Mahayana Mind Transformation (1 June 2007)

0:05 Welcome back, everyone. Report an error in the passage at 0:05 Highlight the passage at 0:05

0:13 This first slide is just a reminder of kind of the fundamental baseline or the base of all of these mind training teachings is that the root causes of all of our suffering, all of our problems, are the two inner enemies, our self-cherishing mind and our self-grasping ignorance. Report an error in the passage at 0:13 Highlight the passage at 0:13

0:35 Conceiving of ourselves as being more solidly existing than we actually are. And then cherishing ourselves as being more important than others. Report an error in the passage at 0:35 Highlight the passage at 0:35

0:47 And so ultimately happiness comes from cherishing others. And just look at the bodhisattvas who voluntarily take on the suffering of others because they're not concerned about their own happiness. Report an error in the passage at 0:47 Highlight the passage at 0:47

1:04 Concerned primarily with benefiting others, and thus they're always happy. So in each one of these verses that we go through, the fundamental cause of us creating this negative karma, right, is our self-grasping and our self-cherishing. Report an error in the passage at 1:04 Highlight the passage at 1:04

1:26 So we'll just jump into the next verse. I'm thinking not to review what we've done in the previous classes, because I think that's... They're pretty straightforward, unless people feel like they want to hear it again. More. Report an error in the passage at 1:26 Highlight the passage at 1:26

1:52 So verse 17. When all the holy ones are displeased with me, it is the weapon of my own evil deeds turned upon me for casting them aside and resorting to bad companions. From now on, I shall renounce bad companions. Report an error in the passage at 1:52 Highlight the passage at 1:52

2:13 So this slide I changed from... I sent it to you and then I changed it because this verse is very similar to verse 22, which we'll see later. And I wanted to be a little bit more specific and more technically accurate according to the Tibetan. So the current situation is that all of the holy beings are displeased or unhappy with me. Report an error in the passage at 2:13 Highlight the passage at 2:13

2:43 And so this includes Lamas, this includes other spiritual friends, people that are quite pure are unhappy with me. Report an error in the passage at 2:43 Highlight the passage at 2:43

2:59 And then the karmic causes, and actually in one translation, one translation says, no spiritual people like me in the least, which is pretty clear. Report an error in the passage at 2:59 Highlight the passage at 2:59

3:16 So the karmic causes of this. Is to turn away from the advice of our lamas as well as turning away from the practice of Dharma and instead preferring the advice and counsel of misleading friends. So misleading friends would be, you know, those that are, well primarily our misleading, the misleading friends are our inner enemies, right? Report an error in the passage at 3:16 Highlight the passage at 3:16

3:45 The self-cherishing and the self-grasping. So instead of following the advice of the Lamas, instead of sincerely practicing the Dharma, we're following our self-cherishing mind instead. We're turning away from the Dharma and instead... Can you guys hear back there? Report an error in the passage at 3:45 Highlight the passage at 3:45

4:14 Or we can close the door. Report an error in the passage at 4:14 Highlight the passage at 4:14

4:27 So preferring to follow our self-cherishing mind instead. Preferring to follow our sense pleasures and do whatever we want, as well as preferring the counsel of external misleading friends. So that would be those people who are encouraging us to go out carousing with them and drinking with them. Why are you meditating all the time? Report an error in the passage at 4:27 Highlight the passage at 4:27

4:53 Why don't you come out and have some fun and that kind of thing. Report an error in the passage at 4:53 Highlight the passage at 4:53

5:01 So in general, you know, we have our self-cherishing mind and we'll continue to have our self-cherishing mind for a long time. But this particular verse is deliberately kind of rationalizing and cultivating more the self-cherishing mind and deliberately turning away from the advice of the Lamas. Report an error in the passage at 5:01 Highlight the passage at 5:01

5:31 Also, this would be kind of ignoring, another karmic cause would be to ignore the Lamas in the past. Not respecting the Lamas, not following their instructions, or having a bad attitude toward them. Who are these Lamas? Why should I follow them? Not treating them with respect. Report an error in the passage at 5:31 Highlight the passage at 5:31

6:16 And also one of the commentaries says that when we have created these karmic causes, it also creates a karmic result of preventing us from meeting a teacher. In the future, if we disrespect the teacher or don't follow their advice, in the future it's going to prevent us from actually meeting a teacher. Report an error in the passage at 6:16 Highlight the passage at 6:16

6:40 So it's good to be, you know, if we ask the advice of a Lama, it's good to really take it seriously and not just think, oh well, yeah, he said that, but I'm going to just do what I want anyway. Or sometimes we have the tendency to ask. Different Lama is the same question until we get the answer that we want. This is not a good idea. Report an error in the passage at 6:40 Highlight the passage at 6:40

7:16 So basically I think it's important before we ask the advice of the Lama to be clear that we need to take the advice seriously and to be clear in our own minds that we're open to hearing. than we Report an error in the passage at 7:16 Highlight the passage at 7:16

7:31 What the Lama has to say as opposed to just trying to get him to tell us to do what we want to do anyway. Otherwise we're creating this karma to either not meet a Lama in the future or if we do meet a Lama the Lama won't be happy with us. Report an error in the passage at 7:31 Highlight the passage at 7:31

8:02 So what are the antidotes to this? So the main one is to stop associating with misleading friends. So the misleading friends who lead us in the negative direction. If our practice is strong enough to be around people who are trying to pull us away from the Dharma, and if we're bodhisattvas we can try to benefit them, but if our practice isn't strong enough and we find that our misleading friends are actually leading us away from the Dharma, if Report an error in the passage at 8:02 Highlight the passage at 8:02

8:39 our practice is suffering then it's better. The lamas advise us to take distance from these people, but not to be negative toward them, but to keep love and compassion for them. Report an error in the passage at 8:39 Highlight the passage at 8:39

9:03 Also, when the lamas are not happy with us or they don't treat us very well, they don't treat us in the way that we think we should be treated, it's not good to think negatively of them, but think, okay, well, what have I done? You know, to create this kind of situation and look at our own kind of failings and shortcomings. Report an error in the passage at 9:03 Highlight the passage at 9:03

9:35 Any questions or comments on this verse? Report an error in the passage at 9:35 Highlight the passage at 9:35

9:56 I mean, I think also, you know, sometimes, you know, it's useful to think about the qualities of the Lama and the benefits of following their advice, right? Because the Lamas are there for our benefit, right? They're giving us advice not because they want... More followers. If it's a qualified Lama, it's not for their own benefit, but whatever they advise us to do is for our own benefit. Report an error in the passage at 9:56 Highlight the passage at 9:56

10:32 If it's a qualified Lama, that Lama has more wisdom than we do. So when we're tempted to not do what the Lama advises us to do, it's good to think, okay, well. But the Lama is giving us this advice because this is what is best for me. Whereas our friends who are encouraging us to do other things usually have a self-cherishing mind. Report an error in the passage at 10:32 Highlight the passage at 10:32

11:04 They don't necessarily want just our benefit. Most ordinary beings aren't out for just our benefit. They're out for their own benefit as well. they want Report an error in the passage at 11:04 Highlight the passage at 11:04

11:15 And so this is the really unique thing about the Lamas, right? They're here only for us. Whatever they're doing, whatever they're saying is for our benefit. Report an error in the passage at 11:15 Highlight the passage at 11:15

11:31 Hillary? Report an error in the passage at 11:31 Highlight the passage at 11:31

11:36 Yeah, it kind of reminded me of a question I have, although, well, anyway, I was looking at the wording in here. Report an error in the passage at 11:36 Highlight the passage at 11:36

11:48 This may be something else entirely, but I've always wondered about what... Precisely they mean when they talk about disturbing the mind of the gurus or teachers because on one level I think I might see that but in another way I don't see them as really being disturbed usually. Report an error in the passage at 11:48 Highlight the passage at 11:48

12:15 So I've often wondered what that means and I don't know if that's a pertinent question here or not. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 12:15 Highlight the passage at 12:15

12:26 It's not what's referred to here I guess. Well, those words aren't particularly being used in this verse, but I have the same question, actually. Report an error in the passage at 12:26 Highlight the passage at 12:26

12:40 I mean, I haven't heard a commentary on what exactly it means to disturb the minds of the llamas. I can speculate, but, Report an error in the passage at 12:40 Highlight the passage at 12:40

12:53 okay. I mean, has anybody else heard specifically a commentary on what it means to disturb the mind of the llamas? Report an error in the passage at 12:53 Highlight the passage at 12:53

13:27 you ever disturb an enlightened one? I mean, that's the question, isn't it? Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 13:27 Highlight the passage at 13:27

13:40 Okay, we'll move on. Verse 18. When others sin against me by exaggeration or deprecation, it is the weapon of my own evil deeds turned upon me for reviling the holy ones. From now on, I shall not revile others by exaggeration or deprecation. Report an error in the passage at 13:40 Highlight the passage at 13:40

14:02 When others sin against me by exaggeration or deprecation. So this is when others falsely accuse us or speak badly about us, insinuating that I have certain faults that I don't really have or exaggerating the faults that I do have or deprecating my real achievements or qualities. So either exaggerating a fault or Report an error in the passage at 14:02 Highlight the passage at 14:02

14:35 Kind of denying the existence of some quality I actually do have. Report an error in the passage at 14:35 Highlight the passage at 14:35

14:44 So the karmic causes of this is basically doing the same to others, right? Speaking badly about others, deprecating them, denying their qualities, and particularly in relation to holy or excellent beings. Report an error in the passage at 14:44 Highlight the passage at 14:44

15:03 And I think this often happens when we feel envious or jealous of somebody. then Then we think, oh, well, they're not really that great. That guy, he's just pretending to be all holy. Or did you hear, you know, did you hear that, did you hear him say that bad thing? Or did you hear him lie? Or something like that, you know, taking one negative quality and kind of blowing it out of proportion because you don't like that person or you're jealous of that person. Report an error in the passage at 15:03 Highlight the passage at 15:03

15:51 And then the antidotes. Would be resolving not to slander or deprecate others in the future. Report an error in the passage at 15:51 Highlight the passage at 15:51

16:00 Don't get angry or blame others. Normally when somebody is saying something bad about us, what's our natural reaction? Report an error in the passage at 16:00 Highlight the passage at 16:00

16:15 Maybe we get defensive or we think, oh, what a jerk. Yeah, attack of them. Verbally, hopefully. Report an error in the passage at 16:15 Highlight the passage at 16:15

16:27 Or physically if we're really angry. Yeah, because they're ruining our reputation. Maybe they're talking badly about us to our boss, somebody who actually has some power over us. Report an error in the passage at 16:27 Highlight the passage at 16:27

16:47 So our natural reaction is to blame, is to feel like the victim and to blame that outside person. That person has a problem kind of thing. But rather than getting angry at them. Or blaming others, remembering that this is only happening because we've created the karmic cause. We've done the same thing in the past to others. Report an error in the passage at 16:47 Highlight the passage at 16:47

17:17 So we need to be really, really careful and not do this, even in the slightest way, to others in the future. Not to say bad things about people. And sometimes... Sometimes we may be repeating what somebody else has said. You hear a rumor and you repeat it. And it's good to not do that. Report an error in the passage at 17:17 Highlight the passage at 17:17

17:47 And a lot of times it may not even be true. Sometimes we may repeat something that we don't even know to be true. We just hear it from somebody else. So it's good to stay away from all of that. So not blaming others and rejoicing that The past karma has ripened and we have the opportunity to purify it, Report an error in the passage at 17:47 Highlight the passage at 17:47

18:18 voluntarily take upon ourselves the result of others' bad behavior and give our happiness to others. Report an error in the passage at 18:18 Highlight the passage at 18:18

18:28 There's this Dharma story that you hear oftentimes. I'm not sure if I'm going to get it right. So there was this monk in the olden days Report an error in the passage at 18:28 Highlight the passage at 18:28

18:49 This woman accused him. She got pregnant, right, and he accused him of being the father. Report an error in the passage at 18:49 Highlight the passage at 18:49

19:04 He was a very holy monk, and he didn't say anything. He didn't deny it. Actually, does anybody know this story? Do you want to tell it? I don't remember all the details. Report an error in the passage at 19:04 Highlight the passage at 19:04

19:22 I probably don't remember more than you. Well, one thing is I think she accused him publicly. Yeah. It was a high. Geshe or something, I think. And he didn't deny it. She brought the child and said, take care of it, this is yours. And he said, okay. And did that. Yeah, and everybody around, everybody in the village believed that he had fathered this child. Report an error in the passage at 19:22 Highlight the passage at 19:22

19:54 And he never defended himself, he just took care of the child. Report an error in the passage at 19:54 Highlight the passage at 19:54

20:02 Let's see. All I remember is then years later she came and apologized. Well, she didn't have any money, she said, to raise the child and now she wanted this child back after many years. Is that right? That's how I'm remembering it. Report an error in the passage at 20:02 Highlight the passage at 20:02

20:28 I think when she came back she said that she had lied and made up that story. She wasn't able to care for the child and the child wouldn't have survived if it was kept with her. And so she wanted the child to survive and have good care. So that's why she did it. And then Geshe was very pleased and gave back the child. Okay. Yeah. Yeah, I think there are some different versions of the story. Report an error in the passage at 20:28 Highlight the passage at 20:28

21:00 But the main point was, you know, he was falsely accused of fathering this child. And he didn't get angry, he didn't blame others, he just took upon it, you know, with his pure practice, he just took care of the child. And later on it came to light that he hadn't actually fathered the child. Report an error in the passage at 21:00 Highlight the passage at 21:00

21:21 And he was just, you know, a really pure being. And so this is an example, right, of voluntarily taking upon ourselves the result of others' bad behavior and giving our happiness to them. Report an error in the passage at 21:21 Highlight the passage at 21:21

21:37 So he never said anything bad about the mother, which is a pretty high level practice, right? And sometimes it's not really appropriate to do that. But sometimes, if we can, not to get defensive. Report an error in the passage at 21:37 Highlight the passage at 21:37

22:04 Verse 19. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 22:04 Highlight the passage at 22:04

22:10 I'm trying to think in terms of karma. Why would it ever not be appropriate to take on the slander and depreciation by another person? Because if something... If something unfortunate happened because you didn't defend yourself, then that would be a karmic result of something that happened that you did in the past. Report an error in the passage at 22:10 Highlight the passage at 22:10

22:37 So why would it never be inappropriate to behave that way? It would always be appropriate. Right. It's always appropriate, I think, to accept that whatever's happening is a result of the previous actions that we've created. But if somebody falsely accuses us of stealing something, I think it's appropriate to say, no, I didn't take that, instead of just letting them think that you've stolen it. Report an error in the passage at 22:37 Highlight the passage at 22:37

23:15 So I think it's a pretty unusual... I don't understand actually the difference. Report an error in the passage at 23:15 Highlight the passage at 23:15

23:26 All Report an error in the passage at 23:26 Highlight the passage at 23:26

23:30 right, go ahead. I mean, is this in response to Keith? Yeah. I think it... Depends on your motivation a lot. Like if you're not real attached to the fact that they've blamed you, but maybe there's, let's say it's a more serious crime and you happen to know who murdered so-and-so. I mean, that's actually a question of mine because I think Geshe-la has a different answer. But, you know, you might not want to endanger other people by maybe letting... Report an error in the passage at 23:30 Highlight the passage at 23:30

24:10 I'm not sure. Like I know that somebody else did this crime. That's a question in my mind sometimes as to whether you should not speak up about that or not. Report an error in the passage at 24:10 Highlight the passage at 24:10

24:27 But basically I would think your motivation, you know, like if you're clear that you didn't steal the thing and you need to work with these people maybe. Report an error in the passage at 24:27 Highlight the passage at 24:27

24:38 And if you're not real attached to something, then I think you think more clearly and you could say, no, I didn't steal the thing and explain it. That's just my way of thinking about it. I do have, anyway, questions about what you should say when you know of the, you know, supposed guilt of some party who might harm others because I've heard different answers from teachers about whether you should, in fact, speak up about that. Report an error in the passage at 24:38 Highlight the passage at 24:38

25:10 Yeah. My own thinking around that, is it like any situation we need to evaluate what is the greatest benefit? So is it beneficial, is it more beneficial to say something or is it more beneficial to just keep quiet? Report an error in the passage at 25:10 Highlight the passage at 25:10

25:32 In this example of the woman and the baby, this monk obviously thought it wasn't beneficial to deny that he was the father and he just took on the care of the baby. But there are situations where at work, if they want to fire you because they think you've done something wrong, maybe that's not really beneficial for them to think that you did something. Report an error in the passage at 25:32 Highlight the passage at 25:32

26:07 I think we all have to evaluate each individual situation and think, okay, well, what is the appropriate thing to do in that given circumstance? Report an error in the passage at 26:07 Highlight the passage at 26:07

26:18 Because sometimes when people think that... We've done something wrong. They create a big negative mind around it. And we can relieve their negative mind by just setting them straight. Report an error in the passage at 26:18 Highlight the passage at 26:18

26:36 So that's a very vague answer. What do you think? I think you're right, but I don't think anything happens in a vacuum. Certainly... I might not have stolen that thing, but I've stolen things in the past, especially as a young person. Maybe I stole a pencil. So no one, I don't think anyone gets through life clean. Report an error in the passage at 26:36 Highlight the passage at 26:36

27:01 Or it would be hard to, unless you're born enlightened, to get through life clean. Report an error in the passage at 27:01 Highlight the passage at 27:01

27:07 But I certainly think that a lot of people are accused of things and are fired and go to jail, even. And yet that must be a karmic event. Report an error in the passage at 27:07 Highlight the passage at 27:07

27:19 It can't just happen by accident. So then if I'm accused of doing something I didn't do, I wouldn't think to assume that that happened by accident. So I may not have done that, but I may have done other things. I don't know. It's a complicated... I guess you're right. You have to evaluate very definitively the nature of the situation. Report an error in the passage at 27:19 Highlight the passage at 27:19

27:45 Well, there's two separate things that we're talking about. Whatever happens, it is a result of our karma. Regardless of whether or not we say anything, we do need to accept that whatever is happening is due to us having done something in the past to create the current situation. Report an error in the passage at 27:45 Highlight the passage at 27:45

28:08 Then separately, what do we do now in the present? Report an error in the passage at 28:08 Highlight the passage at 28:08

28:17 Let's say somebody accused me of stealing their computer. Report an error in the passage at 28:17 Highlight the passage at 28:17

28:26 Do I just... You know, do we... Report an error in the passage at 28:26 Highlight the passage at 28:26

28:27 Do I accept that and not say anything? Or do I say, no, I didn't steal your computer, but I could help you try to find it? Report an error in the passage at 28:27 Highlight the passage at 28:27

28:37 Either way, we're accepting that that person is accusing us because we've created the cause in the past. But then what we do now in the current situation depends on what's more beneficial, I think. Well, I guess with the complicated, this is very difficult, that if you're so attached to your job or even your own life, then you are constantly in danger of, if you're attached that way, then you're always trying to prove yourself innocent because of your attachments. Report an error in the passage at 28:37 Highlight the passage at 28:37

29:16 And so if you don't have the attachments to your job or your life, then you have the opportunity to make a decision in a more... More neutral environment anyway. But as soon as you think, I don't want to lose my job, so I better tell them, then you're responding to that attachment, which is difficult because then you may do something to keep your job that you wouldn't otherwise do, I guess. Report an error in the passage at 29:16 Highlight the passage at 29:16

29:46 Or they always want to if you weren't attached to it. So it all comes out of being attached to things. And I think the story shows that the monk was not attached one way or another. Report an error in the passage at 29:46 Highlight the passage at 29:46

29:59 So if you just say to the person, will you decide whether I didn't, I don't feel I did it, you decide, I don't know, I don't know how to, it isn't really, it just really isn't that important whether you lose your job or not, Report an error in the passage at 29:59 Highlight the passage at 29:59

30:16 if you're not attached to those. It's an issue of karma, not attachment, you just let it happen. Report an error in the passage at 30:16 Highlight the passage at 30:16

30:28 Do other people have comments on that? Janik, then Anna. Well, one thing about, that I've heard from... teachers about karma, particularly, I remember Rabina talking about it, is that You know, Report an error in the passage at 30:28 Highlight the passage at 30:28

30:50 I mean, you recognize the causes, you avoid the types of reactions that would create negativity, but you engage in those actions that may... and let karma run over you you know i Report an error in the passage at 30:50 Highlight the passage at 30:50

31:05 Resolve the problems or reverse the problem or whatever, you know, in like a way that you feel would benefit, you know, others and yourself. Like say, for example, if you're threatened of losing a job, you may have people that are dependent on you for food and housing and such that you would create a huge amount of suffering. Report an error in the passage at 31:05 Highlight the passage at 31:05

31:35 Just idly sitting by and walking out the door. So, you know, you have to kind of weigh things and act appropriately because we are still in saṃsāra. We're not all absolutely perfect holy beings yet. And so we do have certain things that we need to take care of. Report an error in the passage at 31:35 Highlight the passage at 31:35

31:59 Anna had her hand up and then Jay. Well, yeah, I agree with Janet that it's probably you're thinking more about, well, what? This is a greater benefit in this situation. Like she said about losing a job, well, you may have responsibilities. And I was thinking, yeah, you may also have clients. And maybe you're really good at your job, you know, and you really care. And then if you don't say anything, there's this thief running around. Report an error in the passage at 31:59 Highlight the passage at 31:59

32:31 You know, you may get fired, but the thief is still there, you know, going about their mischievous. Report an error in the passage at 32:31 Highlight the passage at 32:31

32:51 Perhaps an extreme example, but I would just call to mind here that when His Holiness gets sick, he would have an operation if something were wrong with him. And when Lama Yeshe was close to death, he was on life support systems and things. So it's not about just letting go and letting things go, because you could argue that that was their karma and they should have just let it run its course. Report an error in the passage at 32:51 Highlight the passage at 32:51

33:15 So I don't think that that's the case. I think that's the same thing with the job. With the job issue too, obviously those are somewhat different things, but it is important to preserve your life, especially if you're practicing. I think if you're as conscious as the monk in the story was, then maybe you can make one of those big decisions and say, well, okay, I'll just let them all think I stole the laptop, but I know I'm not capable of that. Report an error in the passage at 33:15 Highlight the passage at 33:15

33:48 And so it would be an absolute detriment to my practice to make that decision right now. I'm sure of that. Report an error in the passage at 33:48 Highlight the passage at 33:48

33:57 Well, I think in the process of, like, say, maybe clearing our own name, we need to be careful not to slander someone else. So maybe the thief is running around the building. And so you might try to be, you know, not slander them. Slander them. Report an error in the passage at 33:57 Highlight the passage at 33:57

34:23 And maybe when you're clear about things, you might be able to approach them and just discuss with them what's happening. Report an error in the passage at 34:23 Highlight the passage at 34:23

34:33 In some way, then even benefit them more. Report an error in the passage at 34:33 Highlight the passage at 34:33

34:41 I remember in one class of Penn Day, specifically, I remember the words he used, you don't have to be a doormat. But obviously I was unclear because I forgot what came afterwards. Report an error in the passage at 34:41 Highlight the passage at 34:41

34:58 It's like I go from one extreme to the other, you know, defend myself or else I'm a doormat. It gets real foggy in between for me. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I tend to agree with what's being said here, is that we do need to respond to these situations in, you know, evaluate each situation and respond to each situation. Report an error in the passage at 34:58 Highlight the passage at 34:58

35:31 In whichever way we think is most beneficial and appropriate in the current situation. And it doesn't, you know, karma doesn't mean, okay, well this is my destiny and this, you know, if I get sick I shouldn't take care of myself or somebody accuses me, oh well, you know, that's just my destiny kind of thing. Report an error in the passage at 35:31 Highlight the passage at 35:31

35:51 Karma is just we created an action in the past and we're experiencing the result now. And now with as much wisdom as we can and as much compassion as we can, now we act in a way that's most appropriate in a given circumstance. Report an error in the passage at 35:51 Highlight the passage at 35:51

36:08 So if I get sick, like in Jay's example, It's useful, you know, we all have this precious human life. It's useful to take care of our bodies and, you know, and practice, you know, training our, you know, transforming our minds as much as we can. Report an error in the passage at 36:08 Highlight the passage at 36:08

36:28 You know, and every situation I think is similar to that is that we need to see, you know, what is the most appropriate thing to do. Report an error in the passage at 36:28 Highlight the passage at 36:28

36:39 What do you think, Keith? Well, yeah, I definitely agree. I do think we need to let go. If we're really committed to not being attached. And I think what happens to me anyway is that when I'm accused of something or I get sick, then I immediately grab rather than let go. And what I mean is that I think maybe I want to do it differently. And now I want to let go first and then figure out what I want to grab onto. Report an error in the passage at 36:39 Highlight the passage at 36:39

37:09 Because if you grab first, then you always have that opportunity to let go. And I think that then we miss the chance of... Of really understanding non-attachment. Yeah. And I think that's the point Hillary was making. And then we'll need to move on, too. Is that we don't just respond with an affliction, right? That's not what's recommended is immediately defend ourselves. Report an error in the passage at 37:09 Highlight the passage at 37:09

37:37 But we evaluate the situation. We try to not... Not be motivated by our attachments and our anger as much as we can and try to have some wisdom in the situation. Our discriminating awareness and evaluate the situation. Report an error in the passage at 37:37 Highlight the passage at 37:37

37:56 I just sort of flash an example for me would be like if a car is coming at me, I try to move out of the way because I am attached. But I try not to hit somebody else. Report an error in the passage at 37:56 Highlight the passage at 37:56

38:10 If I really weren't attached, you know, it seems like, okay, I'm just here. I know that's not exactly what I meant, but that's the picture that came to my mind. I mean, you could just let go, and maybe the car would just, you know, go through you, but I'm not there. Okay, Report an error in the passage at 38:10 Highlight the passage at 38:10

38:33 all right, we'll move on for now. Report an error in the passage at 38:33 Highlight the passage at 38:33

38:40 Verse 19, when my material necessities waste away, It is the weapon of my own evil deeds turned upon me for scorning others' necessities. From now on I shall provide for others' necessities. Report an error in the passage at 38:40 Highlight the passage at 38:40

38:54 So my material necessities are wasted, destroyed, spoiled, burned or stolen or they fall apart. So in this particular verse these are the things that we really value, we really treasure in our lives that somehow get ruined. Somebody steals my wallet. Or rams into my car. You know, my house burns down. You know, something happens to something that I really treasure. Report an error in the passage at 38:54 Highlight the passage at 38:54

39:26 A material thing that I really treasure. Report an error in the passage at 39:26 Highlight the passage at 39:26

39:36 So the karmic cause of that is not having respected someone else's property in the past. So we took something that somebody else owned, or we borrowed something and we didn't take care of it. Report an error in the passage at 39:36 Highlight the passage at 39:36

39:56 Maybe, you know, it's like if you rent a car versus driving your own car, do you take the same care with somebody else's car, you know, a rental car as you would your own? Or a hotel room, do you take the same care when you're in a hotel room as you would in your own home? Report an error in the passage at 39:56 Highlight the passage at 39:56

40:28 Or sometimes maybe we borrow something, we borrow a book or we borrow... You know, a DVD and we don't really take care to return it. We hang on to it for six months or something and, you know, we get back, get it back to them eventually. Report an error in the passage at 40:28 Highlight the passage at 40:28

40:45 So that's the same vein. Not really respecting someone else's property as if it was your own. Report an error in the passage at 40:45 Highlight the passage at 40:45

41:03 So the antidotes for this one is to provide for others as much as possible. You know, giving others what they need and really respecting others' property. Returning those books and the DVDs and taking care of the rental car, not taking anything that hasn't been given to us. Report an error in the passage at 41:03 Highlight the passage at 41:03

41:48 Any comments or questions on that first? Report an error in the passage at 41:48 Highlight the passage at 41:48

42:09 There's this story of a friend of mine in Italy. He borrowed another friend of mine's car and he crashed it. And then a couple of weeks later, he borrowed another friend of mine's car. And he crashed it, totaled both of the cars. And all of these people were Dharma practitioners. And so the people who owned the cars, I mean, they were quite remarkable. Our Lama said, oh, rejoice, you should feel so happy. Report an error in the passage at 42:09 Highlight the passage at 42:09

42:48 This is a result of purification, right? Instead of... Becoming very sick or losing your house. You're only losing your car now. Report an error in the passage at 42:48 Highlight the passage at 42:48

43:04 Huh? Report an error in the passage at 43:04 Highlight the passage at 43:04

43:09 Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Yeah, they just lost their car. Report an error in the passage at 43:09 Highlight the passage at 43:09

43:19 Yeah, exactly. And the other person wasn't even hurt. He just wasn't a very good driver. Report an error in the passage at 43:19 Highlight the passage at 43:19

43:29 Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 43:29 Highlight the passage at 43:29

43:34 Yeah, creating some interesting... Report an error in the passage at 43:34 Highlight the passage at 43:34

43:41 Yeah, so neither of the people who had their cars crash, neither of them got annoyed by, you know, they were good enough Dharma practitioners to just think, okay, well, that karma's ripened, that karma's hopefully done, you know, and neither of them had much money either, you know, to get another car. Report an error in the passage at 43:41 Highlight the passage at 43:41

44:02 Okay, it's 7.30, so why don't we take a break, and then we'll come back in about 10 minutes. Report an error in the passage at 44:02 Highlight the passage at 44:02

44:24 So verse 20, when my mind is unclear, And my heart is sad. It is the weapon of my own evil deeds turned upon me for causing others to sin. From now on, I shall renounce contributing to others' sinning. Report an error in the passage at 44:24 Highlight the passage at 44:24

44:44 So the current situation, my mind is unclear. Either I'm unable to think clearly or I'm unable to visualize properly. I can't understand what I'm trying to study, what I'm reading. Or my heart is sad or I feel unhappy for no specific reason. Report an error in the passage at 44:44 Highlight the passage at 44:44

45:11 I mean, we can feel unhappy for a lot of different reasons. Our external situation is very difficult or afflictions have arisen or someone close to us has died or something. Report an error in the passage at 45:11 Highlight the passage at 45:11

45:34 But in this verse, it's particular to being unhappy for no particular reason, right? We're just unhappy and we don't know why. So the karmic causes are, in the past we've caused others to be unhappy or frustrated. We've given them wrong advice or otherwise created obstacles to their mental, spiritual well-being. Report an error in the passage at 45:34 Highlight the passage at 45:34

46:08 We've talked in a previous verse about being influenced by misleading friends. And in this case, we were the misleading friend. So we were giving people the wrong advice. We were encouraging people to create non-virtue. We were encouraging people to cheat on their taxes or try to get back at that person who wronged us. Report an error in the passage at 46:08 Highlight the passage at 46:08

46:45 Yeah, things like that. Report an error in the passage at 46:45 Highlight the passage at 46:45

47:01 And in friendships, I think this often happens, is where your friend has been mistreated by someone and you're sympathizing with your friend and maybe encouraging them to blame the other person. And I think it's very difficult in friendships to say, oh, well, this is your karmic. This is a karmic result. You created this karma in the past and you shouldn't feel unhappy. Most of our friends wouldn't take that very well. Report an error in the passage at 47:01 Highlight the passage at 47:01

47:39 But we can at least try to not encourage them to think negatively about the other person. Report an error in the passage at 47:39 Highlight the passage at 47:39

47:58 Another thing in one of these commentaries, it talks about not only... Kind of encouraging others to create non-virtue, but just you yourself serving as a bad example for others. Or you yourself aren't, you know, we aren't being careful about our own actions. We're being inconsiderate of others and causing other people then to have a negative mind about us. You know, because, oh, you know, I can't believe that person is so inconsiderate or that person. Report an error in the passage at 47:58 Highlight the passage at 47:58

48:34 Just cut me off or something like that. So we've created a situation so that others can criticize us. That's also a karmic cause for our mind being unclear and our heart being sad or being unhappy. Report an error in the passage at 48:34 Highlight the passage at 48:34

49:01 And then the antidotes. The main antidote is to resolve not to cause others to be disturbed, not to disturb others' minds or to act non-virtuously. Report an error in the passage at 49:01 Highlight the passage at 49:01

49:15 And then conduct ourselves well so that we would not lead others into negative actions. Report an error in the passage at 49:15 Highlight the passage at 49:15

49:42 And sometimes when we feel unhappy, we're looking for an external cause, right? Looking for somebody or something to blame. So it's good to not look for that external thing to blame. But once again, to accept that this is our karma, right? This is a result of... Our actions of having disturbed others' minds in the past. Yeah? I Report an error in the passage at 49:42 Highlight the passage at 49:42

50:12 think it relates to all of this that we're talking about, at least I hope it does. I'm certainly not trying to go in a different direction, but I've never felt like I've really heard a good answer for this question. Report an error in the passage at 50:12 Highlight the passage at 50:12

50:23 My karma causing these events to happen to me, is it my karma that's affecting my current capacity to deal with these events? More specifically than it is my karma creating external events? it's, Report an error in the passage at 50:23 Highlight the passage at 50:23

50:38 And the reason I say that is I realize, I mean, if Keith punches me, is my karma causing Keith's action? And I know that's a really complicated question, or maybe it's not, but I feel like I've never quite heard the answer to that. And maybe you have. If you haven't, I can seek Gashi Dakbar or something, but I thought maybe you might have heard a good answer to that at one point. And it just keeps resurfacing for me every time we get to one of these. Report an error in the passage at 50:38 Highlight the passage at 50:38

51:09 Right. So the two options were, is it... Well, just that if my karma is quite literally creating external events, and the reason I ask that question is because all of these other beings in here are independent beings, and therefore if we're going to act towards me in a negative fashion, the implication that my karma is somehow tied up in their actions, or is it really just because I don't have... Report an error in the passage at 51:09 Highlight the passage at 51:09

51:39 The capacity to deal with these negative actions as they come. I mean, I think in some ways that the texts are very clear about that. But I'm wondering if you've heard it. Report an error in the passage at 51:39 Highlight the passage at 51:39

51:50 I mean, if it is, if the answer is just that simple, that yes, it is. My karma creates, creates, influences the actions of others, let's say. Report an error in the passage at 51:50 Highlight the passage at 51:50

52:08 Influences the actions of others. I mean, it is, Report an error in the passage at 52:08 Highlight the passage at 52:08

52:15 yeah. You have done, you have created the causes. Report an error in the passage at 52:15 Highlight the passage at 52:15

52:23 That's pretty much what I had to say. Report an error in the passage at 52:23 Highlight the passage at 52:23

52:28 This is a very specific question about the workings of karma. I really hesitate to say much about that. Maybe it's better to ask Yeshua because I'm afraid that I'm going to interpret too much. I'm sorry for injecting it here except that it keeps coming up every time we go through a verse for me somehow. Report an error in the passage at 52:28 Highlight the passage at 52:28

52:58 I mean not to the point of distraction, but nonetheless there it is. Maybe I can say a couple of things though. Report an error in the passage at 52:58 Highlight the passage at 52:58

53:10 When we were studying minds and mental factors, we talked about the mental factor of feeling. Report an error in the passage at 53:10 Highlight the passage at 53:10

53:20 So feeling is the entity of experience and experiencing pleasure, pain or neither, neutral feeling. And every feeling... That we experience is a result of karma. So the pleasant things that we experience. If we experience something as being pleasant, that means we've created a virtuous action in the past. That was the cause. Report an error in the passage at 53:20 Highlight the passage at 53:20

53:53 And similarly with a suffering feeling, we've created the non-virtuous action in the past. That's kind of why I add. that second part about my karma to experience things in such a way yeah because it seems to me if my practice is very good i might actually enjoy very negative know results in my life i because i'm burning off negative karma The other thing that I wanted to say is in the Abhidharmakosha, Which is one of the five main texts that are studied in the monasteries. It talks about how the world and our environment is created by our karma. Report an error in the passage at 53:53 Highlight the passage at 53:53

54:45 So everything that we perceive is a result of our karma. So if somebody punches us, if Keith punches you, right. Report an error in the passage at 54:45 Highlight the passage at 54:45

55:06 I'm just perceiving that and experiencing, you know, Keith punching you as a result of your karma. So I think it's beyond just experiencing, or not, you know, your karma driving how well you can handle something, but your whole perception is a result of your karma. I think that says it very well, actually, that it's at least helpful for me until maybe I'm, until I speak with Kashi. The perception, that changes the... Report an error in the passage at 55:06 Highlight the passage at 55:06

55:35 make up of it very much in my mind to say that there's the perception, I have the perception of that event as opposed to necessarily cause the event externally yeah Report an error in the passage at 55:35 Highlight the passage at 55:35

55:50 Okay, pardon my there. That's a good question. When I am Report an error in the passage at 55:50 Highlight the passage at 55:50

56:08 deeply troubled over my lack of success, it is the weapon of my own evil deeds turned upon me for hindering the work of the holy ones. From now on I shall renounce all hindering. So here's a situation where I don't seem to be able to succeed in any type of goal that I want to accomplish. I try to set up business adventures or I try to, in my work or in my personal life, I don't seem to have success in what I'm trying to accomplish. Report an error in the passage at 56:08 Highlight the passage at 56:08

56:48 And I feel deeply disturbed by this. And then I think it was Geshe Sopa who says, sometimes we lack the support of those who can help us. So we need help. We need employees or we need helpers to help us build our house or whatever. Report an error in the passage at 56:48 Highlight the passage at 56:48

57:11 And we don't seem to be getting the support that we need. Or things turn out exactly opposite to our expectations. Report an error in the passage at 57:11 Highlight the passage at 57:11

57:26 And the karmic causes of this is having hindered the work of the holy ones. We've hindered good advisors in their projects, or we acted in contradiction to their instructions, etc. So we're interfering or hindering with the projects or the work of the holy ones. And another karmic cause is... We've discouraged others from practicing virtue. So we discouraged others from meditating or from reciting their prayers, from studying the Dharma, etc. Report an error in the passage at 57:26 Highlight the passage at 57:26

58:09 and urged them towards worldly activities and non-virtuous actions. Report an error in the passage at 58:09 Highlight the passage at 58:09

58:23 So we urged them to go out and join us in our fun and kind of discourage them from their more serious endeavors, maybe. Report an error in the passage at 58:23 Highlight the passage at 58:23

· · · silence, 1 minute

59:15 In one of these commentaries, the commentary that I emailed to you by Samlu Gishikalsang, he gives an example of two good friends, one who is very poor but is always busy doing his prayers and his other practices, and the other who is very rich, who felt sorry for his friend being so poor, and suggests to him to postpone his practice and to work for him. Report an error in the passage at 59:15 Highlight the passage at 59:15

59:43 So that he can improve his working conditions. So then if the poor friend listens to the other guy and gives up his practice in order to work for money, then the other friend would have created negative karma. Report an error in the passage at 59:43 Highlight the passage at 59:43

1:00:05 So then Samlo Geshe Kelsang, he says that although his suggestion is out of kindness or good intentions because he had distracted the poor man from his practice, He created negative karma. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:05 Highlight the passage at 1:00:05

1:00:31 So here the criteria here is having distracted others from their practice regardless of what the intention was, you know, if it was beneficial or not. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:31 Highlight the passage at 1:00:31

1:00:49 So the antidotes are to stop hindering others in their virtuous activities, in their practice, etc. and to rejoice, instead to rejoice and be happy with what other people are doing, their good actions. Admiring them and encouraging their qualities, their good qualities. I'll Report an error in the passage at 1:00:49 Highlight the passage at 1:00:49

1:01:28 move on if there's no question. Okay, verse 22. When my guru is displeased with me, no matter what I do, it is the weapon of my own evil deeds turned upon me for acting duplicitously toward the holy Dharma. From now on, I shall reduce my duplicity toward the Dharma. So here is... Report an error in the passage at 1:01:28 Highlight the passage at 1:01:28

1:01:54 No matter what I do, no matter how much I try to serve my guru well, my guru is unhappy with me and displeased with what I'm doing or doesn't trust me. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:54 Highlight the passage at 1:01:54

1:02:08 And then I'm very unhappy with that. The karmic causes of this is having pretended to be subdued or pious in front of the teacher. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:08 Highlight the passage at 1:02:08

1:02:23 But behind his or her back, acting in the opposite way and engaging in non-virtue, pretending to be very humble and Report an error in the passage at 1:02:23 Highlight the passage at 1:02:23

1:02:38 virtuous in front of the teacher, but then behind his back, doing things that you'd never want the guru to know about. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:38 Highlight the passage at 1:02:38

1:02:52 Another karmic cause is pretending to practice very hard with the intention of showing off to others. To receive praise or offerings or just so other people will respect us or admire us. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:52 Highlight the passage at 1:02:52

1:03:09 So when other people are around, we get up early and do our prayers and meditate and when nobody's around, maybe we sleep in. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:09 Highlight the passage at 1:03:09

1:03:28 So the antidotes would be to reduce our duplicity toward the Dharma. Trying to be less hypocritical and taking all the teachings sincerely to heart. So really trying to practice. Well, regardless of other people around, Report an error in the passage at 1:03:28 Highlight the passage at 1:03:28

1:03:49 regardless of whether or not other people know what we're doing. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:49 Highlight the passage at 1:03:49

1:04:01 So our external behavior and our internal attitude should be in harmony. So outwardly, we perform virtuous deeds. Well, inwardly, we also need to take care of our minds and engage in virtuous thoughts. So it's not just a matter of... Doing things outwardly and letting our minds just kind of go wild. We need to work on our external behavior as well as our minds. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:01 Highlight the passage at 1:04:01

1:04:31 Having good intentions and having compassion and patience, etc. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:31 Highlight the passage at 1:04:31

1:04:47 And then once again, when the guru doesn't seem to be appreciating what we're doing, not to blame the guru, not to find fault with the guru. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:47 Highlight the passage at 1:04:47

1:05:00 But once again seeing that as a result of our own karma. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:00 Highlight the passage at 1:05:00

1:05:19 Verse 23. So when everyone contradicts me, it is the weapon of my own evil deeds turned upon me for belittling, shame and modesty. From now on I shall avoid rough behavior. So the current situation is that it seems like everyone around us is contradicting me or talking badly about me, denigrating and turning against me. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:19 Highlight the passage at 1:05:19

1:05:47 So people are constantly finding fault with whatever we're doing. And even if we do do really wonderful things, virtuous things, we're really helpful to others, people don't give us credit for what we're doing. And then they belittle us for faults that we don't have or for things that we didn't do. And Report an error in the passage at 1:05:47 Highlight the passage at 1:05:47

1:06:11 people seem eager to blame me and not others. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:11 Highlight the passage at 1:06:11

1:06:23 the karmic causes of this have been that we have been shame. Shame in the sense of, we talked about this in the last class, shame in the Dharma is different from what we normally talk about as being shame in Western psychology. But shame in the sense of not taking care to avoid negative actions out of Report an error in the passage at 1:06:23 Highlight the passage at 1:06:23

1:06:57 personal integrity or respect for your own vows and respect for yourself. Shame is when you avoid doing negative actions. You avoid doing negative actions out of personal integrity, etc. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:57 Highlight the passage at 1:06:57

1:07:17 In this instance, we've been shameless. Without shame, we haven't avoided negative actions. We haven't cared about the effect of our actions on others. We haven't cared about what other people think. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:17 Highlight the passage at 1:07:17

1:07:36 Thinking that our actions don't matter at all, they don't affect others, or not caring how they affect others. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:36 Highlight the passage at 1:07:36

1:07:48 Or we have belittled or criticized the shame, modesty and decency that others have, and particularly Dharma friends. So making fun or criticizing the shame in others. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:48 Highlight the passage at 1:07:48

1:08:15 So the antidotes would be to stop our offensive behavior. Refrain from inappropriate actions. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:15 Highlight the passage at 1:08:15

1:08:27 Try to reduce or totally eliminate actions that don't conform with the Dharma. And being considerate of others. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:27 Highlight the passage at 1:08:27

1:08:56 I think oftentimes this happens when we have strong afflictions, like strong attachment. Like I have strong attachment to getting to work on time. And so then I speed down the highway and I'm not being considerate of others. Maybe I'm cutting people off. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:56 Highlight the passage at 1:08:56

1:09:19 Maybe I don't let that person cross the street in front of me that's looking to cross the street. Or I don't let somebody merge into my lane because I'm very attached to getting to work on time or being ahead of other people in the traffic. I'm not Report an error in the passage at 1:09:19 Highlight the passage at 1:09:19

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:09:50 And I think this is just the nature of having strong afflictions, right? When our minds are overcome by afflictions, we're not so considerate of others, right? And so then we create, we don't even actually often think about how our actions are affecting others. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:50 Highlight the passage at 1:09:50

1:10:16 Also, I think this happens a lot of times in groups or with young people, right? You get that group mentality and... You're making a lot of noise, you're playing a lot of music. Well, not us anymore, but you know, when you have a loud party and you don't even care what other people, you know, that other people can't sleep and, you know, what the effect of our actions is on others. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:16 Highlight the passage at 1:10:16

1:10:54 Questions, comments? Report an error in the passage at 1:10:54 Highlight the passage at 1:10:54

1:11:02 I was trying to understand the meaning of the phrase avoid rough behavior, what rough behavior was. Could that be, I was thinking that might be competitive behavior. It doesn't sound like pushing, it sounds more like, you know, not roughhousing, but competitive behavior. One is always above the other, trying to look the best, better than the other person. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:02 Highlight the passage at 1:11:02

1:11:30 Yeah, well that's, I think it certainly would be an example of behavior that's not considerate of the other person, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:11:30 Highlight the passage at 1:11:30

1:11:44 Yeah, I mean, I think in general rough behavior or offensive behavior, because, Report an error in the passage at 1:11:44 Highlight the passage at 1:11:44

1:11:49 It would be anything that offends somebody else, that causes them some sort of harm or that Report an error in the passage at 1:11:49 Highlight the passage at 1:11:49

1:12:06 disturbs others' minds. It's not considerate of others. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:06 Highlight the passage at 1:12:06

1:12:16 You're reading rough behavior from Geshe Sopa's book. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:16 Highlight the passage at 1:12:16

1:12:23 But that's just my thinking. It wasn't specific in that commentary or in the other commentaries. What rough behavior or offensive behavior is. But in general, it's a general term where we need to put ourselves into the other person's shoes and think about how that would affect me. If I'm playing loud music or speeding down the highway, how does that affect the other person? What came to my mind, and I don't know why, was working with Navajo children, teaching Navajo children. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:23 Highlight the passage at 1:12:23

1:13:04 You can't do it the same way because they want to cooperate. They don't want to compete. They would see that as rough behavior, as to compete in learning. And yet we teach our kids to learn by competition with tests, but no one would want to get a better score than the other person or answer the question better than the other. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:04 Highlight the passage at 1:13:04

1:13:32 That's what came to my mind about rough behavior, that we do it all the time. We live that way. We live roughly. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:32 Highlight the passage at 1:13:32

1:13:41 Yeah, because we have self-cherishing, right? We cherish ourselves. You know, we're competitive because we want to, you know, we want to win. We want to be the best. And that's not considering the effect on others, right? Everybody wants to be happy. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:41 Highlight the passage at 1:13:41

1:14:07 So verse 24. When there is disagreement, as soon as my companions gather, it is the weapon of my own evil deeds turned upon me for peddling my discontent and evil disposition. Disposition everywhere. From now on, without any ulterior motive, I shall behave well toward all. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:07 Highlight the passage at 1:14:07

1:14:30 So here the situation is where there's disagreement or arguments, disharmony. As soon as my friends and family members or co-workers, as soon as the people around me gather together, there's some sort of disharmony. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:30 Highlight the passage at 1:14:30

1:14:58 And then the translation actually in The Wheel of Sharp Weapons, the smaller book, says something slightly different where our servants and friends are annoyed by our habits and after a while cannot stay in our homes. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:58 Highlight the passage at 1:14:58

1:15:16 So two different translations of this verse. So the karmic causes of this was having afflicted... Inflicted my discontent and negative temperament on others. So the present bad situation was caused by my unpleasant personality in the past. We've acted selfishly without regard or respect for others. So this is just having a negative personality and kind of imposing that on others, offending others, causing them difficulty and trouble. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:16 Highlight the passage at 1:15:16

1:16:04 And then it's, I think it's Samlo Gishikilsang who says that the reason why others dislike us is because we had disliked them in the past. We had seen them creating mistakes and minor wrongs and disliked them for those. Similarly, when they see us doing the same now, then others dislike us. So this is the judgmental mind, looking down on people and disliking people for... Report an error in the passage at 1:16:04 Highlight the passage at 1:16:04

1:16:39 Their mistakes and what we see as their flaws. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:39 Highlight the passage at 1:16:39

1:17:06 So the antidotes for this is we should behave well and act with good temperament toward all. So this is without an ulterior motive. Then we should be loving, kind and gentle to all beings and not be hostile and disturbing to them. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:06 Highlight the passage at 1:17:06

1:17:29 Don't focus on others' faults. And instead, we should look at others' good qualities and our own misbehavior. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:29 Highlight the passage at 1:17:29

1:17:42 So when the people around us are arguing and, you know, just not able to get along, you know, how do we normally react? You Report an error in the passage at 1:17:42 Highlight the passage at 1:17:42

1:17:56 know, we may judge them. I think, you know, why can't they get along? Right, so not to focus on their faults, but remembering that this is happening because of our own karma. We've created the karmic causes, try to look at others' good qualities and acknowledge our past behavior, regret the harm that our bad actions caused in the past, accepting their consequences and resolving to improve our personality. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:56 Highlight the passage at 1:17:56

1:18:50 So when the people around us seem to have a lot of faults, they seem to be really inconsiderate or... Report an error in the passage at 1:18:50 Highlight the passage at 1:18:50

1:19:03 Unaware or seem to do a lot of negative things. What are some good things to do to Report an error in the passage at 1:19:03 Highlight the passage at 1:19:03

1:19:14 not judge them? Because most of us have a habit of judging people. So do people have some good suggestions for Katie? Report an error in the passage at 1:19:14 Highlight the passage at 1:19:14

1:19:34 So perhaps we could just, as the aversion rises, catch it as it's coming and recognize it as our own. Not that that person out there is putting something on us, but that it's our perception of what's happening. Because it might not necessarily be that that person's doing anything that's wrong at all. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:34 Highlight the passage at 1:19:34

1:19:56 It's just the way we're perceiving it. Someone else over there might see it as something else. That's one suggestion, Lama. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:56 Highlight the passage at 1:19:56

1:20:10 I used to be so much worse at this, though I don't know that I'm very good at it now. But it used to seem to me that... On a Wednesday night or something, my wife did the most annoying things. I say like a Wednesday night, just a random day when I'm tired or something. And the more mindful I become, at least in small increments, it seems to me that I have done a lot of really annoying things and I can't believe that she has put up with them all so patiently. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:10 Highlight the passage at 1:20:10

1:20:39 You know what I mean? And so I try to think about that with other people, most definitely. For everything that I put up with other people, I think I'm really annoying sometimes. And I can imagine. And they're so patient, it seems to me, with that. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:39 Highlight the passage at 1:20:39

1:20:58 Anna, did you also have something? Anna. Yeah, one thing that I really dislike is when I see the kids with their pants down on their knees. You know, the hip-hop kids. Oh. Yeah. Or else they're running around and they're holding their pants and they're waddling because, you know, they've got to put their legs out. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:58 Highlight the passage at 1:20:58

1:21:20 So they can hold their pants up. So now what I do is I'm on track. And that helps. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:20 Highlight the passage at 1:21:20

1:21:42 Okay. Anything else, Janet? In those situations, I think of myself as a hippie. And you just figure, like now they have punk styles with all kinds of things poking out everywhere and spiky hair. It's just a way of expressing you know some Some, you know, maybe trying to find their own way or something. You know, and you think it easily could be me. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:42 Highlight the passage at 1:21:42

1:22:18 If I was that age, it could easily be me. Because look what I did. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:18 Highlight the passage at 1:22:18

1:22:28 I think what works for me is the knowledge of a past bad behavior. What I try to do is to realize that when somebody annoys me, it's because I'm seeing something in myself that annoys. Me, about myself. I really don't get annoyed by people unless there's something that I have inside myself that's bothering me. Otherwise I'm unconditional. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:28 Highlight the passage at 1:22:28

1:22:51 I think when we think about it, that's almost true. That's how it works. That most people who annoy us do so because there's something inside us about ourselves that they bring up. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:51 Highlight the passage at 1:22:51

1:23:06 Oftentimes some quality in ourselves that we reject, that we externalize, we project. out to others. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:06 Highlight the passage at 1:23:06

1:23:23 Although I'm sure I could probably look more at my fault and what I have done in the past to bring it about, unfortunately I'm still stuck sometimes thinking that they're wrong or they're doing something incorrectly or whatever. And a lot of times what I do do to sort of diffuse my feelings and be able to deal with them more openly is just sort of say to myself, well, they're acting out of ignorance or they're acting out of some, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:23 Highlight the passage at 1:23:23

1:23:51 They just don't understand, so I just kind of try to bring it down. I think Report an error in the passage at 1:23:51 Highlight the passage at 1:23:51

1:24:05 it's really helpful to remember that other people are just trying to be happy. They're doing what they're doing because they just want to be happy, just like us. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:05 Highlight the passage at 1:24:05

1:24:15 But they're controlled by their afflictions, so their anger or their attachment or their ignorance, just like us. And I think that's really helpful to me is instead of thinking, oh, well, they're controlled by their afflictions, you know, always bringing it back, you know, trying to bring it back to myself as, yeah, I'm the same way, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:15 Highlight the passage at 1:24:15

1:24:38 I do all sorts of, like what Jay was saying, I have all sorts of faults and I do all sorts of annoying things and I have all sorts of afflictions, right? And other people do too, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:24:38 Highlight the passage at 1:24:38

1:24:50 So I'm not any better. We just... Fortunately, we have the Dharma. We have tools to deal with. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:50 Highlight the passage at 1:24:50

1:25:05 I mean, a lot of the meditations on bodhicitta really helped me, too, like remembering that person was my mother in the past. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:05 Highlight the passage at 1:25:05

1:25:18 When we judge people, we create that distance, that wrong person out there, and just transforming them into our mother or our best friend or something. you know and just having you know Report an error in the passage at 1:25:18 Highlight the passage at 1:25:18

1:25:30 Really changes the mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:30 Highlight the passage at 1:25:30

1:25:35 Thinking, okay, well, that person has been really kind to me in the past. I've been really close to that person in the past. And then you feel a heart connection there instead of just some stupid person out there. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:35 Highlight the passage at 1:25:35

1:25:56 Anything else that works for people? Report an error in the passage at 1:25:56 Highlight the passage at 1:25:56

1:26:10 There may be links in karma. I'm wondering if there's not links in karma. And, you know, I know... I'm sure I punched my brother and my brother punched me. So I'm wondering if I did punch somebody, maybe it's because they were a brother in my former life or somebody punched me. It was because we were brothers in a former life. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:10 Highlight the passage at 1:26:10

1:26:27 And so that's a, you know, so it's a way of welcoming a brother to be punched. That's a sweet way of thinking about it. Yeah, Janet. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:27 Highlight the passage at 1:26:27

1:26:42 Yeah, that thing about punching someone because you're doing stuff, when I watched it, Report an error in the passage at 1:26:42 Highlight the passage at 1:26:42

1:26:52 Sarah kind of performed it. Ha, ha, ha. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:52 Highlight the passage at 1:26:52

1:26:54 perpetuates its stealth you react like you killed somebody because they killed you, but you killed them. You can watch it easily and it's like that thing, well I punched my brother because he punched me, well then next time he's going to punch you then you're going to punch him and where's the end? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's really obvious how to use, it works. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:54 Highlight the passage at 1:26:54

1:27:29 Yeah, that's kind of one of the disadvantages of saṃsāra, right? Just when you see that, generally our natural tendency to a suffering situation is to create the exact cost for that suffering to happen again. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:29 Highlight the passage at 1:27:29

1:27:54 Somebody accuses me or criticizes me. The natural reaction is to criticize them back. Then we're creating the karma to be criticized again. And then we criticize back and then we create the karma to be criticized again. So our natural reaction is to create the causes for suffering. So that's why this text is so useful and so interesting because here we can... Report an error in the passage at 1:27:54 Highlight the passage at 1:27:54

1:28:22 We can understand how to break that karmic cycle, right? When that person criticizes me, instead of criticizing back, I can develop a loving kindness and compassion for that person, right? And not say anything back. I mean, easy to say, right? But that's how to get out of that karmic cycle, right? It's to do, generally to do the opposite of what you want to do, right? Do the opposite of what your natural reaction would be to do. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:22 Highlight the passage at 1:28:22

1:28:56 And I find that so empowering, right? Because when some situation happens, somebody criticizes me or it seems like other people are out to get me, if I feel like there's nothing that I can do to improve that situation, if I feel like a victim, that makes the situation that much worse, right? But knowing what we can do to improve the karma, right? Knowing what the karma... Report an error in the passage at 1:28:56 Highlight the passage at 1:28:56

1:29:27 And knowing what we can do to prevent that from happening in the future is so empowering. I can create the causes to cut this cycle and to stop these things from happening in the future. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:27 Highlight the passage at 1:29:27

1:29:42 It's really exciting. I really agree with that and it's empowering. Just like you said and it becomes fun somehow in some very strange sort of way because suddenly it's like... if you It's just pushing the green button instead of... I think that if just some of these practices, it's not that hard to get past the point where you're not completely humiliating yourself to go through these things, rather you're just pushing the green button. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:42 Highlight the passage at 1:29:42

1:30:12 It's this fun, empowering thing. And it's so obvious, it seems so obvious that we should just know that, that we should just get this, you know, to not do these things, that that kind of exchange results. But it's just so interesting that you say empowering because I think... Every once in a while I feel that on a small scale of these little things, just looking at each individual instance of being nice to someone and therefore they're nice. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:12 Highlight the passage at 1:30:12

1:30:40 That's such a good way to put it. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:40 Highlight the passage at 1:30:40

1:30:46 And I think it really works. Because when I was growing up, there were a lot of people that were around me that were really annoying. you know, who, like, my, uh, um, My brother used to constantly put me down and tell me how stupid I was and whatever I did was never right. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:46 Highlight the passage at 1:30:46

1:31:14 But suddenly now he's this nice person. And the people, we're in these Dharma centers and there's all these nice people here. So there's some kind of good karma that we're creating because the people around us are suddenly... So much nicer and the environment is so much nicer because we're practicing, right? And ultimately, you know, a Buddha, a Buddha's in a pure land, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:31:14 Highlight the passage at 1:31:14

1:31:46 So a Buddha experiences everything as being pure. And is it that everybody else has changed? No, it's not that everybody else has changed, but we've created the karma to experience everything as pleasant. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:46 Highlight the passage at 1:31:46

1:32:16 And I notice for me, you know, sometimes I sit around and, you know, I feel sorry for myself. Oh, you know, this is happening to me. And as soon as I remember, oh, yeah, this is the antidote. I can, you know, this person who's being a jerk to me, I can be really nice to them. You know, suddenly, you know, the mind is happy, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:32:16 Highlight the passage at 1:32:16

1:32:37 Oh, yeah, I can respond to this situation in a very positive way. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:37 Highlight the passage at 1:32:37

1:32:49 Okay, I think that's a good place to... To end for the night. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:49 Highlight the passage at 1:32:49

1:33:14 Yeah, and I had, I didn't take time to review the homework from last time, and I think that the homework tends to be pretty self-explanatory. I don't think we need to review it unless, if people do want to start reviewing it, just let me know, but I'll just, I just won't spend class time doing that unless people want to. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:14 Highlight the passage at 1:33:14

1:33:46 We'll do the first two dedication prayers. Through the merits of these virtuous actions, may I quickly attain the state of a Guru Buddha and lead all living beings without exception into that enlightened state. May the supreme jewel bodhicitta that has not arisen arise and grow, and may that which has arisen not diminish but increase more and more. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:46 Highlight the passage at 1:33:46

1:34:13 In the land encircled by snow mountains, you are the source of all happiness and good. All-powerful Chinrizig Tenzin Gyatso, please remain until saṃsāra ends. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:13 Highlight the passage at 1:34:13

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:35:15 Yeah, or much less. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:15 Highlight the passage at 1:35:15