy mind. Report an error in the passage at 48:08 Highlight the passage at 48:08

48:39 But then you hear about all of the people who are born, you know, and their, you know, parents are addicted to drugs and they're abused and their parents, you know, leave them when they're a child and, you know, and then, you know, then like you spend the rest of your life trying to overcome those scars, right? Report an error in the passage at 48:39 Highlight the passage at 48:39

48:57 And so really difficult to create virtue, right? You're just trying to not be angry all the time, right? And distrusting. So, Report an error in the passage at 48:57 Highlight the passage at 48:57

49:14 so we're fortunate. Because hopefully none of us were brought up in a horrible environment where we're just trying to learn how to trust people. We're just trying to learn to not hate people. But we have relatively healthy minds and so we can really do something with that. Report an error in the passage at 49:14 Highlight the passage at 49:14

49:50 Whereas in the hell realms, people are killing you all the time. People are beating you and killing you all the time. You know, so how difficult would it be to develop loving kindness toward, you know, someone who's, right, yeah, yeah. Or if we're in prison, you know, all these prisoners in these, you know, incredibly difficult situations who are practicing, you know, much better than I would be able to. Report an error in the passage at 49:50 Highlight the passage at 49:50

50:25 Okay. So I've talked before about the bucket in the well, right? And saṃsāra is like a bucket in a well. It's very easy to go down, like the bucket. It's very easy to go down, but you have to work really hard to bring the bucket up again, right? Cranking crane. Yeah. And I love that analogy. I think that's very, very appropriate and fitting for, you know, getting a human rebirth. Report an error in the passage at 50:25 Highlight the passage at 50:25

50:53 We really have to work at it, right? Because it's a lot easier to get angry when someone punches you in the face. Than to develop loving kindness for them. But to get a human rebirth right, we need to learn to develop loving kindness and not to get angry. So, okay. Alright, let's take a break and then we'll come back and do some meditation. Report an error in the passage at 50:53 Highlight the passage at 50:53

· · · silence, 1 minute

52:47 Okay, you want to do meditation? Okay. I won't guide you in the nine round breathing, but if you want to start with that, that's very helpful. Report an error in the passage at 52:47 Highlight the passage at 52:47

· · · silence, 3 minutes

55:40 So I thought we can meditate on the ten endowments and Report an error in the passage at 55:40 Highlight the passage at 55:40

55:53 to think about, as I go through these, to think about what we can do with these endowments, how we can use them in a beneficial way, and also thinking about how many beings do we think have these endowments and Report an error in the passage at 55:53 Highlight the passage at 55:53

56:19 how many don't have them. So Report an error in the passage at 56:19 Highlight the passage at 56:19

56:26 thinking about the two things, what we can do with them, the Report an error in the passage at 56:26 Highlight the passage at 56:26

56:34 proportion of beings, The small number of beings who have them. Report an error in the passage at 56:34 Highlight the passage at 56:34

56:48 So starting with being born as a human being, Report an error in the passage at 56:48 Highlight the passage at 56:48

57:02 not as an animal or hungry ghost, hell realm being, etc. Report an error in the passage at 57:02 Highlight the passage at 57:02

· · · silence, 2 minutes

58:42 The second one, being born in the center of a religious country, where we can say being born in a place with the Dharma, where we have the Dharma teachings, where Report an error in the passage at 58:42 Highlight the passage at 58:42

59:03 we can actually, we have the freedom to practice. Report an error in the passage at 59:03 Highlight the passage at 59:03

· · · silence, 2 minutes

1:01:25 And then being born with a well-functioning body and mind, being Report an error in the passage at 1:01:25 Highlight the passage at 1:01:25

1:01:35 able to hear, Report an error in the passage at 1:01:35 Highlight the passage at 1:01:35

1:01:40 being able to walk up those stairs so we can come in here, which many people can Report an error in the passage at 1:01:40 Highlight the passage at 1:01:40

1:01:55 have intellectual capacity to understand the Dharma and Report an error in the passage at 1:01:55 Highlight the passage at 1:01:55

1:02:09 to have a sane enough mind so that we can practice. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:09 Highlight the passage at 1:02:09

· · · silence, 2 minutes

1:04:11 Not having committed any of the five heinous crimes, Report an error in the passage at 1:04:11 Highlight the passage at 1:04:11

1:04:18 so not having killed our mother, father or an arhat. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:18 Highlight the passage at 1:04:18

1:04:35 created a schism in the Saṅgha. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:35 Highlight the passage at 1:04:35

1:04:39 would propel us into rebirth. The last one, Report an error in the passage at 1:04:39 Highlight the passage at 1:04:39

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:05:25 having faith in the Dharma. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:25 Highlight the passage at 1:05:25

1:05:35 So there are many people who encounter the Dharma and don't feel a connection, Report an error in the passage at 1:05:35 Highlight the passage at 1:05:35

1:05:46 don't come back. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:46 Highlight the passage at 1:05:46

1:06:02 Or people who have met the lamas, didn't feel a connection. Or Report an error in the passage at 1:06:02 Highlight the passage at 1:06:02

1:06:29 who walk by Sechenling all the time and never come inside. So think of how fortunate we are and rare. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:29 Highlight the passage at 1:06:29

· · · silence, 2 minutes

1:08:17 So I just went through the first five of the ten endowments. Any comments, questions? Are you able to meditate a little? Okay. Are you able to hear me? Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:17 Highlight the passage at 1:08:17

1:08:38 Okay. I can't do anything about it this time but next time. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:38 Highlight the passage at 1:08:38

1:08:53 And I tend to speak more softly when I'm leading a meditation. Okay. I think for me it was really helpful as a song. It was really helpful to go over it because I think it's too easy to take our lives for granted, especially being here, being in San Francisco, being in an affluent society in general, and then having to really think about just how rare that is. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:53 Highlight the passage at 1:08:53

1:09:22 And all the lifetimes we had were, we were in the lower realms, we were in inauspicious circumstances and just what it's taken to get here. I mean, it's really quite an amazing journey, and here we all are. And it's really easy to take that for granted, and we shouldn't. Yeah, Report an error in the passage at 1:09:22 Highlight the passage at 1:09:22

1:09:49 it is. I mean, I think when we just hear the teachings on precious human rebirth, sometimes it can be just irritating. I mean, I don't know. At least that was my experience when I first heard about precious human rebirth. You should be grateful. You should be grateful. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:49 Highlight the passage at 1:09:49

1:10:07 But then when you meditate on it and you really make it personal and really look at it yourself, it does bring up a lot of gratitude and you think, oh my gosh, it really is. It's really rare to be in this position. And the more we meditate on it, I think the more we appreciate it. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:07 Highlight the passage at 1:10:07

1:10:31 I don't know, maybe I'm the only one who finds it irritating, but... Report an error in the passage at 1:10:31 Highlight the passage at 1:10:31

1:10:39 I think when you hear that Tsongkhapa did everything by the time he was six years old, it can be a little daunting. And then when you realize that, you know, you've set up these conditions to be here now, it's pretty inspiring. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:39 Highlight the passage at 1:10:39

1:10:53 Yeah. We've got to really get out of that trap of comparing ourselves to somebody else, right? Because we'll always find somebody who has done more, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:10:53 Highlight the passage at 1:10:53

1:11:05 But, yeah, especially the Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:05 Highlight the passage at 1:11:05

1:11:15 But actually, you know, but it doesn't do any good at all, right, to compare ourselves to somebody who's better and feel bad about ourselves, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:11:15 Highlight the passage at 1:11:15

1:11:25 So the Precious Human Rebirth really helps us focus on, wow, you know, how incredible it is that I have this opportunity, you know, how fortunate I am, and it really uplifts the mind. And that's what we need, right? I mean, we need to, you know, it's a long journey. So, you know, we need to have a happy mind as much as we can. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:25 Highlight the passage at 1:11:25

1:11:57 I've talked about that before. Sure. Because we'll talk about, you know, other things that bring the mind down later. So, you know, the lamrim can be kind of heavy sometimes. But this is a really good night lightening up. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:57 Highlight the passage at 1:11:57

1:12:18 Joy, joyful. Kind of meditation and one to just keep in mind as much as we can. You know, if we can go through our lives feeling grateful, oh my gosh, you know, then, you know, with gratitude comes humility and joy and, you know, then life is really good, right? Even when things, you know, really difficult situations arise, if we keep in mind how, you know, fortunate we are. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:18 Highlight the passage at 1:12:18

1:12:48 And feel grateful, then they don't get you down as much. Yeah. So this is a good one to start off every day if we can, along with all the other meditations. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:48 Highlight the passage at 1:12:48

1:13:03 Yeah. No, but even if we just do it for five minutes, I think it's just a wonderful, wonderful. Sarah, you had something? Report an error in the passage at 1:13:03 Highlight the passage at 1:13:03

1:13:15 Just at the very end. I started to get a feeling because I was thinking about if you were going to put like an actual percentage on, like if you just think about even in San Francisco, the number of people who live in San Francisco, I don't know, does anybody know? Like is it a million? All right, so almost 800,000 people. Of that many, how many are actively practicing the Dharma is such a tiny percentage. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:15 Highlight the passage at 1:13:15

1:13:45 And so to have all those conditions coming together. And it's a little mind-boggling, actually, when you start to think about that. And then you're going to do that same thing with everyone, like across the world, how many people are in the world and how many have actually found the Dharma path. Yeah, it's incredible. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:45 Highlight the passage at 1:13:45

1:14:07 It's so humbling, isn't it? Report an error in the passage at 1:14:07 Highlight the passage at 1:14:07

1:14:12 How did this happen? Report an error in the passage at 1:14:12 Highlight the passage at 1:14:12

1:14:16 Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:16 Highlight the passage at 1:14:16

1:14:22 And I look at this election sometimes and people, Obama gets this criticism sometimes of, you know, he doesn't... He doesn't get ruffled. He's not getting angry. So there must be something wrong with him because he's able to stay steady. And I just think, oh, but that's what we're all trying to practice. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:22 Highlight the passage at 1:14:22

1:14:49 And we have the methods to help us. But then people who don't have the Dharma just find it very odd and strange. And how could this have possibly happened? I was reading an article the other day by Anna Quinlan, you know, a journalist, and she was saying, you know, you look at Obama's background and, you know, he was a black man brought up in a white family, you know, without a father, you know, all of the conditions to become a very insecure, angry person. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:49 Highlight the passage at 1:14:49

1:15:21 And so she's like, how did he become the way he is? You know, we need to study him and find out, you know. Like, just come to the Dharma and you'll figure it out, you know? So, you know, and that was a big opener for me. Oh, that's right. People don't know how to become like a calmer, saner person. You know, we do. We don't necessarily know how to do it, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:15:21 Highlight the passage at 1:15:21

1:15:52 But we know how to get there, right? Yeah. like, just. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:52 Highlight the passage at 1:15:52

1:16:00 But we're creating the causes for that. Okay. Any other comments, questions? Report an error in the passage at 1:16:00 Highlight the passage at 1:16:00

1:16:10 Do you? Well, you know, we had the homework from last time. Did anyone do it? Homework 15. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:10 Highlight the passage at 1:16:10

1:16:34 Homework 15. I passed it out though, right? Yes. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:34 Highlight the passage at 1:16:34

1:16:46 We need to tell the truth. So we'll go through them next time. I don't have a new homework for you this week. And so who needs a copy? Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:46 Highlight the passage at 1:16:46

1:17:15 We'll do it next time, because the clock says 8.30, so we'll do it next time. And I don't have a new homework to give you, so we'll just do it in the next class. And I need to be more disciplined about making sure we review it. So I just wanted to make a couple of announcements that I've been meaning to for... Report an error in the passage at 1:17:15 Highlight the passage at 1:17:15

1:17:36 For a long time about some wonderful retreats coming up at Vajrapani, in case people don't know. Well, there's one that starts next Friday, so it's a little soon for most of us. But from October 31st to November 9th is the Lamrim Teachings and Retreat, Kopan West by Tenzin Choki. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:36 Highlight the passage at 1:17:36

1:18:03 If you don't know Tenzin Shoki, she's wonderful. She's a great teacher, a great person. She's a nun. She's done almost seven years of solitary retreat. So she really knows her stuff, not just intellectually, but she's a great practitioner. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:03 Highlight the passage at 1:18:03

1:18:24 So October 31st to November 9th, if you can do all or some of it. That's wonderful. So a couple of things. They're encouraging people, if they're going to do only part of it, to at least start at the beginning. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:24 Highlight the passage at 1:18:24

1:18:46 But having said that, then at the end, the last weekend of that, November 7th through the 9th, they're doing a lamrim retreat. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:46 Highlight the passage at 1:18:46

1:18:56 So that will just be the meditation without the teachings, just the meditations. And anybody is welcome to do that weekend, November 7th through the 9th. I think that would be a great opportunity for those of you who just have to do it on the weekend and you can't do it during the week, especially since I gave you such short notice. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:56 Highlight the passage at 1:18:56

1:19:17 But amazing opportunity. And Tenzin Choki is traveling all over the world now teaching, so she's not here very often. And so, you know, I can't say enough good things about her. So great opportunity. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:17 Highlight the passage at 1:19:17

1:19:36 And then after that, another great, great teacher, Venerable Renee, which many of you have heard me talk about. He's doing a Sheenae Calm Abiding Retreat, November 21st through the 28th. Unfortunately, it's the same time as the Happiness Conference. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:36 Highlight the passage at 1:19:36

1:19:58 But even if you could do part of it, right? That's it, Vajrapani. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:58 Highlight the passage at 1:19:58

1:20:07 So you can do part of it, but you have to start at the beginning as well. That's my understanding. I don't think so. Not for that one. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:07 Highlight the passage at 1:20:07

1:20:22 I don't, yeah, I don't, you know, I don't think so. don't Report an error in the passage at 1:20:22 Highlight the passage at 1:20:22

1:20:32 They'll test you. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:32 Highlight the passage at 1:20:32

1:20:37 And so Renee, you know, is a very experienced meditator, hard to find somebody, you know, yeah, I mean, he just, he is, I mean, he's just a wonderful, a wonderful person and a great meditator. And he's, this is one of the last retreats that he'll lead at Vajrapani. He's leaving Vajrapani. So he has a project to find some retreat land somewhere, here in California or Washington or Oregon or Mexico or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:37 Highlight the passage at 1:20:37

1:21:16 So he's traveling all over the place after this. He'll be looking for land and teaching, and then he's looking to go into long retreat. So he's resigned as the resident teacher at Vajrapani. So he's leading this retreat and then the Harukabadi Mandala retreat at the end of the year, but you had to have had the initiation for that. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:16 Highlight the passage at 1:21:16

1:21:39 And Janet's going to do that. And then actually he and I are going to co-lead a retreat in February, just a weekend over President's Day weekend on emptiness and dependent arising. The four schools. At Vajrapani, four schools of four tenants on emptiness. If you want to. Yeah, so it'll be like a long weekend, like a Thursday to Monday or something like that. President's Day weekend, I think. It's the right smack in the middle of February. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:39 Highlight the passage at 1:21:39

1:22:13 I actually haven't gotten the exact dates yet from Vajrapani. And that'll be his last retreat before. you. Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:13 Highlight the passage at 1:22:13

1:22:21 Before he goes, you know, he may come back and visit again. But, you know, but just these two teachers are two of the greatest Western, you know, teachers in this tradition. And so such a great opportunity if you could go to all or part of one or more of them. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:21 Highlight the passage at 1:22:21

1:22:45 Yang Zi Rinpoche was here last weekend. And I totally forgot to mention it. He was down at Atlanta Medicine Buddha. For two days teaching on Mahamudra. But he's been invited to come back next year and he agreed. So I'm sorry I totally dropped the ball on telling you about the Yangtze Rinpoche. It was Sunday and Monday. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:45 Highlight the passage at 1:22:45

1:23:16 Oh, okay. And then the happiness conference. If people want to volunteer, they are very... Very, very welcome. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:16 Highlight the passage at 1:23:16

1:23:33 On Sunday, what time? Report an error in the passage at 1:23:33 Highlight the passage at 1:23:33

1:23:44 After the Dharma talk? 10 to 12. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:44 Highlight the passage at 1:23:44

1:23:53 Well, it's kind of important to know what time the meeting is. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:53 Highlight the passage at 1:23:53

1:24:11 specifically for volunteering. She mentioned it to she mentioned So that could have mentioned After the program, because the goes from Report an error in the passage at 1:24:11 Highlight the passage at 1:24:11

1:24:24 She's going to look it up right now. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:24 Highlight the passage at 1:24:24

1:24:28 should all email check Right. And then does anybody know if they need volunteers before the conference, if you can't go during conference, do they need volunteers before? Yeah, volunteers on the Saturday. Okay. On that Saturday. Oh, okay. But before that. Yeah, they're using volunteers now. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:28 Highlight the passage at 1:24:28

1:24:58 Because I have such a unique talent. Okay. So contact which Chookie? Chookie one. I mean, no, Chookie? Chookie? Losang Chukki is doing volunteer recruitment, but if you're interested, Report an error in the passage at 1:24:58 Highlight the passage at 1:24:58

1:25:19 Chukki 2 that's going at 11.30. Who's Chukki 2? Chukki 2. Chukki from Australia. Chukkin Chukki. She's here to direct. She's actually doing it. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:19 Highlight the passage at 1:25:19

1:25:37 It's confusing with the two Chukkis. There Report an error in the passage at 1:25:37 Highlight the passage at 1:25:37

1:25:48 she's coming. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:48 Highlight the passage at 1:25:48

1:25:52 We were talking Report an error in the passage at 1:25:52 Highlight the passage at 1:25:52

1:25:57 about the meeting for volunteers. Happiness Conference is on Sunday. Do you know what time? Let me just check. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:57 Highlight the passage at 1:25:57

1:26:12 Well, we'll dedicate. Maybe by the time we finish dedicating, we'll know. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:12 Highlight the passage at 1:26:12

1:26:29 Okay, let's do the first three on page 240. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:29 Highlight the passage at 1:26:29

1:26:40 Yeah, a little variety. We don't have the other books out. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:40 Highlight the passage at 1:26:40

1:26:52 Due to the merits accumulated over the three times by myself and all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas which are empty from their own side, may I, who is empty from its own side, achieve the state of enlightenment which is empty from its own side and lead all sentient beings who are empty from their own side to that state as quickly as possible by myself alone. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:52 Highlight the passage at 1:26:52

1:27:16 Because of these merits may my actions never cause even the slightest harm to any sentient being. Instead, may they bring only the greatest of benefit. Whatever suffering or happy life I experience, may it be only of the greatest benefit to others, causing them to achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:16 Highlight the passage at 1:27:16

1:27:37 And then on page 244, the two long life prayers. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:37 Highlight the passage at 1:27:37

1:27:48 In the land encircled by snow mountains, you are the source of all happiness and good. All-powerful Chenrezig, 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. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:48 Highlight the passage at 1:27:48

1:28:17 Savior of myself and others, your disciples, please, please live long in them to pray for the long lives of all of our spiritual masters. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:17 Highlight the passage at 1:28:17

1:28:40 Peace, peace and happiness in the world and Report an error in the passage at 1:28:40 Highlight the passage at 1:28:40

1:28:48 freedom in Tibet. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:48 Highlight the passage at 1:28:48