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

· · · silence, 2 minutes

1:52 Settling our mind, Report an error in the passage at 1:52 Highlight the passage at 1:52

2:05 the stress holds Report an error in the passage at 2:05 Highlight the passage at 2:05

· · · silence, 7 minutes

9:20 to his heart a scriptural text symbolic of his seeing all things as they are, whose understanding shines forth as the sun unclouded by defilements or traces of ignorance, who teaches in sixty ways with the patient love of a father for his only son. All creatures caught in the prison of saṃsāra, confused in the darkness of their ignorance, overwhelmed by their suffering. You whose dragon thunder proclamation of the Dharma. Report an error in the passage at 9:20 Highlight the passage at 9:20

9:46 Arouses us from the stupor of our delusions and frees us from the iron chains of our karma, whose powerful sword of wisdom hews 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 bodhis, who has been pure from the beginning. Report an error in the passage at 9:46 Highlight the passage at 9:46

10:11 O Manjushri, all loving one, with the brilliance of your wisdom, illuminate the darkness. Enlighten my intelligence and wisdom so that I may gain insight into Buddha's words and the texts that explain. Report an error in the passage at 10:11 Highlight the passage at 10:11

· · · silence, 1 minute

11:02 I Report an error in the passage at 11:02 Highlight the passage at 11:02

11:13 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. I go for refuge until I am enlightened. To the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. on the bottom of page 88. Report an error in the passage at 11:13 Highlight the passage at 11:13

11:31 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 11:31 Highlight the passage at 11:31

12:02 I forgot. I like to include a new quote every week if I can find one. So Lama Zopa Rinpoche says, what's the most important meditation, the most important Dharma practice? I would say that it's the good heart, your very precious thought of loving kindness, compassion, the thought of benefiting others, bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 12:02 Highlight the passage at 12:02

12:29 That is the best meditation, the best Dharma practice. So if we don't have time for anything else, then bodhicitta, loving kindness, right, the good heart is the most important practice. Report an error in the passage at 12:29 Highlight the passage at 12:29

12:43 Not to say that we don't need to practice anything else, but this is the most important one. Report an error in the passage at 12:43 Highlight the passage at 12:43

12:53 Bodhicitta, once again, is the aspiration for complete enlightenment for the welfare of all sentient beings. This is based on our love for all beings, our compassion for all beings, and wishing to help beings in the best possible way. What's the best possible way? It's to attain your own wisdom, your own maximum compassion. Report an error in the passage at 12:53 Highlight the passage at 12:53

13:17 And power so that you can really help others. Because right now we're quite limited in what we can do for others. Like we can help others, but we don't really know the best thing to do, right, to help somebody. You know, somebody's depressed or somebody's... Report an error in the passage at 13:17 Highlight the passage at 13:17

13:44 We can try, but a Buddha knows exactly what to do when in order to help that person because he knows their... He or she knows their karma, someone at the door, and knows how open their mind is, if they're ready, if they're right. Report an error in the passage at 13:44 Highlight the passage at 13:44

14:04 So bodhicitta has these two aspirations, the aspiration for the welfare of all sentient beings, wanting to help all beings without exception, and then understanding that complete enlightenment, only Buddhahood, will give us. Report an error in the passage at 14:04 Highlight the passage at 14:04

14:25 The wisdom, compassion and power, the three things, in order to best benefit others. Okay? Report an error in the passage at 14:25 Highlight the passage at 14:25

14:38 Okay. So we've already covered how bodhicitta or the mind of enlightenment is the only gateway to the Mahāyāna or the entranceway to Mahāyāna. And now we're covering how to generate bodhicitta and the stages of training in bodhicitta. So there were two methods for training in bodhicitta. The sevenfold. Report an error in the passage at 14:38 Highlight the passage at 14:38

15:01 Cause and effect, which is what we're covering now. And then we'll go into the exchanging self with others. So Report an error in the passage at 15:01 Highlight the passage at 15:01

15:11 the seven-fold cause and effect, once again, are these seven steps, beginning with equanimity, which is what we talked about last time. And then today we'll go through the first three steps after equanimity, viewing all beings as one's mother, remembering the kindness, and wishing to repay the kindness. Report an error in the passage at 15:11 Highlight the passage at 15:11

15:32 All right, so once again these... Equanimity is to help even out the mind, even out the bias that we tend to have, the attachment that we have for certain beings and the aversion that we have for others. If we don't even out that mind first, or at least try to remove that bias first, then our mind is always going to be biased. Report an error in the passage at 15:32 Highlight the passage at 15:32

16:00 If we try to develop love and compassion without, Equanimity first, then we'll continue to be more and more attached to the beings that we're attached to and we'll continue to have aversion toward the beings that we have aversion toward. So we need to start off by leveling the mind, leveling out the playing field, as some people might say. Report an error in the passage at 16:00 Highlight the passage at 16:00

16:29 It's kind of like if you have a piece of furniture, wooden furniture that you want to... Paint, right? You don't just start off by slopping paint on it, right? You need to clean it first. You need to sand it. Otherwise, all the flaws, right, the dirt and things will always be there. You can keep piling on more paint, but the flaws are still there. And similarly with equanimity, as long as we keep having this biased mind, it will continue to be biased unless we really put some effort into equanimity, right? Report an error in the passage at 16:29 Highlight the passage at 16:29

17:02 So it's not very exciting to practice equanimity. But it's very, very helpful. Report an error in the passage at 17:02 Highlight the passage at 17:02

17:14 So then on top of equanimity, then these first three steps is to develop a feeling of closeness towards sentient beings, right? The feeling that all beings are dear, all beings are beloved, even the ones we have. Report an error in the passage at 17:14 Highlight the passage at 17:14

17:36 We develop affectionate love, great compassion, the extraordinary attitude in the mind of enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 17:36 Highlight the passage at 17:36

17:47 Okay, so then we're... Trying to train the mind to strive for the welfare of others first and then actually generating bodhicitta. So at this point we're laying the foundation for generating the mind to strive for others and starting with the equanimity which we went through last week and then today we're going to go through developing affection for all beings. Report an error in the passage at 17:47 Highlight the passage at 17:47

18:18 So the equanimous mind. So last week we talked about how... The equanimity is a mind that's free from attachment and aversion toward others, or at least less attachment and aversion toward others, right? So, you know, we started off, I don't know, I mean, I don't know about you guys, but, you know, especially when I was younger, there were certain people I really liked, you know, and my whole focus was on these people, right? Report an error in the passage at 18:18 Highlight the passage at 18:18

18:49 And then there were... These people who I really didn't like, right? And then there were people that didn't enter my radar, right? And so there was this really strong distinction between these three levels of beings, which, you know, really, it creates, I mean, it's a lot of mental afflictions, right? Report an error in the passage at 18:49 Highlight the passage at 18:49

19:09 But then it's also, you create a lot of negative karma by doing that, you know? Like, oh, you know, that jerk that just cut me off, you know? You might... Report an error in the passage at 19:09 Highlight the passage at 19:09

19:19 Generate a negative mind or say something not so nice or even drive aggressively. So when you really don't like, when you really dislike somebody, you create negative karma with your mind for sure and sometimes with your speech and your body as well. So it's good to even out the mind, not dislike. And even the indifference, we create... Report an error in the passage at 19:19 Highlight the passage at 19:19

19:51 Negative karma through our indifference, right? Like, you know, if you're really focused on, let's say you don't have very much time and you're in the grocery store, you're really focused on getting what you want. And you might bump into people and not even notice or not even care, right? Not that we would do anything like that. Report an error in the passage at 19:51 Highlight the passage at 19:51

20:14 But you can see that sometimes in the grocery store, how people, you know, it's like... Vroom, like you don't even exist. Vroom, you're in my way. Get out of my way kind of thing. So we create negative karma from being indifferent as well. And then from being attached as well. We're so attached to someone that we'll protect them and defend them. Report an error in the passage at 20:14 Highlight the passage at 20:14

20:45 So developing a more even mind. And then there were two main meditations for developing equanimity. First of all, reflecting on how all sentient beings are the same in wanting happiness and not wanting suffering. So going one by one through the people we know and just thinking, wow, just like I want to be happy and I don't want suffering. Report an error in the passage at 20:45 Highlight the passage at 20:45

21:14 This person is the same. My mother is the same. My best friends are the same. My boss is the same. My neighbor is the same, etc. And developing that connection, that closeness, that feeling that others are the same as me. So developing that commonality, then we feel closer to them. So even that politician we don't like is the same in wanting happy, wanting suffering. Report an error in the passage at 21:14 Highlight the passage at 21:14

21:49 And then the second one is a little bit more difficult in that... It requires us to believe in past lives. So this is, well, partly, that friends and enemies and strangers change all the time. So that happens in this life, but particularly over many lifetimes. There's no single being who has not been my friend, relative, and enemy hundreds of times. Report an error in the passage at 21:49 Highlight the passage at 21:49

22:18 So if every single being has been close to me and has hurt me and has been a stranger in my life, then, know, Why should I be attached to certain ones and why should I have aversion toward other ones? So when we have that long-term perspective, it starts evening out the playing field in our own mind. Report an error in the passage at 22:18 Highlight the passage at 22:18

22:42 I find that one very, very, actually I find both of them very, very effective in my own practice and in different ways. This one, this one's very helpful for opening the heart and establishing that feeling of connection with others in this one. It's really effective for giving the big picture and seeing that there's no logical reason to be attached to certain beings and have aversion toward others. Report an error in the passage at 22:42 Highlight the passage at 22:42

23:18 It's a very limited view to be attached to just the people who we're close to right now or who have been kind to us in the last 20 years or whatever it is. Report an error in the passage at 23:18 Highlight the passage at 23:18

23:33 When others have been kind to us, we just don't remember. Report an error in the passage at 23:33 Highlight the passage at 23:33

23:44 And then when we develop equanimity first, Lama Tsongkhapa recommends that we develop this equanimity toward neutral beings, you know, beings that we don't have strong attachment and hatred toward, hatred, aversion, because those are easier. If we have strong mental afflictions toward somebody, then obviously it'll be more difficult to remove the attachment and aversion. Report an error in the passage at 23:44 Highlight the passage at 23:44

24:11 So once we have some measure of success with the neutral beings, then we move to friends and relatives, ones that are close to us, then we move to difficult beings, and then we move and expand out more and more to other sentient beings. Report an error in the passage at 24:11 Highlight the passage at 24:11

24:30 So this is generally the formula. Well, it's actually, with loving kindness, these two are reversed. But generally the formula is we start with the easiest beings. Report an error in the passage at 24:30 Highlight the passage at 24:30

24:42 And then we develop some power, some strength in our practice. Then once we have some power and strength, then we move on to the next category and develop some power and strength. And then the next category that's a little more difficult, and then we develop some power and strength. And we do it that way, which makes sense. So we start with the easier and then move toward the more difficult. Report an error in the passage at 24:42 Highlight the passage at 24:42

25:09 Then it'll be easier to have some success as well. And some experience which will encourage us. Report an error in the passage at 25:09 Highlight the passage at 25:09

25:20 Sometimes, I don't know if you're anything like me, I want to start with the most difficult ones first. Let's just go for the difficult beings. But then it's really hard. It's really hard to develop. Oh, you know, how do I develop closeness with Saddam Hussein or we're going to be working for a while before we feel the spontaneous love and compassion for him. Report an error in the passage at 25:20 Highlight the passage at 25:20

25:51 So to start with the easier ones. Effie, the microphone. Report an error in the passage at 25:51 Highlight the passage at 25:51

26:02 The thing that helps me out the most with the difficult beings is I just think when somebody does something that doesn't seem very nice, like cut you off, I just think, well, where must they be coming from? They're obviously not coming from a happy place themselves. So it just takes you back to that. I mean, you can think about your own karma, too, but it's actually easier for me just to think about... Report an error in the passage at 26:02 Highlight the passage at 26:02

26:24 They can't be happy to be doing that. And people want to be happy, so you can just wish them happiness. Lama Report an error in the passage at 26:24 Highlight the passage at 26:24

26:44 Tsongkhapa says that it's not, and this one I had to contemplate for a while, and I'm not sure that I totally understand this one. But he says, it is not the notion of friend or enemy that you need to stop, but the bias that comes from attachment, which are based on the reason that some people are your friends and others your enemies. Report an error in the passage at 26:44 Highlight the passage at 26:44

27:09 So I think his point here is at this point in the path when we're focusing on equanimity, it's not that we're trying to label everybody your friend at this point. I mean, I think eventually we are. But at this point, it's not the labeling process that we're focused on, but it's the bias. It's the attachment and the hatred, the attachment and the aversion that we're trying to let go of. Report an error in the passage at 27:09 Highlight the passage at 27:09

27:40 The mental afflictions, the strong mental afflictions that we have, we're trying to let go of those more. And not so Report an error in the passage at 27:40 Highlight the passage at 27:40

27:54 much the label of friend, enemy and stranger. Report an error in the passage at 27:54 Highlight the passage at 27:54

28:00 So I'm not sure that I totally agree with that, but that seems to be what he's saying here. The main focus here is to let go of the attachment. Report an error in the passage at 28:00 Highlight the passage at 28:00

28:12 Because there's certain beings who are going to be closer to you. Report an error in the passage at 28:12 Highlight the passage at 28:12

28:21 We're going to be your partner, you know, well, probably one, you know, who's your partner, you know, and your children, right? It's not that you're going to see everybody as your partner, right? But you want to, you do want to start letting go of the attachment and the version. You know, when I read that, I was thinking, you know, if you think about when this was written, perhaps, you know, there are people who would be your enemy, you know, who will attack you with swords and sharp objects and, you know, things like that. Report an error in the passage at 28:21 Highlight the passage at 28:21

28:55 Getting rid of the notion of enemy isn't really useful in everyday life. There are some people that you will have to physically defend yourself from at some point in some situation. I thought maybe he was talking about more like your inward capacity to try to see that person's point of view or to convert them from an enemy to a friend or to understand them. Report an error in the passage at 28:55 Highlight the passage at 28:55

29:16 Not to be angry at them, but simply to do what needs to be done with every person. There are some people you will have to call enemy. and treat a certain way. Report an error in the passage at 29:16 Highlight the passage at 29:16

29:29 some period of time at least so that you'll both survive or at survive. Right. All right. Yeah, so it's not about denying that there are certain beings out there trying to hurt you, right? But to let go of the anger that we have toward them and, you know, the hatred if we have hatred toward their hostility, right, the resentment that we have, but still recognizing the reality that there are beings that are trying to help us and beings that are trying to hurt us. Report an error in the passage at 29:29 Highlight the passage at 29:29

29:58 I mean, I was thinking in terms of the Dalai Lama, you know, Dalai Lama calls everyone, you know, my friend. This is, you know, this is my old friend and this is my dear friend, right? So eventually we want to get to that point. But he also recognizes, right, the Chinese government aren't trying to, Report an error in the passage at 29:58 Highlight the passage at 29:58

30:17 but he doesn't have, he doesn't seem to have, right, anger, hostility toward them. Report an error in the passage at 30:17 Highlight the passage at 30:17

30:29 All right. Then we get into the next section on developing affection for all beings, right? So, you know, we've developed. You know, some sort, well, hopefully, you know, we've developed some sort of smoothing out, leveling out, you know, with equanimity. And then we try to develop this sense of closeness, this sense of everybody is dear, everybody is beloved to me. And Report an error in the passage at 30:29 Highlight the passage at 30:29

30:57 we do that with these three steps. Viewing all beings as one's mother, remembering her kindness, and then wishing to repay the kindness. Report an error in the passage at 30:57 Highlight the passage at 30:57

31:08 So this one's a hard one. Viewing all beings as one's mother. I think Pabongka Rinpoche says this is one of the hardest realizations actually to get in the Lamrim, being all beings as one's mother. So this requires a belief in past. Report an error in the passage at 31:08 Highlight the passage at 31:08

31:31 So I think I talked last week about how the proof of past lives goes, how mind comes from a previous moment of mind. It doesn't come from material. There's material and then there's mind. Report an error in the passage at 31:31 Highlight the passage at 31:31

31:49 According to the Dharma, it might be like an emerging property of the brain, but it isn't the brain. The mind is actually something immaterial. And something immaterial can't come from something that's material. So this moment of mind is a result of a previous moment of mind, which is a result of a previous moment of mind. Report an error in the passage at 31:49 Highlight the passage at 31:49

32:16 And we keep tracing that back to the first moment, right? The womb of the mother, right? That first moment of mind. And what's the cause of that first moment? A Report an error in the passage at 32:16 Highlight the passage at 32:16

32:37 previous moment of mind, right, in a pre-life, right, in a bardo, right, in an intermediate state, or in a previous life. So if we can get that, that the first moment of mind is a result of this life, is a result of the last moment of mind of the previous life, then we can get that there are beginnings of lives. Report an error in the passage at 32:37 Highlight the passage at 32:37

33:01 Because every moment of mind must have had a previous moment. And if you keep tracing back, you can never find a first moment of mind. Because that moment of mind necessarily happened. Report an error in the passage at 33:01 Highlight the passage at 33:01

33:17 So if we can really get our heads around that, or at least entertain that idea, then it makes sense that we've had countless lives. Report an error in the passage at 33:17 Highlight the passage at 33:17

33:31 Countless lives. Well, in most of those lives we've had mothers, right? And it hasn't been the same mother in every life. So we've had countless mothers, Report an error in the passage at 33:31 Highlight the passage at 33:31

33:49 an infinite number of mothers Report an error in the passage at 33:49 Highlight the passage at 33:49

33:54 since, that every sentient being has been a mother to us, our best friend, all different types of relationships. So this is a hard one. I think Matt had his hand up and then Rose. Report an error in the passage at 33:54 Highlight the passage at 33:54

34:19 Yeah, this is a hard one. I feel like... While I do accept the idea of past lives, the part that always hangs me up is why does this particular body in this particular life have imprints that go back to particular lives and your body in this life has imprints that go back to other particular lives. That's the part that always hangs me up. So everybody in this room has... Report an error in the passage at 34:19 Highlight the passage at 34:19

34:58 imprints from previous lives and they're unique so So I guess my question is, is mind one vast thing that we all sort of tap into or is it a bunch of minds? Yeah, so we have individual continuums, right? Right, okay, okay. Yeah, so you have a particular continuum and then you have karmic imprints on that continuum. Report an error in the passage at 34:58 Highlight the passage at 34:58

35:26 It's not inherently existent, but you have this continuum. And, you know, just like I have a continuum and Rose has a continuum, right? They're interdependent, but we have a particular continuum. So I don't know if this example will work for you, but kind of what pops into my head here is like two different cars. Report an error in the passage at 35:26 Highlight the passage at 35:26

35:50 If I put gas in one car, it's not going to help the other car run. They're two separate cars. They're interdependent, right? They're parts and everything. Everything is interdependent, but they're still two separate continuums, right? If I fix one car, it's not going to fix the other car. I put gas in it. So they're two separate continuums, though. Report an error in the passage at 35:50 Highlight the passage at 35:50

36:24 Does that make sense? It does. It's something I have to think about for a while, though. Yeah, I think we do have to think about this for quite a while and really contemplate it. Because it's very different from... The notions that we grew up with. So this one really challenges our cultural upbringing, you know, unless we were brought up mode of thought. Report an error in the passage at 36:24 Highlight the passage at 36:24

36:59 Yes, and my question is about when you say that there is no beginning because each self has another self, previous self, so there is no escape, actually. Why? Why? Report an error in the passage at 36:59 Highlight the passage at 36:59

37:17 If there is no beginning, there can be no end. No end to what? To this constant coming and going, this karmic life. So if there is no beginning of previous lives, then I have to think whatever it is, this mind, it will just... Come again, again, again, again. Report an error in the passage at 37:17 Highlight the passage at 37:17

37:59 So there's no beginning to mind. And so there's no end to mind. But that's not saying that there's no end to the mental afflictions. We can cause the mental afflictions to come to an end. And just the pure enlightened mind will continue. Report an error in the passage at 37:59 Highlight the passage at 37:59

38:22 So there is an end to saṃsāra. There's an end to mental afflictions. There is an end. To anger and ignorance and attachment and jealousy. Because there's a cause to those things. So if we cease the causes, we can just continue on with the pure mind. Report an error in the passage at 38:22 Highlight the passage at 38:22

38:54 Because the six realms are realms of saṃsāra. And we can get out of saṃsāra. So saṃsāra is just the uncontrolled propelling from life to life due to karma and mental afflictions. So it's contaminated karma and mental afflictions. So if we get rid of, so the contaminated karma, we create contaminated karma because we have mental afflictions, the attachment, the ignorance, the anger. Report an error in the passage at 38:54 Highlight the passage at 38:54

39:23 So if we can get rid of the mental afflictions and we can get rid of the contaminated karma, then we can get out of saṃsāra. Report an error in the passage at 39:23 Highlight the passage at 39:23

39:33 All we have to do is realize emptiness directly. Report an error in the passage at 39:33 Highlight the passage at 39:33

39:39 That would mean that we end all by being a Buddha. End being a Buddha? Yeah. No, a Buddha isn't a sentient being. A Buddha isn't a saṃsāra. Yeah, but when we have no anymore any afflictions, for me it's the idea of a Buddha actually. Yeah, so there's two different levels. When we have no more afflictions, we become liberated from saṃsāra. We don't necessarily become a Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 39:39 Highlight the passage at 39:39

40:08 We don't become a Buddha until... We developed the omniscient mind, so we have to, there's two levels of obscurations, the afflictions, and then there are the obscurations to omniscience. So the arhat, right, gets rid of the afflictions, the obscurations, the afflictive obscurations, but not the obscurations to omniscience. Report an error in the passage at 40:08 Highlight the passage at 40:08

40:37 Okay, any other reservations, comments about beginningless lives? Leslie, I want to try to get... What's the first number on the number line that we learned in school, negative and positive? Report an error in the passage at 40:37 Highlight the passage at 40:37

41:00 There's no beginning and there's no end. It's negative to infinity and positive to... We didn't understand that. I didn't understand when I was in school. Yeah, that's a nice example. I think I heard that over and over again in teachings. Report an error in the passage at 41:00 Highlight the passage at 41:00

41:25 Yeah, I mean, it's hard to get our minds around. But logically, it makes sense, doesn't it? I mean, it kind of makes more sense, at least to me, it makes more sense than there was nothing and then suddenly there was something. Report an error in the passage at 41:25 Highlight the passage at 41:25

41:41 That doesn't really make sense. Why would all of a sudden there be something and then before that there was nothing? Report an error in the passage at 41:41 Highlight the passage at 41:41

41:50 And even in Christianity, there was in the beginning, right? There's a beginning, but before that there was God, right? There wasn't a beginning to God, Report an error in the passage at 41:50 Highlight the passage at 41:50

42:04 right? Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 42:04 Highlight the passage at 42:04

42:11 So really if you think about God, right, if we believe in God, God is beginningless. Report an error in the passage at 42:11 Highlight the passage at 42:11

42:19 So beginningless really makes more sense than a beginning. You know, this isn't directly addressing this issue, but sort of as a workaround or alternative, kind of take on it, like that exercise that you had us do last week of remembering how interdependent we all are. We're dependent on the farmer and the doctor and the social worker. We're dependent on all of these people. There's no way that we could create this life that we have for ourselves. Report an error in the passage at 42:19 Highlight the passage at 42:19

42:54 Just me wouldn't know how to make the table, let alone anything else. That was really useful for me to see how we're all independent as people. But you can go even further and push it and see how that we are interdependent as organisms on this vast ecosystem on the planet. Like I depend on animals. And those animals depend on plants. And those plants depend on microorganisms. And I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for a vast network of organisms that go back millions of years. Report an error in the passage at 42:54 Highlight the passage at 42:54

43:27 So in that sense, if you're just coming from a biological perspective like I often do, I've meditated on that and got the same sort of sense that I think that this is trying to instill, that I'm really interdependent on all of these other organisms. I didn't create myself. I can't stay here by myself. So that kind of instills a gratitude or an awe or like that articulation to that reverence for life kind of thing. Report an error in the passage at 43:27 Highlight the passage at 43:27

43:56 I think you can get to from a lot of different perspectives. And it's useful to look at it from so many different perspectives. And the more we think about it, the more we think of that we're dependent on. Report an error in the passage at 43:56 Highlight the passage at 43:56

44:12 Just microorganisms, beings, the water, the air. Report an error in the passage at 44:12 Highlight the passage at 44:12

44:22 one thing goes away, then everything changes. Report an error in the passage at 44:22 Highlight the passage at 44:22

44:29 I Report an error in the passage at 44:29 Highlight the passage at 44:29

44:39 want to know if I understand this properly. Report an error in the passage at 44:39 Highlight the passage at 44:39

44:46 If we just go and for the moment assume that mind is beginningless, mind is endless, then could we also say that everything we perceive like we perceive this gompa? This gampa is a karmic projection of the minds that we currently have. Am I correct in saying that? Report an error in the passage at 44:46 Highlight the passage at 44:46

45:21 So karmic projections would then be essentially created from the pure mind that exists plus whatever layers of mental afflictions one would have. So, you know. This gompa appears to us as a gompa because we have the propensity to have karmic projections seeing this as a gompa. But if we stripped away enough of those mental afflictions, we could see this as a pure realm or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 45:21 Highlight the passage at 45:21

45:58 Or if we had the mental afflictions to see this as a hell realm, we'd see this as a hell realm. Report an error in the passage at 45:58 Highlight the passage at 45:58

46:08 necessarily say the mental afflictions to see it that way, but the karmic imprints. Oh, yeah, okay, that's kind of what I meant, like the So if that's the case, then could it not also be that maybe the problem of seeing why, you know, having trouble with the concept of rebirth is that, well, if we have the karmic imprints to have a like the projections Report an error in the passage at 46:08 Highlight the passage at 46:08

46:47 kind of like a long I think I'm kind of like getting at the If you have the karmic imprints to see yourself as having paws, chances are you're probably a dog, that sort of thing. But if you have the karmic imprints not to see paws, maybe you're a human, something along those lines, then if that's the case, then... Report an error in the passage at 46:47 Highlight the passage at 46:47

47:14 Maybe seeing from a Cheetah Machram perspective or the mind only school, seeing that since if all of reality, including oneself, would be a creation of one's mind and all the imprints that go into the mind, then if mind is beginningless, the whole process of taking another body and then taking another body. Report an error in the passage at 47:14 Highlight the passage at 47:14

47:45 Could be explained like kind of like that. You know, the thing I have a problem with is like the process of having a mind go from one body to another. You see, is that making any sense at all? Well, I think so. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 47:45 Highlight the passage at 47:45

48:05 Yeah, we kind of talked about that a bit in the last class about, you know, the different levels of subtlety of the mind, the gross mind, the very subtle mind. And at the time of death, the grosser minds dissolve into the very subtle mind. And then based on the grasping that we have at the time of death, grasping for another body, for a continuation, that nourishes a karmic imprint that we've created in the past. Report an error in the passage at 48:05 Highlight the passage at 48:05

48:44 So it could have been in this life or it could have been a previous life. It nourishes that karmic imprint, which... Propels us into the next life. So it's not really so much that the mind goes from body to body. I mean, that's one way of thinking about it. But there's this continuity of the mind and our perceptions are changing depending on the karma that's ripening. Report an error in the passage at 48:44 Highlight the passage at 48:44

49:21 So as you're saying, now we have a perception. I have a perception of heaven. A human body, right? But it isn't a solid, inherently existent body. I have a perception of a solid body. I mean, this gets really into emptiness and, you know, this is very profound. But I have the karma to see a body that looks like a karma to see a gompa and I have the karma to see people in this gompa, right? Report an error in the passage at 49:21 Highlight the passage at 49:21

49:50 And somebody else with very different karma would see something very different. Report an error in the passage at 49:50 Highlight the passage at 49:50

49:58 A Buddha would see something very different than what I would see. But that's not really getting into, I mean, but we don't need to get all of that for this particular teaching. This particular teaching is just entertaining the idea of having past lives and having an infinite number of past lives. Report an error in the passage at 49:58 Highlight the passage at 49:58

50:25 Trying to open up our minds to that Report an error in the passage at 50:25 Highlight the passage at 50:25

50:31 right now. Well, what you just described now, like just that last little bit. Makes it a lot easier to accept this right here, viewing all beings as one mother. Report an error in the passage at 50:31 Highlight the passage at 50:31

50:48 Good, well, whatever else. Yeah, so thanks. All right. Okay. All right, so if we, okay, and we have to continue, but I was forgetting something that I want to share about past life, a manifestation that I had a few years ago when I started studying about karma and past life. I didn't believe about that. I started to work in an office and I met a co-worker that one day she said, I want to talk to you. Report an error in the passage at 50:48 Highlight the passage at 50:48

51:23 I said, okay. She said, but let's go to the bathroom because I can tell you what I need to tell you. And she said, okay. She locked the door and she was talking to me in a very angry way. She said, you know what? You're thinking you change. But I recognize you. You're the same person. I didn't understand at first. And then when I saw that she was so angry with me, I said, you know, I'm sorry. Report an error in the passage at 51:23 Highlight the passage at 51:23

51:56 I'm sorry what I've done with you before. Don't say that. It's not enough. You know, the way that she was talking to me made me realize that past lives exist. It was like a manifestation for me. And I still remember her faith. She was very, very angry. I don't know what I've done with her, but I said, I'm sorry. Report an error in the passage at 51:56 Highlight the passage at 51:56

52:21 Believe me, I'm so sorry. But she didn't want to listen to me, and she was very angry. That was a manifestation that I had at that time when I was studying about karma and past lives. Report an error in the passage at 52:21 Highlight the passage at 52:21

52:37 Since that day, I said, I believe now, of course, after years. I'm learning more and understanding a little bit more. And I have a hundred proof now. But that was the first one that I realized that past life exists. And we don't know what we've done before with people, what relation we had with others. We really don't know the deep way to understand that part. Report an error in the passage at 52:37 Highlight the passage at 52:37

53:12 Yeah, I think when we really think about it. Understanding that we have past lives makes a lot of things make more sense. Like why do we meet certain people and we immediately feel a connection with them? And others where we don't feel anything, we feel dislike immediately toward others. It kind of makes sense. Report an error in the passage at 53:12 Highlight the passage at 53:12

53:54 And it's interesting, there are many books where people recount their past lives. If we really have a lot of doubts about that. I personally find those books very interesting. They're not proofs, but they help you think, well, there's not really an easy explanation for some of people's experiences if you don't believe in past lives. Report an error in the passage at 53:54 Highlight the passage at 53:54

54:26 Anyway, Report an error in the passage at 54:26 Highlight the passage at 54:26

54:30 so if we can get to that, at least that open-mindedness that we've had countless past lives, then we can do this meditation of viewing all beings as one's mother. So if we have had countless past lives, then everybody in this room has been your mother in the past. And that's, you know, I remember having, you know, a lot of resistance to this meditation, you know, when I first heard it, good stuff. Report an error in the passage at 54:30 Highlight the passage at 54:30

55:00 But over time, my mind has changed, and I find this very, very powerful. If you think about it, especially if you think about someone who you really Report an error in the passage at 55:00 Highlight the passage at 55:00

55:13 It's like I really have a hard time. Report an error in the passage at 55:13 Highlight the passage at 55:13

55:20 Okay, so for me, I have a really hard time with Dick Cheney. Report an error in the passage at 55:20 Highlight the passage at 55:20

55:31 And I have a really hard time seeing him as anything except very unlikable. And I've been meditating on him. you know Report an error in the passage at 55:31 Highlight the passage at 55:31

55:51 you know, and, uh, and, you know, I can actually see him now as being this person who just really wants to be happy, who has Buddha nature just like me, who's been my mother in the past. But in this life, in my mind, he has certain mental afflictions that are guiding his actions that I don't agree with. Report an error in the passage at 55:51 Highlight the passage at 55:51

56:20 So I don't have to agree with his actions, but... You know, I don't have to have this sense of strong aversion or dislike for him. I can see, okay, well, you know, this guy has created some really negative karma and some tremendous suffering for himself in this life and in future lives, and I can feel some compassion for him. Report an error in the passage at 56:20 Highlight the passage at 56:20

56:44 You know, and this is a huge, a huge, you know, level of progress for me, you know. With these meditations instead of just, I don't want to see his face, I don't want to think about, to someone I can feel a sense of affection and warmth toward without agreeing with what, you know, I'm sorry to bring up politics, you know, that's not very kosher for me. Report an error in the passage at 56:44 Highlight the passage at 56:44

57:17 Have you tried looking at pictures of him as a child and a young man? I mean, for sure that helps, right? To think of him as a baby, you know. Report an error in the passage at 57:17 Highlight the passage at 57:17

57:34 But even without that, I can actually look at him and not cringe. Don't they have a gay daughter that they haven't completely rejected? I mean, I don't know. That's something that I can look at and think that there's a little bit of positivity there. I mean, that she sat with them. So anyway, I've had that same struggle. Report an error in the passage at 57:34 Highlight the passage at 57:34

57:57 Yeah, I bring that up because I think maybe other people have that one as well. They might be able to relate to that one. But yeah, I mean, of course he loves his kids. Report an error in the passage at 57:57 Highlight the passage at 57:57

58:08 And even if he didn't, you know, that doesn't even have to be a condition. Report an error in the passage at 58:08 Highlight the passage at 58:08

58:16 But it helps. Report an error in the passage at 58:16 Highlight the passage at 58:16

58:22 Emily Law, I keep trying to think of that old story, and you probably know it, the Buddhist story about the man who kicks the dog with the fish and everything. And I think that's a good story about karma. Report an error in the passage at 58:22 Highlight the passage at 58:22

58:34 Yeah, so some people probably don't know this story. I'm not a good storyteller, but there's this story about a guy, a man, his wife, and they have a newborn baby and a dog. Report an error in the passage at 58:34 Highlight the passage at 58:34

58:51 And they live in this house with a fish pond in the back. And so the man is holding his baby, you know, and the wife, all that, and the dog. And, you know, this clairvoyant, Arhat. Looked at him and thought, this is saṃsāra. Because the baby, okay, you know, previously the wife had an affair with the neighbor. Report an error in the passage at 58:51 Highlight the passage at 58:51

59:18 The man found out, right, and he killed the neighbor. The neighbor was reborn as their baby. Due to his attachment to the wife, he was reborn as the baby. So this guy's greatest enemy is now his beloved child. The man's father previously had died, and he was a great fisherman. So due to his attachment, he was born as a fish in the fish pond behind the house. So the man catches the fish and fries up the fish for dinner. Report an error in the passage at 59:18 Highlight the passage at 59:18

1:00:01 So he's eating his... Former father. And the mother, after she died, she was very attached to the house. So she was reborn as the family dog. And so as the story goes, the dog gets a hold of the fish bones and starts gnawing on the fish. So then the former mother is gnawing on her former husband. And then the man of the house finds, you know, He sees the dog gnawing on the fish and kicks the dog, so he's kicking his former mother. So his enemy is his beloved child, his dog that he's kicking is his former mother, and he's eating his former. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:01 Highlight the passage at 1:00:01

1:00:58 So that's saṃsāra, right? We never know. These relationships are constantly changing. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:58 Highlight the passage at 1:00:58

1:01:17 So in sutras, it is taught that since cyclic existence is beginningless, our births are also beginningless. Therefore, we have been born and we have died incessantly, time after time, so that there is no body in cyclic existence that we have not taken, no place in which we have not been born, and also no one who has not been a relative such as a mother and so forth. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:17 Highlight the passage at 1:01:17

1:01:42 So in the context of equanimity we talked about, one of the meditations was to... I contemplate that all beings have been all different kinds of people, right? Friends, relatives, strangers, difficult people. Now we're bringing it to something specific and thinking of all beings as having been our mother, right? Because we're trying to develop a sense of closeness and affection toward all beings, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:01:42 Highlight the passage at 1:01:42

1:02:10 So this is assuming that we don't have a terrible relationship with our mother. If we do, then maybe... Well, I mean, it's still useful to do... To meditate on her kindness, but to develop a sense of closeness for all beings, we may want to try somebody different, right, if we really have a hard time with them. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:10 Highlight the passage at 1:02:10

1:02:30 But someone who's been very kind to us. So all beings have been someone who's been extremely kind and close. And so it's useful not to just do this as a game. I mean, it's useful to do it as a game, too. Oh, well, shame was my mother. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:30 Highlight the passage at 1:02:30

1:02:54 And it's even more powerful when we think, yeah, this person has been my mother, not... Not just, oh, maybe this person's been my mother, but oh my gosh, Dick Cheney really has been my mother. Well, you know, that's a whole other level of, you know, switching your mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:54 Highlight the passage at 1:02:54

1:03:20 If we're not there at this point, it's still useful to just entertain the thought, this person might have been my mother. And then we look at them in a very different way. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:20 Highlight the passage at 1:03:20

1:03:33 If we can just even entertain the thought, but if we're really convinced of the thought, that's even more powerful. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:33 Highlight the passage at 1:03:33

1:03:46 We talked about that. And so not only has everybody been my mother in the past, but also in the future, everybody will be my mother. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:46 Highlight the passage at 1:03:46

1:03:59 Unless I get out of saṃsāra quickly. Therefore, reflecting in that way, you should try to gain unshakable certainty that all living beings have been your mother. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:59 Highlight the passage at 1:03:59

1:04:12 So this is what I'm saying. It's one thing to entertain the idea, but really to try to get unshakable certainty that everyone has been Report an error in the passage at 1:04:12 Highlight the passage at 1:04:12

1:04:27 mind-blowing. For once that certainty arises, it will be easy to remember their kindness and so forth. On the other hand, if it does not arise, there will be no foundation for remembering their kindness and so forth. So if we're really sure we have a strong... Belief, right? That everyone's been my mother. Then meditating on their kindness and so forth will really bring a powerful impact on the mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:27 Highlight the passage at 1:04:27

1:05:00 Because then I'll think everybody has been extremely kind. Dick Cheney has been really, really kind to me and took care of me and nursed me and fed me and woke up in the middle of the night when I was crying. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:00 Highlight the passage at 1:05:00

1:05:18 Very, very powerful. But if we can't really Report an error in the passage at 1:05:18 Highlight the passage at 1:05:18

1:05:31 get to the point where Report an error in the passage at 1:05:31 Highlight the passage at 1:05:31

1:05:36 we can go beyond negative doubt, but at least if we have a positive doubt, all beings have probably been my mother. If we can get there, then the meditation can be more powerful. So if we haven't gotten to the point yet where we think, well, all beings have probably been my mother. Then it's a useful thing to work on, to really meditate. It's Report an error in the passage at 1:05:36 Highlight the passage at 1:05:36

1:06:19 useful to meditate on that. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:19 Highlight the passage at 1:06:19

1:06:26 Ruby Rinpoche says you have to meditate on this subject again and again over a long period of time. By thinking in this way again and again, you will reach the point where you realize that all sentient beings have been your mother, even down to a tiny insect like an ant. Oftentimes we focus on people, but insects, animals, if we ate meat for lunch. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:26 Highlight the passage at 1:06:26

1:06:53 That was our mother that we just ate. Even when you see a tiny insect, you will feel certain that many times this being has been your kind mother who took the greatest care of you. So Report an error in the passage at 1:06:53 Highlight the passage at 1:06:53

1:07:11 this one requires quite a bit of work, so Report an error in the passage at 1:07:11 Highlight the passage at 1:07:11

1:07:17 not to lose heart, that we just need to keep working at it, keep meditating. Meditation, the word for meditation, means familiarization. So we're familiarizing ourselves with these concepts again and again. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:17 Highlight the passage at 1:07:17

1:07:34 And even if at first it seems very unbelievable, if we familiarize ourselves enough, it becomes more easier. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:34 Highlight the passage at 1:07:34

1:07:46 For me, when I do it with the people at work that I've had trouble with in the past, it changes my aspect of those people and the relationship gets better. I Report an error in the passage at 1:07:46 Highlight the passage at 1:07:46

1:08:02 think it's kind of funny because the past couple of homeworks that you gave reflect upon. The kindness of other beings that they have given to you. Reflect upon, like maybe this person on the bus was your mother. I have the hardest time doing that with human beings. But when I entertain the fact that, okay, maybe this bird had been my mother, that's a lot easier to take than another human being. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:02 Highlight the passage at 1:08:02

1:08:38 And remember, I'm putting myself in the position of, you know, like a little baby bird and, you know, like another bird, you know, coming and feeding me. I was like, oh, wow, it's really nice of that bird to feed me when I was a little chick. But when it comes with animals, insects, it's relatively straightforward. But with humans, it is like really hard for some reason. It's kind of the opposite of this. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:38 Highlight the passage at 1:08:38

1:09:00 It's bizarre. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's interesting because it's different for all of us, isn't it? For me, it's definitely easier with humans than animals. You know, we all have our unique. You know, mind streams and karmic imprints. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:00 Highlight the passage at 1:09:00

1:09:19 Developing equanimity in your attitude and recognizing and accepting sentient beings as your mother are the most important points of this practice. So what we covered last week and what we covered so far today are the two most important points of your practice. Because that's the foundation, right? Upon which the rest of the bodhicitta meditations build upon. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:19 Highlight the passage at 1:09:19

1:09:44 And if we get these two, if we really spend the time and get these two, then the other steps are easier, really much easier. And I know in my experience I tended to jump to the loving kindness and the great compassion. And then later I had to go back and do the equanimity. And I totally agree with this. I can really see how not having done the equanimity and all sentient beings have been my mother. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:44 Highlight the passage at 1:09:44

1:10:16 Still cause me to have, you know, this block toward, yeah, well, you know, the Dick Cheney's of the world, you know, I can develop love and compassion toward strangers or toward beings that I don't feel strongly negative toward. But the strongly negative ones, you know, we're still, you Report an error in the passage at 1:10:16 Highlight the passage at 1:10:16

1:10:37 know, jerks or whatever, you know. So then going back and doing equanimity and also being. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:37 Highlight the passage at 1:10:37

1:10:47 And then they are also the hardest. So if you can practice and achieve a stable experience of these two points. You will be able to realize the remaining points very easily. I don't know about very easily, but more easily. I personally don't find any of this very easy. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:47 Highlight the passage at 1:10:47

1:11:11 But amazing, amazing, as Shane was saying. We do the work, or we make the effort on certain people, and it definitely helps our relationships. It helps our own minds be happier. It definitely helps. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:11 Highlight the passage at 1:11:11

1:11:29 Relationships with others, we feel a sense of affection toward them. If we're suspicious of others or resentful of others or immediately have aversion toward them, that reflects in our energies, the way we interact with them. Any Report an error in the passage at 1:11:29 Highlight the passage at 1:11:29

1:11:49 other comments or questions on meditating on all sentient beings as your mother? Can we do this? Can Report an error in the passage at 1:11:49 Highlight the passage at 1:11:49

1:12:03 we try? That's the homework for this week, to try. And Report an error in the passage at 1:12:03 Highlight the passage at 1:12:03

1:12:11 then remembering their kindness. But it's break time, so let's take a break. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:11 Highlight the passage at 1:12:11

1:12:29 Okay, but we can turn them on. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:29 Highlight the passage at 1:12:29

1:12:39 Are you Report an error in the passage at 1:12:39 Highlight the passage at 1:12:39

· · · silence, 6 minutes

1:18:47 here for a while? It Report an error in the passage at 1:18:47 Highlight the passage at 1:18:47

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:19:54 certainly won't be that hot. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:54 Highlight the passage at 1:19:54

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:20:54 Because he always recommends, he says, it's better to be a vegetarian. You know, if you have to eat meat. Don't do it out of attachment for your health. Then there are blessings you can do. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:54 Highlight the passage at 1:20:54

1:21:14 So I'm sure he does that. It's not, Report an error in the passage at 1:21:14 Highlight the passage at 1:21:14

1:21:21 but it was his, yeah, yeah. And he's tried, I mean, I understand that he's tried being a vegetarian before, but if you think about his schedule, you know, traveling, I mean, it seems like every other day he's traveling, you know. So it's hard, I think it's hard to be a vegetarian and have the strength to be able to do that. Or at least in my experience. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:21 Highlight the passage at 1:21:21

1:21:42 I'm a vegetarian and I really lack energy sometimes. You really have to. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:42 Highlight the passage at 1:21:42

1:22:05 Yeah, that's all they would have really is something. Not a lot of vegetables there. Yes, I mean, so if you notice, you know, most Tibetans do eat meat that were brought up. But like recently, Sarah Monastery down in South India went vegetarian. Yeah, Sarah J. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:05 Highlight the passage at 1:22:05

1:22:42 Gishadagpa, you know, Gishadagpa here. He has a house at Sarah J. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:42 Highlight the passage at 1:22:42

1:22:51 He usually goes, well, he's been going every year to Report an error in the passage at 1:22:51 Highlight the passage at 1:22:51

1:23:01 South India, but to North India, to Dharamsala. There's Report an error in the passage at 1:23:01 Highlight the passage at 1:23:01

1:23:09 some English-speaking Geshe's there from Report an error in the passage at 1:23:09 Highlight the passage at 1:23:09

1:23:18 Sarah that's just been down in the Report an error in the passage at 1:23:18 Highlight the passage at 1:23:18

· · · silence, 3 minutes

1:26:14 break time. What did I say? Report an error in the passage at 1:26:14 Highlight the passage at 1:26:14

1:26:24 Okay, so after we've meditated on all, Report an error in the passage at 1:26:24 Highlight the passage at 1:26:24

1:26:41 so here, Lama Tsongkhapa says, Geshe Patawa maintained that the thought remembering their kindness will arise quick after meditating on all sentient beings as your mothers. You initially meditate on your mother of this life. That is how you should meditate. You visualize your mother in front of you in a clear aspect and repeatedly reflect. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:41 Highlight the passage at 1:26:41

1:27:04 She has been my mother not only now, but times past, counting since beginning. That way, when she was my mother, she protected me from all harm and accomplished all happiness. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:04 Highlight the passage at 1:27:04

1:27:20 We visualize our mother that she's been my mother in this life, but in many, many times. And in each life, she took care of me, she protected me. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:20 Highlight the passage at 1:27:20

1:27:36 And then it's important to make this meditation very personal, really think about all the things. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:36 Highlight the passage at 1:27:36

1:27:47 In particular, even in this life, she initially carried you in her womb for a long time. Then when she had given birth to you, she pressed your yellow tousled hair. I'm not sure about this yellow tousled hair. I'm not sure where that came from. Tibetans, there's not many. Anyway, yellow tousled hair against the heat of her body. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:47 Highlight the passage at 1:27:47

1:28:09 She swung you on her fingertips. Nursed you with her milk, fed you as an infant from her mouth, wiped away your saliva with her mouth, your filth with her hand, caring for you untiringly. In addition, when you were hungry or thirsty, she gave you food and drink. When you were cold, she gave you clothing. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:09 Highlight the passage at 1:28:09

1:28:37 When you were in need, she gave you her possessions that she herself hardly used. When even the most basic necessities were hard to come by. She bore great hardship and spared herself no negativity, suffering or bad talk to get it and give them to you. So it's very useful to do this meditation and really imagining ourselves when we are, and I've probably said this before and I'm sorry for repeating myself, but really imagining when we were like tiny infants. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:37 Highlight the passage at 1:28:37

1:29:11 Because now we're, you know, we have the illusion of independence, right? We feel like we're self-sufficient and we can take care of ourselves. I mean, it's not really, I mean, it's partly true, but it's not really true, right? We depend on so many beings. But particularly when we're infants, we're totally dependent on our mothers, right, or someone to take. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:11 Highlight the passage at 1:29:11

1:29:38 So I remember having trouble with this meditation years ago and then reading Jeffrey Hopkins' book. He wrote a book called Cultivating Compassion. And he recommended... To remember the time when you hugged your mother's knees. And that was a very strong visual for me, you know, hugging my mom's knees. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:38 Highlight the passage at 1:29:38

1:30:04 We were all that small at some point, you know, and Report an error in the passage at 1:30:04 Highlight the passage at 1:30:04

1:30:10 hectic us, Report an error in the passage at 1:30:10 Highlight the passage at 1:30:10

1:30:15 defend ourselves and all that. But then even before that, in her womb, you know, we lived in her womb for nine or so months. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:15 Highlight the passage at 1:30:15

1:30:28 Just imagine that. Our physical body came from her body. And the food that she ate and what she drank, Report an error in the passage at 1:30:28 Highlight the passage at 1:30:28

1:30:43 that's pretty powerful to just think about. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:43 Highlight the passage at 1:30:43

1:30:51 Probably she really took care, right, to eat well and, you know, not to hurt us, right, not to crush us when she was laying down. So for that nine months, she probably really thought so much about us and how to make sure that we're healthy and strong. And then we were born, right, the pain of childbirth. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:51 Highlight the passage at 1:30:51

1:31:15 You know, I've never given birth, but I hear that it's excruciating. Right. And she willingly did it and maybe even did it again, you know. So she did care of us for Report an error in the passage at 1:31:15 Highlight the passage at 1:31:15

1:31:39 ourselves, right? We couldn't talk. We couldn't eat. You know, she nursed us. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:39 Highlight the passage at 1:31:39

1:31:48 She taught us how to speak, taught us so many things, how to walk, changed our diapers, you know. She bathed us. She woke up in the middle of the night, you know, when we were crying. She'd get up even though she was exhausted and comfort us until we fell asleep again. You know, she did a little, you know, most likely. You know, most mothers have done this for us. It's pretty amazing to think that somebody is really this. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:48 Highlight the passage at 1:31:48

1:32:24 You know, we tend to forget, right, as adults, we tend to forget that we were once these tiny, helpless beings. When I think about that, you know, the... Report an error in the passage at 1:32:24 Highlight the passage at 1:32:24

1:32:37 But the heart just starts to soften. I mean, maybe later on in our lives, you know, our mothers have done things that we didn't agree with, you know. When I was a teenager, my mom and I didn't get along at all. You know, and so the heart starts to harden over time with our mothers for many of us. But then if we think that we really focus on all the things that she's done for us, I mean, nobody's done more for us. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:37 Highlight the passage at 1:32:37

1:33:25 Most likely she put her knee. Our needs in front of her. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:25 Highlight the passage at 1:33:25

1:33:34 many, how many beings? Report an error in the passage at 1:33:34 Highlight the passage at 1:33:34

1:33:39 that for me now. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:39 Highlight the passage at 1:33:39

1:33:48 she would, of course, you know, even though she's old and frail, you know, if I, you know, I I got really sick, she would be there. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:48 Highlight the passage at 1:33:48

1:33:59 In the Report an error in the passage at 1:33:59 Highlight the passage at 1:33:59

1:34:07 end. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:07 Highlight the passage at 1:34:07

1:34:24 Yeah, well, coming from a mother. But in those times, no, because actually you kind of woke me up to this, being a mom in this time. But in those times, you basically, things happened like you lost your teeth because your nutrition wasn't, you know, good and the nutrition would go naturally to the baby and not to the mom. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:24 Highlight the passage at 1:34:24

1:34:41 So things like, my mothers basically risked their lives to give childbirth. I mean, obviously, I didn't. You know, we don't do that so much now, but I'm just saying, you know, if you think historically, it was like even more of a super sacrifice. And it's more of a sacrifice. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:41 Highlight the passage at 1:34:41

1:35:07 Like my mom, you know, she washed our diapers, you know, by hand. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:07 Highlight the passage at 1:35:07

1:35:16 And she, you know, she'd go to the laundromat and she'd be carrying all these clothes and babies. And it was just, you know, it was really hard for her. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:16 Highlight the passage at 1:35:16

1:35:27 I thought it was really exhausting and overwhelming to have one and, you know, totally love it. It was a fabulous experience, but it really woke me up to women in my grandmother's generation having nine, and then three of them die. It just kind of really woke me up what a woman's experience historically and in a lot of the other parts of the world must be. I thought it was a pretty big deal to have one, just in terms of how much it disrupted my life and the discomfort and the hassle of... Report an error in the passage at 1:35:27 Highlight the passage at 1:35:27

1:36:02 You know, just having to take care of another person. I mean, it was a big shock to me how much work it was, but it also kind of woke me up. Wow, women really, really have been working hard with this for a long time. It Report an error in the passage at 1:36:02 Highlight the passage at 1:36:02

1:36:33 might be the oddest things that really touch you. So that's what I'm saying, to make it really personal. You know, remember a time when your mother was reading. I remember when I was meditating and retreat on this stuff. I started crying when I remembered my mother. I might have told you this last week. My mother used to sew my clothes. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:33 Highlight the passage at 1:36:33

1:36:53 All day long, she'd be busy, so after we went to bed, even though she was exhausted, she would be making me these dresses. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:53 Highlight the passage at 1:36:53

1:37:03 I wouldn't like these dresses. I'd criticize these dresses, how insensitive a daughter I was. But she didn't just run to the store to get me clothes. My parents didn't have much money, so she would buy a pattern and she'd buy fabric. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:03 Highlight the passage at 1:37:03

1:37:25 She raced to the store one time when the sewing machines were on sale. She waited in line and then it opened. She ran up the stairs and got the sewing machine that was on sale. I lost it when I meditated on that. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:25 Highlight the passage at 1:37:25

1:37:56 But we have to do it again. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:56 Highlight the passage at 1:37:56

1:38:07 Suffers from a disease and so forth. She wishes from the depths of her heart to die rather than for her child to die. To be ill rather than for her child to be ill and so forth. With effort she does whatever she can to eliminate. And this is true for most mothers. She would rather. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:07 Highlight the passage at 1:38:07

1:38:35 I was just watching CNN I think yesterday. Some people were trying to bring orphans out of Haiti. And it turned out a lot of those children weren't orphans after all, but there were parents who felt like they were too poor to take care of their kids. And even though they loved their kids, well, because they loved their kids so much, they wanted their kids to have a good life. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:35 Highlight the passage at 1:38:35

1:39:00 So I wanted to help them get out of the country. So I mean, imagine being a mother and giving up your child for the benefit of the child. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:00 Highlight the passage at 1:39:00

1:39:16 There are many different points that we can contemplate on remembering our mother's kindness. So Report an error in the passage at 1:39:16 Highlight the passage at 1:39:16

1:39:30 to summarize, by whatever level of knowledge and whatever level of ability she had, she thought single-pointedly about the way in which to accomplish your happiness and benefit and to remove any harm and suffering for you. All right, so our mothers weren't perfect, right? We can think of all kinds of things that she could have done, you know, that we wanted her to do that she didn't do or whatever. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:30 Highlight the passage at 1:39:30

1:39:53 But, you know, but... Based on what she had, she did what she was able to do. So it's up to us whether we want to think about the things that we're lacking or the things that she gave us. It's Report an error in the passage at 1:39:53 Highlight the passage at 1:39:53

1:40:14 not very helpful to think about all the things she didn't do that we wanted her to do. It doesn't help our minds. It doesn't help her. It doesn't help our relationship. But to focus on what she did do is amazing. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:14 Highlight the passage at 1:40:14

1:40:35 So when we do this meditation, Lama Tsongkhapa says, Okay, first of all, we meditate in this way until we're moved from the heart by our mother's kindness. So this is a really big heart experience. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:35 Highlight the passage at 1:40:35

1:40:53 We meditate in a very specific way, a very detailed way. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:53 Highlight the passage at 1:40:53

1:41:00 We may start crying. So we meditate that way first with our current mother, and then we meditate on other friends and relatives as having been our mother. So the beings that we're close to, so those are easier to meditate on. Them having been our mothers, our father, our other brothers, sisters, whatever, aunts, uncles. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:00 Highlight the passage at 1:41:00

1:41:31 So then once we have some sort of experience with that, then we move to neutral persons or beings, including insects and things, and difficult ones, and then all beings. So extending it out. So it's the same as with equanimity, except for with equanimity we started with neutral and then we moved to friends and relatives. With meditating all beings as our mothers, we start with friends and relatives and then move to neutral and then difficult. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:31 Highlight the passage at 1:41:31

1:42:04 Because it makes sense because we already feel close to friends and relatives, so those are easier to develop a sense of closeness, thinking of them as our mothers. And then we move to neutral beings and difficult beings. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:04 Highlight the passage at 1:42:04

1:42:21 And it's interesting to do this all day long. Driving in the car, the guy who got you off. That was my mother. In the grocery store, the people at work. Very interesting. Watching a movie. I'm meditating on each of those beings. I Report an error in the passage at 1:42:21 Highlight the passage at 1:42:21

1:42:51 find it interesting watching a movie. How quickly you develop like and dislike for certain characters in a movie. And then just working on your mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:51 Highlight the passage at 1:42:51

1:43:06 I don't know, maybe you can sit there enjoying the movie. I think it's really interesting to work with the mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:06 Highlight the passage at 1:43:06

1:43:19 Especially, this is a little bit of an aside. I notice particularly movies like these ocean movies, Ocean 11, 12, 13. I don't know if you've seen any of these. But the protagonists in these movies are the robbers. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:19 Highlight the passage at 1:43:19

1:43:43 George Clooney, the good-looking, charming ones are the ones who want to steal from the other guy. It's very interesting to watch the mind and how the mind automatically roots for the protagonist, roots for the ones who are trying to steal millions of dollars. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:43 Highlight the passage at 1:43:43

1:44:05 It's very interesting. I'm thinking, maybe I shouldn't be watching this movie because it's reinforcing this kind of... You're going to have to work on the mind to not want them to be successful in stealing. So Report an error in the passage at 1:44:05 Highlight the passage at 1:44:05

1:44:28 this is basically saying the same thing, the order of the meditation. And then Lama Tsongkhapa doesn't get into this, but this is, we, I had you do this a few weeks ago, but just, okay, not only the kindness of our mothers, right, but the kindness, the interdependence of all beings and how much we depend on others for food, our homes, our furniture. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:28 Highlight the passage at 1:44:28

1:44:57 carpets, the lights, you everything, everything we can think of, this is what Jill was So these are two different ways of meditating on the kindness of others. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:57 Highlight the passage at 1:44:57

1:45:16 This one's useful, and oftentimes people really prefer this meditation, but I really, really recommend the mother meditation because that's so much more powerful because you really get this. A huge amount of gratitude. It's very much a heart meditation. This one can be more of a head meditation. Like, oh yeah, you know, worked on this road or worked on this bridge. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:16 Highlight the passage at 1:45:16

1:45:53 It's not the same, like, warmth and softness that you feel if you think that they've been your mother and have Report an error in the passage at 1:45:53 Highlight the passage at 1:45:53

1:46:04 resistance. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:04 Highlight the passage at 1:46:04

1:46:11 It's there for a reason. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:11 Highlight the passage at 1:46:11

1:46:20 Then, so Report an error in the passage at 1:46:20 Highlight the passage at 1:46:20

1:46:27 when I was reading Hopkins' book, one thing that really struck me, I mean, I read this many years ago, that I thought was, Really brilliant was thinking about, well, what kind of obstacles do we have toward meditating on others' kindness? And he mentions one that really resonated with me, and it's sometimes we don't want to meditate on somebody's kindness or really think about how kind they've been because we feel like, well, maybe then we'll owe them. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:27 Highlight the passage at 1:46:27

1:46:57 They have some power or control over us, and we have to do what they want. And I think that's very true. you know? So. So I think it's important to, you know, especially when we're thinking about all sentient beings having been kind to us, it doesn't mean that we have to do what other people want. You know, I have to go move to Houston and take care of my mom for the rest of her life. I mean, it might, you know, if that's what I want, but we have the choice to give up everything for others. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:57 Highlight the passage at 1:46:57

1:47:35 But, you know, we think about what's the most beneficial way to help others, what Report an error in the passage at 1:47:35 Highlight the passage at 1:47:35

1:47:49 others want. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:49 Highlight the passage at 1:47:49

1:47:55 So I wanted to bring that one up because that one is true for a lot of people. And Report an error in the passage at 1:47:55 Highlight the passage at 1:47:55

1:48:11 with this quote by Ruba Rinpoche and then we'll do meditation. It is said that the great Atisha, who completely realized this point, would be immediately filled with a deep sense of respect whenever he met any sentient being. He would fold his hands and say, precious sentient beings. So Report an error in the passage at 1:48:11 Highlight the passage at 1:48:11

1:48:36 we can see this with Lama Zopa and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:36 Highlight the passage at 1:48:36

1:48:51 Softness, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:48:51 Highlight the passage at 1:48:51

1:48:56 Reminds me so much of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. So Report an error in the passage at 1:48:56 Highlight the passage at 1:48:56

1:49:08 let's spend the last part of the class doing meditation. I'm Report an error in the passage at 1:49:08 Highlight the passage at 1:49:08

1:49:22 going to go through really quickly, and Report an error in the passage at 1:49:22 Highlight the passage at 1:49:22

1:49:34 this will be the meditation that we do as our homework this week. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:34 Highlight the passage at 1:49:34

1:49:45 Center the mind. Meditate on the breath for a little while before we start. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:45 Highlight the passage at 1:49:45

· · · silence, 5 minutes

1:55:12 Through one by one for each of our friends and relatives. This Report an error in the passage at 1:55:12 Highlight the passage at 1:55:12

1:55:22 person has been my mother many times. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:22 Highlight the passage at 1:55:22