Buddhism from A-Z, 3rd Semester - Bodhisattva Conduct (13 July 2010)

0:00 It doesn't seem to be, can you do it now? Oh, good. Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:28 One person in the Gumpad, two people in the Gumpad. Report an error in the passage at 0:28 Highlight the passage at 0:28

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1:48 Yeah, because we're using OpenOffice and I created the slides in PowerPoint. OpenOffice isn't 100 % compatible. The pages are 11, 22, 33, 44. But I think most of it is fine. I mean the important things are fine. Report an error in the passage at 1:48 Highlight the passage at 1:48

2:13 Do those curtains go down at all? Because there's a big reflection against the school. Report an error in the passage at 2:13 Highlight the passage at 2:13

2:25 Okay. That's okay. I'll just squint. Yeah, I think normally it doesn't make much of a difference because this is over here, so I look this way. At this time, it doesn't matter. Does anyone else know what it's in here? Report an error in the passage at 2:25 Highlight the passage at 2:25

2:43 Put this right over here. No, it's fine. Report an error in the passage at 2:43 Highlight the passage at 2:43

2:53 Yes, do that. Report an error in the passage at 2:53 Highlight the passage at 2:53

3:00 That'll be your bodhisattva activity for today. Report an error in the passage at 3:00 Highlight the passage at 3:00

3:13 Welcome to the last bodhisattva conduct class. All right, let's start by settling our minds, meditate on our breath for a few minutes. today. Get it class. Report an error in the passage at 3:13 Highlight the passage at 3:13

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3:54 Meditate on the peaceful sounds. And Report an error in the passage at 3:54 Highlight the passage at 3:54

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5:08 then see if we can develop a bodhicitta motivation. Report an error in the passage at 5:08 Highlight the passage at 5:08

5:18 Developing a sense of affection for all beings, their kindness. Report an error in the passage at 5:18 Highlight the passage at 5:18

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6:32 And then thinking all these beings are stuck in saṃsāra. To Report an error in the passage at 6:32 Highlight the passage at 6:32

6:42 be born again and again. Report an error in the passage at 6:42 Highlight the passage at 6:42

6:59 Get sick. Report an error in the passage at 6:59 Highlight the passage at 6:59

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7:31 And developing compassion for each and every being. Report an error in the passage at 7:31 Highlight the passage at 7:31

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8:15 Wanting to free them from this cycle of suffering. In Report an error in the passage at 8:15 Highlight the passage at 8:15

8:47 order to do that we need to attain enlightenment ourselves. In Report an error in the passage at 8:47 Highlight the passage at 8:47

8:55 order to be of the greatest benefit to others. Report an error in the passage at 8:55 Highlight the passage at 8:55

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10:06 So we'll start with the praise to Shakyamuni Buddha on page 73. To Report an error in the passage at 10:06 Highlight the passage at 10:06

10:33 the founder, the endowed transcendent destroyer, the one gone beyond, the faux destroyer, the completely perfected, fully awakened being, perfect in knowledge and in good conduct, sugata, knower of the world, supreme guide of human beings to be tamed. Teacher of gods and human beings, to you the completely and fully awakened one, the endowed transcendent destroyer, the glorious conqueror, the subduer from the Shaky clan, by prostrate make offerings and go for refuge, to the founder, the endowed transcendent destroyer, the one gone beyond, the foe destroyer, the completely perfected, fully awakened being, perfect in knowledge and in good conduct, Sugata, knower of the world. Report an error in the passage at 10:33 Highlight the passage at 10:33

11:15 Supreme guide of human beings to be tamed, teacher of gods and human beings, to you, the completely and fully awakened one, the endowed transcendent destroyer, the glorious conqueror, the subduer from the Shaky clan, I prostrate, make offerings and go for refuge to the founder, the endowed transcendent destroyer. Report an error in the passage at 11:15 Highlight the passage at 11:15

11:35 The one gone beyond, the foe-destroyer, the completely perfected, fully awakened being, perfect in knowledge and in good conduct, Sugata, knower of the world, supreme guide of human beings to be tamed, teacher of gods and human beings, to you, the completely and fully awakened one, the endowed transcended destroyer, the glorious conqueror, the subduer from the Shakyat clan, I prostrate, make offerings and go for refuge. Report an error in the passage at 11:35 Highlight the passage at 11:35

12:01 When, O supreme amongst humans, you were born on this earth, you paced out seven strides, then said, I am supreme in this world. To you who are wise, then I prostrate. With pure bodies, form supremely pure, wisdom ocean like a golden mountain, fame that blazes in the three worlds, winner of the best, Lord, to you I prostrate. Report an error in the passage at 12:01 Highlight the passage at 12:01

12:23 With the supreme signs, face like spotless moon, color like gold, to you I prostrate. Dust free like you the three worlds are not, incomparably wise one, to you I prostrate. The savior having great compassion, the founder having all understanding, the field of merit with qualities like a vast ocean, to you the one gone to thusness I prostrate. Report an error in the passage at 12:23 Highlight the passage at 12:23

12:47 The purity that frees one from attachment, the virtue that frees one from the lower realms, the one path, the sublime pure reality, to the Dharma that pacifies I prostrate. Those who are liberated and who also show the path to liberation, the holy field qualified with realizations, who are devoted to the moral precepts. Report an error in the passage at 12:47 Highlight the passage at 12:47

13:08 To you, the sublime community intending virtue, I prostrate. Homage to the Supreme Buddha. Homage to the Dharma refuge. Homage to the great Saṅgha. To all three, ever-devout homage. To all worthy of respect, bowing with bodies as many as all realms, atoms in all aspects, with supreme faith I pay homage. Report an error in the passage at 13:08 Highlight the passage at 13:08

13:29 Do not commit any non-virtuous actions. Perform only perfect virtuous actions. Subdue your mind thoroughly. This is the teaching of the Buddha. A star, a visual aberration, a flame of a lamp, an illusion, a drop of dew or a bubble, a dream, a flash of lightning, a cloud. See conditioned things as such. Report an error in the passage at 13:29 Highlight the passage at 13:29

13:50 Through these merits may sentient beings attain the rank of all seeing, subdue the foe of faults, and be delivered from saṃsāra's ocean, perturbed by the waves of aging, sickness and death. And on page 98, Refuge and Bodhicitta, Report an error in the passage at 13:50 Highlight the passage at 13:50

14:15 I go for refuge until I am enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. By the merits I create through listening to the Dharma, may I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. I go for refuge until I'm 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 14:15 Highlight the passage at 14:15

14:40 I go for refuge until I'm 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 14:40 Highlight the passage at 14:40

14:58 Okay, so we're talking about the bodhisattva conduct. Once we've developed some level of bodhicitta, wanting to help all beings, developing some love and compassion for others and not just being interested in our own welfare, we take bodhisattva vows and then we need to practice the bodhisattva conduct. Report an error in the passage at 14:58 Highlight the passage at 14:58

15:27 right the bodhisattva conduct The six perfections and the four means of gathering disciples. This is how one then proceeds to attain enlightenment after aspiring for enlightenment with bodhicitta, by developing bodhicitta. So this is a big mind, a vast mind, trying to overcome just our selfish concerns and wanting to help others. Report an error in the passage at 15:27 Highlight the passage at 15:27

15:59 So we practice the six perfections. And we've gone through the first five perfections. Generosity, giving others what they need, giving material things. Ethical discipline, not harming others. Patience, not becoming disturbed. A mind that stays calm. Report an error in the passage at 15:59 Highlight the passage at 15:59

16:26 Joyous effort, being enthusiastic about practicing the Dharma, being happy about practicing, knowing this is the best way to help ourselves and others. And then concentration, which is the single-pointed mind, the powerful mind that then can penetrate whatever we're meditating on, if it's emptiness, if it's impermanence or the Four Noble Truths. Report an error in the passage at 16:26 Highlight the passage at 16:26

16:53 So now we get to wisdom, the last. Of those six perfections. Report an error in the passage at 16:53 Highlight the passage at 16:53

17:03 So Lama Tsongkhapa says in general wisdom is that which very thoroughly distinguishes the qualities in the thing that is being investigated. So in general wisdom is kind of knowing the nature of things and distinguishing right from wrong, distinguishing between objects. But in this case This is referring to, in the context of the perfection of wisdom, it's the wisdom that's skilled in the five sciences and so forth. So the perfection of wisdom is what a bodhisattva practices in order to attain enlightenment for the welfare of oneself and others. Report an error in the passage at 17:03 Highlight the passage at 17:03

17:47 So we'll talk about the five sciences in a couple of minutes. Report an error in the passage at 17:47 Highlight the passage at 17:47

17:54 So here we're just going to have a brief introduction to the perfection of wisdom. And then Lama Tsongkhapa goes into detail on the last two perfections, concentration and then in wisdom. And so we're going to go through that next year. But tonight we're going to just go through the perfection of wisdom briefly. Report an error in the passage at 17:54 Highlight the passage at 17:54

18:22 There are three divisions of the perfection of wisdom. The wisdom realizing the ultimate. The wisdom realizing conventionalities and then the wisdom realizing the welfare of sentient beings. So the first one, the wisdom realizing the ultimate, is the wisdom comprehending the suchness or the emptiness that is selflessness by means of a meaning generality and the wisdom comprehending the suchness that is selflessness by means of a direct perceiver. Report an error in the passage at 18:22 Highlight the passage at 18:22

18:54 So we'll talk about this much more in the context of special insight. But basically emptiness. Emptiness is ultimate truth. And we can realize emptiness conceptually, which is by means of a meaning generality. Initially we realize it conceptually and then ultimately as we progress we realize it directly. So we're not really going to spend much time talking about the wisdom realizing the ultimate until we get into the special insight section next year. Report an error in the passage at 18:54 Highlight the passage at 18:54

19:31 But then the second wisdom is the wisdom realizing conventionalities. And this is the wisdom that's skilled in the five sciences. So the five sciences are Buddhist knowledge, logic, language, medicine and art or technology, crafts sometimes it's translated as. So Buddhist knowledge is understanding the Dharma, learning the Dharma. Report an error in the passage at 19:31 Highlight the passage at 19:31

20:03 As well as developing the realizations of the Dharma, practicing. Report an error in the passage at 20:03 Highlight the passage at 20:03

20:11 And then there's logic. Report an error in the passage at 20:11 Highlight the passage at 20:11

20:15 Actually, we'll get into these in a couple more slides. So these five sciences, this Report an error in the passage at 20:15 Highlight the passage at 20:15

20:29 is a Gishisopa quote. Those who are striving for perfect enlightenment must realize both ultimate truth and conventional truth. There are five important areas of conventional knowledge. The purpose of studying these five sciences is to benefit other sentient beings. So to realize emptiness isn't enough to get enlightened, we need to realize conventional truth as well, how things exist conventionally, in order to help, mainly in order to benefit others. Report an error in the passage at 20:29 Highlight the passage at 20:29

21:03 So these five sciences... The ornament for the Mahāyāna Sūtra says, without making effort at the five topics of knowledge or the five sciences, even supreme noble beings do not reach omniscience. So they must strive for these so as to refute others, to care for others and to know everything. Report an error in the passage at 21:03 Highlight the passage at 21:03

21:30 So if we wanted to become liberated, we don't have to study all of these things. If we're just concerned about our own individual liberation, then mainly you can realize emptiness. The Four Noble Truths. But, you know, you're just focused on your own welfare. But if you want to become enlightened and be of benefit to others, then we need to learn to help others in whatever way they need, right? Report an error in the passage at 21:30 Highlight the passage at 21:30

21:56 So if we meet the homeless person on the street and we try to talk to them about emptiness, that's not going to help them very much, right? So we need to help others at their level, right, wherever they are. And that's why we study the five sciences. Report an error in the passage at 21:56 Highlight the passage at 21:56

22:17 So these five sciences, they're distinguished by the different sorts of purposes for pursuing them. To refute those who do not believe in the teaching, you pursue the knowledge of language and logic. Report an error in the passage at 22:17 Highlight the passage at 22:17

22:32 So if somebody says, somebody doesn't have a belief system and they're not wanting to believe, In the Dharma or believe in any sort of spiritual path, we need to use skillful means and we need to be able to talk to them logically about why the positions they hold don't make sense. If somebody says, okay, well, there's no consequences to my actions, I can do whatever I want. If you want to lead them along. Report an error in the passage at 22:32 Highlight the passage at 22:32

23:06 And, you Report an error in the passage at 23:06 Highlight the passage at 23:06

23:12 A path that will lead to happiness. We need to be able to talk to them in a way to help them overcome some of their destructive views. So we need logic and language. If we don't know how to use language, we won't be able to skillfully talk to others. Report an error in the passage at 23:12 Highlight the passage at 23:12

23:32 So those two sciences are to help others who don't believe in the spiritual path. Then to help those who do believe, you pursue knowledge of the arts and medicine. So let's talk about medicine first, you know, in order to help others, right? If somebody's sick or somebody has a backache, it's useful to be able to help them, you know, help relieve their physical illness and physical pain first. Report an error in the passage at 23:32 Highlight the passage at 23:32

24:05 And then the arts in this context isn't just, you know, painting and, you know, building. It also includes building things, making buildings, whatever people need, fixing their faucet and being practical in helping others on a material level, a physical level. Report an error in the passage at 24:05 Highlight the passage at 24:05

24:30 And then to achieve knowledge of all, about this for yourself, you pursue Buddhist knowledge in order to attain omniscience. We pursue Buddhist knowledge. But in order to attain Buddhahood, there are no such distinctions between them. We must pursue all the topics of knowledge. So we need to pursue all five of these sciences or topics of knowledge to attain enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 24:30 Highlight the passage at 24:30

25:02 And then there's the wisdom realizing the welfare of sentient beings, the third wisdom, which consists in knowing how to accomplish without misdeeds the welfare of sentient beings in this and future lives. Report an error in the passage at 25:02 Highlight the passage at 25:02

25:14 Understanding how to help others without committing misdeeds. Report an error in the passage at 25:14 Highlight the passage at 25:14

25:24 So then how do we generate wisdom? And I'm going to go rather quickly because we have a lot of stuff to cover, but stop me if I'm not being clear or if you have questions. So how do we generate wisdom? So we need to think about, once again, the advantages of generating wisdom and the disadvantages of not generating it. Report an error in the passage at 25:24 Highlight the passage at 25:24

25:48 So the advantages of generating wisdom is the root of all good qualities. The Hundred Verses on Wisdom says, Wisdom is the root of all good qualities, seen and not yet seen. To achieve both of these, embrace wisdom. The great source for what you seek and for liberation is knowledge. So esteeming it from the start, adhere to wisdom, the great mother. Report an error in the passage at 25:48 Highlight the passage at 25:48

26:15 So wisdom is the root of all good qualities. First of all, we're never going to get out of saṃsāra unless we have wisdom. Wisdom, especially wisdom realizing emptiness, is our ticket out of saṃsāra. It's our ticket out of suffering. We can practice all the other five perfections and that's very useful and is helpful to others and oneself. Report an error in the passage at 26:15 Highlight the passage at 26:15

26:40 But without wisdom, we're stuck in saṃsāra. We might have better conditions within saṃsāra. But we need wisdom in order to get out. Report an error in the passage at 26:40 Highlight the passage at 26:40

26:53 And then wisdom is useful on many other different levels, right? I mean, we can practice the Dharma and waste a lot of time because we're not practicing correctly, because we don't really understand how to practice. Report an error in the passage at 26:53 Highlight the passage at 26:53

27:15 We can practice, for example, generosity and expect that others are going to be grateful and expect that others are going to act in accordance with the way. We want them to act. And then we can get discouraged and frustrated because others don't adhere to what we believe they should be like. So with wisdom, we can practice without expecting that others are perfect, without expecting that others are going to be grateful, without expecting that others are... Report an error in the passage at 27:15 Highlight the passage at 27:15

27:51 Or going to appreciate or pay us back and things like that. I have a friend who's been an extremely generous person his whole life and now he's finding all of the work that he's done for his family. They've become really greedy and he's given most of his money to them and now he needs money and they're hanging on to all their money they're not. Report an error in the passage at 27:51 Highlight the passage at 27:51

28:21 He's getting quite discouraged because his generosity was always tinged with some expectation that they would be there for him when he needed it. And now he's discouraged and not so keen to help others. And this is what happens when we practice with unrealistic expectations, when we practice without wisdom. Report an error in the passage at 28:21 Highlight the passage at 28:21

28:49 We don't become discouraged. Report an error in the passage at 28:49 Highlight the passage at 28:49

29:00 And then the perfection of wisdom in 8,000 lines states that wisdom functions like an eye for the other five perfections, generosity, etc. So wisdom out of the six perfections, wisdom is, or if we practice the first five perfections without wisdom, it's like being a blind person, like practicing without. Report an error in the passage at 29:00 Highlight the passage at 29:00

29:26 Really understanding how you're going to get enlightened. So wisdom are the eyes that help you see correctly. Report an error in the passage at 29:26 Highlight the passage at 29:26

29:48 Then in order to practice the six perfections purely, we need the perfection of wisdom. And here Lama Tsongkhapa gets into that. So generosity, the first perfection. Although a bodhisattva gives his own flesh to someone who asks him for it, Like taking a leaf from a medicinal plant, it is not done with the conceptualizations of pride, discouragement and so forth, but it is done from a direct perception of suchness by means of wisdom. Report an error in the passage at 29:48 Highlight the passage at 29:48

30:22 So it's easy to practice generosity and think, oh, you know, I really gave a lot. Aren't I good? I'm a really generous person, right? And become prideful. Or, as I was saying before, it's easy to practice generosity and get discouraged when we're really generous to others and others are selfish in return. Report an error in the passage at 30:22 Highlight the passage at 30:22

30:47 We can get discouraged. But a bodhisattva is practicing generosity with wisdom and particularly with an understanding of emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 30:47 Highlight the passage at 30:47

31:03 And so in that way, the bodhisattva... The bodhisattva doesn't feel a sense of loss. Sometimes when we give, like we give money, if other people are going to do something useful with it, then we're happy to give. But then if they waste it, we still on one level think it's my money. I gave my money. And we feel a sense of loss of that money because I gave my money. Report an error in the passage at 31:03 Highlight the passage at 31:03

31:37 When we understand emptiness, we understand that it never was mine. Mine is just a concept. The me is not solid. It's not substantial. And then the money also is not solid and substantial. So when we understand that, you know, we're giving. But we don't feel a sense of loss. We don't feel a sense that we've given up something because we understand emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 31:37 Highlight the passage at 31:37

32:16 Does that make any sense? Report an error in the passage at 32:16 Highlight the passage at 32:16

32:24 Then ethical discipline, the second perfection. Lama Tsongkhapa says, By means of the wisdom seeing the problems of existence and peace, he practices ethical discipline for the welfare of others, thereby purifying ethical discipline. Report an error in the passage at 32:24 Highlight the passage at 32:24

32:40 So we can practice ethical discipline with a lot of different motivations. We could practice ethical discipline, right? Practicing virtue and avoiding non-virtue because I don't want to suffer in the future, right? And I want to get a good rebirth in the future. Or I want to get out of saṃsāra, right? But the bodhisattva is practicing ethical discipline, knowing, okay, well, just getting a good rebirth or just wanting to get liberated for oneself alone. Report an error in the passage at 32:40 Highlight the passage at 32:40

33:11 That's not good enough, right? There's still flaws to that. So the bodhisattva is practicing ethical discipline in order to help others. Ethical discipline not harming others, right? Out of a sense of compassion and caring and wanting the best for others. Not being kind because I want to get good results later. Report an error in the passage at 33:11 Highlight the passage at 33:11

33:43 Okay. Thirdly, patience. By means of the wisdom realizing the faults of impatience and the good qualities of patience, his mind is subdued due to which he is not captivated by heretical practices and suffering. So I think when we really understand the faults of getting angry and the benefits of maintaining patience, then we don't justify our anger anymore. Report an error in the passage at 33:43 Highlight the passage at 33:43

34:13 Then we're able to keep a subdued mind. So when somebody harms us or cheats us or lies to us or treats us badly, we're tempted to get angry. But when we really understand, okay, well, that's not going to do any good. If I get angry, I'm just creating more negative karma, so I'm going to suffer more in the future. Report an error in the passage at 34:13 Highlight the passage at 34:13

34:42 And then we also understand, okay, well, if this person cheating me or lying to me, Being harmful to me is a result of my own karma that I've created. So if I maintain a patient mind, then I'm exhausting that negative karma. If I get angry, then I'm creating more causes for suffering in the future. So we need wisdom, right, in order to understand that Report an error in the passage at 34:42 Highlight the passage at 34:42

35:23 joyous effort. By means of wisdom, he understands the excellent basis that is undertaking joyous effort and exerts himself in that, whereby there is great progress on the path. Report an error in the passage at 35:23 Highlight the passage at 35:23

35:38 So here, you know, joyous effort, the basis of joyous effort is really wisdom, really understanding what is the cause for happiness now and in the future. Oh, it's practicing the Dharma. And so we practice... Joyfully, even if it's difficult, but we just know this is worthwhile. There's nothing better to do. Practicing, I can do my prostrations and my back hurts and my knees hurt, but we can do it joyfully because we know we're purifying. Report an error in the passage at 35:38 Highlight the passage at 35:38

36:13 We're purifying and helping ourselves have more happiness in the future and less suffering and be able to help others. Same with meditating, sitting there and meditating with a wandering mind and achy back and sore knees. If we have wisdom and understand why we're doing it, we can maintain a happy mind thinking, okay, well, this is just a minor suffering, but it's in pursuit of a really wonderful goal. Report an error in the passage at 36:13 Highlight the passage at 36:13

37:00 And then concentration. Report an error in the passage at 37:00 Highlight the passage at 37:00

37:05 By means of the wisdom relying on a process of reasoning, he achieves the supreme joy and happiness of the concentration abiding on the meaning of suchness or emptiness. So we talked last time about how concentration, we can attain concentration and get bliss and peace because we've stilled the thoughts that create a lot of agitation, a lot of... Report an error in the passage at 37:05 Highlight the passage at 37:05

37:34 Create all the mental afflictions, right? Or thoughts. So with concentration, you don't have any thoughts. Well, with single point in concentration, you don't have any thoughts that arise, right? So no mental unhappiness arises. You have bliss. You have peace. But concentration in and of itself doesn't, I mean, the benefits are very temporary, right? Report an error in the passage at 37:34 Highlight the passage at 37:34

37:59 So when you have... When you're in concentration, no thoughts, no suffering, but sooner or later you're going to fall from that concentration and the afflicted mind arises once again. But concentration with wisdom, concentration with wisdom realizing emptiness will bring us out of saṃsāra. We'll cut through all of our mental afflictions. Report an error in the passage at 37:59 Highlight the passage at 37:59

38:23 We'll remove the afflictions from the root. We'll remove all of our ignorance, all of our attachment, all of our anger. All of our jealousy, all of our pride, all of our miserliness, all of the mental afflictions, which removes all those sources of suffering. So it's really through concentration and wisdom that we end our suffering forever. Report an error in the passage at 38:23 Highlight the passage at 38:23

38:53 So wisdom with the other five perfections makes those perfections pure, what Lama Tsongkhapa says. The complete purity of the first five perfections in this way, generosity and so forth, depends on wisdom. Report an error in the passage at 38:53 Highlight the passage at 38:53

39:12 Does that make sense? I'm Report an error in the passage at 39:12 Highlight the passage at 39:12

39:23 going to skip through some of these slides because we don't have much time. But then there's this section on how sometimes two qualities appear to be contradictory or opposed to each other. But with wisdom, we see that they're not opposed to each other. So for example, If a bodhisattva were to become a universal monarch with power over the four continents, okay, someone really powerful, really rich, you know, it's like a king or it's like the richest person in the world as well as the most powerful person in the world, etc. Report an error in the passage at 39:23 Highlight the passage at 39:23

40:05 That he does not come under the power of desirable objects is due to the force of the minister of wisdom. So for we ordinary beings, when we have... If we have a lot of power and a lot of stuff and we have everything that we want, sense objects, beautiful house, beautiful cars, everything that we want, we come under the power of attachment. Report an error in the passage at 40:05 Highlight the passage at 40:05

40:30 We become attached to these things. But this bodhisattva, because this bodhisattva has wisdom, the wisdom understanding emptiness in particular, you can have a lot of stuff and not be attached to anything. Report an error in the passage at 40:30 Highlight the passage at 40:30

40:51 Likewise, although his love that sees sentient beings as attractive is very strong, it is not even slightly mixed with attachment. So for ordinary beings, if we have a strong sense of affection or attraction for another person, attachment arises immediately. We don't want to be separated from them. But with wisdom, we can... Report an error in the passage at 40:51 Highlight the passage at 40:51

41:19 See, everyone is being attractive. Everyone is being, you know, with a sense of affection without any attachment. Because attachment is based on a misconception. Report an error in the passage at 41:19 Highlight the passage at 41:19

41:31 So, like, four misconceptions that are often talked about in Buddhism is misconceiving things that are impure to be pure, misconceiving things that are in the nature of suffering to be in the nature of pleasure. Report an error in the passage at 41:31 Highlight the passage at 41:31

41:52 Misconceiving things that are impermanent to be permanent, and misconceiving things that are empty to have an inherently existent self. Report an error in the passage at 41:52 Highlight the passage at 41:52

42:04 So based on these four misconceptions, mental afflictions arise all the time. Report an error in the passage at 42:04 Highlight the passage at 42:04

42:14 Attachment. Attachment arises because we see objects as being pleasurable from their own side. They're pleasurable. Yeah, always going to bring pleasure. It is, it's very real. And it's going to last, you know, on some level we think it's going to last. Oh, I'm going to meet this perfect person and we're going to be happily, like live happily ever after, right? You know, I'm going to buy, you know, I'm going to find my perfect home and, you know, it's going to be wonderful and everything's going to be perfect, right? Report an error in the passage at 42:14 Highlight the passage at 42:14

42:54 Or I'm going to find the perfect job and everything, you know. You know, whatever. We're constantly thinking that things are going to last and they're pleasurable and pure from their own side. And that's where we have attachment. But with wisdom we see how everything is impermanent. Houses and people are impure. Report an error in the passage at 42:54 Highlight the passage at 42:54

43:22 They're empty. And they're in the nature of suffering. No, they're, they're, uh... They're conditioned by karma and mental affliction, so they're in the nature of suffering. So when we only understand those four things, then there's nothing to get attached to. Report an error in the passage at 43:22 Highlight the passage at 43:22

43:45 So we can have very strong love and compassion for others without any stickiness. Report an error in the passage at 43:45 Highlight the passage at 43:45

44:03 Usually at the beginning of the path, we're advised to stay away from beautiful sense objects. Well, at least in the Hinayana path. Objects that we're very attached to because we need that until we build up our wisdom. We need to stay away from the objects of strong mental afflictions. But once we have wisdom, we can be in the world. We can have anything we want and not get attached to anything. Report an error in the passage at 44:03 Highlight the passage at 44:03

44:33 We can become close to others. Report an error in the passage at 44:33 Highlight the passage at 44:33

44:41 And then Lama Tsongkhapa says, although his intense compassion cannot bear the suffering of sentient beings and lasts for a long time, he is without the laziness that is overcome by sorrow and does not delight in virtue. Report an error in the passage at 44:41 Highlight the passage at 44:41

44:57 So normally if we love someone very much or we're attached to somebody and they're suffering a lot, we can become overwhelmed by sorrow. If a loved one is sick or a loved one is going through a really hard time, it can become really heavy. And we can become incapacitated to help because we're so overcome by sorrow. Report an error in the passage at 44:57 Highlight the passage at 44:57

45:26 But with wisdom, the bodhisattva has this unbearable sorrow for the suffering of all beings. But without the heaviness, without the sorrow, and is only focused on helping others. Because the sorrow can overwhelm us so that we don't even know what to do. Skip Report an error in the passage at 45:26 Highlight the passage at 45:26

46:02 through the rest of this. So you can read this on your own, since you have the slides. Report an error in the passage at 46:02 Highlight the passage at 46:02

46:13 So if they are separated from wisdom, the five, generosity and so forth, and the view will not be pure. Report an error in the passage at 46:13 Highlight the passage at 46:13

46:22 Okay, I'm going to skip through these. Report an error in the passage at 46:22 Highlight the passage at 46:22

46:28 Okay, so those are the advantages of generating wisdom. Basically, we're never going to get out of some sorrow without wisdom. We use our time much better with wisdom. Otherwise, we can put a lot of effort into doing something without much positive result. Report an error in the passage at 46:28 Highlight the passage at 46:28

46:53 We can really try to help others and end up hurting them without wisdom. So with wisdom we use our time. Report an error in the passage at 46:53 Highlight the passage at 46:53

47:10 Then Lama Tsongkhapa gets into the causes of confusion or ignorance, which is the opposite of wisdom. He says, what are the causes of confusion? They are relying on bad friends, laziness, indolence, oversleeping, taking no pleasure in analysis and discernment, lack of interest in the vast variety of phenomena. Report an error in the passage at 47:10 Highlight the passage at 47:10

47:36 The pride of thinking, I know, when you do not. The major right, the major wrong views, sorry. And being discouraged and thinking, someone like me cannot do this. And thus not taking pleasure in relying upon the learned. So we can, so all of these are causes for not having wisdom, right? For furthering our ignorance. Report an error in the passage at 47:36 Highlight the passage at 47:36

48:05 So relying on bad friends or misleading friends who encourage us to lie and cheat and get angry, when we rely on people who are advising us to do things that just create causes for suffering, that increases our ignorance. Report an error in the passage at 48:05 Highlight the passage at 48:05

48:32 Our laziness. Not wanting to practice, not wanting to help others, etc. Indolence, liking to lay around and do nothing is a cause of ignorance. Oversleeping, loving to sleep, loving to hang out in bed is another cause of ignorance. Report an error in the passage at 48:32 Highlight the passage at 48:32

49:04 Taking no pleasure in analysis and discernment. So this is another form of laziness. We're advised all the time to really think about these teachings. We think, yeah, yeah, and we don't bother. So that's another cause of ignorance. Report an error in the passage at 49:04 Highlight the passage at 49:04

49:30 Lack of interest in the vast variety of phenomena. Report an error in the passage at 49:30 Highlight the passage at 49:30

49:38 The sticking our head in the sand, right, like not wanting to know things, that's a cause of ignorance. And then the pride of thinking, I know when you do not. You know, yeah, I understand the Dharma, I've got it, I've got it down. I understand emptiness, right, when we don't, so then we don't make further effort. Report an error in the passage at 49:38 Highlight the passage at 49:38

50:02 The major wrong views, so this is like believing in an inherently existing self, believing in those kinds of things. And then being discouraged and thinking that I can't do it. So then we kind of give up and we don't make the effort. Contributes to ignorance and then not taking pleasure in relying upon the learned. Report an error in the passage at 50:02 Highlight the passage at 50:02

50:32 So here at Sechenling we're so fortunate to have what I believe to be one of the greatest Buddhist scholars in the world with Geshe Dagpa. So he's an amazing source of knowledge, but due to our laziness and due to all Report an error in the passage at 50:32 Highlight the passage at 50:32

51:05 of the above, or some of the above, we cannot see this and not really appreciate how good we have it. And even if we can't come to his class, there's archive.org so we can always listen to the recordings. Report an error in the passage at 51:05 Highlight the passage at 51:05

51:31 And then Lama Tsongkhapa gets into the causes of wisdom. So here we've all heard about the three types of wisdom. Wisdom arisen from hearing or listening to teachings or studying the teachings. The wisdom from reflecting on the teachings. And the wisdom arisen from meditation. Report an error in the passage at 51:31 Highlight the passage at 51:31

51:55 So the wisdom arisen from hearing or studying the teachings is the first step. So here Lama Tsongkhapa gets into that. Therefore it is necessary to generate wisdom and its cause, listening to the completely pure scriptures in accordance with one's mental capacity, is set out in the summary of perfections. Report an error in the passage at 51:55 Highlight the passage at 51:55

52:18 Having heard little, blind, unable to meditate, what understanding would someone without that reflect? Report an error in the passage at 52:18 Highlight the passage at 52:18

52:30 But if we haven't listened to teachings or we haven't read or studied the teachings, then what do we have to reflect on and what do we have to meditate on? So sometimes people think, oh, I just want to meditate. But if you haven't studied any teachings, you haven't heard any teachings, you don't understand the Dharma, then what are you going to meditate on? Report an error in the passage at 52:30 Highlight the passage at 52:30

52:55 How do you meditate? You can waste a lot of time. Report an error in the passage at 52:55 Highlight the passage at 52:55

53:03 From my own experience in the beginning, I remember I would sit down and meditate and think, okay, well, what am I doing? Watching my breath. What's the benefit of that? Report an error in the passage at 53:03 Highlight the passage at 53:03

53:15 And I realized that I needed to study and figure out what the Dharma was about and what I was supposed to be doing. Report an error in the passage at 53:15 Highlight the passage at 53:15

53:27 Therefore, make effort in hearing or listening to teachings and studying them. From that cause, there's thinking. So based on hearing, Report an error in the passage at 53:27 Highlight the passage at 53:27

53:37 Listening to the teachings, then we think about them, reflect upon them, and then we meditate. Well, through meditation, spacious wisdom arises. So it's through meditation that we'll get the realizations and really cut through our mental afflictions. Report an error in the passage at 53:37 Highlight the passage at 53:37

54:03 And then Maitreya wrote in his text, the Uttara Tantra, that conceptualization of the three spheres, we posit as the knowledge obscurations. Conceptualization like miserliness as afflictive obstructions, obscurations. So there's two types of obscurations that we have which are preventing us from being enlightened. Report an error in the passage at 54:03 Highlight the passage at 54:03

54:29 And they're called the knowledge obscurations and the afflictive obscurations. And the afflictive obscurations are things like ignorance, attachment. Anger and miserliness. Whereas the knowledge obscurations, well we first remove the afflictive obscurations and then we need to remove the knowledge obscurations which are more subtle, which are the obscurations to becoming omniscient, Report an error in the passage at 54:29 Highlight the passage at 54:29

55:03 which includes things like seeing things as being inherently existent. Report an error in the passage at 55:03 Highlight the passage at 55:03

55:14 So it continues by saying solely wisdom is the cause of their elimination. So only wisdom is the cause of eliminating those two obscurations. Nothing else. So wisdom is supreme. Studying or hearing is its basis. So studying or hearing is supreme. Report an error in the passage at 55:14 Highlight the passage at 55:14

55:38 So to eliminate those obscurations, we have to develop wisdom. And the basis of developing wisdom is listening to the teachings and studying them. Report an error in the passage at 55:38 Highlight the passage at 55:38

56:00 And then the compendium of training says, by forbearing and then studying, listening to teachings, then we stay in the forest and then persevere at meditative equipoise. Report an error in the passage at 56:00 Highlight the passage at 56:00

56:12 So that's traditionally what's done in the Galupa tradition, right? First you study and then you go and you can meditate in solitude. Report an error in the passage at 56:12 Highlight the passage at 56:12

56:35 A friend of mine was telling me that he and another monk, he's a monk and another monk, they went to a Kagyu retreat center many years ago. The Kagyus said, oh, well, you're welcome to meditate here. And these two were Galupas. Not to say Galupas were better than Kagyus or anything, but... Different approach, right? So these two monks, they had studied a lot. And so they went in and they did, I don't know, six months of meditation or something like that, retreat. Report an error in the passage at 56:35 Highlight the passage at 56:35

57:12 And, you know, and so the Lama there, or the people there, kept asking, okay, well, do you need any help? Do you have any questions? And these monks, you know, my friends said, no, no, you know, we know what to do. You know, and then another month would go by and they'd say. Report an error in the passage at 57:12 Highlight the passage at 57:12

57:32 Don't you have any questions? We know what to do. And then another one, do you have any questions? Because in the Kagyu tradition, it's not as emphasized to study first. There's more of an emphasis on relying on your Lama. So then you study a little, and then you meditate, and then you go back to your Lama to get more instructions, and then you meditate, and then you go back to your Lama and get more instructions. Report an error in the passage at 57:32 Highlight the passage at 57:32

58:02 They had studied the Lamrim and they knew exactly what they needed to do. So by studying deeply and extensively, then when we retreat, we know what to do. Report an error in the passage at 58:02 Highlight the passage at 58:02

58:15 So that's this tradition. I Report an error in the passage at 58:15 Highlight the passage at 58:15

58:23 want to ask questions too. Report an error in the passage at 58:23 Highlight the passage at 58:23

58:28 And Report an error in the passage at 58:28 Highlight the passage at 58:28

58:36 the questions of the Narayana formula also says, just so, child of good lineage, if you study, wisdom will come. If you're possessed of wisdom, the afflictions will be stilled. Once you have no afflictions, demons do not have a chance with you. Report an error in the passage at 58:36 Highlight the passage at 58:36

58:56 If we keep studying, reflecting, meditating, then the wisdom will come. And then we'll get rid of our mental afflictions and then there's no unhappiness that arises, right? Impossible without mental afflictions. Impossible for unhappiness to arise. Report an error in the passage at 58:56 Highlight the passage at 58:56

59:21 So that's a nice motivator, right, to get rid of our attachment and get rid of our anger and irritation and all that. Not possible to have suffering then. Report an error in the passage at 59:21 Highlight the passage at 59:21

59:39 Even if you do not understand the teachings from the outset, do not be discouraged, but strive to study them in accord with your mental capacity as much as feasible, whether that be a little or a lot. Report an error in the passage at 59:39 Highlight the passage at 59:39

59:51 And then do not make study and practice into separate things. Rather, the very thing that you practice must be exactly what you first study and reflect upon. Report an error in the passage at 59:51 Highlight the passage at 59:51

1:00:05 So sometimes people think, oh yeah, all these Dharma teachings, it's just so dry. I just want to practice. But everything that we study here is what we need to practice. So it's not dry. It's only dry if we keep it in our heads and we don't practice it. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:05 Highlight the passage at 1:00:05

1:00:30 And then we just do it to the best of our capacity. With, you know, whatever time that we have, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:00:30 Highlight the passage at 1:00:30

1:00:50 And then the holy beings of the past said, first you should gather together the Dharma of hearing that exists in your mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:50 Highlight the passage at 1:00:50

1:00:59 So first we listen to Dharma teachings, we read books, we, you know. And then again and again, you should think about it, appraise it and investigate it. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:59 Highlight the passage at 1:00:59

1:01:12 So oftentimes I think we just listen to teachings and then we go home and go on with. you know our lives and we don't go on to the next step of really reflecting on the teachings but if we want to get the realizations if we really want to attain enlightenment we need to go on to the next step really reflect the teachings see if they make sense investigate It does not help to make oneself forget the Dharma and train in simply holding the mind once. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:12 Highlight the passage at 1:01:12

1:01:50 In the monasteries, they memorize all of these texts, thousands of pages of texts, so it's there. It's not very helpful if we listen to a lot of teachings and then we forget everything that we've heard, being the leaky vessel. So it's useful right after we've listened to a teaching and we reflect on it, we meditate on it more than once. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:50 Highlight the passage at 1:01:50

1:02:19 And then we really get it, get it in there. However much one meditates, to the same extent one's knowledge of the Dharma should grow. The more we meditate, the more our understanding will grow. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:19 Highlight the passage at 1:02:19

1:02:45 Okay, and then once this certainty has grown firm through such considerations, you will not listen to the words of negative companions who say, all virtuous and non-virtuous thoughts are to be abandoned because they are conceptions. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:45 Highlight the passage at 1:02:45

1:03:00 So Lama Tsongkhapa is refuting this belief that was prevalent in Tibet, again, that we're supposed to just stop our thoughts, not think about anything, and so we don't need to study. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:00 Highlight the passage at 1:03:00

1:03:19 So when we hear others who say, just stop your thought, we won't believe them if we really internalize, really studied and reflected and meditated on it. Rather, we'll think, the Dharma does not... Teach anything like that, and my virtuous spiritual friend also does not assert that, and you will not listen to him. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:19 Highlight the passage at 1:03:19

1:03:47 Yeah, so when we listen to somebody who has good credentials, right, or has a, you know, seems to be very intelligent and very knowledgeable, we tend to just believe them. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:47 Highlight the passage at 1:03:47

1:04:00 But we need to not just do that, right? We need to do our own study and reflection, develop our own wisdom and knowledge, so that, you know, if somebody says something, That doesn't accord with your understanding of the Dharma. You don't just accept it. You question it. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:00 Highlight the passage at 1:04:00

1:04:20 So in the Dharma, the Buddha taught the four reliances. Rely not on the teacher, but on the teaching. So don't just believe a teacher because they're charismatic or they have good credentials because they're famous, because they have a title. But rely on what the teaching actually says. So we need to develop our own understanding. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:20 Highlight the passage at 1:04:20

1:04:45 Based on studying authentic texts from authentic teachers. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:45 Highlight the passage at 1:04:45

1:04:55 And then lacking that, someone who has a little bit of faith but no wisdom will burst into tears when he sees a crying face and will burst into laughter when he sees someone who is laughing. So we'll just reflect what everybody else is doing and thinking and saying. Which is really important. We need to develop our own inner understanding. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:55 Highlight the passage at 1:04:55

1:05:19 Especially in this culture where it's so much about getting attached to things and having a nice house and a good job and all of these things that are really becoming attached to them and just furthering our samsaric existence. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:19 Highlight the passage at 1:05:19

1:05:50 Okay. Considering true, whatever people say, like a river, he will go wherever he is led. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:50 Highlight the passage at 1:05:50

1:06:05 Alright, you want to take a break? Report an error in the passage at 1:06:05 Highlight the passage at 1:06:05

1:06:21 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:21 Highlight the passage at 1:06:21

1:06:29 And there's watermelon out there too, I believe. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:29 Highlight the passage at 1:06:29

1:06:43 What's going on? Report an error in the passage at 1:06:43 Highlight the passage at 1:06:43

1:06:51 Head injuries. He fell off his bike on the right floor. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:51 Highlight the passage at 1:06:51

1:06:55 was a nice to meet you. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:55 Highlight the passage at 1:06:55

1:07:14 We'll tell them hi. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:14 Highlight the passage at 1:07:14

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:08:40 Oh, John, do you want a piece of this? It's really good. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:40 Highlight the passage at 1:08:40

1:08:47 Yeah, those burritos are insane, aren't they? California burritos. Want Report an error in the passage at 1:08:47 Highlight the passage at 1:08:47

1:08:57 me to record this? Report an error in the passage at 1:08:57 Highlight the passage at 1:08:57

1:09:22 are you connected to the internet here? Yeah. I can tell you that. No, no. Because they gave a friend of mine instructions on you can get in on Oh. Here. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:22 Highlight the passage at 1:09:22

1:09:37 thing to get in on. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:37 Highlight the passage at 1:09:37

1:09:43 didn't look at it carefully just because... Report an error in the passage at 1:09:43 Highlight the passage at 1:09:43

1:10:07 like so big. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:07 Highlight the passage at 1:10:07

1:10:14 don't seem very angry. How long have you got this? Oh, in about four or five months. You just haven't seen any of it. Oh, I see. I got it. All right. It's actually about eight months or so, because I got it before I went got it before I went Report an error in the passage at 1:10:14 Highlight the passage at 1:10:14

· · · silence, 2 minutes

1:12:44 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:44 Highlight the passage at 1:12:44

1:12:52 dinner, just want some cookies and chocolate. This is great, thank you very much. It's fun. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:52 Highlight the passage at 1:12:52

1:13:04 Thank you so much. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:04 Highlight the passage at 1:13:04

· · · silence, 2 minutes

1:14:59 is a tricky rescue. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:59 Highlight the passage at 1:14:59

1:15:05 Slideshow. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:05 Highlight the passage at 1:15:05

1:15:19 It changed everything, all like really annoying to use and you have to register. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:19 Highlight the passage at 1:15:19

1:15:34 Look at all your goodies. You're all set. I have my dinner. Oh, this is normal right here. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:34 Highlight the passage at 1:15:34

1:16:09 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:09 Highlight the passage at 1:16:09

1:16:17 No, it's probably more in a group of people. I think I'm actually in a group of people. So I'm going to be in a group of people. You can always use help with that. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:17 Highlight the passage at 1:16:17

1:16:29 You know? Yeah. You can't use help with that. Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:29 Highlight the passage at 1:16:29

1:16:43 Yeah, I'm excited about that class. Yeah. It'll be a good change. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, not that this is correct. Yeah, this is correct. Yes. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:43 Highlight the passage at 1:16:43

1:17:01 Why? Because my friend Mike, I think he was interested in. Okay. You mean kind of like non-Buddhist? No. I mean, Buddhist, but I mean, that's one of the things he was interested in. that anger class something that anybody can Yes. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:01 Highlight the passage at 1:17:01

1:17:15 He hasn't come to these classes at all. He's just starting. Yeah. Yeah, so for any level, I mean, it's good if people believe a little bit in the Buddha Dharma, like in karma and stuff, because I'll probably bring some of that stuff up. But yeah, you don't have to be, like this is an intermediate level class. You don't have to be an intermediate. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:15 Highlight the passage at 1:17:15

1:17:47 It starts next week. No, it starts the first week in August. Okay, good. I'm gone the last week of this month. I'm going on this Erie Canal boat trip with my folks. The Erie Canal was the eighth wonder of the world they said when it was built. It was this engineering marvel that linked Lake Erie to the ocean. And it has a series of locks and stuff. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:47 Highlight the passage at 1:17:47

1:18:20 And so there's a portion of this that's still operative. Who is going to be a major trainer for the Great Lakes of the International? Report an error in the passage at 1:18:20 Highlight the passage at 1:18:20

1:18:24 And it has operating locks and things like this. And you can rent like this house, but it's like a camper or a motorhome on the water. It sleeps like six people. It's got a 50 horsepower little engine that puts us up and down the canal. And you just go wherever you want in a canal. And you can rent it for a week. Well, so it's just going to be you and your family. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:24 Highlight the passage at 1:18:24

1:18:44 My mom and dad are almost, my dad's 70, my mom is 69. She just had open heart surgery, remember, in March. And so she's recovered from that. And my dad is sort of starting to get health problems. So I'm thinking this is the summer to do it. So the three of us and then my nephew is staying with my folks this summer. So he's going to go. He's 14, 13 or 14. And then my other nephew might join us for some time in that. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:44 Highlight the passage at 1:18:44

1:19:11 So there'll be four or five times. And they have bikes on the stand. On the boat, you can get off and ride along the canal, these paved pathways, and there's all these historic buildings related to the trade, little museums and stuff like that. Is it in New York or personal? It's in New York. Upstate New York. Upstate. This is the time of year, but you're going to be on the canal, so hopefully you'll get some... Report an error in the passage at 1:19:11 Highlight the passage at 1:19:11

1:19:42 Oh, yes, fireflies. The Press. The Press. The Press. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:42 Highlight the passage at 1:19:42

1:19:48 It's going to be so fast. I lived there. Did you? Yeah, it's a cold game. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:48 Highlight the passage at 1:19:48

1:20:05 What is this? Report an error in the passage at 1:20:05 Highlight the passage at 1:20:05

1:20:11 It's a Mont Blanc. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:11 Highlight the passage at 1:20:11

1:20:19 Is it good to drink any of my men's gluten free? Good luck with that. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:19 Highlight the passage at 1:20:19

1:20:27 I think it is. It's just chocolate. It's just chocolate? Oh, yeah. Mine didn't have flour. Mine didn't have nuts or something. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:27 Highlight the passage at 1:20:27

1:20:41 I think so. I think you're safe. I can't have malt. Is there malt? There's a list of what's in it. It's hard to read. I know, that's why I'm asking you to read it. Do you think that we have better vision than you? I think so. You've got youth on your side. Yeah. Not me. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:41 Highlight the passage at 1:20:41

1:21:16 You're okay. Thank you. Okay. There's no gluten and there's no alcohol. Right. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:16 Highlight the passage at 1:21:16

1:21:27 Whose generosity is this? It's a soy emulsive oil. F's? Don's? Report an error in the passage at 1:21:27 Highlight the passage at 1:21:27

1:21:50 it's not a not it's kind of a wimpy little ding it's a meditation ding not a come over Report an error in the passage at 1:21:50 Highlight the passage at 1:21:50

1:22:03 I'll get Report an error in the passage at 1:22:03 Highlight the passage at 1:22:03

1:22:11 started and let other people drift in. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:11 Highlight the passage at 1:22:11

1:22:18 So that was a really, really quick run through the perfection of wisdom. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:18 Highlight the passage at 1:22:18

1:22:29 So we'll get into wisdom in much more detail later. But does anybody have any questions on what we covered? What are the three spaces? Okay. Well, generally, when we do anything, so what are the three spheres is the question. So whenever we do anything, You know, practice, let's say, any of the six perfections, right? We are trying to practice it with wisdom, right? The wisdom understanding the three spheres. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:29 Highlight the passage at 1:22:29

1:23:05 And that's wisdom understanding the three things are empty of inherent existence, right? So if I'm giving, let's say I give, let's just say, for example, hypothetically that I give you my chocolate. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:05 Highlight the passage at 1:23:05

1:23:25 ha Report an error in the passage at 1:23:25 Highlight the passage at 1:23:25

1:23:32 So I give you the chocolate. Understanding that I'm empty of inherent existence, the chocolate is empty of inherent existence. Well, actually, you can posit the three spheres in a couple of different ways. So myself, you and the chocolate are empty of inherent existence. Another way it's talked about is myself, you, and the act of giving itself is empty of inherent existence. So then you don't have anything to grasp onto. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:32 Highlight the passage at 1:23:32

1:24:07 I can give you the chocolate in actuality. I already ate one. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:07 Highlight the passage at 1:24:07

1:24:17 Yeah, so I ran through this stuff really quickly, so it's good for you to ask me these kinds of questions. Anything else? chocolate and give it to you. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:17 Highlight the passage at 1:24:17

1:24:25 I'm not used to just talking, talking, talking in this class without questions. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:25 Highlight the passage at 1:24:25

1:24:39 I got three out of the four and I missed one. Oh, oh. Things that are impure to be pure, pleasurable, and the last one empty to be solid. Seeing things that are actually impermanent as permanent. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:39 Highlight the passage at 1:24:39

1:24:54 Like we hear that list, but when we really think about those things, it's really profound. It is how we see things. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:54 Highlight the passage at 1:24:54

1:25:06 That chocolate is pure and a source of pleasure and, well, I don't really think it's permanent. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:06 Highlight the passage at 1:25:06

1:25:22 Definitely it's inherently existent. It's wonderful from its own side. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:22 Highlight the passage at 1:25:22

1:25:36 Anything else? Any other questions on wisdom? Report an error in the passage at 1:25:36 Highlight the passage at 1:25:36

1:25:43 And then once again, when we train in wisdom, we should practice it in conjunction with the other six perfections. So for example, if we abide in wisdom oneself and establish others, In wisdom is the generosity of wisdom, for example. Okay, so those were the six perfections, which are the primary practices of the bodhisattvas. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:43 Highlight the passage at 1:25:43

1:26:15 How the bodhisattvas help others, how the bodhisattvas attain enlightenment through practicing those six. And then there's a presentation on the four means of gathering disciples. So the bodhisattva... It's here to help others, help lead others to everlasting freedom and happiness. So how do you attract others? Report an error in the passage at 1:26:15 Highlight the passage at 1:26:15

1:26:44 How do you help others? So through four practices. Generosity, which we've talked about. Pleasant speech, then helping others engage in meaningful conduct or practice. And then lastly, acting in accordance with the meaning. So the first one, this generosity, is the generosity we already talked about, right, giving material. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:44 Highlight the passage at 1:26:44

1:27:18 So generosity is the same as it explains. Pleasant speech is to teach the six perfections to one's trainees. So generosity, so we start by giving material things to others, right, to make them happy, to satisfy their immediate needs, right? Give food to the hungry and to give medicine, to give things to others. And develop, in order to help somebody, we need to develop a relationship with them. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:18 Highlight the passage at 1:27:18

1:27:56 We can't just go up to somebody on the street and say, okay, I want to lead you to enlightenment. We need to gradually get to know them. They need to develop trust in us and all of that. So to start, we help others with their immediate needs, with generosity. And then pleasant speech, to talk to others skillfully, kindly, pleasantly. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:56 Highlight the passage at 1:27:56

1:28:31 And then at whatever level they are, to share the Dharma with them. It doesn't even have to be couched as the Dharma, but to share. The causes of happiness and Report an error in the passage at 1:28:31 Highlight the passage at 1:28:31

1:28:47 pleasant speech. And then the third one, meaningful conduct, or to cause meaningful conduct, is to make the disciples, I don't know about making the disciples, but help the disciples or the students engage in the meanings that were taught or to make them engage in assuming them correctly. So what does that mean? So basically, it's not enough to just... Report an error in the passage at 1:28:47 Highlight the passage at 1:28:47

1:29:17 You know, teach, give others intellectual knowledge, but you help them understand how to practice, how to meditate or how to practice, which is the third. It's not enough to just have the intellectual knowledge. And then the fourth is to act in accordance with the meaning. It's to abide in accordance with whatever meaning one has applied others to and train in accordance with it. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:17 Highlight the passage at 1:29:17

1:29:48 So if we ourselves are telling people, you should be really generous, and yet... We don't practice any generosity at all. It's not very effective, right? We won't really help anybody. If we tell others not to get angry, but here we are flying off the handle, others aren't really going to have much trust and belief in us. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:48 Highlight the passage at 1:29:48

1:30:11 So the last one is we need to practice ourselves, right? Practice in accordance with whatever we're teaching. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:11 Highlight the passage at 1:30:11

1:30:24 So this is how we help others. Lead others into, Report an error in the passage at 1:30:24 Highlight the passage at 1:30:24

1:30:33 wait, not, anyway. And then, so, basically, Lama Tsongkhapa talks about, okay, well, why are there four means of gathering disciples? So the first one, the generosity, is in order to gather a retinue for the purpose of applying them to virtue. So then, they first need to be joyful. In this regard, give them gifts of material things and attend to their bodies. Once they're joyful in that way, in order for them to engage in the path, they first need to know how to do that. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:33 Highlight the passage at 1:30:33

1:31:11 All right, so first you give them material things, etc. for them to be happy. And then second, for that moreover, then explain the Dharma to them by speaking pleasantly so that they give up. Unknowing and entertaining doubts. Make them engage in apprehending the meaning unmistakably. So then we talk to them about the Dharma, etc. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:11 Highlight the passage at 1:31:11

1:31:42 And then thirdly, Report an error in the passage at 1:31:42 Highlight the passage at 1:31:42

1:31:47 which is helping others practice. And when they understand that, you make them engage in accomplishing virtue through meaningful conduct. So helping them in their practice. And then fourth. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:47 Highlight the passage at 1:31:47

1:32:02 Furthermore, if you do not accomplish that yourself but explain to others, you should engage like this, you should avoid like that, they will say, why do you tell others to accomplish it if you do not accomplish it yourself? Report an error in the passage at 1:32:02 Highlight the passage at 1:32:02

1:32:15 You too still need to be corrected by others. And they will not listen to what is to be accomplished. However, if you accomplish that yourself, they will also think, since he himself abides in the virtue in which he or she guides me, If I accomplish it, there will definitely be benefit and happiness for me, and they will newly engage in the path. Also, those who have already engaged in the path will not turn away from it and will grow firm. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:15 Highlight the passage at 1:32:15

1:32:46 Therefore, you should act in accordance with the meaning. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:46 Highlight the passage at 1:32:46

1:32:55 So we all know this, right? We trust those who are pure, who are really, obviously, you know, have some qualities in accordance with what they're talking about. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:55 Highlight the passage at 1:32:55

1:33:11 Okay, so those are the four means of gathering disciples. How Report an error in the passage at 1:33:11 Highlight the passage at 1:33:11

1:33:29 much time do we have? Report an error in the passage at 1:33:29 Highlight the passage at 1:33:29

1:33:32 So what did you say? Report an error in the passage at 1:33:32 Highlight the passage at 1:33:32

1:33:40 So here Atisha is talking about how the six perfections are to be practiced during meditation, you know, meditative echo poise, and in between meditation. So some of them are practiced during meditation, some of them are practiced in between meditation, and some of them are practiced both. So here Atisha says, as for bodhisattva conduct, It is the vast six perfections and so forth. The yogi arising from meditative equipoise steadfastly achieves the path of accumulation. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:40 Highlight the passage at 1:33:40

1:34:18 In this way, the beginner bodhisattva who has taken the vows of the jina's children, the bodhisattva vows, and abides on the path of accumulation, never passes beyond the six perfections, whether in meditative equipoise or subsequent attainment. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:18 Highlight the passage at 1:34:18

1:34:35 So the path of accumulation, the Mahāyāna path of accumulation. So there are different levels of bodhicitta. We have aspiring bodhicitta, we have engaging bodhicitta. We have the mere aspiration to attain enlightenment for the welfare of sentient beings. And we have engaging bodhicitta where we actually take the bodhisattva vows and we're going to engage in the six perfections. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:35 Highlight the passage at 1:34:35

1:35:02 And then there's uncontrived bodhicitta. Whereas, you know, initially we try to generate bodhicitta by sitting down and thinking, oh, all sentient beings are kind and trying to develop love for them and compassion for them. You know, we have to sit down and think about all of these things and then love and compassion and bodhicitta arise. But through practice, eventually that will just arise spontaneously, kind of all the time, you know, never leaving you. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:02 Highlight the passage at 1:35:02

1:35:40 And that's once you have, you know, bodhicitta with, you know, most scholars say that you need calm abiding as a mental basis. You need to have developed calm abiding in order to have spontaneous bodhicitta. It's there all the time. But once you have spontaneous bodhicitta or uncontrived bodhicitta, then you enter the Mahāyāna path of accumulation. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:40 Highlight the passage at 1:35:40

1:36:05 So there are five paths, Mahāyāna paths, the path of accumulation being the first one. So you enter the Mahāyāna path of accumulation with uncontrived bodhicitta. Then when we realize emptiness conceptually with calm abiding and special insight, then we move to the path of preparation, the second of the five paths. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:05 Highlight the passage at 1:36:05

1:36:28 I'm going through this quickly. Then when we realize emptiness directly, not conceptually, without a mental image, then we move to the path of seeing, the Mahāyāna path of seeing. Which is the third path. That's where you become an Arya being or superior, as it's called. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:28 Highlight the passage at 1:36:28

1:36:54 And then you familiarize yourself with that realization of emptiness again and again and again on the path of meditation, the fourth of the five paths. And then when you've eliminated all of your obscurations, the two types of obscurations, the afflictive obscurations and then the knowledge obscurations, then you attain the Mahana path of no more learning. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:54 Highlight the passage at 1:36:54

1:37:18 Buddhahood, complete enlightenment, everlasting bliss and happiness and well-being and no more mental suffering possible. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:18 Highlight the passage at 1:37:18

1:37:32 So here the Mahāyāna path of accumulation is what he's talking about once we've had uncontrived bodhicitta. So this bodhisattva who has the uncontrived bodhicitta never passes beyond the six perfections. He's constantly practicing the six perfections. Either when he or she is in meditation or up and walking around. So some of the six perfections are sustained during meditation and some while you're up walking around. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:32 Highlight the passage at 1:37:32

1:38:16 So it's saying the essence of concentration, the fifth perfection, calm abiding, and the essence of the perfection of wisdom, special insight, are cultivated in meditative equipoise. Concentration and wisdom, basically. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:16 Highlight the passage at 1:38:16

1:38:34 And Report an error in the passage at 1:38:34 Highlight the passage at 1:38:34

1:38:39 then the first three perfections, generosity, Report an error in the passage at 1:38:39 Highlight the passage at 1:38:39

1:38:48 ethical discipline. How long have we been talking about the six perfections? Generosity, ethical discipline and patience are practiced in subsequent attainment as well as some parts of concentration and wisdom. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:48 Highlight the passage at 1:38:48

1:39:07 So technically meditative equipoise. I was talking about meditative equipoise in terms of just being meditation, but actually meditative equipoise specifically is meditation on emptiness with calm abiding and special insight. So if we're sitting down and meditating on something else, it's technically subsequent attainment. So there's instances of concentration and wisdom that are in subsequent attainment. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:07 Highlight the passage at 1:39:07

1:39:37 Does that make sense? So if I'm meditating with concentration on... Bodhicitta, that's technically considered subsequent attainment. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:37 Highlight the passage at 1:39:37

1:39:56 And then joyous effort, the fourth perfection, comes in both meditative equipoise and subsequent attainment. We need that all the time, joyous effort. And then one class of patience, some minds ascertaining the profound Dharma, also occur during meditative equipoise. So we talked about the patience of not... Report an error in the passage at 1:39:56 Highlight the passage at 1:39:56

1:40:23 Not being disturbed in the face of harm, not being disturbed in the face of sorrow. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:23 Highlight the passage at 1:40:23

1:40:35 And then the third one was the patience of forbearing with respect to the Dharma. So that one also occurs during meditative equipoise, specifically that patience of meditating on emptiness. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:35 Highlight the passage at 1:40:35

1:41:04 Atisha says, whenever you rise from meditative equipoise, familiarize yourself with the view of all phenomena as equal to the eight illustrations of illusions. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:04 Highlight the passage at 1:41:04

1:41:15 So this is how we really make progress. If I sit down and meditate on emptiness, like for those who have taken tantric vows, we're supposed to meditate on emptiness six times a day. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:15 Highlight the passage at 1:41:15

1:41:29 Six times a day. if, uh, I should know. If we sit down and meditate on emptiness and then we get up and see everything as being really solid and existing from its own side, it's not very helpful, right? We're not really going to make much progress. So we're trying to train in maintaining that awareness all the time, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:41:29 Highlight the passage at 1:41:29

1:41:57 So you get up and then you see everything as being like an illusion. Like a dream, or like a cloud, like a mirage. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:57 Highlight the passage at 1:41:57

1:42:16 So things like that, right? So if I look at Lewis, I don't see him as being solid Lewis out there from his own side. This is like a dream, an appearance to my mind, like watching a movie. magicians, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:16 Highlight the passage at 1:42:16

1:42:33 Yeah, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:33 Highlight the passage at 1:42:33

1:42:41 So that's what we're trying to do, right? So when we arise from our meditation, we familiarize ourselves with seeing things in these different ways, as illusions, etc. Then subsequently purify conceptions and give priority to the training in method. So then we purify. And then we need to meditate on bodhicitta, love and compassion. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:41 Highlight the passage at 1:42:41

1:43:11 Wisdom is not enough. Then at the time of meditative equipoise, balance calm abiding with special insight and familiarize yourself with this continuously. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:11 Highlight the passage at 1:43:11

1:43:30 If you hear about such wonderful conduct, so hard to do, due to the mind being untrained, it produces anguish in the mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:30 Highlight the passage at 1:43:30

1:43:41 Although even bodhisattvas are unable to practice it right from the start, if you come to understand it and acquaint yourself with it, down to it being an object to be aspired for, Later on you will come to naturally engage in it without depending on effort. So this is just a matter of practicing. Right now it may sound intimidating or undoable to see everything as being an illusion all the time. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:41 Highlight the passage at 1:43:41

1:44:06 Or like, it's not an illusion, like an illusion or like a dream all the time. But just through familiarization, you know, slowly, slowly we'll become habituated to it. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:06 Highlight the passage at 1:44:06

1:44:19 And the more, right, the more we're mindful of it, Then there's no room for the mental afflictions to arise. When we have a strong enough understanding of emptiness, then there's nothing to grasp to, so the attachment, at least our strong attachment won't arise, etc. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:19 Highlight the passage at 1:44:19

1:44:45 But we'll get into that a lot more. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:45 Highlight the passage at 1:44:45

1:44:50 That's why familiarization is important, for if you see it as impossible to actually engage in them and discard even familiarizing yourself with training in them. You'll be extremely far from the completely pure paths. Yeah, so don't think, you know, don't throw up your hands and think, I'm never going to be able to do this, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:44:50 Highlight the passage at 1:44:50

1:45:10 We just, you know, slowly, slowly. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:10 Highlight the passage at 1:45:10

1:45:23 That's basically furthering this point about Report an error in the passage at 1:45:23 Highlight the passage at 1:45:23

1:45:30 familiarization. Therefore, it is inevitable for those who have taken bodhisattva vows to train in the conduct, and also those who have not taken the vow by means of a ritual should put effort into developing the wish to train in it. So if we've taken the bodhisattva vows, we need to practice them. If we want to keep our vows purely, we need to practice the six perfections. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:30 Highlight the passage at 1:45:30

1:45:55 And if we haven't taken the vows, and we haven't even taken the vow of aspirational bodhicitta, then at least we can put effort into aspiring to. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:55 Highlight the passage at 1:45:55

1:46:18 If we take the vows, having increased the strength of their delight in the training, the vows will be very stable. Therefore, they should put effort into this. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:18 Highlight the passage at 1:46:18

1:46:34 If we think about the six perfections and we think about how beneficial they are, how wonderful it is to practice those and really increase our happiness in thinking about practicing this and actually practicing it, then our vows will be stable. We'll be able to really keep them. If we've taken vows and we think, oh no, what did I do? How could I possibly practice all this? Report an error in the passage at 1:46:34 Highlight the passage at 1:46:34

1:47:01 You know, our vows are going to be very stable, right? Because sometimes we can feel kind of oppressed by vows, right? So that's why it was advised, right, to study the vows first, the bodhisattva vows first, and then when you feel like you can keep them and you feel enthusiastic about them, then you take them. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:01 Highlight the passage at 1:47:01

1:47:20 And then you're excited about them. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:20 Highlight the passage at 1:47:20

1:47:27 I remember hearing about one monk. I mean, he's a Western monk, you know, in the Tibetan tradition, who's a fully ordained monk. And I heard a quote by him once, and he's, you know, a very pure, wonderful being. And he said, yeah, the more vows I take, the more free I feel. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:27 Highlight the passage at 1:47:27

1:47:49 Which I thought was a wonderful way to look at it. These bodhisattva vows are really beautiful. If we think about it, they give us the guidelines of how to practice as a bodhisattva, how to live as a bodhisattva. These six perfections give us a guideline of how to live as a bodhisattva. How wonderful that we have this knowledge, instead of floundering around thinking, what's going to cause happiness? Report an error in the passage at 1:47:49 Highlight the passage at 1:47:49

1:48:17 How do I progress on the spiritual path? These give really good guidelines. So we can try not to feel oppressed by them but delighted by the vows. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:17 Highlight the passage at 1:48:17

1:48:35 This concludes the explanation of training in the aspiring mind through the stages of the path of great beings and the stages of the path of training and the conduct of the Jina's children in general. So that's how you practice as a bodhisattva. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:35 Highlight the passage at 1:48:35

1:48:55 Practice the six perfections. You practice generosity. So we start by developing bodhicitta. We start by developing a really genuine sense of caring, love and compassion for all beings by understanding that they're just like us. Understanding our interdependence by understanding how we wouldn't We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the kindness of countless others. And we feel that sense of gratitude and that sense of affection for others. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:55 Highlight the passage at 1:48:55

1:49:38 And we understand that the others are suffering. Others are controlled by their mental afflictions. That's how we keep from getting... Report an error in the passage at 1:49:38 Highlight the passage at 1:49:38

1:49:51 Judgmental about others and down on others. We understand they're controlled by their mental afflictions. Of course they're not going to be perfect. Of course they're going to do silly, inconsiderate things. That's how we develop patience and perseverance. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:51 Highlight the passage at 1:49:51

1:50:18 Based on that love and compassion and understanding that all beings are suffering, then we can... Um. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:18 Highlight the passage at 1:50:18

1:50:25 We can generate real bodhicitta, real heartfelt bodhicitta. Yeah, I can't abide in just my own happiness and bliss while all these other beings that have been so kind that I really care about are suffering, stuck in saṃsāra. So, oh yeah, I must save all other beings. I'm not going to just leave it to... Report an error in the passage at 1:50:25 Highlight the passage at 1:50:25

1:50:51 His Holiness the Dalai Lama to do it. I must do it as well. Exactly. Go forth. All the best. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:51 Highlight the passage at 1:50:51

1:51:07 I can't feel well if I just neglect my poor mother and my brother and all my brothers and sisters. Then we developed a genuine bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:07 Highlight the passage at 1:51:07

1:51:24 Once we have Jññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññññ I practice not harming others through ethical discipline even though when they're really annoying really even when they're getting in my way Not harming others. I practice being patient with others no matter what they're doing, how harmful their actions are, no matter how annoying they are, no matter how selfish they are, no matter how hopeless they seem. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:24 Highlight the passage at 1:51:24

1:52:23 I'm going to continue to practice. I'm going to continue to try to help others. Continue to try to free all beings. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:23 Highlight the passage at 1:52:23

1:52:36 Then we try to practice right joyfully, remembering what this is all about. This is for lasting happiness, eternal happiness for myself and others. What else is there to do? It's the big mind, right? Not falling back into, well, I don't know, this is just too hard and I think I'm just going to go home and watch movies for the rest of my life, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:52:36 Highlight the passage at 1:52:36

1:53:03 But, you know, but joyously practicing, you know, practicing, you know, and helping others and continuing to do so and not becoming discouraged, right? Because what better is there to do than this? But of course, right, resting when we need to rest. But, you know, trying, like we were talking about in joyous perseverance, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:53:03 Highlight the passage at 1:53:03

1:53:26 Practicing like a continuous river, right? Not practicing too intensely. Or with too much laziness, but just trying to practice continuously at whatever level we are. Not going crazy and trying to be beyond where we are, but at what level we are, trying to help others. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:26 Highlight the passage at 1:53:26

1:53:51 And then, you know, developing concentration, right? Okay, well, all this is well and good, but, you know, I need to develop wisdom. I need to, you know, get the omniscient mind. So I need to develop concentration. Which is the basis for being able to develop wisdom, get rid of those mental afflictions forever, get out of saṃsāra and get that omniscient mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:51 Highlight the passage at 1:53:51

1:54:24 So this bodhicitta is a big mind, a strong mind, a courageous mind, not falling back into, but what about me? Focusing on something. Much bigger and vaster than ourselves, than just ourselves and just our family and friends. Much bigger and vaster, trying to have that big mind as much as we can. We need that as a basis to be able to continue and practice for the benefit of others and not get discouraged. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:24 Highlight the passage at 1:54:24

1:55:14 To not give up and to practice just keeping our hearts open. It's so tempting to close our minds and our hearts when others are being harmful or insensitive. So we can try to keep our hearts open and try to keep giving even though others don't appreciate. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:14 Highlight the passage at 1:55:14

1:55:41 Because really, because there's so much to do. There's so much help that others need. There's so much poverty. There's so much depression. There's so much loneliness. There's so much, you know, so many feelings of disconnectedness and, you know, so much sickness. You know, it can go on and on. So much fear, Report an error in the passage at 1:55:41 Highlight the passage at 1:55:41

1:56:14 so much despair. So many beings need help. So we really need to develop this, you know, this fortitude of mind and this huge heart, a stable, stable big mind and heart in order to continue this activity. And not just fall back into my own comfort and my own entertainment and my own individual needs and wants. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:14 Highlight the passage at 1:56:14

1:56:47 So in order to do this in Report an error in the passage at 1:56:47 Highlight the passage at 1:56:47

1:56:56 our daily lives, to try to generate the love and compassion and bodhicitta again and again and again. Trying to generate it once or twice or three times is good, but in order to get the stability and the strength, we need to generate it again. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:56 Highlight the passage at 1:56:56

1:57:17 Make it so... That it's second nature, right? It's not something that we forget about, you know, that we generate, right? First thing in the morning and then we forget about it the rest of the day until we dedicate in the evening. Oh yeah, may I benefit all sentient beings, right? I mean, in the beginning it's like that, right? We generate it and then we forget about it and then we remember it again. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:17 Highlight the passage at 1:57:17

1:57:41 But then more and more, right, we try to generate throughout the day and then it carries us throughout the day. And Report an error in the passage at 1:57:41 Highlight the passage at 1:57:41

1:57:53 it becomes like in our pores. It just becomes part of us. And then eventually we can be someone like His Holiness the Dalai Lama or be like someone like His Holiness the Dalai Lama or Lama Zopa Rinpoche who are helping beings all the time. They never get discouraged. They don't get lazy. It's just amazing when you look at their schedules and you just get exhausted even thinking about doing all that they're doing, much less doing it. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:53 Highlight the passage at 1:57:53

1:58:23 But, you know, eventually we'll get there if we keep at it, right? We don't give up and we just keep developing our bodhicitta and keep practicing for the welfare of others. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:23 Highlight the passage at 1:58:23

1:58:40 So this is our homework. It's as much as we can, you know, generate the love and compassion and bodhicitta in our lives. On the cushion and in the car or on the bus or on the train. In your cubicle at work or wherever, whenever you can remember. The more we remember, the more happy we'll be, actually. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:40 Highlight the passage at 1:58:40

1:59:09 And then at whatever level we are, with whatever capacity we have, then we try to help others without bias, without judgment, without expectation. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:09 Highlight the passage at 1:59:09

1:59:21 Trying to help others even if we don't like them. Trying to help others without judging what they're doing. Trying to help them and then trying to help them without expecting something in return. So trying to use our wisdom, trying to use whatever compassion we have in this practice, going beyond our own individual comforts and needs. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:21 Highlight the passage at 1:59:21

1:59:55 So that's the bodhisattva practice. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:55 Highlight the passage at 1:59:55

2:00:08 Okay, Report an error in the passage at 2:00:08 Highlight the passage at 2:00:08

2:00:12 829. How did that happen? Okay, so that's the end of this. And then we'll do the Anger Workshop starting in August for anybody who's interested in that. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:12 Highlight the passage at 2:00:12

2:00:32 So we'll get into a lot of detail on one practice. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:32 Highlight the passage at 2:00:32

2:00:43 We'll dedicate with Shantideva. Oh, and then for the people who haven't heard, has everybody heard about Choki, her latest update? Okay. You know, she had a couple of weeks ago now, she had... Right, surgery to remove the lump in her breast. Yeah. Yeah, I got it. I got it. I was just asking if everybody else has got it. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:43 Highlight the passage at 2:00:43

2:01:12 Yeah. So, yeah, so she finally, so they also took, you know, they did a lymph node biopsy to see if the cancer is spread, and they were also checking to see if they got the whole tumor. So, first of all, it looks like they got the whole tumor. And it looks like the cancer hasn't spread. So she's very happy about that. It looks like the doctors are recommending chemotherapy and radiation. Report an error in the passage at 2:01:12 Highlight the passage at 2:01:12

2:01:45 But she's going to see another oncologist next week? Next week? And she's hoping that he'll disagree. But anyway, really important thing is Report an error in the passage at 2:01:45 Highlight the passage at 2:01:45

2:02:09 stage two. She said it was stage two. Cancer 2A, Report an error in the passage at 2:02:09 Highlight the passage at 2:02:09

2:02:22 page 246. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:22 Highlight the passage at 2:02:22

2:02:33 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. May those whose bodies are worn with toil. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:33 Highlight the passage at 2:02:33

2:02:58 be restored on finding repose may the naked find clothing the hungry find food may the thirsty find water and delicious drinks the poor find wealth those weak with sorrow find 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. Whatever diseases there are in the world, may they never occur again. May the frightened cease to be afraid and those bound be freed. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:58 Highlight the passage at 2:02:58

2:03:38 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 2:03:38 Highlight the passage at 2:03:38

2:03:59 Okay, so let's also dedicate for Chokie's. Good health and long life as Report an error in the passage at 2:03:59 Highlight the passage at 2:03:59

2:04:13 well as Shane's battling a lot of medical difficulties for Report an error in the passage at 2:04:13 Highlight the passage at 2:04:13

2:04:34 all of us. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:34 Highlight the passage at 2:04:34

· · · silence, 1 minute

2:05:25 Thank you very much. I really enjoyed this class, all of you. Well, I got benefited more than anybody from the whole class. Oh, thank you. There you go. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:25 Highlight the passage at 2:05:25

2:05:43 Very sweet. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:43 Highlight the passage at 2:05:43

· · · silence, 1 minute

2:06:19 That's one of those big... go, I missed the delivery. Report an error in the passage at 2:06:19 Highlight the passage at 2:06:19

· · · silence, 1 minute

2:06:20 Big merit-producing days, commemorating the first teaching of the Buddha after he attained enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 2:06:20 Highlight the passage at 2:06:20

2:06:56 Lots of chances for virtue. Report an error in the passage at 2:06:56 Highlight the passage at 2:06:56

2:07:06 Thank you, Jessica. Report an error in the passage at 2:07:06 Highlight the passage at 2:07:06

2:07:29 Kurdi, I'm surprised you're here. Are you going to Mingyur Rinpoche's teachings? Report an error in the passage at 2:07:29 Highlight the passage at 2:07:29

2:07:40 Yeah. Yeah. But. Report an error in the passage at 2:07:40 Highlight the passage at 2:07:40

2:07:51 Oh. No, I'm going out of town. And he's also teaching right now, like Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. But in the morning, like 10 to 12 and 2 to 4, something like that. He's teaching the six perfections, I think, today and tomorrow. Do you know about this one? Report an error in the passage at 2:07:51 Highlight the passage at 2:07:51

2:08:15 Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 2:08:15 Highlight the passage at 2:08:15

2:08:22 Today, tomorrow and Thursday. Report an error in the passage at 2:08:22 Highlight the passage at 2:08:22

2:08:36 Or Thursday on emptiness, I think. But it's during the day, so I don't know if you're working. I think it's hard for a lot of people. Report an error in the passage at 2:08:36 Highlight the passage at 2:08:36

2:09:04 I have a class on Thursday evening. I know about that. Report an error in the passage at 2:09:04 Highlight the passage at 2:09:04

· · · silence, 1 minute

2:09:08 Yeah, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 2:09:08 Highlight the passage at 2:09:08