Discovering Buddhism - Transforming Problems (30 January 2014)

· · · silence, 2 minutes

2:08 I think I read somewhere, Report an error in the passage at 2:08 Highlight the passage at 2:08

2:29 whatever it is. You know, there was this many million, this many billion, zillion. Report an error in the passage at 2:29 Highlight the passage at 2:29

2:43 Yeah, see, I got the cushion moved. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 2:43 Highlight the passage at 2:43

2:53 Okay, so let's, obviously, I'm really hyper. I had a cup of tea before I came over. So we'll start by... Taking a few minutes to settle our minds and get prepared for the class. Report an error in the passage at 2:53 Highlight the passage at 2:53

3:20 So get in a comfortable position. Report an error in the passage at 3:20 Highlight the passage at 3:20

3:28 Kind of scan your body. Make whatever adjustments you need. And let all the muscles relax. You can start at your feet and work up or your way around. But just let everything relax. Let your toes and knees. Report an error in the passage at 3:28 Highlight the passage at 3:28

3:47 Get adjusted so your spine can be erect without effort, without having to hold it so that the vertebrae kind of stack on top of each other. You let your skeleton do the job that it's supposed to do, which is kind of keeping you upright and together. Report an error in the passage at 3:47 Highlight the passage at 3:47

4:11 Just relax your arms, shoulders. You can kind of raise them and let them drop a few times and wiggle them around a little. Make sure you get in a nice, relaxed spot. Report an error in the passage at 4:11 Highlight the passage at 4:11

4:28 And just with your head slightly forward, just relax. Let your eyes partially open or closed. It's okay. It doesn't matter. Report an error in the passage at 4:28 Highlight the passage at 4:28

4:42 Just take three nice, deep breaths and let go of any remaining tensions. And kind of use it also to follow and to... Eliminate and remove some of the extra thoughts that might be lingering in your mind about getting here, about dinner or what you're going to do later. Just kind of take some deep breaths and kind of let everything settle in your mind and Report an error in the passage at 4:42 Highlight the passage at 4:42

5:39 breathing normally. Report an error in the passage at 5:39 Highlight the passage at 5:39

5:45 One way that Gyal has explained to us to be able to help develop concentration. It's by counting the breaths. You count in between the breaths. You don't count as you're inhaling. You take a breath. At the pause between the two breaths, you think one. Then you do it again. In the pause, you say two. You see if you can get to ten. Report an error in the passage at 5:45 Highlight the passage at 5:45

6:26 It helps to develop concentration. It helps to keep your mind from wandering. So we can do that a little bit and that will help us to cut the extraneous thoughts that we might have and it's a good practice for us to become more familiar with calming our mind and getting our wild monkey mind which wanders everywhere in check. Report an error in the passage at 6:26 Highlight the passage at 6:26

6:58 So we'll do that for a little while and then we'll do our motivation. Report an error in the passage at 6:58 Highlight the passage at 6:58

7:08 If you do get to 10, great. It doesn't always happen. In that case, just start a little exercise. Report an error in the passage at 7:08 Highlight the passage at 7:08

· · · silence, 4 minutes

11:13 Especially with all the traffic and the piano and everything. It adds a whole other layer to the concentration practice. If we think of it like we're driving down the freeway and we have lanes on the two sides of us and we want to stay in our lane, so there may be cars that are flying by us on the sides that we may kind of have a little bit of some little awareness of, but they just keep going. Report an error in the passage at 11:13 Highlight the passage at 11:13

11:47 And what we want to do is we want to make sure that we're driving in our lane because if we start going out of our lane, So if we go towards the cars that are flying by, we don't want to attach to them. That's a crash. So it's like that. And so we're constantly, if we see, we're drifting over into the next door house and, you know, thinking, let's see, I wonder how many people might be counting their breaths in rhythm with the dun, dun, dun. Report an error in the passage at 11:47 Highlight the passage at 11:47

12:21 Oh, that's kind of fast. Things like that. You just steer back and get back in your lane. So you want to avoid that veering off and actually making contact and attaching to those things as they're whizzing by. So I thought, you know, just for like, since we do kind of a little settling meditation to start, Report an error in the passage at 12:21 Highlight the passage at 12:21

12:53 In different weeks we can try different things and this way you can get a little idea of different, you know like the counting, this one you just count on the XLC and Report an error in the passage at 12:53 Highlight the passage at 12:53

13:10 you don't kind of hold it a little softly to yourself. The idea is to like watch the breath and then just count at the base of the breath. It helps to develop a concentration. That's one that Gyalad taught us all the time ago. But anyway, so we'll read Bodhicitta and the Four Immeasurables. It's on page, I think it's nine. In my book, it's opposite page eight, so it's not numbered, but I will call it nine. Report an error in the passage at 13:10 Highlight the passage at 13:10

13:55 It's called Sunday Morning Service Prayers, and it's the first two. I go for refuge until enlightenment to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. By the merits I create through listening to the Dharma, may I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. go for refuge until enlightenment to the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Supreme Assembly. By the merits I create through listening to the Dharma, may I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. Report an error in the passage at 13:55 Highlight the passage at 13:55

14:30 I go for refuge until enlightenment to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. By the merits I create through listening to the Dharma, may I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings were to abide in equanimity, free from hatred and attachment. May they abide in equanimity. Report an error in the passage at 14:30 Highlight the passage at 14:30

14:54 I myself will cause them to abide in equanimity. Please, Guru Buddha, bless me to be able to do this. How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings had happiness and the causes of happiness. May they have happiness and its causes. I myself will cause them to have these. Please, Guru Buddha, bless me to be able to do this. Report an error in the passage at 14:54 Highlight the passage at 14:54

15:20 How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings were free from suffering and its causes. May they be free from suffering and its cause. I myself will cause them to be free from suffering and its cause. Please Guru Buddha bless me to be able to do this. How wonderful it would be if all sentient beings were never separated from the happiness of higher rebirth and liberation. May they never be separated from these. Report an error in the passage at 15:20 Highlight the passage at 15:20

15:50 I myself will cause them never to be separated from these. Please Guru Buddha. Bless me to be able to do this. So if you give a chance, just entertain the first lines. That's why I like this particular version, how wonderful it would be if all sentient beings had happiness and the causes of happiness. Report an error in the passage at 15:50 Highlight the passage at 15:50

16:16 And think of the implications if that was the case, if that was true, if we were able to do that. I mean, it's just amazing. Report an error in the passage at 16:16 Highlight the passage at 16:16

16:27 Really good job. Good prayer. One that you can spend a lot of time meditating on if you wanted to. But anyway, so how did it go? We had a couple people that I emailed to and there's a number of people that weren't able to make it tonight. Tammy was up in Portland, or no, actually Eugene at a college applying for an assistant professorship or something like that. Report an error in the passage at 16:27 Highlight the passage at 16:27

16:58 So think, yeah. She wasn't sure if she was going to be able to make it either. But I hope I didn't scare anybody off by saying memorize. So I'm going to send out an email and say, well, even if you don't want to, come anyway. Report an error in the passage at 16:58 Highlight the passage at 16:58

17:14 It's like, because it's like, I mean, even from my memory is just horrible now. And, you know, I just, I'm not the type of person to ever like to memorize. Even when I was in school learning multiplications, I just, you know, kind of. Didn't like the idea I had to memorize something. And so it was really hard for me to do it. Report an error in the passage at 17:14 Highlight the passage at 17:14

17:42 But I tried. So I figured at least if I was going to give you homework, I should do it myself too. Report an error in the passage at 17:42 Highlight the passage at 17:42

17:52 Anyway, so how did it go last week? Were people able to work with... Some of the thoughts in the meditation or in the verses and any Report an error in the passage at 17:52 Highlight the passage at 17:52

18:09 walking around stuff. Report an error in the passage at 18:09 Highlight the passage at 18:09

18:24 Great, great. Report an error in the passage at 18:24 Highlight the passage at 18:24

18:38 See, that's exactly what we need to do. It's like when we're in those situations. not any more important than mine. Report an error in the passage at 18:38 Highlight the passage at 18:38

18:44 Start, you Start putting some part of it into practice. I was doing an errand and I was walking around and I thought, oh, let's see, all these people are supposed to be so dear. So I'd look at somebody and I'd say, Okay, so now why is that person so dear? You know, and it's like I actually had to think about it for a while because I looked at them and I thought, oh, they don't seem too dear? Report an error in the passage at 18:44 Highlight the passage at 18:44

19:26 They don't seem too dear, I don't know. But I mean, you know, it's like, you know, working with the ideas, you know, I mean, it's like, it's on the basis of every single... Sentient beings, whether we know them, we just pass them in the street, it's on the basis of all of these beings, first, that we can develop bodhicitta, and with the help of the ones that are particularly annoying, even more, which will come up later in the verses. Report an error in the passage at 19:26 Highlight the passage at 19:26

20:03 So even just walking around and looking, and so as I looked at the people, I thought, this person is precious. um... Report an error in the passage at 20:03 Highlight the passage at 20:03

20:11 This person is a really precious person. And then pretty soon I could feel like, you know, instead of just trying to think, oh, well, I don't know, it's like my, you know, my heart kind of started to like open up a little bit and it was like a little more spacious and, you know, it's like a little more closeness, that kind of thing. Report an error in the passage at 20:11 Highlight the passage at 20:11

20:37 So it's something, you know, if you think about it, you can do it anytime. Any time at all. Is there anybody else? Report an error in the passage at 20:37 Highlight the passage at 20:37

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21:48 Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 21:48 Highlight the passage at 21:48

21:58 Well, I mean, yeah, when you look at the list that we have, if you look, I mean, every bad feeling, everything negative, all the negative actions that happen, whether they're thoughts like feeling depressed or feeling low or, you know, whatever it is. All come from self-cherishing, which is totally the opposite. That's why this one is kind of like at the end of the teaching, you know, going through a whole series of teachings first, and it's totally the opposite of how we were raised or how we taught. Report an error in the passage at 21:58 Highlight the passage at 21:58

22:44 It's just a whole different idea, and so it's really pretty radical. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 22:44 Highlight the passage at 22:44

22:57 Oh, good. Yay. We're going to all say it together. We're all going to say it together later. Report an error in the passage at 22:57 Highlight the passage at 22:57

23:23 Yeah, yeah. It's a momentous, huge, huge job. So I think, you know, as beginners in Dharma and looking at these ideas, it's good to start kind of smaller. And kind of work our way up. Report an error in the passage at 23:23 Highlight the passage at 23:23

23:49 It's like we were talking about last time about all, all beings, you know, all beings like not even on this earth. Beings are in other universes and in other realms. And, you know, it's like, holy cow, I can't even conceive of all the beings on earth, let alone going way, way farther than that. So, yeah, it is almost overwhelming. Report an error in the passage at 23:49 Highlight the passage at 23:49

24:17 At first. So we have to just try to start small with, you know, people that you know or maybe your neighborhood. Things like people you see in the restaurant or things like that. Report an error in the passage at 24:17 Highlight the passage at 24:17

24:51 What PDF? Report an error in the passage at 24:51 Highlight the passage at 24:51

25:00 Oh, oh. Oh, well, you know, that's a really good one. Yeah, no, those I put in there. There are some verses in the Guru Puja that I might type up and use for the class that we can recite together because a lot of these are really good to remember. Report an error in the passage at 25:00 Highlight the passage at 25:00

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26:12 Well, I mean, but they do say that, and that's true, that's true. It's like we all want, what we're doing is we want to try to do whatever it takes to make ourselves happy. But they do say that, you know, through these practices. It doesn't mean that we're supposed to suffer. If there's a way to remedy a problem that we have, like they say, take on all the problems into the past. Report an error in the passage at 26:12 Highlight the passage at 26:12

26:39 Well, I mean, if you have a headache, okay, you can use it. You can do Tomlin. You can think, oh boy, this is great. My past karma from killing is ending. Oh, just think how it would be, how much more suffering it would be if I was in a hell realm and my head was being crushed between a couple of mountains, you know, and totally pulverized, way worse than this little headache I have. Report an error in the passage at 26:39 Highlight the passage at 26:39

27:06 So you could say, wow, this is really great. But then you go to the medicine cabinet and get the Tylenols or the aspirin or something, you know, because you can't remedy it and you don't have to sit and suffer. Report an error in the passage at 27:06 Highlight the passage at 27:06

27:23 So if your pants leg got to the point where you would be falling over onto your face, then I'd say fix it. Otherwise, it's like all these little things that we find a way to either distract ourselves or to be dissatisfied, and then our minds will grab onto it. So your pants leg wasn't too bad, but your mind grabbed onto the pants leg. So instead of being up here doing your movement, you were down in your pants leg. Report an error in the passage at 27:23 Highlight the passage at 27:23

27:51 And being more annoyed than you needed to be. So that's a great observation. Report an error in the passage at 27:51 Highlight the passage at 27:51

28:10 Did you correct my spelling mistakes and things like that? I made one on the meditation. There was a spell check. Wow! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 28:10 Highlight the passage at 28:10

28:06 else? Report an error in the passage at 28:06 Highlight the passage at 28:06

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29:09 Yeah, yeah. That's a really good way to work with the class materials is to go over it. I mean, just transcribing it and then contemplating all those points. I mean, that's really good. A really good way to work with it. Report an error in the passage at 29:09 Highlight the passage at 29:09

29:35 So let's, for anybody that remembers the verse, I have it here too, so I can close it and see if I can remember it. I have to say it really slow, but we can say the verse together. We'll just review it very quickly and then we'll go on to the second verse. Report an error in the passage at 29:35 Highlight the passage at 29:35

29:56 So, with a determination to achieve the highest aim for the benefit of all sentient beings. Which surpass even the wish-fulfilling gem, I shall hold them dear at all times. Report an error in the passage at 29:56 Highlight the passage at 29:56

30:19 Because there are so many versions and I read all of them any number of times and it's like to try to get, I kept saying wish-fulfilling jewel instead of gem before. Anyway, so the key features of the verse basically are all, which means all. So that's not just friends or people that are nice to us. So no one is left out. And it's like the people that actually hurt us, the people we perceive as our enemies and all of those people that we haven't even conceived of yet. Report an error in the passage at 30:19 Highlight the passage at 30:19

30:59 So all is just all. Highest aim? The highest aim would be either the wish to achieve enlightenment. For the benefit of others and enlightenment itself. Those are both can be considered the highest aim. Report an error in the passage at 30:59 Highlight the passage at 30:59

31:24 And wish-fulfilling gem, that's simply a gem or a jewel that can bring someone who has it in their possession all of the worldly desires that they could want. Report an error in the passage at 31:24 Highlight the passage at 31:24

31:42 But it can't bring... Enlightenment, it can't help them on the path, it's just strictly worldly. So, you know, it makes sense then that the highest aim which will bring us to enlightenment is going to far surpass anything that just brings us worldly happiness or worldly desires because those are really from our classes. Report an error in the passage at 31:42 Highlight the passage at 31:42

32:10 Sensara Nirvāṇa, you know, are just really... and they just it's a very temporal happiness, it doesn't really last. it's contaminated it comes from afflicted mind. Report an error in the passage at 32:10 Highlight the passage at 32:10

32:33 Anyway, and so, which, then Which surpasses even the wish-fulfilling gem? That one we can understand that sentient beings. We surpassed the wish fulfilling gem because on the basis of sentient beings they are essential for us to achieve bodhicitta and to attain enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 32:33 Highlight the passage at 32:33

32:58 And even when we are a Buddha, the object of a Buddha is sentient beings, benefiting all sentient beings. So even when we reach enlightenment sentient beings are still, you know. It's extremely, extremely important to surpass the wish-fulfilling gem because they take us there, they're the focus even at the end. Report an error in the passage at 32:58 Highlight the passage at 32:58

33:25 So we need them all through the whole path. Also bodhicitta, that's the mind that could be surpasses the wish-fulfilling gem, could surpass bodhicitta because the highest aim could be any of these bodhicitta, bodhut. The sentient beings could be more precious than the wish-for-filling jam. Bodhicitta is more precious than the wish-for-filling jam because it gets us out of saṃsāra. Report an error in the passage at 33:25 Highlight the passage at 33:25

33:59 And then Buddhahood itself. Report an error in the passage at 33:59 Highlight the passage at 33:59

34:05 Or it could be all of the above. You could think of it in all of those ways. You could read into it all of those things and hold them as dear. So we need to remember to see beings as lovable and appealing, precious and dear. It's what we were learning in the bodhicitta class and what Gesala and all of our teachers talk about. Report an error in the passage at 34:05 Highlight the passage at 34:05

34:36 It counteracts, this verse counteracts anger and hostility and relates to the practice of patience because you see them dear and you hold them as being very precious. Report an error in the passage at 34:36 Highlight the passage at 34:36

34:53 And holding them that way prevents us from treating them in a negative way or thinking of them as others as unimportant. I should say they, as others as unimportant. Because they're extremely important. Our bodhicitta is based on it. And that's the first step we need to try to achieve is that bodhicitta and developing bodhicitta. Report an error in the passage at 34:53 Highlight the passage at 34:53

35:20 And then after we develop bodhicitta... They're really important because we practice the six perfections, at least the first of the six perfections, based on sentient beings. Report an error in the passage at 35:20 Highlight the passage at 35:20

35:35 And even the motivation to practice the last two perfections, all our entire motivation to even engage in it, is on the basis of sentient beings. Report an error in the passage at 35:35 Highlight the passage at 35:35

35:46 So they're very precious and very dear, and so you need to get that real feeling for that. Right now it's just kind of like words when I look at somebody and go, yep, maybe. Report an error in the passage at 35:46 Highlight the passage at 35:46

36:02 Not quite that bad, but close. I certainly don't have bodhicitta yet. It's a work in progress. Report an error in the passage at 36:02 Highlight the passage at 36:02

36:15 Yeah, yeah. Okay, so tonight we're going to do verse 2. So I wrote it on the board. It's not to be. go. Report an error in the passage at 36:15 Highlight the passage at 36:15

36:24 And I wrote it because my printing, I wouldn't see it, I think. I don't know if you can see. Can you see it? This is the verse 2, let's see, maybe an angle or straight up and down. Can you see it? I don't know about the bag. It might be kind of hard to see. Whenever I interact with someone, may I view myself as lowest amongst all and from the very depths of my heart. Report an error in the passage at 36:24 Highlight the passage at 36:24

36:55 Respectfully hold others as superior. So what we did in the last class was kind of break up in groups and kind of look at what we could possibly see in that verse that would be a benefit and where we may see possible difficulties or problems with it. Report an error in the passage at 36:55 Highlight the passage at 36:55

37:28 I thought it's easier if we have it written on the board. What I'll do is for the next class I'll type up the version of the verses that I'm using for the class and give it to you so that you'll have it printed. Report an error in the passage at 37:28 Highlight the passage at 37:28

37:48 I didn't want to do it right at the very beginning because I didn't want you to just jump ahead too quick because when you jump ahead too quick it gets really weird down the further you go. Report an error in the passage at 37:48 Highlight the passage at 37:48

38:02 Anyway, so what we could do just like for maybe 10 minutes, break up into a group, try to go into it, maybe talk with people, different people than you did last week and kind of, and try to stay, you know, on the subject. What is the possible benefit of looking at these ideas and what could be possible difficulties and kind of talk. Report an error in the passage at 38:02 Highlight the passage at 38:02

38:31 A little bit about it, but stay on the subject so you get the most out of your little bit of time that we have. And you can share if anybody needs a little refill on war, you can get it. But let's see. Report an error in the passage at 38:31 Highlight the passage at 38:31

38:48 Oh, mine again. Is that right? One, two, three, four. Okay, okay, good. We have three groups of three. So just try to get eight. One, two, three, four, five, six. Oh, eight. Right. Okay. Well, we got two groups of three and one group of two. So try to go talk with somebody that you didn't talk to. It's like I kind of did it for a couple of reasons. One, so that you can be more engaged with the whole idea to start with. Report an error in the passage at 38:48 Highlight the passage at 38:48

39:28 And I thought it would be interesting for you to kind of contemplate it a little bit on your own before we did. Talking about it. Because the first ideas that come up in your mind now are probably going to be the ones that will come up again during the week anyway. Report an error in the passage at 39:28 Highlight the passage at 39:28

39:47 So I think it will work out. And this way it's nice for people to be able to kind of interact a little more on a Dharma level with each other and kind of engage in a little bit of these conversations. It always, to me, makes it feel a little bit closer in the class. Report an error in the passage at 39:47 Highlight the passage at 39:47

40:09 So go ahead, we'll take 10 minutes and then you can have a spokesperson who can just kind of give us a quick benefit and a difficult day. Report an error in the passage at 40:09 Highlight the passage at 40:09

40:49 Oh, well, we can have, well, you know what? We can have four groups of two. I mean, it's okay. And that way you can share back and forth. It'll work out. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 40:49 Highlight the passage at 40:49

41:02 That's a little big for 10 minutes. Report an error in the passage at 41:02 Highlight the passage at 41:02

41:32 Try to stay on the topic. I've Report an error in the passage at 41:32 Highlight the passage at 41:32

· · · silence, 8 minutes

49:42 got about maybe another minute or so, so kind of wrap up and kind of, you know, if you agree on difficulties or if you disagree, we can always. it! Report an error in the passage at 49:42 Highlight the passage at 49:42

· · · silence, 8 minutes

49:52 I have a couple of things. Same thing for benefits. A Report an error in the passage at 49:52 Highlight the passage at 49:52

· · · silence, 1 minute

50:50 little musical interlude here. That means everybody come back. It's not entertainment. It just means come back. Report an error in the passage at 50:50 Highlight the passage at 50:50

51:13 No, but the prize is even better than A Wish Pavilion in Germany. It surpasses A Wish Pavilion in Germany. Report an error in the passage at 51:13 Highlight the passage at 51:13

51:26 Okay, so let's see. Well, this group is together. What did you kind of come up with? Did you pretty much agree on the points? Report an error in the passage at 51:26 Highlight the passage at 51:26

52:06 Good question. Report an error in the passage at 52:06 Highlight the passage at 52:06

52:14 How long can you tread water? points? Report an error in the passage at 52:14 Highlight the passage at 52:14

· · · silence, 1 minute

52:34 Yeah, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 52:34 Highlight the passage at 52:34

· · · silence, 1 minute

53:50 so let's see, a mat or a gauge. Report an error in the passage at 53:50 Highlight the passage at 53:50

· · · silence, 2 minutes

56:09 that's the point. The sandpaper will work better to smooth out the bumps in our heart. than, you know, just petting it. Report an error in the passage at 56:09 Highlight the passage at 56:09

56:27 No, no, we'll talk about that. Report an error in the passage at 56:27 Highlight the passage at 56:27

· · · silence, 1 minute

57:12 Okay. That kind of fits, that part of it. So let's see, Theo or Rich? Yeah. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 57:12 Highlight the passage at 57:12

57:37 But I mean, like, what would be, what would be... For my little, he's the and a half years in the military, and I Report an error in the passage at 57:37 Highlight the passage at 57:37

57:37 you know. Report an error in the passage at 57:37 Highlight the passage at 57:37

57:40 What would be, because I'm afraid I'll run out of time because I got like a whole bunch of notes to go over about the meanings, but the benefit then. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 57:40 Highlight the passage at 57:40

58:14 And then the difficulty with, the possible difficulty with the verse? Difficulty? Report an error in the passage at 58:14 Highlight the passage at 58:14

58:39 So, Russ or Steve? Report an error in the passage at 58:39 Highlight the passage at 58:39

59:10 Oh, that's it. Good line. Report an error in the passage at 59:10 Highlight the passage at 59:10

· · · silence, 1 minute

59:48 I think probably we could look at the Dalai Lama or Lama Zopa Rinpoche or Geshe-la. There are a few around. Report an error in the passage at 59:48 Highlight the passage at 59:48

1:00:03 Just in Report an error in the passage at 1:00:03 Highlight the passage at 1:00:03

1:00:18 secret. That's why it's a secret teaching. We don't walk around saying, oh, you're so great. No, I'm so low. I'm thinking this way. I'm practicing. You just keep it yourself. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:18 Highlight the passage at 1:00:18

1:00:37 Yeah, yeah. And so something that you think that, you know, looking at diversity, that would benefit? Report an error in the passage at 1:00:37 Highlight the passage at 1:00:37

1:00:50 That would be a benefit or did I lose it? Report an error in the passage at 1:00:50 Highlight the passage at 1:00:50

1:01:04 Yeah, yeah. A benefit, a benefit. It's because I got the difficulties, the whenever and lower and higher and lower and superior. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:04 Highlight the passage at 1:01:04

1:01:17 I mean, could you see like, like... Looking at the verse and seeing where you can pull out a benefit by contemplating or looking at this. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:17 Highlight the passage at 1:01:17

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:02:00 So all of this stuff is really good. This is exactly what... comes up when you think about it it's like lowest amongst all of all here we are with all again Report an error in the passage at 1:02:00 Highlight the passage at 1:02:00

1:02:18 Anyway, um... Report an error in the passage at 1:02:18 Highlight the passage at 1:02:18

1:02:31 The first thing I put on the list to go over kind of address this lowest superior thing. and in the West, because of... The strong Quaker and Christian backgrounds that just kind of moved into this country with the people and that followed all the way through to now, Report an error in the passage at 1:02:31 Highlight the passage at 1:02:31

1:03:05 we generally kind of have this guilt, built-in guilt, which doesn't show up in a lot of other cultures. You know, low self-esteem and guilt is kind of like almost everybody has a certain amount to some extent. And so that, you know, for our Western minds, that really kind of jams right into that and go, no, I'm sorry. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:05 Highlight the passage at 1:03:05

1:03:38 I already feel bad enough and I'm not going to go any lower. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:38 Highlight the passage at 1:03:38

1:03:46 So this is not what we're talking about here. And so we have to start looking at, you know, first from the Western point of view, kind of like how we feel and that kind of thing. But first of all, it's not to be interpreted as being worthless. It doesn't mean that we're worthless. And it's not at all intended to support low self-esteem. And so it's also not talking about depression or inferiority complex. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:46 Highlight the passage at 1:03:46

1:04:28 If I was lower, you know, I'd be really depressed. You have an inferiority complex, low self-esteem. So from the worldly point of view, holding the self lower could be an unhealthy attitude. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:28 Highlight the passage at 1:04:28

1:04:45 It's kind of like what you were saying and it probably came up in a lot of conversations. It could be unhealthy to try and hold yourself lower. Depression and low self-esteem or an inferiority complex, this is from Lama Zopa, is called the pride of inferiority. So inferiority or low self-esteem is just inverted pride. It's just backwards. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:45 Highlight the passage at 1:04:45

1:05:22 So pride of inferiority wants to be important and wants to be recognized and feels depressed and worthless in relationship to others. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:22 Highlight the passage at 1:05:22

1:05:36 Yeah, see ya. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:36 Highlight the passage at 1:05:36

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:06:38 Kind of what is getting at this. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:38 Highlight the passage at 1:06:38

1:06:55 Each one would say they were. Each one would say they were. This is why we call it mind training. It's training our minds. It's not something that we're going to let go. We're going to stack up everybody and this one's up here and this one's down here. This is to work with our minds. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:55 Highlight the passage at 1:06:55

1:07:24 It's a part of this one. Let me continue with this or we'll never even get through. It shouldn't be misconstrued as a way of neglecting ourselves, which is also something that you said about taking care of yourself, ignoring your needs. You don't ignore... Your own needs or feel like that we're hopeless. So it shouldn't be in any way indicating that we need to neglect ourselves. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:24 Highlight the passage at 1:07:24

1:07:56 And so what it really is, is the direct antidote to pride. And when I say pride throughout the class or any of the other afflictions, it's always like, especially with pride, it's afflicted pride. Because there is a form of pride that isn't afflicted. It's more like a confidence and like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:56 Highlight the passage at 1:07:56

1:08:29 It's a self-insured confidence. But it helps us develop genuine humility. So the Dalai Lama is such a perfect example for Lama Tsongkhapa too. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:29 Highlight the passage at 1:08:29

1:08:50 Because they kind of... Show these things a little more externally. Geshe-la to me is more like a rock. He's just solid and it's like nothing phases him. You don't see. But mentally, he follows all of these things. But the Dalai Lama, you can see, he's just so humble. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:50 Highlight the passage at 1:08:50

1:09:19 There's stories of... Great, great teachers who may teach thousands and thousands of students in Tibet during the ancient times. One of them went, he used to like to go off and do retreat and go up in the mountains and he'd wander around and sometimes he'd stay at people's houses. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:19 Highlight the passage at 1:09:19

1:09:42 He would do little jobs around the house in exchange for a place to stay and some food and stuff like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:42 Highlight the passage at 1:09:42

1:09:51 He was staying at this one house and he was emptying this old lady's toilet pot. That was one of the things he was doing. Here he is, a great master, thousands of students emptying the little toilet pot for the lady. So one of the students came and happened to find him and say, oh, and I can't remember his name, but oh, so-and-so Rinpoche. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:51 Highlight the passage at 1:09:51

1:10:15 And the lady said, oh, he was having to be out emptying her. She was so embarrassed that she ran away because she thought it was so horrible because here's this really high person, really somebody in a superior position, being totally humble and gracious and doing whatever they could to be able to help somebody. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:15 Highlight the passage at 1:10:15

1:10:47 Without any thought about it, without any problem. So I can't go empty toilet pots. That's not my job. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:47 Highlight the passage at 1:10:47

1:11:03 You know, so things like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:03 Highlight the passage at 1:11:03

1:11:11 Yeah, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:11 Highlight the passage at 1:11:11

1:11:16 Oh, I know, I know he always does that, you know. It's amazing, you know. I may have a little bit of knowledge. I have a little bit of insight into what this wisdom thing is, but let me try to explain as best I can. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:16 Highlight the passage at 1:11:16

1:11:40 Anyway, so it's an antidote to pride and it helps us to develop genuine humility. How many times do you think, oh, I'm smarter or more intelligent, I'm stronger, I have more resources, I'm wealthy, I'm more attractive, I'm better qualified, you know, especially looking for a job. Oh, I'm better qualified than them. How did they get the promotion? You know, all that kind of thing. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:40 Highlight the passage at 1:11:40

1:12:11 So, you know, based on all of these kind of thoughts that arise, probably... I don't know. I don't know. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:11 Highlight the passage at 1:12:11

1:12:15 You know, a bunch of times during the day without us having to even, probably a lot of times we don't even notice they're so habitual, all of the judgments, I'm this and I'm that. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:15 Highlight the passage at 1:12:15

1:12:29 I like to think that I'm really smart. It's really a cover up for feeling kind of dumb. You know? that, huh? Report an error in the passage at 1:12:29 Highlight the passage at 1:12:29

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:13:19 Yeah, yeah, it does kind of, it relates, actually it relates to both. Right at the end we'll kind of stick them together. But, yeah, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:19 Highlight the passage at 1:13:19

1:13:31 So, so we can develop haughtiness and pride when we're helping others. So if we, we see, like we have the homeless people or we're doing a soup kitchen, we're helping out, you know, you can. Develop like a kind of a puffed up attitude thinking that you're better than all these other people. So the verse is here to kind of destroy that self-cherishing and that afflicted mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:31 Highlight the passage at 1:13:31

1:14:01 So basically we can look at the verse in two ways. One is just thinking of the advantages of helping others and the disadvantages of thinking of ourselves. So if you think of exchanging self with others, where you put others as more important, then your needs become lower and their needs become superior. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:01 Highlight the passage at 1:14:01

1:14:27 So you can think of it like that, kind of letting it, you know, in terms of, you know, making them happy, their happiness is more important than your happiness. So there's this kind of a... hierarchy in that in that sense Higher and lower, more superior. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:27 Highlight the passage at 1:14:27

1:14:49 So in terms of developing the wish to exchange self and others and actually exchanging self and others and diminishing self-cherishing, this verse will help. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:49 Highlight the passage at 1:14:49

1:15:18 To understand it is a little more literal. You don't like the literal one. But yeah, it kind of like when you think of it literally, it's like, oh, no, I don't think so. But in the Western psychological context, it looks like it could be reinforcing low self-esteem, but that's not the purpose. The intention is really to develop humility and to overcome arrogance and pride. And this is a mind training. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:18 Highlight the passage at 1:15:18

1:16:00 It's something we do just with ourselves. So it doesn't really, it shouldn't be really showing a lot on the outside except that we become kinder, you know, more loving, more compassionate. more compassionate, humble, the whole world gets better actually. It just works that way. You can't help it. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:00 Highlight the passage at 1:16:00

1:16:32 So the verse itself, someone, so let's see, we have in the first line, whenever I interact with someone, so the someone includes people that are higher than us, like our teachers. People that are equal to us, like fellow Dharma students, like all of us. And people that are inferior, that we look at or think of as inferior to us. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:32 Highlight the passage at 1:16:32

1:17:05 It may be, you know, the homeless person or the ant or the supply or whoever it might be. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:05 Highlight the passage at 1:17:05

1:17:17 And so whenever I interact with someone, so this means... We're really taking these ideas to the street because if we're just sitting at home, we're not really interacting. Now we can contemplate these things, but we really need to start working with it. So this is the kind of thing like for people that don't have the time to sit down and do a formal practice or meditation, can do any time, all the time, or when you remember to start with. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:17 Highlight the passage at 1:17:17

1:17:56 Whenever I interact with someone. So that always means that in any interaction there's always a chance for non-virtual. There's always a danger of engaging in something that may be harmful or not beneficial. And so by holding a self-cherishing mind we can get annoyed, angry. Pride or attachment can come up and any of these can cause us to treat others badly. So if we try to change that to cherish others, it automatically kind of begins to put the brakes on that bad behavior. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:56 Highlight the passage at 1:17:56

1:18:53 And when we think of ourselves as lower, it's like... If you think like, well let's say Geshe-la just said something that just didn't hit you exactly right, maybe you got a little upset, you're not going to go yell at him. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:53 Highlight the passage at 1:18:53

1:19:06 But maybe your co-worker says some little thing that might make you a little bit upset and you'll snap back or your partner or kids or somebody and you'll snap back right away. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:06 Highlight the passage at 1:19:06

1:19:25 That's because we see Geshe-la as being supreme and we're lower. The other way is switched. We're the supreme one and the person who said whatever it is that annoyed us is lower and so we might snap. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:25 Highlight the passage at 1:19:25

1:19:45 So it's like maybe it could be almost the same thing. Does that make sense? How it could work? So as we entertain the idea and as we try, as we elevate just in our own minds, it may not be exactly how it is, but in our own minds, We start to see other people's qualities. We see them, you know, in different, of different light. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:45 Highlight the passage at 1:19:45

1:20:12 It helps us to put the brakes on our negative behavior. So in the long run, it's helping us. It's helping them and it's helping us. It's helping them because we're not being a cooperative cause. We don't cause anything for someone else, but we do have, we can be a cooperative cause in suffering. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:12 Highlight the passage at 1:20:12

1:20:41 So anyway, so then may I view myself as the lowest amongst all. So we talked about two ways to look at that at the beginning. One is, you know, in the sense of if I... Cherish others more than I cherish myself. Their needs are up here and mine are down here. So my needs are lower than their needs. Let's take care of them right now. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:41 Highlight the passage at 1:20:41

1:21:12 Or the other way is to diminish pride. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:12 Highlight the passage at 1:21:12

1:21:25 So in mind and mental factors, one of the definitions of pride is a mental factor. All right. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:25 Highlight the passage at 1:21:25

1:21:34 That depends on the view of the transitory collection as a real eye. And this is really the part that describes it completely. Has the aspect of a puffing up of the mind upon observing one's own wealth, qualities, youth and so forth. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:34 Highlight the passage at 1:21:34

1:21:58 And its function is to act as a support for disrespect and suffering. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:58 Highlight the passage at 1:21:58

1:22:06 So this view of the transitory collection, we're not going to go into it right now, I don't know, maybe we will after at some point, but basically it just means that we misunderstand the true nature of ourselves, of everything. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:06 Highlight the passage at 1:22:06

1:22:26 We hold transitory collection, in the collection we have all these aggregates, five aggregates you've probably heard, yeah. Mind and body together. It's like a collection. It's transitory because it's constantly changing and comes and goes. We hold this as something really solid, inherent, and this is what they call our ignorance. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:26 Highlight the passage at 1:22:26

1:22:51 That's the basis or the thing that kind of is the basis for all of the other afflicted. Emotions, afflictions, and everything. So that's why they put that in. So it's just a puffing up of the mind on the basis of something. And so actually when you look in the mind and mental factors class, they actually list seven types of pride. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:51 Highlight the passage at 1:22:51

1:23:22 So we don't need to go into it now. As long as you know that there's pride. What it just shows is how as we... Start to study and then we start doing different classes like maybe Geshe-la or someone will do a Mind and Mental Factors class and we go to it. You start to see how everything begins to fit together and all of the different things that we learn can help to support each other and make them clearer and make them clearer. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:22 Highlight the passage at 1:23:22

1:23:56 So right now all we need to do is think about pride and arrogance. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:56 Highlight the passage at 1:23:56

1:24:02 So why is pride detrimental? So I took, I actually just made the list mostly from Geshe Chekawa's, it's called the Commentary on the Eight Verses of Mind Training by Geshe Chekawa. And he was the one that wrote the seven verses of mind training. He was one of the students. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:02 Highlight the passage at 1:24:02

1:24:32 So the first one is that our cognitive capacities are diminished. So basically we kind of miss words and concepts and sometimes we think we know already so we don't really pay too much attention. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:32 Highlight the passage at 1:24:32

1:24:50 Pride will keep us from listening and practicing the Dharma. Sometimes we will disrespect those who have excellent qualities. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:50 Highlight the passage at 1:24:50

1:25:03 then also... There's often, actually it could be anybody, any person, animal, anybody, that are hidden teachers. And with pride it keeps us from learning from people. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:03 Highlight the passage at 1:25:03

1:25:28 It'll prevent us from seeing others' positive qualities. Because what we do with pride and arrogance is we tend to then look at others' faults. And we build up ourselves with all our qualities. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:28 Highlight the passage at 1:25:28

1:25:49 And so what we should be doing is we should be looking at our own shortcomings instead of looking at others' shortcomings. And that's how pride works. You know, on different levels. There could be very subtle levels and then there's just the real obvious ones. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:49 Highlight the passage at 1:25:49

1:26:10 And so it also makes us unable to live in harmony with others in this life Report an error in the passage at 1:26:10 Highlight the passage at 1:26:10

1:26:20 because everything becomes a competition and we don't want to be knocked off our pedestal. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:20 Highlight the passage at 1:26:20

1:26:35 So then if somebody says something that doesn't meet with our standards that we hold for ourselves and we think we're so great, we can become very combatic. Combatic. Combatic. Combatic. Something. We can fight. We can fight with them, argue, yell, throw a little tantrum, do all those things. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:35 Highlight the passage at 1:26:35

1:27:03 And it prevents us from higher rebirth in future lives. It's the cause for really detrimental consequences in the next life. I took a quote. This was in the commentary. Geshe Chabala wrote, but there was no, the quote is kind of from an unknown source, but he wrote and quoted, Some ignorant ones, owing to the force of their conceit, take birth in the lower realms and in places bereft of leisure. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:03 Highlight the passage at 1:27:03

1:27:43 They take birth as paupers or among the lower castes, and they become blind, weak, or possessed with vile demeanor. So you can tell they wrote a long time ago and he was an Indian because they're talking about caste. But basically it just says, you know, if you're going to be arrogant and you're going to be conceited, you're not going to have a really good life the next time. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:43 Highlight the passage at 1:27:43

1:28:08 And even if you're born as a human, you're going to have lots of problems. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:08 Highlight the passage at 1:28:08

1:28:14 And it prevents us from reaching liberation and enlightenment. So Maitreya in the Mahāyāna Sūtra Lama Kara. He said, a bodhisattva who is conceited remains far away from enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:14 Highlight the passage at 1:28:14

1:28:41 Well, you know, I wondered about that too, but I'm just, this was, you know, I, well, you know, I think in some ways maybe, I thought of that too. I thought, how could it be a conceited bodhisattva? Well, Maitreya said it, so I'm gonna write it down. Let's just kind of think about that. You know, I'm not a bodhisattva, so I can't tell you how that is. You know, Report an error in the passage at 1:28:41 Highlight the passage at 1:28:41

1:29:16 it's kind of beyond me. I didn't figure that one out. I kind of contemplated it for quite a while, but he said, Report an error in the passage at 1:29:16 Highlight the passage at 1:29:16

1:29:29 yeah, like, oh, look at me, I'm a bodhisattva now, you know. I care for all of you. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:29 Highlight the passage at 1:29:29

1:29:38 I really care about all of you. I'm just like so wonderful now I can't stand myself. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:38 Highlight the passage at 1:29:38

1:29:47 Anyway, that's the idea, that's the idea. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:47 Highlight the passage at 1:29:47

1:30:03 Seeing about qualities, that was the next, prevents us from seeing others' positive qualities. Yeah, because I mean with pride, we know how that is. Like I'm really good, but they always mess up. They never do it right. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:03 Highlight the passage at 1:30:03

1:30:40 Oh, they don't know how to do it. Let me show them the right way. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:40 Highlight the passage at 1:30:40

1:30:47 I'll show you the right way. Anyway, so then from the very depths of my heart. Somebody mentioned the depths of the heart. And it is when you can have a really heartfelt feeling. can do that. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:47 Highlight the passage at 1:30:47

1:31:08 But basically what it means is that we have to take these thoughts and we can't just leave them as words. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:08 Highlight the passage at 1:31:08

1:31:21 We can repeat them very nicely and say them very nicely, but we need to embody them. We need to feel them. So this is where you get that heartfelt or from the depths of my heart. It just means that we want to instill in ourselves. Like absolute conviction in these ideas. So that it almost feels like it comes from here. I've experienced like you get an idea and it feels like it's kind of floating around up in the brain. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:21 Highlight the passage at 1:31:21

1:31:53 It's like if you sit and you're doing meditation on loving kindness or love or compassion and all of a sudden it's like you get this. It almost feels like it sinks down into your chest, into your heart. It becomes real. It's like that. So you get this really deep, heartfelt feeling. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:53 Highlight the passage at 1:31:53

1:32:19 So that's just the result of lots of work, hard work and practice. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:19 Highlight the passage at 1:32:19

1:32:27 But that's the goal because that's what's going to help us. It's not just hearing it. So respectfully hold others as superior. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:27 Highlight the passage at 1:32:27

1:32:41 Now I got a whole bunch of notes on that one. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:41 Highlight the passage at 1:32:41

1:32:48 But, you know, pretty much it speaks for itself. We actually want to try to hold, because we hold some people as superior already, and, you know, I don't think it's harmful to us. Like, Gisela is obviously my superior, he's superior to me, you know, and there's other people that we may hold that way. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:48 Highlight the passage at 1:32:48

1:33:17 It doesn't diminish who I am. It doesn't make me feel lowly or bad about myself. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:17 Highlight the passage at 1:33:17

1:33:38 But anyway, so we need to take care. Again, I want to say, I mean, I'll keep saying it over and over. We want to take care not to use that line, respectfully hold others superior, as a way of putting ourselves down. That's absolutely not the point of this at all. But what we do want to do is we want to use it to have genuine humility and self-confidence. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:38 Highlight the passage at 1:33:38

1:34:10 And those are the qualities that will help to lead us to enlightenment. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:10 Highlight the passage at 1:34:10

1:34:18 So we need to be able to see the good qualities in others in order to appreciate their knowledge, work, opinions, skills and to avoid disrespecting them. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:18 Highlight the passage at 1:34:18

1:34:35 So if we can watch, you know, especially like, you know, at work and things like that, you know, sometimes there's kind of like, you know, problems with co-workers. We might not really respect somebody. Maybe it's, you know, I think most of us probably don't have a problem, but there are a lot of people walking down the street and stuff. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:35 Highlight the passage at 1:34:35

1:35:02 They see somebody like a homeless person or somebody looks homeless. Or maybe with difficulties. And they kind of have some disrespect for them. So I think we've all worked enough already with our minds that that doesn't come up too much. But it could. It could in subtle ways. So you have to watch for those little subtleties that may come up. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:02 Highlight the passage at 1:35:02

1:35:32 So Kadampa Geshe said, when we studied Dharma, Don't have the mirror facing the Dharma, the mirror of Dharma facing out. Have the mirror of Dharma facing in to look at ourselves in terms of the shortcomings and the mistakes. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:32 Highlight the passage at 1:35:32

1:35:53 So this will help to keep us from disrespecting others and will help us to appreciate others more. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:53 Highlight the passage at 1:35:53

1:36:05 So instead of looking out for their shortcomings, we want to turn it around. That's kind of what we were saying before. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:05 Highlight the passage at 1:36:05

1:36:17 So, just to reaffirm again, you don't want to develop a low self-esteem. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:17 Highlight the passage at 1:36:17

1:36:33 For example, if you don't, when you look at your own faults, it's not to beat yourself up with or anything like that. The whole point is, if you don't know that you're sick, you're not going to look for a remedy. You're not going to go to the doctor. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:33 Highlight the passage at 1:36:33

1:36:55 So we want to use this as a way to look at ourselves and see where the problems are, see what our mind is doing, so that we can look for the remedy, so we can find a way to cure ourselves in a sense, if you want to say that. So it's not an easy job and it takes a lot of courage. Report an error in the passage at 1:36:55 Highlight the passage at 1:36:55

1:37:24 You know, it's hard sometimes to admit our, you know, to having certain faults. You know, we don't want to admit it to ourselves, let alone let anybody else know about it. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:24 Highlight the passage at 1:37:24

1:37:41 So it takes a lot of courage to do this. And so this courage will increase self-confidence. And the self-confidence will increase our courage. So anytime when we're doing something difficult, you know, like say you're going in the, like when I was little I had to go hike up into the mountain because my father broke a water pipe for the cabins across the road and he was digging in the yard. Report an error in the passage at 1:37:41 Highlight the passage at 1:37:41

1:38:16 Nobody had water and some guy was sitting way up the mountain of the spring ready to drop the pipe in when the pipe was fixed and I was like. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:16 Highlight the passage at 1:38:16

1:38:28 So my job was after they fixed the pipe I had to go up the mountain and tell the guy it's okay to put the pipe back in the water. And I know it's like I was kind of like a little bit afraid. I wasn't sure if I could remember how to get there because I went up with him and I came back. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:28 Highlight the passage at 1:38:28

1:38:55 Kind of far up the mountain when you're only seven. And so, you know, it's like I needed to have a certain amount of courage to just, oh, okay, I'll do it. And like I'm going, oh, man, oh, my God, what if I get lost? But so I kept going. I kept the courage going. And I got a little more, you know, and I could feel like a little more confident. Report an error in the passage at 1:38:55 Highlight the passage at 1:38:55

1:39:19 And, you know, pretty soon I found him. Thank goodness there was a dog up there. I heard him bark and go, oh, go, go to the dog. But, you know, whatever it is, it's like you can see how each one helps to kind of build the other courage and self-confidence. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:19 Highlight the passage at 1:39:19

1:39:39 So like I said, at first it's not easy, but we have to keep on going. We have to keep trying and then it will get easier over time. And so it's also really important to remember that. The afflicted mind and the delusions is not you. So all of this stuff, all this garbage that we're looking at is not who we are. Report an error in the passage at 1:39:39 Highlight the passage at 1:39:39

1:40:07 It's not us. It's simply something that arises and ceases in our mind. If we were proud or if we were angry, it would be there all the time. It isn't. It just comes up. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:07 Highlight the passage at 1:40:07

1:40:30 So they're not a part of the true nature of our mind and so they can be eliminated. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:30 Highlight the passage at 1:40:30

1:40:40 So with these things that are really tough, you know, like I know I would pride myself on being honest. And someone who would accuse me of not being honest, I would just go and become a wacko. Especially if there's somebody close to me. How could you say that to me? What are you talking about? You know, that's like where we think that this is me. This honest person is me. Well, no. Report an error in the passage at 1:40:40 Highlight the passage at 1:40:40

1:41:10 You know, I mean, sometimes I would feel a little bit. You know, Report an error in the passage at 1:41:10 Highlight the passage at 1:41:10

1:41:19 things like that. So we just remember that these, these, know, I'm still there. know, Report an error in the passage at 1:41:19 Highlight the passage at 1:41:19

1:41:24 Things, the afflictions and things that we're working with are not who we are. So if you get too stuck in anything, you're like, just remember, this is not me. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:24 Highlight the passage at 1:41:24

1:41:35 Something that just will come and will go. And sometimes it comes and it stays longer than other times. But it always keeps changing. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:35 Highlight the passage at 1:41:35

1:41:47 Yes, Report an error in the passage at 1:41:47 Highlight the passage at 1:41:47

1:41:52 in bodhicitta tradition, there is what we can call an I. And there's like... We basically label I on this collection of aggregates. In the ordinary sense, there is an I that changes moment to moment, just for ordinary sense. Report an error in the passage at 1:41:52 Highlight the passage at 1:41:52

1:42:20 But there's no independent, inherent I. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:20 Highlight the passage at 1:42:20

1:42:27 like, like, like sometimes. Sometimes some people think, and you can almost feel it yourself sometimes, or I can, that you think almost like there's this master controller eye inside this, that kind of owns this body and mind. There's nothing like that. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:27 Highlight the passage at 1:42:27

1:42:52 So for now, we'll get to that one, because that one we're going to work on, that's actually at the eighth one. And that's why I was thinking it would be nice to have that extra week so that we can work on that eighth line. It'll come up probably again before that, but really looking at the root delusion, the main root delusion, which is this grasping or this view that there is some inherently existing anything. Report an error in the passage at 1:42:52 Highlight the passage at 1:42:52

1:43:26 anything, actually, but the I, you know, since we're talking about, I'll say, inherently existing I, me, this, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:26 Highlight the passage at 1:43:26

1:43:42 You look like you're more confused than before. Probably because I'm more confused than before. But basically, in an ordinary sense, there is a conventional I that does exist. But there's an eye, the way we see ourselves and others that does not exist. So we'll explore all of that more. Report an error in the passage at 1:43:42 Highlight the passage at 1:43:42

1:44:14 And that's our convention. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:14 Highlight the passage at 1:44:14

1:44:19 So, let's see, we were looking at, oh yeah, about holding others as superior. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:19 Highlight the passage at 1:44:19

1:44:30 Normally we give in to, and this is I mentioned before, we give in to emotions, you know, anger, hatred, crime attachment, greed, and we do it without any restraint. We just go through our lives and mood strikes us, there it is. So, you know, all of these emotions that we get involved in. Often we're oblivious to the impact that it has on other beings. And so when we deliberately kind of work with the thought of regarding others as superior and worthy of reverence, then we provide ourselves with a restraining factor. Report an error in the passage at 1:44:30 Highlight the passage at 1:44:30

1:45:20 It kind of helps us to put on the brakes, or at least to begin to put on the brakes. And this is kind of like what I said about the difference between how we might react to Geshe-la or somebody that we hold above us and how we might react to somebody that we think is lower than us. It kind of puts the brakes on those afflicted states. So then how do we see ourselves as lower? Report an error in the passage at 1:45:20 Highlight the passage at 1:45:20

1:45:59 So there's a whole exercise. But I'm going to read this one because the Dalai Lama, this is from, he says, the Dalai Lama says we need to understand it first just in relative terms. Report an error in the passage at 1:45:59 Highlight the passage at 1:45:59

1:46:15 And an example of how we might see ourselves lower. And this comes from Training the Mind. It's a book by the Dalai Lama. I'll just read it. It says, Humans are generally superior to animals because they have the ability to judge between right and wrong and to think in terms of future and so on. However, one could argue that in other respects humans are inferior to animals. For example, animals may not have the ability to judge between right and wrong in a moral sense and they Might not have the ability to see the long-term consequences of their actions. But within the animal realm, there's at least a sense of order. Report an error in the passage at 1:46:15 Highlight the passage at 1:46:15

1:47:08 So if you look at the African savanna, for example, predators prey on animals only out of necessity when they're hungry. When they are not hungry, they'll coexist quietly and peaceful. But we, as human beings... Despite our ability to judge between right and wrong, sometimes act out of pure greed. Sometimes we engage in actions purely out of indulgence or we kill out of a sense of sport, say when we go hunting or fishing. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:08 Highlight the passage at 1:47:08

1:47:44 So in a sense, one could argue that human beings have proven to be inferior to animals. Does that make sense? So this is one way to kind of look at it. I was reading something in India and it was like, this is an example, kind of an example that was attributed, it was unnamed, it just said Indian yogi. Report an error in the passage at 1:47:44 Highlight the passage at 1:47:44

1:48:15 Oh human, you worry about tiny insects or ants in a forest. At home you spend money on canisters of repellents. You get into mosquito nets fearing tiny mosquitoes. In your illusions, you cry out loud as being powerful because you're capable of making atom bombs. Why are you so proud when you're actually helpless in many ways? Report an error in the passage at 1:48:15 Highlight the passage at 1:48:15

1:48:40 So I thought, wow, that was like kind of... You know, we think of ourselves as so strong. Powerful and capable because we can do all these amazing things like what he said. We can make an atom bomb and we're afraid of a mosquito. Report an error in the passage at 1:48:40 Highlight the passage at 1:48:40

1:49:05 So we think we're superior and strong but still we're afraid of a little bug. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:05 Highlight the passage at 1:49:05

1:49:19 I was going to try to have some time, but we're running out of time to discuss and think of examples. So maybe we can do that at the beginning of the class next time. Like, for example, you can think like, you know, you see yourself, like sometimes without even thinking, you see yourself higher than maybe the homeless person on the street or more superior because you have a job. Report an error in the passage at 1:49:19 Highlight the passage at 1:49:19

1:49:47 They're just on the street. But then, you know, if you think, try to look at the qualities that they may possess or have that you don't have. Like, I don't know that I'd be able to really survive on the street very well at all. You know, Report an error in the passage at 1:49:47 Highlight the passage at 1:49:47

1:50:08 that's a really, it's almost like a skill. It takes a certain amount of skill to be able to survive, you know, to find. you know, probably good, you know, it's like, you know, Report an error in the passage at 1:50:08 Highlight the passage at 1:50:08

1:50:16 Whatever they need. I'm not sure what I'd even do. I'd be totally lost. So in that way, with the survival skills, even just on the street, is way superior to me. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:16 Highlight the passage at 1:50:16

1:50:40 It's almost beyond me to even be able to try to figure out how to do all this stuff. I'm sure if I had to, maybe I would. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:40 Highlight the passage at 1:50:40

1:50:50 It's always just like one way, something like that. Or you can think like how an ant will work so harmoniously with all of the rest of its family of ants and how hard they can work and how much they can carry compared to their little bodies. Way more than I could do. Way more. Report an error in the passage at 1:50:50 Highlight the passage at 1:50:50

1:51:21 So that's kind of like the idea. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:21 Highlight the passage at 1:51:21

1:51:26 So the antidotes to pride, and what I can do is I can send you this list of antidotes because it's kind of included in the meditation, but I didn't give it to you. And this way if you missed the notes you can get the list. But the antidotes to pride is to meditate on the disadvantages of pride. And maybe I'll send you that part too. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:26 Highlight the passage at 1:51:26

1:51:55 Also examine how pride is in your life, how it's been operating, what you tend to be proud of, how it feels in your body and mind, the kind of things that you say or do when you feel proud. Report an error in the passage at 1:51:55 Highlight the passage at 1:51:55

1:52:26 And then you can also how it feels, how... How do you feel about others when you feel proud? Report an error in the passage at 1:52:26 Highlight the passage at 1:52:26

1:52:42 So you can examine all of those things. Examine the wisdom for good qualities of others. So I've been using Geshe-la as an example a lot. I put him in the notes. You can think about how much knowledge other people have, like Geshe-la, how many texts he's memorized and how much. Report an error in the passage at 1:52:42 Highlight the passage at 1:52:42

1:53:12 He knows and how little that we know. One of the things, I mean, it was totally humbling, was studying for the BP exam, which kind of covers about nine years of classes from Geshevan. It's a whole bunch of different topics, you know. A basic program. But, um... Report an error in the passage at 1:53:12 Highlight the passage at 1:53:12

1:53:44 You know, I thought, well, you know, I knew a certain amount and I thought, well, I think I can probably, boy, when I started looking at the questions, the review questions and started studying, I was like, I don't know, fiddlies, uh-uh, gee. I thought, holy cow, talk about a humbling experience. You know, I thought I knew something. Oh, like, you couldn't even. Report an error in the passage at 1:53:44 Highlight the passage at 1:53:44

1:54:13 I couldn't find it, smaller than the tip of a pin, the pointy part, not the head, compared to the vastness of the teachings. It was amazing to do it, but it was the most humbling thing I think I did in my dharma life. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:13 Highlight the passage at 1:54:13

1:54:43 you know, so we can... I'm going to do it like that. Examine Examine how everything that you know was taught to you by someone else. Somebody taught you to use the toilet and how to tie your shoes and how to contemplate complex ideas. Report an error in the passage at 1:54:43 Highlight the passage at 1:54:43

1:55:11 Everything was taught to us how to read. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:11 Highlight the passage at 1:55:11

1:55:20 And most all that we're repeating is just what we've learned from someone else. I mean, I didn't make up these words. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:20 Highlight the passage at 1:55:20

1:55:36 So then, so if that's the case, what's there to be proud of? Report an error in the passage at 1:55:36 Highlight the passage at 1:55:36

1:55:44 So Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand by Pabonga Rinpoche says, the mountaintop of pride won't get flooded by the water of good qualities. A guru may teach Dharma to a person who has pride, but it will do no good. Report an error in the passage at 1:55:44 Highlight the passage at 1:55:44

1:56:04 So, and then you can examine how you're lower than others and that's like kind of these examples I just think about. Like I was thinking on the way over and I'm not sure how bees make honey. How do they make honey? They gather up all the pollen, then what do they do? Do they eat it and then spit it out or do they just put it in? Report an error in the passage at 1:56:04 Highlight the passage at 1:56:04

1:56:31 Do they do it in their mouths? See, so like, see, think about that. So this bee's like eating this stuff. Transforming it into nectar in their mouth, spitting it out, and here like we have this amazing, really healthy, delicious kind of honey. I mean, you think like if I put something in my mouth and chewed it all up and spit it out, I don't think a whole lot of people would think it's really nutritious and rushed to go and buy it at the store in jars, you know. Report an error in the passage at 1:56:31 Highlight the passage at 1:56:31

1:57:10 So obviously the bee is superior to me. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:10 Highlight the passage at 1:57:10

1:57:19 See, so you know, it's like that. And then rejoicing. Rejoicing is like one of the best antidotes to pride too. Because you rejoice not only in your own virtuous activities, but also in the virtues of others. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:19 Highlight the passage at 1:57:19

1:57:47 And when you're looking at the virtues of others, like the people that you might feel jealous about because they have more of this or they can do this better than you, you can rejoice in their past virtues. Because it's because of their past virtues that they are able to do those things or have the resources or money that you wish you had. Report an error in the passage at 1:57:47 Highlight the passage at 1:57:47

1:58:14 So you can rejoice in all of the past virtues that has brought them to the place. So those kinds of things. So basically in conclusion we covered in the last two classes, verse 1 and 2. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:14 Highlight the passage at 1:58:14

1:58:35 So in the... Eight Verses of Mind Training by Geshe Sonam Rinchen. He combined verse 1 and 2 into a chapter entitled The Supremacy of Others. So basically it's holding others as supreme, letting go of self-cherishing, cherishing others, putting others' needs before our needs. It's all like carrying the teachings from Choki's class on bodhicitta right into this one. Report an error in the passage at 1:58:35 Highlight the passage at 1:58:35

1:59:18 This is the beginning of the mind training. It's taking those things that we worked with and really starting to use them to transform our minds. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:18 Highlight the passage at 1:59:18

1:59:32 This is a quote from Shantideva in the way of the bodhisattva. Wanting what is best for me, stupidity and lower realms result. Let this be changed, applied to others, honors and the realms of bliss will come. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:32 Highlight the passage at 1:59:32

1:59:54 So basically, the goal in a nutshell is to give up the self-cherishing attitude and cherish others. And so this way we can benefit all other beings and the condensed perfection of wisdom stays. Abide as if you were a servant of all beings. So that's kind of hard. That's another word there. Report an error in the passage at 1:59:54 Highlight the passage at 1:59:54

2:00:22 Servant. I'm a servant. But, yep. That's the way to go. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:22 Highlight the passage at 2:00:22

2:00:30 So, for the homework, you can memorize verse 2. And if you don't memorize it, come to class anyway. It's okay. And then as you're going about your daily routine, was a kind of, you know. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:30 Highlight the passage at 2:00:30

2:00:44 Just try to work with these two verses and try to maybe look and see how you may be able to hold others. It could be like the little dog walking down the street. How could you explore in your mind? How you might be able to do that. That's part of what I put into the meditation. But it would be something that you can do while you're moving around, too. Report an error in the passage at 2:00:44 Highlight the passage at 2:00:44

2:01:20 It's like just to experiment with it and see. So I made copies of the meditations for everybody so that you have it right there. You don't have to print it in case that you just don't print it. So let's see. Let Report an error in the passage at 2:01:20 Highlight the passage at 2:01:20

2:01:42 me pass it out. So the meditation, if you can do it, maybe three times or more for 10 or 15 minutes. Five or 10 if you're really pushed for time. And then reading through also is good. So you can just like, you know, look, you can focus more on one part or another, but just try to work with the... Versus in a meditative form. And then when you go out in the day, see if you can kind of in your mind play with it and watch what comes up. Report an error in the passage at 2:01:42 Highlight the passage at 2:01:42

2:02:33 Kind of have fun with it. Don't make it like a chore. Just enjoy it. Have fun. know Like I was really pleased when I thought about the B. I thought, wow, that's such a good idea. I shoot. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:33 Highlight the passage at 2:02:33

2:02:57 So I'm lower than a B. This is really good. Report an error in the passage at 2:02:57 Highlight the passage at 2:02:57

2:03:05 Anyway, so I wanted to make an announcement too. I don't know if people get the... It's a newsletter or the schedules from Gayoto Foundation. But Gisela is going to teach seven point mind training. And that's the text that Gisela wrote that we were talking about in the first class. And so it's going to be over in Richmond. There's a center over in Richmond that they just acquired. And it's going to be two classes and it's on Sunday, February 2nd. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:05 Highlight the passage at 2:03:05

2:03:40 And Sunday, February 16th. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:40 Highlight the passage at 2:03:40

2:03:46 Well, they didn't put that on the calendar yet. Well, I was wondering how it was going to go because that's kind of a long text. Okay, four texts. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:46 Highlight the passage at 2:03:46

2:03:57 Okay. Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah. But anyway, so the classes are going to be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. And the other thing, you can go to the Gayoto Foundation website. All it is is www.gayotofoundation.org. G-Y-U-T-O. T-O. Yeah. And it's said that they're going to stream them live. So if you can't get to, if you can't drive to Richmond or get over there, you can watch them live. Report an error in the passage at 2:03:57 Highlight the passage at 2:03:57

2:04:41 And it would be really great if you have a chance to do it because Seven Point Mind Training is like the... It was the text that Geshe Chekhová wrote that was taught to him by a teacher and handed down from a teacher and that was the one that was taught to lots of people. It's the one that was more of the public teaching versus, it was the first public teaching versus the real secret teaching. Report an error in the passage at 2:04:41 Highlight the passage at 2:04:41

2:05:12 It was his mostly popular Seven Point Mind Training. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:12 Highlight the passage at 2:05:12

2:05:20 So that would be great if you can go. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:20 Highlight the passage at 2:05:20

2:05:26 But anyway, so look over the meditations. Don't try to do the entire thing all in one time. I think that might be too much. But like what you can do if you have three times, you can pick the first verse and maybe read through the contemplations or just pick one of the paragraphs. Report an error in the passage at 2:05:26 Highlight the passage at 2:05:26

2:05:54 So that it's workable, so that it's fun, so that you enjoy it, Report an error in the passage at 2:05:54 Highlight the passage at 2:05:54

2:06:03 something like that. Report an error in the passage at 2:06:03 Highlight the passage at 2:06:03

2:06:07 So let's dedicate it. Report an error in the passage at 2:06:07 Highlight the passage at 2:06:07

2:06:19 It's kind of late. People should probably want to go home because they have to go to work. We don't have time for questions. But make a note and we can have a discussion at the beginning of the next class. Report an error in the passage at 2:06:19 Highlight the passage at 2:06:19

2:06:46 we'll do the, uh... First two on page six of the dedication prayers and then we'll read the page eight. 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 2:06:46 Highlight the passage at 2:06:46

2:07:21 With the wish to free all beings, I shall always go for refuge to the Buddha, Dharma and Saṅgha until I reach full enlightenment. Inspired by wisdom and compassion, today in the presence I generate a mindful full awakening for the benefit of all sentient beings. For as long as space remains, as long as sentient beings remain, until then may I too remain to dispel the miseries of the world. Report an error in the passage at 2:07:21 Highlight the passage at 2:07:21

2:07:50 So those first verses are actually like almost like generating the mind of enlightenment, almost like doing a little mini bodhisattva vows. Report an error in the passage at 2:07:50 Highlight the passage at 2:07:50

2:08:02 Well, thank you all. I hope there's, are there any really burning questions about my racing through all the notes? You know what, I'll send notes out. Okay, cool. I have to fix a spelling. I found a spelling error for sure here. Report an error in the passage at 2:08:02 Highlight the passage at 2:08:02

2:08:25 But the notes, they have some of the contemplations that you can use in the meditation. So I'll send it out. Report an error in the passage at 2:08:25 Highlight the passage at 2:08:25