← Emily Hsu

Basic Program - Buddhism From A-Z (9 January 2009)

Emily Hsu · 9 January 2009 · 1 h 37 min · Tse Chen Ling via Internet Archive

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  • 2:59

    So this nine-point death meditation consists of what's called the three roots, the nine reasons, and the three resolutions. So the three roots.

  • 3:13

    Are that death is certain, which is on the page 24 of this impermanence and death handout. Death is certain. The second root is the time of death is not certain, or yeah, is uncertain. And the third is only Dharma helps at the time of death. So death is certain, the time of death is uncertain, and at the time of death only the Dharma will help.

  • 16:50

    it's so, um... So it's definite like that all of us in this room will be dead in 100 years, right? 100 years from now, none of us will still be here, right? But when, you know, within that next 100 years is uncertain, right? It could be 50 years from now or it could be 20 years from now or it could be tomorrow, right?

  • 1:04:54

    here the body is vulnerable or actually quite fragile. Like we might think that our body is really strong, but actually it doesn't take that much, right? So the body is as vulnerable as a water bubble. Therefore this and that. Such as a thorn piercing it may be to blame and occasion the destruction of life without the need for major harm.

  • 1:10:43

    then the third root. At the time of death, nothing is of benefit except for the Dharma. So everything else that we've accumulated, everything that we've done in this life, none of it's going to help at the time of death. All of the success we've had in our jobs, our loved ones, our money, all the redecorating we did in our house, none of that's going to help at the time of death. So the first reason amongst this is that you cannot take along friends. So at the time of death, thus when you see you have to go to another world, leaving this world, even if at that time you are surrounded by loving and grieving friends or relatives, you cannot take even one of them along.

0:01 So I'm always curious who's going to show up from week to week. Some people have an aversion. Yeah, it's an uplifting topic. Report an error

0:11 Actually, it is an uplifting topic, but people don't necessarily see it that way. So the reason why we study death and we meditate on death is so that we really use this life well. So that we really live each day and really appreciate the life that we have. And to not waste time. Report an error

0:46 Because when we know that we can die at any moment, everything becomes very clear to us. Our priorities become very clear. What's important and what's not important. Watching that TV show might not be quite as important. All right. Report an error

1:04 No, we might die tomorrow. And so we started talking about the nine-point death meditation last time. And I passed out, I think it was last time, I passed out the meditations from the Copan meditation book on the eight mundane concerns as well as death and impermanence. So some of you weren't here last time, and I don't know if I have enough. I Report an error

1:51 have three copies. Report an error

2:02 So yeah, I think you got it. So maybe at break time we can make some more copies. But here are three, so I'll start passing them back. How many people need at Report an error

2:21 least three more copies? Well, I mean, it's nice for each of you to have your own, and we won't go through. Yeah, okay. All right. Report an error

2:30 Okay. And then in the text we are on 54. Report an error

2:48 So last time we started covering the first two. Actually, I'll just give you an overview of this nine-point death meditation. So this nine-point death meditation consists of what's called the three roots, the nine reasons, and the three resolutions. So the three roots. Are that death is certain, which is on the page 24 of this impermanence and death handout. Death is certain. Report an error

3:23 The second root is the time of death is not certain, or yeah, is uncertain. And the third is only Dharma helps at the time of death. Report an error

3:37 So death is certain, the time of death is uncertain, and at the time of death only the Dharma will help. Report an error

3:47 And then within those three roots, there are three reasons for each. Report an error

3:58 Under death is certain. The first one, well here it says no power in the universe can stop death. Or we can say, you know, death is definite. Everyone's going to die, right? Definitely, right? We're all going to die. It doesn't matter how young or old or strong we are or smart we are. We're all going to die. Report an error

4:27 And then the second reason death is certain is that one cannot add time to life and one gets closer to death every minute. Report an error

4:39 Every second we're becoming closer to death. Every breath that we take, we're becoming closer to death. Report an error

4:52 So we covered those two last time. So we'll go through the rest today. Report an error

5:01 We can do this going back and forth. Report an error

5:15 So in the text on page 54, in the middle, well toward the top, there's the outline, you die without having had time to practice Dharma while alive. Report an error

5:29 Or another way of putting this is that even while we're alive, there's not that much time to really practice the Dharma. Like we tend to think, oh well, you know, I have lots of time. Maybe I'm going to live until I'm 100 or... Report an error

5:47 80 or something like that. So I still have a lot more time. But actually, we've lived a lot of our lives already. And then when we're old, well, if we get old, our mental faculties will be drastically reduced. Well, hopefully not, but, you know, possible, right? Many people's mental faculties. Reduced you and your memory degenerates. The sharpness of our minds degenerates. Report an error

6:28 Our need for sleep increases. Report an error

6:39 Oftentimes people have a lot of illness when they're older. So it's very, very difficult to practice or it's very difficult to meditate if we're sick. Increases. Report an error

6:53 I just got back from seeing my mother and she basically has to stay in bed most of the day, every day, because she has a lot of physical pain. So there's no way that she'd be able to practice the Dharma or meditate or things like that. Pretty much her whole life is sleeping and eating. And chatting with friends, you know, and maybe reading a page or two here and there. And she's not that old. She's only 73. And a lot of people are worse off than she is as well, right? Report an error

7:37 So when we're old, it's really difficult to practice. You know, if you try to study the Dharma when you're old, you know, a lot of old people, they fall asleep right after they've read half a page. Maybe a lot of people our age. Right. Right. Report an error

8:05 And I noticed when I was studying intensely, it was very interesting. You know, I was studying in my 30s, and there were people that were studying in their 20s who... You could see their minds and their capacity was much greater than mine. Mine had degenerated. I didn't think I was so old, but when you're in your 20s, you can stay up until 2, 3 o 'clock in the morning and sleep a few hours, no problem. Report an error

8:34 You can just go, go, go. I couldn't do that. Report an error

8:42 So from our 20s. Afterwards, you know, our minds really are degenerating and not so sharp anymore. Report an error

8:54 And then, you know, then the rest of the time, right, we spend time, you know, a lot of time sleeping. We spend time eating. We spend time going to work. We spend time maybe driving or walking or taking the bus places. We spend time chatting with people. uh, um, Report an error

9:16 Um... Spend time on the internet. Lama Tsongkhapa didn't mention that one. So then when it comes down to, okay, well, how much time do we really have to study the Dharma and meditate? Report an error

9:34 It's very little time is left after we do all of these other things. I mean, we always have time, right, to be kind to others. Report an error

9:46 Practice virtue and all of these things. Because we can do that in every moment. But if we really want to get the realizations of the Dharma, then we have to meditate. We need to study and we need to meditate. And we need special time for that. It's not just what we do from moment to moment. Report an error

10:14 So Lama Tsongkhapa says, even if you can live for so long, it is inappropriate to think that you have time. As it is stated in the Sūtra, Entering the Womb, initially during the first ten years of childhood, it does not occur to you to practice the Dharma. And at the end, during the twenty years of old age, you do not have the power to practice the Dharma. Of the time in between, sleep snatches away one half, illness and the like also waste much time, and no more than a few opportunities remain to accomplish the Dharma. Report an error

10:58 Okay, Report an error

11:03 so then, Report an error

11:13 so really the ideal time to practice is when we're young. Our minds are really sharp, when we have a lot of energy, a lot of good health, right? Report an error

11:26 But usually when people are young, you know, they're busy doing other things, right? And then when we get older, then we appreciate more, you know, the value of the Dharma, right? But then our capacity isn't quite so great. Trying to meditate and focus our minds on an object for 45 minutes, we might notice that it's pretty difficult to do that. Report an error

11:50 Not that it's impossible. We certainly need to try. But it's good to not wait. I'll do retreat when I retire, when I have more time. Just try to practice now as much as we can. At least do some every day if we can. I do a retreat every once in a while. Report an error

12:21 So the next section is then the decision to practice the Dharma or the resolution. Since it is like that, at the time of death, all the excellence of this life will only be an object of recollection, like the recollection of a happy experience in a dream after you've awoken. Report an error

12:41 Why would you delight in being beguiled by this life if the enemy who is death will certainly come? With this thought in mind, you should take the decision that you definitely need to practice the Dharma and reiterate this innermost feeling many times. Report an error

13:00 Since we're definitely going to die and the time of death is getting closer and closer, then... Okay. Report an error

13:12 When we realize that, then we really want to practice the Dharma. And here Lama Tsongkhapa is saying that at the time of death, all of the pleasures of this life, all of the success of this life, all of the vacations that we've taken, all of the joys, all of them will just be memories. Report an error

13:34 They're just going to be memories. Similar to if we've had a really wonderful dream and we wake up from the dream. You know, it's just a memory, right? So if we've had, you know, 50 years of pleasure or 20 years of pleasure or one year of pleasure, at the end of the day, they're all just memories, right? Report an error

13:59 They're all just in the past. They don't exist anymore. So Lama Tsongkhapa is saying, so when death is definitely going to come, then why waste our time? Waste our time enjoying a lot of things that don't really mean anything at the end of the day. Spending a lot of time being really focused on just some sark pleasures because they're just going to end. Report an error

14:44 So it won't matter if we've traveled around the world or not at the time of death. It won't matter if we made a million dollars at the time of death. It won't matter if we have, you know, a hundred friends at the time of death. Report an error

15:05 So from the Jataka stories, Alas, afflicted worldly beings, your stay is not stable. There is no joy. Even this water lily splendor will soon be but a memory. Report an error

15:36 It's like thinking about, you know, when we were... We were students or we were young and all the fun that we had, you know, it's nice to think about, you know, I had a lot of great times, but, you know, did they help us, right? Did they help us in the long run? What's going to help us for the next life? What's going to help us for the future? Report an error

16:03 So those are the, so that's the first root, the time that death is certain. And then the three reasons supporting that. And then, which is the certainty of death for all of us, how we're getting closer to death. And that even while we're alive, there's not much time to practice. And then based on that, then we resolve, I definitely want to practice the Dharma. Report an error

16:39 Okay, then the second root is that the time of death is uncertain. Report an error

16:50 it's so, um... So it's definite like that all of us in this room will be dead in 100 years, right? 100 years from now, none of us will still be here, right? But when, you know, within that next 100 years is uncertain, right? It could be 50 years from now or it could be 20 years from now or it could be tomorrow, right? Report an error

17:18 We don't know for sure, right? We can't know for sure. We tend to not think that it will be tomorrow or tonight, but it could be, right? Report an error

17:34 We can't say for sure that it won't be tonight or tomorrow. So Lama Tsongkhapa says, It is certain that death will come between now and a hundred years from now, and it is not certain on which day in between it will. Report an error

17:53 Therefore, it is not definite. on any day like today whether or not you would die. Nonetheless, the mind should side with the idea of death, you need to generate the awareness that thinks, I will die today. Report an error

18:08 if the mind sides with the idea of not dying, thinking, I will not die today, constantly prepare for staying in this life will not prepare for future lives. Report an error

18:21 So even though, you know, kind of intellectually we all know, well, you know, It's possible, right? I could die. I could die today. Mostly our minds think, well, you know, but probably I won't, right? It's most, it's almost definite that I won't die today, right? So then we make a lot of preparations for this life, right? Report an error

18:47 For enjoyments of this life, our next vacation, our, you know, what we're going to do over the weekend and, you know, making plans, you know, a lot of plans for... This life, right? Similar to like if we're moving, like if we have kind of a transient lifestyle and let's say we move into a place and we think we're going to stay a while, you know, we start accumulating things, right? Report an error

19:17 You know, you buy things to decorate, you know, you buy dishes or whatever, you know, you really settle in, right? But if you know that you're only going to stay for, oh, this is just a temporary place. I'm only going to be here for the next month or two. You don't buy a lot of things. You don't settle in. And so similarly, if we think we're going to live a long time, we kind of really settle in to this life. Report an error

19:47 And really, we tend to enjoy more samsaric pleasures. But if we think, oh, you know, I could die. I could die. Tomorrow or I could die next year. Then we're much more likely to use our time well. We're much more likely to practice as best as we can. Report an error

20:11 You know, like if we went into the doctor's office and they said, okay, well you have a year to live. We would live in a very different way than we do now, maybe. Report an error

20:25 We would take care of things and we'd really practice more. Report an error

20:31 You agree with that? Report an error

20:35 Okay. Even though, you know, all of us in this room, you know, I mean, we're in this room, right? We're attending Dharma teachings, you know, we all try to practice. Report an error

20:48 But still there's this kind of laziness that sets in and this procrastination that sets in when we think we're not going to die for a long time, right? Report an error

21:00 Like, okay, well, I do that meditation, but just kind of go through the motions, right? I'm supposed to meditate on emptiness six times every day. Okay, I'm done. Report an error

21:16 Next thing, I've got to go eat my breakfast and all of these other things. Report an error

21:24 Because I think I'm going to live for a long time. So Lama Tsongkhapa is saying, instead of thinking, well, I will probably not die today. All right. Report an error

21:20 right. So. Report an error

21:37 It's more helpful to think, I probably will die today. I really could die today. And then to live life accordingly, to live each day well. Because if we think I probably won't die today, then we're more likely to put things off. Report an error

22:04 So due to this, if you get seized by the Lord of Death in the meantime, you will have to die in anguish. So if we keep putting off our Dharma practice and then we end up dying, then we'll die with a lot of regret. Report an error

22:22 However, if you prepare to die every day, you will accomplish a lot that is meaningful for the future. So that even if you do not die, it is good you have done it. And if you die, it was all the more necessary. So if we prepare to die every day, then we'll use every day well. And if we don't die, that's even better. It's not that we would have wasted time. Oh, I wish I hadn't prepared to die today. Report an error

22:54 I wish I would have had more fun or whatever. In Report an error

23:06 particular, and we talked in the past about the eight worldly concerns, how when we don't think about death, we really get involved in the eight worldly concerns. We really... Spend a lot of time pursuing pleasure and avoiding pain. A lot of time pursuing having a good reputation and avoiding a bad reputation. Report an error

23:35 Pursuing gain, gaining whatever for ourselves and not losing. Report an error

23:45 And then blame, praise and blame, pursuing praise and trying to avoid blame. This is what we tend to do throughout. Every day. Report an error

24:02 But when we remember death, we're more able to let those things go. It's not so important if this person thinks well of me or not. We're all going to die anyway. Report an error

24:17 So the time of death is uncertain. And then there are three reasons within this. The first one, there is no certainty with regard to a lifespan in Janbu Vipa, which is why the time of death is uncertain. The second, there are many conditions that lead to death and few that promote life. Third, the body is extremely vulnerable and the time of death, therefore uncertain. Report an error

24:47 So there is no certainty with regard to a lifespan in Jambudvipa, which is why the time of death is uncertain. Okay, so here we're talking about the world systems. Report an error

25:04 And how, according to Buddhist cosmology, we're living in this world called Jambudvipa. So this planet is in Jambudvipa. And in this world, the time of death is uncertain. The lifespan is uncertain. Whereas it's said, according to scripture, in other world systems, the time of death is definite. It's set at either 100 years or whatever it is, 500 years. Report an error

25:35 So first, in general, a lifespan of the beings of Uttarakuru is set. And for most beings of the other continents, there is more certainty, even though it may not be sure that the full extent of the lifespan of each individual be reached. For the beings of Jambuvipa, which is us, a lifespan is extremely uncertain. In the beginning, they reached even immeasurable years. Report an error

26:01 Later, ten years will be the maximum duration to be reckoned with. And even nowadays, it does not seem certain whether they die in their old age, in their youth, or in between. Report an error

26:17 So we all know, right, that the lifespan is uncertain. Like some people die when they're 80, and some people die when they're 30, and some people die when they're, you know, 45. And we all know people, you know, like that. Report an error

26:36 But we don't like to think about that. I remember last year when I was 43 years old, my housemate's nephew, who was 43 years old, was playing soccer and had a heart attack and died, leaving three young children behind. Report an error

27:00 And that was kind of shocking, someone my age. And we all know stories like that. A good friend of my brother's, she was in her 20s and she was sitting on the railing of her apartment building. She lived in a high rise and she fell asleep. Report an error

27:27 She fell to her death. So she had been at a party that evening and celebrating her sister's new baby and she was really happy. She was tired, so she wanted to come home early, and she was home by herself, and her fiancé came home and found her. So she was in her 20s. Report an error

27:57 You know, there's so many stories like that. Report an error

28:09 Remember Report an error

28:15 the time of death. Report an error

28:22 Okay, so Report an error

28:33 of course it's possible. Is that true? Report an error

28:35 That we can die any day. And then Lama Tsongkhapa here is talking about, I mean, according to scripture, in this world system, initially the lifespan was a lot longer than it is now. Report an error

28:52 And now it's, what, a hundred years, or actually it's less than that, you know, the average lifespan. And he says that eventually the lifespan will be only ten years in this world system. Report an error

29:10 So in the treasury it says, here it's uncertain. In the end, ten years. Initially infinite. You should take to heart the fact that people like your gurus or friends have died through sudden internal or external conditions for death before reaching the end of their lives. And you should think over and over again. I too have similar qualities. Report an error

29:37 Or that people have died before they finished the projects that they meant to finish, right? All the things, you know, I need to write my will before I die, you know, and that, you know, death isn't going to wait until we write our will or get life insurance or, you know, finish school or, you know, finish doing all the things that we want to do, right? Report an error

30:03 So it's useful to think about this, right? Report an error

30:09 In a positive way, right? To motivate us, right? To use our lives well. Not in a kind of paralyzing, fearful way, right? Oh, I could die so I better not get in my car, right? I could die so that, you know, I better not leave my house, right? That's not useful, right? But using death to motivate us, right? To use our lives well. Report an error

30:41 Second. There are many conditions that lead to death and few that promote life. Report an error

30:50 Okay, so if we really think about it, there are many, many things, internal and external, that can cause death. And very few that promote life. Promoting life is like food and exercise and shelter, things like that. Report an error

31:17 But the things that can cause our death are many. Internally, all of the various diseases, heart conditions, strokes, infections, diabetes, so many different things that can cause our death. And then externally, car accidents and fires and even a bee sting or a snake bite. We can go on and on and on and on with the list of things that can kill us. I used to do this meditation when I was in my retreat hut and I thought, okay, well, what could kill me externally in this retreat hut? Report an error

32:02 Well, this hut could fall on top of me or... You know, I had a wood-burning stove, right? So, you know, maybe fire or carbon monoxide poisoning. Report an error

32:21 I'm pretty safe here, you know, in the middle of nowhere. But actually there was one day there was a fire on the mountain and we had to evacuate. And one of the people... We were looking for who was doing retreat. He wasn't in his hut, and we were searching all over for him because he didn't know we had to evacuate. So anyway, even in the middle of nowhere, and there were tons of bees around, so I could have gotten stung and had a reaction. Report an error

32:55 So if we really think about it, there's a lot of different ways we could die. Report an error

33:05 And so once again, this is useful for our meditation, right? So just to get over that thought, oh, I, you know, I won't die anytime soon. You know, I'm perfectly healthy. I'm strong. I'm not going to die, you know, for at least another 30 years, right? But so remembering these things is to help us kind of get a more realistic picture that, you know, it is possible. Report an error

33:33 There are many different things that could. Could kill us. Report an error

33:39 So Lama Tsongkhapa says there are various harmful influences, animate as well as inanimate, on this life, right? So, well, animals, we could get killed by an animal or whatever, as well as inanimate, such as fires, etc. Report an error

34:00 on this life. So you should thoroughly consider how it is threatened by... human beings and non-human malevolent forces. How types of animals endanger one's body and life through manifold harm, and likewise how both internal illnesses and external elements cause harm. Furthermore, one's body is necessarily formed from the four elements, and they also harm each other if their domains expand or diminish out of balance, thereby causing illnesses and ravishing one's life. Report an error

34:36 So this last sentence is talking about Tibetan medicine, how our bodies consist of the four elements, the fire, heat, water, air, heat, water, air, fire, water, air, Report an error

35:02 earth. That's right, earth, fire, water, air. And so when they're in balance, we're healthy. If the fire element rages out of balance, we have fever, and we can get very sick from that. I don't know much about Tibetan medicine, but the winds get out of balance, headaches, and actually you can die from wind imbalance. Report an error

35:57 anyway, so, so... These elements, when they get out of balance, we can get sick and we can die. Report an error

36:08 So the elements that our body is made out of, you know, that sustain life, you know, they themselves, when they're out of balance, they can kill us. Report an error

36:21 Since they exist simultaneous with oneself, even though body and life appear to be stable, they cannot be relied on. Okay, so then even the things that sustain our lives, Can kill us. Food sustains our life, but then we can choke on food or we can even eat spoiled food and get us sick or poisoned food. Report an error

36:54 Drinks, same thing. We can die from drinking. Choking on water, for example. Medicine. Medicine is meant to sustain our lives, but how many people have died from their medicines? Like a close family friend, he died on the chemotherapy table. So what was supposed to prolong his life actually killed him. So medicines, food, etc., our homes. Report an error

37:40 You know, can fall in or catch fire. Report an error

37:48 So in the Paranirvana Sūtra it says, The discrimination of death is that this life, constantly surrounded by hostile enemies, weakens in each moment and that there is nothing left that increases it. There is nothing that increases it. So many things can shorten our lives, but there's nothing that will increase our lifespan. Report an error

38:12 The food and medicine and all of that, that will... Kind of help us stay alive, but we can't increase our lifespan. If our karma is to live for 90 years, we can't take medicine to live for 100 years. Report an error

38:32 And in The Precious Garland, we live amidst the conditions for Yama, Yama the Lord of Death, like a butter lamp in a gale. Report an error

38:44 Besides, life itself permeates the reality of death. So that many conditions for life are unreliable. From the precious garland, there are many conditions of death for those for living or only few. Even they may well be deadly. Therefore, always practice Dharma. Report an error

39:09 But then Report an error

39:15 there are, I mean, then there are long life mantras and things like that, that you might. Report an error

39:29 I'm Report an error

39:35 glad you said but. Right? Report an error

39:37 Tara Report an error

39:41 Long Life Practices and Amitayas and things like this, right? To Report an error

39:51 eliminate our life obstacles. They're not actually prolonging our life. They're to help us remove the life obstacles that would have shortened our life. So the scriptures say our lifespan, our maximum lifespan is determined by our karma. And whether or not we live to our maximum lifespan depends on many conditions, right? So these long life mantras and things will help us live to our maximum lifespan, but they won't help us go beyond that. Report an error

40:35 That's my understanding. Right, Report an error

40:51 right. So this is what it said in Gishisopa's commentary on the steps on the path to enlightenment. That's basically what he's saying. These mantras, they don't actually prolong your life, but they eliminate the life obstacle. Report an error

41:08 So in a way, it prolongs your life, right? Because if you hadn't said it, you would live longer, right? But it's not prolonging your life beyond your maximum karmic lifespan. So it's not lying, right? Report an error

41:37 If you're increasing your lifespan, maybe you would have died at 73, but now that you've said all these mantras, you get to 75, which was your maximum. Right. Report an error

42:03 It seems to me it's kind of like a lot of these things are double-edged swords. We can easily form an attachment to life, which is... It creates just as much suffering. I mean, our goal is to let go of all attachments, including life. So what's going to happen is going to happen. And our job seems to be to practice Dharma during that period when what's going to happen is going to happen and not be attached to any particular length of life or anything else about it. Report an error

42:38 I mean, it's really about cessation and letting go. It's not about trying to live. Report an error

42:47 I mean, I would say yes and no. I mean, it's true we're trying to let go of attachment. And meditating on death is a way to help us let go of our attachments. Okay, I'm going to lose this body. I don't need to be attached to this body looking young and all of this, you know, being skinny and, you know, things that this culture reinforces, right? Report an error

43:09 So meditating on death helps us let go of this attachment. But that doesn't mean that... We don't try to live longer, right? Because, you know, the topic before this was a precious human life, right? We have this precious human life. We have the opportunity in this life to practice the Dharma, right? We have Sechenling. We have Geshe Dagpo. Report an error

43:34 We have Lama Zopa Rinpoche. We have His Holiness the Dalai Lama. We have this incredible life now. And we want to... We want it to be as long as possible because we know we can practice in this life. Once we die, we don't know if we'll have the Dharma in the next life. If we've created all the causes, then we will. But none of us know for sure. So the next life could be a dog's life. Report an error

44:05 Who knows? And once you're a dog, you can't practice the Dharma. You can sit in the gompa. And you won't understand anything and you won't be able to purify and you won't be able to work with your mind. You just don't have the karma that you can do that. So I think it's the difference between, we talked in the Minds and Mental Factors class, the difference between aspiration and attachment. Report an error

44:38 We're aspiring to use this life well and to live long so we can practice as much as possible without being attached. So if we get sick and we're going to die, not to struggle against that and be really unhappy about it. But we also want to take medicine and get well if possible. Does that make sense? Yeah, most definitely. Report an error

45:07 But there seems to be sometimes a thin line if you cross over into worshiping life and being attached to it. Yeah. Yeah. There's a very thin line right between the aspiration and attachment. Right. So, yeah. So that's a good point. Report an error

45:27 Denise. Report an error

45:40 So to go on about that point that Keith made. So if you are lying in your deathbed and that you don't want to become attached to. to living then when you're dying, you're right there. You don't want to die. You want to live. So, again, there's that attachment. How do you let go? Report an error

46:08 know, you're scared. Fear kicks in. know what I mean? If we practice well, at the time of death, fear doesn't have to kick in. It's said that if we've practiced Report an error

46:26 The Dharma in our lives, there's kind of three levels. The highest level of practitioners, they're excited about death because this is their opportunity. You can use death to become enlightened. People like His Holiness the Dalai Lama, he says he's kind of excited about dying because he's been practicing, preparing for this. Report an error

46:50 So the highest level is excited. The second level, Doesn't fear death, right? Because you know you've really practiced. You know you've avoided non-virtue. You've practiced a lot of virtue. So there's nothing to fear. You know, you're going to get a good rebirth because you haven't created any causes for a lower rebirth. So there's no fear. And then even the least level of practitioner is said to not regret anything. Report an error

47:22 Not regret how you've lived your life because you've practiced. So if we've really practiced, then there's no reason for fear. Well, I shouldn't say there's no reason for fear, but it's less likely that we'll be overcome by fear. So if it's definite that we're going to die, then it's important to be okay with that. Report an error

47:49 right just To have some peace with that and not grasp onto it. But I want to live. I want to live longer. Because at that point, when we've reached that point where there's nothing left to be done, then we just work with our minds and we let go and try to die peacefully. Report an error

48:13 I'm not really afraid if I'm dying in the deathbed or whatever. I'm more afraid of... The people that I care about and what they're going through, that's what I'm afraid of. I don't want to see them suffer. So maybe there's something in my Dharma teachings that I could share with them. For those who don't practice Dharma, like my dad, how would he get through it? Report an error

48:45 You know what I mean? How do we prevent them from suffering at the time of death or being afraid at the time of death? Yeah, I mean, how do we explain to them, it's okay, I'm fine, it's going to, you know, I'm going to make it to the next life, I'll be okay. Report an error

49:08 It's just tricky. Yeah. I mean, we can try, we can certainly try to, you know, make them feel more at peace. I mean, we can... You know, it really depends on the person and how open they are to getting any kind of Dharma stuff. You know, like nobody in my family would want to hear, oh, well, you know, there are these stages of dissolution and then, you know, nobody would want to hear that, right? Report an error

49:33 But we can make them as comfortable as possible and at the time of death we can say prayers for them and, you know, set. Set the mood in the room to keep their mind as calm as possible, you know, and not grasp onto them and cry and wail and say, don't go, you know, those kinds of things aren't helpful. Report an error

49:57 But, you know, you can say things like, you know, I love you and I, you know, I would rather you not leave, but it's okay. You know, you can let go and you can go, you know, just to make their lives, their minds more peaceful. But, you know, it really depends on the person, too. You know, if a person has a lot of regrets at the time of their death, there's not a lot we can do about that, right? Report an error

50:22 So we can just try as much as we can. Report an error

50:37 In a sense, isn't our entire life as practitioners preparing for the moment of death? Because that's when we really put the pedal to the metal, in a sense. I mean, that's when our practice, all of the work we've done, is really going to, it's all going to come to that point. Report an error

50:55 Where our mind goes next. I mean, we're preparing for that moment our entire lives as practitioners. Yeah, I mean, pretty much. Unless we get enlightened before then. That would be nice. Yeah. I'm aspiring. But yeah, I mean, you could say that in a sense that, you know, our lives are kind of all preparing us for death. Report an error

51:20 You know, our practice is preparing us for death. Report an error

51:31 It's like, you know, if we take refuge throughout our lives, you know, whenever, I mean, frequently, right? And so then naturally at the time of death, we'll want to take refuge, you know, just naturally. And that will save us from the lower realms, you know. Or if we do Tonglen every time we see suffering, you know, just spontaneously throughout our lives, then at the time of death, most likely we're going to think about doing Tonglen and we'll be in great shape. Report an error

52:02 But if we don't do it throughout our lives, then the likelihood of us remembering at the time of death is very slim. Because we'll be in a more stressed out state. So when we're stressed out, we don't usually come up with great ideas. Report an error

52:23 I've never done this before, but... Yeah, Report an error

52:32 there might be someone jumping on our chest. right? Report an error

52:36 Putting tubes in our arms. Report an error

52:42 But we can try to let our loved ones around us know what situation we want to die in. Report an error

52:54 There's these five wishes documents that you can fill out. Report an error

53:03 Let me look into it. I have one. and you know we Report an error

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53:13 Yeah, and you can fill out these questionnaires that say, okay, well, you know, I want to have holy images around me at my time of death. And as I'm dying, I want somebody, you know, to recite this mantra for me. You know, all of those kinds of things, you know. Report an error

53:36 Yeah. Report an error

53:41 When my grandmother was dying, I asked for candles and they denied that because it was a safety hazard to the other patients there. So. But if you have a legal document stating that, and that would be perfect because I would just get that notarized for myself, then nobody can deny you that. Because even if you write in your durable power of attorney for health care, some of them, they don't rise by that. Report an error

54:09 okay right yeah yes so you know once in a while there's a a like a weekend class here that Lenny Lenny, I forget her last name, Lenny from the Tara home down in Atlanta Medicine. And she kind of leads you through filling out the five wishes document and all of that. Tenzin Choki has done it with her as well. But I don't know when the next one is, but if there is one soon, it's a very good class to come to. Report an error

54:53 And then... And then in the meantime, I'll find my five wishes and see if I can get the information on where we can all get one. Report an error

55:06 Okay, well, there you go. All right. Will you maybe email the whole group with that website name or email me and I can pass it to everybody? Thank you. Handy to have a computer. Yeah, definitely. Definitely. Okay. Report an error

55:30 Somebody else? Keith? No, I thought it was that. I was just going to say what's where you get them. Okay. All right. Yeah. I think it costs about $5 for one. And then you just give it to your doctor. Okay. Yeah, an Effie. Report an error

55:52 No, I just had this little cultural footnote that I wanted to share, which is in the Khumbu, which is where Lama Zopa Rinpoche is from. They started a hospital, the Himalayan Trust. It's called the Kunde Hospital. Anyway, what they found is that the local people, the Sherpas, would get really upset when they weren't successful saving people by using these methods that we would think are totally normal in the West, like chest compressions. Report an error

56:22 What was really important to the local people who are Buddhists is they wanted to have a peaceful death. And so what they learned in the Kunde Hospital is that if they weren't sure they could save someone, it was better to send them home and let them have that. Peaceful death, otherwise they basically weren't going to be allowed to operate. You know, they wouldn't have customers anymore at the hospital. Report an error

56:53 As practitioners, we have to think about that. Like, do we want to have a do not resuscitate clause? And, you know, it might be more important to die more quickly, but in a more peaceful way without people jumping on our chest while we're trying to, you know, go into our final meditation. So that's something to think about. Report an error

57:14 And also important to talk to our loved ones before we die, right? And so they know what our wishes are, right? So there isn't a big fight, right? At the time, you know, our Buddhist friends are saying, well, Emily really wants this. And then our, you know, the other family members saying, no, no, no, we don't want that. Report an error

57:35 We want, you know, we want her to be resuscitated. Yeah, yeah, right. So, yeah. Okay. Report an error

57:51 Maybe, Emily, you know something about this. I saw a special on Channel 9 about what happens to Tibetan monks and nuns when they die. They wrap them in shrouds and they carry their bodies out into the middle of nowhere in Tibet and they club them into their bones and then the vultures eat their bodies. Report an error

58:16 What is that called? Sky burial. Sky burial. But you have to be – I mean, what is your position? I mean, not anybody can do that. Report an error

58:29 That was the most fascinating thing I've ever seen in my life. Yeah. I think you have to be in Tibet for that. Well, I don't mean – I don't mean like that. Yeah, but what your status was and all of that. I don't know. I don't know the details of that. Does anybody else know? What is your ranking? Yeah, what you're – I don't know the – Report an error

58:51 My understanding is that's the final gift that a llama or a practitioner would give to feed vultures and animals when they die. It's like the final, you know, giving up of everything. So it increases one's virtue after death while you're in the bardos to do that. And also I think don't llamas meditate in those charnel grounds amidst all the gore to kind of get familiar with death and let go of their attachment. Report an error

59:17 There are means of ecological burials, and then you would be giving nutrients to the soil. Yeah, there's a company out of Sacramento, and you could probably Google it. Report an error

59:33 Yeah, so Donna Report an error

59:50 and then we'll take a break. Okay. Yeah, we're getting a little off track. I did take that class last year with Tenzin Chiki. It was very good. And so I went home and I asked my partner, Pudu, I said, okay, Pudu, what do you want? Do you want to be cremated? Do you want this? He said, how should I know? He said, the llamas, they do the astrological charts. Report an error

1:00:12 And, of course, sky burial is not an option here, but the llamas will do the charts and tell you. Which mode of disposal of the body is right for you? That's what he said. Yeah, for people who have that connection with the Lama and things. Report an error

1:00:36 Keith, and then we'll take a break. My idea was a little different. I went on the internet with Kaiser, because I have Kaiser, and I found a Buddhist doctor. Report an error

1:00:47 Because they have all the doctors listed, and you can... So my doctor actually comes from Myanmar, and he's Buddhist. Myanmar. When I go, we discuss the situation in Buddhist terms, which I think has been helpful for me. Yeah, it could. So anyway, that's what I would suggest. Because there are a lot of Buddhist doctors, really, that have been to medical school in Rangoon or in Thailand. Report an error

1:01:15 I don't know about Tibet, but that's really helpful. It was helpful for me as an older person to do that. Report an error

1:01:26 All right. Yeah. We have this uplifted energy here. Report an error

1:01:46 The last time I went there, we talked about pain, and he went and got a meditation book, and he gave me a meditation practice. So it's really good. It's really helpful. Report an error

1:01:56 Ten, Dr. Ten is his name. He's in, no, he's actually in, why not? The doctor I'm going to is actually in Roseville, but I'm sure there's got to be some in San Francisco if there's some in Sacramento area. I mean, really. Yeah. Okay. All right, well, let's take a break. Report an error

1:02:20 Yeah. What were you guys talking about? Well, death. When Chicky did it, we were all like, somebody did it. Report an error

1:02:35 Well, I'll get you depressed again after the break. Thank you. Report an error

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1:03:25 Copies for us on the Islamrim meditation. So who needs one? Report an error

1:03:41 Donna needed one. Anyone? The same as last week, but some people hadn't gotten it. Mary needs one. Report an error

1:03:56 Ifeong, you want one? You can have one, sure. Report an error

1:04:09 Donna got one. Okay. Report an error

1:04:24 Okay. So we're, okay, Report an error

1:04:40 on page 56 we got up to the body is extremely vulnerable and the time of death therefore uncertain. So Report an error

1:04:54 here the body is vulnerable or actually quite fragile. Like we might think that our body is really strong, but actually it doesn't take that much, right? Report an error

1:05:10 So the body is as vulnerable as a water bubble. Therefore this and that. Such as a thorn piercing it may be to blame and occasion the destruction of life without the need for major harm. Report an error

1:05:26 Even just a thorn or just like a little infection can cause death. Sometimes it's dangerous for people to go into the hospital because they'll catch something. They might catch something that's worse than what they went in for. Report an error

1:05:50 Thus it is very easily overcome by conditions of death. In the friendly letter it says, If physical things, the ground, Mount Meru and oceans are burned up by the seven blazing suns and even ashes are not left behind, what need to mention exceedingly feeble humans? Okay, so in scripture it talks about the whole world, the destruction of the whole world, right? Report an error

1:06:20 So if the whole world, right, can be destroyed, then, you know, obviously, you know, our frail human bodies will go. Report an error

1:06:34 Okay. Report an error

1:06:41 Is the decision that it is necessary to practice the Dharma from now on. So at the end of thoughts like these, you should reiterate many times the innermost decision to practice the Dharma from this very moment. For it is uncertain when the body and life will be overcome by the Lord of Death, and it should not be assumed that there is still time. So based on the second of the three roots, we decide not only are we going to practice the Dharma, we're going to practice the Dharma now. Report an error

1:07:20 Because we don't know when we're going to die. So we need to practice now, not put it off. Sri Jagatham. Jagatamitra said, Earth Lord, as long as this borrowed body abides in pleasure, not sick, not decayed, at that time do take its essence, not fearing illness, death, decay, in times of illness, old age and decay, you may be concerned, but to what avail? Report an error

1:07:53 Actually, I wanted to read you the different translation that's published in the Lam Rimchenmo. Which I find a little bit more clear. It Report an error

1:08:09 says, Lord of the earth, while this borrowed body is still healthy, without sickness or deterioration, take full advantage of it, acting in order to end your fear of sickness, death and deterioration. Report an error

1:08:28 Once sickness, aging, deterioration and the like occur, you might remember to practice, but what can you do then? Report an error

1:08:39 So to practice while we're healthy, because when we're not, it's very difficult to practice. Report an error

1:08:50 There's a prisoner that I write to that's been a really good practitioner. He really, really practices a lot of bodhicitta and all that. And then he got sick. He got a liver disease. And then the last letter he wrote me, he was saying how... His practice has been really degenerative because he's been in such constant pain. All he can do is to try not to get angry, you know, just to deal with the pain, right? Report an error

1:09:21 So that's what happens when we're sick. We can't really, you know, can't exactly meditate on emptiness, right? Or, you know, difficult to meditate on bodhicitta or calm abiding, right? Just trying to manage the pain at that point. Report an error

1:09:44 So among the three root thoughts, the one about the uncertainty of the time of death is the most important, which is why you should make an effort. Report an error

1:09:56 So the three root thoughts, death is certain, the time of death is uncertain, and nothing but the Dharma will help at the time of death. Actually, the most difficult one to realize is that the time of death is uncertain. Report an error

1:10:12 And so we need to put the most effort in that one. Like, we all know we're going to die, but if we think it's far off into the future, it's not going to help that much, right? But the time of death is uncertain. That will help us practice right now, right? If we really understand that we can die any day. Report an error

1:10:34 And Report an error

1:10:43 then the third root. At the time of death, nothing is of benefit except for the Dharma. Report an error

1:10:53 So everything else that we've accumulated, everything that we've done in this life, none of it's going to help at the time of death. All of the success we've had in our jobs, our loved ones, our money, all the redecorating we did in our house, none of that's going to help at the time of death. Report an error

1:11:21 So the first reason amongst this is that you cannot take along friends. So at the time of death, thus when you see you have to go to another world, leaving this world, even if at that time you are surrounded by loving and grieving friends or relatives, you cannot take even one of them along. Report an error

1:11:48 So when we die, we have to do it alone. We're going to go on. By ourselves. So all the friends, the relatives, all the loved ones that we have, they won't be able to help us at the time of death. Report an error

1:12:08 When we're actually dying. And can actually even cause us difficulty. If they're very upset and crying and begging us not to go, that can really disturb our minds. Report an error

1:12:28 And it makes it more difficult to die peacefully. So it's often said, when our loved ones are dying, to not cry in the room with them. Report an error

1:12:45 So we can't take along our friends and loved ones. We have to go alone. We have to give them all up. And then we also cannot take along possessions. So whatever heaps of attractive riches you have obtained, You cannot take along even a small particle of it, Report an error

1:13:10 you know, all of our stuff, you know, none of that will help at the time of death. All the stuff that we accumulate over the years that we can't let go of, you know, the things that we hold on for sentimental value or whatever, the TV, the stereo, the house, the savings account, right? None of that will help us. Report an error

1:13:46 So it's often recommended that before we die that we give away our possessions, right? So that at the time of death we're not, you know, we've already let go of our attachment to our possessions. Then we can die more freely, right? And then if anyone has ever lost a loved one and had to go through all their stuff after they die, you know, just all the mountains and mountains of stuff that people have accumulated and then end up in the garbage can. Report an error

1:14:14 Right? So, you know, you live for 80 years accumulating stuff and then you die and then it's in the trash. Right? Some of it goes to goodwill and a lot of it goes in the trash. Right? And Report an error

1:14:32 then, you know, it's not nice to leave our loved ones having to go through a mountain of stuff. Right? Report an error

1:14:41 Our neighbors across the street, there was an old woman who lived in this house and she was a huge pack rat so she had this huge house. It was just stuffed, everything inside and everything outside. You could see her kids were cleaning out the house for weeks and weeks and weeks. They had these huge garbage, what do you call them, dumpsters, just full. A friend of mine went in there to search the stuff. Report an error

1:15:14 She found like 20 sets of sheets or something like that. Washed them and gave them away. I mean, just tons of stuff like that, you know. Report an error

1:15:27 Amazing. So it's good if we can kind of let go of our possessions, let go of our attachment to possessions, especially before we die. Report an error

1:15:42 Actually, there's a story I wanted to tell about a person that I heard of. I never knew this person who used to go around. Remembering impermanence by saying things like, like if somebody complimented their watch, oh yeah, this is the watch I used to have, you know, or this is, you know, this is the house I used to have, you know, always thinking about the past tense of, you know, his possessions. Report an error

1:16:11 So always remembering that this isn't something they have for long. And it's very interesting. I think it's helpful. It's like remembering. Report an error

1:16:20 This is the body I used to have. Instead of thinking this is me, this is the body I used to have. Maybe it's not so nice to say, this is the partner I used to have. Maybe with inanimate things it works better. this is the Report an error

1:16:51 but um But just thinking in those terms, right? So not being so attached to possessions. Okay. So we can't take along our friends. We can't take along our possessions. And the third, you cannot take along your body. If you have to give up even the flesh and bones you were born with, what need to talk of anything else? Report an error

1:17:15 Right? So even our bodies, you know. We tend to be really attached to our bodies and identify so much that this body is me, right? But when we're gone, it'll just be a body, right? Report an error

1:17:34 You know, if you get a sky burial, then it'll be a body that gets all chopped up and eaten by the vultures, right? Or, you know, maybe cremated and it'll just be ash, right? Report an error

1:17:51 You know, or be under the ground, right? It'll just be the earth element and the water element and the fire element and the air element. It'll just be elements. It won't be me anymore, right? It's like, you know, when we lose a loved one and we see their body. Report an error

1:18:20 I mean, I don't think of that as being... Oh, you know, well, that was, you know, that was my, I mean, that's my father, you know, after he's died. It's like, that's his body, but that's not him anymore. He's off somewhere else, right? That's just a body. But while we're alive, we think, that's me, right? Report an error

1:19:00 So we can't even take along our body. So the only thing that will help at the time of death is Dharma, right? We lose our friends. We lose our loved ones. We lose all of our possessions. We lose even our body. Report an error

1:19:24 So the only thing that will help is the karma that we've created throughout our lives and our state of mind at the time of death. Report an error

1:19:37 That's it. Report an error

1:19:44 Tantra teachings, right? So there's the three levels of consciousness, the gross, subtle and the very subtle. And even the grosser levels of consciousness dissolve. And only our most subtle level of consciousness goes on to the next life. And that's it. Everything else. Everything else is gone. Everything else that we've worked for. Everything else that we've spent so much time taking care of and protecting and developing mental afflictions about are going to be gone. Report an error

1:20:23 The Report an error

1:20:37 chair that I obsessed about. And bought. It's going to be gone. It's not even comfortable. Report an error

1:20:51 Causes me back problems. See, it's, yeah, exactly. What a great lesson. You obsess about something and it causes you suffering. Report an error

1:21:05 Right. So, okay. all. Report an error

1:21:00 Fring. Report an error

1:21:14 There are sadder things. Good lesson there. Report an error

1:21:24 So then the last decision is the decision to practice. Here it says nothing but Dharma. Or we could say making the decision to practice the Dharma purely. Report an error

1:21:40 Then you think at that time it will certainly come to pass. in life Report an error

1:21:46 That all the excellences of this life leave me just as I leave them. And I will proceed to another world. It will happen today. So all of the excellences, all of the wonders of the world will leave us behind. Report an error

1:22:08 Our loved ones will continue on without us. Our possessions will continue on. And somebody else's hands are in the trash. Report an error

1:22:24 And then we will leave everything behind. We will leave it behind and go to our next life. And it could happen. It could happen today. You should make the decision many times to practice Dharma without submitting to the power of conditions like the body, friends and possessions. Report an error

1:22:50 So just practicing the Dharma as purely as we can. And trying not to get sidetracked by just the samsaric pleasures, the mundane things that we get all caught up in that we think are so important that it won't matter even five years from now, much less at the time of death. Report an error

1:23:24 So if we can remember death, then we don't get caught up in the small things, the meaningless things. And we don't get angry, you know, at our loved ones, right? If we know we're going to lose them anyway, you know, you can put up with the irritations and things, right? You don't fight about little things. If you remember death, you Report an error

1:24:04 remember that they're not going to be around very long. Report an error

1:24:22 Okay. Report an error

1:24:28 So I've heard it said once that somebody said we all have the same amount of time every day and Report an error

1:24:41 what we choose to do with it. Is up to us. Report an error

1:24:57 So His Holiness the Dalai Lama may use his day a little bit more better than I do. But we all have the same amount of time. Report an error

1:25:09 And we decide what we want to do with it, depending on our priorities. Report an error

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1:25:55 I thought I would read a song of Shabkar. Shabkar was a great Tibetan saint, right? And he was very famous for... Just being an amazing practitioner in his life and for being, for spontaneously singing, singing songs like Milarepa did in his life, singing songs that were great teachings. And so here's one that I found. Report an error

1:26:35 I'll leave that up to your imagination. Report an error

1:26:41 All right, so he was singing this one to himself. He says, in general, when you examine carefully outer things, whatever they may be, you see them to be impermanent and without essence. In particular, when I think of family life in saṃsāra, I feel sadness deep from within, seeing old people burdened with their years. Report an error

1:27:11 I realized that if I took a young bride, a time would come when she would fade, as they have, as they have older ones. Thinking of this, I feel sadness deep from within. Seeing the sorrows of others in my village, I realized that if I set up a worldly home, a time would come when I would encounter the very same sorrow. Report an error

1:27:37 Thinking of this, I feel sadness deep from within. Considering the perfect lives of past masters, I realized that if I could practice the Holy Dharma, a time would come when I would be happy like them. Report an error

1:27:55 Thinking of this, I feel great faith deep from within. I pray that I may be able to practice the Holy Dharma, following the example of the victorious lords of the past. So Report an error

1:28:21 if we practice Report an error

1:28:25 sincerely, sooner or later we'll all be. Report an error

1:28:35 Like His Holiness the Dalai Lama. And it's said that it's inevitable, right? If we practice, if we create all of the causes and conditions for it to happen, nothing will stop it from happening, right? Report an error

1:28:59 So we can choose, right? We can choose if we want to practice to become like His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Report an error

1:29:36 So sometimes it can be discouraging because it seems like such a long way away. But Report an error

1:29:47 I think it's helpful to remember that it will definitely come. We just have to persist day by day in our practice, not give up. Then definitely, Report an error

1:30:02 definitely the realizations will come over time, Report an error

1:30:16 particularly on those bad days when the mind is really not cooperating. Let's Report an error

1:30:25 dedicate the merit. And I gave homework last time. And actually a lot of you haven't gotten it. So I have more copies here somewhere. And we'll go through it next time. I did email it out. But if people didn't get that, then I have homework 18 if Report an error

1:31:06 they need it. Report an error

1:31:23 Okay, let's do the dedication prayers on page 240. Report an error

1:31:39 do the on 240 and 241. Report an error

1:31:54 Due Report an error

1:32:08 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

1:32:31 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

1:32:51 Like Lama Tsongkhapa, may I be able to offer extensive benefits, equaling the limitless sky, to all sentient beings and the teachings of Buddha, from now on in all future lives, by having all the qualities of Lama Tsongkhapa within me. Because of the past, present and future merit created by me and by the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and sentient beings, may I, my family, disciples and all sentient beings be able to actualize completely in this very lifetime Lama Tsongkhapa's path of unified sūtra and tantra, which is pure like refined gold. Report an error

1:33:28 May this pure teaching of Lama Tsongkhapa spread in all directions and flourish forever. Because of all the merits of the three times created by me and all the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and other sentient beings, may there be no wars, famines, disease, quarreling, fighting or unhappy minds. May there be great prosperity and may everything needed be easily obtained. May all the human beings in the world be guided by spiritual leaders teaching only Dharma and may everyone enjoy the happiness of Dharma. Report an error

1:34:00 May everyone have perfect conditions and have only compassion and love for each other in their mind streams. May they only benefit and never harm each other. May I and all others be able to live the lives of pure moral conduct like Lama Tsongkhapa himself. Train the mind and bodhicitta and live in pure view and conduct. Report an error

1:34:20 In this way, may we be able to, without corrupting the pure wisdom of the second Buddhist teachings. Due to the merits of the three times created by myself and others and by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, may I, my family members, all the students and benefactors of the organization, and all sentient beings be able to meet perfectly qualified Mahāyāna virtuous friends in all our future lives. Report an error

1:34:45 From our side, may we always see them as enlightened and always perform only actions most pleasing to their holy minds. May we always fulfill their holy wishes instantly. Report an error

· · ·

1:35:40 And Sarah, thank you for making me. Report an error

· · ·

1:36:48 You know, a while ago, we talked about this book. Did you get it? Do you want to borrow mine? Report an error

1:36:59 Well, why don't you just borrow it and see if you like it first? And then, you know, maybe you might be able to get it on Amazon or Snowline or we can order it here. Yeah. Yes. We're having fun. It was very fun. Report an error

1:37:13 Yeah. Report an error

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Talk by Emily Hsu, recorded 9 January 2009. Original at Tse Chen Ling Center for Tibetan Buddhist Studies via Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/EH_Lamrim_200803. Licensed CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 US. Transcript generated automatically and may contain errors; the audio is the authoritative version.

Recorded at Tse Chen Ling Center, San Francisco, and archived by the center on Internet Archive. More from Tse Chen Ling

Listen on Internet Archive · CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 US