Basic Program - Buddhism From A-Z (1 August 2009)

· · · silence, 2 minutes

1:36 A Report an error in the passage at 1:36 Highlight the passage at 1:36

1:51 line where it says, who teaches in 60 ways with a patient love of a father for his only son. I guess Shantideva gave a commentary recently at Gila Gyatso saying that that actually should be the patient love of a mother for her only child. Report an error in the passage at 1:51 Highlight the passage at 1:51

2:14 The father for his only son is very, not your typical kind of visual. I've always had trouble with that. It's patient love of a mother for her only Report an error in the passage at 2:14 Highlight the passage at 2:14

2:32 child. So that's what we'll recite. Report an error in the passage at 2:32 Highlight the passage at 2:32

2:40 So we can erase it. Because you think of the love of a father for his only son as being about pride and my son successful and I'm proud. Report an error in the passage at 2:40 Highlight the passage at 2:40

2:52 Chip off the old block. Chip off the old block, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 2:52 Highlight the passage at 2:52

2:59 So obeisance to my guru and protector Monteshi, to holds to his heart of scriptural text symbolic of his seeing all things as they are, whose understanding shines forth as the sun unclouded by defilements or traces of ignorance. Who teaches in sixty ways with the patient love of a mother for her only child. All creatures caught in the prison of saṃsāra, confused in the darkness of their ignorance, overwhelmed by their suffering. Report an error in the passage at 2:59 Highlight the passage at 2:59

3:26 You whose dragon thunder proclamation of the Dharma arouses us from the stupor of our delusions and freezes from the iron chains of our karma. Whose powerful sword of wisdom hues down suffering wherever its sprouts appear, clearing away the darkness of all ignorance. Whose princely body is adorned with the 112 marks of a Buddha. Who has completed the 10 stages achieving the highest perfection of a Bodhisattva. Report an error in the passage at 3:26 Highlight the passage at 3:26

3:50 Who has been pure from the beginning. O Lanjishi, All-Living One, with the brilliance of your wisdom, illuminate the darkness in closing my mind. Enlighten my intelligence and wisdom so that I may gain insight into Buddha's words and the texts that explain them. And then refuge in bodhicitta on the bottom. Report an error in the passage at 3:50 Highlight the passage at 3:50

4:18 I go for refuge until I am enlightened. To the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. By the merits I create through listening to the Dharma. May I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. I go for refuge until I am enlightened. To the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. By the merits I create through listening to the Dharma. Report an error in the passage at 4:18 Highlight the passage at 4:18

4:40 May I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. I go for refuge until I am enlightened. To the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. By the merits I create through listening to the Dharma. May I become a Buddha in order to benefit all these two things. Report an error in the passage at 4:40 Highlight the passage at 4:40

5:05 So we've been going through karma. This Report an error in the passage at 5:05 Highlight the passage at 5:05

5:15 slide I created after I sent you the slides. Sorry. I made a couple of changes. So just to give the overview of what we've covered so far, or the whole section of karma and what we've covered so far. First of all, we talked about the karma and results in general. So the four general aspects of karma. The karma is definite. Report an error in the passage at 5:15 Highlight the passage at 5:15

5:40 The great increase of karma. What were the other two? Report an error in the passage at 5:40 Highlight the passage at 5:40

5:50 You don't experience the result if you haven't created the cause. Report an error in the passage at 5:50 Highlight the passage at 5:50

5:59 Yeah, so the karma doesn't get exhausted. It doesn't, it doesn't, it doesn't, you can transform. Right, so we'll, Once we've created the cause, it won't just go away by itself, no matter how long it takes. So those were the four general aspects. And then there's karma and results in particular. So we covered the non-virtuous actions and the results, the ten non-virtues and the three types of results. Report an error in the passage at 5:59 Highlight the passage at 5:59

6:48 Which were the fully ripened results and the, Report an error in the passage at 6:48 Highlight the passage at 6:48

6:58 it's Saturday, I know, it's the weekend. So Report an error in the passage at 6:58 Highlight the passage at 6:58

7:09 the fully ripened result, right, which is the rebirth. And then there are, sometimes there'd be four types of results, sometimes there'd be three types. Report an error in the passage at 7:09 Highlight the passage at 7:09

7:21 The results. Similar to the cause, in terms of experience and in terms of behavior. So for killing, the results similar to the cause in terms of experience is having short life and having illnesses. Report an error in the passage at 7:21 Highlight the passage at 7:21

7:44 And then in terms of habit or behavior, you have a tendency to it. And then the other type of result, does anybody remember? Report an error in the passage at 7:44 Highlight the passage at 7:44

8:03 I noted for me to just jump in and ask. Report an error in the passage at 8:03 Highlight the passage at 8:03

8:10 Environmental results of killing would be, for example, being in a place like medicine and food and things aren't. They're not effective, right? Like the food isn't nutritious or the medicine doesn't work and things like that. Report an error in the passage at 8:10 Highlight the passage at 8:10

8:48 I'm sorry. So that was the non-virtuous actions and then we talked about what makes an action heavy, right, and there were many things. And then we'll go into the virtuous action. Report an error in the passage at 8:48 Highlight the passage at 8:48

9:06 That's a question. Report an error in the passage at 9:06 Highlight the passage at 9:06

9:12 I guess the teaching that explains how I am the mind work, not necessarily the habituation, because I've noticed sometimes that myself and others... We'll do things to almost, sometimes I think in contemporary language we call it self-sabotage, but it's almost like we purposefully, you know, we purposefully create the action that could be construed as the karma. Report an error in the passage at 9:12 Highlight the passage at 9:12

9:49 In other words, you know, something could go, we could have a choice oftentimes. You're going to do this and you're back. Your result will be beneficial to you, or you do this and your result will be negative towards you. And sometimes we go for the action that's going to bring about the negative result in a way that doesn't sometimes make any sense. Report an error in the passage at 9:49 Highlight the passage at 9:49

10:16 Well, I don't know. It seems to be, but on further observation, it seems to be a very consistent pattern. delusional. Report an error in the passage at 10:16 Highlight the passage at 10:16

10:25 So, yeah, but even in... Maybe people that are not necessarily self-destructive. It's just that we almost assure us through our behavior for decisions, we assure ourselves that it will come out in such a way that... Report an error in the passage at 10:25 Highlight the passage at 10:25

10:46 I think in some ways you can call that, in terms of the lamrim teachings, a habit, right? Karma, in terms of habit, certain... behavior patterns that we have you know that that we keep repeating even though they're not constructive even though they don't make us happy but we keep repeating them because it's a habit right so that's a karma yeah and then and then in later on when we talk about true origins like in the four noble truths true sufferings true origins the causes We'll get into how karma is created on the basis of mental afflictions as well. Report an error in the passage at 10:46 Highlight the passage at 10:46

11:30 So that might be relevant as well, you know, because we'll do certain things because we're attached, right? Or we'll do certain things because we're afraid. Report an error in the passage at 11:30 Highlight the passage at 11:30

11:41 So that might address. Would Report an error in the passage at 11:41 Highlight the passage at 11:41

11:59 that show a karmic propensity towards certain actions? Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 11:59 Highlight the passage at 11:59

12:07 Yeah, a propensity is a result of right habituation. Report an error in the passage at 12:07 Highlight the passage at 12:07

12:18 And they know that they shouldn't do it. I mean, if they keep doing it anyway, they can't stop themselves. No, Report an error in the passage at 12:18 Highlight the passage at 12:18

12:27 but even people that like physically pick. themselves all the time, and they It's an obsessive component. Report an error in the passage at 12:27 Highlight the passage at 12:27

12:43 Lack of willpower, just in general, can it be related to any of them? Report an error in the passage at 12:43 Highlight the passage at 12:43

12:55 We can explain it all in terms of karma. right. That's right. Report an error in the passage at 12:55 Highlight the passage at 12:55

13:02 I don't know if lack of willpower is really one of those. When you have an OCD, you don't even have any willpower. It's habit. It's just a habit. It's deeply grained. And I think all of us have some version of that. Report an error in the passage at 13:02 Highlight the passage at 13:02

13:31 Yeah, I mean, I think it's a combination of karma and mental affliction. But I mean, I think Western psychology explains. Report an error in the passage at 13:31 Highlight the passage at 13:31

13:42 But in terms of Dharma, Report an error in the passage at 13:42 Highlight the passage at 13:42

13:56 let's Report an error in the passage at 13:56 Highlight the passage at 13:56

14:00 move on to... Virtuous actions. So this is a really short presentation that Lama Tsongkhapa gives. So the virtuous actions are the bodily actions of correctly abstaining from killing, stealing and sexual misconduct. Okay, so from the body, from the three actions of body. Abstaining from killing, stealing and sexual misconduct due to possessing a wholesome mind having thought about their disadvantages and of carrying the abstention to its conclusion. So So the virtues, right, are the opposite of the ten non-virtues. And virtues are described in terms of abstaining from or refraining from Report an error in the passage at 14:00 Highlight the passage at 14:00

14:53 after having thought about the disadvantages, knowing that they bring suffering, etc. And so it comes kind of from a deep place. Report an error in the passage at 14:53 Highlight the passage at 14:53

15:07 Then we want to refrain from them, right? So it's not, I mean, it is also be a matter of, well, I was told that I shouldn't kill, so I... Report an error in the passage at 15:07 Highlight the passage at 15:07

15:22 Really understanding that you're ending someone's life, that they really value and then out of compassion, right, Report an error in the passage at 15:22 Highlight the passage at 15:22

15:42 and carrying this abstention to its conclusion. So we'll talk about what that means. So there's three parts to a virtuous action. First of all, we've reflected on the disadvantages of that particular non-virtue. We see it's false and we must believe it is wrong and will bring unpleasant results. Report an error in the passage at 15:42 Highlight the passage at 15:42

16:08 We've reflected on the disadvantages and see its faults. Report an error in the passage at 16:08 Highlight the passage at 16:08

16:16 It's very different from oftentimes the way we were brought up. You're just not supposed to do something. Like we're told not, we weren't supposed to do things, but we weren't supposed to ask why kind of thing. But here we're really supposed to reflect on the disadvantages and really understand deeply why it's... Report an error in the passage at 16:16 Highlight the passage at 16:16

16:41 Then secondly, then we restrain ourselves from these non-virtues, making an affirmative effort to avoid doing it. So let's say we see a mosquito on our arm. You know, we have the urge to kill it, right? But we restrain ourselves, right? We really make an effort not to. And then you carry this abstention to its completion. Report an error in the passage at 16:41 Highlight the passage at 16:41

17:12 Gishisopa says you complete the virtuous action by actually refraining from doing the non-virtual. So this is what Gishisopa says. And then there was another commentary by Geshe Loden. He says that... Actually the completion is when you resolve not to kill. You have that, like you make that decision. Report an error in the passage at 17:12 Highlight the passage at 17:12

17:40 You do if you have an automatic response, like you just feel something on your arm and you do that. You don't even think about it. Well that's where we cultivate mindfulness. Report an error in the passage at 17:40 Highlight the passage at 17:40

17:52 We're trying. So I mean just over time, right? Because that's our first reaction a lot of times. Yes, that way, that way. Report an error in the passage at 17:52 Highlight the passage at 17:52

18:00 Yeah, yeah, Contemplated it. Yeah, I mean, and I remember after first learning the Buddhist teachings, right, and I had the habit of killing. Report an error in the passage at 18:00 Highlight the passage at 18:00

18:15 And over time, you know, I noticed that when I would kind of thoughtlessly kill, and then you'd see that you killed the being, you know, and you're horrified, right? So then that's a good impetus, right, to prevent yourself from doing it in the future. So it's just something we just try to be mindful of. Report an error in the passage at 18:15 Highlight the passage at 18:15

18:36 Over time. Yeah, and then after a while we won't even have that urge, right? But of course we still have the urge because that's the habit, right? Report an error in the passage at 18:36 Highlight the passage at 18:36

18:49 So it'll take a while to urge that habit. To a wave. Report an error in the passage at 18:49 Highlight the passage at 18:49

18:58 Before Report an error in the passage at 18:58 Highlight the passage at 18:58

19:04 we act in speech, you know, it's like, you know, things just kind of tumble out of our mouths sometimes before we think about it. Over time, you know, we're able Report an error in the passage at 19:04 Highlight the passage at 19:04

19:24 to write, not quickly. But what I was thinking, What sort of works for me, it's kind of difficult, but like in Thailand where there's malaria where mosquitoes bite in you, or if you're going to get hit by somebody, what I try to, if you think, well, maybe it's an opportunity to burn up some of the negative karma if I get malaria, well, that one would be a good thing because it would burn up that negative karma for getting malaria. Report an error in the passage at 19:24 Highlight the passage at 19:24

19:55 But, I mean, that seems... I mean, that sort of works. I mean, what else can you do when you're in a malaria? You have to come up with some kind of a preventative cognitive intervention. Otherwise, I mean, I think it's kind of silly to say, oh, I won't kill a mosquito in San Francisco because there's no problem not killing a mosquito in San Francisco. Report an error in the passage at 19:55 Highlight the passage at 19:55

20:16 If I do, it bites you. But there are places where it will. And you have to come up here. You have to do a lot of prevention so you won't get bit. And if you do get bit, you have to... Have some kind of other safeguards in place. Yeah, well, I mean, that's the big thing is the prevention, right? You've been telling us you want malaria. Well, if you've got malaria, then in the next life you probably wouldn't be getting sick. Report an error in the passage at 20:16 Highlight the passage at 20:16

20:45 I don't know. Preventative karma. No, I think that that's a misunderstanding. Well, once you use up the karma, you can't have anything. Go on. not thinking about it. Report an error in the passage at 20:45 Highlight the passage at 20:45

20:57 I hope you can seek it out. We'll talk about that more. Yeah, I mean, it's Report an error in the passage at 20:57 Highlight the passage at 20:57

21:12 usually to not get malaria so that we can continue to practice. But we can, you know, we can scare Report an error in the passage at 21:12 Highlight the passage at 21:12

21:26 them. We can scare them. I mean, you do that, you know, you use mosquito nets, you wear long sleeves, you know, we can do a lot of things like that, right? don't know. Report an error in the passage at 21:26 Highlight the passage at 21:26

21:26 the mosquito. Report an error in the passage at 21:26 Highlight the passage at 21:26

21:41 Yeah. Mosquito repellent. You better not come back from Thailand, yo. Report an error in the passage at 21:41 Highlight the passage at 21:41

21:52 No, I mean, I think about that when I travel, you know, when I'm in India or Africa or something, you know, it's not just a matter of itching for a while when you get mosquito bites. So you're really trying to not get stung, right? But we can do that without killing, and hopefully without getting malaria. Report an error in the passage at 21:52 Highlight the passage at 21:52

22:19 All right. Nice to meet you, nice to meet you. Report an error in the passage at 22:19 Highlight the passage at 22:19

· · · silence, 1 minute

22:20 And then similarly, with the four verbal actions Report an error in the passage at 22:20 Highlight the passage at 22:20

22:29 of speech and the three mental actions of speech. So the virtues are to refrain from lying, divisive speech, harsh speech, and idle gossip, and to refrain from covetousness, malice. Report an error in the passage at 22:29 Highlight the passage at 22:29

22:46 So that's a virtuous action. Report an error in the passage at 22:46 Highlight the passage at 22:46

22:53 So this should be related to the basis, attitude, performance, and completion as appropriate. So here, you know, so this is, we talked about vows quite recently, but let me just reiterate again because this is an important point. So, so let's take the example of not killing. Let's say we've never taken a vow to not kill. Then we only create the virtue of not killing. Report an error in the passage at 22:53 Highlight the passage at 22:53

23:21 When all of the conditions come together, the mosquito falls in your, Report an error in the passage at 23:21 Highlight the passage at 23:21

23:31 all of these, these four, that's the basis, the attitude performance. Report an error in the passage at 23:31 Highlight the passage at 23:31

23:41 So if all four of those are complete, then we create the action, the virtuous action. Versus if we've taken a vow to not kill, then we're constantly creating the virtue of not, Report an error in the passage at 23:41 Highlight the passage at 23:41

24:01 until we actually kill it. Report an error in the passage at 24:01 Highlight the passage at 24:01

24:06 So that's the benefit, right? That's why when we take a vow, even when we're sleeping. Report an error in the passage at 24:06 Highlight the passage at 24:06

24:20 Versus if we don't take the vow, the virtuous action, it's a great lie. Report an error in the passage at 24:20 Highlight the passage at 24:20

24:34 When you're in the process of purities, obviously you're going to slip up. It lasts actually for several years. I mean, it lessens over time, but you still catch yourself. What is the karma if you're actively working on it and things just slip out? I mean, obviously there's some karma, but if it's something that you're in the process of changing, it's going to happen even if you've taken these vows. Report an error in the passage at 24:34 Highlight the passage at 24:34

24:57 Hopefully less and less. How does that work? I mean, nobody just instantly stops doing all non-pure. Maybe some people do, but it's pretty... Report an error in the passage at 24:57 Highlight the passage at 24:57

25:11 Right. Well, I mean, first of all, when we take a vow, it's good to kind of be ready to take the vow. Like, to take the vow of not killing. You know, most people can do that, right? But then, let's say there's like the vow of, that one's really hard for a lot of people. And so it's better, like if we know we're going to break it, it's better to not take it until we're ready. But then once you've taken the vow and you break it, Report an error in the passage at 25:11 Highlight the passage at 25:11

25:44 It's not good. It's worse than if we, right? But then, you know, if we just, if we broke it just absentmindedly, because we forgot for a minute, but then in general, we're really working at it. Karma is not as strong. And we're going to get into that, hopefully, today. We're going to get into some of these examples of karma that's definite to be experienced and karma that's not definite to be experienced. Report an error in the passage at 25:44 Highlight the passage at 25:44

26:15 And that's really interesting. Report an error in the passage at 26:15 Highlight the passage at 26:15

26:20 So then, just to finish with these four parts of abandonment. So in order to create the complete virtue of abandoning killing, the basis, right, once again is another sentient being. The attitude is the wish to give it up, right, give up killing, having seen its disadvantage. Report an error in the passage at 26:20 Highlight the passage at 26:20

26:44 Or Gishulon says, the state of mind in which you determine to abandon killing by thinking that killing is improper due to having seen. So it's wishing to give it up, right, so the opposite of killing, the killing, the attitude for killing is the wish to kill. Report an error in the passage at 26:44 Highlight the passage at 26:44

27:02 Attitude for... The virtue of abandoning killing is the wish to give it up. Having seen its performance of the virtuous action is to put effort into completely abstaining from killing. Report an error in the passage at 27:02 Highlight the passage at 27:02

27:19 So we're actually making an effort. And then the completion is the physical action of correct abstention having been completed. Or as Geshe Loden says, the final decision to avoid killing. So once again, the attitude is the wish to give it up. The performance is making an effort to give it up and then a completion is completely avoiding killing and making the decision not to. Report an error in the passage at 27:19 Highlight the passage at 27:19

27:48 And so then similarly with stealing sexual misconduct. Report an error in the passage at 27:48 Highlight the passage at 27:48

27:55 So is it clear what a virtuous action is? It's really a matter of abstaining from the non-virtue. Report an error in the passage at 27:55 Highlight the passage at 27:55

28:12 The results of virtuous actions, so it's the same three results, the fully ripened result, the effort. The effect in conformity with the cause are similar to the cause and the environmental effect. The fully ripened of virtuous actions is to be born as a human, a god of the desire realm or the god of the former formless realms, depending on the strength of virtue. Report an error in the passage at 28:12 Highlight the passage at 28:12

28:46 So here it's interesting and I have a question about this or I have a doubt about this, but here Lama Tsongkhapa seems to be saying That the strongest virtues result in a rebirth as a god in the formless realm. The medium virtues result as a desire realm god. And then the least striped virtues result as a rebirth as a human. Report an error in the passage at 28:46 Highlight the passage at 28:46

29:20 Because I thought we have the most propensity to become enlightened as a human in a god realm, so you're so delighted all the time. You don't want to practice any virtues. That's why we make prayers to be reborn. As a human, to have a perfect human beaver. If we create a lot of virtue and we don't make prayers to a human, then we'd be more likely to be reborn as a desiring God. Report an error in the passage at 29:20 Highlight the passage at 29:20

29:47 Because that's where immense, immense, immense pleasure is experienced. As a human, we don't experience as much pleasure. So virtue gives rise to pleasure. The definition of virtue gives rise to pleasure. It's a pleasure and happiness. So a lot of virtue gives rise to a lot of pleasure. I Report an error in the passage at 29:47 Highlight the passage at 29:47

30:18 think it relates to something, the fully ripened effect of karma. I think that's true. But if you are born as a human, it's the result of fully ripened karma. Report an error in the passage at 30:18 Highlight the passage at 30:18

30:33 And when you're not born as a human, then it's not. If you're born in a god realm, your karma hasn't fully ripened. I've got to think that through some more. there's something about karma Report an error in the passage at 30:33 Highlight the passage at 30:33

30:47 That's why it's put that way, and I don't, and I, sometimes I understand, it's a different, a fully rapid effect to be born as a human. And that's a good thing. A desire realm god is, and a god of the two upper realms, with small, intermittent, you're born because of actions, but it hasn't ripened yet. Report an error in the passage at 30:47 Highlight the passage at 30:47

31:09 And so then you have to stay such a long time, and then it's, you get so sad, and it's so horrible, and you have to come back. But you are going to have to back and you suffer so much just before you, when you know you're going to die as a god, you suffer so greatly because you've had such a great time. Report an error in the passage at 31:09 Highlight the passage at 31:09

31:30 That's not what it's saying here. The fully ripened effect is defined as the effect that the result is a particular kind of rebirth. So the non-virtue, the non-virtue, The fully ripened effect is a rebirth as an animal, a hungry ghost or a hell being. For virtue, the fully ripened effect, the rebirth, is as a God, a former foremost Rome God, a desire Rome God, or human. Report an error in the passage at 31:30 Highlight the passage at 31:30

32:07 So, fully ripened effect just means that is the main effect of a karma, that's the effect that ripens as a rebirth. Similar to the cause or informity, once again, are the effects that you experience in a particular life, as well as the environmental effects. Those are the effects you experience in a particular life. The fully ripened effect is the kind of rebirth. Either a high rebirth or a lower rebirth. Report an error in the passage at 32:07 Highlight the passage at 32:07

32:44 And here it's saying that the greatest virtue ripened as a god of the Report an error in the passage at 32:44 Highlight the passage at 32:44

32:54 smallest ones. Report an error in the passage at 32:54 Highlight the passage at 32:54

33:02 It's not part of your bodhisattva vows. But in the context of the teachings on the precious human rebirth, we talked about the causes of getting a precious. One of them was pure Report an error in the passage at 33:02 Highlight the passage at 33:02

33:21 ethical. Another one was making prayers. So we had to make prayers. Report an error in the passage at 33:21 Highlight the passage at 33:21

33:30 So when we dedicate, like our merit and things, it's good to dedicate and say, you know, Lama. Report an error in the passage at 33:30 Highlight the passage at 33:30

33:49 I also had a doubt here because to be reborn in the former formless realms, we need to have attained a certain level of concentration. Report an error in the passage at 33:49 Highlight the passage at 33:49

34:00 So it's not just a matter of creating a lot of virtue where you can be reborn in a form of formless realms. You have to have attained at least calm abiding. And Report an error in the passage at 34:00 Highlight the passage at 34:00

34:15 then the effect in conformity with the cause and the environmental effect are the opposites of the ones we talked about relating to non-virtue. Report an error in the passage at 34:15 Highlight the passage at 34:15

34:28 So as we talked about the effect similar to the cause in terms of behavior of stealing, right, is we'll have the tendency to steal. In terms of experience, we'll have few resources, we'll have poverty, experience poverty and things like that. So the effect in conformity with the cause of abstaining from stealing is in the behavior, we're not going to steal. Report an error in the passage at 34:28 Highlight the passage at 34:28

35:01 We'll have the habit of being kind of upright. And then in terms of experience, then we'll have wealth, we'll have resources and things like that. Report an error in the passage at 35:01 Highlight the passage at 35:01

35:16 And then the environmental effect of stealing. What was the environmental effect of stealing? Our crops would fail. So the opposite of that for the virtue of refraining from stealing is that we would have an abundant crop. Report an error in the passage at 35:16 Highlight the passage at 35:16

35:38 It would be easy to grow. Report an error in the passage at 35:38 Highlight the passage at 35:38

35:44 So Lama Tsongkhapa didn't go into detail on the virtues. Report an error in the passage at 35:44 Highlight the passage at 35:44

35:54 Actually, Yangtze Rinpoche went into a bit more. Report an error in the passage at 35:54 Highlight the passage at 35:54

36:11 The result of abandoning sexual misconduct is very harmonious relationships with your partners that endure for a long time. Report an error in the passage at 36:11 Highlight the passage at 36:11

36:22 The result of abandoning lying is that people naturally have a sense of trust in you. The result of abandoning divisive speech is that you're never lacking friends. Report an error in the passage at 36:22 Highlight the passage at 36:22

36:35 Due to the merit of abandoning divisive speech, you develop pleasant characteristics that naturally attract the company of others. Report an error in the passage at 36:35 Highlight the passage at 36:35

36:45 The result of abandoning harsh speech is that people always speak well of you and you have a good reputation. The result of abandoning gossip is that you develop powerful speech and people will listen to whatever you have to say and value it. Report an error in the passage at 36:45 Highlight the passage at 36:45

37:01 The result of abandoning covetous mind is that you will easily be able to accomplish whatever you wish for. The result of abandoning ill will or malice is that you will be born with fearlessness and great confidence. Report an error in the passage at 37:01 Highlight the passage at 37:01

37:19 And the result of abandoning wrong views is that whatever you study will only help to expand your mind to encompass a wider understanding of the world. Report an error in the passage at 37:19 Highlight the passage at 37:19

37:31 So that gives us more of an idea of results and virtuous actions. It gives us motivation, too. Yeah. These are all great things. Yeah, exactly. Because we've heard a lot about non-virtue and it's uplifting to hear more about virtue. Well, we can have that in this lifetime, a lot of that. It doesn't have to be waiting for some future. Report an error in the passage at 37:31 Highlight the passage at 37:31

37:56 Okay, Report an error in the passage at 37:56 Highlight the passage at 37:56

38:03 so the other classifications of karma. There's a classification of throwing and completing karma, and then what will definitely be experienced and what will not definitely be experienced. Report an error in the passage at 38:03 Highlight the passage at 38:03

38:16 So throwing and completing karma. So throwing karma are... and we'll talk about that today, hopefully. Jumping a gun a little bit. Okay, Report an error in the passage at 38:16 Highlight the passage at 38:16

38:24 Throwing actions or throwing karma are the actions that propel rebirth. So here, throwing actions for rebirth in the happy migrations are virtuous actions. And throwing actions for rebirth in the bad migrations are non-virtuous actions. So that's pretty self-explanatory. Virtuous actions bring about happy rebirth. Report an error in the passage at 38:24 Highlight the passage at 38:24

38:51 Non-virtuous actions, so if there's a throwing karma. And then completing karmas... Here it says, are uncertain. However, even the happy migrations, incomplete limbs, minor body parts, or sense powers, ugly looks, a short lifespan, many illnesses, poverty and so forth are caused by none. Report an error in the passage at 38:51 Highlight the passage at 38:51

39:14 Also for animals and hungry ghosts, perfect prosperity is caused. So here, right, so the throwing action will determine what kind of rebirth we get. If it's a human, if it's a god. And then there are many completing karma that fill out the rest. of our lives, So say we're a human being. Report an error in the passage at 39:14 Highlight the passage at 39:14

39:43 that's a result of throwing So here Lama Report an error in the passage at 39:43 Highlight the passage at 39:43

40:12 Tsongkhapa is saying we can have a virtuous throwing action and many many... And then we can have virtuous completing action, virtuous throwing and non-virtuous completing, non-virtuous throwing, virtuous completing. Report an error in the passage at 40:12 Highlight the passage at 40:12

40:34 So we'll go into that a little bit more. Could I ask a question later? How does this section compare to the last section? So a throwing karma is a fully ripened effect. So throwing karma would be the cause and the fully ripened effect would be the corresponding result. Right? Yeah. what is the... Report an error in the passage at 40:34 Highlight the passage at 40:34

41:00 Yeah, that's a good question. So throwing actions give rise to fully ripened. Report an error in the passage at 41:00 Highlight the passage at 41:00

41:12 Yeah, I would say I've never seen this specifically linked, but completing actions seem to give rise to the effect similar to the cause and the environmental. Report an error in the passage at 41:12 Highlight the passage at 41:12

41:29 Yeah, there's all these different permutations of, you know, divide it this way and divide it this way and divide it this way and trying to fit in. Yeah, Report an error in the passage at 41:29 Highlight the passage at 41:29

41:51 so throwing karma or sometimes... Translated as projecting karma, an action that throws or projects the main seed that will eventually yield fruit as a particular type of rebirth in the future. Report an error in the passage at 41:51 Highlight the passage at 41:51

42:04 So we're creating these all the time. Report an error in the passage at 42:04 Highlight the passage at 42:04

42:10 Actions that we create Report an error in the passage at 42:10 Highlight the passage at 42:10

42:16 constantly, planting these seeds that may ripen. Leading Report an error in the passage at 42:16 Highlight the passage at 42:16

42:31 karma fills in what kind of situations we'll experience in that rebirth, pleasant or unpleasant, beautiful or ugly, long or short life. Report an error in the passage at 42:31 Highlight the passage at 42:31

42:42 We're creating those karmas all day long too. And it's unclear which actions are going to result into a rebirth and which actions will result in really a completing karma. Report an error in the passage at 42:42 Highlight the passage at 42:42

42:57 And maybe the same action can result in both. Report an error in the passage at 42:57 Highlight the passage at 42:57

43:07 So especially if it's a particularly strong negative action, then maybe it can result in rebirth in the lower realm and a lot of suffering during that life. Report an error in the passage at 43:07 Highlight the passage at 43:07

43:22 So we're going to talk about that later. I keep putting you off. How about when you have two accidents on the same day? You have two ripenings. That was intense. Report an error in the passage at 43:22 Highlight the passage at 43:22

43:38 It's over though. Hopefully you purify that. I hope so. I'm sitting here thinking about what karma, what version of karma. Report an error in the passage at 43:38 Highlight the passage at 43:38

43:49 Well those are both completing karmas, right? Those are experiences in your life. Report an error in the passage at 43:49 Highlight the passage at 43:49

44:02 they both serious and they Report an error in the passage at 44:02 Highlight the passage at 44:02

44:23 I think about it. Just because something good happens in my life, it doesn't mean necessarily that in the big picture it's good. If I say if you win a lottery, you're burning up a lot of good karma, and that in the next life you're not going to have that anymore. You kind of balance out the bad karma that I've accumulated since the beginning of this time. So a good thing is not necessarily a good thing, nor a bad thing necessarily a bad thing. Report an error in the passage at 44:23 Highlight the passage at 44:23

44:52 A karma might burn up some bad karma. Give me a better shot at the next line. That's why I think in the context of a I don't like to use good and bad karma because non-virtuous karma ripening will ripen into suffering, but we can't really say that that's bad, right? That might be really beneficial. That might be a result of having purified and then a suffering result occurred, but then it's over, like really quickly, and you're not going to experience a greater suffering later. Report an error in the passage at 44:52 Highlight the passage at 44:52

45:28 Similarly, if... If we have a lot of wealth and comfort in this life, it's a result of virtuous karma, but that might not be a good thing. We might be, as you said, be using up all of our positive actions, right? So then you have to take the wealth and give it away almost to keep it. Well, yeah. So that you use the virtues. Exactly. I mean, that's the thing is we have to make sure we keep creating virtue, right? Report an error in the passage at 45:28 Highlight the passage at 45:28

45:58 Because we're all experiencing the result of a lot of virtue in the past, right? The ripening of a lot of virtue. Because we're here, right? We have the Dharma, you know, we're not starving, etc. So the key thing now is to make sure we keep creating more. Sometimes I think about that, you know, going to His Holiness the Dalai Lama's teachings. Report an error in the passage at 45:58 Highlight the passage at 45:58

46:24 Oh my gosh, I'm using up a lot of really good karma here. I better create a lot more. Report an error in the passage at 46:24 Highlight the passage at 46:24

46:34 So hopefully we're creating more than we're using up. And I think we are. Report an error in the passage at 46:34 Highlight the passage at 46:34

46:45 Okay, I already talked about this. Virtuous throwing karma and virtuous completing karma. So these four permutations. Virtuous throwing karma and non-virtuous completing karma. Non-virtuous throwing karma and virtuous completing karma. And non-virtuous throwing karma and non-virtuous completing karma. Report an error in the passage at 46:45 Highlight the passage at 46:45

47:03 Do you feel like you're in math class? So an example of virtuous throwing karma and virtuous completing karma is rebirth as a deva or a god in the upper realm or human realm with a pleasurable life. Report an error in the passage at 47:03 Highlight the passage at 47:03

47:23 Virtuous throwing karma and non-virtuous completing karma, like rebirth as a human with a very difficult life. So we see a lot of those in San Francisco. The homeless people are people with drug problems, psychological problems, more than normal. And then non-virtuous throwing karma and virtuous completing karma. So for example, a rebirth as a dog with a good comfortable life, like a pet, a pet that's treated very well. Report an error in the passage at 47:23 Highlight the passage at 47:23

47:56 And rebirth as a dog is a non-virtuous, it's a bad rebirth, but... Being fed and treated well as a result of virtuous completing karma. So often we used to joke at Institute of Lama Tsongkhapa where the dogs that lived at the Institute, the Lamas would sometimes say, oh yeah, that's probably a monk who broke his vows. Report an error in the passage at 47:56 Highlight the passage at 47:56

48:27 So that resulted, or so the breaking of the vows resulted in the... The lower rebirth as a dog, but because they're a monk and created a lot of virtue they had. They were around the Dharma and they were treated very well, so virtues complete in karma. Report an error in the passage at 48:27 Highlight the passage at 48:27

48:50 And then non-virtuous throwing karma and non-virtuous completing karma, so rebirth in the lower realms with a lot of suffering. Can Report an error in the passage at 48:50 Highlight the passage at 48:50

49:04 we control them? Report an error in the passage at 49:04 Highlight the passage at 49:04

49:12 Yeah. we control them? Yeah. I mean, we can purify them so that they don't ripen so strongly. And then at the time of death, right, so we'll talk about this later, but, right, so throughout our lives we're constantly creating this karma that's being implanted, right, on the seeds that are being, and then at the time of death, the state of mind determines the Report an error in the passage at 49:12 Highlight the passage at 49:12

49:50 next rebirth. So if our state of mind at death is taking refuge or bodhicitta or something like that, it's a virtuous mind. So that will help. Report an error in the passage at 49:50 Highlight the passage at 49:50

50:06 If Report an error in the passage at 50:06 Highlight the passage at 50:06

50:10 at the mind of death we have anger, then there's a non-virtuous mind and a non-virtuous karma. Report an error in the passage at 50:10 Highlight the passage at 50:10

50:24 So I don't see rebirth as a human with a good life. So rebirth as a human with a good life would be the first one, virtuous throwing. So that one I have up there is just a Report an error in the passage at 50:24 Highlight the passage at 50:24

50:46 sense. I'm kind of going through quickly. Report an error in the passage at 50:46 Highlight the passage at 50:46

50:58 read, I think said that it's okay to go around doing a lot of good, doing a lot of virtue, but you don't do it correctly, it's just going to be a cause for rebirth as a Report an error in the passage at 50:58 Highlight the passage at 50:58

51:18 Yeah, dedicate to like to have a precious human rebirth in order to be able to continue to practice again and again. Report an error in the passage at 51:18 Highlight the passage at 51:18

51:31 Lama Zopa Rinpoche when he... Because the teaching, he spends a lot of time on the motivation and a lot of time on the dedication. So dedication isn't just a matter of, okay, I gain enlightenment as quickly as possible in order to benefit all satee beings. Go! Right? But also, you know, praying that we'll meet the Dharma again and again, you know, as early on in our lives, that we'll have precious rebirth, human rebirth, that we'll meet with pure gurus, etc. Report an error in the passage at 51:31 Highlight the passage at 51:31

52:03 All of those things are, you need to make these prayers in order to have the circumstances, right? Otherwise, you know, I mean, you could be like Donald Trump or something. Right. It's like you'll have a lot of money and things. Is that a precious rebirth? But he doesn't really have a precious human rebirth. He has a human rebirth, though, and he has a lot of money. Report an error in the passage at 52:03 Highlight the passage at 52:03

52:25 So he's experiencing the result of a lot of virtue in the past, yeah? But what his next life will look like. Report an error in the passage at 52:25 Highlight the passage at 52:25

52:36 So... So yeah, we need to make specific prayers to meet with the Dharma again and again, to meet with peer teachers like Chodron Rinpoche. Report an error in the passage at 52:36 Highlight the passage at 52:36

52:52 And that's easy to forget, right? Especially because we've met with these peer teachers and we think, oh yeah, we'll just keep meeting with them. Report an error in the passage at 52:52 Highlight the passage at 52:52

53:02 We need to create the causes to keep meeting, to have a positive mind toward them and to cultivate guru devotion and follow their advice when they give it to us and not break. Our commitments to them and then make prayers to meet with them. Report an error in the passage at 53:02 Highlight the passage at 53:02

53:42 What's concerning about karma for me is that they say we create karma 60 times per finger snap. We're creating mixed karma constantly even when we think we're behaving in a virtuous manner. So how do you avoid just either being so tied up in knots about one's actions that we just feel frozen about what to do and just sort of behaving mindlessly. Report an error in the passage at 53:42 Highlight the passage at 53:42

54:06 Thinking about the subtle results of our karma. Because a lot of this is very subtle. And most of us have sort of mixed karma. We do a virtuous deed, but there's self-interest involved. It's very rare that we do something purite without at least some self-interest. Yeah. I mean, I think... How do you work with that? Yeah. I think it's a real practice to try to really... Report an error in the passage at 54:06 Highlight the passage at 54:06

54:35 Remain relaxed. To take the long term view of remembering we have these strong habits and we're going to keep creating non-virtue. We still have attachment. We still have self-cherishing things. But just to try to be mindful and then to do the best that we can. Report an error in the passage at 54:35 Highlight the passage at 54:35

55:03 Just knowing I'm trying and rejoicing that we're trying. Improving. And not to have expectations. Report an error in the passage at 55:03 Highlight the passage at 55:03

55:19 Because we won't be. So I think, you know, just rejoicing is a really, Report an error in the passage at 55:19 Highlight the passage at 55:19

55:29 yeah, most of us don't. But I think it's really, it's really important. It's funny, I used to think rejoicing was, how can I rejoice about something good I did? That's Report an error in the passage at 55:29 Highlight the passage at 55:29

55:46 rejoicing about, I think we have kind of a. Report an error in the passage at 55:46 Highlight the passage at 55:46

55:54 Maybe, maybe instead of rejoicing in, rejoicing in the act, divorcing yourself from the person. So happy that you can, Report an error in the passage at 55:54 Highlight the passage at 55:54

56:09 so happy to be able to give. So happy, happy. Yeah, because I know what you mean. We can get, Report an error in the passage at 56:09 Highlight the passage at 56:09

56:30 but yeah, that's a really important point, I think, to work through that. Report an error in the passage at 56:30 Highlight the passage at 56:30

56:40 Learn to relax and just enjoy the whole, Report an error in the passage at 56:40 Highlight the passage at 56:40

56:47 because it's, I mean, it's just a wonderful thing for us to be able to do. Yeah. You Report an error in the passage at 56:47 Highlight the passage at 56:47

56:54 know, we're so fortunate, and that's why, like, remembering the Precious Human Rebirth is a really good thing to try to remember to do every morning, you know, when we set our motivation. Report an error in the passage at 56:54 Highlight the passage at 56:54

57:08 Like how wonderful it is, you know, to have this opportunity. To create lots of virtue and to be able to help others and to be able to study the Dharma. And then we can have kind of a happy mind and then go through the day trying to go through the day with a hat. Report an error in the passage at 57:08 Highlight the passage at 57:08

57:30 And then at the end of the day purify whatever non-virtues that we've created. Because of course we've created some. And as you said, to think that we're here, you know, we're here for a reason. We're not here by accident. We've created this virtuous form to have this chance. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. For us to have been here, we need to create so much virtue. So, yeah, to rejoice in that. Just walking through this. Report an error in the passage at 57:30 Highlight the passage at 57:30

58:02 Oh, I was just going to say, I think my first half of life was pretty darn miserable. I did a lot of money. I think it's just pure. It's good. Now you're floating. It gives me compassion for suffering. Yeah, that's true. And I'm not judgmental. But I think that, you know, it changes the world. Yeah. But all I have to do is look back at how much suffering I did have and how it's like, well, it's still slow, but you can see the difference. Report an error in the passage at 58:02 Highlight the passage at 58:02

58:35 And it happens. So I let it to being patient and being hard on yourself. It's hard. I'm an expert being hard on myself. And it doesn't mean it. No, it doesn't. It's tiring, too. It takes a lot of effort. And it's a form of self-cherishing. Yeah, I never felt that. Well, because it's still about you. It's like this ego of you. Report an error in the passage at 58:35 Highlight the passage at 58:35

58:59 But that's not usually what we think of or what society says. No, definitely not. Yeah, Report an error in the passage at 58:59 Highlight the passage at 58:59

59:08 I think, you know, with the beating ourselves up, we first need to convince ourselves that there's no benefit. Really, like, deep within our being, just see that there's... So it took me one time to get that one. Report an error in the passage at 59:08 Highlight the passage at 59:08

59:22 It just creates suffering. And then just to really make the effort to be compassionate, to be easy in ourselves and gentle and be compassionate with ourselves. Speaking from experience, I was a big beat myself up person and I'm not as much now. Life is so much better. Report an error in the passage at 59:22 Highlight the passage at 59:22

59:54 But it's a slow process for sure. And sometimes we think that having compassion for ourselves is selfish as well. Yeah, I know. Yeah, and so we need to think through that as well. We're sentient beings too, we need to have compassion for ourselves. Report an error in the passage at 59:54 Highlight the passage at 59:54

1:00:20 Okay, then moving on. So this isn't in our text here. section of Does One Karma Bring About One Life or Many Lives, but it's in the Lung Rung Chinma, the Treatise. So this is an interesting question. So when we create a karma, is that going to bring a result of one rebirth? Or is that going to bring a result of many rebirths? Or how does that work? So there's two schools of thought. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:20 Highlight the passage at 1:00:20

1:00:56 Vasubandhu in the Treasury of Knowledge, or the Abhidharma Kosha, which is basically the Abhidharma written more from the Hinayana perspective. He says that one action projects one rebirth. So one action of killing projects one suffering rebirth. One action of abandoning killing projects one action. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:56 Highlight the passage at 1:00:56

1:01:27 And then those that bring about completion are many. so then there are many actions right that Report an error in the passage at 1:01:27 Highlight the passage at 1:01:27

1:01:50 So many completing actions fill in the details of our life. One throwing action is what caused this particular rebirth. But Report an error in the passage at 1:01:50 Highlight the passage at 1:01:50

1:02:12 then Asanga says in his compendium of knowledge, which is more the Mahāyāna viewpoint, the Abhidharma according to the Mahāyāna. So he says, There are circumstances where a single action projects one body. There's circumstances where there's a single action that projects many bodies or rebirths or where many actions project a single body or where many actions project many bodies. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:12 Highlight the passage at 1:02:12

1:02:46 So single action projecting one body or rebirth. Then there are circumstances where a single action projects many rebirths. So particularly negative karma. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:46 Highlight the passage at 1:02:46

1:03:04 bring about rebirth, many different Report an error in the passage at 1:03:04 Highlight the passage at 1:03:04

1:03:09 A Report an error in the passage at 1:03:09 Highlight the passage at 1:03:09

1:03:15 story that Report an error in the passage at 1:03:15 Highlight the passage at 1:03:15

1:03:37 I recall was just one time, but obviously that one was a particularly strong one. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:37 Highlight the passage at 1:03:37

1:03:51 Yeah, and if it's a strong action and you don't purify it, the great increase of karma. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:51 Highlight the passage at 1:03:51

1:04:05 There's karma where many actions project a single rebirth. So apparently we may commit minor negative actions, but repeatedly. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:05 Highlight the passage at 1:04:05

1:04:22 White lines, I Report an error in the passage at 1:04:22 Highlight the passage at 1:04:22

1:04:29 don't gossip a lot. And so many of those actions together can project. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:29 Highlight the passage at 1:04:29

1:04:39 And similarly with the positive, many of the positive actions, things that we do for others, Report an error in the passage at 1:04:39 Highlight the passage at 1:04:39

1:04:52 project a really good rebirth. So we don't need to focus on the negative, like the whole drops in a bucket. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:52 Highlight the passage at 1:04:52

1:05:06 And then there's karmas when many actions project many. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:06 Highlight the passage at 1:05:06

1:05:19 So sometimes when we say, oh, if we experience suffering, that that means the karma is finished. I can say that. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:19 Highlight the passage at 1:05:19

1:05:30 Let's say I get sick, and then I think, okay, that karma is finished. But according to this teaching, it seems like, okay, well, it might be finished for now, but that karma may still ripen in the future. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:30 Highlight the passage at 1:05:30

1:05:44 What if you purify it? Well, if you've purified it. Well, when we get to purification, we'll talk about... The levels of purification, like you can purify an action such that you'll never receive a result, or you can purify an action partly so that you'll experience only like a lesser result. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:44 Highlight the passage at 1:05:44

1:06:08 So yeah, so it depends on the level of purification. But if you've purified it, you've regretted it, then the result is much less. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:08 Highlight the passage at 1:06:08

1:06:26 were talking about different kind of a You were talking about a body car. Yeah. Yes. Yeah, it's true. I mean, I'm talking more about completing karma. But still, I think in general, you know, just because we're experiencing something, it doesn't mean that karma is totally finished. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:26 Highlight the passage at 1:06:26

1:06:52 I think, I mean, this is my thinking. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:52 Highlight the passage at 1:06:52

1:06:59 And action can give results, you know, potentially many results, yeah? Well, I mean, I have this example because I'm visually impaired, so obviously I created a karma that resulted in that, but I try to use it as fuel for my practice and dedicate it for the benefit of all of those who have visual impairments that nobody will ever have to suffer this again. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:59 Highlight the passage at 1:06:59

1:07:25 And I have this view, so am I going to keep, I mean, I'm hoping that this would be purified and finished in this lifetime if I maintain... sort of a practice you were doing about it. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:25 Highlight the passage at 1:07:25

1:07:40 Yeah, no, that's great. Don't tell me I'm going to create this again. Well, I mean, I don't know what the karmic cause was, the specific cause was for that, you know, but, you know, just keep practicing and keep purifying. And that's all we can do. You know, none of us can say for sure that we'll never experience something. But if we just practice, like Report an error in the passage at 1:07:40 Highlight the passage at 1:07:40

1:08:19 for me, like the big negative, then I like to pure Report an error in the passage at 1:08:19 Highlight the passage at 1:08:19

1:08:36 body and Report an error in the passage at 1:08:36 Highlight the passage at 1:08:36

1:08:41 killing. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:41 Highlight the passage at 1:08:41

1:08:51 So that's what we can do. And if we're, you know, if it's effective and genuinely, deeply regret having created the cause, I think that that's a pretty indication. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:51 Highlight the passage at 1:08:51

1:09:18 I think for myself anyway, I'm pretty sure. Over many lifetimes, everything, good and bad, happens. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:18 Highlight the passage at 1:09:18

1:09:31 It's just a little drop. This life is just a drop in the bucket. And then you can be born with a lot of money and be absolutely miserable and if you actually suicide yourself, you can Report an error in the passage at 1:09:31 Highlight the passage at 1:09:31

1:09:45 have various impairments and be quite happy. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:45 Highlight the passage at 1:09:45

1:09:54 This life is a drop in the bucket, but this life is really important. We can create this incredible positive momentum where... First of all, we can purify a lot of that negativity so that we never experience it again and then create all this positive momentum to lead us to a good rebirth until we're enlightened. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:54 Highlight the passage at 1:09:54

1:10:20 So we have that opportunity in this life. If we've all had good and bad rebirths in the past, but that's also because we haven't sustained a positive momentum, keeping the vows, keeping virtue. We've created some virtue, we've created some non-virtue and we haven't purified our non-virtue. Sometimes we have a bad rebirth, sometimes we have a good rebirth. Or a mixed rebirth. Or a mixed rebirth and we go up and down. But in this life we really, we have incredibly good circumstance. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:20 Highlight the passage at 1:10:20

1:10:54 So we can create a lot of virtue. We can purify a lot of non-virtue so that in future lives they just keep getting better and better. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:54 Highlight the passage at 1:10:54

1:11:08 Like for me I'm digitally impaired but I've had a pretty good life overall in other ways. So I had enough merit to create, I think, a precious human rebirth because I have resources that allow me to still practice. I could be blind in a third world country and have no access to anything. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:08 Highlight the passage at 1:11:08

1:11:27 So I think a lot of our karma is kind of mixed that way. Yeah, yeah. Because we all have our obstacles, right? Yeah. But we have a lot more good things going for us. Good, I'm using the word good. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:27 Highlight the passage at 1:11:27

1:11:57 I think you said something important though, which is that you can look at your karma, look at the circumstances of your life, like in your case you said a weak body or me in my eyes, whatever, and you can sort of almost use it to map what you need to work on in this life. Like what's easy for you, what's hard for you, what's come to you relatively easily, what's been a struggle for you throughout your life. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:57 Highlight the passage at 1:11:57

1:12:18 I mean you could actually analyze that and figure out what you really need to focus on developing in this life. It's almost like a diagnostic. Yeah. I think we all need to do that, right? To look at our particular circumstances and our particular mind and see, okay, well, what do we need to really work on? And it's like, you know, we can see when we really look, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:12:18 Highlight the passage at 1:12:18

1:12:45 We can see what our habitual tendencies are, what we're good at and what we're not so good at. And we look all that hard. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:45 Highlight the passage at 1:12:45

1:12:57 Yeah. But you can kind of see where you've been. Yeah. And actually on that topic, Report an error in the passage at 1:12:57 Highlight the passage at 1:12:57

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:13:33 Peter, if I get this electronically, I'll send it out to you. I don't have it electronically. This was created by somebody else. So the first two columns indicate our current circumstances. Like if we're experiencing, let's say, lack Report an error in the passage at 1:13:33 Highlight the passage at 1:13:33

1:14:02 of resources, poverty. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:02 Highlight the passage at 1:14:02

1:14:06 A troublesome spouse, people around us are unreliable, etc. Others don't listen to us, others around us are always court, others don't respect us. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:06 Highlight the passage at 1:14:06

1:14:26 If we recognize any of these situations in our lives, then we can... Including the troublesome spouse. Oh, come on. Since he's not here, you have to take that opportunity. So then we can look at the third and fourths of the curve. The third column tells us which of the non-virtues was the cause of these circumstances. Purify that non-virtue. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:26 Highlight the passage at 1:14:26

1:15:00 Really try hard not to commit that one and then to purify it, regret it, purify it. And then the last column, the solutions, the kinds of things we can do. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:00 Highlight the passage at 1:15:00

1:15:14 So for example, if we experience a lot of illness, that's a result of killing. What we can do now is to not kill and to protect others' lives. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:14 Highlight the passage at 1:15:14

1:15:36 I think Report an error in the passage at 1:15:36 Highlight the passage at 1:15:36

1:15:42 Lama Zopa says, too, you can get a pet and take care of it. And that's one of the ways you can hear if I Report an error in the passage at 1:15:42 Highlight the passage at 1:15:42

1:15:51 told some monk to get a goat and take care of it. Goats live to be about 35. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:51 Highlight the passage at 1:15:51

1:16:02 And particularly if they're in danger of being killed. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:02 Highlight the passage at 1:16:02

1:16:12 Animal liberation is okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:12 Highlight the passage at 1:16:12

1:16:19 So is that pretty clear in this chart, how to read this chart? Report an error in the passage at 1:16:19 Highlight the passage at 1:16:19

1:16:30 Oh, now, now, yeah, all right, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, so, on the, sorry, yeah, it's all yours. Thank you. Actually the time kind of got away from me. Let's dedicate the merit real quick. was like, oh no, I told them I'd take you out of place. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:30 Highlight the passage at 1:16:30

1:16:55 Yes, yes Report an error in the passage at 1:16:55 Highlight the passage at 1:16:55

1:17:00 as we were talking about, so... Report an error in the passage at 1:17:00 Highlight the passage at 1:17:00

1:17:05 that we'll continue to... To meet the Dharma in all of our future lives, a precious human rebirth, Report an error in the passage at 1:17:05 Highlight the passage at 1:17:05

1:17:23 we qualify spiritual teachers in all our lives so Report an error in the passage at 1:17:23 Highlight the passage at 1:17:23

1:17:32 we can be more and more beneficial to others, may Report an error in the passage at 1:17:32 Highlight the passage at 1:17:32

1:17:44 all beings experience only happiness and not suffering the Report an error in the passage at 1:17:44 Highlight the passage at 1:17:44

1:18:05 Dharma and becoming enlightened as quickly as possible. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:05 Highlight the passage at 1:18:05

1:18:24 Okay, takedown! Thank you so much for meeting today. Oh yeah, sure! That was great. This is a great class. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:24 Highlight the passage at 1:18:24

1:18:36 Yeah, we all have a good work. Yeah, we all have a good work. Cut out for us. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:36 Highlight the passage at 1:18:36

1:18:42 So next time we'll get into this really interesting topic of what will definitely be experienced and what will not definitely be experienced. Thank you for the handout. Thank you, Emily. I was very glad. For being here and coming all the way up. Oh yeah, yeah. Thanks. Really thoughtful. We leave these... Report an error in the passage at 1:18:42 Highlight the passage at 1:18:42

1:19:03 So lets take the cushions and tables up. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:03 Highlight the passage at 1:19:03

1:19:09 We can stack them in the hallway. We can ask Report an error in the passage at 1:19:09 Highlight the passage at 1:19:09