Mahayana Mind Transformation (15 June 2007)

0:03 You Report an error in the passage at 0:03 Highlight the passage at 0:03

0:16 get to see the slide every single week. Just a reminder that our problems come from not our external circumstances, but from our mistaken way of thinking that we are more solid. We exist solidly and others exist out there solidly as separate from us. And then cherishing ourselves as being more important than others. Report an error in the passage at 0:16 Highlight the passage at 0:16

0:50 Then we protect what is ours, and then we defend. So Report an error in the passage at 0:50 Highlight the passage at 0:50

0:59 true happiness comes from cherishing others, being concerned about other beings' happiness. And then bodhisattvas are not focused on their own earthly pleasures. They're not just focused on what they want, but they're working for the happiness and the benefit of all beings. And they are even willing to take on the suffering for others. Report an error in the passage at 0:59 Highlight the passage at 0:59

1:29 Therefore they are always happy. They don't go through the ups and downs that normal beings do because they're not attached to their own happiness. Report an error in the passage at 1:29 Highlight the passage at 1:29

1:43 So we went through this verse last time. I just wanted to review this one and talk a little bit more about it. So verse 31. When things get worse no matter what I do, it is the weapon of my own evil deeds turned upon me for disparaging moral causality and dependent origination. From now on I shall strive to accumulate merit. So the current situation is that whatever we're trying to do, whether it be worldly or spiritual, it's not helping. Report an error in the passage at 1:43 Highlight the passage at 1:43

2:20 And actually our qualities are getting worse. So from a spiritual perspective, we're practicing more and more and more and it seems like we're getting more selfish or more angry, less patient. Or our minds are getting more dull instead of being able to concentrate more and more. And this happened to me. Report an error in the passage at 2:20 Highlight the passage at 2:20

2:44 Actually, you know, I practiced more and it seemed like my mind was getting worse for a while before it got better. And actually, and this happens, I notice in my own life, you know, there are periods in which my mind seems to be getting a bit better and sometimes it seems like it's getting a bit worse. Report an error in the passage at 2:44 Highlight the passage at 2:44

3:06 It kind of goes up and down and there's a strong correlation actually between the quality of my practice and how much I'm really believing in the Dharma and acting in accordance with the Dharma and how much I'm falling back into my old habits of concerned about my own comfort, my own pleasure. The more I'm concerned about my own comfort, my own pleasure, the less happy I am. Interestingly enough, Report an error in the passage at 3:06 Highlight the passage at 3:06

3:39 then the mind gets really small and really focused on What I want. Relaxed, Report an error in the passage at 3:39 Highlight the passage at 3:39

3:51 concerned about others. So again and again, that's a reminder. Oh yeah, that's right. Happiness comes from cherishing others. And then from a worldly perspective, whatever we do just simply fails in this situation. Maybe we're trying to make a lot of money, investing money and losing money. This used to happen to my mom. Report an error in the passage at 3:51 Highlight the passage at 3:51

4:20 A lot. She'd really, really pay attention to the stock market and try to make a lot of money in the stock market. Whatever she did, she kept losing money. Report an error in the passage at 4:20 Highlight the passage at 4:20

4:32 Or our business, you know, we keep it. So that's the current situation. One of the causes is having disrespected and disregarded the law of karma and performed non-virtuous activities that harmed others. So having disregarded or not believed in cause and effect. The fact that virtuous actions and actions that are benefiting others give rise to happiness, and non-virtuous actions, actions that are harming others, those give rise to suffering. Report an error in the passage at 4:32 Highlight the passage at 4:32

5:18 And in particular, the self-cherishing mind, really, really focusing again and again on my happiness, and that gives rise to afflictions, and then you create negative karma. And then we create causes for unhappiness. And so what we can do now to overcome this karma, to purify this karma, and to create the opposite kind of karma, is to respect and abide by the law of karma, the law of cause and effect. Report an error in the passage at 5:18 Highlight the passage at 5:18

5:53 To be kind with others, to be patient with others, to be generous with others, and to understand... What our true sufferings are and what are the causes of our suffering. The causes of our suffering, the self-cherishing mind, ignorance, our afflictions, our anger, our attachment, our jealousy, our pride, etc. Report an error in the passage at 5:53 Highlight the passage at 5:53

6:18 Those are the causes of our suffering. Report an error in the passage at 6:18 Highlight the passage at 6:18

6:26 The second point you rushed through last time, endure all hardships for the sake of the Dharma. And I had a conversation with someone this week about, well, what does this mean? She did a retreat last year with Ningje down in Vajrapani. And she was really sick and she didn't go to the doctor. She kept thinking, I need to endure hardships for the sake of the Dharma. I need to endure hardships for the sake of the Dharma. And she wasn't taking care of her body and her body was degenerating. Report an error in the passage at 6:26 Highlight the passage at 6:26

6:56 And as soon as she talked to Ningje, she said, we are going to the doctor. That's not what enduring hardships means, right? We still need to take care of ourselves. Report an error in the passage at 6:56 Highlight the passage at 6:56

7:08 So this is more like being willing to drive two hours to a teaching, or being willing to stay up late and listen to Lama Zopa Rinpoche teach all night, or letting go of some of our attachment to comfort for the sake of our spiritual practice, Report an error in the passage at 7:08 Highlight the passage at 7:08

7:35 but still taking care of when we're sick, going to the doctor when we need to, taking medicine. Report an error in the passage at 7:35 Highlight the passage at 7:35

7:45 Okay. So I wanted to go through a review of the aspects of the karma. You've probably all seen this before. Just a quick review. Report an error in the passage at 7:45 Highlight the passage at 7:45

7:57 So the first aspect of karma was the certainty of karma. And this is what I was just talking about with regard to virtuous actions. Definitely give rise to happiness. So virtue definitely, certainly gives rise to happiness. And non-virtuous actions definitely give rise to suffering. So it's not possible for even the slightest bit of happiness that we experience to arise as a result of negative karma that we've created, non-virtuous actions that we've created. Report an error in the passage at 7:57 Highlight the passage at 7:57

8:33 And it's not possible for even the slightest suffering to arise from the positive or virtuous karma that we've created. So it's not possible that If I tell a lie, that that will give rise to a karmic result of happiness. It's not possible for my Report an error in the passage at 8:33 Highlight the passage at 8:33

8:59 pure offering to Geshe-Dakpa to give rise to a karmic result of suffering. Report an error in the passage at 8:59 Highlight the passage at 8:59

9:08 And then the Lagrim, it says, right, even the slightest and cool breeze on a hot summer's day is a result of a previous virtuous action that we've done. Report an error in the passage at 9:08 Highlight the passage at 9:08

9:23 Even the slightest bit of pleasure as a result of virtuous action. And so this is so profound, I find, when I really, really think about every little thing that I experience, every little bit of pleasure I experience as a result of virtuous action that I've done in the past. It's not kind of lucky or it's not random. Just everything that we experience as a result of something that, some action that we've created in the past. Report an error in the passage at 9:23 Highlight the passage at 9:23

9:56 A mental, physical, or verbal action. Report an error in the passage at 9:56 Highlight the passage at 9:56

10:05 So this first aspect, you know, if we really, really, really, really believe this one, we would really, really, really take care to not perform any virtuous actions. Report an error in the passage at 10:05 Highlight the passage at 10:05

10:17 I mean non-virtuous actions. Wow. Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 10:17 Highlight the passage at 10:17

10:28 I was thinking about the next thing. We would not perform a non-virtuous action. So Report an error in the passage at 10:28 Highlight the passage at 10:28

10:45 the second aspect is the increase of karma. So even the smallest little thing that we do can give rise to a very great result. So even the smallest little $10 offering that I give to another Lama can give rise to a huge, wonderful result in the future. Report an error in the passage at 10:45 Highlight the passage at 10:45

11:10 And even that tiny little white lie that I tell can give rise to a great deal of suffering in the future as well. So this is similar as the example they give in the lamrim is that a tiny acorn can give rise to a huge oak tree over many years. Report an error in the passage at 11:10 Highlight the passage at 11:10

11:35 So this is the reason it's so important to purify. Regularly, frequently. At least do your purification at the end of every day. Review your day. Think about the good things that you've done. Rejoice in those. And think of the negative karma you've created and purify those. Really, really sincerely regret those. And try not to repeat them. Report an error in the passage at 11:35 Highlight the passage at 11:35

12:04 Because then that stops the increase. If you create an action and you don't purify it for two hours, it doesn't increase. Nearly as much as if we do a negative action and we wait 40 years to purify it. Then it just grows tremendously after 40 years or lifetimes. Report an error in the passage at 12:04 Highlight the passage at 12:04

12:31 And then the third point was the actions that aren't done don't bring results. So if we haven't created the cause, then we will definitely not experience the result. Report an error in the passage at 12:31 Highlight the passage at 12:31

12:43 So if I haven't created the cause to die in a plane crash. And even if the plane I'm on crashes, I'm not going to die. Maybe everybody else will, but I won't if I haven't created the cause. So we see that all the time in the news, right? Where there's a single survivor, and that's because they haven't created the cause. Report an error in the passage at 12:43 Highlight the passage at 12:43

13:15 And then the fourth point is that actions that are done are not wasted. So if we perform an action, a negative action or a positive action. It will definitely give rise to a result, even many lifetimes later. So it's not as if any of our actions are free, that we can have that moment of anger and we will definitely experience the result unless we purify it. Report an error in the passage at 13:15 Highlight the passage at 13:15

13:47 Or actually in our virtuous actions also, we can destroy those by a moment of anger, for example. So virtuous actions, they can be destroyed. But if they're not destroyed, then we will definitely experience the result. Report an error in the passage at 13:47 Highlight the passage at 13:47

14:11 Let me just add one more thing. So there are two main things that are talked about in the Dharma that can destroy our virtue, anger, and then particularly wrong view, like disbelieving in the law of cause and effect, that will destroy our virtue as well. And that one's the worst one. think this is what I can do. Sorry. Report an error in the passage at 14:11 Highlight the passage at 14:11

14:34 indeed. Report an error in the passage at 14:34 Highlight the passage at 14:34

14:38 I almost feel greedy asking it, but when you talk about increase of karma, it seems to apply to virtuous and non-virtuous, so just doing one small thing a lifetime ago could benefit into something on the edge later on. That's kind of a mess. It's interest. Right, exactly. So we should never think, oh yeah, well that's not a big deal. Report an error in the passage at 14:38 Highlight the passage at 14:38

15:02 I won't give an offering. I could or I won't. You just not get around to it. It's good. Even the little things that we do, it's good to do that. Even doing that little bit of practice, that 10 minutes of practice. Report an error in the passage at 15:02 Highlight the passage at 15:02

15:21 And they talk about the many drops of water fill the bucket. And that's what our practice is, right? It's not that we do one great thing. We need to do all of these little things and create the habit. And then gradually, right, will create the merit and get enlightened. Report an error in the passage at 15:21 Highlight the passage at 15:21

16:00 Speaking of, if you get angry, it destroys positive karma. And they usually say, I think, you know, if you do something virtuous and dedicate the merit, you know, to be sure that it goes. don't have to comment on this. Report an error in the passage at 16:00 Highlight the passage at 16:00

· · · silence, 1 minute

16:26 So that you become enlightened or whatever your purpose is. And then that kind of seals it. I'm weak. It kind of makes sense to me, but why then that karma is not lost, say, and later I may curse everyone and say, I didn't mean that, I didn't want that. It seems like that would kind of describe it. Report an error in the passage at 16:26 Highlight the passage at 16:26

17:01 I'm puzzled, sometimes I'm puzzled, you know, why dedications look the way we do. Report an error in the passage at 17:01 Highlight the passage at 17:01

17:14 I think that Report an error in the passage at 17:14 Highlight the passage at 17:14

17:23 even if we dedicate, and if somebody's heard something different, please speak up. My understanding is that even if we dedicate the merit toward enlightenment, that doesn't mean that it won't be destroyed. We can still destroy that merit. Report an error in the passage at 17:23 Highlight the passage at 17:23

17:42 I actually said that wrong view can destroy all of our roots of virtue. So my interpretation is that even if we dedicate, we can still destroy it. But it makes it stronger if you dedicate specifically to enlightenment. But Janet also has something to say. I think it's more that you're Report an error in the passage at 17:42 Highlight the passage at 17:42

18:12 being able to use it for a specific goal rather than just sort of like having it go off. or for a cool breeze in some of the tournament. And it seems like the motivation and the dedication are like the two pieces of bread. Report an error in the passage at 18:12 Highlight the passage at 18:12

18:35 We try to create the correct motivation at the beginning and then remember at the end. It's not just about the pleasure of this life or the next life but trying to dedicate that positive energy toward them. Report an error in the passage at 18:35 Highlight the passage at 18:35

18:53 that I some of the teachers saying that... If you dedicate towards the enlightenment of yourself and others, so that all beings become enlightened, using the three seals, the three emptinesses, then that will seal it. So that would indicate that if you dedicate it with right view, then in that case it may not be lost. Report an error in the passage at 18:53 Highlight the passage at 18:53

19:25 could dedicate it to enlightenment without of emptiness, and in that case, maybe it could be lost. I'm not sure, because it seems to me they said it could be dedicated in that way, with the three seeking, including these hills, that it it there. Report an error in the passage at 19:25 Highlight the passage at 19:25

19:43 That makes sense to me, if you truly have a correct view of emptiness, then of course your merit would be much stronger. Well, it seems like even if we had, you know, just conceptual idea and, you know, realize the lack of inherent nature of all of the virtue and non-virtue, and we dedicate our virtue that way, then, you know, I don't know how much of a knowledge we need to know to really make it stick. Report an error in the passage at 19:43 Highlight the passage at 19:43

20:22 Yeah, Report an error in the passage at 20:22 Highlight the passage at 20:22

20:27 maybe I'll try to talk to Gushen up on the next week or two. Report an error in the passage at 20:27 Highlight the passage at 20:27

20:32 I'd like to wait until I have a few questions. Report an error in the passage at 20:32 Highlight the passage at 20:32

20:39 You mentioned a plane crash, but I always think of this about karma and I don't figure it out. happened to me when I went to China and I worked with a student with Tsunami, Tsunami. Report an error in the passage at 20:39 Highlight the passage at 20:39

20:51 I met a little boy, he was only about nine years old, and he had survived his stuff, just went on to get, miraculously because he got swept up on a palm tree. so I asked him, what did you learn? And he says, well, it is a He says, well just down the road there was a temple with five monks and lots of temple dogs. And he said, well just before Sunama all the temple dogs ran up on the hill and all the elephants we had here broke their chains and ran up in the hills. Report an error in the passage at 20:51 Highlight the passage at 20:51

21:17 Every monk stayed and only one survived, the rest of them died. It's always made me wonder about karma and how it works. And it's much more complicated than I could ever understand. What you were saying about how complicated karma is. Report an error in the passage at 21:17 Highlight the passage at 21:17

22:04 Considered one of the extremely hidden phenomena that only Buddhists can understand completely. Report an error in the passage at 22:04 Highlight the passage at 22:04

22:26 No, I don't think we did. I don't think so. So it ripens through by way of a particular type of rebirth. So all of us being human beings, we've created incredible positive karma in the past. And so actually with karma, if we create what is considered a complete action. Then, you know, so a complete virtuous action that includes, I'm going to see if I remember, a motivation of an affliction, recognizing your object. Report an error in the passage at 22:26 Highlight the passage at 22:26

23:07 Let's say you're killing, recognizing that I want to kill, let's say that mosquito, recognizing that mosquito as being who I want to kill and actually killing that mosquito and not regretting killing that mosquito. Then I'm creating what's called a complete action, a complete path of action. And that will give rise to a certain type of rebirth in the future. Report an error in the passage at 23:07 Highlight the passage at 23:07

23:36 And so if it's killing, it's a bad rebirth, right? A suffering rebirth in the future. Report an error in the passage at 23:36 Highlight the passage at 23:36

23:49 But if we create, let's say we kill that mosquito and we regret it, then it's no longer a complete action. So it will ripen. Report an error in the passage at 23:49 Highlight the passage at 23:49

24:01 Not as a rebirth. It may ripens depending on how well we purify. It may ripen Report an error in the passage at 24:01 Highlight the passage at 24:01

24:14 as something more severe. Cancer or something. So the first type of effect, the ripening or the fruitional effect, refers to rebirth and that only occurs if we've created complete action. Report an error in the passage at 24:14 Highlight the passage at 24:14

24:35 And then there's the effect similar to the cause. So in terms of habit and in terms of experience. So if we continue with the example of killing a mosquito, if I kill a mosquito once, then I'm creating a habit where it's easier and easier to kill mosquitoes in the future. Report an error in the passage at 24:35 Highlight the passage at 24:35

24:54 And in future lives we'll be more likely to kill mosquitoes. And similarly on the positive side, if we have a habit of saving a mosquito, taking them outside, saving a mosquito, taking them outside, then in future lives we're more likely to do that as well, taking care of insects. Report an error in the passage at 24:54 Highlight the passage at 24:54

25:18 And then there's the effect similar to the cause in terms of experience. So in the example of killing a mosquito, the result in terms of experience will be having a short lifespan of being killed by others. And Report an error in the passage at 25:18 Highlight the passage at 25:18

25:43 there's the environmental effect. So our environment around us, if it's dry and barren and really unpleasant, that's a result of, it's an environmental result of a karma that we've created. Report an error in the passage at 25:43 Highlight the passage at 25:43

25:59 It's a beautiful, lush, pleasant place as a result of the previous purchase. It's Report an error in the passage at 25:59 Highlight the passage at 25:59

26:18 the opposite because they don't like it being cold. But sometimes I think we have amazingly good karma here in the Bay Area because it's like we have this natural air conditioner all the time. I honestly think, like, I sometimes think I'm never uncomfortable. I worry about that too though because then I think I'm burning it up. And I'm burning it up like... I mean, I really do, you know. Report an error in the passage at 26:18 Highlight the passage at 26:18

26:37 Yeah. I mean, it's true. I mean, we... All of us in this room are experiencing incredibly good results right now. Sitting here, having such a lane, living in this beautiful city. Especially if we experience it, it's being pleasant. And so we're using up a lot of good karma that we've created in the past, so we need to create more. Report an error in the passage at 26:37 Highlight the passage at 26:37

27:06 But just sitting here, we are creating more. So we got that going for us. Yeah. One could start to regret all of the good things they see. Oh, I was just joking. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 27:06 Highlight the passage at 27:06

27:23 You're the proctor. Report an error in the passage at 27:23 Highlight the passage at 27:23

27:32 It's true, but I think that I kind of like this aspect of karma, the increase in karma. Even those little things that we do, we can really rejoice in those. We just keep doing those little things. We may not be able to do those big things right now, like giving our body, Report an error in the passage at 27:32 Highlight the passage at 27:32

27:57 working for the refugees somewhere, but we can at least practice the Dharma, we can at least be kind to others, we can at least give to others whatever we are capable of. And just rejoice in that, I think, instead of feeling bad about ourselves because we can't do more. Report an error in the passage at 27:57 Highlight the passage at 27:57

28:25 I'm really, really good at feeling bad about myself because I can't do more. And that's such a killjoy. Oh yeah, here I am. I'm so miserly or here I am. This person needs some help and I can't do it. And beat myself up. And it's just not helpful at all. Report an error in the passage at 28:25 Highlight the passage at 28:25

28:50 So if we can at least rejoice in the things that we are doing, you know, if we really think about it, we are doing some really great things. And just rejoice in it. Not in terms of pride, like, aren't I great? You know, it's not about me being great. You know, me doesn't exist that way anyway. But just rejoicing in the action. Report an error in the passage at 28:50 Highlight the passage at 28:50

29:16 I mean, I have to talk about that again and again because I'm not good at rejoicing. But when I do rejoice, it's... No, it brings a happy mind, it brings a happier mind, a lighter mind. Report an error in the passage at 29:16 Highlight the passage at 29:16

29:32 And especially when we're studying karma. Because studying karma can be really heavy, I think. Especially when we think, oh yeah, I've done that. Oh yeah, on the verse 33, I've done that. On the verse 33, I've done that. On the verse 33, I've done that. On the verse 34, I've done that. I'm doing that right now. Report an error in the passage at 29:32 Highlight the passage at 29:32

29:54 Exactly not. We're not getting down on ourselves because we've done those things. We have created a lot of negative karma in the past because we are sentient beings, because we have afflictions. Report an error in the passage at 29:54 Highlight the passage at 29:54

30:08 But our nature is still fundamentally pure. We have rooted nature. These afflictions are just clouds passing through our nice, clear, pure sky. Report an error in the passage at 30:08 Highlight the passage at 30:08

30:21 It's good to just remember that. Report an error in the passage at 30:21 Highlight the passage at 30:21

30:27 I'm going to just take a comment because I'm really getting discouraged. It's totally counterproductive. Lately I've been trying to just remember that in relation to karma, it's a habit. I'm focusing on my habits just a little bit improved. That's great because that's what it is. It just builds on that. That's kind of the thing I'm trying to remember. Report an error in the passage at 30:27 Highlight the passage at 30:27

30:55 so, you know, this, Report an error in the passage at 30:55 Highlight the passage at 30:55

31:01 You know, just, know, compare myself to others and what I should be doing and whatever. I agree. It's also useful to look at what was my mind like 10 years ago. My mind has improved a bit from 10 years ago. And rejoice in that. At least it's going in the right direction. Report an error in the passage at 31:01 Highlight the passage at 31:01

31:28 And then those little drops of water can really accumulate. And then before we know it... Just being generous is natural. Just being patient is natural. Just not getting annoyed would be natural. Hard to imagine sometimes. But I notice for myself, I don't get angry like I used to get angry. Report an error in the passage at 31:28 Highlight the passage at 31:28

32:03 Yeah, Janet. Report an error in the passage at 32:03 Highlight the passage at 32:03

32:09 I think that really does work. Recognizing the small... Improvements or changes because every time we do it, we're saying, oh, my habits are changing. And we keep saying that over and over and over. And finally, even if it was barely true, it becomes more true the more we repeat it because the habit becomes my mind is changing rather than I'm stuck being angry or I'm an angry person. Report an error in the passage at 32:09 Highlight the passage at 32:09

32:45 it's like I did it with just the day. You know, one day I went outside and I said, this is a great day. And the next day I noticed I was saying, oh, this is a really great day. It's even better than yesterday. And every day keeps getting better and better. And pretty soon every day kept getting better and better. And I think it's changed the habit of looking how we look at ourselves or how we see things. Report an error in the passage at 32:45 Highlight the passage at 32:45

33:16 It may not immediately change, but eventually. It helps to kind of push us in the right direction. Yeah. And so it's so good, I think, to not, to focus on the present, you know, making those steps instead of focusing on how short of the goal I am, you know, kind of the long... Oh my gosh, I've told such a long way to go. But it's so discouraging, right? Yeah. Yes, I agree. Report an error in the passage at 33:16 Highlight the passage at 33:16

33:49 But just... Just focus on, oh yeah, look at that. I gave to that bigger. Be happy. I studied for half an hour today. Be happy about that. I went to class. Be happy about that. You know, I chose to go to class even though I was tired and I would have rather stayed home and watched TV. Report an error in the passage at 33:49 Highlight the passage at 33:49

34:16 I drove two hours each way to class. You know, being happy. Report an error in the passage at 34:16 Highlight the passage at 34:16

34:23 Being able to concentrate for five minutes. About that instead of thinking. five minutes, you know, I should be able to sit here for 45 minutes, you know. So everything we can look at from either the positive viewpoint or the negative viewpoint. Report an error in the passage at 34:23 Highlight the passage at 34:23

34:47 that's a great practice, just any of this one. Report an error in the passage at 34:47 Highlight the passage at 34:47

34:53 if we focus on rejoicing. Report an error in the passage at 34:53 Highlight the passage at 34:53

35:01 Verse 32, when all the religious rites I perform go awry, it is the weapon of my own evil deeds turned upon me for looking to the source for help. From now on I shall turn away from the dark quarter. I also wanted to include this other translation. Slightly different. The wording is different. Whenever the performance of ceremonies goes wrong, it is through placing our hopes in black practices. Report an error in the passage at 35:01 Highlight the passage at 35:01

35:34 This is the weapon of negative action returning. Now I shall stop my reliance on black practices. Report an error in the passage at 35:34 Highlight the passage at 35:34

35:45 The situation is that... The rituals that we perform, the pujas, in order to improve our health, in order to get more money, etc. They don't help, or things even get worse. So oftentimes we have these pujas done, or maybe we get a long life initiation because we're sick, or we do a white mahakala initiation for wealth, and we do wealth baths. Report an error in the passage at 35:45 Highlight the passage at 35:45

36:18 And it seems like not helping. And actually my money situation is getting worse. So what do we do? Normally we lose a little bit of faith. But what is the cause? This is not the fault of the Guru, the Buddha, the Dharma protectors or the objects of your prayers. This is not the fault of the pujas or the practice. Report an error in the passage at 36:18 Highlight the passage at 36:18

36:49 Here they say, it's the result of your previous actions, especially having trusted in evil spirits and other dark forces. So this is, you know, I was thinking dark forces, dark forces. Report an error in the passage at 36:49 Highlight the passage at 36:49

37:05 Here's some good examples of dark forces. I've kind of been really out of touch with the normal world for many years, so I kind of forget what other people desire their way, you know, for many years. So what other people rely on. Report an error in the passage at 37:05 Highlight the passage at 37:05

37:22 But this is where we're not really trusting in the Dharma, we're not really taking refuge in the Dharma, but we're taking refuge maybe in some kind of the old things we used to trust in. Report an error in the passage at 37:22 Highlight the passage at 37:22

37:35 Maybe the Report an error in the passage at 37:35 Highlight the passage at 37:35

37:40 get-rich-quick schemes, engaging in those. And there's so much spiritual stuff happening, and some of it's really good, and some of it is just somebody trying to... Get rich quick. Get rich quick. Get power, you know, get a following. And so I think the dark forces would be trusting in someone who's promising you something unrealistic, promising you immediate enlightenment, immediate happiness, right? Report an error in the passage at 37:40 Highlight the passage at 37:40

38:21 We live in the culture of immediate gratification, right? So there's a lot of stuff around that's promising things that's kind of pushing those buttons of we want and immediate gratification. So if we trust in those instead of an authentic practice, an authentic spiritual tradition, then we're creating this karma. Report an error in the passage at 38:21 Highlight the passage at 38:21

38:52 And so in our Dharma practice, we're all in our own particular process of letting go of our old ways of thinking, letting go of those old objects of refuge, Report an error in the passage at 38:52 Highlight the passage at 38:52

39:13 trying to build our faith in the Dharma. Report an error in the passage at 39:13 Highlight the passage at 39:13

39:19 Somewhere in that process, and most of us probably haven't completely let go of our old objects of refuge, the self-cherishing mind thinking that a way to happiness is taking care of myself, or a way to happiness is to have career advancement and having career success, or a way to happiness is something about me. Report an error in the passage at 39:19 Highlight the passage at 39:19

39:50 And then, I guess you know Dardier in Wheel of Sharp Weapons, he says that it's... The ineffectiveness of the rituals is because of our own accumulation of unwholesome actions. Report an error in the passage at 39:50 Highlight the passage at 39:50

40:03 Also, I think oftentimes these practices don't work because we don't really have faith in them. We just go, okay, I'll go to this initiation, this white Mahakala initiation and get some money. And not really believe in it, you know, just sit there and not do the visualizations, not do the practice, not do the mantras, not follow the... Report an error in the passage at 40:03 Highlight the passage at 40:03

40:26 The Dalai Lama's advice and then expect to get the results. But it doesn't work that way. If we don't really trust in it, we don't believe in it, it's not going to work. It's like going to a doctor and getting this advice and not following it. Oh yeah, you need to change your diet and take this medicine. I'm not really following it and then expecting to get better. Report an error in the passage at 40:26 Highlight the passage at 40:26

40:57 So then the antidotes are... First of all, to not have negative thoughts toward those pujas, those rituals, those practices. And to turn away from our reliance on the dark quarter, on these practices that don't actually work. Report an error in the passage at 40:57 Highlight the passage at 40:57

41:25 And then avoid and reduce our non-virtuous actions, which is true really for all of these. Regretting and purifying, which is true for all of these. And then Tone Len is always good. Report an error in the passage at 41:25 Highlight the passage at 41:25

41:50 So verse 3 to 3. When my prayers to the three jewels go unanswered, it is the weapon of my own evil deeds turned upon me for not believing in Buddha. From now on I shall rely on the three jewels alone. So this one is similar, actually, where we make prayers to the Buddha Dharma Saga, we make prayers to the Guru, let's say, and it doesn't seem to help. Report an error in the passage at 41:50 Highlight the passage at 41:50

42:16 We're going through a hard time and we make prayers. I don't have any money and I make prayers. The Report an error in the passage at 42:16 Highlight the passage at 42:16

42:28 causes of our unanswered prayers are not having respected the three jewels in the past and not having conviction in the existence of the three jewels in the teachings of the Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 42:28 Highlight the passage at 42:28

42:45 So this is, once again, the not having faith. It's like we don't have faith until something goes wrong and then we make prayers. Report an error in the passage at 42:45 Highlight the passage at 42:45

42:58 It's not going to work. We just do whatever we want all the time and, you know, not have any faith. And then suddenly, you know, when I get sick, then I say prayers and expect them to be answered. Report an error in the passage at 42:58 Highlight the passage at 42:58

43:18 Also, we have urged others to not believe in the three jewels and that there's no benefit in taking refuge in the three jewels. So that's the other cause. Report an error in the passage at 43:18 Highlight the passage at 43:18

43:34 Antidotes, right? Not having blind faith in the three jewels. So when we don't have faith... In the Dharma, it's encouraged again and again to investigate. Really think about the qualities of the Three Jewels, the qualities of the Buddha, the qualities of the Dharma, the qualities of the Saṅgha, and then take refuge and have faith in them. Report an error in the passage at 43:34 Highlight the passage at 43:34

44:02 Not a blind faith, but a faith upon having investigated the teachings and investigated the Buddha Dharma Saṅgha. Report an error in the passage at 44:02 Highlight the passage at 44:02

44:13 And then living in accordance with the law of cause and effect. The law of karma. So of the three jewels, the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha, the real refuge is refuge in the Dharma, refuge in the teachings, which really comes down to whether or not you're believing and following the law of cause and effect, the law of karma. Report an error in the passage at 44:13 Highlight the passage at 44:13

44:41 If we really are taking refuge in the Dharma, then... We're believing in the laws of karma and we're creating virtuous actions. Report an error in the passage at 44:41 Highlight the passage at 44:41

44:56 We're not truly believing that our negative actions are anger and our cutting people down verbally, our divisive speech, our killing. We're not really believing that those things will bring us happiness. So trying to follow the law of cause and effect is, well, that really is what having refuge in the Dharma. Report an error in the passage at 44:56 Highlight the passage at 44:56

45:33 It's an interesting point that you brought up because faith is also a big refuge, a big sense of refuge in that even if you don't practice the Dharma as ideally one should, because sometimes people that are not very educated or haven't had a lot of teachings, but they have tremendous faith in the Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 45:33 Highlight the passage at 45:33

46:04 So how does that work? It seems that their faith is what really carries them. Yeah, well faith is very, very important in the Dharma. They say that these, for example, what we just mentioned, the pujas and things like that, if you have faith in those, then you're going to experience a positive result. Report an error in the passage at 46:04 Highlight the passage at 46:04

46:36 But in the example, let's say I have tremendous faith in Gishidapa, but I don't follow the law of cause and effect. It's not going to help us that much. If I just continue to get really angry at people and be really rude to people and kill the insects that come into my house and be inconsiderate of others, faith in Gishidapa is not going to carry us that far. Report an error in the passage at 46:36 Highlight the passage at 46:36

47:05 So having faith in... In the Three Jewels, the most important one is having faith in the Dharma and the Law of Cause and Effect. Because then we will create the causes of happiness. Report an error in the passage at 47:05 Highlight the passage at 47:05

47:20 If I have faith in a guru, but I keep creating the causes for suffering, then how can I expect to have happiness in the future? This is the way I think about it. Report an error in the passage at 47:20 Highlight the passage at 47:20

47:39 But did I answer your question? Report an error in the passage at 47:39 Highlight the passage at 47:39

47:52 There's this other story, see if I'm even going to remember it, I'm so bad with stories. you know about this This woman who, right, I think her son asked her to go, you already know the story, go get a tooth, right, a relic of the Buddha or something and she forgot. Report an error in the passage at 47:52 Highlight the passage at 47:52

48:13 No, he, yeah, he, her son went and he forgot. Yeah, so you can tell the story. But anyway, yeah, so he brought back a dog's tooth instead and she had such a great faith in it and prayed to it and actually... Report an error in the passage at 48:13 Highlight the passage at 48:13

48:29 Really benefited her because she had that strong faith. Report an error in the passage at 48:29 Highlight the passage at 48:29

48:36 Jay? Report an error in the passage at 48:36 Highlight the passage at 48:36

48:40 I think what Emily says is very true, most definitely. But I would point out too about the faith in the Buddha thing that Lama Zopa and so many teachers are very quick to tell you that just to hold the image of a Buddha in your head is a meritorious action and it creates merit. So I think that people, about what you're talking about, who don't necessarily have the strength to practice or something. Report an error in the passage at 48:40 Highlight the passage at 48:40

49:04 You can still gain a great deal of merit in your life, I think, by looking at a Buddha. I mean, if you came in this room every day, there's some merit in that. Maybe if you didn't speak the language or something. I mean, obviously it's compounded many, many, many times over if you practice and then more if you practice on even the highest path. Report an error in the passage at 49:04 Highlight the passage at 49:04

49:23 But it's, which is a good thing. I only say that because you were so very fortunate. We're also very fortunate to, like you said, to be in this room. It's true. I mean, sometimes I forget that. All of the pictures that are in here. And that it's just not such a good thing. So I think that somebody who has a great faith in the Buddha, even if it's not a well-educated faith, and they maybe would see the Buddha as an external sort of god-like figure or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 49:23 Highlight the passage at 49:23

49:49 If they're constantly thinking about the Buddha and holding a picture of the Buddha in their mind, I would think that they were definitely collecting some merit for their future. Most definitely. Yeah, that's a very good point that I haven't forgotten about. Also it's said that Guru devotion is the root of all good qualities. So I know some people who have great, great devotion toward their Guru and will do whatever their Guru tells them. Report an error in the passage at 49:49 Highlight the passage at 49:49

50:20 And that's incredible, right? You're creating incredible positive karma. And most likely you're not going to disrespect the law of cause and effect so much if you have such great faith in your Guru. Report an error in the passage at 50:20 Highlight the passage at 50:20

50:39 also used to it. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 50:39 Highlight the passage at 50:39

50:51 Which one was it? It's funny until it happens to us. Report an error in the passage at 50:51 Highlight the passage at 50:51

51:02 Okay, maybe we'll get there. Report an error in the passage at 51:02 Highlight the passage at 51:02

51:08 So verse 34, when conceptual construction rises up as pollution, demons and evil spirits. It is the weapon of my own evil deeds turned upon me for sinning against the gods and mantras. From now on I shall crush all conceptual construction. The translation is when weakness and strokes occur and evil spirits arise, it is through accumulating negativities related to deities and mantra. Report an error in the passage at 51:08 Highlight the passage at 51:08

51:38 This is the weapon of negative actions returning. Now I shall annihilate all preconception. Report an error in the passage at 51:38 Highlight the passage at 51:38

51:47 So slightly different meanings are coming out with those two. Report an error in the passage at 51:47 Highlight the passage at 51:47

51:55 So our situation here would be that we suffer from a stroke or some sort of paralysis or we experience all kinds of misfortunes, such as attacks by harmful demons and evil spirits. Does anybody know people who have spirit harms or anything? Is that just a really wild concept to people? Report an error in the passage at 51:55 Highlight the passage at 51:55

52:21 I don't know anyone personally, but there was a story. In San Jose about one of the community members there, probably involved in Lama Zopa identified as sort of spirit trouble in this fellow's house. And they did some purification things. But he ended up moving, actually, quite frankly. It was a house he owned. He sold the house. Yeah, I think it does happen. Report an error in the passage at 52:21 Highlight the passage at 52:21

52:51 I know some people as well who have spirit. My mind doesn't work well that way. to put and then Keith. Report an error in the passage at 52:51 Highlight the passage at 52:51

53:04 Quite a number of years ago, I know one girl who had gone to Bali to learn Balinese dancing came back with some kind of a spirit and kind of had to do lots of some kind of purifications and prayers and ritual type things to try to turn around. She was kind of possessed. Report an error in the passage at 53:04 Highlight the passage at 53:04

53:32 I lived in a haunted house for a while, but the spirits were mean, so they didn't cause harm. Report an error in the passage at 53:32 Highlight the passage at 53:32

53:44 At Copan, too, in Nepal, there's spirits or nagas or something there. But I never believed in that stuff, and one night I was walking in the night, and I could feel this really weird, dense presence there. And that's kind of spooked, because... Report an error in the passage at 53:44 Highlight the passage at 53:44

54:06 I was not expecting anything. So I've had a couple of experiences. When Dikula was explaining the beings of the Freitas, all these spirits and Nagas are all included in that class of being. Report an error in the passage at 54:06 Highlight the passage at 54:06

54:29 In that class of being called the Freitas? I think it's really a classic. Report an error in the passage at 54:29 Highlight the passage at 54:29

54:36 The hungry ghosts, all of those types of beings, those types of lives are all included in that hungry ghost kind of thing. Report an error in the passage at 54:36 Highlight the passage at 54:36

54:51 I've also heard nagas are sometimes included in the animal realm. Or snakes. Yeah, some sort of snake. Report an error in the passage at 54:51 Highlight the passage at 54:51

55:05 say once I had patient, a youth girl came to me and said that she had been pushed started going through the air that she was going to die. I worked for about six months and she finally did get really sick and went to the hospital and did indeed die. And then I checked with the doctor and the hospital records and there was no reason that she should have died. Report an error in the passage at 55:05 Highlight the passage at 55:05

55:25 They could not find anything. And she was convinced that she had been glitched. I think it's, certainly if you believe in it, but I think it does happen. I mean, I would say it's happened. It does happen. I've seen spirits at work, but certainly if you believe in Report an error in the passage at 55:25 Highlight the passage at 55:25

55:57 it. Report an error in the passage at 55:57 Highlight the passage at 55:57

56:00 dark and the room is totally dark and the dark because of the presence of Spirits will come and break the lights, and I think I've experienced the spirits, and I assume medicine men, they bring the spirits out of the chanting, the total darkness, and the lights that flash, and they tighten themselves up, really totally, I don't know how anybody can get out, but at the end of the ceremony, the medicine man is out of the ropes. Report an error in the passage at 56:00 Highlight the passage at 56:00

56:30 Many, many strange things. Report an error in the passage at 56:30 Highlight the passage at 56:30

56:34 it's very it's very it's very Report an error in the passage at 56:34 Highlight the passage at 56:34

56:45 to be in that school The Report an error in the passage at 56:45 Highlight the passage at 56:45

56:50 fact that you were skipping in and out that whole time is going to make that webcast extra spooky, I think. Spirits and then you saw flashing lights. It's perfect. So that's what we're talking about in this situation. There's some sort of spirit. It's like, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 56:50 Highlight the passage at 56:50

57:14 What causes or having negative attitudes toward the deities and the mantras, as well as our underestimating the power and effectiveness of such practices. Report an error in the passage at 57:14 Highlight the passage at 57:14

57:27 So this is referring particularly to Tantra. So oftentimes we encounter Tantra and it's really kind of strange. We're not used to this whole deity thing. So it's good to not have a negative attitude toward these... this? Report an error in the passage at 57:27 Highlight the passage at 57:27

57:47 These strange looking deities and things. For me, when I came to the Dharma, I thought Tantra was really strange and it took me a long time to have a positive view of Tantra. Report an error in the passage at 57:47 Highlight the passage at 57:47

58:03 But if we can't have any faith in Tantra, it's good to just put it on the shelf instead of thinking negatively of it. Just think, okay, well this is just not rare. I am right now and I don't need to be there. Because it's creating quite a lot of negative karma when we reject certain aspects of the teachings outright and we get negative about them. Report an error in the passage at 58:03 Highlight the passage at 58:03

58:35 So it's really common that there are different aspects of the teachings that we don't agree with or we can't embrace at various times. But the advice that Lama has always given is put it on the shelf. Report an error in the passage at 58:35 Highlight the passage at 58:35

58:54 So this comes to the second. Denying or despising the teachings are certain aspects of the teachings of Buddha. We may deny that by practicing the Dharma we will eliminate the afflictions or the delusions. Or thinking that some paths of the long rim are useless and we don't have to... So in the long rim there are certain teachings that are hard to take. Report an error in the passage at 58:54 Highlight the passage at 58:54

59:22 Teachings in the hell realms or guru devotion is really difficult for a lot of people. Report an error in the passage at 59:22 Highlight the passage at 59:22

59:32 So, it's good to not think, oh, that's stupid or that's useless, but just think, okay, well, that's not, as I was saying, that's not where I am right now. And if we can, it's good to investigate, okay, well, why do I have such resistance to this? What is it about it that really causes me to be negative or cause me to have a lot of resistance? Report an error in the passage at 59:32 Highlight the passage at 59:32

1:00:02 But sometimes we can't investigate when we just need to leave it for a while. And that's fine too. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:02 Highlight the passage at 1:00:02

1:00:12 And then the third cause of spirit harm is having transgressed our vows or precepts. This one has come up a few times. Don't break our vows. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:12 Highlight the passage at 1:00:12

1:00:30 So the antidotes. Resolving from now on I will conquer my wrong thinking. So wrong thinking can refer, in general, either to conceptual thought or just seeing things that are actually... pure as impure. we're looking negatively at, example, the different aspects of the teachings that we can't embrace right now. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:30 Highlight the passage at 1:00:30

1:00:57 trying to work through our... Report an error in the passage at 1:00:57 Highlight the passage at 1:00:57

1:01:05 it was resolving at some point to try and look through it. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:05 Highlight the passage at 1:01:05

1:01:17 not being negative and investigating. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:17 Highlight the passage at 1:01:17

1:01:23 purification. Purification is always useful. Are Report an error in the passage at 1:01:23 Highlight the passage at 1:01:23

1:01:46 you going to talk more about purification during this class or is that just a separate? Well, I thought it would be good maybe to the end of the class. If people want, we can talk about purification of four point powers. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:46 Highlight the passage at 1:01:46

1:02:09 Yeah, I mean, yeah, if we have time. I think that's really important after we've learned all of this about karma. Well, see you later. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:09 Highlight the passage at 1:02:09

1:02:22 You're on your own. It's good. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:22 Highlight the passage at 1:02:22

1:02:23 That's very nice. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:23 Highlight the passage at 1:02:23

1:02:28 very nice. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:28 Highlight the passage at 1:02:28

1:02:32 Okay. Verse 35. When I wander far from home like a helpless person, it is a weapon of my own evil deeds turned upon me for driving spiritual teachers and others away from their homes. From now on I shall not expel anyone from their home. Another translation. When beyond our control we are forced to roam, it is through displacing our gurus, et cetera, from their abodes. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:32 Highlight the passage at 1:02:32

1:02:59 This is the weapon of negative action returning. Now I shall not evict anyone from their home. So this is the situation where we are, you know, we're forced somehow away from our homes and we don't have control. We're exiled from our homes and wandering around in strange places. Or we are servants without choice. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:59 Highlight the passage at 1:02:59

1:03:29 So this is the situation of a lot of refugees, right, who are forced out of their countries. You know, the Tibetan. We can't. We're no longer. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:29 Highlight the passage at 1:03:29

1:03:40 So Report an error in the passage at 1:03:40 Highlight the passage at 1:03:40

1:03:47 the causes are having formerly made our gurus and parents leave their places and having evicted other beings, including animals from their homes. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:47 Highlight the passage at 1:03:47

1:04:01 So kicking somebody out of our home. And particularly the gurus and parents, because those are extremely strong objects karmically, right? They're so beneficial. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:01 Highlight the passage at 1:04:01

1:04:16 So even, I would say, destroying an ant hill, right? You're destroying... Somebody's home, Report an error in the passage at 1:04:16 Highlight the passage at 1:04:16

1:04:34 ourselves to be exiled from our homes. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:34 Highlight the passage at 1:04:34

1:05:01 Some antidotes resolve never to throw beings out of their homes for our own selfish purposes and instead try to help them find shelter and Report an error in the passage at 1:05:01 Highlight the passage at 1:05:01

1:05:22 to wish only peace and happiness for others and to desire to have such evil done by others ripen upon us. So doing tour land, practicing patience, practicing compassion, loving kindness, etc. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:22 Highlight the passage at 1:05:22

1:05:46 The main thing here is we've created the causes to be thrown out of our own homes. So really, really being careful not to cause others to have to leave their homes. Like there's a lot of people in this state in particular that are against, really against, the illegal immigrants and really want to kick them out of the country. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:46 Highlight the passage at 1:05:46

1:06:12 If we support that, kicking illegal immigrants out of the country. It seems that we're creating this kind of karma, right? Causing them to leave their homes involuntarily. Then just that kind of action could result in one of the gurus being kicked out quite literally. I know that our teachers are here on visas and things, but just to support the strict things that would kick immigrants out would be very dangerous, I would think. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:12 Highlight the passage at 1:06:12

1:06:44 I mean, let alone people who are suffering greatly. Yeah, and the stronger restrictions on visas and things, that caused Sally, the director down at Land of Medicine Buddha, to have to leave the country. Very suddenly, and she was an incredible director, and she was doing incredible things for Land of Medicine Buddha. And then suddenly, she had to leave the country. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:44 Highlight the passage at 1:06:44

1:07:14 Also, Venable Rene, his visa was up at the end of the year, and he doesn't know if he's going to be able to stay in the country. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:14 Highlight the passage at 1:07:14

1:07:32 Wait, wait, wait. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:32 Highlight the passage at 1:07:32

1:07:37 Does this verse suggest that we have an obligation to open our borders, too, and to welcome people from all parts of the world? As a libertarian, of course, I'm in favor of that. But does Buddhism provide some sanction for that as well? I mean, maybe not terrorists, but... Well, I mean, I don't think Buddhism says anything particular with regard to that. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:37 Highlight the passage at 1:07:37

1:07:49 I don't know what I've done Report an error in the passage at 1:07:49 Highlight the passage at 1:07:49

1:08:04 But I think the main thing here is to not throw beings out of our homes for our selfish purposes. People are against illegal immigration because they feel threatened. There aren't enough jobs. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:04 Highlight the passage at 1:08:04

1:08:23 But if it's a matter of overpopulation and there's not enough resources to support the various beings, then there could be an argument for not opening the borders to absolutely everybody. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:23 Highlight the passage at 1:08:23

1:08:40 So the main thing, once again, here is motivation, right? Well, aren't we being selfish if we try to keep out 30 million starving Africans? Report an error in the passage at 1:08:40 Highlight the passage at 1:08:40

1:08:51 If we could offer 30 million people from Africa and Cambodia or Laos or something like that shelter, and it wouldn't make Americans literally starve to death, probably wouldn't. We probably could handle it if we really reach near our pockets. But are we obligated to do so? Well, obligated, I don't know about obligated, but... I mean, are we morally obligated to open our borders to anyone who wants to come in? Report an error in the passage at 1:08:51 Highlight the passage at 1:08:51

1:09:21 Knowing that it might be temporarily against our selfish interests, they might have to, say, raise taxes, or it might be harder to find a part-time job or whatever, with more competition. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:21 Highlight the passage at 1:09:21

1:09:34 But in the long run, America wouldn't starve if 30 million more people entered. Next year? Yeah, if it's more beneficial, if it's, you know, it will allow more people to have food and all that, then it's a good thing. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:34 Highlight the passage at 1:09:34

1:09:53 Oh, I agree. It's fine on me. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:53 Highlight the passage at 1:09:53

1:09:58 But I don't know the answer. I don't know what the, what is more beneficial. Because we don't know what's beneficial. Exactly. I mean, it sounds like it might be. Microphone? Microphone. Fuss around us if that was good. Oh, I'm just saying, yeah. I'm sorry, this wasn't working. It may be. I mean, I sometimes think of that too. I mean, if we are working for other people, obviously the idea is to be thinking that we should have everything and they should have less. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:58 Highlight the passage at 1:09:58

1:10:30 But one thing I've noticed whenever any of us ask Eshlo questions about, you know, sort of, or this is how I've seen it, when we ask them a question about... Something that's not specifically in a text or something, he will never say that you should just, how do I put it, kind of expand on the lesson? Report an error in the passage at 1:10:30 Highlight the passage at 1:10:30

1:10:59 Because that often comes up, like, with the vegetarianism versus killing. He comments on it, but he encourages a lot of thinking about it before you kind of expand out from... Report an error in the passage at 1:10:59 Highlight the passage at 1:10:59

1:11:23 And that doesn't mean I disagree with you, I really don't know answer about opening of the board as you thought about that. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:23 Highlight the passage at 1:11:23

1:11:33 Right. Yeah. It's tricky, it's something that would really need to be studied. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:33 Highlight the passage at 1:11:33

1:11:43 His Holiness the Dalai Lama does say, if it wasn't for our self-cherishing, there wouldn't be any starving people. What the solution looks like. I don't know. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:43 Highlight the passage at 1:11:43

1:12:06 Sometimes when I've thought about the immigration issue, and I always think about the Tibetans who had to go to India as refugees. And so, you know, they're immigrants into India. And there's a lot of issues around that. And Nepal. And so, I was thinking, God, if we did any, or if I did anything or had negative thoughts about the immigration issue. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:06 Highlight the passage at 1:12:06

1:12:32 We certainly wouldn't want it to affect the Tibetans. His Holiness lives outside of this country, too, as an immigrant, refugee. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:32 Highlight the passage at 1:12:32

1:12:55 Liberal policies, but I think we have been okay. I mean, we have a lot of people in the country. A lot of people from all over the world have come here. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:55 Highlight the passage at 1:12:55

1:13:05 So that's a good thing. So again, I think it's looking at, we certainly should take care of our homeless and let as many people as possible come into it. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:05 Highlight the passage at 1:13:05

1:13:18 But I don't think we've done a horrible job. We shouldn't kick anybody out on this. We haven't done a horrible job letting people in. We've got to move for the wrong reasons. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:18 Highlight the passage at 1:13:18

1:13:37 Okay, maybe we won't get into a political discussion. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:37 Highlight the passage at 1:13:37

1:13:48 going to cry. Yeah. evicting people for real estate purposes. evicted in San Francisco. It's kind of a political statement. Yeah, and sometimes people do evict people because they want, because of rent control, they want to make more money, etc. So that's also creating this kind of, or maybe somebody who's annoying lives in our house and we kick them out because we don't want to be annoyed anymore. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:48 Highlight the passage at 1:13:48

1:14:22 Hillary. That applies Report an error in the passage at 1:14:22 Highlight the passage at 1:14:22

1:14:32 too, right? Report an error in the passage at 1:14:32 Highlight the passage at 1:14:32

1:14:40 To verse 30. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:40 Highlight the passage at 1:14:40

1:14:46 When calamities occur like frost and hail, it is the weapon of my own evil deeds turned upon me for not properly guarding my vows and moral conduct. From now on, I shall keep my vows and moral conduct pure. So here. Alright, so we're farmers. Our crops are destroyed by droughts, hail storms, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc. Other natural calamities. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:46 Highlight the passage at 1:14:46

1:15:14 Right, so we're experiencing, well, we're close to experiencing drought here, right in California. We've experienced a freeze this winter, which killed a lot of this citrus crop, where our cattle do not thrive, and a seed of stone is eaten by insects, so we gain no harvest at all. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:14 Highlight the passage at 1:15:14

1:15:40 Or, if we're not farmers, in general, we work hard, but we don't get any results. So that's the current situation. The cause is... Or having broken our vows and not keeping the precepts of pure moral conduct, Report an error in the passage at 1:15:40 Highlight the passage at 1:15:40

1:16:04 not having kept the words of honor we have given to our gurus. So we promise our gurus to do a practice, never get around to it. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:04 Highlight the passage at 1:16:04

1:16:18 Oftentimes if you take an initiation, there's a particular commitment, right? But not doing that commitment. Saying a certain number of mantras every day, or doing six session guru yoga every day, or doing retreat within three years. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:18 Highlight the passage at 1:16:18

1:16:35 Not honoring that commitment. And then with the religious, you know, the vows, it could be the five lay vows, it could be the bodhisattva vows, it could be the tantric vows. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:35 Highlight the passage at 1:16:35

1:16:53 So the antidotes are obvious, right? To honor our vows and to keep them as purely as we can. And if we can't keep them purely because we have too many afflictions or for whatever reason, then to at least purify. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:53 Highlight the passage at 1:16:53

1:17:14 And I mentioned last time about the Samaya Vajra practice, which is particularly geared toward purifying our broken vows and commitments in relation to our Guru. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:14 Highlight the passage at 1:17:14

1:17:42 Verse 37. When I, a greedy person, lose my wealth, it is the weapon of my own evil deeds turned upon me for not giving charity or making offerings to three jewels. From now on I will zealously make offerings and give charity. For when we are poor yet with great attachment to possessions, it is through not giving or making offerings to three jewels. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:42 Highlight the passage at 1:17:42

1:18:08 This is the weapon of negative actions returning. Now I shall put effort into making offerings. So this is one where we really want to make more money, we're really ambitious for wealth, property, high position, or otherworldly success. But we do not achieve our desires no matter how hard we try. No matter how hard we work, no matter how much research we do, we still remain poor. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:08 Highlight the passage at 1:18:08

1:18:40 We can't make money. And so the cause, you know, the main cause, and we've heard this before, is miserliness. Not having given in the past. Not giving to the poor, not giving to the... Those who are in need and also not making offerings to the three jewels. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:40 Highlight the passage at 1:18:40

1:19:06 So the antidote is to make a lot of offerings and to be generous to the four and others in need. And so when it comes to making offerings to the three jewels, it's said again and again to make the best offerings we can afford, not to give those things we don't want anyway. you know, the canned pumpkin. Sitting in my closet for a while. Who wants capers? Report an error in the passage at 1:19:06 Highlight the passage at 1:19:06

1:19:46 Well, it's just that canned pumpkin always shows up at food drugs. That's what I was thinking, for people to want it. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:46 Highlight the passage at 1:19:46

1:19:56 Or, you know, we're supposed to offer those things that we really find valuable, we really like. You know, it's like silk. Giving what you really like, not giving the cheapest thing in the grocery store or something that somebody else gave you that you don't want. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:56 Highlight the passage at 1:19:56

1:20:21 And also, it's like mandala set, you know, people do mandalas, you know, they recommend to buy the nicest mandala set. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:21 Highlight the passage at 1:20:21

1:20:34 So that's, yeah, you know, you see that during pujas, during pujas, you know, offering a mandala. They can be made out of gold, or they can be made out of silver, or they can be gold-plated, or they can just be white metal and whatever. And so it's always good to buy the nicest looking one. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:34 Highlight the passage at 1:20:34

1:21:02 Also, my Lama in Italy, Geshe Dio Piazza, used to always laugh at, because the monks in the monasteries oftentimes, you know, they make tormas, and if they're tormas that they were going to eat later, then they'd make them with, A lot of butter and a lot of sugar and all of those ingredients. But if they were offering, you know, if there were torments that they wouldn't eat later, you know, they would just use the icky ingredients. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:02 Highlight the passage at 1:21:02

1:21:31 And so he would laugh and say, don't do that. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:31 Highlight the passage at 1:21:31

1:21:50 The big puja that they do at the end, I was really surprised that they had a lot of canned foods as offerings. But I guess in Nepal canned food would be a very maybe luxury kind of an item. But it was interesting the kind of things that they put up for the podcast was the kinds of things we put up. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:50 Highlight the passage at 1:21:50

1:22:16 But that even varies from center to center. I've seen, I mean, just, it's definitely what people like. I've seen centers where there's lots of candy. I've seen centers where there's lots of fruit, you know, like a lot of the Asian people like to really do fruit and stuff. And a lot of people do M &Ms and things like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:16 Highlight the passage at 1:22:16

1:22:30 But it's nice. It's nice that people get what they really like, you know what I mean, when they do that. That's definitely a good thing. Here there seems to be a tradition to give healthy food. It's moving more and more for healthy food. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:30 Highlight the passage at 1:22:30

1:22:59 Is that that Tonglen is talked about in this one? Is that because Tonglen is an act of generosity? I Report an error in the passage at 1:22:59 Highlight the passage at 1:22:59

1:23:15 think Tonglen we can put for any of these, any time we experience any sort of suffering, or happiness either. If we're experiencing poverty, to breathe in other people's poverty and breathe out wealth and riches. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:15 Highlight the passage at 1:23:15

1:23:42 I put that because that was specifically mentioned in one of the commentaries. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:42 Highlight the passage at 1:23:42

1:23:55 Anything that destroys self-cherishing. It's hard to imagine a stronger practice for destroying self-cherishing. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:55 Highlight the passage at 1:23:55

1:24:09 Also in the commentaries it was mentioned that Even more important than the offering is the motivation. So sometimes people give a lot and expect some recognition in return. So that's not a pure motivation. That's not a good reason Report an error in the passage at 1:24:09 Highlight the passage at 1:24:09

1:24:37 benefactors are expecting special treatment or something like that. So that's not a proper motivation. And then even if we can't offer much, If we don't have much money, then it's good to at least aspire, you know, wish that we could get more. Another Report an error in the passage at 1:24:37 Highlight the passage at 1:24:37

1:25:08 piece of advice that I've heard from mamas is it's always good to offer enough that it's a little bit painful, but not really painful that you're going to regret it later, right? But just a little bit painful to kind of push our limits there. It's like, I feel comfortable giving $50, maybe I'll give $60. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:08 Highlight the passage at 1:25:08

1:25:34 A little bit painful. And then we're extending our limits again and again. But sometimes you hear of people giving away their house, let's say, to Lama and then wanting it back later. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:34 Highlight the passage at 1:25:34

1:25:53 So it's good not to, in the heat of the strong emotions, to give more than realistically be happy with. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:53 Highlight the passage at 1:25:53

1:26:11 Okay, people are looking tired. It's Friday night. My clock says 8.30. So why don't we stop there and we'll leave the first 38 for next time. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:11 Highlight the passage at 1:26:11