Buddhism from A-Z, 2nd Semester - Bodhicitta: Developing the Big Heart (19 January 2010)

· · · silence, 6 minutes

5:36 We'll start with a few minutes of silent meditation to calm our minds, or to try to calm our minds. Report an error in the passage at 5:36 Highlight the passage at 5:36

5:50 I'm good. If Peter ends up coming, we'll have to turn out this one, but I suspect that Ian Lewis won't be. Report an error in the passage at 5:50 Highlight the passage at 5:50

6:10 So we can focus on the inhalation and exhalation of the breath, the Report an error in the passage at 6:10 Highlight the passage at 6:10

6:21 sensation of the nostrils, or the rising and falling. Try Report an error in the passage at 6:21 Highlight the passage at 6:21

6:37 to stay present with Report an error in the passage at 6:37 Highlight the passage at 6:37

6:48 any thoughts that arise. Report an error in the passage at 6:48 Highlight the passage at 6:48

· · · silence, 8 minutes

15:10 To my guru and protector, Manjushri. Who holds to his heart a scriptural text symbolic of his seeing all things as they are. Whose understanding shines forth as a sun unclouded by defilements or traces of ignorance. Who teaches in sixty ways with a patient love of a father for his only son. 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 15:10 Highlight the passage at 15:10

15:36 You, whose dragon thunder proclamation of the Dharma arouses us from the stupor of our delusions and frees us 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 112 marks of a Buddha, who has completed the ten stages achieving the highest perfection of a bodhisattva, who has been pure for the beginning. Report an error in the passage at 15:36 Highlight the passage at 15:36

16:03 O Manjushri, All-Loving 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. Report an error in the passage at 16:03 Highlight the passage at 16:03

16:21 I Report an error in the passage at 16:21 Highlight the passage at 16:21

· · · silence, 1 minute

17:08 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, may I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. Report an error in the passage at 17:08 Highlight the passage at 17:08

17:33 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. Report an error in the passage at 17:33 Highlight the passage at 17:33

18:02 a reminder. So this class is on bodhicitta and practicing the big heart. And Lama Zopa Rinpoche says that because our lives are so busy, well, if our lives are really busy, practicing the good heart really is the best thing to practice. We always have time to practice the good heart. So he says our lives are so busy we are preoccupied by many family and other obligations. Report an error in the passage at 18:02 Highlight the passage at 18:02

18:33 When your life is so busy, there is no other refuge than your good heart. Your good heart is the most important thing in which to take refuge. If we're getting more and more irritated at others and more and more grasping at our own practice and needing others to conform to our way, that's not really the right way to practice. Report an error in the passage at 18:33 Highlight the passage at 18:33

19:06 The best way to practice is to develop a warmer, softer, good heart. Report an error in the passage at 19:06 Highlight the passage at 19:06

19:18 And Lama Yeshe says the best Dharma practice, the most perfect, most substantial, is without doubt the practice of bodhicitta. Bodhicitta being the essence of the entire Dharma. Report an error in the passage at 19:18 Highlight the passage at 19:18

19:34 So what is bodhicitta? So we went through this last time. It's the aspiration for complete enlightenment for the welfare of all sentient beings. So out of this great sense of compassion we have for all beings, this great sense of love we have for all beings, we want to free them from their suffering. Report an error in the passage at 19:34 Highlight the passage at 19:34

19:54 So we have a recognition that saṃsāra is in the nature of suffering and dissatisfaction. So based on that recognition, we can develop great compassion for all beings. Report an error in the passage at 19:54 Highlight the passage at 19:54

20:07 And then on the basis of that, we develop bodhicitta because we take on the responsibility for freeing all beings from that suffering. Report an error in the passage at 20:07 Highlight the passage at 20:07

20:23 And why develop it? Shantideva's famous quote, whatever joy there is in this world all comes from desiring others to be happy. And whatever suffering there is in this world all comes from desiring myself to be happy. But what need is there to say much more? The childish work for their own benefit. The Buddhas work for the benefit of others. Just look at the difference between them. So the more that we're able to cherish others, the more happy we become ourselves. Report an error in the passage at 20:23 Highlight the passage at 20:23

21:00 And so we just, you know, we just try it, right, and see if it works. Report an error in the passage at 21:00 Highlight the passage at 21:00

21:10 Okay, so we went through this last week. Report an error in the passage at 21:10 Highlight the passage at 21:10

21:17 And then we also talked about how bodhicitta is the entranceway, the gateway to the Mahāyāna. Once we develop bodhicitta, we become a Mahāyāna practitioner. If we lose our bodhicitta, then we're no longer a Mahāyāna practitioner. So bodhicitta is like the gateway, the entranceway to in and out of the Mahāyāna. Report an error in the passage at 21:17 Highlight the passage at 21:17

21:42 A question. So wait. We have a... We have to, for the benefit of all sentient beings. Report an error in the passage at 21:42 Highlight the passage at 21:42

21:56 For the recording. People actually do listen to the recording. Report an error in the passage at 21:56 Highlight the passage at 21:56

22:06 Yes, someone from St. Louis. Report an error in the passage at 22:06 Highlight the passage at 22:06

22:12 What happens if you mess up on the bodhicitta? If you reach bodhicitta, you can mess the bodhicitta up, you have to start all over again. Well, you don't have to start all over again, but... But we just have to work a little harder to get the bodhicitta back. Because that happens, right? Because we have good periods and not so good periods, right? Report an error in the passage at 22:12 Highlight the passage at 22:12

22:40 We have periods where we have a lot of compassion and people are kind to us and we have periods when people around us are really trying our patience, right? So, yeah. So we're going to talk about that more. Yeah, it is. It's hard. It's maybe the hardest thing we'll ever do. John. Report an error in the passage at 22:40 Highlight the passage at 22:40

23:04 Alright, so if developing bodhicitta is into the Mahāyāna path, do you have to have a realization of bodhicitta in order to be called a Mahayanist, or can you have a little bit of bodhicitta and still be in the Mahāyāna path? Yeah, I mean, technically speaking, you know, Lama Tsongkhapa says you actually have to have the realization of bodhicitta to be... Report an error in the passage at 23:04 Highlight the passage at 23:04

23:34 A true Mahianist. Otherwise we're aspiring Mahianists. It's like aspirational bodhicitta versus engaging bodhicitta. I think we're aspiring. So I think most people are aspiring Mahianists. Report an error in the passage at 23:34 Highlight the passage at 23:34

23:58 Because the actual realization of bodhicitta is not... But Report an error in the passage at 23:58 Highlight the passage at 23:58

24:07 I wouldn't belabor that point and not get... Don't get discouraged, right? Well, I've been practicing Mahāyāna and I still don't have the realization of bodhicitta. Am I ever going to get it? You just try. Report an error in the passage at 24:07 Highlight the passage at 24:07

24:27 Rose? Report an error in the passage at 24:27 Highlight the passage at 24:27

24:35 What is if when someone from the Theravadan tradition develops bodhicitta, is he then a Theravadan Mahāyāna Mahayanist? Yeah, yeah, so when they talk about Mahayanas and Hinayanas, they talk about Mahayanas and Hinayanas in two different ways, in terms of philosophical view and in terms of practice. So when you have bodhicitta, you're actually a Mahayanist in terms of practice. Report an error in the passage at 24:35 Highlight the passage at 24:35

25:15 You have the realization. I mean, you can still keep doing your, you know. Your Vipassanā meditations and things like that. But it's the motivation. The motivation is what determines if you're Hinayanist or Mahayanist. So if you have bodhicitta, you're a real Mahayanist. Even if you want to be a Theravadan practitioner. Usually it goes the other way around. Report an error in the passage at 25:15 Highlight the passage at 25:15

25:41 Does that make sense? Most of the Theravadan people I know, I think I have the impression that they have... Even so much developed the Mahāyāna, the bodhicitta has a difference so much. Report an error in the passage at 25:41 Highlight the passage at 25:41

26:05 Only when I speak with Theravadan people, I think most of them just want to go out of the slide. That's true. But also, they developed a lot of bodhicitta, of love for this world and for other people. Well, I'd say there's a big difference between bodhicitta and love. Report an error in the passage at 26:05 Highlight the passage at 26:05

26:30 And we'll talk about that more here. Because you have a lot of love, but if your main aim is to get out of this life, out of cyclic existence, you still don't have bodhicitta yet. You can have an enormous amount of love, but if you haven't yet taken on the responsibility to free everybody and kind of postpone your liberation, then you don't yet have bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 26:30 Highlight the passage at 26:30

26:56 Yeah, but I agree, you know. Sometimes Theravadans have more love than Mahāyāna, so-called Mahayanas. We shouldn't look down on the Theravadans is the main point. Report an error in the passage at 26:56 Highlight the passage at 26:56

27:20 That was a big point. Report an error in the passage at 27:20 Highlight the passage at 27:20

27:24 And then Lama Tsongkhapa also talked about how it's worthwhile to enter the Mahāyāna from the start because we have to help all of these suffering sentient beings. We can't just abandon them. Report an error in the passage at 27:24 Highlight the passage at 27:24

27:39 And how a Hinayana Arhat can't help others once he or she has reached the state of nirvāṇa without remainder. So once the Arhat has died, they lose their body and they can't help others. So Lama Tsongkhapa is encouraging us to enter the Mahāyāna now from the start, not to become a Hinayana first and then go to Mahāyāna later. Report an error in the passage at 27:39 Highlight the passage at 27:39

28:06 And he says, well, sooner or later you have to enter the Mahāyāna anyway, so you might as well do it now. Report an error in the passage at 28:06 Highlight the passage at 28:06

28:15 And then he talked about what differentiates the Hinayana and the Mahāyāna. It's the bodhicitta, it's the motivation that we were just talking about, the aspiration to achieve enlightenment for the welfare of all sentient beings. It's not the wisdom realizing emptiness. Both Hinayanas and Mahayanas need to realize emptiness to get it out of saṃsāra. Report an error in the passage at 28:15 Highlight the passage at 28:15

28:39 But the difference between Hinayana and Mahāyāna is the Mahayanas have the bodhicitta motivation. To postpone their liberation, to not settle for individual liberation and to aspire to get to Buddhahood in order to help all sentient beings. Because Buddhas have the power to manifest bodies and they have the omniscient mind. Report an error in the passage at 28:39 Highlight the passage at 28:39

29:06 So only a Buddha is able to help sentient beings in the most perfect way. Because they have the power, they have the wisdom. Report an error in the passage at 29:06 Highlight the passage at 29:06

29:21 Rose? Report an error in the passage at 29:21 Highlight the passage at 29:21

29:30 Hinayana and Theravadan, or is this the same actually? Yeah, Theravadan is part of Hinayana. It's a part of Hinayana? Yeah, yeah. So, okay. Yeah, there are a number of schools of Hinayana and Theravadan is one. Okay, but what would be to distinguish the difference between Hinayana? When someone calls himself Hinayana, Hinayana, the Theravadan people, they usually don't use the term Hinayana. Report an error in the passage at 29:30 Highlight the passage at 29:30

30:05 Right, yeah, because the term Hinayana is actually, sounds kind of derogatory actually, because, you know, literally it means lesser vehicle, you know. But Theravadan's, I mean, their motivation, right, is to free themselves from saṃsāra. Not to attain complete enlightenment. So they're Hinayanas. Is there a difference between the Theravadan and Hinayana? Report an error in the passage at 30:05 Highlight the passage at 30:05

30:37 See, I've heard different things. A lot of people use those terms interchangeably, but I'm not sure that all Hinayanas are Theravadans. Hinayanas are in Sri Lanka, in Thailand, in Report an error in the passage at 30:37 Highlight the passage at 30:37

30:55 Asia, Indonesia. Indonesia, yeah, I mean, a lot of those. Southeast Asia countries, whereas the Mahāyāna is more in Tibet and Japan and China and India. Thailand. Report an error in the passage at 30:55 Highlight the passage at 30:55

31:18 Thailand, Sri Lanka, Laos. Report an error in the passage at 31:18 Highlight the passage at 31:18

31:25 But once again, not to look down on Theravans, because Theravans, a lot of them have greater realizations than we do. It's just a different motivation, a different focus. Report an error in the passage at 31:25 Highlight the passage at 31:25

31:47 So we covered the first point last week, and now we're getting into how to actually generate bodhicitta. And there are two main methods for generating bodhicitta. The sevenfold cause and effect, which is the lineage of Atisha, and then this exchanging oneself with others by Shantideva. So tonight we're going to get into the sevenfold cause and effect. Report an error in the passage at 31:47 Highlight the passage at 31:47

32:18 And we talked about last time how these are two different lineages in the presentation, but in fact in our practice we practice both in a combined method. Report an error in the passage at 32:18 Highlight the passage at 32:18

32:30 They actually, each of them have a different strength. Report an error in the passage at 32:30 Highlight the passage at 32:30

32:37 So the sevenfold cause and effect. Report an error in the passage at 32:37 Highlight the passage at 32:37

32:44 So as a basis, before we even get into the seven steps, we're trying to develop this equanimous mind or this impartial mind. To try to let go of this partiality we all have of liking some people and caring about them and doing things for them and being kind to them. And then others just completely ignoring them. They don't even kind of hit our radar. And then even others that irritate us that we don't really care if something bad happens. Report an error in the passage at 32:44 Highlight the passage at 32:44

33:27 happens to them, you know, we may even wish ill on beings. So this tendency that we have to be attached to some people or beings, to have aversion toward other beings and to be indifferent toward others. We can't develop bodhicitta if we have this kind of attitude. So the first step before we even start in these, before we get into these seven, Steps is to develop an equanimous mind, and there are a few methods for doing that. A non-biased mind. Okay, so on the basis of that, once we kind of start to let go of our biased mind, right? Report an error in the passage at 33:27 Highlight the passage at 33:27

34:12 I mean, to actually let go of our biased mind is a big realization in and of itself, right? But, you know, once we start, then we can move to the next step, once we start loosening that up. Report an error in the passage at 34:12 Highlight the passage at 34:12

34:28 Viewing all beings as one's mother. So a lot of we Westerners have difficulty with this, especially if we have difficult relationships with our mothers. But we'll talk about why this is. And if we have a really difficult relationship with our mother, then this wouldn't be the best meditation to use as a basis for bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 34:28 Highlight the passage at 34:28

34:53 And we can think of somebody else that's been really kind to us. It doesn't have to be our mother. But there is a great... Benefit to using our mother in meditation. And we'll talk about why. Report an error in the passage at 34:53 Highlight the passage at 34:53

35:12 So we're trying to view all beings as one's mother to try to develop a sense of closeness and gratitude towards all beings, right? Instead of ignoring some and being irritated at them, to feel a sense of closeness toward every... It's Report an error in the passage at 35:12 Highlight the passage at 35:12

35:36 really irritating. Even the ones we just can't stand. So through training we can develop this feeling of closeness toward each and every sentient being, seeing that every sentient being has been close to us. If we believe in past lives, it makes sense. If we've had infinite past lives, then we've had infinite mothers. Report an error in the passage at 35:36 Highlight the passage at 35:36

36:04 It makes sense that every sentient being has been our mother at one time or another. So that understanding, when that really clicks, kind of changes our entire perspective. Report an error in the passage at 36:04 Highlight the passage at 36:04

36:22 My coworker might have been my mother, right, or this aunt that I'm about to step on. Maybe it's been my mother or that cockroach, you know, or, you know, that I'm about to eat. Report an error in the passage at 36:22 Highlight the passage at 36:22

36:40 So it completely changes our perspective. So this is a very profound one, step that we shouldn't just skip over. But as I said, if we have a really difficult relationship with our mother, then it's probably better to... Use somebody else in that step. Okay. And then the next step is remembering the kindness of our mother. Report an error in the passage at 36:40 Highlight the passage at 36:40

37:13 So mother is particularly used because when we were very small, you know, well, first of all, we have this body because of our mother, right? Without our mother, we wouldn't even be here. We wouldn't even have this body. On top of that, when we were tiny little babies, we were completely dependent on our mother. Report an error in the passage at 37:13 Highlight the passage at 37:13

37:36 We couldn't feed ourselves, we couldn't go to the bathroom, we couldn't bathe ourselves. We were completely dependent on our mother or somebody, whoever took care of us. Report an error in the passage at 37:36 Highlight the passage at 37:36

37:54 So by remembering the kindness of our mother, that's further growing the sense of affection we feel towards sentient beings. And then the third step that follows on from remembering the kindness. is the wish to repay the kindness. The more grateful we are to somebody, the more naturally we want to pay them back, do something for them. Report an error in the passage at 37:54 Highlight the passage at 37:54

38:21 Those were the first three steps. And then based on that, then we develop an affectionate love toward all beings, a sense of affection. This term affectionate love, I looked it up in the Tibetan, and it was very interesting to me because this... This term has been translated in many different ways, like sometimes it's attractive love, affectionate love, but from my dictionary, it's even stronger than that. Report an error in the passage at 38:21 Highlight the passage at 38:21

38:51 This term means beloved or precious or dear, like holding everyone as very precious, as very beloved to me, you know, as being like a mother. Holds her only child as being so precious, right? So important, so beloved, you know, so dear. So that's the kind of mind that we're trying to develop toward all beings, right? Which seems, you know, pretty difficult, right? Report an error in the passage at 38:51 Highlight the passage at 38:51

39:29 But, you know, but people have done it, right? So we can do it too. Matt. Report an error in the passage at 39:29 Highlight the passage at 39:29

39:39 Well, is it the affectionate love, is it... Is it more correct to say that it's a love that's great in scope or would it be more correct to say like... It's both. It's both. It includes all beings and it's unconditional. Report an error in the passage at 39:39 Highlight the passage at 39:39

40:03 Yeah, I mean that's the aim, right, for it to be unconditional. Report an error in the passage at 40:03 Highlight the passage at 40:03

40:09 Technically the term love in the Dharma is not conditional. It's the wish, right, wish for all beings. To be happy. Not expecting something in return, right? Not expecting them to meet our standards or be grateful or act in the way that we want them to. But it's a pure wish for them to be happy. Report an error in the passage at 40:09 Highlight the passage at 40:09

40:43 Okay. Yeah, John. Report an error in the passage at 40:43 Highlight the passage at 40:43

40:50 So for this affectionate love, if it's so strong, could one... into the danger of because it is so strong you could become love could cause you to become attached to that being a negative way could it actually trip you up Yeah, Report an error in the passage at 40:50 Highlight the passage at 40:50

41:24 I mean it's true in general if all we're practicing is... Is that a potential way of looking at it, or is there something more subtle going on? Yeah, I Report an error in the passage at 41:24 Highlight the passage at 41:24

41:28 If this is affectionate love without trying to practice equanimity and things before that, then yeah, this affectionate love can become attachment. But I think with the other steps, then we're trying to remove this distinction between, or this bias, right? If we have a bias, then there's some attachment involved. Report an error in the passage at 41:28 Highlight the passage at 41:28

41:57 Yeah, so we're trying to remove the bias as a basis, right? But yeah, but that's a very good question. I mean, in general, in general, the more we try to develop love for others, there is this danger of developing attachment, right? So we just, we have to be aware of that, right? And yeah, and work on that. Report an error in the passage at 41:57 Highlight the passage at 41:57

42:23 Okay. And then based on affectionate love, then we develop great compassion, which is the wish to free all beings from suffering. So this affectionate love is like this sense of beings being beloved and holding them dear, wanting them to be happy, whereas the great compassion is wanting them to be free from suffering, wanting all beings to be free from suffering in an unbiased way. Report an error in the passage at 42:23 Highlight the passage at 42:23

42:54 And we're going to get into all of this in a lot more detail. I just have a question concerning the affectionate love. What about self-preservation? If you are trying to love maybe even someone who is difficult in your life or you put yourself out there all the time and then you just get back negative and negative, do you just keep on going? Report an error in the passage at 42:54 Highlight the passage at 42:54

43:22 Is there any type of self-preservation? Or maybe I'm just thinking a closed-up way of thinking. I think it's very difficult if you spend your days looking. And anybody that comes in your life with this affectionate love and then you get Report an error in the passage at 43:22 Highlight the passage at 43:22

43:46 difficulty in return or venom when, you know, it's not even having to do with you and you just spend your day receiving this kind of energy. Report an error in the passage at 43:46 Highlight the passage at 43:46

43:57 Is there a point that you just need to rest or I'm just thinking process. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I mean, that's very practical. Report an error in the passage at 43:57 Highlight the passage at 43:57

44:11 No, I mean, it's a good question. call. Report an error in the passage at 44:11 Highlight the passage at 44:11

44:13 I think that's where we really have to use our own intelligence. What is really our genuine capability right now? If I keep opening myself up and giving and giving and I keep getting this negative stuff in return, is that going to adversely affect my mind? Is that going to burn me out and cause me to give up altogether? Report an error in the passage at 44:13 Highlight the passage at 44:13

44:42 That we don't want, right? So we have to, you know, like pace ourselves and go at the level where we really are. It's like if we're, let's say if we're training for a marathon and I haven't run in 10 years, you know, you don't start by running 26 miles, right? You start slowly, you know, based on where your body is, right? So similarly with the training in bodhicitta, you need to practice at the level we are. Report an error in the passage at 44:42 Highlight the passage at 44:42

45:15 So I think we have to really take care of our minds and not pretend to be further along than we are. It's a very important question. Because otherwise, somebody might push a button and you'll go over the edge, right? And you'll say something really nasty or do something you regret later. We don't want that. So I once got this... Report an error in the passage at 45:15 Highlight the passage at 45:15

45:24 you know, so we have to, yeah, we really Report an error in the passage at 45:24 Highlight the passage at 45:24

45:47 This wonderful piece of advice from a monk that I admire a lot, who said, you know, in your practice, you should push just a little, but not too much, right? Just a little, right? We're trying to push our limits a little bit, just so we can expand our limits, but don't, you Report an error in the passage at 45:47 Highlight the passage at 45:47

46:14 know, overdo it, right? It's very much a gradual process, you know, and we can spend our entire lives on... Report an error in the passage at 46:14 Highlight the passage at 46:14

46:27 We can spend our entire lives on one step, and that's great, right? We shouldn't expect ourselves to be able to get to bodhicitta necessarily in this life. I mean, it's wonderful, right? And we can train in that, but bodhicitta really takes a lot of time and a lot of effort. So we have to be really compassionate with ourselves too, really patient. Report an error in the passage at 46:27 Highlight the passage at 46:27

46:55 You know, kind to ourselves. You know, then we can be kinder to others. Report an error in the passage at 46:55 Highlight the passage at 46:55

47:04 As I listened to the question I was thinking about, sometimes maybe it's other things too that come. Report an error in the passage at 47:04 Highlight the passage at 47:04

47:15 For me, I find that sometimes it's elements of ego and attachment. They're like, I want someone Report an error in the passage at 47:15 Highlight the passage at 47:15

47:26 to be happy. You know, like, at some point, it's sort of a realization like, you know, I really want this person to be happy because I'm not the wife. I'm Report an error in the passage at 47:26 Highlight the passage at 47:26

47:40 only one, you know, I'm only this big. You know, I can't be this person. Report an error in the passage at 47:40 Highlight the passage at 47:40

47:47 I don't have to worry about those. Report an error in the passage at 47:47 Highlight the passage at 47:47

47:50 happier. Report an error in the passage at 47:50 Highlight the passage at 47:50

47:53 just by taking me out of my Report an error in the passage at 47:53 Highlight the passage at 47:53

48:04 Yeah, I mean very much, I mean, in general that's the way, that's where we are, right? It's our love for others is mixed with attachment, mixed with ego, mixed with, you know, wanting that person to appreciate me and like me and maybe even to be dependent on me, you know, the whole codependence thing, right? Report an error in the passage at 48:04 Highlight the passage at 48:04

48:24 It's not bodhicitta, that's not love. But I don't think that necessarily means that you have to step out and not be in that person's life at all. It's just important to be honest with ourselves and then try to let go of that attachment and try to focus on the love. Report an error in the passage at 48:24 Highlight the passage at 48:24

48:43 When you don't get the gratitude or when you don't get the reaction that you expect, to try not to close up the heart and just try to keep loving them and trying to wish them. Happiness, yeah? You know, and then the negative mind might pop up again and again and then we just cut it off. We don't allow ourselves to wallow in the negative mind. Report an error in the passage at 48:43 Highlight the passage at 48:43

49:09 We just go back and, you know, may you be happy, may you be happy, may you be happy, may you be happy, may you suffer, may you be happy, may you be happier, you know? It's just, you know, that's what we... Yeah. I mean, I had a small example of that. Today, I mean, just driving up here, you know, the roads were really wet and dangerous, and some guy in a truck was, you know, was a maniac. Report an error in the passage at 49:09 Highlight the passage at 49:09

49:36 He was right behind me, right? And the first chance he got, he went around me and cut me off and splashed my windshield, you know? And my first reaction was, you know, I hope you... And then, you know, and then it's like that negative mind comes up and just cut it off. It made me just be happy, you know? Report an error in the passage at 49:36 Highlight the passage at 49:36

50:02 And that's the practical reality of our minds. We just have to work. Report an error in the passage at 50:02 Highlight the passage at 50:02

50:14 So great compassion, on the basis of great compassion, wishing all sentient beings to be free from suffering. Then we developed this extraordinary attitude. Not only do I want beings to be free from suffering, I'm going to take on the responsibility myself. I'm going to be, you know, not in the ego way. Report an error in the passage at 50:14 Highlight the passage at 50:14

50:35 I'm going to be the one to save everybody. But in a non-ego way. I'm not going to leave it up to others. I'm not going to. It's like when a house is on fire, you know, and there are people trapped in there. You know, we all have compassion. Oh, you know, maybe be saved. But the extraordinary attitude is I'm going to be the one who goes in and saves them, right, instead of watching them and, you know, praying for them but not going in, you know, having the courage, right, to be the one. Report an error in the passage at 50:35 Highlight the passage at 50:35

51:08 Not in an ego way, in a courageous way. And then. From that, then, the mind of enlightenment or bodhicitta, right? The mind of enlightenment is just another term for bodhicitta. Or actually, that's the English translation. Bodhicitta. Chitta means mind or heart. Bodhi means mind of enlightenment or spirit of enlightenment. Heart of enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 51:08 Highlight the passage at 51:08

51:36 Okay. So that's the overview of the steps for developing bodhicitta according to this seven-fold instruction in cause and effect. And then we'll go into... Today we'll talk about why we need all those seven steps and then next time we'll actually meditate. Report an error in the passage at 51:36 Highlight the passage at 51:36

51:59 I think you already kind of answered the question because I was going to ask it. So the six causes, one is the basis of two, two is the basis of three, three is the basis of four. So you need to have one before in order to realize the next one after. So if you have those six causes, you have to have all six in order to have... Report an error in the passage at 51:59 Highlight the passage at 51:59

52:26 result of bodhicitta. can't Report an error in the passage at 52:26 Highlight the passage at 52:26

52:35 right, you can't skip. Forget about the love part, let's just be a bodhicitta. And actually in the next slide, that's exactly what Lama Tsongkhapa is saying. So he presents these seven steps in the reverse order. He's saying, okay. Okay, that's what I just wanted to Report an error in the passage at 52:35 Highlight the passage at 52:35

53:02 So if you want to become a Buddha, a perfect, complete Buddha, well that comes from developing bodhicitta, the mind of enlightenment. How do you get the mind of enlightenment or bodhicitta? Well that comes from number six, the extraordinary attitude. How do you get the extraordinary attitude? Well that comes from great compassion. How do you get great compassion? Well that comes from affectionate love. How do you get affectionate love? Report an error in the passage at 53:02 Highlight the passage at 53:02

53:31 Wanting to repay the kindness of others. Report an error in the passage at 53:31 Highlight the passage at 53:31

53:37 The wish to repay the kindness of others by remembering their kindness. Report an error in the passage at 53:37 Highlight the passage at 53:37

53:45 And from that, Report an error in the passage at 53:45 Highlight the passage at 53:45

53:49 that from viewing all beings as one's mother or one's relative or one's right. Report an error in the passage at 53:49 Highlight the passage at 53:49

54:04 So who's the big person to tell you, okay, you've reached all these. You're good to go. You can now take the next step. Because what if you've done, you felt that you've been living your life like this for many, many years and... It just comes naturally to you. Who do you go to to say, okay, who's the person who's going to test you? Report an error in the passage at 54:04 Highlight the passage at 54:04

54:27 Or whatever. Is that you? Because you're my teacher? Yeah, just let me tell you. Well, I think that's a good question. I mean, how do you know? Well, first of all, you know, I mean, if you have a Lama, you know, a Guru, you know, the Guru can help guide you. Report an error in the passage at 54:27 Highlight the passage at 54:27

54:49 We Report an error in the passage at 54:49 Highlight the passage at 54:49

54:53 can determine that for ourselves, actually, where we are. If we're just honest with ourselves, we know where we are. And we don't need to, let's say, master the first step before we can even go on to the second step. We need to practice in many different ways. Report an error in the passage at 54:53 Highlight the passage at 54:53

55:18 Maybe we'll practice... You know? Report an error in the passage at 55:18 Highlight the passage at 55:18

55:20 Viewing one beings as one's mother. Maybe we meditate on that for six months or something like that. Just that. Or we can meditate on all seven every day and try to develop some feeling of all seven. But I think it's important to spend more time in the early stages if we don't have a feeling for them yet. Report an error in the passage at 55:20 Highlight the passage at 55:20

55:51 So these aren't intellectual understandings, right? It's not like, I mean, it's easy to understand intellectually, yeah, well, all beings have been kind, right? But we're trying to bring it from an intellectual head level down to the heart where we actually feel grateful to all beings, right? We feel affection for all, compassion for all. Report an error in the passage at 55:51 Highlight the passage at 55:51

56:17 So, like when I did a retreat on the Lamrim, Report an error in the passage at 56:17 Highlight the passage at 56:17

56:28 My advice from my Lama was to meditate on bodhicitta every day, which I did. And I spent early Report an error in the passage at 56:28 Highlight the passage at 56:28

56:45 stages, which really helped with the later stages. So I'd meditate on all seven in some sessions, but I spent more time in the early stages because I felt like that was much more beneficial than just kind of superficially going through the seven and going, okay, okay, affectionate. Okay, great compassion, okay, you know, because that was more at the head level. So that's kind of a long answer to your question. Report an error in the passage at 56:45 Highlight the passage at 56:45

57:13 But you can see for yourself, you know, kind of where you need the most work. Oh, okay, well, I have pretty good equanimity. Oh, I have a pretty good, you know, gratitude for others. But I really don't have, you know, I don't really have a sense of all beings as being my only child, right? So I really, you know, kind of need to work on that one kind of thing, right? Report an error in the passage at 57:13 Highlight the passage at 57:13

57:35 So we just look at our own minds and I think we can see, we can tell. Report an error in the passage at 57:35 Highlight the passage at 57:35

57:47 Okay, so then Lama Tsongkhapa gets into these seven steps and talks about why we need all seven to help us understand that we can't just skip over a few. Let's just go to bodhicitta, that's a lot quicker, right? Why do we need all seven? And he talks about, okay, great compassion. Why that's the root of the Mahāyāna path, and it's important in the beginning of the path, the middle of our path, and even at the end of our path. Report an error in the passage at 57:47 Highlight the passage at 57:47

58:24 In Buddha's great compassion is important. The beginning, middle, and the end. Report an error in the passage at 58:24 Highlight the passage at 58:24

58:35 So remembering great compassion is the fifth step of these seven. So what's great compassion? It's the wish to free all sentient beings without exception from suffering and the causes of suffering. Report an error in the passage at 58:35 Highlight the passage at 58:35

58:55 And that all sentient beings without exception is the really important part, right? Because we all have compassion. We all have compassion for the poor people in Haiti, right? But we don't necessarily have compassion for the jerk at work, right? So we're trying to develop compassion for all beings without exception. Report an error in the passage at 58:55 Highlight the passage at 58:55

59:26 So why is great compassion important at the beginning of the path? So a great compassion is important at the beginning of the path to help us develop this bodhicitta, to inspire us to actually help other beings. Lama Tsongkhapa says when your mind is moved by great compassion, you will definitely resolve to free all sentient beings from cyclic existence. So when we have this deep, heartfelt compassion for sentient beings, this deep, heartfelt... Report an error in the passage at 59:26 Highlight the passage at 59:26

59:59 Understanding that they're suffering, then we'll definitely develop this wish to free sentient beings from cyclic existence. If our compassion is deep enough, we can't just stand by and let people suffer. It's like if our parent is really needing our help, we can't just sit by and just let them suffer. Report an error in the passage at 59:59 Highlight the passage at 59:59

1:00:32 We need to help them. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:32 Highlight the passage at 1:00:32

1:00:36 So if our compassion is deep enough, then we'll definitely make this resolution, I'm going to free them from suffering. However, if your compassion is weak, you will not. Oh, Report an error in the passage at 1:00:36 Highlight the passage at 1:00:36

1:00:54 you know, I have compassion. You know, I have compassion for that Report an error in the passage at 1:00:54 Highlight the passage at 1:00:54

1:01:02 homeless person who's begging on the street. But I don't know, I don't really want to give them money, you know, kind of thing. You know, that's weak compassion. Well, you know, I really hope you have a home. You know, you find a home, right? That Report an error in the passage at 1:01:02 Highlight the passage at 1:01:02

1:01:23 kind of thing and we just walk right by. That's weak compassion, right? When we're not really moved to do anything. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:23 Highlight the passage at 1:01:23

1:01:37 Therefore, whether you take responsibility for liberating all beings without exception depends on great compassion. And if you do not take that responsibility, you will not enter the Mahāyāna. If we don't take the responsibility to free other beings from suffering, then we won't become a Mahayanist. That's why compassion is important in the beginning. So we need to develop this very deep, stable, heartfelt compassion that will move us to help others, to take responsibility for helping others. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:37 Highlight the passage at 1:01:37

1:02:12 And that's not easy. The mic. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:12 Highlight the passage at 1:02:12

1:02:23 we're not Buddhists, sometimes I wonder, since we don't have the wisdom of Buddha, how we know the right thing to do for other people is that we might sometimes cause someone not to do anything. Right. Yeah, well that's, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:23 Highlight the passage at 1:02:23

1:02:46 I mean that's the great motivator for wanting to become a Buddha, right? Compassion for others, but we don't really know what to do for them. You know, when you have a daughter, you know, maybe she's, if she goes through a hard time, you know, you don't quite know how to help, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:02:46 Highlight the passage at 1:02:46

1:03:04 Right. Right. Yeah. Right. That's really hard when you have that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. Right. So, yeah, sometimes the best thing to do for somebody else is to not do anything, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:03:04 Highlight the passage at 1:03:04

1:03:24 That didn't. It doesn't really make any sense. But the best thing that we can do for somebody sometimes is to sit back and let them learn on there. So I don't mean that, you know, just because you don't do something, it means the compassion. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:24 Highlight the passage at 1:03:24

1:03:51 Well, if you don't have it at all, you know, it's different. So we have to be honest with ourselves with that homeless person, right? It's like, okay, if we walk by the homeless person and not give anything to them, why are we doing that? Is our heart closing? Report an error in the passage at 1:03:51 Highlight the passage at 1:03:51

1:04:14 And you don't have to answer that, but we just need to be honest with ourselves. Sometimes we walk by a homeless person and not give them because we have decided to help them in a different way. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:14 Highlight the passage at 1:04:14

1:04:31 Maybe we walk by that homeless person and we just don't want to give them anything. We just kind of harden our hearts. And, you know, kind of walk by and, you know, kind of close our eyes, right? Not really, right? So, I mean, so we just have to look, honestly, at our own minds and see what we're doing. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:31 Highlight the passage at 1:04:31

1:04:53 I Report an error in the passage at 1:04:53 Highlight the passage at 1:04:53

1:05:02 mean, I'm not, you know, I'm not saying that you have to give to every homeless person, right? But we're trying to train our minds so that we develop a deeper and deeper sense of compassion for them and a greater and greater willingness to do something. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:02 Highlight the passage at 1:05:02

1:05:20 And, you know, Report an error in the passage at 1:05:20 Highlight the passage at 1:05:20

1:05:27 and it's a process. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:27 Highlight the passage at 1:05:27

1:05:35 And we'll have some good days and we'll have some not so good days. But if we walk by the homeless person, at least we can develop a sense of caring for them. At least we can wish them to have happiness and freedom from suffering instead of, ooh, that person really smells, you know, kind of thing. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:35 Highlight the passage at 1:05:35

1:05:58 Did I answer your question, Jeannie? It is, it's very tricky. We don't have the wisdom, right? We don't have the wisdom to always know what to do for somebody. Right. Then you need to become a Buddha. There's your bodhicitta right there. Yeah, I mean, that's really hard. Yeah. And there's no answer, easy answer. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:58 Highlight the passage at 1:05:58

1:06:28 Yeah. Yeah. And we just use the wisdom that we have, right, and make prayers develop more and more. Yeah. And I think if we really pay attention, like we, you know, to what helps others, you know, what helps others. Other people's reaction is, you know, we develop that wisdom slowly, slowly. Yeah, but we need clairvoyance, really, to be able to really know. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:28 Highlight the passage at 1:06:28

1:06:59 That's what you said about not closing your heart, because I think I find the same thing true, because I felt a little twitch when you've been Report an error in the passage at 1:06:59 Highlight the passage at 1:06:59

1:07:14 feeling the issue. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:14 Highlight the passage at 1:07:14

1:07:19 It seems like that's a reason for closing your heart a lot of times. Like, you walk by and you're like, it closes right there, because you don't know what to do. You might spend a dollar. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:19 Highlight the passage at 1:07:19

1:07:32 not going to, you know what I mean? It's not going to help this person. If Report an error in the passage at 1:07:32 Highlight the passage at 1:07:32

1:07:38 you don't close your heart to it and you meditate on it and still feel the pain, then it makes you think about sponsoring drug treatment programs or voting for funding for homeless shelters or funding education or whatever it is in society that's giving rise to the problem and if you don't close your heart to it, then you open your mind to different aspects of the problem. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:38 Highlight the passage at 1:07:38

1:08:05 That's a problem. Thank you. So maybe the answer is not in that moment when you walk by the person, but it's actually a plan in your sleep. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:05 Highlight the passage at 1:08:05

1:08:15 This could also be a seed to have this motivating practice. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:15 Highlight the passage at 1:08:15

1:08:23 Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I mean, that's a good point is that we, you know, with the bodhisattva is willing to feel the pain of others' suffering, right? that's right. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:23 Highlight the passage at 1:08:23

1:08:37 A lot of times, you know, we have this habit of, okay, we don't want to feel pain, so we close our hearts, right? But the bodhisattva is willing to feel the pain of other suffering, and that's what motivates us, right, to help others. If we're not willing to feel the pain, then we're not very motivated, right, to help others, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:08:37 Highlight the passage at 1:08:37

1:08:59 Yeah, so we need to keep our hearts open. The other thing about the homeless person is I wouldn't assume that they're going to spend the money on drugs and alcohol because that dollar could, right, keep them alive for another day. You know, who knows, right? Yeah, right, right. Yeah, okay. This homeless issue always gets a lot of comments. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:59 Highlight the passage at 1:08:59

1:09:23 Okay. All right, John. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:23 Highlight the passage at 1:09:23

1:09:29 Yeah, I just had like a little bit of... Practical. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:29 Highlight the passage at 1:09:29

1:09:38 Really? Because I had the same issue where I'd walk down the street and be like, you've got some change. And I'd be like, well, yeah, I have change, but I won't give it to you. And I'd feel guilty. I'd give something to somebody and not feel so guilty. So what was, whenever I go and Report an error in the passage at 1:09:38 Highlight the passage at 1:09:38

1:10:15 the first person, Report an error in the passage at 1:10:15 Highlight the passage at 1:10:15

1:10:19 that way I can be assured that it's going out to feel guilty about it. I'm getting to be generous. I'm getting to practice that generosity. And, like, unless they have, like, a sign saying, it's for beer, I don't know if I'm giving somebody who is going to go, Report an error in the passage at 1:10:19 Highlight the passage at 1:10:19

1:10:46 or if they are actually, you know, like, or a bodhisattva, you know, like, at work or something. So Report an error in the passage at 1:10:46 Highlight the passage at 1:10:46

1:10:55 just by doing that, like, I've been doing this, and it seems, and I Report an error in the passage at 1:10:55 Highlight the passage at 1:10:55

1:11:06 find myself need Report an error in the passage at 1:11:06 Highlight the passage at 1:11:06

1:11:11 to, like, going and buying coffee, like, after passing by a homeless man like today. I Report an error in the passage at 1:11:11 Highlight the passage at 1:11:11

1:11:19 find myself doing that. and more and it feels so that's just Report an error in the passage at 1:11:19 Highlight the passage at 1:11:19

1:11:26 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:26 Highlight the passage at 1:11:26

1:11:30 It does, see, it does. It feels a whole lot better if we give something than if we walk by and close our hearts. Because the guilt comes up, right? So, anyway. That's what I was just going to say. It's kind of like, what does it matter what they're going to do with the money? It's just that you're showing them some loving kindness in a way that you can. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:30 Highlight the passage at 1:11:30

1:11:53 And most of us can. If you can. Exactly. The key is to keep opening our hearts more and more. And then to watch when the heart closes and try not to. For me, I always feel guilty if I don't give to a homeless person. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:53 Highlight the passage at 1:11:53

1:12:19 Just imagine what it would be like. You know, on a day like today, to be living outside, getting wet, freezing cold, you know, having everybody treat you like you're not even a human being. I mean, and they could be us. You know, some of these people were just people who lost their jobs recently, you know. They could be us. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:19 Highlight the passage at 1:12:19

1:12:42 We could all lose our jobs, you know, and have to live on the streets, you know. Or they could be us in a future life, you know. So, you know, I mean, I used to travel a lot on the train in Europe and I'm not a very good planner when I travel. I would hop on a train and then, you know, suddenly, suddenly I'd be at a train station and it's closing and there are no hotels and I'd be sleeping on the bench at the train station and I've done that a number of times and, you know, and you're freezing. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:42 Highlight the passage at 1:12:42

1:13:20 And you're so vulnerable, anybody could come up and attack you or rob you. It's really, you know, it's a scary experience, you know, and just imagine living like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:20 Highlight the passage at 1:13:20

1:13:34 So, you know, it's nice if we can just contribute a little bit, right, to them, you know, I mean, based on what we, you know, what our resources are. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:34 Highlight the passage at 1:13:34

1:13:46 But I just... Report an error in the passage at 1:13:46 Highlight the passage at 1:13:46

1:13:54 Sorry to keep going on with this, but I sometimes would see these people and they would remind me, like, what if that was my parent? Especially when you see older people outside. And so again, it's just, you know, kind of that thinking about, you know, it could be us, it could be a parent, just that whole idea. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:54 Highlight the passage at 1:13:54

1:14:13 You know, even if they do spend the money on alcohol, at least you've shown them some compassion and maybe that will, you know, you'll make a connection in some way. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:13 Highlight the passage at 1:14:13

1:14:25 And the other thing is, you know, if we give, look at them in the eye, you know, and give them some warmth, right? Not, there you go, you know, take it, right? But to acknowledge, right? To acknowledge them and give them, you know, treat them like a human being. I remember one time a woman asked me for money in Berkeley, and I had forgotten my wallet that day, so I had no money. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:25 Highlight the passage at 1:14:25

1:15:00 And it was a good day for me, you know, and I just said, oh, you know, really genuinely from my heart, oh, I'm really sorry, I forgot my wallet today, I wish I could give you something. And she was so appreciative just to get an acknowledgement like that. She's like, oh, darling, don't worry about it, you know, kind of thing, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:00 Highlight the passage at 1:15:00

1:15:24 So that's important, you know, even if we don't give something, we can give love. I mean, even if we don't give money, we can take a Report an error in the passage at 1:15:24 Highlight the passage at 1:15:24

1:15:38 break. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:38 Highlight the passage at 1:15:38

1:15:42 We'll take a short break because we haven't covered barely any of the slides yet. So we'll take five minutes and then we'll come back. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:42 Highlight the passage at 1:15:42

1:16:02 Oh, and I sent out the slides to people that were on my email list. If you're not on my email list and you want to be, just give me your email address and I'll add you from Report an error in the passage at 1:16:02 Highlight the passage at 1:16:02

1:16:19 this week. Did I add you to the list? Report an error in the passage at 1:16:19 Highlight the passage at 1:16:19

1:16:25 Yeah. The readings or something. No, the text. Yeah. But I didn't send you slides, maybe. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:25 Highlight the passage at 1:16:25

1:16:39 Okay. I'll send that to you. I'll add you to my list. I can remember your email address. Surfing Nomad. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:39 Highlight the passage at 1:16:39

1:16:52 No, but I have it. I have it in my... Report an error in the passage at 1:16:52 Highlight the passage at 1:16:52

1:17:01 of this, the police that you turn now, is that all in our that we had from the last? Yeah, so this, you have the text? Yeah. Yeah, so that's there. And you got the slides and things too, right? Didn't I? Report an error in the passage at 1:17:01 Highlight the passage at 1:17:01

1:17:22 Okay. Did you want them? Report an error in the passage at 1:17:22 Highlight the passage at 1:17:22

1:17:39 Why aren't you able to download them? Do you not have Adobe Acrobat? Right, exactly. Okay. Well, you know you can download that free. 3rd year of 17, but I'm not able Report an error in the passage at 1:17:39 Highlight the passage at 1:17:39

1:17:27 trying to, yeah, she was, to share with me. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:27 Highlight the passage at 1:17:27

1:17:47 Because that's free software. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:47 Highlight the passage at 1:17:47

1:17:55 Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:55 Highlight the passage at 1:17:55

1:18:00 Okay. All right. Okay. Yeah, it's all in here. No, no, no. I have issues with my computer and have no memory left. everything is super slow, I have to get any contrast and all that, so I don't have to Report an error in the passage at 1:18:00 Highlight the passage at 1:18:00

1:18:20 I mean, if you want, I mean, there's a beautiful commentary, yeah, by Gishisilpa, this big hard book. So if you want to, you can go out and buy that. Another book that I really recommend that's just on bodhicitta is this wonderful little book by Riva Masha, how to develop bodhicitta. And I heard that this is available free online. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:20 Highlight the passage at 1:18:20

1:18:49 Oh, but you probably wouldn't be able to download it. Or you can order this. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:49 Highlight the passage at 1:18:49

1:19:02 You know, I checked on Amazon and there were a couple of copies available. I checked about a week ago. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:02 Highlight the passage at 1:19:02

1:19:13 know, if you go into, like, orders or that other one, they have books that go around that. Yeah, yeah. They say, don't buy them at the bookstore, buy them at our bookstore. Right, yes, they have them here. If you can't get this stuff from Jeannie or whatever, let me know and I can I can print out copies of the slides for you or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:13 Highlight the passage at 1:19:13

1:20:11 Yeah, I think I'm going to have to eat that. I think it'll be okay. It was frozen a little bit, so I'm sure it'll be okay. I think I'll have to wait until after class. We're having a short break. Sure. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:11 Highlight the passage at 1:20:11

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:21:16 version was published in Singapore. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:16 Highlight the passage at 1:21:16

1:21:36 did? He said I just forgot his name. Thank you. I didn't mean to say that out loud. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:36 Highlight the passage at 1:21:36

1:21:48 You're using your... Report an error in the passage at 1:21:48 Highlight the passage at 1:21:48

· · · silence, 1 minute

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

· · · silence, 4 minutes

1:26:29 is important at the beginning. If we don't have that compassion, that genuine compassion, then we won't take responsibility. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:29 Highlight the passage at 1:26:29

1:26:41 For others suffering, to free others from suffering. So that genuine sense of compassion comes from a true feeling for others suffering. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:41 Highlight the passage at 1:26:41

1:26:54 So that feeling of pain, that inability to bear others suffering. It's like the dearest person in the world. You know, if they get cancer or if they get really sick, bear their suffering, right? It's so painful. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:54 Highlight the passage at 1:26:54

1:27:19 And that's what motivates us, right, to do something to help them. So a bodhisattva feels that for all beings. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:19 Highlight the passage at 1:27:19

1:27:35 Lama Tsongkhapa quotes the sūtra that says, Manjushri, what is it that motivates the bodhisattva deeds? And what is its object? Manjushri says, Devaputra, great compassion motivates the bodhisattva deeds. Its object is living beings. So what motivates practicing the six perfections? What motivates the four means of gathering just our great compassion? Report an error in the passage at 1:27:35 Highlight the passage at 1:27:35

1:28:06 Great compassion is the basis for the bodhisattva. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:06 Highlight the passage at 1:28:06

1:28:16 You may develop the mind of enlightenment. Okay, so then we move to the importance of great compassion in the middle, the middle of the path. So once we've developed bodhicitta, do we have to still meditate on great compassion? Report an error in the passage at 1:28:16 Highlight the passage at 1:28:16

1:28:37 You may develop the mind of enlightenment or bodhicitta at one time and then engage in the bodhisattva deed. But when you see that living beings are innumerable, And act improperly. That the training is very difficult and limitless. And that you need an immeasurable length of time. You may lose heart and fall into the Hinayana. So we can kind of romanticize bodhicitta and say, may I free all sentient beings from suffering. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:37 Highlight the passage at 1:28:37

1:29:06 But then when we actually work day to day for sentient beings, it's not so easy. They don't really cooperate. They're supposed to be grateful and accept our help and be easy, right? But they're not always like that, right? So when we run into the reality of the different kinds of sentient beings, then we can lose our bodhicitta, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:29:06 Highlight the passage at 1:29:06

1:29:35 So we need to meditate on great compassion again and again. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:35 Highlight the passage at 1:29:35

1:29:43 I've told this story before. I apologize if you've already heard it, but I love this story. About this great bodhisattva who was in India and he had so much compassion right for others. So this guy who didn't have a right arm asked him for his right arm. So the bodhisattva, out of his great compassion, cut off his right arm and then handed it to the guy with his left hand. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:43 Highlight the passage at 1:29:43

1:30:12 In India, it's very much a no-no to hand anybody. Anything with your left hand, you know, it's dirty. So the other guy was offended and said, I'm not going to take that. You just hand it to me with your left hand. And this bodhisattva said, oh, Report an error in the passage at 1:30:12 Highlight the passage at 1:30:12

1:30:39 you know, his sentient beings and lost his bodhicitta at that point. You know, if they react like that, you know, it's hopeless, you know, kind of thing. And he lost his bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:39 Highlight the passage at 1:30:39

1:30:52 so. So we need to continually increase our great compassion. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:52 Highlight the passage at 1:30:52

1:31:04 And then working for the benefit of all sentient beings, working to free all beings from saṃsāra, it's going to take a while. So we need to have a really deep, stable sense of compassion in order to work for beings for lifetime after lifetime after lifetime after lifetime. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:04 Highlight the passage at 1:31:04

1:31:31 It can't be just something that kind of comes and goes. Because sometimes we get like that, you know, you go to a teaching, you get really inspired, and Report an error in the passage at 1:31:31 Highlight the passage at 1:31:31

1:31:46 then we hit a rough spot, and it's not so exciting to help others. So we need to develop this stable bodhicitta, stable great compassion. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:46 Highlight the passage at 1:31:46

1:32:03 So Lama Tsongkhapa follows on by saying, Due to having familiarized yourself increasingly with great compassion, rather than generating it just once, you become less concerned with your own happiness or suffering and are not discouraged at providing others welfare. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:03 Highlight the passage at 1:32:03

1:32:23 So we familiarize ourselves again and again and again with great compassion. We need to meditate on it actually every day to continue to grow. Otherwise, it's very easy for it to degenerate. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:23 Highlight the passage at 1:32:23

1:32:45 And then the more... The more we increase our great compassion, then the less concerned we are with how others treat us, with whether or not, you know, my life is comfortable, you know, with how much money I have. You know, we just gradually become less and less concerned about those things. We don't become discouraged with others. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:45 Highlight the passage at 1:32:45

1:33:12 And then in that way, we easily complete all the collections, so the collection of merit. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:12 Highlight the passage at 1:33:12

1:33:23 Okay. So this is just such an important point, right, and such a thing that we're not accustomed to, I think, in this culture. You know, we accomplish something and then we move on to something else in general. Oh yeah, you know, I passed that test, let's go on to the next thing. Or I got that promotion, let's go on to the next thing. But with great compassion, we have to continue to train in it. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:23 Highlight the passage at 1:33:23

1:33:55 And there's this prayer, this common dedication prayer. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:55 Highlight the passage at 1:33:55

1:34:01 May this precious bodhi mind that has not been generated be generated and that which has been generated may continue to increase and not degenerate. So that's a prayer that's usually said at the end of every teaching because that bodhicitta can easily degenerate so we're constantly praying for it to increase more and more. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:01 Highlight the passage at 1:34:01

1:34:32 And then the importance of great compassion at the end of the path. Even when we become a Buddha, the great compassion is important. Due to the power of their great compassion, even when the Buddhas have achieved their result, they do not abide in peace like the Hinayanas, but continue to work for the welfare of beings as long as space remains. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:32 Highlight the passage at 1:34:32

1:34:54 For without great compassion, Buddhas would be like here's the Hinayanas. So the Buddhas aren't settling for just their own bliss, their own solitary peace. They became Buddhas so that they can work for others. And so they can work for others for as long as it takes. So actually Buddhas, when you become a Buddha, you don't have to work at compassion anymore. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:54 Highlight the passage at 1:34:54

1:35:22 It's just there. But great compassion is still the basis of all the Buddhas' activities. It's only through their great compassion that they became a Buddha. Because the only reason to become a Buddha is to help others. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:22 Highlight the passage at 1:35:22

1:35:57 So it says as long as space remains. And so I always get tripped up on that word. Is that a euphemism for infinity? Or how does that work? It seems to me, I actually heard somebody say this once, that one of the reasons we... try to develop what he teaches because, or, yeah. The reason we try to develop it is because it's impossible. It's impossible to, it's an impossible goal. It seems like it's just an infinite thing. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:57 Highlight the passage at 1:35:57

1:36:35 It's not like you were saying, no, there's a goal, we need to do it. All right, next. All right, everyone's, you might, but next. But it's really infinite, isn't it? Or is there something Buddhist cosmology where they say, all right. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:35 Highlight the passage at 1:36:35

1:36:52 Space is an animal. Yeah, yeah, I think so. Yeah, so I'm not sure about this wording, as long as space remains. But yeah, this is basically saying there's an infinite number of sentient beings, which is kind of hard to get our minds around. An infinite number of sentient beings? I mean, a large number of sentient beings, yeah. But here they're saying, you know, this space is infinite in their beings. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:52 Highlight the passage at 1:36:52

1:37:21 but you're dying and keep getting reincarnated. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:21 Highlight the passage at 1:37:21

1:37:29 Yeah, I mean, there's a debate about whether or not there will ever be a time when all sentient beings will be enlightened. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:29 Highlight the passage at 1:37:29

1:37:42 No, you know, we'll be working forever for sentient beings. This can be kind of discouraging, though. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:42 Highlight the passage at 1:37:42

1:37:53 Right. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:53 Highlight the passage at 1:37:53

1:38:02 Yeah. No, but that's a good way of looking at things. That's a really good way of looking at the path, I think, in general. It's not like, oh, wait until I get to the finish line and then I can relax kind of thing, right? Right? The Mahāyāna isn't like that. We never, you know, we never, you know, get to the point where we don't have to work for others anymore. It's just, you know, just plowed along. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:02 Highlight the passage at 1:38:02

1:38:26 We help others because they need help. That's what we do, you know, and not wait for the result, you know. We just keep going. We keep going. We keep going. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:26 Highlight the passage at 1:38:26

1:38:45 Whenever I read that, I think Robert Monsa wrote, it's called biocentrism, based on some recent experience with quantum physics, that maybe space and time are simply products of the human consciousness, but they don't actually exist in the human mind. And if that were true, then space would remain only as long as the human mind here. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:45 Highlight the passage at 1:38:45

1:39:17 No, but see, there are enlightened minds, too, though. And you don't have to, it doesn't have to be a samsaric mind. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:17 Highlight the passage at 1:39:17

1:39:48 Okay, Report an error in the passage at 1:39:48 Highlight the passage at 1:39:48

1:39:52 skip over this one. Okay. So there was this monk named Shang Na Chong. He said, although I asked Joe Atisha for personal instructions, he said nothing except abandon worldly thought, cultivate the mind of enlightenment. So he was really disappointed. This is all, you know, this is the only instruction he got from Atisha, the great Atisha. But Geshe Jomtonpa, who was Atisha's heart son, was embarrassed for him and said, you received the central point of Joel's oral instructions. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:52 Highlight the passage at 1:39:52

1:40:29 So basically, that's the central point of the Dharma, to abandon our worldly concerns, to abandon our attachment for her. Comfort and pleasure and abandon our aversion for the opposite. And then to cultivate bodhicitta, cultivate this great compassion, cultivate the great heart of wanting to work for others. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:29 Highlight the passage at 1:40:29

1:40:57 That's the central point of the Dharma. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:57 Highlight the passage at 1:40:57

1:41:13 Then Lama Tsongkhapa says, since it is also difficult to gain certainty about the importance of great compassion. You must accumulate merit and purify again and again. So this is just important all along the path. Accumulate merit and purify. We need to purify our obscurations. A lot of times we have, like when our heart feels closed a lot, purification can really help. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:13 Highlight the passage at 1:41:13

1:41:40 Or we listen to teachings and nothing's going in. We feel blocked, purification can help. Accumulating merit. You know, being generous to others and working for others definitely helps. And then to study the scriptures and their commentaries in order to gain this confidence, right, that great compassion is important. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:40 Highlight the passage at 1:41:40

1:42:09 Okay, so then next, okay, so bodhicitta arose from the extraordinary attitude which arose from great compassion. So we've been talking about great compassion. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:09 Highlight the passage at 1:42:09

1:42:22 But great compassion arises from affectionate love. So why do we need affectionate love? Why can't we just jump to great compassion? Report an error in the passage at 1:42:22 Highlight the passage at 1:42:22

1:42:35 Lama Tsongkhapa says, if you think again and again about the suffering of living beings, this will generally give rise to the mere wish that they be free from suffering. However, for this mind to arise easily, and for it to arise, whoops, there was a typo here, to arise, Report an error in the passage at 1:42:35 Highlight the passage at 1:42:35

1:42:58 With strength and stability to start with, it must be a sentient being who has the aspect of being attractive and beloved. So if we just jump straight to thinking about the suffering of sentient beings, that doesn't automatically generate great compassion for us and not a stable great compassion. If I think about the suffering of somebody that I'm really close to, then compassion arises easily, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:42:58 Highlight the passage at 1:42:58

1:43:27 If I think about the suffering of the homeless person, though, you know, maybe, maybe not. You know, maybe, maybe some compassion will arise, but, you know, maybe it won't be so deep, right? It's not as deep as the compassion that would arise toward my child or, you know, toward my best friend or toward, you know, my brother or sister if I like them or toward my parents. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:27 Highlight the passage at 1:43:27

1:44:02 Whereas then if it's the person who screwed us at work, if they suffer, we might even be happy. I'm Report an error in the passage at 1:44:02 Highlight the passage at 1:44:02

1:44:18 glad he's getting, or if it's the politician that you don't agree with and they go through a hard time, we may even be happy. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:18 Highlight the passage at 1:44:18

1:44:33 So just thinking about somebody's suffering isn't necessarily going to bring great compassion. We first need to develop a sense of affection toward them before the great compassion will really arrive. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:33 Highlight the passage at 1:44:33

1:44:54 So here Lama Tsongkhapa continues, For when someone close to us meets with suffering, we cannot bear it. When our enemies meet with suffering, we enjoy it. And when someone who is neither a friend nor an enemy meets with suffering, mainly an indifference that neglects him. Right, so this makes sense, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:44:54 Highlight the passage at 1:44:54

1:45:14 We need to hold... That person or that being dear to us as being someone we have a great sense of caring for before compassion, like great, deep compassion will arrive. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:14 Highlight the passage at 1:45:14

1:45:32 Or sometimes, you know, somebody's suffering and when we really think about it, we develop a sense of compassion. And then we go on, you know, continue on with our lives. It's like this Haiti thing, you know, when you watch it on the news, you know, all this... Passion arises. And then we turn off the TV and, you know, we get involved in our own stuff. And then we forget. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:32 Highlight the passage at 1:45:32

1:45:57 We forget about it. Because we don't have that sense of closeness to these people, right? If our, you know, if our parent was in Haiti and they were missing, right, we wouldn't turn off the TV and just go on our merry way, right? We would be thinking about it. We would really be trying to figure out what we can do. We would be trying to get there. We would search the rubble for them. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:57 Highlight the passage at 1:45:57

1:46:25 So it's very different, right? How we react towards someone we really care about when they're suffering and someone we don't really have a strong feeling. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:25 Highlight the passage at 1:46:25

1:46:35 So we're trying to develop this sense of caring, concern, preciousness, belovedness. Is that a word, belovedness? Toward all beings. So this is so brilliant. I mean, it's just amazing. These seven steps aren't just kind of randomly put together. Oh, yeah, let's try this, right? They just really make sense, yeah? To build compassion, we need a sense of affection. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:35 Highlight the passage at 1:46:35

1:47:07 So in this regard, since the former is attractive to our mind, the more we cherish them, the more their suffering will be unbearable to us. More compassion will arise for them. If we cherish them only a little or a medium amount, our inability to bear their suffering will also be small. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:07 Highlight the passage at 1:47:07

1:47:33 On the other hand, if we cherish someone very much, we cannot bear it at all when they meet with only slight suffering. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:33 Highlight the passage at 1:47:33

1:47:44 Like a mother with their child who has a cold. The mother maybe really worries about them. If your co-worker has a cold, just get some rest. You know, take some medicine kind of thing, but if it's your child, right, we worry about it. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:44 Highlight the passage at 1:47:44

1:48:09 So the amount of compassion that we have is proportional to how much this affectionate love or this feeling of that person is dear, that being, I shouldn't say person, that being is dear. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:09 Highlight the passage at 1:48:09

1:48:26 So we're trying to develop a strong sense of all beings being dear to us. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:26 Highlight the passage at 1:48:26

1:48:35 Okay, make sense? Report an error in the passage at 1:48:35 Highlight the passage at 1:48:35

1:48:46 I have a problem with the word unbearable. I don't know, right? Because I grew a Catholic, I guess. And so I think it sort of becomes like this martyrdom thing. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:46 Highlight the passage at 1:48:46

1:49:00 So I wonder, well, I guess that's why the basis is equanimity, because I could see how I could admire the unbearability of everybody suffering kind of thing. And so is it more important to... Report an error in the passage at 1:49:00 Highlight the passage at 1:49:00

1:49:22 Do you know what I'm saying? If you're walking around because not being able to bear everybody's suffering, it almost seems like it would weigh you down to the point where you wouldn't be able to help anybody. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:22 Highlight the passage at 1:49:22

1:49:35 Is it possible to understand that there's all this suffering, not like being objective, but equanimous? Report an error in the passage at 1:49:35 Highlight the passage at 1:49:35

1:49:52 Yeah, yeah. because there's a difference, Report an error in the passage at 1:49:52 Highlight the passage at 1:49:52

1:49:55 Yeah, that's a very tricky one, right? Because it is, you know, the more we feel others suffering, it can get very heavy. And where you can't function, yeah, yeah. So I think, you know, personally, I mean, I don't have the answer, but personally what I suspect is that it, that's why we have to balance it with wisdom. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:55 Highlight the passage at 1:49:55

1:50:22 Wisdom, wisdom, understanding emptiness. Because then that light, I mean, then things aren't so heavy, you know, it just starts to dissolve things. So, but, you know, that's not so easy to get to. But yeah, the unable to bear isn't supposed to be heavy so much as not wanting to just let others suffer without wanting to help them. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:22 Highlight the passage at 1:50:22

1:50:58 Because now, you know, sometimes we have indifference towards people's others. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:58 Highlight the passage at 1:50:58

1:51:08 And so we need to grow that, right, compassion so that we can't just let that suffering happen without caring, right? So maybe that's not the right word for you, but that's the concept. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:08 Highlight the passage at 1:51:08

1:51:39 Right, unable to take it. Yeah. Yeah, so whatever word works for you. I personally like the word unable to bear the suffering. That's a strong level of compassion. It's not just, oh, I wish they were free from suffering. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:39 Highlight the passage at 1:51:39

1:52:02 So whatever word works for you. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:02 Highlight the passage at 1:52:02

1:52:08 All right, so is this making sense to people, why we need to have this affectionate love before great compassion? We Report an error in the passage at 1:52:08 Highlight the passage at 1:52:08

1:52:18 have Report an error in the passage at 1:52:18 Highlight the passage at 1:52:18

1:52:21 non-reaction in the back of the room over there. Is that making sense? Report an error in the passage at 1:52:21 Highlight the passage at 1:52:21

1:52:36 When we see our enemies suffer. Not only does the wish that they be free from it fail to arise, but rather the thought occurs to us, may their suffering increase and may they not be free from it. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:36 Highlight the passage at 1:52:36

1:52:51 Hopefully not, but that's a natural reaction. That is our reaction to someone we find unattractive. I don't know about this unattractive, but maybe someone we find, yeah, Report an error in the passage at 1:52:51 Highlight the passage at 1:52:51

1:53:07 repugnant is kind of a strong word. But that's basically, you know, someone... That we have aversion toward, right? Moreover, our joy at their suffering will also be greater or smaller depending on how much aversion we have toward them. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:07 Highlight the passage at 1:53:07

1:53:28 With respect to the suffering of someone who is neither a friend nor an enemy, it is neither that we cannot bear it nor that we enjoy it. That is our reaction when something is neither attractive nor unattractive. When we're neither... We neither find them appealing nor repugnant. Then we have a feeling of indifference. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:28 Highlight the passage at 1:53:28

1:53:57 So this is the normal state of beings, until we train our minds. And then when we train our minds, then slowly, slowly we become more and more equanimous and more caring toward all beings. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:57 Highlight the passage at 1:53:57

1:54:18 And then... So this affectionate love, number four, arises based on these first three steps, viewing all beings as one's mother, remembering the kindness, and then the wish to repay the kindness. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:18 Highlight the passage at 1:54:18

1:54:39 So assuming, let's say, I have a sense of great affection toward my mother, if I thought all beings had been my mother, that homeless person on the street, if I thought... If I really believe that that, and Report an error in the passage at 1:54:39 Highlight the passage at 1:54:39

1:55:02 we start, and Report an error in the passage at 1:55:02 Highlight the passage at 1:55:02

1:55:13 if we remember the kindness of our mother and wanting to repay the kindness, then this is a great way to develop this sense of affectionate love for others. If we can really see all beings as being our mother. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:13 Highlight the passage at 1:55:13

1:55:32 I was Report an error in the passage at 1:55:32 Highlight the passage at 1:55:32

1:55:37 once clearing an ant invasion. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:37 Highlight the passage at 1:55:37

1:55:45 And it was getting really tiring because, you know, you'd take some ants outside and you'd take some more ants outside and they just keep coming and they keep coming. You know, in the beginning you know you're happy to do it and then after a while you're getting tired. So I used this as an exercise. Okay, all these beings have been living. And it really helped. It's like then, you know, then instead of like scooping them up and tossing them over, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:45 Highlight the passage at 1:55:45

1:56:17 You know, scooping them up and tossing them. You know, it's like you scoop them up and you can Report an error in the passage at 1:56:17 Highlight the passage at 1:56:17

1:56:26 food and make sure, you know, they don't get rained on, right? Because you're thinking, oh, this sounds really stupid, doesn't it? It sounds really corny. But it really helps, yeah? Instead of, oh, these stupid, you know, annoying ants, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:56:26 Highlight the passage at 1:56:26

1:56:50 So this really helps, you know, even if we remember it like once in a blue moon. Just practice. Remembering people as your mother. It's really cool. We might have a resistance to it. It's a great practice for quite a while. Sometimes it's not so good. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:50 Highlight the passage at 1:56:50

1:57:38 So remembering the kindness of our mother is really important. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:38 Highlight the passage at 1:57:38

1:57:47 I did some months of retreat a few years ago. And when I went in the retreat, You know, I really had kind of a, I mean, I had a good relationship with my mother, but she really kind of irritated me quite easily as well. And so this wasn't the greatest motivator for me to develop compassion and bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:47 Highlight the passage at 1:57:47

1:58:21 So then I spent a lot of time remembering her kindness. And when I came out of retreat, my mom, I mean, she was. She's just the greatest. Whenever I think about my mom, my heart just softens now as a result of really thinking about how much she's done for me. I mean, it's amazing. Nobody else would have done that for me. Who would have? Like she used to be exhausted at the end of the day and then after the kids went to bed, she would sew me clothes. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:21 Highlight the passage at 1:58:21

1:58:58 Like she would sew me dresses that I didn't even like. You know, but she'd be exhausted and she'd be doing these things, you know, and she'd cook my meals and, you know, and just, you know, it's just amazing what our mothers, and those of you who are mothers now probably appreciate your mothers even more, but just a Report an error in the passage at 1:58:58 Highlight the passage at 1:58:58

1:59:23 mother who, you know, we'd be crying in the middle of the night and she'd always get up and comfort us and, you know, I mean, our well-being. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:23 Highlight the passage at 1:59:23

1:59:38 For most mothers, it took priority over their own sleep and their own well-being. I mean, it's really amazing when we think about, when we really allow ourselves to think about how much our mothers have done for us, how we could never repay their wealth and so much for us. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:38 Highlight the passage at 1:59:38

2:00:08 So I'm a big believer in these three steps, reviewing all beings for mothers, remembering the kindness. And by remembering the kindness, then naturally, we want to repay the kindness. Because my mom was really, really kind of put off when I did this many-month retreat. But when I came out, then I went to see her, I stayed with her for a month, and, you know, I did all, you know, I did as much as I could for her. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:08 Highlight the passage at 2:00:08

2:00:40 And then she was really, she was like, oh, this retreat stuff is a good idea. You've changed nothing. So after doing all that meditation, you know, just naturally, I just wanted to do things more. That's nice. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:40 Highlight the passage at 2:00:40

2:01:04 Consequently, in order to have affection for living beings, cultivate the view that they are close to you, like friends or relatives. Right, so if the mother doesn't work for us, then, you know, our good friends or relatives that we really cherish, you know, think of all beings as being that person. Report an error in the passage at 2:01:04 Highlight the passage at 2:01:04

2:01:24 I guess you're jumping out, so my teacher. Think of the beings who are around your age as your brothers and sisters and the younger ones as your children and the older ones as your parents. That's another nice way of looking at things. You're all my brothers and sisters. The main thing is to feel close to all beings, not to keep this sense of distance, this strong sense of me and you. Report an error in the passage at 2:01:24 Highlight the passage at 2:01:24

2:01:58 self and other but just but holding all beings close to us in our hearts Report an error in the passage at 2:01:58 Highlight the passage at 2:01:58

2:02:07 Lama Report an error in the passage at 2:02:07 Highlight the passage at 2:02:07

2:02:14 Tsongkhapa says, since your mother is the closest person to you, cultivate a recognition of all beings as your mothers. Also recollect their kindness as your mothers and develop the wish to repay their kindness. So what we were just saying, these three steps are how you learn to cherish and have affection for living beings. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:14 Highlight the passage at 2:02:14

2:02:34 The result of these three steps is a love that considers living beings to be beloved, to be beloved, just as a mother considers her only child. Then this love gives rise to compassion. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:34 Highlight the passage at 2:02:34

2:02:52 So here he's saying back here again, right? So cultivating these three steps, it naturally gives rise to this affectionate love, viewing all beings as being beloved and dear, which then naturally gives rise to great compassion. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:52 Highlight the passage at 2:02:52

2:03:12 So there's very much a logic to this. Step by step, it really helps. He Report an error in the passage at 2:03:12 Highlight the passage at 2:03:12

2:03:29 says, the causal relationship between compassion and the love that is the wish for beings to have happiness is not definite. So there's two kinds of love. The love that wishes beings to be happy and then this affectionate love that we've been talking about, you know, this holding them as being dear. So here he's just saying that this... Report an error in the passage at 2:03:29 Highlight the passage at 2:03:29

2:03:51 Love that wishes beings to be happy and compassion that wishes them to be free from suffering. It's not that one necessarily comes before the other. Sometimes compassion comes first and then the love and sometimes the love and then compassion. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:51 Highlight the passage at 2:03:51

2:04:12 We'll go through the extraordinary attitude next week. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:12 Highlight the passage at 2:04:12

2:04:26 Just in summary what we've covered today. So in summary, great compassion is the root of the Mahāyāna path. It's an important... At the beginning, in the middle and the end of the path. So number five is the root of the Mahāyāna path. But in order for that great compassion to arise easily with strength and stability, then one first needs to see sentient beings as attractive and dear. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:26 Highlight the passage at 2:04:26

2:04:53 Number four, this affectionate love. That's why we meditate on them as having been our mother, remembering their kindness and wishing to reap. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:53 Highlight the passage at 2:04:53

2:05:05 So number one through three. Three, give rise to number four, which gives rise to number five. And then the last point we didn't cover and we'll cover next time. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:05 Highlight the passage at 2:05:05

2:05:21 So then the homework, I sent you the homework if you guys were on the email list. So there are a couple, I think two or three questions that I'm asking you to do. But then the main thing is for five minutes every day or at least five minutes every day. Once again to think about the kindness that others have shown us. So every day, taking at least five minutes to think about the kindness that others have shown us. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:21 Highlight the passage at 2:05:21

2:05:58 So continuing from last week, I ask you to reflect on how much we have received from others, how much we depend on others for our comfort, happiness and survival, right? Those who have grown our food, those who transport our food, those who... Supplies with electricity and running water. Countless beings who contribute to our happiness and well-being and comfort. So then in addition to that, I'm asking to make a particular effort to reflect on the kindness of your mother. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:58 Highlight the passage at 2:05:58

2:06:33 So as we were talking about when we were small, we were completely dependent on her to feed us, to dress us, to change our diapers. When we're adults, we tend to think that we're independent, but it's very useful to imagine when we're really small again and Report an error in the passage at 2:06:33 Highlight the passage at 2:06:33

2:06:56 then we weren't even able to talk or go anywhere by ourselves. We were maybe in a crib. In all likelihood, no one has done more for us or given up more. Report an error in the passage at 2:06:56 Highlight the passage at 2:06:56

2:07:21 So if you can try to remember we're doing this every day for at least five minutes. And then I sent you this homework if people didn't get it or need a hard copy. I have a few copies here. I included a little chart in the back if people want to keep track day by day of what they're doing meditation-wise. Report an error in the passage at 2:07:21 Highlight the passage at 2:07:21

2:07:43 It's just to help you, not to force you to do it or not to oppress you, but just to help you. Okay. All right. So if you need a copy. Report an error in the passage at 2:07:43 Highlight the passage at 2:07:43

2:08:02 There might not be enough, but I'll send them out to you again if you weren't on the email list. Okay, so we've gone a little bit over. Denise, did you help? Okay, all right. Okay, so we'll end up with the Shantideva Dedication Prayer on page 246. Report an error in the passage at 2:08:02 Highlight the passage at 2:08:02

2:08:59 May all beings everywhere, plagued by sufferings of body and mind. Obtain an ocean of happiness and joy by virtue of my merits. May no living creature suffer, commit evil or ever fall ill. May no one be afraid or belittled with a mind weighed down by depression. May the blind see forms and the deaf hear sounds. Report an error in the passage at 2:08:59 Highlight the passage at 2:08:59

2:09:22 May those whose bodies are worn with toil be restored on finding repose. May the naked find clothing, the hungry find food. May the thirsty find water and delicious drinks. May the poor find wealth, those weak with sorrow find joy. May the forlorn find hope, constant happiness and prosperity. May there be timely rains and bountiful harvests. May all medicines be effective and wholesome prayers bear fruit. May all who are sick and ill quickly be freed from their ailments. Report an error in the passage at 2:09:22 Highlight the passage at 2:09:22

2:09:55 Whatever diseases there are in the world, may they never occur again. May the frightened cease to be afraid, and those bound be freed. May the powerless find power, and may people think of benefiting each other. For as long as space remains, for as long as sentient beings remain, until then may I too remain, to dispel the miseries of the world. Report an error in the passage at 2:09:55 Highlight the passage at 2:09:55

· · · silence, 1 minute

2:10:56 Once again, if I don't have your email address and you'd like to be on the list, you can come up and I'll write it down. Report an error in the passage at 2:10:56 Highlight the passage at 2:10:56

2:11:13 eight or nine blocks away. Well, that's kind of a video because you don't want to stand through, so I thought it was just like, ask me the other stuff to do. Oh, okay. Okay, so thank you. Report an error in the passage at 2:11:13 Highlight the passage at 2:11:13

2:11:27 Did someone say, of course, did you get a ride? Report an error in the passage at 2:11:27 Highlight the passage at 2:11:27

2:11:34 Yeah that's what I do. I did. Oh, okay. Just show me. Report an error in the passage at 2:11:34 Highlight the passage at 2:11:34

2:11:43 The first time I measured the EMF in my car, oh my gosh, no wonder I feel so tired. tired. Report an error in the passage at 2:11:43 Highlight the passage at 2:11:43

2:12:06 It's just like, it's it's a weird feeling. Report an error in the passage at 2:12:06 Highlight the passage at 2:12:06

2:12:12 space travelers seem to be funny. Report an error in the passage at 2:12:12 Highlight the passage at 2:12:12

2:12:22 course. Oh, wait. Can you? Look. Is your name Ollie? Allison, okay. Let me just, is it Allison II or Allison Z? Okay. Report an error in the passage at 2:12:22 Highlight the passage at 2:12:22